Yesterday evening I enjoyed a lovely meal with a group of girlfriends I hadn't seen for a while. On previous such occasions the main focus of our conversation would be about the personal details of our lives "how are the kids doing?", "Where are you going on holiday?", that type of stuff. But last night... Continue Reading →
“Ghana Must Go” – Book Review
The story of a broken family, broken through several generations then formed and broken again, this book is heart-wrenching but brilliant. A debut novel for Taiye Selasi, it won the Granta best young British novelist 2013 prize, deservedly so. It is the story of a Nigerian-Ghanaian family who are trying to make a new life... Continue Reading →
Mountains we should not climb
There is a mountain range that should never be climbed. Every time we pray 'Yours Lord is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory' we are reminding ourselves of three mountains we all make regular attempts to climb. I have just come to the end of a second 'Beginner's Course' - we have gone through... Continue Reading →
Be Joyful in Hope
On Wednesday evening as part of our Lent course, a group of us from church studied a passage from Romans 12: 9-21. In the CEV the chapter is entitled 'How to live the new life of Love'. How to... indeed... that is the question. This passage gets really specific. 21 instructions follow one after the... Continue Reading →
Mornings in Jenin – A Book Review
(this review contains no plot spoilers) This is a book that deserves the widest possible reading. It covers the Palestinian - Jewish conflict through the experiences of one family over sixty years beginning before 1948, the establishment of the State of Israel and ending around 2002. The story traces the lives, loves and losses of... Continue Reading →
When Before became After
In spite of having been an English teacher I never used to like poetry. I think trying to get spotty thirteen year olds to appreciate Coleridge or Keats, ruined it for me (and probably for them). However in the last few years I admit I've been reading it for pleasure. Thank you Alison Farnell, for... Continue Reading →
Still Spaces
We have started a new "service" at St Peter and St John's Church. I use the word "service" loosely because it's more of "space" really, or in fact several 'Still Spaces'. Still Spaces at seven o'clock on Sunday evening was chosen to be a deliberately alliterative title to help anyone remember when it happens. But... Continue Reading →
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – Book Review
This was one of those 'big, fat, chunky' book reads. At 800 pages it's one for either a quick reader or a long holiday. As it happened I was in neither of those two situations when I read it last March. I was in fact unwell. This book was a good companion through a lot... Continue Reading →
“Be Happy” – yes, but how?
Is it me or has anyone else noticed that we are being bombarded by lists of instructions to 'Be happy/Be creative/Be patient' at every turn. Here is one such list I saw for sale in shop whilst on holiday These lists pop up all over the place. Twice I've seen them on shopping bags (but... Continue Reading →
