The world is full of words, but how many do we miss because they need to be heard? There is something about audio. I have books. Lots of them. Books have filled my life for a long time. From an early age, I had an insatiable appetite for reading. The […]
It takes energy to hold a closed hand, but with gentle movement, we find an open hand. In openness, we both give and receive. A few years ago, I noticed that my right hand was often clenched tight into a fist. Not a fighting fist, but more a fist […]
This didn’t feel normal AT ALL, but when they offered the words ‘That’s normal and you’re going to be ok’, a flood of reassurance swept into me. After they had told their story, the psychiatrist looked at them and, with quiet compassion, said these words. For what you’ve been through, […]
We often question ‘Am I on the right path’ but learning to hear the shepherd’s voice gives us an assurance to know and trust the good shepherd. I want certainty. I like to feel secure knowing that I have made the right choices, but there is always an invitation to […]
They were stuck. Stuck in a Stage of Faith, but with help and gentle curiosity, they were able to take that next step towards wholeness. It was like the someone had turned on the lights in their thinking. They looked at me in absolute shock while I was explaining some […]
There is a kind of loneliness when you have wounds and scars, but it’s met when someone comes with their wounds. It’s an invitation to connection. I don’t like to see scars on a human body. They tell me that something has gone wrong. There has been injury and therefore […]
And there was beauty, but are you comfortable with beauty in yourself and others? I suppose we are mirrors of beauty to a hungry world. I love to look at beauty. A sunrise or a sunset. A rose in the garden or a bird singing for joy. I recognise beauty […]
If you’re always watching the wind or looking at clouds, you’ll never step outside your door. But with quiet practice, we can give generous attention to what truly matters. I tried something new last night. Something I haven’t done for a very long time and building up to that […]
Many things go into the shaping of one’s life. ‘I am a product of long corridors, empty sunlit rooms’ says C.S. Lewis. What are you the product of? Mathematics wasn’t my strongest topic at school, but somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind I recall the term ‘product’. […]
I want to forget some things. But does God forget? Does God choose not to remember and if so, how does this help me heal? I once visited the ancient ruins of Olympia, Greece. The tour guide told me that in the entrance to the athletic stadium there were once pillars […]
We don’t want trouble, but when Jesus says ‘You Will Have Trouble’, there must be something to help us through. There are some promises I would like God not to keep. I’m not sure if you can still get them or not, but you used to be able to buy […]
It can feel very lonely when we don’t experience love. A sense of abandonment. To know that ‘I am loved’ is like the permanent embrace of presence. To be loved and know it deeply is, I think, the quest of every heart. According to early Church writer Paul, it is […]
A 17th Century Nun Prayed ‘Lord, Thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and someday will be old.’ Recently, I went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a small village here in New Zealand. In 1892, Suzanne Aubert (better known as Mother Mary Joseph) established the congregation of […]
In a world of loneliness, we need the reassurance that ‘I am known’. From this, intimacy grows. One of the questions many people face is ‘Do I matter?’ For many, it feels like they don’t matter to anyone at all. That they are just a blip of dust in […]
When your world is a mess, it may seem lonely, but God is always holding us. I am held by something far bigger than myself. Currently, you are travelling at a speed of about 1,000 miles (1600 kilometers) per hour. That is the speed of the rotation of the earth. You don’t […]
You’ve been through a storm, and there has been major upheaval. Please, take time to steady the ship and restore direction. It was a wild and unsettled time in my life. It was like my little life boat had run into a big storm and I had held on […]
There will always be storms, but it’s how prepared you are is more the question. Prepare a shelter from the storm for yourself and those to come. There’s a storm coming. I can smell it. It’s a mental health storm, and it’s brewing to be a big one. A […]
When the receiving of love has strings attached, then is it really love? Love is a Gift With no Strings Attached. In many of the gardens i visit they have garden hoses and for the last few years many gardeners have been installing retractable hose reels. They are quite a […]
There are all sorts of people in this world, and there are also all sorts of balls. If you could describe yourself as a ball, what type of ball would you be? Wrecking ball to table tennis ball. I have vague memories of the first ball I ever had. […]
We place value on things such as beauty, strength, power and riches, but there is something more valuable. I want wisdom more than silver, gold, and rubies. I couldn’t believe it. I was doing some research for this post and found that there is a website where you can measure […]