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 Last Hurrah of Summer

How is your summer? Did you get away or did you enjoy a staycation? I've enjoyed two nights in the Wye valley and two nights on the north Norfolk coast with dear friends; but still,  I've missed those long lazy summer holiday times of soaking in hot sun and doing very little. In some ways, I'm already looking back with regret and longing for what summer could have been. And I want to enjoy the last hurrah of summer!

Read on for some special ways to make the most of the last hurrah of summer, make the most of the third of the year still ahead of us and enjoy some very special offers at the end of this email. 

Hasn't it been a strange summer for us all? I know many have been left with feelings of anxiety and stress in these challenging times and as a society our default position is to react to the situations as being bad - an emotional response. And that can be as exhausting as the situations themselves. 

So we're tired and worried, and summer is already ending (certainly here in the south west of England, the fields are harvested and being ploughed and the leaves are turning and beginning to fall and the blackberries are luscious). What happened to summer, we ask ourselves. Where did this year go?

It’s easy to get caught up in the craziness of life and how life is right now. Although, honestly? 

Life is often not what we expect, 

          doesn't go as planned, 

goes on fast-forward most of the time. 

 So I want to encourage us - you and me both - to let go of our regrets, the what-might-have-beens, the if-onlys - and actually look forward with some anticipation. Yes, really! 

This, THIS is how to enjoy the last hurrah of summer!

It's time to let go of the regrets and look forward! We've a whole third of the year ahead of us, we can reset our minds to anticipation and delight - and GRATITUDE! 

Instead of looking back and wishing summer had been different, CHOOSE to look forward to the joy of autumn colours, bountiful harvests, log fires, twinkly lights and candles in the gloaming, long evenings to read by a fire. 

Instead of wallowing in regret, I need to tell myself (to decide, to choose) to look forward so that I don't squash or miss the joys that lie ahead! 

And how to make the next third of the year a good one? What would that look like for you? 

• Taking more time for rest and actually scheduling that in. 

• Consciously inviting God to go with you throughout the day

• Enjoying some longer session with God, perhaps in Lectio Divina or Imaginative Prayer

What would help you look forward eagerly to what lies ahead?

Another way to enjoy the last Hurrah of Summer: A SALE!

There's a summer sale on books over on my website, just until the end of August, so order now.

Click here to order. OR here to read a little more about some of the books.

I think you'll be surprise and delighted to see some of what's on sale - not just my own two books Walking Back to Happiness, and Women By Design (some pre-loved/pre-read copies of that one) but some others too.

Hurry up and order as there are limited copies on some of the offers.

Something else to look forward to - THE SPICE RETREAT

I'm currently in the middle of leading the online SPICE RETREAT, a 5 week retreat looking at becoming the YOU God intended.  A group of 20 of us are enjoying a live one hour retreat on Sunday evenings, plus weekly journals and resources and online discussions; and with optional one-on-one sessions afterwards. It's proving to be a very special time for many. 

"Another wonderful session with much to take away and dwell on, thank you ❤️" - Louise

"Thanks so much, Penelope, for that deeply refreshing meditation. Bless you. xx" -Vicky

(not the most flattering photos but give you an impression!)

If you missed this Retreat, it will be available again soon, and you can email me to reserve your spot and make sure you get the info as soon as it is launched. There will be a limited number of places so pre-booking is now open. 

And ANOTHER LOVELY RETREAT to look forward to:

THE ADVENT RETREAT

 Advent begins on Sunday November 29th. Four weeks to anticipate and prepare for the birth of Emmanuel: God with us.

Let's do an Advent Online retreat together! I'll send you full details very soon, and I'm excited that we can do this online together and spend some special time preparing ourselves to know the truth of God With Us.

As with the SPICE Retreat (you know that stands for Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Creative, Emotional, right?) the online sessions will be available to be watched at any time so that wherever you are in the world you can be part of it. We currently have people from Australia, France, USA and UK.  Do join me for the Advent Retreat in December!  

And remember to email me if you'd like to pre-book for the SPICE RETREAT next time.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 Don't forget to plan your exciting things to look forward to! 

And pop over to the books sale
And let me know if you'd like to do the next Spice Retreat.

May the Lord take you by the hand and lead you along the path

of God’s love and Christ’s endurance

 (2 Thess 3:5 Msg)

Penelope 

Why August is the new January.

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

** ** ** ** ** **

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. 

  **   **   **   **

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.

What more can we learn from women in the Bible? And an exclusive.

Haven’t these past few months been strange? Wasn’t it March just yesterday? Suddenly it’s July and lockdown is gradually easing - in the UK at least; although we still can’t fly to the USA to see our American grandchildren, and some towns have local lockdown.

I’m going through a whole range of emotions these days, as you probably are too. Some days I’m raring to go, others I can barely put one foot in front of another.

CONFESSION - last Saturday I set out for a walk as usual, and after just over a mile, had to phone my husband to come and get me. I just couldn’t walk a step further. Most unlike me. And then in the evenings, I’m too drained to do much, other than watch television.

Again, not like me.

