tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45775313921068827202024-03-06T04:28:18.011+00:00new book//new chaptersWelcome! Thanks for stopping by.Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-59040702884213321442015-12-15T21:33:00.000+00:002015-12-15T21:33:13.847+00:00'Tis(n't always) the Season to be JollyChristmas is always hard for me. Even before dad, it seemed like Bad Things happened disproportionately often between late November and early January.<br>
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The thing that makes it hardest is that I really, <i style="font-weight: bold;">really</i> love Christmas, and I always have - but these days it makes me feel nervous, uneasy. There's always that nagging feeling that something terrible is about to happen. That, coupled with the little things that suddenly bring to mind all kinds of unwelcome memories of years gone by, mean it often doesn't feel like the most wonderful time of the year.<br>
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<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/12/tisnt-always-season-to-be-jolly.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-4492157491257508962015-11-12T18:50:00.001+00:002015-12-15T21:39:29.906+00:00Stop Stealing My Joy<div>
It’s safe to say it’s been a pretty intense week. </div>
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There’s been a whole lot of joy. The feeling when you're taking the first tentative steps into something new, even if you’re not quite certain what that something will be, just yet. The unshakeable sense that it's right, at least for now. The thinking about what’s next. </div>
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But oh, how quickly something else sneaks in to try and steal that joy. Filling my head and heart with lies - the worst kind, the kind with a grain of half-truth at the centre. Something that happened before - or that may have been true in the past - that can't be disputed, now being used to paint a picture of a bleak and hopeless future. Pressing me to forget all of the goodness, and instead to focus on the one thing that I'm really struggling with. The thing that I find much, much harder than I'd ever care to admit, even to myself.<br>
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</div><a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/11/stop-stealing-my-joy.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-26000352154730582662015-09-07T22:29:00.002+01:002015-11-21T23:11:43.727+00:00For the Odd-Coloured Days<i>Inspired by my good friend Joey’s <a href="http://rhythms.org/article/the-power-of-normal-stories/" target="_blank">blog over at Rhythms</a>, I’m taking a break from my usual type of post to start an important conversation. </i><br>
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<i>So, there’s something I’ve been meaning to say…</i><br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/09/for-odd-coloured-days.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-59227592462750324542015-08-05T14:56:00.000+01:002015-08-06T09:22:30.542+01:00Courage is Relative<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-end-of-old-book-or-how-i-came-to.html" target="_blank">"I know it's something God wants me to start living out, but often it's hard to know where to start."</a></span></span><br>
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Very nearly a year ago, my first post here talked a little bit about courage. About how I felt like it was time for me to start telling my story - but how that took a lot more bravery than I thought I had at the time.</span><br>
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What fascinates me most of all is that back then, my idea of brave was to write that bit of my story. Back then, honestly, that terrified me. And, if I'm being </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">really </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">honest, I still really struggle with making myself vulnerable. It just doesn't come naturally to me. Learning to have the courage to be vulnerable plays a huge part in what I've been learning lately, so I'll unpack what that means in more detail another day.</span><br>
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">The thing that's really struck me, though, as I've thought about my journey over this past year, is how much my concept of what counts as "brave" has changed. I'm doing things now that even thinking about doing twelve months ago would have had me paralysed in terror.</span><br>
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</div><a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/08/courage-is-relative.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-86935776973953053632015-08-04T18:37:00.000+01:002015-08-04T18:47:40.041+01:00Making Sense of the Chaos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"What has been will be again,</span></strong><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">what has been done will be done again;</span></strong><br>
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">there is nothing new under the sun"</span></strong></div>
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<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Zeph-3-17" style="color: #0b5394; font-size: xx-small;"><em><strong>(Ecclesiastes 1:9, NIV)</strong></em></span></span><br>
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Nor, it turns out, is there anything new in all of the posts I've been writing so far this year. </div>
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It's been one of those times, again, where everything's been a bit overwhelming. My 26 years of life so far have been a constant, steady stream of all-or-nothing, and this has definitely been one of the "all" times. So much has been going on at once, and I've barely had a spare moment to write any of it down. Things to do, things to read, people to meet, plans to make. Everything's felt new, fresh, exciting. </div>
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Except the funny thing is that, in all of the "newness", there really hasn't been anything new after all. <br>
</div></div><a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/08/making-sense-of-chaos.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-78141532972002079412015-06-29T14:01:00.000+01:002015-06-29T14:01:13.697+01:00Tipping PointHello! I'm back. Did you miss me?<br>
