Advent begins in the dark. Not the cosy darkness softened by fairy lights and carols, but the kind the people of Israel knew well—long waiting, heavy oppression, unanswered prayers, and the aching silence of heaven. Scripture tells us, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2). That promise was spoken into… Continue reading Advent in a dark world

When you meant this year to savour the slow, unhurried journey of Advent…but instead found yourself late one evening, boys in tow, visiting five different supermarkets because December snuck up on you, and suddenly it was the 4th and the traditional chocolate Advent calendars for the boys still weren’t sorted. Was it more for the… Continue reading Advent fun

In this season of Advent, in the waiting, God is here with us. He promises us His In Romans 15:13, Paul writes to a longing, fractured church - a people struggling to hold their hope. And he says: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him..."… Continue reading Advent

At Athletics Day, Oscar lined up with his special needs classmates for their race. The rest of the school heartily cheering them on. And in that moment, watching him run, I felt that strange, holy mixture of emotions that can make your heat ache in the middle of the sparkle. Proud and heartbroken all at… Continue reading Advent – The ache in the sparkle

Advent begins with waiting. This waiting is not passive or wishful, but rather a steady expectation that God is drawing near. As it says in the Psalms: “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.” Psalm 130:5 In Hebrew, this waiting is qavah - to wait… Continue reading Advent – Hope woven in the waiting

Given I park my car in the Sky City carpark when in city for work, I’m quite used to rushing past the base of the Sky Tower. Rarely glancing up. Today though, with school holidays on, I noticed families and groups of children all looking up. Taking in the height of the sky tower. That… Continue reading Look up

One thing I’ve learnt by raising a child with special needs is that when a child hovering on the edge of their threshold they needs us. They can’t regulate by themselves. They regulate through our calm. Our bodies are powerful signals. When we slow our breath, lower our voice, and steady our presence, we’re telling… Continue reading Borrowed calm

It started as a casual decision- to pop in after dinner and stand at the back of the hall to see my son’s performance at a church event. Nothing dramatic, just another ordinary evening with the usual busyness of family life. But as it turns out, “ordinary” doesn’t always stay that way. We showed up… Continue reading Double Portion

In the heart of the CBD, where the noise of the traffic, the rush of people, and the rhythm of meetings and coffee runs never seems to stop, I found myself stepping through the archway of St Patrick’s Cathedral. Instantly, everything changed. The moment I walked inside, the noise faded. The air cooler. The light… Continue reading Amongst the noise

The other night, I had a dream. In it, I was singing to God — a simple worship song. The line repeated in my dream was: “God loves me. God loves me. God loves me. He is healing, He is love, He is peace, He is grace.” I woke with the words still echoing in… Continue reading Because He first loved me