Enjoying life on purpose

Freedom

My husband’s written his first book called Freedom …………….

 ‘Freedom’ ……. the greatest freedom we can find is the freedom to be ourselves. Not copies, not someone else’s idea of me, not a puppet, but free.

You can read more about it by following  the link here:

http://www.revivalfires.org.uk/store/product.php?productid=1181&cat=186&page=1

I would love you to take a look. He’s now working on his second book about marriage.

A time to live……….

I met someone once, a long time ago, who made the biggest impact on me that anyone ever has, even more than my amazing husband, even more than meeting my wonderful children as they came into the world. I’d known about him most of my life but one day I met him in the flesh and we struck up a friendship.

I felt like I’d known him for ever. One day I said that to him but he didn’t look surprised. He explained that he had known me for ever. I must have looked a bit quizzical because he laughed. Then he said that he wanted to tell me something – it would sound quirky but I should trust him. I like the unusual so I said, “Go ahead! I like quirky.” I was laughing a little as I said it but he took my hand and looked into my eyes so I went a bit quiet thinking this was looking serious.  I began to get nervous wondering what he was going to say.

He started to talk and at first I thought it was a story that he had made up to amuse me. He told me, “Not only have I known you a very long time but so has my father.” (I was very confused – I was pretty sure I didn’t know his father!) “In fact, many years ago, my father and I were out together walking – it was that cool part of the evening that he always loves so much. We had been messing about copying the birdsongs and seeing who could throw a stick the farthest but then we had fallen silent, both deep in thought. Dad suddenly spoke your name out loud and then repeated it several times trying out different combinations and emphases on the syllables! I asked Dad what he was saying and he said he had been thinking about you Katrina,  and was trying out names to find one that was perfect for you.”

I could sense the truth of this deep in my heart but my brain was struggling to catch up. My friend explained that his father had to imagine me before he could form me in my mother’s womb. I said, “Hang on. Are you saying that your dad made me? Created me? That he dreamed me up?” There was a long silence from my friend then he looked into my eyes and I knew beyond all doubt that he was telling me the truth.

I realised I had read about this father and son many times in a book my grandad had given me along with an old wooden school desk, when I was a child. A collection of writings about a God of the Hebrews who is love and light and also a father and a creator, who had a son who was made of the same love; so much so that he would one day give his life away to save all the people his dad had created. I loved these stories as much as the ones I had read about the gods of the Greeks and the Norse people. Thor, Perseus – all the beautiful names and exploits. As my friend continued to talk I realised that this father was real and his son was my best friend!

How incredible that this man’s father had designed every detail of me in his imagination, in that fertile creative place of pure love. I remembered reading in my book,

Jeremiah 1:4-5
The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;
(NIV Bible)

I recalled more,

 Jeremiah 29:11-12

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

 (NIV Bible)

My friend had been looking at me with a little smile around the edges of his mouth all this time as I had pondered on these things. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I couldn’t help laughing even though I was trying to pretend I was slightly cross.  Where was this laughing bubbling up from??

It wasn’t like I had anything to laugh about. I had a huge debt that weighed heavily on my mind. I knew that I couldn’t afford to pay it and that if I tried it would have terrible consequences for me.  He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “It’s ok. I’ve paid it off for you.” I jumped nearly out of my skin! “What! Are you able to read my mind aswell??”  He roared with laughter, “Something like that” he said. I couldn’t believe he had paid off my debt.  I searched through my large handbag full of “essential items” for the letter with the red writing that had come in the post just this morning. There, I knew it. I waved it at him, “You can’t have paid it because this last reminder arrived today”. “That’s  only because you haven’t accepted that I’ve done it for you.’ he explained, “Just accept it’s a free gift from me to you. Not only that, but if you ask me to stick around, if you stop looking backwards at your old life, I will  provide you with things that will turn your life around so that you don’t just survive but will actually thrive!”

I felt my heart thrill with excitement as the fear left. I glanced again at the paper in my hand. It still had it’s red writing but…….the words started to run as if the ink was wet. My friend took it out of my hand and ripped it in half but as he did I’m sure I saw the words ‘debt cancelled’ written in blood on the page. I took one last glance as he drew his arm back to throw the paper away and amazingly it looked blank. In fact, the sheet of paper looked as white as new snow to me……..

