hope

Whatever you are facing right on. To the storm you are navigating. In answer to the desperate prayer you are silently praying. This is for you. You are seen. You are loved.

Seeing I have a perfect track record of keeping this New Year Resolution for 3 years in a row, I’m sticking with it.

Care to join me?

I resolve to drink coffee only on days ending in “Y”.

I am also aiming to send 1 encouraging text message to someone I know each week.

Happy Christmas everyone. It’s Boxing Day here in Australia. Yesterday was a great day. Catching up with family and friends, some we see once a year.

I know these days can have a range of conflicting emotions for many. Yesterday before my Mother in law arrived we all planned a way to manage her toxic behaviour. This largely worked.

I did choose to withdraw at times for some solitude. That was a blessing. My Wife knew not to panic, that me withdrawing at times was a necessary step.

I hope you find laughter and joy in your day. I am quietly confident 2025 is going to be a great year!!!

I was going through some old correspondence this week and I found a letter from an old friend, Colin. He wrote it in 1986, at the end of 1987 he died.

I will never forget the phone call he made to his Mum telling her he was gay. She had already figured that out. He then told her the shocking news he had AIDS.

Colin died aged 27. A life cut so short. In late 1987 he came to visit us. AIDS was fairly new and there was a lot of hysteria about it. Colin asked if he could hold our new born baby. We said, of course. He then asked permission to kiss her on the cheek. We said yes. He then burst into tears.

He explained his siblings won’t let him near his nephews and nieces. We had consulted a medical friend who assured us that AIDS couldn’t be passed on with minimal contact. I miss him a lot, he was a great friend.

I hate prejudice. I have seen it, all over the word, in many different forms. Racism, Ageism, Sexism, Gender prejudice etc.

Prejudice says so much more about biased person than it does about their target. God loves everyone, without bias or favouritism. That’s our example to follow.

Sometimes the ministry is a real challenge. Other times, you realise what a privilege it is to be able to make a difference in someone’s life. Today was one of those days.

My church isn’t big but they punch well above their weight. Today we delivered over 200 boxes of Lego to an agency working with families in crisis and 200 boxes of Lego to our local children’s hospital.

While at the hospital the chaplain saw two patients he knows and gave them a big box of Lego. The smile on the child’s face and also their parent, was absolutely priceless.

Tomorrow, as we do, every Friday we will give away 200 kilos of free fruit and vegetables, free bread and over 500 fresh meals.

Some people look at Australia and think it’s a land of abundance, and it is an amazing place to live, but over 3 million Aussies live below the poverty line.

Being able to make a tangible difference in people’s lives is challenging sometimes, but days like today, remind you why you keep showing up.

The Weight of Silence

Silence.

It’s not just the absence of sound. It’s the absence of understanding, of connection, of release. For so many, silence is both a refuge and a prison—a double-edged sword that cuts deeper than words ever could. In Part I, I explored how silence can embody pain, anger, and isolation, and how relationships can either deepen the silence or break its hold. But there’s more to say—because silence doesn’t just exist; it builds. It shapes lives, minds, and hearts in ways we often don’t recognize until it’s too late.

Why Do We Choose Silence?

Sometimes silence is chosen out of necessity—when we’re afraid to speak up because we know the weight of our words could hurt others, or worse, be dismissed entirely. Other times, silence is imposed on us—when the people around us invalidate our feelings, brush aside our struggles, or demand that we “get over it.”

The result? We stop speaking. We stop trying. Instead, we retreat inward, believing our voices don’t matter. But silence isn’t a vacuum; it’s a container. Every unspoken word, every suppressed emotion fills it until we’re drowning in our own quiet suffering.

The Long-Term Damage of Silence

When silence becomes a way of life, it doesn’t just affect our relationships with others—it distorts our relationship with ourselves. We question our worth. We mistrust our feelings. We become numb to our own pain, convincing ourselves that silence is safer than vulnerability. But the truth is, the longer we stay silent, the harder it becomes to break free.

