27 August 2026
Growing Pains
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
— Romans 8:28
Did you ever suffer growing pains as a child? Oh boy I sure did! I remember the back of my knees aching like mad at night, when I was primary school age. I needed to call on my mum for comfort. She would often put a record on the old record player that played soothing music - “Pipes of Pan.” She would come in, rub my legs, give me a hot water bottle and reassure me that the pain would pass, and everything would be okay. That in fact the pain was a sign of growth.
Let that sit for a second.
Who of us actually likes pain and thinks pain is good for us…?
Unless you are a hardcore gym junkie who enjoys feeling the burn of your muscles after pushing them to extremes, or an athlete who gets an endorphin rush when knocked around and pounded in a game of basketball… I think it’s fair to say that most of us wish there was less pain in life.
The theme for this reflection is similar to previous ones – “Greenhouse to Garden” and “Sculpted” – check them out if you haven’t already.
Many of you would have heard the saying “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
What if we retrain our thinking…
As followers of Christ, what if we hold to the truth, what doesn’t kill you makes you - more compassionate, more relatable, more dependent on God, more Christlike; and ultimately, more useful in His hands.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
May we as Believers be brave and step into our calling, knowing:
God, in his mercy, sought us out and called us to be His own.
He has given us individually tailored assignments of Kingdom work to do.
We don’t do it alone. We have the Holy Spirit ever present, we have our Christian communities to spur us on.
May we not allow the fear of pain stunt our growth. We may still need to close our eyes and wince through it, but just like those gym junkies and basketball players, after a while you see the positive outcomes. I don’t think it’s prideful to think “look at what I did through Christ who strengthens me!”
So be in God’s Word daily, ask Him what he wants you to do for Him. For his global church, for the spreading of His good news.
It might look like inviting someone to church, finding ways of sharing your faith at the supermarket, giving up a little money each month to sponsor a child through Compassion!
What doesn’t kill you makes you…. Add your comments below!
Be blessed friends. God’s got this. It’s all in his hands.
23 August 2026
Greenhouse to Garden
...be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
— Philippians 1:11
I’m in a reflective season right now. Gifted with the luxury of more time on my hands, God seems to be downloading so many different thoughts and ideas into my mind that share a similar thread. It’s the sense of forward movement, of establishing something more, of growth. For His glory.
When we are growing something for God, it can be accompanied by some unwanted tag-alongs: sickness, frustration, anxiety, a sense of being misunderstood.
My mind pictured a pot plant in a greenhouse. Now I really wish I was a gardener. I’m just not. So it’s kind of funny that this post is about plants! Before we go there together, if you haven’t already signed up for my email updates alerting you to new posts, please stop reading now, scroll to the bottom of the screen and pop in your email details. Thanks!
Ok – pot plant, greenhouse. Imagine a pot plant in a greenhouse. It’s grown from a seedling to an established plant. It’s outgrown its pot, and it’s now ready to be planted into the ground. A big transition is about to take place.
Now it’s out in the garden. It’s discovered a whole new world! It has room to grow and flourish; however, it has a plethora of issues to contend with that weren’t issues under the protection of the greenhouse. It might be the soil. Too acidic, not acidic enough, too much drainage, not enough drainage. It might be the pests – those pesky white moths, snails and other bugs. Could be the weather – too many days without rain. Too much direct sunlight.
If the pot plant knew the challenges ahead and could talk, what would it say?
“Gardener, please allow me to remain in my pot in the greenhouse. I like it here. I’ve already grown a fair bit. My pot is fitting a bit more snugly than I’d like, but that’s okay. I don’t want to be battered by the weather, nibbled on by pests. There’s already plenty of plants in the garden; surely you don’t need another one out there.”
So what if it stays in the greenhouse? Have you ever seen a potbound plant? It’s not in a good way.
Its roots grow out of the little drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
Water runs straight through the soil without soaking in.
The plant dries out very fast after watering.
Growth slows down or stops completely.
Leaves turn yellow and drop off.
What if the plant were to say to the Gardener, “I’m happy here in the greenhouse; it’s warm and comfortable, but I think I’m trapped. Maybe if you cut this pot from me and trimmed my roots, I could be more. I know it will be cold without my pot, but if I had more space, I could produce more flowers, more fruit for people to enjoy. I know it’s scary, but I think I’m ready to be planted in the garden. Would you take me to the garden bed, Gardener and plant me where you think best?”
