Tipping Point

Hello! I'm back. Did you miss me?

Last time I shared here I wrote about the changing seasons: not just in the physical world around me, but in my own life as well. It turns out spring was a time to rest, and not write. Now summer's here, I have a sneaking suspicion that's all about to change.

Time Out

Everything's been a bit quiet lately. 

It hasn't been intentional; I've been working on quite a few ideas for posts. With all of them, it's the same problem: I'm managing the beginning and the middle just fine, but I can't get to grips with the ending. It's beyond frustrating for me, but I think I know why. I can't write the ending when I haven't worked out what it is yet. 

The seasons are changing again. Winter is melting away and spring is sprouting up in its place - and not just in a literal sense. My priorities are shifting, and I'm catching glimpses of new things on the horizon. All of them exciting, some of them scary. Some new, getting my attention for the first time, and some old stuff from long, long ago, that's starting to make a bit more sense than it once did. 

Nothing drastic, nothing that looks particularly dramatic from the outside. Just subtle shifts in my perspective, the way I think and where my attention is. But it feels like it's building, as if there's a gear-change coming.  

It's interesting that it seems to be happening all over the place: my church is entering an exciting new season, and a lot of the blogging and social media spheres seem to be chattering away about the same things, too. There's lots of "newness" everywhere. It's looking like a season where God is clearly on the move everywhere. I can't even begin to articulate how exciting that is for me - that somehow, in some small way, I get to be a part of whatever He's got planned. 

Hopefully, it won't be too long before I'm finding the endings, and I can go back to writing at my normal pace. I'm not going to force myself to post anything, just because I haven't for a month or so. I might, but I might not. I just don't know yet. 

For now, I'll just enjoy the silence, and look forward to what's next. 

Back to the Bench

Some of you might remember a post I wrote last year about one of my favourite places to spend time: one particular bench in the park near where I work.

High Resolution

Happy New Year!

It's that time of year when everyone, everywhere seems to be chattering away about New Year's Resolutions. People promising that This Is The Year they will finally lose weight/exercise more/save more money/write that novel/learn the ukulele (delete as appropriate).

While all that might not be everybody's cup of tea, New Year's Day does always seem like a good time to think about the year ahead, and what might be to come.

Why I've Decided It's OK To Feel Festive in November

It's that time of year again.

The nights are rapidly drawing in. Jack Frost has paid his first visit of the season, making the roads glisten and the pavements sparkle. The scent of bonfire smoke is dying away, and fireworks no longer (or at least rarely) illuminate the sky. Coke, John Lewis and now Sainsbury's have all started their battle for the crown of the best festive TV ad. The last remnants of autumn have fluttered away, making way for winter.

Tears, Tantrums and Trusting (Part I) - Stop Dwelling in the Past

Forget about what's happened;

don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new
It's bursting out! Don't you see it?
(Isaiah 43:18-19, MSG)

I first had the idea for this mini-series of posts about two months ago, with a vague idea of the sort of thing it might be about, but nothing more. 

I'm definitely in the middle of a season of learning, and one of the main things it's been teaching me is how to live in the moment. It's something that's kept coming up over and over recently, so I thought it was about time I sat up and paid attention. 

This passage from Isaiah pretty much sums it up for me, and I particularly love the version in The Message - it packs a punch which, quite honestly, I need sometimes. 

A Ball of Rubber Bands

I know I haven't posted on here for a while.

Honestly, it's not because I've forgotten.

The Bench by the Lake

It's September, and the new term has started. For me, this means a return to one of my favourite spots in the park near my office. A bench, by the side of a lake. 

It's a bench that's come to mean a lot to me since the spring brought its warmth and I first started visiting. It's the spot I've come to countless times to pray, to listen. 

Sitting back in that same spot yesterday, I found myself reflecting. Things are very different since the last time I was here, before the summer holidays.