This phrase, mentioned in Acts 2, reminded me of an incident many years ago. We lived in a small village outside Colchester, Essex, and to save money I decided to cycle to and from work a few miles away. It was quite a struggle for the first few days, but one evening I was cycling…

This phrase, and the description, “Grumpy Old Man,” are synonymous with Victor Meldrew, though perhaps not so common as when the programme, One Foot In The Grave, was in its heyday. I felt both descriptions applied to me, one Sunday morning, as I listened to a well-known presenter on Christian radio. As he introduced the…

For the first 28 years of my working life, I was employed by one of the major banks. At my first branch, most of the business was transacted face to face, by telephone or by handwritten letters. I am not sure if a copy was retained, and it was before photocopiers. On my transfer to…

In a reading from my Bible app daily reading, a while ago, the writer quoted from a publication called Journal of Food Research that stated, “Blowing out the candles of a birthday cake multiplies the number of bacteria on the frosting (icing) by 1,400 per cent.” During COVID, there was a lot of debate as…

During the summer term at the primary school I attended, each Friday, we would meet at a local swimming pool. Most of the time, those who could, would enjoy swimming, or even diving, while others like me would splash around. We were supposed to be taught how to swim, but at the time, it was…

I suppose few people look forward to visiting the dentist or the hygienist, and one Christian dentist probably didn’t help as the patient reclined on the couch to see written in bold lettering on the ceiling, “Prepare to meet thy God”. What I find disappointing is that, despite following all the recommendations on how to…

This phrase, part of a question that Satan asked Eve, Genesis 3:1, is something I find frequently coming to mind. I am not sure if this is something that comes with increasing age or a personal challenge.  We live in a world of instant media information, and to hear of the ill-treatment of Christians in…

Several years ago, while undergoing radiotherapy, I was given what I once described as “information overload”.  However, over a few days, I read everything in the various documents and became interested in one particular phrase. “If you feel tired, the best thing is to get up and do something.”  This was the opposite of what…

I like the story of the lady who, looking out of her kitchen window, told her husband that her neighbour’s washing wasn’t very clean.  A few days later, she repeated her comment and asked her husband if she should talk to her neighbour and recommend using a different washing agent. The husband wisely responded that perhaps she…

A little while ago, our daily Bible reading referred to the WOW experience of the Queen of Sheba when visiting King Solomon (1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9) and it reminded me of our first visit to the USA. As part of our long-haul flight, I recall looking out of a window and seeing…