Thanks  to everyone who’s shared their wisdom and experiences on eating disorders.  We’re  running the training evenings tomorrow and Thursday evening and I’m feeling a bit nervous. I guess it’s one thing telling your own story, but another to suggest ways of helping other people. If you have any spare prayers, I would really appreciate them. The more I speak with other sufferers and reflect on my own experiences, the more convinced I become that true recovery relies upon Christ. Yes, it’s possible to overcome ... Read More

I’m writing a training evening for church leaders on ‘Eating Disorders’. And I’m not quite sure what to say. Here’s what I think people (including me!) want to hear.  A short explanation of what eating disorders are and who they impact.  A description of the warning signs.  The names of specialists who’ll deal with the messy bits. A list of practical suggestions on how to support those affected. The problem – and then the solution. I’ve got these things in my notes. That’s what people ... Read More

‘God so loved the world that whoever has their life together should not perish but have eternal life’. Ridiculous, huh? And yet…how often is this exactly what we practice? As a church, our mission is to care for the broken and to point them to Christ. But what areas do we designate as ‘off limits?’  How, for example, do we tackle the issue of eating disorders? Do we even try? Yes, medical care is important.  But what about emotional, spiritual, mental support? It’s not just those fighting the disorder ... Read More

I’ve been struck today by two different passages from the Bible, both about what it means to grow up. The first one is from Proverbs 22. But first, a digression.. I’ve always thought of Proverbs as one of those books that made the final Bible cut by the skin of its teeth.  It comes right after Psalms.  That’s like Elton John as warm-up band for the The Cheeky Girls.  Proverbs mate, get off the stage! You and your home-spun wisdom have no right mixing with the Bad Boys of Romans and Isaiah.  If I want handy practical ... Read More

An Addiction Seminar for Teens Powerpoint Slides Here What does an addict look like? A drug addled rock star?  A pill-popping housewife?  A heroin-chic model? Look in the mirror!  Anything can be an addictive substance and everyone has an addictive personality. . What makes it something we should worry about? In 1 Corinthians Paul talks about the incredible freedom we have as believers.  Three times he says: “Everything is permissible.” “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is ... Read More

Ever get yourself into a bit of a tizz? In fact, scratch ‘tizz’. Tizz is for part-timers. What I’m talking about here is FULL-BLOWN MELTDOWN. With enough time and effort, (particularly in the early hours of the morning), what starts as a mental hiccup can escalate into an existential crisis of global proportions. That is, if I let it. Anxiety, can often be a choice. It’s like a circuit I’ve hard-wired in my body and brain – one tiny trigger and red lights start flashing across the dashboard. But Scripture ... Read More

As a church, we are rightly concerned with the needs of the wider world – particularly the young, weak, oppressed and poverty-stricken. But as reach out and pray for those suffering across the world, are we missing the pain on our own doorsteps? In our youth groups or Sunday schools? The contexts and causes may be worlds apart, but it seems that it’s not just children in Africa who are starving to death. More and more children under the age of 13 are suffering from anorexia or bulimia.  These problems are commonly compounded ... Read More

Thanks for prayers for the weekend – it’s good to be back! Here’s one of the talks I gave. This weekend we’ve been thinking about how what we see in ourselves and what God sees in us, can be completely different – like two pieces of a jigsaw that won’t fit.  This evening, you’ve been hearing a bit about what that looks like in my story. You may feel like you don’t know who you are, that you’re scared or ugly or worthless – but you’re not on your own.  We all see ourselves wrongly.  And we’ve all made ... Read More

This weekend I’m helping at a conference for teenage girls.  I’ll be telling my story and speaking about the redemption Jesus offers.  There’ll be lots of time to think about the gospel and our image and identity and food and body and particular girl struggles. Please pray that those who don’t know Jesus yet would meet Him.  That we would all be set free from lies to see the wonder of Christ.  And that I’d have energy for the conference – I’m feeling weak as a limp noodle right ... Read More

When you think about it, ever since the Garden of Eden, humanity has been experiencing the effects of a cosmic eating disorder. In choosing their own sustenance, Adam and Eve rejected the Lord and experienced nakedness and shame, for the first time. Since then, we have followed in their footsteps by seeking more creative ways of making our own coverings. Separated from the Lord, from each other and even from ourselves – our bodies have become foreign to us, vessels for uncontrollable longings, guilt and shame. Often in the modern world, ... Read More