Sandwiched into the story of Esther are the thought provoking words, ‘For such a time as this.’ (Esther 4:14) Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, was encouraging Esther to be courageous and do the right thing by pleading for the king to spare the lives of the Jewish people, her own people. Mordecai makes reference to Esther becoming queen and that perhaps that was all part of God’s … Continue reading For Such A Time As This
Nervous butterflies filled my stomach as I quickly checked the clock and then squeezed the rest of my practical and precious belongings into eight suitcases. A mixture of lightweight, summery clothes and shoes, not really suitable for the majority of the British seasons, took up most of the packing. This was followed by some favourite books, my journal, a cherished stuffed animal, some photo frames … Continue reading Eight Suitcases & Twelve Years Later
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy.” Psalm 96:11-12 I was recently walking along the outskirts of an industrial estate, as our car mechanic has his shop there. Our car needed its annual … Continue reading God’s Beauty Even On An Industrial Estate
Sometimes, I can read the Christmas story in the Bible, yet I don’t really take it all in. The beautiful story of God’s love, mercy, and goodness passes me by, and I can find myself distanced from the characters whom God chose to bring together that first Christmas so many years ago. I can almost be too sure of myself, feeling like I’ve already gone … Continue reading Breath Of Heaven
This post was originally published in April 2021 on our therapist’s website, Love Relations at: https://loverelations.co.uk/my-big-sibling-the-church-by-joy-a-mead/ For some time now, I have debated sharing this post on my personal blog. Through waiting, wondering, and praying I have realised that my main reason for not sharing was my strong fear of being judged by others, specifically by other Christians. However, the Holy Spirit gave me a … Continue reading My Big Sibling, The Church
This week, England experienced a heat wave and I have loved seeing our happy sunflowers delighting in the continuous sunshine! Having grown them from mere seeds in an egg carton, it’s so encouraging to see them shining out their joyful presence in our garden. With some of the dead flower heads removed, I have been drying them out to save the seeds for the next … Continue reading Garden Lessons – Part Two
I was scrolling through my old iPod (I say old iPod, because it’s usually sat in a drawer collecting dust, with the battery very low, and I haven’t updated it since I was living stateside eleven years ago!) and I was listening to songs that I had long forgotten from all those years ago. This third I will put into the fire; I will refine … Continue reading Whatever Is Of Worth
This week my daughter, Anna, wanted to draw a butterfly but was struggling to do a detailed drawing without looking at an image. That’s when I was reminded of the magnet on our fridge of the beautiful monarch butterfly. These delicate, orange and black beauties are some of the most lovely, little creatures and I remember being a girl myself, fascinated by seeing the clusters … Continue reading Healing In His Wings
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 This last week at bedtime, I’ve been asked the daily question, “Mummy, how many more days until my birthday?” Our excited boy just couldn’t hardly wait for a big slice of chocolate cake and the anticipation of presents. The long awaited day … Continue reading A Time To Pause & Celebrate – Part 2
Scattered pieces of ceramic lay all over my kitchen floor. Within seconds, I had a clumsy moment of taking out a jar from an already overpacked cupboard. In the process, I knocked a bottle off the shelf, which perfectly landed on the plate below on the counter. You get the idea! Just like that, I lost another plate! It’s not the first time I’ve had … Continue reading Beauty In The Broken Pieces
Joy A. Mead 