The Gym Tail Begins.

I have never been to a gym before. That is, until last week when I went to look around one. It was lovely. Peaceful, impressive and local.
I joined.

What do you think?
I feel brave and scared all at once.

I decided that I wanted to swim again. I haven't swum for a year since being poorly with post viral fatigue and I miss it. I really miss it.
I could probably go to gymophobics, which would no doubt cater for me very well with my lack of gym experience, but they have no pool. I want to swim and if I get some gym fit experience too then that will be a bonus.

The local pool where I used to swim is freezing cold, mostly and as it is the local swimming club practise club, does swimming lessons,so there is limited public times available for me and the best one for me is too late at night as I still need my sleep at night.

Last year, my progress has been working from walking 10 min utes a day and last term to be back at work full time in a new job and have remaining energy for a few things in the evenings and weekends.

Now I am looking at increasing my energy capacity.

So, I decided that, as I enjoyed swimming over Easter so much that I would look into going somewhere warm to enjoy swimming and finding somewhere that might look after me a bit considering I have never been to the gym bit before. Ever.
When I was at school, in the sixth form, we had a great deal with a local pool to do a gym swim thing. I have always loved swimming. We just used to do the swim bit and then go and sit on the gym equipment and chat before cycling home. Ha x (The gym equipment was partly broken and no one ever showed us how to use it!)
So, last week was a first for me.
I loved the pool and the place is beautiful and if I ever go for a spa there I will get discounts, which all sounds pretty good to me.
On Friday, I went for my induction in the gym bit. The instructor couldn't quite believe that I had never been on a treadmill before.
Only at airports, I said.
The theory is, they give me an individual programme and a key which I put into the computer at the beginning and end of my time in the gym and each piece of equipment as I go round. It records my "progress"...
My initial aim is to do 10 minutes on each thing: bike, cross trainer (I always want to call it cross dresser) and treadmill. Otherwise known as the "dreadmill", for now, I think.
I did 2.... and felt quite proud. And tired.... and then went for a swim. My comfort zone.

I went for a swim yesterday again after work and loved it.
Tomorrow I will try and brave the gym again.

I wonder if I can remember how to use any of the equipment?
If not, I can either ask, cheat or press stop, right?

Are any of you gymophobics, like me?
I'd love to hear from you.
I will let you know how I get on too.

Reflections and Inspirations

This is my photo for day 3 of 365. A day for time to reflect and Inspire. Enjoy.
I have been looking back over my journal and reflecting on some of the wonderful things that has happened in 2009 and how the Lord has been so faithful to me.

It helps to reflect on 2009 as I look forward to 2010 and some of the ways I might FLOURISH in 2010.
I hope these 9 Reflections from 2009 inspire you too.

1. I started the year with 2 bugs that led into post viral fatigue which lasted for months and I have had to pace myself all year - and yet, I thank God for such amazing times of rest and some things he taught me whilst snuggled under a duvet. He reminded me of how I am safe with Him, loved and accepted and how rest is part of God giving us a chance to get our breath back - as it says in the message Bible in Psalm 23 - and then He sets me in the right direction. Yippee!

2. Last year, the Lord gave me the word CHANGE. I had been busy doing lots of voluntary work over the years, being involved with pioneering and developing some work with Special Needs for children and young people and their families at some national events here in the UK. I sensed the word change I felt it was time to pass on the baton for 2009. The scripture that colleagues had for me was - Isaiah 54 - which really is about change and enlarging and thinking Big!

3. This word ENLARGE and think big had me begin to ask God to help me apply it to all spheres of my life. Life was quite different with post viral fatigue and with no planned or specific ministry in 2009 it really was a year for laying things down and having time and space. I began to dream dreams for some of the things in my life that have been hidden and pushed to one side in my life. A time to look at my creativity, time to begin to de-clutter, tidy, dream, plan, prepare. I wrote my list too of things to do in this next year before my next birthday - and called it my wish upon a star list.

4. I have had it on my heart to write some things down for a while over the last few years but it hasn't really been much of a year for productivity, more a time of being. I was desperate for some creative outlet, though, so I began blogging! A way of bringing to re-birth, fanning into flame some of my CREATIVITY. A friend at church gave me this verse from Timothy, as she had been praying for me - fan into flame the gifts that God has given was a timely and significant verse of encouragement. I have so loved joining bloggy land! I have so loved connecting with Make some art Mondays, Turn the page Tuesdays and gaining fresh inspiration and fun and finding some great new friends in bloggy land. Thank you Rachel at myslightlycrazyworld for a lovely day spent with you, playing pass the baby to start my blog here at creative tails.

5.It has been a time when God has proved himself faithful and the God who cares deeply about the details in my life. I was in touch with a guy for a few months and hoped it might lead somewhere. I wasn't sure if it was leading anywhere, except up a dead end alley, so I and my girly cake chick friends prayed and asked God to honour a deadline day. He did and it was great to know the TRUTH and for the truth to set me free! He is such an awesome God and a time of experiencing the kindness of God. When God speaks, release comes. Isaiah 45 v 3.

6. Also, I have been on a job search as my hours were reduced and I needed to find full time work as part time work wasn't a long term viable option. It was a hard search at times, seemingly relentless and almost soul destroying journey. I asked God if something could please be just dropped in my lap. I shouldn't have been surprised when a few weeks ago it did just that but I was! It reminded me of the WAIT and the NOW. The wait can seem like forever but, in God's time, when God says now it happens in an instant.

