Life is good

This is our dog Minnie Mae and she is filled with joy, it is like she literally bounds around all day projecting the positive affirmation "life is good" into the universe. As a result she does so happen to live a good life.

I don't bound through life with the same unbridled enthusiasm as Minnie Mae but whenever I utter the words "life is good" to people outside my little tribe I often get a look suggesting I am less intelligent, and perhaps uneducated to hold such a childlike view.



I get responses like these:

• Oh yeah, maybe for some
• It is alright for you to say that, you aren't dealing with tragedy or grief or homelessness or depression or illness or domestic violence
• Really, yeah it might be alright for you  

 No matter what I see and hear I just can't help but feel in my heart that life is good.

I am not denying bad and evil exists, it does, in bucket loads, bad things happen to good people, I know that and it saddens me.

Yesterday I saw a little girl at Breakfast Club eating her free cereal and drinking her milk with such ferocity, it left me wondering how hungry she must feel most of the time if she comes to school with no breakfast.

Or knowing that there are small girls and young women trapped in sex slavery, kidnapped or tricked, beaten and raped until their soul is destroyed at the hands of heartless, awful greedy people. Life is not good to those poor sisters.

When I think of the massive number of worldwide refugees, people forced to flee their country, or the asylum seekers locked up on a Manus Island, living in fear. The disturbingly high rates of domestic violence, child abuse, drug and alcohol dependency, increasing suicide rates, the list goes on.

There is so much bad in the world, terribleness at every turn, on the radio, on the television, on social media in the newspapers, in our neighborhoods, schools and on the lips of people we talk to.

So why do I still feel that life is good.

God says "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".  We have all been born with this knowledge coursing through our viens and it is in worship, prayer and living life in constant relationship with God that this knowledge grows and strengthens.

I am confident nothing good can come of focusing on the bad, it will make your heart harden, you will become a bitter, cranky, withered up person with all the joy and energy sucked out of your soul.

You know that song "Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones" ... I don't want dry bones.

To love magnificently in the face of all the bad is surely powerful and wonderful.

"The tallest oak in the forest was once just a little nut that held its ground", I want to be a little love nut holding my ground and eventually become a big oak, surrounded by other big oaks that have all grown from love.

Surely this will make a better world, if more of us believe life is good, if we feel safe and loved we will all make kinder and better decisions and choices that in turn will make life good, not just for us but those around us.

So are you a love nut that will hold your ground, do you want to live life like Minnie Mae, full of joy and wonderful anticipation of all the great blessings that may be coming your way today. I'd love to hear from you.

With much love
Justine x

The loveliness of holidays

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" Psalm 19:1

We have just had a week holidaying in Brunswick Heads NSW and it is spectacularly beautiful, it is easy to appreciate and acknowledge the handiwork of our creative and artistic God when beauty abounds so profusely.

When the waves break on the edge of the water and stir up the sand, it honestly looks like golden glitter. The water is so clear and warm and the waves so soft that as you dive beneath the surface it is easy to imagine you are a mermaid. Everybody was happy and friendly, there were smiles galore. The diversity of delicious food created from fresh, local and organic produce was simply breathtaking. The live comedy show we saw had us laughing until it hurt, you know that almost out of control, tears streaming down your face, child like amusement. 

Get this, they even have wine on tap at the very awesome Hotel Brunswick. Every day we spent at The Bruns was magnificent and every experience we shared was memorable.

After this perfect time of bliss and happiness I took some time to reflect on what I had learnt over the week so I can bring some of the wonderful joy from holidays into my every day world.

Friendly people are awesome

Do you know the saying "Life in an echo, what you send out comes back", well obviously I was deliriously happy while I was on holidays and it felt like absolutely everybody else was too. It seemed everybody wore a smile from ear to ear, every person seemed friendly and chatty. Was this just how I was seeing the world through my rose coloured glasses, was my heart so full of love that it didn't really matter what anybody else was doing because all I could see was joy. or is everybody just genuinely happy at Brunswick Heads. 

