Younger Australians are building portfolios instead of looking at property as the key to a secure financial future.

In a landscape defined by cost-of-living pressures and housing affordability debates, it would be easy to assume that financial optimism is dampening. Despite the Great Australian Dream of home ownership remaining elusive for many young Australians, they aren’t giving up.

The emerging generation are pivoting their financial aspirations, likely out of necessity as much as preference. Gen Z is an engaged investing generation, balancing current financial anxiety with a belief that their best financial days are ahead of them. This future may just look different from what they imagined. While property is the dominant asset class for older Australians, as the baton passes from Baby Boomers to Gen Z, there is a structural shift from a nation of property owners to a nation of portfolio builders.

From brick and mortar to digital portfolios

For decades, the path to wealth in Australia was clear. Buy a home, pay it off. As the pathway to ownership gets more challenging, the younger generations are carving a new path. Despite facing high entry barriers to housing, Gen Z and Gen Y are not being passive, they’re pivoting to more accessible investment opportunities.

Gen Z and Gen Y are more likely to be active in other investment classes (shares, crypto, managed funds) compared to Baby Boomers.

The younger generations are no longer just a future home buyer in waiting. They are sophisticated, active, diversified investors, who are building wealth through other means.

The optimism paradox

An interesting trend is the disconnect between current anxiety and future hope. Currently half of Gen Z (53%) are worried about their financial future (strongly/somewhat agree). This anxiety is real, driven by the immediate cost of living and inflation pressures.

Despite this, Gen Z are the most optimistic generation. Two in five Gen Z (39%) strongly agree they will be in a better financial position than they are today, compared to just 10% of Baby Boomers. This optimism is largely related to life stage, where many Baby Boomers are likely drawing on their super to fund retirement and considering passing wealth onto the next generation. Many may also feel their wealth creation phase is over, and are therefore less optimistic about their financial future. Younger generations, however, see their current financial struggles as a chapter, not the whole story. For financial services, the opportunity lies in easing financial worries, validating optimism and giving the next generation tools to create their financial future.

While the active investment numbers are encouraging, there is a gap between the genders. Males are twice as likely as females to strongly/somewhat agree they’re actively investing in various asset classes (38% vs 21%).

A nation of financial DIYers

Despite the complexity of the modern financial landscape, crypto, global markets, ETFs, non-traditional retirement funds, prediction markets only 32% of Australians strongly/somewhat agree they seek professional advice before making major financial decisions. This indicates there is a large proportion that may be making financial choices based on self-education, social media, or family advice.

The cost alone is not a barrier to advice, as even among high-income earners, the trend persists (35% earning 156k or more per year strongly/somewhat agree they seek advice before making a major financial decision). The challenge for the financial services industry, therefore, is to demonstrate value in a world where information is free, but wisdom is scarce.

Gen Z re-brands budgeting

Contrary to the stereotype of younger generations engaging in reckless doom spending, Gen Z are the most disciplined budgeters. Half of Gen Z (52%) strongly/somewhat agree they have a monthly budget they stick to, which is the highest of any generation Gen Y (48%), Gen X (44%) and Baby Boomers (45%).

In this budget rebrand, it’s no longer just for the frugal, it’s a primary tool for the ambitious younger generations who are building for the future. When it comes to budgeting, those doing it aren’t just the family CFO or the family financial advisor, it’s the 24-year-old trying to navigate rent, HECS, and a side-hustle simultaneously.

The bottom line

When it comes to financial identity people are resilient. Despite difficult conditions the younger generations are taking agency and a long-term view. For leaders, brands, and institutions the message is clear: don’t mistake anxiety and disappointment for pessimism. The next generation of wealth builders is active, engaged, and looking for ways to create their future.

Article supplied with thanks to McCrindle.

About the Author: McCrindle are a team of researchers and communications specialists who discover insights, and tell the story of Australians – what we do, and who we are.

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How to wrestle with the questions that come when your role in a ministry changes.

Ministry work involves many different transitions. These include leaving a role, starting a new one, transitioning to a new church, or even moving overseas. For many people, these ministry changes may be exciting and planned, but for others they may be unexpected and painful. Sometimes these transitions may have only a short period of time between them which can lead to limited space to reflect and process experiences. These times of change and adjustment can have many different emotional and spiritual realities.

As psychologists who work with many ministry and cross-cultural workers, we often see that many people find it helpful to debrief or reflect on these transitions with a trusted professional. This can help ministry workers and their families to identify and process conflicting emotions or identify unhealthy coping patterns that may be easy to overlook.

