Keeping Focused

I’ve always been a keen photographer, but thought I would have a go at digital photography and bought a simple compact to give it a try. I was amazed at what it could do. The colour rendering was brilliant and the images consistently sharp. There was one problem however, the photos were sharp all over. [...]

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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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It’s All in the Name

Before we were married, I remember that in conversation, friends and colleagues often referred to their ‘girl friend.’ This alone, told me very little about their relationship and left me wondering whether they were referring to a casual acquaintance or something much more serious. In the same way, the married men sometimes used the phrase [...]

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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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The Burden Bearer

When walking in wild places I always went well prepared. I filled my backpack with all the essentials: maps, compass, emergency rations, extra clothing and waterproofs and much more, just in case. I had difficulty cramming everything into the bulging sack. It felt heavy to start with, but once I was into my stride I [...]

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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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The Choice

Am I sitting on the fence, Just looking at the view? Enjoying both sides, hedging my bets just in case? Am I sitting by the pool side watching the bathers have fun? Perhaps dipping in a toe, to show I’m taking part, but waiting for another day to take the plunge. They say this habit [...]

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The Big Picture

My wife and I are part of a lovely encouraging art group in our village. Each year they decide upon a painting by a well known artist and produce a sort of large mural, for display at the annual art exhibition. The person who has the master copy, divides it up into tiny rectangles and [...]

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Blossoming Through Difficulty

It’s almost June and I suppose I can now go out without a coat? That is if the old English saying “Ne’er cast a clout ‘ere May is out!” is true? I only recently discovered that this has nothing to do with the months of the year, but refers to the May blossom. It was [...]

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Fling Wide the Gates!

I feel that this can apply to anyone, young or old, believer or not, newly-awakened or ‘mature:’ Call out to Him from the very depths of your being Call out as never before Turn from the old ways Let go of the old and yield to Him, surrender He is waiting for your response He [...]

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