Either way it proves how important it is to be aware of your own state of mind, and the benefits of surrounding yourself with happy people and enjoyable experiences because it really does impact on your perception of reality. 

Live music, local beer, sea breezes and dancing children are a wonderful combination and a fabulous way to spend a Sunday afternoon

Hotel Brunswick is set outside under enormous poinciana trees surrounded by lush green hedges, and there is wine on tap, say no more!! We had a wonderful afternoon, however it is just one of the many reasons I could not live in Brunswick Heads, I think I would quickly become a regular at that pub.

Some things just happen on holidays, and that is okay.

Beach towels are no longer cool ... apparently

We watched in awe as we saw beautiful people, both men and women, gracefully walk from the water to simply pick up a wrap of some description off the sand, skilfully drape it around themselves to become a stylish dress or masculine scarf and then leave smiling and laughing together.

Us on the other hand arrived at the beach with two beach umbrellas, four beach towels, sand toys, snacks, sun screen, drink bottles and a whole lot of noise. Nothing happened gently or delicately and we left as chaotically as we arrived, but with a few extra special shells.

It really is nice and fun to see how other people do things. Maya Angelou said "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better". There is always so much to learn, experience, observe and enjoy and going away on holidays often provides a wonderful opportunity to expand our minds and see and experience new things that will help us do better in our own day to day life.

Everybody really is beautiful

Sometimes I can forgo getting into the water because it just seems too hard by the time everybody else is in, plus my swimmers are just some bargain bikini I picked up last holidays, they don't really fit properly and I need to apply so much sunscreen before I go swimming ... blah blah blah.  This year I got in the water, repeatedly and thank goodness I did, it was supremely divine. It made me relax and cool and happy and as I looked around everybody on the beach did look beautiful. No matter what their body shape, or swimmers, or hair colour or skin tone ... every single person who was enjoying the water and the sun and living in the moment radiated beauty and joy. 

I am sure there are plenty of other things I avoid in life because I think it is too much effort or I'm not good enough or I don't have the right clothes. Whatever, such lame excuses and I am just robbing myself of joy. When you jump in, experience all that is on offer, it really does not matter your ability, you outfit none of it ... when you are being true to yourself and having a red hot crack you are beautiful. "To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others, You need to accept yourself" Thich Nhat Hanh

Even if you don't post it on Facebook it still happened

Say what now ... I do not believe that!! I tried so hard to live in the moment, not take too many photos, just share and experience with those I was with, without any need to share it with the world. FAIL ... I failed big time. I really truly tried and did not post anything on social media whilst I was on holidays but the minute I was home I just had to brag, I had to show my photos ... sorry.

Thank you Brunswick Heads for the wonderful holiday, we absolutely loved it, we felt truly blessed to visit this magical part of the earth and God willing we will be back again, soon xoxo

Celebrating Jesus, love, girl power and the moon this Easter

I love Easter for so many reasons, it demonstrates the intense love God has for us and it represents forgiveness and hope like nothing else I have every experienced.

I love the 'Journey to the cross', it is deeply powerful. Starting with Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday followed by six weeks of readings that focus on the vital ministry of Jesus while he walked this earth. Then Palm Sunday, the Last Supper all as we move closer and closer to the profound moment of the resurrection. Each individual celebration having its own meaning but together they culminate to a crescendo-building occurrence, when it is announced "He has risen".

Secondly, I love that women feature significantly in the Bible at Easter. In our culture the women’s stories in the Bible have taken second place to the interests and needs of male biblical writers and male leaders in Christian churches, but at Easter women feature prominently and that makes me really happy.

The Gospels agree that at the most difficult moment in the Christian story, when Jesus hung on the cross exposed and suffering, it was his women followers who remained with him when everybody else had left. Then they helped Joseph of Arimathea take down his body and lay it in the tomb before dusk fell. The Gospels agree that, at the cross, there was a collection of women who had followed Jesus, some who had followed him all the way from Galilee.

