Category Archives: Holiday

Healed of Cancer 15 years

Posted in Birds, Cancer, Healing, Holiday, My thoughts, Nations, Nature, Restoration, Testimony Tuesday, Travel by

I’m sitting on the veranda of my daughter’s Mary’s home in Blantyre, Malawi. The trees over the house keep it cool in the heat of the day. The birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. It is a little oasis in the city.

I was so happy to get here to be with Mary and enjoy the warmth after a cold winter back in Ireland. Looking at the garden I’m reminded of my two books about God telling us not to worry, Look at the Birds and Look at the Wildflowers.

This last year I have faced challenges in health and family difficulties. My natural tendency is to worry , get disappointed, tired and depressed. I had forgotten God’s exhortation not to worry which brings anxiety.

Being here away from immediate demands back home I have time to reflect on how God has been faithful to Brendan and I down through the years. in Malawi God is reviving my body and spirit. I read in Psalm 73 v 26
My health may fail and my spirit grow weak
But God remains the strength of my heart.

Today is the fifteenth anniversary of me being diagnosed with fourth stage cancer. Three months later I was totally healed by God. He hasn’t stopped moving mountains and with His power I can do it too. He has helped Brendan and I before and He will do it again.

Psalm 91 encouraged us. I will be with you in trouble, because he acknowledges my name. With long life I will satisfy him. I had forgotten we have an adversary, the devil who is out to kill, rob, steal and destroy. Jesus overcame him on the cross and sent him running. I now resist him and he is fleeing from us.

God is good. He is restoring our fortunes like the water courses in the Negev. The battle belongs to the Lord and he is fighting for me as I trust him and not worry.

Heavenly Lights

Posted in Family, Holiday, My thoughts, Nations, Nature, Slovakia, Travel by

James 1 v 17 says

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change.

Brendan and I are staying with our son and family in Turin. We visited a place called Superga where there is a Cathedral and is famous with tourists. It the burial place for kings and queens who used to reign in Italy. Our son lives below on the hill leading up to Superga.

I checked my Facebook page these last few days. There are many pictures of colourful lights, a display of the Northern lights appearing over the nations.
Colours of the rainbow are filling the sky over Ireland, Slovakia and Canada. Pink, orange and green are main colours. Abraham sent a picture of lights he saw in New Zealand. There was a picture of lights in the sky taken over Superga last night.

Normally the Northern lights are seen over countries near the Arctic Circle, Norway and Sweden. Brendan and I visited Iceland hoping to see the Northern lights some years back but we were disappointed.

God created the sun, moon and stars. We are used to our daily routine and take for granted God’s provision. But He is speaking in these days to the nations as He displays lights in the sky. He is the Father of the heavenly lights.

When I tell people stories from the bible they don’t believe. They doubt that Moses passed through the Red Sea. They doubt He put the rainbow in the sky after rain.

I know God’s Word is true. The same God who is the Father of lights healed me of cancer. God is speaking to the nations through the lights in the sky. Many people do not attend Church, but God is speaking through creation. There is no excuse not to believe.

I said at the beginning. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. Acknowledge God as the only God and thank him.

Lights over Superga last night.

Toronto Airport

Posted in Birds, Canada, Holiday, Ireland, My thoughts, Nations, Travel by

I travelled with my son by car to Toronto airport. There were highways with four or six lanes full with cars, going over bridges and circling around tower blocks. Everyone on the move.

I read in Toronto airport that forty million people pass through this airport every year. I looked around. People with cases were passing focusing to get to their check in desks or flights. Old, young, black, white, brown, women and men fully dressed or scantily covered were there.

People from every nation work in the cafes, shops, at the desks, in security check points and on the aeroplanes.

I arrived at my gate where my flight would soon be leaving for Ireland. I sat down and pondered on this place where so many people meet. Who am I in the midst of this sea of people. Psalm 8 came to mind.

