Articles

This exceptional photo titled Hardship of Life by Mehmet Aslan won the Siena International Photo of the year award.(1) Munzir, the father, lost his right leg when a bomb was dropped at a market during the war in Syria. His son, Mustafa,

I love bushwalking. Occasionally, I like to try a new trail or to go off the beaten track. A few weeks back, a stranger mentioned a trail that followed a creek and after one hour, I should reach a secluded

Dear friends, Did you watch any of the Paralympics? I was so inspired and challenged by the participants’ resilience, determination, discipline and abilities. Most impressive was their joy in adversity. When we face challenges such as lockdown, it is common

Disappointment, anger, and anxiety filled my heart when the COVID Delta variant outbreak caused a lockdown in Sydney and cancelled speaking trips to Perth and Brisbane, and other in-person events. I love these speaking tours – connecting with people and

Dear friends, Halfway into 2021, and many parts of the globe are still in some form of lockdown. Our hearts continue to go out to the people in places where COVID is still rampant. Sydney, after enjoying months of freedom,

Dear friends, A burning log, if isolated, will fizzle. Recently my wife and I went on a holiday to the Snowy Mountains, south of Sydney. Beautiful autumn weather allowed us to walk around lakes and climb to the summit of

Dear friends, Spring in the Northern Hemisphere means greener landscapes, plants blooming and longer sunny days. While it is the opposite for us in the South, we recently celebrated Resurrection Sunday. Spring, and more significantly, Easter, is a time conducive

I was hurt when my young child was embarrassed about our simple house. I perceived that I was a bit of a failure in his eyes compared to his friends’ dads because they earned more money. They lived in better

2020 has come and gone. Possibly it was a good year for you, but many might have thought, “Good riddance to the year of the COVID pandemic, deaths, disruptions, recession, cancelled plans and failures.” I struggled with feeling like a

Most people suffer from harmful definitions of success, even at Christmas time! But they are not aware. What is a successful Christmas? Is it… Getting or giving the best present ever? Surprising (in a good way) your loved ones? Hearing,