VINTAGE

                                                                    


                                                              VINTAGE

We say Vintage and think old. When we say a  ‘vintage person’ its probably not received so well, but when talking of a ‘vintage wine’ you may think of it as respected, cured and delicately sipped in the small of our mouth.

 Vintage is defined historically, it has  meaning. When you say something is vintage it gives the subject a ‘story’. An example is - ‘Could you please hand me my old coat’, OR ‘could you please hand me my vintage coat’, I wouldn't ask any questions about someone's old coat, but a ‘vintage coat’ I might be intrigued to know more.

‘Vintage is not the old, it is the procured’

 Natalie Turpin

'All things are for Good'

Having had some struggles in my life recently I found myself with a heavy heart, a feeling of being lost and very unsure of my future. No person or earthly comfort made it less painful.

I stumbled, well more like dragged, myself out to the kitchen one morning flicked on the kettle, went to the fridge to get milk and to my surprise ( sarcastic undertone) we were out of milk, so with complete reluctance I headed to the supermarket.

As I was walking through the supermarket aisle I felt like I was completely numb and everyone and everything around me was an illusion. My mind was blank to why I was even there, I couldn't smile at anyone or even make eye contact, my feet dragged one after the other like lead weights, I just felt completely numb. As I was walking through the aisle, out of nowhere...but somewhere, I heard a whisper, it was soft and clear. I briefly looked around half expecting someone to be standing there, I think that would have freaked me out more, having some random whispering in my ear. But there was no one there and the words I heard were 'I make all things for good'. I smiled,I knew where that whisper came from and I knew my heart had been heard.

Later that morning, after my cuppa, I went for a walk along the beach, the beautiful blue water was so still, just a gentle white wash lapping on the shore, there was not a sole around. Again I heard the words 'I make all things for good'. So beautiful and clear just as God does when He wants us to hear Him.

I took those words in to every moment of the next few days and looked at my situation with more hope, and a knowing that God sees what I'm going through. My faith restored, my pain and doubts became lighter and I knew I had someone sharing the load of what was going to be a long road to travel.

Thank you for knowing what I need and showing me love unconditionally.
 Amen.

Dreams

Why do we Dream? 
Why do we remember some so clearly and others not a trace. 
Some dreams are so disturbing and even make you wake up feeling angry, sad and even frightened, others a euphoric trip on a cloud of good feeling. 

What does it all mean? Is it really a message from God or from the spirit world or is it our sub-conscious connecting our thoughts from life's experiences and emotions..or is it nothing but an active mind while we sleep.

As a teen I remember Flying dreams, weaving in and out of the trees and smiling upon all the streets and houses below, it always reminded me of the Talking Heads video 'And She Was', the freedom of flying was like the best place you could ever imagine. I can still feel it as I am writing about it, I can almost say I know what a bird must feel like...freedom...its beautiful.

Many of my dreams as an adult have been about animals or creatures. I have had a lot of spider dreams. My worst fear! The spiders are huge and have that separate looking hair on them and big beady eyes that have no soul. In my dreams I either kill them or run from them. I have a huge fear of spiders in my natural life so maybe this is my fears talking to me. 

I also have dreams about sharks and crocodiles, these can be signs of fear, decisions and challenges. Sometimes they are just there at a distance in their natural habitat and other times they are angry and on the hunt and I feel threatened. I usually relate to these dreams and remember them, so they have in some way been a reflection of what my life has represented at different times. 

Recently I dreamt about a Seal, playful and friendly, at first I thought it was a shark but then it jumped up at me and let me pat him and play with him. There were other messages in the same dream, things that had been on my mind and needing clarity.



The next day a large Elephant Seal washed up on a beach near where I live (this is never heard of this far up our coast) and it was like a confirmation to my dream. I ventured down to the beach to check him out and felt I like he was there for me..... I watched him with awesome wonder.
Isn't he a Beauty !!




Are our dreams reality? I believe they have some messages and some connection to our spiritual guides, to God and to our sub-conscious. I feel it is life getting our attention in an all too busy world and Gods way of walking through our thoughts in a more visual and conscious time. 

One of my favourite poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Talking heads video clip 'And She Was'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZAyxUMfBvA

                    

My Dialogue with Jesus

                                         

                                            Me:        Did you hear me today?

                                       Jesus:   Yes                          

                                       Me:        Then why didn’t you answer me?

                                       Jesus:  Were you listening?

                                       Me:        Listening? I’m always listening.

                                       Jesus:  Then you would have heard

                                       Me:        I didn’t hear anything; maybe you didn’t speak 
                                                         loud enough

                                       Jesus:  I never spoke at all

                                       Me:       Then how could I have heard you?

                                       Jesus:  When you were listening

                                       Me:        But you just said you didn’t say anything

                                       Jesus:  Not in words

                                       Me:        What does that even mean?

                                       Jesus:  Sit quietly and listen

                                       Me:        I don’t have quiet, with kids, traffic,people and
                       I just have too much to do !
        Jesus:  Then I will speak louder.

 

Heartsong

'Journey through Heartsongs' by Mattie JT Stepanek, one of my favourite poetry books. I first saw Mattie on Oprah, he was a bright, happy and spirit filled young boy, I could feel him living out his Heartsong, even though I was watching him on tv.  Mattie was an 11 yr old boy living with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy. He sadly lost 3 of his siblings to the same disease and his mother also suffered with it. This young boy touched so many lives with his wisdom, poetry and insight to a place many of us rarely see.