1. Transitions Often Involve Real Loss

Leaving a church family after many years of service is different to simply leaving a workplace. For ministry workers and their families, it not only involves leaving a job and colleagues, but also their church community, support network, familiar weekly rhythms, and often their home. The loss of a child’s friendships in a kids’ ministry, the connections formed in serving together, or the relationships formed in playgroups or bible studies are all examples of real losses. These losses are genuine experiences of grief and are often experienced all at once. This grief is the right response to years invested in relationships and community – even if the decision to leave is for positive reasons. For people leaving not of their own choice or for complex reasons, the grief and loss is often even more painful and hard to process.

2. Transitions Signify a Change to Identity

It is normal for many ministry workers to have some sense of their identity tied to a specific role or location, sometimes for decades at a time. When a time of change arrives, inherent to that change, is a loss of identity. This can often produce feelings of confusion, resentment, sadness, irritation, shame, apathy, vulnerability, and isolation. Many ministry workers may wrestle with personal, psychological, and spiritual questions such as:

• Who am I if I am not in this role?
• What does a healthy transition look like?
• What habits and patterns am I bringing into this new season?
• How can I be obedient to God when I’m leaving behind strained relationships?
• How do I understand who I am in light of the hurt I have experienced in this role?
• How do I move forward with fear about starting the next chapter?
• Is my relationship with God reliant on being involved in a particular ministry?

These questions are all understandable and valid given seasons of change; however, it is helpful to make time to process and reflect on them to gain acceptance and closure.

3. Transitions and the ‘In-Between’ Can Create Anxiety

The period between leaving one role and starting another can create stress and anxiety for ministry workers and their families. There may be uncertainties regarding education, employment, finances, housing, schooling, children, and support structures. It is important to remember that fear in these situations is not from a lack of faith but an appropriate response to ambiguity and uncertainty. Providing space and room to feel all emotions with curiosity and without judgment can help during this period.

4. Transitions Require Intentional Care

Intentional space and support can often help ministry changes. Making space can sometimes feel difficult with all the complexity of securing housing and employment, starting new roles, adjusting to a new city and building another support network from scratch. However, without meaningfully processing and reflecting on the previous experience, there will often be ways that it shows up unhelpfully in the new setting. Reflective journalling, giving significant time to rest, debriefing with mentors, and seeking out support from a psychologist are all healthy ways to seek a dedicated space to grow and heal. This can proactively help to prevent further mental health deteriorating at a later time. 

Conclusion

Ministry transitions involve real loss, can change our sense of identity, may create anxiety and require intentional care. These realities reflect just how significant and life-changing ministry work can be, but also the unique risks to psychological wellbeing. During a period of transition as a ministry worker or a family member of a ministry worker, taking intentional steps to care for your wellbeing, whether through rest, prayer or connecting with a therapist, can help you move forward with greater clarity.

The Centre for Effective Living is an award-winning Psychology and Well-Being practice serving the Upper North Shore of Sydney.

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As humans, we share the common desire to be known and loved. But what happens when those expectations aren’t fulfilled?

“Unmet expectations are usually around relationships,” explains psychologist, Collett Smart. “You feel really let down and unloved, often because you think … they should have known, and they didn’t know, and now you feel hurt.”

Collett, along with Ian Barnett, founder of the National Grandparent Movement; and Nathan Brewer, youth worker, discussed what unmet expectations are, why they occur and how to avoid them.

No matter what the nature of our relationships with family, friends or colleagues, the ways in which our relationships with others are forged and grown creates expectations.

When our expectations are fulfilled, relational harmony is easier to maintain. But sometimes our expectations of others remain unmet, and this can cause confusion, pain and relational breakdown.

Unmet expectations, says Collett, are most often attributed to our unwillingness to communicate them. But the reasons why we fail to express our expectations to others are vast and varied.

At its core, explains Collett, our expectations are borne of a desire to be known and loved.

“I’ve been married for thirty years … and some of our niggles at home are still around unmet expectations … Sometimes we might feel embarrassed. It feels vulnerable. Or you feel like someone doesn’t care … it really boils down to you wishing the person would know you.”

Ian admits that being prepared to voice our expectations so they are more likely to be met doesn’t get easier with age.

He shares that Australia’s older generations have expectations around politics and community that seem to be increasingly unmet, but the most hurtful unmet expectations are centred around their adult children.

“The reality is, we struggle to communicate (our expectations) … because we’re fearful of rejection, and so the best thing is to just not say anything, and then we get disappointed when they’re not met … You have to work out what is realistic. What can I expect? And how can I function in that world and not be anxious if things aren’t met?”

