He that is thy friend indeed, He will help thee in thy need: If thou sorrow, he will weep; If thou wake, he cannot sleep: Thus of every grief in heart He with thee doth bear a part. These are certain signs to know Faithful friend from flattering foe. William Shakespeare – The Passionate Pilgrim One of the focuses of…
I think this all started with a colouring book. But this isn’t just any old colouring book. It’s Jenny Lawson’s colouring book, a brave, hilarious and irreverent American writer and artist – seriously, if you’re sensitive to sweary language don’t read her stuff and don’t judge me for reading it either. Jenny has dedicated her book to her chronic anxiety…
This is a short liturgy designed for the parents who have lost a child through miscarriage. These words can be spoken together as a couple, on your own or with those close to you. It can be helpful to have someone lead you through this service, who can pray for you and support you as you acknowledge your loss, but…
There’s a Biblical truth I learnt about a few years ago that changed my life, it guides me, inspires me and gives me purpose and hope. It’s not something I’ve heard preached repeatedly from the front of church, I just found it one day, nestled in the chapter of a book, the words declaring grief as a precondition to joy….
Mother’s Day Runaways Service Saturday 25th March, 6pm, Lady Chapel, Liverpool Cathedral A service for those who normally avoid church on Mothering Sunday. The Mother’s Day Runaways service offers a safe space for those who find Mothering Sunday difficult. Whatever your story, whether you’re grieving the loss of a mother, the loss of a child, or a baby through miscarriage,…
I’m sat before Him, poised, ready to speak. I feel a tiny bit proud of myself, I mean, this is what I should be doing, this is what Christians do isn’t it? I open my mouth expectantly, knowing that after this I should feel better, at least that’s what I’ve heard. I go to speak, longing to find some kind…
As a Christian and a vicar’s wife there have been many moments over the past few years when I have wanted to walk away, to give up and reject my faith in Jesus. After six miscarriages and unexplained infertility it has taken years to believe again that prayer might actually work. I’ve sworn at God time and time again, I’ve…
As National Fertility Awareness Week nears its conclusion, we’re pleased to be able to bring you this guest post from our friend Mark. His story comes very much from the messy middle of a journey with infertility… Someone wise once said to me – and I paraphrase because it’s been a while – ‘We are all like jars of water,…
Today marks the start of National Fertility Awareness Week. In the few years that this has been on my radar, I’ve often accompanied this announcement with a jingle or dance so please just imagine I am shimmying around as you read this. This year feels different for me. I could put it down to being a post-fertility treatment parent and…
“Have you thought about adoption?” This phrase has been running around my head throughout National Adoption Week. If I’m being completely honest, it runs through my head pretty regularly. I am thinking about it. When Elis and I were coming to terms with what azoospermia meant for us (“You can use a donor or adopt” said the consultant) adoption was…