Darkness into Light

Well we are into December - how this year has flown.  Much to reflect on when we reach New Year's Eve but so far I think I can say that 2015 has been a year of significant consolidation following the upheaval of 2014 and, now that I am living in my own property with my children staying frequently, life is so much better. I am really looking forward to 2016 which I believe will be an even more wonderful year.

This week has been relatively quiet - more Christmas shopping (a lovely walk around Salisbury's Christmas Market on Saturday), lunch also that day at Anokaa's Indian Restaurant with an old Friends colleague, Anthony, when he met Liz for the first time, and finally that day we attended the magnificent Darkness into Light Advent Procession Service in the cathedral.  On Sunday, after a family lunch at the Radnor Arms, Liz and I joined Penny Joyce and the Christian Community here at Old Sarum when we had tea in the Community Centre and discussed ideas for more Christian Events here.  A quiet evening in followed.

So far this week I've cycled into Salisbury a couple of times for more Christmas Shopping, and also visited my old Dorking office to meet up with old colleagues at a retirement do for one of them, Lynda. They will all be leaving Friends/Aviva at the end of the year. I painted a water colour from one of the photos we took up in the Lake District earlier this year and gave it to Lynda as a retirement present together with an artist's kit for her to try her hand at painting herself in retirement.  She seemed extremely pleased. I have started writing and painting again which is a sure sign that my dark days are over. Looking forward to going up to Humberside to see Mum and bring Thom back next week.  Still a few presents to buy and all to wrap before the trip.

Pre-Advent

This week falls between the Festival of Christ the King and the First Sunday in Advent when we begin to reflect on the Second Coming of Christ.  Right in between the Americans celebrate Thanksgiving (on Thursday 26th November) which also sees a series of special NFL games throughout the country.

Now is a time to reflect upon the coming Christmas season. For me, I was actually ahead of myself this year (last year I hardly knew it was Christmas after the turmoil inflicted on my life in the Spring). I spent several hours on Wednesday shopping in Gunwharf Quay, Portsmouth, and I am pleased to say that I managed to get quite a few items.  Not only do I have Christmas presents to buy but my brother-in-law, sister and daughter all have birthdays between now and Christmas Day - so more presents to purchase.

I started a really heavy cold this week which has left me feeling extremely debilitated and haven't slept all that well.  On Thursday the children's beds and bedroom furniture arrived and so we now have proper sleeping accommodation in the two double bedrooms as well as on our "Eyrie" third floor.  The new house is slowly getting to look like and feel like home but there are still a large number of boxes to empty. Mary is staying with me at the moment whilst her Mum moves into their new home in Amesbury.  Its good to have her staying. Seeing an old friend in town tomorrow for lunch which will be good and have a free Sunday - no service to prepare for and deliver.  Just hope this cold will go away soon and leave me feeling a lot better.  The one thing which doesn't help my head though is having to listen to all these crass commercial Christmas Muzak tapes in the shops. Drives me potty!

Into the Sunny Uplands

During the Second World War, Winston Churchill, at the darkest and loneliest period for Britain, announced that the winning of the Battle of Britain would bring the country from out of the dark valleys of despondency back into the bright sunny uplands. Since my last post in May 2014 I have been walking through a dark shadowy valley like that described in Psalm 23, but like the psalmist, I have kept faith with God throughout and he has brought me into the sunny uplands as described by my great political hero, Churchill. I have felt I have been in a dark tunnel but that, like so many railway tunnels, there are tracks which will eventually lead you out provided you have the courage and resolve to keep on them.  For the past 10 months I have been seeing the glimmer of light at the end of that tunnel grow lighter and lighter and now, ironically in these colder days of November, I can feel the warmth of those sunny uplands as I emerge from out of that dark tunnel. The future looks bright (not necessarily "orange" as the advert went) and as I write this in my new home at Old Sarum, I am feeling very optimistic about 2016 and the exciting times and events which it will bring. It is most important, though, that I continue to walk along those tracks put down by God to lead me to the destination he has set for me.

I would like to thank all my friends and family and followers for their kind support during these "tunnel months" and look forward to writing this blog regularly again  for their benefit and especially the benefit of my children who can read of my happier times (I have purposefully not blogged during these last dark months). In particular, I have to give especial thanks to my new and beloved partner, Liz, for the faith and support and love she has shown to me during 2015. I look forward to us walking along the tracks ahead together into that bright future.