Joy Revie

After all that lovely hot summer sunshine, it does feel like the weather is changing and we are drifting into autumn. Cooler temperatures, nights drawing in, and autumn tints on the trees! And so it is with our life’s seasons.

David Francis

My dad was an antique restorer, selling into the auctions what he renovated. Often he came home with various objects that he thought were nice or worth keeping because of its style, even if it needed a little repair here and there.

Louise Harris

In recent weeks I have been travelling and been away a lot. There have been some wonderful trips and busy weekends in between. I've enjoyed it all, but my feet have hardly touched the ground and deep inside I've been longing for a quiet few weeks at home.

Elaine Utting

Some years ago a friend with a deep, yet unconventional, faith told me about a piece of music that had helped him during a difficult time in his life. It isn’t everyone’s style, but I too have found it moving and also thought provoking.

Ian Revie

Recently I have been listening to Paul’s letters and I heard something that I had never heard or read before. Our lives are a letter! Every day, people ’read’ us. I was challenged to think, what kind of message are they getting?

Helen Francis

Whilst on the retreat in France earlier this year we pondered different aspects on the biblical theme of 'Blessings', but the one I found myself least comfortable with was 'Obedience' - it didn't initially feel like a blessing to me.

Lucy Holt

Recently reconnecting with old friends has meant retelling chapters of my life, old and new, quite a few times. It’s been easier than I expected to talk about the ways my faith has guided me, and helped me through challenges.

Joy Revie

I don't know about you but, sometimes for me, life can feel like I am trekking through treacle... it's just hard going. Nothing seems to work out. Little problems become bigger complicated ones, leaving me with a feeling of hitting a dead end.

David Francis

“I don’t believe it!” exclaimed Victor Meldrew, in the British sitcom ‘One Foot in the Grave’. As we hear and see far worst occurrences in our troubled world, do we realise that quite regularly we declare that one day, things will get better?

Louise Harris

This week I've been reflecting on the highs and lows of life. It's been a bit of a crazy time recently, with plenty of ups and downs - such is the roller coaster that we ride sometimes! A couple of weeks ago we went on a trip to a gorgeous spot in Ireland.

Elaine Utting

Earlier this year I spent a fair bit of time on new plants for the pots in our back yard. I was standing at our back door, admiring my handiwork, and then reflected that it would all look so much nicer if the yard was paved in some nice slabs or bricks instead of tarmac.

Ian Revie

Joy and I have an allotment which brings with it some brief pleasures but also a lot of hard graft. It’s a great place to get away from the routine of work and know that the produce we grow is directly related to the effort and diligence that we put in.

Helen Francis

Recently I had a phone call with a Christian friend of mine. Inevitably the conversation turned to bigger issues and at one point the phrase was used: "all I can do is pray about it." It led me to thinking: do I sometimes see prayers in that light?

Lucy Holt

Currently I am in a sabbatical between full time jobs. This has been a strange transition, and a blessing to have time and space to recover from a very intense few years. I feel very grateful for the opportunity, but also a bit guilty for not being more productive.

Joy Revie

Ian and I have just completed another long distance walk with some friends. We did the Tabular Hills Way which is 48 miles from Helmsley to Scarborough. It struck me again how much I enjoy walking as it helps me to slow down and reconnect with nature.

Louise Harris

The past week has been a time of sadness and reflection for me. I attended the funeral of my next-door neighbour. Me and another neighbour shared our stories, fears and challenges, encouraging and spurring each other on through the journey.

Elaine Utting

We have just celebrated Easter. In our home group last week we celebrated by eating a Passover meal together. We followed a script that linked together three things: the origin of the meal, the Passover meal, the communion service.

David Francis

Nakedness can make us feel incredibly exposed, often feeling shame. And not just physically - when our flaws and failures find us out, it can be incredibly humiliating and extremely discouraging.

Ian Revie

We had a recent reflection in our house group, where we all felt that we were in the same place: waiting for some next steps in our joint journey of faith. When we accept God’s timing is perfect - we no longer sit in the waiting room. We serve in God’s Kingdom.

Lucy Holt

I heard one of my favourite ever sermons when I was 15 - such timeless advice that it stuck with me and I’ve retold a version of this on many occasions. Elijah is under threat of death from Jezebel, afraid, alone and exhausted he flees to the desert at Horeb.