How tired are you right now?

How tired are you feeling right now? And does that surprise you?

I hear you. Me too. It’s a bit of a roller coaster, isn’t it? Shattered one day, full of projects and passions and productivity the next.

I wish. Although there have been one or two great ideas and good moments recently. And several days of not so much. Are you with me?

Many of us are experiencing mini-bereavements right now. And bereavement is exhausting.

Loss of normal. Loss of social connections. Loss of favourite foods, loss of security, loss of usual routines….. They are all mini bereavements.

And bereavement as we know can cause many reactions - tiredness, bewilderment, anxiety, sleeplessness, even anger and confusion. A desire for carbs - or no desire for food whatsoever; the urge to over-exercise - or the need for a total duvet day or three; a need to tidy and declutter - or the inability to remove any dust or clutter whatsoever. The inability to pray. Or read. Or be nice to others who live in my house. And even a total mixture of all those, depending on which day it is.

I don’t even know which day it is, some days. Do you? One day I’m full of plans and projects and procedures to DO stuff; the next I’ve decided to become a sleeping hermit and never do anything ever again. And some days I say, where is God in all of this?

So I’m giving up trying to be normal and carry on.

Instead I’m allowing myself to do what helps when it helps.

And that varies from day to day too. One day it’s a long bubble bath accompanied by scented candles and a good ( and definitely not heavy in any sense) book. The next it’s a long brisk walk. One day it’s a whole packet of ginger biscuits or digestives, the next it’s a meal of purple sprouting broccoli. One day it’s writing a whole chapter, the next it’s gazing out of the window in tears.

And it will all be different for each one of us. I’m not home schooling fractious anxious children nor running a multi level company from my living room. Nor trying to do both at the same time. We each have to cope with different things and we each have to discover what helps us to cope. For the long term. Because I don’t think this WILL be all over by Easter or soon after, whatever some Presidents may say. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

SO I have been ruminating about what will happen when we emerge from this ‘pandemic’ which is uppermost in people’s minds right now. Will the relief override the austerity which will inevitably immediately ensue due to the financial constraints we are under? Rather as the Roaring Twenties succeeded the deprivations of the Great War?

Will the Church have found good new ways to BE church and be able to continue to build on that? Will we as Christians have learned to say not, “We are Christians, here’s our building, come and join us,” but to say “We are Christians, we ARE the church, we are coming to serve you in whatever way we can in your community.”

And will we have found new deeper intimacy with Christ as a result of this unexpected time that most of us now have? (of course, many are now overworked, especially those in our health service, hospitals and surgeries. What will the Christians there have experienced and learned?) 

At the moment, all I can say is, 
Lord have mercy. Send the Spirit. We need you. 

And perhaps that’s enough, and what we need to learn to say. He is with us, IN and THROUGH these deep deep waters. 

Your plans are still to prosper
You have not forgotten us
You're with us in the fire and the flood
You're faithful forever
Perfect in love
You are sovereign over us - Michael W. Smith

If all I can do is to hang on to words like those, or maybe to Psalm 23 , or whatever to words from Scripture and song give hope, then that’s enough for now. It may be finger-tip hanging. But we’re still hanging in there. Right?

So I’m taking my helpful words and sticking them up where I’m reminded of them often. Repeating them to myself a lot during a day. Putting the worship CDs on.

And they can’t ban spring. It’s the springiest spring ever sprung. As Dennis Potter said, it’s the whitest, frothiest, blossomest blossom that there ever could be. The nowness of everything is absolutely wondrous.”

Thank you Lord

GOING DEEPER box set - 4 books to help you to go deeper with the Lord AND it’s available at a special discount price of nearly half off the total retail value. Click here to order your set (limited numbers/time, so don’t delay.)

FOUR AUTHORS AND AN OFFER

GOING DEEPER BOX SET

Are you wondering what to read during these strange times?

Would you like to deepen your intimacy with God?

And do you like a bargain?!

Four authors have put together a box set especially for you and especially for these times. With a retail value of up to £45, you save over £20 off the full retail price AND you get 4 helpful books to read over the next few weeks, each signed by the author.

