Taking a Rest

So I've been back a couple of days now and still I'm tired! I've only just woke up from a nap and am about to go back to sleep for the night.

I just want to share something that I've realised the last few days. I don't take enough rest in my life.

I have lots of nights in and time at home where I decline to go out so I can 'rest' but one thing this New Year adventure has shown me is that rest is so much more than just not going out. Ironically going the furthest I will go all year has shown me that!

Often when 'resting'..I'll end up doing so much in the house. I could write Compassion Letters, blog, chat with friends at home but neglecting the things that make up true rest...prayer, sleep...things that don't require a lot of body and mind movement or things where God can just revitalise you :-)

Since I've got back from America, I realised how getting away from everything has helped refresh me whole. Even though I'm physically tired, I can fix that (and will do in bed now!) but my mental and spiritual tiredness is gone!

I don't know what everyone's New Years Resolutions are but here are mine:-

1. Try to finally stop biting my nails!
2. To give a night to God every 'normal' week this year. ('Normal' being weeks that I haven't got things like Camp or unavoidable activities every night)

Hopefully these nights will help me rest spiritually and also help me rest mentally through the power of God and through just not doing much but not doing much with Him!

What are your New Years Resolutions? I don't normally like them as if they are important enough you should do them anyway , regardless, but I can see the extra motivation a New Year and a fresh start can bring you.

Praise God for 2012!

Spring Harvest

Last week I went to Butlins in Minehead for an annual event known as Spring Harvest. It is a Christian event aimed at the Church where Christians meet together for worship, teaching, encouragement and fellowship.

I went to accompany a friend and to be honest, whilst I looked forward to it, I wasn't overly excited as I had a few bad memories from being there previously (nothing to do with the event, just a personal situation I was in that partly happened during my previous time there).

Rest is also something that figures way too low on my list of priorities!

But, PRAISE GOD, I had a wonderful time!

The Big Top where the main services are held

So many wonderful things happened during my five days there. Firstly, God encouraged me so much spiritually. The last few months have been very busy and demanding for me so I really needed God to remind me how much He loved me and to encourage me that He is using me for lots of good and will continue to do so. I felt so empowered in pretty much every area of my spiritual walk but most particularly in prayer. I saw that it was a tool from God that I had not utilized enough in my life.

The Bible teacher at Week 3 was Stephen Goukroger. Gaukroger is an experienced Bible teacher who preached coherently, sensibly and humourously showing a great love and enthusiasm for scripture which inspired me in my own love for scripture.

God also helped me rest. I do so much and it was nice just to sit back and let things happen without having to do something myself. To prove He really worked magic, I felt great in work yesterday and was noticeably (in my eyes anyway!) more productive!

My kind of deckchair! Just my size!!

God also helped me banish the bad memories. I was staying with a close friend of mine and also had other close friends on site and we had a lot of great moments...getting our faces painted (or in Adrian's case...his arm...coward :P), mucking about on the fairground rides, Football tournaments, swimming. I can now go back to Spring Harvest and think about those times rather than the past ones. Thank you Lord!

Feeling tigerish

So I just want to thank the Lord for a brilliant time (He always works when we are a bit reluctant to go somewhere...maybe that's something for us all to think about! Think about Jonah..his teaching saved a whole city) and encourage everyone that wherever you are or whatever has happened...God has a way out for you and we just need to keep seeking Him out and walking with Him to find the light in the darkness :)

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”