I remember when I was given a “proper” Bible. I was about thirteen and the Gideons had come round to my school, handing out pocket New Testaments in the NIV translation. I don’t think I really read it at that time, aside from when we were covering Mark’s Gospel in RE class, but I have […]
When The Unquiet Hours Depart
June 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment
When the unquiet hours depart And far away their tumults cease, Within the twilight of the heart We bathe in peace, are stilled with peace. The fire that slew us through the day For angry deed or sin of sense Now is the star and homeward ray To us who bow in penitence. We kiss […]
Benefits of Bipolar
June 22, 2012 by 3 Comments
I honestly thought I would never in my life write that there are any benefits to being bipolar. The very worst times of my life have been when I have been unwell, and my life has been forever changed because of my illness. Now, some ten years since diagnosis, I have come to a position of wellness. […]
Spiritual Sticking Plasters
June 21, 2012 by 1 Comment
There are times when we (and I mean we, I include myself in this) use Christian terms, concepts and Scriptures as a spiritual sticking plaster on a very big wound. There are times when we over-simplify complicated issues, slap a verse on it from a topical index in our minds, and think we have solved the […]
The Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20)
June 11, 2012 by 7 Comments
There are not many accounts in the Bible of people self-harming and this story, in Mark 5:1-20 of a possessed man living in the tombs, whose encounter with Christ led to a complete change in his life, has always caught my attention. I would like to tackle this a couple of ways. Firstly I would […]
Jesus of the Scars
June 9, 2012 by 1 Comment
This is a poem by Edward Shillito (1872-1948) which, as a recovering self-injurer, has special meaning to me: Jesus of the Scars If we have never sought, we seek Thee now; Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars; We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow; We must have Thee, O Jesus […]
Honouring My Parents
June 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment
A theme running through the Bible, both Old and New Testaments is that of honouring our parents. There are times when we all face difficulty doing this, and I know that I have difficulty here both normally, and also during periods of mental ill-health. The Bible specifically says “honour your father and mother” seven times, […]
Getting Some (Christian) Education
May 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I want to be more fully immersed in my faith. I don’t know whether it is a feature of my bipolar but I am very much an all-or-nothing sort of person. I either want to spend all my time doing something, or not do it at all; the idea of having a faith but doing […]
Sin, Truth and Me
May 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I am a sinner. I have done many things wrong in my life. I have sinned against my neighbour and against my God. We are all sinners. The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Rom 3:23) Every last one of us has failed God in some way, […]
Review: “Does God Want Me Well?”
May 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
“Does God Want Me Well?” is part of the Discovery Series Bible Study published by Discovery House Publishers in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2002. I picked it up at a Christian bookshop, and it is now amazingly cheap on Amazon as I suspect it is out of print! Never mind, I’ll review it anyway as […]
Believer's Brain 