The plant knows the Gardener will lovingly tend it. The Gardener will pick off the snails, give the right amount of water, the most suitable fertilizer for optimal growth, and a spot in part sun or dappled shade.
There may be the odd snail that isn’t picked off. A week or two where the solenoid is broken, and the retic fails to fire up—a season of frost. But the faithful Gardener is always there. Helping the plant grow through it all. Each pest, dry patch and season of frost combine to strengthen the plant. To make it hardy so that these factors have less impact. So what if it bears the evidence of the odd bug nibble or burnt leaf edges? It’s the flowers and fruit produced that matter.
Where are you at? *Are you the seedling in the pot, tended by the Gardener in the safety of the greenhouse, at the beginning of your Christian walk? Are you the established plant, about to reach your full potential but rootbound if you remain in comfort? Are you the plant who has been freshly cut from its pot and about to face the challenges of the elements? Or are you the weather-beaten, bug-nibbled plant who, through it all, flourishes and fruits because you know it’s not actually about you and your strength, but the care of the loving Gardener?
Keep growing in your love of Jesus. Produce a bountiful harvest of fruit – the evidence of the Garden at work in your life. Bloom and blossom with love and beauty that others may be drawn to Christ through you.
Philippians 1:9-11
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Points to ponder:
*What stage of plant development do you most relate to?
**What type of environment do you enjoy the most growth?
***What will it take for you to be brave and trust the Gardener to plant you where He can grow you even more?
As always, be blessed.
16 August 2026
Act Belong Commit
All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.
— 1 Samuel 22:2
My quiet time journey through 1 Samuel has brought me so much joy! I am getting so much out of it that I had glossed over in previous readings; I’ve discovered passages that are motivating, enlightening and even some that are rather humorous.
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One passage that made me LOL is in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. David was under attack by King Saul and, in a rather strategic move, fled to the Philistine city of Gath to hide out. He was pretty sure Saul would give up the chase when he crossed into enemy territory. Achish was the king of Gath at the time. David was afraid of the king so adopted a few questionable character traits to appear insane. I laughed out loud at Achish’s response. Saul was fully committed to his crazy man improv - drooling down his beard and making marks on the door of the gate.
14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? 15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”
Pure gold. It seems King Achish had his fair share of crazy guys in his town, and couldn’t possibly entertain the thought of another one. He reminds me of a parent who has just about had all they can take of their kids’ antics, and the doorbell rings… and there stands one of their ragamuffin mates! ARGH!
But that’s not the passage I want to share with you today, it’s in the following chapter.
David, realising that moonlighting as a madman wasn’t really his style, left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam, a place where those who were in distress or in debt or discontented hung out. David was on the run, and in their own ways, so were these men. The full verse reads 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.
The cave of Adullam. Where people went to escape from the pressures of life, from hardships, from persecution, from commitment, from debt. Not the place you would think you’d find top notch men of outstanding character. And yet these four hundred men came under David’s leadership, were trained by him and went on to become mighty warriors who won countless battles for the Lord.
I wonder what they thought when they were headed to the cave of Adullam. Maybe they went there to gather their thoughts, to escape responsibility, to lament their hopeless state, or maybe even to die. Instead they found purpose and meaning.
It reminds me of the Act Belong Commit mental health and wellbeing campaign in Perth developed through Curtin University.
Staying emotionally healthy is as easy as ABC:
Act: Do something. Keeping yourself active physically, mentally, socially, spiritually or culturally.
Belong: Do something with someone. Maintain relationships and connections – family, friends, church, clubs, community groups.
Commit: Do something meaningful. Have something that gives you purpose and meaning. Volunteer, help someone, take on a challenge, learn a skill, contribute to a cause, or work towards a meaningful goal.
The cave of Adullam. Perhaps the original Act, Belong, Commit program.
There is so much depth in this passage. Outcasts, rejects, disillusioned, suicidal perhaps, those who had lost their way. I think most of us have felt one of those things at one stage of our lives. May we find our cave of Adullam. May we find our people. May we surrender to the leadership of God so that we may “grow and go” like these men did under the command of David. I especially love how they didn’t just meet, train and remain. It was the grow and go model. Because that’s how we mobilise for God’s Kingdom. We grow and we go.
Jesus had a crew similar to David didn’t he?
1 Corinthians 1:27 Reinforces the sentiment. “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
We all have a part to play in the building of God’s Kingdom. Let’s act, belong, commit. Let’s grow and go. In the mighty name of Jesus for his glory!
Thanks for reading - please leave a comment below, I'd love to know your thoughts.
