The birthday that went wrong ....

An American birthday ...

turned out to be very different to what had been planned.

Instead of two weeks with my daughter and her family in northern Virginia, I've ended up at her beach house on the Outer Banks (OBX) in N. Carolina - because she tested Covid positive a few hours after we arrived! Much as I longed to stay and nurse her, she banished us as I need to stay fit and healthy (See below!) So here we are, having a mini vacation, enjoying sun, sea and sand. And honestly it is EXACTLY what we need: as you may have seen on social media, the previous three weeks were solid manual labour getting our new apartments ready for the summer season! It's taken EIGHT WHOLE MONTHS for the admin/paperwork to be done - and praise God for Christian, patient vendors. Over those months, we were frustrated, impatient, and, if I'm honest, I was often shouty at God for not answering my heated prayers to Get. The. Job. Done, Lord.

But God's timing is always better than ours; looking back now I can see that for several reasons it's a good thing we only took ownership when we did. (long story!) And our first Sunday there, we went to the little Methodist church where one of our vendors was preaching (they've only moved up the road!) It was Palm Sunday and the service blessed me and his message blessed me and the Lord ministered to me.

And the work was finished with less than an hour to spare before the first visitors arrived! It was exhausting but we did it. Then we dashed home to unpack, repack and head off to the USA via 24 hours over Easter with our UK families in Abingdon before Heathrow and the USA - on an exceedingly bumpy flight.

The next morning was my birthday - she tested positive and we jumped in her car and drove a further 5.5 hrs here.

​​​​​​​Yet again, I know the truth of Romans 8:28.

'He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.' (The Message)

I wish she didn't have Covid; I wish we could have two whole weeks together.

BUT GOD has worked the unwished-for into good; she is already getting better and we will have a week together from Monday; and my husband and I are enjoying some much-needed time R&R and date-time; and I will be rested and in far better shape to enjoy the grandsons than I might have been otherwise.

I'm learning to thank Him even when things turn out differently to what I had planned and hoped for.

Walking along the beach in my hiking boots and gear ...

.... to prepare for leading a Celtic pilgrimage in Cornwall from Lands End to The Lizard May 6-13. Please pray for our little group of pilgrims - for safety, kind weather, to meet with the Lord.

Just for readers in the USA, and just until the end of April:

 I have just EIGHT signed copies of Scent of Water and ONE of Walking Back to Happiness, in the USA.

 Order quickly here to make sure you get what you need.

 And remember to use the code to get free shipping.

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