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Last time I shared here I wrote about the changing seasons: not just in the physical world around me, but in my own life as well. It turns out spring was a time to rest, and not write. Now summer's here, I have a sneaking suspicion that's all about to change.<br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/06/tipping-point.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-81003839057707926782015-03-13T17:03:00.002+00:002015-03-13T17:03:42.882+00:00Time OutEverything's been a bit quiet lately. <div>
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It hasn't been intentional; I've been working on quite a few ideas for posts. With all of them, it's the same problem: I'm managing the beginning and the middle just fine, but I can't get to grips with the ending. It's beyond frustrating for me, but I think I know why. I can't write the ending when I haven't worked out what it is yet. </div>
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The seasons are changing again. Winter is melting away and spring is sprouting up in its place - and not just in a literal sense. My priorities are shifting, and I'm catching glimpses of new things on the horizon. All of them exciting, some of them scary. Some new, getting my attention for the first time, and some old stuff from long, long ago, that's starting to make a bit more sense than it once did. </div>
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Nothing drastic, nothing that looks particularly dramatic from the outside. Just subtle shifts in my perspective, the way I think and where my attention is. But it feels like it's building, as if there's a gear-change coming. </div>
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It's interesting that it seems to be happening all over the place: my church is entering an exciting new season, and a lot of the blogging and social media spheres seem to be chattering away about the same things, too. There's lots of "newness" everywhere. It's looking like a season where God is clearly on the move <i>everywhere</i>. I can't even begin to articulate how exciting that is for me - that somehow, in some small way, I get to be a part of whatever He's got planned. </div>
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Hopefully, it won't be too long before I'm finding the endings, and I can go back to writing at my normal pace. I'm not going to force myself to post anything, just because I haven't for a month or so. I might, but I might not. I just don't know yet. </div>
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For now, I'll just enjoy the silence, and look forward to what's next. </div>
Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-66146919076664455622015-02-09T23:00:00.000+00:002015-02-12T09:22:26.612+00:00You Need Only to be Still<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"Moses answered the people,</span></strong><br>
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">'Do not be afraid. </span></strong><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Stand firm </span></strong><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">and you </span></strong><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">will </span></strong><br>
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">see the deliverance </span></strong><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">the Lord will bring you today. </span></strong><br>
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">The Egyptians you see today </span></strong><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">you will never see again. </span></strong><br>
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still</span></strong><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span class="text Zeph-3-17">.'"</span></span></strong></div>
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<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Zeph-3-17" style="color: #0b5394; font-size: xx-small;"><em><strong>(Exodus 14:13-14, NIV)</strong></em></span></span></div>
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For the past fortnight or so, I've felt like I've really been under attack. I notice (although not often quite in time) that it happens quite often when I step out, or press into, something I know I'm being called to do. This time was a bit different. This attack's been particularly vicious; right to what is probably the biggest gap in my armour. </div>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/02/you-need-only-to-be-still.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-33258330952129915682015-01-29T15:06:00.001+00:002015-01-29T16:12:19.876+00:00When the First Part of the Journey is RestI don't really like processing stuff.<br>
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This might come as a bit of a surprise to those of you that know me. I'm usually the one who's all "but you <i>need</i> to process. It's healthy. It'll do you more damage in the long run if you don't."<br>
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The one who's in the middle of learning how to help other people <i>do that very thing.</i><br>
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Yeah.<br>
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On the surface, it probably looks like I do process pretty well. The thing is, I <i>do</i>. But I do it when it suits me. When it feels comfortable, and not too risky.<br>
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Safe. Cosy.<br>
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Useless.<br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/01/rest.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-56747440123930071252015-01-13T15:03:00.000+00:002015-01-14T09:36:24.774+00:00Say the Word (Part I)Going into the new year, one thing I wanted to do was ask God for a word for me for 2015 <a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/01/high-resolution.html" target="_blank">[and I wrote a tiny bit more about that on New Year's Day</a>]. Just like last year, I got two. This year, they are <i>passion</i> and <i>restoration</i>.<br>