Included in your set:

FACE to FACE by Jen Baker

FINDING MYSELF IN BRITAIN by Amy Boucher Pye

TAKING OFF THE MASK by Claire Musters

WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS by Penelope Swithinbank

If you’ve already got a copy of one of them, why not give the new copy to someone for a birthday or Christmas gift?

Or order a set to be delivered to a family member or friend with a birthday in April as a lovely surprise parcel !

"‘God in heaven is stretching out his hand, eyes dancing with the light of love, heart filled with expectation and desire, saying to you: “May I have this dance?”’ God longs for us to personally experience more of him, but so often we refuse or feel unable to draw close to him. Even the great hero of faith Moses hid his face from God, yet was eventually transformed into someone who space face to face with him. Jen Baker explores Moses’ life to see how he was able to move from hiddenness to holiness and encourages us to follow his example. Interwoven with personal testimony, Jen gently challenges and shows us how to move out of the shadows and into the light of God’s love. Whether you feel distant from God or want to deepen your relationship with him, Face to Face will help you to experience God in a new and powerful way.

https://www.jenbaker.co.uk

A loving through-the-year look at life in the UK from an American’s point of view, from Harvest through to Wimbledon, with insights about identity, hope and grace woven in. As one Amazon reviewer said, "What struck me most about this book was that it radiated positivity. There was no running away from difficulties, disappointments, heartaches, hard truths and trouble, but warmth and grace won out. It was a mind-opening look at our own culture from the standpoint of another, but for me the spiritual insights were the true nuggets.”

https://amyboucherpye.com

Church can be the best but also the worst of places. Our faith needs community to survive but why do so many of us wear masks as soon as we step inside a church meeting of any type, hoping to show that we have everything ‘together’? What creates a culture that makes us think we are supposed to behave in a certain way? Surely church should be a place of acceptance, love and freedom? So why do so many of us feel like we can’t truly be ourselves? I have been grappling with these questions ever since a painful and humbling situation forced me to remove my own mask. I now firmly believe that too often we hide our true selves from the world behind masks we have carefully constructed, but this is not how God created us to be. Taking Off the Mask charts my own personal experience and provides lessons and pointers on how each of us can take off our masks to live a freer and more authentic life.

https://clairemusters.com

What if backpacking across France could restore your broken life? Two vicars, their marriage in tatters with wounds reaching far back into the past, set out on a journey to find healing and restoration. Their route will take them from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, but will it help them find their way home? Along the 320-mile route across rural France, burdened by backpacks and blisters, Kim and Penelope stumble across fresh truths, some ordinary, others extraordinary. But will they be defeated by the road ahead or triumph over the pain of the past? Is there a chance they'll find themselves in France and walk back to happiness? In this simple but enchanting book, part travelogue and part pilgrimage, Penelope invites you to walk with her and her husband on their epic journey as they encounter new faces and new experiences, and reconnect with each other and with God. Every step of the way, you'll discover more about yourself and what's really important to you.

www.penelopeswithinbank.com

THE DETAILS:

The 4 books individually retail at a total of nearly £45. The set is just £22.99, a savings of over £20.

However there are only TEN sets available right now, for a limited period (ends April Monday April 13th) so order NOW to avoid disappointment. Apologies, this is available for UK readers only!

TO ORDER CLICK HERE

Are you searching for sanity already?

Are we all going to go mad - either through utter loneliness or boredom or over-work? Through fear or anxiety or depression?

We don’t have to!

I’ve recently been writing about some ideas for these strange times, to help us readjust, make the most of the unexpected time suddenly available to many of us.  But not all, I know.  Some are working harder than ever – you might find this helpful, the first of this series on making the most of just a few seconds. Or the next one for those with oodles of unexpected time - on creating rhythm in these uncertain times.

And for all of us – at any place, at any time. Whether we are self-isolating and all alone, or stressed and overworked as an essential worker (essential workers, you are loved and we are all SO grateful for all you are doing for the rest of us) or stuck at home with a houseful of children needing to be home schooled when you once vowed never ever to home school your kids …

photo from Alamy


We all could do with one of these:

THE ONE MINUTE RETREAT

Do anything meaningful in just one minute?

Yes.  You can – YOU can.

Take just a minute, anywhere, anytime, and RETREAT into God and His promises.

