Sheridan Voysey: Recent Episodes
Sheridan Voysey
I recently sat in a doctor’s office waiting for a routine check-up. Tired of scrolling my phone, I paid the information screen on the wall more attention than usual. A message soon flashed up that felt out of sorts in this place of care: “Abusive behaviour will not be tolerated. Please treat our staff with respect.”
The post Why Are We So Angry? The Hidden Culprit We May Be Missing first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Contentment is a fascinating human experience because it isn’t the same as happiness or fulfilment. Instead, contentment is a sense of completion. Whether life is easy or hard, the contented person can say, 'I am enough and have enough'.
The post A Hidden Key to Contentment first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Weary of the long path to becoming a parent? Whether you or a family member is battling infertility, this trusted, encouraging 90-day devotional will comfort and strengthen you. Written by men and women who have faced infertility themselves with various outcomes, this book reminds you that you are not alone and will help set your […]
The post Introducing Praying Through Infertility first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In his famous Hierarchy of Needs, psychologist Abraham Maslow said we need our basic needs like food and shelter met before we can turn to higher needs like relationships and purpose. He later added that we have spiritual needs too, which takes my mind to two hidden words in the New Testament.
The post The Two Basic Human Needs: Bios and Zoë first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
When Resurrection Year was released in 2013, I never knew the depth of healing it would bring to many, or the doors it would open worldwide. Time to celebrate with an audio version!
The post Celebrating 10 Years of Resurrection Year with a New Audiobook! first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
When Resurrection Year was released in 2013, I never knew the depth of healing it would bring to many or the doors it would open around the world. Finally it's available in audio form!
The post Resurrection Year Audiobook first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
"As the afternoon tea ended, Margaret hugged Emily tightly. For ten minutes she sobbed, unable to let Emily go, because it had been so long since she’d felt seen and heard."
The post Take it From Margaret: This Simple Act Can Really Make Your Life Count first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
After wanting to for years, Merryn and I finally did the sums, held our breath, signed the papers, and embarked on a house renovation. It was time. The 150-year-old floor boards of our little terrace home sagged like a tired trampoline, our bathroom leaked and our kitchen walls were crumbling. A third of the house […]
The post When Cracks Appear, Check Your Foundations first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I have no idea why, but when anything gets too popular, I lose interest. Hip Hop was cool until it went mainstream. I ignored The Hunger Games, have never watched Eastenders, and haven’t seen Barbie (but I have seen Oppenheimer—I’m not always consistent). And so when I found Anthony Doerr’s globally-popular Pulitzer Prize-winning novel All […]
The post How Helping Them Could End Up Saving You first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In A Resilient Life, I explore the four factors psychologists say help us to build resilience: positive emotions, significant achievement, strong relationships, and a sense of meaning. But here’s the twist: all these factors can be found in the Sermon on the Mount, which shows us how to develop in our lives through divine means rather than our human effort.
The post A Resilient Life. A New FREE Booklet for You first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Sitting in a hotel room late last year, six words dropped into my mind: Go at the speed of joy. I’ve been trying to put them into practice ever since.
The post “Go at the Speed of Joy,” He Said. But Could I? first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
It was the question that burrowed under my skin and wouldn’t come out. And it did me good, shaking me from my complacency. It came a few years ago when Merryn and I were sitting in a seminar on fostering and adoption. As well as informing us of the joys that adoption can bring, our […]
The post The Question That Shook Me From Relational Complacency first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
If you live in the UK and aren’t already on it, all the Hermiones, Where’s Wallys and Cats in Hats at the school gate will soon remind you that today is World Book Day. While the UK event focuses on children, the global event (held on April 23) is a day for all to celebrate […]
The post Why You Should Deface Your Books first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In 2010, an 80-year-old antiques dealer named Forrest Fenn walked into the Rocky Mountains, dug a hole, and buried an ornate box full of his finest treasures. Whoever stumbled upon the box would get to keep all the gold, jewellery and gems it contained—over $1 million worth. If the game wasn’t already fun enough, Fenn […]
The post It’s Those Who Truly Seek That Find first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In our Friendship Lab Survey, how and when to express affection to a friend came up as a common question, often by men. It wasn’t always difficult to do so, so where did we go wrong?
The post Why Can’t Us Men Tell Each Other How We Feel? first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Friendship is essential for our wellbeing, yet more people are reporting having few or even no friends. To help address this need, we at Friendship Lab are designing an evidence-based course to help us all form and deepen adult friendships. Three years of preparation have gone into its design, and pilots will soon be run. […]
The post Take the Friendship Lab Survey first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I saw a beautiful story the other day about a guy named Francis. Leaving his university dorm one morning, he found a group of friends waiting outside waving balloons. It wasn’t his birthday, so Francis was confused. Then one of the friends stepped forward, holding a box. “There’s no guarantee these will work,” he said, […]
The post The Meaning of Your Life? Just Follow Your Tears of Joy first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Apparently we are most likely to reflect on our lives at the turn of a new year or when we reach a milestone birthday. Well, a new year has come and a few months ago I turned 50—so I’ve been reflecting! And the discovery I’ve made is that these decades of adulthood, with all their myriad details, have really been the unfurling of just three main themes.
The post Are these the 3 Themes of Every Human Journey? first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
One of my favourite Christmas artworks is a painting called The Nativity by contemporary artist Brian Kershisnick. The first thing that strikes you is the hundreds of angels swooping across the canvas to get their first glimpse of Mary’s new-born son. After this your eye falls on two delightful details—first, that it isn’t Mary or […]
The post Boxing Day Blah first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Something special is brewing - a new calling that's been years in the making and will take years to complete. And you're a part of it.
