Burnout is a really unpleasant phenomena. Exhaustion, Lack of motivation, Frustration & Cynicism, the ‘fight or flight’ instincts make it hard to remember things, your job performance falls off a cliff. All are signs of burnout says Dr Ballard of … Continue reading Burn out in the fast lane
Have you ever tried to fix something but ended up making the situation a whole lot worse? Me and DIY don’t go together so well. I had a stain once on my coffee table. I tried using the sanding tool on my electric drill to smooth it off. That’s when I realised it was veneered. I ended up having to chuck out the whole coffee table. What was once a beautiful table ended up as junk at the recycling centre. King David has a ‘coffee table’ situation. David is the youngest son of Jesse, a sheep farmer from the village … Continue reading A man after God’s own heart
A judge was in his office with the lawyers from the prosecution and defence standing in front of him. “This is totally unacceptable”, he glared at them. “You, lawyer Jones have sent me a bribe of £10,000 And you, Lawyer … Continue reading Judges
Sometimes people ask me what God’s Plan is for their lives, as though there was an individualised, personalised plan just for them. I don’t think the Bible teaches this. Not at all*. Rather, there is a divine master plan and He calls us to walk in step with Him. All that said, our part in his plan may depend on a supernatural word for us to see it. Or it may have a lot to do with our personality. What I mean is, the job God has for us may very closely fit in with our character, cracks and all. … Continue reading Portrait of a serial killer
It was so funny. I know a guy… He will remain nameless because his insecurities are such that he couldn’t cope with being named in a blog like this. He honestly came up to me once and said: “I’m being … Continue reading Cracked Pots: Pride comes before a fall
Some of us struggle and wrestle with God. He works with that and us glorified through it. Continue reading Struggle and Strife
None of us are perfect, not even the virtuous Continue reading Virtue
Sticky post
Ever noticed how old pottery has a beauty all of its own? I’d love to be a pottery expert. I go aorund charity shops with my wife, Katy, and I’ve seen some of the blue and white stuff from China and I don’t know if I’m looking an Ming or Han dynasty. But there can be a real beauty, even in stuff that is old and cracked. Sometimes they deliberatly put in errors into the firing process. I think they call it crackle glaze, like in the photo here. Sometimes I feel like I am old and cracked. No longer … Continue reading Cracked Pots
I’ve just had a very weird thought. As I’ve lain awake with a teeny bit of chest pain, I got to thinking it’s been a rather unproductive year, ministry-wise. I’ve not been able to do half what I wanted to … Continue reading Active Inactivity
Before yesterday, the only thing I knew about Blaise Pascal was that he said each person has a God-shaped hole in our hearts. He meant that we are designed for worship, for a relationship with God. The other thing he said was that, if you like a gamble, it’s a fair bet to believe in God. If you follow him & you’re wrong you die like everyone else. If you don’t follow him & Christian faith is all true, you miss out on eternal life. I feel a lot of affinity with Pascal. He got sick and died young. Not … Continue reading The God shaped hole
Did you know there’s a top ten list for everything? Even funeral songs. In 2016 the favourite song, according to Co-Op Funeral Care was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”. I hate this song. I loathe and detest it. Why? Well, Bernard … Continue reading Pride and Humility
A devout cowboy lost his favorite Bible while he was mending fences out on the savannah in Africa. Three weeks later, a Hippopotamus walked up to him carrying the Bible in its mouth. The cowboy couldn’t believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the Hippo’s mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, “It’s a miracle!” “Not really,” said the Hippo. “Your name is written inside the cover.” So why is my opener a joke about a hippo? Well, the chap who’s thoughts I’ve been looking at today is from a place called Hippo. Or at least that … Continue reading The Graceful Hippo
