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Today I fell asleep on the trampoline. After a jumping session with Cammie and Seth, they went inside and I stayed behind and had a lie down on the trampoline for a bit. I was thinking about a few random things and the next thing I was in and out of sleep. My amazing wife brought me a blanket and pillow so I could have a nap. After lying outside for a bit I got cold so I went inside and had a nice long nap and woke up feeling super energized! What I realised while reflecting on these events is that I have been very content recently.The simplicity of life has led me to be way more content than I usually am. I really enjoy my hobbies and that means I like to spend money on them when I can so this often leads me to doing a lot of research on what I may like to do or spend some money on. But since the lockdown began I haven’t really done that because instant gratification in many ways has been put on hold because nothing is open! What this has done has led me to be content with what I have in these current circumstances. I have found that I have been taking more pleasure from simply sitting around and playing with Seth, chatting to Cammie and my parents, or having some chill time alone playing some games. Today I was reminded once again of these words of Paul:11 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. 12 I know both how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. – Philippians 4:11-12.The lesson that I need to learn from this new found contentment is how to take it back home with me after lockdown ends. Being content is super important because regardless of whatever situation we find ourselves in contentment is possible. At the end of the day we can always find contentment in Jesus – He is always enough – and He always will be.Much love,Luke

When we were first going into the lockdown, as many other countries had already done so or were going to, there were some "helpful" messages going around suggesting that people should be using the extra time to develop new skills or learn new things, to do some self-improvement. I'm sure the people sending out these messages had good intentions, they wanted to lift people's spirits by motivating them, and I am sure that there are those who appreciated the challenge. Yet I wonder, how many people have learnt that new skill? How many have actually achieved those "quarantine goals"?Now this isn't a big problem, until people start coming down on themselves for not achieving those goals. When they start feeling disappointed in their lack of motivation. A hugely unhelpful phrase that has been going around in various forms is the following: "If you don't come out of this quarantine with a new skill, you never lacked time, you lacked discipline." To make such a statement is to grossly ignore the extreme situation and difficulties we all face during this time.  In an article I came across this week they had a trauma psychologist weigh in on this motivational pressure that people face during this time of quarantine and there was a part of her assessement that really stood out to me as she spoke about the real challenges that people are facing:People are trying to survive poverty, fear, retriggering of trauma, retriggering of other mental health difficulties. Yet, someone has the nerve to accuse someone of lack of discipline for not learning a new skill... This cultural obsession with [capitalistic] 'productivity' and always spending time in a 'productive,' 'fruitful' way is absolutely maddening. What we need is more self-compassion, more gentle acceptance of all the difficult emotions coming up for us now, more focus on gentle ways to soothe ourselves and our pain and the pain of loved ones around us...I love it when someone, from a secular perspective actually affirms the wisdom of Scripture. In many ways the world is enslaved to this concept of capitalistic productivity, that your worth is tied up in how much you can do. Busyness is worn as a badge of honour. So many people have forgotten the importance of the Sabbath, God's command for us to take a break. To rest.12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:12-15)Do you know who doesn't…

Have you ever planned out your day just right, to the point of accounting for most of the minutes in the day, just to have it interrupted? This has happened a few times recently as my work environment has changed a lot since the lockdown began. I have found that I have experienced interruptions in ways which I am not used to. But what I have come to realise is what I can learn from interruptions far outweighs the perceived inconvenience that seems to come with them. I really enjoyed the article, “When God Interrupts Your Plans”, authored by Christina Fox. This is what she has to say:“My life is filled with interruptions, inconveniences, frustrations, and unexpected events. Things break. Accidents happen. The phone rings just as I climb into bed. Traffic makes me late. Just when we don’t need another added expense, an appliance breaks. Unexpected illnesses change my carefully crafted plans. I could go on and on. You probably could too. The problem is, I usually handle these interruptions to my life poorly. I react with frustration and anger. Like a young child, I want to stomp my feet and say, “It’s not fair!” I blame others for inconveniencing me. I’ll even throw my own pity parties. Though these interruptions are unexpected and catch me off guard, they do not catch God off guard. They are not random, meaningless events. In fact, these interruptions are divinely placed in my path for a reason. God uses these interruptions to change me to be more like Christ… it’s in these small frustrations and interruptions, the little things in our life, where we are given opportunities to rely on God, to obey him, and to bring him glory.” And this got me thinking – Jesus was interrupted on more than one occasion while he was ministering and the way in which He responded was in a graceful manner. My favourite example of this is in Luke 5:21-43 when Jesus was on His way to heal the daughter of Jairus, a synagogue leader. While walking to their house, a women who had been sick for many years walked up behind Jesus and touched His clothing since she believed this is all she needed to do to be made well, and she was! Now Jesus was on His way to conduct some serious business – the plan had been made to heal a very sick little girl. But in this moment, with a large crowd surrounding Him, this is what happened:30 At once Jesus realized in himself that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But he was looking around to see who had done this. 33 The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in…