It was women who came to the tomb first, the angel spoke to Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome, and said "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen".

Then in Mark 16:9 "When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared to Mary Magdalene". God does nothing by accident, so the fact that women played such a vital part in this world and life changing moment in history is very pertinent and profound.

I also love how the date of Easter each year is based on the first full moon after Equinox. Perfect balance between heaven and earth, a beautiful unison between spirituality, nature and mankind and a sign of respect for the astrology elements. It is wonderful, everybody can look up at the sky each night for the week leading up to Easter, seeing the moon get bigger, creating anticipation for Easter Sunday. It is all inclusive and just magnificent.

I love listening to the beautiful and powerful songs of Worship about the Cross, Calvary and forgiveness, I adore having an excuse to eat chocolate and it makes me smile big as I watch our children excitedly hunt for Easter Eggs.

My prayer is that each one of us, no matter where we are, how we celebrate, or who we are with, that we will all experience the transforming love of Jesus Christ this Easter.

It's the vibe ... no that's it ... it's the vibe

You can relax, sit down, take a breath and seriously don't worry ... be happy.

Take time to smell the roses, slow down and look at rainbows, stop and hear the birds singing. 
Laugh, smile, let the tension be released from your shoulders.

Rest assured all is well.

When Dennis Denuto says in The Castle "it’s the vibe, and…no that’s it…it’s the vibe. I rest my case".  This one statement "it's the vibe" was a profound insight about the meaning of life.

Life ... it's the vibe, I rest my case.

Recently I have attended the funerals of two beautiful women who lived long loving and fruitful lives.  At both funerals the thoughts and memories shared by their relatives focused on what the women loved doing, the funny and quirky, the loving and kind, the exciting and fun, the memorable moments of their life.

The people who attended were a reflection of the kind of relationships they had nurtured and treasured in their lives.

Neither funeral focused on the mundane tasks of life, nobody mentioned the things these ladies couldn't do, nobody talked about the people who didn't love them.

Nobody mentioned the size of their house, or the type of car they drove, nobody mentioned how much money they had in the bank. At both funerals the careers of the women was mentioned but in relation to how their healing and teaching qualities featured in all aspects of their life, not how many hours they spent earning money. The Committees both these women served on were mentioned, but not the hours they spent at meetings or fundraising but rather the valuable contribution they helped make to their community.

Nobody mentioned the lawn mowing, the dishes, the washing, the vacuuming, the bill paying, the crying, the worrying, the days nothing got done, the bad fashion choices or the bad hair days ... nobody.  

It gave me great hope that on that day, when our friends and relatives gather to celebrate our life and share their memories of us, it is all about 'the vibe' of our life.  The guiding principals we use to make choices, the way we treat people, the way we love and what we do for fun and the trips we take and adventures we have.

People remember us when we are happy, doing the things we love, being with the people we love and when we are being our most authentic self, this is memorable.  

It is our hobbies, our creative pursuits, what we do with our free time, how we speak to people, the kind and generous things we randomly do, these things are what are remembered.

So if we want our funeral, and ultimately our life, to be good we need to spend time investing in the things that matter.  Do more of what makes us smile, do more of what makes our heart sing, spend more time with the people we love.  

Use our time on earth to plant seeds of love.

In the Bible, Jesus says "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly", John 10:10. 

So there you have it, live your life abundantly, love deeply, have fun, be silly, dream, imagine, do all you can to enjoy the gift of life, for it is a gift.

It's the vibe that matters, everything else is subaltern, inferior, lesser, petty. I rest my case.

A life well lived

Today our family mourns the loss of a wise, loving Grandma and Great Grandma, a beautiful lady who loved her family and lived her life well.

Kindness, love, gentleness, patience and peace were her trademark traits and the seeds she has planted live on, not only in the hearts of her decedents living now, but those not born yet, those who will follow us.  Is there anything more beautiful or meaningful than to pass down such worthy attributes to those who are yet to come.

