5 minutes with Elisa ...
Tell us a little about yourself..
I am a wife, a mama to 3 little guys aged 7, 5 1/5 and almost 4 and the owner of Little Soles Collective. I was born in Melbourne but have lived all over Victoria during my childhood and teenage years. We presently reside in Central Victoria where we are are slowly but surely doing up little old weatherboard house and planning our first family trip overseas for 2018.
What's your favourite bible passage & why?
I usually have one in particular bible verse that speaks to the current season of life I am in and this becomes my favourite for the duration of that time. This year I have been reading and thinking on Proverbs. I adore the wealth of wisdom to be found here! One verse that has captured my attention in particular is Proverbs 14:30 - A calm and undisturbed heart and mind are life and health to the body. In an age of fast paced living, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, marketing and technology, we have been exploring what 'a calm and undisturbed' life looks for our family. We have found much good to come from our 'decluttering' our heart, our minds and our physical lives.
How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?
With 2 boys at school, we are in and out of the car a whole lot... which has made me a huge advocate of Christian Radio stations. We tune in to our local station LIFE FM as we drive to and from school. I also often have Christian Radio on Apple Music playing through out the day. This way we are immersed in uplifting music with a Godly message wherever we are. I'm also a lover of Focus on The Family podcasts. These are priceless gems of biblical wisdom and practical application for family life.
What would you like the next generation of Christian women to know?
Every season of life will call out a new or deeper level of you - it may be fierce strength, a fresh boldness, or a new lease of creativity. At any given time we are a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously. Learn to love and appreciate the process of growth, rather than viewing growth as having reached an end point. There is also much to be learnt from women who have walked before you. Whenever and wherever you can, connect yourself to women who are in a season ahead of you, from who you can glean and who can lend you their strength and wisdom.
What's one thing that you love about your local church?
Our church is amazingly missional both in our home town and overseas. It is wonderful to link hands with them as they serve humanity all over the globe. Not all of us are able to physically go to the realms of India and Africa, but we get to contribute financially to the work our church does in these countries and in this way feel like we are partners in the Lord's work throughout the world.
What did you learn about God at a time in your life you found hard?
I have battled intense anxiety at different times in my life. The first time it hit was by far the hardest and most confusing season in my personal life. I felt like I had entered think fog or a violent storm that I would never escape. During this time, I learnt that sometimes all God asks of us it that we simply keep living. As we go about our daily activities, as we continue to put one put in front of the other, we are taking a stand that says we still believe in Him and his promises to us. This is not the end. There is more to come. At this time in my life that was all I could offer Him. It wasn't a failure to be something more. Continuing to stand and to keep the hope of a new season alive was a victory in and of itself.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about motherhood and photography... and at this time in my life, these two things seemingly go hand in hand. I am passionate about seeing and understanding my children for who God as made them to be; about giving them the opportunity to explore who that is and about teaching them to live in a way that will glorify God. I am also passionate about documenting life as it unfolds; about capturing light in all it's wild and wonderful forms and portraying the world God has made and life as he intended for it to be.
What do you enjoy doing when you rest?
I simply love cosy-ing up on the couch with hot cuppa to watch an old movie or tv show!
