by tashmcgill | Dec 29, 2008 | Uncategorized, worship
listen my children and grandchildren
listen to the cry of our ancestors
who travelled in their mighty canoes
over windy seas under the gaze of the moon
listen to their cry, their song, their prayer
to God our Father, who has given us his treasure
whakarongona = listen
tamariki = children
mokopuna = grandchildren
tupuna = ancestors
aue = cry
wakanui = canoe
hau moana = windy sea
waiata = song
karakia = prayer
taonga = treasure
My Treasures.
I have some women in my life who are wise women. They are like me, medicine people. They are teachers, healers, helpers, lovers, artists, writers, mothers. They weave stories and bring people together. They are marked with this waiata – this song, that echoes when people meet with them or know them. They are treasures and I kneel at their feet because they have so much to teach me. I find kindness and kinship at their feet. They make my heart take flight in song.
Waiata
how beautiful are they
how beautiful are they
the feet of those who travel
they journey distant lands
they traverse weary hearts
they weave their stories of light
how beautiful, how radiant
those hearts under the light
of Father-in-the-Sky
who sends his Treasures, in light
so they may tell their stories bright
my treasure weaves her stories well
through my heart and life so i know
and see the starlight of Father-in-the-Sky
I kneel at her feet, this precious one
to hear the voice of one who lives
so much in the light, under the light, always in the light.
there is no sadness that overwhelms
there is no bitterness that quenches truth
there is no darkness that can stand in the light of my treasure
what precious, endless worth
for you, my treasure
how beautiful are they
how beautiful are they
those who weave their stories of light
and make a way, they make a way
also for me, i follow on to
Father-in-the-Sky.
by tashmcgill | Dec 23, 2008 | Uncategorized, youth ministry
I am a fan of this simplistic yet strong artistic style. The mix of silhouette and papercut is really appealing to me.
Searching for an image like this was inspired by a song I am currently writing. I think it is probably one of my best pieces to date. I am even hopeful that it will make it to the demo recorded stage – a lyric and a melody for a moment in time that I want to remember.
The Story
The group of people I share my life with on a daily basis is eclectic. Fascinating – of different ages and faiths and stories. But I have one, who has been with me since they were young who I have mentored and journeyed with. We have become friends as well as colleagues and comrades. He is still young, I am still older – but we grow together. Lately though, with all the changes that have gone on in our community – I am concerned that I’ve not been able to walk him through these days. The hardest lesson is the one that comes last – the smallest step sometimes the largest.
oh don’t forget your voice little songbird
you wake for the dawning of the light
oh i’ll watch and listen for you as you take flight
loose your wings and climb up towards the light
Song Of The Moment : Til My Days Are Through
by Sanders Bohlke
my love for you is as wide as the day is long
your love for me is the reason i carry on
no need for worry to weigh heavy on your mind
cos i don’t worry, you’re there when i close my eyes
so i don’t lose hope, we got love on our side
oh and i’ll be alright
with your faith so strong and true
oh and i’ll be alright
with your hands to hold on to
oh and i’ll be alright
long as you love me til my days are through
storms will come and rain just appears
and our hearts they may shatter just like glass
but rest easy, cos our souls they were made to last
oh and i’ll be alright
with your faith so strong and true
oh and i’ll be alright
with your hands to hold on to
oh and i’ll be alright
long as you love me til my days are through
and as long as you’re breathing
long as your heart is beating
i gonna show the world i’m feeling, i’m feeling
oh
oh and i’ll be alright
with your faith so strong and true
oh and i’ll be alright
with your hands to hold on to
oh and i’ll be alright
long as you love me til my days are through
by tashmcgill | Dec 11, 2008 | Uncategorized
… allcomers tag from Marko…
The instructions couldn’t be more simple – 6 random things people don’t know, then tag.
1.
I love to cook almost as much as I love to read. Seriously. There is nothing that will bring me more joy in life than having my own herb garden and people for dinner every night. Also – I love to cook in other people’s homes. That too is fun. In fact, that will be the core of my next ministry group. I cook, people eat and we all talk.
2.
I passionately love The X Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lost. Epic meta-narrative story arcs. And weird creepy stuff. I actually own the entire 9 seasons of The X Files. For some reason I have always felt slightly judged by other youthworkers.
3.
I used to do dance and ballet. Like seriously, loved it. Still own a pair of ballet shoes and I can still do the splits.
4.
I have to almost compulsively spy on people’s bookshelves and yes, I do actually draw conclusions about you from what I see. It’s totally unfair but I do it anyway. My favourite thing about doing this is not just what you’ve read but how it’s arranged. And whether or not your books are dog-eared, pencil-marked, lent out. Also, how many books in common we have.
5.
Whilst I work in a creative office space, have multiple great spaces in the city to hang out in, a very inspiring wee cottage and plenty of natural landscapes to admire – most of my very best creative thinking is done in the car, looking just over the bonnet at the bumper of the car ahead of me in traffic, or the road stretching ahead at 100kms per hour. Roadtrips are genuinely my most productive creative time, and you wouldn’t even know what was going on in my head if you were in the car with me.
6.
From a young age I have loved Texas, yet never been there. My granddad gave me a necklace that was both the shape of a saddle with the state of Texas on it, rhinestones and everything, after he visited. I have always wanted to go there, still hope to someday. Should I mention deep appreciation of all things Texas, including musicians and filmmakers, actors, writers. Yup – a natural magnetism.
