restitution resolution revolution

def: restitution 
the restoration of property or rights previously taken away,conveyed, or surrendered; restoration to the former or original state or position.


def:resolution
a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.; the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute;firmness of purpose.


def: revolution
Sociology . a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure


Don't you think 'resolution' has lost its meaning these days? The New Year's resolution has the reputation as something you are truly committed to for a few weeks, or even a few days and then give up on. 


I heard of someone who wants to start a gym on New Years Day called "Resolutions", but will be refurbishing it into a pub after two weeks for those who don't make it. (ok, its a joke, someone twittered).


Maybe we give up so easily because our resolutions are always focused on ourselves - in the end "self" is going to win.


What if our resolutions were focused on something truly lasting and worthwhile - to make poverty history, to find a cure for a disease, to care for pregnant women in poor countries so that their babies get the nutrition they need. What if each of us resolved to search out and to solve one person's problem?


What is something that you truly care about? What is one issue that really moves you? What is something that really bugs you? Maybe you are the answer.


If each person in our rich blessed world made a resolution to help one person in a major way this year - maybe to sponsor a child, or an orphan, or a mother, or to build a well in a town with no water, maybe to only buy fair trade chocolate. Or maybe there is something in your own city that you could do that would really help and bless people.


If each of us did that, then we would have a revolution of restored lives and families and cities and nations. 


To make a resolution means to have a firm resolve about something or a firm resolve to do something. What is something that truly warrants your resolve?


Happy New Year!:)

tomorrow we die

You know how people always say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes, all that you've ever done, every face that means something to you, every word you've spoken in love or to hurt, the most important people lingering longer...
Imagine if in those final moments, you saw not only your life flashing before your eyes. Imagine if you saw the world spinning, imagine if you saw the timeframe of your life through the lives of others. Imagine if you saw the nations and what they went through during your life, imagine if you saw families and wars and poverty and deaths and tragedies and starvation - all that occurred during your lifetime.
Imagine if you saw the daughters crying out to be saved from sex slavery. Imagine if you saw the orphans' tears. Imagine if you saw your lonely neighbor.
I don't know what I will see during my final breaths on this earth. But if I saw all those things, I would hope that I would feel my life wasn't spent in vain.
Its time to decide. Will I change my focus from the seemingly important things of normal everyday suburban life? Will I just take it a day at a time? Whatever will be will be?
I feel a stirring in me, to rise up, to stop thinking about the boring things, and to begin to hear the cries.
This life is only a breath, a vapour, a puff ... or will it be something more, something lasting, something beautiful?
Is there a dream stirring in you? Something outside of the ordinary, outside of the box? What's stopping you from living an extraordinary life? Is it time to put aside those ways of thinking and to stir up the dream? ...

Simply Rich

Caitlin and Billy are part of the world of a verse novel by Australian poet Steven Herrick. He writes in a way that shares the character’s inner thoughts. The novel is called The Simple Gift and is a great read, students I teach who hate reading love this book. It’s a story that shows that generosity changes everything and anyone.

Caitlin is a girl in a posh senior high school, her world has been somewhat challenged after meeting a boy who is homeless yet happy.
“… I’m not a spoilt brat OK,
but I am spoilt,
spoilt to boredom,
and I’m smart enough
to realise that none of this
means anything
except my parents are rich
and I think I want this stuff
or need this stuff
and I know what I really need
and it’s not in my bedroom.
and it’s not able to be bought
in any damn store.” (p.88)

Billy has walked away from an abusive home and ended up in a country town living in an old train carriage. He ponders after receiving his first pay from casual work in a cannery.
“… with nothing
you’re rich.
You’ve got no decisions,
no choice, and no worry.
Here I am walking
in the sunshine of another day
buying the world
and worrying over choices
I didn't have to make a week ago.
I wanted to spend the money
Quickly
so I could go back to nothing,
go back to being rich
and penniless again.” (p.81, from The Simple Gift UQP 2000)

There’s something wonderfully simple, even satisfying, about having less.

