Through My Lens – Coffs Harbour

Last week you recall, we left Lennox Head and the coast road as we travelled toward Coffs Harbour.
Arriving in Coffs, we drove around until we found suitable accommodation. by this time, night had fallen and the temperature was beginning to drop (well as much as it does on the coast in Australia lol). We have stayed in Coffs several times in the past, however this is the first time we stayed on the waterfront. The motel was situated across from the Bowls Club which was ideal for our evening meal. The club was extremely crowded and the meal wasn’t too bad however both the meal and the drinks were rather expensive. By the time we left the club, a winter’s sea breeze had blown up which almost made the Tween regret her decision to wear shorts that evening. She of course denied being cold although the presence of goose bumps on her legs betrayed her words.

Last night I sang … and other bits and bobs

It has been so long since I have opened my mouth and sang. I don’t know what has stopped me from doing it.
Well I do.
Nobody wants to sing when their life is filled with darkness I suppose.
That’s why I surprised myself last night.
I was in my usual auditorium where the acoustics are brilliant and the fans appreciative (on my own in the shower) and I had this sudden urge to open my mouth and sing. So I succumbed.
And it was great.

Thought for today

I just saw this on my FB feed and thought it well worth sharing.
I take my hat off to the creator of this meme for putting this out there. 

Monochrome Madness Wednesday

This week is the 6 month anniversary of the Monochrome Madness challenge at Leanne Cole’s blog.
For something different, she suggested that we submit colour photos that look monochrome. Although not everyone did this, there are some extremely striking images in the list this week.
I struggled a little to find an image for this week and entered one that I thought was pretty good but it looks like it has a little too much colour when seen with the submissions of everyone else.

400 Posts and 12 Months

Actually my one year ‘blogiversary’ was two weeks ago but I was away and didn’t have the opportunity to celebrate it.
Today, I have posted my 400th post.
Wow!
That’s a lot of words.

Seeking Hope in a Crazy World

I have begun reading “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl. The byline on the book reads “The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust”.
I am not a long way in yet and don’t have any insights from the book at this time but wish to share an observation made by the author in his Preface to the 1992 Edition.

“I do not at all see in the bestseller status of my book an achievement and accomplishment on my part but rather an expression of the misery of our time: if hundreds of thousands of people reach out for a book whose very title promises to deal with the question of a meaning to life, it must be a question that burns under their fingernails”.

 

Is Depression a tool of Satan?

Last night I heard something that I thought I would never hear. Someone informed my son that his depression and anxiety was spiritual in nature and was a tool of Satan.
They went on to say that if my son rebuked the depression and told it to leave his life then it would do so. He was counselled to call on God to help him and he would be cured.
When I heard this, my heart broke. It broke because I cannot believe in this day and age that something that is not easily understood is automatically branded as a ‘tool of the devil’. It reminds me of the Dark Ages when brilliant minds were burned at the stake because the general populace could not understand something that was outside of their limited beliefs.

This post is not an attack on Christians so please don’t take it as one. What it is, is one person trying to make sense of what was said by a Christian to my son (also a Christian).

Through my Lens – Northern New South Wales

In the past week I have received many new followers to my blog, particularly since the posts I have put up about my son and depression.
For those that have followed me for some time, this post will not seem out of the ordinary however those that are new may find it interesting that on a blog about finding the beauty in life and living with depression, there is a photography post.
The reason for this is simple.
As part of learning to live with depression myself, I have found that taking time to do the things I enjoy is an important step to living a joy-filled life. Photography (and craft and sewing) are a part of this.
Each Sunday, I do a “Through my Lens” post about some of the road trips I have undertaken in the past. So please, come with me as I travel the roads of Australia. 🙂