tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45417291529844020832024-09-07T15:20:05.869-07:00Sharing what we never needed, gaining the real satisfaction we always hoped for. A 40 day journey for the heart - 40 days to think, 40 days to share, 40 days to respond (24th December 2010 - 1st February 2011)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-40244723770694931342011-02-01T01:37:00.000-08:002011-02-01T01:40:25.293-08:00

Dream House IVI couldn’t understand why but my wife was emphatically in favour of accepting the invitation to lunch – perhaps it was her sense of adventure or her love of an authentic curry. I was particularly glad to see that the curries were vegetarian after I had walked past the meat seller earlier – selling meat without a fridge means that flies are your best customers. I felt so awkward as

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-40910356422018065242011-01-28T21:49:00.000-08:002011-01-28T21:49:25.538-08:00

About ten years ago now, we packed up a few suitcases and moved to a foreign country. We arrived at night and drove for a few hours listening to broken English and our job being explained, while our eyes were hanging out of our heads with tiredness, trying to take in the new roles that we would fill, watching the lights of city homes packed up against each other as the drive went on and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-1777914592847433432011-01-27T19:59:00.000-08:002011-01-27T19:59:38.898-08:00

Our friends Jo and Steve Peacock took their 4 kids on an adventure around Australia for twelve months. We asked Jo to write something for the excess exchange. Thanks so much Jo! You guys are an inspiration.                                             ..................... When our

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-12070065357682403632011-01-26T11:47:00.000-08:002011-01-26T11:49:15.889-08:00

I guess this guy was hoping for a different answer - “Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance."He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?"Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have,

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-82021442155311688202011-01-24T12:00:00.001-08:002011-01-24T12:00:51.689-08:00

The advertising industry has really messed with our concept of the word need. In a very blessed country like ours often the needs we talk about are actually wants. Looking at what others have makes us feel that we need it. Advertisers cleverly engage our desires such that we start to imagine that we would have difficulty living without that thing we’ve never had before. An ad that I particularly

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-54855768411651604462011-01-23T21:51:00.000-08:002011-01-23T21:51:32.759-08:00

I believe that in every human heart there is the desire to love and to be loved, there is the desire in each of us to make the world a better place, we wish that life was better, we wish that there wasn't sorrow and disease and heartache. For some this stirs up a desire to do something, to change something, to achieve something significant, to help others, to share what we have or what we know.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-44759188047466124302011-01-22T01:21:00.000-08:002011-01-22T01:23:08.385-08:00

We interviewed our friend Jessi, a year 11 student. Recently, and in spite of adversity, she has made some great choices to focus on others. I asked Jessi a few questions about her very first trip to the developing world.Why did you want to go to India?Being a regular, devoted Imagine Nations church attendee, monthly we have our missions Sunday which gives insight to the church, our missions

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-24596910689093812552011-01-20T19:15:00.000-08:002011-01-20T19:19:36.285-08:00

(The link to Dream House I is herehttp://notwant.blogspot.com/2011/01/dream-house-i.html)Dream House IIIt was completely jarring to feel such relief at seeing my kids smiling widely and yet to feel so awkward about them being so close to these kids that I didn’t know. Sure their smiles were endearing but their clothing, their hair, and their faces were less than clean.My kids couldn’t understand

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-53567955272833421082011-01-19T16:29:00.001-08:002011-01-19T16:33:35.875-08:00

Yesterday I listened again to a message by John Eldredge, he always shares about the heart and how we can be free. His messages challenge our assumptions from our culture and water the soul. The title of the message is, “The Spirit of the Age” which he identifies as drivenness. Eldredge shares drivenness or unconsidered busyness is a significant enemy in our modern Western society. We are driven

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-63360513673371302242011-01-18T13:37:00.000-08:002011-01-18T13:37:58.191-08:00

While we have been doing a bit of a clean out over the last few weeks, I thought I would do a little stocktake of things we have in excess, from my (Sarah's) perspective... Things we have in excess: - bottles of shampoo and conditioner in the shower - toys - maternity clothes (going to op shop or pregnant lady in need) - long grass - books that we may read one day (mostly Mark's) - tupperware

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-6048754509733617922011-01-17T20:58:00.000-08:002011-01-17T22:08:56.101-08:00

½ container or rice from Thai, $1, Compost¼ large tomato from Locky’s Dad’s garden, $0.50, CompostMilk 1 litre, $1, SinkJam sandwich, $1, CompostBiscuits, $0.20, CompostRice crackers, $1, CompostBrown rice cooked, $1, CompostSweet potatoes x 2,

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-90676528047000843162011-01-17T01:20:00.001-08:002011-01-17T01:20:55.628-08:00

I hope this doesn’t come over like a rant.I’m glad that I live in a democracy that is making an honest effort to make society economically efficient and equitable. But I have to take issue with one of the things I really don’t like about our welfare system. Those of you sitting to the left are presuming I will say that we don’t do enough for those in most need. Those of you sitting to the right

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-91162929582299435342011-01-15T13:32:00.000-08:002011-01-15T18:15:19.282-08:00

