Photo was taken last week near Mahon, Cork (Irl)
While out for a walk before darkness closed in, there was still time for a quick photo of rush hour traffic near Mahon shopping centre. A pedestrian bridge allowed me the opportunity and not a drone in case you were wondering!
On This Day
On December 12th 1964 Kenya became a republic on the first anniversary of its independence from Britain
On December 12th 2015 the COP21 climate change summit in Paris reaches a deal between 195 countries to limit the rise in the global average temperature to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels
On December 12th 2019 the British General Election was won by Boris Johnson Conservative Party in landslide win with 80 seat majority.
Birthdays Today
Dionne Warwick (Singer) is 81
Jennifer Connelly (Actress) is 51
If he was alive it would have been Frank Sinatra’s birthday today
Saint For Today
Today Dec 12th is the Feast Day of Saint Jane Frances de Chantel. She was happily married but her husband died tragically. She would later set up a religious community of women who would visit the sick and the poor. She spoke about living life with love.
Significance Of Today
Today is National Poinsettia Day and is a day to celebrate the ever popular red flower used at Christmas time. When looking at a Poinsettia, all we can think of is “The Poinsettia is to Christmas like a pumpkin is to Halloween”. It’s beautiful red flowers always stand out and will last right through Christmas and right into the start of the New Year. But it hates draughts and cold and if it experiences one of these, the plant simply gives up and the leaves will fall.
Talking Point Today
In Ireland it is certainly the cold weather and the cold snap we are currently experiencing. It is to stay for all of the coming week.
Interesting Quote For Today
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” ~Oprah Winfrey
Did You Know
Did you know it takes 70 different pieces of wood to make up a violin which is why they are so expensive
Thought For The Week
“The taste of true joy is a joy that touches our innermost being. It is heartfelt joy, the joy which leads us forth and gives us courage.” ~Pope Francis
Yesterday we celebrated ‘Joyful Sunday’ and the third candle of the Advent wreath was lit. The third candle is pink and it is meant to stand out. In many churches at the weekend there was an emphasis put on celebrating good news.
On this day no apologies are made for highlighting our good news stories. It is crucial and important that we do. We have a natural tendency to lean towards negative and sad stories. 2022 has been a challenging year. Just when we were leaving the negativity of Covid behind us, along came the war in Ukraine, soaring energy prices and a big increase in the prices of everything we buy. Many families are feeling the financial pressure of Christmas and lots of bills to pay. So it seems that good news is scarce around us.
But this should never stop us from putting the spotlight on good news. We all need to hear good news, we need to nurture good news and importantly we need to celebrate good news. We need to bring the balance back in. That is why ‘Joyful Sunday’ is one of those days that is so important. There are good news stories all around us but they often get squashed and pushed to one side. These good news stories do not have to make the headlines. It is often the small and insignificant good news stories that really are the best of all.
Christmas can be many different things to people including lots of spiritual significance. Christmas can rightly be called a ‘Celebration of Good News’ but especially a celebration of your good news. The message of ‘Joyful Sunday’ is that you are special and always worth celebrating. If we cannot do that, then there is no point having Christmas. Christmas celebrates you and celebrates the something special you bring to each day.
The Thought For The Week is updated each Monday
