Tired feet and a full heart

On By auntyamoIn Family, Health, weight & wellbeing, Random RamblingsLeave a comment

Following on from my last post – complaining about how busy I am, I thought it would be good to reflect on what I’ve been up to, and why the diary has been so full. I made it sound awful, to be constantly on the go and not have a minute to stop. But much of what I’ve been doing has been enjoyable, worthwhile and uplifthing. So I should quit complaining really.

One of the great things I did took place on Saturday 26th May. I took part in my 2nd Cancer Research UK – Relay for Life, in Pontypool Park. I was part of a team who, for 24 hours, walked to raise money for Cancer Research in Wales. I was privileged to be asked to start the ‘Survivors Lap’ with some actual real-life heroes.
It was an amazing experience.

 On the Saturday, I walked over 20k. I raised over £400, our team raised well over £2000; and we were just one of many teams. The weather forecast wasn’t great, but we managed to dodge the showers most of the time. It was the last hour on the Sunday morning when we were about to do our final lap, having received our medals, when the heavens opened and the rain fell. We were rushed into the marquee to escape the thunder showers. It took me about a week to fully recover but what an amazing 24hours it was.
Thank you! to all who donated and cheered me on.

I was also at a family wedding. It was such a beautiful day, with lots of beautiful people. The groom is officially some level of cousin by marriage, but in my heart he’s a nephew, and I was so proud to be part of his day.

As well as that, other events included:

  • a trip to Ireland (yes, another one)
  • I met up with old friends I hadn’t seen in a long time – one f2f – we spent a whole day together drinking coffee, walking and talking, also a virtual reunion with a friend in the US who is also my editor. She’s doing some work on my non-fiction WIP, so we got to catch up AND get some work done
  • at church we hosted a Royal Wedding Afternoon Tea
  • I also spent a couple of nights with the MIL while himself was away.

That is by no means, an exhaustive list (though maybe a little exhausting).

When I looked again at my diary, I realised how blessed I am to have so many people and events in my life. I shouldn’t complain about my to do list when it includes such delights.

Not much but more than enough

On By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuff, Writing, Blogging etc7 Comments

Have you ever read the story of the widow and the small jar of oil? You’ll find it at the beginning of 2 Kings 4. A woman whose husband had died, was left to deal with his debt. In that place and time, debt that could not be repaid, was dealt with in human life. The woman was awaiting the debt collector, who was on their way to take her two sons away, as payment. She cried out to Elisha, and his response was to ask her what she had. Her answer… a small amount of oil.

I worry that I’m spreading myself to thin these days. I’m just so busy all the time and my to-do list is endless. There just isn’t enough of me to go around. I worry that I’m not putting my heart and soul in to anything, cos I feel I can’t put it fully into everything. They say you should do 1 or 2 tasks to completion, rather than have  10 tasks on the go, but my life at the moment is not so straightforward. There isn’t much I can put down.

So I’m praying for some oil. Not just any old oil, a portion of oil that looks small and is worth little, but that will last; the way it lasted for the woman in the Bible story. Elisha sent out for jars. As they kept coming the oil kept coming; jar after jar. When there were no more jars, there was no more oil. The amount of oil was not endless, it was enough.

I used to think I needed endless supplies of everything to be happy. Loads of money, loads of time, loads of food, loads of technology, loads of ‘contacts’, loads of people and activity around me all the time. I’m working on changing my mindset and remembering that I just need enough.

At the moment, my severe shortage is time. I’ve been challenged recently by a friend’s use of hers. She is so super organised, and after reading about how she plans her day, I actually felt like half a person for a couple of days. In no way did she set out to make me feel like that. I was intrigued and asked her to tell me more about her daily planning. (You know that thing about being careful what you ask for…) I doubt I’d ever be able to get to where she is, but her system has challenged me to make better use of my time.

As part of that, I’m going to ask God to keep stretching my portion of oil for as long as I have jars to fill it. I DO NOT have enough time to get it all done, so I’m going to need some help while I try to get organised.

I don’t need tons. I just need enough.
I just need what I have to stretch a bit, until the jars stop coming!

photo credit: Symic BerryWhite via photopin (license)

Belated A to Z Reflections

On By auntyamoIn April AtoZ4 Comments

Well as I started The A to Z Blogging Challenge late, I’d like to think that it is fitting to post my reflections a week late too. *coughs* 🙂

3/4 of the way through the month, I went away for a few days and never got back into it. However I hope you enjoyed the efforts.

