3 weeks of Pilgrimage: Coventry Cathedral to Bath Abbey September 2023

Coventry Cathedral to Bath Abbey

200 miles of a solo pilgrimage to celebrate my 70th birthday and raise sponsorships money for the work of IJM - read on for more details!

My last solo pilgrimage was The Pilgrim’s Way, from Winchester to Canterbury - two years ago. Time to don the boots and backpack again…..

Walking to help Women

trapped in slavery and sex trafficking

by supporting the work of International Justice Mission (IJM)

September 2023

Part of the celebrations for my 70th birthday! 

Today, there are over 40 million people trapped in slavery who need rescue.

WHO or WHAT IS IJM?

“ IJM ** is the largest international anti-slavery organization.  We work in almost 20 communities around the world to fight for justice on behalf of those who are being oppressed.  Because of IJM supporters, families have been freed from slavery, girls from brothels and children from cybersex trafficking. ”

You can read more about IJM and its work here

But there are still 40 million people who are waiting for rescue, restoration and justice. And that depends on IJM supporters—people like you & me.

So I‘m walking about 200 hundred miles in September 2023, from Coventry Cathedral to Bath Abbey, aiming to raise funds through sponsorship to help the mission of IJM – to help end slavery in our lifetime.

My route is a (fairly flat!) canal and river walk, starting from Coventry Cathedral, along the Coventry Canal to Hawkesbury Junction, then south on the Oxford Canal via Rugby and Banbury to Oxford Cathedral; the Thames Path will take me from Oxford through Abingdon and Pangbourne, on to Reading, where I turn west along the Kennet and Avon Canal past Hungerford, Newbury and Pewsey to Bath Abbey.  Some 200 miles.

 WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

-        Pray. Pray, pray, pray for the work of IJM.  Pray for the walk, for safety, for strength and for determination to finish and walk every single step from Coventry Cathedral to Bath Abbey.

-        Provide a bed or a meal along the way. Do you live near the route? Could you pick me up from the path, drive me to your home and give me DBnB for a night? (and take me back the next morning!)

-        Promenade. Join me for a day to walk.  Ask others to sponsor you too for IJM for the miles you walk.

-        Pledge Sponsor the miles I do by making a donation to my IJM fundraising page on JUSTGIVING:  www.justgiving.com/page/coventry-bath-pilgrimage  

** IJM was founded by Gary Haugen, who was a member of the church where I served in ministry in Virginia. IJM is now a global organisation, partnering with local justice systems to end violence against people living in poverty, with the aim TO END SLAVERY, TRAFFICKING AND VIOLENCE.

Read the story of how IJM began and where it is today here

By giving, you will help send freedom, protection and justice to people in urgent need, and help IJM's local teams and partners walk with people who have experienced violence and slavery so they can rebuild their lives in freedom.

I'd love to raise £10 for every mile I walk.

Would you help me do this with a small contribution towards my goal?

And then together we can support IJM and their valuable work around the globe to help those who need it most and end slavery, trafficking and violence.

Thank you in advance for whatever you're able to donate. I'll be posting on my website at the end of each day's walk, so you can follow my progress there!

And do come and join me for a day of walking along the way if you'd like to - and maybe have your friends sponsor you too to add to the amount we can raise for IJM.

Sponsor my walk for IJM here Thank you.

Proposed itinerary/mileage The plan (subject to finalisation at the moment!) :

Part One: Coventry and Oxford Canals 

Coventry Cathedral to Oxford Cathedral

Part Two: Thames Path

Oxford Cathedral to Reading

Part Three: Kennet and Avon Canal

Reading to Bath Abbey

A Book in Time

What an entertaining idea - to write the history of a book from the book's perspective! Spanning nearly 250 years, this beautifully-bound, first edition book of poems by Miss Emily Swanson travels from owner to owner, back and forth to France, is stored away, restored, and at the end, resurrected into new eternal life.

During its life time, the book is 'owned', cared for and adopted by interesting and famous people, such as Charlotte Brontë, Sylvia Beach, Sarah Grand - and meets many more authors, suffragettes and ordinary people. But the book always feels itself to be an orphan, longing to be reunited with its birth mother. And maybe that is the story of the author himself, who was adopted as a small child.

"Books can be both a blessing and a curse ....they can carry traces, memories of the times in your life when you read them, and those memories can sometimes be traumatic, tarnishing the value of the books in your estimation.... Books are like people. They come into our lives just when you need them ..."

This book has many quotes, alludes to many others, and is a gem of insights and information about literature, showing a wide knowledge of and love of writing. It is feels like years of research and and a deep love for literature and for specific books - such as the beautiful and gorgeously bound old book that is the narrator of this (alas paperback!) book.

And by the end - spoiler alert - the book is transported, from its futuristic destruction to a new and glorious eternal life, as the sun kisses the sea and the winter is truly over.

Perhaps above all this is a love story - about the longings we each have to be loved and cherished, to know and be known.

I enjoyed reading this, I enjoyed the literary associations and I enjoyed the ending. The only part I found uninteresting was the fantasy/futuristic chapters, which is just not my 'thing' but the rest was immensely fascinating. Well done to the author for being awarded the inaugural Page Turner Award For Fiction for this book.

THE HEART AND THE CROWN

A fictionalised account of Henry VIII - told from the King's point of view. There seem to be many books written about each of his six wives; but to read of Henry from age 10 until his death brought a new light on to the life of this famous monarch. He began life as 'the spare' to his older brother Arthur, Price of Wales, a serious young man who was perhaps idolised by the young Henry, even though Henry was the more healthy, sporty, intelligent of the two.

