'Holy leisure' in the Helderberg Mountains!

This afternoon once things had settled a bit at home and the chores were done, we'd had a lovely lunch together as a family and everyone was settling down for a rest, I decided to head up into the mountains for a good cycle!

It was an incredible ride this evening - we're having the most remarkable weather in Cape Town at the moment! I did about 30 km's on the jeep trails above Silverbook Kloof road. The forest is thick and beautiful, but there are clearly a few enthusiastic cyclists and hikers getting up there because the trails are well kept and clearly marked. Even though it is steep and technical in some places the scenery is something else. Then, there is the reward of breaking through the forest at the top of the mountain to see the whole of False Bay below you! By the time I got to the top my lungs were burning, my legs were a little numb, but my mind was clear and the view was worth it!

So, I shot this little video with my Nokia E90 cell phone on QIK (by the way you can find all of my videos here, and you can follow my regular updates on my twitter feed at the bottom right of this page or follow me on twitter @digitaldion)

Well, now I'm sitting down for the evening to go through my diary for the week. It is another busy week with some travel at the end. I always get a little nervous about everything that needs to get done in a single week - is this just me or does anyone else face a similar anxiety? But, I have found that if I take the time to think about each task and each appointment, just for a few seconds, thinking about the desired outcome, the people involved, the resources required and the steps that need to be taken - and I then take a few more seconds to pray through these pointers, I find courage and comfort to face the week.

In recent weeks I have been on something of a spiritual journey (since coming back from Hong Kong). I have experienced that in spite of not being able to get everything done, that doing what I can do well is enough. My friend Fr Bruce Botha (SJ) reminded me of the discipline of creating contentment and peace in spite of busyness and demands when we were chatting at Stellenbosch this week 'It's OK' he remarked to me. That conversation has sustained me and reminded me that God does not measure success by tasks ticked off a list, or even by success. Rather, faithfulness is a higher virtue. Relationships are important, being present to God in every situation is important, and attempting to do one's best for the sake of Christ and every person that Christ loves. That is enough.

So, this evening I feel blessed at the opportunity to have some 'Holy Leisure' in the mountains and prepare for the week ahead.

I pray that your week will be blessed!