Creating realistic expectations of ourselves and others is something all of us struggle with. None more so, shares Nathan, than today’s youth. Teens now not only contend with voices in their immediate family and social circles telling them what they should think, like, say or do, but are also constantly bombarded by countless influencers on social media.

“They (teens) are getting told to expect so many different things … (but) they don’t actually know exactly what they want. Do they want to be coddled and protected, or do they want freedom? They kind of want both, but they can’t have both … communication has to be so key.”

While the panelists agree with Nathan that clearly communicating our expectations is the key to having them met, they also agree that everyone can realistically expect to be the cause of someone else’s unmet expectations.

If that happens, Collett reminds us, any hurt they show is simply because they want to feel loved and known.

“It always comes back to communicating. My husband says to me, ‘Tell me! Talk to me! I can’t read your mind … It’s about communicating what you’re expecting.”

Article supplied with thanks to Helping Hands TV.

About the Author: Helping Hands is an Australian produced TV program that airs on 9GEM, Channel 9 and 9NOW, and showcases people and organisations who make the world a better place.

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From failure to unexpected hope

In 2012, a story rocked the art world and made headlines worldwide. It centred on a mural by the nineteenth-century artist Elías García Martínez, painted on the wall of a small church in the Spanish village of Borja. A tender portrait of Christ gazing to heaven, this beautiful piece was flaking through age and in desperate need of restoration.

That’s where Cecilia Giménez stepped in. Picking up her paint set, the amateur artist tried her hand at restoring the mural herself—to catastrophic effect. Soon Martínez’ gentle brushwork was replaced with what looked like a crayon drawing of a monkey in an Eskimo suit. Nicknamed ‘Monkey Christ’, the botched job went viral, and as the world laughed and conservator’s wept, Giménez retreated to her bed, ill from the stress of global condemnation.

An Unexpected Twist

Left there, the Monkey Christ story could be a tragic tale of amateurs overestimating their abilities. But Giménez’ heart seemed in the right place. Widowed young, she’d raised two disabled children alone, and in her village, everyone stepped in to fix what was broken. She’d only been trying to help.

Cecilia Giménez died December 2025, aged 94, prompting journalists to return to Borja, where they found the story had taken an unexpected twist. With her newfound fame, Giménez’ own artworks had started to sell, with the proceeds of which she donated to charity. The little village of Borja had become a tourist destination, with thousands flocking to see the internet-famous painting, and the income from that now supported a care home for the elderly. The ‘worst restoration in history’ ended up restoring many peoples’ lives.

Hope for Your Next Miss-Step

It isn’t the first time a positive has emerged from a tragedy. And at the centre of the story is the face of Christ—disfigured this time from paint, and originally from a crown of thorns. Once ridiculed, unexpected twists follow wherever he goes, which is why Christians like me love him. And that, for me, sounds a note of hope for our own miss-steps and botch-ups:

When he’s in the picture, a catastrophe can become the raw materials for a miracle.

Article supplied with thanks to Sheridan Voysey.

About the Author: Sheridan Voysey is an author and broadcaster on faith and spirituality. His latest book is called Reflect with Sheridan. Download his FREE inspirational printable The Creed here.

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Dr. Charlotte Rowley from Diabetes WA looks at how elite athletes with Type 1 diabetes – like Alexander Zverev who competed in the Australian Open – prepare for competition at the highest levels. 

There’s a common misconception that Type 1 diabetes has a limiting effect on a person’s life.

“With the right team around you, anything is possible, whether you have diabetes or not. And Alexander Zverev is a wonderful ambassador for that message.”

Blood Sugar

There are many precautions those living with diabetes should take, but it should never become an obstacle, said Dr. Charlotte.

“When we exercise, it means that we’re using up energy and taking more sugar out of the blood. If we are taking insulin, it means that we have a much greater risk of going too low.” 

There are adjustments that need to be made when it comes to insulin and carbohydrate intake. 

“It’s through trial and error that we’re going to figure out what works for each person and sport,” she said.

The Insight on Insulin

Insulin is a medication that is injected. If you have type 1 diabetes, there is a great chance you will need it.

“Insulin helps the body to use the sugar that is in the blood. Instead of just sitting in the blood, the insulin moves it into the muscles that we can then use it for energy. If we’re then exercising, we’re using that a lot more. So that’s why we have to be very cautious,” said Dr. Charlotte.

Fuel in the Car

When you are diabetic, sugar becomes the product that fuels you and can determine what you are able to accomplish in a day.

“Sugar is like the fuel in the car, but if you’ve got some faulty wiring and it needs a bit of extra help, then that’s what goes wrong in diabetes and insulin helps that work better.”