Famed for his six wives, Henry was a powerful monarch who had to deal with foreign alliances and wars, warring factions in his own court and in the government, powerful families vying for more power, and religious changes in the church at home and abroad. He was able to use capable and brilliant men - Wolsey, More, Cromwell; but each ended up dead following their fall from favour. As the aging Henry has to come to terms with his own infallibility and likely death due to his ill health, the author skilfully shows how this king had changed the course of English history throughout his reign.

The early chapters (and they are long chapters) dragged somewhat with their endless descriptions of clothes, pageants, sports and food. And more food and lengthy generous feasts. But then that built up a picture of life in Tudor times, and created a framework for all that followed. I admit I did skim through some of those descriptions, however.

Each chapter is of a year of the King's reign. Occasionally it reads like the Court Diary; but again it builds up the full picture of what life was like for Henry and for those who surrounded him. Beset with fears for his throne and from threats to his power, Henry felt he had to do all he could to maintain the aura of power, wealth and privilege due to a King, and a Tudor King at that.

About half way through, I realised I was gripped by the book and instead of giving up, just had to read to the end. I'm glad I did. However, I confess it took me a long time to read the whole book, as the writing is dense and the events endless. It is, nonetheless, an excellent book, especially as it is one of the few I've read (and I studied Tudor history to uni level ) that focus on seeing the period through the eyes of Henry himself.

One of the areas I found most fascinating was the growth of the reformers - those within and without the church who wanted to reform theology and belief and practice, based on the ideas and writings of men on the Continent such as Erasmus, Luther and Calvin. The writings and research of Henry’s last wife, Kathering Parr, a young woman in the early thirties who favoured the reforms, was very interesting. She was perhaps the first woman to have her work published in England. Alongside her ideas and successful translations of the Psalms one sees the torture and killings of those lower down the social scale who were also influenced by the reformation, and how much they endured, to the bitter end, for the sake of the gospel.

This is an extraordinary story of how a man with so much in his favour when he was young, grew into an almost bitter old man, and of the fears and failures, longings and need of love shaped a whole life. A book well worth persevering with to the end.

Many thanks to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this. All views are my own.

Pre-Easter retreat: one for you and one for a friend

A little act of kindness can go a long way to making someone’s day special. Treat yourself to this retreat and receive one for a friend for free.

Reflections for Holy Week Retreat

Share this special pre-Easter retreat and give yourself and someone else a sweet moment, some special ‘me-time with the Lord.’

Simply purchase ONE online retreat and then email me the name and email address of your chosen friend and you will each receive the retreat FOR FREE!

I’ve created this special reflection time for you to use either by yourself or with a friend or family member, to think about the three special days of Holy Week. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Saturday. An hour for each.

You might spend an hour each day using the relevant materials. Or you might take 3 hours, perhaps on Good Friday during the hours on the Cross (12-3) or late Saturday night, and do all three sections together.

Whichever you do, you’ll have:

• 3 x 1 hour sessions, each with a Youtube video. These each include reflections and readings, contemplative prayer, times of quiet, ideas for your own prayers and thoughts.

• Resources and Information Booklet

• downloadable journal

• forever access to the materials so that you can use them at a time that works for you.

To purchase your retreat, click here. It’s just £8, including a FREE one for you to gift to a friend.

What others have said after Advent and Lent retreats:
Such a good idea and this and the Advent online resources you put together are HUGELY appreciated, thank you 😊 - Jo

I want to thank you for Saturday morning. It feels as though words aren't going to be sufficient, that time and space transcended words as only time with God truly can. But you put the event together, led us through the morning and took us all together to receive from Christ. It was a truly wonderful morning, thank you, thank you. I sat in my drawing room on a very comfy sofa, the sounds of outside disappeared, the light was tranquil and the space was stilled. As with the August course you took each of us together but individually to sit with Christ, to receive His comfort and encouragements and just bathe in His presence. It was so very special. - Isobel

Thank you Penelope. I was wondering how I would cope with three hours of zoom but the time has gone too quickly and so peacefully and prayerfully a truly beautiful time with the Lord. Thank you so much. - Fran

Thank you so much for the Lent retreat on Saturday. It was a real gift (and so are you), and a gift that keeps on giving as I reflect on the resources section. - Rev C.H.

Register NOW to get this special offer and make someone’s day special!

Purchase the retreat HERE and then EMAIL ME your friend’s email address and you’ll each receive everything you need for your special retreat, sent to you personally.

You can register here

May you know the power of the Cross and the joy of the Resurrection this Easter

Cuckoo In the Nest

5 *****

I managed to resist reading this in one sitting; it was late at night and I forced myself to put the book down and turn off the light. So it was two sittings. Because this is a page-turner full of characters who are flawed, as we all are, and who grab your attention and make you want to know what will happen. Will the narrator, a foster child of 14, ever be accepted, will she ever be able to return home, what will happen to her? And to all the others - who suffer from various addictions. Alcoholism, anxiety, anorexia, adultery, addictive compulsive disorder; comfort eating and bullying and unhappiness. It's all there, and all told with sympathy and understanding, and, I believe, from something of the author's own experiences.

This book is not afraid to address people's issues, and does so in a gentle yet deeply understanding way. It is well written yet in an easily-read style, with a touch of humour, of intelligent understanding, and with an empathy that draws the reader in. Will there be a sequel, to let us know whether the narrator not just survives but hopefully thrives? I do hope so!

I'm grateful to Netgalley for allowing me to read a pre-publication edition. This is my own honest opinion of the book.

Facing a new, uncertain year? Needing some inspirational good stuff?

Of course, none of us knows what actually lies ahead. But it’s uncertain just because we DON’T know. And I for one tend to worry about the unknown and then it gets magnified beyond all reasonableness. You too?

I’m often looking for some inspiration, support, suggestions & ideas - good stuff that doesn’t cost a fortune, is easy to read or follow, and doesn’t require a small mortgage.

