I originally started up this blog while I was living overseas, so that I could share what was happening with people at home without having to write individual emails... And that was good. When I got home it just sort of kept going as I shared things I was learning and doing and trying in life...
But now, I think that this season is coming to a close and I won't be making any more posts, at least for now.
There were two things that have led to this happening as far as I can see...
One was a comment that my pastor said during a message she spoke, she said "stop talking and start marching" The context was of the Israelite army coming against Jericho when they marched in silence around the walled city.
But those words resonated in me in a different context, making me think about how I talk a lot about how I want to live and what that might look like and share photos and stories... and I don't lie, I do try to live those things out. But maybe now I need to stop talking altogether and just march.
The other thing is this growing understanding that God is moving me into a place of allowing Him to do things in me, bring growth and change. Of breaking down the things I have always thought and building up new ways of seeing the world. A time of focusing and investing in the relationships I have in a very real, vulnerable and intentional way.
In the past I have been someone who as soon as I was given a small amount of growth, or the start of an idea or a new friendship, I jumped right in head first, I would try to make growth happen really fast and for it to look awesome. I wanted things to be rounded off and well articulated, but now I'm realising that you can't have life like that. It's always going to be unfinished and still have sharp edges and be kind of uncoordinated.
But I think maybe I'm starting to be okay about this.
So for now, I want to learn this stuff and let it happen and be changed and not have to talk about it. I want for my understanding and expressing of this stuff to happen in real time, over coffee or late at night or when walking to class. (Actually, thanks to my friend Abby, a lot of amazing conversation and fresh revelations happen on this 2 km walk)
I want to start enjoying the journey for what it is, not just as a way to get to the end product.
For those of you who have faithfully read what I write and have encouraged me in this, thank you for your words. I still want to share what is happening in me and explore possibilities of what life could be like, but I'm moving it off the screen and into real life, into your lounge over a shared dinner maybe.
So for now, grace and peace.
Liesh
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Sunday, 5 October 2014
What happens if Jesus actually meant what He said?
This blog post is coming from a place of messiness, like a garden that had the soil all turned up and there is dirt everywhere and its overflowing the boundaries. I'm writing, not from a place of experience at all, but a place of longing, of desire for something more.
I've read the stories of Jesus and His disciples my whole life.
But in these past few weeks I'm reading the gospels like its all new and its messing me up.
I read about Jesus healing people and loving them and restoring them and bringing hope and life and transformation and about how He said to do the same things and even greater than Him. I read His teachings on humility and gentleness and about loving the poor and giving what you own to those who have nothing. About loving your enemies and about caring for your neighbour the same as yourself. About sharing and selling and eating together and poverty and hospitality and generosity... and for maybe the first time in my life, I'm realising that Jesus meant what he said.
It wasn't symbolic or meant for the disciples only or for an elite group of believers.
This is meant for everybody.
And when I believe this I can no longer be okay with my life.
I tried to go to sleep last night but I ended up on my knees long past midnight crying to Jesus because there is this tension beating in my heart, a holy dissatisfaction with my individualistic, sheltered life of consumption. It's time to be teachable, willing and interruptible.
Things are going to change.
For the past couple of years there has been two themes that God keeps resurfacing in my life. Authentic community and radical simplicity.
And now I'm going to take those two themes and marry them with the beautiful mess that comes with believing the gospel might actually be for real and jump head first and eyes closed into a life experiment in both of them.
I don't know what this will look like and I'll probably make some choices that my family and most of my friends will disapprove of, label as extreme or will pass off as being "just a phase she's going through".
That's okay.
I get it. I probably would have said those same things to myself a little while ago...
Why do I want to throw myself into this messy embrace of community and simplicity?
Month 1= Minimising my possessions
Month 2 = Eating like the rest of the world
Month 3 = Talking to Strangers
Month 4 = Quitting cyber communication and practicing it in real time
Month 5 = Serving the Dunedin community
Month 6 = Knowing my neighbours
Month 7 = Intentionally creating quality time
I don't know what it will look like... I have no expectations really. I know it will be hard sometimes and beautiful other times and sometimes both at once. I am hopeful and willing to re learn everything I thought I knew about these subjects, I want to approach all of this with a teachable, humble heart and I know that God will be gentle with me, because He always is.
All I know is that there's been underground work going on in me for sometime, and now it has all come together in a holy mess and I am unwilling to continue to live in agreement to this culture of consumption. We consume resources, food, time, space and each other with a violence that cannot continue... I have no idea what this will be like, but it starts today.
At the end of this month I will write a post about what I learned and felt and achieved through this experiment of giving away my possessions. If anybody reads this and is also feeling the same tension in their own life and wants to embark on this journey with me... I would love more than anything to not be doing this by myself. Because if I'm honest with you, I'm scared.
Lord, let it begin.
I've read the stories of Jesus and His disciples my whole life.
But in these past few weeks I'm reading the gospels like its all new and its messing me up.
I read about Jesus healing people and loving them and restoring them and bringing hope and life and transformation and about how He said to do the same things and even greater than Him. I read His teachings on humility and gentleness and about loving the poor and giving what you own to those who have nothing. About loving your enemies and about caring for your neighbour the same as yourself. About sharing and selling and eating together and poverty and hospitality and generosity... and for maybe the first time in my life, I'm realising that Jesus meant what he said.
It wasn't symbolic or meant for the disciples only or for an elite group of believers.
This is meant for everybody.
And when I believe this I can no longer be okay with my life.
I tried to go to sleep last night but I ended up on my knees long past midnight crying to Jesus because there is this tension beating in my heart, a holy dissatisfaction with my individualistic, sheltered life of consumption. It's time to be teachable, willing and interruptible.
Things are going to change.
For the past couple of years there has been two themes that God keeps resurfacing in my life. Authentic community and radical simplicity.
And now I'm going to take those two themes and marry them with the beautiful mess that comes with believing the gospel might actually be for real and jump head first and eyes closed into a life experiment in both of them.
I don't know what this will look like and I'll probably make some choices that my family and most of my friends will disapprove of, label as extreme or will pass off as being "just a phase she's going through".
That's okay.
I get it. I probably would have said those same things to myself a little while ago...
Why do I want to throw myself into this messy embrace of community and simplicity?
- Jesus did it.
- This is my attempt at rebellion against an individualistic consumer culture that is destroying our nation and stealing what is precious.
- Because I believe in the value of knowing people on a deep level and doing life with them rather than alongside them.
- Because I can no longer look at the immense inequality in this world and be okay with having more than I need.
- Because the church was born with community and vulnerability and simplicity and togetherness. Over the years she's been deceived about what's important, just like the rest of the world, but now it's time to gently begin leading her back to her roots.
Month 1= Minimising my possessions
Month 2 = Eating like the rest of the world
Month 3 = Talking to Strangers
Month 4 = Quitting cyber communication and practicing it in real time
Month 5 = Serving the Dunedin community
Month 6 = Knowing my neighbours
Month 7 = Intentionally creating quality time
I don't know what it will look like... I have no expectations really. I know it will be hard sometimes and beautiful other times and sometimes both at once. I am hopeful and willing to re learn everything I thought I knew about these subjects, I want to approach all of this with a teachable, humble heart and I know that God will be gentle with me, because He always is.
All I know is that there's been underground work going on in me for sometime, and now it has all come together in a holy mess and I am unwilling to continue to live in agreement to this culture of consumption. We consume resources, food, time, space and each other with a violence that cannot continue... I have no idea what this will be like, but it starts today.
At the end of this month I will write a post about what I learned and felt and achieved through this experiment of giving away my possessions. If anybody reads this and is also feeling the same tension in their own life and wants to embark on this journey with me... I would love more than anything to not be doing this by myself. Because if I'm honest with you, I'm scared.
Lord, let it begin.
Friday, 26 September 2014
Don't despise the secret place.
This post is a little longer than usual, but I encourage you to read through till the end, because it contains lessons hidden in the Exodus wilderness that has huge relevance for today!
This story is found in Exodus 2-19, definitely worth reading, but the general storyline goes something like this...
The Israelite people were living in Egypt and the Egyptians became scared of their power so they made them slaves for 400 years. Entering onto the scene is Moses who is saved from the plan to slaughter all the baby Israelite boys and grows up in the palace of the Pharaohs. When he grows up he visits his Israelite relatives and witnesses an Egyptian beating one of them so he kills the man and hides his body. When he comes back the next day, he realises he was seen and not approved of and has to escape. Moses leaves the city and hides in the wilderness of Midian where he meets his wife and works for many years as a shepherd for his father in law. All hopes of anything great for his life probably died out there under the hot sun and long days but one day he is tending the sheep and finds himself in front of a strange bush that is on fire but not burning up... From here God gives him the mission to rescue the Israelite people from their slavery and lead them out of Egypt to the promised land. God goes with him and after some dramatic events in the city, the Israelite people do a hurried mass exodus out into the wilderness and Moses leads them to the mountain of God where He meets them there. (That's the general idea but its an epic story and you should read it!)
But what I love about this story...