7. It has been a great year for quality TIME with friends and family and with God too. Practising hospitality, friends coming round and sitting on the sofa when I have been tired and spending time with me. Friends have come and stayed here, rather than me travelling to see them and each and every visit has been a blessing. Lots of time to pray and think, to journal and to ask God more of what this word change means for me. Psalm 84 and Song of Solomon 2 v 4 has been great ones!

8. A great family holiday, a few parties to dress up posh and wear my lovely pink and red shoes that carry the label GORGEOUS, time to begin to look at some of my family history and roots and DISCOVER new things. FASCINATING. My NEW kitten Tudur arrived - his Welsh name means divine gift and he really is!

9.It has been a year of REFRESHING in ways that have taken me out of my comfort zone. I read this - Exodus 2 v 15. to be sat down at the well (refreshing) is a desert experience. God lovingly draws us apart for a season and strips us of our busyness and our ability to operate in our strengths. He has not abandoned us and he is not judging us. These are precious things when we listen with a new intensity. We can recognise anew our dependency on Him and our intimacy with Him is deepened.
"In the desert He found him in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him. He guarded him as the apple of His eye. The Lord alone led Him."

It has been my special 1:1 support time with God this last year. I will take these 9 truths from 2009 with me into 2010... and looking forward to FLOURISH very much indeed.

My Ode to Autumn: Golden Moments.

Golden moments, for His Glory.
Letting go.
Doing less and enjoying more. It is amazing what space and freedom brings.
It hasn't all been easy though,this letting go of ministry stuff this last year for this season combined with having post viral fatigue. Wondering who am I and where am I going, what shall I do next, what is on His heart for me? physical challenges of needing sleep, flu like achy legs, constant tiredness. Needing to try and learn to pace myself, saying no, pushing myself to do some walking every day, meeting with friends each day, drink lots of water, eat healthy,get back to work, begin to increase my capacity for "stuff". A season of things being stripped away, vulnerability, the here I am, just me, Luci. Meanwhile, It has been a time of re-discovery, inner beauty, affirmation of firm foundations, a desire to go deeper, for roots to grow and to drink deeply in Him. A season of really enjoying walks, fresh air and my friends and family.
A beautiful park nearby that sometimes has taken me 10 minutes to walk there and gradually, over months to increase it to an hour a day +.Mini milestones. Lovely friends and family to see, when I would have normally been at work and friends to maintain contact with since returning to work. They have encouraged and supported and helped me through this physically and also as I walk through the questions of what is next, Lord?




My golden moments are:
Time and space to enjoy being and doing nothing.
The gift of laughter and friendship.
Learning to take time to look at the flowers, trees and wondeful colours.
Time to enjoy learning and re-discovering.
Learning new skills and nurturing and developing hidden ones.
Time to think and pray. Time to enjoy. Enjoying the wonder in the small things, the beauty in His creation.
For His glory.
In all this: that God might be Glorified.

My Ode to Autumn: Flourishing Trees.

This last week I have been reading and pondering on a passage from Proverbs 11 about having a God shaped life.
This has got me thinking and praying and asking the Lord, what shape am I and how can I continue to grow in this shape?






Not tall or thin or fat or small, but what is my part in the Kingdom of God?

My identity, my "Luciness", the skills, qualities, gifting, talents, my Friends and family and life experiences that shape me into the person that I am today?

You might have come across the book: the mission shaped church, but us being mission shaped as individuals? How can we hear His heartbeat more and to know what He is asking of us?The verse from the Message says this:"having a God shaped life is like a flourishing tree." So, does this mean that I, Luci must always be flourishing, bursting with flowers and rich in leaves, constantly, continually, all year round?
Some trees are all gnarled and twisted, whilst others have their branches upturned to heaven, almost in worship. On windy days they sway with the wind. They change dramatically as they grow and go through seasons. Adaptable, resilient, aware of times of rest and bringing forth life and going through seasons of change.



Each one unique and each one has it's place and is rooted firmly and deeply.

I can wrestle with being a people pleaser, struggling with proving myself when people ask:"What is Luci doing?" This was particularly true, when I was in full time ministry with YWAM for a number of years, sometimes feeling the pressure to be driven to do, rather than simply to be.




We were often reminded that God loves and cares more about us as individuals for who we are and not for what we do and yet I felt this tension of doing rather than being. As God created the seasons, so we have times of going through the seasons too. Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer.

This last year I have been in Autumn and Winter, after the Lord whispered to me the word: change. I started with letting go of some ministry I had been doing, sensing that it was right to pass the baton on.
Perhaps a bit like Autumn...leaves....falling.
Then came Winter, where I almost literally hibernated.
This was the season I was not expecting! I got 2 bugs back to back in January, sleeping for days and nights at a time. When I awoke, I exhausted. I was diagnosed with post viral fatigue and it has been a gradual process of gaining strength and pacing life throughout this year, learning all the time and resting lots.

I have constantly known that the Lord is in this for me, and that during this time, He is preparing me for what is next.

Just like with a tree.

I can almost hardly wait to see what springs up, next!
If you are in Autumn and needing to let go of some things, do it and enjoy Winter and His special time of rest for you.
As Psalm 1 says, blessed is the one who is like a tree planted by water.

Enjoy discovering you own shape, to live a God shaped life.

I am.

Maybe I have always wanted to be a tree, after all....

as long as it is God-shaped and funky!