Isaiah 46:9-11 tells us that God knows how things are going to turn out, even before they happen. He declares the end from the beginning and things that are not yet done. What a relief that He knows, and we don’t have to. Most of the future things I worry about don't actually ever happen or at least not in the way I envisaged or worried about!

We can trust the unknown future to a known God, as someone once said. The Living Bible translation of Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.”

I’ve put together some helpful resources for you as you go into this new year, new season. Some small, some larger. All to inspire, encourage, support and enthuse.

• A five session retreat

• 2 compact but powerful ebooks to download (extremely affordable!)

• a downloadable journal to cheer up February

• one-to-one sessions: time with someone to pray with, to cry with, unburden to, to chat to about faith, help you reflect on what God may be saying to you in this season, and encourage you to go deeper.

the SPICE RETREAT

The Spice Retreat: 5 sessions to do at your own pace, perhaps once a week, or over a weekend. Your choice.

You can read more about it and sign up here.

Three downloadables including a Journal

Three downloadables to help you in your everyday walk with the Lord. Click on the titles to order and download.

The FAB FEB JOURNAL - Cheer up February with this 42 page journal, designed to help you not just survive but THRIVE during the dark days of February! Newly updated for 2023 and packed with suggestions, meditations, reflections and fun ideas for you to enjoy. Just £3

ENCOUNTERING GOD - NEWLY UPDATED AND EXPANDED EDITION. 35 pages of easy-to-practice ways of drawing closer to God as you walk either out in the countryside, around the block or even mentally in your armchair! With ideas for adapting these to use at home or in your small group. Spiritual Exercises rewritten for everyday use in the 21st century. £3

BECOMING YOUR BEST YOU - Here are some of my top tips to help you become your best YOU as God intended. A short, easy-to-read and easy-to-implement guide of 6 simple steps you can use in your everyday life. Things that you can slip into your daily routine that make a real difference. Includes ideas for gratitude, work and rest, praying, and more.  Small investment for great growth! Only £2

Check them all out here

Or maybe you just need a listening ear?

Someone to listen, to pray with, to cry with, unburden to? Or you’re looking for someone to chat to about faith, who would listen, help you reflect on what God may be saying to you in this season, and encourage you to go deeper in prayer and Bible study?

A ‘Spiritual Companion’ or ‘Spiritual Accompanier’ - the traditional title is Spiritual Director. Spiritual Direction is a one-on-one session, when someone, who has specifically trained for this, offers a safe and confidential space for you to talk and think and discuss; and to think about what God might be saying and doing in your life. A safe place, with total confidentiality, and the opportunity and space to reflect on God’s presence in your life. A typical session lasts just under an hour, is totally confidential, and takes place usually once every 6 – 8 weeks, although some people prefer termly and sometimes people need once a week. Or even a single session as a one-off. Whatever is helpful right now. Your choice! 

I have been offering Spiritual Direction for nearly 20 years; I currently have space for you if you’d like to try a session with me. You can read a little more about it here; then email me if you’d like to book a session.

* * * * * * *

All this for your new year. To help turn ashes to beauty, water to wine, broken to restored.

Because our God is a God of making all things new, of making a road through the desert places and bringing hope to the broken hearted.

Have you looked back with gratitude and looked forward with grace?

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! Why not get hold of the inspirational resources, and commit just a little time to reset and renew and restore, ready for whatever 2023 has in store!

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD

Happy New Year

2023

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, ‘Who am I, O LordGod, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? ....You know your servant. For your servant’s sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all these great deeds, making known all these great things. There is no one like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears....And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant;  therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue for ever before you. For you, O Lord, have blessed and are blessed for ever.’   from  1 Chronicles 17 (NRSVUK)

What follows is the final email sent to subscribers of my monthly newsletter; it’s going out on Wednesday December 28th.

Sending this in the gap between Christmas and New Year, thinking you might have time to read it!  And yes - it is my very last email to you....

Looking Back and Looking Forward - 

- a time to reasses, relinquish and reset

- celebrating some birthdays, including Amazing Grace

- and a farewell

What are you doing over the next few days? In the UK, Monday January 2nd, is a public holiday, and Scotland has Tuesday off as well! 

Maybe there'll be a moment or two, either now or over the next few days, to do as King David did, and look back and then look forward as you sit in the Lord's Presence.  David prayerfully noticed where the Lord blessed him in the past, and committed his future to God. 

The New Year is often a time for resolutions  - sometimes the same ones of yet again resolving to lose weight, get fit (ter), eat healthily,  and so on.  I've learned the hard way that making New Year Resolutions just sets me up to fail, and it's a burden I can do without.

Instead, I like to use the opportunity to look back and notice where the Lord has blessed, led and guided me, and thank Him for all He has done and given in the past twelve months. And then look forward into the coming year and commit it to Him, asking for Him to guide and lead me as I step into both what's known and what's unknown. 

It can be that simple; with a fragrant coffee, my Bible, my journal and decent pen. In a warm, quiet place where I can curl up and enjoy the time of reflection. Preferably with a wonderful log fire too!

Or it could be a much more in-depth time, based on the Examen. I like the Q&A approach by Stephen W. Smith:

“The Great Annual Examen”. It’s a simple question and reflect exercise. You will work through questions that help reflect on the past year and anticipate the coming year. It’s called the “Examen” because in this exercise we take an examination of how we’ve “done” in life—on the journey and in different aspects. In some ways, many of us will admit that this past year has “undone” us. We’ve felt spent, done, or merely surviving, and, perhaps, barely surviving at that! However you reflect upon this past year, it’s my hope that you’ll have a GPS—a marker that will help you discern where you are, how you are, and where you want to go this next year."  You can find it here. 

 A BIG BIRTHDAY!

There's one special big birthday to be celebrated on January 1st!

