A very angry friend once said to me “Is the word ‘encouragement’ even in your vocabulary?”
I was floored.
Continue reading “Hurt but Helped”Hurt but Helped
Squish ’em
Mozzies love me. They land so lightly I mostly don’t know they’re beginning to sting until it’s too late but you can be sure that as un-co and reflex slow as I am, if I see it – I’m going to squish it or at least swat it away.
A couple of weeks ago I said the most awful thing I’ve ever said to anyone in my entire life. I sat, actually stunned, by the foulness of and contempt within my very own words. More about that later.
Continue reading “Squish ’em”Need Some Help?
I’ve avoided getting counselling several times throughout my life when I think it could have helped, for a few reasons.
1. Expense.
2. Believing an undercurrent that I should be able to ‘handle it’, figure it out by myself.
Continue reading “Need Some Help?”What About the Tree of Death?
I had a very stark experience a number of years ago where I rang a particular centre for help with a confidential issue and found this marvellous woman on the other end of the line who spoke LIFE for the first time into the setting I described to her. Others had stood beside, but were all pretty much as lost in it as I, but THIS woman – THIS woman had understanding, experience and light to share which breathed hope and an aliveness I didn’t know was possible in the circumstances until that moment. From that point on I could move with hope and expectation though nothing about the setting changed. She showed me the difference between words without and words WITH – life.
Continue reading “What About the Tree of Death?”Do you Want to be Well?
I grew up in a generation that used “Der Fred” when something seemed really dumb or obvious – but I don’t think it’s allowed to say “der Fred” to Jesus.
Continue reading “Do you Want to be Well?”An Unconventional Story
Once upon a time, about 15 years ago, lived a tribe of small children in a rambling home on a hill where the summers scorched and the winters wore but come sunshine or sleet, grey days or golden, the children would play.
Continue reading “An Unconventional Story”On Growing Up
In the last few days I’ve been thinking rather a lot on WHY I was such a snot to my parents at around age 16. I’d have thought that by the 6th kid in our family to be almost 16 – that I’d have thought through all my own teenage ‘stuff’ by now but it’s not so.
Continue reading “On Growing Up”Undercover Jesus
There is something I quite like about the show “Undercover Boss”. I like seeing how he is treated and I like seeing the respect (or lack of) displayed either way between the Boss and the employees.
Continue reading “Undercover Jesus”Record of Rights
Are you a good grudge keeper? About a week ago I started thinking about a common thing that people seem to do – and two possible alternatives.
Continue reading “Record of Rights”Countdown!
I recently downloaded a new app on my phone called “Countdown”. It has one function (for me) which is to count the number of days till I turn the big “five – oh!!”
I read a study that claims people have a greater sense of urgency when we think in terms of days, rather than years, and that this can help us focus more consistently when working toward goals.
Continue reading “Countdown!”