Welcome to the web site for Joy Johnson, also known as Mandy Baker Johnson. Following her passing, this site is now archived.
I have an announcement….. I am winding down my MandyBakerJohnson blog. I’ve enjoyed writing it for the last few years but it is time to move on to new things. ...
The Heart that Heals by Patsy Burnette is a Bible study guide written out of Patsy’s pain and heartache over losing her teenage sister Ginger. It is a very gent...
This afternoon a dear friend came to visit. We haven’t seen each other for a year and it was good to catch-up. We ate chocolate biscuits, drank tea and chatted....
As soon as I saw today’s Lent word – present – this post came to mind. Living with post traumatic stress (PTSD) and related mental health issues often means a f...
Today’s Lent word, weighed, reminded me of a cold night when I was volunteering with a Christian charity working with women in the sex industry. I was on the ou...
I love reading and hearing stories of people who’ve been through extraordinary experiences. Two of my ‘go to’ books when I’m feeling low are Corrie ten Boom’s T...
It’s that time of year again and I am taking part in Rethink Church’s Lent word-a-day challenge. Sometimes it will be a photo on Scamper’s Adventures blog and o...
I enjoyed reading Love Beyond by Heidi Baumgartner, of how God has used her to bring His love to the women working in Soho’s red light district for the past thi...
I’ve just had one of those moments. Christmas. Emmanuel. God with us. God with us. That means something. This is not all there is. (Thank God.) This year has be...
I enjoyed reading the Lucy Butterfly series by Heather Cursham, which are intriguing fantasy adventure stories. They reminded me of CS Lewis’ Narnia series. Luc...
When I’m surrounded by rush and stress, Do this, go there, see to that, don’t forget…. My heart thumps, breathing gets shallow, head in a spin. Draw a deep brea...
Apologies for having gone a bit quiet on here lately. There’s a lot going on personally and I haven’t felt up to blogging. But my childhood-teddy-friend Scamper...
Motherless nineteen-year-old Ava has always believed brilliant botanist Theo Gage to be her father. But when a chance discovery reveals she is not his daughter,...
I’m absolutely delighted to be part of a brand new book that has just been released: New Life: Reflections for Lent. Conceived by the committee of the Associati...
Paul writes verse 1 of Philippians 2 as if it’s a done deal: If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, an...
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy… In Christ there is affection and...
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy…. To participate is to be involve...
To continue my thoughts in Philippians 2…. The next part of verse 1 reads: ‘So if there is… any comfort from love,…’ When I was a little girl, the Love is… card...
Isn’t it funny how one thing leads to another? In June 2016, I went to the ACW weekend at Scargill House with a half-formed resolution to write the homework set...
We all have a tendency to wear a mask. There is a need to hide who we really are. Maybe we have been badly hurt by someone we trusted in the past. Or perhaps we...
Undivided Heart by Lucy Mills is a thoughtful book based on a verse from Psalm 86 in which the psalmist prays: ‘… give me an undivided heart…’ In the first half...
Back in August, I read an online article by John Piper that challenged me with the words Philippians 2 would change my life. It’s a chapter I’ve tended to avoid...
I’d been looking forward to the second of Annie Try’s books in the Dr Mike Lewis series and I wasn’t disappointed. Out of Silence gripped me from the first page...
There was complete silence as she entered the pastel-painted room. She was aware of two pairs of eyes following her as she sat in the upright chair angled towar...
Challenging, exhilarating, faith-raising, adventure-stirring, full of ouch moments. Ordinary Miracles: Mess, Meals and Meeting Jesus in Unexpected Places by Chr...
Words, words, words. As wordsmiths, we dabble, we play, we agonise, we yearn over the tools of our trade. When we speak, our tongues can drip poison and hurt pe...
I sat on the stairs on Tuesday feeling grumpy. It had been a long, busy and frustrating day at work, and my back was aching. Lord, I know I haven’t spent time w...
Why do we write? Is the world a better place because our words are in it? I want to encourage us to be the best we can be in whatever genre we favour. King Solo...
I was knocked out by some familiar words this afternoon: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE to men on whom His FAVOUR rests. Luke 2:14 Every Christ...
When my friend Elizabeth and I went away earlier this year for a prayer retreat, we started our week by writing a list of things for which to thank God. These c...
This novel on child sex trafficking in Cambodia is written in three parts. The first section focuses on Lydia, an English woman in the year 2036. She reminisces...
There is an Arab proverb that says something along the lines of if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go with others. I think it applies t...
What a powerful book. It drew me in from the first page. The storyline covers very difficult issues: domestic violence, loss of a child, mental illness. But the...
‘God loves you.’ I taught it every week. But did I really know it? Sure, He forgave me; was He just being kind? I thought the Father didn’t like me. That Jesus ...
I loved The Girl at the End of the Road. I completely forgot I was reading, which is the type of book I like best. It’s a true page-turner and keeps you guessin...
This is seven real-life stories of people who became refugees and sought asylum in the UK. They are written in the individuals’ voices and edited by Dave Smith ...
Last Wednesday I went to a dance as worship evening. I’d signed up for it a few weeks previously, then had a minor panic: ‘What have I done? This is my worst ni...
The Search for Home is the true story of Beatrice Smith who was ten-years-old when the troubles between the Hutus and Tutsis broke out in Rwanda in the 1990s. S...
Sometimes I jump for joy, that Jesus Christ is God and died for me. Sometimes full of wonder, how can the very author of life die? What sacrifice for me…. He to...
May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 Hope is vital. Ad...
When Jesus woke up on Maundy Thursday, I wonder what was His first thought? He knew that day was going to bring His last meal with His closest friends, betrayal...
On Sunday 18th October 2009 my life changed forever. A few months earlier, Adi and I had started going to Grace Church. One of the things I loved about Grace w...
Two people have been on my mind today, both of whom participated in the first Easter. Simon Peter was one of Jesus’ closest friends. I like Peter. He frequently...
As soon as I saw the Lent word prompt for today I thought of the verse in Colossians that urges us to ‘set your minds on things that are above, not on things th...
When staying in a hotel, I enjoy following the delicious smell of frying bacon and freshly brewed coffee wafting from the breakfast room. Road signs can sometim...
For years I struggled to sing the worship song Blessed be Your name by Matt Redman. I’ve discovered I’m not alone in this. It takes the words that Job, a man in...
