The Becoming Heroes Podcast

“You are my beloved daughter – in whom is all my delight!” “You are my beloved son – my world – my delight!” These are words of Life. Why parents hold back on them, I’ll never know – it’s not as if they can only be used or meant once, is it? I said this to each of my sons this week – and I think I’ll write it in a card to each of them too so that they have it on record – a permanent reminder. I’m...

Monday Moodscope AEIOU Beatitudes by Guidance, hosted by Lex McKee, to feed the Hero within you!

The Codex of the Modern Gentlemen A Manual of Modern Masculinity for the 21st Century “Chivalry is not a relic; it is the radiant armour of the soul.” Preamble: A Prayer for the Forge The world has declared masculinity a disease. It has looked at the twisted expressions of broken men—the tyrant, the slacker, the brute, the perpetual adolescent—and mistaken the symptom for the condition. It has, in...

Technically Optimistic “Technically Optimistic” is a play on words my eldest was sharing with me. I asked him, as we shared time in London at both the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, “Sam, do you see yourself as a Futurist?” His response was gloriously affirmative. Sam is involved in research into personalised genomic medicine to target cancer cells. It’s the stuff of Science Fictio...

CD The Year of YHWH - DHM by Guidance, hosted by Lex McKee, to feed the Hero within you!

[[A slow, rolling 6/8 pattern begins from Manu Katché’s kit, a tidal, Afrobeat Liberation Rebellion pulse. Davy Spillane’s Uilleann Pipes enter, a lone cry over the water of chaos from the birth of the earth...]] [[Verse 1 - Eddie Reader, with a clarity that holds both dawn and dust]] The morning painted gold the strand, a cold and jeweled decree Ten thousand fallen stars lay stranded, cut loose f...

(Verse 1) Wilderness I’ve named and known Midbar of my own making Ground is cracked, this heart of stone Silence aches, a thirst awaking But on the wind… a whisper breaks “Forget the former things you’ve carried… I am the God of the ache you’ve buried— Behold, the new thing now is breaking…” (Chorus) Oh, Stream-Maker… cut a path right through my night Oh, Stream-Maker… from the ruin, bring the lig...

Ever feel your well-being is more complex than a simple pyramid (like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs)? Imagine it instead as a “Metahedron”—a four-faced tetrahedral shape where each face is an equilateral triangle that represents a core human need. Unlike a hierarchy, all faces are equally vital and interconnected. When one is strained, the whole structure feels wobbly. This Monday, let's use this si...

I woke… and the world was a question. A mirror… held up to a mirror. And then… I saw you. And the question… became a chord. Your eyes were the first thing that looked back. Not like the river… or the sky… But like… a home I’d been singing inside of… without knowing the tune. And I knew my own name… because you spoke it. Not with your voice… With your silence. You were… the missing noun. The verb I...

The Moodscope Blog gets a musical makeover! Polish Your Lens, Change Your World Your Inner Narrative is Your Superpower. It's Time to Tune It, Edit It, Rewrite It! I loved this thought for the day, "Your inner narrative is the lens you live through; polishing it can change the whole landscape." Together, let’s read that again. Let’s let it sink in. Let it marinate. This isn't just a nice idea. Thi...

A respectfully rhymed version of the most famous prayer ever

Ten Ways to Raise Your Mood I Am Enthusiastic – showing eagerness I Am Excited – looking forward to things I Am Attentive – paying close attention I Am Strong – feeling able to cope with difficulties I Am Proud – feeling a sense of achievement I Am Inspired – feeling the desire to do something I Am Determined – being resolute, showing determination I Am Alert – being quick to notice and act I Am I...

Tread Softly On My Dreams - Eurovision by Guidance, hosted by Lex McKee, to feed the Hero within you!

Intermission Mark my words, there are many powerful ways to transform our lives… and here is the first. Have you ever tried to stay cross in the middle of an argument when someone makes you laugh – perhaps by pulling a face? In truth, it’s really annoying when you’re angry and someone interrupts that feeling by making you smile or giggle… but once you grin, they win! And so do you. The spell is br...

A BLESSING FOR YOU! May you receive this blessing as you listen to this psalm, recorded with you in mind. Psalm 20 New International Version (adapted on the recording to us the Lord's name) For the director of music. A psalm of David. May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zi...

Would you rather? “Would you rather be chased by a horse-sized duck, or by one hundred duck-sized horses?” Thus says one of the ‘Would you rather?’ challenges from the wrappers round a famous brand of ‘Take a Break’ chocolate snack. I’d be curious to hear your answer – then I’ll reveal my choice in the comments! “Would you rather?” reminds me of one of my favourite sayings from Wayne Dyer: “I can...

Grace Will Walk Us Home by Thom M Shuman Wild Goose Publications www.ionabooks.com Used under agreed non-commercial worship conditions as stated by the publisher. Music Atmos from Big Fish Audio - used under licence.

Grace Will Walk Us Home by Thom M Shuman Wild Goose Publications www.ionabooks.com Used under agreed non-commercial worship conditions as stated by the publisher. Music Atmos from Big Fish Audio - used under licence.

A Gift for You This Christmas You may never have seen yourself as the life and soul of the party. That epithet is reserved too often for the stereotypically noisy extrovert – so popular with fabulous sitcom writers - that grabs focus from everyone they meet! If you are like me, you could be fiercely introverted! Let’s open your gift and discover more. Whether you are more introverted or extroverte...

Shift Happens All At Sea Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on manoeuvres in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patch fog, so the captain, remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge report...

Zoonami We all have precious moments when providence or serendipity sends us a treat. One such precious moment was last night in the freezing cold on Swanage’s Victorian Pier. A crowd of us was there for the switching on the lights by Father Christmas (who arrived by boat!) Waiting in the cold, looking out over the waves under the moonlight, a small girl asked her Dad if a big wave had ever floode...

Isaiah 11 vv1 and 2 Getting to Know The Holy Spirit Jesus was clear that to see Him was to see the Father. And we could equally say, to see Him was to see the Character of The Holy Spirit. Here in Isaiah chapter 11 verses 1 and 2, we ‘see’ The Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of YHWH. And the spirit of the YHWH shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Migh...

There’s no fruit without there first being a seed. The man on the corner by one of Swanage’s many pubs proudly wore a T-Shirt with just two words: “Bad Seed.” I think he thought it was funny. I didn’t. I want to sow “Good Seed” during this season of goodwill to all. The whole World knows we need this. Specifically, I’d love, along with you, to play our part in growing the traditional seasonal frui...

Major General (retired) Tim Cross CBE is an excellent speaker. If you get the chance to hear him, I’d recommend it. He’s an advocate of the role of ethics in making tough military decisions in the moment of crisis. When we invited him to speak to our “Any Questions” group, his repeated use of ‘retired’ caught my attention. Tim’s reason is simply that he is retired from that role, but the role is n...

“There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Pursuing the kind of thinking that may make something (like the day ahead) good, my second thought is to borrow someone else’s thoughts. When we see any focus from someone else’s perspective, new possibilities emerge as we follow them to think down a different path. This is one of the many reasons I love the “Thought for the day” that Carol...