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Yesterday we watched a wonderful production of Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. It was fun… many characters played by just four actors. Ebenezer Scrooge, an miserly, unpleasant old man, is visited on Christmas Eve by the ghost of Jacob Marley… The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come, show Scrooge how hisContinue reading “Meeting our Scrooges”

Over Christmas Granddaughter-Hannah (19) and Grandson-Zak (21) talked about ‘adulting’… paying bills, being independent, getting life organised, taking responsibility… Yesterday I was reminded of the song ‘When I grow up’… from ‘Matilda’… sung by children on swings… about what they can’t do now but will be able to do when they’re older… It’s about adulting.Continue reading “When I Grow Up”

We all face failure… Yesterday I chatted to Phil, a lovely, gentle, kind, skilful, generous guy with a wealth of positive life experiences… Phil’s had two marriages, two divorces; it’s a long time since he’s seen his children. His relationship with his current long-term partner is falling apart. He’s uncertain where he’ll live, he’s uncertainContinue reading “Failure… Leading to Success”

On Monday afternoon there was a pile of white feathers in our garden. Sitting on top of the pile, Mrs Sparrowhawk was enjoying a white pigeon for her dinner. I guess she’d forgotten she was a sparrowhawk and thought she was a pigeon-hawk. Yesterday morning – eighteen hours later – Mrs Sparrowhawk was enjoying herContinue reading “Sparrowhawks or Geese?”

Saturday’s football… Norwich had a mediocre first half; Coventry scored after twenty-four minutes. At half time we deserved to be 1-0 down. Our second half is better but we can’t score. After eighty minutes spectators start to leave. Defeat’s inevitable? O no it isn’t! The manager brings on substitutes… We go into extra time. AfterContinue reading “O No It Isn’t!”

Last night on The Masked Singer. ‘Pegasus’ sung that wonderful song from Oklahoma: Oh, what a beautiful mornin’Oh, what a beautiful dayI’ve got a beautiful feelin’Everything’s goin’ my way … but she sung it badly and was eliminated. When the mask was removed Pegasus was revealed to be Bake Off judge Prue Leith. Today, 6thContinue reading “Epiphany – When the Mask Comes Off”

One of Jesus’ disciples comes to him and says, ‘Lord teach us to pray.’ Jesus replies with the prayer that has become known as The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom come.Thy will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread,and forgive usContinue reading “The Lord’s Prayer”

This morning I read more of the Abraham narrative. God comes to Abraham, an childless old man, telling him that the apparently impossible will happen: he will have a big family… We’ve been watching Wolf Hall, a TV drama series about Henry VIII. His desire for a son resulted in action, leading to national politicalContinue reading “Lessons in Faith”

Bear Grylls tells of Andreas Hinterstoisser who, in 1938, was climbing the North face of the Eiger. To cross a previously impassable section of rock he used his body as a pendulum to swing across. This climbing technique became known as the ‘Hinterstoisser Traverse’; apparently it’s still used today. Grylls says: ‘We all face obstaclesContinue reading “The Hinterstoisser Traverse”

Resolutions: It’s a New Year with New Resolutions. Some friends, pleased to see the back of 2024 are hoping that 2025 is better, facing it with renewed determination, looking forward to fresh opportunities, starting again, moving on to the next chapter of their lives. A friend was telling me… ‘My New Year’s resolution for 2024Continue reading “Resolutions, Review, Reality… and my Response”