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

Thank you, thank you.

"Thanks". "Thank you". Think about those words. It's such a simple phrase isn't it? "Thank you". We say it a all the time don't we? But when we actually stop and think about it, those two words carry quite a lot. They're weighty. They shift things. And they change atmospheres. 

Thanking lifts our thinking. 

It changes our focus. And it releases hope.

And so when our focus is changed...

Things that worried us before, suddenly don't worry us anymore. :)

Did you know your thanks can release hope today? So what can you be thankful for? 

How about for wonderful friends...

For miraculous beauty quietly growing in every garden you pass by...

For special family moments...

For craziness and laughter...

 For encouragement from a friend... 

There is soooooo much we can be thankful for... we just have to stop and think about it. :) So as we prepare to celebrate the event that transformed all of history as we know it, let us lift up our thanks and magnify Jesus over absolutely everything. As we focus on him, the author and perfecter of our faith, he gathers up our thanks and releases fresh HOPE over us. :)

This is your inheritance today. Hope. :) Have a beautiful day friends. And let me know if you have requests for Friday Fashionista tomorrow! I have a new comments system (yippee finnnnnnally so sorry it's taken so long!) so feel free to have a chat!! (If you're reading this in your email just click on the blog title to leave a comment).

Much love to you... nat x

ps ~ 2 weeks to go!!!

Images - via

Thankful for the little things.

Today God showed me a different side of Himself. :) I have always known He is good, and that He is faithful, and that He cares about everything, big or little; but today I really saw just how much He listens, how much He loves me and how much He cares.. about the little things. :)

This is me a few weeks ago at Petroglyph Beach in the tiny town of Wrangell on Alaska's Inside Passage. It's so pretty there! So after travelling for the past month through beautiful Alaska and Canada, leading a tour of the most amazing people, today we flew from Anchorage to Victoria, via Seattle. Over the past two weeks, some of my dear friends have also been travelling around the USA, on a Planetshakers Tour. Now, obviously I have known we have been in the same continent, however thousands of miles apart, so the thought that we might cross paths never even entered my mind. 
(Below: supersized Dahlia in Anchorage!)

Until two days ago when I saw they were in Washington. I mentioned to my friend I would be flying through Seattle to get to Victoria and almost jokingly I asked what time they would be there. It turned out they were flying out of Seattle not long after I was due to arrive. Miles away from home, we would be there at the same airport at the same time. "What are the odds of our flights being in the same terminal though?" I thought. Anyway, I shared my secret little heart's desire with God and left it at that. :)
(Below: beautiful Fireweed)

Arriving in Seattle, I quickly scanned the crowd, hoping for a glimpse of one of them. Nothing. "Oh well" I thought, and focused on my group. Chatting away to them, I felt a tap on my shoulder. There, standing there in the middle of Seattle International Airport was my dear friend, with a huge grin on her face! Overwhelmed and slightly emotional I gasped, unable to contemplate what I was seeing! I glanced over to see 5 more of my friends standing there in a circle, just as bewildered as me! This is us at our little 5 minute reunion....

We hugged intently, took this quick pic and then in a wave of emotion we had to break free again. They had to rush off to board and I, the shepherd, had to rush to get my 17 little sheep to a train in another terminal so we didn't miss our connecting flight. In a moment, it was all over. Slightly emotional and completely overwhelmed, I shook my head and smiled in disbelief at what had just happened. I was amazed at the goodness and kindness of my Heavenly Father, that He would care so much about this secret desire of my heart, that he would orchestrate such a connection. And I love that He knew and had planned it alllll along. What a sneak! 
(Below: stunning Lilies in Ketchikan)

So faithful is our God. Full of love and kindness and generosity and compassion. So my friends... this is what we can hold on to today!

YES! He has surprises for you around ever corner, blessings for you in His hands, so delight in Him and just ask. :) May you be blessed beyond belief today! Let us all look for the little things to be thankful for. :)

From Victoria, BC, Canada... Love you guys!

nat x

Images - Natalie Box (Last image)

That still small voice.

Hi my friends! Sending you greetings from Canada! By the time you are reading this I will most probably be in the seaside town of Prince Rupert, on the north western coast of British Columbia. :) This might sound funny, but I miss you all!!! It seems like an eternity since I have written.. although I think it's just been a little over a week ha! So I am busting to know.. how are you all doing? I have really missed writing the blog and you've been on my heart this week. So after I got all my work done tonight, I just had to write. :) The above pic (stunning hey!) is Maligne Lake, I was there yesterday morning and it almost took my breath away when I first saw it. And below is Spirit Island, we took a cruise on the lake to get there. Isn't it divine?

