SmallMercies
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A hymn giving thanks for the Mothers Union — “O God who gathers us in love” (CM)
Celebrating 150 years of Mothers’ Union worldwide. A Mothering Sunday hymn of thanksgiving for faithful service, for Ireland’s witness, and for my own mother — and mothers everywhere. Continue reading
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A hymn of the New Covenant — “In whispered winds You speak again” (CM)
In whispered winds You speak again 1.In whispered winds You speak again,Your covenant made new;Not carved on stone of Sinai’s height,But written deep and true.2.You trace Your promise on our heartsLike sunlight on the dew;As meadowsweet in summer fields,Your mercy rises too.3.The shadows flee the morning light,The ancient rites give way;The tent of cloth and… Continue reading
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The hum of lines
I wrote a poem this week called The Hum of Lines. It is not a bright poem. It sits in the quiet room. It listens to the machine. It hears the slow, steady movement of blood through borrowed pathways. Dialysis has a soundscape. The hum of the pump. The soft alarms. The rhythm that is… Continue reading
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A Quiet House, A Returning Train
Today I found myself writing two small Common Metre poems—companions to one another. Andrew was in Dublin for a course, and the house felt different in his absence. Not lonely exactly. Just altered. Softer around the edges. The Sunday light lay still. The cats took up their posts. The kettle hummed. Pancakes became a small,… Continue reading
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Arrival
Arrival is a poem about coming home—not only to a place, but to a moment, a body, a ward, a riverbank, a sky clearing after rain. Set along the familiar paths of Monasterevin and Ballybrittas, the poem moves through train platforms, hospital rooms, shared umbrellas, and sudden shafts of light. What might appear ordinary becomes… Continue reading
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Andrew, this is you.
Some love stories are written in grand gestures. Ours has been written in endurance. This Valentine’s Day, I honour fifteen years of partnership with Andrew—and ten years of civil marriage later this year—not because the dates fall now, but because love that has lived this much deserves to be named whenever the heart nudges. Our… Continue reading
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Faith. Truth. Welcome.
With the twelve bells of St Patrick’s overhead, I offer this hymn as a prayer for Ballymena: for its people, its churches, and Christ’s light in the valley we call home. Continue reading
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Hidden. Humble. Everywhere.
Celebrating those who proclaim the Word with care—parish readers, musicians, writers, and the everyday saints who let Scripture breathe in our lives. A new hymn, inspired by the Book of Kells, now on NeuroDivine.blog Continue reading
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Andrew. Richard. Niamh.
Home woven in three strands: partner, creatures, grace Some prayers begin in silence. Others begin in the small, ordinary movements of a home—the click of the kettle, the soft thump of paws on the stairs, the familiar presence of the person who shares your days. This new hymn grew out of that kind of holiness:… Continue reading
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Machines. Mercy. Meaning.
In the long, measured hours of dialysis, I began to notice how healing is carried not only by machines and medicine, but by the people who sit beside us, the families who steady us, and the landscape we carry within. This hymn‑poem grew from that stillness—a way of naming the courage found in ordinary care,… Continue reading
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Trust. Table. Calm.
A hymn of fear met with trust, bread shared in fellowship, and storms stilled by Christ. Continue reading
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Seeds. Scars. Solidarity.
In the grain of wheat, in the dialysis chair, in the scars of memory — prayer becomes fruit. Continue reading
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Silence. Trust. Rest.
After Compline, silence is not emptiness but communion—fertile ground where trust deepens and rest becomes prayer. On this Thursday of reprieve, I let quiet be my healing. Continue reading
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Memory. Mercy. Light.
On this island, remembrance is sacred in its complexity—where silence becomes liturgy and music becomes mercy. Continue reading
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Refuge. Exile. Return.
A quiet reflection on finding God in dialysis chairs, disrupted routines, and the sacred margins of life. When the world feels too loud, this is a space to breathe. Continue reading
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Bank Holiday Blues
When the timetable shifts, so does the soul. A reflection on dialysis, delays, and small mercies. Continue reading
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Rain. Silence. Mercy.
When silence becomes praise and mercy meets the rain-soaked soil, even the overlooked find their place in the liturgy of being seen. This week’s reflection honours the quiet dignity of showing up—without performance, without apology. Continue reading
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Blanket That Hugs Back
Wrapped in Sherpa softness, this blanket feels like a teddy bear’s hug—perfect for sensory calm and quiet joy. Continue reading
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A Day Without a Bear
No bear beside me. A funeral in Lisburn. Grief, grace, and quiet courage carried me through. I managed. Just. Continue reading
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Otto in Belfast
Otto the autism support bear visits Belfast—quiet comfort when a missing salamander stirs unexpected feelings at the museum. Continue reading
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