To mark International Guide Dog day here is a lovely photo of a guide dog called ‘Palmer’ who is a chocolate coloured Labrador retriever,

On This Day 

On April 24th 1916 the Easter Rising began in Dublin with the Irish Republicans fighting to remove the British occupation of Ireland.

On April 24th 2023 India surpassed China as the worlds most populous country according to UN estimates, with 1,425,775,850 people (estimated to reach 1.7 billion by 2064)

Birthday’s Today🎂

Enda Kenny (Former Taoiseach of Ireland) is 73

Barbara Streisand (Singer) is 82

Gabby Logan (BBC Sports Presenter) is 51

Significance of Today

Today is International Guide Dog Day. Guide dogs do a great deal for their owners. Not only do they help guide their owners throughout the day, but they also protect them from harm, assist them with tasks, and provide consistent emotional support like no other. Guide dog trainers work hard to help these loyal partners to hone these skills.

These dogs are seen by many as a joy that makes the world a better place for their owners and their families. And International Guide Dog Day aims to help others show appreciation for the hard work they do.

Interesting Quote for Today

‘All dogs can be guide dogs of a sort, leading us to places we didn’t even know we needed or wanted to go.’ ~Caroline Knapp

Did You Know

Did you know that a guide dog will always stop at a pedestrian crossing or intersection. The owner must then listen to the traffic and determine when it is safe to cross because the dog can’t tell when a light is green or red. The owner will then instruct the dog to walk. But, if the guide dog believes that walking would put the owner in harm’s way it will purposely disobey the instruction.

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Even if you’re little, you can do a lot, you mustn’t let a little thing like little stop you’ ~from the musical Matilda

It is amazing how the weather can be such a topic of conversation. It is great this weekend that we can all finally enjoy some lovely dry sunny weather. It is also such a welcome break for our farming community too. They will be so busy these days catching up on jobs that were on hold for so long because of the weather.

It is true how the weather can influence our mood and this weekend we can allow our spirts lift and get outdoors to feel the beauty of spring unfold all around. It reminds me of the musical ‘Matilda’ and one of its key songs is called ‘When I Grow Up’ and at its heart is a wish to be positive, upbeat and that nothing is impossible if we truly believe that it will happen.

But for many people it’s the little things that become the stumbling blocks. In our Gospel stories Jesus is the one who constantly helped people remove the obstacles that stopped people living their lives to the full. We worry about all that happened yesterday and what will happen tomorrow and forget all that today has to offer.

We often say it’s the little things that matter and they do. The invitation is to allow them to become stepping stones to appreciating the beauty of the present moment.  Life can so often be complicated and difficult. The little moments get squashed and trampled upon. This week is a lovely opportunity to reclaim and celebrate the smaller moments of your life. It is dropping the letter t in I can’t to leave I can!

Thought For The Week is updated each Monday