New Word Alive done in style. 6 Adults, 3 Children, 1 Farmhouse. Sunshine on arrival, exploring the many rooms, sitting in the garden in the sun reading the paper. Cries of small children roaming around the garden and house, pterodactyl Samuel, butterflies landing on Ben’s arm and head, Daniel’s smiles. Heading down to the beach, Dolphins putting on a show for us out to sea, meals cooked on the crazy Aga. Sitting around a large kitchen table each day, lazy family breakfasts reading the paper, long wine fuelled evening meals putting the world to rights, deep chats, encouraging debriefs on the days learning and fun games. Heading onto site, catching up with old friends, freely avoiding awkward ‘what are you doing now’ conversations. Singing Come Thou Font of Every Blessing with 3000 other people. Graham Daniels telling us to keep going. David Cook providing favourite food each day from Acts. 28 years of Husbandface and vowing never to feed the 3 small boys that much chocolate ever again. Vulnerability with each other. Morning runs and the constant backdrop of pretty mountains. Being reminded of the reality of our Maker, being reminded that Jesus really has done it all for us, being reminded to talk to people and delight in the freedom to do that, being reminded that there is better yet to come, being reminded that living by Faith is the call on our lives, that Jesus really did die and rise again and that changes everything.
- 30dayswild
- Advent
- Anna
- autumn
- baby
- beach
- beautiful
- beauty
- binface
- birthday
- blogging
- books
- brighton
- broken
- children
- Christmas
- church
- contentment
- Dad
- dark
- darkness
- Easter
- Emmanuel
- family
- friends
- friendship
- fun
- God
- grace
- holiday
- home
- hope
- husbandface
- identity
- Jesus
- job
- joy
- life
- Light
- love
- loved
- maker
- Mum
- Music
- nature
- parenting
- peace
- prayer
- pride
- Questions
- rain
- rant
- reading
- reality
- rest
- running
- Sarah
- son1
- son2
- sonface
- spiritual direction
- summer
- sun
- sunny
- sunshine
- tea
- thankful
- tired
- trees
- waiting
- weakness
- wine
- wonder
- work
- writing
Follow me on Twitter
My TweetsInstagram
Haven’t left my chair in 2 hours. I could get used to this :) #firstdayoffintoolong #rest #reading #books #sitting #timegoestoofast #quiethouseLooking to the path ahead as I reflect on the last few weeks. We are on the edge of change but finding hope helping us walk on. Here’s part of my latest blogpost musing on where we are finding hope right now... Hope in the sunrise each morning, in the green carpet beginning to overtake the woods where I walk each morning. In the green shoots coming out of the buds which have been sitting there all winter, reminding me that we are never truly dead. In the sun streaming through windows, the lighter mornings and evenings, the endless swooping starlings swirling at dinner time out our back window. In the cuddles, the repair after the rupture, in the reading of stories, in the lego models adorning the window sills, in the quiet moments when our feet touch in the morning and we remember we are together in this, in the snatched kisses, the coffee in cold parks walking around and around whilst they play away from us for a few moments.Whilst it’s tempting to grit my teeth until Monday’s collapse, today I choose the finding of hope in Today. In the You who holds me in this life, in the Other who made such beauty, in the Hands that hold me as I walk on. Looking for Hope in this present tiredness. In the glistening frosty morning I am found, made and loved. You too. #hope #Today #present #loved #hellotothemorning #sunrise #beautyLast day of pandemic boys at home not schooling. Off to the beach for fun at the park, bikes and scooters meaning I actually got time to talk to my favourite and best over some coffee. 2 days to go. We can do this. And breathe. #beach #blueskies #conversation #coffee #sleepnowpleaseTonight’s activity seems to be making top trumps cards of people the boys know. First up is me. Mummy - Disgustingness - 0 (it was agreed that son2 would score 100) kindness - 100 huggles- 100 Fart smell 10 (out of 10 apparently) and funny - 40 (daddy wins that one with 100, son1 said, it’s just that you’re not that funny mummy... hmm). #toptrumps #atleasttheywrotesomething #rollonmondayRidiculously beautiful world. Soon the sun will rise before I get out of the house but these last weeks of sunrises are proving good for this weary soul. Especially when this line from Karine Polwart’s Four Strong Walls fills me with delight at the nature of my Makers love for me - “I see myself as you see me my friend, oh you put me back together again” #hope #spring #wonder #joy #sunrise #music #balmformywearysoulArchives