We started lockdown going through The West Wing. Now we’ve moved on to Mrs America, the based-on-real-life story of the 1970’s battle in the USA for the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) which sought to equalise the rights of American women and men. It’s been an eye-opener to see Patricia Shlafly, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem and others almost come to blows over issues that as a woman I take for granted today. Powerful women on either side of the argument try to make their voices heard in a world dominated by men.

Cate Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly

It’s got me thinking again about what we can learn from the women in the Bible.

Not new questions by any means. The Bible women are often the lost, the lonely, the least and the unloved. And don’t we still often feel like that - even in our Western world culture?

TWO THINGS TO HELP US, EACH FROM WOMEN IN THE BIBLE:-

First, Lucy Rycroft, Premier’s runner-up Blogger Of The Year 2019, has amazingly written an exclusive for you here:

Lucy’s latest book, for the under 8’s

Why our children need the stories of the women in the Bible

I could think of several places I’d rather be at the tail-end of Freshers’ Week, than sitting in a stuffy hall, listening to a dry presentation from the Student Union.

Bed, for example. 

What did they mean, getting us up at this ungodly hour? It was only mid-day, for Pete’s sake.

And then my ears pricked up. “This year,” said the Women’s Officer, “our focus is on encouraging women into the IT industry…”

Well, that did it! 

I stiffened. How dare she?? I fumed inwardly. Us women can do whatever we like! The world is our oyster! I can go into IT if I want to - I don’t need a scheme or initiative to make that possible!

I’m a child of the 80s and 90s. That means that, as a girl, I was brought up assuming I could do anything I wanted in life. Why not? There was a woman on the throne, a woman leading the country, and strong women in the music, TV and films that I absorbed.

 Feminism was a concept I came across much later in life, because the glass-ceiling of female aspiration hadn’t really affected me in terms of what I’d been able to do. I didn’t realise that, in many cases, there was a fight involved for women to follow their chosen path - like, for example, in the world of IT.

And I realised at this point that the problem was not how girls were brought up. Girls my age were generally brought up with strong feminist values, even if they weren’t labelled as such. 

The problem was, rather, how boys were brought up.

Parents drilled into their girls that they could be anything they like - but didn’t bring up their boys to understand the potential consequences of this. Most guys my age, for example, were not raised with the possibility that one day they might be stay-at-home dads, or full-time house-husbands, to allow their Significant Others to ‘be anything they like’.

And in the workplace too, it is usually male attitudes, rather than female ones, which stop talented women from progressing further in their field.

So - what can we do about this?

I wrote a book called Deborah and Jael. Actually, I didn’t write it - God did. He planned and crafted every part of these women’s lives, including a particularly heroic episode recorded in the book of Judges.

But I re-told this ancient story in rhyme, got a fabulous illustrator on board, and took it round every single Christian publisher I could find, absolutely desperate for this story to be more widely shared amongst children.

Because possibly the greatest thing we can do for the young children in our lives is to raise them with an equal respect for men and women. And, as we know, one of the most powerful ways to instil a value or belief in a child is through books.

So - here is my book, Deborah and Jael. It is exciting, it is heroic, it is beautiful to read and to listen to. 

I’ve been asked if it’s ‘suitable for boys’. Interesting that no one tends to ask whether the story of Noah is suitable for girls. This shows how far we still need to go in our understanding of Biblical gender equality.

As a mum to three sons and a daughter, I can tell you straight-off that my daughter has no problems with self-belief. But I want to raise my boys, too, to have great respect for the women in their lives, and for what God has equipped them to do for Him. I want my boys to know that sometimes they will need to step aside to let a woman shine - and not simply to cut her off because they ‘can’.

Our children need to hear the stories of the women in the Bible, because they need to see that God has a plan for them and for those around them, irrespective of gender. 

 It is my hope that this message goes out to children far and wide, and that Deborah and Jael is a small part of the change we desperately need to see.

Lucy blogs at The Hope-Filled Family and is the 2019 Premier runner-up Blogger of the Year and is the author of Redeeming Advent and Deborah and Jael. Join her mailing list for regular news, giveaways and exclusive offers.

Maybe your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, goddaughters - and their brothers - would love a copy of the book? Click on the link below.

And the Second lovely helpful thing, for when you’re feeling lost, lonely, unloved and among the least (and I guess that most of us feel one or more of these at least once a day), do listen to these beautiful words and music about some people in the Bible who felt very lost and alone and unloved - Hagar, Ruth, David, Jesus, Mary Magdalene. I’ve had this on repeat in my ears as I’ve walked this week. It has spoken to me deeply. Persevere through the few seconds of ads at the beginning, it’s so worth it:

THE GOD WHO SEES by Kathy Lee Gifford and Nicole C. Mullen

You can find out more about the short film here: The God Who Sees.

SUMMER SURPRISE BOX SET

for your summer getaway, staycation, holidayathome - whatever you’re doing this summer, here’s a great reading offer for you!

For the third and final box set offer, I've put together a wonderful summer surprise box.

