Tags: life

• upward, around… or through!

  * Porlock Hill. Two words that strike fear and trepidation in the heart and mind of this female driver. I was on my way to the south-west last week when I remembered that Porlock Hill stood between me and my destination. This thought occupied at least half the drive and much of my praying!! Imagine my relief when an ‘avoid Porlock Hill’ sign was spotted turning me away from the hill and into the beautiful countryside that is this part [...]

• quoteable quote: perspective

  “If you attempt to talk with a dying man about sports or business, he is no longer interested. He now sees other things as more important.  People who are dying recognize what we often forget, that we are standing on the brink of another world.” – William Law, 18th-century British theologian

• random ruminations

  Meals, and the grace of hospitality….. Procastination is considered a sin, according to Joe Thorn Success v Blessing, helpfully explored by Pete Wilson Bishop Tom Wrights closing preach in Durham, calling for a renewed passion for social justice. Marilynne Robinson speaks helpfully about the unity of science and faith. Great leadership checks for working with young adults. A classic list….. The brilliant free global ministry-leadership event, the nines, scheduled for late September. Register and it’s yours!

• q?
• what a vision: what a prayer….?

  Beautiful prayer from Richard Rohr: ” O Loving God, we thank you for bringing us the rivers and streams of this world. May the rivers we know be an image of the stream that you want to flow within each one of us. Teach us now, take away all fear, dare to let us believe that we could really be a small part of a reconstructed society, that we could build again. Take away our own cynicism. Take away our [...]

• random ruminations

  This nugget, from Pete Wilson / Rob Bell about how preaching is provoke a whole new way of living!! ohhh yes….. Qualities of next-level leaders: hate-the-term, but believe in the substance of this!! Another principled reason I SO respect Steve Jobs! Apple rules…. Loving God, the world and God’s purposes….. Uncommon-wisdom! Samson-esque reasoning as to Rooney, and England’s demise! Arn’t we glad that, that-month-is over?!! A refreshing brilliant creative TED, 20minute talk, by Elizabeth Gilbert! , and this great quoteable [...]

• almost complete….?!

  but never quite…..! Somebody told me recently about being a few pieces short of a 1000 piece jigsaw: ouch! Throughout my life there have been moments when I looked at myself and felt as if there were more pieces of me missing than pieces in their proper places. How much energy has been expended compensating, explaining, finding excuses for those absent pieces. And how much time has been spent repairing the consequences of things I’ve done because pieces were missing. [...]

• look, search and find…..

  the good in all situations…..! yes in all there is a trace of goodness to be found, however grim,…. and graceless…. At the weekend, Julie and I chewed over the immensity of this passage: it’s a rich sight-raising, faith-nourishing invitation!  Expectations and perspective so often shape our day…. right from the moment when you stub your toe, on getting out of bed in the morning! Not everything seems good, but look for the good in the situation. Romans 8:28, “For [...]

• loved,… and thankful

  I love the freshness of this:-  “Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness.” Psalm 138:2, The Message We give more applause to a team playing a 90-minute-kick-about than to the maker of creation. We have more hopes in lanky-lumpy footballers than we do to the God who made us! We sing more songs in raw-curious-national-jingoistic-pride than to Jesus Christ who saved us . . .!! Though we may not act like our Father, there is no greater [...]

• catch-up

  Coaching the greatness in others is immense fun / Trusting God is the thinnest and truest geography / Pain reminds you of what is real / Eating vegetables is what my new friend Rob advises / There’s never anything better than the joy of giving/ Being up against the wall is the place where you prove what is true / Protein-meats are still never as much fun or good-taste as red-meat!! / I’m enjoying my next season of exploring what [...]