Wonderful Life

toverIonasunset2008

What a wonderful day has been!

New life adding joy to our exsistance

Welcome Isabelle Grace to your new world

May the Lord bless and keep you in His Care.

Who knows what adventures life will bring you.

I'm elated you're here - an important part of our lives.

With love from Grandma Babcha.

Drawbridge Problems

While travelling through the UK during 2008, and particularly through the Scottish Islands of Inner Hebrides, I marvelled at the craftmanship of the beautifully breathtaking castles built many centuries ago. Life in the 12th Century was certainly a very different way of life to how we live now. If you were living within the castle walls, you made it your primary focus to protect your home and family at all costs. Travellers simply didnt come to the door for a chat, to sell anything or drop in unexpectedly. The Castle was fortified with strong inpenetrable walls, employed marksmen on duty took up the arrow so as to protect all within the castle. To have the drawbridge lowered to you as a guest was a priviledge, a welcome sign - it didnt occur just for anyone.

WindermereCastle/Lakesdistrict/UK/tover2008

In his book, "The Road Less Travelled & Beyond", psychiatrist and writer M.Scott Peck talks about peoples 'drawbridge problems'. He observes that many people simply are not aware that they are in charge of their own 'drawbridge'. Some people lay open the 'drawbridges' of their lives all the time, so that anyone and everyone can amble into their personal space, prowl around, stay as long as they liked, and do whatever harm they would. Or other people fearing invasion would keep their 'drawbridges' raised and shut all of the time so that no-one and nothing could ever penetrate their isolated solitude'.

It's quite obvious what is needed here. We constantly need to check that balance so as to maintain a healthy balance - of protecting ones 'castle-heart' - and yet remaining slightly vulnerable and open to love.

I simply love these lyrics to an old melodic scottish lovesong which sing.....
"My heart is a castle wherein ye may dwell..."

I personally struggle constantly with maintaining this balance of how much or how little I protect that vulnerabilty of my heart. I all too often lay bare my heart through a need to share God's love with others. I all too often fight so hard in some brave act of chivalry brandishing a sword in the name of justice, only to leave wimpering with a bleeding and wounded heart. I wimper away...knowing all too well that time will be needed for the healing to take place again.

HawkesheadParishChurch/LakesDistrict/UK/tover/2008

And as I whince in pain removing the sword protruding from my heart I am confronted by the dilemma of how things could ever be put right again. It is then that I am once again driven to prayerfully ask myself the question "Lord, to whom shall we go?" There is no other answer but to again seek solace and healing through His Word.

"Trust the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths". -Proverbs 3:5-6

The greeness, growth & principles of life....

Tobermory/inspring/scotland/tover2008

"It is needful that you look straight with the eyes of the spirit of God, as straight as a cable stretches taut from a ship to her anchor. Then as the anchor is fixed firmly in the earth, so do you fasten your eyes to God. Even though the ship tosses at sea in the waves, yet she is safe and unbroken as long as her cable holds fast to her anchor....."

ionasailings/tover2008

And with these anchors: -

wisdom and humility

and prudence and moderation

and justice and mercy

and reason and maturity of mind

and goodness and cleaness and abstinance -

with these you shall fasten securely to God the cable that shall keep safe the ship of thy soul.

King Alfred the Great, 849 -901

interpreting St Augustine

Not a sparrow falls without the Father's consent...

londongraffittiartaugust2008tover2008

Yesterday and today I had to attend two separate funerals for two young men that I had the priviledge of knowing in my life. It's one of the saddest things to experience - grieving the deaths of young lives taken so indescriminately, seemingly. Or were they?

The Christian scriptures say "that not a sparrow falls without the Father's consent." If this is as it says, than it is He who takes away those lives to be with Himself.

While sitting in the full church today, the thought occurred to me that God earns Himself a bad rep 'cos it so appears that He is the one who takes away our loved one's to be with Himself. No wonder people think God is cruel!

My eyes are sore with the many tears that have fallen and yet I learn so much from this cruel twist of fate. I really hope those two boys are in a better place - it's my prayer for them.

And all of those people whose lives were touched by these guys are reminded of lives precarious nature and how imporatnt it is to love, seek love, be loved, and love in return.

When people close to us die we are so clearly reminded that it's not about if we die but when. Face it.

Advent: Our Destiny Revealed

Iona Sunset August2008tover2008

"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him."

Isaiah 64:4

Today begins the beginning of the Christian Church season of Advent. Advent literally means coming - and specifically is referring here to Christ's second 'coming' - His return.

And as the prophet Isaiah provides a word of hope as we wait,

we can be encouraged despite the difficulties we sometimes face.

This week has been both a time of great sadness and a time of great joy for me. Two young people that had touched my life were killed in a car accident and when this happens it is very difficult to remain hopeful as life serves a large dose of 'futlity' on our plate. And yet other young lives close to me are experiencing joyful celebration as their lives slowly unfold with much excitement and anticipation of wonderful times ahead. Our lives are a constant juxtaposition of sadness & joy, dark & light, fear & happiness. May you be encouraged by these words as you carry out your own personal Advent destiny revealling itself in your life.

IonasunsetAugusttover2008

'Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.' St Paul from the New Testament

In activating the highest values, you also activate your highest potential.

p119 Stephanie Dowrick

Living ordinary life with more-than-ordinary awareness and appreciation

I had a goal yesterday; to go to the library and find the book I was looking for. And Providence did respond accordingly as after much searching and almost ready to give up - the book, "Choosing Happiness:Life & Soul Essentials" written by experienced author and psychotherapist Stephanie Dowrick , decided to chose me.




Iona Abbey c.tover2008

I hope to share more with you about her wisdom for life lessons....but here is a wonderful quote from the book in question.

"Whatever our background, culture or race, what rewards us most powerfully and consistantly are the most deceptively simple abilities of all: the ability to be kind, to live enthusiastically and creatively, to appreciate and understand experiences different from our own and to sustain a sense of inner stability and trust even in unwelcome and difficult situations"p4

On my recent travels I found myself very much challenged by Stephanie's wise words (despite not having read them yet) but gained much from the whole travel experience. Travelling can challenge us to 'live the ordinary life with more-than-ordinary awareness and appreciation': the real challenge is then to apply that in your attitude to every day life, wherever you may find yourself.



Barossa Sunset c. tover2008 1 Samuel 2:6-8
"The Lord kills and restores to life; he sends people to the world of the dead and brings them back again. He makes some people poor and others rich: he humbles some and makes others great. He lifts the poor from the dust and raises the needy from their misery. He makes them companions of princes and puts them in places of honour. The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord; on them he has built the world'.

life lessons - faraway places

Life Lessons

Isnt it interesting that sometimes we need to travel to places far from ones homes to learn valuable life lessons very much needed for everyday life.