Colours of my life

There are some seasons of life that we really didn’t ask for or seek out, that in turn throw up big questions to God, questions of “why me?”, “How did this happen?”, “How long is this going to be?”, “How can I face tomorrow?” And maybe alongside these questions are cries of desperation, fear and inadequacy. ”I don’t think I can do this anymore”, “I don’t know what to do next”, “I’m overcome by worry”. These were some of my cries and questions in a season of great fear and anxiety. For me, the circumstances that precipitated this season were centred around parenting teenagers. In every life stage of raising children, I have had many challenges, and each child has had their own particular one’s that needed nuanced wisdom and prayer. But the teen years for one of my kids was a curve ball I didn’t see coming, and when it hit, it was incredibly scary and painful. It affected the whole family, and as a mother I felt a lot of responsibility for what was happening. Home was supposed to be a sa...

The  second season I want to share is one of excitement and adventure. It wasn’t one free from challenge, for I was far from home and support, raising children who were very sensitive to change and dealing with the very normal challenges of the primary school years. But my overwhelming memory is one of excitement and delight. It began with my husband Chris who had for a very long time desired to live and work overseas and have a bit of an adventure. For the first 9 years of marriage, every time he raised the subject I was overwhelmed by fear. I couldn’t imagine leaving my family. After many years of living with simple means we were blessed with a year of plenty and the question was raised again…this time my anxiety was around spending a lot of money on something I was worried was frivolous. I was worried about what others would think of us, was this something a Christian should do. It was a time I really sought God out for wisdom and clarity. Never before had I had choice like this...

I was recently asked to give a talk on growing closer to God through different seasons of life. This blog is part one of a serialisation of my talk. In the coming weeks I’ll share the rest.  When thinking about how we grow closer to God in the different seasons of life, I feel very privileged to be asked to speak on this topic, for this is something I personally treasure. My journey in going deeper with God is uniquely personal and the ways in which I have grown, the approach that I have taken, the lessons God’s had for me and where I find myself now speaking to you today is only testament to God’s grace to me. He has proved faithful, even when I was so many times unfaithful. I am also a little hesitant about speaking on this, for the last thing I want to do is promote one way of devotional life, or one means of connecting with God, for their are no rights or wrongs. Each of you have your own journey, and will be at different points on that journey of growing in maturity. Some of y...

There is a running joke I have with my husband. Whenever we do something that is completely predictable, or on brand behaviour for someone we know well, we say with affectionate humour “Classic Peg!” (It’s a SNL skit that we’ve adopted). I get a ‘Classic Jo’ every time I forget to set a timer and end up burning food. There are some things I still do, even though past experience or sheer logic would teach me to change my ways. While it’s good to be able to laugh at oneself with someone who knows and loves you well, there are some things I do which are ‘Classic Jo!’, which I really do want to change. Personal makeovers are most certainly a long game, but effort alone isn’t the solution, there are some things that can only be changed by God, his truth and in his good time. When I was younger I erroneously thought I would have worked through all my issues and learned all I needed to know to do life well come middle age, but growing older has only meant encountering a whole new set of situ...

Recently I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a multi system chronic condition that is characterised by chronic widespread pain, extreme fatigue, brain fog, digestive complaints and depression. For a sufferer of Fibromyalgia, stress is a major driving force in exasperating symptoms. It is a lifelong condition (there is no cure) but with a range of therapeutic care, symptoms can be managed and even improved. It sounds like a lot, and it is. It has felt like I’d stumbled into a dimly lit tunnel filled with physical and psychological challenges coupled with medical puzzles that needed a large brains trust to solve. I’ve been in this tunnel a long time, but have now stepped into some sunlight. Rather than being completely devastated by this diagnosis, I felt a huge sense of relief, validation and overwhelming gratitude. For my persistent struggle with extreme fatigue, insomnia, digestive complaints, low moods and pain have for the past 7 years made me question my sanity, and doubt my capabil...

When it comes to raising teens, I’m becoming a seasoned traveller. The journey with them throughout high school is quite the emotional rollercoaster. With the desire to raise a young adult better prepared to face the demands of the adult world, it’s no small job to get them across the Year 12 finish line. In the 10 years I’ve had the privilege of parenting teens, I have observed there are some commonalities in the challenges they face. One being, that many young people desire the approval of their peers… standing out as different is something they avoid where possible. Another being, that grades and comparison to peers can become a personal definition of success or failure - no matter how much you tell them it is not. As a mother, I not only want to have words of wisdom for them, I also want to model to them what a life looks like that is shaped and defined by Christ and who I am in him. But here lies a struggle for me - the older I get the more I am aware of my weakness, sometimes to ...