Well, that was all a long time ago and we’re on first name terms now,  Jesus and Kate. Kate and Jesus. Yes, he and his dad had decided way back that my name suited me perfectly even when shortened to Kate. We’re writing a book together, the God and Kate story, but I told you about that in a previous post 🙂

It’s all about choosing him. I don’t have to study hard or pray for hours (even though those are good things to do). I just have to choose him and those things that he bought for me and then he does the rest. I started singing to him in the car on the way to work one day this week.

I choose you Jesus

I choose life

I choose grace

I chose mercy

I choose you Jesus

I repeated those lines a few more times and then I found I was thinking of more and more things that he had purchased for me – it seemed an endless list – favour, health, joy, self control,  kindness, goodness, love……So I sang all the way to work and didn’t get to the end of the list, and that’s what he’s like really, full of good things for us. We just have to choose him.

Father, Your love for me existed even before you formed me in my mother’s womb. You knew me and set me apart for your special purpose long before I was born. Help me to receive a deeper revelation of this truth, so that I might continue to walk out my destiny in the shadow of your love. In the name of your beloved Son Jesus, I pray, AMEN

Prayer taken from www.FathersLoveLetter.com

Well readers – since we last spoke I’ve been out at a couple of  trout fisheries attempting to develop my fly fishing skills beyond beginner stage 🙂  Although I’m now successful in catching fish most of the time, I’ve never landed one on my own, always needing help with getting the net under the fish in the water. It always seems like you need 3 hands to do this??  I had never taken the hook out of the fishes mouth myself so now was the time to start! Rob had been tutoring me in a method of fly fishing that is slightly worryingly called the “booby method” which entails the use of a fly made with a little foam head that floats well on the surface and then little buzzer flies and nymphs that hang lower in the water. So, lots to learn this year!   

I did think, prior to taking up fishing, that discussing weight, size and numbers of fish caught was a male orientated activity and not one a woman would be drawn into. But last week,  on a particular pool, the unusual situation arose where I had caught three fish and Rob only one. I noticed a small but highly competitive spark leap across my brain and the unspoken contest commenced. The goal? To catch the bag limit of four fish before my husband did. 

The owner of the fishery passed by me on his way to tend to the specimen fowl in the aviaries nearby. He cordially enquired how I was doing and on hearing the “good news”  passed comment that catching more fish than my husband was not good for the “marital relationship”. However, I was sure it would be good for character building (husband’s of course!). 

It wasn’t long before the old adage “pride comes before a fall” was needed as husband bagged his fourth fish before I did, so now it all depended on the weigh in. Last year as a beginner, I was happy to catch nothing as I enjoyed learning the new skill and being out of doors.  Now the competition was definitely on and all noble thoughts of the previous season flown away.

My next catch was a cute little crayfish but more of him later. Once my fourth fish was landed, we walked nonchalantly back to the hut where the weighing scales were beckoning. I can report I had the greatest total weight (by a couple of ounces) – 8lb 2ozs – and one of my fish was heavier than any of Rob’s, weighing in at 2.75 lbs but he won the contest by telling me how proud he was of me 😉

You may be wondering about the crayfish which resembled a small lobster. A few weeks previously, at a fishery in Woolaston near the Rivers Severn and Wye , I caught a frog on my fishing line which was definitely unintentional and probably the most unsavoury fishing  experience I’ve had so far! This incident definitely needed the intervention of a husband to detach the frog carefully from the hook and return it to the pool. Catching a crayfish was also unintentional but quite interesting as it resembled Sebastian, the cute little lobster in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”. My youngest daughter spent many hours as a young child repetitively watching the film before progressing to become a Disney princess fan. The songs hung around in my brain for many months as any parent of young children will no doubt identify with! I have another daughter with a talent for performing condensed versions of animated movies with all the voices and key quotes. “Finding Nemo” is her best! So I had a soft spot for the little crayfish. which was about as big as my hand. Taking a cloth from my bag I gently held him while I removed the hook. Trying to place him back quickly in the pool, I found the little fella was clinging onto the grass for dear life with his pincers and lots of little legs!! I finally wrestled him free and returned him to the pool still clutching grass to his chest. I do hope he forgives me soon!!

