An Invitation to a Royal Wedding

This year, so far, I’ve been invited to three weddings. We all like to be invited to a wedding. When the invite drops on the doormat it is so exciting. A new outfit, meeting old friends, a relaxing day, sharing joy with the happy couple. One problem for the couple is - who to invite? If you have lots of friends the bigger problem is - who to leave out?

A battle for the sovereignty of the UK

Where are the Brexit negotiations heading?

As a bystander, who has a limited understanding of politics, these negotiations have gone well beyond determining the method and means by which the United Kingdom will exit Europe. It looks to me like a war. The aim of the hierarchy of the European Union is to ensure that the UK will either remain or leave in name only. The British Goverment has a clear mandate to bring the UK  out. 

What was intended to be a ‘bolt to freedom’ is fast becoming a ‘battle for the sovereignty of a nation’! The national mood was to throw off the shackles and bureaucracy of the European Union resulting in a return to self rule. 

All of this current debacle reflects the struggles of the human heart and will as described in the Bible.

Billy Graham Remembered - What will you be remembered for?

What will you be remembered for? 

When your life is over what will you be remembered for? It’s quite a sobering question.

In a previous career, I read a book called ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Dr Stephen R. Covey. In his book, Dr Covey introduced a habit, called ‘the habit of Beginning with the End in Mind’. The idea was a wise one. To achieve anything, you need to know what you are aiming for. Having done that you need to work out how to get there. What are you aiming for?

Does a debt crisis put you in personal danger?

Is a personal debt crisis dangerous?

It has been alarming to hear not only of individuals in debt, but also news of countries teetering on the brink of bankruptcy has sent a shudder through the entire world. For too long, governments have spent foolishly and have failed to curb reckless investments by banks and financial institutions. The result, precipitated by the credit collapse of 2008, has been that massive debts have been incurred that have left even the International Monetary Fund with worrying problems on their minds and many countries feeling that the problem had reached irremediable proportions.

Austerity measures, deeply unpopular with the citizens of the countries affected, have had to be introduced before financial "bale-outs" could be sanctioned by leading economies. Public services have had to be slashed; public assets have had to be sold off and other draconian measures have been introduced to alleviate, even in a very small way, this mammoth problem. The result has been a debt crisis of unprecedented severity that has left some countries saddled with debts that could never be paid, amounting to many trillions of dollars; figures that are incomprehensible.