Serenity - more, please!

Serenity (noun): the quality or state of being calm, peaceful, and free from anxiety, stress, or agitation.

I keep coming back to dwell on this word in this blog. I wonder why... it's much more than the science fiction reference. It's a real longing for a lasting, inner peace in my life.

What I'm looking for is more that just earthly peace. Serenity is a deep feeling of calm even in the face of adversity. It's when you can still see the problems around you, however you are no longer suffering under the weight they once carried. I believe it's only available through our relationship with God. 

I'm reliably informed that pursuing serenity involves shifting your daily habits and perspective to calm your mind and reduce stress in your life. Removing the pressures of working life has gone a long way to improving my perspective. My mind is so now quieter since I retired and this has helped me to slow down and build in some regular quiet time to be with God. 

i am spending a good deal of my time reducing distractions; reducing the clutter in some areas of my house (why do I need to keep those work reference books now?) and making a positive choice to live a simpler life. 

I can feel a real sense of peace on some days. More, please!

Life is precious

Christians have a firm belief that human life is a sacred gift created and cherished by God. Are you in agreement with that?

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realise it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfil it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.
Mother Teresa

The most precious things in life are not those you get for money.
Albert Einstein

Because we are mortal, our time on Earth is precious. Every second is a flash of light in the cosmic dark.
Carl Sagan

Some Scripture verses to consider:

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7 (NIV)

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Coffee, anyone?

Whilst you relax over your latte this morning, why not give a prayer of thanks to the Lord for his creation - today (1st October) is International Coffee Day. However you prefer your coffee, spare a thought for this incredible product. 

Wild coffee plants were first discovered in 9th century Ethiopia, as a goat herder called Kaldi noticed that some red berries were having an unusual effect on his goats.  The coffee beverage itself hails from Yemen, where it was harvested, roasted and brewed; Sufi Muslims in the 15th century used it to aid concentration during night prayers.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, coffee spread from the Islamic world to Christian regions, through the interactions between Muslim and Christian traders. It was in the monasteries of Europe that coffee found a special place. Monks and priests adopted coffee as a tool to aid in their spiritual practices, as coffee helped them stay awake during long prayer vigils and night-time services.

By the 17th century, coffee was the popular drink for intellectuals as they met in coffee houses to drink, listen and debate. They became hangouts for the likes of diarist Samuel Pepys, architect Christopher Wren, and the French philosopher Voltaire. The Lloyd's Coffee House in central London was the birthplace of the global insurance market.

Finally, the cappuccino owes its name to the Capuchin friars, an order of Catholic monks from Venice, who were known for their brown and white robes. 

Lovingkindness

Chesed is a Hebrew word that means 'kindness or love between people'. It is frequently used in Psalms to describe the love or mercy of God towards humanity. Some English translations use the word lovingkindness (sometimes hyphenated, sometimes written as one word). I'd never before explored this term, so I thought I'd give this some study today. 

The translation of lovingkindness used in the King James Version is derived from the Coverdale Bible. This version was compiled by Myles Coverdale and based on the earlier translation by William Tyndale. The King James Version and later writers then compounded it into a single or hyphenated word. Although some feel that this word is now considered archaic, it is still part of the traditional rendition of Psalms in some English Bible translations and there are even modern worship songs still using the term. 

Here's a selection of translations of the first few words of Psalm 51 across the centuries:

ἐλέησόν με ὁ θεός κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου (Greek)

Miserere mei, Deus, secundum misericordiam tuam (Vulgate)

God, haue thou merci on me; bi thi greet merci. (Wycliffe, 1388)

Haue mercy vpon me (o God) after thy goodnes (Coverdale Bible, 1535)

Haue mercie vpon mee, O God, according to thy louing kindnesse (KJV, 1611)

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness (KJV, 1769)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love (RSV, 1952)

Be merciful to me, O God, because of your constant love (Good News, 1976)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love (NRSV, 1989)

Generous in love—God, give grace!  Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record (The Message, 1993)

And here's the New International Version translation, which I use most of all:

Psalm 51:1

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

I find it's always useful to see the same verse in different translations. 

Open Our Eyes

On Sunday 27th September 2026, The Salvation Army will unite around the world for the International Day of Prayer for Victims of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.

This year’s theme is 'Open Our Eyes', which is inspired by Proverbs 31:8 NLT:

'Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.'

Modern slavery is when someone loses their freedom and is controlled and exploited by another person or people for personal or commercial gain. It is an umbrella term for many forms of slavery including but not exclusive to human trafficking.

At The Salvation Army, we believe that everyone should be able to live in peace without being exploited and we open our hearts and minds and ask the Lord to hear our prayers to protect the vulnerable throughout communities across the world.