Pretty near perfect day!

Today was pretty much perfect!

First day of four days off work – exciting!

Blue skies as the mist evaporated – promising!

Not needing a coat because it’s warm – encouraging!

Driving to the River Severn with my lovely husband. – wonderful!

Bacon sandwich on wholemeal bread followed with rhubarb yoghourt picnicking at the riverside – yummy!

Conversations that illuminate – connecting!

Lying eyes closed on a grassy bank, the sun on my face in the month of March and the warm breeze gently lifting a strand of my hair  –  unbelievable! 

Living the present, unconcerned about the future, enjoying life on purpose – thank you God!  🙂

First day of the UK Spring and the signs are all around! 

Like 50’s debutantes appearing for the first event of the season, fresh green shoots have made a shy but excited appearance amongst the winter leaf mould and bare twigs.

Leaf buds step out elegantly. Soon they will be ready to twirl and unfurl their green bias cut skirts.

Maybe there will be a splash of lemony green slubbed silk, like these young nettle shoots here, appliqued to a background of sage velvet.

Or perhaps, a bold, bright green full of depth like the older primeval mosses and lichens which have freshened up and emerged ready to chaperone the newer arrivals.

Willowy new shoots strut their style with heads held high.

Swaying in the melody on the breeze, confident their hot pink hue will attract an invitation to dance.

Their season is short as their taffeta glory will soon mellow to brown dappled tweed.

Enter right – last season’s debs take the stage. Their pendulous earrings sashay gently with grace and charm suspended from mature branches above the remnants of winter’s floor.

The wind will take them onwards with time and they will multiply.

White and lemon broiderie anglaise makes a come back this season for the young debs.

Others prefer a simple but sophisticated look………..

……while the latecomer reeds are still bathing in spring waters, sure in the knowledge that a fashionably late entrance  always draws a crowd!

Enjoy Spring this year!

There’s nothing quite like catching a few trout with flies you’ve tied yourself for making a birthday boy very happy. That’s why Rob and I recently headed for the Bransford Game Fisheries http://www.bransfordgame.com/ near Worcester with celebration in mind.   Two of the fishery pools are fed with water from an underground reservoir of Malvern Spring water and are well stocked with fish from Bibury Trout Farm. A pre-trip look at the weather forecast and predicted temperature had caused us to think the fish would stay deep and we chose some hand tied lures and wet flies with this in mind.

Leaving the motorway,  it was as if the Malvern hills  presented themselves to us, a low wintery sun throwing the undulations of their geological structure into stunning relief. The countryside looked welcoming but the car radio predicted blustery winds, not good for fly casting especially for a beginner like me!

The forecast proved correct and on leaving the car, I put on as many coats and warm accessories as I could manage while still retaining the ability to move. Those of you who have read my previous post “Sea fishing, frost and lemon cake” will recognise this as a recurring theme!

We waddled over to the Anglers Rest Room – the best one I have found so far in my short fly fishing career. A modern brick built building with kitchen, kettle, microwave, weighing area and even carrier bags to take your catch home in. Add to that the picnic table, barbecue and separate ladies and gents toilets and it makes a facility acceptable to any lady angler no matter how genteel their upbringing! Quite a contrast to the small camping toilet at the beautiful Loch Sherup in Scotland but the less said about that the better! On the other hand,  I’ve since been to rural India becoming well acquainted with a variety of their official and unoffical toileting arrangements. Imay well view the dear little Loch Sherup toilet with great affection this coming summer!

Our friend James soon arrived bearing homemade scones. He really is a good baker, taking great care over the creating process with yummy results. The scones along with bacon butties would make up our lunch.

Once we had set up our fishing gear we ventured onto the far lake having worked out how to position ourselves so that the strong wind blew from behind us. Out there, the sound of the wind was earachingly relentless and stole the words and breath from our mouths at times. I was able to stand leaning into the support of the wind (always fun until it suddenly dies down and leaves you stumbling backwards)and at times, I crouched down suddenly to avoid being blown over.

We adapted a version of back casting and holding the rod low when retrieving to avoid the wind blowing the line into a knotted up mess. It was certainly not text book methodology! God must have looked on me with favour as I experienced hardly any line tangles as I cast and got my hook caught on the bushes behind me only once or twice. 