The post How a Book Idea Became a Non-Profit. The Friendship Lab Story So Far first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
A few weeks ago a British prime minister was forced to resign due to a lack of integrity. Today hundreds of heads of state and billions of public will farewell a Queen revered for her character. What a contrast to heed on this historic moment.
The post A Prayer for Public Leaders first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
From our performance at work to our social media use, in the age of the app we are all being rated and ranked. That's a problem, but here's something we can do about it.
The post In the Age of the App, We Are All Rated and Ranked. Here’s How to Respond first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
The Lionesses have won Euro 2022. Nichelle Nichols made television history. And the possibilities both have opened makes me wonder that the real reward of our own success goes far beyond the positions or trophies we get.
The post The Real Reward of Success? The Doors We Get to Open For Others first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Prolific author, activist and theologian Ron Sider has died at the age of 82. Here are seven key interviews that will provoke you to love your neighbour in new and radical ways.
The post Remembering Ron Sider: 7 Key Interviews first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
The research is startling: friendship decreases anxiety and depression, increases our lifespan, buffers us against addictions, and raises our happiness levels. All those coffee dates, weekend hikes and late-night chats help us face our adversities, choose our best paths, and discover who we are. And yet 1-in-4 of us has no close friends, a rate […]
The post Stay Up to Date with the Friendship Lab Project first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
It was a day we won't forget, my wife Professor Merryn Voysey getting invited to Buckingham Palace. There was just one problem - I wasn't allowed in with her!
The post When You’re Invited to the Palace, Don’t Turn Down the Offer first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Auschwitz often comes up in religious conversations. Christians use it to show what happens when a nation forgets God and nationalism takes His place. Others use it to argue an all-powerful God couldn't exist. But when survivors barely speak of it, how can any of us turn it into an argument at all?
The post Those Who Survived Auschwitz Barely Speak of it. How Then Can We, So Glibly? first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Wander Athens' Ancient Agora marketplace and you'll find altars to yesteryear's gods. We might not bow to Zeus or sacrifice bulls on the Acropolis anymore, but are we any less religious today? I don't think so.
The post We Don’t Bow to Zeus Anymore, But We’re No Less Religious first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
No one appreciates arrogance. In fact, along with kindness and generosity, humility may be our most-cited quality of a good person. All this is fascinating when you consider that humility hasn’t always been a virtue. Here's how its meaning changed.
The post Humility Hasn’t Always Been a Virtue. Here’s How its Meaning Changed first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I came across a helpful word recently: wintering. Author Katherine May uses it to describe those moments when life turns cold through crisis or loss and we find ourselves living at a different, slower pace to everyone else. As winter is a time of retreat and hibernation for much of the natural world, wintering is […]
The post There’s a Word for What I’m Experiencing: Wintering. Maybe You’re Feeling it Too first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
From QAnon to Flat Earth to Covid-19 ‘Plandemics’, conspiracy theories of all kinds are proliferating right now, dividing families and communities, and putting the health of many at risk. It's imperative that we learn to detect and avoid them. In this video I outline how.
The post How to Combat Conspiracy Theories first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Each of us play many roles in life, which each contribute to our identity. But what if you can’t take on the role you always wanted, or lose one that you’ve played so well? Thankfully, there is an identity available to each of us that can never be lost. I had known about this identity, […]
The post Let’s Talk About Identity first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Here it is! The 2021 edition of my annual wrap up of books read, books endorsed, and even books destroyed (now there’s a first). As I note each year, my choice of reading isn’t based on release date, although some listed below are new books for 2021. And for those wondering why I publish this […]
The post The Best Books I Read in 2021 (and One I Destroyed) first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Interrupt the rush. Take a breath. Reflect There used to be a home improvements store near me that had a big green button in one of its departments. If no assistant was present, you pushed the button, and if you weren’t served within a minute, you got a discount on your purchase. The store’s marketing […]
The post Reflect with Sheridan first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
The research is startling. Friendship has been proven to boost our immune system, decrease anxiety and depression, increase our lifespan, and be a buffer against addictions, prejudice and extremism. And yet rates of it are declining in western countries. Why? In this keynote talk for Christian Schools Trust's educators conference, I unpack some of the reasons and highlight some of the solutions.
The post We Need to Rediscover the Power of Friendship. Here’s How to Do it first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Amy Boucher Pye is a retreat leader, spiritual director and author of 7 Ways to Pray, a book exploring time-tested tools for encountering God. When Amy asked me to experiment with the Prayer of Examen, I was excited to test out a new practice. Here's our conversation of how I went and what you can learn too.
The post Living Free Through the Prayer of Examen. A Conversation with Amy Boucher Pye first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In the end, our lives won't be measured by our awards or public success, but by our love. And our love is revealed in the stories those closest to us tell of us. My father's life was seemingly small and ordinary. But it mattered. And our small, ordinary lives do too. I hope sharing this eulogy will help us remember that.
The post The Power of Your Small, Ordinary Life first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Like many, I watched speechless as events in Afghanistan unfolded. Taliban flags raised over Kabul, desperate crowds chasing planes down runways. Better minds than mine can assign blame. All I’ve been able to do is recall a moment of refuge and turn it into a prayer.
