I’m in a quandary! My subscription is up for renewal and I am not sure whether to invest once more.

At the beginning of last year I decided to venture into the world of online shopping! The intention was to extend the accessibility of the Petite Retreats I have created by selling them as gift box versions: Retreat in a Box. Advice was sought from a fellow female small business owner who advised me to make the most of what I already had: my blog!

So here I found myself, with an upgraded blog and a headache as I struggled to ‘get my tech on’ and build my own site. A lot happened in 2025, the squish of being a member of the ‘sandwich generation’ with elderly parents needing support, and teenage children having not quite fled the nest; a scattering of bespoke retreats included a confirmation retreat for a boarding school, a church group or two, and even a hen party; co-ordinating my once a week community café and thrift shop, all whilst still receiving guests for Spiritual Direction/Accompaniment. It seemed to take me half the year to get my first product listed, but now I feel as though I have got there more or less, just as my subscription has run out, and just as I have turned everything else upside down and returned to parish ministry.

Beginning 2026 I am working part time as a parish priest in Devon, returning to Hampshire for a few days each week to support the younger members of the family through exams, or to Bristol to spend time with the elder members. Spiritual Direction/Accompaniment continues via Zoom with my traveling gift shop tucked away in the boot of the car going with me so I can respond to orders.

So, as my subscription comes up for renewal, the question I have to answer is whether or not paying the fee is a viable financial option. As a friend commented,

I guess you have to decide whether this is purely a business venture or an online faith presence.

The reality is, I’m just not selling enough ‘units’ to cover the cost of the monthly instalments. I need to sell more, which takes more publicity, which takes more time, which I now have less off being a Rector too! Yet, the blog side is also the tool I use for formulating my sermons, and there are times when, particularly with my smaller parish churches, more people read the sermon via these pages than hear it preached from the pulpit!

So what do I do? Sign up trusting that God has purposes for this little site? Trusting that sales will pick up to protect my bottom line, and the gospel will continue to be shared as I write these words? What would you do?

What can you do (should you wish to support me)? Word of mouth is better than a thousand Facebook or Instagram posts, tell your friends who are looking for an unusual gift, buy yourself a treat (and leave a positive review), like and comment on my blog posts to raise visibility (if you haven’t already, sign up to receive new blog posts direct to your inbox), and share links to friends, family and on your own social media. If you keep looking at a Retreat in a Box meaning to indulge your soul, do it! Best of all, pray for me. Pray for the purpose of this site and God’s blessing upon it. I have just a few weeks left to make my decision. Do I cut my losses and return to the blog alone, or do my retreat gifts have a holy value carrying a blessing for others, do I need to persist?

Why not take a browse in my Gift Shop now?