I spent the next hour fishing while admiring the winter shapes of the reeds and a pair of black swans that often frequent the pools, their bright red beaks making a striking contrast against the black waterproofed feathers.

After a while, I felt the eagerly awaited tug of a trout sampling the colourful lure that had sunk deep into the water. I pulled the rod up to secure the hook firmly in the fishes mouth and played the trout successfully for a while until, inexplicably, the line came loose and the trout got away! As still quite a beginner in training, both catching and losing the fish are equally inexplicable to me. No doubt seasoned fishermen and women will have explanations of what I did or didn’t do correctly but at the moment it’s all fun and I’m enjoying the learning process. The fish had a few more  bites at my lure but none obliged by allowing themselves to be caught.

Rob and James went on to catch their quotas of fine looking rainbow trout and even a brownie which was returned to the pool.  

One or two of the fish were female, full of eggs.When we gutted and filleted them later, the eggs spilled out, bright orange pearls worthy of any authentic sushi bar.

As it was so windy and I was recovering from a virus, I decided it was time to retreat to the Anglers Rest to cook the bacon sandwiches. This attractive plan was thwarted by a broken microwave. The scones became the main course accompanied by a cafetiere of freshly ground coffee. The jam was delicious and a pot of clotted cream with a thick crust completed the picnic which we ate at the wooden picnic table overlooking the lakes and the valley.

 

If you value good flyfishing, excellent facilities, beautiful views and an array of natural phenomena to wonder at while you relax why not give this fishery a visit 🙂 If you don’t know how to fly fish, why not try a new hobby this coming Spring?

Living in the moment

So this is the blog I promised you last weekend. Better late than never! I forgot my motto of “Promise less – Deliver more” for a moment.

Did you know there’s a book in heaven called “The God and Kate Adventure”. We’re writing it together. I ask him “What shall we do today?’ then we do things and he writes it down. Some days he asks “What do you want to do, Kate?” We do all of it together.

Just lately,  God’s had to write nearly every day because he taught me a new thing – living in the moment. Before then he would suggest lots of things but we would rarely get round to doing them. I thought I would do them when the house was totally clean and tidy, when the “to do” list was all ticked off and complete, when…………..you get the idea! Those things are never ending.

Now, it’s different. We do the God and Kate things first, then the other things  just fall into place or don’t get done but it doesn’t seem to matter so much. Not only that, but the God and Kate things are such an adventure and they make a really good book.

When I was a child, one of my favourite books was a thin hardback book that had belonged to my Aunty Wendy. I still have the book somewhere in the loft. It is the story of a big bird and a little girl who rides on his back as he flies around the world visiting different countries. Each page has a picture showing a  country visited and its people dressed in their national costume going about their daily life.  In those days, I would often dream of flying out of my window on my bed and visiting other places – adventure dreams. When I grew up I still remembered the dream and wrote a poem about it.

Dream Counterpane

Soaring out of my bedroom window

Beneath

Dream counterpane.

Exotic sultans,

Jewel encrusted lands.

Brass bedstead

spells security

But give me dreams

Every time.

God wants us to experience adventures even as adults, the whole of our lives in fact.

It’s important to write things down so we can see over the years how God unfolds and directs our lives.

Recently, God has been speaking to our church through prophecy and dreams, about  being prepared and positioned for a year where we do the will of God. This brings glory to God and always seems to entail adveture of one sort or another. Here’s some of the things God has said:

“There is clear air in front of us, space to step into and occupy.” – I intend to do that this year.

“What we decide this year will determine what and where we are in 10 years time” – so I’m gladly submitting to his purposes.

“God remembers his promises and is bringing things to birth.”

“It’s a year to complete things which have lain dormant” – those things which have lain in our hearts since childhood – for me,  things like writing travelling – are meant to be brought to completion. what things are lying dormant in your heart? Let them rise up and be brought to completion this year.

“The plough is ready for us to put our hand to it, but we mustn’t look back.” – there’s lots of things waiting for me if I don’t look back to what’s past.

“We are at a time of surrendering to God where we enter the holy place” – God told me that laying down my life down his way (rather than in an ‘ought to’ slavish way) brings life, like sowing a seed in the ground grows into new life. I’ve been released from bondage to “ought to’s” into ability to live in the moment, not locked in the past or worrying about tomorrow. The joy of the Lord is my strength and it comes as I  live moment by moment walking and talking with God.

