Peter Shepherd

Baptist minister; married to Rita for 40 years with five great children and three wonderful grandchildren

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Pensioner status looms! New beginning, or approaching the end? 15 years and I'll be eighty! Get political and join a party? Which one?

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Family get together again tomorrow for Willow and Rowan's baptism. Lovely - but cotton wool in the ears during the vows!

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Anna, Jon, Willow and Rowan back from Canada today. Hooray.

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

In John Marsh's The Liberal Delusion, "Liberal" covers anything he thinks horrible - Mao, Dawkins, BBC, etc - and in the end means nothing

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Tuscany for the first time! Florence, Siena, Pisa. Lovely!

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

The gay wedding at end of Rev was not legal, but was it a "real" wedding? Who's to say?

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Kindness is not just for personal relationships. Being considerate, hopeful and patient is good anytime, anywhere

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Just read J Williams' novel Butchers Crossing. Great account of America's obsession with Wild West and the search for identity - depressing!

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Can't believe it! Grandson Noah one year old this week. Congrats James and Sarah in Bedlington.

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Enjoyed Moltmann and Margaret Gibbs at Reading. Some intellectual indigestion but a stimulating and enjoyable occasion. #CatLive

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Poor Dorothy Carey, bullied by John Thomas to go to India with William, baby Jabez and other children in 1793. Result - mental breakdown

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Stephen Fry's rage against homophobia is understandable but it's no good saying people are bad, mad or ignorant. Better to ask why it exists

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

The Deacon family, inc Samuel (d. 1812 aged 98), Samuel Jnr and brother John were Clockmakers and Baptist preachers and all round good guys

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Reading Felix Martin's book on money. What a strange concept money is! Actually all about having faith. Credit is from Credo I believe.

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Nietzsche said morality was an illusion. The logic of secular materialism? But his family cared for him when he needed it. A good thing?

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Just read the defeated Government motion on Syria. Obscure, but sounds like semi-approval of military action. Pleased with the result.

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Reading Dante's Divine Comedy. Did people ever take that stuff about hell seriously? Or was it a comic cartoon to keep them entertained?

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

John Lanchester's novel Capital is intelligent and good fun - the personal impact of the economic downturn - far better than facts and stats

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Eid party in the church hall yesterday - lovely ginger cake! Lovely cars too! Good to welcome an interesting crowd

[Peter Shepherd @pwshepherd]

Has the time come to separate the notions of State and Church marriage - and maybe use the idea of "sacrament" for the latter?