What's the Story in Dalamory » Blessings

A happy escape

freda — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:50:27 +0000

Yes – it’s that time of year again, and how lovely it is to see Misty’s eyes!

You have been saved from a post about the dreary and mundane fears that have been bugging me this week. (Nothing serious, just the usual moans and groans….) Tabor had the good idea of making a list of personal happy thoughts and good news, so I thought I would try to do the same. Hope it sets you off too.

Remembering the family party and the group photo.
Remembering living in the Western Isles because of a TV programme about the southern isles.
Watching my way through the boxed DVD set of Upstairs Downstairs (1970′s) and reliving happy memories of how life was when I watched the programmes on TV the first time round.
Misty newly shorn for spring
Crocus and snowdrops in flower
R&R for HBTW means same for me (no sense dwelling on the nasty virus in the first place, he’s getting better now.)
4 new books to read
Comfort food because anything HBTW can eat is OK
Lighter evenings and the promise of spring
Driving the car again to walk the dog – a long story of woe!
Paperclog cleared

Not a definitive list, just a few things that come to mind this cold Saturday afternoon, and much better than a rant or a worry over all the usual things.

Birthday Blessings

freda — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 10:53:40 +0000

Blessings have been very much on my mind as I think about blogging friends and family who celebrate Thanksgiving. As you probably know already, Misty is a very special part of our lives. Today is her fifth birthday and she is still very much like a puppy, but with better manners.

Happy Birthday, Misty!

Thanksgiving

freda — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:28:00 +0000

Quite a number of the blogs I read regularly are from the USA and of course there is a lot of chatter right now about Thanksgiving. What a wonderful holiday to have and celebrate; realistically I suppose it is better for those who have places to go and a bit lonely for others. The whole idea of a celebration of Thanksgiving seems very special. As far as I can see from the net, it is a combination of thanksgiving for the nation, for the harvest and for one another. In the UK many churches will have a special Harvest Festival service, but there is no equivalent in the life of the country.

At this time of cuts it would be a good way to focus on all the blessings we have instead of the things we will lose, if the media is to be believed. The trouble with a so-called free press is that they can stir up anxieties and discontent as well as being a force for good. Many of us older people find it increasingly harder to be positive, instead we give way to fears and anxieties. The same holds true for the vulnerable and disabled.

When we hear of Ireland facing a the need for a massive bailout and the fact that we are borrowing money to lend money to them, it seems as if the whole world is going mad. I can’t pretend to understand the complexities of the economic system and I get worn out trying.

Maybe it will help to count some blessings today:

The sun is shining and the frost sparkles on the grass
There is the faint sound of happy children playing in the school playground along the road.
My Sacred Space book has been posted from the States
We are going to visit Son #3 this afternoon and he usually cheers us up
The birds are busy feeding from the nuts and seeds
There’s no housework till tomorrow
We still live in a democracy
I’m well stocked up with books to read

There are loads more blessings that could be added. What would your list include today?

Sunday Solace

freda — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 07:41:35 +0000

It’s usually on a Sunday that I long to write something special that would perhaps give a reader solace, or make them feel better for having dropped by. But really all that matters is to state that each reader is special. In fact, each person is special……. I could go on, but you get the drift.

Have a happy and blessed Sunday, and thanks for being here.

A Blessing

freda — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:31:06 +0000

This is for everyone, but especially for those who are celebrating Anniversaries and for those who have special sorrows.

God’s blessing be yours,
and well may it befall you;
Christ’s blessing be yours,
and may you be well treated;
the Spirit’s blessing be yours,
and well may you spend your lives,
each day that you rise up,
each night that you lie down.

