When we have something unexpected happen, it is often considered a surprise moment. While sometimes we may have not expected it, the bigger question is should we expect good things? The Japanese word for as expected is yappari, or it is often expressed as expected. God wants us to have that kind of attitute. Not out of entitlement, as if we demand our own way, but that God desires for His people to trust Him in all ways. Jesus declares it this way but telling us "Do not worr

My family is friendly, generous and practice hospitality, I am very proud of my children, and I am kind of jealous because my upbringing was different. Growing up was practical, realistic, and we were taught not to question. But, when I heard about Jesus, my mindset changed. I became a dreamer, a visionary, and learnt that anything is possible with God. After doing a bit of calculating, in this month, I have been walking with God for 40 years! In reflection, I have seen God's

I have often pondered many of the scriptures I have read. One of the more intriguing stories occurs in Acts chapter 11. It is here that God challenged Peter over his worldview. As a committed follower of Jesus, Peter still adhered to some of the important laws in his culture, such as avoidance of prohibited meat from wild animals. Shockingly, Peter's vision from God, was a sheet with animals that Jews were banned from eating, and His command was to "Kill and eat". The discipl

After a busy week, it is nice to sit and enjoy church. Even better when it is a Japanese Church. The message was a continuation of Luke 15:7 to the end of the chapter about the Lost Son, except it is from the older son's perspective. It is quite an interesting point of view, but regardless which character it is about, the lesson is learning to be humble. The contrast between both sons is quite telling. While the younger son disobeys and returns to the father in a humble sta

The two books of Chronicles are often seen as factual accounts, a snapshot of the rulers of Israel and Judah. It may seem rather dry after reading the books of Samuel and Kings, but a few small details show how things once thought of as a disappointment, can turn into something beautiful. This part of the story deals with details of Samuel's family. If we read in 1 Samuel 15, the people of Israel reject God as king, part of the reason being they wanted to be "Like all the na

Although the regional season is over, and life seems to be back to normal, there are always something that crops up, and we can call that life. However, how we perceive the times we have to set things aside, or the outcomes, it how we view them that shows God our heart. As young a Christian as my mum is, has learnt this lesson! Today, as I read my bible in the morning, I reflected on this thought. The scripture on the surface speaks on a war, but one very striking feature lea

Sometimes I get to have interesting conversations with my tutoring students. It gives me an insight into how they think, feel, and observe the world around them. With school returning, they were full of tales about their time away, but also questions about why things and creatures behave as they do. After the student left, I pondered on why things happen. We can come to a few conclusions, both scientific and guesses, but few get close to the truth. The bible talks about certa

"People take care, never go anywhere', is a saying that I have as one of my message minders. Lisa McInnes-Smith is an inspirational speaker that has helped me many times, especially when I feel doubt creep in, or second-guess myself. Taking a leap of faith means taking a risk, even when it feels scary or unsure, our hope is in God. I have been reading a lot about David's life. From a humble start as a shepherd, he was selected to be the next king of Israel. It would take a f

Although it is Autumn here in Melbourne, it never fails to make me sad that some of the plants are already losing their leaves. Most Australian plants are always green, but there are some that shed, mostly ones that are decorative. I am glad it is Autumn, because it has been a hard summer on our garden. Keeping some of them alive has been a battle. I thought about the plants' struggle and it reminds me, that we are a lot like nature. The long, never-ending dry feels like an

We have had some humid days over what seems like an endless summer. But, the rain over the weekend was welcome. The refreshing, cool air gave me a great sense of peace. I can only imagine how it affects plants and animals. It never fails to remind me of the renewing power of the rain, and the wonderful creation God provides. Rain is not the only thing that gives us that sense of hope and life. Jesus, referred to Himself as "the spring of living water" (John 4:10-14). Most peo

Trying to find the work/life balance can be a challenge, especially in what feels like a very hot Summer. We often look at getting rest from a physical exercise, point of view, so our body can recouperate and be rejeuvenated. But there are other parts of us that need our rest too, like our minds and importantly for our spirit. Scripture talks about rest in a variety of ways, both from God's point of view and for humanity. Genesis talks about God resting from building creatio

As I am writing this blog, my thoughts pondered about what love truly means. The dictionary has about 14 different meanings, but how do we see it really? Yes, I love my family, and they love me. I love my dog and she, in her own doggy way loves me. I also love following Carlton Football Club and Melbourne Storm, but when you look at all of these, they are the kind of loves, that have a connection,that has a limit. But God's love is on a level we cannot fathom, anymore than we

I don't know about everyone else, but wandering through the bible always gives me insight. Names are very important to all of us. They give insight into a person. Some are named from an event, a person or even a catchphrase. Exploring through forests of Brazil, scientists thought they were looking for an endangered Orchid Bee (Euglossa Ignita), what they found was a new species of bee altogether. It was a surprise! So the name of the bee became Euglossa Bazinga from the Big B

Recently, I had to help someone with a big task, and it meant a lot of waiting around. I had not been to this shopping centre since my teen years and I did not mark where the car was. You could say I had a "Sanguine moment" (a personality that does not like detail), and got lost. I had the presence of mind to ask a security guard and eventually found it. But, I tried to take a short cut to where I thought the car was, and it failed! Reading today's bible story reminded me of

I enjoy reading lots of books, but my favourite is ultimately the Bible. Why? There are always things we can learn about it. Small details, mostly glossed over as being of no consequence set the scene for the future. As I have been reading Genesis, especially the narratives of Abraham and Lot, we find a lot of their character, but a few small facts surrounding their choice to separate, become clearer much later in Abraham's descenda nts, the people of Israel. When Lot and Abr

In our neighbourhood, there are quite a few houses that have put up their lights and decorations in, on, and around their house! They vary from traditional to some very Australian styles. I do enjoy a twilight walk to stop and wonder at the effort each house has gone to celebrate the season. But, naturally by early January, all of the lights and decorations will be gone. For a short time, it is a lot of work. Over 2000 years ago, another light came into the world, that will n

Admittedly, I do not like shopping at the best of times. The biggest reason being the crowds and the insanity of parking. But, Christmas is different. I always search for the gift that best suits each of my family and friends. My system is simple. I listen all year-long to everyone's hobbies and wish list. When I am in the shop, I also let the Christmas carols that blare over the speakers wash over me, and most of them follow a common theme. The songs proclaim Jesus' long-awa

"Bad things are easier to believe..." is a line from the main character in Pretty Woman. Her heart cry is that the circumstances were too hard to overcome, and her solution was the only way out. For many of us Vivian's quote resonates deep within, especially when the enemy's voice screams the loudest. But, there are things that the enemy cannot understand. Hope is the inherant belief in what cannot be seen and that God will always carve a way through our situations. Faith is

One of my favourite Christian leaders is John Maxwell. He is 77 years old, penned numerous books, is still active and teaching many to become the best version of leaders all around the world. Another great person, though not a Christian, is Yayoi Kusama. She is an astounding 92 years old, created videos, make many unique sculptures, and uses her art to overcome mental health issues to become a light for many females across the globe, who struggle with their identity. Their si

Some of us, are detail-oriented people. We like to dot the i's and cross the t's. Lists are the wheelhouse in their lives. I am one of those people! While there are times looking over everything can be beneficial, there are times that many of the little things can overwhelm us. These can be debiliating, overwhelming and hard to get over, even when we have support. It takes a lot of hard work, especially in uncertain times. Jesus himself, often had people come to him with 'lit