Colours of my life

  Today I experienced something that was both deeply saddening, profoundly moving and yet faith reaffirming. I attended the funeral of a little baby boy. While I didn’t know the family well, I felt it right to attend because my son Toby is friends at school with 2 of their sons. I haven’t attended many funerals in my life (2 in fact) and for both of these it was for elderly Grandparents who’d lived a very full life. For this little one, he had lived but 43 days, passing away the day before Father’s Day.   I can only imagine how great the pain is of those who lose a child. However, in the midst of this pain there was joy and hope; for this family had a hope in Jesus’ saving grace and his promise of eternal life with him in heaven. As the service began, a solo guitarist sang the wonderful Matt Redman song “10,000 Reasons”; a beautiful anthem of praise to our Heavenly Father. As I looked across and saw the Mother quietly mouth the words “Bless the Lord oh my soul” I couldn’t help...

  I have long admired the work of Vincent Van Gogh; his use of colour and texture has always given me pleasure and his subject matter has been of an engaging nature. However, it wasn’t until I saw his work in the flesh (so to speak) that my appreciation and love of him grew. I can recall quite vividly the first time I stumbled upon one of his most famous paintings. Up until that point, my exposure to art had been 6 years of study at school and a board game called ‘Masterpiece’ (which was a family favourite we often played on holidays). At school, I’d had the privilege of seeing exhibitions of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, both of which I enjoyed, but never Van Gogh. It was not until the first year of living in London with my family, that I unexpectedly came to behold his ‘Sunflowers’. I had been through several rooms of the gallery, when I realised that there was a growing number of paintings I recognised from the well-worn board game I had played many years previous. A growing ...

  If you had asked me 5 years ago, “What is mental health?” I would have given a vague answer that showed my ignorance; highlighting a subconscious idea that mental health held negative connotations. However, a growing awareness and education on this important part of well-being has shown me how little I knew.   While the experience of others has taught me, (and is still teaching me) that taking care of one’s thought life is extremely important and healthy; it was not until I began to explore what mental health meant in relation to pain management (concerning my back), that I have appreciated the value and importance of it.  For years I have struggled with bad back pain; to the point of which I lived on paracetamol and ibuprofen to get through the day. However, it was not until I started seeing a new Osteopath, that I began to have a new perspective.  The holistic approach to health encouraged me to examine more closely how I thought about pain, and consequently help...

 There is a saying in my family, “Those who are flexible are not easily broken”. Whenever life has dished out circumstances I didn’t anticipate, my natural instinct has been to react negatively; getting upset at the change of plan, or frustrated with the person who didn’t behave in a way I expected them to. So it has been a real challenge for me, to swallow the family motto and be a bit more flexible. Being flexible certainly has its perks. It enables you to encounter change of plans with grace and can be a real asset when needing to think open-mindedly or creatively about new things. However, our response to life’s curve balls and disappointments go a little deeper than just “being flexible”. It’s also about our expectations; the conscious or unconscious thoughts we’ve believed or held onto. It must be said that unrealistic expectations are a hidden snare on the pathway to contentment. Sometimes our unrealistic expectations are wrapped up in how we view God. Recently, I was talkin...

  I have always loved ‘doing up’ old things. There is something very satisfying about giving new life and love to something that was deemed worthless. Being a visual thinker, I can imagine what that old piece of furniture will look like when I take it from the side of the road and work some magic. I see potential, even when others do not.   My current project is a chair. What excited me most, was the possibility of doing a tapestry seat cover. I could see the finished product sitting in my living room and to this end I’ve been motivated. If you’ve ever done a tapestry, or seen one up close, you’ll know that the overall picture is made up of hundreds of connecting stitches. There are no gaps; every inch is filled with woven colour.  I like to begin a picture with the most interesting, colourful part. A place that will quickly show form and distinction. It’s exciting to piece together lots of different colours and have the instant gratification of seeing what your picture i...