Author: westcliffeadmin

If you happened to see ‘The Apprentice’ this week, the teams had to develop and market a new form of Easter Egg – The ideas generated all sorts of options for ‘Easter Characters’ and marketed it as a reward for being good. At no point did anyone even mention the true meaning of Easter – the death and resurrection of...

A Venezuelan kayaker, Adrián Simancas, became a global sensation this week after being caught in the mouth of a whale. Adrián told reporters that he felt a slimy texture on his face and had started to think how he might survive inside the humpback whale “like Pinocchio”, before it spat him back out within seconds. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly50k8zypmo) I wonder how many...

Valentine’s Day was celebrated a few days ago. Some of us may have sent and/or received a card or gift to demonstrate a feeling of affection, love and commitment. This human gesture pales into total insignificance when we compare the love of the Lord Jesus. J. E. Hall wrote a well-known hymn in 1851: “The love that Jesus had for...

I wonder where we go to for advice? The world has so many different thoughts and opinions that can influence what we do and say. As Christians some of this will be helpful to us, but much could be unhelpful – instead we turn to God’s word for that guidance. James challenges us in James 1:22: “Do not merely listen...

The ‘Word of the Year’ for 2024 was ‘manifest’, according to the Cambridge Dictionary. Manifest, meaning, “to show something clearly through signs or actions” is now known as, “to imagine achieving something you want, in the belief doing so will make it more likely to happen”. The use of language and its meaning does change through time, but to suggest...

This past week has brought a new American President to power. Donald Trump certainly has provoked, and I suspect will continue to provoke, controversy for many observers in his own country and overseas. In a recent BBC radio interview, Franklin Graham (son of the late Billy Graham, and who was involved in the President’s inauguration ceremony on 20th January) was...

I wonder what we value in life? Reports this week are that Manchester City player, Erla Haaland has signed a 9 year contract extension, paying him £0.5m a week (yes a week!). I’m not sure how someone is able to use that amount of money, or even appreciate it, but whatever the riches on earth, I am reminded that no...

The recent weather in the UK pales into insignificance compared to the extremes happening in other parts of the world such as the wildfires in Los Angeles. How often do we just focus on ourselves and forget the situations and circumstances faced by others, whatever people’s backgrounds, wealth or fame? The Bible relates that this was true of Jesus’ disciples...

Today is Sunday 5th January, 2025. The first few days of any New Year is often a time of resolutions, planning, anticipation, resettling family relationships and/or adjusting to a more healthy lifestyle with changes to diets and exercise regimes. For a variety of reasons however, many of our “best laid plans” made at the beginning of January fail to continue...

As we reach the last Sunday of 2024, we will all look back with different thoughts and emotions. Some will look back with fond/happy memories, for others it will be a year they would prefer to forget! As we look towards 2025, we don’t yet know what opportunities and challenges there will be for us, whether individually or as a...