The post A Prayer for the People of Afghanistan first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
The widely-shared video from an obscure Catholic group is putting the health of many at risk. Here's a few of its wild claims checked.
The post Fact Checking the ‘Following the Science?’ Conspiracy Theory Video first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In testing times, where can we find the inner strength to cope with the anxieties we face while also rising to help others? This Breath Prayer can help.
The post The Breath Prayer first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I'm not here to convince you to get a Covid-19 vaccine, as I have. I am however, begging us all to stop claiming to be immunologists, vaccinologists, public health experts and medical statisticians.
The post Friends, I Beg You: Stop Passing on Covid Information You’re Not Qualified to Understand first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
The question isn’t whether we’ll experience hard times in life. Storms will of loss, betrayal, illness or plain old difficulty will come. The question is what will build resilience in us to face those storms without collapsing.
The post Your Resilient Life | Resilient Session 6 first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Time for me to get personal. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to choose your teachers carefully as false prophets roam the land. My family knows how important this is, having felt the destruction false teaching can bring.
The post Your Resilient Choices | Resilient Session 5 first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In session 4 of this special Resilient series we explore the spiritual practices that strengthen us from within, including a prayer that can save your life.
The post Your Resilient Practices | Resilient Session 4 first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Join me for Session 3 of our Resilient video series where we turn our attention to relationships, why we need them, what destroys them, and how to make them flourish.
The post Your Resilient Relationships | Resilient Session 3 first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Session 2 in a special series on the resilience message of the Sermon on the Mount. You'll hear about an embarrassing moment of mine and why Jesus loves to use nobodies to change the world.
The post Your Resilient Calling | Resilient Session 2 first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Previously only available for purchase, in the first of six interactive videos I will walk you through the resilience message of the Sermon on the Mount to help you build inner strength.
The post Your Invitation To A Resilient Life | Resilient Session 1 first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Based on the history-shaping Sermon on the Mount, these six video-based devotional emails will give you something to read, watch, reflect on, and do to help you build a resilient life and faith.
The post Get Your FREE 6 Session Resilient Devotional Series first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
If the trend watchers are right, we’re about to see a boom in pilgrimage. Growing in popularity over the last decade, many of us feel drawn to journey to a sacred place, even if we aren’t religious. I recently added to the number, joining Paul Butler, the Bishop of Durham, on a three-day trek from […]
The post Come with Me to the Cathedral (a Pilgrimage in Pictures) first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Line of Duty. Wow. I don’t remember feeling as captivated by a TV series since West Wing. Under the spell of AC-12’s hunt for bent coppers and organised crime, I joined 13 million other viewers for series 6’s finale—pulse quickened, breath held, ready to find out who the mysterious ‘H’ was and whether Arnott, Fleming […]
The post Line of Duty’s “Disappointing” Ending Tells Us Something About the Soul first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
If the pandemic has been good for anything, it’s been good for my local park. During the first lockdown, kids made a line of hand-painted rocks that snaked for yards and yards. Fairy houses with tiny doors, windows and picket fences appeared at the base of tree trunks, and recently a community library was set […]
The post Ready for a New Adventure? Make Sure it Has These Four Things first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I’m not one for breaking rules. In fact, when I found myself walking my dog in a ‘No dogs allowed’ park once, I went and handed myself in! And when it comes to wearing masks and keeping to social distancing rules during lockdown, I’ve been about as stringent as you can be. So as you’ll […]
The post The Day I Broke Social Distancing Rules first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Much of my work is public speaking—a job transformed by the pandemic from one of hotels and conference stages to loungerooms and laptops. Recently I Zoomed in to speak at Walsall Community Church. My topic was going to be joy, but that all changed when a few days before I was to speak, one of […]
The post When You’re Lost in the Wilderness, Remember this first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
The regent honeyeater bird is in trouble—it’s losing its song. Once an abundant species in south-eastern Australia, now just 300 remain, and with so few mates to learn from, the males are forgetting their own song and trying to mimic the songs of other birds instead—leaving the female honeyeaters confused and their numbers in decline. […]
The post The Bird That Lost its Song. A Parable first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
So, after that interview, are you Team Markle or Team Windsor? You have made your mind up already, right? After Oprah’s interview with Harry and Meghan, public discussion has been polarised. On Monday I heard activists swear that British royalty was inherently racist on the basis of Meghan’s claims alone, while tabloid newspapers, unable to tolerate any criticism of […]
The post Relax. You Don’t Need to Have an Opinion on Everything first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I write this with a heavy heart, as heavy as yours may already be from the revelations of Ravi Zacharias’ hidden life. If you hadn’t heard of him, Zacharias was considered one of this era’s greatest Christian apologists. If you haven’t heard the news, an independent investigation found he had systematically groomed vulnerable women over many years, […]
The post Healing the Wounds of Jesus’ Followers first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
How can we cultivate, care for, tend our souls in these difficult times? Here are six strategies and practices.
