Prologue
1st Elventide, winter 1795 ad (after Doon)
A thick snow carpeted the field, though the fall had ceased some hours before. It now rested like a work complete. Like deep frosting on an endless cake, concealing all. Hiding who knew what beneath.
A boy threw a stick. His wolfhound fetched it. A tried and tested game. A scene familiar throughout ages.
And yet, there was something different here. Something wrong… Read More »
1
Selling Sand
Filthy rich! That’s how rich I wanted to be. What was the point in being ‘just rich’, when you could aspire to own the stars! I’m not talking about a few nice motors on the front driveway. I’m talking the full monty: private jet, lush apartment in New York, mansion in the country, and enough staff to cater for my every whim. Oh, and a sushi chef for my refined palate and expensive tastes. I wanted it all… Read More »
1
Brampton Barre, Late summer 1202, England
The sound of clanging swords echoed around the stone walls of the castle, punctuated by grunts and yells and, incongruously, laughter. Hal wandered up the path from the bailey below and paused, leaning on a gatepost, to watch his brother, Robert, and four others taking turns to spar with one another on a small, flat patch of ground at the foot of the motte. He grinned… Read More »
1
Wise Leaders Know That They Don’t Get There By Themselves
‘By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict’
(Hebrews 11:23)
None of us gets to choose the time or circumstances of our birth… Read More »
One
February
Isabel waded through thick black mud as she approached the dilapidated wooden field gate. Each step she took rendered a loud squelching noise as she fought to keep possession of her favourite Wellington boots – the ones covered with multi-coloured polka dots, with a fluffy lining. A stale, earthy smell filled her nostrils as she struggled further to untie the knotted bailer twine that secured… Read More »
9
Worst Fears Confirmed
After a very long flight we finally touched down at London’s Heathrow Airport. Our South African holiday had come to an end and we were daring to be optimistic as to what God had in store for the next chapter of our lives. We felt rested and rejuvenated. Our grief was starting to be punctuated by healing and peace. The raw, open, emotional wound had started to scab over… Read More »
Chapter One
Answering the Call
Introduction
We are in a time of incredible change. All around us we can see chaos and uncertainty. As followers of Jesus, we might make bold declarations about building on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27), but for many the reality is we feel like we are standing in a thick fog waiting for someone else to… Read More »
Introduction
‘What the heck is happening?’
I was sitting in the garden of a conference centre in rural Derbyshire. On the other end of the phone line, my friend and fellow church leader, Beth, had just said a rude word. It wasn’t actually the word ‘heck’. I hadn’t heard her say this word before, and I haven’t heard her say it since. It’s the kind of word that makes a film into a 15 certificate, or… Read More »
Chapter 1
Introduction
Salvation belongs to our God
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb… Read More »
Introduction
The great blessing of every Christian is the ability to see the future with a life-changing hope.
The message of Jesus means that we can be optimistic in every circumstance and view death without fear. What lies on the other side of that curtain is a priceless inheritance worth getting excited about… Read More »