Susannah Wesley had 17 children. She homeschooled. Ran the parish (her husband, the Vicar was often in prison for outspoken preaching). Her house burned down (twice).

She is reported to have had daily times alone with the Lord in the middle of all the chaos - she apparently just threw her voluminous apron over her head, and the children knew not to interrupt her for those few precious moments. (Of course, if you have that many children, the elder ones look after the younger ones … in theory, any way) You might need to get hold of a voluminous aron. Or lock yourself in the bathroom for a few moments.

Image by Stonegable

Here’s a suggestion:

Stop. Do something different. Turn away from whatever you were just doing, put down the pen, turn off the computer, move your hands ….   You might like to place them palms up, resting gently on your knees if you’re sitting, then close your eyes and take a deep breath.

And another deep breath.

Go somewhere else – mentally. In your mind’s eye, go somewhere beautiful, peaceful, life giving, that means something to you – a favourite beach, a mountain top, a woodland track ….

As you do so, give thanks to the Lord – for He is good and His love endures forever. (Ps 118:1-3)

Allow yourself to BE  in His love. Accept it. It’s always there for you, surrounding you and holding you and accepting you. Relax into it. Drop the shoulders, ease the neck, straighten the back …. relax!

Another deep breath.  

And as you breath out, cast all your cares on the Lord – for He cares for you.(1Peter 5:7)  Imagine throwing something – a stone into the water, a rock over the edge of the cliff, a heavy branch hurled away from you. Mentally turn your back on it and thank Him that He can deal with all of that as long as you leave it all with Him. So leave it with Him.

A deep breath. You are continuing in His love, your cares are left with Him, you can relax.

Now think about what you are returning to. It lies ahead of you. But you know that you are in His love, your cares have been left with Him. And now He tells you, Don’t worry about the future. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life …. Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
(Matt: 6:25-27)

Commit what lies ahead to Him, for “I know who holds the future, and He holds it in His hands…. I do not know the course ahead,
What joys and griefs are there.
But one stands near who fully knows,
I'll trust His loving care.”

Another deep breath. And as you breath in, take in the power of the Holy Spirit. I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you ….  For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:6-8)

Gently come back to whatever you were previously doing,  thanking God for what you have just experienced of Him.

Take it with you as you continue today.

And know that a one minute retreat can be made anywhere at any time. It’s free, quick, easy – and soul restoring.

Thank God that there are so many minutes available each day!

What are you doing to keep in His Presence regularly? To maintain intimacy with Him in these weird times?

What might you do in a moment of retreat?

One person tried and sent me her photos … we agreed she needed the 18th C voluminous white apron we had each visualised!

* * * * * *

Needing something to read and take your mind off the current situation?

How about a walk right across France - from the comfort of your own armchair!

“I have been on three walks/pilgrimages with Penelope, two in England and one in the Finger Lakes of New York State. Each time I was amazed at her strength, insight and ability to teach and inspire along the way. Walking Back to Happiness gave me the opportunity to see her present herself in a more vulnerable way and just added more to my admiration of Penelope as a Christian, wife and friend. I loved the descriptions of Kim and Penelope’s walking experiences, villages, people they met and food they ate. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to see what can be accomplished if one sets ones mind (and body!) to it.” - KP, on Amazon

To order your signed copy, go here

How to create rhythm in times of uncertainty

Is it really only the start of week two? This time of fearful uncertainty and world pandemic - haven’t we been here for months already? How will we keep going for another month or three or more?

Maybe you’ve been practicing the 30 second retreat - the post on my blog last week has been shared and commented on more than any other. (if you missed it, it’s here - just click) Making the most of this unexpected time. Unexpected - we’re either self isolating with little to do to fill our days, or even busier than ever if we're key workers struggling to cope with what’s going on.

photo from Unsplash by Anthony Tran

Life is different. The world is different. The situation changes from day to day. Hour to hour. And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

So I thought it best to concentrate on the One who never changes, and not on what’s going on around me. i no longer listen to the hourly news. Once a day in the evening is sufficient, thank you. I’m self-isolating - walking and reading and writing; tidying the house and the garden, phoning friends and rediscovering the lost art of writing proper letters. And the days fly past. if I’m not careful, the moments fritter away, I forget which day it is, and my eyes no longer keep looking to Jesus.