My overall feeling about the project is that it was well worth doing. I’m sure if I’d done more research I’d have found a complete set of A to Z posts. But I did find a wealth of options in various styles and genres to choose from if yo,u fancy delving into Christian fiction

The project also encouraged me to make more efforts in writing Christian fiction myself; something I haven’t done much of. I decided to work on a piece for submission to the Association of Christian Writers who are putting together a collection for Advent/Christmas. Rather than staying in my comfort zone of non-fiction, I took a chance and wrote a story. I’m pretty chuffed to say that I made the cut, and my creative Christmas tale will be in the collection. More news on that as it comes.

If you’d like to investigate some of the ACW books’ I came across, I’ve put a list below. I’ve only looked into a few of them, but they’ve all been added to my TBR pile. I’m proud to be part of such a fine group of writers.

The Well is Deep – Ros Bayes
Destiny’s Rebel – Philip S Davies
Ironside – Heather Flack
The Livi Starling Series – Karen Rosario Ingerslev
The Dagger’s Curse – Wendy Jones
Behind the Sea – Ann Jordan
The Diary of a (trying to be holy) mum – Fiona Lloyd
A Vision of Locusts – Sue Russell
Fallen Warriors – Mark Smith
To Everything a Time – Eleanor Watkins

Happy reading x

S is for Sons of Cain

On By auntyamoIn April AtoZLeave a comment

By the time you read this, I’ll be in visiting home (Ireland), please God. So I’m going to cheat (again) and direct you to an old post which reviews a novel called, Sons of Cain, by Val Bianco.

You can ignore the yada yada at the beginning about the holiday I was on when I read the book. 🙂
Click here to read the post. I’ll see you Monday x

O is for The Oath

On By auntyamoIn April AtoZ2 Comments

Another one I haven’t yet read, but as I mentioned in my F is for Frank and Francine post, Frank Peretti is a fave of mine. The Oath was published in 1995, and was the winner of the 1996 ECPA Gold Medallion Book Award.

It is described as a horror/fantasy.  A body is found in the woods and the brother of the victim Cliff Benson, is not convince when the cause of death is thought to be a bear attack. Steve Benson joins forces with the deputy sheriff, Tracy Ellis and as the body count rises, the history of the town becomes an important factor in the investigation. The deeper Benson and Ellis dig, the more sinister the history appears, until they come face to face with the evil itself.

It’s a long winding tale, which reveals the history of the town’s fate by letters and diary entries. There are dragons, inexplicable (or not) skin rashes, and plenty of further examples of spiritual symbolism.

My only hesitation, and the reason I haven’t read it yet… the copy I have is a large hardback version. I love a REAL book, but for this one, I may need to buy a second copy… one I can read on my tablet.

M and N… Mordor and Narnia

On By auntyamoIn April AtoZLeave a comment

Hi folks. I’m cheating a bit today, after a busy weekend. So putting Saturday’s post and today’s together .

Taking a look at Mordor and Narnia together. Could they be Hell and Heaven?

Mordor certainly sounds like hell with its fire and ash, poisonous gases, and sleepless evil. It’s thought to be based geographically in Italy; inspired by Tolkien’s view of a volcano spitting fire as he passed it on a cruise, but he is also quoted as, when asked where it was, referring to the Balkans.

I remember being out one night and a mega fan of Tolkien was raving about people insisting there was religious imagery in LOTR. This guy was adamant (with great volume) there was none. Tolkien was indeed a great fan of mythology (and we’ll be focusing on him when we get to ‘T’), but he was a devout Catholic and it’s a stretch to say he did not bring faith themes in to his work. I read an (IMO) interesting article on Christianity.com on this subject, which notes that Tolkien writes evil as not just badness in and of itself, but “evil is seen as perverted or fallen good. Perhaps the best expression of this characteristically Judeo-Christian viewpoint comes when Elrond, the high elf, says, “Nothing is evil in the beginning. Even Sauron was not so.”” 

In my search for info on this, I read another article, this time in the online version of The Guardian. I suspect the writer preferred Tolkien saying, “Where the Narnia books are a thinly veiled retelling of the New Testament story, Sunday school in drag, Tolkien’s Ring cycle is suffused with deep mythological themes and characters.” Cheeky! 😀 The Chronicles of Narnia may not be as gritty, but they are still compelling reading (again IMO).

Another article for you on the subject. This really resonated with me. The writer talks about the ‘longing’ of the characters for Narnia. As Christians don’t we all long for heaven? The girls’ desire to sink their hands in to Aslan’s mane – how we long to have a tangible closeness with Jesus. The article also talks about the New Narnia, “larger and more vivid, more like the real thing.” It’s a great read. Click here for it.

L is for Leviathan with a Fish-hook

On By auntyamoIn April AtoZ3 Comments

I’d like to mention another work from a fellow member of the Association of Christian Writers. Leviathan with a Fish-hook, by S L Russell.  I’m afraid I haven’t read it yet, but it has been added to my Christian Fiction TBR pile. It’s part 1 of a trilogy and has had great reviews.

