From blogger to vlogger

It was, I think, some years ago when I started to write regular blogs; I'm not sure how many I've written over the years.  I am grateful to everyone who has read them.  With the current coronavirus pandemic, we live in a very changed society, at least for the time being.  With that in mind, I have decided to change from writing blogs to creating a daily video which I will put on my YouTube channel.  These will cover a wide variety of issues relating to life and faith.

I'm still very much a learner, but I hope that they will be of help and information.  My YouTube channel can be found here

If you would like to continue to watch my daily videos you can subscribe to my YouTube channel (no cost), then there should appear a bell icon (usually towards the top right of the page); if you press that, it will give you the option of being notified whenever a new video appears.

All this will probably mean that I probably will not have much time to write blogs; we will have to see.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the daily videos.

Hope from despair

What a strange and unique period of human history we are living through.  I suppose that in generations to come we will tell stories of these days, how we are instructed to stay indoors and not to meet with friends and family.  Sadly, many thousands of families throughout the world are mourning the loss of loved ones through Covid-19, and nations are struggling to know how best to fight the virus.  My continued prayer is that in these times, when we as a human race have come face-to-face with the truth that we are not masters of our own destiny and that there are some things we can’t handle, many will recognise again our need of God and turn to him.

Though this is a painful time, and many are sorrowing, anxious and fearful, there are, it seems to me, a number of positives to come out of the current situation.  There is the way that many are responding to the needs of those who are particularly vulnerable by offering to do shopping, run errands, and keep in regular contact with the lonely and isolated.  We have also witnessed the immense sacrificial service of NHS and other care workers, who are willing to literally put their lives at risk to care for and support others.

It’s also great that this time of crisis has revealed to us how many jobs which may have been regarded in the past as menial or relatively unimportant are being recognised for their true worth.  Cleaners, refuse removal operatives, shop assistants, delivery drivers and people in other walks of life are absolutely vital to us.  Let’s take every opportunity to appreciate and thank them.

I made a decision to keep off Facebook and Twitter during Lent.  I kept to that decision, but as events turned out I have used WhatsApp a great deal.  My churches have WhatsApp groups, and this has been a wonderful way of sharing news, encouragement, prayer requests, humour, and personal stories.  The strange thing is that although I have not been able to meet any of our church friends for some weeks, there is a sense that through various forms of communication methods which are now open to us, including WhatsApp, Zoom, email and the good old telephone, relationships have been strengthened.  Indeed, I feel that we have got to know each other in a deeper way.  There have been some things shared on WhatsApp, particularly, which individuals may have found difficult to share face-to-face.

So whilst recognising the pain and struggle which many are experiencing, let’s rejoice in the positives which are coming out of the situation.  Indeed, the Easter story tells us that after the devastation of Good Friday came the joy of Easter Sunday; a message which still speaks hope to us today.  Jesus is alive, alleluia!  To listen to my short Easter message, click here.

Too late?

Much was made in the media (and continues) of the recent sad death of television presenter Caroline Flack, who reportedly took her own life at the age of 40.  This was headline news for several days. 

I was interested in a pertinent and thought-provoking comment from a Facebook friend:

“Following the very sad death of Caroline Flack, the BBC newsreader tells viewers, 'if you've been affected by this...'. What a pity they don't seem to expect viewers to be affected when they report hundreds dead in war or famine, when boats full of desperate migrants sink, when schoolchildren are shot by the dozen..”

In the days since Caroline Flack’s death, various ‘celebrities’ seem to have been falling over themselves to say how much they loved and valued Caroline and what a great person she was.  I wonder how many of them ever took the time to tell her that while she was still alive.  This question was prompted by a funeral service which I took recently.  One of the deceased’s family gave a moving tribute, and spoke of his love for the person who had died.  He went on to reflect that he wished he had taken more opportunity to express these feelings while his loved one was still alive.  It’s so sad when we fail to take such opportunities when we have them.  Once a person has died, it’s too late.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, and officially the start of Lent.  I have been pondering on how to observe Lent this year.  One thing I have decided is to stop using social media during the period.  I have already removed Twitter from my phone, and actually feel much better for it already!  Although there are some good and positive things on Twitter, there is so much that is negative, vindictive and abusive.  In fact, I may keep off Twitter for good, apart from making the occasional post.

I am also making a commitment to do what I can to avoid speaking negatively about people and being critical; in other words, to observe St Paul’s instructions, ‘encourage one another and build each other up’ (! Thessalonians 5.11).  Despite what the old ‘sticks and stones’ proverb says, words can be tremendously hurtful and discouraging.  I want to try to use my words in as positive and helpful a way as I can.

I do wonder whether Caroline Flack really know how loved she was, and whether, if she had done, it might have influenced her actions.  Who knows how many people we can influence in positive ways by our kind, loving and encouraging words?

Holiday reflections

Sue and I have recently returned from a week’s holiday in Derbyshire.  It was a much-needed and enjoyable break, despite the somewhat inclement weather at times.   We were staying in a tiny hamlet called Blore.  Ilam Park and Hall are about a mile away, and one day I decided to make the journey on foot (the weather was rather wet, but I made sure I had my waterproofs with me).  Ilam Park and Hall are owned by the National Trust, so I decided that having braved the weather I deserved a cream tea in the National Trust café, and very enjoyable it was, too.

Situated within the grounds of Ilam Park is the ancient Church of the Holy Cross.  As I approached the church I walked through the churchyard and noticed in particular one of the gravestones which I found rather poignant.  It was the grave of someone who had died in January 1956 at the tender age of just 3 weeks.  The fact that he had died at such a young age just a few months after I was born, was a reminder to me of how fragile human life is.  None of us know how long we have to live our earthly lives.  That young life lasted just 3 weeks, whereas mine has lasted (so far) 64+ years.  What a precious gift life is, something we should never take for granted.  I was challenged by the question, “How have I used the years of life which I have been given?”

As I walked around the church, I came across a rack of various booklets etc., one of which took my attention.  It was a little booklet titled, “Words for the journey”, which consisted of 31 days of short Bible passages.  The introduction to the booklet states, “We hope that they will inspire you on your daily journey through life”, and the first Bible quote given is from Psalm 27 verse 11, ‘Teach me how to live, O LORD; Lead me along the right path.’  A reminder that in our journey of life, if we open ourselves to God he will lead us and show us the right ways.

Although God always wants the best for us, and has given us the Bible to show us his ways for our life, he also gives us freewill.  We can either choose God’s way or we can choose our own way.  When we arrived at our holiday destination, much of the landscape was covered in snow.  I noticed a sign on some grass near our accommodation which asked, “Please keep to the path to save the grass.”  Notwithstanding that request, alongside the sign were footprints in the snow.  Clearly some people either couldn’t read or decided that they knew better!

Choosing to go our own way rather than God’s way will inevitably bring consequences.  To make the most of the time we are given on planet earth, God’s way is always best!