5 Books You Should Read, 6 You Should Know About, 20 Worth a Look and 4 to Avoid
I read over 30 books last year. Here's my review of some to read, some to know about, a few worth a look and some to avoid. Lila by Marilynne Robinson gets first honors in fiction, and Frederick Buechner's The Sacred Journey in memoir. Read any on this list too?
044 What to Expect in 2015 (plus a Funny Cartoon)
Welcome to 2015! If I was to choose a phrase I'd describe 2013 as a year of planting seeds of opportunity and 2014 as the year those seeds flowered. In this post and podcast I want to gather some of those flowers together (including freebies you may have missed) and give you a heads-up on
This Christmas Child
'Watch him. Watch this child, who grows into a boy, who grows into a man, and is found to be so much more. Watch as he is born—with angelic visitations and bright lights in the sky. Watch as he grows—in favour and stature, and pursues his calling from heaven.' As 2014 ends, I wish you
043 How God Redeems Broken Dreams
Dreams. We all have them. As a teenager they keep us awake with excitement. As a 20-something they start shaping our decisions. By our 40s we may have seen them spring to life, or perhaps watched some die. The dreams of two families died in Sydney this week. Thankfully, God can recycle such tragedies into
Advent: A Window on Our Lives
The period leading up to Christmas is traditionally called Advent. Advent is a time of waiting and preparation as we 'wait' for the Messiah's birth and prepare for his promised return one day. A recent experience helped me see that Advent also reflects the whole of our lives.
An 11th Commandment?
We all know the 10 Commandments. Well, this week the producers of BBC Radio 2's Pause for Thought segment asked me to come up with an 11th Commandment. I came up with this, but not before discovering an endearing fact about early morning presenter Vanessa Feltz!
The Day My Husband Was Arrested. A Letter from Kylie
'On December 12, 2010 my husband went to work early in the morning. That afternoon I received a phone call to say he'd been arrested for multiple offenses relating to child sexual abuse.' Please read Kylie's moving story, be encouraged by the faith that has gotten her through the deepest loss, and leave her a
15 Things I Learnt from a Month in America
America is a nation under threat, I have family in Colorado I never knew about, you haven't lived until you've ridden a horse at sunset, and God has a soft spot for Pennsylvania. These are just a few of the lessons I learnt during my four weeks in the United States. Here are the rest.
Resources for the Christian Couple Facing Infertility
From the day a couple discovers conceiving naturally will be difficult, they are thrown into a complex world of options, opinions and decisions. Is IVF an ethical route to take? Should we foster or adopt? What about donor eggs or sperm, or surrogacy? Here are some resources that may be helpful for you or your
A Christian Take on a Jewish Festival for Secular People
Here was my task on BBC Radio 2 this morning: to speak as a Christian about a Jewish festival to a secular audience. No pressure! As Jews around the world observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, this weekend, I suggested this Jewish holiday has value for us all. Here's the audio and transcript.