I'm Back
Dear readers,
Here I am, getting back into the swing of weekly posts. My last post before I went on summer break was on June 25th. Since then, it feels as if both so much and very little has changed.
Little has changed in that I’m still me, in the same house, with the same job, with the same husband and kid, with the same routine. Yet this time, I’m much bigger. Our baby girl joins us in a little less than two months!
A family photo on the top of Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, where we vacationed this summer.
There have been other changes as well, which many of you have been apprised of through my summer updates. I had the pleasure of doing a podcast interview with bestselling author and thought leader, Rob Bell, in his back house. I’ve been following his work for over a decade so it was an immense privilege to converse and exchange ideas with him. You can listen to that episode here.
Also, the blog post I wrote in honor of my 8th wedding anniversary was featured on Medium for several weeks, which you can read here.
On the heels of those two very fun experiences, my family got on a plane and spent two grand weeks on the breathtaking land of Scotland. The first week was spent in Edinburgh with my in-laws and there, we soaked in the frenzy of the fringe festival.
On the left is a snapshot of the Royal Mile and on the right, a guy juggling chainsaws (pretty typical of Fringe Festival offerings).
On the left is merely a scene I thought was beautiful. On the right is a photo of one of my favorite meals, the standard Scottish breakfast, which includes bacon, mushrooms, toast, beans, eggs, tomatoes, and haggis!
And finally, because we were with my in-laws in Edinburgh, James and I got to have a kid-free date night. What a treat. We indulged in a six course meal at The Gardener’s Cottage. On the left is the second course: ricotta tortellini, broad beans, mushrooms and watercress. On the right is the sixth and final course: bramble pavlova with mascarpone and sorbet.
The second week was spent in the southeast countryside of Scotland, near Dundee, with the rest of my husband’s family and many friends whom we invited. It was a nice change of pace for us and a radically different environment. We went from waking up to street musicians in Edinburgh to birds chirping.
Some of the many fun events we filled our days with included grand dinner parties, long country walks, afternoon tea and scones, and visits to adorable nearby towns such as Dunkeld and St. Andrews. Hugh also had his daily fill of jumping on the gigantic trampoline in the backyard of the rental home and croquet.
This was the home we stayed in, named, The Drumkilbo House. There were nice walking paths around it.
Hugh was introduced to croquet and real life castles. On the right in particular is Glamis Castle.
The quaint town square of Dunkeld on the left. On the right is a photo of a colorful cheese and sausage shop located in the town.
The flight back to San Diego was LONG—25 hours door to door. Our toddler did great. The parents, hm, not so much.
It was an epic two-week trip and though I was sad to end our vacation, I was glad to return to my normal humdrum routine, which I take great comfort in.
Our time away also gave me some perspective and insight on a big decision I’ve been struggling to make, as trips tend to do.
Funnily enough, though I recently released the fourth volume of the Simple Workbook series, “Make Wise Decisions Making Spiritual Tools,” I was surprised to notice how some decisions can still knock me off my rocker. Though I’ve acquired so many tools and wisdom over the years on this topic because I myself struggled with paralyzing indecision, I learned that there will still be decisions with natural life cycles I cannot bypass; processes I simply have to endure, be faithful to, and patiently wait for a revelation. I did share in the workbook that not all decisions are created equal. Occasionally, one decision requires a whole lot more time and patience than others.
So after an entire year of going back and forth, I came back from the trip and had immense clarity and resolve. It felt like the biggest relief, a ton of weight lifted from me, and I was overwhelmed with exuberance. This delight caught me by surprise.
It’s not to say I’m not scared out of my mind about following through on this particular decision because believe me, I am! It’s a scary decision with lots of risks. BUT, it’s overshadowed with a greater feeling of trust, joy, hope, and happiness.
I’ll bet you’re now wondering what this decision is that I’ve been babbling on and on about. And don’t worry, I will share with you all the details soon but I have to keep it private for the time being, until I’ve had a couple of conversations with some key people who will be most affected.
The other phenomenon about wise decision-making that I share in the workbook, which I witnessed once again in my own life in regards to this decision, was that once I finally had resolve and moved forward, everything else began falling into place. It was as if I created a situational magnetism where this one change shifted everything else in my orbit. This shouldn’t surprise me as I teach this stuff! That’s the beauty of life though. I am still mesmerized when it happens to me.
One final update is that beginning next month, I will launch a new “Ask Me Anything” video series where you get to send in any questions you have in regards to your own life, any of the workbooks you have purchased, my take on Christianity or anything else for that matter! Send over those questions to me at lydia@revlydia.com and I’ll address all of your questions in a monthly video.
So glad to be back with you all.