Everything I’m reading at the moment seems to point to the necessity of Christian suffering. It’s not a message I’ve been seeking. In fact, I keep trying to post it back. I turn the pages of the bible. I put on a different song. I pray, ‘Ok God – but not for me. Not now and frankly, not ever.’ This week I even picked out a book entitled ‘Joy’ as an antidote. (It turned out to be about the joy that comes …Read More
We’ve recently adopted a little boy and are in the early stages of settling him in. The wee man is doing well, and we are so thankful to be at this point. We wouldn’t swap him for the world! We are also however, very tired. This is when stresses get under the skin and start to itch. Molehills tower over the stack of dishes and dirty nappies; it’s easy to feel like everything is too much. I have no time to …Read More
you are not a mind reader. No-one else is thinking about how weird you are. Odds on, they’re thinking about how weird they are. you do not have a crystal ball. It might feel like catastrophe is imminent, but you’ve had those feelings before (many times perhaps), and you’re still standing. Daily bread is what you need. And daily bread is what you have. Don’t worry about tomorrow. it’s really ok to have mental health struggles. That makes you one in …Read More
There’s a certain kind of tiredness that no amount of sleep can touch. Where does it come from, this weariness? it’s the news – a steady stream of sadness that drips drips drips till you’re leaking soundbites and you can’t tell what matters and what’s just noise it’s polite chit-chat and stabs behind the cup-cakes it’s the magazine articles that tell you to be yourself and what that self should be it’s the queue at the post office and the …Read More
One from the archives…. God’s time-frame is not ours. And sometimes, He answers our prayers, a little later than we expect. When I was nine or ten, I entered a competition that our primary school was running with Belfast zoo. To enter, you had to write a poem about the new baby kangaroos. The winners would then get to visit them with the class, and – get this – give them kangaroo names. I felt sick just thinking about it. So, I got to work crafting the …Read More
Thank you to the lovely Sharon, for another really helpful guest post… When mental health problems and physical illness collide We are all increasingly aware of the mind-body connection. If we eat a piece of dark chocolate or go for a run, endorphins are released, and our mood improves. If we live on fast food for a few days or lie about on the sofa for too long, we are likely to feel low. Similarly, physical illness affects our …Read More
This morning, my daughter was building the world’s biggest rocket out of lego bricks. It was all going brilliantly, until the very last piece. As she placed it on top, we watched it wobble and come crashing down. There was a two second pause when I held my breath… before she let out an ear-ripping howl and vowed never to build anything else, ever, ever EVER again. My daughter moved on, with a little help from Bruno Mars. But when …Read More
Remember that Jesus comes for failures. He’s not shocked by this and neither does He condemn you. If you come to Him He will forgive you and restore you and redeem even your mistakes, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32). Look to Jesus. The greater your sin, the greater the cross that carries it. Yes, you’ve messed up – (and worse …Read More
Acknowledge your feelings but remind them that you’re in charge. Think of them as a two year-old who needs reassurance and a bit of loving firmness. Remember, you have felt like this before; and it was all ok. If in doubt, stick to your usual plan/routine. (The one you made before your brain was flooded with adrenalin). But Don’t try to do too much. It’s tempting to over schedule when you’re stressed, but you need downtime too. Work out …Read More
Dear 13 year-old me. First, the good news. There is an adult you and she’s doing ok. You will survive your exams. You live in a world without social media. In a few years, you won’t care so much about what everyone else thinks about you – but there’s some work for God to do first. You have a daughter AND a lovely husband. (NB: when the ‘love of your life’ dumps you, don’t panic. He’s not the One). You …Read More
