Walking a dark path

Over these past few weeks, our family has been travelling down some pretty dark paths and, if I am brutally honest, I have found life to be a bit of a struggle.  My biggest frustration as a parent and grandparent is that I would do anything to protect my children and, in our current situation, […]

Having A Duvet Day

(Icon of the Transfiguration by Theophanes 15th Century)   I awoke yesterday morning with a splitting headache and feeling really groggy.  The past few days had been very busy and I was feeling quite jaded.  There was nothing else for it, I awarded myself a duvet day! Just so you are clear, it was my […]

Perform a U-Turn

  I believe that one of the greatest inventions of all time is the Sat-Nav.  I tend to do a fair amount of driving and the Sat-Nav has proved invaluable in getting me from point A to point B in an efficient and quick manner.  I remember the good old days when you had to […]

Specks, Planks, Smudges and Sneers

    Judgments.  We all make them.  There are times in life we have to.  I need to judge which products I buy, which route I take and how I tackle a particular task. There is another kind of judgement.  We all make them.  There are times in life when, I look at another and […]

A Heavy Sigh

As part of my daily routine I follow a set of prayer notes.  I looked at the passage this morning and saw that it was a, thankfully, short one.  I say thankfully because, I had a busy day planned and I was hoping to get done quickly! God, however, had something else in mind The […]

Awestruck!

  My reading this morning came from the book of Genesis chapter 1.  As I read this familiar passage, I was totally awestruck by the creativity of God all coming from the sound of His voice.  I was awestruck that this same God continues to speak into the world today.  I was awestruck that this […]

The “Red Rag To A Bull” Issue

  It happened again to me this week.  Somebody raised a “red rag to a bull” issue with me this week. It is something I have struggled with and fought with myself over the years and I do not know if you would say I have lost or, I have won the battle. The biggest […]

Inadvertent Frogs!

    I wonder if you have ever had the experience of reading something that made you say “ouch!”.  It happened to me just the other day.  I read a piece written by John Climacus that made me say “ouch!”; When we draw water from a well, it can happen that we inadvertently also bring […]

Hope for the Hope-less

Hope is the anchor of our souls. I know of no one who is not in need of hope – young or old, strong or weak, rich or poor. (James E. Faust)   Okay, let me lay my cards on the table.  I have not been feeling too well lately.  One of the consequences is […]

Fresh Streams and Tree Stumps

  I have just come back from the Fresh Streams Conference.  This is one of the highlights of my year.  I get a chance to meet up with friends and colleagues, great teaching and amazing worship.  I went with a real sense of expectation that God would speak to me at some point, in some […]