Meet our contributors

Miracle Baby

Maggie’s story, Miracle Baby, has just been published in The Labyrinth and other stories of life. Thank you Maggie sharing this picture of Pedro.

Pedro
The story of my son’s conception and misdiagnosis in-utero was probably the most stressful event of our lives, so far. Pedro (our son) is such a joy to us. We didn’t expect him, but we are so grateful he came to us. 
Taking part in Stories of LIfe has been a positive experience. I love that my son’s story has traveled all the way to Australia! I hope it gives someone in a similar situation some hope. 
Maggie Iribarne
Maggie lives in Syracuse, New York, about five hours northwest of NYC. You can find read more of her work at https://www.maggienerziribarne.com.
A 2021 Announcement

Radio Farewell

Stories Of Life has been encouraging and presenting brilliant true stories of faith and testimony for over 6 years now. 300 or so stories have been told, many of them have even become radio stories through our partner 1079Life. The radio folk now find themselves needing to change the way they present their Sunday afternoons on air and so the stories will not be broadcast on radio this year. We at Stories of life really want to thank 1079Life for their support over the years and their help in establishing the competition and the publication. The stories that have been recorded over the first five years can be found here.

Enjoy!

 

A 2021 Announcement

Congratulations to our 2021 winners

2021 announcement of prize winners and  launch of The Labyrinth and other stories of life

Open category winners

First place to Jo Wanmer for Mum, meet my mother

Second Place to Jo-Anne Berthelsen for The Rainbow

Third Place to Lynda Wake for My Black Dogs

Short category winners

First Place to Ruth C Hall for My Shadow

Second Place to Colleen Russell for Just in time

Third Place to Dienece Darling for Lessons from Toilet Training

Youth category winners

First Place to Baxter Gierus-Heintze for The Unexpected Calling

Second Place to Shaoey C for Small Things

Third Place to H. S. Jones for Forgiveness is a blossoming flower

Special thanks to Tabor for hosting us, and Omega writers for sponsoring the prizes.

A 2021 Announcement

Book launch – save the date

Congrats to Tracey Price whose story gives our 2021 anthology its title, The Labyrinth & other stories of life. Less than a month away to our book launch and announcement of prize winners! Books will be available for AUD 20 per copy at the launch and also online.

Date: Thursday 4 November

Time: 6:00pm for 6:30pm start

Venue: Tabor Adelaide, 181 Goodwood Road, Millswood, SA.

Livestreamed on Facebook.

A 2021 Announcement

Announcing our 2021 contributors

Stories of Life is in its sixth year, and we were delighted to receive more entries than ever before, many of them incredible, heart-felt stories of faith.

It made our job of selecting entries for publication very difficult. We sincerely thank everyone who submitted a story of life, and offer our warmest congratulations the following people, whose stories will be published in the 2021 Stories of Life anthology.

Open Category

God sent his angels by Aileen Huf

The courage to go by Anne-Marie Doecke

Birthday catalyst by Boo Hooi Jimmy Khoo

A very perfect day by Charles Yuen

I wrote a poem about it by Claire Bell

The gift of a rabbit by Diana Davison

Saved by a rat by Emily J. Maurits

My guardian Yoda by Ester de Boer

We carry on by Esther Cremona

Planes, cars and God’s intervention by Ivan Francis

The turnaround by Jacqueline Waters

The vow by Jane Schope

Life is precious by Janelle Francis

An old car and a hiccough by Jenny Glazebrook

A mended heart by Jenny Woolsey

The rainbow by Jo-Anne Berthelsen

Mum, meet my mother by Jo Wanmer

Green Velvet by Joy Leabrooke

My protector by Karen Curran

Proude by name, house-proud by nature by Ling Ai Mee

My black dogs by Lynda Wake

The sound of children playing by May-Kuan Lim

Grace by Nadia Konik

Twenty by Robert Riggs

Finding God on the streets by Ruth C. Hall

Am I going to heaven by Sarah Brown

Lord, help me be a mother by Sherry Thompson

Rescued by Susan Brown

The wise old owl by Val Russell

 

