Sunday 9 December 2007

Thank You

Thank you for your prayers, dear friends. I could not do what I do without you - you are an important part of my ministry. The 'Prepare to Welcome Him' retreat was a profound experience. We were held, healed, blessed - as we journeyed together from the first whisper of Gabriel's wings to the divine fanfare of the baby's first cry. Time suspended itself as we made the journey and there was a real sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit with us.

It was a powerful retreat - challenging for some, healing for others, a blessing for all. The whole experience has confirmed in me that this ministry IS where God calls me and, with Mary, I find myself saying, once more, "Tell God, I say 'Yes'!"

Thank you for your so very important prayers.

Please pray for me now, as I give some time to family and friends in the run up to Christmas, and at the same time prepare for my part in helping to lead the Christmas Encounter at Green Pastures.

May God bless you all as you too meet with the 'Saviour in the straw' this Christmas.

Monday 26 November 2007

Prepare to Welcome Him

It's still November and I am steeped in the Christmas story, as I complete my preparations for next week's Advent retreat [Prepare to Welcome Him] at Llangasty. I really would value your prayers for this retreat. Please pray me through the week and pray that those attending will be blessed.

Invitations to lead meditations continue to find me. I have just had to decline some [sorry Trinity Church], but have accepted an invitation to lead meditations at next year's annual conference of the Order of Jacob's Well.

As I continue to consider how to finance what I do, I have just been blessed by a very generous anonymous financial donation. Give thanks for this gift and for the encouragement it has given me. No news on the author grant yet - please keep praying!

Thank you, one and all.

Saturday 10 November 2007

Give Thanks

Well, I am now back from a wonderfully refreshing retreat time and a fruitful period of writing in Devon. I spent time with Society of Mary & Martha at Sheldon, a place I can thoroughly recommend if you are looking for space to 'be' and to meet with God.

I have been greatly encouraged by many things since my return:

1. Jonathon Hemmingray has produced a lovely wood sculpture to go with my 'Crucifixion Tree' poem - you can see it from my link on the right.

2. Wakefield Diocese are to use my writing in their Lent 2008 course.

3. A participant in one of my recent events has contacted me to say that she was healed after the prayer ministry.

4. Llangasty Retreat House have invited me to join their Programme Advisory Group, advising on the house retreat programme. This will be a real privilege and a great opportunity.

Please give thanks that God is using my simple ministry.

I continue to await the outcome of my Author Grant application: please pray!

Thank you.

Saturday 20 October 2007

Writing Time

I continue to be busy! Have just completed some contributions for next year's Spring Harvest liturgy. Please pray (a) that they'll be accepted and (b) that I'll be paid a fair price for this work.

Please continue to pray too for a succesful outcome to my application for an Author Grant, which is under consideration this month.

The next thing on my agenda is that I'm about to hide myself away in a bolt-hole in Devon for a concentrated ten days of prayer and writing [from the 25th - 6th]. I'd be really grateful if you would pray me through this please.

Finally, Jonathon Hemingray feels God calling him to create a sculpture based on my poem "The Crucifixion Tree". Give thanks for this collaboration and please pray for him as he attempts this - it could be quite a powerful piece.

Thank you everyone. Your prayers continue to sustain me.

Bless you all. xx

Wednesday 10 October 2007

Prayers for a Grant and a Support Group

My life is full of amazing God-incidences at the moment and I sense the Lord working his purposes out in spite of me! I also sense my ministry moving into a new phase. So please keep praying me through the process.

I am about to launch an initiative to set up a more formal Support Group for my ministry and am in the process of putting the details of this together. I am being greatly helped in this by my friends, Ann & Roger. We hope to send out a mailshot about this soon. Please pray for us on this issue, as we work the logistics out and try to get our approach right. Please pray too that God will work in people's hearts and bring into being the support that is needed.

My application for an Author Grant [to enable me to pay for time-out with quality writing space] is being considered by the panel this month. Please pray for a positive decision!

Finally, give thanks for an invitation from Jonathon Hemingray, a gifted wood sculptor, to work collaboratively with him.

Exciting things are happening! Praise the Lord!

Wednesday 3 October 2007

A New Publisher?

My September series of talks is coming to an end now and has gone well. The South Wales Christian Writers Event was particularly blessed. Thank you to you all for your prayer support.

My next step is to consider the formal launch of a Support Group for my ministry. I really do feel the Lord's prompting in this and that 'the timing is now'. Please pray for me to have wisdom in how to approach this.

Not so good news on the publishing front ... Inspire have declined to publish my new manuscript. My ego is a little bruised [no bad thing!] but I really do see this as God's opportunity to explore new publishing possibilities. Please pray that I will have good discernment in whom to approach.

God's blessings on you all - thank you for your prayers, which are foundational to my ministry.

Wednesday 19 September 2007

Christmas at Green Pastures

The Lord continues to draw me into retreat house ministry. I have accepted an invitation to help to lead the Christmas retreat at Green Pastures. This feels a huge privilege, to lead worship and reflection at this special time, and something I am delighted to be able to do.

May God bless this special time.

Saturday 15 September 2007

Producing a CD?

My series of September talks is so far going well. Thank you for your prayers.

It has been lovely to see people touched by my words and my testimony, and at each talk I have given so far people have asked me if I have ever thought about producing a CD. I have already suggested that we do so with my next book, the manuscript of which is with Inspire at the moment, so this feels like real confirmation of that idea. Please pray that the publisher will (a) accept the manuscript and (b) agree to produce a CD with it.

