Delighting in the Divine
Yes to freedom, yes to play and yes to celebrating the moment!
Exploring the Inca Ceremonial site of Sacsayhuman in Cusco we went on search of rocks bigger than us and found some incredibly long natural slides and tunnels...
Join in a photo journey around the World Wonder of Machu Picchu through the eyes of the boys. In this post I share how we got there and some tips for sightseeing with kids and find out who didn't like the ruins so much...
Crop circles? And is that snow or salt? In this post we visit the Inca Crop circles of Moray and the Salt plains of Maras on our way to Machu Picchu.
There is something restorative about getting out into nature. Join me as we go on a photo journey of some time we spent in Cusco visiting mountains, lakes, caves and ruins as a family. And find out why nature is so important for our mental health.
Finally we are practicing rest as a family by taking a two week holiday to Cusco. In this first post about out time there I share some photos from the countryside near Cusco and we finally find the twelve-sided Inca stone in the city's centre.
What if rest isn't just about ceasing from activity? How can we look at rest in a way that means we can experience it whether we are busy or on holiday?
Recently I have had the privilege to accompany two of my friends as they gave birth. I know the doctor-midwife well and had introduced them both to her and I was able to support the families and the doctor throughout the labour and delivery. Although I knew the doctor well, I had never seen her attend a birth at home before and I was very impressed and thankful for the incredible peace and patience that she brought with her.
The other thing that impressed me was her ability to know when to rest...
It is one of the most peaceful, satisfying and happy feelings to watch your child sleep. After all the noise and activity of the day, to see them (finally!) at rest and knowing they will be restored and renovated in their rest.
So why is it that we love seeing our children sleeping (not only so we can get a break!) but we think for some reason sleep is just a necessary evil for us as adults? ...
These last few months have been a rollercoaster of storm-calm-storm-calm etc. For some reason, I find the 'storms' emotionally easier to respond to than the calms. The calms are what often send me over the edge, but what often feel like an inappropriate time to suddenly be overwhelmed with anxiety and panic! Over the next few weeks I plan to share some thoughts with you on engaging with rest in the midst of 'normal', 'calm' but busy life, but today I wanted to share a post I wrote back in March on leading others in the midst of crisis...
They say that it takes a while to discover your writing voice. A while to recognize your particular style.
Since December I have not written on the blog. I have too much and nothing to say at the same time. I hate the matter-of-fact, trying-to-put-everything-into-neat-little-boxes-to-explain-God-and-the-world style of my writing. God Himself and my life are so many layers of unknown to me right now that the very idea of trying to simplify and reduce Him or my life into pithy little summaries seems horrifying to me. Life is just too raw for sewn-up corners and neatly organized bookcases of thought.
But perhaps, in the hating of my style and voice, I have finally been able to see it...
The final unveiling of the kitchen that took us 9 months to have finished!
Never have I seen a nation so honoring and proud of the role of President and yet so dishonoring and undermining of the President himself as the United States.
Recently, I saw a Facebook post by a Christian disrespecting the current President and comments which were equally disrespectful and it caused me pain and gave me much to think about, especially seeing as my first reaction was to judge them, just as they had judged the President! ...
Poetry is written to be read aloud - for the words to flow off the tongue and for rhythms to mix together to add meaning. When I wrote this poem, I wanted to share it, but I also wanted it to be experienced, not scanned over quickly - then it would mean nothing.
So I thought about how I could bring the words to life and came up with this short reading (around two minutes) set to some visuals...
I would love to tell you that after 21 days writing about prayer, my days are full of joy - they are not. These last posts have been hard to write and joy has overshadowed me and then seemingly left just as quickly at times. I am living in the harshness of the kingdom coming but not yet fully come! ...
When you are in the middle of the tears, you have no idea that as they drip on the ground they are watering new seeds.
As you struggle with the sledgehammer of bad news to the mind, a descending fog and a wondering if God is bigger than the overwhelming Tsunami coming over you, you have no idea that He is already carrying you on His shoulder out of the storm, but it is a long way before the damage is out of sight...
It is 5pm and the last bowl has been washed up, the house looks vaguely in order and everybody has left. Today we had a lovely Thanksgiving meal together as a community.
There were over 30 adults present from different nations. Some old friends returning for another Thanksgiving, some new friends from this year, new babies, new people, faithful friends who have been on the journey together for years...
Recognise!
Call to mind!
Meditate on!
Mull over!
Remember!
Do not forget the goodness that God has done for you! ...
I shared recently about pushing against resistance in order to see breakthrough. I have found this to be essential when wanting to see breakthrough in relationships with others which can lead to much joy!
Life has given me plenty of opportunities to have misunderstandings, painful relationships and disagreements with others and I'm sure you have had those too. In many of the relationships at school or university, I was able to pull away when things got hard, but marriage and living in community with others has meant that I have had to work at unity. It was really hard at first, but choosing to commit to the person and not pull away has led to joy! The feeling of joy and unity that comes when a broken relationship has been restored and brought to another level is worth it! ...
This post has been one of the ones I have left until last. It seemed like a simple enough post to write - the message seems like simple arithmetic: ask + receive = joy.
So why has it been left until last?
Truthfully, there hasn’t been a lot of things that I have been consciously, specifically, asking God for this month....
I remember waking up the first time I lost a baby a few days after the delivery. It was the middle of the night and I felt an extreme sense of joy welling up inside me - I could almost hear angels singing around me. It seemed so foreign and wrong to be feeling so joyful only a few days after losing a child. My first reaction was, ‘God, is this You?! How can it be You?!’ His reply came clear and strong: ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ ...
