Steph's Adventures

I am not sure yet whether there will be a new poem for Christmas 2023. There isn't yet, but if it happens in the next few days, it would...

This week, for the fourth Sunday of Advent, the lectionary invites us to read the story of the annunciation. Last time it came around, three...

Here we are in December again, ushered in with seasonally appropriate freezing temperatures and even a smattering of snow.  Needless to say,...

By the time they are published, annual reports are always distinctly out of date.  But of the many admin jobs I face, putting together the S...

At the church I currently attend, last Sunday (actually, now, the one before because I hadn't got round to finishing this, but my point ...

A couple of weeks ago I went to Dorset for a few days. By the time I got to it, it was a break that I recognised was somewhat overdue. It ma...

In June 2019, an ESOL class from St Chad's Sanctuary performed "Home", a performance that was the catalyst to the creation of ...

The first Thursday in October is National Poetry Day. This year's theme was Refuge so obviously (with thanks to my mum who noticed and p...

Generally, I don't watch many films (or much TV), although in recent months I have done so perhaps more than in the past. When I do, I t...

I do quite a lot of walking. Sometimes purely for pleasure. More often, it is simply my mode of transport to get from A to B. During lockdow...

When people ask me how I am I generally, probably like most people, answer "I'm fine, thanks, you?". If I elaborate it tends t...

Ahead of our bible discussion yesterday, I had been reflecting on this Sunday's gospel reading, Matthew 20, verses 1 - 16. Like most par...

Although the summer weather seems to have only just arrived, this week, dominated by sorting out school uniform, school places and school bu...

Last week, Stories of Hope and Home welcomed its 100th sanctuary-seeking participant (not counting the numerous accompanying children, who c...

I haven't written much on here for a while.  This isn't exactly unusual. Any cursory glance back through my blog will very much show...

My creative energy ebbs and flows, but even when I am not brimming over with ideas, and have to remind myself to pick up a pencil or paintbr...

The title for this post is borrowed from a beautiful  Martyn Joseph song . which feels like it sums up much of what my life feels like at th...

The end of the academic year is fast approaching.  Over the last year Stories of Hope and Home have done 35 school visits to 28 different sc...

I turned 42 last weekend and obviously, in a joke entirely lost on anyone unfamiliar with the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, that meant I ...

I spent last week at the seaside. Before setting off, as I tried to tick jobs off a list and avoid anything crucial getting missed, I did qu...

Birmingham Pride took place last weekend.  I have friends for whom Pride events are incredibly important. I recognise they are an important ...