Lent 2015: things that make me laugh

I love to laugh but some days it's hard.  We all have days like that I'm sure. I guess that's what makes us human.  Tears and laughter sit side by side in this emotional roller coaster of life. Send in the clowns please. May the rain turn to sunshine. For all of you feeling sad may God send a rainbow, a promise of his favour. May we laugh together again soon.

In The Quietness Of The Night

In the quietness of the night 

I hear your voice 

An echo of the past

Or the whisper of the future?

A call through the ages

To stand tall 

To fight 

To hold the front line

To aim for the foe

Not relinquish the ground

That is hallowed and ploughed

Bring in the harvest

Bring in the wheat

Bring in the new life

Don’t except the defeat. 

Music and Soul

 Sometimes I go to write something and verse seems to just roll out of me. I love to sing and play a few chords on my guitar. Music without passion is just empty words. The same can be true for our worship, unless we into the song and think about the words then we are just making a noise before God and not really worshipping him at all. 

 

I wrote this whilst thinking of a favour musician, Alfie Boe who always sings with such passion and connects so well to the song. Of course whilst I was writing it I was also thinking about faith, that's just who I am. So what is teh story inside of you and who would God ask you to share it with?

  

Music is just music
Without a soul inside.
Every note a resonance 
In time and melody.

Sing it clear 
Sing it loud 
Sing your song 
All night long 

Words don’t mean anything
Without a story told
Every moment captured 
Or lost forever more. 

Passion is the answer
To capturing the heart
Stories without music 
Lie empty, joy unheard 

So what is your story?
The heart beat inside you
Sing out your symphony 
The joy and the pain 

(copyright Revdjo 1/9/25) 

Maundy Thursday but Fridays coming….

Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is when Christians reflect on when Jesus met with the disciples in the upper room to celebrate the Passover and shared a simple meal. Before which he washed the disciples feet. During that meal Jesus broke bread and shared it with them saying ‘This is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me.’ He also took a cup of wine saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is pored out for you.’ This is the reason we take communion, otherwise known as The Lord’s Supper’ not to be confused with ‘The lord’s Super’ as I once wrote about in an essay. I have never been the best at spelling. 🤣 

Good Friday is the day we remember when Jesus was crucified and died as the ultimate Passover lamb so that our sins (the things we do wrong) are atoned for. He paid the ultimate price so that we can be forgiven. No longer do we need to make burnt offerings to God. Jesus’s death marks the end of the Old Covenant (or promise) and the beginning of the New Covenant. 

I recommend having a look at the Gospel accounts in the Bible if you want to know more. 

I will leave you with a picture of my husband’s feet, well one of them. He’s the only one I know who cuts the grass in flip flops! As I remarked on the state of them (he had no idea) he asked me to wash them for him (he was teasing). My remark was well it is Maundy Thursday but no, I think I will decline. 

Jesus washed the disciples feet as an act of service. He wasn’t there as some high and mighty king but as a humble servant of God. Today, I was reminded of my role as a prison chaplain and washing some of the prisoners feet and them washing mine. It was very humbling and extremely moving experience. 

This week I started a new pastorate and have a church and community full of people I’ve yet to get to know properly. Much of today I found myself waiting on tables at our soup lunch and Maundy service meal. I quite enjoyed myself chatting to folk. It is a reminder that I have come to serve. I serve a God that deserves my all who has called me and I have said yes to. Who knows what the future will hold but I am excited by it. 

So what about you? Where has He called you to serve? Have you said yes yet? What has He called you to do? Maybe you are unsure? Why not ask Him to make it clear?

I’ve never been a ‘yes’ person I’ve always been a ‘why’ person. I don’t serve man, or women, I serve God. That’s not always easy especially when God asks you to do something which you know will upset some people, but better to have my integrity before God. Thankfully, I’ve no such challenge at the moment. 

