by Susan Barnes | 8 Mar 2023 | Spiritual Lessons from Children
He wandered into his father’s shed, hands in pockets, but said nothing. His father stopped and looked up, “What do you want son?” “Nothin’.” Children want to be with those they love. They will choose to “hang around” someone who...
by Susan Barnes | 5 Sep 2022 | Short Devotion
“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.” Colossians 2:2 Paul’s goal was three-fold: encouragement to...
by Susan Barnes | 29 Mar 2022 | Women in the Bible
I became a Christian as a result of going to a church youth camp when I was fourteen. None of my family or friends practised Christian faith. The only Christians I knew were a few teenagers from the church youth group, which was especially difficult during school...
by Susan Barnes | 15 Feb 2022 | Poetry
I didn’t know you well but you were one of us. You belong right here. I saw you in the paper shop, Sometimes in the supermarket, Once, I spied you by the swamp. Smiling as you ate at our local And lunched with loyal friends with lattes from the van. You were there...
by Susan Barnes | 9 Dec 2021 | Book Reviews
While I enjoyed, How to be me by Cath Howe, I felt it lack the depth and originality of Cath Howe’s first novel, Ella on the Outside. The plot for How to be me is a well-used one. A child, in this case, Lucas, finds it difficult to fit in socially but unexpectedly...
by Susan Barnes | 24 Jun 2021 | Book Reviews
In her book, Braving the Wilderness, Brene Brown explores the question of belonging. She writes clearly using research and storytelling to present her arguments which are thought-provoking and challenging. Brown begins with a little of her background of feeling like...
by Susan Barnes | 28 Jan 2021 | Book Reviews
In the early part of this book, Henry Blackaby describes the many successes he’s had in the churches he has pastored. These churches have grown numerically as people have experienced God’s love and grace in a church community. I found this somewhat depressing as I...
by Susan Barnes | 7 Jan 2021 | Book Reviews
The Art of Belonging is similar in content to This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick which I read earlier last year (click on title). However, Hugh Mackay takes a fictional approach by creating a town called Southwood to explain the different types of social...
