On a sunny summer’s morning,
at the start of July,
three of us set out
for a bike ride –
my husband, Paul,
my son, Fiachra
and myself.

We cycle along
the quiet, hedgerowed roads
of Dundrod,
roads recently described
by friends of ours
as “Postman Pat country”.

As I cycle along,
behind these two important
men in my life,
I enjoy the peace and quiet
of the countryside,
the warm sunshine,
the gentle breeze.
And I experience
a sense of freedom
and a sense of family.

I silently give thanks to My God
for the wonderful gift
of the simple pleasures in life
and I cycle on
behind Paul and Fiachra
savouring the moment.

© Claire Murray, 12th July 2015

Summer draws to a close
and I treat myself
to a cycle along the tow path.
The Lagan flows slowly downsteam,
unhurried,
as it wends its way to Belfast.

Sunshine and blue skies,
river banks laced with pink and white flowers,
hedgerows glistening
with blackberries and elderberries.
The tow path, this morning,
is a place of peace and calm,
a place to be still,
a place to unwind, relax.

This is no place to rush!

And so I freewheel
on this gentle, almost imperceptible downhill,
going only marginally faster
than elderly ramblers.

I’m definitely on a
G O S L O W ! ! !

As I slowly make my way
along the tow path
I feel showered with blessings –
Dolores’s unexpected good health
over the summer,
time spent together with Paul,
love, health, family
and God all around.

I savour my slow-paced cycle –
steeped in nature
and surrounded by God –
such a perfect day
for a G O S L O W !

© Claire Murray, 30th August 2018

The trouble with moving on
is that it usually involves
leaving something behind.
That can be tough.

It’s time for me to move on now,
I know it is,
but I feel troubled.
I decide to take the long way to work –
the scenic route
along the Lagan.

Arriving at the tow path
I deliberately slow right down
to let the peace surrounding me
still my soul.

I’m now cycling
at Miss Marple pace.

At this time of the day
I have the tow path
all to myself.
Blue skies, sunshine,
still waters, moorhen chicks
and birdsong all around.
Arriving at my favourite spot
I stop for a while,
immersing myself
in blissful, tranquil summery-ness.

A short time later
as I cycle on to work
I find that I am no longer
dwelling on the past
and that, instead,
I am focused on the future
and all that it has to offer.

A challenge awaits me, for sure,
but I have Paul by my side
and My God to walk with both of us.
I feel upbeat now
and I feel ready
to move on.

© Claire Murray, 3rd July 2017

This has been a peculiar summer for us,
full of concern
and uncertainty.
But this morning I awoke
to blue skies
and blazing sunshine.
First I ran the couple of errands
that I needed to do.
Then I hopped on my beloved bike
and away I went!

Y – A – Y ! ! !

I flew downhill,
making a bee-line for the Tow Path,
through air that was filled with birdsong
and with the delicate scent
of wild flowers,
relishing the rare sensation
of the Irish sun warming my skin.
I felt exhilarated,
deeply aware
of how precious this moment was
and convinced that My God was giving me
a day off
from all of my worries.

I thought to myself,
“This feels like heaven!”

I had a wonderful day –
a day of chance encounters with friends,
a lovely lunch with my husband
(what can I say?? I’m in love!!)
And on my way home
I stopped off at My Spot on the Tow Path,
where the River Lagan bends
and flows oh, so slowly.
Standing there I felt such a strong sense
of being in the presence of My God
and, for me, time just stood still.

Lord,
at this time of uncertainty in our lives
thank you for the precious gift
of a summer’s day
that felt just like heaven!

© Claire Murray, 19th July 2016

A flash of blue
catches my eye
as I cycle to work
along the Tow Path.
Turning my head
I am just in time
to see a kingfisher
as it flies out from under the bridge
that I am crossing.
The kingfisher flies upstream
and alights on a branch.
Then it is still.

This early morning find
fills me with excitement –
such a delightful start
to my day!
I can’t wait to share this good news
with others.

As I sense my own excitement
I find myself thinking
about the disciples
after the Resurrection.

The disciples had spent their entire lives
waiting for the coming of the Messiah
and the Jewish nation had been waiting
for thousands of years.

And here He was –
Jesus was the Messiah
and He had risen from the dead!

When I consider my own excitement today
at spotting a kingfisher
I can only imagine
how excited the disciples must have been
when Jesus rose from the dead.
Little wonder
that they travelled to the ends of the earth
to spread this Good News!

© Claire Murray, 29th April 2016

Yesterday
as I cycled home from work
the heavens opened.

Along the Tow Path
raindrops danced
on the surface of the Lagan
and all around me
I heard birdsong.