I need a rhythm. Not routine - that word sounds far too rigid and disciplined and frankly boring! “I broke lose for one day from routine, from drudgery and harness,” says a character in Jessie Fothergill’s ‘The First Violin.’ We don’t want drudgery, harness, routine .

What we need is a life-giving rhythm to our days.

Monasteries and convents and holy places have rhythms of prayer, or the Liturgy of the Hours, often called by their Latin or Greek names - Matins (middle of the night!) Lauds (dawn) Prime (first hour of daylight) Terce (third hour) Sext (noon)  Nones (ninth hour)  Vespers (sunset) Compline (end of the day).

Lovely - except that there’s no way I’m going to be doing all that, if I’m totally honest.

But three times a day I eat - that’s life giving. Why not three times a day to have life giving moments with God? Morning, noon and night. I’m bound to forget - so perhaps an alarm on my iPhone set to remind me. That’s what the church bells are for - to call people to remember to pray. We just do it digitally now .

And how to spend a few moments at each of our three set times? Four suggestions - and you’ll have your own ideas.

- pray for our world; for family and friends; for our key workers; our church family ……

- read through the Psalms. I like using the 30 method. Day 1: read Psalm 1 plus 30 several times = Psalm 1, 31, 61, 91, 121; Day 2: Psalm 2 plus 30 several times = Psalm 2, 32, 62, 92, 122. Right through to day 31 when you read the whole of Psalm 119. Maybe divide up your reading between the 3 times a day?

- BE. Sit and just BE. Maybe enjoy looking at signs of the burgeoning of spring. Invite Jesus to BE with you and relish his company.

- Sing. Listen to a worship song; or bird song; or the song of your heart. Sing out loud or silently. (better out loud?)

What will you do? And when will you do it - when will you have the times that give your day rhythm and joy? That will be life giving?

And when you’re needing to get away from it all why not read a book about a long walk in France, to take your mind off other things?

“I wanted to send you a quick note to tell you how much I have loved reading walking back to happiness at bedtime the last couple of weeks. I have really been blessed by the story and by your wonderful writing style Penelope. I really think it can be such a great encouragement to people ….. I love Everything about it😊” - JY, pastor in Virginia, USA

Order your copy of WALkING BACK TO HAPPINESS here

Making the most of some spare time?

Self isolating? Social distancing? Everything cancelled and an empty diary ahead?

Words we were not familiar with just days ago. How many of us are or will soon be - whether we want to or not. He and I, we returned from a pilgrimage in Turkey yesterday, taking two flights and walking through three airports. We’re self-isolating, for fear of conveying unwanted bugs to others.

Suddenly, we have time. Chunks of time in a way that isn’t normal. I imagine you may well have unexpected time, too.

And aren’t we all thinking: what a privilege and a blessing.

Well actually - no, if I’m honestI It was far more what someone posted on social media yesterday - I didn’t realise I would have to give up quite so much for Lent this year……

My first thought was, I won’t get to see the American grandsons and my daughter, in a couple of weeks. But then I thought, how wonderful that I can still see them via FaceTime or WhatsApp.

Now that I’m getting gradually accustomed to this new way of being, I’m wondering what we might do to make the most of these empty days ahead. How each of us to could use them in ways that might help deepen our relationship with the Lord.

So each week for the next few weeks, while many of us are isolated, time-rich for a change, I’m going to suggest some ways to make the most of the spare time. Different things to try.

Ways to Re:Fresh Re:New Re:Treat as the tag line said for The Vine at Mays Farm, the retreat house I used to run. Here’s the first one. It’s very very simple.

A 30 second retreat 

 Stop. Breathe. Thank God for two things... (Phil 4:6)

 Did you do it as you read it?

It seems such a small amount of time – can it really make such a difference?

 So I stop…….

Take a deep breath…….

And give God thanks for two things ……..

 YES! It does make a difference and I am glad that I did it. But it also felt a little paltry. Just 30 seconds, God, that’s all I can spare right now.

Maybe it felt like that for you - almost rudely short. But then I thought about one of my granddaughters, when she was very very small, running up to me, throwing her arms around me (or more precisely, my legs) giving me a hug and running off again.

