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Yesterday… …Reading Charles Marsh’s ‘Too hard for God’… It’s 1945. The war’s ended. Marsh returns to Algeria, continuing the work that his God has called him to. There’s a desperate famine: ‘Some men managed to keep a bushel or two of wheat for sowing. These men were faced with a hard choice. They could sowContinue reading “The Hard Choice”

Ipswich-living son Andrew said, ‘Would you like to see ‘The Simon and Garfunkel Story’? It’s on at The Regent Theatre in Ipswich.’ ‘Yes please,’ we said. Last Sunday Rachel and I went to Andrew and Emily’s. We enjoyed a lovely meal with them and arrived at The Regent at about 7.20. There were no lights,Continue reading “The Tribute Act”

A fat old pigeon waddled up, really close to me in the garden. I thought how stupid he was… I was digging. A blackbird came looking for worms, close to my spade. I thought he was inquisitive, intelligent… A friendly little robin hopped up to me by the pond, looking at me quizzically. Perhaps heContinue reading “Living in Two Worlds”

Today is St Patrick’s Day. Born in Roman Britain he was captured by an Irish raiding party when he was about fourteen. Taken to Ireland as a slave he herded and tended sheep. An innocent boy was badly wronged. When Patrick was twenty, he dreamt that God told him to leave Ireland. He escaped, wentContinue reading “Getting It Wrong… Patrick, Charles & Lou”

I first met ‘I go to the rock’ as a Whitney Houston song in the film ‘The Preacher’s Wife’. There are other versions, but for me it’s Whitney’s song. Where do I go when there’s nobody else to turn to?Who do I talk to when nobody wants to listen?Who do I lean on when there’sContinue reading “I Go To The Rock”

This morning, reading about Solomon… King David, his father, dies; Solomon becomes king. God promises Solomon anything he wants; Solomon asks for wisdom… ‘a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong’. Two prostitutes, a dead baby and a living baby come to Solomon. Both women claim the living baby.Continue reading “Babies, Budgets and Bridges”

It’s been a funny old morning. First thing this morning there was a frost. The sun was shining but it was cold. I went for a walk along the beach. I returned home. It clouded over and started raining. Hanging the washing out on the line had to be postponed… The clouds passed; the showerContinue reading “Sunshine After The Rain”

Yesterday seemed to be about weak people being strong… …Reading about Holodomor. In ‘The Memory Keeper of Kyiv’ Erin Littekin reimagines 1930s Ukraine, where Stalin creates ‘Holodomor’, a man-made famine that took nearly four million lives… …Stalin’s men arrive in Katya’s village, pressurising her friends and family to join ‘the collective’. Some are taken andContinue reading “Strength Through Weakness”

On Friday, at ‘Music for wellbeing’ we sung, ‘You gotta start somewhere if you wanna get anywhere…’ There’s the old joke… A motorist from London is lost in the depths of Norfolk. He stops in a village and asks a local, ‘Excuse me, my man, could you kindly explain to me how I might getContinue reading “From Somewhere to Anywhere”

Getting: Recently I’ve had conversations about getting… new cars, a new house, Easter eggs, another job, a pay rise, a new guitar. We’re consumers; we get stuff… On Sunday morning Minister-Lou told of the rich young ruler who came to see Jesus. He had money, possessions, privilege, influence, success, high moral standards… …There’s still pressureContinue reading “Getting, Giving and Receiving.”