Capturing the sparkle
Lessons from labradors
Off the Shelf
“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”
- Joseph Addison
Editorial
What is The Salvation Army?
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.
Vision Statement
Wherever there is hardship or injustice, Salvos will live, love and fight alongside others to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus.
Mission Statement
The Salvation Army is a Christian movement dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus by:
• Caring for people
• Creating faith pathways
• Building healthy communities
• Working for justice
The Salvation Army Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and work and pay our respect to Elders, past, present, and future. We value and include people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and intersex status. We are committed to providing programs that are fully inclusive. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of people of all ages, particularly children.
Bright moments
Most of us don’t need reminders of how challenging these times can be, or how bleak life can seem when we’re surrounded by problems of various sorts and sizes.
As regular readers know, we often address the tough issues in this magazine, offering practical help, hope and encouragement along the way, as well as links to Salvation Army services where people can access a wide range of information, support and assistance.
Scan here to connect with The Salvation Army services
Founders: William and Catherine Booth
Scan here to subscribe to Salvos Magazine.
Salvation Army World Leaders: General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn
Buckingham
Territorial Leader: Commissioner Miriam Gluyas
Secretary for Communications and Editor-In-Chief: Colonel Rodney Walters
Publications Manager: Cheryl Tinker
Editor: Simone Worthing
Graphic Designer: Ryan Harrison
Cover: Photo by Brynden on Unsplash
Enquiry email: publications@salvationarmy.org.au
All other Salvation Army enquiries 13 72 58
Press date: 7 March 2025
Printed and published for The Salvation Army by Commissioner Miriam Gluyas at Focus Print Group, Chester Hill, NSW, Darug Nation lands.
In this edition, we’re exploring a lighter, but equally important side of life, focusing on the moments that bring joy, laughter and a lift to our spirits. These moments can help us see our problems in a different light, can motivate change, or simply give us a breathing space to realise there is still so much that is positive and good in this world.
From the love of labradors, to songs about kindness, to camels and needles, to chocolate cake and ice cream, these stories aim to bring you a smile, a resting space, a glimmer of hope.
For these stories and more, go to salvosonline.org.au
Simone Worthing
Editor
Lessons from labradors
Living
with laughter, joy and celebration really is possible
by Sandra Mortimer
Can you tell if a dog is smiling?
It’s a bit like wondering if a new baby might have ‘a bit of wind’ or is grinning at you.
When our two six-yearold labradors, Major and Sally, bound up to us when we get home after a long day at Katherine Salvos, they have their tongues hanging out of their heads and I‘m sure they’re grinning from ear to ear.
Then I look at my beloved (the human one) and ask, “Are they thirsty?”
He usually says, “No, look at the water on the kitchen floor – they’ve had a good drink.”
This confirms it. My overgrown fur babies are
Sally, left, and Major bring Sandra laughter, smiles and a connection with God.
not anxious or needy, but just ridiculously happy to see me.
They’re just HAPPY so much! When they do their ‘happy dance’ on me, this tired old body feels the joy too. I smile instantly and I usually laugh. Then, of course, I rub their ears and smish their furry faces with mine and laugh a bit more.
It’s one of the best forms of feel-good therapy in my life.
Such boundless canine joy becomes awkward when a visitor comes, and it starts when said visitor is at the front door. All visitors are forewarned about the super-friendly and happy labs. Sally and Major are then locked outside, panting through the flywire screens until our friends can get themselves safely to an armchair before the excited hounds are let in. Weighing over 30 kilos each and with a tail wag that could spin dry a load of laundry, they make a
beeline for the sitting stranger. Their tails are like propellors as they plonk their big hound heads in our visitor’s lap. They fill with glee again, expecting another pat on the head and rub behind the ears, grinning the whole time.
Celebrate and smile
I didn’t have pets for years.
I didn’t have the right conditions in my life to look after pets. Frankly, I didn’t have the emotional or mental capacity to even look after myself well for some time. I still get sad when I’ve let my selfcare come last. Rest and refreshment don’t come naturally to the way I’m made.
Sometimes I’m like that with joy and happiness too. I need to make it a discipline, or else I’m a natural complainer. I suspect I’m not the only one who could do with smiling and laughing a bit more in this life.
Just as my dogs adore my very presence and are so
expectant of having fun with me, our God asks us to celebrate and smile and laugh in this life. The traditional or biblical term some of us know is ‘Rejoice’. It’s used more than a few times in the Bible and the Apostle Paul says it twice: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians chapter 4, verse 4, Modern English Version).
The joy of my dogs, and the fact that they just love being with us, has become a reminder to me to practise joy myself and to jump up and smile with God a bit more: To rejoice, to laugh, to see the hilarity of life and to show others that in God’s presence there is “fullness of joy” (Psalm 16, verse 11 English Standard Version).