So for those who don't know, I'm currently one week into a four week tour with Spectrum Holidays, travelling all around Canada and Alaska with an amazing bunch of people. What a blessing. Seriously, God's word is so true when He promises "superabundantly far over and above all we dare ask or think". We have travelled far and wide in just over a week. I began in San Francisco.. this me sneakily sitting on one of the steps of the Painted Ladies!

Then I met the team in stunning Vancouver, staying on the waterfront and eating delish Japanese BBQ and meandering around Granville Island Market.

Before heading off on the divine Rocky Mountaineer for two days..

We stopped off for a night in Kamloops, where I grabbed some delicious sushi and headed down to the waterfront.. before jumping back on the Rocky Mountaineer to Banff! Anyway, I will leave the trip in Banff for the moment, and write the rest of the journey in the coming days. But to finish off for today, I want to encourage you. Sometimes it can be hard to actually see the blessings that surround us. I found that this week (if you can even believe it being over here surrounded by all this beauty..) I was distracted by a few things, and before I knew it, my focus was lost. But the second I stopped, and lifted my eyes, it was at that moment I was able to hear that "still small voice", and to see from the right perspective. And everything changed. ;)

So whatever you are doing, listen out for that still small voice today. Our faithful God promises to guide you and bring you peace. Have a beautiful day :)

Sending love from Prince Rupert!

nat x

Images - Natalie Box

5 Minute Vacation :: 12 Things to Do in Paris.

Welcome to Monday morning ma' friends! How was your weekend?! Well, I continued my lovely packing journey, and still managed to play the "let's hide all the boxes by shoving them in the laundry and garage" game so I could have people over Friday and Saturday night! (And hey, let me say it was well worth it!) So, anyway.. here we are at the beginning of another week, and what better time than a Monday morning to head to Paris, don't you agree? How beautiful is the above pic.. this is where you will be staying for the first half of your stay, complete with a scrumptious breaky on the balcony overlooking the Tour de Eiffel. Perfect. :)

Here is your stunning Parisian apartment.. and below, the view from another balcony. Hello!

Rather than doing the 'touristy things',
here are a few fab "off the beaten track" things you can do on your trip to Paris:

1. First up.... shopping.. House of Chanel on Rue Cambon of course. 

(Well, maybe a few others will be doing this, but hey.. it's simply a must in my books).

2. Followed by a wander to check out this city's fabulous street fashion. 

Ain't nothin' like it.

3. Stroll through the 4th arrondissement and check out the stunning flowers at Marché aux Fleurs et aux Oiseaux. 

4. Visit Fontaine de Médicis, the stunning water feature in the Jardin du Luxembourg in the 6th arrondissement.

5. Upgrade yourselves to the luxurious 5 star Hotel Le Meurice, located in the 1st arrondissement between Place de la Concorde and Musée du Louvre. 

6. Meander through the backstreets and admire the spectacular architecture. 

Ivy + planter boxes + open windows = a wonderful sight.

7. Ok back to shopping.. we are in Paris after all.. ;)

8. Stroll through Gallerie Vivienne and discover the many other undercover shopping passages hidden in the 2nd arrondissement. 

9. Throw the map away, get lost, and take lots of artistic photographs.

(I never knew a row of lamp posts could be so beautiful!)

10. Grab a coffee and chocolate croissant in Le Marais.. 

Located in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements. 

11. Bask in the afternoon sun somewhere.. if it's raining, all the better :)

12. Head to Restaurant Le Dali for dinner!

Have any of you guys ever eaten here?!?! Oh my goodness, I can imagine the food would be food is truly divine. So there it is guys.. a fabulous Paris list. Happy Monday and happy daydreaming! 

nat x

Images: 1. Lovely Eiffel, 2. houseandhome.com, 3. Paris Balcony, 4. House of Chanel, 5. b4.bp.blogspot.com,  6. lovetaza.com, 7. Shopping Love, 8. Gallerie Vivienne, 9. Lampposts, 10, Paris Sunshower, 11. siennacharles.com, 12 Le Marais, 13, lemeurice.com