When I told Adi that I had a blog post to write on the word prompt ‘voice’ he laughed. ‘Well that shouldn’t be a problem for you, should it? The problem is gett...
More and more, I’m coming to the conclusion that believing God is the most important thing we can do. It’s more than believing on Him – for salvation. Or believ...
When I stop and think that the Creator of the universe listens to me when I talk to Him, wow. It’s beyond comprehension! I’m so small and insignificant; He says...
We sometimes say that there’s nothing like a breath of fresh air, usually if we’re in a room that is stuffy and hot, or if we’ve been really busy. To have a bre...
Your light is brighter than the sun in noon-day strength. In You, I see Light. I’m a child of light. You’re changing me from glory to glory – whoop whoop!...
I loved this new book by Annie Try. The first chapter reminded me of a cross between Emma Donoghue’s The Room and John Grisham’s A Time to Kill. A chilling even...
Light is most clearly seen when darkness is at its darkest. The darkest day in history was one Friday a couple of thousand years ago in the Middle East. A young...
This is the last will and testament of me, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Son of Man and Son of God. I give to all who will believe in my name the right to become ch...
When I was a young teenager my then church joined up with a church in Derby for a joint youth camp on the Gower Peninsula in south Wales. The Derby youth group ...
I heard a lovely quote the other day: ‘Jesus is the Good News.’ The gospel (good news) is a person: Jesus. Jesus is the One I love and adore. He is my magnifice...
I attended a women’s conference Outrageously Loved on Saturday. I’d gone expectant to meet with God and for Him to meet with me. And wow, I was not disappointed...
We were on our way to the ACW weekend at Scargill House. I had picked up my friend Helen in good time that morning and we talked non-stop as I drove north on th...
Seven years ago, I had a chronic illness that was worsening despite the best efforts of the medical profession. I wondered if I was in the valley of the shadow ...
Joyful is today’s word for the Lent word-a-day challenge. Joyful? I don’t feel joyful. It’s awful seeing terror attacks anywhere but when it’s on your turf it’s...
‘Go’ is a small word with potentially explosive results. It’s like the ripple effect of tossing a pebble in a lake. Naaman was told by the prophet to go and was...
I was a scared, wimpy sort of child. Almost as far back as I can remember, I was afraid. In the days when petrol stations closed on bank holidays (yes, I’m that...
You have made the seasons: winter, summer, autumn and spring. I live them each day of the year; praying for a heat wave (of which we Brits have had enough after...
I’m a grandma! Almost as soon as they got married, Ruth was with child. The baby arrived last night. Oh I’m so happy! And Naomi, you’d think he was her firstbor...
Oh thank You Lord! Thank You! Boaz spoke with Jethro at the town gate this morning. Jethro, for whatever reason, isn’t able to marry Ruth. So, in front of a quo...
Boaz burst into the house this morning in such a state! I’ve rarely seen him like this. He had been working late threshing the grain and decided to sleep in the...
I am praying hard for Boaz. He is off his food and seems preoccupied. The harvest is good this year and the farm is going well; I think the trouble is with his ...
I admire that young Ruth. Naomi told me that Ruth insisted on leaving her own country to come with her mother-in-law. It seems that Ruth, too, has put her faith...
Years have passed since I last wrote in my journal. Boaz is a grown man now, and taken over the family farm. He isn’t married, says he is waiting for the right ...
I’ve loved looking at Rahab’s life these last few days. She was a ‘woman of the night’ who sold sex to men. Someone it would be easy to look down upon, but God ...
So much has happened in the last couple of years that I’ve had no time for writing. We moved about eighteen miles south of Jericho to a delightful little town c...
Elizabeth and Jonathan couldn’t have been happier or more welcoming when their son Salmon married me. They have been so kind, knowing what I was and where I cam...
It’s only in these last few months since God rescued me from Jericho that I feel I’ve truly lived. I’m still in awe that He would let me become one of His peopl...
My family and I could have easily felt out of place in this Israelite camp, but they have all been so welcoming. One family in particular has been very friendly...
What a week. I don’t quite know what to make of it, really. At least we’re all safe and together, me and my family. Not long after the spies escaped, we saw the...
Two men came to my house yesterday. That’s not unusual in my line of business. I’d been watching them from my bedroom window; I felt certain they were up to som...
This is my 300th blog post! If not for Adi, this would never have happened. He persuaded me to start blogging, back in October 2008. It took me a while to settl...
You saw me in my childhood, Lost, alone, sullied, rejected. And You gave me full acceptance. You saw me on the street corner, Beautiful, empty, desolate. And Yo...
I’ve always known that what I was doing was wrong, but I loved the way Jesus accepted me. He didn’t push me away or condemn. It seemed the most natural thing in...
That encounter with Jesus intrigued me. I couldn’t get the way He’d treated me out of my head. There was definitely something different about Him, but I couldn’...
The strangest thing happened yesterday . I’m still reeling from it. Did I imagine it? No, I feel different, I look different. Oh wow, this is amazing. I went to...
And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn…, since no one [will] buy their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fancy clothes and silk, scen...
I’m excited about this devotional book by Tim Keller and Sam Allberry. Each short chapter gives the Bible text for the day followed by a few helpful notes. The ...
Homeless people are human. You may think that is obvious but at one time they were invisible to me. They first came on my radar when I read John Grisham’s The S...
I’ve just watched a disturbing film I, Daniel Blake. It’s based on true stories, and reminded me of things I’ve seen and heard – and experienced personally to a...
If you’ve ever wondered what life with a gambling addiction looks like, wonder no more. In this easy-to-read book, Ian shares his incredible story of how what s...
I’ve been pondering on how life and ministry can feel like driving on a motorway. Traffic is moving, things are good, you can be alongside the same vehicles for...
Do you believe that your ability to write is a gift from God? This belief has been a long process for me. I never really dared to believe it for myself until ve...
I want to walk on water in 2017. No, I haven’t gone mad. This desire is based on the occasion when Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, climbed out of a boat in the ...
What an exciting (but exhausting) adventure was NaNoWriMo last month! I had a fantastic time writing my 50,000 words in less than 30 days, and learned a lot dur...
I had one of those eureka moments in church the other Sunday. The speaker said that in the original language Paul used when he wrote to the Ephesian church, we ...
Ever heard of NaNoWriMo? It stands for National Novel Writing Month. That happens to be this month: November. The idea is to write 50,000 words between 1st and ...