Be in Control

It is important for those who live with it to feel comfortable about their treatments.

“Make sure that you’re comfortable with your healthcare team. So that usually starts with your GP. So if you’re a bit concerned that you might be developing diabetes, for example, then we should be getting regular checkups, at least yearly, to make sure our blood sugar levels are looking okay, looking in the right range.” 

From there, the people you want to discuss it with are those, such as, a dietician, diabetes educator and exercise physiologist, according to Dr. Charlotte. 

“So it’s not just about knowing what to do but also putting that into action which is where people usually struggle and your health team should be able to help you to make that transition from knowledge to doing.”

Myths on Diabetes 

Myth 1: Type 2 diabetes develops because you eat too much and aren’t active

“That’s a huge one that we really need to pull that down because it’s really unhelpful and it means people actually aren’t getting the best care because there’s a lot of assumptions being made about their lifestyle. So actually diabetes can happen to anyone. Yes, Type 2 diabetes usually happens more in adults. 

Myth 2: If it is found later in life, it is only Type 2 diabetes

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing that trend for people actually getting diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes younger and younger. It used to be more of like an older person’s condition. Now it’s getting younger and younger, even into 20s. But conversely, we’re also seeing more and more people getting diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in adulthood, even in their 60s and 70s.” 

Dr. Charlotte continued, “People can assume it’s Type 2, and when they’re not responding to treatment in the way that we expect, we realise it’s Type 1.”

She noted that although your GP is a great source of information and AI can sometimes be helpful, DiabetesWA has a helpline number. You can speak directly to a diabetes educator, such as her who can best help a person dealing with diabetes to understand what is going on and point people in the right direction.

She encouraged those needing assistance to call 1300 001 880.

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

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Ever feel like you can’t pray because you don’t feel ‘good enough’? Spoiler alert: God knows we don’t have it all together and welcomes our messy imperfection. 

I was doing my bible reading recently. The summary of the day’s reading said: “God invites us into conversation even when our prayers are unpolished, and our thoughts are in disarray.” This thought resonated with me deeply. It was in relation to Psalm 120, which is a Psalm of lament.

‘I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. What will he do to you, and what more besides, you deceitful tongue. He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush. Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.’ Psalm 120

David, who wrote the Psalm, is on the run in the wilderness, the King is trying to kill him, and he is scared for his life. The Psalm is really short, and it reads as though David just blurted out his anguish at his situation. Many of the Psalms are laments, but they end with praise. However, this one doesn’t; it’s just David’s thoughts, fears and frustrations.

I was reflecting on times in my life when I have felt the need to censor myself before God. For me, this comes from two things: a need for control and wanting to have it all together. Sometimes, it feels like if I admit in prayer how much I am struggling, then I am also confirming that nagging feeling deep inside that I am not as in control as I would like to think I am. God actually knows I don’t have it all together – He made me. He invites us, in Matthew 11:28-30, to walk with him and learn from him, and to share our burdens with him, because he gives us rest.

Sometimes I almost feel like I don’t want to bother God with my problems. I say a polite prayer and go on my way, closing the door on deep pain that He invites me to share with Him in a real relationship. The Psalms are an example of what it looks like to share your heart with God: the fear, the pain, and the joy. In fact, when you don’t have the words to know what to pray for, praying through the Psalms is a great place to start.

We don’t need to wait for the perfect time or for our lives to be perfect. We don’t need to wait until we are good enough, either. The death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross gave us a direct path to a relationship with God. We can come to Him and share it all, unfiltered, messy, and just as we are. 

Article supplied with thanks to Lorrene McClymont.

About the Author: Lorrene McClymont is a writer and photographer from Hope Images. On her blog ‘Moments to Rest’, she shares about rest, faith, and family.

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Every manager wants to get the best out of people. But managing staff can be hard work, even for a Christian boss.

How should Christian business owners manage their staff?  Talents vary widely, personalities and temperaments differ. It can prove to be a complex challenge to get everyone engaged. Let alone performing at their best. There are some wonderful insights provided in the Scriptures around how to develop your people and see them thrive in their gifts and potential. We will explore three keys to attracting and building an effective team.

Finding the right candidate to fill a role in your team can become an all consuming task. This requires prayer and discernment, because identifying the right candidate can be harder than you think. Even if you can identify candidates that have the skill set you’re looking for, attracting someone who has the right personality to complement the dynamics in your organisation can be a whole other ball game. It’s all about finding a match where both value is created in the business through accepting the applicant. And the position is an avenue for the individual to grow their skill set and experience.

