Introduction
I’ve changed.
I’m not the person I once was.
In my twenties I was primarily focused on my purpose. My goal was to discover why God had given me the gifts, skills, personality and opportunities I had been given. I wanted to ensure that I wanted to ensure that I lived from a sense of calling, that I was clear about my assignment and that I was moving forward with a clear sense of purpose.
In my thirties my focus began to shift… Read More »
Many years ago, before I was a Christian, at a time when I was chasing money and essentially living for myself, I would often say to my wife that I wanted what her mother had. Life hadn’t dealt her a great hand, yet she was by far the happiest person I knew.
She had a peace and joy that were painfully lacking in my own life. Where did they come from? Read More »
It’s ‘impossible to read without encountering hope’.
I was so thrilled by these words! They were written by one of the very first people to read my novel – a dear, retired pastor friend who I had nervously approached to endorse the book. His words now appear inside The Healing, and on its back cover, and I was thrilled because they highlighted the message I wanted the book to convey… Read More »
Last Monday, it was International Women’s Day where we celebrated half of the world’s population. Today is Mothering Sunday and/or Mother’s Day, whichever you prefer. As an actual woman, it felt pretty good having two days devoted to me in a seven-day period. As a freelance writer, pre-Covid, I used to spend a fair chunk … Read more …
Last week, my three-year-old grand-daughter was turned away at the nursery school gate because someone had tested positive for coronavirus. The situation was explained carefully and kindly to her, and she said, ‘OK.’ But on the way home she commented dolefully to my son, ‘Daddy, I like school.’ She was missing learning and meeting friends, … Read more …
Over the last year, many of us who are parents have been more up-close and personal with our children than ever before. Often it has been a real challenge, particularly with home-schooling, and I think we are all more grateful to teachers now than we were before! We are also more aware of our spiritual … Read more …
Dr Stephen Critchlow is a consultant psychiatrist and author. He is married with five adult daughters and lives in Northern Ireland. Over the last several years Stephen has travelled extensively giving talks on mental health and spiritual issues. He is the author of two books… Read More »
‘Children are resilient.’ How many times have we heard this said about the fallout from divorce or separation? But in saying this, are we minimising God’s order in creation? Are we saying it’s not really that important for children to grow up with two parents, mum and dad, who both have equal but different roles … Read more …
There’s a scene playing in my mind. It’s been coming and going for a while now. The setting is a wood in springtime, a classic fairytale style wood. Wild and leafy, the green air is alive with birdsong and flecks of pale sunlight, and deep through its heart runs a beaten track. Enter an old … Read more …
Whenever I speak publicly about porn, I tend to get two kinds of people who want to speak to me afterwards. One is people who are struggling in that area themselves, and the other is people who are desperate for someone to help them talk to their teenager about porn. It’s not an easy conversation … Read more …