You get 3 randomly-selected new books, several signed by the authors, but you won’t know which 3 until you open your parcel! The total retail value of your set is usually over £25,  but you pay only £16.50

Why not order a set to be delivered to a family member or friend with a birthday over the summer as a lovely surprise parcel. We can add a gift card if you email your message to penelope@ministriesbydesign.org when you order.

To order your set  - and there are only 5 still available, so do this NOW!

CLICK HERE to go to the order page. You will enter your credit card info, your address info and then the box set will be winging its way to you! 

There are also just 4 sets of the Virtual Pilgrimage box set still available so if you're not able to go away right now, why not travel the paths of other pilgrims and read their stories? All from the comfort of your armchair.  

CLICK HERE to order either box set - SUMMER SURPRISE or VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE

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?

If you live outside the UK mainland, please note there is a surcharge for postage. 

Do read Lucy’s guest post above if you skimmed down and missed it. Her book is great for any children and grandchildren you know, and I can highly recommend it!

Please let me know what you think about Lucy’s post and about Nicole’s song.

In the meantime, may you know the height, depth and breadth of the love of God as we walk through these strangely different days of summer. I hope you can enjoy some good days - filled with sun and laughter and joy.

- Penelope

There are some affiliate links in this blog post. If you click through to buy one of the books, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

CELEBRATING SUMMER

Some midsummer madness going on here …….

Summer is here -  some days! In my part of the UK we've had days of torrential downpours, days of heatwaves (over 83F in my garden last Wednesday!) and days of just grey cloud. But most days have been clear blue sunny warmth. I love it! And I love summer. You?

But I'm also so over this lockdown thing. No, I don't want to go back to how it was before;  I'm longing to move forward into the new normal. 

So I thought it was just the time to celebrate summer and the new normal with a little midsummer madness.  There are some things in this blogpost I'm sure you'll love.

      - a new box-set of books  (Surprise!)  The third and last set.

      - booking now open for a Celtic Pilgrimage, May 2021

      - a new SPICE course. 

       - an audio book recording

1     SUMMER SURPRISE BOX SET

The first box set at the beginning of lockdown (wow, that seems a long time ago!) had 4 books and we sold all 20 sets in just 10 days! Everyone was wanting to read during those long hours at home. Now we're all planning our holidays - YAY!  I’ve been asked by lots of people for another set, as they are excellent value. So -

For the third and final offer, I've put together a wonderful summer surprise box set ready for your summer holiday reading.

You get 3 different new books, several signed by the authors, but you won’t know which 3 until you open your parcel! The total retail value of your set is usually over £25,  but you pay only £16.50

BOOK 1:   EITHER "The Making of US" by Sheridan Voysey 

                  OR "Taking my God for a Walk" by Tony Collins 

BOOK 2:   "Walking Back to Happiness" by Penelope Swithinbank

BOOK 3:  1 FREE copy of one of the other books in the photo above

To order your set  - and there are only a limited number, so do this NOW!

CLICK HERE to go to the order page. You will enter your credit card info, your address info and then the box set will be winging its way to you! 

There are also just 8 sets of the Virtual Pilgrimage box set still available so if you're not able to go away right now, why not travel the paths of other pilgrims and read their stories? All from the comfort of your armchair.  

CLICK HERE to order either box set - SUMMER SURPRISE or VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE

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 over the summer as a lovely surprise parcel. We can add a gift card if you email your message to penelope@ministriesbydesign.org when you order.

If you live outside the UK mainland, please note there is a surcharge for postage. 

2         CELTIC PILGRIMAGE

Are you feeling the need for time out?     

Needing to reset your soul? 

Thinking of 2021 for a real restorative time away? 



With restrictions being lifted, we can begin to plan for next year, God willing. 

the old Celtic coastal pathways in Cornwall

​​​​​​​BOOKING IS NOW OPEN for the Cornish Celtic Pilgrimage, walking from the furthest west of England to the furthest south - Lands End to the Lizard, along the coastal pathways often travelled by pilgrims and celts - and by the authorities trying to catch smugglers! 

​​​​​​​MAY 21-28, 2021 (Friday to Friday) 



PILGRIMAGE: the old/new way to wander, walk, think, pray - and reset your soul. To saunter along ancient paths. 

"Hiking - I don't like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of that word 'saunter?' It's a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, "A la sainte terre,' 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them."
~ John Muir

If you would like the full details of this 8 day holiday, walking with just 12 women, talking, praying, having time to reflect and to be with God, email me here: penelope@ministriesbydesign.org

It will be a special week, with plenty of time for resetting your soul. The walk is only 45 miles (although there are a few steep ups and downs occasionally, as it's a coastal path) and there is a day off mid week to cross to St Michael's Mount with its pilgrim chapel.  It can be seen from the house where we will be staying.

St Michael’s Mount crowned with the pilgrim chapel. Visit on our midweek day off from walking!

This really is a vacation with a difference, as we walk, pilgrim, pray; and set aside time for the things of God. 

There are daily devotionals, based on Cornish Celtic saints and we visit ancient churches, old villages and walk along ancient pathways.

It can be hot and sunny or cold and blustery … no matter what time of year!  