Interacting with animals is one of life’s good gifts. (Warning: this is a post that only animal lovers will truly appreciate!) My guinea pig Pickles used to lov...
This book has so much that would appeal to eight to twelve year old readers. Set in the fictional African country of Rwendigo, the main character is young Kiisa...
Blogging over at More Than Writers today, the home of the Association of Christian Writer’s blog: Adi and I honeymooned in the north of England one chilly May. ...
For most of my adult life there was a wide gulf between prostitutes in the Bible and the ones I saw working on the streets of Nottingham. Those in my city are o...
‘Samuela nooo!’ My ima’s heartrending screams filled my ears as the tall soldier dragged me away. I stumbled along beside him, unable to see through my tears, u...
I got quite excited when I saw Five Minute Friday’s word for this week: Five. I immediately scribbled ideas of everything I could think of in five minutes to d...
[They] came to request a message from the Lord. They sat down in front of me to wait for His reply. Yesterday, I read these words written by the prophet Ezekiel...
Yesterday I treated myself to a day in Derbyshire. Just me and Jesus. I wanted to take time out to be with Him, to listen and see what He would say. On the driv...
Do you like bargains? Some people are fab bargain hunters, I’m not normally one of them. But today I am. 10ofThose are doing a one-off promotion of the new ESV ...
Six years ago this autumn, I received a termination letter from my (then) employers. The letter wasn’t a shock. I’d spent most of the previous ten months off wo...
Life is like a path, you never know what’s around the next bend. It leads through dark valleys and takes you to exhilarating mountain-tops. It can be scary, not...
‘What’s the first thing that comes into your head when I say the word loyal?’ I asked Adi. ‘Dog.’ Strangely enough, it was the first word that came into my head...
Happiness is sprawled on the sofa reading a good book, nibbling goodies and drinking something nice, Having a date day with God to enjoy His presence, Looking r...
When [my daughter] was a baby I used to carry her with her head on my chest and I would breathe in her baby smell and I remember offering her to another family ...
You see the things I try to hide – Attitudes and what I really think and feel, old guilt, past shame, a held grudge; hurts and wounds that can never heal? Thing...
We shuffled into our hotel room with relief, dumping our bags in a corner. I headed for the bathroom to fill the kettle; I’d been looking forward to this cup of...
I loved making up stories with my teddies and dolls when I was little. I even created a family made from empty toilet rolls at one stage. My imagination was fer...
Give Your love of justice to Theresa May, O God, and righteousness to her Cabinet. Help them govern UK citizens in a right way; let the poor be treated fairly. ...
God built a perfect world for people to enjoy, But Eve and Adam’s in-built pride sent everything awry. Noah built an ark and kept his family safe, Job built his...
Can I write? Should I write? Why am I bothering, it’s all been said before. Who do I think I am? I can’t do this, I’m wasting my time…. After a decade of writer...
I gazed at the television screen in awe. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Everyone else in the surgical theatre – and there were a few – was tuned out as I drank...
You may have woken up today rejoicing at the outcome of yesterday’s vote. Or maybe you are disappointed and wondering what on earth is going to happen now. To b...
This wasn’t supposed to happen. How did I end up here? I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, my face deadpan, counting in my head until he had finished. He ...
Did you know that a group of writers is called a worship? That’s what was happening at Scargill House last weekend. A bunch of people worshiping. Many of us hav...
There was a time when Jesus the man jumped and skipped with ecstatic, exuberant joy. He had sent out seventy two of His friends on a mission trip. He told them ...
You’ll recall that I blogged every day through Lent as part of a word-a-day challenge by Rethink Church. Some of my friends journaled every day and one lady who...
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him....
How will knowing who I am in Christ affect things? Worship Knowing I am a child of God frees me from being self-absorbed. Magnifying Jesus (focusing on Him) put...
We are made to live in freedom. I get upset when I see animals and birds in cages, whether in a home or in a zoo. They are meant to be free. Before God began se...
Earlier this month, my friend Elizabeth and I went on holiday to the wilds of Norfolk. Without wanting to sound super-spiritual or boring, one of our favourite ...
Jogging by the sea this week, I loved observing the oyster catchers unite to fly in a group. Seeing the odd one was nice but nothing out of the ordinary. But as...
When I first thought God might be calling me to be a writer, I was excited: a childhood dream come true! But it didn’t take long for doubt to set in, and those ...
Lord, I want to be wholehearted. I hardly ever have been in the past, it’s tough when you don’t have much confidence. You think you’ll do something and then you...
‘Write these sums down and do them for homework. Hand them in next lesson.’ Thirty-odd eleven-year-olds dutifully scribbled the sums into our homework books. I ...
Oh son, I love you so much! You delight my heart and bring me joy. Being with you dad, is just the best thing ever. You’re awesome! Let’s create more, just like...
He’s alive! Whoop, whoop, whoop! He’s alive and I’ve seen Him! Let me calm myself and start at the beginning. Friday was the worst day ever. I saw Him die and t...
Open to Me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter throug...
It was a path on which a donkey trod. Palm branches and coats were strewn along it, the Jewish equivalent of a red carpet for a king. Less than a week later, th...
Needs are different to wants. Wants are luxuries. Needs are necessary. A few years ago I was in the Gulf on a work trip. Travelling between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain...
I’ve been thinking about a father and son, and a garden, and rejection. You couldn’t get a closer relationship anywhere than Jesus and His Dad. Always together,...
The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with Moses, and proclaimed the name of the Lord: ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and ...
Thanks, God, for: Tigers (can’t wait for the new earth when I can safely play with a tiger or two), Trains, Television. Holidays (in Hunstanton with Elizabeth),...
From the days of reading The Magic Faraway Tree to my teddies and dolls, I’ve loved books. Hard backs, paperbacks, smooth paper, pictures, no pictures. I love ’...
What do I have? A magnificent friend who adores me and can do anything. Since knowing Him, my life has changed almost beyond recognition. I’m not the woman I wa...
God makes promises to those He loves and calls some surprising people ‘beloved’: He grants sleep to His beloved. King Solomon was called beloved by God despite ...
Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about locusts. They are destructive pests, ruthless in devouring every green thing and leaving a land bare and desolate. I believe we...
Adi and I spent today in London. As always, there were lots of people around. A cheerful lady wrapped in a sleeping bag playing solitaire called out that she li...