Precious.      Brief.      Heartfelt.

Something I loved and which meant so much to me.  And to the Heart of the Father - a quick looking to Him, a moment of love and gratitude to Him.

 It touches the heart of the loved one so very deeply.

You may not be able to go out. You may be wandering around your house wondering what to do next.

 But you can stop, anywhere, and give God thanks for 30 seconds. Maybe every time you boil the kettle. Every time you climb the stairs or look out of the window. When you pass the kitchen door …. something you do a lot, do regularly. Train yourself to stop, take a deep breath and give God thanks for two things.

 Have you done it now? Try it and see what happens.

 And then let me know what you think. Was it helpful? How did it feel? Who else might you suggest it to?

Fasting and Feasting in Lent.

FEASTING in Lent? Really?

Isn’t it all about giving things up? Especially the things you like the most ….

Or even just giving up…

Or maybe GIVING UP giving up.

Because we could TAKE UP instead.

Forty days of renewal.

Forty days to go deeper.

Apparently it takes 21 days to confirm a new habit and 42 days to make it a lifestyle.

What new, or re-newing, lifestyle could help your journey with the Lord?

What could you TAKE UP instead of (or as well as) GIVING UP?

Giving up chocolate? And alcohol? Sugar or biscuits? Coffee or tea?

What do you give up for Lent?

They’re all good and helpful, and in giving them up it helps guard us from gluttony and desire and filling our minds with what might be unhelpful things. Reminding us that we are, essentially, dust. Easily trapped into wanting more of what’s not helpful.

I’m TAKING UP a daily devotional for Lent, something I do every year.

This year, it’s THE GRACE FILLED WILDERNESS by Magdalen Smith

You can buy the book here

Here’s the online blurb:

The Grace-filled Wilderness connects contemporary encounters of wilderness with the traditional themes of Lent and Jesus' journey to the cross. Magdalen Smith invites us to consider a series of subjects that are double-edged - they can bring us life or, if we handle them in the wrong way, drain life from us.

Our appetites, our identity, our work, our sense of freedom and our struggles with anxiety and pain are explored in connection with what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Six full weeks of readings help us to move gradually from wilderness to grace, until, finally, we encounter the miracle, hope and joy of Easter.

'On every page of this Lent book, there's an invitation to journey which is as enticing as it is challenging. I found myself wanting to venture into the wilderness out of choice and not simply circumstance, and the adventure left me seeing, feeling and sharing in God's grace.'
Jo Wells, Bishop of Dorking

Join me on the journey?

And tell me what you’re GIVING UP and TAKING UP on your journey through Lent to Easter day?

Does love mean never having to say you're sorry?

and - a Valentine's Day special offer for you right at the end  .....

LOVE MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY
YOU'RE SORRY

 It’s the famous line from the 1970 film, “Love Story” which Vanity Fair magazine later judged to be one of the 25 greatest love stories the movies ever told. The American Film Institute ranked it  number 9 in the most romantic films list. 
 
“Love Story” has its 50th anniversary this year – really? How ever is it 50 years since I sat and sobbed through this film?

The anniversary is being celebrated in movie theatres in the US this February. How romantic is that! And we will all be reminded that love means never having to say you’re sorry. 
 Is that it? Is that true love?  Love means never having to say you’re sorry?

I know from personal experience that the phrase must be one of the worst things to believe or practice, one of the saddest definitions ever of love. 
 
Because I find apologising, saying sorry, to my nearest and dearest one of the most difficult things to do, I’ve relied on that phrase to see me through. Oh, I may not have really believed you never have to say sorry to those you love; but I certainly acted as if it I believed it. They love me, I reasoned to myself; they understand me. They forgive me, I’m sure, or they’ll know I didn’t mean it.
 
Life goes on and we’ll be fine.
Except we weren’t.
Things began to go wrong in my marriage, and I took it for granted that we had a good marriage and that after all those great years, loving years, nothing could touch us.
 
Well, it did, as you know if you’ve read my book, “Walking Back to Happiness.”  And so we separated…..

To read more, hope on over on this link: http://bit.ly/2tNZGxf

Want to do a long walk – from the comfort of your armchair? 
WARNING: reading this could change your life!

