Do you ever think – “what if?” What if I had married my first love? What if I had pursued my dream to …? What if my parents hadn’t divorced? What if I hadn’t tried drugs/ fallen pregnant/had that car accident?Continue reading
Category: Thoughts on life
If I were king
Do you sometimes wish you could be in charge of the universe and make all the rules? I think many of us believe we know best how others should live and wish we could tell them!
Continue readingYou’re in the army now
Published in the African Military edition
When one joins the armed forces one is required to wear a uniform, to obey orders unquestioningly, to work in close co-operation with others, to focus on a common goal and to subordinate one’s own identity and desires to those of the organisation.
Each member of an army, navy or air force uses his or her abilities and training, which are often acquired in the military, to promote and serve their country through that corps.Continue reading
Is prayer impotent?
After the recent school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, Senator Ted Cruz tweeted, “Heidi and I are keeping all the students and faculty at Santa Fe High School in our prayers this morning, along with all first responders on the scene.”
This sparked a vicious reaction on Twitter.
Continue readingHeaven
When someone says “heaven”, what do you think of?
Wings, harps and clouds? Doing your favourite thing all day? A bland place with lots of singing?
Many people define heaven by the things that make them feel happy and fulfilled on Earth, but what if I were to tell you that in heaven there is no sex, no marriage, no Wi-fi, no computer games, no Netflix, no sport and probably no sleep. Would you still want to go?
Harry Potter meets Jesus
If you are someone who generally finds church a bit boring but loves the Harry Potter books and movies, then Leverington Church in Philadelphia has an unusual sermon series that might just pique your interest.
Entitled Harry Potter meets Jesus this set of seven short talks by Pastor Langdon remains true to both the Bible and the novels and brings out some fascinating parallels that are sure to make both more interesting to a generation of readers that have been influenced what is arguably ‘the most popular cultural phenomenon of our time’.Continue reading
Infinite variety and you
References to Australia paper July 2021
One of the wonderful things I love about God is that He is a God of infinite creativity and variety. Look at the world He has made; all the thousands of zebras, giraffe and tigers, and not one of them has the same markings as any other. Think of all the human beings who have ever lived, and not one of us has the same fingerprints. Even every single one of billions and billions of snowflakes is unique! Look at leaves for instance. There are so many varieties of shapes and sizes and variations of colour in them. And yet they are all distinct in their species so that we can know an oak leaf from a fig leaf or a palm leaf anywhere. Did you know that there are 26 different species of flea on a stoat?!
Continue readingThe answer to everything
Have you ever seen a bumper sticker that says “Jesus is the answer” or heard someone say it? And maybe you thought “The answer to what – what was the question?”Continue reading
Sweet but deadly
I HAVE HEARD sugar called “white poison” by some health experts, who believe it should be eliminated from our diets altogether. But that is really hard to do because, of course, sugar tastes so wickedly delicious!
That idea of something we know is wrong and should avoid but are continually drawn to by our appetites, reminds me of the problem each of us have with sin.
Whether it be a little white lie here and there, gossip, jealousy, angry outbursts, illegally downloading content off the Internet, disobeying road signs, or something more sinister, we feel that a little “sugar” won’t do any harm.
Continue readingRead the manual!
From early 2016
I have recently started a new job (this one!) and two weeks after I started the person I’m replacing left. Fortunately for me, she left me a giant yellow folder full of all the information I need to do her job – the people to contact, the websites to look at and the writing styles and tips that will be useful.
I couldn’t do this job without that file and the training she gave me before she left, and I am grateful for her diligent preparation before her departure.Continue reading