Stories of Hope

Winsome grew up in a little town called Burnie on the North West Coast of Tasmania and didn't think she would travel far from this part of the world.  But she ended up as a Salvo officer and has lived in London, Pakistan, Myanmar and is now in Melbourne.  She has traveled the world and has taken on significant leadership responsibilities with the Salvos.  Everyone I speak to says she is delightful...

What is really worth doing?  What is important?  What helps us live our best life?  Jesus was asked this one day and he basically said this.  Love God and love others with all that you are. Love the mysterious and unfathomable spiritual mystery of just being alive.  Things like beauty, joy, hope and peace.  Love other people with all their oddness and inconsistency.  All their joys and sorrows.  L...

Kathryn McKay felt strongly at age 5 that she wanted to be a Salvo for the rest of her life.  She is now a mother of three and runs a mums and bubs program for the Salvos in Sydney.  She has seen huge changes in Salvo life over the years and experienced her own personal griefs and struggles along the way.  She encountered a muslim culture and lived in Dubai for three years, but still loves the Sal...

Apparently the effigy of Queen Elizabeth the 2nd on our coins will be phased out and a new image of King Charles the 3rd will soon. take it's place.  The most popular Salvo branding has changed in Australia from the Crest to the shield.  Images like this are supposed to represent integrity and stability, but like all man made institutions, they are often flawed.   

Dean Clifford was born with a rare skin disease and was often referred to as a cotton wool baby or a butterfly wing baby as his skin was extremely delicate.   His life expectancy was maybe 5 years, but against the odds, he is now in his 40s and going strong.  He is a motivational speaker and lives a high quality life.  

The best of a spiritual life, things like love, hope, peace and purpose has often been represented by wine.  To drink deeply of Gods love and presence.  When religious leaders of Jesus time were dodgy, Jesus compared them to corrupt vine workers.  Eventually the task of looking after the wine and the vineyard was given to others.   

I'm running an anger management course Called Circuit Breaker and finding it really helpful.  The parallels with Jesus' teaching in Mark 12 about moving mountains and resolving issues with your neighbours is profound.  

Mark grew up in a troubled home and struggled with self worth and confidence.  His engagement with good people in the Salvos as a young man and a sincere faith in Jesus, has enabled him to overcome these challenges and develop into one of the Salvos most respected leaders.   A sparky by trade and a keen Roosters supporter, Mark is down to earth and approachable.  

The other day someone paid for my meal at a drive through so I paid for the guy behind me.  He then paid for the guy behind him.  I have no idea why this happened. Kindness and goodness is everywhere and not always easy to trace back to a source or to understand.  Powerful people get suspicious and threatened about love like this and it got Jesus into a lot of trouble.    

Rod grew up in the Salvos and got kicked out of a music camp by my brother for sneaking out after dark.  Despite this setback, Rod’s career as a professional singer has taken him all over the world and he has been a backup singer for artists such as Tina Arena, John Farnham and Olivia Newton John. He sang in the live band of Dancing with the Stars for 17 seasons. Rod has devoted his life to commun...

Groups and organizations need to deliver on their promises or people feel ripped off and disappointed.  My Tooheys trot running group promises a friendly and comfortable trail run experience and always delivers.  It's a fabulous group to belong to.  Jesus had no time for religious pretense and hypocrisy and one time he cursed a fig tree and overturned tables in a temple to drive home the point. 

Emma Ralston had a health scare when she was a small baby and I was at the hospital with her and her parents during this time.  Ever since then she has had a special place in my heart.  And she loves Stories of Hope Podcast.  She is interested in languages, reptiles and would totally be up for a bungie jump.  She is a delightful person.  

Apparently cold showers are very good for you, but it is a breathtaking shock to the system.  The Easter message reminds us that the capacity to suffer is an important part of a healthy and happy life and that we do well to embrace it and allow it to do it's mysterious work.   

Jonathon Ralston works for CSIRO and develops remote mining technologies that are designed for the moon and ultimately Mars.  He is a scientist, a family man and a dedicated Salvo.  He is the smartest guy I know, but he is also one of my best friends.  He lived in PNG for a while and came from a poor but loving family.  It's an amazing life story. 

Downloads for the Stories of Hope podcast have skyrocketed lately and I'm not really sure why.   Maybe I am on the road to fame and fortune like BTS.  The lovely Sue thinks it's just a technical glitch.  She's probably right.  The disciples of Jesus thought they had hit the jackpot when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  But popularity was never on the agenda for Jesus, however His influen...

Hans came to the Salvos a broken man.  Addicted to drugs and lost.  Unable to stay clean, unable to work and unable to maintain relationships.  On his 13 year journey with the Salvos he has fallen many times, but the grace and love he has received has been life changing.  

We can all feel a bit insignificant at times.  But Henri Nouwen suggests that when we drink the cup of our humble lives wholeheartedly we become a blessing.  A blessing to the world.  

Ian Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Thoracic Physician and a dedicated Salvo leader.  He has kept fit over the years by jogging and playing a bit of tennis.  He has always needed to juggle the challenges of his life saving work as a doctor, with the many other demands on his heart, such as family and church life.  It's inspiring  to hear his story.  

Raising a glass at a party is a way of saying welcome, I see who you are and am glad you are here with us.  Sharing honestly with others even if the story is sad and difficult is important to do, as people crave authentic friendship.  A famous proverb goes like this.  "A problem shared is a problem halved and a joy shared is a joy doubled"  

Chris Reid is a national leader with the Salvation Army and is also a wife, a mother and a grandma, known to her grandchildren as GG.   Her life has been a journey of self discovery, incorporating times of tragedy as a young woman and then some quite confronting challenges to her leadership.  Chris and her husband Stuart are delightful friends to the lovely Sue and I and we have shared many meals...

Henri Nouwen wrote a book called "Can you drink the cup"  It is an invitation to live our lives fully.  Drinking deeply of every experience - both the joyful and the sorrowful.  But in my experience this requires a great deal of courage and the support of loving community.    

Jamie Lee never knew her father and was homeless by the time she was 17.  For many years she has lived on the streets and in youth shelters.  She has dyslexia and a variety of mental health conditions.  Her life has not been easy.  But she has found a place that feels like family at the Salvos and for the last 13 years she has called me Daddy Bryce.  

It's scary to leave the comforts and security of the known way, but if we trust that whatever we leave will somehow be made up for, we will take the risk.  Our dog Maggie left the comfort and security of her mother and the other puppies in her litter, but I can assure you, she gets a much better deal at our place than she did back home.

Narelle Sketcher is the principal of Mt Evelyn Christian School in Melbourne and is a well educated and thoughtful person.  She grew up at Camberwell Salvos and thinks deeply about faith and life.  She shares her story with honesty and insight and it was great to connect with this lovely friend after so many years.  

Some Christians say Jesus is the answer, but a book around at the moment is titled "Jesus is the question"  Jesus asks far more questions than he answers.  We need safe places for conversation and enquiry if we are ever to have robust understandings of life.  Change and growth are mysterious things and we do well to allow space and time for ourselves and for others to grow in this way.