Pete (The Virtual Vicar)

We all know that living in the past can drag a person down, but why? And what about living in the future? We need balance, but living in the moment is something we must focus on if we are to lead happy lives. Living in the moment has been shown to be the best way to become and stay happy. Here is why. Almost every one of us has regrets about something in our past, but there is nothing we can do to change it. Instead of wasting our moments and energy in lament over situations that are long gone and no longer in our control to change, we can use the energy to make our present situation better. Learn what you can from the past, and then move on. Don’t worry about the future, because you cannot predict what it will bring. You can only prepare to a certain extent, and being fearful about what tomorrow holds will only cause stress that will contribute to health and mental problems. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough         troubl

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” – Luke 5:4 Below is a reimagined story of what Peter, a working fisherman was thinking at around the point when a carpenter from the north of the country was becoming known. This Carpenter had moved into a preaching and healing ministry and seemed to have a direct line to God.  Peter is tired from a long night of toiling. He’s spent the past twelve hours trying to fish. As he watches the sun rise, he thinks about the pile of bills on his kitchen table. His son needs new shoes. His wife needs to see the doctor. There’s just not enough to go around. He’s failed to provide for them. Again. Then Jesus appears on the scene. Peter’s heard of the Carpenter from Nazareth, his miracles and his healing. The Carpenter tells him to let down the nets once more. Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets

These new vaccines are different from other vaccines because they are  experimental gene based medicines. Despite this they are still correctly advised for the elderly and those with underlying conditions. If in doubt take advice from your GP doctor.  But what of younger healthy people? Listen to the personal deliberations of  Dr. Suneel Dhand, the doctor in this video.   Fascinating and food for thought.     UPDATE:  The video seems to have been removed. 

Easter is about new starts, new life, new birth. This is often symbolised with images of eggs and chicks. We give and receive Easter eggs and maybe cards with pictures of spring sunshine or newborn chicks. All these are symbols of the season of spring and of a new, start a new beginning.  We think about new life at Easter is because Jesus, who was crucified on that first Good Friday, rose to new life on the first Easter Sunday. This is not just a wonderful story, it’s an historical fact. Jesus’ body was never found and his resurrection never disproved. This was despite the best efforts of the mighty Roman Empire and the committed and powerful Jewish leaders to destroy the early church and discredit their belief. The early disciples were changed from a frightened and disillusioned group to men who stood up against the authorities and eventually gave their lives for what they believed – for what they knew to be true – that Jesus came back to life on Easter Sunday. New life for Jesus lead

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien tells a story in an imaginary world that somehow rings true. In Tolkien’s fantastic universe of humans, hobbits, elves, wizards, dwarves and monsters, a great evil threatens to cover the world in darkness and make every living being its slave. Chaos is the order of the day. Fear rules the hearts of most. Hope is faint. Yet amid the darkness, there are flickers of light in the love, unity and courage of  a few heroic characters. One of them is Aragon, who is destined to be king. The trilogy ends with his long-awaited return to the throne and triumphant deliverance of his people. Mark 11:1-10 is one of the Bible passages for Palm Sunday, it tells of Jesus entering Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd, it is the return of the King: Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a c

  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” –   John 14:27 We’re standing in the middle of troubled times. The Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, affected people from every continent and every walk of life. The young, the old, and every in-between is at risk has been affected in some way by the disease itself or by lockdown and social distancing policies brought in to attempt to slow the spread. It’s easy to panic and be afraid. Maybe you find yourself tempted to hoard supplies, anxiously watching the news, or fretting over all the horrible things that  could  happen to you and your loved ones. These are natural and normal human reactions to chaotic moments. But just because panic is a tempting reaction doesn’t make it your only choice. There’s another option that you may be tempted to overlook—peace.  Peace is something God can give us even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when we f