Click HERE to order your signed copy of
WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS:

I'm speaking at a number of events during 2020 - click here for full details
and if you'd  like me to come and speak at your event, contact me here.

New Year, New Decade, New Covenant ....

The traditional Wesleyan Covenant with God, in contemporary words.

How to say NO! to the life draining and heavy ...

You can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending. 
 
Like the one above, it wasn’t said by C.S. Lewis, although both are often falsely attributed to him. And it sounds a wonderful idea and is often used especially at the start of a new year.
 
This isn’t just the start of a new year; it’s the start of a new decade as well. The Roaring Twenties are upon us again. My thoughts stray to flapper girls, Scott Fitgerald, the Charleston, jazz – and Prohibition, huge social change, the rise of mass consumerism and the freedom afforded by the new car. 

We don’t yet know what the new Twenties will bring us. Nor how it will end.

We do know how it starts, though, and in particular,
I know where I am starting – and how I would like it to end.

ending the year on the beach in South Carolina! December 2019

 
What if I take stock of where/who I am now? And then think about where I want, hope, long to be - tomorrow, next week, next year, even the next decade. 
 
What if I ask God to show me who I am now, and who HE wants me to be?
 
God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart.
Examine me through and through;
find out everything that may be hidden within me.
Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares.
See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on,
and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting ways—
the path that brings me back to you.
(Ps 139:23-24, TPT)
 
I long to be on the path that leads me to God’s ways and back to Him. 

I long for every day to be a day that draws me nearer to Him.
 
I hold out my new diary for the new year, with things already in it – commitments, people, good things and not-so-good things – and as I physically lift it up and hold it out to God, I ask for this new year, new decade:
 
Lord, direct me throughout my journey
so I can experience your plans for my life.
Reveal the life-paths that are pleasing to you.
Escort me along the way; take me by the hand and teach me….
Ps 25:4-7 TPT)
 
 
And as I invite Him into my new year, I ask for wisdom and guidance, for good use of my time.  I reassess what’s already there, and make sure I put in the important things – rest and refreshment, exercise, family and friends. 

 


Saying YES to the good and life-enriching things and a definite NO! to what feels draining and heavy and not in line with what God wants for me.
 
Focusing on who he has made me to be and less on what I am doing.
 
How can I know more of God in my life? How can I become more like Jesus? What will help me? What will hinder and get in the way? 
 
And how do I say NO! to what’s asked of me?
 
I rehearse how to do that, so that I’m ready and prepared:
 
Thank you so much for asking me! I can’t do it now, but I do hope you find the right person for it….
 
I’d love to be able to say yes, but the reality is I can’t give it the time it deserves so I’ll have to say no, but thank you for thinking of me …
 
That sounds wonderful! Much as I’d love to be involved, it’s not possible for me but I do hope it goes really well for you ….
 
No, thank you …..    (why is it so hard sometimes just to say NO! and leave it at that?)
 
And this: signing up later this month. Will you join me?

click here to find out more and join in

I know that some moments of the New ahead of me will be wonderful; some won’t. 
 
I also know He will be with me in and through it all.
 
Your plans are still to prosper
You have not forgotten us
You're with us in the fire and the flood
You're faithful forever
Perfect in love
You are sovereign over us

            -  Michael W. Smith


Happy new year, new decade to you!

Every moment on your journey with God may you know yourself blessed.



Walking Back to Happiness: to order your copy (one for you, one for a friend?) click here


























































.

Not One But Two Special things - and one is free!

Not one but TWO special items today -
a thank you for your support, encouragement and readership 
over the past months. 
You are very much appreciated.

The first is a gift for you this weekend only

WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS
(the story of walking right across France to help restore a broken marriage) is

FREE to download on the Kindle today.

Perhaps download it for free now;
and save it to read and savour after the
busy-ness of Christmas?

A whole book to read for no cost. 

Happy Christmas!

Part travelogue, part memoir, this is a book to enjoy from your armchair! Easy to read, even for those with dyslexia, and with colour photos included.

Hop over to this link to download it on to your device

And the Second special offer,
also this weekend.
Perhaps a good stocking filler?
Or might solve some Christmas
present dilemmas? 

