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Bear Grylls’ thought for this morning, ‘Plan for the Way Down’, starts: ‘Twice as many people die climbing down Everest than climbing up, but I have never met someone who has said, ‘I’m training to climb down Everest.’’ He talks about being ‘ascent focused’, describing how we look at achieving successes without considering what comesContinue reading “Going Up and Coming Down”

Yesterday… …I mentioned Jon. I’d taught him guitar when he was ten. He became a better guitarist than me very quickly. Now he’s a professional guitarist. If he wrote his autobiography I might get a mention in chapter 3. He’s now living in chapter 16. …I chatted to Mark at the Seagull Theatre. Mark leadsContinue reading “The Next Chapter”

In Families… Over the weekend we heard that the Prince and Princess of Wales’s black cocker spaniel Orla has given birth to four puppies. There were comments like ‘Mother and babies are doing well…’ ‘We always thought the patter of tiny feet in the Wales’s household had ended, so the sound of tiny paws willContinue reading “Joy Is All Around”

Yesterday in church Minister-Lou told the story of Moses… looking after his father-in-law’s sheep… a burning bush catches his attention… God’s speaks from the flames. He’s chosen Moses to lead the Jewish nation from slavery in Egypt. Moses makes many excuses… God says to Moses, ‘What’s that in your hand?’. ‘A staff’ Moses replies. GodContinue reading “What’s That in Your Hand?”

I came across this Keith and Kristyn Getty song this week and really like it! Each verse starts ‘Lift high the name of Jesus’. It’s not about my needs, problems, or importance but Jesus. This version of the song is a joyful expression of corporate family worship, as together people of all ages ‘Lift highContinue reading “Lift High the Name of Jesus”

…Yesterday, returning home after a lovely few days in France, all went smoothly apart from one little problem: the machine that reads passport photographs would not recognise mine. Fortunately a kind Frenchman came and I was able to move through passport control… …Sometimes I worry that I will be unrecognised, anonymous, unable to move forward…Continue reading “Remembering Worries and Insecurities”

Yesterday was our last day in France. Spending the day with sister-in-law-Geneviève we visited the shops, walked in the woods, ate together, talked together, laughed together, remembered together… Today we return to England. So what lessons have I be reminded of… perhaps learnt a little better… through this French visit? Receive graciously: Our French familyContinue reading “Graciously, Gratefully, Generously”

We spent yesterday with our French family – sister-in-law-Geneviève, her children and their children, spending much of the day reflecting on what  is the same and what is different… Some differences are immediately evident – language, driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, architectural styles. Others become apparent through conversation and experience… Nephew-Joel andContinue reading “Different But The Same”

I was amused yesterday when I bought a sandwich. The wrapper told me ‘This is not just a honey roast ham and cheddar cheese sandwich. This is an M&S honey roast ham and cheddar cheese sandwich, in our soft vitamin D-enriched oatmeal bread.’ I was getting something better that I realised! Not just the ordinaryContinue reading “Not Just the Ordinary…”

Yesterday… …our friend Andy of ‘Read’s Car Maintenance’, who’s serviced our cars for many years,  posted: ‘Tyre sales have become such an integral part of our business, that we have upgraded our tyre machines to the latest lever-less machine and laser balancer. So why not give us a look the next time you require tyres?’Continue reading “All New, All Change”