After all, DOG is GOD spelled backwards!
Aux-Lieutenant Sandra
Mortimer is a Salvation Army officer (pastor) in Katherine, Northern Territory.
Capturing the sparkle
Moments of life that bring a shine to life
“A happy heart is good medicine, and a joyful mind causes healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones,” (Proverbs Chapter 17, verse 22.)
We could all use some moments of joy, hope, love and laughter these days. Take a moment to enjoy what brings joy to some of our readers, and what makes others smile.
What makes me smile?
The wonder on the face of a young child (or anyone, really) when they learn or discover something new about the world or themselves.
Chocolate cake, ice cream, Lightning McQueen, Jackson Storm and Cruz Ramirez. Henri, 3
That first sip of coffee, as long as it’s good coffee.
Babies. And puppies. Penni
I smile when I listen to my beautiful wife sing, or when I listen to the funny things my children say to each other or when I spend time with my best friend and when I see a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers! I love to smile and I especially love seeing others smile!
Aaron
Getting Biscoff gelato and going fishing with my family and catching the biggest flathead. Millie, 7
Putting on my sister’s makeup when she’s at school. Halle, 4
What brings me joy?
My beautiful son and the ocean (the sounds, smells, the salty sea air).
Kim
Watching my 87-year-old mum take delight in the beauty and wonder of an art exhibition in the city; and watching our son with an intellectual disability laugh out loud at his favourite TV show.
Maia
My Father God has given me spiritual gifts and physical creative gifts. I find great joy in realising these gifts, expressing them and being fulfilled in the effect and outcome of the gifts.
I have great joy in working on my artworks – Behold Drawings – as I want people to see the story of the work. “Eyes that look are common, but eyes that see are rare.”
Topher
Having a purpose of good work in Jesus, finding connections in Bible study, coming home to family, curling up for a good sleep and then waking up in prayer to do it all again.
(And, of course, snuggle time with my cat – that may not bring him joy though!)
Isabelle
Three things:
• Seeing my wife’s smile - even first thing in the morning!
• Enjoying my prayer walk in the cool of the morning.
• Getting lost in the plot of a good movie.
Mark
Hearing or reading stories of how people who’ve gone through tough times and difficult circumstances turn their lives around and can now experience joy and hope themselves.
Michelle
A moment of fame in a coffee shop
When Salvos officer (pastor)
Sandra Mortimer met a work colleague for coffee at a cafe in the Northern Territory town of Katherine, little did she know she’d end up in a music video!
Sandra had arranged to meet with Sally Courtney, the Salvos’ Communications Manager for the Northern Territory, to discuss work-related projects.
It didn’t take long for Sandra and Sally to realise that something unusual was happening around them. The well-known Katherine local and nationally renowned country music singer-songwriter Tom Curtain was there with a cameraman filming his new single, ‘Be Kind’.
Sandra volunteered to play the role of a paying customer whose credit card fails to work and is ‘rescued’ by another kind-hearted customer. She ‘stars’ in the video for 15 seconds!
“Little did we know that the music video would also feature, in a much larger part, Barry Fletcher, a regular worshipper and part of the leadership
Aux-Lieut Sandra Mortimer, left, playing a cafe customer, gets a hug from a kind-hearted fellow customer in a music video for country singer Tom Curtain.
team at Katherine Salvos,” Sandra said. “Barry plays a grandfather, and he is that, too.
“Overall, it was a great experience and great to meet some more inspiring locals achieving remarkable things.”
‘Dolly’s Dream’ charity
“‘Be Kind’ was produced in support of Katherine family, the Everetts, and their charity, ‘Dolly’s Dream’,” Sandra added.
“In 2018, Dolly’s Dream was established by Kate and Tick Everett after their beautiful 14-yearold daughter, Amy Dolly, tragically took her life after relentless cyberbullying.
“Kate and Tick’s ongoing efforts in spreading the anti-bullying messaging and to be kinder soon led to Dolly’s Dream having a remarkable impact nationally.”
The Everetts now hold an annual ‘Do it for Dolly Day’. They also offer a phone counselling support service, and their website features a Parents Hub that supports families with children experiencing bullying, along with numerous resources and programs for schools, sporting clubs, and cyber safety apps for parents. (dollysdream.org.au)
To watch the music clip, go to bit.ly/41H4Ubd
Off the Sh lf
e
An occasional column on all things books and reading
Book or movie?
by Mal Davies
It’s one of the best-known conversation starters at many social dinners: do you prefer the book or the movie?
