

A dream come true and some deja vu
Anticipating a 6am start, I dreamt last night that my alarm didn’t go off and I woke at 6.50am – too late to make it to the marina for our tour of the Great Barrier Reef. I woke, relieved that it had been a dream and it was 5.50am. Except that I had misread my watch. It was, in fact, EXACTLY AS I HAD DREAMT: … Continue reading A dream come true and some deja vu

Rethinking evangelism: an alternative to the Great Commission?
(Un)evangelistic personalities For the longest time, I resisted identifying as an evangelical Christian. I preferred to call myself a Protestant as a way to explain that I wasn’t Catholic and declined to define myself any further. Protesting is kinda cool; “evangelical” just makes secular Australians think of crazy southern Baptists. But also, evangelising is pretty much alien to my personality. I have friends who rave … Continue reading Rethinking evangelism: an alternative to the Great Commission?

Whingeing my way through Lent
Despite writing eight years ago that Lent and I were through, I once again found myself abstaining from chocolate and coffee in the six weeks leading up to Easter. To be honest, I whinged my way through this Lenten season. It wasn’t because I found this form of pseudo-fasting particularly difficult but because I kept asking myself why I was even bothering. In declining offers … Continue reading Whingeing my way through Lent

Dad’s travel tips: visiting (almost) 100 countries
With international travel once again opening up, I thought I’d share with you some wisdom from my dear Papa who, prior to the pandemic, was living the grey nomad dream. 1. How many countries have you been to? I have visited 97 independent countries in total and that’s not counting places like Gibraltar or Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. My ambition is to make … Continue reading Dad’s travel tips: visiting (almost) 100 countries

How to plan a COVID wedding
My husband and I got married in 2021 and we almost had a normal wedding. Almost. Even with the benefit of hindsight, I can’t tell you how to successfully account for the pandemic in your wedding prep. What I can share is the step-by-step of how our wedding caught COVID and how it all unfolded. Step 1: Get engaged when everyone is starting to forget … Continue reading How to plan a COVID wedding

Does he love you for who you are?
One of the biggest lies (or delusions) of romance in pop culture is that your soul mate will love you for who you are, not wanting you to change at all. While I knew this was unrealistic, a part of me did secretly wish that my future partner would find me perfect. When we started dating, it quickly became clear that my now husband and … Continue reading Does he love you for who you are?

The books that changed my life
I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm. More than a way to pass the time or learn things, reading has been a means by which I explore the world and discover humanity. In my previous blog post, I shared how I recently digitised my reading history. This process reminded me of the books that left an impression on me. Here are five that I … Continue reading The books that changed my life

Reading revolution: 5 ways I’ve upgraded my reading
I like new things but when it comes to reading, I am old school and conservative. I don’t do eBooks because I like the feel of a paperback. I don’t venture outside of my preferred genres. In fact, it’s taken me a long while to incorporate even a few innovations. Here are five ways I’ve modernised or upgraded my reading in the last couple of … Continue reading Reading revolution: 5 ways I’ve upgraded my reading

Collaterally damaged, collaterally blessed
Incidental damage As a kid, I’d come across the term collateral damage but it wasn’t until I studied the “War on Terror” in high school that I learned its true, ugly meaning. A military term, it refers to incidental harm caused when attacking an enemy, especially to civilians. When you pick a military target you know there are risks of other damage being inflicted and … Continue reading Collaterally damaged, collaterally blessed

Memories of my grandmother
The grandmother: revered There is something about grandmothers that verges on the folkloric. I recently read this article titled “The Sacred Wisdom of our Abuelas“ and it’s not the first time I’ve heard how a person’s grandma inspires them. My husband and my most recent housemate both speak with deep love and admiration for their grandmothers, particularly the paternal ones. It occurred to me that … Continue reading Memories of my grandmother