There are things that God remembers and things that He chooses to forget. God remembers individuals. The Bible includes lists of names that make up family trees...
Paths are exciting. I love wandering off the beaten track, whether it be in woods or a city. Side paths can be so alluring, I wonder where this leads to... In L...
Adi and I have just been watching the documentary He named me Malala. It made me realise again how much I have for which to be thankful. I had an education. May...
I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen I will pray as long as I have breath! I’m sometimes tempted ...
God loved the world so much that He gave His only beloved Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus Himself gave that...
Surround: to be surrounded can be both good and bad. Jesus was surrounded by enemies on the cross. Not only human enemies: people who despised and mocked Him, p...
Jack, my rabbit, had oodles of personality. He had full range of the garden and ground floor of the house. He knew he wasn’t allowed upstairs but had a funny ha...
Me: ‘My word prompt today is silence.’ Adi: ‘Ha ha ha ha ha!’ I guess that tells you a lot about us…. I’m a typical woman, keen to use up my 20,000 words a day....
God sent Jesus to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has se...
God sent Jesus to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has se...
It’s Mother’s Day. I think I prefer the phrase Mothering Sunday. There are many who ‘mother’ without ever having the official title. If we use it as a verb, the...
‘Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.’ Your love for me is steadfast; You’re not moody, And You don’t get cross over petty things (like slow d...
Help is defined as making it easier or possible for someone to do something by offering them your services or resources. Jesus promised His first disciples that...
I’m being challenged by the verse ‘the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power‘. I come from a belief system that was good at talking about God but ...
Jesus told stories about lost things being found. A sheep strayed away from the flock and got lost. The shepherd went looking for it. When he found it, he broug...
‘As God is my witness….’ People sometimes say that to assert their innocence or to show they really mean what they are about to say. God is their witness. He is...
There are a couple of occasions that I remember being really thirsty. The first was when I had my wisdom teeth out under a general anaesthetic in hospital. My g...
I celebrate You, Jesus, I exult in You because You’re worthy of praise. You saw me in my mess, and lifted me out of a pit. You set my feet on solid ground, and ...
For years I didn’t believe God healed today. Now I do. For years, I didn’t see miracles so I didn’t think God did them any more. But stories like the one I’m ab...
Can you believe we’re on day seventeen through Lent? Today’s word prompt is SEE. This reminded me of a prophet in the Bible called Elisha. Syria was at war with...
Martin and Gracia Burnham were kidnapped by terrorists and held in the Philippine jungle for more than a year. Hours before their captivity ended, they chatted ...
Shelter conjures up so many images: A refuge for vulnerable people. Somewhere unwanted animals can be cared for: cat and dog home, donkey sanctuary…. An umbrell...
Almost seventeen years ago, Adi and I entered a covenant of marriage. We made each other promises in our wedding vows that we would stick together through tough...
The crazy generosity of God astonishes me. Talk about reckless love! Jesus willingly died so that I could be adopted by the Father, who is so dedicated to bring...
My piggies’ favourite thing in the world was to play in long grass on a sunny day. The second they heard me moving their run to a fresh patch in the back garden...
What do you live for? What’s your motivation? It might be family or your career or cats. Jesus came to raise our expectations. He invites us to abundant life. W...
It’s day ten of Lent and the word prompt is LOVE. It reminded me of the verse that talks about keeping ourselves in the love of God, probably because I’m trying...
It’s day ten of Lent and the word prompt is LOVE. It reminded me of the verse that talks about keeping ourselves in the love of God, probably because I’m trying...
Today’s Lenten word prompt is REFUGE. One of my favourite authors as a child was Patricia St John. Actually, I still enjoy her books! Her book Star of Light tel...
Day eight’s word prompt for Lent is MIGHTY. For me, the word mighty conjures up mountains, high seas, a knight in armour, a white charger snorting for battle. A...
Day seven of blogging through Lent: GO. ‘What’s the first thing that comes into your head when I say “go“?’ I asked Adi, whose birthday is today. 21 again (plu...
Today’s word prompt is SETTLE. Settle immediately brought to mind the American pioneers of the 1840s and later, forever moving west in search of richer land and...
Day five’s word prompt for blogging through Lent is CELEBRATE. I’m celebrating my Father’s love. It makes me jump and sing and dance and twirl and shout. I am l...
The word prompt for day four of blogging through Lent is INJUSTICE. It’s not fair! My life was a mess. I had a tough childhood, things were done to me, and as I...
Day three’s word prompt for blogging through Lent is: LOOK. I’m one of those people who can’t see for looking, who frequently misses the obvious. I’ve lost tra...
Day two of my blogging through Lent on VOICE. There’s nothing quite like cuddling a brand new baby only a few hours old. This is my friends’ gorgeous little son...
Rethinkchurch has suggested a photo challenge for each day of Lent, using set words as prompts. Some of my Facebook friends and I thought it would be fun to ada...
Today’s Five Minute Friday prompt is: QUIET. On The One Show this evening, they did a clip on whether or not singing lullabies to babies really does help in g...
Today the Five Minute Friday community is writing on TIME for five minutes. START What a start to 2016 – the sad news that David Bowie, Alan Rickman, and the ma...
What if Jesus were to take you for a walk along the beach and make you an offer? ‘Give Me your heart, and you will gain Me.’ What would you do? Last summer, th...
Merry Christmas – enjoy the video below 🙂 Used with permission...
After far too long a break, I’m back writing with the Five Minute Friday community! Today we’re writing for five minutes on the topic reflect. GO Watching The A...
While paying for a Christmas gift yesterday, I heard a voice I recognised from the adjacent till. My head jerked up as I checked whether I was correct. I was. ‘...
On Sundays Ron was usually at the church door, waiting to welcome people with a firm handshake and shy smile. He worked wonders with the old boiler, knowing jus...
I love watching gymnastics. Last weekend were the finals of the world gymnastics championships in Glasgow. Danell Leyva, representing the USA, stepped up to the...
Jesus, You are my rock. Waves may beat around me but I am secure on the rock. Howling winds may come against me, but I shall not be moved, as You give me streng...
… it meant sitting in the sessions weighing up my fellow writers. If they were already published, they were out of my league. If not yet published, were they as...
During the recent brief spell of hot weather, Adi and I headed for a department store and air-con. The lights in the store looked like wrapped Christmas gifts a...
