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Light a candle

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(Image via Pinterest)

One of my all time favourite quotes is this…

‘You never lose your flame by lighting another candle.’

Creative online culture completely baffles me sometimes.

I am learning how important it is to credit people correctly but I want to be in this world and not of it.

Success, fame, popularity are not my obsession.

My one desire for this creative space is to inspire others.

To light flames that may never have been set on fire without my little inspiration thought.

Late last night I posted some simple thoughts and around the world I had people writing to me about how they struggle with unforgiveness.

This is my dream. An open space of conversation, that heals and brings new creative inspiration to our world.

Anyone can take anything from this blog and I don’t care whether they credit me or not.

Once you put something on the internet people do repost it, people forward it, people make it their own.

I love that!

If I light another candle, then my work is done.

Create dear friends.

Find your unique within my thoughts and reproduce.

Creativity that is a free flowing stream is the best kind.

Jealous
Coveting
Envious
Controlling

Inspiration is just not inspired.

Honestly no idea is ever original anyway.

We all hunt and gather constantly and reproduce what we have catalogued.

When you hold onto your creativity tightly worried someone is going to rob you of your copyright, you are the one who is enclosed in your creative fortress.

I believe in unique inspiration.

I believe in honestly crediting those who inspire you.

But for me and my house we are giving everything, our life, our ideas, our home, our money, our inspiration, our creativity away…with no expectation of recompense.

It’s a lifestyle.

Speak tomorrow

Ps- I love candles. So much.

Amanda

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Anyway

anyway one

anyway two

I lead a network for women called Kinwomen, with two of my best friends. Each month we have a theme and April’s is ‘Forgive’.

In the 18 months that we have been exploring a new theme with women online and on radio, I have never been as challenged as I am this month.

Every quote that I find, every script I have prepared, every blog I have edited, I have been super challenged.

I personally don’t find it hard to forgive people, what I find hard, is how to reframe relationships once they have been broken.

How do I love someone at a distance?

How do I transition seasons and let people go?

How do I respect others, but also put up good boundaries for my family?

How do I stay healthy on the inside?

One of my radio spots this month, I just simply read this poem from Mother Teresa.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Mother Teresa

I walk away from Easter every year and I am challenged in my love walk.

I am challenged by how much I hold onto.

I am challenged to forgive and forget.

I am challenged to move on and not allow offence to take me off course.

I am challenged about doing anyway.

When I get stuck in a place of offence, it really impacts my ability to believe for a better tomorrow.

How about you?

Speak tomorrow

Amanda

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he is…

he is risen

cross

maximus

At 2.30am this morning, I heard a little rustle, a little fiddle and then a big smile from a 2 year old standing at the foot of our bed.

In his hands was a simple little something, that made him super excited.

I could barely open my eyes but all those years waiting to become a parent was encapsulated in this one moment.

Encircled in his little hands was an Egg. He had found some little presents next to his bedside and he was overwhelmed with excitement.

Over 2,000 years ago, two young women went to the tomb of Jesus, to grieve and sob. They were distressed that their favourite friend in the whole world had gone.

As they walked towards the tomb. A big old stone fortress, impenetrable to even the most buff of soldiers.

The stone had been rolled away from the inside and Jesus funeral clothes were laid aside, he was no longer there.

Early in the morning, they too discovered something magnificent.

He was alive.

He was truly dead (water flowed from his side and water had split from the blood, a medical sign of death).

Now He is risen.

This is the why of Easter.

This is why we hung out with our family today and celebrated.

This is why I believe.

He is everything they say he is…

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Eggs, eggs, eggs…

fresh eggs

If you asked me what cravings I have with this pregnancy I would say to you Eggs on Toast.

Bright Yellow

Sunny side up

Eggy goodness.

There is something about a little more effort in the morning with my family that is making my heart smile lately.

My mum has a chicken coup and so we get fresh eggs whenever we want. Max pulls on his brand new chicken boots and we go all farmer like for a while.

This Easter, rather than paying someone to make you breakfast, what about whipping up your own. Buy great eggs and even better loaf of freshly made bread and enjoy the little things.

I watched this Jamie Oliver tutorial all the way through, to learn any more tricks on cooking eggs.

That shows I must be a little pregnant crazy.

Eggs and Easter go together like mustard and ham.

Happy days my friends.

Enjoy the ones you’re with, I certainly am down south in Dunsborough this morning.

Amanda

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yet not as I will

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One of greatest lines in the whole of our human history, one which changed the course of our world for ever was this.

‘Not my will be done, but yours…’

It is not often that we hear someone say these simple words.

We are encouraged to discover ourselves.

To stand up for ourselves.

To find ourselves.

Our worlds focus can be summed up in one word.

Self.

We are obsessed with taking selfies…

We are overwhelmed with self esteem, self satisfaction, self fulfilment.

The one message of Easter, that is encapsulated with the story of the cross, is that Jesus was not wanting to do what he did.

He was fully human and fully divine, right to the end.

Human: Please take this from me.

Divine: Not my will but yours be done.

What a juxtaposition of the battle we face daily.

In marriage:

Human: This is what I want/ need.

Divine: Not my will but yours be done.

In parenthood:

Human: You are frustrating me, just listen…

Divine: Not my will but yours be done.

In friendships:

Human: When are you going to call me? When did I do that for you last?

Divine: Not my will but yours be done.

The way of the cross is not about self sabotage it is all about self sacrifice.

When we lay down our way, our lives and serve another, we walk the way of the cross.

Listen and watch the power in this video today Good Friday and meditate upon where you have taken up your human side and been trying to have your way and maybe this Easter you can find a new place to discover life.

In the way of the cross.