I like to know the answer to the ‘why question’ before I agree to most things. Sometimes the why is obvious but sometimes there are ulterior motives lurking so it’s good to be sure when people ask us to do something or want to know our business. The same is not true of God. I don’t need to know the why, only the confirmation that He wants me to do something. I don’t need to know why He has sent me here, although I have a fair idea. 

I hope that I will always act on what God wants me to do before even thinking about asking Him why. I can’t say I have always got that right. I like to be sure, but the more we step out in faith the easier it becomes. What about you? Do you really need to ask the why question? Can it not simply be because He (God) has asked you to? 

Have a blessed Easter. Best foot forward! 🤣🤸‍♂️

Can I say Yes to you?

It’s not always easy to see ourselves as God sees us. It’s even harder to be truly ourselves and yet God calls us to be true to ourselves and to who He has called and made us to be. I’ve been reflecting on this for quite sometime as I’ve unravelled who I am in Christ, and began to accept who he has made me to be. When you were formed in your mother’s womb there was no mistake. (Psalm 139.) God spoke life over you and called you by name from that moment. It just takes us a while to hear it, and even longer to accept it. Perhaps you have still not accepted who you are? As you gaze in the mirror and look upon your beauty, (yes there is beauty there!) know that you are loved and held by God. Maybe it’s time to say yes to him and be more accepting of yourself? 

Can I say Yes to you?

Can I really say Yes to you Lord? 

From the depths of my soul,

My inner most being?

My mind and my will?

My thoughts and desires?

Can I really say yes to you? 

Can I truly be all that you’ve made me to be? 

Using my gifts those well worn and the new?

Those deep inside of me?

And those plain to see? 

Can I really say yes to you? 

What will it look like to serve you as me? 

And truly be me?

How you have created me to be?

Am I willing? 

Am I prepared?

Am I going to do this? 

Well we’ll best wait and see… 

When it’s only you and me it’s easy to be. 

What will the world think? 

Will they truly accept me? 

Can I really be me?

And say yes to the you in me? 

©️Revdjo 4/8/24

Is your Arrow Polished?

So is your arrow polished? Are you ready for what it is God would have you do? In this ever changing world it is important that we are equipped and ready for what ever life throws at us.

The Bible talks of us as being arrows, polished and hidden in God’s quiver. 

Listen to me, you islands; 

Hear this, you distant nations:

From my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.

He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,

In the shadow of his hand he hid me;

He made me into a polished arrow

And concealed me in his quiver.

(Isaiah 49:1-2)

Jenny Sanders in her book Polished Arrows (Instant Apostle, 2024) takes us through this in detail. Looking at all the stages of arrow making from coppicing the wood, stripping back the bark,  dealing with the knottieness and the splinters, sanding down the wood, putting in the nock, and oiling she uses these analogies to look at how God forms us ready to do his will. 

I first met Jenny at Book Blest, a Christian festival that I help run. She is a great author and her books are really worth the read. If you get the chance to see her read one of her children’s books do make sure you go and take the kids/grandkids. She is so animated and fun! Jenny had us all putting on fake moustaches at Book Blest as she read from her book The Magnificent Moustache. She asked me recently if I would be part of her blog tour for Polished Arrows which I happily agreed to. The bonus of that was a free PDF copy of her book. What’s not to like?

Book Blest 

Polished Arrows is very readable and perfect for those new or more mature in faith. It is rich with Bible references and stories put together to take us on a journey of exploring our own faith. At the end of each chapter are some question which help the reader to take hold of the challenges given and reflect on their own life. It would be a perfect book to use in a Bible study for a small group and is certainly a recommended read for individuals and groups alike.

I for one want to be polished and ready. A arrow  ready for God to use in and for his Kingdom. What about you? 

Dizzy!

Sometimes, life can get rather out of focus. It ends in a blur and leaves us feeling dizzy. Maybe that’s you? 