One of the things that comes across in reading the feedback, is that Russell has mastered the combination really great writing with a realistic Christian storyline.
It’s hard to get that right!

Here’ the blurb…

When Eileen meets Christopher, a young man with a mental illness living rough in the woods near her home, her quiet life is shaken.

Eileen is a Christian trying to live by her faith. Tentatively she befriends Christopher and gains his trust, but as his story unfolds she finds herself increasingly drawn into his life of fearful visions and spiritual turmoil.

A the tension mounts it is not only Christopher’s monsters Eileen must face, but her own. Can she handle what she has let loose?

Challenging and compelling, Leviathan with a Fish-hook will keep you hooked to the last page… and beyond.

If you’ve read it, please let me know. If you haven’t, you can try a chapter and find out about her other books by clicking here 🙂

K is for Kingdom Wall

On By auntyamoIn April AtoZ, Getting to grips with God stuff2 Comments

OK I’m going to be brave and share a section of my first real effort at Christian fiction. You’re reading it on some conditions.

  1. Please don’t  go ‘heresy hunting ‘ (to coin Nick Park‘s phrase) – it’s a work in progress.
  2. It needs some major editing – it’s a work in progress
  3. I haven’t decided what to call everyone, the names have been changed. No disrespect intended to any character – it’s a work in progress
  4. Did I mention it’s a work in progress? I’m not even sure it’s a good one.

If you’re happy to read it on that basis, off you go… comments welcome here, on Facebook or Twitter  (be gentle) 🙂

KINGDOM WALL

Things had been different for a few days. You could sense a shift in the atmosphere.

When you live in the glorious surroundings I do, you can forget there’s another way to live. Most of my work these days is done here. For years I worked out on the front line, fighting for and protecting His subjects. Now others do it and I am more in an advisory capacity. But today everyone is at the wall.

Twice in recent days a legion was sent in response to the needs #2. This morning we were all called into full service ordered to be at Kingdom Wall. Kingdom Wall is not the end of the domain, there is no actual end to it; the wall marks the border of this realm.

This place has never been so quiet. We do not know what is about to happen, yet we know what is happening. I know that is a contradiction and may not make sense to you, but we have a different way of thinking to you. We have insight into the two realms at once – it means we know more but we don’t know all.

As I made my way to Kingdom Wall, I saw the returning legion who had been sent to the aid of #2. The ones sent for those jobs are a specially trained battalion, ready for whatever is needed, and don’t tire easily. They looked exhausted. No, they looked empty; as if they had given all that they had, but knew it would never be enough.

I got to my post and joined the line. As far as I could see, and I can see very far, regiments were lined up on the wall, all looking at the other realm. The feeling of intense pressure was on all of us as we watched the scene unfold. The ones who had just returned were being refreshed and had been given a fleeting time of leave. I was nervous that they weren’t there. They would be needed and I and many others would feel a lot better with them standing in the gap.

It is not easy, but let me try to explain the type of awareness I have.
You see one realm and may have some insight and connection with this realm – I don’t know you, so I’m not sure. I see two realms at once. I’m not aware of everything at all times. That is His remit. But I can be given full awareness if needed. I know what is being done and what the plan is. However, I don’t know all His thoughts and ways, and so my knowledge though full, is limited. I told you it was hard to explain. The reason I even bother to try is I want you to understand why what happened was so painful.

Sometimes I see across vast lands but where I was standing at Kingdom Wall, I could only see a small area where #2 was posted. I almost missed him. The light that surrounds him down there was blurred by enemy fire. But there he was – standing in what looked like an outdoor trial. There was no justice, no peace, no fairness. These are thing that, if present, I can see. They were not present.

There was screaming and shouting in both realms, so much so that it was hard to distinguish one realm from the other. For some time, we’d been having trouble communicating with certain ambassadors working on the ground. Now they were in complete rebellion – shouting the loudest for #2’s execution.

Have you ever loved? Have you ever seen the one you love be hurt? Do you know what it’s like to have the power to stop that hurt? And not be permitted to? I hope not.

I and my legion watched as they brought the lash down upon him. I looked at the gap in the line and winced as the stripes appeared on his back. Had you been here you’d have seen it, heard it, maybe even felt it. But I could see both realms and I could see the motive and attitude of those doing the beating. In fact, all those who called for the beating to be done also held whips that could only be see in our realm.

In the middle of it all, the beating, the blood, the crack of the whip, the sound of the cries of #2, I saw him. The Liar. Just for a split second – he joined the crown. He had the biggest whip of all. He was happier than I’d ever seen him. He was too close. It unnerved us all. We’d all seen him. I took a step forward in readiness. The gap in the line still gaping like the wounds being inflicted.