Chapter 3, vs 1
"One day Moses was tending the flock of his father in law...He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the Lord appeared to him"
Earlier on in Moses life, he had tried to act on behalf of the Israelites, he was fired up and angry at their treatment... But even though he was in a powerful position, living in the palace and youthful, full of energy, God knew that Moses' character wasn't up to the task of leading a nation out of slavery. So God removed him from the public eye, he worked tending anther mans sheep in the wilderness. No one knew him, no one praised his work and he had nothing to prove to anyone.
But while he was removed from the glory and action, this humbling process was perfectly preparing him for the task ahead.
The verse written above is the exact parallel of what God would ask him to do next!
He was tending the flock of his father in law, he led the flock into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the Lord appeared to him.
The mission God would give him was this:
He would lead his Fathers flock of people through the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the Lord appeared to them.
Wow! While Moses was doing everyday life, tending sheep and living under the authority of another, while his dreams of grandeur had probably long died, God was in fact putting him in the same places and same route and same task as he was about to ask him to do on a much larger scale!
I believe the lesson in this is so profound...
My friend, don't despise the secret and humble place. Be content to work well in the wilderness, for this is the training ground for the plans of God. Moses would never have been able to carry out the assigned mission without those years of being humbled in the wilderness.
'Do not despise the small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin" (Zechariah 4:10)
"If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones" (Luke 16:10)
This story is found in Exodus 2-19, definitely worth reading, but the general storyline goes something like this...
The Israelite people were living in Egypt and the Egyptians became scared of their power so they made them slaves for 400 years. Entering onto the scene is Moses who is saved from the plan to slaughter all the baby Israelite boys and grows up in the palace of the Pharaohs. When he grows up he visits his Israelite relatives and witnesses an Egyptian beating one of them so he kills the man and hides his body. When he comes back the next day, he realises he was seen and not approved of and has to escape. Moses leaves the city and hides in the wilderness of Midian where he meets his wife and works for many years as a shepherd for his father in law. All hopes of anything great for his life probably died out there under the hot sun and long days but one day he is tending the sheep and finds himself in front of a strange bush that is on fire but not burning up... From here God gives him the mission to rescue the Israelite people from their slavery and lead them out of Egypt to the promised land. God goes with him and after some dramatic events in the city, the Israelite people do a hurried mass exodus out into the wilderness and Moses leads them to the mountain of God where He meets them there. (That's the general idea but its an epic story and you should read it!)
But what I love about this story...
Chapter 3, vs 1
"One day Moses was tending the flock of his father in law...He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the Lord appeared to him"
Earlier on in Moses life, he had tried to act on behalf of the Israelites, he was fired up and angry at their treatment... But even though he was in a powerful position, living in the palace and youthful, full of energy, God knew that Moses' character wasn't up to the task of leading a nation out of slavery. So God removed him from the public eye, he worked tending anther mans sheep in the wilderness. No one knew him, no one praised his work and he had nothing to prove to anyone.
But while he was removed from the glory and action, this humbling process was perfectly preparing him for the task ahead.
The verse written above is the exact parallel of what God would ask him to do next!
He was tending the flock of his father in law, he led the flock into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the Lord appeared to him.
The mission God would give him was this:
He would lead his Fathers flock of people through the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the Lord appeared to them.
Wow! While Moses was doing everyday life, tending sheep and living under the authority of another, while his dreams of grandeur had probably long died, God was in fact putting him in the same places and same route and same task as he was about to ask him to do on a much larger scale!
I believe the lesson in this is so profound...
My friend, don't despise the secret and humble place. Be content to work well in the wilderness, for this is the training ground for the plans of God. Moses would never have been able to carry out the assigned mission without those years of being humbled in the wilderness.
'Do not despise the small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin" (Zechariah 4:10)
"If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones" (Luke 16:10)
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Bucket List Challenge # 3 and 4 - Dress as a vegetable, Hold a really wacky dinner party
So I decided to put two of the more creative challenges together...
Lauren challenged me to dress as a vegetable and Sarah gave me a very specific set of instructions for a crazy dinner party, so I made everyone dress as vegetables and eat their three course dinner with kitchen utensils!
It was a pretty hilarious evening and I was hugely impressed by the commitment shown by the guests!
Here are a few shots from the night, just to prove it happened and tick it off...
Lauren challenged me to dress as a vegetable and Sarah gave me a very specific set of instructions for a crazy dinner party, so I made everyone dress as vegetables and eat their three course dinner with kitchen utensils!
It was a pretty hilarious evening and I was hugely impressed by the commitment shown by the guests!
Here are a few shots from the night, just to prove it happened and tick it off...
Friday, 5 September 2014
Pretty Hurts
Beyoncé has recently performed a master piece, a song that captures and reflects the empty heart cry of our culture... Pretty Hurts.
"Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst
Perfection is a disease of a nation, pretty hurts, pretty hurts.
Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst,
We try to fix something but you cant fix what you cant see
Its the soul that needs the surgery"
The song speaks of the constant push for perfection, chasing after beauty and affection but never succeeding, about being unsatisfied, always feeling like you're not enough.
If I lose a bit of weight, then I will feel confident...
Once I get some new clothes, then I will be beautiful...
When I get fit then I feel strong...
When I act happy then people will accept me...
You are chasing this feeling of being beautiful, of being strong and accepted, that feeling that is always just out of reach, but close enough to keep the chase going. You see it in other people, they look happy and confident, so if you can be more like them, you'll be able to feel like they do. Decide what you think the world wants to see, shut everything else up inside and just show them the pretty parts...
Friend, I want to tell you a secret. This pursuit you've embarked on has no end, it's a round track you're running on. You will chase skinny and beautiful and accepted forever, but they can't be caught.
The knowledge that you are loved and beautiful is a sacred truth, reserved for those who throw down the baton and quit the race, those who stop pleading the world to give them something the world doesn't even have to offer you, even if she wanted to.
Instead, there is a God who has made you exactly as He wanted you, and he has called you good. He has said you are beautiful, that you are worth everything to Him.
You don't need to change. You don't need to strive anymore.
I believe in a God who loves me as I am and this knowledge, when it reaches deep into my heart, gives me the freedom to stand tall, to make mistakes, to smile and mean it.
And now I can stand on the side lines of that never ending racetrack and call out to those weary and empty runners, telling them I found what they're chasing, that it's right here and they don't need to run anymore.
"Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst
Perfection is a disease of a nation, pretty hurts, pretty hurts.
Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst,
We try to fix something but you cant fix what you cant see
Its the soul that needs the surgery"
The song speaks of the constant push for perfection, chasing after beauty and affection but never succeeding, about being unsatisfied, always feeling like you're not enough.
If I lose a bit of weight, then I will feel confident...
Once I get some new clothes, then I will be beautiful...
When I get fit then I feel strong...
When I act happy then people will accept me...
You are chasing this feeling of being beautiful, of being strong and accepted, that feeling that is always just out of reach, but close enough to keep the chase going. You see it in other people, they look happy and confident, so if you can be more like them, you'll be able to feel like they do. Decide what you think the world wants to see, shut everything else up inside and just show them the pretty parts...
Friend, I want to tell you a secret. This pursuit you've embarked on has no end, it's a round track you're running on. You will chase skinny and beautiful and accepted forever, but they can't be caught.
The knowledge that you are loved and beautiful is a sacred truth, reserved for those who throw down the baton and quit the race, those who stop pleading the world to give them something the world doesn't even have to offer you, even if she wanted to.
Instead, there is a God who has made you exactly as He wanted you, and he has called you good. He has said you are beautiful, that you are worth everything to Him.
You don't need to change. You don't need to strive anymore.
I believe in a God who loves me as I am and this knowledge, when it reaches deep into my heart, gives me the freedom to stand tall, to make mistakes, to smile and mean it.
And now I can stand on the side lines of that never ending racetrack and call out to those weary and empty runners, telling them I found what they're chasing, that it's right here and they don't need to run anymore.
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
I don't like you.
Scrolling down facebook...
Oh, that person wrote about their trip to Bali - "Like"
Hey there's the photos from my cousins birthday - "Like"
Inspiring quote from a well known author - "Like"
Someone tagged me in a nostalgic photo from high school graduation - "Like"
There is this thing we do on Facebook... We feel some vague interest toward what we see so we click the "like" button, sometimes even before reading the whole thing, then quickly move on to the next thing we "like".
Now, I'm not against Facebook... in fact, I use it regularly to catch up with people and share parts of my life there. But as someone who uses Facebook and who watches what's happening in society, I have two issues with this "like" business.
Firstly, people (especially amongst younger people) are beginning to confuse being liked on Facebook with being liked in real life. Their self worth is depending on how many likes they get on what they post. I frequently see posts such as "50 likes and I'll post a video of me singing" which is really saying, show me that I have worth and then I'll have the confidence to put something up which makes me vulnerable. Or "Like for a Like" which is the routine of me "liking" your post and then you'll write to me telling me something you like about me. This one really makes me sad because it assumes we need someone to tell us they like us before we have the confidence or the motivation to compliment them, but also because the people "liking" these posts are not feeling valued or worthy enough so they are searching for someone to tell them what is good about them. That breaks my heart. I often hear the youth I work with talking about how many "likes" their profile picture or video got and comparing numbers...
Secondly, "liking" something doesn't even mean anything to me when I see that.
