Blog
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Just say no
Two years ago the world-famous theologian, pastor, author, and visionary, John RW Stott, died on 27 July 2011. I remember joining nearly two thousand others in St Paul’s Cathedral at his memorial service: archbishops and bishops were there; former churchwardens and vicars galore; scholars and publishers and laypeople. But missing were his wife, children and…
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The things we love
All the talk of royal babies has got me thinking about the beloved cuddly toys of childhood. Do you still have a favorite stuffed animal? I do; my bear with its sewed-up neck peeks out in my study, more a thing of sentiment than of love these days. It’s old, musty, and is marked with…
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A devotional for the week: Psalm 18:37–45
Just war? I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and…
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Interview with Joni Eareckson Tada, and review of Joni and Ken
A couple of months ago I had the privilege of interviewing Joni Eareckson Tada in connection with her new book, Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story (Zondervan). I’ve long admired her, and got to meet her and her husband one year when I was working for her publisher. She exudes God’s grace and love…
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A devotional for the week – Psalm 18:32–36
Boot camp It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You make your saving help my shield, and…
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Review of the best book on unanswered prayer
God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer Pete Greig (Survivor/Kingsway, ISBN 9781842913178) Some years ago, my faith was seriously rocked when I thought God was telling me to move from one city to another, and then everything fell through with the move. I didn’t know what to believe. Was God out there? Did…
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Kindred spirits
“Heaven will be a grand reunion with people who might have become dear friends, had circumstances/geography/time not limited us.” So said I to a woman I had only ever met once by email when interviewing her for the Woman Alive Book Club that I run. I had read her spiritual memoir and resonated deeply with her…
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Devotional of the week: Psalm 18:30–31
Rock of ages As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? (Psalm 18:30–31, NIV) Today David again calls God the rock who provides him refuge. It may…
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Review of a fab novel about spiritual formation
Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey by Sharon Garlough Brown (IVP, 978-0830843053) Some books come with a buzz. I don’t mean that reading them will cause an altered reality, but that people become so gripped and changed by these books that they want to share them with others – resulting in a buzz.…
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Dual citizenship
When I first moved to the UK, I felt so self-consciously American. Hyper aware of my accent, which immediately labeled me as foreign. Fifteen years later, I usually forget my “other” status, but sometimes – often when I’m out of London – someone will look at me with curiosity and ask me where I’m from.…
