Thursday 24 April 2008

One year on

I went for a walk with Audrey yesterday and she reminded me that it was a year to the day since I told her I was giving up my job.

What has happened since then? Well, I have started this blog and kept it going, off and on.

I have had lots of counselling, from Lancaster University Counselling Service and the NHS.

I have started a business called Brook House Enterprises and produced three booklets about the lives of people who lived in Ingleton in the Victorian era.

I have also felt miserable a lot of the time and not understood what was going on in me and around me. But at the same time I have been exercising my faith to believe it was for my good and God's glory. Being depressed is hard to come to terms with, especially for a Christian.

This is because a lot of the messages you hear say "Rejoice in the Lord." It's like that silly smile that we used to wear in the 1970s which said "Smile God loves you". I never did like it.



But Audrey took me to Our Father's House in Lancaster on Sunday morning and during the sermon the preacher, Clive Corfield, said "The root of depression could be an orphan spirit." So I was first out for ministry and I am seeking to put into practice what Mark Stibbe says in his book "From orphans to heirs".

It's a long hard road, but I'll get there in the end. One year on, and I'm still not home yet. Why does it take so long?

Tuesday 15 April 2008

Making a better pot


I heard an interesting sermon on Sunday. It was about "Roles and Gifts" and that we should not get the two mixed up.

The illlustration that stayed with me was that of a competition to make the best pot. One person made just one good pot, while another made 50 pots and won. Why? Because the person learnt from each pot he/she made how to make a better one.

Yesterday I found this quote:

"The confidence to recover from error is not a personality trait; it is a learned skill."
Richard Sennett, The Craftsman 2008

Tuesday 1 April 2008

Internet Evangelism Day

One of the reasons I first started blogging was to use the internet as a way of reaching people for Jesus. I do hope my faith shines through, even in the darkest moments.

One of the things which pushed me blogwards was Internet Evangelism Day. It takes place on the last Sunday of this month (the 27th) and can take as much or as little time in your church service as you want.

Have a look at the link.