“Is everything sad going to come untrue?” (Sam Gamgee to Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings) “[Some mortals] say of some temporal suffering, “No future bliss can make up for it,” not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.” (C.S. Lewis) There are words that do… Continue reading Untrue
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How is your heart?
"Haal-e shoma chetoreh?" In Persian one asks another "Haal-e shoma chetoreh?" It's like our version of "how are you doing?" In fact it's better than that. Translated, it is actually asking about the transient state of one's heart. In other words "how is your heart doing at this very moment, at this breath?" How is your… Continue reading How is your heart?
Fear Not!
Sometimes staring down the road to the future can fill you with trepidation. As we watch world history playing out, as we ourselves face certain challenges, fear can grip us, terrify us and seek to overcome us. To fear it seems is part of our human nature, an unavoidable reaction or response. Yet God reminds us, urges… Continue reading Fear Not!
Life is a Playground
Slippery slides slip you down Swinging swings swing you up and down Giant poles try to hold everything up without moving Pointy ladders climb you up Climby monkey bars hold you still Spinning roundabouts get you...dizzy... (Poem- At the Playground) My 8 year old wrote this poem. A great description of a playground. A great description… Continue reading Life is a Playground
Equilibrium
Equilibrium: - a state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces Equilibrium. We use it to describe balance in market forces, to define that equal point in opposing powers and influence. However with the exception of those times when we lose our equanimity we don't use it in reference to our own… Continue reading Equilibrium
Reality Bites
I'm not a great one for travelling in boats. I get seasick. I even managed to get seasick whilst kayaking and also whilst on board a containership that was still in port! I just don't do well with the motion of the sea. I was taught though that to avoid the need to hang one's head over… Continue reading Reality Bites
Unfathomable
"Our hearts will take us where our heads can't fit." (Bill Johnson) My nine year old is studying space at school. He has us outside most nights pointing to the various constellations and planets that he can now recognise. With it has come a plethora of questions. Questions of Galaxies and Universes. Imaginations of what… Continue reading Unfathomable
Making a Difference
"Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions." (Henri Nouwen) I was having one of those "meh" days. Heading out late one evening to… Continue reading Making a Difference
Quiet Retreat
Technology is quite good at telling you when it's at capacity. My phone gives me a message that it's "almost full" and then, well it simply stops letting me take photos or open apps. My phone has a finite capacity. Once you hit it, there's nothing you can do until you address the storage level.… Continue reading Quiet Retreat
The Punches of Life
"The goodness of God is challenged everyday with the punches of life" (Havilah Cunnington) Let's face it, some days can be hard and we're left wishing we'd put on boxing gloves to knock back some of the things that have come our way. Some days it can feel we're living on the wrong side of the crucifixion and not… Continue reading The Punches of Life