Just enjoy the moment.

Hi friends how are you?! :) After a few weeks travelling along Alaska's Inside Passage visiting Haines, Wrangell and Prince Rupert then through the Rockies, I'm now in Vancouver. Ah I love this city. Well, it does help that it's summer and the weather is stunnnn-ning at the moment :) 

So do you ever find yourself thinking ahead and planning for the next thing, while you're actually still in the middle of something else? Well I do. It's kind of like I'm half enjoying the moment, but then I'm half in the future at the same time. Do you know what I mean? Anyway, last night after a few long travel days, I went for a run along the waterfront. I wanted to make the most of the balmy summer night and it was just so gorgeous. After running for a bit, I sat down on a bench overlooking the marina at Coal Harbour, when suddenly my mind began to tick. 

One second I was running along the water, the wind in my hair, enjoying the moment, and then all of a sudden I was in a spiral of thoughts twirling around and around like a tornado. Thoughts like, "okay tomorrow we're doing this... and then next week I have to arrange this... and then next weekend I'll be getting to New York... and then oh my gosh I have to arrange that..." What the heck?! And all the while I was sitting on a stunning harbour, looking at this view...

Then I heard that still small voice say... Nat, stay in the moment. :)

Oh my gosh! That very second I wanted to slap myself! There I was watching one of the most breathtaking sights of my adventure thus far... and my mind was off with the pixies! So right away I captured my 'slightly-psycho' runaway thoughts and I stopped. As if talking to a child I said to myself, "Natalie, look where you and let's just stay here for now!" Instantly my eyes were drawn to a boat sailing away in the distance. Then to some ducks swimming leaving a ripple behind. Then I spotted some girlfriends walking along laughing. Then along came some kids skipping. I inhaled a big breath... and just sat.

How much more is there for us when we actually stay in the moment? We need to be aware, because tomorrow often tries to rob today of it's joy. But let's not worry about tomorrow, or next week, or next month. 

"Let us not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, definite requests with thanksgiving, continue to make our requests known to God... 

And his peace shall be yours. That peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  What a promise hey. :)

So let's stay in the moment today. Take a moment to go for a walk... Grab a coffee on your own and just people watch... Put your phone away and look up to the sky (it's amazing how gorgeous the tops of buildings are if you just look!)... Go to a new park at lunchtime and lay on the grass... Spend ten minutes chatting to someone new... Stop and take in the view around you...

You don't have to rush ahead. You have permission to stop and enjoy now, because all too soon that moment will be gone. I have four days left leading this tour, but I am not thinking about what's ahead, I'm thinking about now. We are about to head out on a city tour of Vancouver which will be fun. So I am going to stop in each moment, enjoy every new sight and smell... and hang out with some amazing people.

Have an awesome day my friends. Sending you lots of love from Canada :)

Nat xxx

Ps here are some pics from my Alaska and Canada journey so far... 

(more pics on my Instagram - @thewritersink)

Bears eating salmon at AnAn Bear Observatory. (Wrangell, Alaska)

About to jump on a light plane and fly up to the Arctic Circle. (Fairbanks, Alaska)

Real live glacial ice! (Shakes Lake, Wrangell, Alaska)

Mendenhall Glacier. (Juneau, Alaska)

Relaxing by the creek. (Denali, Alaska)

The colours of Dawson. (Dawson City, Canada)

One of my favourite views. (Wrangell, Alaska)

The leaning tower of Dawson. (Dawson City, Canada)

 The stunning Chena River. (Fairbanks, Alaska)

 Cute Pioneer Park. (Fairbanks, Alaska)

 A little friend I found along the way. (Somewhere in Alaska)

 Stikine River jet boat cruise. (Wrangell, Alaska)

The gorgeous Canadian Rockies

A little blurry as this was taken from the train, but this is with NO filter!!

Stay tuned for more fun pics :) xoxo

Images - all Nat Box

What are you waiting for. Just do it.

What is it you love to do? What's that thing? 

The thing that makes you come alive and filled with joy. Do you know? 

Sometimes it feels like time goes forever. And we'll be here forever. 

And have plenty of time to do all the things we dream of. But it doesn't. And we won't. 

Life is actually quick. It's a vapour.

