Storm [31 Days...Day 12]

Fire before us

You're the brightest.

You will lead us through the storm

I'm sure I've used this song before but Rend Collective's My Lighthouse really speaks to me. I've always loved lighthouses. I have some of Jean Guichard's lighthouse photos on the walls on my landing and I really love the colours and beauty of them contrasting with the power of those waves.

There are waves in life that always threaten to overcome us. Waves that look so strong, that sound so fierce. They intimidate and scare us.

To travel through those waves would be very frightening, especially in a small boat, rowing against the current. For sailors, the lighthouse shines the way. Leads them away from the rocks, to safety.

For us, God is that lighthouse. I'd always thought of God as leading us to Himself, which I am sure He is still doing, but as the lighthouse, He lights the way through the perils, the dangers and the fear, and leads us safely through the troubled waters.

Sometimes those storms look so dark, so intimidating. But there is always a light. Shining constantly in the darkness. Helping us to travel through the storm. We have to look for it. To not be battered down by the wind, the rain and the fear. But if we look, we will see it. If we trust in God, we can weather any storm.

Rest [31 Days...Day 11]

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

Today is a day of rest. So here's my five minutes of rest. Perfect after two night shifts x

Ready [31 Days...Day 10]

Hmm, I'm finding this hard. Maybe I wasn't ready to write for 31 days non-stop.

Are we ever ready for what comes our way? We can't predict the future, so we don't know what's round the next corner. Will we be ready for it?

I wasn't ready for my husband's "help" with this. I was sat here thinking about what to write today (yes, I know it's a day late....blame working night shifts!). Anyway, sitting her looking pensive and he asked what was wrong. I told him I was struggling with 'ready', and he started reeling off word associations and then song lyrics.

Ready Brek.



Are you ready? Are you ready for love?

Let's get ready, ready, let's get ready, ready, let's get ready to rhumble.

Oh dear.  I don't think I'm ever really ready for his input! He's still whittering on now....Ready, Steady Cook....ready cash. Oh dear. I wasn't ready for that 'help'!

But are we ready? Are we ready for tomorrow?

My clothes are out (on the floor, obviously!), my handbag is probably packed, my alarm is set and my car is full of fuel (thanks to the aforementioned, occasionally useful) husband. So I'm ready to go to work.....I wonder what I'll find. Will I be ready?!

Five Minute Friday : Trust [31 Days...Day 9]

Trust....the giving of yourself really in faith to something someone says, promises or does.

Whom do you trust?

My girls skipped off into school this morning trusting that I will be there at 3.30 to pick them up.  I sent Chris off to Cornwall yesterday for work, trusting that he will come home, and come home safely. He trusted the pilot of the plane that flew him to Exeter Airport on that journey. I've put cakes into the oven this morning, trusting that it's as hot as it says on the dial and that it won't stop working halfway through. (Nobody wants half-cooked cake!)

There's a lot of trust needed in this world.

But giving trust has to be done carefully. Think of the Jungle Book. "Trussssssst in me, trusssssst in me," sings Kaa. And he appears trustworthy. We know, as the viewers, that he is not, but Mowgli is fooled.

How many things in your life appear trustworthy, but maybe aren't?

God can always be trusted. He may not always answer prayers and petitions in the way that we ask, the way we want or the way we expect. But I know He is always listening and I can trust Him to do what is right for me. I can trust in Him.

It's not easy. It's not always straightforward. But He's the safest thing you can put your trust in,

Purple [31 Days...Day 8]

I was eleven. It was high school time. Off I went on that first day, found my classroom (in the Bungalow) and started a journey. It was a journey in which I found I loved learning. Yes, I was a swot, yes I worked very hard, but wow, I enjoyed learning.

I got good grades, and a well-rounded education (I think!). Ok, so there were no boys, but that was ok, because it was via a school friend that I met Chris.

And it's those school friends that I remember. Lots of girls.

Lots of girls in purple.

Grey skirts that we rolled up as far as we dared before some teacher made us kneel down and measured them. Those stripy shirts that they brought in. And the purple jumpers.

It took me a long time to wear purple again after we left.

But it's a strong colour. The colour of royalty I'm told. The colour of plums, and aubergines (just been chatting about a cake made with them!). A strong colour.

A colour that defined my friends for many years. and I'm grateful for each of those friends, for together they helped shape me into the woman I am today. Thanks to social media I'm still in touch with lots of them, just vaguely, but it's lovely to hear what they are doing. And I hope the girls (and now boys....shock, horror!) dressed in purple today are grateful for the opportunities that they have. And that they develop that same love of learning that we had.

Purple - worn in my past, shaped my future.

Love [31 Days...Day7]

Love is patient, love is kind.

Love is a man splenrouder thing.

Lots of things have been written about love. I suspect it's the theme of most songs written and a lot of fiction.

Love is important though. Something possibly we need to survive. Love from someone.

Is the word overused though? Does that dampen what it means when we really tell someone we love them? I mean, I love chocolate, but it doesn't compare to what I mean when I tell my family that I love them. I love baking, but it doesn't compare to the love of God.

Showing love is so important. Showing God's love. I've been reading Matthew in a challenge with some friends to become more like Mary and less like Martha, and today one of them challenged us to live in a 'salty' way to point to Jesus. That's hard. But in showing love to other people we can start to do just that. Showing love that we have because God created us to love.

In the beginning God loved us, and He loves us to the end. He sent His son to die for us, that's how much He loves us. That's mind boggling, all consuming, indescribable love.

So today, let's show love. Let's show a little of God's love to someone else.

Possible [31 Days...Day 6]

Possible.

Anything is possible.....is it?!

At college tonight (I'm doing a Counselling diploma!) we were talking about where we see ourselves in 3 years time, and what makes up the wall between here and there. That was interesting. It made me think back three years. If you had told me then that I would be out of teaching, happily in a new job, no longer feeling on the edge of a breakdown, and even taking on the diploma, well I think I'd have laughed. But here I am. It is possible.

I'm not sure 'anything' is possible, but certainly there are a lot of things you could do if you tried.

Possibilities arise when you don't expect them...maybe. I don't know. What is possible for one person may not be possible for another. And maybe you don't know what is possible until you try.

They may possibly be great things around the corner, there could possibly be disaster. But I guess heading towards the corner and then trying to turn it will tell you what's round it.

Take the first step.

That *is* possible, then see what tomorrow brings.......