Nature is the first cathedral

We’re currently in our second year of doing #1000hoursoutside. For me, the most important thing is not HOW we’re achieving that (more on that next time) but WHY. We’re intentionally spending loads of time outside because it’s good for us, (again, more on that next time) and it gives us a way to regularly worship … Read more

Review: The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet

Title: The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet Author: J. D. Peabody  Published by: Hodder Faith Price: RRP £11.99 Good for: Children age 6-12 years old, especially those who love adventures Best bit: Wonderful relationship between the children and their Dad, plus brilliant idea of ‘ink’ being the most precious thing in the world. Worst bit: Although there’s an ending, the story … Read more

Review: Pembricks Creaturepedia

Title: Pembrick’s Creaturepedia Author: Andrew Peterson Published by: Hodder Faith Price: Â£8.99 Good for: Anyone who’s enjoyed The Wingfeather Saga and who likes non-fiction books or sketches with lables! Best bit: That this is a book referred to in the Wingfeather Saga so it feels like you are holding a copy of a book which the characters had! I also love the … Read more

Review: Wingfeather Tales

Title: Wingfeather Tales â€“ seven thrilling stories from the world of Aerwiar Editor: Andrew Peterson Authors: Andrew Peterson, Jennifer Trafton, N. D. Wilson, A. S. Peterson, Jonathan Rogers, and Douglas McKelvey Illustrations: Justin Gerard, Hein Zaayman, Cory Godbey, John Hendrix, Nicholas Kole, Aedan Peterson, Joe Sutphin, Jay Myers, and Doug TenNapel Published by: Hodder Faith Price: Â£12.99 Good for: Anyone who’s enjoyed The … Read more

Breathing and praying

I once opened a workshop on prayer with the Bible quote: “Pray without ceasing.” I’ve always found this a very challenging command, after all, most of us usually manage a few minutes a day – how do we pray but also do all the other things we need to do each day? I used to … Read more

Breathing prayer

Here’s a simple version of an ancient practise: Use a breathing prayer to ‘chew over’ a Bible verse. This is less of an understanding exercise and more of a feeling, meditative one. If you’ve found a verse that jumps out at you or is particularly meaningful to you at the moment, this might be something … Read more

8 ways to get your family to stop fighting and be more generous

I wish I could tell you how to stop your children fighting. There’s probably something good about children developing social skills in the home and feeling safe so not restraining their behaviour to please others. But honestly, less fighting and arguing in our home would be quite nice! However, I do have an idea. When … Read more

Doing nothing is good

As the summer holidays continue, I’m contemplating the best way to help my children give me a few minutes off! I love spending time with them, but sometimes my head just needs to have a moment free from their constant … ahem … chatter! Recently I’ve been taking a 15-minute break on my own after … Read more

Celebrating Pentecost or the Biblical Festival of Weeks

Did you know that the Christian festival of Pentecost is on the Biblical festival of Shavuot, otherwise known as the Festival of Weeks? This Biblical festival comes from the Old Testament, where God’s people were told: “‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the … Read more

A picture meditation for Pentecost

This picture was created by Peter Privett, part of Godly Play UK. If you’d like more Pentecost activities, you might like the GodVenture Pentecost Pack. You might like to print the picture out and display it somewhere in your home. This way you can think about it over the week. This is an activity which … Read more

Fruity Prayer

Have fun choosing and preparing fruit. If possible, arrange to visit a pick your own farm to pick it first! Look for suitable moments during the preparation to help everyone reflect on what fruit they like and why, and to tell god about this, thanking him for his brilliant creations. Open ended questions are good … Read more

Children’s Spirituality and its relevance to family life

I used to think spirituality wasn’t a Christian thing. It seemed a bit of a diversion from or dilution of Christian faith. However, when I read Rebecca Nye’s book Childrens’ Spirituality – what it is and why it matters over, I began to realise that spirituality is at the heart of faith. Without it, all … Read more