Hope in troubled times
Stories of Hope
Paul spent 6 years in various prisons and not because he put dodgy mushrooms in someones stew, he just had a point of view that upset the religious leaders of his time. But he never seemed to let it get him down. He wrote letters and found ways to be useful. Hope in times like this is rare and worth exploring. Somehow a combination of purpose, secure identity and faith created the sort of hope he was able to draw upon. As Chuck Nolan played by Tom Hanks in the movie Castaway says, you never know what the tide will bring in. Maybe we can all do the...
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Robert Donaldson Re-posted
Stories of Hope
Robert Donaldson's father was a garbage collector and for a time so was Robert. He then went on to study micro biology and fell in love with Janine. He is a Kiwi and has served in the Salvos all over the world. Its an interesting story!
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Extended Family
Stories of Hope
If it were not for an unnamed nephew of St Paul we would not have half the New Testament, as Paul would certainly have been killed by a murderous mob out to lynch him. Family can be such a mixed bag, but the potential for loyalty and support often goes deep as the connections are significant. Often since birth. It's sometimes challenging to stay close to extended family, but is also often worth the effort.
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Craig Stephens. Re-posted. A guy lit up for God!
Stories of Hope
There are not too many people I know who are as passionate about faith in Jesus and who back it up with decades of effective frontline, earthy Salvation Army ministry like Craig Stephens. Buckle up for a life story that is full throttle from start to finish.
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The danger of aggressive thinking.
Stories of Hope
I have been in cahoots with the Pharisees recently and have allowed aggression and arrogance to shape my behaviour. I wish I had been like Ghandi and taken a more gentle approach. It would have saved me a lot of embarrassment and reduced the Lovely Sue's frustrations with me significantly. Luckily, I didn't go as far as forming a vigilante group and arranging an assassination like the religious leaders did in Acts 22, but I was on the same path. It's definitely something we need to keep an eye on.
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Nuria Gonsalves. Reposted
Stories of Hope
Nuria came to Australia 19 years ago and managed to find ways to settle into the new culture and lifestyle. She now works for the Salvos assisting us to work with CaLD communities effectively. She is married and has two children. Interestingly her husband Rodney, is named after the famous Australian wicketkeeper Rod Marsh. #Salvos, #SalvationArmy, #StoriesOfHope, #Faith, #Testimonies, #LifeStories, #LivedExperiences,#Biography, #Interview, #Conversation
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On being a zealot
Stories of Hope
Peter Garret was a zealot for environmentalism, especially his stance against uranium mining. However as he got older and more involved in politics he came understand some more of the complexity involved and changed his views. Many of us start out passionate and sure of ourselves but we do need to eat humble pie sometimes and sit with paradox, complexity and nuance. Building this chicken in my workshop is a good example, looks simple, but its actually a very sophisticated work of art!
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Rich Tapestries. Episode 1. Frank Wang
Stories of Hope
Rich Tapestries is a new series within Stories Of Hope Podcast, celebrating the lives and contributions of Culturally and Linguisticly Diverse (CaLD) folks within the Salvos in Australia. My co host in this series is Nuria Gonsalves who is the Cald Community Engagement National Lead and our first guest is Frank Wang who heads up the Salvos work in Bankstown in Sydney. Frank originates from China and his journey to Australia exudes courage and strength of character. The way he and his wife Belinda found their way into the Salvos and eventually into leadership is both inspiring and...
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Injustice and privilege
Stories of Hope
Despite hundreds of years of democracy and education, people are still suffering discrimination and injustice depending on what colour their skin is or where they are from. Riots and wars abound and even in the suburbs where I live there are sometimes cruel and unfair judgments made on people based on very superficial data. Lets open our eyes and notice what biases we have in our own heart and what we see around us and lets be brave enough to make a stand sooner rather than later.
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Rod Parsons
Stories of Hope
Rod is the Salvo leader in a Town in New South Wales called Young and he also looks after the surrounding area as a rural Chaplian visiting farms and remote communities. He loves his big 1100CC Yamaha motorcycle, his cut throat Razors and is an earthy bloke who loves a chat and cares deeply about people and what the Salvos stand for. I know Rod well, because we have worked shoulder to shoulder together providing financial aid to folks affected by floodwaters in Kempsey. Rod is married to Deb and I reckon he is the salt of the earth!
info_outlinePaul spent 6 years in various prisons and not because he put dodgy mushrooms in someones stew, he just had a point of view that upset the religious leaders of his time. But he never seemed to let it get him down. He wrote letters and found ways to be useful. Hope in times like this is rare and worth exploring. Somehow a combination of purpose, secure identity and faith created the sort of hope he was able to draw upon. As Chuck Nolan played by Tom Hanks in the movie Castaway says, you never know what the tide will bring in. Maybe we can all do the same.