|
|
|
|
Barry is a skilled teacher, facilitator, counsellor, workshop and retreat leader, a gifted writer, preacher, storyteller, clown and mime artist. Susan is a gifted worship leader, teacher, facilitator, seamstress, and clown and mime artist as well. After twenty-eight years in parish ministry, several in team ministry, Barry and Susan felt called to embark on a new path and established FERNSTONE in an attempt to continue to provide a ministry to others, using the many skills and experience they have gained over the years. The Robinsons live on the shores of Georgian Bay on a property tucked beneath the Niagara Escarpment. Visitors are always welcome at this pleasant garden that they have been developing on the Bruce Peninsula since 1985.
Thought-provoking and inspiring writing, healing stories, personal growth workshops, communication skills training, behavioural management, marriage and family counselling and Neuro-Linguistic Programming are among the services provided by Fernstone. “It is our vision and hope that through the experiences offered by Fernstone others may come to a deeper vision of what it means to be human and find the skills and passion to become more human.” - Barry and Susan Robinson ~
A BIT MORE ABOUT US AND WHAT WE BELIEVE
"ALL THAT IS REQUIRED"
Sooner or later, life becomes difficult for all of us. We suffer losses - friends, family, work, health. None of us is immune from the hazards of the human journey. Whenever we do experience such losses, however, we are faced with a decision - a choice - about how we will live from that moment on. It becomes very tempting to give in to our fears, to begin to believe that this is a dark and dangerous journey upon which we have ventured, and that it is no longer safe to trust. It becomes very easy to build up massive walls of protection around ourselves, to invent defense mechanisms to keep others at bay, and to live tight, narrow, rigid, frightened and inflexible lives. And yet, we all experience interludes, too, when all of this fear seems quite foolish, when we see dimly that it is possible to live differently. The dawn of adolescence, falling in love, entering middle age, looking back at what our life has been. At such times we also briefly glimpse that we are free to choose. We can continue down the path of dull, bland, fearful mediocrity, or we can strike out bravely and boldly, becoming someone very different yet remaining our own true self. It is almost as though we were on one bank of a river and there is someone else on the other side calling to us. The voice is calling us to leave our foolish fears behind, to take risks, to trust, to begin to really live. We believe that this is what Jesus meant by the kingdom of God, or , as we prefer to call it, God's domain. It is not a place so much as a way of being, not a future destination so much as a present possibility. How does one get there? Where is the entrance? Does one need permission to cross over? Jesus insisted that people can only enter God's domain if they don't deserve to. The poor, the bereaved, the hungry are welcome there, but the self-righteous and hypocritical are not. Those who think they belong don't; those who are afraid they don't do. Thus, "the last will be first and the first last." The entrance to God's domain, according to Jesus, is right before your nose. If you look around carefully, you will see it. It is actually in plain sight. The people who don't see it are blind. Franz Kafka once told a parable about it. It is called The Watchman. "I ran past the guard. Then I was horrified. I ran back and said to the guard: "I just ran through here while you were looking the other way. I suppose I shouldn't have done it. The guard said nothing. "Does your silence mean I have permission to pass?" "Permission to pass is not required. One may enter without permission; all that is required is boldness, confidence, the trust that it is acceptable to proceed. Those who need to be authorized to pass, who feel that they must have permission, are not worthy of entrance." - Robert W. Funk, Honest To Jesus We hope that among the resources that FERNSTONE offers you may find the encouragement to risk the next step on your journey of trust. After all, it would be a shame for the universe not to behold an even more wondrous you. Please Get In Touch With Us If You Have Any Questions Or Comments About Fernstone And Our Service. We Would be Delighted To Hear From You! - Barry and Susan Permission for use. All materials found on this site are the property of FERNSTONE (Copyright 2000). Viewers may copy any material found in these pages for their personal use or for use in any non-profit ministry. Materials may not be sold or used for personal financial gain.
CONTACT US AT: E-mail: Tel: (519) 376-9439/592-4551
|
|
|
FERNSTONE
offers the unique gifts and
partnership of Barry and Susan Robinson.
