Stories of Hope

My new role in Tasmania with the Salvos is to encourage and support what we are calling Organic Faith Expressions. Let’s unpack this. What does Organic mean? Chemical free agriculture. It is more expensive and doesn’t always look perfect, but it is less synthetic and more sustainable. For our faith to be organic, the idea is that we trust the Spirit to guide us into more natural and sustainable mo...

The cute puppy on my social media pages has the capacity to be a terrorist when she puts her mind to it. So I am attending puppy school - not so much to teach the dog, but to teach me! I need to unlearn my bad dog handling habits and embrace new ones!

Kim Haworth is my boss when I am working in Tasmania. She shares her interesting life story and the fact that as a child she was a tap dancing duck.  She is a “full throttle “ sort of lady, full of love, fun and passion. 

I once went on a simulated ride in a space shuttle. It was sort of real, but it didn't prepare me for piloting an actual space shuttle. Sometimes our religion is a bit like this, it seems perfect until we are confronted with living it out in the trenches with real people.

Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett helped out at a soup van when they were teenagers. This birthed a dream to do something and make a difference. That dream is now Orange Sky, a mobile laundry and shower service to homeless people that fosters community.

If we are to be encouraging, we need to take the risk of getting involved in other people’s lives. We don't always need to fix their problem, sometimes all we need to do is hold their hand for a while.

John Cleary was a radio producer with the ABC for over 30 years and has a rich personal and philosophical experience with the Salvos. From Solid Rock Big Band to being on the road with Desmond Tutu, it's a rich and interesting life story.

Everyone needs encouragement and there are things we can all learn to do this better, like asking good questions and listening well. People are often afraid and need little moments of hope, so lets not be stingy with words and actions that encourage.

Stuart Glover is a proud Bundjalung man who is currently the secretary for Mission in the Salvation Army, Australia wide. Years ago, he and I were part of a little group called "thrash" where we wrestled with our doubts and tried to be honest.

Stories of Hope Podcast started in April 2020 and has published over 250 episodes and 32000 downloads. But there are a few podcast changes afoot for 2022, one of which is our new puppy Maggie, who is sure to get a few mentions!

I have a new role in 2022 that will involve me travelling 6 times a year to Tasmania. I will still live with the lovely Sue in Brisbane, which is just an ocean and 2489ks away, but I am excited about the new role.

Jesus describes the kingdom of God as a banquet where everyone is welcome. It’s not that complicated really, just go outside and fire up the BBQ or a cook up some vegetable soup.  The smells and an “Everyone is welcome” sign will do the rest. 

Shelley is one of the most gregarious and positive people you could meet. She is a fabulous singer and runs a vintage poster shop in a trendy suburb in Melbourne. She is the mother of two boys and has survived tragedy and heartache. This is her story.

When a disaster hits, like the 9/11 terrorist attacks or even a flood – people are usually generous and compassionate in response.  Reality is, there is always a crisis for someone and we have opportunities, every day to be amazing humans. 

The lovely Sue has a saying. It’s better to be married to a goat than a Fox. She generally trusts me, however she let me choose the frames for my glasses once, but has never trusted me to do it again.

Paul Moulds has helped hundreds of young people and asylum seekers with great compassion and skill as a salvo leader. He was adopted as a baby and has faced many challenges along the way since then. It's an inspiring story.

The Salvos run heaps of great Christmas parties each year for people who come to us throughout the year for support. Volunteers love to help out each year and kindly give up their Christmas day to lend a hand. But there is an even better way!

Social media seems to produce a lot of insecurity as we look at others and compare. When we find ways to celebrate others successes and genuinely care when they struggle, we find a more childlike, beautiful way to love.

Narelle came to the Salvos as a child by joining in our equivalent of Girl Guides. She ended up spending a large part of her working life with the Salvos, including 11 years in Malawi. She has a dog named Miko.

Janice Hoogeveen is a corporate leader in branding and marketing. Her journey to be involved with the Salvos advisory board at Streetlevel is mysteriously random and completely delightful.

Christmas is a time of wondrous impossibilities. Angels chatting to shepherds, virgin birth, wise men following a star etc. Inexplicable happenings that alter the course of history and give us hope and cause to wonder.

Alison grew up in the Salvos and was used to a middle class church community. She ended up involved at the Salvos Streetlevel drop in center and in emergency work in the 2011 floods. She lost 50KG recently and is simply a delight to chat with.

One of the wonderful parts of being human is to celebrate. Often we do this with food but it can also be dancing, music, hugging and even growing lettuce. Make sure you position yourself to celebrate regularly. It's good for the soul!

The other night I want to look at Christmas lights, and ended up having an unexpected cuddle with the beautiful newborn baby of some friends of ours. It was a special moment. I reckon God touches us deeply in these sorts of special moments.

A chat with Maryam Zafari about strategies to cope with loneliness - especially at Christmas time.