In my heart I gave thanks
for having the time and energy,
health and freedom
to treat myself
by cycling home from work.

I gave thanks
for simply being alive.

Today
as I cycled home from work
I passed through Botanic Gardens.
A gentle breeze stirred
and it started to rain blossoms –
chestnut and clematis,
apple and cherry
and many others
that I didn’t recognise!

In my heart I gave thanks
for the delicate scent
and the pastel-coloured flowers.

And as I cycled on home
I found myself wondering
what I’ll find to give thanks for
tomorrow?

© Claire Murray, 18 May 2016

The last day of my summer holidays
proves to be a day
of soaring temperatures,
Simpsons-blue skies
and sun cream –
a perfect day to cycle
to my favourite spot
by shores of Lough Neagh.

Cycling along quiet, country roads,
I smell the delicate scent
of wild sprirea and woodbine.
I watch swallows
as they swoop and dive
and buzzards circling overhead.
I feel the gentle warmth
of the sun on my face.

Arriving at Lough Neagh,
I savour the sight
of still waters stretching all the way across
to County Derry
and the Sperrins.

This is a day to savour,
not to rush,
and it takes me quite some time
to reach My Spot
near Corbally Road.
Once there,
I sit in the sun,
with a spectacular view before me
and My God beside me.

I feel spoiled!

I bow my head in prayer
and ask My God
to bless the year ahead
as generously as he has blessed
my summer break.

Eventually,
it’s time to return home,
feeling refreshed after spending
such a relaxing day in the sun
and ready to deal with
everything that lies ahead.

© Claire Murray, 30th August 2015

One day,
at the end of my summer break,
I hop on my bike at Dundrod
and cycle off to a favourite spot of mine
at the foot of Corbally Road
by the shores of Lough Neagh.

It’s raining.

As I cycle,
raindrops pitter-patter on my helmet
and drip off the end of my nose.
My trainers are sodden
and by the time I reach my destination
my wet hands are too slippery
to open my flask of tea
and I am forced to knock on a stranger’s door
to ask for help.

Yet, as I sit on the damp grass,
drinking my precious cup of tea
and looking out over a grey Lough Neagh,
I feel a deep sense of peace and contentment.

I think of Paul,
tied up at work
in an office in Belfast
and I feel such a strong sense of togetherness
that for the first time
I understand
why people refer to their husband or wife
as their “other half”.

I sense Paul in my heart
and the presence of Our God
surrounding both of us
and I know that I have been blessed
to find my place in the world.

I hop back on my bike
and begin my cycle home
at peace with myself and with My God
and in love with Paul.

© Claire Murray, 15th August 2015

Mary Chapin Carpenter on YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USQlC6DaBBs

One morning in April
I begin my journey into work
later than usual
and I decide to take the scenic route
along the Lagan Tow Path.

Today
there’s a real sense of beauty here.
And yet the beauty that I see today
is not to be found
in the sun shining brightly
in a cloudless, blue sky.
Neither is it to be found
in the chorus of birdsong
or in the golden, bushy dandelions
that merrily line the path.

The beauty that I see this morning
is in the people.

Everyone on the Tow Path
appears to be
on an unofficial go-slow.

Nobody rushes.

There’s not a power-walker in sight.
Neither are there any racing cyclists
speeding past
on their way to work.

Instead,
elderly couples dander along,
parents leisurely push prams,
toddlers feed the ducks,
and in this busy city
people, unusually, take the time
to nod a greeting to strangers
or to smile.

And as I cycle to work
in the company of people
who are leisurely, unhurried,
at ease and relaxed,
I savour a sense
that today the Lagan Tow Path
is offering to all of us who journey here
the promise of summer.

© Claire Murray (21st April 2015)

One morning in April
I begin my journey into work
later than usual
and I decide to take the scenic route
along the Lagan Tow Path.

Today
there’s a real sense of beauty here.
And yet the beauty that I see today
is not to be found
in the sun shining brightly
in a cloudless, blue sky.
Neither is it to be found
in the chorus of birdsong
or in the golden, bushy dandelions
that merrily line the path.

The beauty that I see this morning
is in the people.

Everyone on the Tow Path
appears to be
on an unofficial go-slow.

Nobody rushes.

There’s not a power-walker in sight.
Neither are there any racing cyclists
speeding past
on their way to work.

Instead,
elderly couples dander along,
parents leisurely push prams,
toddlers feed the ducks,
and in this busy city
people, unusually, take the time
to nod a greeting to strangers
or to smile.

And as I cycle to work
in the company of people
who are leisurely, unhurried,
at ease and relaxed,
I savour a sense
that today the Lagan Tow Path
is offering to all of us who journey here
the promise of summer.

© Claire Murray, 21st April 2015