People often ask me how I can stand it as an extrovert – being housebound and unable to see friends very much. One answer is that I just have to – so that’s how I stand it. But another answer is ‘the Internet’. I started blogging when my brain energy was just good enough […]
Tag Archives | silence
Speak, Lord
You would think it would be easy to be in the here-and-now when you are housebound. My ‘here’ is very comfortable: lemon walls, white cupboards, two pillows on my bed, the birds starting to sing for morning. Spring is tentatively tiptoeing in, bruised by all the snow and rain. But the ‘there’ creeps in too. […]
Plugging holes in my theology of suffering {guest post}
I’m delighted to have Amy Young over at my place this week. Amy is American and has lived and worked in China for more than 15 years. Every time I read Amy’s blog I feel energised and excited – her enthusiasm for God and life spills over onto the page. This is her God and […]
A cry for help {guest post}
Something a little different for today’s God and Suffering story: a friend from church sent me a ‘stream of consciousness’ post, very journal-like, written in a time of depression a few months ago. He described it as both a prayer and: “articulate crying, with the same therapeutic value as actually weeping.” It is so raw […]
When God’s love language is serving
I don’t remember when it was – perhaps four or six months after the birth. I remember the place – sitting across from Jon, my arms on the big oak dining table, eating a tired dinner with tears. “Why aren’t you mad at God?” I asked him. “You are going through all of this, just […]
My troubled marriage
What do you do when you can’t hear God’s voice? I write this from a place of frustration. Someone asked me the other day how my relationship with God was going. I said it felt like I was in a troubled marriage – I keep turning up for the dates, but the mealtimes are strained […]
Discovering the Absence of God {guest post}
Alastair Roberts is a PhD student (Theology) at Durham University. I really appreciate his thoughtful approach to pretty much everything and his encyclopaedic Biblical knowledge. (If there’s ever a Bible passage you’re stuck on, do ask him what he thinks – his perspective is always helpful.) I’m delighted that he’s sharing his story here. At […]
On becoming an honorary introvert
I have a confession: I am an extravert. Let me paint you a picture of a typical dinner with friends at our house. My introvert husband gets the dinner ready. I say, ‘Now, don’t just stay silent the whole time like you usually do, you need to make an effort.’ Jon reluctantly acquiesces. Then the […]