Musings

How would you respond if you were asked what God’s plan is for Gay people? That’s the question I’ve been musing on over the last couple of weeks based on current events. In some ways it is a strange, leading question. I don’t really even know God’s plan for my own life. Some of my thoughts thus far are as follows: * I believe in a loving Creator that loves all people equally and without limit. * I believe the…

Helen recently lent me a few books to read. One I managed a few pages before I realised that ‘The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry’, in which (spoiler alert) the main character ends up walking the length of England, was not the ideal book to read while recovering from a ruptured Achilles. Another was ‘The Sin of Certainty’ by Peter Enns, with the subtitle ‘why God desires our trust more than our “correct” beliefs’. Without spoiling this one as well,…

This week I am teaching full time and have thrown myself wholeheartedly into it. Yesterday after doing a full days teaching I carried on working on my computer into the night and although at the time I felt great, this morning I woke up with sore shoulders from bending over the computer and was verging on a migraine. Thankfully a full blown migraine never actually came and although I was a bit sore and achy today I managed to get…

There are many ways in which we can view God – of course! (Possibly as many different ways as there are people on this planet, given that we are – each of us – unique.) However, very often our prevailing image is of God at a distance. And the further away God seems to be, the more our image can become that of a someone who maybe is stern or judgemental. If we turn that around, though, the question becomes…

When Anne first arrives at Green Gables, Marilla is shocked to learn that Anne has never prayed properly before. So she sets about teaching her to kneel at her bed and say her prayers and to learn the Lord’s Prayer off by heart. Anne forms her prayers like a letter to God and Marilla teaches her the ‘right’ way to pray. I read this Pete Greig comment on Facebook this week… “I meet so many people who struggle with prayer…

“Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things happen. Don’t be afraid.” Well, that is Frederick Buechner’s advice anyway! A world diplomatic crisis (or two), large-scale weather events, genocide and displacement, national political uncertainty, personal and/or family health issues, normal parental concerns about kids (am I a ‘good enough’ parent?) – seems like the terrible is crowding out the beautiful at times. But the beautiful often needs conscious attention to be seen, noted and elevated. The smiles, the moments of…

“The key to a successful beard-growing effort is commitment. Just make a decision to grow a beard and stick with it. Do not be swayed by naysayers or lapses in your own confidence. Do not let a transient period of itching send you running for the razor. Just make a commitment to grow the beard and stick with it. Make it non-negotiable and always remember that. It helps to set a commitment date. Be sure that you allow yourself at…

I’ve been reading some non-fiction lately. This is unusual for me. I’m not used to the patterns of the genre and one feature has stuck out: the lengthy portion at the start of the books devoted to convincing me that the book is worth reading, that my life/country/the world is doomed if we don’t know this, do this. I already have the book, I’m keen to get to the research, the process, the findings, the practical applications. But first I…

A few years ago Chris and I holidayed in Vanuatu, most of you will remember that we asked the kids for donations, went and purchased some school supplies and organised to drop them off at a remote school. We put some photos on facebook for you to share with your kids. It was fun to bring a surprise of this gift to the school. Nothing major, but we felt good doing it, it took very little effort and organisation. When…

We were thinking on Sunday morning about the glory of God, and I mentioned the inspiration that came to Ignatius that the goal of Jesuits should be to live “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” (for the greater glory of God). I came across this poem written by an American Blogger Rebecca Ruiz (at http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/22204/living-ad-majorem-dei-gloriam ) and thought I’d share it with you to see what you think. Lots of food for thought – and reflection! To live Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam…

I was the only one out cycling at dawn and many weaker souls wouldn’t have even ventured out on this grey morning. The mist laced my eyelashes and the fine hairs on my face, making me feel even more saintly. I felt glad to have my legs spinning the pedals and our faithful dog Eddie loping enthusiastically beside me. He suddenly started a half-hearted chase towards our old friend, the yellow-billed blue magpie. Hopping around looking for grubs in her…

What a thrill this musing is to write. I’m celebrating feeling WELL and having ENERGY again! YAY! Ilam Baptist family, thank you so much for being part of this journey with me over the last 15 months. Getting sick in mid May last year, and then not recovering was so out of the blue. My body was incredibly tired all the time, my head foggy, it was a massive struggle to even get out of bed and do anything. All…