Good - Bad - Sad - Hopeful Friday

Images from Good Friday 2012

Kaiapoi Baptist - Cloak of the dead and dying - in our selves, communities and world.  Well done Amelia Askin.

Ohoka Farmers Market - wondering if the stocks are there every week - seemed appropriate for me today anyway along with some great bongo playing with dancers - seemed a glimpse of things to come

EASTERevolution 2012 - a Side Door project

The Condemning crowd as the King falls. Beky was privileged to get an early view of the shoes as the paint was drying and she felt very connected to the installation - thanks Pete - athttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1381851333

The Rooster crows three times as we wish we were somewhere else 

EQ posts

For our EQ experience posts see Oct mainly

Welcome Home

Here we are back in Brooklands after our holiday and looking forward to an interesting year.  I am excited and overwhelmed at the possibilities in store for the Communities of the Styx area.  As people come home from holiday (of course not all have been able to have a break) there is a huge task awaiting them - rebuilding our suburbs.

Some people have had enough already - here is one local response to the waiting game for news of rebuilding

Having meet with these people and heard their story of weeks and now months of gapping sewer holes dug in their front yard  I understand their pain.  No amount of comparison to how bad it could be makes their daily life easier.

Kia kaha

Pilgrimage part two

So obviously I didn't get the part two finished back in Nov and now I have had another trip to the diverse Super City.

This time my old boss and mentor called me back to work to give me good news about an old case.  I started my working life here with a wonderful teacher of law and life.  I do miss that life and would even consider renting a leaky home for the next few years if only I wasn't called to the Styx Communities.

I met the love of my life in this city too - the beach and a date what more could we want.

We ate and shopped at China Town; finally I have training chopsticks.  We spent time with our Auckland and Hamilton family; roller-coasting, picnicing, gift giving and just being together was a great way to begin to feel on holiday.

I finally got to experience worship Cityside style and loved their Christmas Eve service.

And now it's 2011 - I have made a resolution at the prompting of this new mentor - "not to care so much what others think".

Happy New Year - I am excited at the opportunities we face in 2011 in our island nation of diversity, pain, rebuilding and hope.

Pilgrimage home

I didnt think i would be back in my adopted home for another U2 show in four years or that I would blog on an iPad. It's amazing how much I feel at home in the city, must be a townie after all. Now if the U2 boys could make it a four year tradition that would be perfect.

Stops on this pilgrim's journey so far have been
Onehunga Mall cafe
The hard to find book shop
HJ and RJs new home just off Campbell rd where we lived and had our wedding reception
Mt Smart with the Edge, Bono, Adam and Larry, HJ and RJ, and Alice and Marcus only two rows away without any planning

Today is getting to Dress Mart in Onehunga
oh yeah I didn't make it yesterday as my dear hubby booked me a firm seat with fly buy points all paid for, no staff standby. Neither of us noticed it was for 9.30 pm until I got to the gate. I made it on the 11am flight by no small miracle. Just a tad stressed with 3 U2 tickets in my bag.

So I think breakfast is called for at a cafe or shall I save my budget for shopping.

today will also see me back in Shortland St, no not the sitcom the one just off Queen st where I started my legal career. taking the camera so the story will continue ....

Lament for the Coast

Jesus wept,

            and in his weeping,

                  he joined himself forever

                  to those who mourn.

He stands now throughout all time,

            this Jesus weeping,

                  with his arms about the weeping ones:

      “Blessed are those who mourn,

            for they shall be comforted.”

      He stands with the mourners,

            for his name is God-with –us.

      Jesus wept.

      “Blessed are those who weep, for they shall be comforted.” 
Some-day. Someday God will wipe the tears from Rachel’s eyes.

      In the godforsaken, obscene quicksand of life,

      there is a deafening alleluia

      rising from the souls

      of those who weep,

      If you watch, you will see

      the hand of God

      putting the stars back in their skies

      one by one.
                                                                          ANN WEEMS

Standing together - North Canty - Styx - Greymouth - Te Puke

Kaiapoi Baptist had a prayer service on Sunday and these are my notes for the community corner - keep on praying ...

Community prayer - ideas

Spiritual Awakening

Patience, Strength & Hope for those with damaged homes

Protection against family violence and crime

Support for those who live alone

Willingness to ask for help

Couples to communicate

Parents to be a good team and wisdom for stressed kids

Fathers/Men to be leaders & protectors in their families

Mothers/women to balance nurture and self care

Hope -Recovery from & protection against despair and discouragement

Post Earthquake-what would God have us do in our communities?

Support for family, friends and churches in Greymouth

Standing together with Te Puke Baptist and their communities