Baggage Handler
God has a purpose for you, and he has given you all you need to achieve that purpose. This is …
Tag Archives: honesty
Overwhelming Love Pt 3: Truth Trumps Emotion
Part 1 Part 2 It was great to have an overwhelming spontaneous emotional love towards Little Welford, but the truth is …
Be Ever Graceful
As I continue down the path that will eventually lead to ordination, or so God tells me, I learn and …
Feeling Real
Parenthood has so far been a fascinating journey for us. I don’t know how I expected to feel, but it …
Dad’ll Fix it
Since becoming a father I have changed in many ways. One of these ways is fixing things. Or at least …
Great Expectations
Our church has just started the Freedom in Christ course. At the first session during the group time, we were …
Facedown
I can be a little deluded about myself and my giftings. I like to think it’s charming but I’m probably …
Feeling Good
One of the things that strikes me in my new found fatherhood is what drives little Welford’s decisions and reactions. …
Defining Moments
When I was younger I worked for a supermarket as a cashier. This was in the days when people still …
A Bitter Pill
Over the past months, and for what feels like an eternity, I have been up against the most painful situation …
Love Resourcing
This parenting lark isn’t easy. Perhaps that’s obvious to other people, but I must confess to being slightly naive going …
Daddy Radar
Since adopting little Welford sleep has been… interesting. The first few nights I was so aware of this little life …
Why I hated the Youthwork Summit 2013 (and other Christian conferences)
Yesterday I got back from YWS13 (The Youthwork Summit). It was my first time at YWS and I was swayed …
Thank You
Thank you that I am a human man, because I understand men. Thank you that I know hate, it makes …
Wake Up Jesus!
The disciples are out on a boat. For the fishermen among them this is a place of safety. It’s what …
You Can Keep Your Healing
Last week I had the honour of being featured on the website threads. Threads is a blogging website that has …
My Evening as a Stripper
It’s been a busy couple of months, on top of work, our ongoing adoption process, Christmas, New Year and the …
Sleep and Stress
I often struggle to remember my dreams for very long after waking up unless the dream was particularly eventful or …
Hubris
So I sat there, not sure about the content, not sure about the approach I was going to take, feeling a bit embarrassed about my oversight and concerned that I was failing in responsibilities to God and everyone who had showed up on a cold night in January. Then before the sermon we sang ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’ – a classic and well loved hymn that I have been singing since I’ve been able to read. All of a sudden all my insecurities, worries and hopelessness were put into perspective,
‘Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.’
Quality Brew
Several months have passed since I last wrote about tea. I am amazed that a simple cup of tea could …
Anna’s Journal Part 2
For now I will continue to hope and pray: “When I called you answered me; you made me bold and stout-hearted… Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life… The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands”. (Psalm 138)
Anna’s Journal Part 1
I believe everything happens for a reason. I believe God is good even when circumstances are not. I believe whatever this life throws at us, we will continue to trust in his unfailing love for it is he who holds us in the storms of life and gives us hope for the future. Even if all dreams in this life were unfulfilled I would still cling to the assurance of a new, eternal life in which all God’s promises are fulfilled and in which his creation is restored and perfected, when :He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more dearth or mourning our crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation).
The Cost of Serving
I really did not want to say yes to the request, but found it difficult to say no, or justify a negative response. I woke this morning challenged by the dream, which raised several questions.
Short Cuts
Are we so different? We may not be match fixers but we all have our short cuts. Pornography can be a short cut for sex – it’s not as satisfying, or so I’m told! The lottery is a short cut to riches – if you’re lucky! Beer is a short cut to happiness and a good time. Facebook a short cut for friendship?! But do short cuts satisfy, or ultimately, do we just get lost?
Cup of tea
God loves me. I know it. I know it in my bones, but more than that I see it. Demonstrated in a plethora of ways each and every day. Hang on. I just lied to you. I said I see it every day.
I don’t.
I said I know it.
I don’t.
A glimpse
At the same stage in my life I was more focused on my career and saving the money I needed to get married and purchase a home.
A dirty little secret?
I have a secret. It’s not something I’m ashamed of you understand, it’s just sometimes it’s easier to keep things to yourself and not open yourself up to the abuse of some judgemental people. You’ve got to understand, people have got to understand, it is addictive…. And you don’t even have to look hard to find things to ‘fuel the fire’ so to speak. You can find stuff on the internet to look at; you’ve got to dig a little to find pages worth looking at, but with a bit of time, and to be honest very little effort, there is a whole catalogue of websites to get your fix from.
Tyred & Irritable
In that moment I was a mix of anger and despair. Anger because despite following the instructions it still didn’t work, and despair at being reminded that here was another simple task I could not perform. While my friend, God bless him, who has just moved in down the road is building shelves from old drawers, painting the house from top to bottom, working shifts and looking after two kids under three, I was struggling to patch a hole the size of a pinprick. And if I couldn’t do that, in what other arenas would I fail to live up to my designation as a man? I have already failed to provide my wife with a child, she is the main breadwinner, my lack of DIY nous means I am relegated to performing even simpler chores such as hovering, ironing and emptying the dishwasher.
Defined by Weakness
The time came for questions from the floor and I, still seething, slowly raised my hand. ‘You say that faith is a crutch for the weak’ I aimed directly between his God denying eyes, ‘But you have a faith, you might not call it God, but you believe in something – does that make you weak?’ Revelling in my quick witted challenge I sat down, while all atheist boy could mutter was ‘Good one.’
The Shape God Has Given You
“In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the …
Behaving
The thing is churches often flip that around and expect people to behave long before they believe and certainly before they belong. Not only is it pious to the extreme but also it’s heresy. Yeah you heard me, I did just go there.
Ebs and Flows... 