Ok – so for fun, I tag Danielle, Jill; etnobofin; Max (I hope he gets this); Sam Harvey and Stu.
by tashmcgill | Dec 5, 2008 | Church, Uncategorized, youth ministry
Fuzz Kitto recently wrote this piece which talks about Trust.
“Trust is essential for relationships and communities. It is essential for ministry and mission. It is essential for families systems and organisations. One of the root causes for mistrust is that so many of us don’t trust ourselves! We say we will do things and then the stress pressures and struggles mean we don’t get around to doing it or doing it to a level that we are satisfied with. With this has come increased expectations on people’s lives (look at sporting identities and the codes they must now live under. We have such increased expectations on productivity. Put lack of self trust with these expectations and we have a mixture that causes ill health – mental and emotional – and I would like to suggest spiritual health.”
Yesterday was a great opportunity to sit and share some time and space with Fuzz Kitto, forming what I hope will be a new and sustainable friendship. Yay.
He recommends Steven Covey Jr. and his work “The Speed of Trust” which also features on Marko’s blog at the moment. Just in case you were thinking about Christmas.
by tashmcgill | Nov 30, 2008 | Uncategorized
The Whiskey Mac-Gill
1 part irish whiskey (Jamesons)
1 part green ginger wine (Stones)
Fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice (preference): 1 whole fruit = 4 serves.
Pour over a ‘cup’ of ice cubes, blend.
Serve over two slices of lemon or lime, top up with lemonade (sparkling or homemade).
Make it southern-style by adding fresh chopped mint to the blender, or muddling after.
Chicken
Legs, deboned, stuffed with pork, pistachios, plenty of italian flat-leaf parsley, plenty of thyme. Wrapped in streaky bacon, seasoned well, then poached for 20 – 25mins. Chill for 30 mins. Then pan fry til bacon crispy, slice and serve.
(Original stuffed chicken recipe from Gordon Ramsey, slightly modified).
I serve with:
wild mushroom & garlic risotto and fresh asparagus, blanched and peppered
or
spring vegetables (mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus & onion)in white wine pepper cream.
For a spicier, Oriental twist, use cashews, coriander and chillis in the stuffing, along with a little ginger. Then serve on simple asian noodles of choice with green beans, capsicum slivers and bamboo in salty sweet chilli sauce.
Lamb
Take individual lamb loin or a small roast, split through the middle and stuff with feta, plenty of basil and capers. Add a little pepper and olive oil. Tie with cotton string so that the meat closes well over the cheese. Season the outside of the lamb with olive oil, salt, pepper, just a little ground chilli powder and crushed garlic. Sear on each side (about 4 mins), seasoning each side. Then roast in the oven for approx 25mins. Always let the meat rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Serve with roasted vegetables – I chose red peppers, vine-ripened tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini and green beans.
*I think it’s really important to eat seasonally – so what’s locally available is always a good (and usually cheaper) way to go.
Roasted Vegetables
The key to success here is roasting to taste.. I like to put them in a high heat bake oven and then switch it to grill to crisp up when the texture is just right. I put the capsicum & tomatoes in at the beginning, well salted, with olive oil and pepper too. Then adding the zucchini, followed by the asparagus and green beans (which are blanched first). Just roll the additional vegetables in the oil you used for the capsicum and tomatoes, seasoning as you go. Perfecto. If you add the vegetables about the same time as the lamb – you’ll be perfect.
*I served the asparagus whole, the green beans in two-inch lengths. The capsicum in eighths, the zucchini in 1cm wide diagonal slices.
**Any variation of the following would also work well – whole field mushrooms, whole garlic cloves, eggplant slices, broccolini.
Roasted Vegetable Pasta
If you were roasting the above vegetables with garlic cloves and mushrooms – another great way to serve an easy and light summer lunch is cooking off some angelhair pasta or tagiatelli, then adding your bite-sized roasted vegetables with plenty of fresh basil, salt, pepper and garlic. Delicious.
Beer Bread
An easy and aromatic way to consume your favourite brews.
2 cups self raising flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
a drizzle of good quality olive oil
about 250ml of a good beer
Mix together until a good dough is formed – add more of whatever it needs – flour or beer, until you have a workable dough. Then form it into whatever shape loaf you prefer. You can use a tin but I prefer free form, sometimes braided etc. Bake for an hour at medium heat oven. When it’s crusty and hollow-sounding, you have a great loaf.
The consistency is a little different than normal bread – and you could make this loaf wholemeal easily. I prefer the darker ales for the aromatic content – I recently made it with a renaissance Porter ale. Delicious. Great to toast and serve with soul or another light meal.
Spanish Mushrooms & Chorizo
Inspired by one of my favourite bars, Mezze in Durham Lane, this is so simple, yet one of my favourite things on the menu. It’s perfect served with hummus on beer bread.
1 chorizo per serve (sliced diagonally, thinly)
150g mushrooms per person (button is fine, quartered)
fresh basil
fresh garlic, crushed or finely chopped
Saute off the garlic and chorizo until the chorizo is crispy. Then add the mushrooms and saute til they are crispy. Add a dash of wine (honestly, just a splash) then a dash of either sour cream or cream. The various flavours will mix together well – add the torn fresh basil and a touch of pepper to taste.
Serve as a tapa or main over toasted bread or fresh greens.
