Lent 2014: March 9th - Cows

Today's simple pleasure is...

Can you guess what it is yet? ....

Maybe another hint? ...

Yes, it really is...

Cows. I love gazing at cows. I'm not sure why I love them so much but I do. Maybe love is the wrong word? We use it so flippantly these days. Cows remind me of the countryside. In particularl they remind me of my home town of Stroud where they freely wander around the local commons and have free grazing rights. I have a few cows adorning my study walls, not real ones you understand (far too messy). I like the way in which they stare at you and seem to weigh you up. I wonder what they think, if anything, beyond where the best bit of juicy grass is to be found? 

Today's simple pleasure is cows - for their beauty, for their part in making the countryside so complete, for the milk and cheese they produce, for the lovely filet stake I enjoyed eating for lunch! ;-)

Lent 2014 - 8th March: Sleep

 

Today's simple pleasure is sleep. This is Holly who loves to make herself a den under the covers of the spare bed when I am working in my study. I work, she sleeps. It's been a long day so night, night... Zzzzzzzz...

Lent 2014 - 7th March: warm spring days and flower buds.

It was a lovely sunny day today so I tidied up the garden a little. I could loose myself for hours pottering around. Spring is on its way and I feel a lightness in my spirit. Mr Snail doesn't seem to get very far though! The crocuses are out in vibrant purple, daffodils in their majestic yellow and the little pink buds on my tree (can't recall its name) are bursting into flower. I am thankful for and take simple pleasure in warm spring days and flower buds.

Lent 2014 - 6th March: Laughter

I like to laugh, big belly laughs that I can't stop. Silly things make me laugh. I don't really like jokes as such, it is more situation humour that makes me chuckle. I like to banter and tease folk and I like for them to do the same back. For me the world is a dismal place without laughter. I haven't laughed as much as I should have recently. Life has been stressful but c'est la vie. My husband John and I took a trip to London to see a show recently and came across Chalie Chaplain. Photo opportunity or what! Well it made me laugh. I thank God for the simple pleasure which is laughter.

Lent 2014 - 5th March: Memories

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. This year I will try and do a quick blog every day. More importantly, my aim is to appreciate and give thanks for the simple things in life that give me pleasure. For today here is an old photo of me and mum on Juniper Hill, Stroud. We often use to walk from the Uplands, were we lived, up Folly Lane and either we would turn right down into the Slad Valley or left to Juniper Hill, along Wick Street and back. Mum and Dad loved to walk and so do I.

Simply pleasures of memories. 

Full to the brim.

Overflowing with laughter,

Squeals of delight.

Fun in remembering

Times gone by.

Thoughts of a lifetime

Of you and I.

© Revdjo 5/3/14 

Streams of Living Water part 2

The words of the following hymn have been with me all week:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

On Tuesday I conducted the funeral of Joyce McDonald who finally went home to be with her heavenly Father. We sang this hymn at the beginning of the service. At church on Sunday I found myself singing the hymn again. The words continue to resound, in particular the second verse. Saturday night I could not sleep, I was also a little hot so I opened the window. There was a small brook outside that had swollen because of the amount of rain we have been having recently. It was raining and I could hear the rain hitting the brook and the brook flowing faster than normal. It was a reassuring sound and something else to listen to other than my husbands snoring. I felt God say to me, 'focus on the brook, focus on me'. It is easy to loose sight of God and to stop listening to his voice. It is easy to be distracted from our faith. 

Is it time for you to listen to the brook and to feel God's Holy Spirit again in the gentle breeze? 

We have an awesome God.