There are some who would call me the Grinch. To a certain degree, this is true. The commercialism, the happy facades, the endless pressure to be and feel a certain way can lead to a distinct feeling of drudgery of the soul. But before I clothe myself in black and shuffle down the road muttering […]
Continue reading 3 Things I Love and 3 Things I Hate About Christmas
My friend and I were sitting in a café, enjoying our hot beverages and chatting eagerly. I was saying how remarkable it was that even though my life was filled with pain and illness, I was still able to write books and do music stuff. “It is so strange,” I commented. “Even in the middle […]
So I was at the shops today. You know the kind. Spacious, awe-inspiring, expensive-looking shops with big white glossy floor tiles and shiny metal doorframes. The kind of shops where you have to meet dress code just to enter. I walked into one such flashy store this morning, blinking in the fluorescent lights, my ears […]
So, tomorrow I have another book signing. I love book signings. Not only do they afford me an opportunity to shop (especially relevant in the run-up to Christmas), they give me ample space for ministry. And it is not just about selling books. Don’t get me wrong. I like selling books. I like signing them […]
We have come a long way from the term “spinster”. Emma Watson’s recent self-description of herself as self-partnered,* instead of the more commonplace “single”, has garnered much social media attention. And so it should. Whether or not you like the term self-partnered (and it is not my favourite term – it honestly sounds like a […]
A week ago, the ABC ran an article about the man drought apparent in Christian circles.* It was a good article. It touched on many truths of contemporary Christian singledom. It took me back to my own single days in my late twenties, when I too lost hope of ever marrying. In particular, three truths […]
The first time I heard the heart-wrenching ballad, “Here’s to the ones who dream” from the movie La La Land, I cried. I didn’t cry because of the acting. Although it was good. I didn’t cry because of how the ballad displayed the character’s resilience in a story of apparent failure. Although it definitely did […]
I recently moved from a two-bedroom unit to a four-bedroom house. Ok, it is really five bedrooms, if you count the media room. It felt slightly strange to move to such a large house. There are only two of us, you see. And the cat. We are a small family, no children, no plans to […]
Chronic illness sucks. Some days are not too bad, and it just sits quietly in the wings, biding its time. Then there are days like I had last week, when it kicks your legs out from under you. I was sitting at an appointment. It was a long sit. Three hours, to be exact. The […]
Last week I went to the Omega Christian Writer’s conference. It was amazing. There were many inviting things on offer. There was a great keynote speaker who inspired us to write well and to use our creative gifts for God. He made us laugh and think and relish the opportunity to string words together for […]
Surviving Chronic Illness, Surviving Childlessness, Surviving Singledom