RBreflections

  Some years ago, when I heard a Bible verse about a cypress tree replacing a thorn, I was so encouraged by it. I thought it was  an absolutely amazing picture, that God would put impressive cypress trees where there were once difficult thorns! The entire chapter (Isaiah 55) is utterly amazing and talks about positive change and returning to God: it tells us to call on him and he will have mercy and pardon us; it reminds us that his thoughts are higher than our thoughts and his ways are higher than our ways; it talks of joy and peace and breaking forth into singing! Such encouraging words.  It also states something remarkable: God’s word will make a difference in us, just as the rain falls from heaven and waters the earth, producing seeds and providing bread for us. What an amazing picture! If we  take the time to read the Bible, it will certainly make the exact difference that God  intends: and his intentions are always good! Digging a little deeper, I found ...

Some of the happiest times in my life have been teaching. In my previous research days, a retired headmaster told me that he was most relaxed in front of a class and I remember wondering how this could possibly be true: now I know! Before school-teaching full time, I learnt the ropes by giving lectures and tutorials at Oxford University. My “official” training before my first lecture consisted of a mere 20 minute meeting with another member of staff, who observed my “lecture extract.” Thankfully, this went well, and I got the go-ahead, albeit after a nervous start when I couldn’t find the light switches in the dark, windowless theatre! This practice helped me to start my actual lecture with increased confidence, even giving the impression that I was already part of the furniture, being able to find the light switches in the dark! I remember one of the professors there telling me that it was important to encourage the students and to tell them that we actually wanted them to pass their...

  I had an unexpected moment today. While meeting friends in a coffee shop, I was talking to the barista at the counter as he prepared our drinks. We were discussing various topics (including his giving me advice on how to run my website) when a lady came up looking for napkins. I joked that he would be able to fold them into little swans for her, and we all had a little chortle (a word loved by my Bulgarian colleague). Some time later, as I was settled at my table with my friends, the lady approached us with a little gift, and a face beaming with delight! It turned out that her friend had researched how to make a napkin into a swan and they had produced their first work of art! (Pictured above.) It was so unexpected, on so many levels!  I often have little chats and joke with people I meet but rarely get such enthusiasm back.  I was delighted that the lady had not only responded to the humour but had gone the extra mile and raised the bar considerably. Before leaving the...

  I had a new experience at the weekend: blowing up tyres! It may amaze you to know that I have got to this stage in life without being a pro at such activities... In any case, I ventured out to what should have been a short trip to the local garage, but ended up being a somewhat more lengthy experience (thankfully not in my father's vintage car pictured above). At the nearby garage, having put my money into the machine and made every effort to make it work, the tyre pressure refused to go up sufficiently. After enquiring about this, I was advised that the machine was broken (albeit in a slightly less formal way!). The next step involved driving a few miles to another garage, but they didn't have such a machine and recommended that I try the original place! That not being an option, I continued my quest in the nearest city and eventually found a working machine.  However, this had to be supplemented with some internet searches to make sense of the different units being used an...

During a visit to Northern Ireland’s most sought after town, on the way home from seeing friends, I walked along the coastal path, and listened to the sea hitting the rocks. It was a deep and gentle sound, indicative of the vast and mighty Atlantic Ocean, coming to meet the land. Despite being capable of powerful acts, the sea’s noise was also calming and reassuring. It started me thinking of God’s love for us, which is also powerful, gentle and reassuring. With some further pondering, I began to recognise more parallels, even in four dimensions!   Firstly, as the ocean bed reaches depths yet untouched by humans, the depth of God’s love for us is phenomenal: he has left all the delights of heaven to come and bring us back to him. The depth of the ocean means that there are arguably more creatures undiscovered than discovered, and so within the depth of God’s love, there are more treasures than we can think or imagine!   Secondly, the breadth of the sea front meant that it stre...

I received a special invitation to a function in Goldsmiths' Hall last week and was very excited to attend. For over 700 years, this opulent building has served as the guild's headquarters for testing and hallmarking precious metals.  Unfortunately, that evening, there was an issue after school, not linked to a precious metal, but something equally precious to the members of Paul's Pizza: the pizza didn't arrive! The delay in sorting this out led to a strong possibility that I would not arrive in time for the special lecture, but, after a stressful tube journey, a re-installing of my directional maps, and a discussion with a helpful passer-by, I arrived just at the last minute, so you can imagine my distress when I entered the hallway and saw a row of security guards in front of me! However, a voice came from one side saying, "He's my guest; let him through!" (It was the  friend, who had very kindly invited me and was running the entire event.) We ascended...