Sewing The Seeds Of Love

Many years ago in the decades of music long forgotten....there lived or there sang a group called Tears for Fears....some of you may have heard of them...especially if you were an eighties geek like me!

Towards the end of their reign in the music world, they wrote a song called Sewing The Seeds of Love...A kind of cool but semi-weird song which I really liked but could not really understand.

So, just lately, I have been really studying the bible stories! I have huge gaps in my knowledge but an absolute thirst to learn and bring myself up to speed.

So picking up a book I began to read of the seed as referenced in the bible...so many seeds are referenced in the bible and I had a pretty good idea as to why...

Take a barren land such as the one pictured...not much is growing here is it?..perhaps a few insects here and there, maybe some kind of grass...hard to know but its rubbish...nothing growing...no fertility...no hope.... so when Jesus sews a seed....hope may begin to grow...perhaps a tiny seed can become a whole forest...an infinite world of possibilities from which truth, love ....people animals...we all can flourish to be like Jesus and sewing our own seeds of love....just like the guys in the band...singing of love....love expands to produce a world of happiness but we must have hope and belief in that tiny seed...we must nurture and love it...take care of its needs....harvest and cultivate it and glorify its name...in a tiny seed we find a treasury of love.......

Now when I hear that song...I really hear what is being sung and I understand its not just words but its an actual planting of an amazing movement....a field of men and women holding out their flowers, bloomed from the seeds, to God.

Have a blessed afternoon xx

Mary-Rose

Hubby's Vaccine Day!!

Today was a very good day for my husband, he received a vaccine at last and it was done with military precision in York at the Vaccine Centre pictured below.

I am sharing this with you because it is so important to get your vaccine when its offered in order to protect you and to protect the community, indeed the world. 

The more we are protected, the safer the world becomes from Covid and that is such a good thing for us all!

The staff at the vaccine centre all work so hard and it takes real dedication to stand out in all weathers directing folk where they need to be and still keep a smile on their faces.

Well done to all the volunteers, doctors and nurses who are working so hard to protect everyone, vaccinating at an astonishing rate, it will be a little while yet before I can receive my vaccine and I will be very relieved to have it and how amazing it will be when we can all finally one day live our lives as we used to, being able again to interact with friends and family, to hopefully one day not to have to wear a mask...one thing that I have never got used to is wearing a mask...I do always wear the mask, but its my worst thing to do as I like to breathe in our  good Yorkshire air ..one day I pray the masks will be gone for good!!!

I found some interesting pictures for you to see, I cannot imagine not having a national health service!

 Sadly I know there are problems sometimes with waiting lists and Covid has been such a destructive force within the health service but still we are so lucky compared to so many countries who do have even basic health care and facilities.

 I am ever grateful to the national health service, had it not been for them, my son would not have been alive today and I certainly would have lost my life during complications during a very traumatic labour many years ago and my daughter would not have received corrective surgery on her feet which she needed so badly.

 Every time I have needed their help i have received it and I feel so lucky.

Mobile Immunisation Unit.

If its good enough for the King of Rock And Roll, its definitely good enough for us guys!

UH HUH HUH!

Bless you all and stay safe my friends 

Mary-Rose xx

 

Funeral of local teacher, Mr Dunstan

Dear Friends

Today was the funeral for a really special and dearly loved man, called John Dunstan, who was a teacher.

Unfortunately I never met John and I do not know of his family as I am new to the Parish here but I wanted to pay tribute to such a wonderful person who was so clearly loved and adored by many in this community and thank you for being allowed to view the funeral online and to be able to join with prayers and hymns for Mr Dunstan.

The zoom was beautifully presented with stunning views of Malton from the top of St. Michael's church and the words of the hymns graced the images from the town and the church.

We watched from the zoom link whilst mourners stood in the street to pay their respects and the Vicar led the funeral cortege in black with the coffin adorned with floral tributes.

It truly was a respectful and special way to say Goodbye to such a wonderful man as the cortege made its way through the market square and onto the church yard.

A beautiful final journey as the sun peeped through the rain clouds after a sudden icy shower.

Hymns were sung in the church yard and prayers said beautifully.

Much respect to you Sir, a man who was so well loved, I am deeply sorry not to have met ....

God Bless you.....

Scenes from the funeral today.

Our Father who art in heaven

hallowed be Thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven

give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses 

as we forgive those who trespass against us

deliver us from evil

for Thine is the power and the glory

forever and ever 

Amen.

 

Swans!

Good afternoon from a quite cold and a little rainy day in Yorkshire!

