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THE OLYMPICS WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN?
WHAT DO DREAMS MEAN?
A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD TODAY
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO PROTECT YOUR
CHILDREN? On February 1, 2020, the Abdallah and Sakr families lost four children to a drunk driver. Two years on, i4give Day gives the community a chance to heal and reflect on the power of forgiveness. BY MELODY TAN
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ven before my son was born, I was doing everything I could to protect him. Then Elliott was born and with that, I became a full-fledged mama bear. I surprised myself with the ferocity of my protectiveness. I’ve never been the kind who would protest if someone jumped the queue in front of me, but I’d be vocally assertive when it came to standing up for my son’s rights.
children were walking to a shop in Oatlands, a Sydney suburb, to buy ice-cream. These kids were old enough to perform that task by themselves. They weren’t being reckless—they were walking on a footpath. Then, out of a nowhere, an out-ofcontrol ute ploughed into and killed four of them— siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna Abdallah,
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Love him and keep him safe. You could pretty much sum up my motherhood goals with those two thoughts—and I’m sure most mothers would agree that those ideals would be at the top of their own priorities too. What would you do if protecting your children was out of your hands? Two years ago in Australia, seven 8
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9, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11. The driver was drunk (allegedly three times above the legal limit) and walked away uninjured. In the blink of an eye, your precious children, filled with so much promise and potential, won’t be celebrating their next birthdays, or any more to come. You know you’ve done a great
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What would you do if protecting your children was out of your hands?
job of protecting them. And at an age when it’s important for them to find their own independence, you’re slowly letting go. You’ve kept them safe and you’ve taught them how to be safe. When something like this happens, you know it’s not your fault. But the drunk driver? The one who was driving drunk at eight in the evening? The one who NSW police
your heart . . . and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5,6) and “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:7)? Two days after the tragic incident happened, Leila Abdallah, mother of six, had this to say about the driver: “I know he was [allegedly] drunk, driving on this street . . . I think in my heart [I] forgive him, but I want the court to be fair. It’s all about fairness. I’m not going to hate him, because that’s not who we are.” The driver, Samuel William Davidson, was sentenced in March 2021 to a maximum of 28 years in jail.
what would you do if you could blame someone for hurting your children?
allege was travelling at more than 70 kilometres per hour over the speed limit when he hit your children? What about God? The One you pray to every day to keep your children safe? The One who is supposed to be all-powerful and strong enough to protect you and your family from the storms? The One who promises things like “Trust in the Lord with all
On the first anniversary of this horrific incident, Leila and Danny Abdallah, and the Sakr family launched “i4give Day”, a way to not only remember their children, but also to encourage others to consider the concept of forgiveness. Even after the events of 2020, Leila, a lifelong Christian, continues to trust God. “When you read the Bible, Jesus said, ‘Carry your cross and follow me.’ He didn’t say we are going to have a good life . . . He asked us to carry the cross,” Leila told Eternity News. It can sometimes be hard to fathom why God would allow tragedy to befall us, but perhaps we’re focusing on the wrong thing. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU
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WHAT DO DREAMS MEAN? 26
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Ever awoken from sleep with an overwhelming sense that a dream meant something? You might be right—and here are a few ways to tell.
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ast night I had one of those dreams. You know the kind you wake up from and remember. Basically, there were a lot of things that were unusual, but people and places that were familiar. I was supposed to conduct an interview to be broadcast online (something I do every week for work), but there were challenges relating to the pandemic, Wi-Fi availability, and finding a venue that was quiet and would give us uninterrupted time. There were several things I was anxious about, and it was clear when I woke up that my subconscious had been working overtime, figuring out problems and wrestling with things that were concerning me, all while I slept. But what did it all mean? Was it a message of some kind? Should I take action?
the purpose of dreams
According to scientists, we all dream every single night. In fact, on average, we have two to three dreams a night. Some of us up to seven! It’s just that we don’t remember most of those dreams the next day. To remember a dream, it must take place in the REM (rapid eye movement) part of the sleep cycle. REM sleep is a time when your brain activity increases and your eyes move around, even while closed. It is often 90 minutes or so after you’ve fallen asleep. But what is dreaming for? There are different schools of thought. According to a TIME magazine article, dreaming could be an 28
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information dump, threat simulation Solomon, Joseph the father of Jesus, (like a fire drill for your brain to and the apostle Peter. And while keep you sharp), wish fulfilment and many of the dreams recorded in the Bible are sent to those who follow problem-solving practice. Studies God, He also sends dreams to those have been developed in each of these who don’t follow Him. areas and the reality is that dreams In the first book of the Bible a probably fulfil all these functions. young man, Joseph, with a history And we’ll probably discover more as of having and interpreting dreams, researchers study and develop dream is asked to interpret Egyptian ruler theory further. After all, it’s hard Pharoah’s troubling dreams. The to study something that happens dreams point to seven years of plenty entirely in the brain while subjects before a are asleep. seven-year Yet, many famine that of us are will decimate fascinated by Egypt and the dreams and surrounding what they nations. might be Pharoah actelling us. We On average, we have link dreaming cepts Joseph’s to the search interpretation two to three dreams a for meaning and places night. Some of us up to and underhim in charge of saving standing. We seven! up grain for may even be the famine. tempted to Pharoah look to the becomes rich internet for by Joseph’s interpretation foresight and leadership, and the of our dreams, but this will not story ends happily for Joseph who is usually provide us with the right reunited with his lost family. answers. Still in the Old Testament, the Yet dreams can be important, book of Daniel heavily features especially recurring ones. dreams and visions. Daniel is taken captive as a young man and enslaved dreams in the good book in Babylon. At the time, Babylon was Dreams feature heavily in the strongest power in the Middle the Bible. God uses dreams to Eastern region. Daniel served in communicate with people. Famous biblical dreamers include Jacob, King the court of Nebuchadnezzar II JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU
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JUMPING HIGH: THE ONE WHO INSPIRED ME AT
Nicola McDermott’s silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was a historic and record-breaking moment for the country. But it was only the second most important thing to Nicola that day. BY DANIEL KUBEREK JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU
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HOW WALKING 10,000 STEPS A DAY CHANGED HOW I
set goals
Combine someone who hates exercise with a daily step challenge, and you’re going to need creative ways to stay motivated. BY MARYELLEN HACKO SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
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