by Australian Christian women. Since September 2015

Watching “Love Actually” has become a Christmas tradition for many. Why? It mixes the rawly honest – a faithful sister who gives up her chance at love and the unfaithful husband who squanders love – with the improbably wonderful - the Prime Minister of Britain finds love with the tea girl. We love it because it shows the messiness of real family life but leaves us with hope. Each time I watch it there is one line which tears at my heart; Karen, a middle aged married woman car

(Read part 10 here) AS I PUT THE FINAL touches on this chapter, the year 2000 is washing over the planet. Through television we witness the world welcoming in a new millennium with endless fireworks and festivities. The global celebration also brings somber moments of reflection, as people everywhere consider ways to improve themselves and the quality of their lives. People resolve to exercise more, eat less, stop smoking, take vitamins, get organised, and spend more time w

(Read part 9 here) NO ONE WAS MORE surprised than I when I stood and cheered Linford Christie in the 1992 Olympics. Since then another runner has captivated my interest — an American woman whose running leaves Christie in the dust. Sara Pierrepont Edwards, wife of American theologian and preacher Jonathan Edwards, was a great theologian in her own right. They journeyed thirty-two years together in a marriage he described as “an uncommon union” and which was from the first d

The period from Christmas and New Year is an odd time of year. The build up to Christmas is often a bit crazy – getting ready for Christmas, buying presents, catching up with people we haven’t seen since last Christmas! Life reaches a crescendo of busy-ness which peaks on Christmas Day, and then we fall in a heap on Boxing Day (or soon after, if Christmas overflows into Boxing Day as it often does). After weeks of end-of-year get togethers, Christmas parties and other fest

(Read part 8 here) WHICH BRINGS US BACK to our earlier question: Is theology really important for women? The writer to the Hebrews answers with a resounding yes, perhaps more emphatically than we are prepared to hear. Abruptly and with a measure of exasperation, he halts his discussion and, like a well-informed surgeon general, stamps a glaring warning label on his letter — to warn us not of the dangers of theology but of the hazards of getting too little of it. I can’t help

Parenthood is a (presumably lifelong) state of wishing and hoping, what-ifs and wondering. It starts with pregnancy. What if something goes wrong? Let’s not tell anyone until we reach the “magic” three month mark. What sex will my baby be? Will I be a good parent? How much is labour going to hurt? After the birth of my son, I quickly discovered that this state only becomes more urgent. How do I stop this child from crying? What am I supposed to be doing now? Am I doing all th

I was born in Uganda and grew up there. I am currently studying Civil and Structural Engineering in Adelaide. I hope to do great thing with that degree such as helping communities. I have two wonderful siblings and beautiful parents as my greatest cheer leaders. What’s your favourite bible passage & why? Hmm, I guess it depends on the season of life that I find myself in though my constant ones would have to be Roman 8: 28 and 38. Knowing that all things work together for my

(Read part 7 here) THE SECOND SURPRISE, that the quality of my theology matters to others, was evident right from the start when friends would drop by my apartment for a late-night chat or meet me for coffee. Sooner or later, one of us would start talking about her troubles, and together we would work through how our theology related to the issues that were bothering us. Later, in marriage, my husband would need my theology for all sorts of situations that called for the be

[An example of the significance of humour: Moyra’s daughter had this t-shirt made after strangers looked uncomfortable with her extreme coughing in their vicinity, wondering what contagious plagues she was inflicting on them.] My friend Moyra is facing this Christmas with Stage IV lung cancer. When 'joy' and 'hope' are consumer slogans in shops, how can she articulate her experience of hope at this time? She should be the most hope-less person I know, but the contrary is true

Tell us a little about you I love Jesus, I'm a mum to 3 young beautiful and nutty children, married to my sweetheart Tim for nearly 13 years, I serve along side him in our church the Christian Family Centre in Adelaide where he is a pastor. I also happen to play the violin! Well actually Violin has been a rather huge part of my life ever since it captivated me at 4 & 1/2 years of age. I was a rambunctious, naughty and rather nutty child with parents who didn't know what to do