Preparing the Way for Joy
We wait. We yearn. We long. Sometimes we pine for the familiar of days gone by. Other times we thirst for the novelty of desires not yet fulfilled. Our longings are usually that restless space in time where emptiness and expectancy oddly co-exist. Where patience is tested and perseverance is summoned. Where the futility of […]
Finding Comfort on Unsteady Feet
“I’ve been meaning to ask if you’d like to come up for Christmas?” I blurt out the question mid-conversation. “I mean, it will be really hot, and there is always the chance of a cyclone this time of year. A small chance, I think. But still. Anyway. I’m pet-sitting this cat. And there are always […]
Can You Find the Gifts?
A Google search of Christmas crafts for kindergarteners left me laughing to myself. I don’t think my Papua New Guinea students would feel very connected to paper snowflakes, cotton ball snowmen, and red-nosed reindeer clothespin crafts. Unlike in my passport country, here the Christmas season falls during the hottest part of the year. Instead of […]
Opposite World
I pop my headphones in and head to my favorite spot in my host city to get some exercise. Often this space is shared with nearby friends; we catch up and hear about each other’s lives as we trek round and round the 1.2 km track. Thanks to a WhatsApp audio call, this morning I […]
This Month’s Theme: Comfort and Joy
“O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy; O tidings of comfort and joy.” — “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” As the calendar turns to December, comfort might be the last thing we are feeling. Longing to be with family. Wanting traditions that root us. Seeking joy in the midst of busyness. In this […]