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She is more precious than jewels

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Shoalwater, WA

It is quite easy to look at the innocence of a young child and see their naive beauty. 

Their perspective, their lack of cynicism and the profound view they hold on the world around them.

Something shifts however, they grow into teenagers, then adults and we stop seeing people as humans and our expectations grow beyond the beauty and simplicity of the connection we once shared.

Yes maturity asks that we grow, learn and change.

And compassion asks that we treat people with respect and grace.

But sometimes we forget the gift of mercy that can be extended to all in times of stretch and strain.

The definition of mercy is this;

“To be kind or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.”

A woman of wisdom bestows mercy often when it just does not make sense.

She does this because she recognises that she too is not without fault and someone also saw the innocent beauty of her humanity once.

It is a gift that continues to give long after the circumstance has faded.

Proverbs 11: 17 says it this way;

The merciful man does himself good, But the cruel man does himself harm.

When we are merciful and forgiving toward someone vulnerable, we see the person as a human being, rather than someone in whom it is our right to make ourselves superior. Mercy lets us set aside questions of equity, justice, vengeance, or even blame; it asks not what a person deserves, but what they need.

Understanding the brokenness of other people and the pressures they experience makes it easier to be merciful.

I love this proverb 3: 15 how it describes this wisdom and gaining a heart of understanding…

She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

It shows the beauty that is available to everyone of us, outside of possessions, outside of looks, outside of jewels, gold and finery.

Without mercy, the world would be a harsh, exacting place. When we recognize the grace we have received, all of the times that we have, mercifully, not gotten what we deserved, perspective shifts and we find in ourselves a desire to give others the same gift.

Are you struggling to give mercy or forgiveness to someone?

Are your expectations so high, that no one will ever meet them?

Proverbs 17: 9 says this

Whoever covers an offence seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

Reframing your view of someone and seeing them as a child. See them as someone who so desperately needs a break. See them as human, broken, confused, impacted by other humans, someone who is just having a go. Yes someone that may have done the wrong thing, but never the less is seeking mercy.

You are more precious than jewels.

Wisdom decorates your heart and soul with indescribable beauty.

Every time we extend our hearts and lives to lift another, something deeply profound happens. An innocence awakens, a return to a place where we are not superior than another, we remember where we have come from, how many times we have got things so deeply wrong and an equilibrium shift occurs.

Let’s keep forgiving extending grace in situations that don’t necessarily deserve it.

Let’s keep finding ways to extend mercy and care to those who don’t thank us for it.

Let’s keep digging deep the well of wisdom, to find ways to bestow respect and honour on humanity once again.

We are not each others judges, we are fellow companions on the journey.

We were designed for community and every time we accept each others differences, we shift the balance back a little more to neutral.

Wisdom is not a call for the weak, it is a call for the very brave. Those who are willing to go to places than many do not have the courage to go.

Tomorrows post can be found here: She is honest

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she knows who is in her tribe

she is...

We have family, we have friends and then I think women of wisdom have their tribe.

The dictionary defines a tribe as this;

a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognised leader.

Sometimes our friends and family form part of our tribe, but I have found in my life this is very rare.

The tribe I am referring to, is close companions who champion and celebrate your uniqueness, but speak the same language as you in the areas of your passions.

A woman of wisdom, has a tribe of women and men, who creatively challenge, who lead strongly together and who help one another contribute significantly to the community at large.

Proverb 13: 20 says

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

A tribe of companions that help one another grow and live the life they were designed with purpose to live.

I have a group of women in my life, who are leaders, they are makers, they are thought provokers, they are questioners, they are believers, they are change makers. Every time I sit with them (just like the proverb 31 when it says about her husband “he is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.”), we talk, we theorise, we change the world and we disagree.

A group of women who are in my everyday and some who are far away, but they are the kind of leaders that I aspire to be and they challenge me daily to keep growing.

Another proverb says this quite simply;

Proverb 27: 17

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

If you are not disagreeing with someone in your tribe, you are not growing. This is what a tribe does so well together. We sharpen, refine, stretch, challenge, grow and believe in one another extravagantly.

If you are a peacemaker, who is trying desperately to please people and not rock any proverbial boats, it is quite likely that you life may be stagnating and your tribe has become a club lead by committee rather than a tribe of change makers who are disrupting the status quo, to bring purpose and life to antiquated ecosystems.

I long to be a change maker.

I want to be a woman of wisdom who brings contribution to every part of society that I am engaged in.

