the thing about compassion…

…it’s more feisty than you think.

until this weekend, i understood compassion as a ‘there, there’, tea and sympathy kind of attribute. it was also something i didn’t think i had much of. clearly, i had the wrong definition.

this weekend, i heard michael ramsden speak. it was gripping and witty and i was on the edge of my seat for most of the hour. he had some fantastic points (if you would like to watch the lectures click here) but his definition of compassion is what rocked me.

he defined compassion as a deep conviction that something is wrong. so deep that it moves you to do something about it. i had never heard compassion described this way, and the definition has completely changed my view of god and myself.

compassion is feisty! it’s not weak and actionless like i thought. it is full. full of a deep, almost instinctive sense of justice. full of awareness of the world around you and the injustices in it. and–this is the part that got me–it is full of action. compassion is not empty, like so many other claims and promises that are made. it is not a quick, ‘oh isn’t that terrible’, then onto the next thing: the coffee shop, facebook–anything more comfortable to think about. compassion is powerful. true compassion stops you in your tracks. compels you to respond before carrying on.

compassion is the ‘mother bear’ syndrome i have deeply rooted in my heart. compassion is the resounding, ‘this is not okay!’ that has fueled revelutions and movements. compassion is the brave and glorious, ‘something must be done about this’ that put jesus on the cross. god did not look on us and think, ‘oh for goodness sake, someone has to clean up this mess, i suppose i will.’ he looked at us in our mess and was like, ‘this is not okay. they are better than that. i have to do something to right it. not matter what it takes.’

better yet, his compassion is not only channelled at the victims. he is just as passionately fighting for the redemption of the victim AND the culprit. (phew!)

i love that about god.

happy friday!

sarah

a shout out

i have decided i am periodically going to do this. i know some incredible people. old friends and new. i often sit and muse about how fabulous it is to know them and then quietly go about my day. ok, backtrack. by quietly, i mean,… Read More

(my new) old thing

there are so many things i love about this weeks vintage find. not least if which is that i bought it for a measly 99p!

a red, roberts rambler radio!

beautiful no matter which way you stand it.

and even though it is not longer in working order, it makes my shelf.

yay.

(my new) old thing

this weeks feature is more like, (my old) old thing–as i have owned it for about 4 years–but there is a great story behind it and it is beeeautiful. it is also, quite possibly, my favourite (and most frequently used) vintage item.

introducing, my 1970’s, 6-string takamine

complete with mother-of-pearl embellishment and detailing

and a killer sound.

the great story is this: i love music and learned to play guitar on my dad’s 1970’s epiphone when i was around 17 yr old. i also love worshiping god, and had, timidly, lead worship a few times with borrowed guitars before i immigrated to the uk. when i moved to england, i was asked to join a worship band at the king’s arms, but needed a guitar before i could start leading. we had no money. at least not a grand or so to spend on a nice guitar. so we prayed. a few days later, my father-in-law rang up and said he wanted to give me his guitar. it was totally unexpected. and, to be honest, deep down, i was kinda thinking that the whole ‘no money’ thing was going to get me off the hook of doing something i was pretty scared of anyway. after getting over the fact that this meant i would indeed have to actually lead worship, i was pretty excited.

i was also expecting to get a mediocre guitar. one that ‘would do’. i had never seen brian’s guitar before, but i guess i just figured people don’t give away gems. needless to say, when i opened up the case and saw this beauty, i was blown away. not only did god answer our prayer, he hooked me up with this sweet, vintage number!

lessons learned: god knows me, he cares that i like vintage stuff, he is extravagant. the end.

a heads up

attention faithful followers (mom this means you): we are going away this weekend with some fabulous friends for the annual king’s arms leaders weekend away. it is quite possibly my favourite weekend of the year. i am stoked. sadly, though, this means there is going… Read More

the list: thing 3

this post was going to be about something entirely different than what i am writing now… but sam woke up early from his nap needing a hug. so i stopped writing to attend to this all important task, and forgot what i was going to… Read More

a shout out

i just wanted to give a special thanks to staying awake reader, and awesomely cool friend, paul kellett!! after reading a past post i wrote about wanting to return to regular poetry reading–and knowing my love for all things second-hand–he stumbled upon this gorgeous, 1940’s… Read More

the thing about worrying…

…it truly does get you nowhere. but it is so hard to stop once you get going! its like a steam train that can get very out of control, very quickly. and what hits the brakes? shopping? eating? sleeping? watching tv? after trying each of… Read More

(my new) old thing

happy anniversary to us! love seven years in the making. its fabulous. its steadily getting better. its going to be another good year with my best friend!

and considering what i woke up to this morning, i am also using today to launch my fun, new, sunday blog feature: (my new) old thing

favourite flowers and a sweet anniversary card

in a looooovely vintage, habitat, lime green pitcher (courtesy of ebay)!

(my new) old thing was inspired by my love for cute, vintage stuff. i know, i know, who doesn’t love vintage these days-but this is more than just about a passing trend for me. vintage is one-of-a-kind style for clothing and housewares. i love the uniqueness of it. you rarely see the same face twice! another huge pull for me is that vintage is the single most environmentally friendly way to consume. remember that little motto from elementary school? reduce, reuse, recycle?! reusing old stuff reduces waste and the carbon footprint. fabulous. incidentally, it is usually the most economical way to consume as well. hello credit crunch! thrifting (uk definition: charity shopping) is cheap and the items you find are usually of good quality. unique, green and thrifty, you cant beat that!