29 July 2026
Shaken not Stirred?
For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.
— Proverbs 30:33
I can’t say I’m a huge 007 fan, but I have found myself on the couch the last few evenings watching James Bond’s No Time To Die.
While I did enjoy elements of it, (and no, this isn’t a movie review) I found myself getting distracted as I often do when I’m supposed to be concentrating on a movie. I started thinking about Bond’s smooth iconic catch phrase used to order his signature drink – Martini. He drawls to the bartender three words… shaken not stirred.
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That led me to think about the words shaken and stirred and what the difference would be to the Martini…. (a little window into my brain… maybe this is why I’m always so tired!) Anyhoo both shaken and stirred are words depicting an action. What does this actually mean for the Martini? I don’t know, I’d moved on by then.
As I sat and pondered these two words, my mind was redirected to the Bible (thank you Jesus!). They are, in their various forms, recorded as responses experienced by people. What I found interesting is that the same words can be used in either a positive or negative sense. Let’s take a look.
Proverbs 6:19 – one of the things God hates - a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. -BAD-
Proverbs 30:33 For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife. -BAD- But a stellar Proverb don’t you agree?
2 Corinthians 9:2 For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. +GOOD+.
Haggai 1:14 - So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God. +GOOD+.
Stirrings fuel action. They can ignite anger or compassion, fear or faith, selfish ambition or sacrificial love.
And shaken?
Isaiah 54:10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. -BAD- and then +GOOD+
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. +GOOD+
Psalm 16:8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. +GOOD+
Are you still with me? Take a minute to ponder on the following statements.
* Stirring suggests movement, shaking suggests disruption.
* Stirring changes our direction, shaking challenges our foundation.
* Stirring invites change, shaking demands it.
What shakes or stirs you? Leave a message below.
Thanks for your support. Be blessed.
9 July 2026
Team Master Weaver
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
— Romans 8:28
I really, really love how God works. I think that’s one of the most understated sentences I’ve ever written… I’m at 25,000 words of my manuscript for my novel and to say I am enjoying the process is a massive understatement. I am constantly working back over the audio recordings from my recent interviews in Tabanan. Chats over cups of tea at my own kitchen table when Nyoman and Eka visited Perth a few years ago. Deep and meaningful discussions in the 4WD on the way to ministry outreach in Bali. I am countlessly reminded how good our God is. How powerful and mighty the name of Jesus is. How I have such a tiny grasp on who He is and what He is capable of doing for His glory and our good!
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Just as He has woven together an amazing story for Nyoman and Eka, He has woven an amazing story for me. He does that for all who love Him, even if they don’t actually know it yet!! He is in the background. Sometimes He’s right in front of us, but we can have blurred vision. It has been poetically said God “weaves the tapestry of our life”. If you aren’t a believer yet, don’t doubt for a second God is not already weaving yours. He is sitting at the loom, the multi coloured yarn all laid out. He knows what colours He will use and where. He knows where He will add texture, perhaps even where a knotted, frayed piece of yarn will be placed (there will be lots of those). He knows the section of the tapestry where the colour will be dull and gloomy; grey, beige, grey, but then unexpectedly shifts to vibrant gold and magenta! Well not an unexpected shift for God, more so for us! If we learn to daily walk with Him, surrender our own will to be in step with His, you may even notice some sparkles sprinkled in.
When we learn to see our life as one controlled by the Master Weaver, the blurry parts seem less blurry.
We will see an overflowing cup of revelation and redirection, despair and delight, enlightenment and encouragement, providence and preparedness, rejoicing and refining. That is when we finally exhale, we get it. Romans 8:28 is a well known verse among Christians, you may be reading it for the first time. I hope it thrills your soul as it thrills mine.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
You will notice my overflowing cup mentioned earlier doesn’t contain just fairy floss and candy, it’s got the sour stuff too. God uses the sour stuff just as much, if not more, than the sweet stuff, at least in my experience. Is it the same for you? James, the brother of Jesus, got it. That’s why he could write with confidence in James 1:2-3:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” The following verses are also incredibly encouraging, check them out when you’re having your next cuppa. Side note - Nyoman in his cheeky way likes to impersonate me... he says "Wannacubadee?" That's what he hears apparently when I ask if he wants tea!!
Where were we... oh yes...
When we are on team Master Weaver, things look different. There will be:
Less: Why is this happening? It's not fair!
More: I don’t understand it Lord, but I trust in you.