I pray you will find the joy of the Lord and have adventures with him this year.

x

Hello everyone – it’s been a while so I have 2 new blog posts for you this weekend 🙂 Watch our for number 2 tomorrow!

Today was impromptu – earlier this week  friends asked if we would like to join them sea fishing in Barmouth on Saturday. I love a day at the seaside so spent the week in anticipation. Barmouth was a childhood holiday location.  It was there that I discovered I loved Portmeirion pottery as we stayed in a house one year which had a kitchen full of it. I spent my 18th birthday there too.

I didn’t plan much because no young children = less bags and planning doesn’t it??  Or does it! We were to set off at 7 am to catch high tide. At 6.45 am I couldn’t decide on dress code. I wouldn’t be fishing (I only know fly fishing and didn’t fancy getting blown off the harbour wall today learning any other kind) but would still be out in the same weather conditions as the others. Thick frost carpeted the street outside at 6.50 am. In a moment of random indecision,I grabbed 2 coats, 3 pairs of gloves with varying degrees of coverage from wrist warmers to special self heating thermal ones, a pair of spare leggings and socks and 1 scarf.  Add to this the hair brush and grips for the inevitable bad hair day in the winter sea air, the emergency banana in case we can’t stop for breakfast due to catching the tide and the notebook for making blog notes of course!

Filling the boot of our friends car with my “carefully planned” stuff, off we go. As dawn breaks the countryside sparkles with white frost – so beautiful. We decide to stop later for bacon sandwiches at our favourite roadside “shack”. The emergency banana is no longer needed and so is eaten early into the journey. Washed down with little espressos made of Rob’s home roasted Kenya AA coffee and a very civilised wafer biscuit and chocolate covered coffee bean.

Welshpool and onwards is lost in a mist of frozen air but we emerge from the other side and start to plan lunch and tea shops for later. Then the picturesque Barmouth bridge comes into view and the lone gothic house set on the side of the estuary and I know we’re near!

The harbour road is blocked off due to sand drifts from some previous desert like sand storm. Leaving the warm car for the cold sunny car park, I opt for both coats, all the gloves, the scarf and a borrowed pair of overtrousers. Realising I have no hat, Tina lends me her best pair of ear muffs from New York:) Looking like the Michelin man but sporting very stylish plaid and fur ear muffs, I waddle along the harbour wall.

The view in the winter sun against the blue sky is stunning but the wind is bitterly cold. We opt for the lower part of the wall where it’s relatively sheltered. Tina and I take a seat and drink Rooibois tea while providing encouraging comments to our menfolk such as “How many lures have you lost so far?” ” So your aim is to catch 10 different varieties of seaweed?” and “Shall we go and fetch that bag of lures that just blew away?”

After disentangling much seaweed from fishing lines with not a fish in sight, we decide it’s time for a fish and chips lunch. To be honest, Lyndon had mentioned fish and chips in a wistful tone since about 10.30 am. However, it was when we became concerned that we had destroyed a whole underwater seaweed habitat that we thought it best to leave…………

Lunch is good sitting outside on a bench watched by a vigilant lone seagull (Mine!  mine! mine!……quote for Finding Nemo lovers). Back in the car heading for Dolgellau and tea shops we stop off at a river fished many times by our friend. It used to be full of salmon and seatrout until poachers poisoned the water a couple of times and numbers dropped dramatically. It was good to hear his fishing tales, some very funny.

We arrive at a great tea and coffee house in Dolgellau at Parliament House, originally an old hardware store. The owners have retained the old shop fittings with wonderful wooden pigeon holes from counter to ceiling filled with cups, pots and tearoom paraphernalia. Ornate light fittings and glass fronted wooden cabinets are all utilised. The home made cakes are of the highest quality, including hazelnut and coffee cake. The counter is filled with a large range of loose teas with bohemian sounding names such as Russian Caravan tea.

Sitting back at home with slices of crusty toast and Primula cheese spread we agree it’s been a most enjoyable day 🙂

During our recent stay in Birmingham, we went alomg to a poetry evening at the Midlands Art Centre (locally known as “the MAC”).

