“Chicken or the egg.” That’s my specialist’s best two guesses as to what has given me a very unexpected crash course in severe salmonella infection. It has been a tough and stretching week physically and emotionally, but hopefully I will be home in the next few days. And a sobering thought I will take with me; … Continue reading Until the storm passes!
Resilience
He sees us!
She had lost her husband and now her only son. She is broken and weeping. Life is desperate. And then we read: “Jesus saw the woman”. He saw her! And his gut was moved with compassion. I never tire of reading these words. Jesus sees the desperate, young Palestinian woman, who has lost her two dearly loved … Continue reading He sees us!
We made it to here!
“But, if we made it to here, maybe we have everything it takes to make it to there?” While taking in the beauty of the Ligurian coastline over recent days, the words of Will Small’s wonderful, pandemic-season poem “We Made it to Here” have been on my mind. The line above came into my head as I … Continue reading We made it to here!
Be inspired!
We all love stories, and I am finding that my appreciation of First Nations history, perspectives and cultures continues to grows as I intentionally read, listen to and watch stories made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Be it the disturbing truth-telling of watching The Australian Wars on SBS, or the beauty and heartache … Continue reading Be inspired!
Raise our voices
Jack is a quietly spoken man. He has a beautiful smile. And he openly shed some tears when we recently spoke. There was no vitriol, rather a humble, challenging request from this proud Kamilaroi man. “Please embrace our invitation. Please walk with us towards reconciliation. We can do this.” And words I won’t forget; I … Continue reading Raise our voices
Painful but valuable lessons!
It’s almost been six months since I had spinal surgery. My hope was that the surgery would reduce, or even better, rid me of the pain I have been living with over recent years. My surgeon tells me that his intervention has significantly reduced my risk of experiencing paraplegia. Now that’s a big win, but … Continue reading Painful but valuable lessons!
The gift of Ted!
The gift that is the writing of Tish Harrison Warren “There is a kind of magic at work in Ted Lasso’s life. When everyone else seems to be carried along by the powerful riptides of ambition, vanity, fame, jadedness and contempt, it startles us when someone swims upstream against the current. Lasso’s great humility, again … Continue reading The gift of Ted!
We made it to here!
We’ve all been through so much in recent years. We’ve navigated unchartered territory. We’ve lived with anxiety and tiredness. We’ve learnt new lessons about resilience, adaptability and community. We’ve re-examined priorities and questioned things we took for granted. From the global pandemic, to national tragedies and personal challenges, it has been a stretching season. I’ve … Continue reading We made it to here!
For such a time as this!
Over the past 12 months, in small villages and towns in Africa and Asia, I’ve had the privilege to sit and listen to some amazing, humble women of faith. I've been inspired by their stories, courage and resilience. I’ve wiped tears from my eyes as they have shared their hopes and dreams for their local … Continue reading For such a time as this!
When life throws you a curve ball [and jelly!]
My wife believes there is nothing good at all about green jelly and so the only time it gets a run on our family menu is when Megan makes my Dad his favourite Christmas trifle. Well, Christmas has come early this year, with a bowl of sweet and tangy lime jelly on my hospital menu … Continue reading When life throws you a curve ball [and jelly!]
apilgrimpens 