Looking back: ' I once was lost ... was blind .. Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come...'

Looking forward: 'Twas grace that brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home'

It is thought that John Newton, former slave trader, now priest in charge of St Peter and St Paul Church in Olney, composed the hymn Amazing Grace to accompany his sermon to be preached on New Year's day January 1st 1773. 

The much-loved hymn is therefore 250 years old on New Year's Day! More about the hymn and its birthday celebrations can be found here.

 And there's another Big Birthday - my own! 

Turning 70 this spring. It seems like a big milestone, and there are some exciting things planned to celebrate! Some friends and I are going to Lee Abbey for a retreat led by Jill Weber; I'm planning a loooong solo walk visiting cathedrals and churches in September (probably about 230 miles with friends hopefully joining me for a day every so often; Coventry/Oxford/Abingdon/Reading/Bath/Bristol.  The keen-eyed will spot that it's all on canals and rivers!)

So it's a time to re-asses and I've spent some time over the past months thinking and praying about what the next decade will look like, as I give thanks for the blessings of the past decade. There have indeed been huge highs and enormous lows; the blessings have included YOU and these emails; running The Vine Retreat House for 5 years; publishing two more books; moving home to Bath and becoming a volunteer chaplain at Bath Abbey; developing a ministry of Spiritual Direction/Companion to a number of people including some in the USA and America as well as the UK (overseas ones might not have happened had it not been for Covid getting us all used to Zoom!) 

RELINQUISHMENT has been a positive and life-giving word for me recently. It applies to many different areas of life and brings a freedom and lifts many burdens! Releases one from the oughts and shoulds and have-to's. 

- I'm relinquishing the walking pilgrimages I've loved leading over the years, the Cotswolds, Cornwall, the Via Francigena in Italy. Cornwall in May was definitely the last Big Walk Pilgrimage. I wonder how many miles I've walked over the years, leading pilgrimages ..... 

- I'm relinquishing the writing - no more books! It's not the writing of them (I'm still scribbling!) it's the marketing and publicity that authors now have to do to sell the books; I absolutely loathe it, find it hard to promote myself and now don't need to do it anymore. Relief!

I still have signed copies of WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS and SCENT OF WATER available through the website so do order soon while they're still available. And a few vintage pre-loved copies of WOMEN BY DESIGN too.

- I'm relinquishing Social Media! Actually that's a huge relief. So my SPARKLE & GO DEEPER page will cease. I'll pop into Insta and FB occasionally, probably, to keep up with you all, but otherwise, SM will no longer be necessary. Phew! I've already closed my LinkedIN and Twitter accounts. 

- I'm relinquishing these emails. It's been fun to write to you regularly and I've loved being in touch and loved hearing from many of you when you reply. It's been great to feature books by Christian authors and have giveaways for you. But I no longer need to write them nor do you need to read them! This is indeed the very last. 

It's time to hand the baton on to other (younger!) inspiring people, and I know many of you read and follow other Christian writers and retreat leaders.

WHAT I WILL BE DOING

Because I don't intend to sit still and knit (I don't and can't do either!)

- Spiritual Direction/Companionship will continue both with those I already see, and with some new ones, I prayerfully hope. It's an opportunity to chat about your faith, reflect on what the Lord might be saying to you and where He might be leading you, and to encourage you to go deeper in your relationship with Him.  It's available on Zoom or in person. So geography is no hindrance!  Let me know if you might be interested to find out more. (And there's a bit more about it on my website: Have a look at what it offers.  )

 - McCabe Pilgrimages.  I led a McCabe group to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau in September, and really appreciated and enjoyed the McCabe  organisation. They offer pilgrimages of all kinds and types, and have invited me to lead more of their special holidays. 

In MAY 2024 my husband and I are leading a trip to the churches of Asia Minor in Turkey. If you'd like details when they are available please hit reply and let me know and I'll add you to the list. It will probably include Cappadocia as well. It promises to be quite a trip!

I'm also talking with them about possibly leading a tour of South India including learning more about Amy Carmichael and her ministry and writings, as well as the ancient Christian influences there.   Again, let me know if you might be interested in that.  Details of current trips and others are on the McCabe website.  My groups will be no more than 25, so let me know if you're interested.

- The website and its blog will continue and there might possibly be the occasional blog for you to read!  Updates about the Pilgrimages will be there too. So keep an eye on that if you're interested in travelling with me to interesting places. When there is an article or news, I'll post the link on FB and Insta for you.

 - Spending more time with personal commitments! Husband, family, travelling, volunteering at Bath Abbey, reading, walking ..... And helping with our family Property portfolio, particularly the holiday one with two glorious apartments in Cornwall  

- Possibly moving house to be nearer Bath, our family, friends, church, home group, the Abbey, doctor -  because at the moment we drive in and out many times each week! Downsizing, relinquishing, becoming a one-car household instead of two. Less to worry about and care for, more time for others and other commitments. 

Our current home will go on the market in mid January; please pray there's a buyer for it! We will have lived here for nearly 6 years; apart from the 12 years in Stamford, it's the longest either of us have ever lived anywhere in our entire lives! 

As I look back at all that the Lord has blessed me with over this past decade, at all the difficulties and dangers He has faithfully led me through  even when it included a broken heart, I can truly sing,

'Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come; 

'Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, 

And grace will lead me home'

May that be true for you too as you look back over the past and look forward to new adventures with Jesus!  

LIVING ADVENTUROUSLY THROUGH ADVENT

I don’t know about you, but I need help for that! And I’m always delighted to find new inspiration. I want to live ADVENTurously, differently, inspiringly, over these next few weeks. Yes, they’ll be busy, but they can also be special; a glorious adventure, as we journey to the manger and anticipate His second coming. You can read more about that here But only FOUR WEEKS? Why not make it SIX WEEKS of enjoyment?

