Steven Colborne's Blog, page 14

Home!

Hello, dear friends! Another 3am post but this time I have good news. I am out of hospital! After fourteen weeks on the ward I am back in my flat. Hallelujah!

Although I am elated to be out of hospital, I am saddened by the fact that I have been put on additional medication and am also only being discharged under a community treatment order, which means further restrictions on my liberty for the next six months. Also, I’m not officially discharged – I have to return to the hospital for a discharge meeting in a couple of weeks.

Nevertheless, I’m feeling a huge sense of relief. The ward was not a happy place and these last couple of weeks I was despairing at times. Being back in my flat and able to roam free in the community is a real blessing.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that my dream was to sit in my favourite park with a hot drink and a vape and watch the sun rise. God willing, that dream will become a reality this morning! I’m staying up all night and will head to the park in a while to watch the sunrise. I’ll try to get a good picture and will share it with you.

God is good! I don’t know how things will go with my neighbour but I’m going to enjoy this moment and celebrate the blessing of being in a lovely flat in a great location, and being out of hospital!

Grace and peace to all my readers

Going Home?

Greetings, friends. All glory to the Most High God! I hope that you are all in good spirits.

It’s 3am as I type. I slept earlier but woke up a couple of hours ago and have been engaged in some prayer and Scripture reading. Today is a big day for me.

I have been speaking with the consultant about discharge. I was feeling very uneasy about the prospect of returning to the flat and made some efforts to explore other options. However, seeking alternative accommodation could have taken weeks, and there’s no guarantee I would find somewhere nice.

There was a general agreement that the best thing for me to do will be to return to the same place. Today is Thursday, and it looks as though I will be granted overnight leave from today, meaning I will be home over Easter weekend. This is truly a great mercy from my Lord and an answer to prayer.

Things had been feeling uncomfortable on the ward, and taking all things into consideration, I think that returning to the flat and trying to make the best of it is the least worrying course of action in my present circumstances.

When I was last at the flat (in December) things had become quite unpleasant, with my neighbour causing me significant distress. However, my hope and prayer is that things will have improved (or will improve) when I go back. Please join me in praying for this.

My plan for today is to use my leave to return to the flat this morning to see how things are. I will then go back to the ward and pack up my things, awaiting medication from the pharmacy. I will then get a taxi from the ward back to the flat, if the consultant is happy that everything is in order.

Things in life are rarely black and white and I have mixed feelings about today. While it will likely be a huge relief to be back in the community, things have been so hard in that flat and I will need the blessing and favour of God if things are to work out. At least I can potentially go to church on Easter Sunday and visit some of the peaceful places in my local community.

With God, all things are possible. May my focus always remain on being mindful of God, doing good deeds, remembering that the Day of Judgement is coming, and striving to live in a way that is pleasing to God. I pray the same for you who are reading this, and I thank you once again for reading my articles and for your prayers.

For Help with Meditation

Over the years, I have recommended things from time to time on this blog that might help some readers to live happier lives.

Today I wanted to recommend a wonderful meditation app called Headspace. The app has simple but effective guided meditations, playlists of relaxing music, wind down exercises, and more.

The process of following the daily exercises in the app has been transformative for me. Meditation is simply about being more present and more mindful, but this in itself can drastically improve our lives.

There is a monthly fee for the app but there is also a free trial, so no obligation to part with any money. Do search ‘Headspace’ in the App Store if you’d like to try what is possibly the best app I’ve ever had the pleasure of using.

A brief personal update – today, I picked up the keys to my flat, but it is by no means certain that I will go back there as I am exploring other options. Meditation is helping me to avoid stressing too much as I navigate the complexities of the housing system.

Love and blessings to you!

God Keeps a Clearly Written Record

I suppose I could vent about the mental health system and the way I’ve been treated during this admission. However, such an expression of bitter feelings would be unhelpful and unnecessary.

