Mind Photos

Whenever I learn new information I take a "mind photo" of whatever I happen to be looking at at that moment. Here are some descriptions of a few mind photos I have taken over the years. Randomly selected examples. (I am thinking I might make this into a visual art piece somehow.)

As a preschooler my mother scorns me for using the "N" word in a childhood ditty. When I question her on it she tells me the "N" word is a very bad name for a black man. I think, "Why would there be a bad name for a black man?" - Close up, straight on of a dark coloured hedge with pointy leaves.

As a young child my mother age appropriately explains Hitler. I think, "Why would an adult be so cruel? Don't only children make bad decisions?" - Mid shot from a low angle of a bay window. The sky is grey but bright enough to blackout the cushions sitting beneath the windowsill.

As a young child my parents tell me they are separating. I think, "But I thought you loved each other? What does love look like then? What a fool I've been." - Close up, high angle of a dirty sheepskin rug on the floor.

At 17 I am told that my boyfriend has just been killed in a motorbike accident. I think, "He's too young. Death waits for no one and gives no warning?" - Close up, high angle of escalator teeth coming together, folding under each other. This one is a moving image as the new information was given to me while I was moving.

As a young woman my best friend tells me he is in love with me. I think, "This must be happiness. How lucky am I?"- Medium shot, low angle of the side and underside of a bridge over the motorway. The sky is overcast but bright. Another moving image.

A song for My Love.

"Forgive us our sins as we forgive others who sin against us."








My photos of my husband and I for "The Lord's Prayer."

Sigh No More.

Serve God, love me and mend
This is not the end
Live unbruised, we are friends
I'm sorry

Sigh no more, no more
One foot in sea and one on shore
My heart was never pure
You know me

But man is a giddy thing
Oh man is a giddy thing

Love it will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free
Be more like the man you were made to be

There is a design, an alignment, a cry
Of my heart to see
The beauty of love as it was made to be.

*You can listen to the song by Mumford & Sons HERE.

What a difference a year can make.
You are never alone in your loneliness.

Waitangi Day 2011

I love this country. Here are a few pics taken today....

New Year's Eve

On lake Rotoiti.

A woman child's whisper.

My childhood has left me with bound feet.
I've grown wrong.
Walking, keeping balance, not falling is unnatural.
I stand at the edge of the playground
Smiling
Looking busy.

One day these bound feet will grow wings.

It's late

Can't sleep. Have things I wanna write. Can't write cause I need some sleep. Here's some pics that distracted me from my task...











(Pictures not my own.)

Gobbledigook by Sigur Rós (Widescreen/High Quality)

Nature, nudity, good music, fun times. Enjoy.

Christmas Day

For the wonder of Jesus is
that he always oversteps the narrowness
of the expectations we place upon him...
We look for him in the crowd, asking,
‘Excuse me, are you the Christ? Is it you?
Or you? Are you the one?’
Gradually there is an awakening
to the truth of the loaves and fishes miracle.
Christ has so multiplied Himself among us,
that he has made us all into Himself,
and we are all sacrament to each other.

Joy Cowley ‘Loaves and Fishes’ excerpt.

I know today is originally a Pagan festival but... Merry Christmas everyone. (Whatever your faith persuasion.) xx

How To Be Alone

This is lovely...

Prayer of Hope.

I number of weeks ago, I volunteered myself to take the "prayer slot" at the Sunday morning service at Cityside for Nov 28th. Because it is the start of the Advent season, the theme of the prayer was meant to centre around HOPE. Weeks ago, when I volunteered myself for this contribution to the service, I felt confident about what I could do/say etc. Then Pike River happened. How hideous and potentially hurtful a prayer of "hope" now seemed. Being mindful that people still needed a space to process, this was what I said yesterday....

"Hope is a word we have heard spoken a lot in the last week. People were holding onto it tightly until suddenly, it was abandoned. With much grief we have held the miners and their families in our hearts.

There are things in this life I may never understand. However, what I keep reminding myself of is this; I am never alone in my loneliness. Even those closest to me are alone too. This may sound ridiculously melancholy but herein lies the beauty: We are together in our loneliness. The grief in our hearts (some big, some little) is shared.

Whenever my grandfather sings that old hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” rivers of tears flood his cheeks. Because this song’s meaning has changed for him over the course of his long life. In his youth it was a song of hope. In his twilight years this song has become a declaration of truth.

I would like to encourage you to be present and hold close whatever it is you need as your own prayer of hope today. Whether it be for yourself, someone you love or some other situation, bring that hope (even if it as small as a mustard seed) close to your chest and hold it. Acknowledge any fears, sadness, anger that you may have about your prayer.

I am going to play a song now by Jónsi. You wont recognize the words because it is sung in Icelandic. I have Googled it but have still not got any real information about the translation other then that the title of the song can translate from Icelandic to English to mean “coal” or “the dark seasonal time of year”. The beauty of not knowing what Jonsi is literally singing means that when I listen to this song, I hear what I want or need to hear.

I would like to encourage you to listen to this song while holding your prayer close. Let the words of this song be what your spirit needs to hear this morning. Let God sing over you, minister to you and enable your hope grow."

Here is the song. Kolniður by Jónsi