Our Sisters … are remembered in prayer

I love Ignatian Prayer and have heard God speak to me clearly through the practice. I get to have a conversation with God about a Bible passage. Depending on His reply, I may feel comforted, challenged or further confused. In which case, I continue talking with Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to direct me until I have some answers. Through Ignatian Prayer I had some clear direction as I wrote my next book ‘Our Sisters’.

Our Sisters … it’s time to celebrate

I’m jubilant; I just submitted my completed manuscript for Our Sisters, about persecuted #women in and from Pakistan, to my publisher. Woohoo!

It took a little under two years to complete, is 71,543 words long, and spans 138 Word document pages. It includes #interviews with activists, campaigners, journalists, pastors, and girls and women directly affected by oppression. I can’t wait to introduce them to you.

Our Sisters aren't finished yet

Our Sisters … aren’t finished yet

When does summer end and autumn begin? I lit a candle today, so it feels like autumn has arrived, even though I was basking in the summer sun in Spain only two weeks ago. This weekend, it’s supposed to be getting hot again. Although I love the sun, I also want to know what weather to expect when I wake up. Have you started wearing socks again? Why do we like to have clear distinctions between times and seasons?

Now that autumn has plausibly arrived, the deadline for my book manuscript is looming. I had planned on …

Finding the fear Christian Architecture Jesus is not my boyfriend

Cathedrals and Christian Architecture

Not all of us have an ornate catholic church just around the corner to visit, but while living in Belgium, I am fortunate to have such a building nearby. I spent an icy couple of hours sitting in it during January, sacrificing my comfort for the sake of this website and my readers, trying to reap the benefits of a highly decorated church to increase my fear and reverence of God and, it worked!

Wise men cross a dark desert on camels seeking God's direction

Learning from the wisest, how to find direction for our lives

The advice I’m about to share is inspired by the story of the wise men found in Matthew’s gospel in the Bible. It’s an account many of us know well, thanks to its inclusion in the Birth of Jesus narrative and countless school nativity plays. Honestly, though, it’s a bizarre story which leaves me with as many questions as answers. Still, I am convinced that the mysterious wise men have much to teach us about following God’s direction in our lives. It doesn’t require us to follow a star (although that would be fun!)

Worshippers at the Royal Albert Hall sing hymns

Singing Hymns

I am determined to develop a fuller understanding of who God is and know him better. In light of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the fighting between Israel and Hamas, I am in desperate need of a mighty God who can act to end suffering and conflict. A cuddly God is not enough for me right now. I wonder if you might feel the same way. Almost everyone I have spoken with recently fears for the future, and I long to bring them hope. Can singing hymns help me do this?