Thanks so much to Sharon, for this wonderful advent meditation for those suffering from mental illness. She writes; …. I suffer from depression, a symptom of my schizoaffective disorder, and, if I’m honest, I find these few weeks leading up to Christmas difficult. As I write, I am sitting in my kitchen. It’s mid-morning, but it’s dark, with heavy cloud pressing down upon the house. The low pressure makes me feel claustrophobic, and part of me just wants to go back …Read More
James Cary is Mr Podcasts and I was fortunate enough to be inquisitioned (is that a thing?) by him for The Inquisition Podcast. Listen in here as I talk about my story and the difference Jesus makes. And do subscribe to the Inquisition — a fab new podcast. Share…FacebookTwitterTumblrPinterestGoogle+StumbleUponDiggemail
In the last post we thought about how God is not primarily a law-giver or an abstract ideal of goodness. He’s an eternal Father. We know this because Jesus — in all His grace — reveals Him to us. Here’s how: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9) Loving Fathers give their children gifts. But the gift of Jesus is unlike any other. He’s given to us in …Read More
We all want beauty; something so bright we fall to our knees before it. Something bigger than us; the kind that makes us shield our eyes but look and look and look again. We never grow out of this yearning; but it takes different forms. The newborn reaches for her mother’s earring. The toddler, transfixed by Christmas lights. Teens, scrolling furiously through pages of Insta-perfection. The bible says we’re made to worship and it’s beauty that captures our hearts. But …Read More
…in our weakness we can learn certain strengths: humility: suddenly, the plug is pulled. You’re not who you thought you were; and it hurts. You can’t think yourself out of it or get your act together. But with it, a savage freedom; a letting go – because it’s been taken from you. And in your emptiness, a new understanding of grace. God does it all – He always did, but now you see it. dependence: to survive, you must learn …Read More
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
My daughter is obsessed with the story of ‘Beauty and the Beast’. In fact, it’s now the soundtrack to not just my waking, but my sleeping hours. Along with some great songs, it’s another window on the truths of the gospel. Here’s a brilliant video from Go Chatter that explains why… Share…FacebookTwitterTumblrPinterestGoogle+StumbleUponDiggemail
I love my dad. He’s smart and kind and honest and — brilliant. ‘You take after me,’ he says. I smile; but I don’t believe it. I thought you knew me better than anyone, dad. Why don’t you see it? How can you get me so wrong? I’m not the girl he thinks I am. ‘Take heart,’ he says, but I’m scared. ‘Rest,’ he says, but I run. ‘It’s OK to be you,’ he says, yet I pull on a …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
