Our thoughts are kick-starters of a better life
Once upon a time (1986), I well and truly stuck my neck out. I wrote my first book! And I was the newest girl on that particular block. I had a row of small eager faces looking expectantly at me, and their parents a few rows back, in Kawakawa’s St Paul’s lovely wooden church, in — you guessed it — Church St. In that front pew sat Cary, Martine, Nathan, Lance, Jessica, Rebecca, Rochelle, others.
I wrote this book because I then suddenly knew my audience needed important things said much simpler, shorter, easier, plus the know-how to do what they most wanted
— to bring up their little ones to tell the truth, play fair, work hard at school, be friendly and kind to others . . . you know that lovely picture. I printed my book “Foundations for Faith — Educating Families for the Future” at Northland Polytechnic.
A senior English clergyman was visiting New Zealand on a theological lecture tour, and, as a keen new girl, I turned up to his Hamilton Conference.
He greeted me with “I’ve just read your excellent book. Congratulations! A delightful usable resource. It says everything that needs to be said, clearly and well.”
Shortly after his return to England, he became the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the worldwide Anglican Church, along with the Queen. Now retired, as Lord George Carey, he sits every week in Parliament’s House of Lords in London.
His wide scholarship, knowledge, warm endorsement and friendship gave me the boost of confidence enabling me to pen much more in coming years, albeit for the secular world.
Who you meet is worth diamonds galore. Where you are in five years’ time depends on the books you read, plus the five people you spend the most time with. Think about it. The thoughts we allow into our minds are the kickstarters of either a better or a worse life. Expose yourself to new situations, new people, and new ideas will follow.
But what of our broken and inhuman world? Is the written word of use amid today’s tragedies? Is the pen mightier than the sword? Should we fight or should we write? Jesus wrote no books.
But he was taught and read the written scrolls of Jewish history and teachings, was raised in his carpenter father’s home; and we’re told he grew in wisdom and favour with all he met. Wisdom is the mature lifestance of the great lifegivers to society over the centuries. That wisdom is our heritage. If we’re wise, instead of making all our own mistakes, read and learn from some rich philosophers.
1. “Wisdom is often nearer when we stop still than when we soar.” Wordsworth
2. “My God is spelt with two o’s — GOOD.” My wise words
3. “Faith without actions is no faith at all, but a simple disobedience of God”. Bonhoeffer