We all get distressed at times. We fall out with someone at home, and we ache emotionally for the rest of the week. Something that we've planned goes awry, and we get stressed trying to fix it. A conflict arises at work, which depletes …( read more )
Author Archive
Do No Harm
For many months, I have been strongly advocating the wearing of masks in public places in order to diminish the impact of the present pandemic. By wearing a mask, I am, like millions of others, trying to keep the number of contagions down …( read more )
Day By Day
Honestly, I couldn't get through the day without God's gracious forgiveness. I am a sinful person who makes mistakes and bad choices, as well as neglecting to be or to do good. I am far from perfect, so I need God's holy perfection to …( read more )
Pandemic Post
Throughout this pandemic, I have been collecting British stamps. I am doing this for two reasons: firstly, I'm gathering them in several albums to give to my grandson in years to come. I hope that he appreciates the stamps as something …( read more )
Breakfast Buddies
One of the things that I miss dearly at the church is our monthly men's breakfast. About a dozen of us guys get together and sit down to a delicious breakfast which two of the group carefully prepare. We typically eat well and laugh well …( read more )
Looking To Jesus
When I first became a Christian, I gave my heart to Jesus at a weekly Gospel Club which was held in an old Gothic church in my hometown of Glasgow, Scotland. At the club each week, we sang many gospel hymns and choruses, all of which drew …( read more )
Anxious Times
For some people, anxiety is a chronic illness which paralyzes them emotionally and exhausts them physically. They struggle with everyday tasks and try their utmost to combat feelings of unworthiness and insecurity which riddle their …( read more )
All Our Anxieties
The Greek word for anxiety is "merimna" which means to be distracted or divided, to fall apart or to be split into pieces. It is a good description of something that we all experience when life hits us hard. One day, everything seems to …( read more )
The Good Shepherd
When I looked at the Old Testament Psalm 23, I realized that those ancient words of David would be very reassuring and valuable to us in our present circumstances. The sole purpose of a shepherd is to look after all of the sheep under …( read more )
Life Lessons
Most of the lessons that we learn about life usually come through some sort of trouble or suffering. Pain and pressure, heartache and hard knocks have ways of strengthening us after we endure them. We may not have chosen that way for …( read more )
Builder Of Everything
Recently, I watched my grandson playing with some blocks. He was cheerfully building a tower by piling each brick one on top of the other. At some point, the tower became unstable, and he laughed loudly as the blocks tumbled down. He …( read more )
All For Nothing?
Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night, and I remember something that I foolishly spoke or an embarrassing mistake that I committed years ago. The event or the expression that I used stings my pride, and I feel sorry for having …( read more )
Sleepless Nights
Like most pastors, I often wake up in the middle of the night thinking about and worrying over people in the congregation that I serve. I guess that other professionals — doctors, teachers, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and …( read more )
Body Works
Quite recently, I've started to watch a cable channel which is totally dedicated to auto mechanics. I know practically nothing about cars, but I find these programs fascinating. Each program usually begins with an experienced mechanic …( read more )
God Forgives Me
I love the whole of Isaiah 53. It reminds me of why I became a Christian in the first place. At that time, I needed God to forgive me for many things and a whole host of mistakes. I felt ashamed of who I was, what I had done, and where I …( read more )
The Last Word
I love the last verse of the book of Acts. It is full of encouragement and energy, showing us that Paul continued to preach and teach the gospel for the rest of his days. His faith absolutely captivated him, and we should be thankful for …( read more )
Same Old, Same Old
Let's be honest: we all struggle with sin. All of us have a selfish habit or shameful secret in our lives. We try to deal with it and often come to God asking for forgiveness, understanding, and support. We look for His grace to allow us …( read more )
The Right Time
When the apostle Paul boldly made his appeal to Caesar, he was setting in motion a whole process that would have global consequences. It was the right of every Roman citizen who faced serious accusations to have their case heard directly …( read more )
An Old Joke
Like most pastors, I'm often jokingly told that our jobs are easy because we work only one day a week. Usually, I laugh along with the person, who thinks that this is exceedingly funny, but within my heart, I'm actually weeping for myself …( read more )
Diminishing Returns
In the last twenty years, the Church of Scotland has sadly lost 40 percent of its membership. Britain is becoming more secular as each year passes. Despite trying to accommodate worldly and cultural views into its organization, the Church …( read more )
Belonging To God
The greed of the tenants in Christ's parable from Mark 12:1-12 causes them to lose their rationality and humanity. They want to possess the cultivated land for themselves, so they conspire to rid their community of any outsiders. Their …( read more )
Only The Lonely
Like everyone else, I experience loneliness from time to time. It's an odd feeling, especially when it occurs in a crowded room or when I'm with a small company of friends. I get lost in my own thoughts and feel isolated from everything …( read more )
Quiet Times
The older I get, the more I understand my need for introversion. The world has become a frenzied, noisy, and greedy place that I find difficult to embrace or accept. I cherish quiet places and people, solitary moments and tranquil times …( read more )
A Small Gate
My parents' home in Scotland had its own front garden. My dad planted a hedgerow to divide it from our neighbours and placed a green picket fence all around it. To get to the front door of our house, visitors had to walk through the small …( read more )
Map Reader
It was in the Boy Scouts that I learned how to read and use a map. I can remember hiking in the Campsie hills above Glasgow, Scotland, with my Scout troop. As we climbed the hills, a deep fog descended around us, and before long, it …( read more )
Finding The Light
We all go through some dark and fearful times in our lives. A serious illness or injury to ourselves or a loved one may create some anxious moments. Domestic strife or a conflict at work may distress us and cause us to despair. Trying to …( read more )
From A Distance
Do you ever get frustrated with injustice? I love the absolute honesty in the Book of Psalms. Whoever wrote those ancient poems certainly wore his heart on his sleeve. Psalm 10 is a good example of someone who finds it difficult to deal …( read more )