Soy Chai Latte ... with honey!

Thank God it's Friday!

I've had another busy week which has just flown by. I was in Sydney and Canberra ... boy it's good to be home! It's been great to see and learn more about my country though, and I've had some really interesting experiences! While I was in Western Australia in May I travelled to Margaret River with work colleagues. On the way home we stopped at a place called the 'Food Farmacy' in a cute town called Dunsborough. Have you been there? The whole restaurant is reflective of a pharmacy and there are lots of little touches to keep the theme going. The 3 teas above show this and not only was the food and drink yummy, the surrounds made it even more enjoyable.

I've been thinking about my little Chai Latte beaker and how complicated life has gotten with so many options. Given we are in the thick of winter, I've taken to ordering Soy Chai Lattes with Honey! I was out with friends the other day giggling at all the options that we now have to chose from - skinny, decaf etc ... decisions, decisions, decisions!!

This weekend has begun with the simplest of experiences - fish and chips with friends and a couple of movies on DVD. Life doesn't get much better than that! I am blessed ... and I know it!

There's a lot going on in this country at the moment, I guess an election year will do that. What I hope is that amidst all that's going on ... people still have choice! I worry that the views and experiences of one group are not seen as the best and only options and therefore imposed on people. Everyone has a right to choice, to make decisions for themselves as individuals and for the way their family and community lives. I have no argument that children deserve the best, I guess I just worry "whose best"?!

It's funny how experiences prompt thinking ... what's been on your mind?

Being passionate ...

Today I participated in Good Shepherd Day, a great way of building the social capital of an agency whose primary focus is advocacy and the alleviation of poverty. I learnt today that while most Orders have 3 vows, the Good Shepherd Sisters have a 4th - to labour with zeal for the salvation of souls. I can sign up to that!

I was reminded today of times when I've been passionate about one thing or another, and then that drive has waned for one reason or another. Right now I'm passionate about -

• my faith
• my family
• my friends
• fun!

My prayer throughout the day was 'Lord continue to make me passionate above all else to do Your will, and to be a witness to others'. I really feel that the work that I am doing now is part of His will .... and it's great to have 'zeal' for my work.


Yesterday at my church there were 8 young girls who committed their lives to being disciples of Jesus. They're young, and while life will be filled with twists and turns for each of them, they are in a place where they are loved, encouraged and supported. This is the same environment that I grew up in ... and I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to make a choice, to follow where Jesus leads me and to always try to live a life that is pleasing to HIM. There is no greater joy.


The picture on today's entry was taken last Thursday morning from a plane from Brisbane to Townsville (the northern part of Australia). What's most interesting about this picture is that below this glorious view there was a mighty storm, as we descended we made our way from beautiful, white, fluffy clouds to thick, grey, ominous clouds casting a shadow upon the earth.


It reminded me that life has many levels, and as we journey through life together some of us are flying amidst a glorious sunset while others are facing a looming storm. Whatever the journey, we've got a pilot, and while it may sound corny, He guides our way. So, what's your flight path like today?

Suitcases ...

For some reason I lost the plot with this Blog, yet I have still been visiting a number of my friends Blogs to catch up on their news/thoughts ... go figure!

I have been pretty busy, so that's my excuse! Over the past few months I have seen quite a bit of my homeland, more than I had seen in quite some time! The FFs are on the steady increase and while I really enjoy travelling, I'm really tired.

My new job includes a partnership with the National Australia Bank who have committed $10M to the capitalization of the No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS). This is a great program that Good Shepherd developed 26 years ago which they now help some 260 agencies across Australia deliver to those most in need of a safe loan option (no interest, up to $1000 for household goods primarily). It's a great initiative and I am really proud to be heading it up. I've met some fantastic people, working in pretty difficult situations, who have one goal ... to MAKE POVERTY HISTORY.

Already close to $6M has been committed to agencies across Australia - Tasmania, Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Rockhampton, Townsville. This week I'm in Canberra and Sydney again!!! The case has been sitting on the spare bed and a faithful servant over the past 2 or so months!!!

As a person who has travelled overseas, and who loves learning, this has been a great way of mixing a personal passion with my profession.

The challenge for me is ensuring that I maintain a balance ... my friends are really important to me. I love sitting, chatting and hanging out with the people I care about and just generally 'doing life'! I've missed that ... so that's my challenge for the next few weeks ... BALANCE!!!

Feel free to keep me faithful!