There is something about this time of year that I just love.

I love Christmas seeing the Christmas decorations, I love hearing Christmas songs in the shopping centres, I love going Christmas shopping.

I love decorating my Christmas tree and watching Christmas movies.

Oh, Christmas movies, you just make me smile. I love spending time wrapping presents and watching Christmas movies.

I love shopping for Christmas gifts for my family, for friends and just blessing others.

The reason that I love Christmas is that it celebrates the birth of Jesus.

I love the Christmas story. I really do.

The Christmas story is one of hope, peace and love.

The Christmas story is also about new beginnings, new opportunities, favour and blessings.

I realise that sometimes Christmas is not a positive time, it is not one of hope, peace and love.

My heart goes out to those that maybe are struggling at Christmas time.

I would love to just encourage you and say you are worthy, valued and loved.

God sees you, he notices you and you are important to Him.

He sees you, He loves you and He is there for you.

Let Him this year, comfort you, let Him help you, let Him be there for you.

Christmas Time.

Be a blessing to someone at Christmas.

Be a blessing.

Do you ever feel that you walk through life and feel that you are not noticed?

Do you ever feel that you can walk through life and feel that you may be overlooked?

Do you ever feel that you are with a group of people and can still feel so lonely?

I think that it is important to notice others and to be aware of others.

There is always someone who needs an encouraging word, there is always someone that would love to be invited out for coffee.

There is always someone that needs a kind word, a smile or just to be asked, hi how are you going?

There is always someone who would love just to be included in a conversation.

I love random acts of kindness, I feel that we do not have to look too far out of our front door to notice and encourage someone.

I have had on my heart lately about creating opportunities for a random act of kindness.

Those quiet acts of kindness like-

• Sending an encouraging postcard
• Pay it forward coffee
• Paying for someone who is behind you in the checkout (without them knowing)
• Blessing someone with a meal.

I have had on my heart to say I am going to be at this coffee shop at this time and just invite anyone who just needs a coffee and a chat.

I was thinking about inviting people on the heart project page and for people to rsvp.

Aargh! I don’t know what will happen, I don’t know how it will turn out.

It takes faith, it takes faith to just trust the process.

I want to be someone that makes a difference, I want to be someone that notices the little things.

Will you join me?

I also wanted to let you know that you are noticed.

You are worthy, valued and loved.

Yes, you are.

 

 

 

 

Last weekend I took myself on a little road trip.

Now I just need to be vulnerable and share a little bit about me, I am not very good at directions. Driving to places and knowing where to go, you see I am very challenged.

Well, last Saturday I made it to New Norcia my first time at this amazing little town in Perth Western Australia.

I decided that I would visit and spend some time exploring the buildings, history. I also wanted to spend some time writing, blogging, working on my book and praying.

I really wanted to spend some time recharging to finish this year well.

I loved the peacefulness of this town, the buildings and the history.

It was so quiet.

I stayed at the Guest House where I had my own room with a bathroom. Yeah! The little things that I am so grateful for.

I love staying somewhere where you don’t need to worry about cooking your food, my meals were provided.

Sunday morning, I woke up early and made myself a coffee, I sat out in the courtyard. I loved just sitting there with my coffee, listening to the birds and not having to rush off to the next thing.

I loved this.

Taking time to be still, taking the time to slow down a bit.

I need to do this more.

I then went for a walk and explored the buildings. I learned about the history of the town and what the buildings were used for.

At 9.00 am I went to mass at the Abbey Church across the road.

The Church was so lovely and the service

I then went and sat in the courtyard breathing in the fresh air, listening to the birds and hearing the bells.

Would I come here again, yes, it is a place where you can come and recharge yourself?

I went home after lunch and I am so grateful for making the time to take some time out.

What is something that you can do on the weekend to recharge and slow down?

I am focusing on finishing this year well.

Let’s do this together.

I am passionate about making a difference, this has been my hearts cry.

I would love to hear what you are passionate about?

I know that when you hear from others, it encourages you and inspires you to go more and do more.

