I believe you can benefit from being Divinely protected, sustained and revived whilst you take time out to meditate, relax and sleep. A daily (or rather nightly!), peaceful sleep is your portion and has been factored into your life by original design. You can rest, without angst or apprehension, knowing that you are safe and lovingly guarded even when you could be considered to be at your most vulnerable. Let these sentiments still your mind and body, bathe your thoughts and induce rest and relaxation in your innermost being. Be holistically replenished as and whilst you sleep. If nothing else please receive this as my wish and prayer for you to enjoy and benefit from, what you absolutely deserve, a relaxing and peaceful night of restful sleep.

Don't even bother listening to this one!!! I indulged myself to the endth degree by thrusting myself into our first fall of snow in London, in (I believe) 2 years!! I am having such a wonderful time in my self-styled 'Narnia' that I can barely breathe (or speak!). This is a literal ramble in both senses of the word and yet there is one small nugget of encouragement, if you care to persevere through the panting!!!!!! My apologies in advance! So, as long as I'm not required to be 'behind the wheel', I'll always be forever grateful for a snow day!

There is always so much to be thankful for. There is still so much that this unusual year hasn't stripped from us, hasn't deprived us of. Could this be the year when we just stop and express our thanks for the people around us and appreciate what we have in life as opposed to the accumulation and acquisition of more...? Let's end the year with gratitude.

Simply a reflection of gratitude.

What will you choose to believe, the foolishness of Santa or the 'foolishness' of Jesus, The Saviour - one belief system comes with pressure, one comes with power. Temporary gift versus eternal gift. Choose wisely!

Worldwide, we are currently being faced with all manner of atrocities and injustices, some obvious, some not so obvious; some 'in your face', some insidious. I believe the only way to overcome this onslaught, is to make strong declaration and decrees, through prayer and petition.

Spot the tummy rumble! I was really hungry during this recording and my empty tummy exposed me, so kindly forgive me!! ...and that's the theme for some of my reflections on this episode; no, not rumbling tummies....being kind. Talking of exposure...may the Good Lord consider mercy before judgement if exposure ever knocks on the door of the, tragically far from transparent, pillars of our infrastructure. Also, remember to be kind to yourself and have a good clear out, materially and mentally. Oh and is it too early to mention the 'C' word? Not in my house - it's time to prepare to celebrate in some way, shape or form...so join me and get that garland on the front door.

This is not my usual vibe, but I've had such an awful experience recently, that the only way to get it off my chest is to write about it. So I'm sharing my thoughts on some of what I wrote when I therapeutically put pen to paper this week. PS...No dentists were harmed during this experience, or as a result of these reflections!!

In early October, we recognised Mental Health Awareness Day in schools in the UK. Now I realise that different nations recognise a day, or week, at different times of the year, but as I like to think along the lines of a global perspective in my reach, I really don't mind when it's recognised as long as we ensure that it is recognised...and without stigma. If you're a frequent guest to The Greenhouse, firstly a HUGE thank you! Secondly, you will already be aware that I am not a great fan of a day's, or week's, or month's awareness of many things - be it: Fathers' Day, Mental Health Awareness Week, or Black History Month for example; I believe that if it's worth being aware of, then it's worth being aware of all the time, consistently, or definitely more than just highlighted for a day or week or month. How about constant awareness, (or celebration) all year long? Selah. There are many alternatives prescribed by well-meaning professionals and people to treat this scourge of our times, which is mental health illness, but as we stay aware of the reality of it (and stay away from the stigma of it), may we remember and give a moment of thought to the Divine power of melodic sound... music. This universal language, which has the ability to engender song, inner and outer melody and harmonies, dance, movement, enjoyment and ultimately worship (for which you were created by the way!). Far from being an attempt to offer music as a substitute for medication, my thoughts here merely share a facet of an holistic approach to mind health and self care, by exploring its numerous benefits. So maestro please...let the music play!

Today we celebrated National Poetry Day (1st Oct) ...I know you're thinking: What? Poetry? Who even cares?!....But don't be too hasty. Of course as educators, we encourage children to be engaged in all aspects of learning and particularly literary aspects. We naturally, champion extensive and varied reading and we encourage choosing from a wide range of available genres. I genuinely believe that the more widely you read, the more you learn, on any given topic, then the more you extend your vocabulary, which is reflected in your writing. This in turn allows for successful and creative writing and of course essentially allowing for good communication skills. So today we were in for an absolute treat as we welcomed award-winning Poet, Musician, Lyricist, and Hip-Hop Artist, Karl Nova onto the campus. Join me in The Greenhouse as I (excitedly!) share the joy of this eventful, enjoyable and informative day.