relationships Archives

Finding a Lifeline in the Quicksand of Estrangement

Stuck in the quicksand of estrangement? Discover how one mother moved from the agony of ambiguous grief to a miraculous relationship renewal. This is a guest post by Peggy Phillips who wrote Coping with Ambiguous Loss by Estrangement After my son went no contact, the quicksand of estrangement engulfed every part […]

Spiritual Formation

I Have a Desire

We have desires, longings, thirsts, but can God meet these? What does the Bible say about desire and delight? I have a desire. Actually, I have multiple desires. Desires that I might not even be consciously aware of can be drivers of my behaviour. Often when I listen to people […]

Relationships & Connection

When You Feel Rejected

We are created for connection, so feeling rejected can be harsh and cold. God gathers up the rejected. I think I was the only one who saw him shrivel away under the rejection of others. He had tried to do something different. He wanted to be part of the […]

Relationships & Connection

She Crossed a Line

She crossed a line with her words, a line that was getting thinner with every wag of the tongue, but what could be done to help them both? It was the evening of the very first day of the year (2025). A beautiful summer’s day here in New Zealand. […]

Relationships

What’s In Your Hand?

We often don’t take up opportunities around us. But what’s in your hand? Taking up the small and achievable can lead to wonderful experiences. Guest Post by Patrick Pointer Have you ever made excuses, talked yourself into why you can’t do something, or talked yourself out of a great opportunity? […]

Anxiety & Stress

An Empty Love Tank

You’ve got nothing left. An empty love tank, weightless and vulnerable. But you want love. Who and what will fill the need? The water tank was empty. I opened up the lid on the tank and immediately I could smell the residue of silt lying on the bottom of the […]

Relationships & Connection

Having an Open Hand

It takes energy to hold a closed hand, but with gentle movement, we find an open hand. In openness, we both give and receive. A few years ago, I noticed that my right hand was often clenched tight into a fist. Not a fighting fist, but more a fist […]

Anxiety & Stress

Preparing your Shelter from the Storm

There will always be storms, but it’s how prepared you are is more the question. Prepare a shelter from the storm for yourself and those to come. There’s a storm coming. I can smell it. It’s a mental health storm, and it’s brewing to be a big one. A […]

Mental health Spiritual Formation

Love is a Gift With no Strings Attached

When the receiving of love has strings attached, then is it really love? Love is a Gift With no Strings Attached. In many of the gardens I visit, they have garden hoses, and for the last few years many gardeners have been installing retractable hose reels. They are quite a […]

Relationships & Connection

It’s Hard to Put into Words

There is an internal world to every one of us with words that need sharing, but it’s hard to put into words, so we need someone safe to help us. They wanted him to tell them what was going on inside, but it felt more like he was in the […]