Bits’nBlogs #4

Who are the cheerleaders in your life?
It’s been a while… but it’s back!

I really value those who cheer me on in my life, and I thought I would quite like to be a cheerleader for some others too. So here is a selection of some of the best that I’ve come across lately.

Every single one of these is an excellent and thought-provoking story of a ‘woman of valour” (as a response to Proverbs 31). These are women who should definitely be praised at the gate.

If you enjoyed my ‘Hazardous faith’ story (Here she is. Send Her.) then do check out these others – I found them all fascinating.

You may recall in a previous post I mentioned a family with a baby who was ‘failing to thrive’ and was having to be fed with a feeding tube.  This is the mother of that baby, and her response to all this humbles my heart more than I can say. Her posts of late have been distilled, pure, heavenly wisdom – breathe deeply.

    Why things going wrong for us doesn’t mean we’ve fallen out of favour with God (and vice versa). I love Alece’s blog and her perspective on the hard stuff.

    “Gabriel knelt and not a feather stirred,
    The Word himself was waiting on her word.”
    Four poems based on the annunciation, visitation etc  – these are beautiful.

    “The kingdom of heaven is like a Greek dance.” Addie’s writing is on FIRE at the moment!

    This was an outstanding piece on how to talk to children about suffering.

    “Because depression can make the gospel seem like nonsense, and that is when I need it the most.” Great honesty and insight here.

    On writing and blogging:

    Amber Haines is doing a new series on Mondays on writing, which is not to be missed. She is so talented, this will be a masterclass. This particular class is just two paragraphs on her bed, and it is incredible. Seriously.

    Sarah brilliant, as ever. I found it really helpful to think of the three ‘genres’ of Christian blogs that Sarah identified. I’d love to know which you think mine is – I’m not sure myself!

    On M.E. and disability

    I am housebound but not bedbound with M.E. This short video is a moving portrayal of what life is like for someone bedbound with severe M.E. I would love it if you could watch it.

    If you are too unwell to work in the UK, then Atos will test your capability for work with a series of computer-generated questions, the notoriously unreliable Work Capability Assessment test. If you are deemed too ill to work (and bearing in mind that even those with terminal cancer have been proclaimed ‘fit for work’) then you are placed into one of two groups: the support group (where you are not compelled to do anything) or Work Related Activity Group (WRAG), which means that the governmennt think you are well enough to do work related activity (e.g. updating your CV, doing a refresher course or interview to prepare for work).   The government is now planning to introduce compulsory ‘work experience’ (which could be full-time) with the threat of withdrawing benefits if you don’t. Unlike those on Job Seekers Allowance, which has a time limit for ‘workfare’, there would be no time limit on this. So the government would like to take people who it has declared unfit for work, and compel them to work without pay for an unlimited time frame. The latter half of this article describes this process. I would be grateful if you could write to your MP to let them know what you think of these plans.

    Over to you:

    • What’s happening on your blog?
    • What’s the best thing you’ve read recently?

    6 Responses to Bits’nBlogs #4

    1. ed cyzewski 10th September, 2012 at 2:47 am #

      Thanks for linking up to the hazardous faith stories! There really were some fantastic posts. I also added a few late comers to the page.

      • Tanya 10th September, 2012 at 7:41 pm #

        You’re most welcome! It’s great that you inspired so many – hoping your book will continue to do so.

    2. Joanna 9th September, 2012 at 4:04 pm #

      Glad you liked the Malcolm Guite 🙂

      • Tanya 10th September, 2012 at 7:40 pm #

        Yes – thanks so much for the recommendation – much appreciated!

    3. Mia 9th September, 2012 at 3:16 pm #

      Dear Tanya
      What a special lady you are! You inspired me so when I started my own blog. I also write about our wonderful God and ME/FM; things that I experienced and received so much comfort from our Lord. I have just started a new poetry page on the blog and are planning to ask other poets to publish their poems on my blog to. Ladies, like you, Ann from Restoringmyspoul, Melanie from Blue Marble God and the 25%Group of ME/CFS sufferers have been such a gift from our Heavenly Father at those times I needed it most and really want to use this opportunity to bring tribute to all you dear ladies, all the ME/FM sufferers and their families that suffer with them. I sometimes think it is just as hard on them, for it has never been easy to see a loved one suffer without being able to relieve the pain. May God bless you and everything you write for you always bring joy to our hearts with your blog.
      Blessings
      Mia (hisnlovingembrace.wordpress.com)

      • Tanya 10th September, 2012 at 7:40 pm #

        Thanks Mia – I love poetry, so it’ll be exciting to see what’s on your blog!

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