Resilience Archives

The Snares of Death Encompassed Me

Being caught in a trap was felt by the poet who wrote ‘The Snares of Death Encompassed Me’, but they had a way out. I was recently watching one of those ‘survival’ reality T.V. shows where people are thrown into the wilderness and they have to survive. The show […]

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 […]

Relationships & Connection

What Type of Ball are You?

There are all sorts of people in this world, and there are also all sorts of balls. If you could describe yourself as a ball, what type of ball would you be? Wrecking ball to table tennis ball. I have vague memories of the first ball I ever had. […]

"A conceptual image illustrating small, gradual progress—perhaps a path with very small increments—denoting 'millimetre' growth."

Anxiety & Stress

It’s not ‘Two steps forward and Three steps back’

Progress and change can seem like ‘two steps forward and three steps back’ but maybe the steps need to be millimetres and with gradual gentle side ways movements we can see movement. It was disappointing when then they said it. In fact, it was surprising. They said it with good […]

Anxiety & Stress

What’s in Your Emergency Mental Health Grab Bag

A crisis hits and the scaffolding around your life seems to shake, but you have a Mental Health Grab Bag, and so you know you can get through this. An emergency hits, or maybe it’s just seeing certain family members. Something gets added to your stress load, and the […]

Getting Well Staying Well Mental health Spiritual Formation

Step Out of The Boat and Find a Stone

There is a comfort zone in the familiar, but there is a calling to step out of the boat and find a little something to stand on. There’s always a call to step out of the boat. The other day I was cleaning some items off a pinboard and came […]

Getting Well Staying Well

Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?

We are happy to accept good from God, but what about trouble? There is something deeper available when we center on clinging to God. As a gardener, I work in all kinds of weather. Rain, sun, and wind – both light and strong. In the extremes, I complain. The furnace […]

Faith & Mental Health

When they say ‘Curse God and Die’

People can say some harsh things to us, but when someone close says ‘Curse God and Die’ you have to go to a deeper place of faith than they possibly have. I was watching him wilt. He was once like a flourishing plant, enjoying water and sun and growing and […]

Relationships Spiritual Formation

When You’re Feeling Abandoned

A feeling of being abandoned can be like a cold chill across the soul. But God is always at work, so we need to remind ourselves of this truth. I was recently at the help desk in a large store returning some items, and I noticed a small boy in […]

Uncategorized

Don’t be afraid, for you are very precious to God.

We see things, hear things, experience change, and become afraid. But when we know we are precious to God, a deep peace can come and flood us with strength. It was only a couple of words, and I felt stronger. Words can cut, hurt, and harm, but they can also […]