As a young man, Joseph Scriven had been engaged to a woman he deeply loved. But tragedy struck the night before their wedding when the boat she was in capsized and she drowned. In the hope of forgetting the shock, which he never did, Joseph left his home in Ireland and went to Canada. There he…
Psalm 145 v 18The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth When Paul was seven years old his grandfather was caretaker of a wooded estate. One Autumn evening he took his toy gun, called for his dog Pal, and headed down a path into the woods. Soon, though,…
Proverbs 4 v 25.Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you A gentleman had always heard that if a farmer keeps his eyes on a distant object while he’s ploughing, he’ll make a straight furrow. So, he tested the principle when he mowed his lawn. Sure enough, his first cut was a…
In July Drew, James, Richard and I enjoyed a few days holiday in Whitstable. We were blessed with excellent weather, a lovely house to stay in and far too much food to eat. We had lots of long walks and my sons tried paddle boarding for the first time. My excuse for not trying it…
A while ago the city of Hong Kong was blanketed with posters showing a single drop of water splashing into a pool. Each poster bore the words “Hong Kong Against Corruption.” The message was clear—integrity or dishonesty permeates a city one person at a time. It’s easy to compromise in little things because they seem…
Psalm 55 v22.Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken Every now and again my phone sends me a message to say that I’ve used up nearly all my storage and that I should do something about it. Panic can set in and then I…
John 19 v 30.When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit Outside Madrid stands an ancient monastery where the kings of Spain have been buried. The architect designed an elongated arch so flat that the reigning monarch insisted it could not hold the…
A church organist was practicing a piece by Felix Mendelssohn and not doing too well. Frustrated, he gathered up his music and started to leave. He hadn’t noticed a stranger come in and sit in a rear pew. As the organist turned to go, the stranger came forward and asked if he could play a piece.…
Psalm 51 v 10.Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me God can bring good out of our failures, and even out of our sins. J. Stuart Holden tells of an old Scottish mansion close to where he had his summer house. The walls of one room were covered…
Psalm 112 v 4.Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous A missionary in Peru went to visit a group of believers one evening. She knew that the house where they were meeting was located on a cliff and that the path would be treacherous. She took…