Truth Told Blog
Be encouraged, be inspired
Lessons of life
Geese
GeeseWe rent a few acres of land near where we live, and as well as sheep, chickens, and ducks, we also have geese. They look wonderful and are fascinating creatures, but I must admit I have had a few issues with them over the last few months. They hiss as you...
Dark Nights
Dark NightsIn the UK, we have recently turned our clocks back, and as much as we now have lighter mornings, we also have darker nights. What is it about the dark that can sometimes make us afraid? It's because we can't see what is around us and what is ahead. There is...
Piggy In The Middle
Did you ever play that game as a child? Two players pass the ball to one another with a third person in the middle trying to intercept it. It wasn’t one of my favourites!
Finishing
In the winter evenings, I enjoy doing a jigsaw. I started a beautiful thousand piece Christmas one, and had good intentions to complete it, but here I am again, getting ready to dismantle what I have done, and box it up, and take it to a charity shop! Starting was the easy part – the challenge was finishing it. I quit. It was too difficult, and I got bored!
Friends
Most people need them. To have them you have to be one. Each friend is different. The degrees of friendship can differ in closeness, varying from life-long loyal best friends, almost from birth, through to acquaintances; and in general, friends are good for us, as long as we choose the right ones.
Darkness
It’s because we can’t see what is around us, and we can’t see what is ahead. There’s an element of uncertainty and the unknown, and it can make us feel afraid. Maybe there’s something about this Covid-19 pandemic that’s brought some darkness into this season of our lives.
Crying and Tears
I’m thinking about crying. I’m not thinking about ‘actually’ crying right now at this moment, and I’m not anticipating crying anytime soon, but I am ‘thinking’ about crying. I’m thinking about tears and crying.
Do the next right thing
Recently, as a family we were watching the Disney film called ‘Frozen 2’. I hadn’t got around to seeing it, and as much as it was a film for children, there were several poignant moments for me.
Comfort and Joy
The well-known Christmas carol ‘God rest ye merry gentlemen’ has a line in it that says ‘Glad tidings of comfort and joy.’ It explains the Christmas message to us clearly.
Real or Fake
Every November we have that discussion in our family – are we going ‘real?’ Or are we staying ‘fake?’ What I mean is regards the Christmas tree. In our loft, we have a fake Christmas tree. It is uniform, standard, with built in lights, reliable, symmetrical, predictable, safe, the same old, it comes out year after year, and it fits in a stand. It looks perfectly fine but it’s not real.
The Spare Baby Jesus
The spare baby jesus A number of years ago I worked in a Charity shop. One November morning, a lady arrived with some donations. She said that some of the contents of her bag might be useful for Christmas. So I lifted out several items, and then at the base of the...
Being Different
As I was driving along in my car recently, a song came on the radio which made me tap my fingers against the steering wheel, smile and sing along. It was a song by the Bee Gees, written back in 1978, called ‘Staying Alive’. Some of you might know that song with its catchy disco feel.
Forgiveness
Who said it? Who was it? Who was mean to you? Who hurt you? Who cut you off? Who criticised you? Who caused that division? Who said those words? Who acted in that way that caused such offence to you?
Nothing but everything
2 Corinthians 6:10 ‘….having nothing, and yet possessing everything.’
Shortcuts
There are several routes I can take to get to work. One route is shorter, but it is narrower, more prone to flooding in bad weather, has overhanging trees, granite walls concealed in the hedgerows, and you often get stuck behind a tractor.
Pond to Fire Pit
When we moved to Cornwall, our new home had a pond with a number of fish, lilies, and a waterfall feature all in the shade of a magnificent palm tree. Over recent months we have decided to transform that area into something else.
Never Give Up
The Queen addressed the nation on Friday 8th May V.E. day, and spoke about the Second World War. She said ‘we kept faith that the cause was right. Never give up, never despair, that was the message of VE day.’ The expression ‘never give up’ also caused me to think of Winston Churchill’s speech in 1941 in Harrow school, where he sad these words ‘Never give in….never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty.’..
Masks
During the COVID 19 pandemic, at the hospital where I work, I have needed to wear a mask. Whether a tie mask or elasticised, they are compulsory for us to wear in ward areas and have become part of our everyday life…
Watch Your Mouth
We were in Florida visiting our eldest son Josh who was on a one year placement there at a prestigious Golf Resort in West Palm Beach as part of his Sports Degree. We took a road trip to the Everglades near Miami to see the Alligators, and had an unforgettable family day together. After the breathtaking trip on the hovercraft boat through the reeds, we saw many adult alligators, and it was slightly unnerving but amazing…
Truth (be) Told
In a time of fake news and social media gossip and speculation galore, how refreshing it is to fully embrace ‘truth’, and let that shape us and work in our hearts, setting us free. Truth isn’t just the opposite of a lie; it…
COVID Chronicles
Who’s Fault Is It?
Whose fault was it? Was it China’s fault? Was if the fault of someone working in a laboratory somewhere? Was it the government’s fault? Covid swept through the world and we might feel we need to know who is to blame and therefore who needs to take responsibility for it. That’s human nature.
Pace
Since the start of the Covid pandemic, it’s true that the pace of life has changed for us all. As we emerge into some semblance of the new normal, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate the pace of life we want to live by as we move forward.
