Turning the Page

Being put to shame is to have comparisons made and to see yourself as being flawed, but a refuge can be found, and hope can be restored. 

I could see him withering under a hailstorm of accusations. He had a sexual addiction, and he was trying to stay true, but the pornography found on his cell phone sent his self-righteous friends into overload. 

He was being ‘put to shame’ 

Being ‘put to shame’ is to make someone or something seem...

Can you live with a narcissist? Yes, but it might just kill you.

Or it might just starve you from savouring life to the fullest.

One of the most interesting quotes I have come across about stress is this one from French journalist Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber

What I fear most about stress is not that it kills, but that it prevents one from savouring life. Jean-Louis Seven-Schreiber

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What does perfect narcissism look like? We can see it in the evil of Satan. 

I read a list the other day about the characteristics of those with narcistic personality disorder.

1. Grandiose Sense of Self-Importance: They believe they are superior and special, deserving of exceptional treatment and recognition.
2. Exploitative Behavior: They manipulate and take advantage of others to get what they want, often without remorse or gui...

There is a God-shaped hole in me. A narcissism entrancement holds me, but I can break the spell when I invite Jesus into the void.

There once was an Australian sitcom that I used to watch. It was called Kath and Kim. 

The two central characters were Kath, the mother, and her daughter Kim. In the series, there was a line repeatedly said from mother to daughter. 

Look at me Look at me Look at moi (‘me’, but in a deepening lengthy...

I worry about what’s ahead, but I have a shepherd who prepares a table before me, so I wait, trust and see.  

A friend recently sent a job offering to me. 

It was to come to a town called Echuca in Victoria Australia and be a snake catcher. 

Yes, you read it right. Snake catcher. 

My friend works in a local school as a caretaker and part of his job is to make sure the school grounds and buildings are safe for the children. 

So h...

Worries, fears, and anxieties can all bring us to a place where we pray ‘I’m anxious God’ but there is hope. I went to see my Doctor the other day for my routine checkup. ‘Anxiety’? he questioned. I replied ‘No, everything is fine there’ Read this post here 👁️‍🗨️ About Barry Pearman https://turningthepage.co.nz/im-anxious-god/ Signup to email newsletter https://turningthepage.co.nz/ ✉️ Contact Barry Direct...

The first time I heard the Polish proverb “Not my circus, not my monkeys” I felt quite shocked, but digging deeper, I understood what they were saying. 

I heard it said by a husband about his wife. 

It felt callous. 

It felt cold and I still think it was. 

That he would not want to help engage with the struggles she was facing. 

To say “Not my circus, not my monkeys” is to declare that you don’t want to be dragged into the drama of...

She crossed a line with her words, a line that was getting thinner with every wag of the tongue, but what could be done to help them both?  

It was the evening of the very first day of the year (2025). A beautiful summer’s day here in New Zealand.

But in this quiet, I suddenly heard screaming and yelling. Every second word was the F word.

I looked down the road and saw a very large man woman and a man on the pavement.

He was knee...

Our minds can be so busy, but learning how to stop is so crucial to our wellbeing. Perhaps centering prayer offers some help. 

I was watching a two-year-old boy the other day. He was full on in active mode. Walking here and there, playing with this and that.

But his mother knew what was coming. He was going to come to a stop.

A little but grumpy, a little more wanting cuddles, a little more rubbing eyes.

She picked him up, took him...