I don’t want to live a small life.

I have felt that in the last 4 and a half years, I have crept a little into living a small life.

I am just being honest here.

I have some great plans, ideas, dreams and things that I want to achieve.

I get the planning but at the moment I am not taking the next step.

I am not in the doing process.

Do you ever feel like this?

Do you ever think, oh I possible could not do this?

Do you ever think who am I to even ask for this?

What has made you feel stuck in this area?

Today write out your goals, your dreams and your plans.

Write them out and then put a date next to them when you want to achieve them.

Write them out.

Let’s encourage and support one another.

This is what The Heart Project is all about, being there for each other.

 

Last Saturday, I decided to embark on a creative date for my writing, I had been planning to do it for a while but something stops me.

It is the thought of I will do it later, I don’t have time for it or I will do it another day, or I am just too tired.

Today I decided that I would just do it, there was also the fact that the electricity is out.

I am sitting writing this at the local pub, where I have had a lovely lunch of pumpkin & sage arancini and a glass of wine.

I have worked on my book and have now written 6 blogs.

There is something about being out of your house.

I notice when I am at home, I can get distracted, I can think that I need to be cleaning or sorting out something.

I am finding that taking myself on a Creative Date I am able to achieve a lot more then if I was at home.

So, I am grateful that the power went out today.

I have been here for nearly 2 and a half hours, I have used this time wisely.

I am committed in November to once a week investing in a creative date.

I will also share what I have experienced.

Do you take time out for a Creative Date?

What do you do on your Creative Date?

I would love to hear from you.

I don’t know about you but injustice moves me.

When I see or hear about injustice, I can feel it bubbling up within me.

I want to shout and say this is not how it should be!

I want to shout and say how could this happen?

I am physically and emotionally moved by injustice.

I wonder sometimes who is there?

I wonder who can I speak to about injustice?

I wonder if my voice would be heard?

I wonder if anyone would notice?

I wonder is anyone would pay attention?

I wonder If anyone is listening?

I wonder.

Then I hear his still quite voice that says- speak up, speak up.

I hear speak up for those that cannot speak for themselves for those who don’t have a voice.

The whisper becomes a shout!

The whisper becomes my mandate.

I hear this clearly and I am compelled by this, I am convicted by this.

I hear this and I know that this is what I have to do.

I hear this and know that this is my purpose.

Even if my voice feels unsteady, even if I shake, even if I feel completely out of my depths, I will speak up.

I don’t ever want my heart to be hard that I would not be moved by injustice.

Injustice moves her.

Yes, it does.

 

 

 

 

On Friday the 8th of November, I was able to attend Carlisle Primary School’s centenary.

This was the primary school that I attended from year one to year seven.

I walked into the school filled with anticipation, I was excited to go back and see my primary school. I was excited to see how it had changed.

I loved my primary school years and have some amazing memories of being there.

One memory which I remember well is my year seven teacher Mr Sellors and how he encouraged me with my creative writing.

I still have my creative writing books with the comments that he encouraged me with. This is something that I will forever be grateful for.

I loved going down memory lane and looking at all the classrooms where I had received my education.

I still found the basketball court where we used to play and have assembly still quite large. I remember that this is where we used to have our assemblies and remember that we didn’t wear hats and I have memories of friends fainting from the heat.

I did find that the classrooms did look and feel a bit smaller.

I loved that time of my life, the friendships I made, the teachers that impacted my life.

I even bumped into someone that I had been to school with.  It started out a bit awkward though, he said I think that I went to school with you?

He was trying to think of the year, I had that look on my face like you need to be kind.  Well, he was.

There is something about learning about the history of the people that were there before you and what they experienced.

As I walked around the school, there was a place where they wanted to know If you wanted to share any stories about being at Carlisle Primary.

I shared my story about Mr Sellors, this was really important to me and the journey that I am on now.  

There is also something about hearing people’s stories.

What is a time in your life that you remember fondly?

Was there a teacher that made a positive impact on you?

I would love to hear about your memory?