Tuesday 20 October 2015

By the Waters of Babylon

I'm back from two weeks holiday. A rather mixed up holiday this year as it began with an interview but more of that at a later date.
The rest of the holiday was spent with a couple of days in Devon, a couple of days in Dorset, a few days at home which included a walk along the river at Calver then a return to the seaside with a couple of days in Whitby and finishing with a trip up to Lancashire to see my Mum. Each was a trip to walk along the coast to feel the salt air, to hear the crashing waves to be atuned again to the power of God in nature. As I wrote in the previous blog, water is such a refreshing healing entity.
Then on Sunday I visited a nearby village church where they have Messy Church as their Sunday morning service once a month. The theme was the waters of Babylon and we were reminded of those who sat down and wept for their homeland, and thought of those who are leaving their war torn countries. The service concluded with a baptism- more water.
As I look to the future, to the changes which will take place over the next months, to moving on- I think of all the water, of the changes it goes through each day of what it means for life and the journey's it makes. It is a journey with a positive outcome but at times is challenging and terrifying and for me the future will be positive and renewing but challenging and terrifying at the same time.
But God goes with me and Him I trust.

Friday 2 October 2015

Not quite the End of summer

Today has been a beautiful day and so being my day off we took ourselves off to Bakewell to walk along the riverside and to enjoy coffee and cake. Its good to take time away from the house to just enjoy time together and to think about the future.
I particularly like being by water- whether it's a river, sea or canal. There's something so relaxing and refreshing about water. A reminder of course  that Jesus is the water of life who refreshes us when ever we come to Him.
In the river at Bakewell today we were fascinated by the number and size of the trout in the river- and the clarity of the water which allowed us to see them so clearly and even distinguish between brown and rainbow. Next week will see us at the seaside for at least a couple of days while on holiday- we both will enjoy the waves then.
 It's taking some time to get back into blogging after so long- and I was reminded yesterday - if I need reminding of how careful we have to be about what we put on the internet as you never know who may read it!