An America’s Cup yacht has a crew of 16 people, including the navigator, the helmsman and the mast men. But the boat could not compete without the relentless work of the five “grinders”—-the men who turn the heavy cranks that control the sails. In a USA Today article, a grinder described his role this way;…

Psalm 37 v 3. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture My elder son, James, was born eight and a half weeks prematurely. He weighed 3 pounds and 6 ounces. He spent the first 3 weeks of his life in the Special Care Baby Unit as he needed help with…

On Tuesday the 6th July our reading was Exodus 2 v 1-10 and this passage encouraged me to read Exodus 1 v 15-21 as well. I’m sure the names of these two women may be unfamiliar or forgotten by many. You may ask, “Who are they?”  They were midwives who saved the lives of many newborn boys,…

Luke 10 v 38-42. As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came…

Psalm 100 v 1-2Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. An old Jewish legend says that after God created the world, He called the angels to Himself and asked them what they thought of it. One of them said, “The only thing lacking is the sound of…

I have been watching Jimmy McGovern’s gritty 3-part drama called Time, set in a prison. It was indeed harrowing to watch in many places but I didn’t want to miss any of it. I’m prone to having a wee doze in the evening if a programme is not very interesting. Sean Bean ‘s portrayal of the…

Psalm 104 v 24“O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all.” I love doing jigsaws and I’ve done and redone quite a few during this last year. I particularly like land and seascapes. When I start a puzzle, I sort the pieces into the outside ones and…

A lady who experienced a total solar eclipse described the incredible sensation of being engulfed by the rushing shadow of darkness, then being awed by the rapidly approaching dawn. Some observers saw it as merely a coincidence that the moon was in the exact position to shut out the sun’s light from reaching the earth…

Ephesians 3 v 20.Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us Do you ever ask yourself, “What can I offer to others?” Sometimes, it’s so much easier to focus on what you feel you can’t do e.g. I can’t sing,…

Lee Atwater was a well-known figure in U.S. politics. He engineered the successful 1988 presidential campaign of George H.W. Bush and was the head of the Republican National Committee (1988-10991). But in the midst of all his activities he developed an inoperable brain tumour and died at the age of 40. During his illness, Atwater came…