Photo was taken at Tooreenbawn, Millstreet, Co.Cork (Irl)

These little swallows are about to leave the nest There have been so many nests on the farm across the summer. This nest must be one of the last that they have built for this year. These young ones have a race against time to build up reserves before they fly thousands of kilometers back south at the end of September.

Thought on Saturday – August – 20/08/2011

The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. ~Euripides

There was only one story in the news all week and that was the Rambler yacht which overturned off the Fastnet Rock. We heard about the rescue of 21 people in atrocious weather conditions and how the rescue teams made some crucial decisions in saving lives. The survivors are so lucky to be alive this weekend. Then we watched the yacht being towed to Baltimore and later how huge cranes eventually turned it the right way up again. Baltimore has since become a tourist attraction with hundreds coming along to see the action. The reason the huge yacht overturned, happened when its massive keel broke underneath. With huge winds hitting the sails overhead, a huge weight under the boat is needed to bring balance. A keel brings this balance but when it broke the yacht hadn’t a chance of staying upright. There are also similarities in our spiritual lives too. We all need a keel as well in our lives to bring balance and stability. The winds that hit our sails are often high and unpredictable. If a keel brings balance in a yacht, then there are many things that bring balance in our lives too. First and foremost our belief in a loving God helps to bring balance. Who God is for us is often personal and will be different for all of us. But one common link is that like a keel in a yacht, God is there to bring stability and balance into all of our lives. We turn to God this weekend and ask God to continue to bring stability and balance into all of our lives.