Daddy, I’m Scared!

I had the afternoon out with one of our grandaughters. It was to be just the two of us and I was really looking forward to it. As it was hot and sunny we started with large ice creams. She reached up to the counter on tiptoe, and studiously considered each flavour. Next, the play [...]

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The Hidden Life – 1

I used to be centre stage, on the front line for all to see. I felt wanted, stimulated, fulfilled and even, dare I say – successful. After all, I had letters of thanks and praise and a lapel badge displaying my role. So you’d be right in thinking. I was just a touch proud. Then [...]

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Where is My Treasure?

I’ve changed over to a brand new computer and have just completed re-installing all my software, documents and files, configuring the email and making sure everything works. I’m no computer-geek, but I have picked up some expertise along the way and consider myself reasonably confident. They say that changing computers can be as stressful as [...]

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Absolute Care

I was always something of a worrier, so when I became a Christian it was a revelation to learn of a loving Father God, who cared for me personally. I was particularly gripped by the fact that He knew me inside out and had “every hair on my head counted!” However, anxiety still remained a [...]

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Without Prejudice

Some years ago, when I was helping out at a conference, a young woman came up to me and made a direct remark concerning my personality. It was a childlike observation and her command of the English language was halting, but I knew it had the ring of truth about it. I was taken by [...]

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Getting the Balance Right

I’m a fan of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. In the ‘Pirates of Penzance’ there is a chorus: “A paradox, a paradox, A most ingenious paradox. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, That paradox.” I sometimes think that on first sight the Christian life can appear to be full of paradox’s, with [...]

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Giving From Where We Are

What would I say to someone in distress? What would I do, if I was in a hurry, but I could see that they were hurting inside? Such ‘God opportunities’ always seem to come when I least expect them! But I hope that I would have the grace to lay aside my ‘important’ agenda and [...]

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Our Glass is Half Full

We had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and forgot that the main road out of the village had been closed for repairs. We diverted into a very narrow side lane, flanked on either side by tall Cornish hedges – these hedges are built of stone and soil and overgrown with hawthorn, wild flowers etc. We were [...]

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Resting in God

I wondered what to write today, but nothing came to me. I could always think of a good idea or important topic and try and write some thought-provoking article. But I’m not an intellectual or clever enough for that and I’m not into good ideas either. I could keep on trying for an hour or [...]

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Come Apart

When I was a child I enjoyed playing with other boys and got up to all sorts of escapades in the surrounding fields and extensive parkland. However, a lot of the time, partly because of family circumstances, I played quite happily on my own. You could say that I was something of a loner. As [...]

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