Introduction
I’ve changed.
I’m not the person I once was.
In my twenties I was primarily focused on my purpose. My goal was to discover why God had given me the gifts, skills, personality and opportunities I had been given. I wanted to ensure that I wanted to ensure that I lived from a sense of calling, that I was clear about my assignment and that I was moving forward with a clear sense of purpose.
In my thirties my focus began to shift… Read More »
1
Catching Our Attention
What does following involve? What does it commit us to? And most importantly, who exactly is it we are called to follow? Jesus did not say, ‘Come and find me.’ He said, ‘Come and follow me.’ There is a world of difference between looking for someone and being found by that person.
Throughout our lives we are all influenced by… Read More »
1
Bride
February 1222, Swansea Castle
Efa slumped hard against the wall behind her, the rough stones tearing through the thin silk of her borrowed gown as she sank heavily to the floor. She felt it rip, felt the painful scrape of stone against flesh, but she did not care. She shut her eyes and clamped her hands to her ears, the thump of her heartbeat sounding loud in her head. If she could have hoped that this was all some sick dream… Read More »
1
Learners and Doers
Two young men who came to our church for a while were talking to one of our leaders about the high value we place on discipleship at regen. One erroneously offered, ‘It’s not about us having to change; Jesus didn’t ask us to do that – He did it all on the cross.’ The other said he didn’t think discipleship was for him. It is tragic that these two guys viewed discipleship in such a warped way. Discipleship is for every Christian – no exceptions… Read More »
I’d only planned to help the ones who are very confused, beginning with Elsie. That was before I found out that the old man had seen me.
It was lucky for me he got a water infection. Otherwise I wouldn’t have had a clue what he’s been saying. The manager asked me to check on him. The doctor had been in two days earlier, and started him on antibiotics. I found that pregnant carer Kylie in the room with him, the one who’s already got two sons by different men… Read More »
Introduction
Some years ago, I walked with a close friend across the Swiss Alps from Chamonix to Zermatt. By day, we travelled along steep and sometimes dangerous paths with breathtaking views. By night, we enjoyed the hospitality of alpine huts and inns, with excellent food and comfortable beds. Each night, I read from a few pages torn from a scruffy paperback of the Psalms. Those pages consisted of Psalms 120-134, the Psalms of Ascents written for pilgrims on a journey… Read More »
Introduction
Since 1965, the Hollywood blockbuster The Sound of Music has, rather like Marmite or peanut butter, divided people into two camps: those who love it and those who don’t. For those who love it, the story and its songs have provided a soundtrack of joy for decades and still offers a feel-good factor today.
I remember the first time I watched Maria singing and swirling atop that iconic mountain as the film began… Read More »
Foreword: 1982
I was crossing the line, drifting into a peaceful sleep, when I heard the phone ring. I looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was 12.30am. Who would be calling at this time of night? Irritated, I went downstairs and lifted the receiver, my sleepy ears still not prepared to hear the voice on the other end of the phone.
‘Hello, this is the transplant coordinator at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.’
My heart started beating rapidly and an unexplainable swell of heat hit all parts of my body… Read More »
THE OLIVE PICKER
SHE WAS HOT; she was tired. Everybody had stopped because of the heat of the day, and it was time for food. She raised her head upwards and the light of the sun winked through the trees, its mottled shadows spreading over her skin. One step higher, one further extension of her right arm, and she would reach a plump cluster of green olives.
She stepped, she stretched, she clasped and pulled, then sudden triumph. Some fell to the ground on the fabric laid out to catch the fruit… Read More »
Part One
Love
Chapter One
Amalric Faceby settled in his chair. The age-loosened wooden joints shifted slightly, causing it to strain to one side, but he’d learnt to compensate and didn’t mind the familiar bother of it. He adjusted his position to correct the leaning and let the chair hold him with its arms and high back. He felt as one with it; like him, its legs were scarred with burns and it creaked the wear and tear… Read More »