Six weeks to -

- PAUSE

- PREPARE

- PRAY & PRAISE

We are used to 4 weeks of Advent. From childhood we’ve enjoyed an Advent calendar with 25 little doors, one to open each day. Traditionally, each door opened to show a small picture or painting illustrating an aspect of the Christmas story as told in the Gospels. You begin on December 1st and on the 25th, the door opens on to the full stable glory with the baby in a manger. My grandchildren greedily enjoy a chocolate behind each door. The only time of the year they are allowed chocolate before school each morning!

I’ve recently seen Advent calendars for adults with miniature bottles of alcohol, expensive perfumes or designer cosmetics, retailing for hundreds of pounds!

What would Jesus say, I ask myself. Expecting Him to be negative, judgmental, disapproving.

A little voice said, He enjoyed partying when He was in human form. And maybe, just maybe, one person will discover the real meaning of Christmas even through one of those adult calendars. In which case, isn’t it worth it?

ADVENT is the start of the church calendar and begins four Sundays before Christmas - so a little longer than the Advent calendars. November 27th 2022.

Which is odd as Christmas Day 2022 is a Sunday so to my unmathematical mind that makes 5 Sundays this time!

Maybe it’s a good time for a new beginning, at the start of the church new year? A new way to pause and prepare, a new way to approach Advent?

A FORTY DAY ADVENT

CELTIC and ORTHODOX Christians start Advent earlier - a 40 day journey (like Lent) to pause, prepare, pray and praise. Even fast - go without something. It’s a journey, one that we all take as we prepare for the Day of the Nativity.

Whether it’s putting up decorations, present buying, producing vast amounts of food or (and?!) paying for it all with rising stress levels, we get ready for Christmas. And probably collapse in a worn out heap afterwards as we groan - at the credit card bills, gain on the scales and gifts to return.

But there is another journey, a daily journey, of preparing hearts and minds for the coming of Emmanuel, God with us.

To take forty days, to pause and prepare, pray and praise. A journey of faith, that can change our hearts, from sadness to joy, from despair to hope, as we begin to get a glimpse of why ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’

So this year, I’m starting Advent on November 15th!

40 days before Christmas.

40 days of short Scripture reflections.

40 days of preparation.

40 days of a new beginning.

What could Advent look like for you this year?

What would help you to live ADVENTurously, a little differently, challenging you to grasp joy instead of sorrow, hope instead of despair, a new outlook instead of a new credit card bill.

How might you open your heart to Emmanuel, inviting Him to dwell with you so that you behold His glory? (John 1:14)

Why not:

• Create your own Advent wreath of 6 candles (instead of 4) to add the extra 2 weeks of joyous preparation, and set aside a special time each week to light a candle and lean towards the Lord

• Make a list of good things for which to be grateful. Perhaps start a gratitude journal and add 4 or 5 things each evening as you reflect back over the day. ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!’ (Ps 107:1-3, ESV)

• Listen to Advent songs and worship (see below for some links). Or create your own playlist.

• Learn John 1:1-16 off by heart, maybe in a different translation to the one you usually hear or know. Divide the verses into sections and learn one each day until by Christmas Day you can recite the whole section and have it deep in your heart forever.

• Build a little sacred garden for Advent. Gather pebbles and candles and plants, whatever is helpful, to put together on a large plate or a tiny tray. Snip some pine twigs for aroma, add a pine cone or two; a stone or pebble that you can pick up and hold as a prayer tool; wood to remind you of the manger; holly with red berries as a reminder of why Jesus came and the blood that He shed for you. What would you add?

• Assemble a few special items to create a Sacred Space for Advent - somewhere you meet with Jesus during your times especially with Him. What do you need to help you draw close to Him? Maybe a holding cross, to anchor you to this time; a beautiful candle to light to remind you that He is the light of the world, a light shining in our darkness; a journal and pencil, colouring pens and paper; a picture or a postcard with special symbolic meaning for you …… Keep them out to remind you every time you see them that you will have a conversation with the Lord there. Or if you can’t keep them out, have them in a gorgeous basket or box to quickly and easily put together.

RESOURCES:

Here are books, calendars, candles, music, that I’ve found particularly helpful and can highly recommend! AND a very special offer at the end.

Starting with Celtic/Orthodox Advent.

ADVENT CALENDAR for 40 days. I love this! Especially as it begins with grace - grace over guilt here! Lots of lovely daily ideas to help us go deeper with Jesus; plus it actually continues on to Epiphany (Jan 6th). I’m printing this out!

Celtic Prayer Cards:

Godspace Celtic Prayer Cards

From GodSpaceLight - A pack of 10 Celtic Prayer cards, inspired by ancient Celtic saints like Patrick and Columba or by contemporary Celtic writers like John O’Donohue. A short reflection on the back of each card will introduce you to the Celtic Christian tradition. These cards can be used by individuals for daily meditation or by groups. They can also be used for spiritual direction, counseling and grief therapy. Also available as a pdf to download (which is cheaper!)

"I love this extended period of preparation. I also love that there are no set rules to follow. No known symbols specifically for the Celtic Advent season. So I can invite the Spirit to stir my imagination and creativity to create my own.” - Christine Sine reflecting on a Celtic Advent.

I’m starting my Celtic Advent with a book from the Orthodox church! Mixing rich traditions. Why not? No rules, as Christine Sine points out! (see above) It’s a 40 day journey, of short Scriptural readings, a brief devotional thought and a prayer. My husband and I are reading it aloud each day. Join us?