The post Six Ways to Tend Your Soul in Times of Turmoil first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In what has become a fun annual tradition, here is my year in reading – all the fiction, non-fiction, memoir, poetry, theology and other titles I read with short reflections on each. Some of these books happen to have been released this year too, but many are older. I used to publish this list around […]
The post The Best Books I Read in 2020 first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In his famous poem The Four Quartets, TS Elliott says “We had the experience, but missed the meaning.” How true! Too often life can become one long series of unrelated events – a conversation here, an appointment there, walking the dog, working through our to-do lists – and we miss any deeper significance they hold. If you’re anything like me, 2020 is ending in a rush […]
The post Three Ways to Reflect on Your Life first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
After 21 years, I sometimes look at my wife Merryn and wonder how our marriage works. I’m a writer and speaker, Merryn is a statistician. I work with words, she works with numbers. I want beauty, she wants function. And that’s only the start of our differences! Here’s what’s helped us stick together…
The post You’re Both So Different? That Could Be What Makes Your Marriage Work first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Five hundred years ago the Renaissance brought an explosion of art, science, geographical discovery and religious ideas into the world. What would it take to see a new renaissance (rebirth) of wisdom, creativity, community and faith in this coming decade?
The post We Need a New Renaissance of Faith. These Three Commitments Can Help first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
A few years ago I wrote a book about starting again after broken dreams. Any naivete I still had about the world and its problems was soon dispelled as hundreds of readers shared their own broken dreams with me. To this day, the hardest part is replying to these stories without resorting to cliché. What […]
The post Let’s Turn This Problem into a Quest first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Earlier this year, before Covid made things complicated, I attended a thanksgiving service for a much-loved member of our church. We lost Eileen to cancer at just 68 years of age. As the service began, more chairs had to be put out to accommodate the number of people arriving. And it led to a lesson learned […]
The post Grief is the Honour We Give to Those Who Loved Us Well first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Stop. Breathe. Interrupt the rush. There is deep meaning to be found in our everyday lives, but we won’t find it if we don’t pause to reflect, listening for the Voice that can only be heard in stillness. This is video five in a special series adapted from my new gift book, Reflect with Sheridan. […]
The post Listen For the Voice that Can Only Be Heard in Stillness first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In a celebrity-driven age like ours it’s easy to applaud those who work on the top deck—the public faces of business, government, medicine, entertainment—while overlooking those who work in the galleys and engine rooms that keep the ship running. Are you a back office, behind-the-scenes kind of person? Well lift your head high as your work […]
The post Good News For Behind-The-Scenes People: Your Work is Indispensable first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
What would you say to your seventeen year-old self if you met them face to face? One strange afternoon I had such an experience. Drawn from the new gift book Reflect with Sheridan, this is the third of a five-part video series exploring the book’s themes of joy, wonder, meaning, belonging, compassion, callings, seasons, change and […]
The post The Day I Met My Seventeen Year-Old Self first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
A vivid sunset, a misty horizon, the vibrant life of a colourful coral reef. In the presence of such beauty could we in fact be glimpsing something more? Drawn from the new gift book Reflect with Sheridan, this is the second in a five-part video series exploring the book’s themes of joy, wonder, meaning, belonging, compassion, […]
The post Why Beauty Leaves Us Breathless first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
What are you running from? Where are you running to? This short story will have you longing for the freedom of wide open fields. Drawn from the new gift book Reflect with Sheridan, this is the first in a five-part video series exploring the book’s nine themes: joy, wonder, meaning, belonging, compassion, callings, seasons, change […]
The post Don’t Be Ruled By Your Fears first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
A few years ago, researchers did a fascinating experiment. Wanting to know when people would step in to help a stranger, they asked participants to watch a woman named Elaine experience a series of mild electric shocks. The observers were told a little about Elaine beforehand, including her personal values and interests. The experiment began. […]
The post 10 Commandments for These Divided Times first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Joy. Wonder. Meaning. Hope. I’ve come to believe we need regular infusions of such things to refill the joy tank and lighten the soul. And as we walk through one of the most tumultuous moments in recent memory, maybe we need such things even more. That’s why I’m delighted to announce that Reflect with Sheridan […]
The post Reflect with Sheridan Audiobook first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Autumn is a time of beauty, of harvesting and of shedding the old. I think it has something powerful to tell us about our careers and callings too: autumn isn't just a time of productivity, but of completion and transition. It asks us to consider if our work is done and it’s time to move to something new.
The post What Autumn Tells Us About Life and Work: There’s a Time to Bring Something Good to an End first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
If there’s one member of our household taking these uncertain times in his stride, it’s our black-furred, silver-pawed cockapoo, Rupert—whose playfulness is getting him through heatwaves and lockdowns alike. Rupert’s joy seems based on the fact he has legs and he can run, and with his tongue out and ears flapping, he dashes through the […]
The post You Need to Play More. Here’s Why first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I thought I was getting through this Covid crisis OK—until a couple of weeks ago. That’s when chores started taking longer to do, broken by spells of staring at walls. Articles took longer to write as I doodled instead of typed. I stopped posting on social media because I couldn’t focus my thoughts, and I […]
The post Here’s Why You’re So Tired Right Now – and What to Do About It first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Friends: they celebrate our birthdays, pop a cork over our new jobs, become bridesmaids and best men at our weddings. But fewer of us seem to have them. In the UK, a recent YouGov survey found that more than 1-in-10 Britons have no close friends and a further 1-in-10 have no friends at all. In the US, 35 percent […]
The post Let’s Recover Friendship as a Holy Calling first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Most of us grow up assuming our life will take a certain path. We’ll go to school, find a job, get married, start a family. But things don’t always go as planned. That was our story. And the Day of Discovery team have turned that story into a short film you can watch now FREE.
