Saturday 28 March 2009

Engaging with Easter

First the bad news ... being a little too enthusiastic with a veggie slicing tool, I have sliced the top of my thumb off today - so I now have my other thumb strapped up! Please pray for rapid healing! And please pray that I won't have to cancel any engagements.

That apart, after going gently for a couple of weeks, I am now refreshed and ready to move forward again.

Firstly, I will be travelling down to Presteigne to lead 'He Chose The Nails' on April 4th. If you live near there and want to join in with that do please email me. The day will take place in a family home which used to be a pub - something of a first for me! Please pray for the success of this event.

Following on from that I hope to have a time of 'receiving', to balance out all that I have given out recently. I plan to have a quietly reflective Easter, dipping in to several local events that promise to be good. Please pray for insights, inspiration and a deepening knowledge of the cross during Holy Week.

I have added a few new Easter poems to my Poetry Page. I am hoping to write more in the coming weeks ...

And finally, some exciting news! An opportunity exists to take a 3-month studying and writing sabbatical (in 2010) at a retreat house in New Zealand and I have decided to apply. I'll be asking you to pray for the success of that application in due course, but, for now, please would you pray for those kind folks who have agreed to write references to support my application.

Thank you everyone.

May you enjoy a blessed, fruitful and healing Easter.

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Thursday 19 March 2009

Sabbath Time

After five weeks of retreat leading and demanding ministry it's good to be home again for a while.

Thank you all for your prayer support and encouragement whilst I have been away. In the times when I was 'running on empty', prayer empowered me amazingly. In spite of my tiredness and vulnerabilities, God worked through me. It was a huge priviledge to see people take positive steps along their journey of inner healing, and in some cases receive the touch of physical healing.

The first ever residential retreat offered by Wisdom House went well and was a joy to lead. After that, the majority of my time away, at Green Pastures, was spent in pastoral listening and prayer ministry, and in the leading of chapel times and Quiet Days. This was challenging work, but blessed me enormously in the process.

I shall now take a couple of weeks to gently recover and re-focus, before turning my attention to my wider ministry of retreat leading and writing. I'll post more prayer news after this short break.

Please pray for restoration and renewal during this time. Perhaps you would also pray for those whom I have been alongside during the last month - pray that the work begun in them would be sustained and strengthened. And pray for the important work of Green Pastures and Wisdom House.

God bless you all - spring is a great season in which to receive renewal from the Lord.

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