Many Salvationists around the world (there are over a million of us) will be praying for those trapped in this way. We stand with the survivors and we advocate for an end to exploitation. Please join us in prayer. #OpenOurEyes

Rejoice in the Lord always ...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!
Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

This verse was written by the Apostle Paul in what can be described as 'less than ideal conditions'. 

At the time, Paul was a prisoner in Rome. He had been shipwrecked on the way there (Acts 27), was subsequently bitten by a snake (Acts 28), and on reaching Rome he ended up under house arrest for two years awaiting trial. This meant he would have chained to a soldier at all times. Despite this, Paul still had to pay for his own rent, food, and clothing, relying on gifts and support from friends and fellow believers. He was threatened with execution, so his future was bleak.

Paul had every reason to complain, and yet he focused on rejoicing. 

We are encouraged to seek to rejoice in the Lord despite the most difficult of situations, just as Paul did. He emphasises that such an attitude should be constant, not temporary. Believers find their joy and hope in God. Joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and is important for every believer.

International Day of Sign Languages

Each year on 23rd September, people celebrate the International Day of Sign Languages, to recognise the importance of sign languages around the world.

One important thing to understand is their is no universal sign language. There are over 300 different sign languages world-wide. Over 70,000 deaf people in the UK have British Sign Language (BSL) as their first language. BSL uses a two-handed alphabet so most letters require both hands to form the letters.  

In addition, you may have encountered Makaton, which is a supplementary communication system which uses signs (hand gestures) and symbols (images) alongside speech and written words to support communication. Despite its use of signs, Makaton is not a sign language. It is widely used by children and adults who have learning disabilities, autism, Down syndrome, or limited speech.

Makaton and BSL play vital but distinct roles in promoting communication for their respective communities.

We need to make sure we are inclusive and are valuing people of all types. The Gospel message is for all!

Apple of your eye

My daily reading yesterday included the following verse from the Psalms. 

Keep me as the apple of your eye, 

    hide me under the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 17:8 (NIVUK)

I've blogged before about the imagery of the apple, as this has come up in my readings over the years. The words leapt off the page at me - it still means something.

The reference to the apple of the eye refers to the pupil at its centre. The Hebrew phrase i'son bat ā'yin literally means "the blackness of the eye." This is the most closely protected part of the body. I've always linked this with a target motif, as if I'm associating it with the legend of William Tell in my mind. 

The following phrase has David using the imagery of God's care to a mother bird protecting her young. Chicks find shelter and safety under their mother's wings from sun, rain, or the eyes of predators. 

Plenty to unpack here over the next few days. 

Are naps good for our health?

Having an afternoon nap is a daily ritual for many. The Spanish usually enjoy a siesta and Japanese workers indulge in a lunchtime sleep, known as hirune, or "afternoon nap". Some office workers recommend a power nap to quickly boost alertness. Us Brits tend to favour an hour or so napping in the comfy chair after Sunday lunch or the big Christmas family meal. We tend to catch forty winks or indulge in a catnap.

Since retiring, so many have asked me whether I'm having a regular lie-in in the morning. No, not really - however I'm rediscovering the health benefits of napping during the day. 

A study by researchers at University College London (UCL) and the University of the Republic in Uruguay in 2023 analysed data from 35,000 people, aged 40 to 69, who had taken part in a study by UK Biobank, a biomedical database ad research resource. The brains of people who napped several times a week were more than 15 cubic cm (0.9 cubic inches) larger than the brains of people who never had a daytime nap.

This equates to delaying ageing of the brain by between three to six years, says lead author Victoria Garfield, a senior research fellow at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL. "The big finding was that daytime napping is, quite robustly, causally linked to having a larger brain volume," says Garfield. 

"Anything you can do to preserve your brain size for as long as possible is a good thing," says Garfield. "It's a really positive message that having a nap could help the brain."

God still has work for me to do

It's now been three months since I retired from full-time employment. Three whole months. And the world has, remarkably, kept on spinning.

Yes, I am still enjoying my retirement. No, I'm not having a lay-in every morning. In fact, I'm still getting up at the same time - that's the natural time for me to wake up. I do now have time for a midday nap from time to time...

No, I don't miss the work, or the commuting, or the politics that always makes work life so *interesting*. No, I'm not spending every other moment at the Army hall. Yes, I have enough money to live on - I'm not rich by any extent, however I have enough to get by.  Yes, I am rediscovering hobbies from the past and finally getting to read all those books from the large wobbly pile in my study!

And, yes, I am still excited for the future. Because God has so much for me still to do. He still has a purpose for my life, and God is still not finished shaping me or using me. 

Philippians 1: 3-6 (NIV)
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.