The post Watch the Journey Through Broken Dreams Film first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I recently heard a fascinating story about a heart surgeon. At the end of one operation, he returned his patient’s heart back into the chest and began gently massaging it back to life. But the heart wouldn’t restart. More intense measures followed, but the heart still wouldn’t beat. Finally, the surgeon knelt by the unconscious […]
The post Sometimes You Must Tell Your Heart to Beat Again first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Sometimes I’m surprised at what I get nostalgic about. The other day I reminisced about the way in-flight entertainment used to be done on planes. You might remember it. Before we had individual touch screens with a million movie options, a hostess would announce the ‘feature film’ was about to start, those who wanted to […]
The post In This Rare Moment, the Whole World is Living the Same Story. How Will it End? first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Join me for this highly recommended 5-session online retreat. Through story, scripture, video clips and reflective exercises, we will journey together to find new identity and purpose through these uncertain times.
The post Join Me for this Highly Recommended Online Retreat first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
According to research from the University of Derby, people who take as little as 20 seconds a day to notice nature are happier, have lower levels of anxiety and depression, and are more motivated to care for the earth. Scientists are still in discussion as to why this is the case but I have an idea. Here it is, plus some simple ways you can engage nature's beauty today.
The post Want to Feel Happier and Care for the Earth? Do This for Just 20 Seconds a Day first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I recently asked my seven year-old nephew what he wanted to be when he grew up. With delightful honesty he said, “I want to be famous!” He's not alone, of course. Lots of kids want to be famous, as did we at his age. But for some years now polls have revealed a growing hunger for fame among us adults. And that's a problem.
The post Polls Say We’re a Generation Seeking Fame. Here’s Where That Will Lead Us first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Cateura is a small slum in Paraguay, South America, built on a rubbish tip. Desperately poor, its villagers eke out a living by recycling and selling whatever they can find in the garbage. But from these unpromising conditions something beautiful has emerged. And it holds an important lesson for you and me.
The post When the World Sends You Garbage, Send Back Music first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
A new year. A new decade. After counting down to Big Ben chiming, watching the ball drop in Times Square and seeing Sydney Harbour erupt in fireworks, today we begin a new chapter of our lives. This is a time of new possibilities and adventures, but also uncertainty for some as none of us knows all 2020 will bring. So, here's something to hold on to as you journey forward, pushing out into these exciting, uncharted waters.
The post Today We Push Out into New, Uncharted Waters. Don’t Be Afraid first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
British rapper Stormzy turns Glastonbury festival into a worship service. Kanye West announces Jesus is his king. Coldplay hope for a world of peace and perfection. It's been a fascinating year in music. In a world growing more secular by the day, spiritual longing keeps breaking through - a longing Christmas fulfils. The Light of the World has come to interrupt our darkness. A very Merry Christmas to you.
The post Stormzy, Coldplay and Kanye Reached for the Light this Year. This Christmas, We Can Too first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Where would we be without books? What wonder and wisdom we'd miss out on, what delight we'd forfeit. And so I present to you this year's edition of my Best Books list - the titles I read, those I had the honour of endorsing, the good, the not-so-good, and more. What were the best books you read this year? I'd love to know in the comments section.
The post The Best Books I Read in 2019 (and a Few Others) first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
This week NASA released some fascinating facts about its Voyager 2 spacecraft. Launched forty-two years ago, the ship has given us iconic pictures of Saturn and Neptune along its 10 billion mile journey. Late last year it left our solar system and now drifts in interstellar space. Its batteries will die in 2025. After that, scientists say it will stay in orbit for billions of years—an ‘ambassador from Earth to the Milky Way.’ An ambassador carries messages. This one does too—more than we may at first realise.
The post NASA Sent a Message to the Universe. Here’s What Came Back first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
It's been eight years since Merryn and I started life as a childless couple, six years since our story was first told in Resurrection Year, with many people and their stories encountered since. I've seen that childless couples, and many others, hunger for hope and deep Christian community... but are struggling to find it. Here's what we can do.
The post Friends, the World is Asking More From Us first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Diana is a hair stylist and public health advocate. Chestnut hair, warm smile, she’s good at her job and caring towards others. She’s also a five-time suicide attempt survivor. Hers is one of many stories I’ve heard in preparation for today—World Suicide Prevention Day. Having spent time on the end of a crisis line, I thought I knew a bit about the subject. But there was so much more for me to learn. Here's what people like Diana want you and me to know—and it's good.
The post Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Here’s What Survivors Want You to Know first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Checking email at all hours. Catching up on work every weekend. Feeling like you should be doing something productive when you rest. If you've been caught up in the modern malady of overwork you're not alone. In this warm conversation with Mary Hynes, host of CBC Canada's Tapestry program, you'll hear us explore how society has come to idolise work (it's not about money), why playfulness is next to godliness, the simple daily practice that's helped me interrupt the hyper-productivity cycle, and more.
The post How to Stop Work From Taking Over Your Life first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
'Being heard is the first step to healing.' These words from Patrick Regan sum up well the TV conversation you're about to see. In this TBN UK interview Patrick and I discuss the importance of sharing your emotions, why telling someone to 'man up' or 'have more faith' doesn't work, how to understand God's role in suffering, and how to see beautiful things emerge from your disappointment. I hope it brings you some encouragement today.
The post Being Heard is the First Step to Healing first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
For most of us the phrase ‘caring profession' probably brings to mind jobs like nursing, teaching and social work. But this list is far too small. Remove the 'care' element from other occupations and people get diminished, especially the most vulnerable. I discovered this afresh recently when I talked to Sarah, whose everyday life becomes hell when you and I fail to care about the work we do. Whatever your job is today, treat it as a caring profession. Here's why.