‘Spending a few minutes each day reading and reflecting on these scriptures will not change your status either. It will change your heart. You will better understand the "good news of a great joy," and why "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." AND AS YOU PREPARE TO AGAIN CELEBRATE GOD'S GREATEST GIFT TO US, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER WITH A MORE GRATEFUL HEART YOUR GIFTS TO HIM.’ - from the blurb for ‘Let All Creation Rejoice’

Celtic Advent by David Cole (published by BRF). Previously a full-time church minister, David Cole is an international spiritual teacher and retreat leader, an award-winning author and an Explorer Guide for the Community of Aidan and Hilda. He is also the founder of Waymark Ministries which creates opportunities for people to engage with the Christian message.

40 days, often based on the lives of Celtic saints, each day with introduction, contemplation, reading and prayer.(all brief!) Swirls from the Book of Kells, which I love, and questions to reflect on.

Visit (virtually) the beautiful Nativity Scene Festival at Meapkin Abbey What in the UK we call Nativity Scene is CRECHE Festival in the USA!

THE BOOKS

Celebrating Christmas by Amy Boucher Pye and Leo Boucher.

Amy’s lovely book, words by her and illustrations by her father Leo. A daily thought, prayers, suggestions for reflections. It’s a beautiful gift to give and to receive! If you order from her website she will inscribe it for you - a great idea for Christmas gifts!

New for this year - ‘Contemplating Christmas’ by Abby Ball

“Christmas can be a time when life gets overwhelming as the world piles more and more ideals of perfection and happiness on us. Abby Ball’s new Advent devotional is a warm and inviting counterbalance to these unsettling messages. It’s a place to sit down in the silence and to find God there with us when our lives are less than perfect. Abby’s words are lyrical and beautiful, and welcome us into a place of authenticity and vulnerability, where we can admit to the difficulties of life while finding hope in this great and enduring story of love come down. Contemplating Christmas is a lavish feast, a gentle rest and an enticing journey to joy, and it will soothe your weary places this Advent season.” - Liz Carter

The Whole Christmas Story by Jo Swinney.

An intriguing sense of adventure on a journey to Bethlehem, that starts in Eden on December 1st and ends in a garden city full of water on January 6th. You can read my interview with the author and find out more about the book here but just to say it’s a profound and wonderful book, packed with excellent Biblical insights and with anecdotes and thoughts from Jo’s own personal experiences of grief and loss - and HOPE.

I read it last year during Advent and found it very helpful.

Those who Wait by Tanya Marlowe

‘Everyone is waiting for something,’ says Tanya, and she wrote this for everyone in a season of waiting, stuck in a time of uncertainty, with their life permanently on pause. Which is now the situation the world finds itself in. You may be asking while you’re in this season, ‘where is God? Where is God in my disappointment and grief? Where is God in this uncertainty?’ Those Who Wait takes you through a journey to find God in a season just like this, by following through the lives of four other flawed believers in the Bible who lived in times of uncertainty. A four weeks devotional study, including questions for use by groups too.

Redeeming Advent by Lucy Rycroft Book and Kindle

Written for busy people! In a season of busyness, Lucy says that the busyness can be the key to a deeper connection with Christ! As we open our hearts and minds, perhaps we will discover that the Christmas story was busier, messier and more haphazard than we ever imagined. The book was born out of Lucy’s own experiences of struggling to maintain any kind of spiritual focus throughout December, as a busy mother of 4 and Vicar’s wife. You can buy it from her website here. While it’s an easy read, it’s also extremely helpful!

LOVE COME DOWN - from the Lindisfarne Scriptorium, by Mary Fleeson. A beautiful little book of prayers and poems for Advent, illustrated by Mary, for your ponderings and reflections. She writes, 'These poems and prayers were written in response to the season of Advent, the time we spend in preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Join with me as I ponder how to prepare my mind, body and spirit for the transforming gift of a precious baby boy who changed the world.'

This book is staple bound, A6 (10.5x14.8cm) and 20 pages. And currently on offer for just £2.45

Christmastide Prayers by Phyllis Tickle.

A contemporary ‘books of hours.’ The liturgy for this season of the church calendar (Bible readings, prayers, psalms, collects) is set out for each day in an easy-to-use format. If you’ve not tried this way of reading and praying before, this is a good way in, to give it a try! It goes from Advent through to Epiphany with the set liturgy for the different times of each day. This gives a glorious rhythm to each day as you pray three times a day plus an optional evening compline. Do try this - I love it.

An Advent Devotional by Vicki Cottingham

If you like a simple little book that is designed for you to journal in, this is for you. It’s based on the four candles of the Advent wreath - Faith, Hope, Joy and Love, with 24 daily readings. Each day includes scripture, a short thought, something to consider and space to journal any thoughts. If you’ve not done an Advent adventure before, or if you’re new to daily Bible reading, this could be a good way to begin! And see below for an Advent wreath with candles, too.

Jesus Calling for Christmas by Sarah Young.

A beautiful little gift book, with a softly textured cover, glorious photos, and Scripture verses, making 50 devotionals. They offer a moment of peace and reflection, and it’s such a beautiful book that I keep it on my coffee table throughout the Advent and Christmas season, to pick up and dip into to feed my soul with beauty.

The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp

The well -known author bases her Advent devotional on the Jesse Tree, the story of Jesus throughout the whole Bible. Unwrapping the story of this Great Gift in her own inimitable style. There are free downloadable ornaments to accompany the book, plus versions for children and families including a new pop-up book for little ones. . Find out more on her website. Instead of an Advent wreath, you could try a Jesse Tree with the daily readings and daily ornaments to add. A great family activity.

THe NIGHT BEFORE ADVENT and free downloadables for ADVENT here

THE CANDLES, THE WREATHS, AND THE CALENDARS

I love having an Advent wreath; we have one in church of course but I have one at home too. It gives a rhythm to the season and reminds us of the four themes of Faith, Hope, Joy and Love. You could tie this in with Vicki’s devotional above.

