Thoughtful Ramblings

What if? I've been thinking about the 'What ifs' of being followers of Jesus. And how for decades the church, instead of including has excluded the most vulnerable. Instead of loving and caring and listening to the narrative of lives, we have tried to push our solution, our desired way of behaviour onto others. So here's some thoughts. What if Instead of shaming women, the church embraced them, listened to them and loved them. For years, the church has shamed those who fell pregnant before marriage, pushed them away, stood them aside. What if Instead of shoving our beliefs in their face, we stood with them, carried them, had love and compassion, created an environment of acceptance and built community, not walls. We have shamed the outspoken woman, called them emotional and derided their sense of purpose. We have treated them as objects, commented on them 'adding beauty' to the team, denying true value. (To the men - We want to be acknowledged for the wisdom and...

Tomorrow Tomorrow will be a better day A day where I achieve my goals, Love others well Be loved Not listen to crap from others Tomorrow will be a better day When I have enough sleep When I have no pain Feel relaxed Not waste time Tomorrow will be a better day My thinking will be free from anxiety I will be emotionally strong Alive to the senses Ready for anything Tomorrow will be... But Tomorrow never comes For it is always today.

Marriage and DV As a pastor, I often talk to people and coach people through situations that occur through marriage. I value marriage highly and believe that the covenant of marriage is a special relationship.  As in all relationships, positive marriages grow when both partners are willing to grow in their personal lives and are willing to live and love in a way that honours their partner.  When relationships struggle, I know that something needs to change. Not just one person, but both people need to address their own issues. We can coach couples through these situations and see really positive results and relationships based on equality and equal partnership where power is shared for the common purpose. .  Having said that, I am completely aware that not all marriages have this equal partnership. At times, I see where one partner is abusive towards the other, exercises their power over others. When this happens in relationships where narcissistic behaviours are involved...