Silver Linings: Spirtuality in Life

Most of us want bigger, better, more abundant lives. Yet we aren't willing to do the serious inner work to break our existing limiting beliefs and painful stories to create room for the Spirit to fill us with the gifts of true transformation. It's reasonable. We are instinctually pleasure-seeking-pain-avoiding creatures. Comfort is what we seek. Society seems allergic to patience and we’ve gotten...

Jesus teaches: “Should anyone press you into service for one mile,* go with him for two miles” [Matthew 5:41]. When Jesus spoke these words, the country was under Roman occupation, and the law allowed Roman soldiers to compel Jewish civilians to carry their luggage or heavy armour for one Roman mile – about 1.45 kilometres. After carrying the luggage for one mile, the unlucky civilian could legall...

The prodigal son was impetuous, selfish, self-centred. He wanted it all and he wanted it now. He stupidly squandered all he had – his wealth, his talents, his gifts. Deserted by his fair-weather friends, he spiralled into despondency, left to his own devices, meagre though they were. Humiliated, driven to despair, scratching through the mud for food, he likely considered suicide as the way out. Ye...

Despite his belief in the love of God, Terry Lees admits he once harboured the feeling that he did not always deserve that love, that he was not worthy, nor had he earned it. Terry saw himself as a sinner and, in truth, unable to fully accept that God could love him unconditionally, unreservedly. Terry could look to the man on the Cross and feel forgiveness yet could not – or would not – fully und...

One of the teachings of Jesus is: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” [Matthew 18:3]. When Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to be presented, they met two elderly adults who were able to look at the world with the awe and wonder of children – Simeon and Anna, both of whom experienced God’s presence in the baby Jesus. In...

How often do we get the opportunity to hear our own “eulogy’ while still alive? “Dad, this is going to sound a lot like a eulogy.”  These were the opening words of an eldest daughter at a family birthday party gathering to celebrate her father’s 80th year. A gathering of daughters, sons, grandchildren, great grandchildren, a sister, in-laws, nieces, nephews and close friends who travelled from far...

Do we ever really stop to reflect on the air that we breathe? Or do we just take it for granted? Air is the first essential need of life on earth. Besides the need for oxygen in the air for breathing, air plays an important role in human life and nature. All living beings, plants and animals are dependent on air for the generation of life energy. The same air that gives life to and sustains humans...

Contrary to popular belief, God and science are not irreconcilable opposites and the Catholic Church is not in conflict with scientific theories on creation. Far from seeing science and faith as incompatible, the Church considers that they can and should coexist, illuminating different aspects of the same truth. In fact, the Big Bang theory was first proposed by a Catholic priest and astronomer, G...

It’s said that laughter is the best medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems,...

Anthony de Mello was an Indian Jesuit priest, spiritual teacher, writer, and public speaker, de Mello wrote several books on spirituality and hosted numerous spiritual retreats and conferences. He continues to be known for his storytelling which drew from the various mystical traditions of both East and West and for introducing many people in the West to mindfulness-based practices.  In Silver Lin...

The Act as-if technique has been used for centuries by philosophers, spiritual leaders, and motivational speakers to help people change their behaviour, achieve their goals, and improve their lives. The idea behind act as if’ is simple: if you want to change something about yourself, start acting as if you have already changed.  In Silver Linings, Terry Lees draws on the teachings of the straight-...

How often have you heard the statement: "If only there were more hours in the day?" Time favours no one. We all have the same amount of time each day - 24 hours or 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. We are all equal in that respect. No one receives any more or any less. The Ancient Greeks spoke of time as chronos and kairos, both Greek words which mean time, yet they imply different things. Yet, what...

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," a tongue-in-cheek comedy song written by Monty Python member Eric Idle, first featured in the 1979 Python film Life of Brian and was a Top 10 hit in the Australian Music charts. It is a theme song for optimists. An optimist is a person who engages in positive thinking and looks on the bright side of life. An optimist is inclined to be hopeful and to expect...

In Silver Linings, Terry Lees shares two stories about the Good Shepherd. One story is about a priest teaching a group of young children about the Good Shepherd, while the second recounts a Shakespearean actor who would always end his performance with a dramatic reading of Psalm 23 with the incredible ability to bring the verse to life. Terry poses a question aimed at the listeners of Silver Linin...

The song “G’Day G’Day” written by Rob Fairbairn and sung by Aussie icon Slim Dusty captures the essence of the Australian way of life. Its lyrics celebrate friendship, connection, and inclusivity. In Silver Linings, Terry Lees shares that he says “g’day” a lot. It is a typical Aussie greeting, an abbreviation of ‘good day,’ used to signify good morning, good afternoon, good evening.   What might b...

In Silver Linings, Terry Lees shares a poem about a man named Ben and his way of praying. Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. Terry recounts that life is more than a journey, it’s an adventure, an epic one, much like the turbulent thrilling quests of Indiana Jones! And there are journeys within the journey. The road is not alway...

Christmas Day celebrates the life of the most extraordinary man who ever lived. Yet, just who was Jesus? In Silver Linings, Terry Lees share two articles that provide answers you might not normally expect to find in traditional media but, in these cases, that’s exactly where they were published. They are inspirational in reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas. Terry explains that it is in t...

In Christmas Gifts from God, Terry Lees explains why he loves Christmas, his favourite time of year, a time to be with family, foster love, togetherness and sharing, reaffirming and strengthening of the positive values that bind us together. It’s a time to celebrate life, the past year, remember when’s, share stories, laugh together, create new and lasting memories. Christmas is a time of giving a...

In Silver linings, Terry Lees shares a touching story of what happened when a young boy was told “There is no Santa Claus.” It is a story which highlights the meaning of Christmas is a time of joyful giving. As Jesus teaches: Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. [Luke 6:38]. Nobody sees Santa Claus but tha...

In Silver linings, Terry Lees shares: Years ago, one of my loved ones shared an amazing experience. Due to a crisis in her life, she felt depressed, suffering low self-esteem.  While at work filling the cereal shelves of a supermarket, a loved one came across a small card deliberately placed. The front side read: To the person who finds this card. You are LOVED … On the rear was written: …and you...

“I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!" Charles Dickens wrote these words in his famous story, A Christmas Carol. first published in London in December 1843. The first edition sold out by Christmas eve. The story capt...

Eagles are born with big, heavy wings. They learn to fly without actually flapping their wings. They do this to conserve energy. Instead, they rely on wind thermals, a gust of wind that will rise from the atmosphere. The wind lifts the eagles and with a mix of flying and soaring they rise. Their wings are spread straight out, and they soar with perfect ease on the wind currents. In Silver Linings,...

The blessed Feast of Christmas was established over 2000 years ago to honour and glorify the birth of the most important Man who ever lived. In Silver Linings, Terry Lees speaks of the real Santa Claus and of the true meaning of Christmas, as he recalls a flood of memories from his own childhood. He shares too the excitement of his young granddaughter and her desire to make Christmas extra-special...

It’s Christmas time and leading up to Christmas, Christmas songs abound. You hear them on the radio and television, in shopping malls and stores, as you’re wandering the grocery aisles or waiting to get your car serviced. They flow from concert halls, school auditoriums and church sanctuaries. In Silver Linings, Terry Lees shares that at Church or at home, it is the familiar and beloved Christmas...

Nelson Mandela, the first black President of South Africa and the first President to be elected in a fully representative election, spent 27 years in prison, right up until apartheid ended. He had every reason to hate the people who put him there and his captors. In Silver Linings, Terry Lees shares a remarkable true story of Nelson Mandela, as told by former US President Bill Clinton, that highli...