This is the new beautiful walkway at Grange/Frankfield on the outskirts of Cork. With such beautiful weather yesterday, despite being cold, it was lovely to get out for an outdoor walk

On This Day

On January 16th 1922 Dublin Castle under British rule was handed over to Michael Collins on behalf of the Irish Government. In terms of Irish hitory it is a very important date.

On January 16th 1979 the BBC landmark nature series “Life on Earth” presented by David Attenborough was first shown on BBC One

On January 16th 2021 Ten Nepali climbers become the first to reach the summit of K2 mountain in winter on the China-Pakistan border

Birthdays Today

Kate Moss (Model) is 50

Ian Dempsey (Irish Radio Presenter) is 63

Sean OSe (Irish Traditional Singer) is 89

Matt Dohery (Footballer with Tottenham and Ireland) is 32

Significance Of Today

This is a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Christians across denominations come together in love and faith, setting aside differences to serve others and spread joy.

Interesting Quote For Today

“When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy. It’s very simple.” ~Paulo Coelho

Did You Know

Did you know that It is physically impossible for pigs to look up straight to the sky. It’s the anatomy of their neck muscles and the spine that limits the movement of their head and restricts them to look totally upwards.

Video For The Week🎥

The video for this week is called ‘Salt and finding your Spiritual Balance’  (The video for the week is updated every Wednesday morning)

Thought For The Week

We all know in talking about climate change, how important a tree is, in its ability to give out oxygen and pull in carbon dioxide. But there is also something beautiful and graceful having a tree growing in your garden, in a local park, in a wood or wherever.

There is a fable told about a beautiful tree that was tall, graceful and mature. Everyone who saw it could only admire it. During the spring it would burst into life, in the summer its leaves were a sight to behold, in the autumn it shone brighter than gold and in winter it stood solid and firm withstanding the cold and wind. And the tree chirped “I am so graceful and beautiful.” But its roots burst into conversation: “Although no one sees us we give you strength to be as tall as you are. Although we seem barren and hidden, we pull up water and nutrients. You as a tree are only as good as your roots.”

At this the soil interrupted: “My dear tree and dear roots, do you not realise that it is the soil which is so often taken for granted and the least praised, which gives you all you have and makes you what you are. Without me, you would not exist. I give you nourishment, security and strength. I am the one who holds you firm. Without me the soil you are nothing.”

And so the story goes on to say that all three of them argued it out. Eventually all of them realised that to find the balance, all three of them had to work together with each one as important as the next. The same can be said of life. Are we sometimes like the tree forgetting about the soil and roots? Do we sometimes feel off balance, without depth or meaning? Or do we strive for balance? For us this might be drawing strength and nourishment from what we believe in, from our family and friends, from love filled moments, from accepting each day as God’s precious gift to us, from enjoying the simple moments and treasuring the good news to be found in our daily lives. 2024 will provide lots of opportunities to help us find the balance.

The Thought For The Week is updated each Monday