Archives

  • A Life Prayer

    ‘Read the right books at the right time’ is one of what I call my ‘life prayers’. How do I decide what is a right book? And when or what is a right time? Is ‘right’ just a subjective feeling, something I like or find interesting? Or does it have a moral or ethical dimension?…

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  • For several years now towards year end I spend one month running every day. Initially inspired by doing the traditional ‘Marcothon’ which takes place in December. In the past few years I have adapted it for my own idiosyncratic purposes. If interested you can read more about this development in the related blogs below. I…

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  • Åstol

    Recently I visited a friend Robert at his home in Sweden. We have known each other since our time together on the MV Logos way back in the late 1970s. Keeping up this maritime background he and his wife Maria have now lived about 35 years on the small island of Åstol. The Å in…

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  • Shortly into the new millennium I moved on from working with Prison Fellowship Scotland (‘A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break’). A new chapter in the tapestry of life would open for me. Emmaus communities are part of a worldwide network of organisations working with the homeless. The story begins in the Paris of 1949…

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  • What A Life!

    It is now 4 months since George Verwer went to be with Jesus. He was the co-founder of Operation Mobilisation (OM). I spent most of my 20s and 30s with this international Christian organisation. A vocational and spiritual home that has profoundly shaped me. That it was so is in no small part to George’s…

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  • These six words by Dallas Willard sum up to me much of what a life of faith involves. Willard was a philosopher, theologian and pastor. His learning was tempered with a disarming wisdom and humility. He also had a way of distilling deep truths into short, pithy sayings.  I have long believed God is good.…

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  • What Do You Do?

    I feel thankful to have been occupied in endeavours that for much of my life have felt meaningful. By meaningful I mean engaging in projects and work that aligned with what I believe was of value. When younger there was probably a strong dose of idealism in my thinking. For many in today’s world work…

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  • A previous blog, ‘Endings and Beginnings’, described the lead up to when my wife and I finished our time with the international Christian organisation Operation Mobilisation (OM). It was 1994 and it had been 17 years since first joining in the autumn of 1977. I had started right after graduation in aeronautical engineering. Originally my…

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  • A 325km off road adventure from Glasgow to Aultbea, Wester Ross, Scotland. 23 – 29 Apr 2023 The following account is a kaleidoscope of experiences and feelings all concertinoed into 7 days in April. As such there were times when my short term memory was confused. There may therefore be an incident or two that…

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  • A 325km ‘off road’ adventure from Glasgow to Wester Ross, Scotland 23 – 29/30 Apr 2023 At 8am on Sunday 23rd April I hope to start off on the ‘Highlander’s Return from Milngavie’s High St on the outskirts of Glasgow. This is the official start of the West Highland Way (WHW). My hopes for this…

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