Could July 31st have been the official last day of 2020?

Could today, August 1st, be the new beginning - a sort of 2020 2.0?

Don’t we all want to move from a life of this pandemically-induced burnout to a powerful life of purpose and peace. To live as God intended. To be the best YOU that you can be…. more of this below. Because haven’t we all earned a do-over, a second chance at what 2020 might be? It began so well, so hopefully - roaring into the twenties again, excited at the thought of a new decade, a new opportunity, a new beginning. And before long, it slid out of all recognition. As did we all.

Who am I now? aren’t we all wondering? What am I, without so much that defined me, with all that I’ve lost over these past few months? What’s the point of me?

So maybe this is the only time we get a second chance at a New Year right in the middle of the old one. A chance to restart and reboot; to renew and refresh. To re-activate.

Because don’t we all need re-activating? As the world changes right before our eyes, as we mourn all that we’ve lost over the past weeks, as we long for what used to be normal, it’s so easy to become de-moralised and lost and lethargic. Because this isn’t any year that we recognise. It’s not the world as we’ve known it. We’re not ourselves as we’ve known us to be.

And we wonder where God is in all of this and how knowing him truly makes a difference in the middle of all the mess and chaos and uncertainty. Who am I now needs to be who has God made me to be?

In the midst of the uncertainty and longing for normal, one thing is certain: God is still God. God is still a God of love, a God of steadfastness, a God of creativity.

A God who created you to be YOU. And then threw the template away. You are uniquely made, the only one of you that there is. And you are a gift to the rest of us. You are so worth-while.

Maybe it’s time to remember – or to learn for the first time perhaps - who God made you to be. To remember how very special you are, how much you are made in God’s image.

To move from a life of this pandemically-induced burnout to a powerful life of purpose and peace. To live as God intended. To be the best YOU that you can be.

Here’s one way to do that: THE SPICE RETREAT.

THE SPICE RETREAT: becoming the YOU God intended

Many of us are hesitating to travel. For whatever reason. So a destination retreat isn’t possible right now.

Let’s retreat TOGETHER for the SPICE RETREAT online.

By the end of this new online retreat, you’ll know how God made 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 in this crazy world of ours.

We’ve all been told that it’s OK not to be OK – and that’s true. But I believe it’s not OK to stay there. When your well-being is stretched to breaking, you need to know who and how God created you, so that you can take the right steps to be OK once again. To be better than just OK. To be your best you.

The SPICE RETREAT is a proven 5-step way of discovering your best you and enabling you to live your best life as God intended for you. It’s based on what I’ve learned in my own life, on what I’ve used in mentoring and counselling others, and on Biblical research and reading.

What better time to do it than now – as we re-set 2020! Maybe August is a quieter time for you; maybe it’s a good time for reflection and re-evaluation; for going deeper and preparing for the September feeling of re-starting, beginning a new term, going back into the office for the first time since lockdown, or simply gearing up for this new normal.

So, as promised over the past few weeks, and following the wonderful answers to the survey you kindly answered for me, I’m thrilled and excited to be working with you and offering you the first opportunity to take the SPICE RETREAT.

To sign up and join the RETREAT, click here.

The SPICE RETREAT will:

- Enable you to be your best you in everyday life, work and relationships.

- Help you to make a lasting transformation to live your life as God intended, as he created you to be

- Give you proven tools to become your best you, that you can use in any situation

- Show you how God has put you together in the 5 areas that are the wells of contentment: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Creative and Emotional

- Show you how to arrange your days so that you are experiencing deep contentment, joy and confidence in your everyday life with God (as Dallas Willard said)

- Give you the freedom and power to be yourself and help you to let go of who you think you’re supposed to be or who you think others expect you to be

- Help you to come alive and be your best YOU in ways you might not even have imagined and that will last a lifetime

The SPICE RETREAT is for:

- Anyone who wants to go deeper with God and discover how he created you to be

- The person who feels lost and uncertain in life, especially in these uncertain times

- Someone who needs to re-set and start-over, to be re-activated with a new purpose

- Those who are created by God

The SPICE RETREAT consists of:

- 5 weekly live evening sessions, of 45-50 minutes each, that will also be recorded and available to be accessed at any time. These will include input, guided times for reflection, and other specials such as led meditations, contemplative prayer, imaginative prayer, lectio divina, and various ways to hear God speak into your life. You will have forever access to these

- Downloadable weekly journals, that you can keep, personalise and use at any time

- Suggestions for how to use SPICE to create your own individual retreat at a time to suit you

- Access to a closed Facebook group with optional discussion and feedback

- A retreat handbook of things that will enhance the SPICE RETREAT

- Optional One-on-one Spiritual Direction/mentoring sessions. These will be online with me via Facetime/Whatsapp/Zoom. (your preference)

The live sessions are at 6pm on Sundays August 9th, August 16th, August 23th, August 30th, September 6th As they will be recorded, you will have forever access, so even if you can’t do the live sessions you can have them available for a time that suits you.

