1. Don’t play sitting ducks When I lived in Italy I’d just pick up the phone and text or call willy nilly as freely as I liked most evenings. It didn’t matter how long it had been since there last call or mine I just picked up the phone and sent a message or a text. The difficulties come when you both play sitting ducks. We I call last time so I’ll wait for them to call. Believe me I have friends who never text and rarely call. Yes yes bin them you say! Wrong! Sometimes you just have to realise some people are massively rubbish at the reach out, but when you do speak to them it is like you are ..read more

For a tree to become tall it must grow tough roots among the rocks. Friedrich Nietzsche How are we past the first two weeks of 2021 already? No one wants to talk about 2020, but we aren’t making this all Harry Potter and treating 2020 like the-year-which-cannot-be-named! Nope 2020 happened, its done over and 2021 should signal new beginnings. But, if we are honest with ourselves I’m sure most of us did not greet 2021 with open arms, seeing that we are still in a pandemic, people are still sick from covid or other ailments and we are all most stick locked inside our four walls. But I am trying ..read more

In the final week of Advent, churches will light two candles, the candle of love and the Christ candle. As a reminder, churches light a total of 5 candles, one for every week starting on the first week in December, and leading up to the week of Christmas.  Four candles decorate the outer edges of the traditional wreath, and one white candle sits in the middle. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day they will light the candle in the centre. These candles remind us of the attributes of God we use during our anticipation of Christ’s coming: his first coming for Christmas and his long-awaited ..read more

In this advent series, we’ve already covered the candle of hope as a sign of God’s promises over our lives in Week One and in Week Two we looked at the candle of peace and how we need to prepare ourselves to wait on the prophecy of Jesus’ arrival. This week, covers the candle of joy. In the previous two weeks the candle was traditionally purple, this week the colour of the candle is pink. Through the years, many Christians have presented different reasons for the origins of the pinkish candle ,from a tradition where priests would wear pink vestments (garments) to parents waiting in a ..read more

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” LUKE 2:14 NIV Unexpectedly for some, Jesus’ arrival on earth bought about peace. Jews, particularly the Zealots, wanted their saviour to bring about rebellion and overthrow Roman rule in their lands. However, Jesus represented all the opposites. After all his not called the “Prince of Peace” for nothing. How does Jesus bring us peace? Firstly, Jesus brings us inner peace. Through His death and resurrection on the cross, we have a chance to seek God and receive salvation, beginning a dee ..read more

Today marks an important date in the Slovak calender and one I have tried to uphold in our family (even though there are no children yet). St Nicholas called Mikuláš (pronounced a bit like like Meeckulash?- Slovak fam help a girl out!) is popular especially with children who are given presents of sweets and various small toys. According to this tradition they clean their shoes, put them on the window sill in the evening and the next morning they find a lovely surprise in them. History of St.Nicholas The customs related to the day of St Nicholas have been evolving into its current form for cent ..read more

It’s the start of advent can you believe it? For the next four Sundays we can delve deeper into God’s word and promises of a saviour. Everyone knows the basic message of advent. The celebration of the birth of our saviour Jesus Christ. But what is advent anyway? And how and why do we celebrate? What is advent?  Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. For western Christians it is the beginning of the liturgical year. Advent is a derivative of the Latin word “adventus” m ..read more

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the ..read more

At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who gets the highest rank in God’s kingdom?” For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, its the same as receiving me.” Matthew 18:1-5 MSG Do you remember what your ..read more

Last week, I got back in the saddle. The horsey saddle that is. I hadn’t sat on, let alone ridden a horse in 10 years and believe me feeling sore after is an understatement. But I’m not here to talk about my aching buttocks or sore quads today. I’m wondering why almost 15 years on from my first riding experience, I’m still struggling to see black people proudly a top a horse or making any kind of horsey headlines in the media? I know there are black riders. I’m one of them! So, where is our representation? Or is this another area where we are swept under the carpet? Let’s face it. Horse racing ..read more