What do you think that you would gain by giving what you have?

the battle within

To be honest, I've struggled a little with the idea of Mark and I writing this blog. When I think about what I actually do, and what I'd like to do for others, I feel like I'm being a hypocrite to write and inspire others about it. I'm just a housewife, with my hands and time full with three littlies. Sometimes I wonder if I am really making a difference to global issues, to helping people and to the world at large.
But I've been encouraged to look at what is in my hands, and to do something with it. But even more than that, to do something with what is in my heart.
I like to pray while I'm cleaning up the kitchen. And I've often been amazed to find my prayers for others being answered. We can help people in the natural, but I'm not one to deny the power of God to turn people around, to lift them up, and even to turn nations around.
It's also important to me how I teach my children and to help them to have as many opportunities to help and bless others, through school fundraisers and through our local charity.
But more than anything else I want to be an example to them and to daily put myself in a position to help and bless others.
What do you have in your hands? I've often been inspired by my friends who only buy fair-trade chocolate, tea and coffee, others who recycle diligently or save water in their backyards, some who ask for donations to causes they passionately care about - rather than accepting birthday presents, and some who fight for justice in the local council and government, or my brother who has started to do seminars in high schools on global issues and social justice.
Maybe on my own, I can't do that much. But I believe that together we can bring freedom and justice to many. As we individually do our small part, we are inspiring others and gathering momentum, as we build a culture of living for others.
Mark and I want to be inspired by you! And I know that what you have to offer is an inspiration to others. We can't change the world on our own.
What do you do with your excess gifts and talents? It might seem small to you, but we want to know. Can you share with us some information on where to buy fair-trade stuff? Can you share with us how you fight injustice? What are some of the small things you are doing, that would be big things if others got involved?
Go on write a comment:) or instead write something cool on your facebook status or twitter, or maybe put this blog on your status? :)

Want not, waste not - this is what got me started.

I hope that you enjoyed National Leftovers Day as much as I did, as Boxing Day has become known. We were able to share a substantial amount of desserts from Sarah’s family on Christmas Day with my family on Boxing Day, then polish off some side dishes for dinner. I have noticed more than ever at big gatherings that the host is very keen not to get left with all the leftovers.

I was surprised again on Boxing Day when I read in the Herald that the average Australian family throws away $1000 worth of food each year! As a nation we waste $78 billion a year, which has increased 50% since 2005. While it’s great to appreciate how blessed we are that we can choose the best of food, and no-one would advocate risking food-poison to try and make a point, it is a staggering statistic and something worth some serious consideration.

I was at World Vision’s Global Leadership Convention for students a few months ago when I was first shocked by the stat that households in our society waste 20% of our food. In fact out of the entire very excellent day, the facts they presented on the issue of waste hit me the hardest.

They explained clearly how waste contributes to higher demand, which leads to higher prices, which in our global economy, price the poor out of the market for basic food items. So the fact that I almost always throw away the crusts and the odd half a loaf that gets mouldy before we get to it contributes to the fact that families in the developing world struggle to buy any bread at all.

That day I started to think about how demand in the human heart, especially the ridiculous demand we have where we are rich enough, contributes to much of the world’s biggest problems from food wastage to sex trafficking. I thought about how this demand is driven by a yearning in our souls for real satisfaction. That’s actually when I started to feel hope because I believe there is an answer to that.

I believe that belief begets behaviour - that what’s in our heart will always determine what our hands will do. To try and change our habits with our food waste will only be window-dressing – we must find soul satisfaction, something real, something powerful to change us. While it is worthwhile for us to check the content of our rubbish bins, it’s way more important to consider what’s in our hearts.

How do you find satisfaction for your soul?

Take a few minutes when you have the time to check out the 14 min video at http://www.worldvision.com.au/40HF/Videos.aspx . It’s a great video and it’s quite an education about world issues.

Here’s the SMH article: Our pioneering Penrith council gets a very positive mention! http://www.smh.com.au/environment/wasteland-the-78b-of-food-aussies-throw-away-20101225-197fc.html

Why food is so good ...

So you did it. You were determined not to succumb, but you did. Your eyes were bigger than your stomach, you were so hungry you ate a horse, a ham, a turkey, a turducken. You ate the turkey and the stuffing too, and now you're stuffed. You scoffed down the egg salad and now you are as full as goog. Its only once a year. Its Christmas. Next year you'll be better. Or maybe I'm just talking to myself? I didn't even talk about dessert!
I was very conflicted about Christmas this year. Eating, knowing I'm going to be blogging about it the next day was certainly playing in my mind. But mostly it's because my kids are getting older. To santa or not to santa? To lie or tell the truth? To spoil them rotten or to simplify? To shop or not to shop? It didn't help that I left ALL the shopping until two days before Christmas and had to fight the crowds, the rush and my will to just go home and lie down. I've had so many good intentions throughout the year to make Christmas more about Jesus, others and generosity. In the end, I think we did Christmas much the same as we did the year before.
BUT it was good! Some of our family we haven't seen all year! And it was so special to get to share a meal together. Lots of yummy food warms hearts. Seeing the kids' faces light up when they opened their gifts, and that they were so thankful! (I must have done something right). The kids playing and laughing and celebrating together helps the mums and dads, aunties, uncles, grandmas and grandpas to reminisce and remember and bond.
At the end of two days of Christmas for our families, I had loved it, I was filled with joy, but tired. Our celebrations are so special, and eating together is such a vital part of celebrating. And I appreciated it. It's a part of our culture.
And my heart turned to the millions of people in the world who can't celebrate, those who are lose their cultural celebrations because they don't have food, and sometimes no reason to celebrate. Many don't know it's Jesus' birthday. Many don't know their own birthday, and would it matter if they did? Girls who are enslaved to prostitution, child who are stolen from their homes, those who search for food in the rubbish dump. Freedom is truly something to celebrate, and those who have it should fight for those who don't.
And that is something I want to fight for every day, not just on Christmas - that others can have freedom to celebrate, that others can be free to eat and free to live.
So for next year ... what thoughts do you have for your Christmas?