Less: When will you make it happen Lord?
More: You’re timing is perfect, help me worship you in the waiting.
Less: I don’t have the strength to go on!
More: Your power is made perfect in my weakness. Thank you that you’re carrying me! (2 Corinthians 12:9)
If the only things you feel are in your cup today are sour, it’s not so bad, we’re being refined. Why not give it a shake and look again. You may even find some blessings that were stuck to the bottom that you had forgotten about!
I'd love you to leave a comment, I get great encouragement out of them!
Bless you guys x
22 June 2026
Finding Refuge and Hesed
May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.
— Ruth 2:12
My quiet time today found me in the early chapters of the book of Ruth. I have always been touched by Ruth’s faithfulness to her mother-in-law, staying by her side even though her husband and father-in-law had both passed. Distraught, the two returned to Naomi’s homeland – Bethlehem.
Ruth – Moabite woman, a foreigner and now young widow, denying herself to stay with her mother-in-law and start over with a new God and a new lifestyle.
Naomi - follower of God, grieving widow, desperately poor older woman. So raw was the pain of her circumstances, she requested to be called Mara (a name translating to bitter in Hebrew).
Two characters, both feeling the weight of their suffering.
Chapter 2 introduces someone new. Boaz. Boaz attends one of his fields where his harvesters were busy at work. “The LORD be with you” he greeted them. “They LORD bless you” came their reply. That interaction stood out to me in a way it hadn’t before. He was a man of both high integrity and status. A wealthy land owner. Not typically the kind you would expect to take the time to greet his lower class workers. I continued reading, this time looking more closely at Boaz than I had done in previous readings of Ruth.
As the story continues, Ruth had taken it upon herself to search out a field where she could “glean” – pick up what was dropped by the harvesters. It was an acceptable and common practice to enable the poor and vulnerable access to food. She did not know the owner of the field. Upon noticing her, Boaz inquired after her, and was informed after requesting permission to glean, she had been working hard all day only stopping briefly to rest. Receiving more details about Ruth’s background, Boaz was deeply moved, and ensured she had access to plenty of grain. He assured her of her safety (firmly telling his staff to make sure no harm fell on her).
Chapter 2:12 shares the words of Boaz to Ruth “May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” Boaz was a man who loved God.
A blessing. Kind, but not unusual. What stood out were the words …the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.
Did she know she had sought refuge under the LORD, the God of Israel’s wings? She was, after all, a foreign woman, descending from those who worshiped their false god in horrific and abominable ways.
Back a few verses in Chapter 1:16 Ruth makes a heartfelt plea to Naomi: “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth’s statement is a declaration. She is abandoning the ways of her people and their gods, to follow Naomi. What devotion! I can see the similarities to Nyoman and Eka’s story. Leaving behind the gods of your heritage to follow the Living God.
Unfamiliar with how the story ends? Go ahead and read the book of Ruth for yourself. If you’re well versed in it, why not take another look? Like unwrapping a gift covered in multiple layers of beautiful paper, this redemption story will be unwrapped page by page. It’s a beautiful display of the steadfast, faithful love that God has for his own, and one which he calls us to reflect in our relationship with others (hesed).
Today I’m pondering on the beautiful qualities displayed in the character of both Ruth and Boaz. Qualities formed in their being by the very God of Israel, who is the perfect example of hesed love. *Sigh*
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12 June 2026
Sculpted
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
— Romans 12:2
In an attempt to get my body, mind and soul on track this year I have been implementing some small changes. I’m being a little more cautious with what I eat, spending more time with God and in His Word and moving my body more by going to the gym.
This week while at the gym, I was sitting on one of the pieces of exercise equipment and noticing the many and varied patrons of the gym. Just to be clear, I had actually used the equipment, I wasn’t just sitting on it!!
I love that there are a vast range of ages and body types represented at this particular gym. I feel quite comfortable there. Today there was a couple that stood out. They could have been models (and possibly were). Their carefully selected gym fits showed off perfectly just how sculpted their bodies were. The sharp definition in their muscles – emphasised by how lean they were - was really quite striking and I found myself admiring not only their physique (not in a creepy way, I was subtle) but the monumental effort it would have taken to get to that point, and maintain it.
I am middle aged, mildly unhealthy, and slightly overweight. I have been stuck in some bad habits and I used to lament over it quite often. Did the act of lamenting help me get fitter and stronger? No. Did the act of lamenting help shift my mindset in to doing something about my health? No.
