2026! Sonas Mór and future plans

 Hello all!

Only one year since I said Hi :-)

I thought I’d take time to sit down and reflect how my year has gone and some of the directions I’d like to pursue in 2026.

I note that the last post I wrote was about my Advent poems of 2024. Well, since I wasn’t super well at the end of 2025 instead of writing more poems I decided it would be nice to revisit them. So every day I shared one with my family as an informal advent calendar, which was really nice and kept the story of the season in the forefront of our minds.

Yes, I am still connected with the Catholic Church. I am going to Mass on Sundays as often as I can.

I was going to RCIA (the Catholic learning about the faith class) during the year but then an illness hit me. So I had to bow out of joining the church that year. So now I have recovered somewhat I am looking forward to joining the class for 2026 and continuing on where I left off.

I am still finding Christianity to be fascinating again, and the place where I can explore my deeper side. Thinking about the world in a more poetic way. It makes sense to have a story about the world as a structure to hang my beliefs on. As this is my childhood faith that I was raised in, it makes sense to me to continue.

I wasn’t raised Catholic but having been introduced to it I find so much beauty there, and it’s such a broad group of people, I feel part of a loving family which will have a place for me, however informally.

Yes, there are parts of the belief that I struggle with, especially around queer people, women and Mary.

But I trust God to either enlighten me, or the Church. And I’ve never felt I fit neatly into any church I’ve been in, which made me leave in the past. But now maybe I’ve matured a little and can see things in a more nuanced less black and white way.

So that’s been the biggest change for me.

We also discovered a beautiful coast cabin in a caravan park which we bought with some inheritance money from Cris’ Mum who sadly died. Her name was Joy, and we named the cabin Sonas Mór which means Great Happiness in Celtic (our ancestry). Which was the closest we could find to Joy, and sounds like a place name. We have yet to make a sign, but we’ve sourced a lovely piece of driftwood for it.

Here are some images in its packed up state to give you an idea. It’s very comfortable with plenty of seating and an invaluable air conditioner!

As you can see, the previous owner was an artist and left lots of works for us to enjoy, which was a big part of the appeal. Fun to have a coastal getaway to do art.

There are multiple water experiences just across the paddock.

We’ve already had many fun times there as a family as it is a perfect halfway point to meet Miles when he can take a break from University. Recently he bought a canoe which may make its way down to the coast as well. We are just waiting for the Christmas Rush to subside a bit :-)

Recently I’ve been musing on the concept of limits which has prompted me to remove myself completely from my last social media connection, YouTube. The only access I now have is occasionally on my TV. But as there are others who live with me, it is an inconvenience for them and they keep me honest.

I’ve found over the couple of months I’ve tried this, that my nervous system is very much calmer, and my mind is not filled with external ideas to the detriment of my own. It seems that imposing limits in this case has created freedom in my life.

I’m interested to explore further other areas in my life this could hold true.

I have chosen an attribute to focus on this year. I want to focus on Grace.

Giving myself grace, or accepting grace from others or God.

And also I want to explore the peace or silence that surrounds all things, bringing that more into my own practice as I move through the world. Becoming more and more aware of the silence around me, and learning to inhabit it to calm my scattered mind. It’s still a very new concept at the moment.

Well I’ll leave it there for now.

I hope it won’t be another year until I write again!

Wishing you all well for the next turn around the sun.

‘Til next time, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack