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

The Gift of Today

 

Today it is Thanksgiving. Perhaps the best day of our western holidays. A day of thanksgiving and gratefulness, of joyful reunions and family gatherings. And too much food, probably. But without the necessity of overgiving of unnecessary gifts, or the vast decorating of every nook and cranny, or the overly high expectations we often seem to place upon Christmas.

And Michael Hyatt's post arrived in my inbox - reminding me of this:

"You think this is just another day in your life. It’s not just another day. It’s the one day that is given to you today…. It’s the only gift that you have right now. And the only appropriate response is gratefulness." (quote from Brother David Steindl-Rast, a benedictine monk)

Michael Hyatt's post gives us four ways of practicing gratitude and thankfulness. He writes:

Here are four ways you can transform today, taking it from ordinary to extraordinary:

1. Notice the gifts around you. Whether it is the natural beauty that surrounds you, the interesting people you encounter, or the simple beating of your heart, everything is a miracle—if you have eyes to see it.
2. Open your heart to receive them. It’s so easy to feel entitled and become cynical when we don’t get what we want or feel we deserve. But if we receive everything as a gift, designed for either our enjoyment, our transformation, or both, we open ourselves to new possibilities.
3. Express your gratitude for them. This is one of the things that makes humans unique and sets us apart from the animals. But we have to speak it to experience the power of it.
4. Bless someone else. Let your gratefulness overflow into the lives of those you encounter today. It doesn’t have to be fancy—just offer them a smile, a touch, or the simple gift of your presence. (You could also share this post with them!)

Today will never be repeated. It it is unique among all the days of your life. Gratitude can transform into something to be remembered.

We sang this in church on Sunday (at St Michael's in Charleston)

GIVE THANKS WITH A GRATEFUL HEART GIVE THANKS TO THE HOLY ONE GIVE THANKS BECAUSE HE'S GIVEN JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON

AND NOW LET THE WEAK SAY I AM STRONG LET THE POOR SAY I AM RICH BECAUSE OF WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE FOR US 

GIVE THANKS...

How will you give thanks today?

What are you most grateful for?