The news over the past few days has been completely overwhelming, and it’s incomprehensible even to imagine what individuals and communities are going through in the flooded areas. Here’s a few of my reflections related to the flooding and this blog:- Australia is an amazingly resourceful nation. We are strong in community, resilience, communications, and infrastructure (and many other ways too

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-61581575213455218812011-01-12T00:56:00.000-08:002011-01-12T00:57:05.882-08:00

Back in the 1930s two brothers from Australia learnt how to make a difference in another nation. The Leahy brothers went to Papua New Guinea as explorers and adventurers. I learnt about the work of the Leahy’s and their impact on highland cultures when I studied anthropology in the first year of university.The aspect of their story that stuck with me was about the value of shells in highland

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-87129695073326531862011-01-10T23:19:00.001-08:002011-01-10T23:21:05.855-08:00

Call me a cheapskate but I’ve always been keen to borrow wherever possible when I can avoid spending money on something – whether it’s a DVD or a wheelbarrow. I am blessed with a father and a brother who love buying new DVDs, and to have a generous neighbour whose shed puts Bunnings to shame. It has always seemed a bit silly to me that every guy wants to have a very similar set of tools and

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-68840996876313954262011-01-09T20:41:00.000-08:002011-01-09T20:42:34.867-08:00

I didn’t know what to think when someone first described me as an activist. My image of activists has always been people who get blasted by water cannons. I was being interviewed by a guy who is doing his PHD on teacher motivation, he summarised my desire to work as a teacher as being an activist – someone who does things to try and make a difference. I had never thought of it that way but I

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-55519207075457868562011-01-08T02:57:00.000-08:002011-01-08T02:59:18.344-08:00

I was really encouraged to see ‘The 7pm Project’s’ (6/1/11) story the other night on how people are sharing unsold food with those who need it. A problem that is so important is colliding with a very simple solution – and the idea is so good it’s becoming mainstream. The day before I read an article from the BBC releasing data that showed that world food prices are hitting a new high. They

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-74415129379904623842011-01-07T11:15:00.000-08:002011-01-07T11:17:56.201-08:00

The fact that I came back from India feeling impressed by the spirituality and that I’d received more than I’d given doesn’t make me at all original. After all I only spent a total of six days in India getting to know one city a little bit and a small group of people slightly more.I visited Jaipur almost two years ago with two other teachers. We were going to meet, spend time with and encourage

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-66601334179699547892011-01-07T01:11:00.000-08:002011-01-07T01:11:35.936-08:00

Here is a question to think about - what does it take to move me? Imagine that there is a poor man on your doorstep. How would you act and live differently if your house was next door to a slum? Would I take on their hunger and need as my own? Or would I go my own way and do my own thing - unaffected? Jesus told quite a scary story about a rich man who was unaffected by the poor man laying

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-18651792921867986252011-01-05T02:24:00.000-08:002011-01-05T02:25:28.208-08:00

When I awoke I knew that something was different. The air felt different. I couldn’t quite pick why. I thought that I must have left the window closed – or open. It wasn’t that I was thinking again last night about how this house could never be our dream house. It was a new kind of disorientation.Everything looked the same but the world felt more cramped. Like the air had become more crowded-in.

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-91595348405951772062011-01-04T15:18:00.000-08:002011-01-04T15:18:07.614-08:00

Karen wrote a comment, I thought I'd publish it in case you missed it. Thanks for being an inspiration Karen! Karen said ... I found giving up Milo ridiculously hard at first! But now I don't crave it at all. I just find it sad how many people don't want to know or don't care that the chocolate they are treating themselves or their kids with was at the expensive of a child in slavery. There

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-28825244336381087952011-01-04T03:58:00.000-08:002011-01-04T03:58:30.021-08:00

I don't know if you have ever been to hear a symphony orchestra play, or a concert pianist. You may have had the experience of closing your eyes and being swept away by the music, like the ocean washing over you. I used to play the violin, and practise for hours and hours perfecting every note, and getting carried away in the melody. This last week, I've begun to play again. Although I can still

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-76105693637083788582011-01-02T23:48:00.000-08:002011-01-02T23:50:45.282-08:00

A kind-hearted friend thought out loud, “How can I justify spending $2000 to visit India for two weeks to help with aid projects when I could send that money to a missionary friend there who could live off it for a year?”Good question. It’s a question that captures many of the challenging decisions that must be made when want to help others. It can even be a little paralysing and depressing to

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-20772313482651252192011-01-02T13:26:00.001-08:002011-01-02T13:26:22.650-08:00

I vividly remember the feeling I had in my Catholic primary school when we were learning about Mother Teresa. I wanted to be like her, and I began to think that maybe I would be a nun when I grew up – something I’d never aspired to be before, as we had sisters as the school’s leadership. But there was something special about Mother Teresa. She was living an adventure. She was truly helping people

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541729152984402083.post-80418753534341192622011-01-01T01:28:00.000-08:002011-01-01T01:30:35.636-08:00

I first heard the clever term, ‘affluenza’ from a fantastic short film created by World Vision’s youth branch called Stir (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFZz6ICzpjI&feature=related ). Yesterday I read an article in the Herald about a guy who has written a book about affluenza (http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/privileged-and-a-pain-how-to-cure-affluenza-20101230-19are.html ). While the book

geenoteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944057971790933229noreply@blogger.com2