On a walk Oscar on Day 6 of lock down we passed a house that had Tuis and other birds singing in the trees. It was so lovely to see and hear. I fleetingly thought to myself, I'd live in that house just for the joy of having those birds close by. The very next… Continue reading The Little Things

Oscar and I have a new game. One we've invented on our daily walk. We play with our shadows. It involves him standing in front of me so his shadow is hidden by mine. I say "where is Oscar?" and then I step away and Oscar's shadow appears.  Oscar points to his shadow and laughs,… Continue reading Shadow

And don't spend your time lookin' around For something you want that can't be found When you find out you can live without it And go along not thinkin' about it I'll tell you something true The bare necessities of life will come to you Look for the bare necessities The simple bare necessities Forget… Continue reading Bare Necessities

The evidence appears to be mounting up. Daily increases of people with COVID-19 being announced. The tally worldwide on an exponential climb. It's confronting. It's scary. But we do not have to live dictated by our circumstances. We are in lock-down but we are not locked in. It is a reality for us now but… Continue reading Circumstantial Evidence

"Go to the mattresses. You're at war." (You've got mail) In You've got mail, Joe Fox gives Kathleen Kelly some advice from The Godfather. Time to hit the mattresses! What great advice for us now! We're at war against an invisible enemy. And our tactic and strategy - time to stay home and maybe literally… Continue reading Go to the mattresses

Today our Prime Minister, for the first time, gave an address to the Nation. A warning of an encroaching and invisible enemy and for us to do our part to keep it at bay. We're told to stay calm and not to panic as our daily norm dissolves around us. Supermarkets remain overwhelmed, and popping… Continue reading Walking in the Jungle

It was less than a year after September 11, 2001 and I found myself in New York for work. The absence of the Twin Towers on the New York skyline was confronting and jarring, seeing Ground Zero powerful and moving. A city changed forever. But what I remember most was the fear. As I went… Continue reading Overcoming

Here we are, well underway with the start of a new year, the new decade though just beginning. With all the promise and potential that new beginnings hold. Even more so, we have this wonderful promise filled truth that our God rejoices in offering us a new beginning. Something that supecedes a calendar date. It's… Continue reading The Gate of the Year

"I will give you treasures hidden in dark and secret places. Then you will know that I, the LORD God of Israel, have called you by name. " (Isaiah 45:3) The greatest taonga, the greatest treasure is found in the hidden places. In life, in the hard places and amongst the darkness, there is treasure… Continue reading Taonga

"We're going on a bear hunt, we're going to catch a big one. I'm not scared, what a beautiful day!" A popular children's story, That shares the story of a family going on a bear hunt and facing various obstacles on the way. Long wavy grass, a river, a dark forest. Each time, they realise… Continue reading We’re going on a bear hunt…