In this latest season of my life, the constant evolution in what grabs my attention continues. This article is a well overdue update to provide context for what is coming.
The chapter that was Operation Christmas Child and its parent charitable organisation Samaritans’ Purse is well and truly closed, although a fond reminder back to that experience and season will always linger. Throughout 2018, the focus has very much been on my home church – Clayton Church of Christ. Through the church’s development of our own locally grown annual Love Loud campaign where we the church have volunteered for community-based projects held in early December, this represents the evolution and transition whereby the value and action behind filling a shoebox with gifts for a child in need overseas is now made slightly more tangible and meaningful because the Love Loud, we are able to make a direct impact to the local community.
While I have been constantly reviewing and pruning the various charities and NFP organisations that I have served and donated towards over the years, one organisation which remains highly strategic and intentional is 89.9 LightFM / Light Melbourne. As a Christian community radio station, receiving an almost daily benefit of hearing clean content on the air-waves, I truly appreciate the services of LightFM. As a member of their volunteer community, I offer a number of hours for a handful of days to answer the phone during the appeal campaigns. At some point earlier this year, I took a further step and became a member of LightFM.
The main impact of the various health-related issues that have unfolded since May have largely been absorbed by a flexible working arrangement where I can work from home as and when needed. Managing my father’s affairs and health requirements is an ongoing commitment, but one which I manage to accommodate by working from home. The emotional toll and cost to me in being the primary care giver is also balanced by my faith in God, support from both family & church family and, in more recent years, the practical tools imparted by Mental Health First Aid training.
As of July, the next chapter of my life has commenced in earnest – wedding planning. Balancing this commitment has been quite manageable so far, and with my past experience in helping many friends tie the knot has prepared me well for this endeavor, with lots of templates and a network of contacts ready for tapping into. As of early October, all the major items have been locked in, with things firming up more and more. Clearly, the wedding preparation topic can spawn a whole lot of content to be blogged on…
Over the years, the journey and expression of faith as seen in my service in church and community has fluctuated. For 2018, serving in church has taken on a new chapter, continuing off from 2017 whereby I have really focused on delivering and supporting the technological needs of the church. As my involvement with church has grown, key events in the life of the church have played a high level of impact on me personally. Some people drew a connection between the series of events – my Dad’s health situation, my broken leg situation, the tragic death of our Senior Pastor’s wife, and even up to another church member’s heath situation. However, I personally reflected over that period of April – July and concluded that sometimes we can over think and “connect the dots” which are not meant to be joined. Again, this topic deserves more attention – so look out for more in this space.
In September a new opportunity has crystallised, where I have been invited to join the panel of columnists called Young Writers’ Program at Press Service International. This is an emerging new creative outlet for me, and as this particular endeavor aligns closely, it has been the spark to help me return to blogging! At this point in time, my initial thoughts are to complement the cycle of content submitted. Whilst a 900 word limit constrains the formal submission, the versions published here at niclee.com.au will be extended versions.
As you can see from the above, there is a lot of content ripe for sharing here – so as I reintroduce time within my week for blogging, we will slowly have the opportunity to delve deeper into topics that have transpired throughout 2018. Thank you for following me and I hope you continue to enjoy and get something out of my writings.