Parents

When my child is crying, my prayers are different. They have a problem and I can’t fix it. As I sit with them, I take it to our Father in heaven. He loves my child more than I do. He has all power at his disposal. The words I pray feel like they really matter.   Prayer is a risk  …

Children aren’t the best conversation starters about their emotions and worries, because they don’t yet understand them themselves. Sometimes, they don’t even know that they are worried. They just know that their tummy hurts and they feel sad. They won’t necessarily connect that feeling with the fac…

Surveys consistently find that about three-quarters of UK Christians came to faith before they left secondary school. This is consistent with the Bible story (Proverbs 22:6, Psalm 78:1-6).  Parents matter  While faith transmission is a spiritual work done by the Lord, we would expect t…

Mark 2:1-5 tells us the story of a paralysed man whose four fabulous friends were completely convinced that he needed to meet Jesus.  But there were so many obstacles between their friend and Jesus that you might have thought they’d just give up. Not these guys!  Full of tenacity and deter…

We’re a week into a new year. The pressure’s on to be a new, better version of ourselves. We may spot room for improvement, especially when it comes to our parenting, but are our New Year’s resolutions having much impact, or have they already fallen by the wayside? It can be enough of a struggle to …

The Christmas adverts are out: tables heaving with food, well-dressed people, beautiful homes, extravagant gifts, everything bright and shiny.  Anyone noticed the cost-of-living crisis? The eat or heat question? Strike action? Or wondered how much of a feast you can manage from a food bank?&nbs…

If you could relive a single day what would it be? A month after my son’s wedding, I’d chosea magnificently ordinary day:He would be 5 or 6, young enough to still call me Mama. Old enough to ride bikes to thelibrary. We’d rifle through the new books and admire the fish. Afterwards, we’d stop for ice…

It’s that time of year again …. the season for ghosts, ghouls and zombies arriving on your doorstep in search of chocolate! I’m not sure which is worse – the prospect of a ‘trick’ or the social awkwardness of trying to make polite conversation with a 6 year-old monster.   It doesn’t need…

There is a corporate mantra, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” It warns against trumpeting the five-year plan without changing the culture of the team. No amount of resolutions, colourful charts and snappy sentences will bring about change unless accompanied by shared convictions and habits. …

Jake is Sarah’s eldest child. I saw Sarah on the first Sunday after she dropped Jake off at University for his first term. She said to me, “It’s pathetic. I want to get into the car and drive four hours to take him to church! There’s a good local church so close to him. He needs to walk out of his d…