3 Ways for a joyful October. What's yours?

You've probably noticed it's October 1st today.  

The start of the last quarter of the year.  

Seemed a good day to write and encourage you - onwards and upwards for the rest of the year!

I'm fortunate to be away with my husband on a delayed 'summer' holiday, walking almost 140 miles of the coastal path of the north Cornwall coast.  Day One was scary - the Atlantic gale and the rains grew worse and worse and the squalls apparently were up to 45 miles an hour; it was scary on the cliff tops and it was a day of tremendous ups and downs - the device logged that we had climbed over 250 flights, which means we came down them too. It was an 'interesting' experience  ...

Some of the paths were a little scary over the next couple of days too.  

Up and down, steeply, sharply, up and down again. 

Repeat.

By days four and five I was back into the swing of walking, the weather was delightful and we climbed to some beautiful cliff tops - the right hand picture below is The Rumps (yes, rumps) on Pentire Head, just north of Padstow. The left is on top of a stile. 

You can tell just how elated I am to be doing long distance walking again!

It brings me JOY and feeds my soul.

Even though it makes my glutes and thighs shout.

And doesn't 2020, what's left of it,  need some JOY? 

And - doesn't your soul need feeding too?

I love this painting by Edward Potthast

- especially now as I'm by the sea.

Somehow, simply being by the sea is exhilarating.

Choose joy, wrote Henri Nouwen.

Which is all very well, but some days it doesn't feel possible - even though you know it feeds your soul.

I know that when I return home from Lands End, there'll be that 'end of holiday' drop. 

Plus the current world situation to cope with - and the way we're all feeling tired of it already, anxious about the future, scared that Christmas won't happen, fearful that 2021 may not be any better.

You too?

HOW TO CHOOSE JOY? How to FEED YOUR SOUL?

What can we do to help one another choose joy? 

Here are three suggestions -    A.R.T.  

1. ASK

John 16:24  "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."  

Ask for Joy?

It's one of the fruits of the Spirit - number two on the list. 

Let's just ASK each morning for the joy of the Lord to be our strength for the day. 

Just for today. 

2. RESOURCE.  

Have you joined JOYTOBER?   It's brilliant. 31 ways to be more joyful in October!

Day One, today, it suggests being thankful for your home. 

Click here for the link  and on the Joytober page there's a link to the Facebook page 

for 31 days of ways to be thankful in October.

3.  TRY something new.

By trying something new (even if it’s just for 30 days), you’ll gain huge benefits for yourself —emotionally, physically, creatively, and more.  You can read more about those here.  And Matt Cutts gave a brilliant TEDX talk about trying something new for just 30 days. Start tomorrow and that'll take you to the end of October. Perfect. 

What new thing will you do for 30 days that will bring you joy?

How about THE SPICE RETREAT -  By the end of this new online retreat, you’ll know how God made you YOU, you’ll know your best YOU, and you’ll be able to be your best YOU in everyday life, work and relationships.  No matter what is going on around you.

Click here for full details.  

Here's what one person wrote after doing this retreat:

"A good basic grounding in spiritual disciplines that make you think about strengthening and valuing each aspect of life, to be true to and value your real self and grow deeper in the knowledge of God’s love. It really encouraged me to continue to take the steps I needed to take to become freer and enjoy life ...... it was a real blessing and God given for this time. " - Jackie S

We each need a little more joy in our lives, you and me both, to feed our souls with what energises and invigorates us, to allow ourselves the time (and the permission!) to BE JOYFUL.  I read somewhere recently that while self-flagellation may have ceased, today our equivalent is over-working, not allowing ourselves time off or time for fun.

Let me know what you plan to do to help you choose Joy in October ... and maybe for the rest of 2020 too.  

Have FUN and CHOOSE JOY -   Be joyful in the Lord

- Penelope

Pleurisy and a new resolve

I am writing a daily blog (Monday to Friday)  on preparing spiritually and physically

to lead a Pilgrimage of 100 miles in September.

for details of the Pilgrimage, click on the dropdown Cotwold Pilgrimage bar at the top of this page 

WEEK FOUR already.

Time for a checkup.

Yesterday was decidedly a non-exercise day.

The Vicar has been feeling poorly all weekend – no energy and some chest restriction and pains.  I felt I needed to keep him company so after leading at the 8am Communion service and helping with the 9.30am Communion service, I flopped on to the next-door sofa to him – and read and read and read. Anne of Green Gables: it’s the book for my Book Club this evening. (#happinessproject Book Club reading children’s classics post: http://www.ministriesbydesign.org/2012/01/23/finding-fun/)

Not many steps on the pedometer yesterday then. We don’t even have to go out of the front door to get to church: which in such wet weather is really quite a bonus. Apart from that, living in/over the shop (ie church) does not have many advantages.

* * * *

The Vicar has been to see the doctor this morning, and was sent immediately for various tests and checkups at the hospital.  It would take the morning; I drove him there, and headed off to Brent Cross, the nearest indoor shopping centre.  And there, I paced up and down and round and about, feeling quite American in my trainers and determination to put steps on the pedometer.

A good place to walk in such Noah weather.  Not sure others appreciated the sense of pace and speed as I sped around each level.  3,000 steps clocked in a short time.  But I fear I will need to venture out into the storm that is the current British summer if I am to do another 7,000 today.

Most days last week I managed at least 8,500 which is the target set for me on my Fitbug online pedometer. And a couple of days were a minimum of 10,000 and Monday was 12,000+  having walked the hilly golf course.

I am also trying to ensure I do at least one hill, up and down – we fortunately live at the top of a steep hill; or escalators on the Underground make a good way to run up and down.

Then there’s the PowerPlates at Movers and Shapers.  I am going three times a week  - half an hour sessions each time with an instructor putting us through our paces.  They promise that if you attend twice a week for six weeks, you will be in good shape. It's definitely coming.

So, there is definite improvement.  I can walk briskly up the two flights of escalators at Highgate Station with hardly any difficulty – a huge advance in three weeks. And the powerplates sessions are beginning to have the desired effect.

BUT.

There is a big but.  All that exercise together with some other things going on right now have led to an increase in eating. The more I try to eat less and eat better, the more I crave chocolate rich tea biscuits and digestives and other unsalubrious carbohydrates.

The scales are either lying or I have actually put on weight.

Eating is such an easy way to try to cope with stress and depression.

But it’s not the best way.

Time for drastic action.

* * * *

Meanwhile, the poor Vicar has been diagnosed with viral pleurisy and told to rest.  He is looking very sorry for himself, understandably so.  Not much going out in this weather for him.

I shall be his nurse for a while, I think.

* * * *

Resolve: to continue the exercise – walking lots, powerplates, up and down hills and escalators.

Resolve: to cast my cares upon the Lord and not try to find solace in the biscuit tin.  HE alone can rescue, He alone can save. HE alone can lift me …