Spiritual Growth Archives

Jehovah – Jireh. The God who Sees and Sees to it

I want relief from tension. But where from? Maybe in Jehovah – Jireh. The God who sees and provides in the cognitive dissonance of struggle. I want answers. Easy to find answers. But maybe what I really want is for the tension I am in to be seen and […]

Spiritual Formation Spiritual Practices

I Don’t Believe in Luck

Some people believe in luck; I don’t. I believe in wisdom and work, empowered with faith to build a boat that catches providential wind. I remember the first time I bought a lottery ticket. I’ve only ever done this twice. I remember all the thoughts that raged around in me. […]

Spiritual Formation Spiritual Practices

When One Door Closes

When one door closes, another one opens, but when. We wait and watch for providence to blow. It happened again last week. A door closed. In my little gardening business, I have been mowing a small every fortnight for about a year. Then, last week, the property was sold, […]

Spiritual Formation Spiritual Practices

The Parable of the Joyful Man (The Parable of the Talents)

It’s so easy to hold on to what’s been given to you, but passing it on opens the door to joy. The Parable of the Joyful Man (Parable of the Talents) Did you ever play that children’s party game – Pass the parcel? The children sit in a circle, and […]

Spiritual Formation Spiritual Practices

Leaning into Providence

Sometimes I feel alone in the struggle, but when listen deep I sense a providence. A providence I can lean into. It was the strangest thing I have experienced in a dog’s behaviour. Our family once had a dog that leaned. He could come alongside you, cross his legs […]

Spiritual Practices

Stringing Pearls for The Delight of Heaven

We could rake the muck forever, but what about stringing pearls? What will bring the delight of heaven to full song? I recently watched someone restringing a necklace of pearls. With mindful precision, a fine silk cord was taken and inserted through the pearls with a small needle. A […]

Anxiety & Stress

Hope and Mental Health

Hope and mental health. They seem quite linked, but what helps them both to dance together well? I recently had a picture pop into my head. It was a headstone, in a cemetery, and engraved into the old tired stone was the name of the deceased – Hope. Not […]

Relationships & Connection

Unburdened From What Has Been

We carry so much load, but what if we were unburdened? Perhaps the donkey might learn to dance light and free. It’s an image that tells a story. The story of a heavy laden down camel carrying a load of straw and the little proverb ‘the final straw that broke […]

Faith & Mental Health

Wisdom Ointment is Free

I need wisdom ointment, but so much ointment contains flies. Wisdom that comes from above, wisdom that is pure and holy. I was visiting a friend the other day, and she noticed I had some eczema on my hand. It had been there a few days and was slightly […]

Trauma & Recovery

Redeemed pain is more impressive than removed pain

We all have painful experiences in life, but redeemed pain is more impressive than removed pain. What good can be found within in our pain? Sometimes I am given a gift voucher. It has no value tangibly in itself. It is but a piece of plastic the size of […]