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I want to expand on both of them in time, but I don't think it's right to write anything about restoration, yet. Not so early on in the year. Anyway, I get the feeling that one's 100% down to God - and I'm happy to leave it to him. His plan will be <i>far</i> better than anything I have in mind, anyway. But I'm looking forward to telling the stories.<br>
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<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/01/say-word-part-i.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-21171822350575204322015-01-08T17:10:00.000+00:002015-01-29T14:22:54.447+00:00Back to the BenchSome of you might remember <a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-bench-by-lake.html" target="_blank">a post I wrote last year</a> about one of my favourite places to spend time: one particular bench in the park near where I work.<br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/01/BenchProject.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-66305733009194920272015-01-05T13:20:00.001+00:002015-01-05T14:05:49.296+00:00New Year, New Look New BooksI'm taking a quick break from my usual kind of posts to let you know about a couple of tweaks I've made to the blog over the Christmas break (Yep, I actually used <i>some</i> of my time productively!)<br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/01/new-year-new-look-new-books.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-62677435498606416662015-01-01T17:43:00.000+00:002015-01-11T17:13:17.685+00:00High ResolutionHappy New Year!<br>
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It's that time of year when everyone, everywhere seems to be chattering away about New Year's Resolutions. People promising that This Is The Year they will finally lose weight/exercise more/save more money/write that novel/learn the ukulele (delete as appropriate).<br>
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While all that might not be everybody's cup of tea, New Year's Day does always seem like a good time to think about the year ahead, and what might be to come.<br>
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<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2015/01/high-resolution.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-5077886757740621672014-12-31T14:07:00.000+00:002015-01-02T15:23:34.847+00:00Into the WildernessSeveral weeks ago, I started writing a post that I'd intended to share today as a kind of summing-up of the year. I never quite managed to finish it. Now, if I'm honest, I'm glad I didn't.<br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/12/NewYear.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-2211799981270451352014-12-11T17:39:00.000+00:002014-12-11T17:40:53.154+00:00Robbed of All the Good StuffI feel like I'm breaking the rules a little bit with this post. <br>
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<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/12/i-feel-like-im-breaking-rules-little.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-30852031715280401242014-11-21T12:48:00.002+00:002014-11-21T12:48:24.137+00:00Why I've Decided It's OK To Feel Festive in NovemberIt's that time of year again. <br>
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The nights are rapidly drawing in. Jack Frost has paid his first visit of the season, making the roads glisten and the pavements sparkle. The scent of bonfire smoke is dying away, and fireworks no longer (or at least rarely) illuminate the sky. Coke, John Lewis and now Sainsbury's have all started their battle for the crown of the best festive TV ad. The last remnants of autumn have fluttered away, making way for winter.<br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/11/why-ive-decided-its-ok-to-feel-festive.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-67985901433919468682014-11-14T23:30:00.001+00:002015-04-28T18:58:39.922+01:00When My Soul Needs RestThis week, I feel weary. Exhausted. I've come to the end of the week: a week full of busy-work and packed evenings. A week where I simply haven't had time to recharge. And it's taken its toll on me, physically and emotionally.<br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/11/when-my-soul-needs-rest.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0United Kingdom51.399205653553778 -1.9335937541.202551153553777 -22.58789075 61.59586015355378 18.72070325tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-75326214788085061512014-10-31T12:47:00.001+00:002014-11-05T12:31:42.383+00:00The Pursuit of Pursuit <div dir="ltr">
Over the past two days, I’ve arranged to spend time with a couple of very good friends at different times. I really looked forward to those times. It wasn’t because I wanted to talk to them about something specific, or I needed their help with something. It was simply because they’re my friends, and I love them, and I enjoy spending time with them. </div>
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And that really made me think. How often do I do that with God? How often do I set out to spend time with Him <i>just to spend time with Him? </i>Not very often. Certainly not as often as I’d like.</div>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-pursuit-of-pursuit.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-86381586595364849722014-10-20T23:39:00.000+01:002015-01-02T11:27:19.155+00:00Tears, Tantrums and Trusting (Part I) - Stop Dwelling in the Past<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Forget about what's happened;</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">don't keep going over old history. <br>Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new<br>It's bursting out! Don't you see it?<br><i style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;">(Isaiah 43:18-19, MSG)</i></span></div>
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I first had the idea for this mini-series of posts about two months ago, with a vague idea of the sort of thing it might be about, but nothing more. </div>
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I'm definitely in the middle of a season of learning, and one of the main things it's been teaching me is how to live in the moment. It's something that's kept coming up over and over recently, so I thought it was about time I sat up and paid attention. </div>
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This passage from Isaiah pretty much sums it up for me, and I particularly love the version in The Message - it packs a punch which, quite honestly, I need sometimes. </div>