May 2018 was (mostly!) sunny

The total is 12 women (including me) from any stage or walk of life, as long as you can walk 45 miles in a week! But you'll get info in advance on how to be as fit as possible in readiness.  So, with only 11 places bookable, email now for your full information and booking form.  penelope@ministriesbydesign.org   

Why not come with a friend?

Ancient Celtic cross tombstone in a Cornish churchyard

Sea views from the house where we will be staying

3.   THE SPICE COURSE : becoming your best you. 

helping you make a lasting transformation to live your life as God intended. 

I am so excited about this new course I am putting together ! Based on years of experience both in my own life and in helping those I mentor, it's a simple yet profound way to discover your best you, the YOU God made you to be. 

Many thanks to all those (97 ! THANK YOU! ) who filled in the survey for me about SPICE. 

I bit the bullet and complained to the host company who then allowed the option of paying a month's fee,  so that I could see more than the free 40 replies! And it was well worth it for all your comments and suggestions. 

Almost 70% would prefer a downloadable ebook/course with some online input.

85% would prefer 3 one hour (max) online sessions, over 3 weeks.

45% wanted most of the content to be input/speaking/teaching, with the rest spread evenly between reflections, readings, and online participation from attendees.

And then your lovely comments! People praying for me as I plan and write it; people wanting to sign up immediately; suggestions about formats; pleas for personal sessions with me to follow up. 

Having read the survey, prayed and thought carefully, and reflected, I feel the course will be a package  with options: 

• a downloadable ebook and access to a closed Facebook group

• 3 sessions (one a week) live on the closed Facebook group, but able to be accessed at any time after they're posted. 

• the option of 1, 3 or 6  (spread out over a few weeks or even months) one-to-one 45 minute sessions with me afterwards via FaceTime or Skype or Zoom. 

SPICE will be available in just a few weeks,  so that you can do it over the summer.

Details about how to sign up will be coming soon.

AND FINALLY - not just a paperback, not just on Kindle …..

AVAILABLE SOON AS AN AUDIO BOOK

Finally, some great news - 'Walking Back To Happiness' is being professionally recorded June 29 & 30 as an audio book and will soon be available for you to download and listen to. Please pray for me as I read it aloud over the 2 days and for the technology to work! 

If you skimmed through to the end, you missed

• the Summer Surprise Box Set  - click here to order it

• the Celtic Pilgrimage in Cornwall - email for full info

• info about SPICE. Full details coming soon!​​​​​​​

• ​​​​​​​the audio book of Walking Back to Happiness 

Enjoy your summer - may your days be filled with the surprising blessings God sends us. He's a God who loves you and delights in you and just enjoys being with you. I hope you enjoy being with him, too.  How do you best do that?  

Me? I'm off for a walk, of course!

- Penelope

I need your help!

How would living a more SPICE-y filled life help you to live more in line with how God made you to be, with being your best you?

I’m thinking of putting together an online resource to help you learn more about who God made you to be, looking in more depth at the five areas I believe are extremely important to making you YOU:

Spiritual

Physical

Intellectual

Creative

Emotional

Each of these areas goes into making you YOU; there’s no right or wrong answers as it were, because each area is how God has specifically made you YOU. We all need all five areas in order to be living life to the best God-given fullness.

Before I tell you more and invite you to join me on this exciting journey of exploration and development, I’d love your help to know more about how and when to present it. So there’s a little survey of just 8 questions which will only take a very few minutes for you to fill in. And one of the returned surveys will win a signed copy of “Walking Back to Happiness.”

Click on the link below and let me know what you think!

Living a SPICE-y Life Survey

Thank you. That’s really helpful! I’m looking forward to the SPICE-y life adventure with you.

Wait - did you sign up for your free copy of my new ebook, Five Ways to Experience God? Whether you’re walking in the great outdoors, or in your mind in your armchair, this little book will help you experience God in easy-to-do ways. Sign up for the mailing list and you’ll get the ebook FREE!

Where Shall We Walk Today?

This time two years ago, my husband and I had just embarked on the momentous walk right across France - 330 miles from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.

512 Kms - plus all the extra ones we did!

I wish I was doing it again now - or, the other one I’d love to do: Canterbury to Rome on the Via Francigena, parts of which I’ve done in Tuscany and Lazio. It takes about 3.5 months, and I' need to do it soon or I’ll be too decrepit! There’s something about a long, long walk.

Many of us have been walking each day during lockdown. And we know that even 15 minutes a day makes a huge difference to us, mentally, physically, emotionally and even spiritually.

2,400 years ago, Hippocrates emphasised that no medication could have such a broad effect as simply putting one foot in front of another. Walking is man’s best medicine, he said. And apparently it can add seven years to your life and improve your health in numerous ways. 

Professor of inherited cardiac diseases in sport cardiology at St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London, Sanjay Sharma suggests: 

“We might never avoid being totally old, but the time we become old may be delayed. When we’re 70, we might look younger and actually live on to our nineties. Workouts by walking actually gives you an extra 3 to 7 years of life.”

And perhaps we are inspired by Colonel Captain Tom and his walk for the NHS, as well.

