Selah is a Hebrew word that appears in many of the biblical psalms. It is an instruction to the listener to pause and reflect on what has just been sung. This spiritually nourishing collection of poetry was written as Linda Daruvala paused and reflected on Christian retreats and in places of stillness. From poetic paintings of God's creation to a Psalm-like outpouring of her heart to God, Linda echoes the experiences and emotions that are common to many of us in our journey with the Lord.
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Linda grew up in Dorset, fell in love with poetry while studying Thomas Hardy's poems for O Level English and can still recite some of them! An only child, she has always found solitude a comfortable and creative space to inhabit. She gave her life to the Lord at 18 at teacher training college in Winchester, which is where she also began to write. A love of Jesus, travel, contemplation, quiet, photography and art all enable her to meditate and compose her poetry, reflections and prayers. She especially loves to retreat to 'thin' places throughout the UK, those areas of deep spiritual significance such as Iona, Holy Island and Wales. It was at Ffald y Brenin in 2019 that she felt a fresh call from the Lord into "creativity within the healing ministry".
Linda was a primary school teacher for many years in the UK and four years in Brunei where she met her husband Jung. They live in Surrey and are so proud of their two wonderful adult sons, Pete and Simon. Since being healed from Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2010, Linda has particularly relished every day and is a member of the prayer ministry team at Acorn Christian Healing Foundation. She is passionate to pray in Jesus' Name for others' healing in body, mind and spirit with a compassion that comes from the Lord's heart.
Linda has led a number of creative quiet days to encourage others to express their faith-life in art and crafts. She has herself been inspired by the creativity within many Christian retreat centres, in Ignatian spirituality and new Celtic monasticism. Linda delights to sing in her church worship band and her joy is to spend time at a little rented beach hut on Hayling Island. She loves listening to God, new travels, sunsets, watercolours and Jung's delicious beef stroganoff.