Today we took our dog for a walk to Newburgh Priory and although the great Tudor house is not open yet, the lake can still be enjoyed and of course the wonderful fresh air and the swans who are quite curious if they think there is food to be discovered are ever present!

I have taken pictures so you can see just how beautiful the lake is and it has a lovely wall at the front, where on warmer days it would be lovely to have a picnic...I bet the birds really look forward to the visitors and the leftovers ;)

Today I could see only the two swans, I am not sure if there are more but these two beautiful birds were so close to each other and even posed in an almost heart shape for me...I was very lucky!

 

If you take a look at the small video, you can hear the swans, they do make the most extraordinary noise and a few hisses were aimed at our dog...who took great care not to get too close!

The swans are absolutely gigantic compared to our jack chi!

I really hope to visit the house itself when it opens for visitors and it is a Tudor house, although some rebuilding over the centuries has taken place.

I am mindful it will have a few ghosts in there....really cool!

Originally it was a house for Augustinian canons and then became a family home after the dissolution.

There is so much history within the house and I think that it will be so interesting to see how the various generations who have lived there spent their time in the estate...all the history and adventures!

When I visit, I will explain so much more but there is lots of information on the internet which is easily found.

Here filtering the water for food! The ducks are so tiny in comparison!

Being photo bombed by the swans....i absolutely know Mr Swan you are much more photogenic than me ;)

Posing in a wonderful heart shape for us....they could take bookings at Valentines!

Grey clouds above the lake only add to the atmospheric beauty and calming ripples on the surface allow a certain lovely tranquility!

Thanks for reading xx

Mary-Rose

Random Selection from my thoughts ;) better known as pot luck

 

Hello everyone!! 

I hope you are all well....in case you are trying to establish a link with these photos ..I'll give you.a head start... there isn't one really....its just me acting up at Castle Coch in Wales getting my Kate Bush on!

I know I need to grow up!  This would be Halloween a few years ago I think! A wonderful Halloween too....one I will never forget in a haunted castle in Wales 

See below .....

A rather handsome old knight....of many past centuries ago but still residing in this life.. entombed in stone and marble...he still has our attention, I bet he didn't need to act up at Castle Coch.  He was REALLY playing his part in history!..funny how we all try to grab attention in this world from the moment we have life...we cry for our mothers and we have needs....we need attention or we would not thrive....when I dressed up...I wanted attention...when the knight walked this earth....I am pretty sure he wanted everyone's attention and well if he did not get it....one wonders what would have happened...perhaps a jousting session on white steed and a fight to the death....exciting in a horrible way.....

I wonder when this knight was alive, what did he think of  his own personal world....just to sit down with someone from the past...how wonderful! what conversation would you make...what would you say to the knight? would you be scared...would he speak in a funny kind of English?

Would you just get on his nerves or would you find common ground?

Would he recognize any of the life we lead today and would he understand our need for attention?

Would it be the same as his many years ago....when he sought fair maiden or hunted for dragons!

Would he understand that the only person we need to impress is God?....would he realize that when life stops and we move on to the next world..God is there to judge us for our sins and our good deeds!

The attention that matters more than anything is the goodness and the honour we show to our loving Father above all matters., above knights and dragons and dressing up at Halloween ....the prayers we say for the world and our family and friends, for nature, for the disappearance of Covid...when we ask for God's attention to our needs as his children...then we find all that matters is the presence of God in our hearts and minds .

 

Sassy pants and March hares

 

 Just for all those sassy pants out there!!! Its March already!!! Watch out for those Mad March Hares!!

However let us look forward to new beginnings and Easter Eggs after the dedication of lent!

The Abbey Cross

 

Good afternoon my lovely friends!

I hope for you that the day has been kind and kept you safe in every way.

Today I managed to finally get a photo of the magnificent Cross at Ampleforth Abbey!

The Cross was given to Ampleforth Abbey in 2002 by Cardinal Cormac-Murphy'O Connor and is dedicated to the memory of the late Cardinal Basil Hume as a Christian symbol for the new millennium

The cross stands an impressive 50 foot by 25 foot and weighs 4.5 tons....awesome!

Basil Hume was a wonderful man and, from 1963 to 1976, he was an abbot at the Benedictine Abbey.

When my father was station officer here at Malton Fire Station in the 1970s  he used to also inspect the fire safety arrangements at the Abbey and often spent time with Basil Hume, my father spoke of him as very lovely man and a pleasure to know.

I think the Cross is a wonderful tribute and it is such a huge reminder of how grateful we should be to be here on earth and able to see the miracle of nature and feel the joy of its creation.

Thanks for reading folks

Love you all xx

Mary-Rose