Happy new year, friends! I hope that you had an enjoyable Christmas and holiday season and that 2021 has started well for you. Back in September 2020, we launched Soul Food with Mark Conner, a short, weekly video-cast of encouragement and insight aimed at improving your overall, personal well-being. Our first series was around the theme … Continue reading Welcome to 2021
Welcome to 2020!
Well, it's about time. I started drafting this post at the beginning of the year but time got away from me. Now January is almost history and we are only eleven months till Christmas. Every new year brings new opportunities and new aspirations for our lives. I hope yours has gotten off to a great … Continue reading Welcome to 2020!
Birthday Reflections: Here’s to Good Health!
I turned 58 years of age a week ago. Where did the years go? I still feel like I am in my 30s ... but then other days I feel like I've squeezed the work and activity of multiple lifetimes into this one solitary life. In the last 12 months, my dad and my step-mother … Continue reading Birthday Reflections: Here’s to Good Health!
Mid-Year Update from Mark Conner
Hi there. I haven't blogged for a while so I thought it was time for a mid-year update. Can you believe we are into the second half of 2019!? Time sure flies, and more so as you get a little older. I turn 58 years old in a few months time and I often wonder … Continue reading Mid-Year Update from Mark Conner
Celebrating the Life of my Dad – Kevin Conner
Thank you to all of those who attended or watched the thanksgiving service for my dad, Kevin Conner, today at CityLife Church in Melbourne, Australia. We also appreciate the many messages that people have sent in, offering support and prayers, as well as commemorating my dad's life. On my dad's web site, you will find … Continue reading Celebrating the Life of my Dad – Kevin Conner
Kevin Conner Passes Away Peacefully
Kevin J. Conner My dad, Kevin John Conner, passed away peacefully today at 2.00 pm in Melbourne, Australia. Having just turned 92 years of age, dad has spent the last year or so in an aged care home where he has had excellent care and regular visits from family and friends. He lived a full … Continue reading Kevin Conner Passes Away Peacefully
Rene Conner Passes Away
Early last Thursday morning, my step-mum, Rene Conner passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Ringwood Private Hospital. She was 89 years of age. It was really hard to see her go but we are glad that she is now free from pain and discomfort. My 91-year-old dad found it very hard, as you … Continue reading Rene Conner Passes Away
Navigating the Storms of Life
Nahum 1:3. The LORD has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. NKJV
The book of Nahum is one of the 12 minor prophets found at the end of the Old Testament. Nahum lived in the seventh century BC during a time of great political upheaval due to the rise of the Assyrian Empire. His messages sought to encourage God’s people who were being oppressed by a seemingly invincible foe. The book opens with a song of praise to God for his power and justice. The spectacular manifestations of nature are symbolic of his power.
Stormy Winds
Have you ever been in the middle of a storm - a literal one or maybe a storm of adverse circumstances? I sure have - many of them and of all kinds. In fact, just over three years ago, Nicole and I were in the middle of what felt like a perfect storm. It was bigger … Continue reading Stormy Winds
The Mystery of our Emotions (Part 3)
Yesterday, we talked about sadness and I shared a very personal poem with you. Like journalling, poetry is another way to give expression to our emotions. I am very much an amateur but writing poetry has been worth the effort. It helps me to put my feelings into words, my thoughts on to paper, and to give a … Continue reading The Mystery of our Emotions (Part 3)
The Mystery of our Emotions (Part 2)
Yesterday, we started talking about the mystery of our emotions. I am a fairly optimistic person and therefore I have a lot of positive emotions. My family have called me everything from 'Peter Pan' to ‘Tigger'. Yes, I do have a lot of enthusiastic energy … usually from the moment I wake up. … Continue reading The Mystery of our Emotions (Part 2)
My Experience with Burnout
My first encounter with burnout was back in 2002. I experienced what I would call an ‘emotional valley’ that lasted for about 6 months. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me but it took everything within me just to make it through the next meeting, the next appointment or the next project. My mood … Continue reading My Experience with Burnout
The Great Unknown … One Year On …
Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of me finishing up 32 years of employment in the one place and stepping out into the great unknown. [See my post from February 2017 called "Time to Say Goodbye" and a poem I wrote in December 2016 called "The Great Unknown"). One year on, I am so glad I … Continue reading The Great Unknown … One Year On …
2018 … Off and Away!
It’s hard to believe that we are already into February! The new year is well underway. I am loving life and really enjoying this new season. Nicole and I continue to base in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland with regular visits to Melbourne to visit our family and friends. This year, I am giving my time … Continue reading 2018 … Off and Away!
A Pain in the Back
I was in agony. I couldn't move. As I lay on my bed, the pain down my back and through my right upper leg and calf muscles was so great that I didn't think I would get through it. Eventually, I rolled very carefully to the side of my bed and somehow managed to get … Continue reading A Pain in the Back