Time Out + NZ + Changes...

Over the past 2 weeks I have had the pleasure of being able to travel back to New Zealand for a quick trip.
Vogels Cereal, hugs from Mum and re-connecting with friends has been a happiness injection for the soul.

Because I am in my canonical year (1 year focused on spiritual development) I’m able to be away from the novitiate house for under 15 days. It was a wonderful surprise when our leadership team offered me the chance to visit New Zealand - I’m huuuuuugely grateful.

It has been a whirl wind of a trip. My life in Sydney is very much focused on study, prayer, growing my understanding of self and working on my listening skills. So, I felt a bit overwhelmed to be planted back into NZ life trying to juggle family, friends, and what seemed like 1000 people wanting to catch up. Gulp. The abundance of love and support is truly awesome.

I’m grateful for the connections with with many wonderful souls. Catching up and hearing how things have changed has been illuminating and educational too. As life changes, we grow, we cry, we laugh, we move one day at a time. I couldn’t connect with everyone, but when the time is right the wind will move us together again… all in Gods time.

"To Live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often."
~ Cardinal Newman

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NEWS + ARTICLES + INSPIRATION

1.  12 Kinds of Kindness  >> CLICK HERE FOR IDEAS
“Two self-centered New Yorkers, often focused on what’s ahead instead of what’s around them, created a series of 12 steps as a way to become kinder, more empathetic people. As a resolution, they practiced this for 12 months.”
>> CLICK FOR VIDEO or view it  below

2. Who am I to judge? Pope Explains  >> CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
“On that occasion I said this:  If a person is gay and seeks out the Lord and is willing, who am I to judge that person?” Pope Francis told Tornielli. “I was paraphrasing by heart the Catechism of the Catholic Church where it says that these people should be treated with delicacy and not be marginalized.”
{ Gracias to Catholic News Agency }

3. St Teresa and the single ladies  >> CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
A contemporary secular honest view point on one of my favourite saints.
“She wrote volumes, about the role of women, about compassion, about the power of art, about living through dark times.”

“But loneliness and vulnerability can be tools, if you can stand the pressure of them. Loneliness awakens not only your attention, as you scan rooms in the hopes of finding someone to alleviate it, but it also drives your empathy. One friend, a political activist in Romania, writes, “I’m afraid of many things, but loneliness is not among them, and it’s actually quite depressing to have to witness the lengths most people are willing to go just to avoid being alone.”
{ Big thanks to NY times }

4. Religious Differences - A Seed of Peace  >> CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
“The first one is that it is a sign of continuity. This Pope wants to confirm the way of his two predecessors and not to put a stop in the way of good relations. And the second point is related to the urgency of our time, which is marked by intolerance and violence inspired by religion, or bad teachers of religion…”
{ Merci to Catholic News Agency }

5. God is not “Out There”  >> CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
”Could this be what we are really doing when we pray for someone? Yes, we are holding them in our heart space. Do it in a physical, experiential way and you will see how calmly and quickly it works…“
{ Gracias to Fr. Richard Rohr // CAC }

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Continuing on with the theme of change and moving with the wind you might enjoy this tune below called Suitcases from Dara Maclean

Just let them go now. There's freedom in release. It's a new day. Throw away your mistakes. You don't have to be afraid. Open up your heart. Lay down your guard.  You don't have to feel afraid. There is nothing holding you back now...