The post Whatever Your Job is Today, Treat it as a Caring Profession. Here’s Why first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
This Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of humankind’s first step on the moon. Only twelve people have set foot on that bright grey satellite we gaze at each night. Charlie Duke was the tenth. In this fascinating interview, you’ll hear him describe the experience in gripping detail. What's it like to be strapped into a violently shaking projectile that blasts you into space, with myriad possibilities of you dying in the process? What’s it like riding lunar buggies and playing ‘Moon Olympics’ on that powdery surface? Listen in. It’s just a shame he left his boots up there.
The post Star Dust and Lunar Buggies. An Interview with Charlie Duke, the 10th Man on the Moon first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
More and more of us are single. In the United Kingdom, over a third of the adult population of England and Wales are single, more than half of 25–44 year olds, and singleness is increasing in every age group with 50–64 year olds growing the fastest. Some embrace the single life with joy, others don't, and both society and church can send mixed messages about it. It's time to rethink our attitude to singleness. It is neither a curse to be pitied or a condition to be cured but a status with divine dignity. Here's why.
The post Time to Rethink Our Attitude to Singleness first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
A few weeks ago I spoke at a secular conference for childless couples—an audience of men and women wondering what to do with their lives now they may not become parents. After I'd spoken, a woman approached me in tears. “I've been wondering all day why I came," she said, "but now I know. I needed to hear about Phoebe." How ironic that it was a story about an unborn child that made all the difference. But what's true of Phoebe is true of you too.
The post What a Little Girl Named Phoebe Can Tell Us About Ourselves first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Are you part of a reading group, book club or church small group? I hope so, as I believe they're a powerful tool for personal growth. Having discovered that people are using The Making of Us in such groups, I decided to write a 7-session Leader's Guide to help facilitate discussion. And then I thought, wouldn't it be fun to record a personalised video for your group too? Both are FREE and available for you now.
The post Bring The Making of Us to Your Small Group With This FREE Leader’s Guide and Personalised Video first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
'We live in an awe-deprived world,' writes Christine Sine. 'We sit in front of computers, not under trees and rarely take time to notice the grandeur of God’s world and of those we share it with.' Since a regular dose of awe makes us physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy, this is to our detriment. How can we break the spell and regain a sense of wonder again? Let Christine show you in this delightful guest post.
The post Our Busy Lives Are Awe-Deprived. Here Are 6 Ways to Find Wonder Again first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
When you can't become who you want to be, you can still become who you're meant to be. And the person you're meant to be is so much bigger than you've dreamed. In the last few weeks I have done dozens of radio interviews across the US, UK and Australia sharing lessons like this from my book The Making of Us. Here is one of my favourites. In this far-reaching conversation, Susie Larson and I discuss the difference between primary and secondary callings, how fixating on our past achievements can blind us to what God is doing in and through us now, how to leave a legacy, and more. I hope you get as much out of this conversation as I did.
The post A Conversation on Finding Your Deeper Identity and Purpose first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
One surreal morning some months ago, Merryn and I woke to the news that her father had been taken to hospital following a serious car crash, and my father had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. To complicate matters, my dad is also my mother’s full-time carer, and they all live in Australia. With both parents now needing care, and us so far away, some stressful days followed. But then a man named Helmut stepped into our lives. Here's what happened next.
The post Touched by God Through a Truck Driver’s Hands first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Failing politicians. Falling church leaders. We could do with some new heroes right now. Thankfully, the deep, rich story of the church is full of them. Here are four early faith heroes to know about, the simple thing they did to change the world, and how work like theirs led to the very institutions you and I take for granted today.
The post The Story of the Church is Deep and Rich, and Full of Heroes Like These first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Pick up a typical self-help book and it won’t be long before the author tells you to Follow your dreams. As a dreamer, I love this advice. But not everyone is a dreamer. What do you follow then? It seems to me there's a more important quest for both dreamer and non-dreamer alike, which is to pursue what matters most. But how can we unearth what that is? In the busyness of the everyday, how can we discern what we should focus on? Here's a question that can help.
The post This One Question Can Help Focus Your Life on What Really Matters first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Last year, on a visit to Antwerp’s Cathedral in Belgium, I was struck by one of its artworks. Struck, because it seemed so out of place with the rest of the cathedral’s pieces. Struck, because I wasn’t sure if it was a joke or even sacrilegious. But as we head towards Easter while the world mourns the destruction of one of its greatest cathedrals, I can't help but think this strange artwork holds a message for us.
The post After the Burning of Notre Dame, Let’s Look at the Cross first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
This year as many as 300 million people will go on a pilgrimage. What’s interesting is that this figure has been rising every year for the past decade, and it’s not only religious people who are doing it. Why are so many everyday people feeling the call to make a ‘meaningful journey to a sacred place’? In this post and video I’ll explore some answers, plus give you four steps to plan a mini pilgrimage of your own.
The post Why and How to Do a Mini Pilgrimage first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Busyness is a bully at the best of times, stomping around, wanting the playground to itself, chasing peace away first, then patience, kindness, joy, and self-control. But this bully becomes a tyrant when it teams up with comparison. Here's how the two work together. Let's say 'enough!' to their lies.
The post Busyness is a Bully, Comparison is a Tyrant. I Say, Enough first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I made a number of discoveries while writing The Making of Us, one of the most impacting being that the trials of life can release our best gifts into the world. All it takes is some creative merging of those trials with our God-given talents. In this short video I unpack the idea with some examples to help you start thinking about what this might look like for you.
