I got challenged yesterday and wisely and have realised that alot of of posts on this site are not positive or uplifting and show a lot of angst and frusration that should only be kept to a journal, or even just given to God. And not very inspirsng to heroes.
Thank you for the challenge.
I have now decided to start a new blog called A Postive Blog and you can find that on www.dianewoodrow.blogspot.com and I will monitor myself much better.
I am not sure I should be putting this out on the web, but we have just been at this most wonderful place in West Wales. It is a Christian retreat place that was bought and built very much on the words God was speaking to the people at the time and this so give the place a totally God centred feel about it.
It was just lovely to get away from all that has been going on here and just have some time away from having to think about things, like making sure everyone gets to where they are meant to be, that everything that is meant to be done gets done, the hassles with church, etc, and just to have some time out.
Ben and Tabi were at different Christian camps and Ian’s parents were the contact people as they were within 30 miles of both of them which also left us totally free from all responsibility, which also seem to make it clear to hear from God because there was nothing hindering things.
And it was like God had a plan. Ian and I took off to Tenby as soon as we’d dropped Ben off and stayed in this great B&B and were blessed with a room with a sea view, and also to my amusement a view over the car park where we’d parked our car, of which we’d got a brilliant deal, which always leaves me happy.
The following day we spent the whole on Caldey Island, an island populated by monks and very much giving off that air of prayer and worship to God. And this was where God started to unfold things giving me lots of things to think about to do with the rhythm of prayer and having God as a total lifestyle, very much challenging me on things.
Then we get to Ffald y Brenin, near Fishguard and the guest rooms have all been renovated to give a bit of an appearance of monk’s cells, with our bed built into the corner of the room. Some of the rooms had cookers, etc but we were having to share which meant we got to talk to people. There was this gorgeous group from Margate, 6 adults and 14 kids aged 6-16 who were so wonderfully well behaved and people should meet them to get over their stereo type of black kids; but to also enjoy the whole stereo type of Kenyan men and women. The adults very much played their stereo type and we all had such fun.
But very much God was reasuring me that He will put the people He wants me to connect with and the teams He wants me in across my path as He wants it. And also that I need to get my own house in order, eg sort out a rhythm of prayer and worship and study and ministry and recreation and family life in my own household and than I can show it to other people rather than expect “them” to do it.
And the interesting thing was when I got home there was an email from a friend, who I had forwarded a quite hurtful email from a church leader to, who said that she felt God wanted me to wait and He would bring the people in my path He wants and to just keep looking at Him.
Also Ffald y Brenin is based on Celtic new monastic prayer principles and so there were lots of books to with that whole thing of finding one’s own rhythm and letting God do the rest, but also about connecting with like minded people
I am excited to see what God will be up to next.