I’ve just finished reading three GREAT books that I highly recommend, on walking. And you don’t actually HAVE to walk to enjoy them!

Erling Kagge's book is a reflection on a life time of walking  and how walking makes a difference to our lives. He is the first man to have walked to both Poles AND climbed Mt Everest! This is an illuminating examination of the joy of walking, and Kagge’s joy when he walks just shines through. “A walk refreshes and comforts and delights. Shut in at home, I would miserably decay and dry up.”

Bishop Graham Usher's words on how walking impacts our spirituality, our thinking, our looking. How it can be a time for healing, creates space for silence and solitude. Following in the steps of Jesus and other Christians, this book shows us how to walk our way back into Life. I’m devouring this more slowly, taking time to think and pray through it.

“Know how to tramp (ie long-distance walking or hiking) and you know how to live…” Stephen Graham, a man from a previous generation, gives advice on what to take (a collar and tie in your pocket in case you need to enter a bank, for instance) when hiking in the 1920's. Beautifully written and nostalgic! “Don't forget to take the coffee pot ... “ he writes. I loved this little book, and his reflections on people, food, clothes, itinerary - lots of little individual chapters, so easy to pick up and read for a few moments. Originally published in 1926, The Gentle Art of Tramping is a guide for anyone who has dreamed of taking to the road with nothing more than a bag full of essentials and big ideas. It gives guidance on walking, on being open to discovery and on being kind - advice as relevant now as it was then. Again, small chapters so easy to pick up for a few moments to enjoy. It’s a delightful size too - fits in a bag or a pocket easily!

Click on the links above to get your copy of any of them.

WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS

And of course, I have to mention my book of our walk across France! Did you know

• it has lots of colour photos in it, so you can actually see some of the places described in the book

• it’s been listed for the annual Book Awards by the American Library in Paris. The finalists will be announced this autumn. Find out more here

• It’s a travelogue, a memoir, a pilgrimage, and a Francophile’s description of S W France

• It’s also available on Audible. But you can get a signed copy of the book if you click here.

Clockwise from top left: Stuck in a tree, The Green Path, Leaving Drax, pain in Eugenie-les-Bains

A WALKING PARTNER

I find that walking alone enables me to spend time with God. From the very beginning, God wanted a relationship with his people; he went "walking in the garden in the cool of the day" (Genesis 3:8). God created us for the enjoyment of a walking relationship, involving companionship, dialogue, intimacy. In fact, I find it easier to talk to God when I’m out walking, chatting to him in a way I don’t when I’m at home.

Who do you walk with?

Where do you find it easiest to walk with God? To talk to God?

Drop me a line - I’d love to know! And I often pray for people when I walk so let me know how I can be praying for you. (confidentialially; I don’t share it with anyone else)

.

There are some affiliate links in this blog post. If you click through to buy one of the books, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!



WHAT DO YOU SEE? HOW DO YOU SEE?

I took a walk today - one of my usual, quick 4.5 miles in a circle around the local lanes. It’s quick (1 hour 10mins). It’s familiar.

There are pretty places, panoramas, rarely a person. And usually I take a few photos of the beauty to post on social media. I get feed back about the lovely place I live, the glorious walks I can take, how fabulous England is.

I never take photos of the not-so-lovely places I pass. I see the beauty and ignore the bleakness.

Today, it crossed my mind that in nature I only notice the glory. Yet in my life I only notice the gore.

You too?

I look at myself and I see all the faults, all the failures, all the falls.

So today I took photos of the not-so-lovely places I pass, to show you.

As I paused to wield my phone, I reminded myself that yes, there are ugly things in life. I have had times of failure and fall.

AND I have survived, AND I am stronger, AND I am still breathing, AND AND AND

AND … not BUT, AND….

What do you see when you look at yourself? The faults and the failures and the falls? Or the times you picked yourself up, the times you trusted God, the times you helped someone else, how loved you are - by God and by others.

Perhaps it’s not WHAT you see but HOW you see.

See yourself as a beautiful, as loved by God, as AMAZING.

Which direction are you looking - at the gore or the glorious?

Don't forget to sign up and get the free download of 5 ways to have a retreat with God.

And a few of the posts others have found helpful during these pandemically challenging times

• Thriving in online meetings

• heroic, disillusioned or hopeful at the moment?
  

Could you do with help right now?

Tricky times, these. Locked in, locked down, locked up …..

or the busiest you’ve ever been?

Bored at home or frantic at work?

I’ve come across some excellent resources that might be helpful for you too. Things such as Meaningful Meditation, Planning with Help and Hope, Walking (for real or from your armchair) Praying, and Daydreaming.

And let me know what you’re finding helpful during these pandemically challenging times.

