Category: Adventure

Nagging toddlers and persistent widows

Having previously mentioned that I found our church festival challenging, I’ve been thinking, and prompted by a statement by Chris that he’s been pestering our daddy God like our three year old, found I needed to write.

I didn’t just find the festival difficult, life can be quite difficult I find with a toddler (as well as wonderful) Every parent in the world probably agrees. However, recently it has been specifically so. Our toddler has started repeating himself whenever he wants something, especially if we have told him he cannot have it. It feels like a form of torture.

One example is, I DO want it, I DO want it, I NEED it, I NEED it, I NEED it, I NEED it, I NEED it, I NEED it, I WANT IT, I WANT IT, I WANT IT, I WANT IT, I WANT IT, I WANT IT, I WANT IT… I need the television on mummy, I need the television on mummy, I need the television on mummy, I need icecream, I need icecream, I need icecream, I need icecream, I need icecream, “not for breakfast, we don’t have icecream for breakfast” but I NEEEED it, I need it, I need it, I need it, I need carry, I need carry, I need carry, I need carry, I need carry, I need carry, I need carry, I need carry, I need carry….play with me, play with me, play with me, play with me,play with me, play with me…this is an extremely shortened, restricted version of it and only one example of his persistence, it is a very effective technique for wearing someone down. He is persistent and tenacious and although annoying and very difficult for us, we feel this is probably actually a gift, not a burden. A couple of our friends have also said this. My problem is actually responding calmly rather than blowing up and also sticking to my guns when required!

Chris said the other day that it reminds him of the parable of the persistent widow, this is the ESV (English Standard Version) of Luke 18:1-8:

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.  He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.  And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’  For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,  yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”  And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.  And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

So! there is a lesson in there with our nagging, annoying toddler who is also wonderfully comical and funny and serious, standing there with his hands on his hips telling me to stop talking or to get off my computer,or demanding another story or food or milk or attention or to play with him.

God asks us to pray persistently, to cry out to him, to keep going, to pester him! As Heidi Baker said in her talk on Sunday at our Catalyst festival, God loves to play with his kids. And I can learn a lot through our challenging toddler. A lot more than I have written here!

What would happen if we really prayed? and prayed? and prayed? and prayed? what would happen if we spent quality time with God, got to know Him more, if we LOVED spending time with Him. This is my aim for this year again.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37.4)

He also changes the desires of our hearts… Oh Lord, I delight in you, I love you, thank you for everything, thank you for the fact that Jesus lived the life we cannot live, died the death we deserve and rose again from the dead to give us back our relationship with God and to give us eternal life. Thank you that with you death is defeated and we rise with you into the lives we should have had originally and come to know you, our maker, our reason for living, our everything.

Finally, one of my favourite parts of the bible, the beginning of John, (John 1:1-5 ESV) I find it really dramatic, I can almost see the words going up on a screen at the start of an epic adventure film:

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

He was in the beginning with God. 

All things were made through him,

and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

 

Jesus is the answer to everything!

My posts are like buses, nothing for ages, then a load at once….

 

 

Update..

I think it’s been a week since I last wrote anything, it seems more like a month. We’ve been camping at our church group’s festival at Stoneleigh and I both loved and hated it. Both children were poorly whilst we were there, our three year old decided sleeping wasn’t for him, well, definitely not in the tent and the baby had quite a temperature and I was really worried at times. However, it also showed me what an awesome family God places us in when we let Him and the love and care and company we’ve had whilst we’ve been there has been awe inspiring. Going to these things is so different when you’re married and have little ones. I went to the first one 5 years ago, 5 months before I got married and at that time I was able to just do whatever I wanted and be fully involved. So things have changed but I don’t think for the worse, I think they’re different and God has worked in us and spoken to us despite not being able to concentrate on preaches or worship. We have to remember He isn’t constrained by anything, He is God. We just think we are constrained, when we actually have Jesus living in us and He can do anything.

In relation to our house we’d had a lull for a week in regard to viewings. However! since Tuesday, it’s gone mad. Quite a few seem promising, and have been back for second and one even a third look. Although I am learning you cannot often tell what people actually think from what they are like when they’re with you. I always thought I was good at reading people, turns out I’m not that good.  The croft we first saw on Shetland is still on the market, we thought we’d lost out as a closing date was set, however, there were no offers so we may be back on!