Rich I tell you!

You are rich. Maybe you aren’t rich beyond your wildest dreams but rich nonetheless. Your privileged position in the world comes with warnings and responsibilities.

You may not have thought of yourself as rich but I hope to convince you differently. Until recently I hadn’t ever thought of myself as rich. I come from a working class family in a working class suburb. I could always think of other people who are much better off than me.

My brother-in-law, Peter Rees (who has a great blog at http://theloudproject.blogspot.com/) posted a link to a site called http://www.globalrichlist.com/. By entering my yearly salary I learnt that I am in top 1% – I am among the 50,000,000 richest people in the world. Even someone on the minimum wage in Australia is comfortably in the top ten percent.

Think about it. You have access to the internet and what’s more you can read, so you must have had quite an education. If you plan to have three square meals today then that sets you apart from half of the world who live on just a few dollars a day.

My new definition is that being rich means having more than I need. The truth is that beyond the actual needs of myself and my family I have money to spare. I regularly spend money going out to eat or for entertainment – I even have the means to go on holidays while still making payments on a house. I can even invest in the hobbies and talents of my children.

I haven’t said all this so that you want to hit me up for a loan, but hopefully I’ve convinced you that you are indeed rich. Like I said before being rich comes with warnings and responsibilities. Let me put these in the form of questions for you to think about:

Could you live without all that spare money and stuff?

Would you be willing to sacrifice your riches to help the poor?

Are you prepared to exchange some of your comfort to make others more comfortable?

If you are really ready for a hit between the eyes, read from the Bible in Luke 6:24-26, which has got me thinking recently.

If you have it to spare then you have it to share.
Discuss.

Wise Giving

Merry Christmas! We hope that you are enjoying a wonderful time with family and friends – and that you’ve had the chance to exchange some great presents!

I’m sure that the Wise Men never regretted their decision to travel to find Jesus and present him with gifts, just as I am confident that over-spending at Christmas isn’t likely to become your greatest financial regret. It is always a blessing to give.

The Wise Men were blessed to be able to give their precious gifts. Their line of work had been successful enough that they were able to take a holiday to take a valuable gift to someone they hadn’t met before. In the same way, we are so blessed to be able to afford to be generous at Christmas. The Wise Men shared what they had, they shared their excess, just as we can – even if like the little drummer boy we can only give a song.

A gift brings honour to the recipient. When we give, much more is received than just an object. The person who receives the gift is honoured to know that they are valued and loved. The men were wise to honour Jesus.

Generosity is the Wise Men’s legacy. They were wise to give and it became all that they have been remembered for. Indeed no-one is likely to be remembered for what they received but rather for what they gave to others. If it wasn’t for the creativity of my wife, it would be likely that this English teacher would be remembered as the uncle who always gives books.

Wouldn’t it be great to be remembered by your family, friends and even strangers as being a generous person?

All I want-not for Christmas

I’m sure you’ve had plenty of Christmas presents that once opened, mysteriously disappeared to the back of the cupboard ... or the pool room? Thoughtful family put receipts with the kids’ presents, just in case you already have one or it doesn’t fit. There’s something exciting about taking back something that's not quite what you wanted, and then to get what you really needed!

Through life we pick up lots of things that we don’t really want, sometimes we don’t even notice what we’re carrying, maybe its stress, anxiety, worry, negativity, control, greed, unnecessary wealth, expectations, responsibilities, even things that seem good but don’t really lead us in the direction we started out going. Sometimes it takes a while to notice what we’ve been carrying around, and by then we might think it’s too late to do anything about it.

But a wonderful gift was given to you, about 2000 years ago. The God and creator of the universe and our world, sent us a gift of friendship, of peace, of forgiveness, a truce, that everything’s okay between us and him. Such a humble gift, God’s own son, wrapped in the package of a little baby, born in a barn with the animals. This gift seemed so humble and so sweet, so poorly received by us humans, that the angels had to light up the sky and celebrate his birth.

