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What do two weeks in a tent in France do for you?

I guess that depends on what you do with your time!!


For me it was a time for spending with the kids, swimming, cycling, playing cards etc. No screens in sight for anyone ... And so we were "forced" to talk with each other!! Good to have nothing to do with a day except whatever presents itself ... Well, for two weeks anyway...


Reading also played a big part of the time - two Harlan Coben novels (weekend reads) then Hunger for Reality (G Verwer), Outpouring of Grace (Roy Goodwin), Discerning the Spirit of the Age (D Tidball) followed by the completion of The Everlasting Man (G K Chesterton) ... An excellent riposte to the wave of aggressive atheism based on the 'science' of evolution. The scientific argument may have moved on since 1925 but the underlining arguments for a creator God remain unshaken and, indeed, unanswered by science.


Having space ... no emails, texts, phone calls, facebook, twitter etc ... So what happens in space? In my experience, if you are looking for Him, then the Holy Spirit fills these spaces ... Presses meaning into them and speaks ... Silence and space are very important gifts that we throw away at our peril.


I recently read another leader's blog, which explained the degree to which he was bombarded with information from the moment he arose to the moment he went to sleep ... This is part and parcel of modern day living I am afraid and we cannot ignore it, but we can 'manage it' rather than letting it 'manage us' ... We need space to think, ponder, dream, listen, hear and let the Spirit speak truth, light, meaning and direction into all aspects of our world.


I wonder how good I will be at maintaining that when I get back to life and work at home!?!?


Oh ... and eating! ... who can resist Blue Cheese, Pain au Chocolate etc etc. (Though not on the same plate of course!)

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