Lent 2014 - 26th March: writing

I find a simple pleasure in writing. Anyone who knows me well will know that spelling is not my strong point, even when I know how to spell a word I will make a simple error. It is often in haste to get words on a page. I love to write. If I'm writing an essay I normally write too many words and have to edit large amounts. I can't seem to help myself when words start to flow. I have a few ideas in my head at the moment of things to write but alas I am struggling to concentrate fully on the task. Blogging through Lent is a way of disciplining myself to write a little every day. Hopefully it will encourage me to write more. 

Lent 2014 - 25th March: Spending time with Dad

 

March 25th is my Dad's birthday, he is 79 today. This is a photo of me and Dad, I must have been about 10 I think. Birthdays can be simple pleasures to enjoy and to look back on the past year. Birthdays come and go every year but dads are far more special. So today's simple pleasure is spending time with Dad. They don't last forever and I am conscious as I write this yours may have passed away. I hope you have fond memories. 

God is refered to as our Heavenly Father. The Lord's Prayer begins, 'Our Father who art in heaven'. Sometimes relationships with our human fathers are not ideal. Sometimes earthly fathers can be abusive, or unloving. I hope that is not your experience but if it is know that God is not like that. Our Heavenly Father's love is pure, full of grace and there no matter what. Today's simple pleasure is spending time with Dad, have you spent time with your Heavenly Father today?

Lent 2014 - 24th March: Prayer

Today's simple pleasure is prayer. Some people get hung up on what words to use to pray, many dislike praying out loud. Prayer is simply talking to God. He doesn't expect us to use fancy long words only to be honest with how we are feeling. I have times when I stop and pray, such as before I go to sleep at night, but most of my prayer is on the go. Something comes into my mind and I have a conversation with God about it. If I'm annoyed, or angry, or sad, or happy I pray, wherever I am. Prayer is one of the simple pleasures of my faith.

Is there something you need to pray about? 

Lent 2014 - 23rd March: God's Word

For me there is a simple pleasure in reading God's Word. On days that I spend away from it I feel out of sorts. I try to read a small portion of the Bible every day but I am human and sometimes I fail in this. It is probably my Evangelical roots that mean I feel guilty if this happens, or maybe it's my conscience? I like days that are not hurried and where I can read as much as I want to, but spending time in God's Word isn't about how much I read but about how much I listen to God as I engage with him. There are lots of different versions, or should I say translations and paraphrases, of the Bible. The Old and New Testament were written in Hebrew and Greek respectively. Our English translations try and capture the original meanings but sometimes our English language doesn't help for instance we have only one word for 'love' but in the Greek there are five words: 'agape', 'eros', 'philia' and 'storge'. I will leave you to google their exact meanings! The Bible is not just a book it is the main way in which God communicates with us today. It is the vehicle in which he uses to speak, hence the term Word of God. 

This week I picked up a copy of The Message, a brilliant paraphrase, I found that the following Psalm spoke to me (see photo). Perhaps it will speak to you to? Today's simple pleasure to give thanks for is 'The Word of God'.

Lent 3014 - 22nd March: special places

Another simple pleasure from me... special places. There are many special places that I have already blogged on. Today I focus on The National Memorial Arboretum at Arelwas, Staffordshire. It is a special place for me for a number of reasons. My husband is ex-military and served with the Grenadier Guards whilst the Arboretum is not just about remembering those who have died in conflict, for me, this is a significant reason why I like to visit. The Arboretum is fairly close to where I live and one of the places locally that I feel at peace. It is quite exposed and can be rather chilly on windy days. It can also be rather wet under foot. I love going at different seasons and seeing the change in landscape both because of the season and because there is always something new to see. It continues to live, and breath, and grow on behalf of those who have died and are remembered in our hearts. 

The Arboretum pay only a peppercorn rent, of £1.00 PA I believe, for the land that has has the gravel extracted from it. As the gravel company extracts the gravel for the adjacent land it then gives the land other to the arboretum. This is such a generous act that again makes it so special. It is a place I can loose myself in for hours. The other reason close to my heart is that a friends name (a close friend of my husband) is written on the remembrance wall. It is a special place for remembering. If you have never visited I would urge you to do so. It is important to remember those we love. For me the Arboretum is a special place I hope it becomes one for you as well. Maybe you have your own special places where you can relax, feel at peace, and remember?

Lent 2014 - 21st March: home

There are many things to give thanks for and many simple pleasures. Today's simple pleasure is... home. Home is where I am happiest. There is nothing like coming home if you have been away for a while. I remember going to Spain with my parents as a teenager. We were away for only a couple of weeks and yet when we came back all the leaves on the trees had changed colour for autumn. It was utterly beautiful.

There is nothing like coming home and collapsing in a favourite chair with a lovely cup if tea. You will already know that both trees and a cup of tea are also amongst my simple erasures.

Home is where the heart is. The heart in the photo says it all and can be found pitched in my lounge at home.

What have you enjoyed today and can be thankful for as a simple pleasure in life?