MEANINGFUL MEDITATION

MEANINGFUL MEDITATION is offered by Olivia Shone a couple of times a week (for free! Thank you, Olivia!) There’s something extraordinarily helpful about being led in this. Olivia says:

Find... Peace | Strength | Freedom

Meaningful offers a welcoming space to individuals to find fullness of life. Experience peace instead of stress, discover strength in the face of life's challenges and find a freedom to live life fully. Meaningful meditation draws on ancient contemplative traditions and also uses modern techniques to offer a 'heavenly' experience that flows over into the 'everyday' so that a richer, stronger, fuller life is experienced. Meaningful mediataios are available on Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings. Find out more about Olivia and how to sign up here. She writes: How certain are you feeling at the moment? We’ve just had an announcement from the PM which might have left you feeling a little uncertain as to what exactly is permitted and is safe.  We are still living in uncertain times. However certainty is also a quality of our experience and is something that can be cultivated within and is not dependent on outward circumstances. (Here’s the secret:  we can know inner calm, stability and certainty despite our circumstances!  I have personally found this to be true over the personal challenges of the last 8 years of my life.)

Join her on Zoom this week for some inner calm!

PLANNING WITH HOPE AND HELP - Developing a bigger vision

Praying for your family, especially your children, nephews and nieces, grandchildren, cousins, can be a chore or a delight, a burden or a blessing. Susan Yates has just produced a free online resource to accompany her book, Cousin Camp. The free book is available on her website, and includes 100 ideas of activities for children of all ages to do this summer, even when you’re At Home! “One of the things we need most during this time is a Grand Vision,” says Susan. “Determine to dream big. Ask God to show you new things about Himself. Ask Him to give you a new vision for your family…”

The main book, Cousin Camp, is full of amazing ways to have a family reunion, whether it’s all the family, the young ones, cousins, nephews and nieces … loads of ideas.

The free resource is a very practical way to plan and dream big right now! Start planning now - and why not begin with this little free resource you can get here. I found it inspirational and very practical too.

WALKING - From the comfort of home!

I’ve just finished reading three GREAT books that I highly recommend, on walking. 2,400 years ago, Hippocrates emphasised that no medication could have such a broad effect as simply putting one foot in front of another. Walking is man’s best medicine, he said. Perhaps we are inspired by Colonel Captain Tom and his walk for the NHS …..

Erling Kagge's reflections on a life time of walking  and how walking makes a difference to our lives. He is the first man to have walked to both Poles AND climbed Mt Everest! This is an illuminating examination of the joy of walking, and Kagge’s joy when he walks just shines through. “A walk refreshes and comforts and delights. Shut in at home, I would miserably decay and dry up.”

Bishop Graham Usher's words on how walking impacts our spirituality, our thinking, our looking. How it can be a time for healing, creates space for silence and solitude. Following in the steps of Jesus and other Christians, this book shows us how to walk our way back into Life. I’m devouring this more slowly, taking time to think and pray through it.

“Know how to tramp (ie long-distance walking or hiking) and you know how to live…” Stephen Graham, a man from a previous generation, gives advice on what to take (a collar and tie in your pocket in case you need to enter a bank, for instance) when hiking in the 1920's. Beautifully written and nostalgic! Don't forget the coffee pot ... I loved this little book, and his refections on people, food, clothes, itinerary - lots of little individual chapters, so easy to pick up and read for a few moments. ‘Originally published in 1926, The Gentle Art of Tramping is a guide for anyone who has dreamed of taking to the road with nothing more than a bag full of essentials and big ideas. It gives guidance on walking, being open to discovery and being kind - advice as relevant now as it was then.’ Again, small chapters so easy to pick up for a few moments to enjoy. It’s a delightful size too - fits in a bag or a pocket easily!

Click on the links above to get your copy of any of them.

DAILY ONLINE PRAYER: LECTIO 365

I’ve been listening to/using the LEctio 365 daily devotional while I walk.

It’s a brief yet profound 8-10 minutes of praise, reading, thought, prayer, and is currently doing a series on how to pray, based on Pete Grieg’s Book “How to Pray for normal people.” I love the succinct but meaningful reflections - some days that’s all I can cope with in these difficult times. Some days it gets me through. Some days it gives me a lot to think about. Written by the 24/7 prayer team and CWR, it’s based on the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, and on six practices that help us live like Jesus - prayer, mission, justice, creativity, hospitality and learning. Just download the (free) app and off you go.

The book’s quite good too!

DAYDREAMING - a lost art

A website with an article on daydreaming that I found interesting and helpful. I used to day dream, as a moody teenager; it’s something I’d forgotten about - and forgotten how to do. Maybe I need a hammock for a sunny Sunday afternoon ….. to relax and dream …..

photo by Avas Sol from Unsplash

Just a few box sets of the VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE still available at a third off the retail price. Click here to order.

There are some affiliate links in this blog post. If you click through to buy one of the books, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

HOW TO THRIVE IN ONLINE MEETINGS

NOT MERELY SURVIVE!

FACE TO FACE – via technology

Coping with the new normal is a steep learning curve.

I’ve been talking with a number of others, including a psychotherapist, my Supervisor, and a Counsellor, about how to survive the intensity of an hour speaking with someone via Skype or Zoom or whatever.

And we all agree how tiring it is.



 Here's what we’ve learned:

• Sit back from the screen and have not just your face but also most of your upper body visible, to help the other person. Staring at a vast face filling the whole screen and staring back at you is tiring. Don’t be afraid to ask at the beginning of the session: Is this all right? Do you need to see more of my face, my body?   Just seeing a face/s means there’s no other body language to observe and that’s tiring. 