Blogging at More Than Writers today: I’ve spent the last couple of days printing out seemingly endless copies of my manuscript and handing over my precious baby...
One of the many things I love about Jesus is the way He completely identifies Himself with me. Regardless of the cost to Himself, He has always been determined ...
Blogging at More Than Writers today: ‘The Lord supplies your needs, not your wants,’ was one of the refrains drilled into me by the Christian tradition in which...
Face down on the dusty carpet while Adi prayed for me to be freed from a spirit of hatred I realised I had no rights. I’d always known hating was wrong but I’d ...
This is the story of the thief on the cross by Colin S Smith. It is a short book based on part of Luke’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The book op...
This is my last post for six weeks. My church is having a forty day fast and depriving myself of social media, among other things, is my way of joining in. Face...
When I was little I received an illustrated children’s dictionary for Christmas. I enjoyed reading and loved writing stories, so my older brother thought it wou...
When I was small, my dad and uncle used to rent an allotment. They had a grapevine in one of the greenhouses. I didn’t like going in there because the glass was...
I love the film Father of the Bride with Steve Martin. A scene that has come to mind time and again this week is one where the father George buys his daughter A...
I rolled around on the floor laughing till my stomach ached. Adi looked on bemused. We were at a prayer meeting and there I was, belly-laughing on the floor. A ...
‘The Word became flesh and lived among us’ – what does that actually mean? Jesus became human and moved onto the estate. Jesus was once the single cell of a fer...
A minute felt like an hour, an hour like a day. A day seemed like an eternity. The nights were even longer – dark, lonely, slightly alien. When I was ill, time ...
I received an invitation to a party. Was it really meant for me? The people inviting me seemed certain they wanted me there. Not sure I should go, it’s not my t...
A friend recently blogged about her experience of a workman coming to the house, and it reminded me of a few traumas of my own. Like babbling nervously – as if ...
Four years ago, I didn’t know how to deal with the (completely flat) paving in this photo. The different coloured bricks were confusing: should I step over them...
Hood up and head down, he quickly checked the sign. Yes, he was in the right place. He slipped inside the double doors, hoping no one had seen him. Despite the ...
I will praise You enthusiastically, O Lord, for You rescued me and did not let my enemy triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed ...
Last year I felt like a building that was being taken apart for renovation. Everything I thought I believed was challenged; it was as though God was stripping m...
If I asked: ‘Who are you?’ how would you respond? I could give different answers depending on who I was talking to. I remember one Christmas when I was being in...
I love looking after my friends’ rabbits and guinea pigs when they go on holiday. Truffles the rabbit is a regular visitor at Hotel Mandy and stays for a few we...
Have you ever had one of those days? When everything that can go wrong does go wrong? I know what you mean… A few years ago I cooked for a summer mission team r...
Do you ever wonder if something is meant for you, whether you are important enough? I do. To give you an example, my church usually offers a ministry time durin...
I thoroughly enjoyed reading 1 Samuel For You by Tim Chester. The only downside was that because I was under time constraints to join this blog tour, I was unab...
This Home Office advert has reminded me of the reality that there are slaves in the UK (I don’t mean people working for minimum wage either but actual slaves). ...
A month after my eighteenth birthday, I qualified as a medical secretary and started working for an ENT surgeon. Mr G commanded quite a presence and I was somew...
I will be eternally grateful for stepping into Arnold Road Boys’ Club that night in 1984. Don Baker – one of the leaders – was just a regular guy. When I first ...
I’m joining Five Minute Friday again this week, which is where bloggers from all over the world write on a theme chosen by Lisa-Jo Baker for five minutes withou...
Every Friday, bloggers all over the world join Lisa-Jo Baker in writing for five minutes on a particular subject, without pausing to edit or self-critique our w...
I’ve been working this evening on the book I’m writing about my illness and healing/deliverance; I’m always amazed at how horrible the illness was and how the g...
Five Minute Friday is where bloggers from around the world write for five minutes flat on a topic chosen by Lisa-Jo Baker without stopping to edit or self-criti...
Five Minute Friday is where bloggers from around the world write for five minutes flat on a topic chosen by Lisa-Jo Baker without stopping to edit or self-criti...
Christ or Hitler? is a collection of stories – in loose chronological order – about the life of Wilhelm Busch, who was an evangelist and pastor during the Nazi ...
Rupert and his piggy pals, Bilbo, Nutmeg and Cocoa, were stuck in their hutch. Herself had decreed it, since the weather was rainy and windy. He could hear talk...
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stephen Witmer‘s book Eternity Changes Everything. He has a pleasant, chatty, easy-to-read writing style and his passion for his su...
I’ll just check one more time. Maybe there’s something I missed the first time around…. No, the cupboard’s empty. What am I going to do? There was nothing yeste...
Five Minute Friday is where bloggers from around the world write for five minutes flat on a topic chosen by Lisa-Jo Baker without stopping to edit or self-criti...
Five Minute Friday is where bloggers from around the world write for five minutes flat on a topic chosen by Lisa-Jo Baker without stopping to edit or self-criti...
The ACW committee had our annual retreat at the weekend. We converged on a Christian conference centre in Northampton for a full weekend of meetings, discussio...
Life in Christ by Jeremy Walker looks at what it means for someone to be ‘in Christ’. It is a relatively short book of 176 pages with eight chapters, each chapt...
O LORD, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up…. For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s ...
A few evenings ago I finally caught up with the Call the Midwife Christmas Special while simultaneously catching up with my (huge) ironing pile. It was good: pl...
I’ve sometimes thought it would be good to choose a meaningful word for the year. It seems better than making New Year’s resolutions because they usually get br...
It’s like the Queen leaving Parliament, To come to tea with me. It’s like the music of all the world Crammed onto a single CD. Can you imagine a mountain rang...
Five Minute Friday is where bloggers from around the world write for five minutes flat on a topic chosen by Lisa-Jo Baker without stopping to edit or self-criti...
A Hope Deferred by J Stephen Yuille tells of his and Alison’s twenty two year journey of struggling with infertility and of their eventual adoption of a little ...
It’s been a while since I’ve participated in Five Minute Friday. This is where bloggers from all over the world write for five minutes, without stopping to edit...
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Red Like Blood by Joe Coffey and Bob Bevington. There are eighteen chapters in the book, each considering a different aspect of gra...
We all want to be seen. No one enjoys being invisible. Even if you are an introvert, I guarantee you want to be noticed by someone. When you do a good job at wo...
