You might be here because of a few Christmas cards I gave out to people (wrapped in gold ribbon with a small chocolate). I mostly gave them out to retail workers or delivery drivers as a way to say ‘thank you’ at this very busy time of year. I’ve worked in retail, and I know how thankless and crazy the job can be, especially at Read more…
We’ve unofficially named our house The Eolian, and a gold-engraved slate sign is hanging proudly by our front door. Fans of The Kingkiller Chronicle will recognise the moniker from the The Name of the Wind, which is one of our favourite books.
There’s a little girl kneeling at her window, gazing up into the night sky. The stars fade in and out of focus as her eyes travel between them. Searching. She wills the wisp of cloud away, straining for a clear view. Was that something? She jumps up! A movement? A shadow? Just another cloud, rolling in and still deciding on its shape. She releases her Read more…
A pigeon follows me into the coffee shop and it makes me smile. Someone else may have shooed it out, or alerted a staff member to the unwanted visitor, but I just watch it feast on the crumbs carelessly dropped by a previous customer and enjoy the little moment of humour and opportunity.
I wrote a song last year called ‘Royal’ and commissioned my very talented friend, Kezia Tomsett, to compose the music and sing it for me. It was a gift for Jan on our 15th wedding anniversary, and it was inspired by a recent move to our first home on a ‘Royal’ street, and our desire to create a home to bless others and bring glory Read more…
Small hands will soon be knocking on our new yellow door, as they clutch half-filled buckets of sweets and fidget excitedly with their colourful costumes. The nights are closing in, there’s a chill in the air, and pumpkins are spilling out of supermarkets. Halloween is on its way! We’ve lived in Reading for 14 years, but we’ve never had any trick-or-treaters. Living in a top-floor Read more…
[Originally written for a ChristChurch Tilehurst magazine.] Dirty plates and half-drunk cups of tea are stacked up by the sink, I haven’t been outside in days, and I’m stood at an open fridge, unable to mentally piece together a meal. Defeated and tired, I close the fridge and order a pizza. It’s all too much to cope with. When you struggle with depression and anxiety, Read more…
I’m not a natural runner, and it’s been a tough ten months getting to the point of comfortably1 managing an 8-10 mile run. The ‘Couch to 5K‘ app was instrumental in the first few months to get a foundation level of running, although at times it was tempting to give up and go back to the couch! Now, my (ridiculously expensive) pair of Asics are well-worn Read more…
Jan gave me a Valentine’s card today, with an apologetic look, as I opened it and read the words “You’ve taught me the real meaning of happiness and the true meaning of love” printed inside. I smiled, and understood his reticence. Those words – though they sound like a nice sentiment – aren’t true. He didn’t know what was written inside before he bought it, and he wouldn’t Read more…
I love birthdays, and I love planning parties. I turn thirty next week, and there is no way I’m going to let that pass by without a big celebration. I’ve booked my favourite venue, designed flyers, invited all the best people, and spent far too long on Pinterest searching for those perfect little touches to make it special. I’m a planner, and I’ve always got very specific ideas in mind. Read more…
Praying in a small group with my church family is a beautiful, but equally frustrating, experience. I love the freedom we have as God’s children to meet together and know His presence, I feel uplifted as others pray for my personal circumstances and spiritual health, and I’m excited and challenged to do the same for my brothers and sisters in Christ as they try to Read more…
Discipleship and cappuccinos often go together like evangelism and street corners. There’s value in the right context, but there’s more to the doctrine than a once-a-week ‘spiritual check-up’ at your local Starbucks. This, at least, is the picture Ted Kluck paints for us in his latest book, Dallas and the Spitfire. Meet Ted: a thirty-four-year-old happily married, suburban dad who grew up going to church. Read more…
Recent publications have seen many a debate surrounding the doctrine of Hell, particularly in response to Rob Bell’s latest book, ‘Love Wins’. Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle’s approach is not to directly attack Bell’s theology – although parts of his book are quoted in places – but instead to draw people’s attention away from the dangers of human reasoning and back to the basics of Read more…
There’s something inexplicably powerful about an autobiography; the authority of the personal pronoun (and of course, a heart-wrenching narrative) is profound. ‘Hello, I Love You‘ is no exception. It is a memoir of truly personal and, more often than not, painful experiences for Ted Kluck and his wife, Kristin. In all honesty, I wasn’t sure how I would fair with this book when I first Read more…
We’ve all heard the Lord’s Prayer being spoken – maybe at school or at church. Some of us have even memorised it. The words roll effortlessly off our tongues while, often, the true meaning fails to connect with our hearts. Have you ever stopped to think about how the Lord’s Prayer is a model for how we should be praying – every day? Have you Read more…
“This would be the only place where the sun is shining, but it’s minus five degrees!” The dark haired Canadian, comically poised in nothing but his underwear, winked at the tittering crowd. I glanced up at the blazingly blue sky, felt the warmth of the midday sun soak into my bare shoulders and couldn’t help but smile. Playing the British weather card was always guaranteed Read more…
Yesterday I was given some devastating news. I felt alone, abandoned and in pain. I tried to get my heart and head into the right place by spending all afternoon in prayer and reading God’s word but I didn’t feel any peace or comfort from that. I wanted to feel Him with me, but I couldn’t. This morning, I went into work as usual. A customer came Read more…
A few nights ago, God gave me this dream: The world was a busy and confusing place. People, not seeming to know where they were headed, travelled at a pace akin to a brisk walk – oozing urgency. Young mothers were racing, in exceedingly impractical stilettos, with prams occupied by their screaming infants. Business men in sharp, suave Italian suits scurried down the street, briefcases Read more…
“Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers is a powerful, fresh re-telling of Hosea, a small prophetic book in the Old Testament. Rivers passionately and originally modernises the story of Hosea’s wife, Gomer, and her unfaithfulness to him, which is a clear depiction of the relationship between God and Israel. Rivers brings to life the character of Angel – a young woman in 19th Century America thrown Read more…