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

Photo credit Colin Rees. Creative Flower Photography

We move into March, that crazy, unpredictable month of March winds and ever-changing weather. What’s new? Meteorological spring began yesterday, on the 1st, St David’s Day, as Ken reminded me at church, though the spring (Vernal) equinox is not until the 20th this year.

It is absolutely gorgeous in this neck of the woods right now. So much is beginning to bloom, and even some early cherry blossoms are already out. The weather may be a little “choppy” for a while, but it will grow warmer and calmer, at least according to the 17th-century expression, “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” Let’s hold fast to that.

Yesterday we enjoyed our special Healing Service in Chawton. It was an absolutely beautiful evening of prayers and readings, followed by the gentle outpouring of healing love from above, led by our President, Rob Harvey. Thank you, everyone.

The Spiritual energies were so high that, whether healer or healee, we were all bathed in love and goodness. I trust everyone slept well afterwards. We usually take a group picture, but we were so busy fellowshipping and enjoying Carole’s cake that we completely forgot!

Special thanks to our healers:

Julie Sheraman Searle, Steve Lidgett Williams, Rob Harvey, Barbara Matthews, Ken Matthews, Jane Trillaud, Chris Elliot, Aimee Andrews, and Alison Keogh.

Thank you also to Sue and Carole for hospitality, Julie and Lisa for the music, and of course to all who helped set up, break down, and wash up. Always so appreciated.

Prayer of the Week

Please pray for Peace in our world. As more conflict erupts, so many innocent lives remain in peril.

Calendar up later.

Have a beautiful week. Let us be thankful for all that we have, for what we have is somebody else’s dream.

The New Year has brought bare trees, and the weather has been quite cold, with only endless rain to follow. If there is a pause, we look for something of colour in our natural landscape. Thank goodness for the evergreens. Some plants are blooming already, though. One in particular gives hope for the birds and animals in way of food during the cold, bleak days. Witch Hazel is in bloom with its spindly petals and either orange, yellow, or red colouring. Her name came from wych, an old English word for bend, as her flexible branches were used as water diviners.

She was imported from America in the 1700s, and appears in our woodlands and gardens blooming from December through to March, and did I mention she is healing? Wych hazel was certainly known during my youth, as she is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and a great antioxidant. Like essential oils, the tonic is extracted by steam distillation of the twigs and leaves. Gardeners love her. She is fragrant and gives us just that burst of colour to lift the spirit when all else is looking grey.

We gathered in Chawton last night for our first in-person gathering of the New Year. We were so glad to welcome Bob Baker!! We had a night of lifted spirits. Bob shared some lovely thoughts and then went on to bring some equally lovely messages. Thank you so much, Bob. What a lovely evening!! Our own Chris Shore chaired the evening proceedings beautifully. Thank you!

We thank those who offered prayers and readings. They always give us pause. Thank you to Lisa for running music. Thank you, Sue and Nerina, for helping with hospitality. Thank you to our healers on hand after the service. And as always, the set-up and breakdown are done diligently every evening we gather. Thank you.

Prayer of the week

Please pray for a calming of all the chaos in this world and a restoration of Peace.

Calendar up later.

Have a beautiful week, and don’t forget the bird seed!!

Our Autumn weather is definitely keeping us guessing.  One minute, bright blue skies and sunshine illuminate all those colours, and then heavy rain and large puddles.  The ducks will be happy in any case.  The migratory ducks have come in from parts of Europe for our milder climate at this time.  Teals, Pintails, Shovelers, and more make the UK their winter home.

The relatives of our modern ducks existed at the time of some dinosaurs, approximately 66 million years ago, towards the end of the Cretaceous period.  They survived the mass extinction around this time and continued to evolve into our modern-day ducks. Those vibrant colours of most males dull down like the females out of breeding season, so they are well camouflaged, but then return to catch the ladies’ eyes when the need arises.

And did you know that our modern ‘quackers’ can sleep with one eye open and switch half of the brain off, and so a flock can have an early alarm system, of one eyed sleeping ducks!  In any case, there is something quite lovely about the sight and sound of wing flapping, bottom waddling, quacking ducks. They definitely lift the spirits.

We felt our spirits lift yesterday at our In House Divine Service.  Rob Harvey led an evening of ‘Creating a Circle Experience’ within the church.  A ‘Circle’ is a clairvoyant, prayerful healing group who are sensing and developing spiritual gifts.  Rob explained about ‘Circle’ and about the kinds of experiences encountered.

Working with Spirit, the atmosphere and energy of the room shifted, so that there was an opportunity for our Family to sense at a deeper level.  There was also a demonstration of healing and Rob and some who sat in Circle, shared what they were sensing.  It was a very special evening.  Thank you Rob for leading this.

We thank our beautiful readers and prayer people. (Nerina just  ‘slayed’ us with her closing prayer.)  We thank Sue for hospitality, Lisa for music, and Carole for her baking talent.  We of course thank our healers standing by after the service.  Thank you to all those who set up, break down and wash up.

Prayer of the week.

Please pray for Jamaica.  On so many levels they are all suffering. May they receive the help and assistance they need quickly.

Calendar up tomorrow.

Have a beautiful week!