All I Want For Christmas Is...

No I am not talking about the famous seasonal tune or alluding to Mariah.

And I am not giving you a vague Christmas present request hidden behind some clumsy words.

I have had the honour of being there for many people as they have faced difficult and challenging moments in life. My hope was that I could just help them in some way as they navigated those moments.

As I reflected on the idea / title of this simple thought, I immediately thought of one special gentleman.

This poor man was diagnosed and struck down with an aggressive form of cancer. And I had the privilege of spending a lot of time with him on his difficult journey.

Obviously we all hoped he would win the battle against this horrible disease, but this was not to be, and we all had to face the reality that his life would end.

From that moment on he regularly asked me for prayer for one specific thing. Peace.

Whenever he requested it I simply placed a hand on him and prayed God would give him peace.

And every single time he would tell me that something special happened. 

Whenever he was struggling with his thoughts or the pain, something happened inside him, the peace he longed for would come. His continence would change, his voice, his state of being.

It was amazing and special. Super hard to explain except I believed God did something for him.

You may not be facing a terminal diagnosis today, but maybe you are facing a struggle or a challenge that is beyond your ability to handle in your own strength this Christmas.

And maybe all you want for Christmas this year is peace?

At what we would consider the very first Christmas, it is recorded that angels appeared to some shepherds announcing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests". 

It was a time of prophetic fulfilment as someone else many years before this is recorded as saying "For to us a child is born... and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace".

If this strikes a nerve for you, that supernatural peace would make a difference for you, then my hope and prayer for you this Christmas is that you would experience His peace.

Ask God from your heart to give you peace.

Let Him come into your life in a truly special and unique way.

Something to think about...this Christmas.

Hold

When you hear a stories, some news, my advice to you is to hold.
That’s right. hold.

Wait a day or two before you react, before you let it shape you and your thinking in some way.

Why?

Because the world has changed!

When we were 6pm news consumers, newspaper readers, we lived in a time where it was thought balanced journalism ruled. Editors generally pushed for both sides of a story to be explored and then presented under a balanced narrative base.

Now with the pressure for news moments, right now, where attention gives advertising dollars and reaction generates traction, there is no time for balance, just a narrative devoid of good practice and rigorous scrutiny.

Where does that leave you and me?
It leaves us tossed about in our emotional responses to what we see and hear.
It creates agitation in our being and causes us to react in some way, and not always in the best way.
The reality of social media algorithms thrive in this environment. But You don’t!

So here is my advice today. Hold!!!!

And see what comes out in a few days before sharing with others.

Maybe this will help you with a few things:

1. Help you to get more of the story

2. Protect your peace

Something to think about...

20 Years of this Blog!

 

We just discovered this week that this blog is actually 20 years old!

What started as a little space to update people I was connecting with turned into a weekly blog post space pretty quickly.

I want to thank you for taking the time to come have a read.

Truly hoping what I have many times thought as clumsy musings, have in some way made you day or even your life a little better.

Super honoured and hope to continue this journey going forward...

THANK YOU!

Locky

Smoke & Mirrors

I have been in a recent position to share a little more on social media, all because I have had some space to breathe and even be a little more creative. Been loving that to be honest!

With that added online activity it has of course created some comment and conversation.

One particular comment caught my attention recently and prompted me to share a little...

"It looks as though you are living the good life down there in the deep south Locky"

My philosophy is to share key important moments and the like via the "socials", so that my friends and family can have a glimpse of what is happening in our lives. 

Most of you are probably the same I would guess? 

But what struck me as I reflected on this was the question, "am I really living the good life?"

Could someone really ascertain what life is like for us from what I post?

If I am being really honest the reality is that the answer is a resounding no.

What you and I are most likely share in reality is the carefully curated highlights of our lives.

This practice emphasises joyful moments and accomplishments while often omitting everyday struggles, creating a personal narrative or "highlight reel" for your audience of friends and family.

I don't choose to share the bits of my life I don't like.

I don't share the "dark nights of the soul".

I purposefully share the best bits. 

The pieces I want to curate while ignoring the negative from this space.

Maybe you could on a deeper level consider this an act of Smoke & Mirrors?

This classic metaphor where at its extreme is kind of a deceptive practice, but kind of encapsulates for me the reality of our social media use. You simply cannot ascertain what life is probably truly like for any other us, via this medium. And if you recognise that as reality it will help you navigate it better.

You will stop seeing others lives and maybe even become envious?

You will recognise that people are more than the moments that they choose to share?

Can I encourage you to embrace what is now considered old fashioned and have conversations face to face?

Instead of merely curating the presentation of life, consider the careful curation of relationships with a few trusted companions who you can be real with, and they with you?

When it is that personal it its harder to succumb to the smoke and mirrors.

And I for one think that is more important and healthy, even though I find it truly hard.

Something to think about...

 

J.O.B. Job

For a while now I am have been thinking about an intriguing little book in the Bible called Job. And if you were like me, the first time that you saw the title of it, you thought it was called J.O.B. Job.

This unique story begins by telling us about Job the family man, and just how blessed he was. 

Large family. Heaps of possessions. And by all accounts, it appears that he is super successful!

In fact, and I quote, “He was the greatest man among the people of the East”.

It is even thought that maybe this story predates even the books and accounts of Moses.

But back to the story and why it has made me think so much about it in the last year.

Early on another character is introduced, a protagonist by the name of Satan.

Essentially he challenges God over this man. Telling God that if Job lost all his success, lost all that he valued, that Job would look at God differently.