Space is limited and is on a first-come basis. There is also an early bird special rate available for the first 10 people who sign up. UPDATE - SOLD OUT

The cost for the SPICE RETREAT:

Choose one of the following options

BRONZE

- 5 weekly live evening sessions, of 45-50 minutes each, that will also be recorded and available to be accessed at any time. These will include input, guided times for reflection, and other specials such as led meditations, contemplative prayer, imaginative prayer, lectio divina, and various ways to hear God speak into your life. You will have forever access to these

- Downloadable weekly journals, that you can keep, personalise and use at any time

- Suggestions for how to use SPICE to create your own individual retreat at a time to suit you

- Access to a closed Facebook group with optional discussion and feedback

- A retreat handbook of things that will enhance the SPICE RETREAT

Bronze normal price £85

SILVER

- everything in Bronze plus 1 x 60 minutes session of one-to-one Spiritual Direction at the end of the course to help you personalise your main takeaways

SILVER normal price £135

GOLD (ONLY 6 GOLD places available) UPDATE: 3 still available

- everything in Bronze, PLUS 3 x once-a-month 60 minute sessions of one-to-one Spiritual Direction to help you process and personalise what you learn on the course, turning it into a lasting practical life change, with support and encouragement on your journey.

Normal price £225

PLATINUM (ONLY 6 PLATINUM places available)

- everything in Bronze, PLUS

- 6 x once-a-month 60 minute sessions of one-to-one Spiritual Direction to help you process and personalise what you learn on the course, turning it into a lasting practical life change, with support and encouragement on your journey and see you through the first 6 months of the new YOU

Normal price £375

To sign up for the SPICE RETREAT click here

The links for the first Sunday evening session and downloadable journal will be sent to your inbox on Saturday ready for you to be ready!

AND - as of August 3rd, there are only 3 spaces still available on the Celtic Pilgrimage in Cornwall, May 2021. CLICK HERE for the full details to make sure you are booked to come -

- take time to reset your soul and be refreshed and renewed

- get away from everyday hurry and anxiety

- learn from the Celtic saints

- meet with the Lord in daily reflections and meditations

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The Revd Penelope Swithinbank is an experienced pilgrimage and retreat leader, conference speaker and Spiritual Director/Therapist. She has been leading retreats and pilgrimages for nearly 20 years, regularly leads pilgrimages in the UK and on the Via Francigena in Italy, has had an international ministry, including churches in America and the UK, and speaking on Women's Retreats and leading conferences. Her most special memory is of opening the US Senate in prayer and being guest chaplain there for a day. Penelope was the first ordained woman on the staff of The Falls Church, Virginia, where she headed up the Connections and Communications Ministry in a church of nearly 4,000. Later, she was the first chaplain at St Mellitus College, London, and then ran The Vine at Mays Farm, a Christian Retreat House providing sanctuary mostly to burned-out clergy, although normal people came too, for retreats and time out. She now works partly as a Chaplain at Bath Abbey and partly mentoring, supporting and pastoring clergy. Author of two books, she is a wife, mother and grandmother and says of the 6 grandchildren that they are so wonderful she should have had them first.

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What others have said:

From someone who has regular Spiritual Direction:

“Thank you for that very useful and in-depth session. I feel in a much better place now and am determined to press in to Christ more.” C.B.

From the leader of a women’s day retreat:

“We loved having you with us – you ‘fit’ us very well, if you know what I mean! We’ve had lots of great positive feedback and stories on Sunday of what God had been doing – all were inspired to spend more time with the Lord. One commented that it was great to not only have the buzz of being at a day like that but then also to have practical things to take away and do day-to-day. You spoke brilliantly – very clear, great structure which I always appreciate! Very easy to relate to and connect with your material. You have a lovely relaxed manner too...... it was great to have lots of practical stuff to mix things up and practise. It made the day go incredibly quickly and didn’t feel at all like hard work!” C.H.

From an Anglican Bishop:

“Penelope is one of the finest priests I know—not “female” priest, but just “priest”. God has seen fit to combine in her high character, deep piety and a broad gift-mix. This combination makes her a wonderful guide and retreat leader for both current leaders and those who feel called to ministry. I sincerely commend Penelope and her work.” T.H

From a grateful husband:

“Whatever happened there this year has really lit B’s walk with Christ on fire again. She is showing so much of the fruit of the spirit, plus she can’t get enough of ministering to people, and she feels alive in Christ too. Really good stuff!” A.G.

From a previous pilgrim:

“I will ALWAYS think of it as one of the top experiences, and it was the catalyst to begin this whole other chapter of my life — truly amazing! It was formative for me in so many ways, Penelope…thank you for providing this catalyst for transformation in my life.” M.S.