A couple of months ago, Mark Pierson (pastor, worship curator, writer, and generally lovely person) wrote this travel reflection on Facebook. I’m sharing it with his permission because it starts with everyday nuisances and ends with profound insights. Read till the end if you are interested in work/not-work balance, the state of the Christian Church, […]
In November 2015 my family moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to work with the NGO Partners Relief & Development, to help bring free, full lives to children affected by conflict and oppression, particularly people in and from Myanmar (Burma). Two months in, hereâs the third of a short series of updates on what life is like here. You […]
This is the final post from guest writer Chris Chamberlain. See the whole series list here. We must be careful how we read Scripture What I would call a âZionistâ reading of Scripture seems to take a verse with no regard for its context, and apply it to the modern State of Israel. This is […]
A very warm welcome to guest poster Chris Chamberlain. Chris grew up in Timaru and West Auckland. Â He has been in Baptist church pastoral leadership roles for over 20 years in exciting places like the South Islandâs West Coast and central Christchurch. Â Experiencing the destructive forces of the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquakes has introduced him to […]
Just a little post prompted by a quote: Cry, the Beloved Country is one of my favourite and most formative books. I read this quote from it today at the beginning of a collection of photographs and stories, Displaced Reflections, by Oddny Gumaer, cofounder of Partners Relief & Development. You can see more on this book here, her second […]
The story starts here, if you want to read the three posts in order. Here’s the thing: we’re not saying no one should ever wear a bikini, nor that my toddler should never see anyone in one. We’re saying that using women wearing bikinis and prancing (I checked the dictionary definition to be sure that was […]
Update: I’ve been getting my complain on! For my early correspondence with Air New Zealand and the Advertising Standards Authority, click through to this update, and for Air New Zealand’s flabbergasting response to my ASA complaint, head here. I wrote most of this post a few days ago on a plane. I was flying home from […]
If you’re planning to fly with littlies soon, let me be the first to say ‘Bon voyage!’ You’re in for a treat. For one thing, you get to visit friends and family (or fabulous wonders) in far-flung places, so that’s awesome. For another, you are doing it without being stuck below-decks for three months on […]
I did not turn 30 recently. But my friend Nicola did! Nicola Burrows is a coffee-drinking, book-loving associate pastor, a group fitness instructor and dance enthusiast. She’s also the inventor of the 30-olution list, which she’s introducing us to today. Welcome, Nic! I donât remember when it all started, but my friends and I have […]
We’ve just returned to Wellington after two months in the United Kingdom spending time with family and friends. One of the many blessings of a long trip away from home is the space for planning and reflecting, while still distant. I spent some time while in the UK thinking about how I want to spend […]