One of the largest pieces of my childlessness grief is the loss of legacy. I wanted to leave legacies like passing on family heirlooms to the next generation. Things like jewellery, ornaments and prized possessions. I wanted to impart a love of books and music, such as Winnie-the-Pooh and classic rock bands of the 60s. […]
Father’s Day Lamentations
Last weekend it was Father’s Day here in Australia. And boy, you could tell. The supermarkets were filled with cards in every conceivable shade of blue and grey. (I mean, why?) Everywhere you looked, families were sitting down to lunch together. You couldn’t get a seat in a café unless you had made a prior […]
Valuable Connections
When I was single, I attended a small community church and they welcomed me as one of their own. It felt like I had been part of the family for years, maybe even decades. They were like a spiritual family to me. So readily did they embrace me that one particular family included me in […]
A Countercultural Conversation with Craig Wynne
Twelve years ago I was a frustrated singleton. I went shopping for books on the subject, but I found, to my dismay, there was not much out there. This was the inspiration behind my book, Surviving Singledom. Since then, to my relief, more and more books have come out about surviving, embracing and celebrating the […]
A Sacrifice Of Praise?
I grew up in church worship ministry. I have seen the highs and lows of this ministry, endured much heartache and had some amazing, life-changing experiences. (Maybe one day I will write a book about surviving worship ministry.) I have also developed a few pet peeves. One of them is the oft-repeated concept of the […]
Love Is A Diamond
Love has many facets. It can be fun, passionate, enduring, broken, healed, playful, reverent, bold, intimate, verbose and silent. It has highs and lows and plateaus. It can have different chapters, like a book, and it can deepen and mellow with age, like a fine wine. It can be like a multi-faceted diamond. This presents […]
A Stranger on Earth
Living on earth can take a toll on us. Pandemics. Natural disasters. Poverty. The exhaustion of politics, corruption and social causes. This life can be painful. And some days it can feel like the pain will never end. As a person living with chronic illness, the pain is literally never-ending. Don’t get me wrong. Some […]
Ducklings in Winter
‘I saw ducklings today,’ said my husband. I paused, mid-movement. ‘That’s nice’ was my astute response. The cogs in my brain slowly began to turn. ‘Wait… ducklings? We’re in the middle of winter!’ ‘That’s what I thought!’ replied my husband. Yes, ducklings are usually a feature of springtime. They come out with the other baby […]
Single vs Pre-Married
I walked into church and was greeted by an usher. ‘Hiya Steph,’ he said cheerfully, ‘How’s your love life?’ Oh no. You did not just ask me that. My sarcastic inner voice nearly replied out loud. ‘It’s great. Who are you, by the way?’ This man barely knew me. We were not close, yet he […]
Fragrance
‘One thing I have asked of the Lord, And that I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in his presence] All the days of my life, To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord And to meditate in his temple.’ (Psalm 27:4 Amplified) […]