Keep Your Distance
That expression and its implications is so alien for most of humankind. We were designed to do life together. Whether you live in an African tribe, or work in a high-rise office block with colleagues, live in a family, or are part of a social circle of some sort – life is better with others, and this often involves ‘closeness.’
The Unexpected Place | Covid Chronicles #5
Where should you be right now? In work? In a different location? With different people around you? On holiday? In business meetings? In school? Sitting exams? Covid 19 has taken us to an ‘unexpected place.’….
Best and Worst | Covid Chronicles #4
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”…
Opportunity | Covid Chronicles #3
Coronavirus without doubt is a global crisis,that has, and will continue to impact millions of lives for a long time. Our world has been turned upside down, but to this crisis there are incredible opportunities….
We are at War | Covid Chronicles #2
The politicians tell us we are at war against an invisible enemy, and the Coronavirus Pandemic is bringing back the ‘blitz spirit’ of the 2nd World War. There is something very war-like about these times, and if that’s the case maybe…
All Change | Covid Chronicles #1
We set out into 2020 without a care in the world. We had our plans, and our diaries had commitments and appointments; holidays we were planning and celebrations we were attending, even the occasional wedding and 18th birthday celebration…
Lessons From Nature
Daisy
I bought this Daisy bush at a local garden centre three years ago, and simply all I have done is plant her in the soil and watch her flourish. This spring, she has absolutely blossomed and is truly magnificent. When we sit outside in the garden, we are in awe of how well she is doing…
Iris in the Bog
There she stood in all her glowing beauty – head and shoulders above all the other things around her, with a radiant glow that was eye catching and made me stop in my tracks. Her name was Iris. On my daily walk I had gone past the beautiful Loe Bar…
Music, Worship & Song
Psalm 91
In the current age we live in, more than ever before we need to feel secure. With instability all around us, psychologists tell us that as humans we all need safety, security and significance.
Let Us
In Hebrews Chapter 10, there is the lovely expression ‘Let us’ found five times, and they are the most wonderful advice to us
Hymns Are For Old People
Hymns are for old people – Right? Well actually, the answer is no. Hymns are for everyone, regardless of their age, or the age that they were born into.
Lost
Have you ever lost anything? Your all important mobile phone? What about those vital car keys? A letter or document? Lost your passport? What about your purse or wallet? An important invitation to a special event?
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
I recently attended a funeral of a very special lady we know, and the one song to be played that was chosen by the family was this well-loved hymn. The words are so powerful and meaningful for every season of life, but particularly in times of trouble.
Holy Overshadowing
I recall my grandmother telling me many times of how they would read Psalm 91 a lot during the second world war. It brought them immense comfort and hope. When the sirens would wail, one of her sisters would hide in the cupboard underneath the stairs. Others in the family would recite that Psalm aloud, until the immediate bombing danger had eased.
The Orchestra
Back in 2016, I had bought tickets for my daughter and her friend to see Justin Bieber in concert in the O2 arena in London. After our journey, and arriving at our accommodation, we had a lovely day out in the city and later on we made our way the door of the venue, and arranged to meet them in that same spot approximately five hours later…
The Winding Path
Over the last couple of years I have been exploring much more of the Cornish coast path, with its spectacular beauty and majestic coastline. On a recent walk near Rinsey, not too far from where we live in Porthleven, I came across this winding path. It’s not uncommon to have twists and turns like this and parts of the coast path are very challenging!…
Grand Piano
To you it may look like an ordinary Grand Piano, but for me it symbolises something really significant. It’s situated in a church in South Korea, and we visited there in 2017 as part of a delegation of 15 Leaders from the UK who was invited to celebrate the arrival of the gospel in Korea by a Welsh Missionary back in the late 1800s…
Words of Friends
Through Tamie’s Eyes
I am still so thankful for the day we met. My husband and I had recently moved to a village in Cornwall only a few months after Sarah and Glen and their young family had arrived there. My husband met Glen at a Memorial Day service and as two fellow pastors they hit it off and agreed their wives should meet. A few days later I invited Sarah to come round for an evening coffee…
Lucinda’s Story
Sarah stood in at short notice as special guest at our Ladies event one Sunday evening. The expected speaker had food poisoning, so with just two days notice Sarah stood in the gap and instead of preaching, she shared her life story, and I’m so glad she…
Desiree’s Story
It was a cold dark October night in 1993, and we were invited to a Harvest Festival in a small musty village hall down a deserted lane in Cwmdu, West Wales. The room was packed, but my husband Moray and I managed to find two seats together……I needed…
Guest Blogs
Full Of Potential
When you set out to make something beautiful that you are going to value and treasure, you will choose the best materials you have.
What’s the Main Thing
I don’t know about you, but I wear many hats. Hats that combine identity and role: wife, daughter, mum (including special needs mum), pastor, speaker, school special educational needs coordinator—the list goes on.
Foundations
It is very important to have peace of mind about the security of our homes. Last year we saw the effect of devastating storms that we experienced throughout the land. Homes destroyed or badly damaged, and lives lost.
Pandemic Exile: Calling or Condition? Or Both? | Guest Blog – Dr Chuck Davis
Pandemic Exile: Calling or Condition? Or Both? Guest Blog – Dr Chuck Davis Social distancing. Travel restrictions. Masks – real ones! Hyper-vigilant cleansing. Suspicion of anyone who coughs or gets too close. The land of zoom zombies. Our new norm could be described...