But this wasn’t just a gift, but an exchange. He told men to lay down the human things that weighed them down, and to take up the peace and life of God. He told women to lay down their destructive thoughts and ways and to take up his forgiveness and grace, to be loved unconditionally.

No one knew, that though he had been sharing his life with them, in the end he would give the ultimate gift of his life, in a humiliating and painful death. He gave his life, so that if we choose, while our bodies our wasting away, that inwardly we can be filled with the life of God daily. His life was cut short at only 33 years of age, in a beautiful exchange, so that we could receive never-ending life with him.

We have to start this journey here with Jesus. Because it’s his birthday tomorrow. And he was the greatest gift to mankind. Without him there is no true satisfaction. Without him there is no true contentment, or peace, or love. There is a greater way. There is a gift for you under the Christmas tree, if you choose to unwrap it. Leave your worries, guilt, pain, heartache at the foot of his tree, the cross, and open your gift – an embrace of unconditional love, refreshing and healing for your soul, a friendship with your creator, and never-ending life.

What do you really want for Christmas?

What's your poison?

Having the ability to buy what we want can lead us to depend on things we never really needed. Taking stock now and then can help us to weed out things that might be starting to take a hold on our hearts.

Now there's nothing wrong with food, I love food, but sometimes my stray thoughts about food betray a subtle dysfunction in my heart. If I've had a great day I can think I should celebrate by over-eating. If I've had a tough day I figure I should reward myself by over-eating.

As you can see, there's a problem somewhere. The problem isn't food but rather in the way that I can tend to lean on it, when it becomes more than satisfying physical hunger but rather about trying to satisfy my soul.

Real soul satisfaction doesn't come from eating myself into a coma. We can start to crave things that bring only a short-term benefit. Then we feel awful and start the cycle over again. The marketing of so much rubbish depends on it.

Or we could give it all away for something else.

Is there anything that you yearn for that you shouldn't?

Excess extremes, Christmas and other insanities

I love the excesses of Christmas! Christmas has got to be my all-time favorite part of the year. I love the presents! I love that it's the time of year that you get to open presents without the accompanying feeling of getting older, instead you feel like a kid again. And I love giving presents - the creativity you can use to shop and wrap, and the feeling you have when someone really loves what you gave them! I love that you can eat as much as you want of all your favourite foods, that you can undo you top pant button at the end of the day and no one judges you - all in the spirit of santa. I love that it's Jesus' birthday and getting to tell the Christmas story over and over again to the kids. I love hanging out with family with no hurry and nothing to do but laugh and eat and play.


But there are some things that I really don't love about Christmas. The first thing, and I'm sure you would agree - the stress! Its that feeling of hurrying and what to buy and lots to cook, and rushing between families, parties, presentation nights and christmas carols. How is it that the best time of year can become the most stressful time of year filled with angst and worry? 
Then there's the crowds and the pushing and shoving at the shops and in the carpark! While we love to go shopping to be generous and giving and sharing to those we love, the rest of the world can go jump and we're happy to shove and push and grunt impatiently while we wait in line. 
Another thing is present envy, .. that sideways glance to see what your sisters unwrapping to see if its better than what you got, and thinking 'that's what I wanted!' (what you've never done that?), the times you hear "why didn't Santa get me a DS?", seriously, I'm beginning to wonder if he's even real!.
And in the end, while we're trying to focus on the real meaning of Christmas and loving our family and being generous, we instead begin to focus on ourselves and our worries and our stresses ending in a big blow up, a family blue, bottles being thrown, crushing your own Christmas present to prove a point and throwing up, accidently, on the Christmas tree! I'm just making this up, but I think you get the picture :)


Don't you think its time to stop ... take a breath ... and think about what we really want, what we really need, what we really don't need and really don't want. Christmas is the time of great extremes, the time when the real you is exposed, the time when the human heart is at its greatest point of need and longing, the time when we remember the poor, the lonely, the sick, the destitute, the time when the world's great excesses of wealth and extremes of poverty are brought into focus. Christmas is the the time that defines who we are, what we believe and what we stand for, through how we act, how we give and what we can't be bothered with. 


This Christmas, we want to redefine who we are as a family and as individuals. We want to think about the extremes and excesses in our life, and exchange them for something better, something simpler, and something more beautiful. We're going to officially start our blog on Christmas Eve and then for 40 days through the new year. Why not join us for the journey? Make it a true exchange and make a comment ;)


What do you think about Christmas?