The rawness of the meat was either inviting or disturbingly unappealing. Stories shared, honesty held as holy, the powerless being empowered. For some it was too raw, too up close and uncomfortable for them to receive the gift God was offering. To take in this gift there would have to […]
recovery
It’s his favourite resting place. I have a large comfortable chair in my office. With solid armrests and comfortable cushions sometimes it’s a tussle between myself and our two dogs who gets to sit on it. Our nervous pound pooch Tyler particularly likes it. He climbs his large body into […]
As I write this I have the sound of birds singing, a gentle water fall and a trickling stream. There is a rhythm to this. Every 15 seconds it stops and repeats, stops and repeats, stops and repeats. I am not sitting in the middle of some leafy grove, but […]
I almost overlooked it. There it was, a small little camellia flower. Deep pink, just beginning to burst out of its green cocoon. I had almost walked passed it without noticing its gift to me. While I was busy pruning and looking at some straggly looking shrubs, I saw this […]
I’m not a dancer, but I am a musician. I believe that our Mental Health is closely linked to the rhythms we keep. I have played guitar since I was thirteen and one of the little practice exercises I used to do in the early days was to play a […]
I’ve had a taste and now I want more. I’m not being greedy or demanding or ‘push in line’ about it. It’s just that I have had a taste and I long for more. There are wafts of joy coming from the kitchen. There is a party going on and […]
Step 11 in the 12 Step Recovery tradition brings some challenges. For many people who try to follow the 12 Steps, Step 11 is a step they either love or hate: “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understand God, praying only for knowledge of […]
It was so delightful that you could smell the perfume of joy sweep the room. She was in her 30’s and had been diagnosed with a psychotic illness. Voices in her head were her constant companion. She was into some New Age stuff mixed with Catholic teachings and a liberal dose […]
I loved to watch planes as a child. On the farm in which I grew up on we would often get fertilizer spread by aeroplane. It was exciting to see that noisy plane swoop low over the fields and hills and see trails of white powder spreading over the landscape. […]
‘Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never harm me’ is a fallacy. Words can hurt. They can cut right to the core of your being and can echo around and around in your mind and drive you to despair. Just think of the abuse of text bullying. […]