A Forever Flipover Advent Calendar with a carol for each day (the full words are on the back of each illustration) AND a Spotify list of the carols so you can sing along.

You can order your Carol Calendar here

I posted a daily thought for Advent on Social Media in 2021. Do like and follow my page to see what I posted each day throughout Advent.

Here’s one:

MUSIC

I’m already loving this Advent collection from Sacred Ordinary Days. Enjoy!

Advent Music

And this one from Jeff Johnson - worship songs on his album ‘Winter Songs’

What will you be doing to help you live ADVENTurously this year? Do let me know - I’m always thrilled to hear from you and love having new ideas too!

💛💛💛

If you purchase through these links, I earn a few pennies - thank you, thank you! It’s a bonus as I’m no longer in paid employment! But do order from your local independent bookseller or from Christian bookshops/online and support them.

The Advent Online Retreat ‘Revive, Restore, Reveal’ is available again

WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION AS YOU WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES? What are your disappointments & inadequacies? Can you know hope? Are you concerned about these uncertain times again and needing some certainty in your life right now?

Last year, I offered an online ADVENT retreat with the options of doing it 'live' or at a time to suit you. If you missed it last year, if you'd like to know more certainty, or do something special for ADVENT, why not do it this year, at a time and place to suit you (in your pjs & with the cat if you like!) There are 3 sections, of an hour each; you can do it all in one go, or one a week over Advent ... your choice.

It's on very special offer at £7.50 so why not treat yourself. You'll get the video, the preparation journal and the retreat journal. Two free gifts and further resources. At least £25 worth of materials! Just pop over here to get it:

www.penelopeswithinbank.com/orders

You’ll get the retreat journal sent as a link when you pay; and the Journal Part 1 and the video link will be emailed to you shortly afterwards.

Britain’s Most Relatable Mum Designer

‘Britain’s Most Relatable Mum Designer’, Isobella M. Smugge, (it rhymes with Br-ugge-s)  is back in fine fettle in her third year of living in the Suffolk countryside. She’s now a solo working parent of four, and is caught, as so many are, with looking after a young family while caring for an ailing parent – her gin-swilling mother who has moved in upstairs in Issy’s beautiful designer Georgian house.

As Issy’s life slowly but surely changes at every level, and as she continues to hashtag her way through it, her emotions are pulled in all directions. And so are those of her readers, laughing and crying at the different situations that arise, the difficulties facing Issy, and her explorations of the meanings of the Christian life. I chortled out loud at this for some time:

I might give this home group thing a try. I had Jenna over for

coffee the other day and she is a hoot! Within five minutes, I

was crying with laughter as she described an unfortunate

incident at their previous church. The Praise and Graze

Fellowship Lunch, a monthly event, was always fraught with

stress and tension owing to a long-running feud between two of

its members over flower arranging. Things came to a head just

after grace was said when one lady made a derogatory comment

about a salmon and broccoli quiche made by the other. Harsh

words were exchanged and a full-on fist fight was only averted

when the curate stepped in. “One of the ladies went over to the Methodists after that.

Probably just as well.”    #quichewars

Issy is a successful influencer and award-winning lifestyle author; there are certain standards she needs to maintain. But, without giving too much away, by the end of the book Issy is discovering that there is more to life than maybe she ever thought possible, that family and friends matter more than she had ever realised, that healing from deep wounds of the past is possible.

Ruth Leigh has done it again with this third book about her heroine, a wonderful mixture of Jane Austen heroines and Instagam influencers. By the end of this book, I was as ever sad to reach the final page, my head full of hashtags – and finding myself even beginning hilariously to add hashtags to my own stream of consciousness.

Ruth, what HAVE you done to us?!  More please.

Here's a challenge for you: think of a name for the next installment and you could appear in the book yourself!

“On the cover of book three, we see Issy taking a selfie. She’s been gazing at herself through the reflective lens of social media since we first met her back in January 2021, but three years on (in her life, anyway), that gaze is a lot clearer and it may be that she is considering a slightly different path. Once this book is out, I’m taking a break to publish something different next year. But for all you Smugge fans, don’t worry, the woman Gorgeous Home magazine once called, “Britain’s most relatable mum designer” will be back. There are too many dangling threads at the end of book three to leave her story there.

Which leads me to this. What do you think the fourth book should be called? Genuinely, I’d love your thoughts. If I pick one of your suggestions, your name will appear in that book as a character.”

” – from Ruth’s blog where you will find details as to how to send her your suggested title.

Ruth Leigh, creator of Isobella M Smugge

THE CONTINUED TIMES OF ISOBELLA M. SMUGGE is published on October 22nd. You can however already get a signed copy from Ruth’s website

Ruth says: Signed copies complete with merch can be ordered via my website (www.ruthleighwrites.co.uk) and from good bookshops, Eden, Waterstones and Amazon from 22nd October. In Suffolk, Issy Smugge is stocked by Woodbridge Books, Dial Lane Books in Ipswich and The Halesworth Bookshop.

Paperback and Kindle editions of books I & II:

ADVENT READINGS AND POEMS: OCTOBER GIVEAWAY

COMPANIONS ON THE ROAD TO BETHLEHEM

- a BRF Centenary Classic, reissued this year .

I have one copy to send out in a FREE GIVEAWAY - worth over £20!

To find out how to enter, sign up (on the annoying pop-up menu on here!) for my monthly email, which will slip into your inbox on the last Sunday afternoon of each month, AND you’ll receive some other lovely offers and freebies too! So sign up now.

kindly supplied by BRF

This book of daily Bible readings and reflections for Advent and Christmas is based on spiritual insights gleaned from some of the best-known poets of the past – T.S. Eliot, George Herbert, Tennyson and Auden, among others. While they come from different ages and backgrounds, they wrestled with the same questions that we do, about God, love, hope and suffering. This book is not a literary study of their work, but a quest to see what they can tell us about life and faith today.

