Lent brings for me a sense of hope. Each morning ( Mon-Fri) I go swimming, I try and be in the pool at 6.30, this isn’t easy on the dark mornings. I have noticed this week as I leave the pool around 7am, it is just beginning to become light. This gives me a sense of hope, that the darkness is beginning to go, for longer days and seeing the bulbs that are beginning to grow in my garden.
This last weekend I spent working with a group of 8 disabled young people on a residential at an activity center in somerset. The weekend was full of laughter, sometimes- hysterical!, very tiring, but also again full of hope. I was challenged by some of the young peoples ability and willingness to give things a go, to try new things, push themselves ( this led to me climbing a climbing wall- quite a challenge as I have a huge fear of heights!) I was also inspired by their eagerness and enthusiasm for life . Encouraged by this experience my plan this lent is to try some new things, to challenge myself , to try and be more positive and hopeful but also to learn more to trust in God.
Psalm 62
Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God[c];
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
sanctuary 
Its interesting that you were inspired to climb not by seeing someone do it brilliantly, or by a burning desire to test yourself on the wall, but by the challenge of seeing young people climb for whom the wall held more difficulty. I’m looking forward to seeing what other new challenges your going to set yourself!
By: Lily Mainstone Cotton on February 23, 2012
at 11:41 pm
You can see by the gravitar that the last post wasn’t by Lily! Sorry, forgot to put my name in. Doh!
By: Iain on February 23, 2012
at 11:42 pm
Hi Sonia, I’m very much looking forward to the earlier light, and a little sun!
hope seems to ebb & flow through life, and watching someone else loosing hope feels very hard to me, but more recently I’ve found how much more control we have on our own sense of hopefulness, we choose what we put our trust in, and making choices has given me a whole new perspective on celebrating lent
By: subo on February 24, 2012
at 2:18 pm
Swimming at 6.30?!! You’re nothing short of inspirational yourself, Sonia. I love it when the days start to lengthen out – so nice to leave the house in the morning when it is light and to come home at the end of the day when it is light. It revives your energy.
By: Carole on March 7, 2012
at 10:57 pm
yep, i like that too Carole, i love the mysterious energy spring awakens. the ducks at Eastville skim on the lake like boys with skateboards. the wind changes the weather in a flash and rain is blown away and dried in no time. the moon hangs thinly whilst the sun still lights a blue sky and for a moment the sun feels almost warm against my skin.
By: subo on March 8, 2012
at 12:00 am
the sunrise this morning was so beautiful, amazing pink sky, it might of been early but wow it was worth it.
Thanks for your comment Carole, not quite as mad or inspirational as it sounds – I am very much a morning person and not an owl!, a joke amongst my friends is that I will always be the first person to leave a party/ or just take myself off to bed when everyone else is partying!!- new year is always really hard for me to stay awake š
By: soniamain on March 8, 2012
at 8:05 am