Church of Scotland Book of Common Order

Being positive

freda — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:07:59 +0000

Have decided to be more positive today. There was a temptation to continue to rant about the Government, the cuts, the economy, the bad things…….. and so forth. Then I thought about the peaceful time we had with Misty at the river yesterday on our walk. It was warm, there was the buzz of insects (some of them you had to duck from) and just sitting for a

few minutes watching and listening was therapeutic and soothing. A dipper relentlessly squawked and bobbed up and down, but I couldn’t see if there was a nest near. The sandmartins were whizzing and wheeling around overhead and diving into their holes in an overhanging banking. Gradually, all the negative media pressure drifted away. Deep breaths and being at one with nature – how precious.

In a long distance shot you can see how empty of water the river really is; and what you don’t get in this perspective is the fact that the channel is in reality quite deep. Don’t be fooled by those clouds, in actual fact the weather was muggy and hot. There was even a hint of thunder rolling around the hills. We tried to walk gently along the river-smoothed pebbles and stones, and managed not to slip and slide too much. The water was teeming with tiny little fish – food for the herons and the oyster-catchers.

Misty gave way to temptation and did her usual sploshing about in the water, at one point she put her head under water and ended up not being able to see for the hair plastered in front of her eyes. She came up for air and shook her head obviously wondering why the world had gone dark.

As I sit at my desk this morning and think of all the walks over all the years with all the children and all the dogs, I feel truly blessed. When all around you is gloom and doom and fear, it is worthwhile reflecting on the important things in life. They will be different for each of us.

You see….. there I go again. I guess it is something to do with my training, first as an insurance broker assessing risk, then as a minister thinking about how events affect every individual person. I cannot help but think of the people for whom children are not a blessing. Either because they have none, and perhaps wish it were otherwise, or because they do have little ones and simply cannot cope. The secret of happiness is to make the most of what you have. In the western world we are still remarkably well-off compared to elsewhere in the world. So it is important to value each day for the gifts and blessings that it brings. And if sad things come along, we hopefully will have built up a resilience and/or faith that will carry us through.

Now – do I apologise for what is sounding remarkably like a sermon? Or do I forgive myself and go and have a smooth, rich, frothy cup of ethically sourced Columbian coffee?

No contest.

God’s children

freda — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 07:26:57 +0000

Naomi, who writes at Little Red Hen put an interesting comment on my blog post about Looking on the Bright Side. She suggests that the challenge for older people is to find ways to be positive with our children and grandchildren. And in a way it is true for the lead that Oldies can give in these difficult economic times.

Interestingly from my point of view, I have been using a meditation for the duration of this past week on God’s children. The following is quite a long quote, from Kahlil Gibran, but it is well worth printing out here in full; he is speaking about children.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

I realise this may be a difficult quote for those who have no children of their own, but I feel that it stands on a broader perspective for all of us as we mature. We can give our gifts of reassurance and calm blessing to those who come after us. This is what it means to accept that we are all God’s children. The meditation (from my favourite Sacred Space) goes on to say that we are to be calm, reliable, showing a steady love in our own lives, and to offer our children what Jesus offered: time, love, stability, and a readiness to bless.

From a personal point of view, I had happily been going along thinking of this quote in the context of young children, but it gradually dawned that it equally applies to grown children too. They need blessing and calm assurance. In fact when you look at things logically, a bit of spreading quiet love and blessings is a good thing for all of us. I would be interested in hearing what you think.

Blessings on you and your loved ones this Sunday.

Counting Blessings

freda — Sun, 23 May 2010 06:39:37 +0000

Have been going back to the familiar topic of counting blessings. It seems that when I stop and take the time, usually last thing at night, special moments come into focus. Yesterday’s were: swifts flying high on the wing – whirling and screaming in a blue blaze of sunshine; the dog enjoying her meal outside while we had a barbecue; constant warmth without the need for central heating; and the taste of that first cup of tea in the morning……

Four blessings – and I know there were many more – but even trying to find a few in each day does something to adjust our mindset onto a more positive frame of reference. It’s too easy to be overwhelmed by all sorts of worries and strains; thinking about little blessings can become a larger blessing in itself.

Have a hopeful and blessed Pentecost Sunday.

What's the Story in Dalamory » Blessings

A happy escape

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