Words from Muddy Pearl - Writers
Life will never be the same again
Today we celebrate Candlemas, one of the important occasions in the narrative of the Gospels, redolent as it is with numbers, and a key milestone on the road. For the Celts, it represented one of the Quarter Days on which rents and other dues are settled. And if you were an Anchoress in medieval times […]
Learning to Understand the Story
One spring morning, my younger brother and I sat on the sofa, our grandmother sandwiched between. Our imaginations climbed the twisted trails forged by Lewis Carroll as Grandma read aloud Through the Looking Glass. That book was magic for me, and I was certain that the words of the story appeared by the same method. But […]
Where are the Leaders?
Over the last few months I have found myself wanting to shout at the TV almost every day. It’s the news. They report turmoil, but I find myself despairing. “Where are the leaders?” There are so many world issues that seem to be mis-managed. So many mis-placed priorities. Such short term vision. Such lack of […]
The God Who Sees in the overwhelm
I got lost this morning. Caught in a trivial domestic maze accidentally constructed from a long list of tasks, a poorly child, the background dull thrum of the endless news cycle whenever I came within earshot of the radio, or glanced at a screen, and a house too busy and messy to allow me to […]
What He Would Have Missed
When I read the temptation story of Jesus in our present day I immediately notice something: He was isolated. He was hungry, He was weak, and He was alone. There were no disciples to hear His teachings, no children to hold on the knee, and no lepers to heal. There was no one to see, no one to […]
Living in the age of Corona paradoxes
We live in the age of Corona paradoxes: I’m bored I’m busy I’m frightened I’ve not got time to think I must stay home to save lives I must leave home to save lives I feel guilty as I sit enjoying the afternoon sun in my garden I feel frustrated as I stare from […]
Blossoms and Blackbirds
As we experience ‘Lockdown’ because of the Coronavirus, an encouragement has been the blackbirds’ song. The apple tree, resplendent with blossom has filled the view from my bedroom window. There, amongst the branches, blackbirds sing their hearts out. No matter how I feel the blossoms are beautiful and the birds keep singing. Life has slowed […]
Be My Certainly
I don’t think Jesus’ disciples were afraid of the water that day, or even the wind that was so contrary. I believe the fear came when they were unable to recognize the object moving towards them (because it’s the unfamiliar that moves towards you in the familiar that brings the fear.) They knew the water, […]
A Way of Life That Works
Daniel sits on the commuter train to London, he balances his laptop on his knees, scrolls through his schedule and the 50 emails that have come in since yesterday, and sighs. Life is busy and feels overwhelming. He feels caught in a swirl, a slave to circumstances and other people’s expectations. You ‘should’ do this. […]
Grant Smith at Blackwells
We look at the world and there are so many problems and we think we can’t do anything. I wrote the book because that’s wrong. We can do something. On Thursday 18th July, we had our Scottish launch of Grant Smith’s The Accidental Social Entrepreneur at Blackwells Edinburgh. It was a brilliant evening, following on […]