I’m reminded of the song by Tommy Row and Freddy Weller called Dizzy. The lyrics of the chorus are: 

I'm so dizzy my head is spinning 
Like a whirlpool, it never ends 
And it's you, girl, making it spin 
You're making me dizzy

The song is about a girl making someone’s head dizzy. Romantic love can be a bit like that. It’s not always easy. Life can also get us in a spin. It doesn’t take much for us to loose our equilibrium and sense of balance. 

The Bible tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus. Whatever storm you may find yourself in I would encourage you to look to God and keep your eyes on a Jesus. The more grounded we are in our faith, the more our feet are planted on the rock the easier it will be to survive those curve balls of life. 

If you don’t know Jesus I would encourage you to get to know him. How? You will find him in the pages of the New Testament of the Bible. Maybe try reading through one of the gospels? The book of Mark is a good one to start with, but just choose one and give it a read. As you read try speaking to him, pray. Prayer is really just a conversation. If you want to address your prayers to God that’s also fine but it is Jesus who helps to bridge the gap between God and us. That’s his commission, his job if you will. If you start opening yourselves up and asking Jesus or God to make them selves real to you they will. You just have to invite them. 

If you are going through a hard time right now I pray that you may know the peace of God that passes all understanding and that you may know his love to overflowing. 

You can find the full song here: 

https://youtu.be/sbdtQ99yIUo?si=L79yXG1gmO6RLjU4

Gifts and Acorns

All of us have been given gifts and talents. Some of us use them well. Some of us just shove them in a draw or a pocket and forget them. Some of us are a mixture of the two. There are of course seasons where perhaps we don’t use all that we have been given, for whatever reason. 

I took this photo at the local Sculpture Park. It intrigues me. The image seems to be of a child handing an adult something. Maybe an acorn? To me there is trust in the interaction. Trust that what is given will be honoured, treasured, and handled well. Not screwed up and thrown in the bin. But treasured as much as the giver treasures it. 

It is half-term week here, in other places half term is just starting. Our children, and grandchildren, are a gift in themselves. Enjoy the gift. Treasure the moments. Place your hand in theirs and embrace the moment. 

 

Acorns become mighty oak trees. Little ideas become successful ventures. Our young people become leaders. But these things don’t happen overnight they need nurturing and time and good soil in which to grow. 

I consider myself a life long learner. I’m always learning something. I like to try new things and am currently enjoying a creative streak. It’s good to push our comfort zones occasionally. We never know what we can achieve until we try. 

Sometimes God gives us gifts and we reject them. They can’t really be for us can they? It’s not until we unwrap the gift that we realise how beautiful and precious and truly perfect it is for us. 

So what has God placed into your hand? What are your gifts and talents? Is God wanting to give you another gift? Have you any gifts that you are yet to unwrap? I encourage you to peel back the paper and take a peep. 

Reflections on Lent

Today marks the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday to be precise. Many from the Anglican and Catholic traditions, amongst others, will have taken part in an Ashing service today. Ashes from the burning of last year’s Palm crosses are used to make the sign of the cross on a believers forehead. So if you have seen someone walking around with a black smudge on their forehead today you now know why! 

Lent traditionally means a period of 40 days of fasting ending at Easter. Sundays aren’t counted as they are considered feast days however, many people choose not to break their fast. Fasting can be from anything from meat to chocolate to social-media to abstaining from alcohol. It promotes self-control and self-discipline. 

Lent is also a time of reflection, often self-reflection. There is certainly no point in fasting if you don’t reflect and at least think about why you are doing so. 

As well as fasting people can also choose to take things up. It maybe gratitude and being purposely thankful for something everyday, or to do a good deed every day. The list is endless really. 

This year I have decided to abstain from alcohol and to blog more regularly. The aim is to blog every day but I don’t want to be legalistic about it as you never know what curve balls life will throw at you that will need their attention. I’ve done both of these things in the past so nothing knew for me. The reflections however will be different some of which I will blog others perhaps will be more private. 

