Month: May 2020

At the age of 19, having attended church all my life, I embarked upon a new adventure – my first Alpha course. Truthfully, I did not know what to expect. I’m not even sure whether I wanted to go, but it felt like the right thing to do. Our church had a new pastor, and he had bucket-loads of enthusiasm. Up to that point, Bethlehem had been a pretty quiet place. We had Sunday services, with Sunday school in the middle. There was also a mid-week meeting for children, and a Monday night prayer meeting and Bible study. I guess looking back that wasn’t bad going for a congregation of about 12 people, many of whom were over 60. However, for me, church had become a little irrelevant. I had never lost my faith, but I wore it kind of like an old tired garment. I didn’t read the Bible, and my prayers were a sort of mantra, asking Jesus each night to protect those I loved from, I quote, “fires, fights, burglaries, serious illness, disease, and accidents of any kind.’ Don’t ask me how I defined the difference between serious illness and disease. I guess I was just covering all bases.
Continue reading “How Can Three Be One?”

When I was growing up, I instinctively knew that I had to speak and interact differently with my parents than with my friends. My friends were my equals, but my parents were older, wiser, and as the authority figures in my life, they deserved respect. If I didn’t give it, they soon told me, and rightly so. They were quick to remind me they weren’t there to be my buddies, but to teach and guide me into a profitable future.
Continue reading “The Most Amazing Friendship.”

During my childhood, I would often grumble at my parents over the things they wouldn’t allow me to do, especially if my friends’ parents didn’t have the same scruples. I chafed at what was a seeming injustice, not understanding their desire to protect and nurture me in the hope I’d grow into a responsible adult. A friend could watch a certain television show, so why couldn’t I? My mother’s answer would often simply be: “Well, I’m not her mother, so I don’t make the rules in her house.” I understand the wisdom of her choices now far more than I did back then, and I am grateful for the boundaries she set.
Continue reading “Don’t Fall Into The Comparison Trap.”

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22: 6.)

One of my earliest memories is of sitting on my mother’s lap, staring up at the chapel roof, which was dark and imposing. I was probably about 2 or 3 at the time, but from the beginning, our little Baptist chapel was a huge part of my life. Half past 2 on Sunday afternoons was Sunday school time, come rain or shine. My mother would shepherd as many children as she could fit into her car off to church, where we would hear Bible stories, sing songs, and draw. I was not very good at the drawing part, but I was not going to be left out.
Continue reading “Put Jesus In Your Everyday Life.”