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Susan Barnes

Press Services International

Susan Barnes has been involved in pastoral ministry for over twenty years with her husband, Ross. They are now semi-retired and enjoy supporting a number of churches in north-east Victoria. You can find more of Susan’s articles at: https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/susan-barnes.html

  • God isn’t a helicopter parent

    ‘Helicopter parent’ is a term that was first mentioned in a parenting book in 1969 but it became more widely used in the early 2000s when American academic administrators became aware of an increasing number of ‘Baby Boomer’ parents being excessively involved in the lives of their older teenagers/young adults.

  • On slaying dragons

    Recently I started a creative writing course and I’m currently studying storytelling. The earliest stories predate writing and were told in mnemonic ways.

  • Cashed in your gift card yet?

    Shortly after Christmas, I heard that 20 per cent of all gift cards aren’t used. Apparently, all we wanted for Christmas was … nothing.

  • Three ways to increase your joy in 2021

    Is pursuing joy even a valid quest?

  • The uncomfortableness of Christmas

    This year Christmas may be uncomfortable, depending on where you live in the world.

  • Am I doing enough?

    About a year after becoming a mother, I went to a meeting for young mums. As an ice-breaker, the leader asked us to answer the question, “What is the minimum you have to do in the morning before you will go out?”

  • Social capital

    The term “social capital” has become popular among social analysts to explain the value of community, connectedness and a sense of belonging.

  • I hate goal setting

    I’m highly structured and organized, but I hate setting goals. I hate SMART goals, SWOT, SOAR and any other goal-setting tools. I find them boring, exhausting and frustrating.

  • None of us knows how long this will be

    The title, None of us knows how long this will be, could be the latest newspaper headline. However, it was believed to have been written when Jerusalem was under Babylonian attack in about 586 BC.

  • How many partners will you have?

    Recently I discussed my forty plus years of marriage with a young person. He said he couldn’t imagine being with one person for that length of time.