Photo is from the archive today and was taken ten years ago at Ballinlough, Cork (Irl)

There is always a fine line with garden ornaments. Too many of them and your garden looks tacky, but with just the right amount your garden can look fantastic. The garden of Noel Murphy has it perfect. This splendid garden in Ballinlough is bursting with colour and the geese are positioned at exactly the right spot, pulling the eye into the colour beyond.

Saint For Today

Today July 3rd is the feast day of Saint Thomas. He was born a Jew and was called to be one of the twelve Apostles. His birth and death dates are unknown, but his feast day is celebrated July 3. He is the patron saint of architects. He best known as ‘Doubting Thomas’ because of his refusal to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. His doubts remind us all that it is ok to have doubts. Nobody knows everything with certainty when it comes to spirituality and faith matters. We let our doubts become stepping stones to strengthen our faith.

Thought For The Week

‘I fear waking up one morning and finding out my life was all for nothing. We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.’ ~Whoopie Goldberg

What a pity if it dawned on us, that our life was all for nothing and a waste of time. That has to be one of the saddest moments in life that any one of us can face. But life can slip us by so quickly. The pace of life is hectic and sometimes relentless. We are at times almost forced to keep up with it. Then one day we look in the mirror so to speak, we see uncertainty in our lives, we begin to question what we have achieved and we feel that everything has slipped us by.

But it is up to us to keep that possible one day firmly kept at a distance. Yes life can slip past us but there is no slip if we can treasure each day as a gift. Spiritually we say each day is a gift from God to us. Each day is about treasuring the small moments that always add up to something much more. Each day is about sharing some of our light with others. For someone else your light makes their dim light grow brighter. Sometimes you may not even be aware that this happens but it does.

These summer days are surely a time when we can pause to appreciate that life is a gift. It is a time to step aside from busyness and appreciate what we already have. Your life is worth celebrating and it is about treasuring its beauty that sometimes gets lost. As we gently move into the new month of July, may it be a time for you to relax, unwind and a time to celebrate you.

Thought for the Week is updated each Monday