Nell Goddard

There's something I have to tell you, something I think you need to know.

I feel as if I should begin this particular piece with a personal note, because there are many who read this blog who do not know me or my family.

There's a castle near to where I live. It's absolutely beautiful.

Can I tell you a secret? There's something about me that you probably don't know.

My anxieties My chains My questions My anger My confusion My sin My burdens Not mine, but Yours.

It is dark. A heavy dark. A dark that presses in on you and makes it hard to breathe. A dark that surrounds and engulfs and makes you forget that anything good ever existed. A dark that terrifies, and blinds. A seemingly unending darkness that changes words and thoughts and…

When I tell you I'm a Christian I'm not telling you I'm perfect I'm not implying that I'm better than you. I'm saying, pure and simple, that I'm broken. Angry. Failure. Confused. Frail. Lost. Controlling. Guarded. Chained. Anxious. Sad. Stumbling. Insecure. Dirty. Fearful. Unsure. Desolate. Ashamed. Unworthy. Defeated. Undeserving. A sinner.

Okay, I lied. I don't have the time, energy or resources to give you the whole of Advent-by-numbers, so here's a sample of an Advent Week in a vicarage...

You can tell a lot about a person from their choice of plastic bag. Whether they prefer Tesco or Sainsbury's, if they shop at Waterstones or Blackwells, or, really, if they re-use their plastic bags at all. You see, re-using plastic bags is a brilliant thing to do, and, most…

My dear extroverted friends,