Archive

An art-loving friend of mine was remarking on the number of people she has seen at exhibitions who just stand in front of each painting and take a pic on their phone. All they are getting is a record...

It seems clear, from the various analogies and metaphors the apostle Paul uses to describe the Christian life, that there is a constant striving after something, but what is that something we need to...

I never tire of baking sourdough bread. Every loaf seems like a miracle to me. How is it that two cups of water, four cups of flour, two teaspoons of salt and a quarter cup of sourdough starter can...

Just when I assumed winter was over, and that we would again slip past a year with measurable snow, in it came, wave after wave of snow. I cannot remember having more than two snow days in a row...

‘Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved’ is the memorable bridge sometimes sung by the worship group Hillsong when performing the well-known hymn, Here I Am to Worship. It comes, of course,...

Life can feel like a wilderness path, rough and winding, marked by both beauty and challenge. There are steep climbs, dark valleys, and unexpected storms. But along this road, we’re not alone –...

If not for Jesus’ willing death and surrender to the Father’s will, we would still be dead in our sins. If not for his resurrection, we would have no hope of eternal life with God and no hope of...

When life gets hard, we sometimes use things to prop ourselves up and keep ourselves going. Some common props we use might be technology, clothing and possessions like cars, homes and shiny things....

I am making cookies for my 24 grandchildren: one is my daughter’s child and the other 23 are my adopted children from her sixth-grade class. I am always doing things on the outer fringes for my...

The other day I rashly decided to tackle a job I have been putting off for quite some time. This task has been added to my annual ‘To Do List’ for many years, and I was determined that this was...

Like a thick fog lifting, revealing a landscape that was hidden moments before, Transfiguration Sunday reminds us of a time when the disciples saw Jesus in his true glory. On that mountain, their...

I had half my mind on watching an episode of a well-known detective story on TV the other day when the other half got to considering the lot of one of the actors. He played the part of a dead body....

The Apprentice is back on TV. If you’ve ever seen the programme, you’ll know that the candidates to be Lord Sugar’s apprentice have to complete a CV documenting who they are, and what they have...

In the past, wedding ceremonies always included the line, ‘What God has joined together, let no one put asunder.’ With 50% of marriages ending in divorce, why bother saying it anymore? Long...

There have been many attempts through the ages at defining what love is. In the 1970 romantic movie, Love Story, the young girl in the story, Jenny, offers her own definition with a line that quickly...

Recently I dreamt I was in extreme pain and was seeking help, but no one seemed to understand. When I awoke, I found I was in extreme pain. I feel at times I am living out the words to the verse...

Most people have someone who is an inspiration in their lives, maybe a parent, a teacher, or some charismatic character from the pages of history. One person who has inspired me is Corrie Ten Boom....

Have you ever felt completely powerless? Have you been in the unenviable place of having no recourse—no action you can take that will change your situation? Imagine being stuck in the bottom of a...

Over the years there have been many songs about money. Abba’s Money, Money, Money, included the lines:  Always sunny                               In the rich man’s world    ...

The human mind is powerful, and the human will is quite strong. And contrary to what a lot of people think, we can control our thoughts. We can even to a certain extent, if not control, at least steer...

Before Jesus died, he told his disciples they would not be left alone, but he would send the Holy Spirit to help them and be with them forever (John 14:16-19). In I Corinthians 12, we learn much more...

I highly appreciate those with musical talent, those who can play with nimble fingers, who compose from the love growing in their heart, and who sing with great passion. Animals also appreciate music....

Have you ever had an attack of the ‘What-ifs’? You know the kind of thing: what if I can’t pay the mortgage this month? What if my plane is delayed and I miss my ongoing connection? What if I...

Have you ever had a hard time believing something the Bible says about Jesus Christ? The virgin birth. Healing the blind. Walking on water. Raising the dead. There are many things about Jesus’ story...

The above words taken from a hymn that we occasionally sing at church, reminded me recently of an event that occurred just prior to Christmas. Together with a friend, I went to visit a 90 year old...

In 1945 after 10 years out of office, Clement Atlee’s Labour Party achieved a landslide victory in the first General Election after the Second World War. One of the statements made by a member of...

We all make excuses. We start when we’re children and some of us never seem to outgrow the tendency. We all do it from time to time. The Bible records the story of one of the biggest excuse makers...

I am tackling those cupboards during these dark dreary winter days. Giving them a clean, getting rid of clutter that speaks for want of a new life, just not here. I have a cupboard of perfectly usable...

Have you heard the expression ‘the devil is in the details’? It is a fairly common idiom that means small details can cause big problems, if they are overlooked. It can be a helpful reminder to...

Do you ever have a commercial jingle or a theme song from a TV show that you can remember perfectly years later? Decades might pass, you will have forgotten libraries of information, but you can still...

Paul’s epistle to the church at Ephesus is a letter to a local church which we can also think of as a letter to local churches everywhere. In the opening section of chapter one, Paul directs our...

When I was a manager in a local Benefit Agency office, claimants would call into the office to discuss their case with the counter clerk. If they were unhappy with the information given, they would...

Are you saved? To a lot of Christians, this seems to be their primary concern and the biggest, most important question to ask friends or strangers. If the answer is yes, they breathe a sigh of relief...

As the name Emmanuel teaches us that God is with us, so the name Messiah teaches us that this God, who is with us, will be our deliverer; our deliverer from sin and death, from our broken state we put...

1 Corinthians 13 is a very famous passage that has been called the ‘Love Chapter’ and is one that is often read at weddings. On hearing it the usual response is one of: ‘Isn’t that lovely’,...