Short Category

Café La Renaissance by Bernice Shen

Immanuel: not just a Christmas story by Claire Bell

Just in time by Colleen Russell

An unseen guide by Craig Chapman

Lessons from toilet training by Dienece Darling

The sergeant’s boots by Elaine Rendell

Don’t flush the toilet by Gaynor Faulkner

I dined in style by Helena Stretton

My first sprout of faith by Janice D. Green

Who would you choose? by Jenine Altmann

Tears for a baby by Jo Wanmer

Incident at Peats Ridge by Jonathan Mowen

The view from a sardine by June Hopkins

The gift by Juni Desireé Hoel

Set free from darkness by Ket Pang

Held in my heart by Kylie Gardiner

I had been seen by Lisa Birch

Miracle baby by Maggie Nerz Iribarne

Fishing for faith by R. J. Rodda

My Shadow by Ruth C. Hall

Mt Morgan Prayer Meeting by Tony Koch

Labyrinth Life by Tracey Price

Pinball by Tsung Chung

 

Youth

The unexpected calling by Baxter Gierus-Heintze

Forgiveness is a blossoming flower by H. S. Jones

Small things by Shaoey C.

More information to follow on the title of the 2021 anthology and date of the book launch when prize winners will be announced. We thank our sponsors Omega Writers and our supporters Tabor College and Immortalise for making this competition possible.

 

A Stories of Life message

Communications Career Kickstart

Pleased to let you know that Tabor College, one of our supporters, will be holding this workshop in Perth.

Register now to go into the draw to win ‘The Master’s Book Case’, a collection of books from the Masters program including key texts and creative publications by those who have emerged from the course.

Program

Session 1: Surviving Creativity. Creativity: what it is, what it isn’t.

Session 2: Where do ideas come from?

Session 3: Editing and effective creativity.

Lunch provided

Session 4: Storytelling for communication and making a living.

Session 5 Commercial communications.

Closing session.

Meet our contributors

An Angel in Heaven

Hazel Barker’s story An Angel in Heaven about losing her baby was published in the 2020 Stories of Life anthology. This is what she told us:

I wrote this story in the hope that anyone who grieved would turn to God for strength and support. My husband and my religious beliefs were a comfort to me when I grieved. We supported each other, and the Lord gave us the strength to bear our cross.

My story, An Angel in Heaven is especially for women who have lost their babies to know that they are not alone in their grief. Experiencing something like the death of a child can only be fully understood for those who have suffered the same loss.

Hazel Barker

Do you have a story of faith to tell? We’d love to hear it. Entry guidelines here. Feature photograph of Hazel Barker supplied.

Meet our contributors

Invitation to Dance

Last year, Rhonda Pooley’s story ‘Invitation to Dance’ was published in The Swimmer and other stories of life.

2020 anthology The Swimmer
2020 SOL anthology

‘Invitation to Dance’ is about how Rhonda visited Cambodia to celebrate Cambodian traditional instruments, and how she participated in this celebration through  prayer, music and dance.

The events referred to in this story have greatly impacted my life. They show me that God has a uniquely designed purpose for everyone and that he will bring it to pass if we are faithful to follow his leading – no matter how long it takes! 

Rhonda Pooley

Do you have a story to tell? We would love to read it. From Rhonda’s story, and the many other stories in our archives, you can tell that a story of life can be set anywhere, and can be about practically anything. That’s the beauty of an anthology! What’s your story? Five days left to submit.

 

A Stories of Life message

The story that took 47 years to write

Dear Reader

I am so very thankful to have my story ‘Slightly Awkward’ published in the 2020 Stories of Life Anthology.

A few people have asked me the length of time I took to write the story I submitted.  In truth, the actual written component was reasonably quick and straightforward.  However, my answer is “It took me 47 years to write!”.  Life each day as a person with a chronic and progressive illness is both daunting and great, along with experiences that are just plain satirical with a pinch of whimsy.

My goal was to share an honest story that had joy interspersed with the frustrations that some tasks can bring in my situation. To show that a life imperfect is perfectly okay!

Many blessings

Esther Cremona

(‘Slightly Awkward’, The Swimmer and other stories of life)

Send us your story draft for helpful feedback from one of our experienced editors? Or submit it for a chance to get published.

A Stories of Life message

God’s love in the home

Colleen Russell’s story, ‘God’s Love in the Home’, was published in our 2020 Stories of Life anthology. The story is based on her own family, her own life.  Her advice to wordsmiths is:

When you have loved, when you have been loved, express these cherished memories in your telling and in your writing, because these are God’s words and the reader will recognise them as such.

Colleen Russell

Calling all wordsmiths to take advantage of Feedback Month. Send us your story drafts and one of our experienced editors will give you constructive feedback. We want to work with you to give you best chance of getting your story of life published in our 2021 anthology.

 

The 2021 anthology, The labyrinth and other stories of life, out now.