Do few things....by Lynda Alsford

By -
http://www.penhurst.org.uk/
I was fortunate enough to go on retreat to Penhurst Retreat Centre at the weekend. I love Penhurst. The first time I visited this wonderful retreat centre was for a writing weekend with ACW. I fell in love with the place straight away. 

Last weekend I felt at home there straight away. The whole weekend was fantastic but I think for me the  highlight was coming away knowing that God has spoken to me. I have been feeling really exhausted recently, even needing to take time off sick and spending half my annual leave too ill to leave the house. I  desperately wanted to hear from my heavenly Father.  

Throughout the weekend we were using the Northumbrian Community's Daily Office. What impacted me most were the words of the the meditation for day 10 of the month, which we heard on Saturday morning.  The words that impacted me most were,
If you want your dream to be 

Take your time, go slowly
Do few things but do them well 
I was so struck by these words, especially the words, 'do few things but do them well'. It was a beam of illumination from the Lord straight to my heart. I knew he was telling me I was doing too much and I needed to cut down on what I am doing. The problem I have now is trying to discern what I need to give up. How do I narrow what I am doing down to just a few things? I have been so busy I have had little time for writing. But I know God has called me to it. 

Real log fire at Penhurst
With this in mind, I need to be more discerning in my writing. I am trying to do a number of different projects all at once and not doing any of them well. I am trying to do too many projects at once. However, I haven't yet decided what to put to one side and what to concentrate on.

But also I think I need to be more discerning how I write. By that I mean I think I need to plan time to write. I work full time and also have church and other commitments so time for writing is not easy to come by. I need to plan it into my week. Perhaps writing a little bit well, when I can would be better than being overwhelmed by how much there is to do in a project and ending up doing nothing.  

Am I the only one who struggles to decide which project I should be working on? Or struggles with a structured plan for writing?

With these thoughts in mind, I have made the hard decision that I am unable to continue contributing to the ACW blog and this post will be my last one. I have loved writing this blog but need now to concentrate on my own blog. 

PS: As I searched online for the words quoted above I discovered they are actually a song by Donovan, which, in my haste to copy down the words at the retreat I hadn't noted at the time. If you want to listen to the song, here is the link to a YouTube video of it. 




Lynda Alsford is a sea loving, cat loving GP administrator and writes in her spare time. She has written two books, He Never Let Go describes her journey through a major crisis of faith whilst working as an evangelist at a lively Church in West London. Being Known describes how God set her free from food addiction. Both books are available in paperback and on kindle on  Amazon.co.uk  and  Amazon.com. She writes a newsletter  and a blog both called Seeking the Healer, in which she shares the spiritual insights she has gained on her journey. Find about about these from www.seekingthehealer.com. You can also find out more about Lynda at  www.lyndaalsford.com

Comments

  1. Aggie C16 March 2018 at 10:02

    Dear Lynda,I for one have benefited greatly from your quiet wisdom month by month. I empathise, though, with the need to prioritise and focus. I hope you will find more time for creative endeavours as you follow God's leading.May blessings abound x

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  2. Lynda Alsford16 March 2018 at 10:51

    Thank you Aggie. God bless you.

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  3. Deborah Jenkins16 March 2018 at 11:14

    Thanks for this insightful post Lynda. I will miss your contributions but look forward to reading other things from you 🙂

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  4. Anne Booth16 March 2018 at 12:17

    I am really glad you had such a consoling visit to beautiful Penhurst, ( do you remember meeting on that retreat?) and thank you so much for sharing that insight - I find that very helpful too. I know exactly what you mean about having too many projects - I now work full time as a writer for children, but in order to earn enough I have to write so many different things it can be exhausting and I too need discernment. So I wish you lots of blessings on your future writing and in your life, and hope you get more lovely visits to Penhurst. I will watch that video - I loved the film it was from too ' 'Brother Son and Sister Moon', about St Francis.

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    1. Lynda Alsford16 March 2018 at 12:21

      Thank you for your kind words Anne. I do indeed remember meeting you there. It was a lovely weekend wasn't it. I wish you success too. We would do well to remember God will provide for us. I ask myself if I trust him to provide for me when I am following his will in letting somethings go.

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  5. Claire Musters16 March 2018 at 12:23

    Great post - and thank you. You'll see I have a few similar themes in my post tomorrow too so this subject is definitely one God is talking to at least a couple of us about ;)

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    1. Lynda Alsford16 March 2018 at 17:59

      I’m looking forward to reading it. 😀

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  6. Veronica Zundel16 March 2018 at 13:56

    Sorry to lose you from the blog, Lynda, but fully understand your reasons. Penhurst is a great place to withdraw and think over one's life. Wishing you all the best, and that God will guide your priorities.

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  7. Georgie Tennant16 March 2018 at 15:51

    You will be missed but wishing you all the very best in your new ventures.

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  8. Vicki Cottingham17 March 2018 at 10:51

    Thank you Linda for this, so helpful and something I really needed to hear. God bless you as you do few things but do them well x

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    1. Lynda Alsford17 March 2018 at 12:08

      Thank you Vicki. I am so glad it spoke to you. I think learning to do few things well it’s going to be an ongoing learning process 😀

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  9. Sheila Johnson19 March 2018 at 16:56

    Brilliant post. I know what you mean about writing, Lynda, it's so easy to crowd it out. A little is good though. I hope God will guide you in what you continue to do. I know I will continue to read and enjoy your own blog. Blessings xx

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    1. Lynda Alsford20 March 2018 at 07:56

      Thank you so much for your kind words. Bless you. X

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  10. Tracy Williamson20 March 2018 at 17:39

    Thank you Lynda, your blog was really insightful to me too. I also really need to hear the Lord about what to focus on and to do that well. I also love Penhurst and have been there many times to lead day events with Marilyn Baker. A very special and peace filled place.

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