22 December 2009 – One Snowy Day (Cancer and Me 2)
This phase of my life all started in December 2009. I was (and still am at the time of writing) a self-employed Interim Manager, specialising in business financial management, and I had been out of work since the beginning of April, had maxed the credit cards, borrowed money from my business (that I need to…
Cancer and Me – Introduction
I was first diagnosed with cancer in January 2010. At the time I’d only ventured tentatively into blogging. My illness was what kickstarted my writing, as for so many people. At first it just gave me the time to write. Then late in 2012 I was reading the blog of someone else who has the…
The Cross – The Shocking Symbol of Christianity
First published 24 April 2015 The cross is the primary symbol of all branches of the Christian church throughout the last 2,000 years. It is referenced throughout the world in many different ways. Some Christians wear it as a badge to quietly let people know their affiliation. Some Christians make the gesture of the cross…
I’ve Had Cancer and I Am Not Angry With God
First published 15 April 2015 This post is now incorporated with 22 other similar ‘reflections’ in my book, Facing Cancer with Faith. When I first heard about Stephen Fry’s now infamous outburst against God in a recent interview on Irish TV, I admit that I dismissed it as the ranting of a celebrity amateur atheist.…
Spending Too Much at Christmas – What I Said to My Kids
First published 21 December 2014 This is what I wrote on the private blog I have for my kids last year… There are a couple of things I worry about at Christmas if I’m honest. One is that as a family we’ll lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas – which is that Jesus…
Does God Punish Nations With Storms?
First published 5 October 2014 In my last post I was thinking about the reaction David Silvester received recently to his open letter accusing UK Prime Minister David Cameron of bringing God’s judgment upon the nation. In the letter he said that, “The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that a Christian nation that abandons its…
Why Is It Offensive To Speak Of God Punishing?
First published 27 September 2014 David Silvester is a local government councillor near Oxford in the UK, until recently representing the UK Independence Party. At the beginning of 2014 he (in)famously said in a letter to the Henley Standard, “Since the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, the nation has been beset by…
The Most Realistic Movie Ever Made
First published 1 April 2014 I found out the other day that an old colleague of mine had died suddenly of a heart attack. She was my age, and had two children the same age as my younger ones. That reminded me that another colleague from the same place died in her twenties a few…
Weighing Up Hardships
First published 13 August 2013 This post is now incorporated with 22 other similar ‘reflections’ in my book, Facing Cancer with Faith. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” So said the apostle Paul in Romans 8:18. Paul, who…
A Lesson From King Asa’s Bad Feet
First published 15 May 2013 This post is now incorporated with 22 other similar ‘reflections’ in my book, Facing Cancer with Faith. I was struck recently by a verse I read in my daily Bible reading. It challenged me personally, but struck me as pertinent to any believer who suffers illness, and, since we all…