The post Marry Your Trial with Your Talent to Bring Something New into the World first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
When life takes one too many unexpected turns, do you find yourself saying, “I don’t know who I am anymore”? In the wake of shattered dreams, do you wonder how you will keep going—and if you’ll ever find purpose or joy again? Part pilgrim’s journal, part call to reflection, The Making of Us reminds us of the beauty of journeying into uncertainty, the freedom of letting go, and the wonder of losing our identity only to discover who we really are.
The post The Making of Us first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In recent days the world has lost a great hero of the faith. John Smith, legendary Australian preacher, commentator, evangelist and founder of the God's Squad Motorcycle Club has died after a long battle with cancer. He addressed the United Nations, nearly faced execution in the Philippines, and followed a radical call to reach outlaw bikers and the marginalised with the gospel. But in his early years he was anything but the radical. In this 2007 interview you'll hear how the once racist youth became a leather-clad preacher of peace, all because of the 'unconditional, indiscriminiative' love of Jesus.
The post Leather-Clad Preacher to Outlaws: The John Smith Interview (1942-2019) first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
What makes us who we are? How do we adjust when things don’t go as we hoped? Can we recover if we make a choice that’s less than perfect? In The Making of Us I explore these questions and more by telling a story of two friends walking through the rugged beauty of England’s north. May I read some of this story to you? The Making of Us releases on March 19 (April 16 in Australia) in paperback and now in audiobook too! Here are the first two chapters for you to listen to FREE. I can’t wait for you to hear the bit where God shows up in the motel room. And when I get to walk on the clouds. And when the seals start singing. And when I start to discover there’s more to us than our job titles. Go on. Take a listen.
The post The Making of Us Audiobook first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
One autumn morning not long ago, I walked to an Oxford cafe, took a window table, and pulled out my journal. I wanted to craft a statement - a creed of sorts - that would pull together what I'd learned while writing my new book The Making of Us. Something that captured what matters most in life. Something to read regularly to guide me forward. After many scribbled phrases and crossings out, I arrived at this: The Creed. Today we release it publicly, crafted into a beautiful video by Tyler Jackson, and ready to download as a print for your wall or smartphone. The hand that spins the galaxies wants you here...
The post The Hand That Spins the Galaxies Wants You Here. Introducing The Creed first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In his insightful little book The Second Journey, Gerald O'Collins divides life into three phases. The first is from childhood to adulthood, the third from old age to death. In between is the 'second journey': a path of great restlessness, questioning and even disillusionment that can nonetheless transform us for good. Here's an overview of the Second Journey and what can result when it's travelled well.
The post Life has Three Journeys. The Second is the Hardest, But it Can Transform You first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
There are many lessons hidden within The Making of Us story, lessons that can help you become the person you are made to be. To help unearth and apply them to your life, here are some practical exercises, podcasts and other tools you might find helpful.
The post Get More from The Making of Us first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
A troubled home life. Feelings of insecurity. A longing for love. Self-hatred. For Malcolm Duncan these feelings developed into a destructive morning mantra he would repeat in the mirror throughout his earliest years. Then one night he had an experience that changed everything. Malcolm's moving story shows what can happen when we stop repeating lies about ourselves and start believing who God believes us to be. What lies are you believing, and what will you replace them with?
The post When You Stop Repeating the Lies and Start Believing What God Says About You first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
According to the experts, writing in a journal can help you reduce stress, increase creativity, solve problems, and manage conflict. I’ve also found it to be an incredibly helpful tool for making sense of our personal histories. In this season of New-Year reflection, here are four key themes a journal can help you track to bring clarity to your experience.
The post A Simple Tool to Help You Make Sense of Life first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
'Tis time, my friends, for what has become a favourite annual tradition: pulling together my thoughts for you on the best books I've read, those I've had the honour of endorsing, plus the not-so-good titles from this past twelve months. What a gift great authors are to this world.
The post The Best Books I Read in 2018 (and Some Not-So-Good) first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I was struck with wonder recently on a cold, rainy night in London, when I came across a dozen angels—made of thousands of pulsing lights, hovering above Regent Street. It’s the most jaw-dropping Christmas display I’ve seen. It got me thinking about what that very first Christmas was like, and the sense of awe that’s central to the story.
The post What Was That First Christmas Like? This Might Give Us a Clue first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
A few months ago I let you in on a little secret—I've been working a new book these last couple of years about who we are and what we can become. Today I'm excited to officially share with you the title and cover design! The Making of Us: Who We Can Become When Life Doesn't Go as Planned will roll out across the globe from March 2019. Here's a little about it, some of the fun things planned, and the goodies you can expect in the coming weeks.
The post So Excited to Show You This! Unveiling My Next Book, The Making of Us first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
What makes us who we are? What shapes our hopes and dreams, and how do we adjust when things don't go as we hoped? Sheridan tackles these questions and others as he tells the story of his 100-mile pilgrimage from Lindisfarne Island to Durham Cathedral. Part travel memoir, part pilgrim's journal, The Making of Us is a poignant and evocative story of trust in God's leading for our lives, no matter where our paths take us.
The post The Making of Us first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
What makes us who we are? What shapes our hopes and dreams, and how do we adjust when things don’t go as we hoped? Sheridan tackles these questions and others as he tells the story of his 100-mile pilgrimage from Lindisfarne Island to Durham Cathedral. Enjoy this 5 hour unabridged recording of The Making of Us, narrated by Sheridan.