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet

Gods love overwhelmed me. I felt like the little sparrow in the song His eye is on the sparrow.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

I picked up my bags and found my place on the plane. I traveled home without fear.

Visiting Waterfall after Forty Five Years

Posted in Birds, Healing, Holiday, Ireland, My thoughts, Nature, Restoration, Travel by

I heard from a man on Facebook who was telling us that there are rhythm sounds that bring healing. He said there are ancient Christian scriptures that mention about sounds.

I reflected on the idea of sounds bringing healing to one. I agree. It is the sounds of birds singing, waves crashing, the tinkle of a yacht, the call of a curlew, or wind blowing that helped bring me healing in Portaferry.

On the first week of July Belfast empties. People head to Donegal. It is the twelfth fortnight. Holidays are times to unwind, go to the seaside, walk, swim, make sandcastles. Healing and restoring.

Brendan and I took a drive along the Antrim coast. Just outside we stopped at Larne Boating Club harbour. It is a little oasis. The sun was shining. The sea was calm. The grass was green. Birds find the best places to hang out. There were ducks, turnstones gulls and oystercatchers.

I wanted to visit the Glenarriff waterfalls. We visited the falls forty five years ago. Willie Paterson and Hazel took four of us and his two children in his mini car to visit the falls. I remember going there but I hadn’t been back since then.

We arrived back in the late of the evening. When we parked we could hear the movement of water in the river. We walked for the next minutes up along the river. There were three steps of waterfalls. Water was bubbling, crashing, gurgling and flowing down the gorge. Green foliage and ferns cascaded overhead on the banks.

We kept walking up the path built specially to give the best view. The tall full waterfall came into view. We stood in the beauty for long minutes.

God intends that out of our bellies will flow rivers of living water. Let the river of God flow.

That you Willie for that memory from forty five years ago.

The Double Rainbow

Posted in Holiday, My thoughts, Nations, Nature, Restoration, Travel by

Brendan and I have returned from a trip to Israel. Jerusalem is a city full of the history about God Almighty in heaven and his dealings with His people on earth. He chose the descendants of Abraham as his people, Israel. We witnessed Jewish families, young and old, teenagers, young soldiers walking the streets of Jerusalem. I receive a Blessing in Jerusalem.


More than any other place in creation The Lord loves Jerusalem are the words of a hymn.

It takes time to settle back home after a trip. One has to readjust. Last Friday night Brendan and I were driving out to a friend’s house. It was raining in the midst of sunshine. When we turned a corner from our street in Belfast a double rainbow appeared ahead of us. The rainbow stayed with us on our journey out of town. A strong coloured rainbow rose from the horizon on the left in a large arc to the horizon on the right. Above it was a more faded rainbow.


We sometimes call ourselves the Rainbow Family. When we went on walks, at the beach, on journeys, a rainbow would appear in the sky to remind us of God’s presence with us, his love , his care and His faithfulness to keep His promises. God put a rainbow in the sky after the Flood. It is a sign and promise to Noah and mankind that God would never again flood the earth.
There is a rainbow around God’s throne in heaven. Here is a reference to it.


1 Ezekiel v 25 and 29
And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me.


The display of the rainbow in the sky above us on Friday night spoke of that Glory of God around the throne. A little bit of heaven over Belfast.

If you are waiting for God’s promise to you, don’t give up. God is working it out for you.

The Harvest Moon

Posted in Family Friday, Holiday, My thoughts, Nations, Nature by

Deuteronomy 4:19 says

When you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

This week I had the privilege of seeing the Harvest Moon rise over the city of Zakynthos. At Bohali above the city, the moon appeared over the horizon as a red glowing ball. It rose high in the sky giving light to the sea and land below.

I reflected that everyone on the earth can see the moon at some stage in twenty four hours. How amazing is this spectacular view of the Harvest Moon all over the world. All the nations can see God’s handiwork. He made it all.

Gathering Shells

Posted in Holiday, My thoughts, Nations, Nature, Travel by

Robert Louis Stevenson said

It is a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire.

