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 [...]

Read Full Post »

The Circle of God’s Love

There’s a form of wrestling – I think it originates in Japan, but there are similar sports in rural areas of Europe – where the opponents spar in a circle. The whole object is to keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, while pushing your opponent outside the circle. The first to achieve this [...]

Read Full Post »

Committed to Follow

Dartmoor is almost on our doorstep. It’s one of the few real wildernessess left in England and it was my ambition to walk across it from north to south. I researched the route and reckoned it was achievable in a day, provided I was adequately prepared. I set out on a fine summer’s day, booted [...]

Read Full Post »

Whose Voice are We Listening to?

We have had so many intrusive calls from tele sales, that we signed up to a national scheme to stop them. It has really worked on the whole, but some still get through the net. The other day we had a call from an insurance company we hadn’t dealt with before. The salesman launched into [...]

Read Full Post »

Filling the Void

Our new dentist is the friendliest and most gentle of dentists we have ever met. At our last checkup I knew there was work to be done, as I was in some discomfort. As I entered his surgery, he greeted me with a smile, “How are you?” I knew he wasn’t just enquiring after my [...]

Read Full Post »

Our Reaction to Pain

There was a small boy who was given a bike for his birthday. Just what he had hoped for. He practised at home before venturing out and kept falling off at first. He was impatient to show it to his friends, so off he went. They all inspected it and gave it the thumbs up. [...]

Read Full Post »

The Husband’s Challenge

Getting married was the best thing I ever did. It has brought real fulfilment and happiness, but of course it hasn’t all been married bliss. I didn’t expect it to bring to the surface all my inadequacies, failings and above all my own emotional wounds. At times it has seemed more like a battlefield and [...]

Read Full Post »

A Foot in Both Camps

Before our children finally flew the nest, we had a last holiday together. We hired a large brand new motor cruiser on the Norfolk Broads, an inland network of rivers, waterways and lakes on the east coast of England. I was in my element as captain of the motley crew, embarking on an adventure into [...]

Read Full Post »

When You Just Don’t Know

Have you ever been in a challenging situation where you just do not know which way to turn and wonder how you will cope? When there does not seem a way forward and it feels like everything could go pear-shaped and out of control? If you are anything like me you may find it more [...]

Read Full Post »

Battle Weary?

Are you battle weary, battered through trying to cope? Have you wondered how much more and listened to the Devil’s roar, swayed by his taunts and lies? Has your faith faltered and your hope grown dim? Have you felt like giving up or looked for illicit solace? Do you feel forgotten, and even angry with [...]

Read Full Post »