You've had - or are about to have - your much-longed-for summer holiday. It's good. Great even. Slowing down, relaxing, enjoying a different pace of life.

But then.

Then there's a long time until the next opportunity to relax. And actually, you realise you didn't necessarily draw much closer to God while you were away. You meant to. But somehow it didn't happen. There was the pool, the sea, the sand, the wine .. things to see and words to read and new opportunities ... and and and

So now you realise that you need a specific time of being intentional about allowing God to have more space and time and closeness.

You will have as much of God in your life as you choose.

What helps you to choose?

Maybe a special place. A few days specially dedicated to allowing the Lord to speak into your life.

"I didn't think much would happen over these few days," confided one retreatant on Friday morning. "there was no actual voice, no Damascus road experienced. But God. But God spoke in a way I hadn't expected. And I'm going home determined to allow Him to go on drawing close to me. Now I know more of how to do that. Thank you, thank you."

I hadn't done anything in particular. Just provided the bed and the breakfast tray and the morning prayer; made a few suggestions; prayed.

And God did what only He can do and He came and He drew near.

Maybe you could do with some time to allow Him to do that. Some time over the next few months when you could take a day or a few days or a week, and step off the normal merry-go-round in order to wait upon the Lord.

It doesn't have to be a silent week. It might be, but there are other suggestions too.

There will be days designed with you in mind. Some will be a single day, some will be a few days, some will be a week or a weekend. What will you choose?

A week for writers to come and write in peace and quiet and then talk and share over meals times and other times and spark each other to write.

Days for apple picking and apple cooking and apple processing; looking at how and why we are the apples of God's eye. Cooking in the amazing designer kitchen with its Aga and electric gadgets!

Blogging - learning from one other, intentionally writing and getting on to social media, sharing good practice.

Fabric days - bring your scraps, use the ones here, and stitch and sew and create, while talking and sharing together.

Creative writing - set times to write on set topics, share and learn from one another.

Young leaders - bring your questions and queries, your challenges and situations, and learn from experienced clergy leaders about setting priorities, establishing values and building teams

Women clergy - groups of younger women in ordained ministry, coming for support and prayer, and sharing with those who understand the challenges and peculiarities!

There will be others. But these are designed with you in mind.

What will you choose? What else could you suggest?

Dates will be on the website/retreats in the next week or two - I'll let you know as soon as the dates are posted, so that you can book soon and not miss out!

You 'll need a few days at Mays Farm by the time the autumn is here.

and to whet your appetite - this week's progress in photos. Enjoy.

A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF MAYS FARM

The front porch is clean and tidy; not painted yet, but welcoming nontheless

The back door - or are we in Provence?

Plaques for the some of the rooms arrive

Who is in which room and what they can’t eat .. week by week rota to remind me

Slient retreats - guests have breakfast in bed. Preparing the trays

Mud pies ...

…outside the breakfast room

trampling down the skip/dumpster to get more in!

rolling the heavy old stones on to the mud pies

getting rid of what was once a rockery

the courtyard is very nearly finished - complete with fire pit, which is in its early stages in this photo

Grand tidying up this week

Compline in the LIbrary by candlelight

Mission command

Last week’s walking retreat, passing through a corn field

The Library is very nearly finished

The apples are starting to fall.

Tomatoes from the polytunnel

The wildflower meadow is still flowering well

They came. And almost unbelievably they stayed. Mays Farm is still a building site and the outside is a mess.

The inside is not much better.

But four guinea pigs - sorry, wonderful retreatants, came and stayed. They glamped; slept on mattresses on the floor. Put up with windows which not only had no curtains but often had no glass; one even has no window. Ate in the garden for there is no table yet in the house. And they smiled and remained pleasant. They had time to be, rest in the hammock, read, pray, relax. They also helped, mostly in the garden, or helping unpack kitchen boxes. We had compline by moonlight, lectio divina in sunlight. The water flooded and was turned off. And on. And off.

A weekend of Preview Retreat. Now they are gone. Tomorrow, four more arrive this time for a guided silent retreat.

I pray that each woman goes away saying, "Surely the Lord is in this place" (Gen 28:16) because they have met with him in some way in this place of sanctuary.