I’m staying in Tarbert, Scotland. The local people said “Have you been to the shell beach yet? I was telling some folk that I collect sea glass and shells to make mosaics. I call it my hidden treasure.

Tucked away out of sight along the coast at Tarbert are two shell beaches. Other inlets nearby are covered in rocks. For some reason only two small inlets are covered in broken clam shells, pink, white, brown and orange with hues in between, lie stacked up on the shore. The waves for years have broken the shells into small pieces.

The tourists would never find it. Access to the beach is hidden at first glance. If you follow a well worn path under the ferns, over stones and bared roots of trees you will reach the beach. Perhaps Robert Louis Stevenson, who was from Scotland, knew about it when he penned the words I have quoted.

Less of Me and More of God

Posted in Family, Family Friday, Holiday, Ireland, My thoughts, poetry by

Brendan and I moved house recently to be near four of our children and their families. The whole downsizing thing was worse than expected. Today I tried to sort out some boxes and albums of photographs. There were loads of them. Brendan always took photographs of his big family.

The pictures sent me on an intense emotional rollercoaster ride which lasted all day. It was as if a big hand reached deep inside my heart and stirred up so many memories and emotions of people I loved, living and dead. Photos of family events, holidays, birthdays, weddings, graduations, football successes, new grandchildren, new towns, foreign travel and ministry adventures were all lying hidden and forgotten in these old boxes and albums.

I saw my fourteen children blooming and sprouting from baby, teenager, adult, some into marriage and parenthood. I wondered how Brendan and I reared fourteen children. Praise God who daily renewed our strength. When my children were young I was happy with them tucked up in bed at eight o clock at night. I wasn’t really prepared for a house full of teenage girls and boys.

The photos recorded joy, beauty, feasting, play, rest, exploring, walking, swimming and friendship. Each decade shows development, children at primary school, grammar school, university, work, marriages and grandchildren.

What was clear to me is that God has changed every one of us. For myself, as I walked down through life, I had to die to what I personally wanted to allow more of His kingdom in my life. I could see a change in my appearance from year to year. God so often lifted burdens that were too heavy to carry. I will continue to be charged into the likeness of Christ. As someone said, God hasn’t finished with me yet.

My choices today will steer my life for the next ten years. Will it steer me into life and health or will I end up in trouble because wrong choices? Even if I make bad choices God in his kindness will not let me continue in my mistaken ways. He gives us a way of escape and a chance to start afresh because of His love. Like a Father who watches over his children so God is watching over us. He knows our frame and He knows the pitfalls. I am being changed from one degree of Glory to another.

As I rummaged through the photos I was reminded of a short humorous poem Brendan once wrote.

These are the good old days we’ll all remember well.

Turned into days of heaven, from these bad days of hell.

It is good to remember the good times.

Good Tidings

Posted in Healing, Holiday, Ireland, My thoughts, Nature by

View from our home in Portaferry, Ireland.

Greetings to all of you.

Thank you for your interest in my blogs in 2020.

Look for the goodness of God in the land of the living. This promise kept me going on many difficult days.

My grandson Benjamin asked me the other morning, “When is the sun going to waken up”.

This morning the sun is arisen and beauty is multiplied all over the sky. Enjoy it from where you live.

Malachi says “May the son of righteousness rise with healing in his wings”

May God, the creator of the earth , sea and sky bless you and keep you and make His face to shine on you and grant you peace.

Bird Singing in the Night

Posted in Birds, Family Friday, Holiday, My thoughts, Nature, poetry, Prayer by

Outside my hotel window

It is the dead of night

Wem

A bird is singing Is he announcing good news? Is he calling for attention. Like the multitude of heavenly hosts praising God. When the angel announced Jesus birth to the shepherds. Singing Glory to God in the highest. And on earth good will to all men. There is room for me in the Inn. In a soft plush bed Because He was born in a straw lined manger. The Christmas street lights are bright