On LightFM talking about Warmth for Winter, Lifecare, Africa & Imagine..Click here to hear broadcast:
http://yourmorning.mypodcast.com/2009/04/Helping_people_helping_others_Melinda_Dwight_1on1_Apr_27th-202891.html
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
LightFM Podcast
On LightFM talking about Warmth for Winter, Lifecare, Africa & Imagine..Click here to hear broadcast:
http://yourmorning.mypodcast.com/2009/04/Helping_people_helping_others_Melinda_Dwight_1on1_Apr_27th-202891.html
Saturday, March 7, 2009
fake or imitation or real ???
Quite a few years ago I bought a "genuine" fake handbag , it looked like the original, had all the same functions but didn't cost me anywhere near as much!
Was it a bargain or not? What constitutes fake ? Should some things in life be of greater value because of what they cost ?
In china I bought some "imitation" watches so is that better than a fake? If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then shouldn't the original designer feel validated rather than undermined? so maybe imitation is more real than fake ?
I met a man yesterday who works training people through a simulator. Is this more valid than the cyberworld of games or is it too "not real"? yet it seems better to practice in this way until you're ready for the reality of the real !
I bought some copy dvds overseas and that seemed ok until I talked to someone else and was convicted by their ethics. So now I try to stick to the originals or be integrous in my downloads. I dont think the real is necessarily better but once I know what is right I want to live that way ....
It seems like when you try to "keep it real" or "get real" today that the implementation of that depends on the situation.I'd rather have flight traffic controllers trained in a simulator but I'd rather people had actual relationships. I want to imitate Christ but not be a fake christian.
as a follower of Jesus I am trying to live an authentic life and to have real faith .....but it is not always easy. Sometimes its cheaper to "fake it" or imitate what others are doing.
There are times when it feels like I live a simulated form of worship and relationship and yet I also know there is genuine desire and effort.
i guess like all things worthwhile there are no simple solutions or absolute rules as we seek to navigate what is fake or imitation or simulated or real.
but as followers of Jesus let's try to "be real " however that looks !
Was it a bargain or not? What constitutes fake ? Should some things in life be of greater value because of what they cost ?
In china I bought some "imitation" watches so is that better than a fake? If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then shouldn't the original designer feel validated rather than undermined? so maybe imitation is more real than fake ?
I met a man yesterday who works training people through a simulator. Is this more valid than the cyberworld of games or is it too "not real"? yet it seems better to practice in this way until you're ready for the reality of the real !
I bought some copy dvds overseas and that seemed ok until I talked to someone else and was convicted by their ethics. So now I try to stick to the originals or be integrous in my downloads. I dont think the real is necessarily better but once I know what is right I want to live that way ....
It seems like when you try to "keep it real" or "get real" today that the implementation of that depends on the situation.I'd rather have flight traffic controllers trained in a simulator but I'd rather people had actual relationships. I want to imitate Christ but not be a fake christian.
as a follower of Jesus I am trying to live an authentic life and to have real faith .....but it is not always easy. Sometimes its cheaper to "fake it" or imitate what others are doing.
There are times when it feels like I live a simulated form of worship and relationship and yet I also know there is genuine desire and effort.
i guess like all things worthwhile there are no simple solutions or absolute rules as we seek to navigate what is fake or imitation or simulated or real.
but as followers of Jesus let's try to "be real " however that looks !
Monday, March 2, 2009
where are the artists ?????
I'm new to this blog world and so was trying to find my way around some apps to make it more interesting! There's lots of options but very little real choice. although i'm not artistic i enjoy art and wanted to have some "faith"art that changed regularly and gave inspiration.
Big Mistake!
the only thing i could find was some biblical art ......not only was the style not to my taste but the subjects extremely uninspiring and tending towards prepackaged commissioned religious soulless wallpaper .
where is the art that inspires faith, that provokes thought, that lifts the imagination and invites us to look further and deeper ???
artists of faith .....inspirers of mystery ..... sowers of spirituality .....we need you !!!!
Big Mistake!
the only thing i could find was some biblical art ......not only was the style not to my taste but the subjects extremely uninspiring and tending towards prepackaged commissioned religious soulless wallpaper .
where is the art that inspires faith, that provokes thought, that lifts the imagination and invites us to look further and deeper ???
artists of faith .....inspirers of mystery ..... sowers of spirituality .....we need you !!!!
Friday, February 27, 2009
thankyouwater
This week at my fav. cafe I saw a display for "Thank you water" and a brief blurb on how 100% of the profits go to give clean water . What a GREAT idea !! Sometimes we wonder how we can make a difference in our world yet here's a simple idea, a lot of persistence and some marketing and the potential to bring about change is HUGE !!
