Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

I’ve never liked colouring in. I know all children are supposed to enjoy it; I didn’t. I know that some adults enjoy it; please don’t ask me to join you. I still find it boring, mindless and pointless. I know that colouring books are good for children to practice fine motor control, that encouraging  accuracy,Continue reading “Colouring Outside the Lines”

‘With Empty Hands’ says: In 1888 ‘…a fifteen-year-old girl named Thérèse Martin knocked on the door of the Carmel of Lisieux in Normandy. She was admitted and stayed there until she died nine years later.’ In 1895, Thérèse wrote of her God: ‘I want to work solely for your love, with the one intention ofContinue reading “Empty Hands”

Yesterday’s BBC’s ‘Songs of Praise’ featured Graham Kendrick’s great song ‘Beauty for Brokenness’ and ‘Kintsugi’ – repairing broken pottery with gold, and making it beautiful… Beauty and Brokenness: Throughout our lives beauty and brokenness live side by side. One family we know are devastated by an unexpected death, but are excited by the news ofContinue reading “Beauty and Brokenness”

Daughter-Jo gave me a present – a 1925 edition of a Golden Bells hymn book. The ‘Foreword’ states: ‘For thirty-five years ‘Golden Bells’ has occupied a position that is unique amongst the collections of hymns now in use. It has been the special purpose of this book to put ‘the songs of Zion’ into theContinue reading “Lord Speak to Me”

At Men’s Shed the other day a number of gents were telling stories of their work at sea – African ports, North Sea fish, extreme weather conditions… We recalled Grace Darling… One stormy morning in September 1838, Grace, the twenty-two-year-old daughter of a lighthouse keeper, spotted the wreck and survivors of a boat that hadContinue reading “Grace – Straightforward?”

As children, we often played ‘stuck in the mud’. One child was chosen to be ‘it’ or ‘on’. He/she chased and tried to touch (tag) the others. If you were tagged you were ‘stuck in the mud’. Standing with your legs apart, you were stuck. You became unstuck if an untagged child crawled through yourContinue reading “Stuck in the Mud”

On last night’s news, Michelle Obama was delivering a speech to Democrats in Chicago. The words that particularly resonated with me were words that she quoted from Kamala Harris’ mother: ‘Don’t sit around and complain about things. Do something.’ ‘Do Something’ became a repeated refrain for her audience… The principle isn’t about US – orContinue reading “Don’t Complain. Do Something.”

Schools are often seen as both the problem and solution to many headlines… Not enough engineers in industry? We need better science teaching! Teenage pregnancies? Inadequate school sex education! Obesity? More sport and dietary education!  Ill-disciplined teenagers? Bring back the cane and school discipline. Young people today can’t read/ do arithmetic/ hold a conversation!! (UsuallyContinue reading “Education… the Problem and the Solution.”

Not-so-new-minister Lou has been with us for a year now. She’s asked: ‘What sort of church we should be?’ and ‘What should my part be in it?’ Some of my earliest memories are in church – the Sunday morning ‘Breaking of Bread’ service, attending Sunday School… I’ve attended church all my life, I haven’t ‘wanderedContinue reading “Answering Lou’s Questions”

Yesterday we drove back from Yorkshire. The wedding’s over; back to normal. But we come back with wonderful memories – of the wedding itself, of time spent with family, of recalling other family weddings and past events… Family and friends have memories of Hester and Chris over many years that make Friday’s wedding even moreContinue reading “Memories…”