I don't mean to sound all morbid or anything, but this is LIFE we are talking about here! Your life. :) 

Do you love your life? Are you thriving? And flourishing?

What is it that makes you feel alive? 

When you're creating? Or designing? Or building? Or helping? Or planning? Or writing? 

Or teaching? Or listening? Or parenting? Or encouraging? Or exploring?

Well for me, it's encouraging people to recognise how amazing they are. To see what desires they have in their hearts, and to encourage them to be everything they have been called to be. Everyone has a dream. You do. And even writing this makes me feel so passionate to encourage you right now! As you read these very words I pray God begins to awaken something new in YOU. 

I want to let you know something. 

Before he breathed the stars, God created you. You. He designed you with perfection. Unique and unlike anyone else who would ever walk this earth. He placed specific, precious desires in your heart, things only you can do and things that will make your heart come alive when you do them.

So what are you waiting for?!

It's your turn to dream my friend. Cos guess what... :)

Abundance is God's normal! We are often satisfied with 'pretty good' or 'near enough' - but God is extravagant. He's not happy with 5 days of you working in a job you don't love and 2 days of 'I wish this weekend would last forever so I never have to go back to work'. He wants you thriving every moment. So come on, it's time to take that leap!

Just DO it. Okay? Whatever is in your heart... remember, it's never too late, too early, you're never too old, too young, too serious, too loud, too quiet, too busy. NO excuses. 

(Seriously I am going to follow up on this and check back on you okay?!)

Have an amazing Tuesday friends. Stir it up!

Love Nat xoxo

Images - Pinterest

Anything Can Happen ~ Book Sneak Peek { Everyday Adventures }

On a scale of one to ten, how much adventure would you say you've you had lately? Would you say you are adventurous all day? Half the day? Or would it be more like 1 hour per day? Or maybe not even be that much? Well, I've been working on my book "Anything Can Happen" quite a bit lately and yesterday I was writing all about adventure. Ah, I love this pic below, doesn't it make you want to go and climb a mountain?

What is this desire in us for adventure? Even if we don't realise it's in us, it's there. We have been given "life in abundance" (John 10:10) Abundance = a very large quantity, more than adequate, over-sufficient. So for me, abundance is simple, I need to have a lot more fun and adventure. So, here's a sneak peek of a snippet from Chapter 4 of the book ~ "Expect Surprises Everyday" :) xx

A N Y T H I N G   C A N   H A P P E N 

{ e v e r y d a y  |  a d v e n t u r e s }

"If I say to you “expect adventure today”, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? You might have a list of great things that just roll off the tongue, which is great, but if you don’t, then it’s time to dream. 

I’m challenged even as I write this. What am I expecting today? It’s 3:48pm on Tuesday 25th February. There are still just over 8 hours left in this day. So, what am I expecting? It would be easy for me to think, “well it’s almost 5pm, that’s the end of the day, then I’ll go home and just relax and have an early night”. Sensible, yes. Adventure, not really. What time is it now, as you read these words? Look at your watch, then work out how many hours are left in this day. Even if it’s only 30 minutes, that’s plenty of time to encourage someone, write in your journal, send that email, look up that course, or take one tiny step toward that dream you’ve been putting off for six months. 

An adventure is “an unusual and exciting or daring experience”. It’s “participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises” (Oxford Dictionary) and really, "life in abundance" means we should be participating in and experiencing these all the time right?! So let's stir it up. Let's stir up a sense of daily adventure and expectation. Adventure and fun are not just for ‘every now and then’, they are for everyday. 

Even if you don't know quite what you'd love to do... just ask God, and he will show you. :) Life is too short not to have fun and do what you love all the time. So what is it for you? Take a few minutes, take the limits off, let your mind go wild and just ask, “What’s the adventure awaiting me right now?” Because guess what he says to you...

As we start thinking like this, adventure actually becomes our normal. God has put so many seeds of adventure inside us, and it’s up to us to dig them up. When we have a vision for what we are expecting, we go after it with greater tenacity, and we actually SEE it happen. So write down some things on your heart right away, then get ready because... Anything Can Happen."

Have an amazing day expecting adventure.

Love Nat x

Images - Pinterest

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