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plank-eye
Some things are so blindingly obvious that we miss them. Jesus had worked in Joseph’s carpenter’s workshop for 20 years. He knew about wood. He knew too how much it hurt when you got a speck of sawdust in your eye. It would have been a regular occurrence as there were no safety glasses in…
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stone-faced
I was just innocently browsing my news feed on Facebook (other social media sites are available, apparently) and was struck by something someone had posted: they said that they were no longer welcome in a particular church. Now, I do not know the person in question. I do not know any of the context. So…
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Be like…
There’s a meme that’s doing the rounds of the Internet at the moment. There’s a stick man called Bill. The text that accompanies the picture of him describes how he does something sensible and encourages people to be like Bill instead of responding with hysteria, following the crowd, doing something that annoys people, etc. For…
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face-planting in the highest
If you are a dog owner you will probably know how dogs like to find the smelliest, muddiest, sludgiest places in which to wallow and roll. And they then come back to you wagging their tails, feeling very proud of themselves. I have a feeling that they think that they are doing something nice for…
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how free is speech?
One of the foundational principles of life is ‘freedom of speech’ (or freedom of expression to use the more inclusive term). In many countries it is enshrined in the Constitution and a basic ‘right’, and where it is denied by those in power it is one of the things that the people crave. It is one…
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interview me baby one more time
I was in a conversation over lunch yesterday and for some reason I can’t remember I was reminded of an occasion (over ten years ago) when I was almost on TV as an ‘expert’ on a certain American singer (whose name sounds like she is a bit British and is into javelins*.) I have never been…
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scary halloween
I almost removed myself from cyberspace this week. First of all there was all of the TalkTalk panic. I am not a customer of theirs, but the fact that a company could be hacked and sensitive details taken is scary. Then there was a moment during my week off when I gave into temptation and…
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what God has got wrong
I think God has got something wrong. Before I go any further I should warn you that this bloggage could be interrupted by a bolt of lightning as I explain my heresy, so if there is an unanticipated interruption you will know what has happened. So, gulp, here goes. I think that God has got…
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the little things
It’s all the little details that take time isn’t it? Moving house was not, on the grand scale of things, too traumatic an event. Strong men moved our belongings into a big lorry, drove the lorry to a new house, and then unloaded our belongings into the new house from the big lorry. Of course…
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out of all proportion
When our children were very young I started something that became a family ‘thing’. I was messing around with them and, resting my head on top of one of our son’s head, I jiggled my jaw back and forth. It made him laugh so I did it again. Our daughter didn’t see what I had done but…
nukelearfishing 