My books continue to sell better than expected. Please give thanks.

I recently had a strong word from the Lord in my prayer times that I must 'steer carefully, otherwise you will crash'. This is a very timely word, as I have felt very tired, quite pressured and lacking sufficient quiet space recently ... so please pray that I will maintain the right balance in all I do and prevent myself from crashing.

As always, your prayers for me are hugely appreciated.

Thursday 6 September 2007

Author Grant

My grant application is done! I have applied for an Author Grant to cover the cost of spending up to two months in solitude next year to write. The applications are considered some time in October. PLEASE PRAY that a grant will be awarded, as I cannot afford the costs without it.

This month I'm very busy with several speaking engagements, plus being a keynote speaker for the South Wales Christian Writers event. I have lots happening - far more commitments than my 'norm' - so PLEASE PRAY for peace, inspiration, balance and health during this time.

Please KEEP PRAYING that Inspire will accept my new manuscript. And give thanks that I finally extracted a good royalty payment from the Something Understood producer!

Thanks everyone - your prayers enrich my ministry.

Thursday 30 August 2007

Publisher's Decision

My completed manuscript is now with Inspire and due to be considered for publication soon. The book is a collection of poetry to lead people deeper into stillness and prayer. I have also requested that we consider producing a CD with it, with myself voicing the poetry over meditative background music.

PLEASE PRAY for the acceptance of the manuscript and the success of this project. Please PRAY ALSO that Silent Strength will be reprinted this week in time for my upcoming Autumn events.

Finally, I'm putting together an application for an Author Grant. PLEASE PRAY about that too.

Many thanks everyone.

Thursday 23 August 2007

All Things in Christ

The Lord continues to encourage me ...
Am pleased to share with you that the Methodist Church have chosen to use some of my work in All Things in Christ, the Methodist Prayer Handbook for next year.

Please keep the prayers going.

Thursday 16 August 2007

Something Understood

Delighted to share with you that one of my poems was broadcast on Radio 4 on Sunday. Being There from the Wisdom is Calling anthology was read on the Something Understood programme. A modest royalty may come my way ...

Having something of a 'creative block' this week. PLEASE PRAY for the return of creative inspiration.

Thank you, friends.

Thursday 9 August 2007

Mission Accomplished!

Good news - the first draft of my new manuscript is complete ... and I am DELIGHTED. Am just taking a couple of days now to mentally rest and re-group. Spent some time today looking at an overview of current projects and decided that I need to focus next on:

=> responding to some 'pastoral' letters
=> an application for an Author Grant
=> preparing a reflective communion service [for Aug 26]
=> drafting an outline proposal for the Penarth Baptists retreat
=> preparing an advertising flier for myself
=> drafting workshops for Porthcawl Christian Writers' Day [Sept]

PLEASE PRAY for inspiration, organisation and motivation as I work on the above.

Thank you, friends.

Saturday 4 August 2007

Manuscript in Progress!

A big thank you to everyone who's visiting this site regularly and praying for me.Your prayers are really helping. I am more motivated than I've been for ages, and lots of things are 'falling into place'.

The film 'Into Great Silence' was powerful and sparked a flood of writing in me. Silent Strength is to be reprinted as a Second Edition soon. My next book is to be a book about a journey into silent prayer and is coming together well. Inspire have agreed to consider it mid-September, but I am giving myself a deadline of getting it to them in 2 weeks time. I also need to work on my application for funding through the Author Grant.

So my priorities for your prayers at the moment are: PLEASE PRAY (1) that I will complete the manuscript in the next 2 weeks, (2) that Inspire will accept it, (3) that Silent Strength will be reprinted in time for my autumn events and (4) that I'll be able to find some time to start the grant application.

Thanks everyone!

Saturday 21 July 2007

First Thoughts

Okay Friends,

So ... where am I at and what would I like you to pray for? Well, although I've intentionally left August free, I seem to be juggling lots of projects at the moment, of which the main things are:

Doing some writing based on the film, 'Into Great Silence'
Working with a photographer to produce small posters with my poetry on
Putting together at least one new manuscript in the next couple of months
Exploring financial help through an author grant and other avenues
Leading a Christian Writers' event in Porthcawl [Sept 29]
Developing two advent retreats - for Shallowford House [Nov 23-25] and Llangasty [Dec 3-6]
Developing a retreat for Tabernacle Baptist Church in Penarth
Considering undertaking the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises
Maintaining my health and 'balance' through all this
and ... at some stage setting up a full website!

So, my main PRAYER REQUESTS for now are (1) that I would be given wisdom and discernment to prioritise appropriately and (2) that I might have the motivation and inspiration to begin collating the book manuscript.
Please pray too for the photographer, Sue, who has offered to work with me. She suffers from ME and is going through a bad patch at the moment. Please pray for healing and strength for her.

Thanks everyone - I so value your prayers. xxx

Friday 20 July 2007

Welcome

Hello Folks,

At last this retired computer buff has a minor presence in cyberspace! By visiting this Blog you'll be able to keep up to date with what I'm up to and (hopefully) support my ministry with your prayers, as many of you have offered to do.

Have just had a great holiday in Scotland - a time which included a week of retreat on Iona. I am now well rested ... and RUSTED ... and refreshed! I returned home with a real sense of it being time to devote myself to my ministry in a much more focused way, rather than drifting nonchalantly through it. So ... please pray for me as I attempt to do that!
Thank you.
Come back soon ...