It raises the question of what does it mean to live a life well?

I have been blessed with a depth of amazing role models, so I have witnessed lives lived well.

For me a life lived well means to live in loving peaceful relationship with God, my family, my friends, my community and my world.

For me, the fruits of a life lived well are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Gifts bestowed upon us by God and lived out, little by little, each and every day.

Knowing what it means and looks like to live a life well does not mean it is easy to do.

No siree.

It takes every day bravery and courage to live a life well.

It means not quitting, it requires staying in the arena even when you want to run. It means you need to keep dancing even when the music changes, and it changes regularly without warning.

Little by little, step by step, building strength, gaining wisdom and increasing faithfulness is what creates a life well lived with eternal worth and lasting contributions that benefit future generations.

In my life the people who have lived a life well have all had a profound relationship with Jesus Christ. This faith has meant they have walked through pain, joy, tragedy, triumph, heartbreak, terrible mistakes and wise choices, soul penetrating love and despairing loss and the whole gamut of ups and downs that life on earth gives us.

It means that at times they celebrated and other times they just survived, but they did it and they did it well.

Step by step, little by little they did it.  They lived life well.

I am proud to love, and be loved, by amazing people, who I admire and respect and who I know have prayed for me, and my family, in the dark of night when everybody else is asleep, so thank you, thank you, thank you.

Today our minds rest on Grandma, on all the wonderful times we shared, the cups of teas, the biscuits, the unconditional love bestowed upon each one of us.

We give thanks that her soul will rest in peace, she is reunited with Cec, and she no longer feels pain or sheds tears but rejoices knowing that she will share eternity with Jesus.

To a life well lived, in loving memory of Granny xoxo

That in itself is a tremendous thing

Friendship, I am blessed to have known it and I treasure my friends. To me the value of my friends is far above rubies.

I grew up loving Anne of Green Gables.

In real life, our beloved dogs are named Gilbert and Minnie Mae as a testimony to my love and devotion to Anne and one of my all time bucket list wishes is to visit Prince Edward Island.

An aspect of the early Anne of Green Gables stories that I adore is Anne's loyal friendship to Diana Barry.  She loves Diana with her whole heart, she is her bosom friend. "A bosom friend" Anne explains to Marilla is "an intimate friend, you know - a really kindred spirit to whom I can confide my inmost soul".

I never thought Diana was good enough for our Anne, but after Diana is invited to tea with tragic results and the girls are forced to say an eternal farewell there is no denying their love for each other.

 ----

"Ten minutes isn't very long to say an eternal farewell" said Anne tearfully. "Oh, Diana, will you promise faithfully never to forget me, the friend of your youth, no matter what dearer friends may caress thee?"

"Indeed I will," sobbed Diana, "and I'll never have another bosom friend--I don't want to have. I couldn't love anybody as I love you."

"Oh, Diana," cried Anne, clasping her hands, "do you love me?"

"Why, of course I do. Didn't you know that?"

"No." Anne drew a long breath. "I thought you liked me of course but I never hoped you loved me. Why, Diana, I didn't think anybody could love me. Nobody ever has loved me since I can remember. Oh, this is wonderful! It's a ray of light which will forever shine on the darkness of a path severed from thee, Diana. Oh, just say it once again."

"I love you devotedly, Anne," said Diana staunchly, "and I always will, you may be sure of that."

"And I will always love thee, Diana," said Anne, solemnly extending her hand.

-----

Are you crying .... oh my goodness I am!!  The point I was trying to make, before getting deliriously swept away in the beauty and romance of Anne of Green Gables, is friendship is such an important aspects of life.

Sometimes I find my life quite repetitive, very similar tasks over and over.

Also my life feels quite mundane, I am committed to loving my God, husband, family and planet but there is nothing headline grabbing about this, it takes a lot of small acts of kindness that I hope will one day add up to a life lived with love.

