5 minutes with Cheryl

About me

I’m Cheryl – I’m thirty years old. I was born in the US, and live in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (but I still have an accent!!). My background is in editing and publishing, but after a short foray into book publishing, I’ve moved into communications and writing in the not-for-profit sector. I also write for a number of Christian blogs, including my own: TwentySixLetters.org

What's your favourite bible passage & why? Eccleasiastes 3:1-8 is definitely up there. It's been oddly comforting when I've felt down and negative about life, that there's at time for everything in life and that God is in charge of the good and the bad. How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus? Some people worship God through singing or acts of service or nature, but I feel closest to God when I’m learning new things about him. So I keep my eyes fixed on Jesus by doing just that: learning new things in my faith through reading good books, listening to podcasts and writing about the topics myself. I also like learning from people who are solid in their faith. Learning more about God makes me excited and engaged. What would you like the next generation of Christian women to know? That thinking differently and standing up for your perspective isn't a bad thing. What's one thing that you love about your local church? I love the depth of cultural understanding that my church has, and how the teaching links the Bible with today's context. What did you learn about God at a time in your life you found hard? I learned that God loves me even in the hard times, and I am allowed to cry out to him with honesty. I can be sad, hurt and even angry with God when things go wrong. But I need to keep taking things to him. The great news is, he's always faithful. What are you passionate about? I am passionate about writing, because I write... a lot! I'm also passionate about learning more every day - I have a natural curiosity about a heap of topics. It works out well, because learning new things all the time is a key part of being a full-time writer and editor – which I do for a living! What do you enjoy doing when you rest? My favourite things to do when I'm resting are going on walks, listening to podcasts, and - since I'm not naturally a crafty person - I'm trying to do more with making things. At the moment, I'm learning how to crochet, and cross-stitching a lot.