I often post photos that I've taken, because I am good at photography and want to share the photos I have the privilege of capturing, mostly with the people who are in the photos in mind, or sometimes to share the beauty of the country we live in. And usually when I post photos, people will "like" them, sometimes people that I would never even usually talk to in real life. And even though I feel glad that you looked at it and appreciated something about that photo... I always wonder, why did you like that? Are you friends with someone in that photo? Do you also like the ocean? Do you appreciate the same simple beauty I do about that daisy? Did you like that photo because you've also travelled there and appreciate how long the hike is?
I want people to share with me why they felt some appreciation or connection with the photo I just posted. But when the same person goes through and "likes" 20 of my photos in the space of 2 minute
s, that does nothing except block my newsfeed and tell me you're flicking through them really really fast.
So I've set myself a challenge and want to challenge you to also try this...
I've decided that I won't like anything else on Facebook unless I'm prepared to also comment about why I like this. Let's make Facebook a tool to honour and uplift and appreciate people.
Give them your love, not just your like.
Oh, that person wrote about their trip to Bali - "Like"
Hey there's the photos from my cousins birthday - "Like"
Inspiring quote from a well known author - "Like"
Someone tagged me in a nostalgic photo from high school graduation - "Like"
There is this thing we do on Facebook... We feel some vague interest toward what we see so we click the "like" button, sometimes even before reading the whole thing, then quickly move on to the next thing we "like".
Now, I'm not against Facebook... in fact, I use it regularly to catch up with people and share parts of my life there. But as someone who uses Facebook and who watches what's happening in society, I have two issues with this "like" business.
Firstly, people (especially amongst younger people) are beginning to confuse being liked on Facebook with being liked in real life. Their self worth is depending on how many likes they get on what they post. I frequently see posts such as "50 likes and I'll post a video of me singing" which is really saying, show me that I have worth and then I'll have the confidence to put something up which makes me vulnerable. Or "Like for a Like" which is the routine of me "liking" your post and then you'll write to me telling me something you like about me. This one really makes me sad because it assumes we need someone to tell us they like us before we have the confidence or the motivation to compliment them, but also because the people "liking" these posts are not feeling valued or worthy enough so they are searching for someone to tell them what is good about them. That breaks my heart. I often hear the youth I work with talking about how many "likes" their profile picture or video got and comparing numbers...
Secondly, "liking" something doesn't even mean anything to me when I see that.
I often post photos that I've taken, because I am good at photography and want to share the photos I have the privilege of capturing, mostly with the people who are in the photos in mind, or sometimes to share the beauty of the country we live in. And usually when I post photos, people will "like" them, sometimes people that I would never even usually talk to in real life. And even though I feel glad that you looked at it and appreciated something about that photo... I always wonder, why did you like that? Are you friends with someone in that photo? Do you also like the ocean? Do you appreciate the same simple beauty I do about that daisy? Did you like that photo because you've also travelled there and appreciate how long the hike is?
I want people to share with me why they felt some appreciation or connection with the photo I just posted. But when the same person goes through and "likes" 20 of my photos in the space of 2 minute
s, that does nothing except block my newsfeed and tell me you're flicking through them really really fast.
So I've set myself a challenge and want to challenge you to also try this...
I've decided that I won't like anything else on Facebook unless I'm prepared to also comment about why I like this. Let's make Facebook a tool to honour and uplift and appreciate people.
Give them your love, not just your like.
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Bucket List challenge # 2 ... Midwinter Swim. Complete.
Kirsty Foster... Went for the classic but eternal when she assigned my bucket list challenge... Midwinter Swim!
Some friends and I jumped in the harbour a couple of months back and that was painful and not inspiring to do it again. So when I was given this challenge by Kirsty I decided I wasn't going in on my own... So on June 15th, I joined at least 200 other brave souls for the official Dunedin Polar plunge!
Unfortunately my camera was out of battery, but these are some of the official photos from the day.
Some friends and I jumped in the harbour a couple of months back and that was painful and not inspiring to do it again. So when I was given this challenge by Kirsty I decided I wasn't going in on my own... So on June 15th, I joined at least 200 other brave souls for the official Dunedin Polar plunge!
Unfortunately my camera was out of battery, but these are some of the official photos from the day.
As I was standing waiting for the countdown, staring at the grey waves hungrily lapping the cold sand, I was genuinely nervous... But once everyone started sprinting toward the surf and diving headlong into the wintery goodness that is midwinter swimming, adrenaline took over and there was no going back! Big shout out to everyone over 70 who denied their age and did it anyway and those kids too young to realise this is a bad idea and did it anyway because their parents said it would be fun.
When my head went under the water, every self preservation skill I had said to get out as fast as possible, and valuing my life, I did just that! However, there were a large number of people who apparently don't have those same voices of reason and stayed in up to ten minutes!
Thanks Kirsty for the challenge, it was fun and I'm glad we did it!!
Sunday, 25 May 2014
Bucket List Challenge # 1.... Build a 2 metre Sandcastle. Complete!
Ashley Mountfort... A wonderful friend who always sees the positive and the good and possibility and grace in every situation. Someone who has a playful childlike spirit in a world of adults who have stamped it out... You're beautiful.
Your bucket list challenge for me was to build a 2 metre high sandcastle with the little popcorn bucket you gave me. Today I did it! Well, we may have picked up some tools from the Hardware store so that it didn't take 5 hours to make!
With the help of Tegan and some friendly kids on the beach... We had a fabulous time in the sun and wind! Feeling like a child again, playing in the sand, listening to the gulls and breeze and waves.
Thank you for giving me a challenge that made me be a kid!
Here is the photo evidence...
Your bucket list challenge for me was to build a 2 metre high sandcastle with the little popcorn bucket you gave me. Today I did it! Well, we may have picked up some tools from the Hardware store so that it didn't take 5 hours to make!
With the help of Tegan and some friendly kids on the beach... We had a fabulous time in the sun and wind! Feeling like a child again, playing in the sand, listening to the gulls and breeze and waves.
Thank you for giving me a challenge that made me be a kid!
Here is the photo evidence...
 |
| Starting out.... With our handy tools from Mitre Ten Mega and the trusty popcorn bucket |
 |
| This, my friends is why you build a moat first! Because of the rouge waves! |
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| The waves were AMAZING today! |
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| The these two kidlets joined us! Moved to NZ from NY just 5 days ago, they're loving the beach! |
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| Okay, so they tried to help.... but mostly just threw sand around and broke the edges cause they couldn't get close enough... But we appreciated the company! |
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| The finished product! With the moat round the edge and the bucket on top, it would have been pretty much 2 metres tall but definitely 2 metres long and wide. |
Friday, 16 May 2014
The. Bucket. List
This year I feel that God is going to do something really exciting in my life... I'm going to go on more adventures and exploring and rick taking than before. I'm going to learn to love more extravagantly than before. I'm not going to waste as much time inside my comfort zone this year.
So for my birthday I asked those who were celebrating with me to each bring a bucket list item and I would do my very very best to complete ever single one of them before I turn 22 next year...
I thought this would be interesting and fun but I had no idea what I was in for! I love it because each of these challenges represent a bit of the person who gave it to me... their excitement about something or a bit of their passion or interest and I love it!
All of the ideas were amazing, I was blown away by their creativity and ridiculousness.
This is a photo of the original list, but I will type it up too... And as I do each of them I will write about it and post some photographic evidence of me doing it!
The name of the person who issued the challenge is written beside each one too.
Thank you everyone!
This will be an exciting year!
So for my birthday I asked those who were celebrating with me to each bring a bucket list item and I would do my very very best to complete ever single one of them before I turn 22 next year...
All of the ideas were amazing, I was blown away by their creativity and ridiculousness.
This is a photo of the original list, but I will type it up too... And as I do each of them I will write about it and post some photographic evidence of me doing it!
The name of the person who issued the challenge is written beside each one too.
Thank you everyone!
This will be an exciting year!
- Create an artwork in a public place - Chloe Palmer
- Dress up as a vegetable for a day - Lauren Sharp
- Gather a group of people together at uni and make a human pyramid - Ben Campbell
- Pick a recipe book and work your way through it - Jennie Verstappen
- Mid winter Swim - Kirsty Foster
- Take a photo every season in your favourite place for that season - Carlie Paterson
- Learn how to do the splits - Amber Pemberton
- Write your own worship song on guitar - Emma Ross
- Take a photo in 5 iconic Dunedin places and do something creative with it. Bring people you haven't gone to those places with before - Nicola Jacobs
- Have a day where you only eat food starting with the letter A - Kerah Bruce
- Find a love for something you don't already love - Abby Williams
- Make a 2 metre sandcastle and then wash the bucket, put popcorn in it and watch a movie with a friend - Ashley Mountfort
- Make Sock Puppets - Ashley
- Squirt 20 unsuspecting people with a water gun - Ashley
- Have a dinner party with random utensils such as a whisk, beater, potato pealer etc - Sarah Greaves
- Where a onesie everywhere you go for a day
- Go to the supermarket and buy groceries for the person in front of you and yell as loud as you can "You are AWESOME" - Garrett Chin
- Go busking with your guitar and film it until a stranger gives you money - Mum
- Complete one of the "Great walks" with your dad and others of your choice - Dad
- Go skydiving - Grace Boston
- Go bush in Fiordland - Tegan McNeish
- Find something everyday that takes your breath away and tell someone about it - Sophie Aldersley
Friday, 9 May 2014
Get out of the armchair people!