• Choose the background carefully. A blank wall is easier to watch than a busy background which can be distracting, even if sub consciously. Zoom allows you to change your background and have waves rolling in or the northern lights behind you – but actually a moving background may not be helpful, and just a plain calm neutral background is easier for the other person. Don't be afraid to ask the person you are talking to for a plain wall behind them.

Here's where I used to sit for onscreen meetings. It's busy; you're already looking to see if you recognise any books, which is distracting for you. And subconsciously it says "look at me, I've got all these books in my study ..."

• Sit lower than your screen and look slightly up.  No one wants to peer up your nostrils which is what happens if you are looking down at your screen. And looking down on others is not good body language. If you are using a laptop or iphone, prop them higher on a pile of books or something, so that you are looking slightly up to the screen. If you have a set desktop screen, get a lower chair.

So here's what I'm now doing - a blank wall, screen slightly higher (in fact I usually have it a bit higher than this, balanced on some books!) Light on my face so you can see my features - some of those faces on the multi screen above are almost in darkness and you have to peer and concentrate to see them. And honestly?  - better without the scarf. Keep it simple!

• Find a quiet room where you won’t be disturbed. Or overheard. Again, that’s easier if you are using a moveable device. If there are others in the house, tell them you don’t want to be disturbed. Preferably lock the door, especially if small children are likely to burst in while you are talking.

• An hour may be too long, even if that’s your normal session. Better to do little and often. Don’t be afraid to say enough’s enough, let’s do it again soon. Whether that’s family, friends or clients. This is an intense way to be with another person, there are none of the usual nuances of the physical presence, and there’s little opportunity to look away. We are concentrating the whole time – and that’s tiring. As is seeing a face fill the whole screen. With family and friends, do other things and chat alongside. Maybe eat together and chat, as you would normally, rather than staring at the face on the screen.

• Wear lipstick. It makes you look and feel more put-together even when you’re not and are not sporting any other makeup or have not plucked your eyebrows. Those can’t be seen anyway but lipstick, bright and bold, makes an impact. Sorry, men, no idea what your equivalent is.

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION and counselling.

• Preparation before and reflection afterwards. These normally happen while you are travelling to and from your session. Remember to build in time around the session for this. Even if it’s only 5 – 10 minutes, take the time in prayer and quietness, in order to hear the Lord and to make the most of your session. Schedule in 10-15 mins prior to the appointment, to get ready physically, emotionally and spiritually; and the same afterwards to pray and process and reflect.

• Have calm and quiet around you.  If your desk is cluttered and there are unpaid bills or stuff needing urgent attention, you will be distracted. Try to make a clear space with nothing else to take you mind off what is going on.  And remove your mobile phone as well - even that is distracting, for you and for others.

• Have a candle ready, if possible.  Usually you come into the house, there's chat, making coffee  – and then there's movement to the counselling room or study, to settle into a quiet space, pray, take time to BE. That is a ritual which makes a difference, although you may not have realised it! On screen, the temptation is to go straight into the session with no time to “be” in each other’s presence or indeed that of the Lord. So, at the start of the session,  have a few moments to catch up socially, then take a deep breath, each light a candle,  and have a few moments of silence, followed by prayer, to journey from everyday life into this sacred space.

What have you found helpful? How do you cope with online meetings and sessions? 

I've almost had it with this lockdown - haven't you? So I'm escaping by reading books set in other places. And there are still just a few sets of the VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE  books available, so you can escape to Spain or France or Northumberland and walk with the authors through beautiful countryside and go deeper with God as they walk. Buying the set gives you A THIRD OFF RETAIL PRICE.  Great as a gift too - have it sent direct to that person with a birthday coming up! To order click here:

How to plan a GFR for after lockdown

As heroic moves into disillusionment (see last week’s blog on these stages of lockdown) don’t we need some hope, something to look forward to? What better than to start planning for a Great Family Reunion. Or a get-together with friends. Or neighbours. Or everyone. 

2016 Cousin Camp

Me, I’m still hoping (against hope) that we can have Cousin Camp this year. All 6 grandchildren for two nights and three days, without their parents, who are allowed to go off in their pairs and enjoy some child-free time. We, the grandparents, do it every year, for as many of the grandchildren as we can – with 2 of them living in the USA it’s not always possible to have all 6, but this summer the American contingent were due to be coming here for a few weeks. This will be our fifth annual Cousin Camp; they love coming and anticipate it excitedly asking what this year’s theme will be and can they eat jelly with chopsticks again please please please. 

I first heard about Cousin Camp from my dear friend Susan Yates, when we lived in the USA. She and her husband John have 21 grandkids and have been celebrating Cousin Camp for over a decade. She has shared ideas and creativity and suggestions about it; and I’ve gratefully translated them into ‘English English’ (as opposed to what ‘American English’ Cousin Camp might look like).

Imagine my joy when she told me she was writing a book about how to do it! And kindly asked me to contribute some of my ideas.  

“COUSIN CAMP - a grandparents guide to creating fun, faith and memories that last.”

