Tanya Marlow – on the Bible, suffering and the messy edges of life
Posted in Art and Story and Writing on Apr 19th, 2013
He had finished twirling and now he was jumping. Concentration, both knees bent, then a tiny flight in the air and a big thump forward. That’s a jump. Watching my toddler, it looked like a whole lot of effort. It’s surprising how quickly we forget, how these things become second nature. (Not that I [...]
It had been about four months since our lives had been irreparably split open and we were on the sofa together, watching TV. It had been four months since I gave birth, since the exertion of labour tipped my illness into ‘severe’, since the world outside had become closed to me; friendships paused, visits [...]
Posted in God and suffering - Our Story on Mar 19th, 2013
There’s a richness and prophetic insight to Suzannah Paul‘s words that I cannot get enough of. She fights for justice in the best of ways, through powerful peace. Over to Suzannah: They’re willful, the both of them. Like their mama, I suppose. Not much for people pleasing or authority. (Like their mama?) [...]
Posted in God and suffering - Our Story on Nov 13th, 2012
Alice Buckley is the kind of person who makes my heart smile every time I see something she writes, whether on Twitter or on her blog. She writes imaginatively about how to teach the Bible to young children, and I love learning from her. Over to Alice: Two kinds of suffering When [...]
Posted in God and suffering - Our Story on Nov 6th, 2012
I have had the pleasure of knowing Nick Parish since university days. His writing at that time was limited to the CU newsletters (which were surprisingly entertaining, as I recall). He is someone who always makes me see God afresh, genuinely cares for others and writes with a whimsical self-deprecating sense of humour. This combination [...]
Posted in Five minute Friday, Spirituality and discipleship on Sep 28th, 2012
I remember his tiny fingers, all tightly curled around my one; the instinct of infancy, the comfort reflex. He held on because he didn’t know how not to hold on. ****** A year and a few months on, he toddles towards the door excitedly, then daunted by the new faces he retreats [...]
Posted in Spirituality and discipleship on Aug 29th, 2012
I was in a church service, worshipping God. The preacher stopped, and said, ‘there are some here whom God is calling to mission. If you think that’s you, then come to the front.’ My spirit leapt within me as soon as I heard those words, my heart bursting with love for God and a [...]
I am sitting outside in the garden, watching my boy. Being outside is always a mixed blessing. I LOVE getting outside the house and having some sunshine, but it is always more physically demanding, and I have to be very careful not to overdo it. Basically, I go outside, and then pray that my [...]
Posted in Five minute Friday, Life on Mar 30th, 2012
This is my ‘Five minute Friday’, inspired by Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama. The idea is that you write for five minutes flat on a topic, without worrying about whether it’s right or not. Check out others’ interesting 5-minute posts on the topic here. This is my best five minutes on: Gift GO I am [...]
It was Saturday, the evening before Mothering Sunday and I was chatting to my husband as we ate dinner. We were discussing the Mothers’ Day tradition of handing out posies of flowers to all women at church. “I really don’t think it’s a good idea,” I explained. “I worry that the positives about giving [...]
