Sunday 26 April 2015

Time to reflect, to slow down, to enjoy.......

My house is in total disarray. Although shifted end of last year- there is still a lot to sort out, throw out and allocate a permanent place.

Slowly but surely we can see the light at the end of the tunnel- it is getting brighter and brighter as we complete task after task.

Yesterday we finally got round to organising large storage cupboard  in the hall. It now holds 5 shelves and a rail for coats and jackets. It was a whole day job. Stripping, wallpapering, tidying and drilling holes. And at 8pm we were pretty satisfied with the result.

Today, sorting and organising. It is Sunday. Not something I would normally do today. The thing is- I am so 'had it' with boxes and piles of stuff hither and yon. I WANT IT FINISHED.

This week I am going to give it my best shot to BE DONE!

And it starts NOW!

Well, famous last words.

I went down to the shed- grabbed a couple of boxes and started sifting through the contents. I actually thought- you now what " I am going to tip all these negatives OUT! DONE with carting them from address to address.

I pulled a piece of paper out of the box- oh memories. As if it was meant to be. If I had thrown the whole contents of the box out- this would have been lost to me for ever.

So, time out:

SLOW ME DOWN LORD!




Slow me down, Lord
Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.
Steady my hurried pace 
with a vision of the eternal reach of time

Give me, amid the confusion of the day,
the calmness of the everlasting hills
Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles
with the soothing music of the singing stars, that
live in my memory
Help me to know the magical restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art of taking minute vacations
of slowing down to look at a flower.
to chat with a friend
to pat a dog, to read
a few lines in a good book.

Slow me down Lord, and inspire me to
send my roots deep into the soil of life's
enduring values, that I may grow toward
the stars of my greater destiny.


I have no idea who wrote this- I copied it many many years ago off a poster and there was no mention of a name of the author. I do not even know how old it is - or when it was first published. Just reading it gives me a sense of rest, peace and space. So I looked it up online - I have had this in my position for such a long time- pre-internet!

Author: Wilfred A. Peterson - well so I thought. 

Then I found this- on a website called " A spiritual journey of healing.com".

Who wrote Slow me Down Lord?

This Slow Me Down Lord poem / prayer previously appeared here with the wrong author. 

According to Wikipedia, the poem, Slow me Down Lord, is written by Wilferd Arlan Peterson. This American author published 9 books and wrote for "Science of Mind" magazine.
He wrote regularly about the Art of Living and with his wife Ruth collaborated on inspirational writing, essays and poems.

Further on this thread you will see a suggestion from a visitor that the beautiful prayer poem was written by Holborn. 

But the mystery seems to have been solved. It is a Hittite prayer, well known in Turkey. See the comment below, and thank you for all your answers and the popularity of this page. 

It seems that whoever wrote Slow me Down Lord Prayer was writing something that God has written on all our hearts. 
When we read the poem we recognise the truth in them.

Just a chance find then - and once again 're-found'. It will be cherished.

Sunday 19 April 2015

Life, love, friendships and blessings

Oh dear, that last blog does sound very  'poor me-ish'. The message is clear though for me- yes life has disappointments. Get over it! 
And believe me, I am a fast learner. I get lots of practice.

Thing is, I am generally a positive person. And I approach each day with renewed zest and vigor awaiting what the day has in store and tackling it with the necessary energy.

It may be about a year or so ago that I joined a group of Christian Bloggers here in Nederland. Through this interaction I have 'met' a few lovely people whom I now consider to be friends.

As I am a member of the blogging world I read a variety of blogs. Even though I enjoy the blogs, not every writer is known to me- so I don't build up a relationship with that person. But some, some just touch me in a way that I get curious and I dig deeper. I leave a comment, share the blog or in some other way let know I have ' been' and read the blog. The upside of that is, that some now also visit my blog. A reciprocal arrangement of appreciation. So up lifting. I learn a lot from long time bloggers. Some already being published writers in their own right. Inspiring to say the least.

I want to highlight some of these ( and believe me I visit many more but too many to list). If you have a hobby, activity or interest you want to read more of , share or want to connect with- just google the blogs. You wil be amazed what is out there for your enjoyment, source of information or just relaxation or inspiration.

Blogging has enriched my life, brought me in touch with strangers who are now friends and blessed me in ways unprecedented. 

This blog has become a sort of promotion-advertisement to GO BLOG! Something I didn't really intend to do but just 'happened' as do many inspirations once I get going on the keyboard.

For those who have held a long time dream to write- go for it, for those wanting to read and learn- here is your opportunity to resource without having to got to the library or buy books.

One thing though- let the blogger know you have 'found' them. That you read their works. It nurtures and encourages the blogger to soldier on.

Enjoy the links-

Jeanette Levellie is one such Blogger whose pages I frequent: I recently ordered one of her books- The heart of humor: Sixty Helpings of Hilarity to nourish your Soul. I LOVE my hips like never before!

Then there is Jen Cudmore: An awesome writer and again, inspirational. She has started a series on Marriage problems. I think she is extremely courages in opening up in such an honest way. Oh pity this blogger wasn't around in the 1990's.

Another Blog I enjoy is that of Karen Lange. A multi talented author who also drops in from time to time. I am sure she has bruised fingers at the end of her busy writing day- as Karen writes for a multitude of media. I do so appreciate her hints, tips and words of encouragement.

Then two people who are so blessed, Marja and Jan. Their Blog Traveling Light as a way of spreading incredible good news, help and assistance to those in need. So awe inspiring and a great read. Marja is also a published writer and her books grace my shelves.



There are Foody bloggers, Childrearing bloggers, Music Bloggers, Gardening Bloggers, Quilting Bloggers- oh soooo many you wouldn't believe.


Go look, search and find. 
They are there for you!