And that is what ends up happening…

This is story quickly becomes about man, a family even, that seems to quite randomly to them, experience huge tragedy and loss. 

It quickly pivots to being a story of the painful journey that Job and his wife navigate.

It includes some people called “friends” who appear to console and to counsel Job in his moment of pain.

Here is what I have experienced and seen in life…

When tragedy seems to randomly come our way, we follow a pattern that seems to mirror what is recorded here in Job’s story.

We question why me? Why did this happen?

And just like with Job, others come around us or pontificate from a far, trying to rationalise and explain away the reason why we are facing the challenge or the deep pain we are experiencing.

We are really good at theorising aren’t we?

Super good and sharing our opinions!

I wonder if we are any different from Jobs friends in this story? 

Endlessly pontificating about what God is like, why He does what he does. Sharing through a narrow filter of our own experiences, as though they are the only experiences worth considering?

When someone goes through a tragedy like Job, what is it that they really need?

Rationalising and Pontificating?

Bible lecture by way of quoting bible verses?

Or maybe simple company, care and prayer?

I would argue the later.

In another book in the New Testament it simply states that what is recorded in the Old Testament, where we find the book of Job, well it is there in part to teach us, so we can learn from their experience.

Maybe you are going through a “Job" type season and struggling with the pain and wrestling with your thoughts. 

And maybe you have become tired and even a little cynical with all the so called well meaning ideas shared by those around you?

My hope you is that find the right friends, more than just mere acquaintances, who will simple sit with you and give you company, show you care and offer you prayer. 

Those who would be willing to simply minister to you without some pathological need to fix you, or your situation.

And my final hope, my final encouragement, is to hold in to the hope you have. 

No matter how challenged it may feel or strained it has become due to your circumstances.

Job’s story finishes with God doing abundantly more than he could ever hope, dream or even imagine, along with not discounting the pain he experienced.

May you experience this same change in due season. 

May you experience God coming through in a supernatural way.

And may the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace you trust in Him. Romans 15:13 NIV

Something to think about…

Stump

Outside my previous office was a stump.

Not of my making. And I guess the tree didn’t have much say in it either…
But a stump none the less.

It looks pretty typical for a tree stump.
Horizontally cut pretty close to the ground.
You can only guess what that tree was like…

A stump is kind of sad really.
A memorial to a life that was there and is now gone.

Here’s the thing. It appears that after all that it is not as dead as I first thought.
Its exisitence while looking bleak, has a glimmer of hope it appears.
For out of this stump are some shoots.

Here’s what I think. 

And here is what I try and remind myself.
No matter how impossible it seems, life can return?

Do you feel like a stump.
Maybe life and what happened to you feels like it cut you off, maybe even in your prime.
Maybe someone or a group of someones cut you down, mulched you up and you have felt finished. Gone. Hopeless.
And yet deep down even among all the pain you have a slither of hope, a morsel of life, just looking for another shot.

If you feel like a stump first I want you to know that you are not alone.
And I want you to know that life can come again the worst of experiences.

Hang on to hope, even it if feels like a stump.

Something to think about…

The unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

I am a sucker for people’s stories told well.

And when I saw the short for the movie with the above name I was intrigued enough.
Not enough to see it when it was released in theatre, but enough for when it came recently to a streaming service.

For me it fitted in to the same story telling as other favourites of mine, like Mr Holland Opus and Forrest Gump. Because stories about other peoples lives can so powerful, they can inspire, they can trigger emotions. They seem to just draw me in, in ways others movies can’t.

The theme all the way through was pain.
Pain many carried and seemed to be unable to shake. 
They all struggled and seemed powerless to over some that pain.
Pain that reminded me of my own and the pain I have struggled to shake.

So through my leaking eyes I wanted to reflect when it finished because the story, the metaphor is so powerful. Every person portrayed had pain.
And every person dealt with it it seems the same way, by withdrawing from others.
And they couldn’t escape it.
It wasn’t working!

No amount of time or distraction was bringing them the hope and healing they wanted.
In the movie I believe in life…
We can carry pain.
And we need others to help us through.
Not to forget, but to loosen its hold on us.

The one thing you are desperately trying to avoid is maybe the one thing you need. 

Reaching out to someone or a small group of someone’s you can love and who can love you back. 

Just one person you can trust and open your heart to could be all you need to release your pain.

Something to think about…

I Quit - no really I did quit

Late last year I quit!

That's right I resigned a role and qualification I have had for some 17 years. 

Something I sacrificed to achieve for over a decade leading to achieving the goal.

Something I studied and prepared for, for some decades.\

This decision process was something I literally agonised over for many months. 

In part because of my pride.

In part because of the price paid to get there.

And in huge part because it had a nagging tinge of defeat in my soul attached.

But here its the thing and few other things I have learned through this process...

Sometimes quitting is an act of cowardice.

And sometimes it is a show of bravery.

Not quitting is sometimes based on fear.

And other times quitting is a declaration of faith.

Here is another concept to consider...

It always looks different out the other side. Always!

Before making this decision, I didn't want to make it because I didn't know what the other side of it would feel like or look like? What the cost my be?

In hindsight it wasn't that bad. 

And actually my perspective has changed. 

Something I could see before the call being made.

No one wanted the make the decision for me!

You need to know in your own heart whether quitting is right.

Get advice. Meditate on the ramifications. Let your conscience help guide.

Before you quit...

Ask your own heart why you think you should.

Ask someone else who won't be guaranteed to just agree what they think.

Ask others who know you best.

Be honest and be brave.

Something to think about...