The other day I was talking to a friend in the evening and asked how her day had been...
The reply went something like this, "Oh, it was okay... pretty boring. Just another day, you know."
And it struck me in that moment how absolutely tragic this is... Not just her, but for the thousands of students in this city that go home everyday and say something similar.
Another day lost into the canyon of boringness and nothing and apathy.
Friends, we only have a limited amount of these days, we can't keep pushing them off the edge like this!
And I decided in that moment that I would never lose another day into that terrible place again... That every day I would search for variety and something new to do. That I would push for interesting conversation and plan for the unexpected to happen. That every day I would venture outside those ten foot thick walls of my comfort zone.
We've sat too long in the lazy boy of our comfort zone that we didn't realize it had turned to boring and expecting nothing zone and now we're trapped in it!
It's time to get off the armchair people!
We have a certain amount of 24 hour lots. Lets' stop throwing them away.
The reply went something like this, "Oh, it was okay... pretty boring. Just another day, you know."
And it struck me in that moment how absolutely tragic this is... Not just her, but for the thousands of students in this city that go home everyday and say something similar.
Another day lost into the canyon of boringness and nothing and apathy.
Friends, we only have a limited amount of these days, we can't keep pushing them off the edge like this!
And I decided in that moment that I would never lose another day into that terrible place again... That every day I would search for variety and something new to do. That I would push for interesting conversation and plan for the unexpected to happen. That every day I would venture outside those ten foot thick walls of my comfort zone.
We've sat too long in the lazy boy of our comfort zone that we didn't realize it had turned to boring and expecting nothing zone and now we're trapped in it!It's time to get off the armchair people!
We have a certain amount of 24 hour lots. Lets' stop throwing them away.
Friday, 18 April 2014
Sunday is Coming. Hold on.
Friday happened.
Jesus, the God man was beaten and murdered so that we could know God again.
To destroy sin and death and the distance between heaven and humanity.
The mob happened, the flogging happened, the cross happened.
Then He died.
And the people went home.
And now it's Saturday.
Nothing has changed really. Jesus is still dead.
There is still blood on the ground, the people still hate each other, the tomb has been sealed up.
Death seems to have won this time.
Saturday is waiting. It's longing. It's hoping that maybe this isn't the end even though everything looks like it is.
Saturday is the time between the blood tests and the doctors phone call.
Saturday is the time between the funeral and going back to work.
Saturday is after the fight, walking away hoping desperately they'll come after you.
Saturday is when you're lonely at night and the computer is there with all the secret images you look at, the ones you wish you didn't want to see but do anyway.
Saturday is the time between burying the bulb and seeing it come up.
Saturday is when everyone thinks you've moved on and they stop asking you, but really its' still hard to get up in the morning and do life.
Saturday is the hardest.
Friday was pain and death and suffering and grief, but everyone saw it, it was obvious.
Saturday is the silence.
No one really speaks of what Saturday feels like.
But just like every Saturday. It will end and Sunday will begin.
Now Sunday is the day that death lost every hold it ever had on humanity.
Sunday is the day God said Give Me My children back!
On Sunday Jesus finished the battle of Saturday and rose to life again, ending Saturday forever!
Sunday is life.
Sunday is the moment you realise maybe you will get through okay
Sunday is forgiveness
Sunday is the first rays of the new day
Sunday is that laughter you didn't think you would hear again.
Sunday is leaving the hospital
Sunday is walking away from the graveyard knowing where that person has gone to and looking forward to the reunion
Sunday is the kiss of heaven and earth
Friend, if you're stuck in Saturday.
Remember, Sunday always comes.
Hold on.
Jesus, the God man was beaten and murdered so that we could know God again.
To destroy sin and death and the distance between heaven and humanity.
The mob happened, the flogging happened, the cross happened.
Then He died.
And the people went home.
And now it's Saturday.
Nothing has changed really. Jesus is still dead.
There is still blood on the ground, the people still hate each other, the tomb has been sealed up.
Death seems to have won this time.
Saturday is waiting. It's longing. It's hoping that maybe this isn't the end even though everything looks like it is.
Saturday is the time between the blood tests and the doctors phone call.Saturday is the time between the funeral and going back to work.
Saturday is after the fight, walking away hoping desperately they'll come after you.
Saturday is when you're lonely at night and the computer is there with all the secret images you look at, the ones you wish you didn't want to see but do anyway.
Saturday is the time between burying the bulb and seeing it come up.
Saturday is when everyone thinks you've moved on and they stop asking you, but really its' still hard to get up in the morning and do life.
Saturday is the hardest.
Friday was pain and death and suffering and grief, but everyone saw it, it was obvious.
Saturday is the silence.
No one really speaks of what Saturday feels like.
But just like every Saturday. It will end and Sunday will begin.
Now Sunday is the day that death lost every hold it ever had on humanity.
Sunday is the day God said Give Me My children back!
On Sunday Jesus finished the battle of Saturday and rose to life again, ending Saturday forever!
Sunday is life.
Sunday is the moment you realise maybe you will get through okay
Sunday is forgiveness
Sunday is the first rays of the new day
Sunday is that laughter you didn't think you would hear again.
Sunday is leaving the hospital
Sunday is walking away from the graveyard knowing where that person has gone to and looking forward to the reunion
Sunday is the kiss of heaven and earth
Friend, if you're stuck in Saturday.
Remember, Sunday always comes.
Hold on.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Familiar Vessels
There's this account in the bible.. it comes after Jesus has been travelling around the area teaching, healing and loving on people. Everywhere He goes, the crowds follow Him wanting to get close to Him, to hear Him and be healed.
But now He's heading home to Nazareth, the back country hick town He grew up in, where everyone knows the local goss, where Mrs Miller still lets her dog poop on the neighbours lawn even after ten years, where Mr Granger sits on his porch to relay the local news to everyone who walks past and where if someone has an affair, the whole street knows within 24 hours.
It's that kind of place.
After travelling around and gaining national attention with His miracles and teaching, you'd expect a decent homecoming.
Here's what happens.
'The next Sabbath, He began teaching and those who heard Him were amazed. They asked "where does He get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?" Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Judas and Simon, and His sisters live here amongst us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him" (Mark 6: 2-3)
God was sending something the world had never seen before, the kingdom of God, the breaking in of eternity, the freedom from sin and death and He was RIGHT THERE WITH THEM.
And they felt it, they saw something different but they immediately rejected it because it came in the form of what was familiar. They knew the vessel that God was using so they rejected Him in the expectation of a glorious, fresh, politically powerful Messiah figure to break on the scene and make everything right.
How often do we miss what God is doing because it comes in the form of what we think we already know? The places, people and activities we're familiar with, do we reject them as normal because we're searching for something new and exciting? Do we miss what we're desperately searching for because it looks like that which we're used to seeing?
But now He's heading home to Nazareth, the back country hick town He grew up in, where everyone knows the local goss, where Mrs Miller still lets her dog poop on the neighbours lawn even after ten years, where Mr Granger sits on his porch to relay the local news to everyone who walks past and where if someone has an affair, the whole street knows within 24 hours.
It's that kind of place.
After travelling around and gaining national attention with His miracles and teaching, you'd expect a decent homecoming.
Here's what happens.
'The next Sabbath, He began teaching and those who heard Him were amazed. They asked "where does He get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?" Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Judas and Simon, and His sisters live here amongst us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him" (Mark 6: 2-3)
God was sending something the world had never seen before, the kingdom of God, the breaking in of eternity, the freedom from sin and death and He was RIGHT THERE WITH THEM.
And they felt it, they saw something different but they immediately rejected it because it came in the form of what was familiar. They knew the vessel that God was using so they rejected Him in the expectation of a glorious, fresh, politically powerful Messiah figure to break on the scene and make everything right.
How often do we miss what God is doing because it comes in the form of what we think we already know? The places, people and activities we're familiar with, do we reject them as normal because we're searching for something new and exciting? Do we miss what we're desperately searching for because it looks like that which we're used to seeing?
Saturday, 8 February 2014
Being busy...
"I've been really busy sorry"
"It's just been such a busy week"
"I'll get round to it when I'm not so busy"
"I've been so busy I've barely had time to talk to them about it"
Being busy...
It's such a common term. Everyone is busy, it's an answer to the question of how we've been, it's an expected thing for every student, parent and worker.
But today God started to teach me that being busy is not necessarily a measure of how much we do during the day, but more of an attitude, a state of being, a way of experiencing life.
Sometimes we don't even realise how busy we are, but the people around you can be pretty accurate judges. If you are a busy person then even when you're not doing anything, you carry the "aura" of busyness with you. And the people you do life with can feel it... they feel how when you're talking with them, you're already thinking about what you'll do after them. You're usually never fully present when you're spending time together and your life has a quickness and rush to it even if you're sitting still or walking slowly.
Busy people will always apologise for being busy, being frantic and always having to rush away... but it's not what they're doing, it's who they are.
I was trying to work out the relationship between being a busy person and doing lots... because there is one, I just don't think it's how we thought.
I think that maybe busy people tend to do a lot because it's hard for them to relax, they feel wasteful and useless and nervy when they're not doing something. Maybe this is a deeper issue about where their self worth lies, I'm not sure. But as a result they fill their days up with lots of jobs and people and errands and activities because then there is a reason they feel busy, it becomes an external circumstance rather than an inner issue.