MAC has been host to many of my happy memories. I first discovered it in the late 70’s as I made a hesitant emergence from a very shy childhood and teenage years into my 20’s, with the help of some brave people. A shy, slightly aggressive, sometimes embarrassing and (so I’m told) attractive butterfly, who was determined  to engage with and make it through this scary but wonderful thing called life, with or without other people. Several decades later, I’m happy to report that I am making it through life with increasing  joy and excitement thanks to God and some great people. (So glad it wasn’t without people……..I can’t imagine life now without relationships).

It was probably the MAC cinema or the art exhibitions that I first discovered (I don’t exactly remember). Then, the bookshop and contemporary dance classes (lots of leaping across the room in Ballet Rambert style). I loved it but only did a term as I got distracted with wedding preparations so don’t ask me to demonstrate any routines! At the first dance class, I recognised one of the other students as a new girl at my work place, a physiotherapist. A friendship grew over coffees and Cadbury creme eggs in the cafe after the class  and my shy ” hang around the edge of the group listening rather than joining in” approach to the work staff room changed a little for the better 🙂

Later on, I would take my 3 preschool children to MAC and the park – puppetry shows and childrens activities. We would walk in the park, feed the ducks and visit the playground. Returning to the cafe, I would buy drinks and occasionally a doughnut (cut into 3 pieces, one for each of the children – thrifty times!) or 3 mini milk ice lollies – do they still make those?? I’d joined the local La Leche League group (birth, breastfeeding and child raising) and on one occasion we descended upon the MAC and the park with all our babies, our friends and their babies, our bags and picnics and had such a good time. Not sure if the MAC ever recovered from so many radical mums breastfeeding our children in public, offering freshly prepared wholefood snacks to toddlers and wiping runny noses on our long patchwork ‘earth mother’ skirts! But at least we didn’t churn up the grass with pushchairs, being totally committed to baby carriers, swaddling and Welsh shawls! I’m not sure how much our baby raising concepts produced different or better outcomes for the children than any other methods but it was a very rewarding, fascinating and (mostly) fun time 🙂

(Excuse me while I pause blogging to congratulate husband on finally getting the karaoke machine to work ready for tonight’s New Year party…. “Yes R – marvellous job! The flashing lights are lovely and thanks for singing ‘I will survive’ to me so early in the day – I’m sure we will survive and even make it to church on time at 10.30 tomorrow =)

Eighteen years ago, R and I joined a writing group at the local library. With other members of the group, we visited the MAC for a poetry evening. Later, we adjourned to the bar area, (contemporary art work on the walls and not many seats so you could wander and browse in sophisticated fashion as you drank your tipple).  One of our older group members, P entertained us with glorious stories of her younger years spent in Berlin, recounted as she leaned on the wall, wine glass in one hand and an elegant little hand rolled cigarette in the other. We all sat on the floor and laughed a lot together. P moved away from the area some time later and gave us her amazing old travel chest which now houses a huge amount of Hot wheels track and cars in our box room!

On another occasion, we saw the poet Micheal Rosen perform his poetry there and he signed a copy of his latest book for us before we left. Then there was the warm summer evening when they had dragon boats on the lake in the park. They were lit with lanterns and moved around the lake as night fell to a backdrop of music and, if I remember correctly, fireworks. Magical!

The MAC has always had an array of music for all tastes on offer. They began a series of free live music evenings outdoors in the courtyard on a weekly basis through the summer. I remember taking my teenage son to a few of them. He’s a talented drummer and was doing a college course related to the music industry at the time.

So, just before Christmas, we returned to the MAC again, this time for another poetry reading. Four up and coming young poets (so tickets were very cheap) performed their work one by one in a small theatre on a tiny wooden stage set at the base of our ramped seating. Their poetry was themed around traumatic events – difficult relationships, addiction and a neglected child. The last poet was so convincing that I left under the impression that he had personally experienced the trauma he had just spoken of – that is, until R asked me if I’d realised each poet had performed poetry about the same scenario but just written from the different perspectives of the four individuals involved, baby, the father, the neighbour etc. Doh! I’d wondered why they all seemed to have similar themes! So well done last poet – you’re obviously a very convincing actor!