The word “sculpted” played over and over in my mind as I continued my workout. It’s not something that happens without a great deal of effort and it certainly does not happen overnight. It’s intentional, disciplined, consistent hard work optimised with mindful nutrition and strict periods of rest and recovery.
I was thinking about the areas of my life that could be defined as “sculpted”. I didn’t have to think very long, there really weren’t many if any!!! It was a bit of a reality check.
I do NOT want to be physically sculpted like those gorgeous athletic specimens at the gym, however I see sculpting as vitally important and missing from other areas of my life. We are all created in the image of God, but we also require “sculpting” to become more like Jesus. I am so thankful for the gift and work of Holy Spirit to help in this process, but just like lamenting over my lack of physical health I can lament over my lack of spiritual health at times. Just like I needed to allocate time, lace up my sneakers and actually walk out the door and do a workout for the benefit of my physical health journey, I need to allocate time, open my bible and do a workout with the Lord for the benefit of my spiritual journey.
I want to be sculpted by wrestling with hard to comprehend truths, be fuelled, nourished and satiated by the life giving words of the Bible. I want to be sculpted in times of rest and recovery as I am reminded that I serve a God who sees every tear I cry and has a beautiful plan for my life for His Glory.
While I will still go to the gym and give it my best I will be focusing on a different kind of sculpting. The sculpting of my faith. If you enjoyed reading this and have not yet signed up for my email reminders, please do so now. I’d also love to know in the comments if this resonated with you. Many blessings to you friends!
PS the image I have used is not the actual couple at the gym.... just in case you were wondering :)
3 May 2026
A Misplaced Request
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:19
My friend’s conversion story, details of which will be revealed in the book, was influenced in a powerful way by a spiritual dream. A dream that caused him to question his life and belief system and resulted in him choosing Jesus. Praise God!
As part of my “research” I have been looking in to spiritual dreams and visions. I read the book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity for the first time last month. The author Nabeel Qureshi describes his dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity, documenting along the way his examination of historical, textual, and theological evidence of Islam versus Christianity. Supernatural dreams and visions also featured strongly and influenced his conclusion that Jesus is indeed God. Praise his name!
I truly love how God uses dreams and visions as a tool to reveal Jesus. One night as I was praying I asked God if he would see fit to give ME a dream or a vision. Something special just for me to have a greater understanding of his love for me and his goodness. I prayed this prayer for the best part of a week, nothing happened. One morning when I awoke, I felt God speak to my soul kindly, gently but pointedly, in the way he often does to his children. His message was so clear it was as though he audibly whispered it into my ear “daughter I have given you my Son, I have given you my Word and I have given you Holy Spirit. What you are asking for is not required.” In that moment I realised I had no need for a dream or vision. His wise response was not one of denying me something I longed for, but in fact a reminder of what I had already been abundantly blessed with, realigning my mind to such things. I asked for his forgiveness. God gently but firmly redirected me to a state of gratitude, marvelling at the grace he has already bestowed upon me. Readying me to move forward with a greater sense of trust and intention.
It was an innocent, well-meaning prayer… I thought. I wanted more of him. But I was being a little lazy and maybe even a wee bit entitled.
Philippians 4:19 says: And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
How good it is to be known and loved by God!
22 April 2026
Pleasing Aroma or Scentless Fraud
For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. v15
— 2 Corinthians 2
This morning my quiet time Bible reading found me in 2 Corinthians 2.
v15 struck me "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."
Paul goes on to explain that we are an aroma – it depends on the audience as to how the scent is perceived – either life giving or announcing death. That's a pretty intense concept.
My mind then went to the idea of house candles. We recently had some plumbing work done in our kitchen and the aroma was very unpleasant to say the least. Feeling bad for the plumbers doing the work, I ended up lighting 5 candles and had them placed strategically around the kitchen. Their scent actually went a long way to masking the odour from the blocked drains. What I found interesting was that one of the candles, although beautiful in appearance with a fancy gold embossed label and a flame creating a lovely flickering light, when I bent to smell it, the scent was neutral… non-existent. I was disappointed.
It made me ponder how I can at times be like that candle. Fit for purpose, but a little… well… lacking. As his child and servant, I want God, when he inclines his face to me, to be filled with a sweet aroma.
We are Christ's representatives here on earth. May we represent him well. Just like my candles that are perfume infused and seemingly drenched in the sweet smelling aroma (that can be appreciated before the wick is even lit), brothers and sisters may our Christian witness be richly fragrant for God's glory!