Three Decades of Fertility: Ten Ordinary Women Surrender to the Creator and Embrace Life was a fascinating read. Each chapter is written by a different woman ...
When I first heard about the opportunity of joining this blog tour and reading Compassionate Jesus by Christopher W Bogosh, I was excited at the prospect of lea...
The Button Legacy by Ginger Marcinowski is a thoroughly enjoyable story covering three family generations. Set in New Brunswick, the story begins in the mid-195...
I love well-written Christian suspense thrillers – and Dog Tags by Heidi Glick did not disappoint. The story opens with the Knight, a serial killer brooding ove...
Every week I join with other writers around the world for #FiveMinuteFriday. This is where we write non-stop for five minutes on a topic chosen by Lisa-Jo Baker...
Life is not the easiest right now; a battle inside me is going on. A couple of weeks ago, in the middle of all my despair and doubt, I glanced out of the living...
Adrian and I are going through old paperwork at the moment, looking through cards and letters we’ve sent each other as well those other people have sent to us, ...
Singing is powerful. I never realised how powerful it is until I was ill three years ago. The only way to battle the darkness that sometimes threatened to eng...
Yielded Captive is a great title for this book: it took me captive! What a page turner, I just couldn’t put it down. I started reading it on the bus, having ...
Adrian and I saw Ludovic Einaudi at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham yesterday evening. It was excellent. I’d surprised Adrian with tickets for his birthd...
What a book! When it arrived in the post, I was surprised to discover it was all about modern-day slavery. Huh? But I was intrigued because it was written by...
I had the perfect big brother. If I fell over and hurt my knee or if any of the neighbourhood kids picked on me, he was there, ready to give me a hug and dry my...
Did you see Penguins – Spy in the Huddle on BBC1 recently? For three consecutive Monday evenings, I was mesmerised by these entertaining creatures. The docume...
I commited to reading To Walk or Stay by Lara Williams because of signing up for a blog tour; it’s not necessarily the kind of book I would choose to read. How...
I found this short interview clip with John Piper very helpful on the subject of infertility, including a precious promise that I’ve not come across before. So...
Hello, Lord God. You have taken a good long look at me, haven’t you? You know me inside and out and back to front. Whether I’m feet up with a glass of wine or r...
Good Mood, Bad Mood by Charles D Hodges MD is a useful and readable book on how to help people who feel sad or who suffer from depression. I would say it is in...
In my opinion, Suffering Well by Paul Grimmond is a vital book that every Christian should read. Paul has a very readable style that is accessible to readers a...
I watched Sir Trevor McDonald’s documentary ‘Inside Death Row’ last Thursday. It provided some disturbing insights into the reality of a life term meaning ‘lif...
Loving the Church: God’s people flourishing in God’s family by John Crotts is divided into two sections, the first looking at what God’s family is, and the seco...
Do you ever have nights when you can’t get to sleep, no matter how hard you try? I do. After yawning my head off all evening, I’ll go up to bed, and close my ...
But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, ‘The Lord is great!’ As for me, since...
Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles surround me – too many to count! My ...
I love New Year. I love that there are are 365 fresh new days ahead of me. For me, it’s a time to pause and take stock, before breathing in deep and jumping i...
I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as you, O Lord, well know. I have not kept the good news of your justice hi...
Like the majority of people in the UK, indeed in the Commonwealth, I’m delighted that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their first baby. People ...
You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand – you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings. The...
…’Who are you, Jesus?’ He is the great I AM who exists from eternity to eternity, and yet comes into our world and says, ‘I am the bread of life, the light of ...
Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols. O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for ...
I’m in Marseille right now meeting with my team-mates and unexpectedly found myself with a free morning so, since I’m leading Prayers on Friday, I thought it wo...
Our house is upside down at the moment. The lounge is echoey with bare walls and a minimum of furniture (we’ve taken the minimalist look to a new level!), the ...
Rejection is something every human being will suffer at some point in their lives; sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes it’s the little things that you don’t th...
We always said we would only decorate one room at a time. Which is obviously why we’ve chosen to decorate three all at once. Yes, we are in the middle of rede...
From the title The Yankee Officer and the Southern Belle, I did not expect a dry, over-spiritualised missionary biography, and I was not disappointed. It was a...
Is it less than a fortnight ago since the Olympics finished? Hard to believe. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the rhythmic gymnasts dancing gracefully about the...
Have you ever read Mary Norton’s stories about The Borrowers? In the second book, The Borrowers Afield, young Arrietty is enamoured of a new life outdoors: Aft...
My friend came round for a three hour marathon coffee and catch-up time yesterday. We had a great time together. One of the things she said struck a chord in ...
‘This was Meggie. Meggie, whom John had placed on so high a pedestal that it couldn’t be Ian who made a mere woman of her.’ I enjoyed reading Maureen Lang’s Be...
After uploading my last post on commitment, I came across this blog post by Tricia Goyer, who I follow on Twitter. We sometimes think that children will be fin...
I’ve just been catching up with Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford’s (I just love Nick and Margaret, don’t you?!) ‘The Town That Never Retired’ on BBC iPlayer. ...
A beautiful song from Ed Sheeran about the pain of miscarrying a little one....
I looked forward to reading Allan Harman’s new book Matthew Henry – His Life and Influence because I have used Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the whole Bible sin...
I used to think that people who claimed God healed today were full of emotional hype and was deeply skeptical of any healing stories I heard. That is, I was sk...
‘… it is the men who dream of Oregon. It is as though Heaven itself beckons them and we must all cross hell to get to it.’ Set across different centures, The S...
John Stott was both radical and gentle, as this new biography by Julia Cameron reveals. By the end of the book, you will want to call this great man of God ‘Un...
Do you ever get frustrated with salesmen who come knocking on your door at the most inopportune times, peddling their latest offers? I certainly do! Some frien...
This weekend has made me proud to be British. I’ve often thought that we’re not, generally speaking, very patriotic in Britain. We don’t seem to take pride in...
I recently came across this amazing pregnancy video which shows the development of a baby from conception to birth using the most spectacular images from Tor Co...
About halfway through the Lifeshapers course is the Holy Spirit night. After a time of worship, prayer partners team up to pray for course participants, and th...
Last autumn I enrolled on a Lifeshapers course at Grace Church. I was 99% confident that I didn’t have any issues that needed dealing with, I just wanted to do...