God knows the thoughts of every heart and in the Qur’an He says that if all the trees in the world were pens, and all the oceans ink, this would not be enough ink and pens to contain God’s words, even if more oceans besides were added.

When I experience anger and frustration, I try to let these feelings go as quickly as possible, safe in the knowledge that God will administer perfect justice on Judgement Day.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a sinner just as much as anyone else, but I do strive to be a good person, to be mindful of God, to do good deeds and repent when I go astray, to be charitable and to treat others well. According to the Qur’an, these are God’s requirements of us.

I realise the orthodox Christian perspective is in certain respects different. You don’t need to reiterate the Gospel to me. But beware of rejecting the Qur’an, especially without having read it – truly, it is light and guidance for all people and an unparalleled revelation in this particular creation.

A Beautiful Exchange

Greetings, friends, and glory to God! The title of this article is a reference to a wonderful worship song we used to sing at Hillsong Church London, but today I’m going to take the phrase out of that context and try to persuade you to to participate in a different kind of exchange.

The exchange I’m referring to is actually a request for help, but one for which I pray you will be rewarded, should you wish to participate.

As I near discharge from hospital, I’m thinking about how life will be back in the community. I’m on an extremely tight budget (being out of work and having been in hospital for over three months) and am anticipating I will be spending a lot of time out and about, if things are unsafe in my accommodation. This means getting food and other essentials will be more expensive.

You can help me with my financial hardship by considering buying a copy of one of my books. I poured a great deal of time and effort into all my books, and I feel they offer great value for anyone interested in philosophy and religion.

So the exchange is this: In return for purchasing one of my books, you get a great read and also the knowledge that you have helped me with financial hardship. God loves a cheerful giver and I hope He will bless you if you choose to support me in this way.

By all means, say a prayer about this if you are feeling unsure, I wouldn’t want you to do anything that didn’t feel right, and of course there’s no pressure or compulsion in this opportunity.

The best place to buy my books is via my eBook store at TealightBooks.com, which is a mobile-friendly store in which you can find all sixteen of the books I’ve written. I have never published any book before doing my best to make it an insightful and engaging read.

Should you not want to spend any money, you can download my book Thanks Be To God: A Selection of Christian Scriptures for Spiritual Seekers for free from the eBook store, today only.

All purchases from the store can be read on virtually any device and you can begin reading immediately. My store is connected to BookFunnel’s technical support so rest assured you can get help if you encounter any technical issues.

At the very least, please have a browse and see whether any of my books entice you! You can click here to visit the store. Thank you for your time and God bless you.

General Update

Greetings, friends. Glory to God! He is the all-sufficient one, mighty and wise.

As the rain pours down here in London I’m feeling reflective and have mixed emotions. Some good news: I now have unescorted leave for half an hour twice a day. This is a great mercy and I thank you once again for your prayers.

I agreed with the consultant today that I will pick up the keys to my flat on Monday. While I feel optimistic about this, memories of the suffering I went through at the hands of my neighbour have been occupying my mind.

Of course, in any situation there are always infinite possibilities, and there’s no reason to suggest things can’t be much better if I carry on living in the flat. Prayer can and does produce miracles. But I’m also aware I could face further trials and hardship, depending on the will of God.

I am certainly keen to be discharged from hospital. Things haven’t felt safe on the ward for weeks. But I fear it might be a case of ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire’ when I am discharged, so I will be praying that such concerns are unnecessary.

At least, if I’m living back in the community, there is more freedom. I can take day trips to parks or make visits to places of interest in London – a wonderful distraction from hostilities at home. And I do love my flat, it would be perfect if it weren’t for the neighbour issues.

I try to remain focused on the things of God at all times, reading the Bible and the Qur’an daily, and trying to live in such a way as to be obedient to the will of God and how He instructs us to live in Scripture.

God always presents those who seek after Him with trials; trials that test our patience and perseverance. But the Qur’an also says that when we follow God, He will ‘smooth our way towards ease’, and this keeps me optimistic about the future.

