Every now and then I get a taste of Zimzum. A sense of a contraction and a making of space for me and others. I’ve always been puzzled about how the voluntary creating of space for another person has a deep effect on the other, especially those who have experienced […]
Nehemiah
25 posts
Change is most fragile at the very beginning. If we can catch the little foxes that spoil the vine, the subtle saboteurs that kill new growth, the blossom has a chance to become a harvest. In this post: Why new change is so vulnerable The little foxes that spoil the […]
They had got so used to the intrusiveness of others that they didn’t even care anymore, but slowly a line in the sand appeared, then a fence and then they built a wall. I enjoy being kind. I am generous, probably to my own detriment, but sometimes I feel […]
We think our lives have a strength to them, but remove a few Jenga pegs, experience a shock, and we can easily topple to the stress. So we build with each other and find new resilience. A couple of mornings ago, my son said “Nice Jenga Dad.” I was puzzled […]
If you want long-term gain, you need to accept short-term pain. We want ‘quick-fix’ solutions and instant gratification but reaping never comes before sowing. When my counselor said we would have to go through this unbearable feeling, I felt a kind of pulling back. Did I really want to go […]
Pressure within is building, and you might feel like you’re carrying a heavy burden alone. How do you release bottled-up emotions without destroying precious relationships? Recently I have gone back to old-school ways of writing. I have picked up a pen and some paper and written my first draft […]
Mental health miracles rarely arrive overnight. They happen in small steps, repeated day after day. Nehemiah rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem in just 52 days, brick by brick. What could 52 days of small, consistent building do in your brain and your life? In this post: Why God doesn’t offer […]
‘If it wasn’t for sin I would be out of a job’. This was a little quip I came up with when I was a pastor. The life of sinfulness and helping people through the mess kept me employed, gave me a living. It does for many of us, especially those in […]
I didn’t realise life would be such a fight. I thought life was meant to be like a gentle stroll along a flower strewn pathway, chatting with best friends. Well that’s what I was designed for wasn’t I? In reality though I am in a fight, and you are too. […]
Fatigue seems to sap out any reserve you might have to go on. I remember visiting him in the Intensive Care Unit in our local hospital. After a huge overdose of pills he had woken up to discover he was still alive. His attempt at suicide had not succeeded. His […]