Good gift A couple of years back my son Gatlin proposed to his long-time sweetheart, Erin in a unique way. Under the guise of taking a family walk after dinner with mom, dad, brothers, sisters-in-law,...

Like a grandma Speed reading became popular in the late 1950’s. It was coined by school teacher Evelyn Wood, as she was pondering why some people are naturally faster at reading. She tried it...

Fool ‘But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, “Raca,” is answerable to the court. And...

Meekness and Majesty Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. Matthew 21:5 (KJV) Whilst travelling down to the...

Quintessence “Look at the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds, which are higher than you.” Job 35:5 (ESV) I like thinking about words; when I come across a word that is seldom used, I enjoy...

Gratitude leads to joy Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness...

A divine calling Therefore, holy brothers [and sisters], you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession… Hebrews 3:1 (ESV) Many people consider...

Where is the balm? Where is God when it hurts? It’s a question most of us have asked at least once as we’ve watched others struggle through unbearable pain or trial. For many believers, the hurt...

I want to We’ve all had to do things we didn’t want to do. Sometimes we may have really not wanted to do it, so we didn’t. Other times, we may have decided while we didn’t...

Spiritual peace For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his...

The Centre “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17 (NIV) I recently took a Grace Communion Seminary...

Don’t put Jesus first The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether...

Unmasked Am I the only one to get confused when wearing a mask? During the pandemic I had my face mask on when I went for a cup of coffee. I tried to pay by using my phone, but it would not process....

Born of the Spirit Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old?…” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot...

Loving us out of lostness Since the pandemic lockdown starting in March 2020, there have been seasons of fads and trends to keep us entertained. Early on in the pandemic, I jumped on the jigsaw puzzle...

Letting go of expectations Expectations – we all have them. I don’t give them much thought except when mine aren’t met. When my husband and I were first married, I had many expectations...

Pure in heart ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.’ Matthew 5:8 (NIVUK) Do you know your Niffler from your Murtlap or your Billywig from your Bowtruckle? What about a Qilin,...

We are God’s treasured possession …today God has reaffirmed that you are dearly held treasure…De uteronomy 26:18 (The Message)  How does God feel about his people? Throughout the Old Testament,...

Love first! Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now...

On the importance (and blessing) of public worship  And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42 ESV) Though this...

Going home When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. Luke 9:51 (ESV) I stayed in an Airbnb during the festival at Paignton last year. It was three miles away...

Prayer: it’s not a transaction Have you ever bought a snack from a vending machine? You put your coins in, push the button, and then your treat drops down behind a small swinging door where you can...

The will and the way This is the time of year when we think about all the things we want to do, but haven’t had a chance. We make resolutions, but they rarely work. Our intentions can be good,...

The foundation of Christian unity I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions...

The gift of prayer “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12 (ESV) God is a holy...

Rejoice “ ‘…Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope…’ ” Acts 2:26 (NIV) We have a dog. She is now four years old and is full of energy,...

Romans 11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he...

Hope in pain “ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4 (NIV) On a...

Refresh the hearts of the saints Have you ever had friends who have hurt one another deeply and who are unable or unwilling to work together to heal the rift? Perhaps you have a deep desire for them...

A greater degree of trust It’s always been difficult to know who to trust, perhaps more so now because of online scams. But even before those came along, I fell victim to a couple of scam...

Encountering the Messiah The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). John 1:41 (NIV) I love scriptures like the one...

You are unique Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.  (Psalm 139:14 NLT) Have you ever seen photographs of models or famous people in...

Trust in God “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Mark 10:15 (ESV). As I was on my way into the local supermarket, I observed a...

Jesus is knocking All those I dearly love I unmask and train. So repent and be eager to pursue what is right. Behold, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear my voice...

A bride for the son The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of...

Having an Epiphany The phrase “having an epiphany” is meant to convey that some reality that was once hidden is now seen. When you have an “epiphany” it is often accompanied by some...

Why was Jesus baptised? Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said…...

A wise journey And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, [the Magi] returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:12 (NIVUK) Isn’t it interesting that after the Magi had...

‘Ah-ha!’ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (NKJV) We are in the time that the church celebrates...