Five years ago yesterday, 11th April 2020, I wrote my first ‘Malcolm’s Musing’. It became a daily habit. Today I’m musing on musing…
I grew up in a Christian family 25 miles South East of London, trained as a teacher, got married, had 3 children, moved around England. In 1986 we moved to Lowestoft, Suffolk, the UK’s most Easterly point.
I retired in 2008, after teaching for thirty-six years. Having been a church leader for many years I committed more time to church. I started theological studies, questioned, read, re-examined, reconstructed the faith that I’d held to all of my life.
2017 was a difficult year. I felt let down by people whom I trusted. My faith was challenged. I read, prayed, reflected, asked advice from good, kind, wise friends and stepped away from church leadership.
I spent time in cafés, homes, pubs, clubs, meeting Christians, used-to-be-Christians, lost-their-way-but-not-their-faith-Christians, nearly-Christians, unsure-if-I-am-Christians, definitely-not-Christians… aiming to have two ‘meaningful conversations’ each day.
In April 2020, we were entering covid lockdown. I could no longer meet with friends. I was encouraged to start writing a blog. I’d never written for a public audience before; I didn’t know if I could.
Initially… My ‘musing’ was a chat, influenced by my faith. I imagined I was with friends having a coffee or a beer… I imagined I was giving a thought for the day, a school assembly – to adults.
Time went on… It became more personal, my daily reflection on life, my diary, questions, confessional, therapy… an application of my faith to life and my life to faith….
Today… 1827 blogs later, My Christian faith says that God is with me each day. Musing, writing each morning I ask… Where was he yesterday? What lesson has God tried to teach me? What was he trying to say or do to me or through me? What have I learnt or seen in a different way?
…Seeking to strengthen, deepen my life and faith with compassion, humility, integrity and gratitude.
malcolmsmusings.org 
You minister to us, Malcolm, encouraging and asking questions that make us pause to consider our own walk with the Lord. God bless you!
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Thank you for your kind words, Joy. I’m increasingly aware that I’m writing a diary, a conversation with myself. My God is both the content and the audience. If it is of any help to others then I’m humbly grateful.
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I’m so glad that you started writing your blog, Malcolm. I’m also so glad that you and I met out here in cyberspace. I wish that I could travel to England or you here to Arizona so that we could shake hands and speak brother to brother, face to face, but we both believe that we shall meet in Glory, and this place for now will have to do. Your blog is one of the few things that I read every morning along with my Bible and prayer books.
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The likelihood of me coming to Arizona is, I guess as unlikely as you coming to this corner of England. It’s a privilege to be in touch through the magic of cyberspace.
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Congratulations on your milestone. I know I am grateful to have you as a resource each morning with your messages of faith and urging to apply them in our daily lives!
–Scott
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Thank you, Scott. When I started five years ago I never thought that it would be part of my daily routine!
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I can imagine! Reading you in the morning is part of mine, so I appreciate it!
–Scott
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Thank you for your musings, Malcolm. I’ve been reading them since moving to Lowestoft and LRBC during 2021 and, unsurprisingly, there’s always a challenge in them!😁
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Thank you, Lynn. I rely on you for honest feed back!!
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Absolutely beautiful, Malcolm. I love the questions you ask and your goal to “Seeking to strengthen, deepen my life and faith with compassion, humility, integrity and gratitude.” Thanks for sharing these lessons with us!
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You have certainly helped me, Wynne. Thank you. The honesty of your book and the immediacy, honesty and questions of your blog have helped point me in somewhere towards the right direction.
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I’m glad you started this conversation, Malcolm, and have kept it going for over 1800 posts. I am often amazed how you weave two or three points into one excellent application. May God continue to bless your writing ministry.
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Thanks, David. I’m thinking that if the same thought or question comes through several parts of my life, that perhaps that’s where God’s voice is for me today.
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Lovely, Malcolm. Thank you for sharing your path with us. Your posts are always a blessing to me! Please keep us thinking and questioning and acting in faith through your encouragement.
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The faith that I grew up with, Dana, I’m really grateful for. I thought that I had a lot of answers and as I get older I’d get even more answers to all of the difficult questions. What I’ve found is that I have more questions, but that’s OK – and, to my surprise my faith is deeper.
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Yes to more questions and, I think, different questions as we age. But God is thankfully constant!
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Congratulations on five years of blogging! Wishing you blessings with your ‘musings’ which certainly bring a blessing to others.
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Thank you, Linda. I appreciate your good wishes.
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Congratulations on 5 years of giving your time, skills and wisdom to others
well done
Pat
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It’s a strange thing, Pat. I can only pass on what I’ve received from others. It’s a bit like an adult version of ‘pass the parcel’. You unwrap a bit and pass it on.
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Reading the comments, I know I am not the only one who is grateful for your writing! Thank you and bless you!
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Thank you for your kind words, Karen. I still find it humbling that a few random thoughts can be helpful to anyone else – from someone like me who wouldn’t consider myself to be a writer.
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“Where was He yesterday?”. I find this deeply encouraging as this helps me to see God’s love, grace and challenges in my daily life; God’s great story intersecting with mine.
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He was there… Whether I see him or hear Him or not…
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