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</div><a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/10/tears-tantrums-and-trusting-part-i-stop.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-59428472313056976262014-10-10T14:18:00.001+01:002014-10-10T14:19:29.917+01:00A Ball of Rubber BandsI know I haven't posted on here for a while.<br>
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Honestly, it's not because I've forgotten.<br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-ball-of-rubber-bands.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-64047737344173143802014-09-18T20:20:00.001+01:002015-01-11T16:53:47.911+00:00Fear, Peace and Singing: Week 1 of my Treasure Hunt<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"For the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> your God is living among you.</span></strong></div>
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<span class="indent-1"><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Zeph-3-17">He is a mighty saviour.</span></span></strong></span></div>
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<span class="text Zeph-3-17" style="color: #0b5394;"><strong>He will take delight in you with gladness.</strong></span></div>
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<span class="indent-1"><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Zeph-3-17">With his love, he will calm all your fears.</span></span></strong></span></div>
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<span class="indent-1"><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Zeph-3-17">He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." </span></span></strong></span></div>
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<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Zeph-3-17" style="color: #0b5394; font-size: xx-small;"><em><strong>(Zephaniah 3:17, NLT)</strong></em></span></span></div>
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I've had an interesting first week of the challenge I set myself (If you missed it, and therefore don't have a clue what I'm talking about, you can read the original post <a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/im-going-on-treasure-hunt-whos-coming.html" target="_blank">here</a>). <br>
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The first couple of days were reasonably uneventful – going to work, coming home and so on. It wasn't until Wednesday when the first thing that I'd call noteworthy happened. I was walking down the road on a break from work, and noticed a mother walking along the opposite side of the road with a pushchair. As I got closer, I could hear her singing to the child while she walked along.<br>
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As I thought more about it, I remembered that, somewhere in the Bible, it talked about God rejoicing over us with singing. I knew it was in there somewhere, although I couldn't remember exactly where. But at that moment I had a real-life illustration of what God does for every one of us. Because He loves us. <br>
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Then, that evening on my way home, I had a car accident. <br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/09/fear-peace-and-singing-week-1-of-my.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-76539583713957213762014-09-08T17:58:00.000+01:002014-09-08T17:58:17.746+01:00I'm Going on a Treasure Hunt – Who's Coming With Me?This weekend, I've spent more time than usual in church. Four services in total, rather than the usual one or two. All of them were very different in style: two at my home church, one "standard" service, one more casual; one high Anglican evensong; one Catholic mass.<br>
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In different ways, God spoke to me through all of them. <br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/09/im-going-on-treasure-hunt-whos-coming.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-3092472627202463022014-09-04T12:58:00.001+01:002015-01-05T10:35:59.369+00:00The Bench by the Lake<div dir="ltr">
It's September, and the new term has started. For me, this means a return to one of my favourite spots in the park near my office. A bench, by the side of a lake. </div>
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It's a bench that's come to mean a lot to me since the spring brought its warmth and I first started visiting. It's the spot I've come to countless times to pray, to listen. </div>
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Sitting back in that same spot yesterday, I found myself reflecting. Things are very different since the last time I was here, before the summer holidays.</div>
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<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-bench-by-lake.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577531392106882720.post-86844867669702514922014-08-17T16:00:00.000+01:002015-01-11T16:54:03.412+00:00The End of the Old Book (or How I Came to Have a Story to Tell)I'm never particularly comfortable talking about myself, or what's going on in my life. I always feel as though I'm being far too self-indulgent. I'm much happier listening to the tales other people tell about their lives: their joys and sadnesses, trials and triumphs. I love hearing people's stories. Understanding where they've come from, and how they've got to where they are. "What's your story?" is one of my favourite questions. <br>
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Just please don't make me talk about <em><u>me</u></em>.<br>
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For a while, though, I've felt that it was time I <i>did </i>answer that question, publicly, for myself. One problem: I<span style="font-family: inherit;"> haven't been brave enough. There are a lot of chapters in that old book, and I'm still not bold enough to tell the stories contained in all of them. I'm not sure
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">when – or if – that'll happen. But I think it's time for me to tell this one.</span><br>
<a href="http://newbooksnewchapters.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-end-of-old-book-or-how-i-came-to.html#more">Continue reading »</a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08056110089185159322noreply@blogger.com2