On the other hand there are people who are responsible for a lot, work long hours, have young children or organise lots of people... yet there is a calmness about them, a stillness about their life. When they're with you, they are fully present, fully engaged. These are the kind of people who if you walk into their office, they will put aside their work to put your presence and need first, then get the other work done later (coincidentally these people also have wonderful time management skills!)
And today, I felt God was saying to me "I don't want you to be busy this year"
My first thought was that I have a lot on this year, that it was always going to have been a busy year.
But He said "You will still do all those things, but I don't want you to be busy in the midst of it. I don't want that for any of My children"
"Busy is a drug lots of people are addicted to" - Rob Bell
"It's just been such a busy week"
"I'll get round to it when I'm not so busy"
"I've been so busy I've barely had time to talk to them about it"
Being busy...
It's such a common term. Everyone is busy, it's an answer to the question of how we've been, it's an expected thing for every student, parent and worker.
But today God started to teach me that being busy is not necessarily a measure of how much we do during the day, but more of an attitude, a state of being, a way of experiencing life.
Sometimes we don't even realise how busy we are, but the people around you can be pretty accurate judges. If you are a busy person then even when you're not doing anything, you carry the "aura" of busyness with you. And the people you do life with can feel it... they feel how when you're talking with them, you're already thinking about what you'll do after them. You're usually never fully present when you're spending time together and your life has a quickness and rush to it even if you're sitting still or walking slowly.
Busy people will always apologise for being busy, being frantic and always having to rush away... but it's not what they're doing, it's who they are. I was trying to work out the relationship between being a busy person and doing lots... because there is one, I just don't think it's how we thought.
I think that maybe busy people tend to do a lot because it's hard for them to relax, they feel wasteful and useless and nervy when they're not doing something. Maybe this is a deeper issue about where their self worth lies, I'm not sure. But as a result they fill their days up with lots of jobs and people and errands and activities because then there is a reason they feel busy, it becomes an external circumstance rather than an inner issue.
On the other hand there are people who are responsible for a lot, work long hours, have young children or organise lots of people... yet there is a calmness about them, a stillness about their life. When they're with you, they are fully present, fully engaged. These are the kind of people who if you walk into their office, they will put aside their work to put your presence and need first, then get the other work done later (coincidentally these people also have wonderful time management skills!)
And today, I felt God was saying to me "I don't want you to be busy this year"
My first thought was that I have a lot on this year, that it was always going to have been a busy year.
But He said "You will still do all those things, but I don't want you to be busy in the midst of it. I don't want that for any of My children"
"Busy is a drug lots of people are addicted to" - Rob Bell
Monday, 3 February 2014
Tramping misadventures
So this last week my friend Tegan and I went tramping from Arrowtown to Wanaka over 3 and a half days... we originally planned to go back as well, but when we got to Wanaka we reassessed our fitness and how much we ACTUALLY wanted to climb back over that mountain, then decided to hitchhike back instead.
We decided that tramping is also supposed to be fun as well as challenging. Not just plain hard all the time. (even if you do feel accomplished afterwards)
It was an excellent trip and we had heaps of fun, but lots of little things happened which made it more interesting that I thought I would mention on here and highlight the fact that trips don't always go completely to plan and can still be great anyway!
The very first day there were 22 river crossing before we got to our first campsite, this meant that our boots were wet for the rest of the trip almost
Lesson: Plan to get wet.
We tried to dry out our socks over the fire we lit that night while eating dinner.... the result = 2 pairs of charred cooked socks.
Lesson: Don't let Aliesha oversee sock cooking
We left at 5 30 am the next morning to try and get a headstart on the hill before the sun caught us, but while trying to pack my stuff in the half light we left (well, I left...) Tegans' knife hiding in the grass while we started climbing the mountain.
Lesson: Don't pack in the dark, no matter how much the mosquitos like the head torch.
Halfway up the mountain I stepped in a massive mud patch and sunk up to my knees in it...leaving mud all through my socks and boots and legs. Tegan actually had to pull me out because the suction was too strong to pull out by myself.
Lesson: watch where you're walking. All the time.
We were thinking it was about time to see the hut soon so when we saw a little hut down by the river side we decided that instead of following the track which seemed to loop inconveniently up the mountain, we made the decision just to climb down the cliff and follow the river to the hut.
However 20 mins later upon arrival we see that this is a locked construction hut that we cannot use at all! Following this is a 250 m rock climbing/grass pulling/ vertical uphill climb back to the track...
Lesson: Don't leave the track. it's there for a reason!
(just for the record, we saw the real hut about 4 hours later.... a LONG time after our original ETA)
At lunch we decided on an alternate route following a four wheel drive track (we thought) rather than going over the next mountain, but instead going around it.... After we reached it we see a sign that said something that we interpreted as "Don't you dare walk on this track you filthy trampers... if we see you we'll shoot first and ask questions later"
So in fear of death we decided to follow the river to Wanaka which isn't owned by anyone.
This however, turned out to be a very long windy pathway...
Lesson: Check with DOC before choosing a path to see if it is actually a path and not a road through a private sheep station.
There were plenty more tramping life lessons I could include in this but it's getting long so I'll finish up... It was a great trip though and don't regret anything!
Lesson: We live in one of the most beautiful nations on earth, get off the couch and explore your backyard!
We decided that tramping is also supposed to be fun as well as challenging. Not just plain hard all the time. (even if you do feel accomplished afterwards)
It was an excellent trip and we had heaps of fun, but lots of little things happened which made it more interesting that I thought I would mention on here and highlight the fact that trips don't always go completely to plan and can still be great anyway!
The very first day there were 22 river crossing before we got to our first campsite, this meant that our boots were wet for the rest of the trip almost
Lesson: Plan to get wet.
We tried to dry out our socks over the fire we lit that night while eating dinner.... the result = 2 pairs of charred cooked socks.
Lesson: Don't let Aliesha oversee sock cooking
We left at 5 30 am the next morning to try and get a headstart on the hill before the sun caught us, but while trying to pack my stuff in the half light we left (well, I left...) Tegans' knife hiding in the grass while we started climbing the mountain.
Lesson: Don't pack in the dark, no matter how much the mosquitos like the head torch.
Halfway up the mountain I stepped in a massive mud patch and sunk up to my knees in it...leaving mud all through my socks and boots and legs. Tegan actually had to pull me out because the suction was too strong to pull out by myself.
Lesson: watch where you're walking. All the time.
We were thinking it was about time to see the hut soon so when we saw a little hut down by the river side we decided that instead of following the track which seemed to loop inconveniently up the mountain, we made the decision just to climb down the cliff and follow the river to the hut.
However 20 mins later upon arrival we see that this is a locked construction hut that we cannot use at all! Following this is a 250 m rock climbing/grass pulling/ vertical uphill climb back to the track...
Lesson: Don't leave the track. it's there for a reason!
(just for the record, we saw the real hut about 4 hours later.... a LONG time after our original ETA)
At lunch we decided on an alternate route following a four wheel drive track (we thought) rather than going over the next mountain, but instead going around it.... After we reached it we see a sign that said something that we interpreted as "Don't you dare walk on this track you filthy trampers... if we see you we'll shoot first and ask questions later"
So in fear of death we decided to follow the river to Wanaka which isn't owned by anyone.
This however, turned out to be a very long windy pathway...
Lesson: Check with DOC before choosing a path to see if it is actually a path and not a road through a private sheep station.
There were plenty more tramping life lessons I could include in this but it's getting long so I'll finish up... It was a great trip though and don't regret anything!
Lesson: We live in one of the most beautiful nations on earth, get off the couch and explore your backyard!
 |
| This was our muesli breakfast half way up the mountain after our 5 30 am start |
Saturday, 28 December 2013
Off the Road Resolutions
Out of all the days of the year, these last three or four days are the most forgotten, neglected and ignored... Most of us are already living in the new year, making plans, planning what it will be like, dreaming of a fresh new start. In these last few days, diets, exercise plans, organisation and budgeting gets forgotten as we abandon everything in anticipation of a new beginning on the 1st...
(Poor little 31st, gets forgotten every time...)
These are the top ten most common new years resolutions in the world:
I know that Jan 1st is no different from April 6th or August 18th or March 11th, but there IS something refreshing about the new year.
So, here are a few things that I want to try this coming year, areas of life I want to be intentional about. I wanted them to be life bringing and creative, avoiding the typical ten I wrote above.
These aren't measurable goals, nor will I ever fully achieve them, but that's okay too.
Ask more questions
Overtime I've learned something about the majority of people... we love to talk about ourselves. a lot. and when people ask us questions about ourselves, we feel important and honoured.
So I want to intentionally ask people more questions. To find out the things they're good at and ask about those things, because then I get to learn cool new things and they are valued and feel important.
For example, I went walking with a friend and I had my camera. She knows I enjoy photography so she started asking me about how I see a good photo and what things like shutter speed and aperture mean.... and because I know photography, it makes me happy to talk about it and valued as someone with those skills.
So the next day, I was talking to a different friend who is studying opera singing. I know nothing about opera, neither am I particularly interested in it... but I started asking her questions about the history of it and what makes a good opera singer and how people train for it.... and in doing so, I totally gained a better understanding of the opera world and she was valued as an opera singer.