Well not much hilarity going on in today’s post so far! So, what can I say to make you at least smile? I will leave you with a joke that I was told last week….

How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh? 

Ten. Ten tickles! (tentacels)

So tell me a joke. Squid Pro Quo and all that! 

 

Here am I send me.

God calls and we follow. Easy right? Sometimes God gives us choices. We get up in the morning and look in the wardrobe for something to wear. We don’t have to pray about it just make a choice. God has given us the ability to choose. We always have free will to do what we want but in the bigger decisions in life I want to clearly hear what God has to say about it. What is his will? 

When there is a fork in the road which way do we travel? When the river forks which way do we sail our boat? Every decision in life has consequences good and bad. Sometimes we make wrong choices and suffer the consequences. Sometimes the decisions are the right ones but still there are fall outs and repercussions. 

I was 16 when I was called to ministry. Sat in church on a Sunday morning listening to a sermon on Isaiah 6. Isaiah had an encounter with God that he couldn’t deny. He was faced with his own sinfulness and inadequacies. God said to him, ‘Whom shall I send and who will go for us?’

If God asked you that question what would you say? My response and that of Isaiah was, ‘Here am I send me.’

It’s not always easy. But if we don’t follow God then who are we? Before the term Christian was used we were ‘Followers of the Way.’ That’s what I want to be, a ‘Follower of the Way!’ Look out for the sign posts as you travel and journey with God. May our answer always be, ‘Here I am send me.’

The Reckoning

The Reckoning staring Steve Coogan as the infamous Jimmy Savile is for some not an easy watch. Whilst it is triggering for those who have been victims of sexual crimes (so please don’t watch if that’s you) I would recommend you watch it. 

Coogan’s portrayal of Savile is superb capturing his mannerisms, voice, and subtle manipulative ways. It focuses our attention on the way that we the public and his victims were groomed. Chilling in many ways it helps to bring what is in the darkness into the light. It is so easy so sweep these things under the carpet, something the BBC did for years despite warnings by some, such as John Lyndon aka Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols fame. 

The Church has sadly failed to address its own calling in protecting those who are vulnerable and have fallen victim to those of a predatory nature. Maybe we do not want to admit these things, or people, exist? But if we are to live out Micah 6:8 ‘He has told you o mortal what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.’ then we cannot turn a blind eye to injustice, the needs of the voiceless, and those who have been abused. 

Do perpetrators of sexual crimes also need to know the love of God? Yes. God is merciful and his love and forgiveness are available to all. Maybe you want such people to be put in jail and the key thrown away? Maybe that would be easier but occasionally people do show remorse and try to change. For me, God is the judge and only he knows if individuals are truly repentant or not. I believe in the hope of the gospel that is Jesus. I hope that sex offenders do change and live in that hope. Having worked in the prison system I am also a realist. For many they don’t change and continue to be manipulative seeking out unsuspecting victims, even in prison. 

What we can’t do is ignore someone’s past behaviour and put them in the middle of the sweetie jar without a contract of behaviour in place. Saville seemed to have lots of different sweetie jars to choose from: hospitals, Top of the Pops, Jim’ll Fix it, parties, anywhere where people knew of his fame. The world must have seemed one big sweetie jar to him and that saddens me. We, society, let him. We are all culpable in that regard. Some of course more culpable than others. This is a world problem. This sadly, is a problem in all our communities.

Coogan is a master of the detail. Comics live on the detail and finding the funny side of life. Word play, idiosyncrasies, and visual humour are all part of the comedians tool box. Here Coogan uses his skills to show us the nature of grooming. How one minute Savile plays the crowd charming those around him picking out his victim and then we see the turn and how he is behind closed doors. Then we see that his victims are people just like me and you. Not enough is said about grooming and the controlling natures of those who commit sexual offences. I hope that this program continues to flag this type of behaviour. If you are a church leader or work in an area where safeguarding is important do give this a watch but actually I would say everyone should watch it because after all if we all looked after one another the world would be a much safer place and people like Savile would no longer be able to operate. We can only live in hope.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/oct/09/the-reckoning-review-steve-coogan-is-chillingly-brilliant-as-jimmy-savile-bbc?fbclid=IwAR0lAfp_xcI3uu_X1QJ46Gy4QzACiyq2RmyA6HzGE_mzeNOrTT1Wfdm-R2k_aem_ARqlLeI6tfIIL85OAU2YCTJQRkgBw7-zD_AYGT9i2Lvr6KyDcNQHZm6CfnoKE4SSY-M

An Adventure through Lent: joy!