I find it a difficult question to answer, simply because the answer involves some complexity and nuance. In some cases, the book is better and the movie was absolutely terrible, and in other cases the book was long and boring and sleep-inducing but –somehow – the movie was riveting and enjoyable. Sometimes, of course, it’s both. My favourite novel is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and it was also a wonderful movie, featuring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.
I find a book like Moby Dick and War and Peace and anything by Charles Dickens long and detailed and hard work to wade through, so in those cases, I’d happily choose the movie versions.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was a great book and great movie, as was Jaws, as was Schindler’s List, as was The Lord of the Rings.
On the other hand, The Time Traveler’s Wife was a dark book with complex characters that was turned into an Eric Bana romance flick; The Golden Compass was a book laden with depth and meaning and symbolism – all lost in the cheesy family movie, and The Scarlett Letter is a
classic American novel with religious and moral themes that was turned into 1995’s overly-sexualised mess featuring Demi Moore.
There have been times I’ve seen a movie and it’s encouraged me to read the book, and there have been times I’ve read a book and then wanted to compare it to a popular movie to see how they square up.
For example, I love watching movies about Jesus to see how they depict him, but they never seem to rise to the level of reading ‘the book’. The movies are great for an introduction to Jesus, but the Bible is the bestselling book in history. You can’t beat it!
Lost in translation
The humour and holiness
by Phil Inglis
Laughter is considered one of the greatest gifts of God.
of Jesus
I am the king of dad jokes. The proof of this is from a conference last year when we were subjected to a Kahoot [gamebased learning platform] all about dad jokes. I answered every question first, I answered every question correctly and won the quiz by a large margin. There is something about the wordplay and silly situational humour in a dad joke that I have always loved, even though it causes serious groans and eyerolls in everyone around me.
However, growing up in and around church I always got the feeling that Jesus was a pretty serious kind of guy. That he didn’t joke around, he didn’t laugh and didn’t really smile. In the churches I grew up in during the 1990s, we sang songs, we played instruments and we clapped our hands like crazy people at times, but generally speaking, I usually came away from Sunday morning gatherings feeling sombre,
reflective and subdued. Even though we sang songs that said there was joy in The Salvation Army, it still felt as though humour, joy and laughter did not mix with true holiness. Perhaps this came down to the way we understood Jesus to be?
Jesus’ humour Despite the language and cultural barriers in the Bible, there are times where we do get a glimpse of Jesus being funny. Early on, Jesus renames the brothers James and John as ‘Sons of Thunder’, which we could interpret as ‘sons of chaos’ since this is how they are portrayed – as hyperactive, impulsive, passionate guys – and Jesus is hassling them.
Later, Jesus tells a true dad joke when he is ranting against the hyperjudgmental religious people by suggesting that they do everything they can to remove a “gnat” from their food but swallow a “camel” without thinking (snap!).
This is a well-recognised pun because the words for gnat and camel are really similar in the local language of the time.
I guess it’s not funny if you have to explain it, but I can imagine the disciples chuckling as they watch Jesus take down the religious zealots. There are other examples of Jesus’ quick and humorous wit, as well as plenty of times when he resorts to ridiculous exaggerations to make his point – such as planks and specks in people’s eyes, camels passing through needles, and others.
Emotional life
I was aware of times in the Bible where he was cranky, times when he was not cranky and times when he wept – but that was about it for his emotional range. Thinking about this now it
seems a bit odd because Jesus was well known to be a partygoer, he was a gifted communicator and was very social. It is said that one of the greatest miracles ever performed by Jesus was being a 30-year-old man with 12 friends! So, it’s almost inconceivable that he had no sense of humour. Why then, do we have such a narrow view of the emotional life of Jesus? Why don’t we read of jokes and laughter in the things that Jesus says and does?
I think a big reason for this is the fact that most of the jokes and humour Jesus used has been lost in the translation of language, culture and context. Jesus’ life and teaching are recorded in a 2000-year-old collection of books, [written] in ancient Greek,
which Jesus didn’t use (he spoke Aramaic), so puns and wordplay are extremely difficult to see and understand. Also, we need to remember that the more significant a figure is in history, the more honoured, elevated and revered they are – the less humorous we imagine them to be. It is almost as though we think humour and holiness do not mix.
There is no reason to believe that humour and holiness do not mix. In fact, laughter is considered one of the greatest gifts of God. “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy” (Job chapter 8, verse 21).
Major Phil Inglis is a Salvation Army officer (pastor) who oversees Mission Support for The Salvation Army Australia.
DONNING THE HI-VIS FOR 30 YEARS
Pearl impacts local communities in times of need
by Lerisse Smith
It is not every day a shiny new emergency services truck is named after a dedicated volunteer.
But when the Victorian Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) were looking for a name for their newest truck, they couldn’t go past ‘Pearl’ in recognition of their volunteer, Pearl Dunn, who has given more than 30 years of unwavering dedication and service to the team.