Building an Effective Team

First off, you need to hire intentionally. Rather than having a vague idea of the role you are recruiting for, it helps to spend some time and develop a clear job description that includes all of the core duties of the role. This can stop you from hiring from convenience such as a friend’s son or cousin’s daughter. If you know that you can’t be impartial or you have a bad track record of hiring, it may be better to get someone else within your organisation to manage the recruitment process.

The interview stage is critical in developing clarity over whether you have found the right fit. Whoever conducts the interview, it’s important to first go through the duty list. Explain what each requirement means and ask questions about each task to gauge their understanding of the position. Let them know that if they are successful in getting the role that they will be held accountable to these core duties, and why each is important.

Look to hire based on character first, skills and experience second. Skills can be developed over time, however it’s almost impossible to train for attitude. This is where a second interview can sort the wheat from the chaff. And help identify any red flags with an applicant’s character. Don’t make the assumption that you can change people. If you pick up during the interview process that a person lacks interpersonal skills or doesn’t possess a positive attitude, that should be enough to signal that you need to continue with your hunt for the right candidate.

Leadership Capacity is Challenged

What does it look like to create a culture that fosters intrinsic motivation in people? A culture of engagement rather than compliance? To build an effective team? As a manager, it is not enough to be good at getting your own work done. You have to take other people on the journey as well. And guess what? They’re all perfectly unique too. And that means they may need very different things from you to become fully engaged with your organisation’s vision and goals. However, that does not mean you have to be the first point of call for every decision and task.

Moses was a great leader. But even his leadership capacity was challenged where too many demands were placed on him by the Israelites. It took his father-in-law, Jethro to identify that the work had become too much for him to remain an effective leader. The solution offered by Jethro, which is now known as the “Jethro principle” is to identify capable people who can lead in different areas that can be delegated. Surrounding himself with people who could be entrusted to take care of simpler areas, freed up Moses to do the most important thing. Which for him was spending time in God’s presence.

Feeling Overwhelmed

Many small businesses stay small because the owners either choose not to delegate or do not delegate well. This leaves business owners feeling overwhelmed with the minutiae of day to day activities. With no space to step back and spend time with God and develop a bigger vision for their business. If you want to manage effectively you need to build team capacity. And this requires learning the process of delegation.

Jesus’ three year ministry demonstrated the art of delegation: training up the 12 disciples to watch, assist, train and then act.

It’s a win-win situation. By delegating appropriately, you will find that your staff will feel empowered, trusted and recognised. And you will be able to grow your business. You may also be surprised how once staff understand the key outcomes they will develop systems and processes to a level that you never imagined.

Studies have shown that most staff don’t leave an employer due to pay. Oftentimes, they leave because they don’t feel valued. If you’re not providing regular feedback, then subconsciously staff are thinking you don’t care.

A Significant Investment of Time

When I owned my financial planning practice of 25 staff, I made it a priority to conduct a formal review every four months. While that sounds like a significant investment of time (and it was), it proved invaluable to building and sustaining a robust business. From regular performance reviews, innovations were birthed and the business ended up winning several national innovation awards.

A constructive performance review should include questions for employee reflection. Like setting goals for the next quarter and an opportunity for the employee to provide feedback on the business.

It is important to set a process in place to make sure reviews happen in a timely manner. Get it into the diary up front! At any one time a staff member should know if they are doing a good job. There should be no surprises if their performance is not on par, or if they are doing an outstanding job. Don’t wait for a review to let them know.

Actions Guided by Jesus

It’s awful to fire someone. It is one of the most difficult things a manager has to do. As a Christian employer, we should be guided in our actions by Jesus’ teaching “Do unto others as you will have them do unto you.”

If you’ve followed the ideas presented above regarding managing a staff member then they’ll know where they stand and won’t feel blindsided. It can be particularly challenging if the person is of good character. But they are just not meeting expectations. Through face-to-face discussions this should be made clear to them. However, firstly it is important to establish whether the employee understands their role. And whether they have the tools they need to perform the position to the best of their capability. So that they don’t feel unheard or devalued, ask them what they would do if they were in your position as the employer.

“If it is agreed that a person is just not suitable for the role, there are alternative avenues to explore.”

Take Some Time For Reflection

You may have other roles in the organisation that the individual’s skills and experience are better suited to. This takes some time on your part. To figure out the type of position the person is better suited for, even if it is outside of your organisation.

For a smooth exit, make contact with other employers who might be able to utilise the person’s skills, and if appropriate make an introduction. Keeping the process as open and transparent as possible, agree together with the staff member to start looking for another suitable role and give them a timeframe that you’ll continue to provide employment until they can secure a new position.

