So its been quite a while since I last posted anything here! We’ve been in Norway (4 weeks), the Lake District (8 days) and my wife Debbie recently spent some more time in the Mother & Baby Unit. Suffice to say that we are now moving into a somewhat calmer season of our year and so as life starts to find the rhythm of its new norm I thought I would post some of my thoughts from the summer. In particular I…
I’m conscious that time is ticking on and once again its been a while! In fact its been such a long while that we find ourselves on the cusp of yet another Norwegian adventure which jets off on Thursday morning. Since the arrival of young Aaron we seem to have had a really busy few months and even though the student ministry term finished at the beginning of June this past month has been exceptionally full. A full life is not necessarily a…
Its been a while since my last post when we announced the safe arrival of baby Aaron. To say that these past six weeks have been difficult for us is probably putting it mildly! A few days after Aaron was born Debbie began suffering again with another bout of Post natal depression. On the advice of the doctors she went back into the Mother & Baby Unit (where she had spent 3 months in 2014 along with Jacob). The rational was partly…
In January I wrote in my blog Unexpected Blessing that we were expecting a fifth baby. It was quite the surprise and in trying to get our heads around the news God has taken us on quite the journey as we have come to terms with His plans for our lives! I used that blog to reflect upon God’s Sovereignty, Wisdom and Love which I used as a framework to think about all that was going on in our lives. You may also…
“If you are a child of God, you don’t lose your status if you have a bad week.” Tim Keller A few days ago I shared this quote on social media; I don’t know about you but following our holiday in the Lake District it has been a bit of a challenge to adjust back to work and everyday family life in Southampton. Its definitely not been easy getting out of bed in the mornings! I am not sure whether it was just holiday…
With Easter almost upon us it seemed timely to spend some time considering how our ‘hope’ arises from the events of 2,000 years ago. Specifically my thoughts turn to the importance of the empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus. The New Testament links the resurrection with hope. In Peter’s first letter he speaks of having been given “new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1:3) and Paul refers to the “hope of the resurrection of…
Sometimes I am asked ‘why blog?’ It’s a good question but I guess my answer comes on two levels. First and foremost I find it really helpful to write as a way of processing, capturing and expressing all that I am thinking about and experiencing. Secondly there is also a sense that it is good to share with others from what God is doing in me. I don’t know exactly what draws you in to read this blog but I am glad…
This week is the local Christian Union’s annual events week and so my thoughts turn today to the staggeringly good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a gospel that brings us hope because it is a gospel that is by nature a gospel of hope. This hope is a hope for the past, present and the future…read on and find out more. 1. Good news of a Living Hope Paul says he thanks God the Father when he prays for…
The backdrop to this post is our recent news (see Newsletters) that we are expecting a 5th baby at the beginning of May. We learned this just after Christmas and suffice to say that it was quite a surprise especially given that Debbie was already around half way through! Questions about such as; Why us? Why now? Why not for others? How are we going to cope with five? We’ve been wrestling with this but feel like we are starting to get our heads…
As I reflect back upon this past year (2015), I would have to say that it has not been an easy year for me or for my family. There have of course been high points such as the fantastic times we had as a family in the Lake District (2 weeks at Easter) and Norway (4 weeks at summer). Its also been a year in which I have spent much time with my children and its been such fun in…