Lessons from the Garden 1: Why the Garden?

Why the Garden? I want to tell you about my garden. Or, more specifically, what I've learnt from my garden. I'm no expert gardener - far from it - but I have learnt a lot since having one of my own. You'd be surprised how much you can learn from a small patch of earth …

Stronghold 8: Jeremiah 29 (The Plans God Has For You)

Stronghold 8: Jeremiah 29 (The Plans God Has For You).   "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."    This is probably one of the most famous verses in the whole Bible, and …

A Generous Voice

A Generous Voice. There's a phrase that's been on my mind recently: be a generous voice. Be a generous voice. It's more than a phrase really, it's a concept, a state of mind, a calling even. The words came to me a while back but it's taken me a while to get to grips with …

Bookends (Exodus 40)

Bookends (Exodus 40). The last chapter of Exodus is, on first reading, a little tedious. There's a set of instructions from God to Moses for setting up the tabernacle, and then, in almost direct repetition, a set of statements about how Moses then went and did all these things. Over the last few chapters the …

Sins Covered (Job 14)

Sins Covered (Job 14). It would be easy to get sick of Job. I’m not surprised that many people stop reading after a few chapters because it all seems so depressing or repetitive. Maybe some people even tire of Job himself, either irritated by endless self-pity or unable to endure his suffering. Makes you wonder. …

30 Reasons to be Proud of My 20s

30 Reasons to be Proud of My 20s. I write this in the last month of my 20s, fully aware that a big milestone is looming. On the one hand turning 30 doesn’t faze me (maybe I’ll feel differently at 39?), but on the other hand the sentimentalist in me refuses to let a milestone …