I cannot do either of these things, nor do I want to do these things without my tribe of crazy, creative, soulful, entrepreneurs who take risks, who live life largely, who bring change for the vulnerable in our society and who live beyond themselves.

I have people who are my friends, they are precious, they are nurturing and an essential part of my life.

But a woman of wisdom also knows that in the world of dream making, being isolated in leadership, business and family is an unsafe place to be.

She creates a culture of community in her life, that is breathtaking.

She journey’s with people who understand her heart and intensity.

She loves extravagantly, forgives quickly and celebrates small victories with the women in her circle of trust.

She refuses to compare and compete with the women in her tribe because she knows that is so destructive to the very core of its institution.

Your creative tribe is awaiting discovery.

They are there waiting to be included.

What one person can do is brilliant, what a whole tribe can accomplish together is profound.

This is the call of a woman of wisdom.

A call to a life of intimacy, community and radical surrender.

To read my next post click here: She lets perspective shape her days

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she guards her heart above all else

Shoalwater Island
Shoalwater, Penguin Island

We went for a big walk today, to shake off the mornings cobwebs. Even though we walked far and wide, we knew our way home, as it was a path we have walked many times before.

The path a well worn part of our weekly routine as a family. Along the way is our favourite park, little sights and sounds we have grown to love, in fact we can talk the whole way and not ever get lost, the path leads us home.

 

One of my all time favourite proverbs is this one;

Proverb 4: 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Do you feel confused about the path you are walking in your life?

Are you unable to find the path that leads you home?

Instead of looking for directions towards your purpose or dreams, wisdom would ask you how is the state of your heart?

Another version of this proverb says that “our heart is the wellspring of life.”

It is like everything we do, everything that we are and everything that we long to be, flow up and out of the artisan spring of our heart.

If we are full of anger and bitterness, it flavours and impacts our direction and life.

If our heart is clouded by pride and arrogance, it shrouds the potential of the course of our days.

If we have not processed grief or strife it changes the tone of our days.

Sometimes the impact is not felt in the immediate season, but as we orientate ourselves towards the designs of our future, we start to venture off course.

Our heart and its condition impacts every single area of our life.

It affects the people we meet, the friends we make, the opportunities that come our way, something so small can filter the entirety of our being.

A woman of wisdom knows that the internal voice that leads and guides her needs to be retuned every so often.

A woman of leadership knows that she needs a group of safe and deep friendships that she can keep unpacking and processing the hardening of her heart.

A woman of strength is vulnerable enough to speak honestly about the condition of her internal world and ask for help when she needs it.

One of the greatest pursuits of my days, is to filter, process and work through that which is getting a little stuck in my internal worlds.

It reorientates me back to the path that sometimes feels overgrown and hidden, giving me a sense of direction towards the days I was designed to live.

I think finding the path again is as simple as getting quiet, meditating, reflecting, talking, processing, listening, thinking, finding, seeking the condition of our internal worlds, then slowly the course of our days becomes very clear.

The proverb goes on to list ways that our hearts easily become compromised;

Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”

If your path seems unclear, today’s thought would be this, why don’t you dig a little deeper and look at the condition of your heart?

It may just reveal more than you expect.

To read the next day in the series click here: She shares her stuff

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be the change

We live in a period of history, where truly you can come up with an idea and then find the resources and capacity to pull it off.

The internet and social media has enabled us to create our dreams at a fraction of the price it used to cost to innovate previously.

I often meet creative people who are passionate about change. They catch the heart of vision to make a difference in our world, but live far from the dreams and desires they feel burning in their hearts.

Have you had an idea that you are stuck where to from here?

Do you feel deeply about issues, that you want to make a step forward and create change?

Well I wrote a book just for you.

potential

It is a 30 day journey, that starts from Perth, Western Australia and travels to Bangkok, Thailand. A 30 day inspiration guide, that combines thoughts about creativity, poverty and innovation.

I wrote this book ‘capture 30days desperate for change’ hoping to release some people from the fear that stops them from realising their dreams.

The best part of this story is that it is free.

I kept the price down, by designing it super simply, a downloadable PDF book, that you can open up on your ipad, e-reader, computer or phone and start to do the journey together.

You could even print it and write into the workbook. If you do, take some photos and share with one another on here or my instagram or facebook.

Download today and write into me.

I would love to hear what inspires you towards change.

change

Capture Life with me

Amanda