Often on reflection, once a staff member is let go, both the employee and the employer realise that both their interests were met by ending the employment relationship. If it is handled well, relationships can be maintained and even enhanced.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision Christian Media

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Raising boys is an exhilarating adventure that often resembles a thrilling rollercoaster ride, filled with ups, downs, and unexpected twists.

From their first steps to their first heartbreaks, every moment is a chance to shape their character and instil values that will guide them into adulthood. As parents and caregivers, we play a crucial role in helping boys navigate their emotions and relationships, ensuring they grow into confident, empathetic men. But what does it truly mean to raise boys who are not only strong and resilient but also sensitive and kind? Let’s explore the wisdom, research, and practical tips that can help us on this journey.

The Science Behind Their Development

Research indicates that boys often experience emotional and social development differently than girls. According to Dr. Michael Thompson, a psychologist and co-author of the book Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, boys are typically socialised to suppress their emotions. This can lead to difficulties in expressing feelings, which may manifest as anger or withdrawal.

Thompson notes, “Boys are often taught to be strong and tough, but this can come at the expense of emotional awareness.”

Studies show that boys may struggle with emotional literacy, often needing more encouragement to articulate their feelings. A report from the American Psychological Association highlights that teaching boys to express emotions can improve their mental health outcomes, reducing the likelihood of anxiety and depression. This understanding underscores the importance of fostering emotional intelligence in boys from a young age.

The Power of Play in Boyhood

Play is an essential aspect of childhood that significantly influences boys’ development. Research by Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, emphasises the importance of play in developing social skills, creativity, and resilience. Brown states, “The opposite of play is not work; it’s depression.”

Engaging in play allows boys to explore their emotions and interact with their peers in a safe environment.

Activities like team sports, imaginative play, and outdoor adventures can foster collaboration and help boys learn valuable lessons about teamwork and empathy. As author and educator Dr. Peter Gray asserts, “Children learn best when they are engaged in self-directed play, which allows them to develop important life skills.”

Encouraging Emotional Expression

To raise emotionally healthy boys, it’s essential to create an environment where expressing feelings is encouraged and accepted. Dr. John Gottman, a renowned psychologist and author of Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, advocates for the importance of emotional coaching. He suggests parents validate their child’s feelings, saying, “When parents respond with understanding to their child’s emotions, they help them learn to manage their feelings and cope with challenges.”

After a particularly tough week, I noticed my son was unusually quiet. Instead of brushing it off, I decided to have a “feelings check-in” during dinner. I shared my own emotions about the week and encouraged him to do the same. This led to a heartfelt discussion about his worries at school, reinforcing our emotional connection.

Encouraging boys to talk about their emotions can be as simple as asking open-ended questions during daily routines. For instance, after school, a parent might ask, “What was the best part of your day? What was the hardest part?” These conversations can help boys articulate their feelings and develop emotional resilience.

Role Models and Mentorship

Boys benefit greatly from positive role models and mentors. Research indicates that having strong male figures in their lives can significantly impact boys’ emotional and social development. As author and educator Dr. Niobe Way notes in her book Deep Secrets: Boys’ Friendships and the Crisis of Connection, boys often crave deep connections with peers but may feel pressure to conform to societal norms that discourage vulnerability.

Encouraging boys to build friendships based on trust and emotional support can help counteract these societal expectations.

Engaging in community activities, sports teams, or mentorship programs can provide boys with the opportunity to form meaningful relationships with adult male figures who can offer guidance and support.

Teaching Responsibility and Empathy

Another vital aspect of raising boys is teaching them responsibility and empathy. Research from the University of California suggests that empathy is not a natural instinct but rather a skill that can be developed. Parents can cultivate empathy by encouraging boys to participate in community service or by discussing the feelings and perspectives of others.

As developmental psychologist Dr. Carol Gilligan notes, “The ability to empathise is crucial for boys to develop healthy relationships.” Encouraging boys to consider how their actions affect others fosters a sense of responsibility and moral awareness that will serve them throughout their lives.

As author and educator Dr. Michele Borba asserts, “The greatest gift we can give our children is the ability to love and be loved.” By investing in the emotional and social development of boys, we prepare them to thrive in an ever-changing world, shaping future generations with kindness, empathy, and resilience.

Article supplied with thanks to Sabrina Peters.

About the Author: Sabrina is a pastor and a psychologist who is dedicated to helping people experience wholeness and growth. Passionate about building healthy families, she spends her days raising kids, supporting clients, and creating resources that inspire freedom and hope.

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What transforming conversations I’d have if I could see the world with the eyes of Jesus.