The post The Making of Us (Audiobook) first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
The surprising thing about talking publicly about childlessness, is the level of abuse that's come alongside the messages of gratitude. While many have thanked me for bringing it into the open, an equal number have seen fit to get nasty. I could let it get to me, or I could hit back – but I’ve found a better way to respond…
The post How to Deal With Trolls (Hint: Don’t Get Even and Don’t Give In) first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Last year I took part in a piece for a breakfast TV show. As the cameraman and I were driving to the filming location, he told me a story. "Last night some mates and I were in the pub," he said, "and the conversation turned to depression. It turns out some of the guys are on antidepressants. We could never have had that conversation a decade ago. We’d have been too afraid of looking weak." The cameraman and I agreed much progress had been made in men being able to discuss their problems without fear or shame. But I had a hunch there was one topic still too taboo for us to talk about with each other. So I put it to him. Perhaps breaking this taboo will be the next stage of progress in men's health.
The post The One Thing Men Can’t Talk Openly About Yet. But What if We Did? first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Some days I wonder why I’m a Christian. In a secular age, it isn’t great for your career; in some countries, following Jesus can sign your death sentence. With so many spiritual alternatives, why believe? I got thinking about this recently. A memory of a close call in the Dominican Republic helped bring my reasons down to two.
The post Why Believe? In the End, Christianity Rises or Falls on These Two Things first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
If you’ve seen or gone through a deep grief, you'll probably know the battle that takes place between your head and heart, while you’re trying to understand, come to terms with loss, and still trust God. Today I'm publishing an entry from someone's private journal - someone walking that wilderness, wrestling with God while learning how to trust.
The post Do You Trust Me? One Woman’s Wrestle to Trust God with the Unexplainable first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
'There are people who die well,' beloved pastor and author Eugene Peterson said recently, 'and I want to be one.' Well, Eugene achieved his goal. After decades spent nurturing a worldwide audience through his 30-plus books, Eugene Peterson has died. Best known for his paraphrase of the Bible called The Message, he will be remembered not for his fame, but for the personal attention he gave everyone he came into contact with. Here are some personal reflections, my 2006 interview with him, and the spine-tingling details of his final days.
The post Remembering Eugene Peterson (1932-2018) first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Political antagonism is growing across the globe. Some have called this culturally polarised time the ‘age of outrage’. In taking a stand for our chosen cause, we’re losing civility. Here are some ways we can stay civil and respectful in the face of our differences.
The post How Can We Stay Civil in the Age of Outrage? Here are Three Ideas first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
There is a cost to giving. At it's worst that cost is burnout—the emotional (and often physical) collapse of someone who has spent too long pouring out without filling up. Psychiatrist Robert Coles wrote about the hazards that come with a life of service and giving. It was the warning signs of burnout that really grabbed my attention.
The post Burnout Begins With Weariness. Here’s How to Stop it Going Further first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Christians talk a lot about ‘the gospel’. We talk about hearing the gospel, believing the gospel, sharing the gospel with others. But what is the gospel? When I went onto the streets to see who could tell me, I got answers like: It’s something to do with the Bible and church… It’s about God and […]
The post What is the Gospel and What’s Your Role in it? Introducing the Awakening Project first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
I have an embarrassing habit of forgetting people's names, even of people I've known for years (it’s pretty bad—you’ll laugh.) Since names are more than mere words, it’s a weakness I wish I could beat. Thankfully there’s Someone who knows you by name, and who will never forget it.
The post You Are Known By Name first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Modern Christianity has been criticized at times for being about little more than “a ticket to heaven”. But it’s so, so much more. Heaven is where God is, and since God is everywhere, heaven isn't just 'up there' but touches earth too. Here’s some ways we can glimpse heaven's reality now…
The post Heaven is a Symphony Playing All Around You. Here Are Three Ways to Hear it first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with a double-murder, found guilty by a jury, and sentenced to death. But he was innocent. His sentence was overturned only in 2015—nearly thirty years later. What’s most astounding about Ray’s story is that he faced those 28 gruelling, unfair years with joy. How?
The post On Death Row for 28 Years. Here’s How Anthony Ray Hinton Stayed Joyful first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
Okay, I’ve been a bit quiet on the blog recently. And in life in general. I feel like a recluse who has finally stepped outside after years holed up in a little room being passed meals through the cat flap. The reason: I’ve been pouring my heart and soul into a new book. A book that dares to suggest that when life as we know it ends new adventures can begin, and that when identity is lost we can discover who we really are. A book that’s taken over four years of reflection and two years to write. It's time to tell you a bit about it.
It will release in March 2019. I have so much more to tell you.
But what a challenge it’s been to write.
The post I’ve Been Working on a Secret Project. Time To Tell You About it first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.
A college dropout farm boy from North Carolina finds faith, starts to preach, travels the world, meets dictators, becomes a confidante to presidents, becomes a media entrepreneur, catalyses dozens of global ministries, and ends his days as the most influential and best-loved evangelist in history. Such is the Billy Graham story. After years of ill health, Billy Graham has died at the age of 99. Books have been written about his legacy. Whole countries and generations of Christian leaders have been shaped by his work. Here are 8 lessons I've learnt from Graham's life and faith. What are yours?
The post Eight Lessons to Learn From the Life of Billy Graham (1918-2018) first appeared on Sheridan Voysey.