Today is the start of Lent. The start of an adventure! Would you like an adventure or shall we have tea first? Tea is a good thing as it makes us pause and rest for a while. It’s always good to take stock, to look back, and to reflect. It’s also good to laugh at the absurdity of it all. There is lots to laugh about in life but we seem to become much too serious if we are not careful, or is that just me? I’ve been known to dress up as a white rabbit and invite people to church for a Mad Hatter’s teas party before now. It was an induction service where I officially became minister of the church, often a solemn occasion. I wasn’t not taking it seriously I just wanted the community to come and to have fun. Start as you mean to go on as they say!

Last night my comedy writing course classmates and I put on a show. It was a theatric reading of the scripts we had written. I got to play the parts of an estate agent who liked dressing up as a bear, a psychiatrist with some very strange clients, a patient who was advised to make and eat shepherds pie to help with their alcohol addiction, and Henry VIII! Today I found out Henry VIII was crowned at Gloucester cathedral. 

I’ve been reflecting recently about why church has got so serious. There has to be more room for laughter in our services. It’s not about entertainment it’s about being fully human. Jesus laughed. God laughs. I like to laugh a lot! My happy place is fooling around. It’s how I like to connect with people. We are created to experience joy. Philippians 4:4 says, ‘rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice!’ Galatian’s 5:22 reminds us that joy is one of the fruit of the spirit. So where’s our joy? What are the things that bring a smile to your face and make you laugh? So often Lent is about giving up things but what about taking something up? What about taking up something that brings you joy and makes you laugh? 

The battlefield of the mind

Some people just leave impressions on your life, even when you don’t know them on a deep level. Today my husband and I attended a military funeral for Lieutenant Colonel (Retd.) Richard ‘Skid’ Dorney MBE at Salisbury Cathedral. Skid came up through the ranks of the Grenadier Guards. A true leader who was compassionate and always had time for people. On retirement from the guards he continued his work in supporting those with mental health issues, particularly those effected by trauma and PTSD. Setting up a company called Strong Mind Resilience  https://strongmindresilience.co.uk/ delivering courses on mental health first aid, suicide awareness, and much more. 

In the eulogy we were reminded that Skid would say, ‘there are no atheists on the battlefield.’ When we are facing death in the face then you have to be a brave man or woman to deny God’s existence. 

So are you strong minded? Do you know what you want and are clear in what you believe in? How is your resilience to life? Are you battling alone and failing miserably? We all need help once in a while and there is no shame in asking for that help, quite the opposite. Courses and training can help in overcome and living with many things. Talking and therapy can help to but so can prayer. Whatever you are feeling or thinking or worrying about right now why not talk to God about it? Prayers don’t need to be elegant and you don’t have to hold anything back. If you are angry, even angry at God tell him. Get it out your system. If you are confused and don’t know where to start God even listens to and understands our groans. Actually, he already knows how we feel and is aware of all that goes on in our lives but we still have to do our bit and come to him. We have free choice. God honours that. So what do you choose? 

Look up, instead of inward. Know that God loves you. Yes, even you. No matter what you have done, or how long you have denied him and pushed him away. He awaits you on that battlefield and when that last post sounds. 

Are you a JOMO?

