Even through some foggy mornings and days, springtime is coming, as noted by the endless birdsong and activity, and the now luminous green appearing in our woodland. Even the moss gives a fantasy look to the forest, with its lime-green, almost luminescent colour.

The humble but very territorial blackbird is out and about with all the other busy birds, cocking his head to hear the earthworms underfoot. The male is black with that bright orange beak, and the female has a soft brown plumage.

They are a protected bird, and also one of our most common birds, so common that perhaps they get overlooked in favour of the more striking colours of some of their kin. His song is beautiful, though, as noted in many poems and songs. Numbers swell in the wintertime as their Scandinavian and Baltic cousins join them in this slightly warmer climate. These pairs often stay together for life. The female lays about three to six beautiful turquoise eggs with rusty spots. They used to be named “ousel,” as noted in the works of Shakespeare, but in 1486 they were renamed simply blackbirds. Folklore in general has them as harbingers of change, and Celtic symbolism holds that their song thins the veil between this world and the next.

We welcomed the lovely Sarah McLaughlan last night to our little church with a big heart. Sarah brought many inspired thoughts to remind us and uplift us, and then shared many lovely and very helpful messages for the family. Thank you so much, Sarah. We really did have such a lovely evening. Alison Keogh chaired our gathering. Thank you.

As always, we thank our readers and prayer people. We thank hospitality and Carole’s cake making. We thank Lisa for running our music, and also our healers who were on hand afterwards. Thank you to everyone who pitches in with the set-up, break-down, and the washing up.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray this week for more understanding in this world, understanding in our homes, in our communities, and on the global stage. Understanding brings compassion, and compassion heals situations. The Golden Rule stands in every age.

Calendar up tomorrow.

Have a lovely week. Find the beauty in every day.

Photo credit: Mireille Berthoud