[Part 2, Chapter 14] My sister came to visit us years ago when we lived in Sydney. Janet and heights have never been good friends. It’s possible my brother and I may have had something to do with a number of Janet’s childhood fears. We had planned a city centre day trip where Centrepoint Tower […]
[Part 2, Chapter 13] “Good boy, Peter.” Sadly, that’s me talking. It started off as a joke. Well, I thought it did. In hindsight, it was more of a quip. In honest reflection, it was an expression of insecurity. “Good boy, Peter.” I’d say it after having done a job that wasn’t verbally commented on. […]
[Part 2, Chapter 12] In ancient times, uncharted territory was sometimes referred to as the place of monsters or dragons. Perhaps modern life is no different. Scully: On the old mariner maps, the cartographers would designate unexplored territories by simply writing, “Here Be Monsters”. Mulder: I’ve seen the same thing on maps of New York City. (The […]
[Part 2, Chapter 11] Our biggest fear is we’re not good enough, not loved, unaccepted. That no one will like us. Consequently, the real drugs of choice are not substances, power, or material possessions. They are the manifestations. The real drugs of choice are approval, acceptance, recognition, and belonging. Whether we know it or not, […]
[Part 2, Chapter 10] Perhaps you’ve noticed many divine encounters are accompanied with “Fear not” or “Do not be afraid.” Divine encounters break in. In doing so, they challenge the way things are (or aren’t), bring change, and take us on a path as yet untravelled. For most of us, that leads to uncertainty. For […]
[Part 2, Chapter 9] To make up a word, Mary is a ponderer. She revels in pondering. But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” (Luke 1:29) Pondering is Mary’s depth. It is her weapon. To be sure, there is a pondering that can be a […]
[Part 2, Chapter 8] Mary is perplexed. Favour will do that to you. There is a bewilderment that goes hand in hand with favour. It sounds like this: Am I good enough? How can God’s love possibly include me? Is it true he loves me outside of my faith, faults, failures, and fears? What if […]