Brilliant. Everyone wins.
Be okay with not being good at things
Sometimes (alright, a lot of the time) I hate it when I don't understand something, or I'm not good at something and I will try and make it seem like I've had more experience in something than I have or slightly exaggerate the story of how many times I've done something...
This year I want to get better at not being good at things.
To be able to say "I've actually never done this before, could you teach me?"
Or when someone asks me for help with something, to be able to say "You know what, I actually don't know a whole lot about that, but [insert name of someone wiser smarter and stronger] is really good, do you want me to ask them for you?" Rather than trying to bluff my way through it because I hate admitting I can't help because I have no idea what they're talking about!
Stop being nice
I really love it when people are happy and have everything sorted, especially if I can help them get there. I like it when people aren't fighting and when conflict isn't under the surface just waiting for a prime moment.
Except sometimes that means that try to please everyone and can't say no to anyone who needs help so I get way over busy and end up neglecting things that are important. (Like sleep, that's kinda necessary)
So this year I want to get better at saying no, better at telling people when I'm tired and need to stop, when I'm frustrated or annoyed telling people that I love them but can't be with them right now.
I have a friend who pretty much never does something unless she wants to (or its actually important, like studying, or running, or cleaning) and sometimes she says that no, she won't help me with a project I'm doing, which is sometimes slightly annoying, but I know that whenever she does say she'll do something, she'll genuinely want to be there and will pour everything into it. I like that.
Make interruptible plans
I think it's important to plan. To make goals and have a list of stuff that needs to be done this week.
I'm pretty good at it.... But occasionally my plans and lists stop me from experiencing some awesome things because grandma really needs that email sent by 4 32 pm.
I want to try and create plans that get things done, but also have room for sunsets that need to be seen from the top of the hill, or for a chat with the buskers, or a late night cry session with a flatmate....
Much Love,
Liesh
(Poor little 31st, gets forgotten every time...)
These are the top ten most common new years resolutions in the world:
- Lose weight and get fit
- Quit smoking
- Learn something new
- Eat healthier
- Get out of debt
- Spend more time with family
- Travel
- Be less stressed
- Volunteer
- Drink Less
I know that Jan 1st is no different from April 6th or August 18th or March 11th, but there IS something refreshing about the new year.
So, here are a few things that I want to try this coming year, areas of life I want to be intentional about. I wanted them to be life bringing and creative, avoiding the typical ten I wrote above.
These aren't measurable goals, nor will I ever fully achieve them, but that's okay too.
Ask more questions
Overtime I've learned something about the majority of people... we love to talk about ourselves. a lot. and when people ask us questions about ourselves, we feel important and honoured.
So I want to intentionally ask people more questions. To find out the things they're good at and ask about those things, because then I get to learn cool new things and they are valued and feel important.For example, I went walking with a friend and I had my camera. She knows I enjoy photography so she started asking me about how I see a good photo and what things like shutter speed and aperture mean.... and because I know photography, it makes me happy to talk about it and valued as someone with those skills.
So the next day, I was talking to a different friend who is studying opera singing. I know nothing about opera, neither am I particularly interested in it... but I started asking her questions about the history of it and what makes a good opera singer and how people train for it.... and in doing so, I totally gained a better understanding of the opera world and she was valued as an opera singer.
Brilliant. Everyone wins.
Be okay with not being good at things
Sometimes (alright, a lot of the time) I hate it when I don't understand something, or I'm not good at something and I will try and make it seem like I've had more experience in something than I have or slightly exaggerate the story of how many times I've done something...
This year I want to get better at not being good at things.
To be able to say "I've actually never done this before, could you teach me?"
Or when someone asks me for help with something, to be able to say "You know what, I actually don't know a whole lot about that, but [insert name of someone wiser smarter and stronger] is really good, do you want me to ask them for you?" Rather than trying to bluff my way through it because I hate admitting I can't help because I have no idea what they're talking about!
Stop being nice
I really love it when people are happy and have everything sorted, especially if I can help them get there. I like it when people aren't fighting and when conflict isn't under the surface just waiting for a prime moment.
Except sometimes that means that try to please everyone and can't say no to anyone who needs help so I get way over busy and end up neglecting things that are important. (Like sleep, that's kinda necessary)
So this year I want to get better at saying no, better at telling people when I'm tired and need to stop, when I'm frustrated or annoyed telling people that I love them but can't be with them right now.
I have a friend who pretty much never does something unless she wants to (or its actually important, like studying, or running, or cleaning) and sometimes she says that no, she won't help me with a project I'm doing, which is sometimes slightly annoying, but I know that whenever she does say she'll do something, she'll genuinely want to be there and will pour everything into it. I like that.
Make interruptible plans
I think it's important to plan. To make goals and have a list of stuff that needs to be done this week.
I'm pretty good at it.... But occasionally my plans and lists stop me from experiencing some awesome things because grandma really needs that email sent by 4 32 pm.
I want to try and create plans that get things done, but also have room for sunsets that need to be seen from the top of the hill, or for a chat with the buskers, or a late night cry session with a flatmate....
Much Love,
Liesh
Friday, 20 December 2013
Get out of my house!
This summer I'm apple thinning.
Like the last four years.
Every year I tell myself I'll never do it again, but here I am again :)
Anyway, its not that bad and I have lots of time to listen to music and think and listen to sermons on my Ipod and the other day I was listening to Joyce Meyer (one of the most straight up, blunt, to the point speakers that I know) and she said this:
"You don't have to entertain every thought that comes into your mind"
This wasn't her main point but it got me thinking...
To entertain someone in your house means to invite them in and give them food and water and anything they might need, to make them feel welcome and comfortable.
Now imagine your mind as your house.. lots of thoughts are going to come knocking at the door but its completely up to you what you allow in. Your house is not a drop in centre for just anyone, its your home.
You wouldn't let people who look dangerous or sifty or evil into your home... so why do we let the equivalent thoughts into our mind?
They don't necessarily have to be even that obviously bad... As soon as I started being more aware of my thoughts, I started seeing unwelcome visitors that I had never realised were messing up my house before.
For example, I was at work and it was hot and I was feeling tired and I left the door open and an ugly little thought wandered in saying "I don't even want to be here, I could leave early and go swimming. Its hot, don't worry about reaching for those top apples, they'll just get it with the truck later"
Or.. My friend has an incredible gift of sensing what people are feeling and seeing what God is doing in them, and when she mentioned something about it this pot bellied jealousy thought almost ran through the door!
Those aren't really destructive things, but overtime they will take over your house!
So I decided to stop being so passive about what thought came into my mind and I'm practicing being aggressive and selective and deciding what thoughts I entertain in my minds lounge room.
Yesterday at the orchard, whenever I recognised a thought that was not helpful or kind or necessary or pure, I spoke out loud "Get out of my house, you're not welcome here!"
(obviously the out loud approach isn't always appropriate but it was okay in the orchard)
At first I was disturbed at how much I had to say it, but I know that overtime, my house is going to get tidier and safer and a better place.
Some thoughts have been freeloading off you, being entertained by you for so long that they're not just going to leave. For years and years they've been stealing your time and energy, they've been destroying your friendships and relationships and quality of life.
Some of the more common long term residents...
" You were never loved properly as a kid and so you cant be expected to love people well now"
"I do so much for them and they don't even notice, why do I ever bother?!"
"I need to work harder, be better, eat less, exercise more, get more money ... then I'll be okay, then I'll be happy"
Don't be discouraged if they don't leave and stay away the first time you decide to kick them out... some will keep trying to come back, but make it clear that you're in control now, you will no longer let pointless and unhelpful and destructive guests into your house, and eventually they'll get the picture.
Like the last four years.
Every year I tell myself I'll never do it again, but here I am again :)
Anyway, its not that bad and I have lots of time to listen to music and think and listen to sermons on my Ipod and the other day I was listening to Joyce Meyer (one of the most straight up, blunt, to the point speakers that I know) and she said this:
"You don't have to entertain every thought that comes into your mind"
This wasn't her main point but it got me thinking...
To entertain someone in your house means to invite them in and give them food and water and anything they might need, to make them feel welcome and comfortable.
Now imagine your mind as your house.. lots of thoughts are going to come knocking at the door but its completely up to you what you allow in. Your house is not a drop in centre for just anyone, its your home.
You wouldn't let people who look dangerous or sifty or evil into your home... so why do we let the equivalent thoughts into our mind?
They don't necessarily have to be even that obviously bad... As soon as I started being more aware of my thoughts, I started seeing unwelcome visitors that I had never realised were messing up my house before.
For example, I was at work and it was hot and I was feeling tired and I left the door open and an ugly little thought wandered in saying "I don't even want to be here, I could leave early and go swimming. Its hot, don't worry about reaching for those top apples, they'll just get it with the truck later"Or.. My friend has an incredible gift of sensing what people are feeling and seeing what God is doing in them, and when she mentioned something about it this pot bellied jealousy thought almost ran through the door!
Those aren't really destructive things, but overtime they will take over your house!
So I decided to stop being so passive about what thought came into my mind and I'm practicing being aggressive and selective and deciding what thoughts I entertain in my minds lounge room.
