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At Least
There are many ‘at least(s)’ flying around. ‘At least you don’t live alone’ ‘At least you don’t have a pre-existing condition’ ‘At least you still get paid’ Of course, all these may be true. Some of us are more privileged than others, that can be recognised without minimising struggle. Because whether you’re self-isolating, social distancing,…
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Words for Worrying Times
In the uncertainty and fear, The panic and the path ahead unclear. Breathe in for seven, Breathe out for eleven. It’s okay to be unsure and frightened. And yet. Philippians 4.6 used to be my least favourite verse, it felt patronising, heaped shame upon pain. But then I learned that anxiety isn’t a sin, it’s…
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Ash Wednesday Reflections: Rend Your Heart
It’s one of those phrases that I’ve heard countless times – usually around this time of year – “rend your heart”. But what does that really mean to rend your heart? The word rend literally means to “tear something into pieces”, to “separate into parts with violence”. This is not gently pulling away from something…
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Holding Out Hope
Whether or not you’ve ever watched anything that the late Caroline Flack presented, it’s unlikely that you won’t have heard that over the weekend, Caroline died by suicide. News of her death has filled column inches, clickbait articles and provoked debate around everything from the existence of shows such as “Love Island”, to press intrusion,…
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Breaking the Mould by Jules Middleton: Book Review
As someone still early on in the journey of motherhood and my own multi-hyphenated job title, I was intrigued to read Jules Middleton’s reflections on life as a “ministry mum” ordained with the Church of England and leading a church on the south coast. “Breaking the Mould” is part memoir, part navigation guide for the…
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Cold Cups of Tea and Hiding in the Loo – An Honest Conversation About Motherhood
Before you become a Mum, you’re told lots of things: “Don’t rock the baby to sleep – it’s a rod for your own back” “Never let your baby use a dummy” “Breastfeeding is the most natural thing ever – it’s a breeze!” “You’ll never sleep again” But no matter how much advice (helpful or otherwise),…
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Advent Reflections – Birthing
I’ve never told my birth story publicly. It was far from the candle filled water birth I’d imagined – in fact it was the total opposite of what I’d hoped. Three types of induction, hooked up to monitors, pethidine and an epidural before my newborn was whisked away for observations and antibiotics. Within hours, I…
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Advent Reflections – Journeying
Throughout the Bible, God’s people are on the move, and God seems to do much of His work in people through their journeys. Abraham’s journey to Canaan. The Israelites protracted journey to the Promised Land. Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem in the months before Jesus’ birth. We can but imagine the maelstrom of emotions…
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Advent Reflections Week Two – Accepting
When I decided to use the carmelite themes to reflect this advent, it was this word accepting that captivated and confused me in equal measure. For me at least, it conjures the concept of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ famous five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and at last, acceptance. It’s the pinnacle stage in this…
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Advent Reflections Week One – Waiting
This year for advent, I’m going to reflect each week on the Carmelite themes of Advent; waiting, accepting, journeying and birthing. Having read about them in author Sarah Bessey’s advent reflections, it struck me that they sound to me like stages of grief and lament and so I want to explore. Our emotional lives don’t…
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Rachael Newham 