Their poems are quoted in short sections, with suggestions about what they might mean for us now. There are so many aspects of God’s love for us and ours for him that are hard to grasp. While we can glimpse only part of the picture, it often seems that, in poetry, our deepest yearnings can come to the surface. As we travel the road to Christmas in the company of these great poets, we will find our minds enlarged and our hearts touched with something of the wonder and joy of this special season.

The perfect gift

One of a series of stunning, commemorative editions of classic BRF titles, Companions on the Bethlehem Road would make a beautiful gift, particularly for people who love poetry: an heirloom title to return to year after year.

About the author

Rachel Boulding was deputy editor of the Church Times, having previously worked at Church House Publishing, where she helped to produce the Common Worship materials. Before her death in April 2017, she contributed regularly to BRFʼs New Daylight Bible reading notes and wrote Celebrating the King James Version (BRF, 2010). Rachel also wrote Facing Death, a book of 18 undated reflections drawing comfort and encouragement from the Bible and from her own experience, for those going through life-limiting illness and for their family and carers.

To order this lovely hardback special centenary edition, for yourself or for a gift for someone, click here:

The original paperback edition is still available too:

BRF Centenary classics

This specially curated 'classics' collection of popular BRF titles commemorates the centenary year.

You can find out more about the BRF centenary year and celebrations here 

The Art of Hospitality ...

….. or how to make people feel at home when you wish they were.

A Place at The Table - Miranda Harris and Jo Swinney.

This is a beautiful (hardback) book and is featured in The Big Church Read over the next few weeks  - there are 6 videos to download, discussion questions and more. To watch the video of Jo introducing the book, click HERE.

And if you like reading more about authors and their books, you can find photos, recipes, stories and more on the book's website. 

I was privileged to know Miranda and her husband Peter a little; and now Jo, their daughter. This book is an evocative and emotional and deeply moving read; it has extracts from Miranda's journals, Bible studies by Jo, Miranda's writings about the art of hospitality and how and why it's so important. 

"Rooted in the story of the Christian environmental conservation charity, A Rocha, and the life of its late co-founder, Miranda Harris, ‘A Place At The Table’ is a profound reflection on hospitality and the transformative power of community.

Miranda Harris' tragic death in 2019 sent a shockwave across the globe to those closest to her and the many who found her approach to hospitality and community a life-long inspiration. Her daughter Jo Swinney honors her mother’s dedication to a life of community and fellowship with ‘A Place At The Table’—pairing her own words with her mother’s writings and exploring how sharing food is at the heart of a shared life.

Now you can journey with Jo through ‘A Place At The Table’ with 6 exclusive videos and discussion questions, all available for FREE on the Big Church Read." - from The Big Church Read

Click HERE for the link

The book takes us through the stages of a meal and the weekly videos follow the same progression -

Session 1 - Chapter 1 Hunger

Session 2 - Chapter 2 Preparation

Session 3 - Chapter 3 Welcome

Session 4 - Chapter 4 At the table

Session 5 - Chapter 5 The clean-up

Session 6 - Chapter 6 The forever feast

Links for the hardback and the kindle editions:

And if you sign up to receive my monthly emails (on that annoying pop-up menu!) there’s a free signed hardback copy available for one lucky reader! You need to sign up by 3pm BST on Sunday Sept 25th so hurry and do it now! You’ll also receive some other free downloadables and special offers so don’t miss out on those!

How to walk and pray. Or pray and walk

'Hidden Manna on a Country Road' is a beautifully-written 40 day devotional on prayer. It's based on Sarah Geringer's walks with her golden lab, Memphis, particularly those daily 30 minutes on the gravel road during lockdown. As she walked, Sarah began to realise that the scattered beauties of nature all around her can be reminders to her of God and of how to pray and what to pray for. She likens these to the manna given by God to the Israelites in the wilderness, a daily provision and feeding. There are 4 sections, one for each season.

Each chapter begins with a Bible verse, which is followed by the account of a walk, what she notices and how that feeds into her prayers, whether praises or petitions. There's then a helpful prayer, followed by 3 questions for deeper reflection.

As a prayer walker and long-distance hiker, I found this book delightful to read and helpful to study. However, there are some big cultural difference between her American walks and my European ones, not least the fact that flora and fauna are often very different. It was therefore difficult sometime to imagine what she was talking about (what do plantain rosettes look like, for instance? I gratefully googled to find out!) but the general underlying themes of using nature to strengthen our prayer life was easily understood. And by going to the author's website I found photos of Memphis!

Another area that was difficult was the 5 generations living in the same area, of having memories and roots of the same places for such a long time and using that to feed her prayer life. Many of us have moved a great deal in our lives, many of our preceeding generations have too, and that became an area that I had to bring to the Lord in prayer, to overcome the longing to have had that in my life as well, and to be able to realise that neither is right nor wrong and that both - the longevity and the newness - have each something to be grateful for and things to teach us.

The book is not difficult to read; it's easy to access and by the end the reader feels a personal knowledge of the gravel road and its surrounds. And on my own daily outings, there have been many occasions when I've remembered how Sarah used the creation around her to deepen and strengthen her prayer life, and have used her prompts in my prayer walks.

The simple ideas and suggestions will be very helpful for those not so adept at prayer; will give new ideas to those more used to praying; and will be an inspiration whether you are an outdoors hiker or an armchair one!

Links to buy the paperback and kindle editions:

FOR USA readers, Sarah’s book book Hidden Manna on a Country Road: Seeing God’s Daily Provision All Around Us is available for preorder! Visit this page for all the information about the book and upcoming book launch in fall 2022.

Thank you to NetGalleyUK and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.