sun – Page 6 – Blisswood

God’s Garden

Happy All Saints’ Day!

Since the 4th century, All Saints’ Day is celebrated the first Sunday after the Great Feast of Pentecost. Today we commemorate all saints from everywhere and from every time. We honour the known and unknown… Whether they be men, women or children… these shining clouds of witnesses have lived to the fruition of Holiness.

All the Saints are like fragrant flowers in God’s Heavenly Garden.

Kontakion (a little hymn) of All Saints: The universe offers to Thee, O Lord, as the Planter of Creation, the God-bearing martyrs as the first-fruits of nature. By their prayers, O Most Merciful One, through the Mother of God keep Thy Church, Thy estate, in deep peace.

Let us…

Grow where planted.

Beware the weeds.

Welcome the rain.

Embrace the sun.

Joyfully bloom.

Share the Harvest.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith… Hebrews 12:1-2

He will send rain at the right time for your land. He will bless everything you do… Deuteronomy 28:12

Feast Day of the Annunciation

May Thy Light shine in my thoughts; may they be illumined by Thy rays and may Thy magnificent radiance gladden them, for Thou art the sun that radiates all.

~ St. Ephraim the Syrian, Spiritual Psalter

Today, the sun shone extra brightly on this beautiful feast of the Annunciation, celebrating the Archangel Gabriel’s Good News to the Virgin Mary, that she would give birth to the Son of God.

Good news comes in many forms. It can be surprising or hoped for, but it’s always welcome and appreciated.

During the current world pandemic and the safety laws for physical distancing ourselves from each other, the normal routines of our daily lives have vanished almost overnight. Little in the world seems familiar.

Now is the time to especially remember a great consolation – that we are never deprived of God, because God is always right here, right now, within us.

True, we may be temporarily isolated, and physically apart from each other, but we are never alone. We remain connected with each other through the Holy Spirit; embraced by God’s enduring love, compassion, forgiveness and great mercy.

This is permanent good news!

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come; Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 8:38-39

Jesus Christ remains the same, yesterday, today and forever. ~Hebrews 13:8

Thank you Anastasia for sharing this beautiful photo of your icon corner today.

God’s Beautiful Promise in the Sky

It’s a Rainbow sung by the G-G’s while we were baking cookies.

After a sudden tropical shower, this rainbow embraced each side of the golden-sand bay with its shining arms.

Like life, dark clouds had unexpectedly blown in, dumping torrential rain. Running to shore we sheltered beneath an ancient mango tree and waited patiently for the storm to play out. When the clouds scattered, the sun shone brighter than before. All was renewed and vibrant.

The rainbow is a covenant which means a promise from God, “This is the sign of My promise that never again shall there be a flood great enough to destroy all living things on the earth.”

Like Great Lent, each new rainbow reveals itself differently. If we reach out, look up, and hold fast in faith, they both bestow blessings of renewed hope and a vibrant Promise of life.