It’s easy to talk about having identity in the Lord, but in practice to operate an undercover policy on self-worth. It looks a bit like this: I glibly agree that Jesus loves me and that of course – that is what makes me valuable. Secretly however, I’m also investing in a few offshore accounts. There’s the ‘looks’ ISA for starters. The ‘good wife’ high-interest saver. The ‘mum’ tax bonds. The ‘church worker’ credit card. For those day-to-day transactions, the simplest ... Read More

Why do so many church workers and vicars burn out after just a short time in their ministries? You can probably think of hundreds of reasons. But here’s a few starters; We value gifting over character. In theory, we say we want holiness – and we do. But in practice, we’ll prioritise skills over maturity. We place immature Christians in positions of leadership and then act surprised when they come crashing down. What’s that? You can sing and play guitar? Doesn’t matter if you’ve just become a Christian and are ... Read More

There’s all sorts of reasons why eating disorders can develop – from personality type to culture. It’s rare that we can identify one particular cause – but there are steps that we can take to help protect our young people. This applies particularly to the ways in which we are taught to view our bodies and the messages we give out about what gives us worth and identity. In her book, ‘Where Has My Little Girl Gone? How To Protect Your Daughter From Growing Up Too Soon‘, Tanith Carey gives the following ... Read More

Time’s a funny thing, isn’t it? Don’t worry this isn’t the precursor to a meditation on the laws of the universe, (I’ve neither the energy nor the mental equipment required). But if he were an acquaintance, you could be forgiven for feeling a bit well, ambivalent about his presence. Some days he looks like a friend. The sun is shining, the barbie’s lit, you’re kicking off your shoes and kicking up sand and there’s hours in which to chew the cud and enjoy time with people you love. ... Read More

What happens to the junk in your head? The messy stuff that looks like a bruised peach – if you even go near it, the skin will break and all the flesh will come dribbling out. The, ‘I’m useless, this isn’t where I’d planned to be, what on earth am I doing, life is pointless’ stuff. Your script will be slightly different to mine – but you’ve probably rehearsed the lines from infancy, depending upon your family, friends, temperament and life experiences. Maybe it’s less self-pitying and more ... Read More

He is risen indeed.  ... Read More

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  (Isaiah ... Read More

What makes you angry? For me, it’s bullying, rude salespeople (especially in posh shops), printers and blue cheese and onion crisp bags. (They should be green. Green is cheese colour – everyone knows that blue is salt and vinegar). Other common provocations include queue-jumpers, racism, spitting, traffic jams and cold-calling. As ever, Kermit the frog provides the definitive answer, but even if you’re not a fan of Sesame Street (is this possible?), I’m sure you can think of a few triggers. For a slightly deeper ... Read More

Welcome to Wednesday – that no-man’s land where both weekends seem horribly far off. To resurrect the grey cells, here’s a fiendishly difficult puzzle into which to sink your mental molars. The name of the game is ‘Spot the Subtext’, and this week, it’s brought to you courtesy of the Daily Mail. To start us off, let’s take a small selection of headlines from today’s ‘Femail’ section; ‘Fat Actress No More! Kirstie Alley displays weight loss after squeezing into size 10 ... Read More

I’ve just been gardening. Panic not, it wasn’t planned and it won’t be happening again. Where some people have green fingers, mine are black. I’ve managed to kill every kind of plant we’ve ever been given, including those funny cacti that are supposed to be indestructible. Were it not for the generous ministrations of our friends (Tilly and Carol – you legends!),  a hacksaw would be needed to cut a swathe to the doorstep. (We’ve lost several postmen and any number of cats over the years. If you ... Read More