Photo is by Takaharu Misawa from Pixabay

This month of May is a time of great growth, colour and expansion. Our gardens have endless surprises during this month of May

On This Day

On May 3rd 1979, Margaret Thatcher of the Conservative Party was elected British prime minister, becoming the first woman in Europe to hold the post.

Birthday’s Today

Nadia Forde (Model) is 34
Christina Hendricks (Actress) is 48

Interesting Quote for Today

“An inch of movement will bring you closer to your goals than a mile of intention” ~ Steve Maraboli

Saint For Today

St. James (the Less) and is different to the other Saint James (the great). He is the author of the first Epistle and was the son of Alphaeus of Cleophas. His mother Mary was either a sister or a close relative of Mary (Mother of Jesus)

Significance of Today

This month is called World Bike Month. One day on its own is not enough to highlight how important bikes are in our world today. Bicycles have been used by people of all walks of life, including mail people, police officers, paramedics and even troops. Bicycles have also greatly influenced humanity as a whole, by helping to reduce traffic congestion and both air and noise pollution.

They have also been linked to significant reductions in poverty, with families’ incomes increasing by up to 35% in countries such as Sri Lanka and Uganda when there is at least one bicycle in the household. When was the last time you went for a cycle? This month of May is a great month to get out on your bike and don’t forget your helmet!

Did You Know:

Did you know that Elephants only sleep for about 4-5 hours per day.

Thought For The Week

Jesus said: ‘I am the gate of the sheepfold. Anyone who enters through me will be safe. They will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture.’ ~John 10:8-9

As we move into these early days of May there is a sense that summer has finally arrived. Out in the countryside the newborn lambs are such a lovely sight. In our scriptures the image of a shepherd looking after sheep is used many times. Sheep were important in Palestine, and they are still important today all over the world.

Here are a few simple facts about sheep. They have excellent vision and can see almost 360 degrees. They can almost see behind themselves without turning their heads. There are about one billion sheep in our world and China is the country with the most sheep with 200 million sheep. Sheep are also very intelligent with very good memories. If one of them gets sick, they will always self-medicate. They will go out to graze and look for certain plants and herbs that help them get better. Wool is the most important material that comes from sheep and lasts so much longer than cotton or silk. Lambs can walk just minutes after they are born. Clearly sheep are not dumb and know a lot more than we think.

Jesus often said that he was like a shepherd. As our shepherd he is close to us, cares for us, minds us and keeps us safe. We all need love and kindness. It is a basic human need. Spiritually we believe that Jesus is a beautiful source of love, kindness and so many more blessings. A shepherd never leaves the flock unattended. It is constant protection. We also believe that Jesus is always with us. There are times in our lives when we feel God has abandoned us or let us down. But it is at these times that God is closest to us and nearest to us. The beautiful line from psalm 23 sums it up best: ‘near restful waters God leads me to revive my drooping spirit’.