Lots of heavy rain in Carrigaline caused some flooding yesterday along with a high tide and a full moon. I was out for a quick walk after the worst of the rain and was able to get up close to some of the flooding.

Over the next few days and into next week you will see new changes to the website. It will be ongoing for the next few days. The website was working on outdated software and it needed an upgrade and facelift to bring it up to the technology of 2022.

On This Day

On Nov 8th 2013 the Philippines endured what many consider its worst natural disaster when the country was struck by Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful cyclones ever recorded to strike land.

On Nov 8th 2015 despite trailing in most polls, Republican Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States, even though his opponent Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than 2.8 million.

Birthdays Today

Gordon Ramsay (Celebrity Chef)  is 56

Rickie Lee Jones (Singer Songwriter) is 68

Saint For Today

Saint Geoffrey. He was an outstanding monk and a reformer of monasteries. It is said he spent most of his time in prayer and was admired for his spirituality and dedication to the Gospels

Significance of Today

Today Nov 8th is World Radiography Day.  In 1895 there was an incredible discovery made, one that would utterly change the way we looked at the human body, both literally and figuratively. On the back of this discovery, a million new technologies would be developed in the areas of medicine, security, and much more.

The Cop 27, Climate Conference also continues in Egypt today. The international forum attracts environmental groups, scientists, business leaders, celebrities, journalists and protesters demanding that governments speed up and act on their pledges to halt climate change and its impact on our world today.

Interesting Quote For Today

“By polluting the oceans, not mitigating CO2 emissions and destroying our biodiversity, we are killing our planet. Let us face it, there is no planet B.” ~ Emmanuel Macron

Did You Know

Did you know that over the last 100 years, the average temperature on Earth has warmed by 1°C. In our day to day lives, we may not notice much of a difference if the temperature went up by one degree, but this temperature rise has had a significant impact on the planet.

The temperature is continuing to rise, and the past five years are, collectively, the warmest years in the modern record. Currently, countries around the world are working towards the targets set out in the Paris Agreement which aim to keep the global temperature rise below 2°C and limit it to 1.5°C if possible.

Thought For The Week

‘When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.’ ~Author Unknown

 
C.S Lewis was a famous writer who wrote over thirty books in his lifetime. The most famous of his books is ‘The Chronicles of Naria’. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. His Christian faith really influenced his work and his writings. His wife’s name was Joy and she died from cancer at the very young age of forty five. It was a massive blow for C.S Lewis. In one of his books, ‘A Grief Observed’, he said: “The death of a beloved is an amputation.” You can feel the massive loss his wife Joy was to him. He had lost his soulmate.
Whether recently or going back the years we still miss our loved ones deeply. Yes we remember them at different times of the year and if we are honest they are always in our thoughts. But at the start of November we create our own sacred spaces and we remember in love our loved ones who have died.
Many people will visit a cemetery during this month of November. It is not an empty or meaningless task. It’s always good to remember those who have died. Our belief is that death is not an end but a beginning for the soul or spirit of the person who has died. Our belief is that our loved ones who have died are still near us but not physically with us. They now live in eternal light and love.
Trying to put this into words is never easy and all we can humbly do is to try. It is also a time of year to be kind and gentle to yourself too. Like C.S Lewis felt in losing his wife Joy, the loss of a loved one is hugely significant. It is lots of small steps as we try and adjust our lives around our loss. This can take a long time. It is so important that we are kind and gentle to ourselves and to other members of our family who are grieving. November may be a dreary month but it can also be a gentle month of healing especially as we remember those who have died.
The old Irish prayer seems most appropriate at this time: “Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, May perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.” Amen

The Thought For The Week is updated each Monday