So check it out ...thankyouwater.org and if you have to pay for water then give this a try .....and keep being open to imagine ......and implement !
So check it out ...thankyouwater.org and if you have to pay for water then give this a try .....and keep being open to imagine ......and implement !
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Imagine...
This week I've been in Penrith (it's outside Sydney somewhere) at a conference run by Pastor Jack Hanes on missions.
Earlier this year he changed the name of his church to "Imagine Nations" to fit in with their twenty year history and 2020 vision for global church planting. Jack had found our church name a little "out there" as have many older christians. Many times telling our network name as "Imagine" has opened up interesting conversations and quirky looks.
However Jack said he was reading a secular book on 20 terms that will shape this century. The number one word was "Imagine". So he changed their name but put their focus on nations.
I like the open ended nature of our name though don't you?
Imagine .... arts, justice, the poor, transformation, church planting, kingdom business, making a difference, real relationship, truth, authenticity, great marriages, integrity, reformation, grace, love, family, community. There are SO many ways and things to imagine and God has no limit to what He can do... The only cap is our ability to ask or think or imagine.
So imagine .......
Earlier this year he changed the name of his church to "Imagine Nations" to fit in with their twenty year history and 2020 vision for global church planting. Jack had found our church name a little "out there" as have many older christians. Many times telling our network name as "Imagine" has opened up interesting conversations and quirky looks.
However Jack said he was reading a secular book on 20 terms that will shape this century. The number one word was "Imagine". So he changed their name but put their focus on nations.
I like the open ended nature of our name though don't you?
Imagine .... arts, justice, the poor, transformation, church planting, kingdom business, making a difference, real relationship, truth, authenticity, great marriages, integrity, reformation, grace, love, family, community. There are SO many ways and things to imagine and God has no limit to what He can do... The only cap is our ability to ask or think or imagine.
So imagine .......
Monday, February 23, 2009
How much would you pay for a Widow's Mite?
At two am this morning I got an interesting SMS saying "how much did you pay for your widows mite we've been quoted 550 US dollars"
Now I did have my phone by the bed because a friend is facing a health challenge and I know the night is the worst time, so I said contact me anytime and meant it. Also sometimes someone from our church living in Laos needs to contact me for support but I wasn't expecting a shopping message !
2000 years ago a widow gave a small coin (about 1 cent or 5 cents) into the offering and unknown to her Jesus was watching. He commended her not for the value of the gift but for the heart attitude of giving all she had. Jesus also said that her gift would be talked about for a long time.
Not sure if even He was picturing my blackberry jumping around at 2am !!
For the record I paid way less than they were being quoted and one of our business friends on a subsequent visit to Israel negotiated harder and paid less than me.
Interesting today that now this coin is named after this nameless woman and we are paying a lot for it but trying to get a bargain in the process !
Sometimes it seems we want to link with a miracle and obedience to God but we want to negotiate a bargain on our own terms. Discount faith and living?
Instead of debating the price and competing with each other over terms maybe we should all just take a free look and remember what it symbolizes ... A woman who gave all she had . Someone who didn't let what they didn't have hold them back but gave what she did have.
The question isn't what should I pay for this coin but what should I learn from it.
A heart of radical love that gave everything as a gift to God.
Now I did have my phone by the bed because a friend is facing a health challenge and I know the night is the worst time, so I said contact me anytime and meant it. Also sometimes someone from our church living in Laos needs to contact me for support but I wasn't expecting a shopping message !
2000 years ago a widow gave a small coin (about 1 cent or 5 cents) into the offering and unknown to her Jesus was watching. He commended her not for the value of the gift but for the heart attitude of giving all she had. Jesus also said that her gift would be talked about for a long time.
Not sure if even He was picturing my blackberry jumping around at 2am !!
For the record I paid way less than they were being quoted and one of our business friends on a subsequent visit to Israel negotiated harder and paid less than me.
Interesting today that now this coin is named after this nameless woman and we are paying a lot for it but trying to get a bargain in the process !
Sometimes it seems we want to link with a miracle and obedience to God but we want to negotiate a bargain on our own terms. Discount faith and living?
Instead of debating the price and competing with each other over terms maybe we should all just take a free look and remember what it symbolizes ... A woman who gave all she had . Someone who didn't let what they didn't have hold them back but gave what she did have.
The question isn't what should I pay for this coin but what should I learn from it.
A heart of radical love that gave everything as a gift to God.
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