Have you ever been hurt or offended by someone? If you haven’t, you probably haven’t lived long or you need to get out a bit more. Everyone gets hurt – many times, either intentionally or unintentionally. When other people hurt us we have two options. 1. Our first and natural response is often one of … Continue reading Forgiveness
Faith
The majority of Australians believe in God – they have some sort of what we could call ‘faith.’ Genuine faith in God provides a strong foundation for many people’s lives – especially when everything else around us seems so uncertain. Of course, real faith is more than just believing in something or someone. Back in … Continue reading Faith
Acceptance
One of the deepest needs in every human being is to be accepted – just as we are, warts and all. Some people will do almost anything … just to be accepted by others. If you want to enhance your own relationships, why not give others the gift of acceptance. Choose to value and respect … Continue reading Acceptance
Expectations
We all know that relationships are central to our lives. Of course, developing close relationships with other people is not as easy as it sounds. I read an interesting book the other day with a great title: Everybody’s Normal Until You Get to Know Them. How true is that! Have you ever bought something from … Continue reading Expectations
The Importance of Friendship
The book of Genesis tells us the story of God creating the world. As God created various aspects of our world he declared them “good.” Then after creating human beings he said that this was “very good.” Then suddenly there is turn in the narrative. The writer tells us that God then said, “It is … Continue reading The Importance of Friendship
The Art of Apology
Have you ever had a conflict? Maybe a better question would be, “When was your last conflict?” As we do life with other people it is inevitable that conflicts and disagreements will occur. How successfully we resolve those conflicts will have a big impact on our lives. In most conflicts, there are wrongs on both … Continue reading The Art of Apology
Authenticity
A few years ago, I was having lunch with a friend of mine. I asked him how he was doing and he said he was “great.” He then asked me how I was doing. I hesitated at first but then I answered honestly. I was doing it tough and so I told him about it. … Continue reading Authenticity
Perspective
Imagine a group of people seated in a circle with a small table in the middle. Let’s now put an object on the table – a vase. Here are three very important observations: First of all, no one sees the vase exactly the same. In fact, everyone sees it differently and has a unique perspective … Continue reading Perspective
Baggage
I love to travel. The very atmosphere of airports and airplanes energises me. I love visiting new places and meeting new people. However, my wife doesn’t get quite as excited. In fact, she starts packing a few weeks ahead of time, just to make sure she’s got everything she needs. I tend to pack in … Continue reading Baggage
John 3:16
One of the most well-known statements in the Bible is recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 3 and verse 16. It goes like this ... For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV You may … Continue reading John 3:16
Faithfulness
One of the most important qualities to develop in our lives is the quality of FAITHFULNESS. Faithfulness means being true to your word, keeping your promises, being loyal, being reliable, honest, and trustworthy. Unfortunately, lack of faithfulness, or ‘unfaithfulness’, is becoming quite rampart in our society. A recent study revealed that up to 70% of … Continue reading Faithfulness
Potential
Potential – we all have it. It’s like a treasure chest waiting to be unpacked. It’s all about who we can become and what we can do to make the world a better place. Most people don’t see their potential. They tend to see their faults and their limitations. Often it takes other people to … Continue reading Potential
Your Story
Every one of us has a story to tell. Your life is your story. Your story is your life. Like a story, your life has a beginning, a middle, and an ending. There is a theme, characters, subplots (work, family, health, happiness, friendship), trajectory, and tone. What kind of story is your life? A comedy? … Continue reading Your Story
Creativity
Creativity – it’s everywhere. Just have a look at the world around you – there is such a variety of shapes, colours, textures, movements, sounds, and even smells. There is nothing bland, boring, or predictable about the world. In fact, there are over 6 billion people on the planet right now and each one of … Continue reading Creativity
Feedback
One of the characteristics of wise people is that they are open to feedback. Feedback from other people can give us needed insight not only into our own lives but to any issue or challenge we may be considering. If you reject feedback, you will hinder your own personal growth. All of us have things … Continue reading Feedback