Two signed copies of
Walking Back to Happiness for just £20
(RRP £12.99 each)

Available online only here
 

Sending Christmas greetings to you.
This Christmas may you know 
God's Greatest Gift to be your Greatest Joy

- Penelope x

What an Event!

Well, I did it!

In spite of some sleepless nights. (I’ve spoken at conferences with over a 1,000 people but this was far worse!)

And I thought if you weren’t able to be there, you’d like to catch up with a few photos and thoughts from Bath Abbey.

However, I was absolutely thrilled that even in the middle of the day in the middle of the week, so many people were able to come! They were treated to chocolates and sparkling elderflower pressé and Carolyn Armitage Scriven interviewing me, before I read an extract from the book. It was so encouraging and a wonderful support to have so many there.

The Abbey is vast, of course, and we scarcely filled the chancel and I seemed a long way away from them, due to the position of the fixed microphone.  There was a Bishop, a Dowager Countess (not of Downton alas)  ... people from Chorleywood, London, Dorset ….. and, best of all, Robin and Harriet came for the day to help. Victoria, America-based, was there via FaceTime and she has been organising the pre-launch team on social media.

It was live streamed via Facebook (you can see the recording on my author page on Facebook if you really want to spend half an hour watching!)

We did a free giveaway and handed out more chocolates ….. then I did a book signing.

It would have been wonderful to have had time to chat with everyone but inevitably the hour rushed past. We could only have an hour as the workmen have an hour for lunch; the rest of the day their background noise of drills and machines is extraordinarily loud (the Abbey floor is being repaired and relaid, a 5 year project!) 

And you weren’t able to be in the Abbey on Wednesday, the next book signings in the UK are

Friday November 29th St Michael's Church Christmas Bazaar, Southfields, London. 11am - 8pm An enchanting and enormous Christmas Fair/Bazaar with gifts, crafts, entertainment, cafe, mulled wine …..

Saturday December 7th Norton St Philip Church Christmas Bazaar. 10.30am -12.30pm (there’s also a Christmas Jumper swop shop stall ….!!)

And in the USA, Virginia December 26 - 30, Jan 5 - 9; and South Carolina/Charleston Dec 31 - Jan 4; and California/Santa Barbara 11-17 January ( yay! A book tour! A Date for each place to be finalised soon)

If you haven’t yet got a copy you can order it here:

www.penelopeswithinbank.com

Spotted on Instagram!

And once you’ve read it, do please, please write a review. You can write one and then copy and paste it EVERYWHERE! It’s a vast and enormous help to have reviews  on Amazon, Goodreads, Eden …

    To write your review, log in to Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47358103-walking-back-to-happiness) or create a new account and mark the book as “currently reading” or “read”. Select the number of stars you award the book and Goodreads will open up a popup box where you can write your review. (Pro Tip: write this review in Word or notes and you can use the same one on Amazon, your blog, or on social media later on!) When you write the review make sure you use Penelope’s name or “the author”, not “my friend” etc!

And do tell your friends and family and colleagues about the book! It would be such a help to get it to as many people as possible.

Do please pray that this little book is a blessing and a help to others who read it. It’s been sent out with some fear and trepidation in our vulnerability and yet I really want it to speak to others and be used to draw people closer to the Lord. I hope you enjoy reading it as well!

Wow! included on someone’s blog post about books she’s read recently!

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR A FREE BOOK for Advent !

To win a signed copy of this lovely book, a daily devotional to help you pursue Christ through the haze of tinsel, giftwrap and lebkuchen, you simply have to sign up to my email list. One person will be chosen at random to receive this wonderful gift!

You’ll also get my free downloadable, a guide to some simple ways to pray and draw nearer to God as you walk (however, long, short, muddy or armchair-ish your walk!) So hop on over to the home page, sign up,

and

• you’ll be entered for the draw,

• you’ll get the free downloadable,

• AND you’ll be sent a special article Lucy has written for me, which will be sent out on Friday October 18th!

  So hurry over and sign up HERE and make sure you get entered in time!

PLUS there’s more!
If you pre-order my book, WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS and use the promo code HAPPY you’ll get free p&P

Hop on over to the home page now for details of these special offers.