It’s no secret that the Omega Christian Writers conference is happening next week. Preparations have been underway for months now (OK, for two years actually, since the last in-person conference) and now it’s almost time! Squeeee! But what is so good about a writer’s conference? I’ve written about the advantages of conference before: being with […]
worship
Why You’re Not A Bad Advert for God If You’re Sick
‘How are you feeling?’ my friend asked as I walked into church. I jiggled a pair of dice in my head. When you live with a chronic illness, innocent queries after your health can backfire quickly. Well-meaning people can pray for healing that is not forthcoming, or I can get caught in a web of […]
Continue reading Why You’re Not A Bad Advert for God If You’re Sick
My Dead Friend’s Gift
My friend died a couple of weeks ago. His funeral was last week. I watched online from interstate as his friends, family and wife shared funny and heartwarming stories about his life. He was a gifted musician, a cellist, among other things. He was the kind of musician who could organise, orchestrate and conduct entire […]
If You’re Lost…
I can’t believe it’s March already. 2026 is galloping ahead. For some of us, we already feel a bit behind the eight-ball. This has not been the year some of us were hoping for. In fact, for some of us, 2026 stinks. It’s going in a completely unwanted, violent, catastrophic direction. And we feel left […]
Why Living with Lupus is Like a Scavenger Hunt—Part 3
What about Faith? Faith can be a two-edged sword with chronic illness. On the one hand, God’s nearness and companionship have been a great comfort to me. On the other, God has not healed me of lupus. I have wrestled with this. After all, it would be a whole lot easier if God would simply […]
Continue reading Why Living with Lupus is Like a Scavenger Hunt—Part 3
My Weird Testimony
‘I’ll pray for your healing,’ smiled the young woman. ‘Actually,’ I smiled back, ‘I think God has told me he’s not going to heal me.’ The woman frowned. ‘That’s not the God I know. My God would never deny me healing.’ ‘OK, let me tell you my weird testimony…’ In the not-too-distant past, I was […]
Blessings of a Writer’s Conference
I walk into the main conference auditorium, dragging my keyboard with me. (Actually, a friend is dragging my keyboard. I am dragging the stand.) The room is set up with rows of chairs facing the far wall, where a table sits. I set up my keyboard beside the main table, testing the sound. I will […]
How To Pray for Chronic Illness
I recently had a great experience of prayer. A group of friends came over and prayed for my illness. Guess what? They didn’t pray that I would be healed. They didn’t assume what I wanted. Instead, they listened while I articulated my prayer needs. Then, gently and sensitively, they prayed as the Holy Spirit led […]
Born to Die
In the lead up to Christmas, I’ve been thinking not about Jesus’ birth but his death. I suppose it’s because you can’t have one without the other. It’s also because Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was to die for our sins, and the purpose of his death was to rise again. This makes Jesus […]
I Screwed Up Mother’s Day
Whoops. I’ve screwed this up, haven’t I? Yup. Must have missed the memo. Or had a momentary lapse in concentration. Apparently, I am rostered on to serve at church this Mother’s Day. OK, I know it doesn’t sound like the crime of the century. Or any kind of crime at all. The fact remains I […]