It is quite exciting, Chris is travelling out in a couple of weeks with his dad to view the croft. They’re going to drive up to Aberdeen, get the overnight Northlink ferry to Lerwick, drive to see the house and croft and then drive back to Lerwick to again get the overnight ferry back to Aberdeen. I LOVE the sound of doing this, but it just wasn’t practical for me to do it. So Chris has got the privilege. I’ll try and get him to take photographs to put up on here. I rang the owner of the croft to book the viewing, he has such a beautiful voice! and I could understand him which is always a bonus.

We are also going out to the Orkney’s fairly soon for a family holiday and to look at ‘properties’, I am so looking forward to taking the journey there, we love the ferries, it is so exciting travelling there, first from Scotland to mainland Orkney and then from Kirkwall in Orkney to Sanday. We’re looking forward to seeing the difference in the landscape and wildlife from April which is when we last went to now and also the difference in weather and light! Also looking forward to a bit of a break maybe.

Haha – in relation to potentially becoming crofters, I’ve been reading this morning about butchery, tanning sheep hides and spinning your own wool. More to come on that possibly….:D stoneleigh

over and out!

Cathy

My husband

image.jpegI feel like I need to talk about Chris. ” an ode to Chris” ❤️

I haven’t always been and am often not what I would call a good wife, it’s been a steep learning curve on how to share my life, how to give rather than take, what it means to  love and be with someone and it’s one I’m nowhere near skilled at yet. But you know what, this is for keeps, we made a promise to each other and to God when we got married and I think if we always act from this perspective then in the long run all will be well.

I’m not always good at showing respect, I’m impatient, I expect my needs met rather than looking to what my role should be and how to love others well. And I think God is often prompting me in a kind and gentle manner saying “listen” “watch” “don’t react quite so quickly”, and I think He Says “first and foremost you are mine”, “look at me first”. I love psalm 27:8 – you have said, “Seek my face.”My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” And proverbs 3:5-6 “trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and He will make straight your paths”.

We are two imperfect people attempting to do life together permanently. Because that’s the way it should be. And it’s only through Gods love and mercy and the forgiveness we have through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that we can do this and keep forgiving and loving because of the love and forgiveness we have known through Jesus. It may not always look like that. Or feel like that. But that is how it is. Gods grace is awesome.

Chris is gentle and kind, he is hard working and thorough. He is a loving dad and has a wicked sense of humour. He is practical and can make things and fix things in a way I really don’t understand. Whatever he undertakes  he is wholehearted about it. He loves God and sometimes battles with self doubt. (He also loves rc planes and fpv) He is Chris, he is awesome, he is precious and he is loved.

When God talks about love he says if there is any excellence, look at that. I so often don’t, I so often focus on bad stuff, but that’s not Gods way and I think He is a slowly coaching me through this. I love that He gets us completely and loves us exactly how and where we are. He also loves us so much that He doesn’t just leave us there.

Night!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2LZEfOvs0T5X1esnkyRmAw (This is Chris’ YouTube Channel, I think he would love people to take a look) #drones #rc #aeroplanes

what to do now?….

Hi, it’s been on my mind about what this blog is really about. Yes, it’s about our potential move to Scotland and what happens there (hopefully pictures of sheep shearing for the first time and Chris falling over in the mud etc), but also, it’s about waiting, and taking each day one at a time and I think about recognising God in every single day and expecting Him to act every single day. About being close to Him and recognising Him. About acting out of His goodness and love – just like the AMAZING preach yesterday at the royal wedding.

Also, I need to recognise that my agenda is not necessarily God’s and I need to pray HIS will be done, not just mine…His agenda is the one that matters. But also, I do believe in dreams and that God gives/places dreams in you and I have wanted a smallholding type place since I was about 5 years old and so we’ll see what happens. But it is so important we listen to God and trust His timing and ways in this.