I learnt a new word today, well acronym, JOMO ‘the joy of missing out’. It’s a good thing. It means being happy with what you are doing. It’s opposite being FOMO, ‘the fear of missing out’. I’m definitely more a JOMO. Being a Jo it seems very apt. I’m quite happy with my own company and have been known to miss the odd party in favour of time home alone watching well, Home Alone. OK, well maybe not that particular film. Actually, I watch most types of films except horror. 

I was asked my favourate film once at an interview. My response was Predator, the original 1987 version with Arnie Schwarzenegger, who along with his team of commandos, is tracking down an Alien who is not easily seen. Do watch the film if you haven’t seen it. It’s one of those films I have to watch if it comes up on TV. I passed the interview despite my dodgy choice. I made them laugh anyway. I should point out here that the interview was part of the selection and discernment process for Baptist Ministry. God moves in mysterious ways! The best part comes at the very end when the alien starts laughing. I’m sure the film prepared me well for ministry. Laughter and the ability to blend in are probably more useful than being able to fire a M134 mini gun. Although there are times….. 

I love to laugh! Singing, laughing, and walking are my stress busters. I have been known to do all three at the same time but more commonly not. So what makes you happy? 

Travelling slowly

Well the last couple of months I’ve travelled very slowly, or at least life has had to slow up, having had some major surgery. ‘The slower you travel the more you learn’ is a quote by Alice Morrison. Morrison once cycled across Africa, well raced to be precise. She’s an interesting character. Check out her website: https://alicemorrison.co.uk/about-alice-morrison/ if you want to know more. 

This particular quote is printed across my t-shirt, my walking t-shirt. Well, the t-shirt itself doesn’t actually have legs so doesn’t walk by it’s self but I occasionally take it out for a walk. I now have visions of my t-shirt on a lead being taken for a stroll around the park as you would a dog. 

I digress… back to the walking whilst wearing said t-shirt and the quote….

I’ve always found solace whilst I walk. It’s one of those thin places for me where I feel closest to God. I have felt frustrated post-op that I have not been able to go out for my normal yomp around the hills instead I’ve had to build up slowly. Walking a couple of hundred yards took all my effort. Slowly I increased my walk by 5 minutes a week.  It was a major milestone being able to finally complete the walk around the block that I did so much of during lockdown when, in the UK, we were not allowed to drive unnecessarily, including driving anywhere to go for a walk.

Sometimes God slows us down particularly if we have been hurtling around too quickly to connect with him. Lots of people were poorly over Christmas with coughs, colds, and covid. If we don’t slow down our body gets sick anyway and there is enforced rest. So, in the slowing down what do we see? What do we hear? What do we smell? What do we sense? What have we learnt? If we can’t answer those questions perhaps we need to slow down even more? 

I’m still not up to speed on the walking. Well, the pace is there but not the distance. It’s quite frustrating really I will be glad when I can get out more, but in the waiting and recuperating I’m learning. Learning to be more reliant on God and drawing closer to him. 

Grief is the price we pay for love

Yesterday afternoon Queen Elizabeth II died. Whilst we all knew it would happen the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and beyond and have gone into shock. Grief does that to you. Even when you know it’s going to happen it is still a shock when it does. It was the Queen herself who said, ‘Grief is the price we pay for love.’ If we didn’t love it wouldn’t hurt. I’m sure there are mixed emotions today from lots of people. Even if you aren’t a royalist the Queen has been so much a part of our country you cannot help but be saddened. Today is the first day of ten days of official morning. 

Yesterday Before the news was announced I completed a new jigsaw puzzle. Unfortunately it didn’t fit in my jigsaw board so I had to improvise a little. The puzzle was if the London skyline including the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben. We use our eyes to see, they cast vision. Parliament is where the countries big decisions and laws are made. Our new Prime Minister Elizabeth Truss has on Monday taken up her new post. Big Ben is part of the iconic landscape and calls the time. 

Big Ben chimes the changes of our nation. 

From it the watchmen see and pray. 

Parliament takes up its mantle 

and the country grieves the passing of the Queen. 

