Helen Francis

I don't know if you've heard the beautiful song ‘Mary did you know’? It's often played at this time of year and is one of my favourites, not just because the melody is so haunting, but because I find the words of the song thought-provoking. How much did Mary know?

Joy Revie

Ian and I have lived in Boroughbridge for 25 years. We love its rural feel and being close to the river Ure. We often follow the river up into Wensleydale, so much in fact, that we decided to try and find the source of the Ure. Finally, in October we did!

Louise Harris

This week I have been in the position of being stuck in slow-moving or even stationary traffic on my way to the office due to road works or accidents. I am sure you know the frustration when there is very little you can do to get there more quickly.

Elaine Utting

Over the years, when facing a scary problem, maybe conflicts with family or at work, or health issues, I would remember some encouraging words from the Bible or a worship song and, while the difficulty was playing out, I’d repeat them to myself in my head.

David Francis

Some might say I have enthusiasm for a few pet subjects! We like what we like, and it is hard to hide it! In Greek the word for enthusiasm is ‘Entheos’ and means ‘God within’. Jesus said He would make his dwelling in us, by the Holy Spirit.

Ian Revie

One of the things leaders know is that, while many people will never step up to be the leader, there are plenty of people willing to criticise any steps towards leadership you might take and tell the whole world how they know better and why you did it wrong!

Lucy Holt

I’ve really enjoyed re-reading Philippians recently. I first remember studying it as a teenager, in a completely different season of my life. Paul’s words were relevant then to a teenager in the mid-90s, and are still challenging to me now as an adult and parent.

Helen Francis

A couple of Sundays ago ,we sang a song with the line: "in my Father's house, there's a place for me." I love the reassurance it brings but, for a long time & for reasons I'm not even too sure of, I wasn't as sure of this truth as I should be.

Joy Revie

I love this time of year when the vibrant colours of autumn take our breath away - nature's final glorious display before shutting down for the winter! It got me thinking about, not just seasons in nature, but also the seasons we experience in our own walk of faith.

Louise Harris

Much to the incredulousness of friends and family, I have taken up wild swimming this year. Peacefully swimming along in nature, my mind empties of its worries, hope is renewed and I begin to let go of the things that don’t really matter.

Elaine Utting

It can be hard, when you are living through serious difficulties, to face the world with a smile. But apparently the physical act of smiling, even if it’s deliberate rather than spontaneous, helps you feel happier & healthier. And it’s amazing - God made us that way.

David Francis

Some years ago, I had an amazing revelation when attempting to make my own yeast to raise my bread. I took equal quantities of wheat, flour and water, mixed them together & left it covered in a dark cupboard. Incredibly, after 3 days and 3 nights, it had risen!

Ian Revie

We were on holiday on the west coast of Ireland - bleak, barren and beautiful land and sea-scapes all at the same time. Our youngest daughter wanted to hike in the Blue Stack mountains, so we found a 'moderate' 5 mile hike around two hills & a river.

Lucy Holt

In the summer, in an art gallery, I saw a kintsugi vase. It's a way of repairing very precious ceramic. Rather than throwing away the beautiful but broken object, it is repaired using gold as a glue to hold the pieces together. It is more beautiful than the original.

Helen Francis

Music & singing has always been a love of mine and I've recently been revisiting songs & hymns that have been meaningful to me throughout my Christian journey. I began to consider more deeply why these hymns had stayed with me for over fifty decades.

Joy Revie

Sometimes I have felt that it's only the big things in my life that I should ‘bother’ God with - choosing a life partner, career, job change, relocation, family crisis, illness, bereavement, divorce. But does God only require my focus and my Yes at these times?

Emma

It is very difficult to have hope without God. To me, hope is not just about believing things will necessarily get better and mustering up inner strength, but trusting that God is in it with me, trusting in His promises and in His faithfulness.

Ian Revie

Sometimes I have days where I am unsure about my life purpose & calling, and I love that God has a purpose for our lives, and that we will experience our highest levels of happiness & fulfilment when we discover and begin to fulfil that purpose. But how do we find it?

Helen Francis

It's easy to get into a habit of praying only through the lens of our own solutions: we think we know what is needed, so we pray for that outcome, and look in that direction for an answer. Then when answers to prayers are not meeting expectations at some point, we ask "why"?

Louise Harris

Ancestry is an interesting factor in understanding who we are, and where we come from. It can be incredibly emotive, and it is surprising how many traits, interests and even physical characteristics pass down the generations.