I haven’t blogged so far this August since the boat adventure: in some ways it’s been a quieter month with an opportunity for more spiritual refreshment from the Lord. In other ways, it has been full of family moments of great joy. So, here are some highlights from the month so far in family, work, and prayer:
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At the top, it has to be the birth of my new little niece, Rose. To our great joy, she was born the weekend before last, the feast of St Dominic, which also happened to be my brother’s 19th birthday. We were all at my parents’ home in Gloucestershire, so the next day, we drove across the country to my sister and brother-in-law’s to meet the new addition to our family. We also managed to share a few moments with her – now one week old! – last Saturday, which was amazingly special too. What a treasure! I find that a new little person in the family changes the whole family dynamic. It is awe-inspiring to think that God knows every moment of her life ahead of her. As God must be, we are utterly besotted by her.
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Around Rose’s birth, we’ve been blessed with some beautiful family moments… We all live spread out around the country so it rare that we are all together. But the last couple of weekends have seen unusual extended periods of time together. We haven’t been doing anything special – just chatting, laughing, eating, drinking, walking by the sea and enjoying each other’s company. These times are so precious you want to hold onto them… God knew what he was doing when he made families 🙂
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Although I’m working through the summer, how much do I love the relative quietness of August?! This is so needed, especially as I am already bracing myself for the manic onslaught of September. We have been using the time to get a lot of work done related to Called and Gifted and to the evangelisation strategy teams in our Diocese. Last week, the diocesan delegates who attended Proclaim ’15 and the HTB Leadership Conference gathered together for an evening of prayer and fellowship. It was a beautiful evening, buzzing with joy, encouragement and faith. It is wonderful to gather with other passionate disciples from the diocese and share with one another stories, ideas and dreams for evangelisation…
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Finally, I’ve been using this quieter month to read more Scripture. As you know, we did the 24-week Bible Timeline last year, which gave us a comprehensive framework for the whole Bible (more so than my undergraduate and Masters degrees if I am truthful). When we finished, I wanted to continue my immersion in the Bible, so I bought the Bible Timeline Guided Journal. Through the summer, I am trying to read and journal each day. It is great to go through once again in detail and the journal is a helpful guide. If you want to deepen your knowledge and love of Scripture, I’d recommend this.
Whether you’re at home or away, I hope August is offering you some time for relaxation, refreshment, and an experience of God’s peace!
