Jo Saxton's Archives
Not Your Superwoman
One of my favorite singers in my teens was a soul singer called Karyn White. She sang this classic ballad about a man she gave her all to, whom took her for granted. In the chorus she finally takes her stand…
I’m not your Superwoman, I’m not the kind of girl that you can let down [...]
Christmas Soundtrack
Over the years my feelings towards Christmas have ranged from frustration, to outright hostility to ambivalence. Obviously, it wasn’t the reason for Christmas that posed the problem. It was everything else, I guessed, I thought. The rampant commercialism and all that.
I have two preschoolers and knew I had to approach this year differently. And for [...]
Lord, if you are willing…
“While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean” (Luke 5:12 TNIV).
This man’s condition completely defined his life. He was socially alienated, isolated and [...]
Life Laundry
In recent weeks I’ve been inspired/challenged/convicted/whatever to do a “life laundry” and get rid of the clutter in our home. There are toys the girls no longer play with, clothes we don’t wear, paper that simply needs recycling and things we have no use of anymore that we need to say goodbye to. It’s an [...]
Reconciliation
Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our [...]
Today
I’m not a great fan of surprises, nor a huge fan of wiry grey hair. So imagine my deep joy when my beloved hairdresser Shirley told me I had at least 4 new silver offerings since my last visit. It had only been TWO WEEKS.
Perhaps I shouldn’t care, but I did. I was about to [...]
Thinking about what matters.
“Not every issue is worth dying for. Choose the struggles that you have a chance of winning or making a difference in….
Choose battles worth fighting. You will differ with others in the choices that you make. Choose the struggle that deserves your energy. Choose a battle that will make a difference ten years from now. [...]
Anna Burgess
Anna is 25 and lives in Lima, Peru with her husband Mark and her two boys (aged 3 and 1). Anna and Mark have recently moved to a community where they are hoping to share Jesus with others, and continue the Kidz Klub and Mum’s and Tot’s group that they already oversee there. Anna got [...]
Jenny Cornell
Jenny is married to James and has two little girls, Evie (2) & Tessa (9 weeks). At the moment they live in Manchester but are about to go to South Wales to do mission training before hopefully heading out to Australia to work along side Aborigines. Jenny enjoys reading, baking and crafty things in all [...]
Becky Forder
Becky is thirty one and lives in Sheffield. She is a single mum to Lucy, just turned two, and part-time lawyer. Becky is in the process of trying to rebuild her life/get through each day in one piece after her husband John died suddenly just over two years ago. She is passionate about all things [...]
Vanessa Garcia
Vanessa Garcia was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Currently 22, she works as an Elementary Coordinator for the Children’s Ministry Department at a large church in Arizona. She also attends college part time pursuing her degree in Family Life Education, she teaches a High School Photography class, attends Discipleship Academy, and attempts to [...]
Ezer Kenegdu
“The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18 TNIV)
There are some verses in the Bible that are soft and warm and others that are like dynamite, rousing the greatest of passions. Words are powerful things, and the words in [...]
Jess Culbert
Jess is 27 and has been living in Sheffield, England since 1999. She grew up in a loving Christian family but really began to own her faith during her teenage years. She is a keen organiser and administrator and her interests include English language and literature (the use of language and the written word), and [...]
Agnieszka Hawkins
“I am a foreigner in the Land…”
Ags is married to Andy and lives in Gateshead, UK. She is originally from Poland and has moved to England to do her Biblical Degree. There she met Andy and the rest is history…
She is thirty-something, a mum to Grace and Joe and a proud owner of a rescue [...]
Made in his image : Part 2
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
(Genesis 1:28)
God’s gives humanity a job to do. He commissions them to take [...]
Made In His Image: Part 1
When God looked down from heaven and made woman, what on earth was He thinking? It’s a clumsy, playful question, but it’s one I’ve pondered for months now, because it’s also an important question. If we want to live healthy, whole and effective lives, surely its vital to know God’s design specification for us, our [...]
When I Grow Up
So I am with my girls reading Dora books and we get chatting about the future.
“Mommy when I grow up I want to be a basketball player” said Tia, looking all athletic and sporty.
“When I grow up I’m going to be a cowgirl!” said Zoë, looking nothing like a cowgirl, but still being very earnest.
My [...]
Ally Proudfoot – Guest Writer
Ally is 26 and lives in Sheffield with her fellow co-writer Vanessa, which she loves. Ally spends half her week working with the students of St Thomas Church Philadelphia, who are great. The other half is spent working in the communities in and around Sheffield as a community Dietitian. She loves anything with poka dots [...]
Clare Cotton
Hi I’m Clare, currently at Sheffield Uni, coming to the end of an English Lit. with Biblical Studies degree,. I will be starting a discipleship year at my church in Sheffield in September. At the moment I’m excited about seeing God break through on the clubbing scene and have been seeing him do some really awesome stuff in Sheffield Uni’s Union club nights; a shift [...]
Naomi Fennell
Naomi Fennell just turned 30,and is in transition currently going around the world. She spent 5 years on staff of large church in Sheffield UK as youth worker and set up a ministry for teenage mums . Naomi is an orthoptist (that’s in the eye profession to the rest of us!) and worked part time in a children’s hospital. Her heart [...]