I checked to make sure what I already knew, #1 was in His place.

I looked back and saw #2 climb the hill – carrying his burden. It was all happening as He said it would, as we knew it would, yet I was ready to stop it.

I have witnessed many things in my existence. Horrific acts of violence, miraculous moments of love, and everything in between. I will never forget the sight and sound of the nails being driven into his hands. His cries were like that of every being that we had ever tried to protect, all resounding in one voice. At the sound of it, we instantly took aim without being ordered too. Some legions got into position to move. I looked up at #1, ready for an order that I knew was not coming.

The elite legion, anxious to be deployed, were held back by their obedience. There was confusion among us as another nail went in. Some behind me, younger less prepared maybe, were pushing forwards, wondering why we had not moved. They knew that no order had come, maybe they hoped that they’d missed something.

BANG!       BANG!

Another nail and another cry. I confess I got angry. This was beyond anything #2 had ever been asked to endure. Legions had been sent to protect him before, why not now?

I looked up again and a captain was on his knees in front of  #1, begging to be let go forward.

As the cross was lifted, you could see the pain as the weight of #2’s body pulled on the nails. I had watched that body grow from conception. We marvelled how he lived in the impure realm and remained pure. Now he was filthy with the debts of everyone piled upon him.  We watched, we waited. I’d never been helpless or useless before that day.

A cold shadow fell on us. I thought the arch-enemy had tried to pay us a visit, he loved a good snigger and scorn when it looked like things were going his way; today it looked like it – but it was not him.

All this time #1 had been looking at #2. His sovereign gaze had never shifted. The slight chill of the shadow made us jump a little. I looked to #1 as the shadow of his turning presence fell across both realms. It was the first time I saw him turn away from #2, who was obvious pain. Excruciating, life-sucking pain, but when the gaze of Him moved away, #2’s face changed from a man in pain to a man encompassed in devastating despair and horror. The grief in his eyes at the knowledge that he was no longer in the protection of #1. I can’t even describe it.

He cried out and asked the question that we were all asking. Why, have you forsaken me?

At that question, one of the legion broke through the barrier. He didn’t make it very far. Tripped up by his own disobedience, he fell weeping at the foot of Kingdom Wall. It is said that he will never be the same, until all is reconciled…

J is for Jesus

On By auntyamoIn April AtoZLeave a comment

I wouldn’t dare. Not in a million. I wouldn’t have the audacity… the temerity… the impudence… to write Christian fiction about Jesus. However, a favourite joyous read of mine is that very thing. A delightful little fable about what might happen if Jesus was to pay us a visit.

Written by Adrian Plass and illustrated by Ben Ecclestone, The Visit tells the story of an enthusiastic church member who we’ll all recognise (cos we all know them, or we are them). He is charged with meeting and greeting a special visitor and prepping Him for a church event. Problem is, the visitor doesn’t want to do things the tidy church way. He is more concerned with what is going on in the streets and the people on the streets, than in the church building. This is very frustrating for the our poor church friend we know and love, cos they need to get this guy to the special church event.

Who can really say if Plass described Jesus perfectly? I reckon he did a good job. I’m certain though, he described me to a t! I laughed as I saw myself in the character so busy getting the visitor to do church, instead of being Christ.

Christian fiction about Christ.
It can be done, and well 🙂

I is for Ironside

On By auntyamoIn April AtoZ2 Comments

No, not the American detective in a wheelchair 🙂

As I’ve been making my way through this year’s April AtoZ Challenge on the theme of Christian Fiction, I’ve been trying to read some of the genre that I’d never heard of. So I called upon some fellow members of the Association of Christian Writers for recommendations, and one of them was a historical novel by Fen Flack called,
Ironside – The English King who fought the Danes.

I haven’t had time to read it all, but I’m really getting into it. I’m not usually one for historical fiction, but it turns out I am. Let me explain better… I’m not one for reading historical fiction, but I love to watch it. I absolutely love Vikings. Now I know it’s a bit gritty in parts (ok, a lot of it) but it’s a great show.

Like I said, I haven’t got to the end of Flack’s book, but from what I have read… think of Vikings, and take out the athletic raunch and very (VERY) bloody war scenes… and you have Ironside. Flack’s desire is to reflect themes you’ll also see in Vikings: suffering, unanswered prayer and forgiveness.

Ironside is a great story, well told with authentic names and settings. The story is set in 1016, based on the little celebrated history of King Edward who was the son of Aethelred II, (Aethelred the Unready).

For more of the background and to find info on this and Flack’s other books, you can click here.  I’m heading back to old England for a bit… 🙂