And the new truck, funded through the SAES’s partnership with Woolworths, was recently unveiled and commissioned at Pearl’s Melbourne retirement village – much to her surprise.
“You know what? I still can’t believe it,” Pearl says.
“I have just loved working with the team. I started when my husband died. I heard about it, and I thought it sounded good. It has been amazing. We
have done all sorts of funny and strange and sad and happy things and helped so many people. I just do it because I love it. Carolyn (Response Coordinator), Robin (Maintenance Officer) and the whole team are great to work with. They make it so easy.”
Celebration of commitment
During Pearl’s many years of service, impacted communities and first responders have benefitted from her care including Black Saturday (2009), the bushfires of 2019 and 2020, the Victorian floods of 2022, the Lancefield and Flowerdale fires, chemical industry fires, plus many Salvation Army events throughout the state.
“Pearl has been a devoted member who has served Victorians in need,” said Carolyn Spratling, Response Coordinator of
the Victorian SAES. “And she is always ready to don the Hi-Vis and do it again.”
The SAES team had the opportunity, with the support of Pearl’s children and management of the village she lives in, to spring a surprise commissioning of the truck on Pearl. Carolyn remarked it was a wonderful occasion and celebration of Pearl’s commitment to othersand the more than 1500 volunteers that serve alongside the SAES across Australia.
Pearl says she loved the SAES team and the people that they served. Over the years, her role has included serving food to many people, from emergency services personnel such as fire fighters, to the public.
“What really hits you every time you go out with the team to serve and help people are the
We have done all sorts of funny and strange and sad and happy things and helped so many people.
Volunteer Pearl Dunn, right, with Daryl Crowden, SAES General Manager, and the truck named in her honour.
fire fighters, police and SES who always say, ‘Oh, we are so glad to see The Salvation Army here,’ Pearl reflected. “They are really pleased that we are there.”
Another key role for Pearl has been to provide a listening ear. Looking back over 30 years, the volunteer said a key learning had been to see the love of people in communities and how they unite to help one another.
“The love of people in communities has made me feel really good,” Pearl
said. “Both the ones you work with and the ones that you are helping.”
Black Saturday
Pearl still recalls the time when a young teenager helped the local community during the Black Saturday bushfire crisis.
“I still remember him coming in. He could not see,” she said.
“His eyes were covered in soot. He was only a kid, and I tried to get him to have a rest and he said, ‘No…I just have come to
get my eyes washed out so I can go out again.’ He was one of the people that has really stuck with me. He would not stop to rest. He had to get back.”
Pearl plans to continue volunteering with the SAES as long as she can and hopes that other people will be interested in signing up as a volunteer.
“We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in the community supporting our work,” Carolyn said.
Apple tarte tatin
Ingredients
5 apples; 30g butter; 80g sugar; 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed; 5 apples; cream Method
Peel and core apples. Cut into 8 wedges.
Heat butter and sugar in small pan until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
Add apple to pan and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, or until apples are golden. Remove from heat and set sauce aside.
Preheat oven to 190°C. Line the base of 18cm-round cake pan, pour in sauce and layer apples over the sauce.
Place pastry over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes until pastry is golden. Remove from oven, sit for 5-10 minutes. Turn over onto serving plate.
Serve warm with cream.
Believe in Good: Tips
30 March - Neighbour Day
• Reach out to those around you – you may find you have more in common with them than you think.
• Be patient and accepting.
1. Which is the largest marine national park of Australia?
2. 40,000-year-old human remains were discovered in 1974 in which New South Wales national park?
3. Which is Australia’s most southern mainland national park?
4. Which is Tasmania’s most well-known national park?
Tum-Tum
On which page of this week’s Salvos Magazine is Tum-Tum hiding?
Who am I?
I can be scary, I can be entertaining, I cover my face so it will be impossible for you to recognise me and I create animals from balloons.
�� Have a laugh
Why did the dalmatian go to the doctor?
Because every time she looked in the mirror, she saw spots.
Why did the doctor laugh at the X-ray?
Because it was humerus.
I’ve got a disease where I can’t stop telling airport jokes!
The doctor says it’s terminal.
I played hide and seek in the hospital!
But they kept finding me in the ICU.
✏ Answers
Sally and Major on page 4.
I am: A clown Tum-Tum: is hiding behind
Marine Park 2. Mungo National Park 3. Wilson’s Promontory 4. Cradle Mountain National Park
Quiz: 1. Great Barrier Reef
�� Word search
Words are hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, forwards and backwards. Enjoy! Bicycle Birds Chatting
“Be strong and brave … He’ll never fail you or abandon you!”
Deuteronomy chapter 31, verse 6
The Voice translation