Mattie was, in my eyes an Angel that lived Gods beauty, presence and purpose. He loved his mind and body, even though he was in a permanent wheelchair and had almost no use of his body, most people would look at him and say he was disabled, but I don't believe Mattie saw himself as disabled at all. In fact I believe he was more able than most people.

In his poetry he expressed his sadness of missing his brothers and sister, his happiness of Gods grace and his dreams, one of them being that someday he would see his brothers and sister again. His simple explanations of life, his disease, God and family touch our hearts because they are truth in the rawest form and seen through the eyes of a child. Mattie expressed his Heartsong through words, when the rest of his body was failing him....sadly Mattie died in 2004. I am sure Mattie smiled all the way to heaven and his brothers and sister were there to greet him.

One of Mattie's biggest heroes was Jimmy Carter, former U.S. President. Mattie always dreamt of meeting Jimmy Carter and not only did he meet him, Jimmy Carter wrote the Forward in Mattie's book, expressing they were personal friends.

Going to a conference this week at my church has made me reconnect with my Heartsong. The speaker, Greg Burson, spoke about the music/song in our hearts. This not only literal music that has so many memories attached to it from different stages of my life,  but the passions and stirrings God has placed and is singing to my soul. Life's circumstances take us away from our Heartsong, but the stirring I can no longer ignore.

What I discovered about my Heartsong is that it has been a pattern of the things in my life that have made me happy and full of energy. It is the things that have niggled in my spirit in many different ways but ignored because I never thought they were possible or I was never good enough or someone always does it better.  

God sees us differently. He whispers to us through words, songs, people and a stirring in our spirit. It is that constant feeling in you that the ordinary things in life just don't fulfil or have meaning and no matter what you try and do, your thoughts just keep going back to a place you know you need to pursue. 

Having our eyes and hearts open to see the works God is doing and step into the opportunities that become available when they feel right and they sing to you. God will not take you anywhere you are not meant to be, but there will be challenges and fears to conquer and times you will need to walk in faith.  Like a child relies on a parent to lead, we need to rely on God to take us through and know what's best for us. The difference between parents and God, is God knows your future, your capabilities and your purpose, trust He will not give you anything you cannot handle.

Finding your Heartsong can be the easy part, stepping into it is the challenge. Look back at your life, see the pattern from when you were a child, what made you happy? What have you carried within you all your life, maybe its something you need to rediscover. If so then sit with God and ask him to show you and to stir your Heartsong. Be conscious of what you feel and see and the people that come into your life and why they are there, the context of the books you pick up and the words of the songs you listen to, there are messages in all of it, God never stops talking to us, we just stop listening.

As Mattie titles his book 'Journey through Heartsongs', it is your journey, through your Heartsongs, your pathway to fulfilment and Enlightenment and your choice to start listening. 

                                                                      

Mahalia Jackson--How I got over LIVE

50yrs ago Martin Luther King Jr made the 'I Have a Dream' speech which changed the world and America forever. This woman, Mahalia Jackson played a big part in that speech, she was a gospel singer that sung that historical day. When Martin Luther was giving his speech she lent over to him and gently whispered, 'tell them about the dream Martin' and he pushed his notes aside and said the most famous, significant, freeing speech ever made to this day.

Darlene Zschech reminded us of this in a conference, another significant worship singer that has impacted the world with her music, she reminds us that we have a purpose for where we are today, and God has us right where we need to be to impact the world around us.

Listen to this woman's passion and influence as she sings from her soul and love for her people. (the quality is poor, but the passion is still very clear)

Nice vs Kind

R u being 'kind' or are you being 'nice' ?

Nice - 1.Pleasant; agreeable; satisfactory: "we had a nice time". 2.(of a person) Pleasant in manner; good-natured; kind: "he's a really nice guy".

Kind - Having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature: "a kind woman".

The definitions are similar when describing a person in the context of a 'nice person' or a 'kind person'. But there is a difference in being 'nice' and being 'kind'.

Nice seems more of a compliant word, its easy to be nice for the sake of keeping the peace around people we don't necessarily like or connect with. We can be 'nice' at a family gathering, ''nice'' to our work colleagues, 'nice' to the delivery guy.

We are 'nice' in the way we give a smile and say 'G'day'. We are 'nice' to our boss or even 'nice' to the customer that is abusive and can't see reason (that one might be a little more difficult).

For so many reasons we can be 'nice'  and quite easily without too much attachment or thought.

Being kind is intentional. 

Being kind is done because you care, or because it is a connection to your heart.

Helping an old lady across the street, or kindly listening to a friend that needs you to just be there for them, or being kind to a family member that needs help to look after the kids when they are not coping too well. They are intentional acts that you haven't had to think about too much. Kind acts that come from caring about those around you.

Kindness can also be in the community , by helping the poor or volunteering your time because you are connected to do so. Kindness is fulfilling and can satisfy the soul of the person giving the kindness and the person receiving it.

Being 'nice' is being polite, but also we can be 'nice ' to people to get what we want, its an easy unattached option and 'nice' words are easy to come by when we need them to work in our favour.

Being kind has attachments, it has intention and it can change lives and relationships. We are kind to someone we love or care about or when we see or feel a genuine need. Kindness can change atmosphere.

 “Wherever there is a human in need, there is an opportunity for kindness and to make a difference.”

 Kevin Heath
 Ceo More4kids