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Not Alone and Other Stories

03/02/202303/02/2023 Steph Penny Leave a comment Book reviews, Surviving Chronic Illness

I recently read the Stories of Life anthology, Bones and Blue Eyes,* mostly because (shameless self-plug alert) I had two stories published in it, but also because I was genuinely interested in other people’s stories of everyday faith.  The book was a blessing. There was a vast mixture of stories short and long, telling tales when […]

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Writing Tribe

27/01/202327/01/2023 Steph Penny Leave a comment General writing

I love my tribe of writers. We meet once every couple of months with local fellow writers, and we have an international conference every year. We are Christians of all ages, all personality types, and all writing genres.  I suppose some would consider this group an extra commitment, like a chore. But for me, it’s […]

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Travelling Childlessly

20/01/202320/01/2023 Steph Penny Leave a comment Survivng Childlessness

One of my parenting dreams was taking my children travelling.  I always enjoyed travelling as a kid: the early morning starts when it is still dark, the air is cold and crisp, and the first stirrings of insects prelude the dawn chorus; the long sleeps in the car, and rambunctious singing along to cassette tapes […]

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How ‘Two Sisters and a Brain Tumour’ Helped Me

13/01/202313/01/2023 Steph Penny Leave a comment Book reviews

I recently read Two Sisters and a Brain Tumour, a memoir by author friend Emily J. Maurits. Even though it was about a brain tumour, I enjoyed reading it—probably because it was about so much more than that.  The author takes us on a journey through her relationship with her sister, with all the tension and […]

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What Are Your Hopes for 2023?

06/01/202306/01/2023 Steph Penny Leave a comment Surviving Chronic Illness

I’m not setting goals and plans for this year. I’m not making New Year’s Resolutions anymore. It’s not that I don’t believe in them, and if they help you, knock yourself out. But one thing chronic illness has taught me is that my goals and plans are often laughably unrealistic.  These days, when I set […]

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The Need for Silent Night 

16/12/202216/12/2022 Steph Penny Leave a comment Surviving Chronic Illness, Survivng Childlessness

Everyone is talking about self-care this Christmas. For each of us, self-care will look different, depending on our personality, holiday plans and personal circumstances.  Personally, I am living with childlessness and chronic illness. (And a cat. So it is not all bad.) Which begs the question: how does a person with grief and sickness celebrate […]

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Unto Us a Child is Born… 

08/12/202209/12/2022 Steph Penny 8 Comments Survivng Childlessness

‘Unto us a child is born…’ (Isaiah 9:6) Such a beautiful, inspiring verse. What does this verse mean for those who are childless?  ‘Unto us a child is born…’ It’s a bold anthem of hope for the people of the world, that Christ our Saviour has come to us.  ‘Unto us a child is born…’ […]

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Why Diagnosis Was a Relief For Me—and When Getting Better is Hard

02/12/202202/12/2022 Steph Penny 5 Comments Surviving Chronic Illness

Being diagnosed with a lifelong condition is a source of grief for many people. But diagnosis was actually a relief for me—and my grief sometimes gets worse when I get better, not just when I get sicker.  I am unfortunate enough to be living with an absolute monster of an autoimmune disease commonly known as […]

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‘Be Fruitful and Multiply’—‘I Am!’ 

25/11/202225/11/2022 Steph Penny Leave a comment Survivng Childlessness

Can one ‘Be fruitful and multiply’ without having kids? This is a question I debate with myself on a regular basis. Mostly because childless (and childfree) people are often chided with the whole ‘But God commands us to be fruitful’ thing when others learn of our crime of childlessness.  Yeah. I don’t love it either. […]

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Single and Sick

18/11/202218/11/2022 Steph Penny Leave a comment Surviving Chronic Illness, Surviving Singledom

I recently took my husband to hospital for a day procedure. Afterwards, when we got back home and were recovering, he looked at me and said, ‘I can’t imagine how I would do this hospital stuff if I was still single!’  ‘I can’t imagine how I would do this hospital stuff if I was still […]

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    Recent Blogs

    • Too Young 03/07/2025
    • Join the (Childless) Club 26/06/2025
    • Myths of Singledom 19/06/2025
    • Survival Skills: Grace in the Flames 12/06/2025
    • Survival Skills: It’s Not Fair! 05/06/2025
    • Survival Skills: Scriptures for Illness 29/05/2025
    • Prayer of a Disfigured Christian 18/04/2025
    • Survival Skills: The God Who Allows Pain 11/04/2025
    • Survival Skills: Beauty and Breath 28/03/2025
    • Survival Skills: Find Your Illness Tribe 21/03/2025
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