It was one of the odder conversations I’ve had. We had just moved to New Zealand and were in a temporary house while the church manse we were to stay at was being finished. Being new, I wanted to get to know our neighbors and seeing the one on our left hand side in his yard, I popped my head over the fence to say hello. He was very friendly and showed interest in who I was and where I was from. I felt welcomed and as though we could become friends. And then a  strange thing happened. “This is such a perfect country” he said. “And it would be completely perfect if it weren’t for all the **** immigrants who are flooding in. They are taking our country over. It’s an absolute disgrace.” On and on he went about how awful immigrants are.. And then he stopped, handed me his hand to shake, and said, “Lovely to meet you. I hope you will be very happy. Welcome to New Zealand. I’m so glad you are here.”

I was left feeling – “Well I don’t know what that was about. Should I feel insulted and defensive because I am one of these dreadful immigrants ruining the country, or should I accept his welcome at face value?” Slowly it dawned on me. His welcome of me was as genuine as it was warm. He was glad I was in the country, glad I was his neighbour. Even though I was an immigrant, he didn’t think of me as one. Why? I’m not sure. I had told him very clearly where I was from and he had asked me lots of questions about it. But in spite of that, he didn’t think of me as an immigrant. Perhaps it was because English is my first language and I speak it pretty well, or perhaps it was my skin colour, or perhaps it was because I had started by giving him a few lemons off our tree – I really don’t know, but whatever the reason was, he considered me part of “us” not part of “them”.

It’s lovely to belong – to feel part of something, to feel that you fit in. But so very many don’t…

Think of the astonishing account recorded in John 4, when Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman who was drawing water from a well at midday. 

If you are versed in the Jewish culture of Jesus’ time, there are enough clues to alert you that this conversation shouldn’t have been taking place.

Put them together:

• Jesus was Jewish but was passing through Samaritan territory. Jews and Samaritans hated each other in the way that only “sort of but not really” relatives could – for indeed, the Samaritans had been part of Israel until the conquest of the Northern Kingdom by the Assyrians in 722BC had seen their land decimated and intermarriage with the victorious Assyrians become common. While Samaritans held on to vestiges of Judaism, they had intermarried, worshiped at a different temple, understood the Torah differently, and were beyond the pale so far as the Jews were concerned. Jews and Samaritans kept their distance from each other.

• Second. Jewish males did not engage in casual conversations with women. That would be seen as deeply inappropriate. Realistically, it would have  been strange if Jesus started a conversation with a Samaritan man, but for him to do that with a Samaritan woman – well really, what was he thinking?

• Third, this was midday and the woman was drawing water alone. Big clue that. In a highly sociable society, why would she be drawing water in the heat of the day when it was a start of the day task. You didn’t have to be too smart to pick that she was an outsider. The other women wouldn’t talk to her. She was ostracized – forced to go about her life on her own. And soon the reason for that becomes clear.

• Fourth  – it wasn’t just that she was an outsider, she was a most dubious outsider. She had 5 previous marriages – seriously 5 – and what was worse, the man she was now living with was not her husband. Clearly she was bad news, not the sort of woman you would want your husband to chat to.

So why does Jesus stop and chat to her? 

It’s a good question. Clearly he wasn’t interested in appearances, because this wasn’t a “look good” moment. People would question his judgment about this. 

So why does Jesus speak to her?

Because Jesus sees her in a way no one else does. While others wrote her off as a dodgy Samaritan woman with a compromised past and an equally compromised present, Jesus sees her as a woman made in the image of God – a woman who in her own way was searching for God and the presence of God. Strip all the trivial surface details away, and you see not a compromised woman, but a wounded image bearer, longing for home, longing for God, longing to belong.

It is the deep empathy of Jesus that helps him see beyond the surface – helps Him to see the God image in her.

In a world divided by “them and us” “insiders and outsiders”, a new way of seeing is needed. There is how I see the world – and then there is how Jesus sees the world. If I could more often see the world with the eyes of Jesus, what transforming conversations I would have…

Article supplied with thanks to Brian Harris.

About the Author: Brian is a speaker, teacher, leader, writer, author and respected theologian who is founding director of the AVENIR Leadership Institute, fostering leaders who will make a positive impact on the world.

Feature image: Canva

Dear Australians, I would like to share the faith lessons I’ve learnt from leaving everything I knew behind. I hope you can also hold onto hope in these uncertain times.

I am a Ukrainian who had to relocate with my family to Australia four years ago because of the war. I was born at the time of the collapse of the communist Soviet Union, in an era marked by shortages and instability. I have lived through crisis, corruption, the pandemic, and now a war threatening to completely destabilise the world again.

