How Can We Stay Civil in the Age of Outrage? Here are Three Ideas
Political antagonism is growing across the globe. Some have called this culturally polarised time the ‘age of outrage’. In taking a stand for our chosen cause, we’re losing civility. Here are some ways we can stay civil and respectful in the face of our differences.
Burnout Begins With Weariness. Here’s How to Stop it Going Further
There is a cost to giving. At it's worst that cost is burnout—the emotional (and often physical) collapse of someone who has spent too long pouring out without filling up. Psychiatrist Robert Coles wrote about the hazards that come with a life of service and giving. It was the warning signs of burnout that really
You Are Known By Name
I have an embarrassing habit of forgetting people's names, even of people I've known for years (it’s pretty bad—you’ll laugh.) Since names are more than mere words, it’s a weakness I wish I could beat. Thankfully there’s Someone who knows you by name, and who will never forget it.
You’re Both So Different? That Could Be What Makes Your Marriage Work
After 21 years, I sometimes look at my wife Merryn and wonder how our marriage works. I’m a writer and speaker, Merryn is a statistician. I work with words, she works with numbers. I want beauty, she wants function. And that’s only the start of our differences! Here’s what’s helped us stick together…
Heaven is a Symphony Playing All Around You. Here Are Three Ways to Hear it
Modern Christianity has been criticized at times for being about little more than “a ticket to heaven”. But it’s so, so much more. Heaven is where God is, and since God is everywhere, heaven isn't just 'up there' but touches earth too. Here’s some ways we can glimpse heaven's reality now…
On Death Row for 28 Years. Here’s How Anthony Ray Hinton Stayed Joyful
In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with a double-murder, found guilty by a jury, and sentenced to death. But he was innocent. His sentence was overturned only in 2015—nearly thirty years later. What’s most astounding about Ray’s story is that he faced those 28 gruelling, unfair years with joy. How?
Got Some Goals for the New Year? Great. Just Don’t Forget This
I can be a real dreamer. There’s always a book, a media project, a life ambition waiting in the wings. So when BBC Radio 2 asked what my hope for the new year was, my mind automatically went down the path of goals and ambitions. But something wasn't right. There's more to life than career
Do You Need a ‘Fallow Year’? The Ancient Art of a Year of Rest
'You reap what you sow' is a powerful principle describing the way much of life works. Plant a seed of goodness, kindness or faith, and a harvest of it will follow later. But the metaphor assumes the seed is sown into healthy soil. What if it's not? What happens when we keep trying to get
Are You Running to False Places of Safety?
Our new puppy Rupert Reginald McScruffy is quite the celebrity: people stop us in the street, he’s got fans on social media, and now even the BBC wants to follow his progress. Yes, he's gorgeous. But he does have his foibles; and one in particular that can teach us about what happens when we run
Confused About the Direction of Your Life? This Might Help
My life has been anything but a straight path. I’ve been nightclub DJ, a youth worker, a radio host, an author, a speaker; I’ve had spiritual crises, burnout, and broken dreams; and life’s curve balls have often landed me where I least expected. It used to trouble me. Until one day, out hiking, I noticed