For Those Struggling in Silence
• To the Men and Women Alike: Silence does not make you stronger. It makes you invisible. Strength is found in facing what’s hard to say, not in avoiding it. Speak—imperfectly, angrily, nervously—just speak. Whether to a loved one, a friend, or a professional, let someone hear you. Let yourself be seen.
• To Those Who Are Listening: If someone opens up to you, listen—not to respond, but to understand. Their words may not come out perfectly, and their emotions might be messy. But don’t silence them with judgment, impatience, or dismissal. Let them feel. Let them speak. You might be their only outlet.

Breaking the Cycle in Relationships
• For Couples: Silence is the wedge that drives two people apart, even when they’re sitting right next to each other. Make communication a priority. Set aside time to check in—without distractions, without defensiveness. When you create a space where emotions are heard, not judged, you break the cycle of silence before it can take root.
• For the One Holding It All In: Your feelings matter. Your voice matters. If you’ve been made to feel like your emotions are a burden, know this: the right people will never see your vulnerability as weakness. The right people will lean in, not pull away. Find them. Trust them.

Healing from “Evil Silence”

Healing starts when you let the silence out—one word, one conversation, one step at a time. It won’t happen overnight. Years of bottling up emotions don’t disappear in a single moment of release. But with each attempt to express yourself, you take back control. You lighten the weight. You begin to heal.

Final Thoughts

Silence, as I’ve learned, is not inherently good or bad—it’s what we do with it that matters. There was a time when silence consumed me, when it left me feeling alone and unheard. But I also learned that silence can be a place of peace if you allow yourself to speak and let others in.

I’ve had a rough year this year and a lot going on.. My silence has been pretty bad the last few months. But releasing some stuff here like I used to.

If you’re still trapped in silence, know this: you don’t have to stay there. Your story, your pain, your voice—it all deserves to be heard. And if you don’t know where to start, I’m here. Always.

Quote:
“I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.”
– C.S. Lewis

#MentalHealth #silence #Healing #Relationships #Communication #Depression #Anxiety #vulnerability #Trust #selfgrowth #itsoktotalk #Hope #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #ADHD #Grief #Addiction #BipolarDisorder #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder #Loneliness #MajorDepressiveDisorder #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #CheckInWithMe #MightyTogether #Trauma #Suicide #SocialAnxiety #Selfharm #PTSD

I don't know when I'll be up to putting up & lighting my 3' fake tree. But I did get out my little 9" gold lit tree. Atleast I have a tree up. I still have #Hope that the "big" tree will be up for Christmas! There's nothing like the blinking multi-colored lights lighting up the whole room with celebratory excitement for this glorious holiday season.

My Wife has been encouraging me to do a big makeover of my home office. It is very much my “cave” and I love being there but it’s been crowded with a 3 piece lounge. So these week I got rid of the furniture except for one chair.

That left room for a dedicated table which is ideal for hobbies like jigsaw puzzles. I am so pleased. Now I can have hobby space and listen to music at the same time.

My office is like a permanent place of gratitude. It reminds me of so many blessings. Each time ego to a new country I buy a small flag of that nation. It reminds me of so many experiences and memories.

I am amazed at how a simple makeover can be so good for my mental health. I am grateful.

It’s 39 degrees C today (102F).
It’s extremely humid and tomorrow promises to be hotter again. In the midst of so many heat wave warnings it’s easy to feel like this season is never going to end.

It will though. Reprieve will come. Just like the seasons of our life experience.

A season in the rain will end at last, the season full of pain will surely pass.

The reason will be plain someday when love reveals its goal, such are the seasons of the soul.

Oh you'll never dreamed you'll be here oh you're sure this can't be right and you feel you've been forgotten, left alone here in the night, but the darkness holds a treasure forming diamonds from the coal.

So pain contains a promise, such are the seasons of the soul.

Whatever season you are going through, hold onto hope. Pain will end.