Author: raymond

The Ballard of Our Time. That’s what my friend called him, and I can’t think of anyone better. Rolling Stone magazine has him at #1 in their 100 Greatest Songwriters list. I can’t say I’m a particular fan, but he

There’s a somewhat dated acronym for how to live the Christian life. Put Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. It’s easy to remember because it’s given as a recipe for JOY. Do things in this way, and you will

“You’re fired.” Familiar words, to which the reply always seems to be “Thank you, Lord Sugar.” Why is anyone thanking Lord Sugar for telling them that they are a failure? Maybe they aren’t. Thanking him, yes, but not agreeing that

With over 700,000 words, the Bible is quite a long read (it’s 1189 chapters, so if you read one chapter a day, it will take you more than 3 years). Some of it is stories you can really get into,

What do you want? You could answer ‘a cup of tea’ or ‘Glastonbury Twanger pithivier’ (and perhaps add ‘please’ because you’re polite). The context affects the answer. But suppose there isn’t a context, no kettle, no waiter, suppose you were

What are you harvesting this year? Strawberries, Raspberries? Do you have an apple tree or two? Some beans or carrots? Salad leaves ready to pick? I was talking to someone who grows things in her raised beds that she can’t

Imagine being able to say “I was there at the beginning”. And perhaps you really can – because you were there, you helped shape something great. But for many of us, we join after the beginning – as an apprentice,

The key to a good fairy tale, is “They all lived happily ever after.” We tell children this because we don’t want them to worry – however bad it gets, it will be alright in the end. Then we grow

“A ship in a harbour is safe, but that’s not what ships were built for.” That was the caption on a poster I saw. It’s a call to action, of course: don’t stay hidden away if there’s something good you

It began In the Beginning. It will end in The End. But what came between, and what matter? The song of the Angels; I need by you; Blessed he said. Follow, Go, Heal, Learn, Teach he said. 5+2=5,000 – there