I saw a lot of butterflies over the last few days. They are so beautiful and graceful. Here is a simple poem I wrote while reflecting on the butterfly. Beauty and colourWings to flyDelicate and lightUp so high No more crawlingOut of the cocoonBrand new lifeThe old is a tomb Free to floatCarried by windGentle … Continue reading Butterfly
A New Beginning
Today is the beginning of a new day and a new week. Only a few days ago we experienced the beginning of a new month and the second half of the year. I love beginnings, so pregnant with potential and so full of opportunity. What adventure awaits! Recently, I came across this poem by John … Continue reading A New Beginning
The Home Crowd
There is an interesting story in the Gospel of Luke about Jesus and his home town crowd - Nazareth. Jesus grew up here. Everyone knew him as 'Joseph's son'. After reading the Scripture in the synagogue one Sabbath, people were surprised by how well Jesus spoke. But before you knew it, they were angry with … Continue reading The Home Crowd
God’s Love for Me
One of the most well-known Jesus stories is his interaction with a Samaritan woman at a well, as recorded in the Gospel of John. This woman had come to draw water from Jacob's well. She was alone and it was midday. This was probably due to her ostracisation from her local community due to her … Continue reading God’s Love for Me
Welcome to Spring!
Welcome to the first day of Spring! At least here in Australia where I live. This last week I spent time walking along Melbourne's iconic Yarra River. Wildflowers were bursting into bloom everywhere. Here is one of the photos I took on my phone. I then crafted the following poem. I hope you enjoy it. … Continue reading Welcome to Spring!
Gone
None of us like to talk about death. It is an enemy that steals away the ones we love. My step-mum, Rene Conner passed away recently. It's been hard for all for all of us, but especially for my dad. I was walking through their home a few days back - so empty now. A … Continue reading Gone
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 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)
A New Day
Nicole and I are currently spending 12 days in Germany while on our way to Russia, where I will speak at three church leaders' conferences (in St Petersburg, Moscow and Novosibirsk). Our day is about over here in the northern hemisphere and we have had a wonderful time touring some of the beautiful southern Germany countryside. … Continue reading A New Day
A Bigger World
I hope you enjoyed John O'Donohoe's poem, For A New Beginning. It really resonated with me, mainly because of the changes and transitions that Nicole and I have navigated over these last few years. Back in October 2015, I was at Phillip Island with some pastors on a two-day retreat. Early one morning I went … Continue reading A Bigger World
For a New Beginning
My wife, Nicole, just returned from a week's Silent Retreat on the beautiful Bellarine Penisula in Victoria. The dogs (we have two - Oscar, the kindest labrador you've ever met, and Nikki, the naughtiest, yet smartest pugalier ever to enter the world) and I managed to survive while Nicole was away. In fact, we had a … Continue reading For a New Beginning
Reflections on Midlife
In my recent farewell address, I noted how differently you see life at age 55 compared to your early 20s and 30s. When you are young, you think you will live forever! But life and time do move quickly. The stages of life seem to progress with increasing speed: childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, midlife, mature adulthood and late … Continue reading Reflections on Midlife
Time
Good morning, everyone. It's hard to believe it, but Christmas is over and the new year is well underway. I've just returned to work after 3 week's of holidays and I only have 6 more weeks before I finish up in my role as Senior Minister as CityLife Church. I turned 55 years of age … Continue reading Time
The Finish Line
Today was my last official day of work for 2016. I spoke at all 5 of our church's Christmas carols presentations this weekend. It was a lot of fun and it was great to see so many people there, especially so many visitors. It's now 2 months and 8 days till I finish up in my role … Continue reading The Finish Line
The Great Unknown
Sometimes in life we experience 'more of the same' as we deal with the familiarity of routine. At other times, there is the adventure of new things and of entering uncharted waters. That's my life right now. I am in the process of transitioning out of a staff role at CityLife Church where I have … Continue reading The Great Unknown