These last three months have been some of the hardest of my life, but I hope to leave hospital without any hard feelings and with a quiet optimism that God has used this time to teach me many things that will benefit my service to Him in the future.

As readers of this blog, you have put up with a lot from me. I have been posting every day for weeks, and many of you have prayed for me, sometimes repeatedly. May God repay your generosity with blessings, and I hope you have found some encouragement in my posts alongside my tales of the struggles I’ve been through while on the ward.

It’s not over yet, things are still unsafe, and while discharge has been discussed I don’t yet have a date when this will happen. I hope it will be next week, but it depends on the will of the consultant, and most importantly, the will of God.

One lesson I feel God has been teaching me while on the ward is that we have to remain steadfast in faith, whatever happens. We have to be thankful each and every day, embracing our circumstances and continuing to be kind and generous, even when we are mistreated.

When I think of Saint Paul and the imprisonments, stonings, and other trials that the apostle went through, I can look at my own trials in recent months and feel nothing but gratitude for the abundant mercies I have enjoyed each and every day.

Wishing you grace, peace, and mercy from the One True God, who is Master of the Day of Judgement, and who knows the secrets of every heart and promises to administer perfect justice. Amen.

Free Christian eBook

Hello, friends. If you haven’t had an opportunity to visit my new eBook store yet, fear not, I come bearing news that may entice you to do so!

For a limited time, I’ve decided to offer my book Thanks Be To God: A Selection of Christian Scriptures for Spiritual Seekers for free exclusively from my digital bookstore.

You can download the book to read on virtually any device in your choice of eBook formats, and by the magic of the interweb, you can begin reading immediately!

In the book, I share 20 important sections on Scripture from the Bible and offer a brief commentary on each one. The book is ideal for new or lapsed Christians, or anyone who simply loves the Bible.

To visit the eBook store and download your copy, click or tap here.

An Uplifting Worship Song

Greetings, friends. Glory to God! I hope that you are in a joyful mood, but if you’re not, I have something which might help.

Yesterday, I shared a couple of short and sweet songs that I love. Today, I’d like to offer one more song. It’s a Christian worship song but the lyrics are applicable to anyone who believes in a sovereign God.

The lyrics:

I lean not on my own understanding, my life is in the hands of the maker of heaven.

I give it all to You God, trusting that you’ll make something beautiful out of me.

I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open. There’s nothing I hold on to.

I hope you enjoyed the song! It’s really simple, but one of those songs you can return to whenever life is confusing or you’re facing an uphill struggle. Peace and love to you!

Last Chance!

I published an article recently to let followers of this blog know that my book Discovering the Qur’an is currently available for free as an eBook exclusively from TealightBooks.com.

If you avail yourself of this offer, you can begin reading the book immediately on pretty much any device. However, the book will be returned to full-price tomorrow, so best to act now if this offer interests you.

If you’ve noted my enthusiasm for the Qur’an but haven’t yet read the Scripture for yourself, my book offers a helpful introduction and serves as a kind of ‘primer’ for those intrigued to explore the revelation further.

Click or tap here to visit the eBook store and get your copy.

Short and Sweet

Greetings, friends. I thought I’d offer something a little different for today’s post.

I’m a huge music fan. Music has kept me sane during some of my toughest times. I’m quite confident you will be able to relate.

I know checking out the music recommendations of others can feel like a bit of a chore, but I’d like to share two songs with you anyway, on the off-chance someone reading this will love them as much as I do.

The first song I’m sharing below is a Christian worship song. The second song is a chillhop instrumental. What these two songs have in common is that they are unusually short, and yet perfectly formed. So I hope you will enjoy.

If you did enjoy listening to one or both of the above songs, feel free to comment! Also, I’d be happy to investigate any recommendations you might have for short but perfectly formed songs. Thank you for reading and for indulging my musical fancies. God bless!