Welcome to the first episode of my new weekly video - Soul Food. Read all about Soul Food and then view it on the 'Soul Food with Mark Conner' YouTube channel, Instagram TV, or Facebook. What a crazy time this is for our world, especially with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Here in Melbourne, where I … Continue reading Soul Food Episode 01 – Self Care
Next week is Spring here in Melbourne. It will be a new season - and a time for new beginnings and new things. I’m excited to be creating something NEW myself - starting next Wednesday. Watch this space!
As of Sunday, 22nd March this year, churches in Australia could no longer meet in physical buildings due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. The majority of churches had to immediately move to some kind of online platform - ready or not. For some, this was a relatively easy step, especially for churches who had already … Continue reading COVID-19 and the Church
I am white, I am male, I am tall, I am middle class, I am educated, I am straight, and I grew up in a Christian home. All of these things were given to me by birth, not by choice. I did not earn them or do anything to acquire them - other than live … Continue reading Waking Up to My Own ‘Blind Privilege’
This coming Sunday is Mother's Day, a century-old tradition of taking time to thank and honour our amazing mums. Mums are special people we owe so much to - in addition to our very existence! Most mums are faithful, loyal, hard-working, loving and caring people. We honour and applaud them today. Of course, Mother’s Day … Continue reading The Love of a Mother
Good morning from Melbourne! It's getting a little cooler here as Autumn kicks in (or is it Winter already!?). I love this season, especially the beautiful autumn leaves everywhere. Walking each morning and evening in the nearby Edinburg Gardens with my lovely wife and our quirky pugalier is a highlight of my day. Today begins … Continue reading Threshold Times
Welcome to the Easter weekend, 2020. What an unusual and strange world we live in right now. I hope you found my few thoughts on living in turbulent times helpful and encouraging. Easter is an important date on the yearly calendar, and especially for Christians who take this time to reflect on the death, burial … Continue reading Happy Easter!
Draw from God's STRENGTH Turbulent times can be very discouraging and very draining. The very atmosphere of perpetual negativity can wear us out. Yet, Habakkuk reached out to declare God as his strength, the one who would enable him not just to survive but to even thrive in these difficult times. He declared God as … Continue reading Living in Turbulent Times (Part 5)
Hold on to Your JOY Habakkuk did not receive the answer he was looking for. Things were not going to turn for the better right away. Yet he chose to rise above this and hold on to his joy. "Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; … Continue reading Living in Turbulent Times (Part 4)
Look for OPPORTUNITY Despite the crisis and the turbulence of his time, Habakkuk learned to realise that God was at work and that each day was an opportunity to see God’s purposes realised in his time. The central verse of his book is this … "For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will … Continue reading Living in Turbulent Times (Part 3)
Find Clarity in the Uncertainty "I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint."Habakkuk 2:1. NIV Habakkuk pulls aside from the normal routines of life to reflect and waits to hear from God. During turbulent … Continue reading Living in Turbulent Times (Part 2)
What a crazy time it is! We have a rapidly spreading virus, plunging stock markets, entire countries locking down, people hoarding toilet paper, arguments in shopping aisles, businesses closing down, people being laid off ... and no live sport, God forbid! Who would have thought our world would shut down like this. It's like an … Continue reading Living in Turbulent Times (Part 1)
What a crazy time it is! The spread of the coronavirus is unleashing a pandemic of fear and uncertainty right across our world. This is impacting every one of us - mentally, emotionally, financially, and relationally. Who knows where, when and how this will all end. No doubt, it will pass, but at what cost … Continue reading Improving Our Relationships
This time last Monday morning, I checked the news headlines on my phone. I read the top news release: "Kobe Bryant and his daughter killed in a helicopter crash." What a shock! I have been an avid basketball fan since I lived in the USA back in the 1970s. I have followed the National Basketball … Continue reading Kobe Bryant Among Those Killed in a Recent Helicopter Crash
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!