I want to enjoy my babies while they are little, I’ve wasted so much time thinking too much and worrying in the past few years. So, I want to learn to live in the moment with them when I’m with them. How to mother, how to wife! How to friend! How to be me. It was prophesied over me 5 years ago that I shouldn’t be ashamed to be the centre of attention. I think this means God’s attention and about knowing who he has made me to be. I so so often feel I have to hold myself back, and restrict my personality. In church this morning I really felt like He was speaking to me about this, about just being free to be me. The me who is in Him. Made by Him and for Him.

Jesus

I love just writing His name, saying His name.

Brian and Jenn Johnson’s song Mention of your name says it all really:

At the mention of Your Name
Every chain will break
I know everything will change
Jesus, just the whisper of Your Name
Will silence wind and waves
At the mention of Your Name

(sorry if this breaks any rules for publishing, I just love it)

Bye for now.. Cathy x

Cathy’s story

Sorry for the long one! But I think it is worth the read!

215575_1042026934571_6842_n (1)
My baptism in 2008

I was saved by Jesus in June 2008. Unbeknownst to me I had started working with a Christian in my job as a community nurse for a few months. On initially finding out, I thought he just went to church for a bit of social interaction and child care, then I realised his faith was real. This shocked me, as I tended to think at that point that no-one really believed any more.

God was working in my life without me even realising it, I was a big drinker and pretty messed up in a lot of ways despite having a good reputation as a nurse and being able to cover up my problems quite well. I was always looking for the next fix, like so many people, the next thing to make me whole, to make me better and used drinking to run away from my problems and the world and hide.

I suddenly became aware of my sin, I became aware of stuff I had done wrong, I became aware that I was wrong in so so many ways but didn’t know what to do about it (and this was without the Christian even saying much to me about it, God was working). I became bothered by traumatic events from years ago and went to a counsellor. Then, my friend invited me to his baby daughter’s dedication at my now current church. It is a charismatic Christian church with a good family vibe and God’s presence amongst us.

When I walked in I was terrified, I felt like people could see into my soul and see the dirt, but also, I could sense something in the room that I didn’t understand.  I now know it was God’s presence, people were raising their hands in worship and I cried all the way through the service. I went away and wanted to return but was frightened. I was then invited back a few weeks later, kept on going for a few weeks, then I was given a Why Jesus? booklet.  I went home and curled up in bed feeling very, very low and lonely, then I kept hearing the words of a worship song over and over again – “God stepped down and lifted me up” over and over again, kept trying to remember the rest of the words and couldn’t, then decided to read the booklet and ended up praying to Jesus and rose out of bed feeling so high it was unreal. I asked my friends what had happened and they said if you meant it, then you’re a Christian.

I was so happy, I was accepted and forgiven and just lighter, I bounced around for weeks. Then came a bit of a pruning session, where things started getting sorted out, and that is ongoing. But Jesus healed me of the need to drink and smoke, He made my mind clear, He healed me of past trauma and self consciousness, He makes the whole world brighter and joyeous. He died in my place, returned me to Eden, gave me the reason for living. Jesus saved me.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9 (New International Version)

If you want to know this for yourself. Please message me or pray this prayer and message me. But please do know, there is nothing you can do to make God love you any less. This is for all.

Also, please know, this does not make me think I’m perfect, I am far far from it. I make mistakes (I am terrible for yelling) and I still sin, in fact this is why I actually need Jesus. As he says Himself, the well do not need a doctor, but the sick do. God restores us and gives us a hope and a future. Please ask Him if he is there and what He has for you if you don’t yet know Him.

Lord Jesus Christ,
I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my
life (take a few moments to ask his forgiveness for
anything in particular).
Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that
I know is wrong.
Thank you that you died on the cross for me so
that I could be forgiven and set free.
Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the
gift of your Spirit. I now receive that gift.
Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be
with me forever.
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

 

 

Chris’ story

Hello, I will give you a little background about myself.

Jesus broke into my life about 6 1/2 years ago after I left a failed relationship and moved back in with my parents. At the time I was addicted to weed and had been for years. I made a commitment to follow him and he immediately released me from my addiction and over a little time healed my heart. I heard about local church and just felt overwhelmingly compelled to go. 

