Christmas Greetings to all my regular blog readers - thanks for dropping by. For your entertainment here is this year's Christmas newsletter. Warning: it does contain too many brackets and one moment of, hopefully forgivable, parental pride for eldest child. Apart from that, it should be safe to read but if you don’t like annual newsletters,... Continue Reading →
Alarming Advent Experiences
Anyone else struggling to get up in these dark mornings? I suffer from the 'day off' rule: when it's my (one) day off a week, I'm awake at 5 am, the rest of the time I can barely heave myself out of bed 10 minutes after the alarm has gone off. But this morning wasn't... Continue Reading →
Why forgetting might not be the best idea
There is a poignant scene near the beginning of the recent Harry Potter film. Having decided that her 'muggle' (non magical) parents are at risk from the forces of evil and that they would be safer without her in their life, Hermione casts a spell over them to erase from them all memory of her ever being their... Continue Reading →
Finding the Still Point
The title above is the title of one of the most useful books on my bookshelf. I have given away about dozen copies of this book over the years. It is by Gerald O'Mahony, and although it is published under a series title called Exploring Prayer, it is actually about understanding your moods. It is... Continue Reading →
Letting Things Lapse … or ‘does God ever give up on us?’
Last night I dreamt I was in prison again. No, this is not another confessional blog. I am not about to reveal a criminal past. I used to work in a prison as a prison chaplain and last night I was on D wing again. I heard the gates clanging, felt the weight of the... Continue Reading →
Coming Clean…
I'd like to make a confession. For the last month or so I've been meaning to blog about something new in my life but saying this thing out loud (even in blog) feels a bit like being in one of those meetings that begin: 'Hello. My name is Sheila and I am an...... But this... Continue Reading →
‘Echoes of a Voice’ – experiences that point us to God
I have just watched an extraordinary film. Moving, beautiful and life-affirming; at one moment hilariously funny and at the next acutely uncomfortable: extraordinary is the only word that will cover it. Departures is a Japanese film directed by Yojiro Takhita, an Oscar bid in 2008. It tells the story of a young man who looses his job as an... Continue Reading →
Missing for a month
Sorry I've gone AWOL from the blog for the whole of September. Just a really busy time plus a holiday AND a retreat :-)and followed rapidly by a return to college so not much time to write. Here's a visual update: Views of Lock Eck and Glencoe and discovering the secret valley on holiday in... Continue Reading →
Happy New Year! Ovey!
I am very late with my New Year Greetings this year but not 9 months late, just 9 days. I meant to put this post up on Sept 1st which always feels far more like New Year to me than January 1st ever does. Not alot changes in January apart from a number. Whereas in... Continue Reading →
Loving God more than you love your kids?
I found myself reading Matthew chapter 10 this week. As chapters go it has more than it's fair share of challenging verses. Jesus sends his disciples out telling them to take no bag for their journey, no money, no extra clothes. He warns them they'll be hated and chased from city to city. He tells... Continue Reading →
Live Life Loved 