Sometimes you have to be willing to suffer embarrassment and shame and swallow your pride. There will come a time when you need to pluck up the courage to make yourself vulnerable to ridicule. These are situations many of us will do almost anything to avoid. They often make their…

Cowboys and big girls don’t cry. There is scientific proof — the kind of proof I enjoy — of the benefits of crying. In many studies around the world, scientists and researchers have found a correlation between crying and the positive effects it has on us humans. We are the…

I don’t know a force so debilitating as the fear of failure. It will stop the most determined person from attempting even menial tasks. Being scared to take on something you have never done before, imprisons you to a life of mediocrity. You and not striving to be your best…

“I’ve been talking to Jesus, all my life.” ~ Jesus He Knows Me — Genesis If you listen to the lyrics of this song, they reflect the irony — and the tragedy — of being a modern Christian. The song is about the charismatic movement that swept across the USA…

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” ― John Lennon Six weeks ago, I started a series based on an observation I had made over the past year. After almost 60 years, I thought it would be safe to assume the full…

Relationship disappointments and material loss. Terrible twins when it comes to my Big Shakeouts. I have since added a third to the list. Death. If you are over 50 years of age and you look back over your life, it would be characterised by defined periods. There will be periods…

“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” ~ Job 1:21 Life is cruel. If you’ve lived the life of an average adult in this world, you’ve experienced tragedy and heartbreak. If you’ve escaped such misfortune, count yourself among the few…

This week’s story takes a break from The Big Shakeout “series” for a brief interlude. There are 2 reasons for the temporary diversion. First, I recently became a grandfather again. By God’s grace, my Son and Daughter-in-law are the proud Parents of a little girl to complete their pigeon pair…

At least two catastrophes define my “shakeouts”. Together they are to blame for wreaking the havoc that makes them so traumatic. The two are: relationship disappointments and material loss. Our lives are characterised by the people we have around us daily — family and friends — and the folks we…