Since then Jesus has healed my bad back, saved my father (wow) rebuilt my relationship with my parents, changed me from the inside out, from a people hater into a people lover and best of all he has given me the gift of a wife to love for the rest of my days and a home of our own so no more cramping the parents style. We got married in October 2013 and are enjoying life together. Never ever ever have I been so happy in life because now I have been given life and life in abundance, thank you Lord I will love you forever and ever.

There is probably a lot more to say but I’ll leave it there for now. There is #moretocome.

 

Our story

Our story together started five years ago, I met Chris on a Freedom in Christ course that I was helping to lead.  I ended up not finishing the course as I got asked to become part of a new church group instead…but the seed was sown.  I tried to convince myself I wasn’t interested in him, mostly because I was scared of getting involved. But we just kept meeting by accident…on a men’s dinner where I was helping out in the kitchen…in town when I was street pastoring…in my church when he and his family visited… We ended up becoming friends on Facebook and he asked me out. I said no, because I was going to my church small group that night and I don’t think he really understood and thought I wasn’t interested. However, he plucked up the courage to ask again and we went out for our first date which was a walk on Curbar edge in Derbyshire, it was beautiful and I can remember actually saying to him in surprise as we sat on the grass in the freezing March weather, “you’re actually really nice”.

We went out again the next afternoon and that was it, we got married seven months later. We seemed to have loads in common in spite of being basically very very different, we both love Jesus (he saved our lives), the outdoors, gardens, growing and we both wanted to be a proper family, a stable secure family, a safe place. We haven’t always succeeded at this, but will always keep on trying and learning.

wedding 018.jpg

Since then, nearly 5 years has passed, we have had a lot happen, we lost one baby in pregnancy, which I really struggled with for quite a while, the grief was enormous. However, God then healed my womb and I became pregnant and have since had 2 gorgeous sons, one who as previously mentioned is three, the other nine months.

My husband and I also agreed on the fact that we would like a different, less rushed, less busy lifestyle and on googling discovered that property on the Orkney Islands seemed very inexpensive compared to England. Chris got very excited and we found ourselves on a family holiday in Sanday at Easter. We loved it, viewed a few houses, but there wasn’t one suitable at the time, but still decided we would love to live there. So, our house is on the market, we keep property searching…..the adventure awaits…. will it be Orkney or is God putting us somewhere that we’re not expecting????? I can’t wait to find out.

Selling the house…

I don’t have any idea what I’m doing with a blog either 😀

Because we originally wanted to move to Sanday in Orkney and saw a house we really liked, we put our house on the market and although I have  really enjoyed meeting everyone who has come round and giving out lots of eggs (we keep chickens) it has been a bit stressful. We’ve had loads of viewings in the week since we’ve put it on, but with no serious offers so far, so we’re just praying the right buyer comes along and pays what we need to move. Unless we get the right amount for the house we cannot go, so here we are, waiting. Waiting is never pleasant as far as I’m concerned, that is, until you get what you are waiting for, then it is. God seems to think waiting is good for us, so I’ll go with His wisdom 🙂 It needs to be guided by Him anyway, otherwise there is no point in going anywhere.

We were originally going to the Orkney’s but now we’ve confused ourselves because we’ve seen a croft house and land for sale on Yell in Shetland, it looks amazing but we (or at least Chris) obviously  need to see it. But there isn’t any point until we have a serious offer on ours.

Combined with this, I am a full time mum to a three year old boy and a nine month old, the nine month old is easier…and much more pleasant at the moment…although I’m told the three year old phase passes. I just can’t remember this constant screaming get your own way phase with my older daughter (I have a 23 year old daughter too, she lives in London) and my husband Chris also has a 16 year old son who lives with his mum in Derbyshire. Past lives and new beginnings all combine to make a beautiful family.

IMG_20180326_115328.jpg

“…Behold, I make all things new…” (Revelation 21:5)

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me! So!!! We (the Shepherd’s) are starting our quest for a different type of life. God willing…

In short, we want to move from Derbyshire, England in a small terraced house, to either an Orkney island or Shetland, preferably to a little house or croft/smallholding with some land and this blog is going to document it all! The good, the bad and the ugly (perhaps not too ugly). Oh yes, and we haven’t really got a clue what we are doing. Should be entertaining.

P1020031