The Becoming Heroes Podcast

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” So says William Shakespeare via the lips of Hamlet. (Act II, Scene 2. Whether you believe this absolutely or partially, it begs the question, “What’s good thinking?” Or, “What’s the kind of thinking that makes us see each experience as good?” One pattern of thought that’s really helped me recently is a tweak on the gratitude-attitude...

Music to My Ears I’ve found her… at last! “Who?” you say. “My Piano Teacher,” I say! At last, I have found the perfect piano teacher… for me. Danielle (who I shall be raving about by name in online reviews, so no secrecy necessary about her name) is the most encouraging and affirming teacher I have ever met. (And I mean the most affirming and encouraging teacher in any subject.) More than this, sh...

Our theme for World Day of Prayer was, "I Know The Plans I Have For You." The day and the service were planned and printed and prepared for well-before any knowledge of what was to happen in Ukraine. For this reason, I believe it is doubly comforting. God is in the business of restoring people who have been displaced from their homeland. More than this, He is also committed to their wellbeing duri...

Anne Squires is an excellent spokesperson for Fairtrade and the benefits of supporting Fairtrade suppliers. The interview was recorded today as Monday 21st February, 2021 is the beginning of "Fairtrade Fortnight." https://www.fairtrade.org.uk The interview is due to go out on Purbeck Coast FM tomorrow morning on my Breakfast Show. You can listen from anywhere you have an internet connection by fol...

Do you enjoy the benefits of having a generous heart? Those who truly love are naturally generous givers. They give without expecting to receive in return. They give without any hidden agenda. They give because they LOVE to give. They give for pleasure. This is a ministry and a gift. It is also the secret of divine prosperity until you start giving in order to receive... then it goes a little hayw...

I quote the Moodscope.com site: What is Moodscope? Moodscope members seek to support each other by sharing their experiences through this blog. If you’d like to receive these daily posts by email, just sign up to Moodscope now, completely free of charge. Moodscope is an innovative way for people to treat their own low mood problems using an engaging online tool. Anyone in the world can accurately...

The 12th Day of Christmas On the 12th Day of Christmas, we celebrate the Eve of Epiphany. This means we are on the cusp of change. We end the 12 Days of Christmas and move into Epiphany. I rather like the decision of the Council of Tours in 567 (what a great date!) that there should be celebrations from Christmas Day through to Epiphany Eve – which gave birth to the 12 Days of Christmas – or what...

Imagine being asked to leave a monastery for being too extreme. This was part of the journey taken by Simeon Stylites - a famous "Pillar Saint". Focus gets results.

Jesus was presented at the Temple, as was the Jewish tradition. This involved circumcision as the child's name was presented to God. We'd talk about a Christening nowadays, and a lot less blood and pain! In the classic movie, "Dances With Wolves," we learn of the Native American tradition of naming someone according to their most visible or memorable characteristic or characteristic behaviour. Kev...

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄THE 9TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS Saint Basil on Social Justice (and more!) The 16th Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations is, "Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions." Goal 10 of the 17 is, "Reduced Inequalities." Goal 1 is, "No Poverty." Goal 2 is, "Zero Hunger," and Goal 5 is, "Gender Equality." Saint Basil would approve. Quote 1 When someone steals another's clothes, we...

"Let It Be" When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be Whisper words of wisdom, let it be [Songwriters: Paul Mccartney / John Lennon] This is a necessarily shortened version of the video that can be s...

I sincerely believe this is the year to Choose Your Tribe – and to choose wisely. I guess that means also it’s the year to change your tribe. Your tribe may begin with a local association, for example, “Dorset.” I’m a huge fan of Dorset, which I’ve called my ‘home’ since the turn of the Century. This is why I think sites like designedindorest.co.uk are important as hubs for local arts and crafts a...

The 6th Day of Christmas Saint Egwin (don’t think St Eggwhisk). Absolutely committed to supporting widows and orphans. He was very strict – promoting Christian marriage, and clerical celibacy – which made him less than popular with many! He was dispatched to Rome to seek vindication from the Pope. Miracles happened en route that led to his later recognition as a saint. The miracles are mentioned i...

"SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER" 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄On the Fifth Day of Christmas🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 we celebrate Saint Thomas à Becket. These words, famously attributed to Henry II - "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" allegedly provoked the murder of Thomas while in the Cathedral!!! Why was the king so irritated with Thomas à Becket? Because Thomas didn't have a Paradigm Shift so much as a Paradigm Earthquake! H...

What can we learn from the massacre of the innocents? Recorded last Christmas as a video (hence the days being 'wrong'). We can fight against evil, including Covid - and what it has stolen from our own innocents - our children.

What do you think is the biggest living organism ever? If you think a Sequoia, you're pretty close. Listen to this podcast to discover one of the greatest works of nature. Lex 'Starflake' McKee goes deeper into what we can learn from the greatest organism on Earth.

The power of words has been experienced by all of us. When someone genuinely says, "Thank you!" there's a feeling attached to those words. When someone says, "I believe in you," there is empowering energy attached to their faith. And when someone says, "I love you," your life can be transformed. The Apostle of Love, Saint John, is our Festival Saint for 27th December. In this very short message, w...

Calling all the heroic heretics on this, the Feast of Stephen. Drawing more on Seth Godin than on Acts 6 and 7 (which you can read), we explore how our time needs people who can no longer tolerate the status quo. People who will stand up and be counted. People who will lead their tribe.

If you need backing tracks for your congregation, I'm your Mission Enabler. Email me at lex@swanage-urc.co.uk

If you want to laugh, laugh along with me. A lovely friend, who is VERY naughty, sent me a story. We collapsed laughing very soon into reading the story for the first time, so I decided to stop reading and get the recorder going. I'm glad we did! The story is too rude to share but the laughter is free for you to enjoy.

Becoming a H+E+R=O “Mind The Gap,” is one of my favourite phrases in the UK’s transport system. It is a set of three words designed to keep you and me safe and to help us avoid danger. However, in neuroscience and positive psychology, it offers us a different kind of hope. Instead of safety, it opens the doorway to freedom and excellence. Every neuron connects to other neurons by managing the gap...

The amazing story of Dave Ashley as he has moved from Fighter-Pilot to being Ace Athlete.

Full blog here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/guidelines-lex-mckee/

The story is adapted from, "101 Healing Stories for Kids and Teens - Using Metaphors in Therapy," by George W Burns (assumedly NOT the comedian!) Best to say the story remains their copyright! I'd recommend the book IF you've got a very good magnifying glass to read the small print. Stories have power to change our minds. In this story, a bad-tempered, hungry, and lonely Tyrannosaurus Rex learns h...

Silent Seeds When this is published, I will have just had my first day in full-time employment for decades. It will be a massive relief to close the door on activities that haven’t borne fruit – years of work with nothing to show for it. …or is there nothing to show for it? I thought this new chapter would provide an elegant way to say, “No,” to the further investment of my time in daily video pro...