As the world, including Australia, begins to feel unsettled, I have a personal story of resilience and hope to offer those who are feeling scared, defeated, anxious – or maybe can’t put a name to what you’re feeling yet. 

After four years, I am still learning to understand Australian society. It feels like a mosaic made up of different cultures and stories. To me, “Australians” are those who have lived here for a long time, who have become part of this community, who were born here generations ago.

They are open, kind, and in some ways even trusting people. Many live with a sense that Australia is its own world, a kind of island continent where life moves at a steady, calm pace. There is sunshine, the ocean, and a comforting sense of work-life balance.

At times, it feels as though all of this exists inside a kind of “glass room” with walls that are slowly, but steadily, closing in. For a long time, global events seemed distant, something happening far away in Europe or the Middle East, outside of everyday life. But recent events have shown that this is no longer the case.

The tragedy in Bondi was a sobering shock for everyone. I knew people who were personally affected by the attack. The response showed that society here was not prepared for something like this. It became a moment of realisation that global instability can reach even here.

Then came another, more everyday but equally noticeable pressure, rising fuel prices. This was a second signal that Australia is part of a globally connected world. What happens elsewhere does affect life here.

It is important to acknowledge that we do not live in isolation.

Not to become pessimistic, but so as not to live in denial; to be realistic and maintain inner stability in any circumstance, like a house built on rock.

Personal experience: loss and new beginnings

Who am I to say this? Here is my short story…

Back in 2014, when conflict began in eastern Ukraine, our family moved to Kyiv. Our familiar life, relatives, home, friends, church, the streets we grew up on, all stayed behind in memories and blurred photos. That was our first major reset.

But that experience shaped us. We lost a lot, but we gained a deeper understanding of God’s will and His love. In Kyiv, we learned to start again. Step by step, year by year. My wife served in a church campus with creative teams, and I continued building my career in marketing and communications. Our children were born there.

After that first move, we saw stability differently. Where others saw certainty, we recognised that comfortable seasons are often preparation for future challenges.

Then came 2022. A turning point not just for Ukraine, but for the world. Many Ukrainians were forced to relocate to different countries. For our family, that journey led us the furthest, to Australia.

And this move felt like a miracle. The local church community supported us in extraordinary ways. People helped with flights, accommodation, essential items, and work. It was a continuous flow of care and generosity, something that is hard to explain as anything other than God’s love in action.

I sincerely empathise with Australians who remember the weight of COVID restrictions. Life seemed to be returning to normal, and then new pressures began to emerge.

Here are three reflections that may be helpful in this season.

1. Accepting God’s will and your time are probably not the same

I used to ask God, “Why?” Now I ask, “God, what is the next step?”

Do not be afraid when things do not go according to your plan. They may not follow your plan, but they are still within God’s plan. This brings a sense of inner stability, even in unpredictable times, when unexpected events seem to gather overhead.

God cares for us. He knows every grain of sand on the beautiful Sydney beaches or the park where your children play and is every step ahead of you. You are part of His plan.

2. Rethinking what matters: letting go of attachment to things

The Bible says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.

When we arrived in Australia, our entire life fit into four suitcases. Recently, when we moved to another suburb, it took a full van to carry everything. But that is not where our treasure lies.

In reality, we do not need much to live, and even less to endure difficult seasons. Happiness is not defined by fuel prices or numbers in a bank account.

Do not be afraid of losing things. Be concerned about losing your relationship with God.

3. Do not live in false expectations; live by faith

In both 2014 and 2022, many people I know left behind their homes and belongings, holding on to the belief that everything would soon return to the way it was. But it will not.

Living in the past can prevent you from fully living in the present.

Instead of holding on to false expectations, choose faith. Faith does not expire. Faith brings the understanding that, in the end, God has already won.

There is a phrase I appreciate: “In the end, everything will be OK. If it is not OK yet, then it is not the end”.

Easter is a reminder of what truly matters

Easter is a time that brings us back to the foundations of faith.

For me, Easter has always carried more weight than Christmas. Christmas marks the beginning, the arrival of hope. But Easter reveals the outcome.

Jesus died for our sins and rose again, offering us life, eternal life, and a restored relationship with God.

If you feel the current pressures are shaking your foundation, start with something simple. Begin to pray. Begin to trust God. Open the Bible. Come to church. Reflect, share, and support one another.

It may seem simple, but this is exactly what the devil tries to take from us, especially when we are standing in line at the petrol station.

Written by a Ukrainian living in Sydney.

Article supplied with thanks to Christian Media & Arts Australia.

Feature image: Canva