Yesterday at the orchard, whenever I recognised a thought that was not helpful or kind or necessary or pure, I spoke out loud "Get out of my house, you're not welcome here!"
(obviously the out loud approach isn't always appropriate but it was okay in the orchard)
At first I was disturbed at how much I had to say it, but I know that overtime, my house is going to get tidier and safer and a better place.
Some thoughts have been freeloading off you, being entertained by you for so long that they're not just going to leave. For years and years they've been stealing your time and energy, they've been destroying your friendships and relationships and quality of life.
Some of the more common long term residents...
" You were never loved properly as a kid and so you cant be expected to love people well now"
"I do so much for them and they don't even notice, why do I ever bother?!"
"I need to work harder, be better, eat less, exercise more, get more money ... then I'll be okay, then I'll be happy"
Don't be discouraged if they don't leave and stay away the first time you decide to kick them out... some will keep trying to come back, but make it clear that you're in control now, you will no longer let pointless and unhelpful and destructive guests into your house, and eventually they'll get the picture.
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Global Leadership Summit
A couple of weeks back, I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Global Leadership Summit, a course designed for upskilling and enabling people in leadership positions to be able to lead more effectively and influentially...
But honestly, anyone could have gone and got something valuable out of it, not just official leaders.
It was video links from the actual conference held in Chicago with speakers from all over the world.
There is no way I could summarise everything they said or everything I got out of it, so I thought I would just share a few of the best points from a few of the speakers.
Bill Hybels - Founder and Senior pastor of Willow Creek Church (this is where the conference is based and literally has thousands of people attending the church every week)
Leadership is about moving people from one place to another, but first you have to cast a vision about where they're going, convince them that the place they're in now isn't worth staying in.
God always sends big and exciting and life giving visions to his leaders (by vision I mean an idea, a dream of how something could work or become) but they are quietly aborted before they're even spoken aloud, because we are to scared of what t might take to see them happen. A colossal tragedy, the silent death of what could have been.
Staff and team cultures will only ever be as healthy as the CEO or top leader wants them to be.
There comes a time when the leader has to stop casting vision, stop suggesting and persuading and hoping that people will catch onto the excitement of your vision... then it's time to enforce the vision, to tell your team that this is how it's gonna be from now. The vision needs to become an inviable value.
Joseph Grenny - best selling business author, spoke about Mastering the Skill of Influence
There are multiple levels of influence, at the personal level, the social level and the structural/economic level... a lot of the time, our influence strategies are focused only at the personal motivation level with inspiring speeches or personal threats. This is NEVER as effective as addressing all levels.
To make somebody want to do something you cant just convince them to make the better choice, you need to connect it to a value or a goal that is important TO THEM, not just something that is good in general.
For example, t's good to save money, but people will find it much harder to save than if you teach them that they're saving for a particular reason. They will save more in a "For my new roof account" rather than a "savings account"
Gen. Colin Powell - Former US Secretary of State
There is NO unimportant person in an organisation. No one.
Colin had a cleaner who would come in and clean his office when he left every night... He would tell her that if it wasn't for her, then his office would be dirty, he wouldn't be able to work as efficiently, he wouldn't feel comfortable entertaining people there, he would have to take time out of his schedule to clean it himself... Therefore without his cleaning lady, he couldn't do his job as Secretary of State as efficiently.
People need to know that what they're doing is valuable
As good leader will give the people under them a zone of operation in which they can move and make decisions and judgement calls in without having to bring everything to you as a leader. This gives people purpose and dignity as a team member.
He talked a bit about promotion and giving people more responsibility.... Some people work well at the level they've been given and are not going to be as good any higher. You need to be promoting people not solely based on their performance at the level they're at, but also based on their potential at the level you might move them to.
Bob Goff - US consul to Uganda and Founder and CEO of Restore International
Bob has also written a incredible book called Love Does and a lot of what he talked about today was based from that book.... about doing stuff, saying yes to people, Living Fully and taking the moment.
Lots of Christians know lots of facts about Jesus... where and when He was born, they know His family, they know what events He was at, they know His friends.... but they don't actually know Him. This is also known as stalking someone! We're stalking Jesus.... Lets' actually hang out with Him instead!
Patrick Lencioni - Best Selling Business leadership author
There are three main things that make people feel miserable in their jobs. When people encounter these things in their work, they are going to want to quit. If you want to lose your best people, try it out...
Anonymity - People want so badly to be known and cared about. If the boss doesn't know their name, they probably won't enjoy coming to work as much.
If you are a leader and simply don't care about people, that's fine. Get a job that involves individual contribution because you cannot be an effective leader when you don't care about the people working for you.
Irrelevance - If people don't see how their job is impacting people then it's impossible to love that job. Some job are easy to see how... doctors, lawyers, fire fighters... but jobs like dishwasher, fast food server etc., it can be harder... one of your jobs, as a leader at that kind of workplace, is to make those people see how their job is affecting people.
Immeasurement - When people are not able to measure their success themselves somehow, its hard for them to tell when they're doing well, and they end up having to rely on how the boss is feeling when they say something.
It can be a quantitative or qualitative measurement but all people need some way to measure their success in their area of relevance.
Dr. Brene Brown - Research professor of Houston, graduate of social work
When you judge yourself for needing help, you are automatically going to be judging people for needing and asking for help. The two ideas are connected. You CANNOT hate asking for help at the same time as being okay to help other people when they need. The better you are asking for help, the more graciously you are able to offer that to others.
There is often a gap between what people say and then what they do. This space is where you lose people... Parents lose kids down this gap, bosses lose employees, pastors lose their congregation.
The smaller you can make this gap the better.
Vulnerability is important in effective leadership. You cannot be good at feedback if you can't be vulnerable. With feedback, you need to sit on the same side of the table, not having the problem sitting between you, and ask "how can WE change this? What's my role in this? What should WE do to make this situation better?"
When you are a leader, you can choose comfort or you can choose courage. In leadership they're mutually exclusive. When you sign up to be a leader, you're signing up to get your butt kicked.... and when you walk into that arena to do it, you need two things:
- Absolute clarity of your values and what you believe in.
- Someone who loves you solely for who you are, not how you perform.
But honestly, anyone could have gone and got something valuable out of it, not just official leaders.
It was video links from the actual conference held in Chicago with speakers from all over the world.
There is no way I could summarise everything they said or everything I got out of it, so I thought I would just share a few of the best points from a few of the speakers.
Bill Hybels - Founder and Senior pastor of Willow Creek Church (this is where the conference is based and literally has thousands of people attending the church every week)
Leadership is about moving people from one place to another, but first you have to cast a vision about where they're going, convince them that the place they're in now isn't worth staying in.God always sends big and exciting and life giving visions to his leaders (by vision I mean an idea, a dream of how something could work or become) but they are quietly aborted before they're even spoken aloud, because we are to scared of what t might take to see them happen. A colossal tragedy, the silent death of what could have been.
Staff and team cultures will only ever be as healthy as the CEO or top leader wants them to be.
There comes a time when the leader has to stop casting vision, stop suggesting and persuading and hoping that people will catch onto the excitement of your vision... then it's time to enforce the vision, to tell your team that this is how it's gonna be from now. The vision needs to become an inviable value.
Joseph Grenny - best selling business author, spoke about Mastering the Skill of Influence
There are multiple levels of influence, at the personal level, the social level and the structural/economic level... a lot of the time, our influence strategies are focused only at the personal motivation level with inspiring speeches or personal threats. This is NEVER as effective as addressing all levels.
To make somebody want to do something you cant just convince them to make the better choice, you need to connect it to a value or a goal that is important TO THEM, not just something that is good in general.
For example, t's good to save money, but people will find it much harder to save than if you teach them that they're saving for a particular reason. They will save more in a "For my new roof account" rather than a "savings account"
Gen. Colin Powell - Former US Secretary of State
There is NO unimportant person in an organisation. No one.
Colin had a cleaner who would come in and clean his office when he left every night... He would tell her that if it wasn't for her, then his office would be dirty, he wouldn't be able to work as efficiently, he wouldn't feel comfortable entertaining people there, he would have to take time out of his schedule to clean it himself... Therefore without his cleaning lady, he couldn't do his job as Secretary of State as efficiently.
People need to know that what they're doing is valuable
As good leader will give the people under them a zone of operation in which they can move and make decisions and judgement calls in without having to bring everything to you as a leader. This gives people purpose and dignity as a team member.
He talked a bit about promotion and giving people more responsibility.... Some people work well at the level they've been given and are not going to be as good any higher. You need to be promoting people not solely based on their performance at the level they're at, but also based on their potential at the level you might move them to.
Bob Goff - US consul to Uganda and Founder and CEO of Restore International
Bob has also written a incredible book called Love Does and a lot of what he talked about today was based from that book.... about doing stuff, saying yes to people, Living Fully and taking the moment.
Lots of Christians know lots of facts about Jesus... where and when He was born, they know His family, they know what events He was at, they know His friends.... but they don't actually know Him. This is also known as stalking someone! We're stalking Jesus.... Lets' actually hang out with Him instead!
Patrick Lencioni - Best Selling Business leadership author
There are three main things that make people feel miserable in their jobs. When people encounter these things in their work, they are going to want to quit. If you want to lose your best people, try it out...
