2009 Family Holiday
Thornleigh Hotel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria

Rain! Rain! Go away!!!

In February we were promised a barbecue summer, what we got was a traditional English one; warm, wet and windy.... Well it was the week we spent in the Lake District. It rained every day, but thankfully mostly in the morning, which was of little concern to us.

We started each morning off with an 8.15 prayer meeting, with different people leading it each morning. Following an excellent full English breakfast, which was a danger to those with cholesterol problems, we had the morning service with hymns and prayers, and studies centred around Paul’s letters to Titus.

These six services were taken by David Groves, Janet Horobin, David Mwangi, Sylvia Penny, Julie Todman and Lorraine Low. Their talks are available on 2 CDs for a cost of £3.00.

After a coffee break, we gathered again for a longer study by Michael Penny in which he gave an overview of the New Testament based on statistics. This was quite detailed and so the studies were not recorded. However, the statistics, which are contained in a Powerpoint presentation, are available either on CD or as a print-out for a cost for £1.50.

Some of the details of this talk can be found in the free download ‘Progressive Revelation’.

We usually finished by about 11.30—11.45 each day, but which time the rain had often stopped. So many people either enjoyed visits to interesting places or walks. Some of the places included Cartmel Priory with its impressive eastern window, Abbott Hall with its fine collection of water colours, Levens Hall with its world famous topiary, and Grasmere to obtain the unique Sarah Nelson gingerbread.

Some of the exercise included walks around Tarn Hows, Grasmere, Rydal Water and one from Grange-over-Sands to Cartmel. On perhaps the finest day some made it to the top of Loughrigg Fell. It is just over 1,100 feet tall but it affords spectacular views taking in several lakes including Windermere, Coniston, Thirlmere, Grasmere, Rydal Water and Elterwater, to say nothing of the mountains.

We returned to Thornleigh Christian Hotel each evening for an excellent meal following by a variety of evening activities. These were concluded by a time of devotion, followed by the late night drink, usually Horlicks!

All-in-all it was an excellent holiday with fine food and fellowship.

Resources on Titus

	Paul's little letter to Titus is a masterpiece. It keeps the Christian focused on God's priorities. - it contains the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it contains teaching for good living, and it contains nothing else! But, some may object, where is the theology? Where is the prophecy? Where is the .....? Whatever place theology has, whatever place prophecy may have, whatever place anything else may have ..... all these come after the gospel and after the good works. As Paul put it in Ephesians 2:8-10: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not  rom yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to dogood works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Titus, if you like, is an expansion of those three verses. It is the core of Christianity. It is one of the simplest books to read and understand, and the Christian's goal is to put it into practice.		Paul's letter to Titus, together with 1 and 2 Timothy, form what are commonly called the Pastoral Epistles. First called ‘Pastoral’ in the eighteenth century, they were given this label because they emphasise pasturing responsibilities. However, it might be more accurate to call them Leadership Epistles, because leadership is addressed here on many fronts: personal,     parental, spousal, generational, pastoral, evangelistic and apostolic