Hera - to pause, wait, listen, rest

You're so welcome here, all the wild and free ones, my fellow doubting and faith-full contenders.

A little bit about me… and about Hera…

I am passionate about loving God well and living a faith-full life of love towards myself and others; a life that is full of God-given freedom... and maybe a little on the wilder side.

(I’ve never been one to colour outside the lines but I find myself wondering whether that might be more my style these days. After all, I don’t think Jesus was one for in-the-lines colouring… and I’d quite like to live and love like Jesus did.)

I am wrestling with what it really is to love God well and live a free and faith-full life of love towards others.

I am working through doubt and questions about Christianity, the nature of God and the truths I've grown up believing.

I am both full of faith and plagued by doubt, usually simultaneously. I am making peace with this paradox because my God is box-defying mystery.

I am reimagining God and my faith.

I am opening myself up to the stories of others; working through my own prejudices and misconceptions; seeking new truths rooted in love and learning to be an ally.

I have recently been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and am processing the perplexing intersections between the goodness of God and a body that feels less-than-good. I am relearning what faith and health and life and joy look like from this new perspective.

I write to make sense of a forty-year-old faith that feels new to me. I write to slow down and create clarity around my contending. I write to connect with fellow contenders. I write because I like it. And because I somehow seem to compose paragraphs of writing in my head all the time, if that makes sense or sounds familiar to anyone: I figured I might as well actually write some of that stuff down.

​My husband and I have been married for twenty contented years. I am a proud mama to four wild and free and wonderful kids. They are my first and best work. We live rurally in the beautiful Wairarapa Valley, New Zealand, on a small block of land where we are slowly working towards our long-held dream of living a self-sufficient lifestyle. I work at home, growing children and food. I love spending time with my wee family and other special people. I love reading and writing; gardening, cooking and eating; yoga and walking in beautiful places.​ I am of the opinion that everything in my life can pretty much be sorted by just reading the right book(s)… it is entirely possible that all posts will be accompanied by a robust go-to reading list: enjoy!

Hera means to pause, to wait, to listen and to rest. It is the te reo Māori equivalent of the musical pause 'selah,' present in the writings of the psalmists. It represents an invitation to be still and contemplate; to prioritise relational connection with God; to wait on the Spirit as They guide, speak love and reveal truth; and to rest in God's refuge, strength and mystery. It is the way I am choosing to navigate a continued life of love for and faith in God. It is also the name of my home.​

Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

Each month, on the first Sunday of the month, I will post a newsletter consisting of my meditation over the preceding month. I would love to hear your thoughts about anything I write: love to get to know each other, learn from you and grow together. I hope that this space and these musings invite us all deeper into Hera, Love and community. 

(At this early stage, I am not offering paid subscriptions. My monthly newsletter will be free to all subscribers. Please share this post with anyone you know who would connect with Hera. )

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