And that’s the beauty of the MAC – full of surprises, encouraging new talent, showcasing more established performers, broadening your heart and mind and set in a beautiful park! And I haven’t even told you about the hot houses and the recently refurbished building with it’s new cafe serving tasty soups and savouries, proper coffee and cup cakes!

Why don’t you give it a try sometime and let me know what you think? Google MAC and Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston for lots more info.

Enjoy 🙂

This Christmas I’ve remembered what I am really celebrating 🙂

I returned from India in November thinking “Ok, now it’s time to start planning Christmas.” I dug out my BIG planning notebook with section dividers (as opposed to a piece of recycled printer paper reserved for less serious planning) because Christmas requires detailed plans, of course 😉 But then something stopped me……..God doesn’t intend my life to be ruled by a “to do ” list…so i asked him “What shall we do this Christmas then?” 

 He had such better ideas. First of all, we spent the end of November reading part of Brennan Manning’s book “The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus” – the chapters titled “Jesus at Christmas”. A realisation came as I read which shaped all my subsequent Christmas planning. I could just tell you what it was but something happened on Christmas Eve that summed it all up…………

My little 14 month old grandson was sitting on his daddy’s lap opening some his Christmas presents. He tore a piece of wrapping paper from the present and showed it to us triumphantly with a joyous smile on his face, gripping it tightly in his little fist . He was so happy to discover and hold onto this colourful piece of Christmas paper and wanted to show it to all of us. 

Jesus said ” The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13, 45-46.

When you find something that gives you great joy in this difficult, wonderful world you hang on to it like a shipwrecked man clings to a floating piece of driftwood. You celebrate for evermore about the thing that saved you from a very problematic life  and propelled you into everlasting  joy. If this isn’t the case then we might aswell break out the booze right now and forget all about Christmas!! (paraphrased mostly from Brennan Manning).

So, this Christmas, I decided everything I did would be because I am celebrating my wonderful friend Jesus, who I cling onto for dear life because he came and saved me. Every present given, every meal with friends and family, every heartache and unco-operative piece of Sellotape, every karaoke Christmas song or walk in the woods would be enjoyed with a heart that was celebrating  🙂

It’s been a great Christmas so far – all of it. It’s amazing how approaching life with a celebrating heart transforms every thing that happens whether good, bad or mundane. For instance, today, R and I went to lunch in Birmingham with special friends – it was a lovely time sharing food, presents and stories. Later, we spent some time spent admiring lovely kitchen items in a rather plush store then went our separate ways. Events then took an unexpected turn as we queued to pay our car parking fee. The man in front had lost his ticket. The queue fidgeted. I smiled sympatheticallyat him. He made a public apology then pressed the help button on the machine, talking to a disembodied voice instructing him to pay the full day’s fee of 16 pounds and then the machine “would print him a free ticket” for exiting the barrier. The machine is so sophisticated (code for SO NOT intuitive to use !) that several of us help him locate the correct credit card slot.  The growing queue look more optimistic as said man completes his transaction successfully. Now our turn. Sensing the queue’s expectation for this to be a speedy transaction, I quickly and efficiently slide our ticket into the ……………. wrong slot. Needless to say, we employed the help of the disembodied voice man and the machine spits out our ticket. Avoiding eye contact with the crowd, I process the payment and then go into automatic pilot, pressing  the button to request a receipt which fails to appear. At which point husband propels me rapidly away leaving said crowd to work it out for themselves……………..

The car park decides to get it’s own back and insists we leave by a little used exit onto a road underneath the arches (yes the arches) completely unknown to us. Driving through Digbeth we miss a turn and get completely lost. The local council has translated all the directional signs into Welsh (or might as well have done) as phrases such as” ring road, city east and markets” give us no hope of reaching home!

But, in the midst of all this minor life chaos I remember I’m celebrating someone who is worth it and so we park the car, fire up the satnav and (while we await it’s rather inconsiderate, unhurried efforts to find a signal), we open our friends present. Magnificent big red teapot to match the new kitchen. All is well with the world 🙂

So, for you lovely persistent people who have read this blog to the very end -I can confirm there is a trustworthy friend, Jesus. Let’s experience true celebration in our hearts as we go through the ups and down, joys and heartaches of the rest of the Christmas period. (or to quote a well known film “Party on dudes!”) x