First Monday of Lent and Word for the Week

Duccio Di Buoninsegna (c.1260-1318), The Marriage Feast at Cana

This is one of my favourite Bible stories, ever since childhood! It was magical to a kid, Jesus turning water into wine :-)

Then, in my Oxford interview (aged 17 and VERY scared and nervous), one of the interviewers (there were three) tossed a Greek New Testament at me and barked, 'Translate the page on which it falls open!' *gulp*

Yes, it was John 2, and I can't pretend I knew all the Greek, but I did know the story verbatim, so I calmly 'translated' :-D 

And while they didn't show it, I think they were quietly impressed by this Northern girl from a rural school, and I'm sure that's why I got in - and later enjoyed the best 3 years ever as a student!

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Word for the Week

Can you believe the card I drew from Mary's Rediscovery Cards to ponder this coming week??

Well, what d'ya know? Weddings are fun (a dear friend is getting married for the first time next month - can't wait!), and while Lent doesn't have a reputation of being fun, the story above certainly does! It shows the miracle of abundance, overflowing generosity as gallons and gallons of water are turned into wine :-)

And even though, I'm not a PINK kinda gal, I do think the card's an eye-popping, fun colour - exuding life and exuberance!

(had fun saturating the colour on these lilies!)

(found this photo in my archive - can't remember why I gathered all the pink things I could find...)

And to be honest, after the pains of last week, I'm ready to have some

PS Don't forget to scroll down and see this week's fun Giveaway...

Giveaway 7 (winner drawn 16 March at 11am GMT) and Giveaway 6 winner

Oh my, the weeks are whizzing by... which means I AM getting closer to my half-century *gulp*

Much better to focus on loveliness like giving away pretty things :-)

And this week's jewellery Giveaway IS pretty - and unusual...

It's a handmade silver pendant with a ginkgo leaf impressed into the silver. In the Far East, the ginkgo is the symbol of longevity, hope, resilience and peace - how beautiful is that??

As you can see, the pendant is almost an inch in diameter and on the back is the artisan's stamp and a hallmark to show it is fine silver. It hangs on an olive-coloured leather cord about 18" in length with a small silver lobster clasp.

If you'd like to win this pretty, symbolic necklace, leave a comment below, and I'll draw the winner next Sunday, 16 March at 11 am GMT 

GOOD LUCK!!

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Giveaway 6 winner

Thank you to everyone who entered my sixth giveaway - this beautiful sketchbook.

There were 26 entries and, using an online random number generator, the winner is comment no. 4

Congratulations, Alexandra!!

If you can email me your snail mail address (using the Contact Form in the sidebar, as the email link on my Profile doesn't seem to work...), I'll get this treasure in the post to you this week :-)

First Sunday of Lent

Briton Riviere, The Temptation in the Wilderness, 1898

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Many see Lent as the season of denial, of fasting... 

I prefer to see it not as a time to give up things, but as a time to add - making more time for prayer, reflection, reading and giving to others...

(Image from Google - don't know original source)

This is what Isaiah considered true fasting to be and

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 58:11b-12

I would love to be like a well-watered garden and be called a Repairer of Broken Walls :-)

Focus on Life Week 10: The big picture

This week's prompt was to take a wide angle shot...

As the only place I've ventured this week has been the hospital - Monday for botox shots in my paralyzed arm, Wednesday for hydrotherapy - and the weather has been blah - grey, wet and cold! - there have been few opportunities to take photos :(

But I did snap this at first light yesterday...

Now, this is the view I choose to focus on whenever I look out the back of the house. I imagine we live in a forest surrounded by tall trees...

But this is the reality - this is the big picture *sigh*

Almost forgot to show this week's Giveaway - a handmade sketchbook

More photos and info here where you can leave a comment if you want to enter the draw to win tomorrow.