A Time to Reflect

One of my friends recommended this book to me - "For Everything a Season," by Joan Chittister.

So I've started reading it. There's lots of food for thought, so I think it will be a slow read!

It's based on the well-known passage in Ecclesiastes: "There's a time to be born, a time to die..." and so on.

Already in the introduction, I've had to stop and reflect when the author says: "Adversity... gets our attention. But joy we take for granted... Joy we too often ignore."

Yes... Even the way we talk about them reveals this. We say "hard TIMES" and "MOMENTS of joy."

I've noticed - when taking my blood pressure - that if I think happy thoughts, like how lovely the flowers look, I relax and my blood pressure goes down. But if I worry and wonder why my blood pressure is so high, it goes even higher!

Time to pay more attention to joy!

Easter Sunday: Living in HOPE

Today is Easter Sunday - a celebration of HOPE! Christianity is based on HOPE -  the HOPE of life after death...

But we all need HOPE every day... In my teaching days, I tried to remember the saying:

Never deprive anyone of hope. It may be all they have...

In these days of social distancing, I find that I especially need HOPE...

As I watch my garden begin to grow, I HOPE that the flower beds will bloom and bring us joy, as they have in previous years...

I also HOPE that life that life will return to "normal" soon - so that we will again be able to congregate together and be physically present with those we love...

(And even go to farmers markets again!)

This is my HOPE and PRAYER!