As One Devil to Another is an excellent and insightful debut book by Richard Platt. In similar style to C S Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, As One Devil To Anoth...
Watch this brave mum explain why she didn’t abort her baby....
Within 8 weeks the baby has a face, characteristics. It has all its internal organs. And its nervous system is already so developed that it can perform reflex a...
Being unable to have children can affect a woman in all sorts of ways. As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, I felt there was a sense of shame attached to...
The last conversations we have with loved ones are precious to us. In The Last Word, Wallace Benn unpacks Jesus’ last words before His death, from John’s Gospe...
We had to wait about twenty months on the IVF list. During that time I became skillful at suppressing my natural desires and hopes for children. I buried the ...
Shortly after it was confirmed that Adrian and I were unable to have children, we had my dad’s funeral. My mum, brother and me discussed and planned an order o...
‘Women, children and unbelievers to the lifeboats please!’ was John Harper’s compelling cry as Titanic went down by the head on that tragic night in April 1912....
This song is for all of our little ones whose strength failed before it really began, who even now are dancing around the Throne and singing like never before....
There was a definite see-sawing of emotions going on when Adrian and I were trying for a baby. At first, I was casual but hopeful about it. Then as each month...
When did I first become afraid of being unable to have children? In my early twenties, with no boyfriend on the horizon I had a very real fear of being ‘left o...
When I was fourteen or fifteen, I had endless conversations with my best friend at school about the kind of man we wanted to marry. Naturally, he had to have a...
From the Resurrection to His Return by Dr Don A Carson is a short book which is full of practical, sound advice. It has only five chapters which are centred a...
At choir practice this week, it dawned on me how much I love singing and harmonising (which sometimes sounds great and other times doesn’t) with friends. We’re...
The Heavenly Man is the inspirational and dramatic true story of Brother Yun. Since his conversion to Christ in his mid-teens, he has been no stranger to a lif...
Adrian and I watched The Reichenbach Fall, the last episode in the current series of Sherlock, at the weekend. Sherlock Holmes is an amazing, almost superhuman...
I’m renewing my acquaintance with What Katy Did by Susan M Coolidge at the moment. I’ve just reached the part where Katy falls out of the swing and injures her...
When I was at my writing group – Grace Writers – on Wednesday evening, one of my friends mentioned the power of words. And that got me thinking…. In my previou...
Have you ever stopped to consider how the universe could continue spinning when Jesus was an embryo? The Bible teaches that He spoke the world into being (Gene...
On 13th September this year a precious baby – a fourth daughter – was born to my friends. Sadly, little Amber had Edwards Syndrome. But this special little on...
One of the places Adrian and I visited in Bavaria was Coburg Fortress. It looked impressive, perched up high, looking down on all below. With its high, thick,...
Adrian and I visited good friends in the Franconian area of Bavaria (in Germany) last week. It was a fantastic week and we had a great time with them. They we...
It’s not ‘here comes the bride’ but Here Comes The Ride, another great Andi McConnell mystery by Lorena McCourtney. Andi becomes concerned for the strangely vu...
Author Lorena McCourtney was kind enough to send me a couple of books in her Andi McConnell mystery series recently. In Your Chariot Awaits, we are introduced ...
In my morning Quiet Times with the Lord this week I’ve been reading the end of Exodus. In chapter 31 God announced to Moses that He had chosen a man called Bez...
In this short but thought-provoking book, Helen Roseveare looks at the different ways we use the English word ‘enough’. As she explains in the prologue, ‘it is...
I woke up this morning rejoicing at how wonderful and powerful, how generous and, well, just plain nice God is. Psalm 30 expressed what I was feeling exactly: ...
When my friends Keren and Steve lost their precious little girl a few years ago, Keren’s mum Judy wrote this beautiful poem: O Natalie, Natalie the finality Her...
Earlier this year, I met Linda at my friends’ house. Ron and Una were celebrating their ruby wedding by having friends and family round for an an ‘open house’....
I’m reading one of John Piper‘s books at present: ‘A Sweet and Bitter Providence’, which is an exegesis on the book of Ruth in the Bible. This isn’t a book re...
Throughout the New Testament, whenever we read of Jesus in Heaven, we read of Him sitting down. Sitting in the place of authority and greatest honour – at the ...
A couple of weeks ago I spent the evening with my friends Andrew and Kay. We laughed together, shed a few tears together, and had a special time talking about ...
Guarding the Treasure by Linda Finlayson is a new release from Christian Focus Publications. It is part of the ‘Defenders of the Faith’ series for children. L...
Last Friday, I visited the Holocaust Centre near Laxton with Reindeer Writers, my local ACW writing group. As I walked from the car park to the centre, I enter...
I have just been speaking to my friend David, who lost his beloved mother a few days ago. He was particularly touched at her funeral, when he heard a precious m...
I think this interview with John Piper is very helpful on the question: what happens to infants who die? It can be a difficult, painful question for those of ...
After that terrible, thundery Friday afternoon on 12th May 2006 when I lost Two and Three (and consequently all hope of having children of my own), I turned to ...
Last year was the worst year of Bryony’s life. Last year was the best year of Bryony’s life. In a difficult situation, struggling with work and other issues, ...
If you enjoy Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, you will love Lorena McCourtney‘s American counterpart, Ivy Malone. As Ivy’s friend Mac says, ‘Ivy Malone, you’re t...
I have just read a heart-moving blog post by Mike Anderson, sharing four lessons he has learned from his precious new-born daughter, who is virtually blind. Mi...
I have just finished reading a complimentary copy of Reinventing Leona by Lynne Gentry in order to provide a review for Tyndale House. It is a pleasant story w...
Adrian recently found some unseen images of Tower Bridge in London being built. Since Tower Bridge is my second favourite bridge in the world (my favourite bei...
Ira Wagler‘s memories of Growing up Amish provide a fascinating insight into Amish life and culture. At times he comes across as slightly cynical, but he also ...
While reading Feminine Threads by Diana Lynn Severance I came across the story of Elizabeth Prentiss. She was a Victorian Christian lady who cared for the sick...
Feminine Threads: Women in the Tapestry of Christian History by Diana Lynn Severance is a brand-new release by Christian Focus Publications. It looks at women ...
I have recently read Why Pro-Life? by Randy Alcorn. It is a very well-written book explaining clearly and logically that unborn babies – from conception to bir...
