jane merson

Pursuing God-shaped purpose & encouraging others to do the same

Category: Walking in Purpose

  • A Dream Come True

    On 15th June 2020 I witnessed a dream become reality; I held my first published book, Adventure Awaits, in my hands and awed at the journey that had led me to that moment. Yes, my life journey – all the experiences, lessons, hurts, and breakthroughs – had paved the way for the content of the…

  • A Hero for Our Time

    I love to watch movies. Depending on my mood, I will watch a range of genres, including comedy, romance, science fiction and action. However, some of my favourite movies, like ‘The Blind Side’, ‘Hidden Figures’ and ‘Apollo 13’, are those based on true stories. I sit, mesmerized, watching dramatizations of real-life heroes who have taken…

  • Holding on to Hope

    For months now, I’ve held a strong sense of anticipation that God is up to something big. Between the far-reaching promises He declared over me in January, the ever-growing wisdom and influence He has gifted me with, and the significant open-heart surgery He has been conducting in the secret place, my anticipation of a new…

  • Look What You Have Done!

    “Look what you have done!” Perhaps you heard this often as a child, having made a mistake or acted clumsily or not thought through the consequences of your actions. Or maybe you are a parent who has used this statement all too frequently. Well, I’ve been saying this a lot recently. Admittedly, I am a…

  • A Tale of Two Tests

    As I reflected over the Easter period, I was struck by two different perspectives of the well-known Easter narrative. Each describe a test of faith, and each have relevance in our own faith journeys two millennia later. The first, is that of Jesus Christ, Himself. A.W. Tozer said, “True obedience is the refusal to compromise…

  • The Worst Kept Secret

    A few months ago I celebrated my 32nd birthday.  My parents made their first trip to visit me in Germany and we enjoyed traditional German food and plenty of sight-seeing around the province of Hessen. As messages of congratulations flew in from friends all over the world, I noted the occasional hint of awkwardness or…

  • The Hidden Door

    In J.R.R. Tolkein’s tale, The Hobbit, a company of dwarves led by Thorin, the heir to the throne, embark on a quest to reclaim their home in the vast caves of the Lonely Mountain. Now housing a greedy dragon, the dwarves have little hope of re-entering the mountain and defeating the dragon unless they enter…

  • Humility: Redefined.

    In church, we are currently journeying through the book of Philippians together, considering, last week, Christ’s example of humility (Philippians 2:1-11). As part of his introduction, the Pastor quoted C.S. Lewis: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” It was not the first time I had heard or read that quote.…

  • The Catalyst for Answered Prayer

    I returned from New York City in December 2014, just days before Christmas, having completed a four-month internship programme with Metro World Child.  I arrived back in my home city with little idea of what would happen next; having felt that the season I was in was not yet over. Having been asked to be…