Author: Rod Marshall

Recently, Caroline called me on her drive to the shops, to say that the car was making a scraping sound. We have breakdown insurance, but because it was local, I wanted to make sure that I could remedy the situation before invoking their … Read more

We went away with the caravan to the city of St. David's in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Where we stay is very near a long, shallow beach called Whitesands Bay. It is a place of peace. When I want to walk with God, I remember those times I have … Read more

I belong to a group of intercessors in our church. During term-time, we meet upstairs in a room overlooking the balcony. As I came out of the group on a day in February, I looked down on the main body of the church. Above the … Read more

Here in Cheltenham, on the edge of town, we have a world-renowned racecourse that holds events. It is a massive area that occasionally becomes a village in its own right. Just before the COVID-19 shutdown in early March, we had one such … Read more

In early March, as I sat in the car, waiting for the parents to leave the car park, I noticed a grandmother with a small boy, no more than six years old. She was encouraging the lad to get into school. He wanted the grandmother to walk to … Read more

In the present gridlock, we are coping well-ish as a family in the comfort of home. Together, we allocate time to work through chores, exercise, and education. I had not valued our privileges as much before the lockdown as I do now, … Read more

At the time of writing this in early March, I have been reeling with the shock of my sister-in-law's recent sudden, unexpected death that has left the family in a state of disbelief. She went to bed with a cold, never to get up. She was … Read more

The current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a virus shaped like a spherical crown (corona) with protrusions. It has taken such a grip of so many … Read more

The Portuguese Man o' War is made up of millions of polyps called zooids. These zooids work together to function as a single organism. They differentiate so that some become dedicated to stinging, catching, defence, digestion, or … Read more

There are situations in which I am robbed of my peace because I have little say in the outcome, such as when I was dealing with faceless officialdom that takes weeks of calls and letters to resolve. Life can get a bit stressful for me. … Read more