However, if I were able to line up and parade before you MY friends well .... I know you, and in fact the world, would be impressed.

My goodness, the people I get to call friends are the finest folk you could ever hope to meet.  They have strength of character and determination of iron,  their hearts are as big as the ocean and they love beyond belief.  They are passionate and caring and kind and funny and hard working and beautiful and I love them so.

Yes, I am bragging!!

My friends include my husband and children, my Mum and my sister, my nieces and the crazy people that choose to love me even though they really do not have to ...mwah xx

There was a time in my life when I was reckless with friendships but no more.  My friends do truly mean the world to me.  They shine bright sparkly glitter on even the dullest day and I feel truly blessed and to know and love them.

I do not want to give the impression that there are hundreds of people in this clan I talk of, probably be lucky to be pushing twenty and some friends I see daily or weekly or monthly or annually, but this does not have any effect on the depth or importance of our friendship.

So I would like to make a toast to all the Anne and Diana friendships out there, may your friendship live long and prosper.

Your friends should
motivate and inspire you.
Your circle should
be well rounded and supportive.
Keep it tight.
Quality over quantity,
always.
- simplereminders.com -

Come, sit a while, and listen to your soul speak

Hello sweet souls

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth ... And the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2). 

This is how the Bible starts. God spoke everything into existence ... 'and God said' ... from animals to oceans, from stars to humans, and the moon and the sun. Then on the very last page of the Bible Jesus says “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelations 22:13). 

This, to me, demonstrates that there has always been, and will continue to be, a spirit element to absolutely everything. The Spirit of God is in every single thing and every single person, from the very start until the very end.

This spiritual wisdom is ours for the taking, it is free for us to receive, if we quiet ourselves enough to hear it.

I absolutely love the spiritual aspect of life. 

In my Applied Science studies I had the opportunity to learn about Indigenous cultures, and I found the spiritual aspects of cultural studies fascinating.   

Indigenous people across the globe believed that animals, plants and everything else possessed a spiritual essence, and this belief was so fundamental to every day existence it was taken for granted and so they often didn’t even have a word to describe it.  

In Hawaiian Mysticism mana is a life energy that flows through all things and is highly individual and the Arapaho Indians believed all plants are our brothers and sisters and they talk to us and if we listen, we can hear them.

Today at Church I witnessed the Holy Spirit working as members of our congregation were incredibly encouraging towards each other.  There was a lot of ‘Great work’, ‘I really love how you...’, ‘Thank you’ and this isn’t really a common occurrence in our small country Church and it was beautiful and uplifting to witness.

I witness the Holy Spirit whenever I see somebody doing what they truly love, whether it is teaching or preaching, creating or growing, encouraging or loving, nurturing or providing.  When anything is being done with great generosity and kindness and love you know it is the Holy Spirit, because the fruits of the Spirit are ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (Galatians 5:22-23), without the Spirit these things are incredibly hard if not impossible for us humans.

I feel the presence of the Spirit in many ordinary moment, whether I  am in nature, when my bare feet or hands are in direct contact with earth, sand or sea;  or when I am with those I love most or at Church or when I pray, meditate, or when I am smudging our home or at any time at all really.  Yet when I am stressed, worried, fearful, scared, angry or tired the Spirit seems much harder to hear.

My hope is that increasingly more of us will open our hearts and minds to the power of the Spirit, more of us will take the time to be quiet and listen to our souls, that more of us will be able to live our abundance and all of this will soon come to influence the way we manage our environment; the way we love, raise and educate our children; the way we build our economy and the way we interact and exist together locally and globally.

Poet nayyirah waheed writes:

do not disrespect your heart, by

hearing what it needs, and

giving it the opposite.

I have much hope for the future, I hope this era of denying the Spirit is coming to an end, and my prayer is that we listen more closely to our heart, and have the courage to acknowledge the power of the Spirit in our lives. 

Written with much love

Justine xx