The book is easy to read, packed full of ideas and suggestions and is applicable not just to Cousin Camp but also to family reunions, friends’ get-togethers, marrieds or singles hosting ….  There are pages for your notes, suggestions as you read through on how to implement your own ideas and re-create those of others.   In fact, it’s a treasure trove and I highly recommend you hop on over (to your favourite on-line bookseller) and get a copy and start planning for your own event so that as soon as we’re able to see family and friends you’re ready to go with the Big Celebration. Looking forward to that with Hope and expectation! 

What are you planning to do once lockdown is over?

2018 Cousin Camp

AND – there’s another special box set available for you, to read while you’re not able to go for long walks.

Virtual Pilgrimage: 3 authors on their own pilgrimages: a box set with over a third off the retail price. Full details here. Only 20 sets available - GOING DEEPER, the first set, sold out in a week, so order this one soon.

TAKING MY GOD FOR A WALK by Tony Collins - battling inner turmoil while battling blisters on 400 miles of the Camino de Santiago

THE MAKING OF US by Sheridan Voysey - walking from Lindisfarne to Durham, while coming to terms with booked dreams and plans

WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS by Penelope Swithinbank - crossing France on foot from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, rebuilding a marriage one step at a time

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 !

order your set here

Heroic, Disillusioned or Hopeful?

How are you doing? How are we ALL doing in these tricky and difficult times? Some better, some not so good, I’m sure. I recently heard someone talk about the three stages of difficult times: heroic - disillusioned - hopeful. 

Where are we on that journey?

 We began full of heroism. People are helpful, people are valiant, people put themselves at risk in order to help others. And we’ve seen this in so many areas already in the first days of this pandemic.  We are doing our best, we have family or friends working at the front line, in hospitals, supermarkets, schools …. There are cheering stories of what some are doing to help, the hours they are working, the risks they are taking in order to do all they can in such circumstances. And we are grateful to them for what they are doing.

And then comes bad news – someone we know, someone close to us, maybe a family member or good friend, becomes ill, succumbs to the illness, is taken into ICU. The shocking news of our Prime Minister too. And we fear the worst. Who is running the country? Who is control? No-one? The ground slips underneath our feet, our security is threatened, and at the same time our income is also under threat or may already have slipped, slithered, drained away. Where can we turn? 

We are disillusioned – or worse. Will this never end? Is it really going on for 12 – 18 months as some have suggested? We know we can’t do this.  Disillusionment sets in. We’re in this for the long haul and it’s exhausting, unbearable, undo-able.

 Or is it?

Because, eventually, the end WILL be in sight, the number of cases WILL drop, there WILL be good stories of many who recover from the illness. Hope will fill us and we will move forward together and individually as we see that there will be an end. Maybe we realise we’ll emerge stronger – changed yes, but shaped and sharpened by what we have been through. Hope will dawn and grow in us and we’ll press forward towards the light of hope and new beginnings. There’ll be the most huge celebrations and rejoicings. A world party perhaps; family and friends will rejoice and hug and BE together.

And isn’t that the story of Holy Week?  Where we are right now.  Sunday was Palm Sunday, the day recalling Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, celebrated by the crowds, hearing the cheering and the shouting and the celebrations and joy. HOSANNA! they all shouted. “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!” (a)  It was all very heroic in the face of those turning against Jesus. They’d tried to stone him (b) and the religious leaders were planning and plotting to end it all (c)

They wanted him dead. (d) 

Yet in the face of danger, here’s the heroic King of Kings, coming on a mere donkey,

and there’s defiance to the danger and heroism in the heat of the moment.

 It's followed by disillusionment. By things going badly wrong. By betrayal, loneliness, isolation: danger, death. The heroic seems to have been in vain and the secure ground has gone. 

The leader become the led and the triumph becomes the down trodden. 

Had it all been worth it? And the darkness of Friday and Saturday seem overwhelming. Hosanna becomes crucify, life seems finished. (e)

It’s the end of life as we’d known it.

Craigie Aitchison 1926-2009

 But wait. There’s more. 

 We know the end of the story. Crucify becomes a Hallelujah - there’s hope and there’s joy. There’s new life and new beginnings. It’s different  - but it’s better. 

Easter Sunday is coming. 

 So hold on. Hold on to Hope. 

We are the Easter People and Allelujah is our song

Those words of St Augustine, quoted by Pope Paul John II, have perhaps never been more appropriate than they are this year. St Augustine went on:

“Now therefore, friends, we urge you to praise God. That is what we are all telling each other when we say Alleluia. You say to your neighbour, “Praise the Lord!” and he says the same to you. We are all urging one another to praise the Lord … But see that your praise comes from your whole being; in other words, see that you praise God not with your lips and voices alone, but with your minds, your lives and all your actions.”

Move from disillusionment to hope; from death to life; from despair to joy. We are an Easter people and we know the end of the story - death has been conquered and Christ is Risen.

Let’s raise an Alleluia!

(a) John 12:13-14, NLT

(b) John 11:8

(c) John 11: 47-57

(d) John 11: 47-57

(e) John 19:30