Photo was taken by Inspired Images from Pixabay
As we start December it is appropriate to start with some of Santa’s reindeer! As we approach the weekend the weather is to turn much colder with more normal frosts for this time of year.
At this stage you will have noticed new changes to the website. There has been such positive feedback. Your own feedback is welcome too. Regular viewers have seen some big changes and new viewers are also pleased with the new layout. The website was working on outdated software and it needed an upgrade and facelift to bring it up to the technology of 2022/23.
On This Day
On December 1st 1913 the Ford Motor Company begins the worlds first moving assembly line for the Model T Ford
On December 1st 2019 the first patient with Covid 19 was detected in Wuhan, China. In a few short months the world would grind to a halt by the spread of the virus
On December 1st 2021 Tel Aviv was named the world’s most expensive city for the first time ahead of Singapore and Paris. Damascus was named as the cheapest
Birthdays Today
Neven Maguire (Celebrity Chef) is 48
Gilbert O’Sullivan (Singer) is 76
Bette Midler (Actress and Singer) is 77
Woody Allen (Film Maker) is 87
Pat Spillane (Former Kerry Footballer) is 67
Saint For Today
The Saint for December 1st is Saint Eligius. He was a noted goldsmith and metal worker. He was loved greatly in France. He is the patron saint of goldsmiths, ironworkers, blacksmiths and mechanics.
Significance Of Today
Today is World AIDS Day. Aids was discovered in the 1980’s. The revelation of this disease and the virus behind it created a lot of fear. For many people who had Aids it was a terribly lonely life and you were almost shunned by society. While Aids is certainly still out in the world today, the horror stories that were told of how it works and how it was transmitted have largely been mitigated. World AIDS Day works to ensure that those who suffer from AIDS can live in a safer, more understanding world and help further research to eliminate this life-altering virus that can turn into a deadly disease.
Interesting Quote For Today
“It isn’t where you came from. It’s where you’re going that counts.” ~Ella Fitzgerald
Did You Know
Did you know that there are more people living in California than Canada despite the fact that Canada is more than 2000 percent larger in size than California
Thought For The Week
You know that feeling of waiting for something or someone? It is a feeling of excitement or maybe anxiety. Waiting is not always seen as a good thing but it can be a time for growth. And so we enter into the season of waiting: Advent. ~Jane Mellett
The Late Late Toy Show was another huge success again last Friday with the Wizard of Oz theme. From the beautiful colourful opening piece and all the way through, the show was enjoyed by so many children and families. It is always one of the first indicators that Christmas is fast approaching. This week also marks the beginning of our journey through Advent and the spiritual countdown to Christmas. For many though it’s a word that doesn’t connect or has little to offer our daily journey.
Advent can be seen as a forced season upon us, to get us excited about the coming of Christmas. But there is nothing forced with Advent and its intention is to always remind us what Christmas is about. Its intention is to remind us that God is near us and in our midst. Advent reminds us that God is present in love, kindness, sharing, friendship and our support of each other.
But like anytime of the year, the weeks coming up to Christmas are especially busy. Busyness dulls our sense of God all around us, especially when it comes to love, kindness and so many other blessings that are important to us. Advent is a journey that priorities time for ourselves and gives us time to ask what the message of Christmas can mean for us.
I recently read a lovely piece of advice on our approach to Christmas. The writer suggested that for Advent, put aside an A4 sheet or a sheet with lines on it. Each line represents one day. On our journey through Advent we are invited to write just two things that we would like to give thanks for. Maybe it was something that happened during that day, maybe it was a gesture of kindness, maybe it was someone in your family or a stranger or maybe it was for the lovely sunrise or a sunset.
As only a few words will fit on each line, it is not going to take long. If we can then look at this sheet on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, our experience of Christmas will be completely different. Because in all that you have written down, it is there that you have found God present.
The Thought For The Week is updated each Monday