Anonymity - People want so badly to be known and cared about. If the boss doesn't know their name, they probably won't enjoy coming to work as much.
If you are a leader and simply don't care about people, that's fine. Get a job that involves individual contribution because you cannot be an effective leader when you don't care about the people working for you.
Irrelevance - If people don't see how their job is impacting people then it's impossible to love that job. Some job are easy to see how... doctors, lawyers, fire fighters... but jobs like dishwasher, fast food server etc., it can be harder... one of your jobs, as a leader at that kind of workplace, is to make those people see how their job is affecting people.
Immeasurement - When people are not able to measure their success themselves somehow, its hard for them to tell when they're doing well, and they end up having to rely on how the boss is feeling when they say something.
It can be a quantitative or qualitative measurement but all people need some way to measure their success in their area of relevance.
Dr. Brene Brown - Research professor of Houston, graduate of social work
When you judge yourself for needing help, you are automatically going to be judging people for needing and asking for help. The two ideas are connected. You CANNOT hate asking for help at the same time as being okay to help other people when they need. The better you are asking for help, the more graciously you are able to offer that to others.
There is often a gap between what people say and then what they do. This space is where you lose people... Parents lose kids down this gap, bosses lose employees, pastors lose their congregation.
The smaller you can make this gap the better.
Vulnerability is important in effective leadership. You cannot be good at feedback if you can't be vulnerable. With feedback, you need to sit on the same side of the table, not having the problem sitting between you, and ask "how can WE change this? What's my role in this? What should WE do to make this situation better?"
When you are a leader, you can choose comfort or you can choose courage. In leadership they're mutually exclusive. When you sign up to be a leader, you're signing up to get your butt kicked.... and when you walk into that arena to do it, you need two things:
- Absolute clarity of your values and what you believe in.
- Someone who loves you solely for who you are, not how you perform.
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Some reflections on Health Science
2013 has been my first year at the University of Otago, New Zealands' oldest university... a beautiful campus with an established student culture around which the rest of the city is built.
I was studying health sciences, and for those of you who don't know, this is kind of a prep year for medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, and other health related careers.
It's also known as one of the hardest first year courses available and has its own sub culture, some of which is good and some that isn't.... So this is just a post about how I found it, some of the things I learned about studying and some tips to anyone else who will do this in the future.
I was studying health sciences, and for those of you who don't know, this is kind of a prep year for medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, and other health related careers.
It's also known as one of the hardest first year courses available and has its own sub culture, some of which is good and some that isn't.... So this is just a post about how I found it, some of the things I learned about studying and some tips to anyone else who will do this in the future.
I originally found it really difficult learning how to study and be still for long periods of time, especially after last year where I lived at camp and taught Outdoor Education and played in the woods all day long. Sitting down and studying for a few hours at a time without moving was a huge challenge for the first few weeks.
This was the only negative repercussion of having a gap year though... Because of taking the year off and travelling and working, I found it so much easier to make friends, get involved, see life beyond the perspective of coming straight from high school.
There is this negative attitude toward health science students among Otago students taking other degrees. We're see as a pack, all conforming to eachother, all studying all the time and not having a life, being stressed and worried all year. We move as one, think as one, feed as one....
This was a part of the year I didn't enjoy at all, and I found myself leaving a few mins early to lectures so I wouldn't be walking with everyone else, or studying at the Polytech library or intentionally playing rap music really loud just to be obnoxious when people were studying.
I would find myself not wanting to tell people what I was studying because the answer would always be "oh. cool. and how are you finding that?" And I always felt the need to explain that I had taken a gap year and done fun things...
Some of these things were just to be different, but looking back I have to ask myself, why did I care so much about what people thought? Why do I hate the health sci stereotype so much? Why am I so bothered when people identify me as a health sci student when I already know that my identity is found in Jesus alone?
There were some really good things about the year too!
I got to be lectured by people who are professionals in their fields, I got to learn things that most people will never know about the human body.
I got to dissect body parts and take my own blood and give electric shocks just to see what happens.
I made good friends. I learned how to work hard, how to say no when I need to study (okay, that didn't always happen) and how to balance work and church and life and friends a bit better.
For anyone who is thinking about doing this course in the near future, here are some things you should know...
- Write good notes right from the start. It's the worst thing ever trying to remember a lecture 40 weeks later!
- Don't panic when you get behind on lectures or notes or exit tests... You'll catch up. Everyone else is behind too.
- If you read through your labs and do the lab prep before actually getting to the lab you will get SO much more out of it! Unfortunately I only learned this half way through second semester
- Make sure you have friends that aren't doing health science. There is other things that are important.
- If you live in a hall of residence that is majority health sci (Carrington, St Marg, Arana) make sure you don't undermine the work that other degrees have to do. Sure, health sci is hard, but mostly just at the end of the semesters. They work hard all year long with assignments and reports.
- You CAN take a few evenings off a week and do things with your friends AND still do well, perhaps even better than if you studied all the time.
- Go to tutorials. I never learned this.
 |
| This is St David, the lecture theatre where most of my classes were held |
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
"How's your study going?"
End of October, beginning of November.
Exam period.
I titled this blog with the question I did because it's pretty much the new greeting, I feel like I get asked this at least ten, probably more, times a day at the moment... Which would be okay, except the majority of people who ask me don't ACTUALLY care how my study is going because they're trying to do it too....
Which I understand. But it would be refreshing to hear "How has your day been? Got any weekend plans? (yes, these do still exist) How's life?
You know... questions that imply that something else apart from text books and endless refill notes and practise exams is happening.
What do you study?
Health Sci.
oh.
Yeah. But you know what, I still remember how to do fun things...
Only a couple more weeks friends, hang in there.
Don't give up.
Remember to sleep.
Do exercise.
Don't forget the people that love you, take a minute to talk to them.
You're gonna be fine.
Exam period.
I titled this blog with the question I did because it's pretty much the new greeting, I feel like I get asked this at least ten, probably more, times a day at the moment... Which would be okay, except the majority of people who ask me don't ACTUALLY care how my study is going because they're trying to do it too....
Which I understand. But it would be refreshing to hear "How has your day been? Got any weekend plans? (yes, these do still exist) How's life?
You know... questions that imply that something else apart from text books and endless refill notes and practise exams is happening.
What do you study?
Health Sci.
oh.
Yeah. But you know what, I still remember how to do fun things...
Only a couple more weeks friends, hang in there.
Don't give up.
Remember to sleep.
Do exercise.
Don't forget the people that love you, take a minute to talk to them.
You're gonna be fine.
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Live Below the Line
The New Zealand equivalent of the absolute poverty line
is $ 2.25 per day.
So every year, as part of an initiative to raise
awareness and money, thousands of NZders choose to spend no more than $2.25 a
day for food everyday from Monday to Friday...And this year I decided to be a part of it.
The picture at the top is my food for the week...
Some pasta and rice, 6 eggs, 5 apples, instant noodles,
rolled oats, lentil soup mix, 2 carrots and an onion and garlic.
I know this is a whole lot more variety than people who
are in this situation for real get to have... I was able to plan my food,
working out what would last the longest and still have vitamins etc to be
healthy, but this isn't an option in most places round the world. And I know
that there is no way I can ever simulate, in my life, what it would be like
living under the poverty line when I still have my rent paid and plenty of warm
clothes and being a full time student at a world class university... It just
doesn't work like that.
But it's something.
And in a small way it brought the problem closer to home
for me.
The money that was raised is going to Tear Fund, an
organisation that targets some of the most vulnerable people groups around the
world. I chose them partly because compared to some of the other big aid
groups, they spend a lot less money on administration and advertising and more
on actually helping people.
If you still wanted to be a part of this and support me,
it’s not too late! This is the link for my profile with Live Below the Line.
I think these kind of initiatives are great and they do a
lot of good.... however, I honestly believe that poverty is never going to have
a dent made in it until the “rich” meet the “poor”
(I put that in quote marks because poverty is so much
deeper and broader than financial situation. I’ve met some extremely poor
people who have a whole lot of money)
As long as ‘the poor’ are still an abstract noun that
lives on the other side of the ocean... nothing is going to change.
There is no personal connection to the situation, it
doesn’t affect us.
True change is going to happen when our lives collide in glorious
chaos and ‘the poor’ suddenly have names and faces and play with your kids and
eat at your table.
Change will happen when that messy issue called Love
comes into it...
There’s also this way of thinking that says to meet and
know people in poverty you have to go overseas, on a missions trip or aid
event... To live in the slums or clean up after a disaster to experience that.
This is a lie.
A huge amount of NZ lives under the poverty line... but
regardless of where the line lies, there are people in every city who struggle
to buy food, whose kids have to go to school with old clothes and shoes with
holes in them. There are families everywhere with gambling, drinking, spending
addictions that are robbing them. There are people on the streets in every
city, some of them just hide better.
And that’s just financial poverty.
What about loneliness? Depression? Disabilities?
Addiction?
If you have a heart for seeing poverty change, don’t be
scared to get messy... Those sticky fingerprints left on your life are proof
that change is happening. And you’re a
part of it.
Here's my question for you... Who do you know (actually know, not just see them around) that is in a different socio economic position than you are?
Here's my question for you... Who do you know (actually know, not just see them around) that is in a different socio economic position than you are?
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