The new season is upon us 

we wait with urgency 

as the roaring of the lion 

seeks to devour its prey.

Changes are afoot 

the lamb is at the door 

the two will lie together 

will you welcome them once more? 

The place I grew up

The hills and the valleys majestic they stand

The streets and the alleys echoing still

The patter of feet and songs of the sheep

The mills turn their hands as the streams rush on by. 

The lock gates are raised, joy is released.

Creation speaks and artists paint

pictures with canvas and words. 

The sun bows it’s head

The wind blows the trees 

History is woven

and made in 

Stroud town.

©Revdjo 16/6/22

Lost

‘I think we’re lost!’ ‘Well if you’re lost I’m lost to!’ I love to go out walking and finding new footpaths. I like the sense of adventure it gives to just be following a map or a set of directions. As a child I was always out playing in the fields or ridding my bike. I’m happier outside than in if truth be told. I’ve walked more since the pandemic than I ever have as an adult and I’ve loved every minute of it. It’s a chance to stop and stare and feel close to God through creation. It’s become more of a part of my own spirituality than ever before. 

There have been occasions when my husband has looked at me a little worried as to where we are going and more to the point wondering if we are lost. My sense of direction is pretty good, unless I’m in a shopping centre but that’s another matter! Maps and sat. navs. help us to find the way but you still need to know where you are for them to work, or at least the very least you need a grid reference or a satellite signal!  

We can of course all feel lost at times, even when we know where we are. There that feeling of not quite being comfortable in ourselves, or that something is missing, or not quite right. The pandemic has made us all on high alert, to greater or lesser degrees, and our fight or flight response has been switched to overdrive. I’m normally quite a laid back kind of person and good in a crisis but at times I’ve felt  stressed, and anxious and not known what to do with myself.  In that event there has only been one way for me to deal with it and that was/is to get out and walk. Walking helps me feel more grounded, more at peace with myself. Yes, because I’m out in creation, but I feel it to with a walk around the block near to where I live. I feel grounded in main because I give God the chance to break into my thoughts and anxieties and stress. There is something about looking out, rather than at looking in on ourselves and our own problems. Look out at this beautiful land of ours and notice the small things. Notice the incidentals that we have missed when we have been racing around with work or our racing brain has overlooked them. 

The pandemic has given us all a new view of the world and made us take stock of ourselves. Most of us have reprioritised our lives, or at least thought about it. We have realised the importance of family and friends and being there for one another. We have realised who are friends are, and unfortunately taken note of those who haven’t seemed to care, or at least have been too rapped up in their own problems to notice we are struggling. So do you still feel a little lost? Or maybe you feel totally lost? Or like you want to throw in the towel? - please don’t. There is only one person who can fill that void, that lost feeling. There is only one person who can calm our soul. There is only one answer to the muddle and confusion of the pandemic. That person’s name is Jesus. Do you know him? Would you like to know him more? Trust me he is the answer. Try talking to him he will respond if you give him a chance. 

Life in a Roundabout way

Life can be a bit like a roundabout sometimes. It can spin so fast you want to get off but most of the time it’s a lot of fun. Ever feel you are going around in circles? Or perhaps stuck on the same loop? It’s easy to get into bad habits, less easy to break them. How easy has it been to put on weight during the lockdowns we have had? How easy was it too loose those extra pounds? If we want to do it properly we have to track those calories, and macros, and make sure we exercise regularly. If we put the effort in and track our steps we eventually get there. 

Moses took the Israelites through on what but have seemed like a never ending journey. Were they ever going to reach that promised land? God has a habit of leading us the long way round. There are lessons he wants us to learn along the way. Without the wilderness experiences we don’t grow, in-fact we just become complacent and comfortable. There is more to life than sitting in our cosy armchair in our PJs and fluffy slippers. This journey that God invites us on with him is one of joy and excitement. Embrace it! 

Lead me to the helter-skelter Lord! Bring on the laughter!