a pilgrims journey 1

 FIRST JOTTING.
*There have been many encounters, experiences, visions and situations along the journey of my life that have been markers in the sand for me and many I have held in my heart for some time.
Some I now feel to share, and so this blog post  >A PILGRIMS JOURNEY >will come in parts not necessarily starting at the beginning.
*I hope you enjoy the journey with me as I share some thoughts from my heart.

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage"     Psalm 84:5 

*MY HEART has been set on PILGRIMAGE , a journey that takes me deeper and deeper into the heart of God and His ways. It is an ongoing journey, exciting , challenging on many occasions but never without understanding and growth (which really is a daily event).
*MY HEART too is to share with others those events, ponderings and revelations that have aided me on the path which may assist others to walk in a richer, more fulfilled way and into a deeper relationship with Our Lord as nothing more satisfies.

                         "THE WAY"
                   The Way of St James
*A JOURNEY ON A PHYSICAL PILGRIMAGE in 2010 that took myself and a friend to Spain to walk
 THE CAMINO across the top of Spain , beginning on the French side of the Pyrenees in a beautiful town St Jean Pied de Pont and concluding at Santiago de Compostela on the west coast.
*For me it was like a 2nd honeymoon with my precious Lord, Jesus, as we walked many miles together (in all we walked  close to 750 kms over a period of 6 weeks ).   FIRST awareness > look to find and  take time out with those that are dear and near to us, don't let life pass by without precious words been said and experiences shared. 
*MY friend and I agreed to stop and take even the tiniest pebble or irritant out of our shoes, a developing blister is one of the most painful experiences to walk with. DEAL quickly with those things that disturb us, grieve us, hurt us or others  before they become LARGER and PREVENT our  forward PROGRESS.
*At times I found the journey hard sometimes wondering "how am I going to walk today" ," why am I here", and at other times my friend felt the same. One of the most precious gifts we can give is to help others along the road, to be there encouraging with words like "you can do it" or  "quietly" accompanying them  or "carrying part of the load". Ask for WISDOM to know which, listening to the still voice within.
* We all have a different PACE TO WALK IN LIFE. Give one another FREEDOM to walk their journey . My friend and I did just that, but always meeting for our meals and to come together at  the end of the days journey. to rest , feast and share the days events.  We could always see one another, sometimes quietly walking alone (but The lord always with us) or sharing with those we came across on the way.
>Grant me increasing WISDOM Lord to know the times to go at 100, 80. 50 or 20 kph or  pull aside for awhile on the journey of life.........travelling at 100 or more constantly will wear out the cylinders, 20 or stopping too long may make one sluggish or difficult to start the journey again.
>I also remember learning to row a boat with my dad : IF we didn't row together with the same strength and pace , we went round in circles. ROW/WALK with the PACE our Dad in heaven has set for us at the time.
* I sent home to Australia a jumper that only weighted 1.5 kg but it made such a difference to how I walked. I am only of small frame and fairly light so the best for me to carry was around about 7-8 kgs for a 6 week journey. Don't carry excessive baggage through life , physically and emotionally.  Physically one does not need much and it is amazing how much gets stored away often only collecting dust. Emotional baggage weighs us down too and stops the progress forward to the fullness of life.
*Be open to the acquaintances, friendships, and connections that The Lord gifts at different to our lives and always be willing to RELEASE them to walk their path and run their race.  Every person is a GIFT and is PRECIOUS and has something to add to our life and us to them.
*We met so many different people along the way, all with different reasons for their journey. Little KINDNESSES often had a big impact on their lives and journey. I remember clearly a young Italian man that we came across a few times ; our last meeting was when he had to take time off the journey due to an injury ; we offered to pray with him; he cried not because of the words we prayed BUT that someone would CARE for him to offer to do so.  Very impacting to see how much that touched him. SMILES along the way and a simple hello can so often BLESS people more than we know.  It is actually EASY to be KIND .
*The route we followed was marked with a yellow arrow every kilometer or so  , one had to fine that on the road or on a building. We walked from one sign to the next. I am blessed with navigational ability and so that was never a "fearful" thing for me but at times others had taken a wrong turn and it was always a wonderful thing to help others on the right path as they asked > a lesson there > be open to assist when others open to receive.
>WALK too from one sign post to the next in life. Be willing to go back to the last signpost if one feels unsure or lost. Stop for awhile , look and listen for that voice of the H.S.
>NEVER be hesitant to say I have got it wrong. That takes more COURAGE and is a very RELEASING thing to do for self and others.

I am sure there are many other thoughts that will come to me about the journey and if so I will post in my next jotting.
IN CONCLUSION I thank my friend for journeying THE WAY with me.


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