The Proverbs Project: Know your name…
A few weeks back I alerted you to my proverbs project – spring boarding from the thirty sayings that start in Proverbs 22:20. “How is it going?” I hear you ask. “Pretty well,” I reply. “I am up to number 23, and my plan is to drip feed them out over a longish period – and this is one of those posts.” “So what is this week’s saying?” you ask and I reply, “Know your name.” Some background… A few months ago I was fooled into attending a time share presentation. Yes, Rosemary and I did get a free meal at the...
Read MoreOn Launching a Book: The Stirrers and Saints Story
There is a fair chance you already know that my latest book, “Stirrers and Saints: Forming Spiritual Leaders of Skill, Depth and Character” was recently launched. It’s my 7th, and I like to remind people that in the Bible 7 represents a complete or perfect number – so hopefully that says something about the book. People often ask me why I write, and what it takes to write a book, and what it feels like to launch one – so I thought I’d use this post to speak about that. Hopefully these thoughts will be helpful, and not simply self indulgent. So why do I...
Read MoreBecause you can’t spend 5 days waiting for 2…
Is most of your week spent hanging out for the weekend, insufferably long hours in the office slowly ticking away while you wait for the magical 5pm Friday moment when you are free to go and enjoy life?For many people work is a drudge, a necessary evil that provides the money to keep food on the table. It’s the story of the man asked why he was digging a hole: “I’m digging the hole, to earn the money, to buy the food, to give me the strength, to dig the hole.” It’s a sad way to live a life – how awful to wish away 5 out of 7 days each week. There are those...
Read MoreRedeeming Work: Job, career, or calling?
A significant portion of our life is engaged in ensuring that we have a roof over our head and food on the table. Some of us are able to work in such a way that life’s basic needs are just taken care of, for others it’s a pathway to wealth. But how do you view the work you do? Is it a job, a career or a calling? The answer given is a likely indicator of how satisfying you find Monday to Friday – or whatever days you dedicate to earning your keep. If you say ‘job’ it is probable that you are acutely aware of how many hours are set aside performing the activities your...
Read MoreWhen God writes straight with crooked lines…
Ever heard someone’s story, scratched your head and thought – ‘that doesn’t make sense. Surely this story is not over yet’? Sometimes you get to hear the sequel, sometimes not. When it’s not, you simply have to trust that God is fully competent, and makes God sized decisions based on significantly fuller knowledge than you or I will ever have access to. But on those occasions when you do get a glimpse into the next chapter, it helps you to trust a little more. In my recently released book When Faith Turns Ugly (Paternoster, 2016) I interview Becky Oates...
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