Lest We Forget...

Anzac Day - April 25 every year

I write this post with tears in my eyes. I woke up early this morning thinking about Anzac Day and the mothers of the young soldiers who left Australia in November, 1914 to fight half way around the world. My chest tightened with fear and sadness as I put myself in the mother's shoes visualising my twenty-one year old son leaving for foreign shores to fight an unseen enemy. I can't describe the pain and anguish that clenched my heart so hard I could hardly breathe. The women didn't know how long their men would be away for, or if they would ever see them again.

Some mothers lost two, three or more sons as well as their husband. The pain must have been indescribable. It is often said that time heals, but I'm sure the ache is carried in these mother's hearts until they die. Likewise, the men and women who came back with the memories and/or injuries of the events shared with their mates who didn't make it would leave a perpetual agony inside them for those lives lost. I'm sure they wish it had been them who had died instead of their mates. The soldiers march today with memories and, I'm sure, feeling the presence of their mates beside them while they pray for future generations that they will be spared the pain that war brought to them.

What impresses me about the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought in the early part of last century was their eagerness to serve the mother country, Great Britain. They held an allegiance in their hearts that spurred them on to want to protect. Their efforts have given us the freedom we enjoy today.

Thank you men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and to all those who have returned, I honour you. You live with the memories of war every day. That can't be easy. To all our soldiers who've served on foreign land since Gallipoli and are serving today, I salute you, too, for your willingness to serve and protect lives throughout the world. Please know that your courage and work inspires others. Anzac Day is your day to accept, without reservation, the admiration and respect of our community . Thank you for the priceless gift of yourself to Australia and New Zealand.

Lest we forget...

Bella Generation

You've heard of Generation X and Generation Y ... have you heard of Bella Generation. That's right, Bella Generation.

Recently, I attended a seminar on the Gold Coast and learnt about Bella Generation.

Letitia Shelton is coordinator of an organisation called City Women Toowoomba, Australia. God placed a need on Letitia's heart to look after the young women of Toowoomba.

Too many young women are abused, come from broken homes, make bad choices because of misinformation, lack self-esteem, are caught up in drug and alcohol abuse traps. In short, they are hurting and they don't know how to stop hurting.

Bella Generation is the inspiration these girls and women need. This group dreams of a beautiful generation of women - a Bella Generation, now, and forever. They are a team of girls and young women who have a desire to see change come for the girls and young women who are hurting and overhwhelmed by life.

They are dreaming of a generation of girls/women who know their true worth and value; who nurture, not self-harm; a generation of purity; a generation who are empowered to be all that God created them to be, and to use their unique gifting to uplift and encourage the hurting and wounded; a generation of women who choose to respect and honour men and receive their protection; and a generation that favours beauty, not destruction.

To achieve their dreams City Women uses magazines, girls/young women's groups, camps, and their own designer label Bella G fashion and accessories. The idea is to take this generation of young women away from the image of modern woman that is portrayed in modern magazines and bring them back to the loving and nurturing human beings God created them to be.

What makes City Women unique is that they support and work together with other oganisations that already exist. They call on women from all denominations in Toowoomba to be part of and promote these existing organisations to make them stronger so that more women will be helped. In the process healthy and God-honouring relationships develop between organisations and individual women. To me this is empowering and enlightening.

I salute City Women Toowoomba for their courage, their compassion and their every day hard work reaching out to those in need of a helping hand. You are doing exactly what Jesus wants us to do:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Col. 4:32 NIV

City Women Toowoomba conforms to the Collossians verse above. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see this ministry reach throughout Australia and beyond?