Last weekend Grace Church went away together. We had a wonderful time, Stuart Bell (New Life Church, Lincoln) and our pastor Nick Sharp spoke, there were great...
When Tyndale House offered Two Wars by Nate Self as a free ebook recently, I very nearly did not bother to download it. While vaguely grateful for the men and ...
I love to sing. I look forward all week to meeting with my Grace family on a Sunday when we all sing out praises to God together. I find it easy to wake up in...
Are you looking forward to Heaven? Jesus wants us to look forward to it. He used positive language and colourful word pictures to show us something of how fan...
I think A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer is rather cleverly written, the story being anchored to the name of one of the main characters, Jericho ‘JT’ Tuck...
Christian Focus are running a contest from now until 30th May for you to win one of these two books: Enter now to have a chance of winning!...
I loved reading It Happens Every Spring by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer. The book is anchored around Patsy’s ‘Just As I Am’ tea rooms and beauty salon. T...
I was reading the latest Michael Connelly book this afternoon when I came across a piece of courtroom dialogue discussing the thickness of the human skull. Lik...
Let me tell you about a young woman I admire tremendously. I don’t actually know her, but I expect to meet her one day. Her name is Jessica, she’s married wit...
I was marking my young pupil’s Postal Bible Club papers a few days ago when I was struck by Jesus’ words to Mary Magdalene on the very first Easter Sunday morni...
I came across this great pro-life advert from Pampers via Twitter recently. You have to watch it, it’s great!...
Thicker than Blood by C J Darlington is a gripping story of selfishness, cowardice, regrets, temptation, guilt, manipulation, violence, forgiveness, love and gr...
Today I finished reading Derek Prime‘s The Ascension: The Shout of a King. It is a book full of Jesus. I was constantly drawn in by Derek’s writing style and ...
I’ve been contemplating how significant things often seem to happen to me in April. The best thing of all is that I became a Christian around April 1982 when I...
This short video by Pastor Mike in California gives three indisputable proofs of when life begins. Watch now....
Adrian and I were thrilled to celebrate my Uncle Les’ baptism with him yesterday. He has an amazing testimony of God’s faithfulness and his family’s prayerful ...
I read Influential Women by Wendy Virgo recently after Grace Church’s Terry and Wendy Virgo Weekend last month. Wendy spoke at Grace’s first ever ladies’ event...
Tracy’s Story ‘I knew what it was like to feel shame. I had deep secrets that I felt, if they were ever known, no one would love me or accept me. Unspeakable th...
I was challenged and excited reading No Well-Worn Paths by Terry Virgo. This book is autobiographical, describing all that comes out of his simple longing for ...
This morning I sat in the sunny garden, with the birds good-naturedly squabbling over the bird feeder, reading my Bible. I meditated on Isaiah chapters 43 and ...
Leota’s Garden by Francine Rivers is excellently written, with big issues cleverly interwoven with the story. It had me laughing, crying and staying up until 2...
It’s good to be back after a loooong break! I’ve had a tough year with migrainous vertigo leading to cerebellar ataxia but, praise God, I’ve been completely he...
Baptist Press report that adult stem cells have been used to restore the eyesight of 77% of patients who took part in a clinical trial. All of the patients wer...
Antonia Senior – writer, feminist and pro-choice activist – wrote a recent article in the Times stating her belief, following the birth of her daughter, that ‘a...
Brave words from JoAnne Cascia of New Jersey, America. At twenty six weeks’ gestation, her baby was diagnosed with thanatophoric skeletal dysplasia. This is a l...
Adrian and I had a wonderful time with Jubilee Church (NewFrontiers) this morning. The worship was really rousing. Many people were clapping or raising their ar...
This article about children hearing from the Holy Spirit and interceding for children is amazing. The truth of the words of Psalm 8 verse 2 (From the lips of ch...
Andrea Bocelli’s story is so encouraging, that his mum had the courage to have her baby despite difficult circumstances. Although opera singing may not be every...
Six years ago today my life was unwelcomely and irrevocably changed. Adrian and I were told that we would never have children naturally. The day before, my dad ...
As I was praying with a good friend from church on Monday evening this week, we specifically asked the Lord to heal me from the pain of losing Two and Three. Al...
A Christian called Robert Robinson had this inscribed on the gravestone of a child he had lost: Bold infidelity, turn pale and die, Beneath this stone an infant...
I’ve just come across this short except from a talk by Professor John Wyatt (Professor of Ethics and Perinatology at University College London and a specialist ...
The first child in the Bible to be named by God while he was still in the womb is Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar. His name is amazing. In Hebrew it is ...
It is God the Holy Spirit who gives physical (as well as spiritual) life. Psalm 104:30 says: ‘When You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew...
This article on storing up treasure in Heaven by John Piper is well worth a read. I think it can be applied not just to money and possessions, but to children ...
A friend has just shared with me that his little grandson Ethan was amazed when he saw his brand-new baby brother yesterday. Ethan exclaimed: ‘He has hands!’ ...
This time three years ago I lost Two and Three. I’d carried them for less than two weeks but I still loved them and prayed for them. The pain today is as real...
I’ve finally gotten around to doing some more research on Heaven and embyrology. I’m currently studying Heaven using Puritan preacher Richard Baxter’s book ‘Th...
I’ve just been reading a book containing stories of people who have become followers of Jesus Christ from other religions, and I’ve come across a wonderful stor...
On Wednesday I had the great privilege of hearing Ian McCormack tell how he was stung by a boxer jellyfish (100% deadly – most people die within 15-90 minutes),...
It’s both natural and biblical to want to meet each other again in Heaven. Dr Bavinck writes: …though it is true that the joy of heaven consists primarily in f...
There are so many things we have to look forward to when we leave this earth and are ‘present with the Lord’. Here are a few of them: We’ll have rest (Rev 14:1...
Saviour-siblings is the term referring to babies created specifically for their genetic material to help an older sibling with a serious illness. Tissue is tak...
I found out last week that during the second trimester, the foetus develops memory. Dr Simon Atkins in his book Make me a Baby reports that in a 1988 study, ba...
‘Begetting’ in the Bible means ‘conceiving’. Begetting describes the key role the father plays in reproducing – by ‘fathering’ he passes on genetic material to...
I’m researching when human life begins, looking at the uniqueness of human life and the fact that God knows each person from conception (even before conception!...