Writer • Speaker • Trainer • Facilitator
Those of us of a certain age, before the days of games consoles, traffic and modern parental worry, will remember long hot summers where we were booted out the front door after breakfast and didn’t return home until the street lights came on. Those glorious days of childhood, full of knock-a-door run and making prank …
“Truth hurts” a phrase often used to justify unkind words and a lack of care around other people’s feelings. Those of us of a religious bent may even try to spiritualise this notion of “only being honest” as “speaking the truth in love” But let’s face it, as our home secretary has shown us recently, …
Wednesday 20th September, 2023 There’s a pattern emerging. Right now it’s about Russell Brand but it won’t be long until it’s someone else. We’re cycling through the predatory celebs, Jonah Hill, Philip Schofield, Johnny Depp, even Prince Andrew. There’s always someone we’re accusing, or defending, arguing about, speculating over. Someone who is “innocent until proven …
25th August 2022 What do we do when our heroes, our family, our friends, our ancestors turn out to have made mistakes? Deny, minimise, distance ourselves, tear down statues, defend statues? Whatever community or cause we identify with, we will find people throughout its history who have got it wrong, we will be let down …
24th August, 2022 In the Lady Garden at Wells Cathedral stands a statue of Jesus. He holds his crown of thorns behind his back and gazes up at the Cathedral. The garden is peaceful, Jesus a picture of serenity and you cannot help but want to sit or wander a while in contemplation. As I …
Monday 21st August, 2023 It really shouldn’t be Christians I’m writing this for, honestly, the rest of the world is really starting to understand how harmful hitting children is (let’s get rid of that euphemism- ‘spanking’- and be real, it’s hitting) why are Christians always the ones behind the times when it comes to moral …
22nd August, 2022 It’s not supposed to be difficult.Life, love, faith.None of it is supposed to be difficult.The songs tell us that “love hurts” , that it’s sometimes hard, that we must work at it.I disagree. In fact, it was the big lesson I learned in my first relationship after my abusive husband; that loving …
Monday 14th August, 2023 The skyline of Barcelona is dominated by the 18 towers of Sagrada Familia, an exquisite Cathedral that has been a work in progress since 1882. When its architect, Gaudi died in 1926 the Cathedral was less than a quarter finished, Gaudi wasn’t worried, he’d designed it that way, as he famously …
20th August 2022 We are all on a journey towards Christlikeness. With the same guide. Our good guide knows each persons strengths, and weaknesses. She knows where each of us needs to be challenged to grow and where we need to stop and rest. She knows we all start from different places, and will choose …
15th August 2022 Words of love.Words of wisdom of advice,Words of guidance, words that give life.PickedPluckedRemoved.StrippedSquashedDeformed.Twisted and mangled, torn and abusedFormed into bullets, made into pain.Against their willTheir beauty destroyedWords that give life falling from the mouths of those who seek deathInsults hurled, spirits crushed, hearts hardened.Death.