Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Tag: Inspirational

  • Sunrise on New Year’s Day

    Sunrise on New Year’s Day

    There are some who can party well past midnight, staying up to ring in the New Year under starry skies and a full moon.  And, there are others like myself, who instead wake well before dawn so to celebrate the New Year as its first rays stretch over the horizon.

    It was a beautiful sunrise in a cold blue sky with just enough wispy clouds to reflect the pink and peach shades of this virgin sunrise of 2021.  I watched in silence thanking God for the gift of new beginnings and fresh starts.

    Last year was well worn and tatty; it needed replacing. There had been too much difficulty in 2020, a world caught in the snares of COVID-19, anxiety levels that spilled over to violence, racism, and the rise of fake news and unaccountable gossip and bullying. 

    I wonder what we will carry forward from the past year.  What lessons were learned and which habits have taken root.   It is my hope we have learned much about the need for each other and we never again take for granted the power of community, the touch of a hand or a comforting smile.  I hope we value more enduring things such as hope, faith, love and respect.  I fear the habit of “fake news”, misinformation and devastating gossip has become a pandemic hobby, one that keeps bored folks busy providing a sense of power and authority and has filled Facebook pages.  Have you ever noticed the very word gossip hisses?  Kind-a like a snake luring folks into temptation that leads to darkness and depravation.

    As the sunrises on this new year I am looking forward to sharing smiles more with others (when we can again go without masks), I plan on hugging longer holding close those who are dear to me, I plan on making the most of each day, rising above those who want to waddle around in muddy gossip and not once will I allow such words to pass my lips.

    This year is a new beginning like I have never experienced in my lifetime; a year of healing, rebuilding and readjusting to new priorities.  Sure, it will take time, true healing always does but it will be worth every little step forward.

    What are your plans for 2021?  What path will you tread in this New Year?

    Blessings,

    Rev.Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Vincent Ledvina/Unsplash

  • A COVID Christmas

    A COVID Christmas

    Like everyone else around the globe we are having a COVID Christmas this year.  For those of us living in Ontario the government has set guidelines for our gatherings, only those who live in our household or those in our “Bubble” can celebrate Christmas together.

    For my husband and I it means this year we won’t be pulling the dining room table to its fullest length and fitting in all the leaves.  It means we won’t be going around the house gathering all the available chairs and placing them snugly around the dining room.   It means we won’t be preparing a meal for 17-20 folks or cleaning up all the dishes, cutlery and stemware of 17-20 folks!

    We won’t be spending time this holiday season lined up in stuffy stores to either purchase unnecessary gifts or return them. 

    In fact, I have so fully embraced the simplicity of this COVID Christmas I didn’t even get out any Christmas decorations; not one!  Instead I went to the local Walmart and bought a pre-lit 3 foot imitation tree, which, after some garland and plastic decorations looks mighty nice sitting on top of a table in my living room. The plastic decorations will make it easier to put this tree away.  One clear plastic garbage bag should do the trick: cover the tree and away it goes.  Next Christmas when we return to a house full of decorations and a table full of guests this little tree will be used to brighten up a small corner on our second floor.

     If I dwelled on it I would be sad during this COVID Christmas; missing my children, wider family, church services and all the busyness of a typical Christmas season. But, what good would that do me?  Instead I have decided to embrace this COVID Christmas. While at the grocery store I purchased a few extra treats and my husband and I were reminiscing on how romantic it will be.  Like our first few years of marriage when it was only our dog, cat and the two of us.  Now, three children, three dogs and four cats later we have arrived full circle to a quieter Christmas!

    It also helps to remember we are not alone, everyone is having to pare down their Christmas this year and we are certain next Christmas we will be celebrating enough to make up for two Christmases!

    And, as for all the money we will be saving this Christmas.   In every community there are opportunities to donate to worthy causes, families that haven’t fared well during this pandemic and front line workers who are exhausted to the point of burnout.  The opportunities to be the hands, feet and heart of Christ are everywhere. 

    How about you?  Have you decided to embrace this once in a lifetime Christmas?  And, despite COVID have you found ways to mark this holiest of seasons? I certainly hope so!

    Wishing you the spirit of Christmas which is peace, the blessing of Christmas which is hope and the heart of Christmas which is love!

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog is of my COVID Christmas tree !

  • Basking In Divine Light

    Basking In Divine Light

    Have you ever stood at the tipping point of the day?  It is a fleeting moment of stillness steeped in otherworldly peace.  One doesn’t go out seeking this moment with calculations, maps and directions. This moment is given as a gift from the Great Spirit; a gift to be held in our hearts as a reminder that God is always present.

    It was late in the afternoon when we headed off for a hike through familiar fields within view of the rocky escarpment and the soundtrack of the Sydenham River rushing past.  It had been an emotional week beginning with the death of my husband’s father. A week of funeral arrangements, phone calls, and uncomfortable decisions such as which 30 family and friends should be invited to the funeral (COVID-19 rules in our area allow for only 30 people to a funeral). We knew the next day would start early as we traveled from our peaceful spot on Georgian Bay into the hustle and bustle of the city so the idea of a quiet hike pleased us.

    As the trail led through an open field, up a slight incline and back toward the car my husband whispered, “Hey, look over there do you see the sun?”  To our right the round brilliant sun was setting beautifully silhouetted by a row of tall bare trees; its glow of orange and yellow hues was awe inspiring.  Then, as if tapped on our shoulders we both looked to our left and just as magnificently, a round full moon was rising over the rocky eastern horizon.  The sky held in equal measure both the sun and the moon; each full and round yet only half exposed by the horizons.

    We stood transfixed between the two. If I had stretched out my arms it would have appeared as though I was touching the sun with my outstretched right index finger and at the same time touching the moon with my outstretched left index finger.

    It seemed these two ancient globes paused long enough to gaze at one another; a moment of Godly symmetry aglow with divine light.

    May we all find moments this Advent Season to experience God’s unexpected miracles and may we all bask in God’s divine light.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog I took at Sauble Beach on Lake Huron , Ontario one warm July evening.

  • Be An Isaiah

    Be An Isaiah

    It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning when we stood in line at the local Hardware Store.  In front of us was a rather large gruff man who, with his jacket half open stood impatiently shifting from one work boot to the other.  As he stepped forward to take his turn he loudly said, “Well, that took long enough!  I don’t have all day.” With his face mask slipping he grumbled, “can’t you move any faster?”  He paid for his item and before leaving took one last stab at the young cashier, “You ain’t the brightest one around here are ya?”  and with that he stomped out the door. 

    My husband and I stood there looking at this young woman as her eyes filled with tears.  “He is an idiot” my husband quickly offered, I nodded in agreement.  The cashier tried to smile and then I added, “His comments were not about you at all, he came in angry and mean spirited, he left angry and mean spirited and he is now driving down the road angry and mean spirited.  It isn’t about you.  Try not to let it bother you.”

    The longer this pandemic lasts the more and more anxious people are becoming.  Daily there are news stories of fights breaking out in Walmart parking lots and road rage is on the rise. What are we to do with all the anxiety in the world?

    Truth is, each of us are not responsible for what others say or do. We are only responsible for our responses and our own words.  We each must decide how we want to respond during this difficult time.

    I found a perfect solution; be an Isaiah! 

    You see, Isaiah was one who lived in a highly anxious time.  He knew of war, exile, illnesses and death but he didn’t let it stop him from being one who spoke words of life.

    Every Remembrance Day (November 11th) here in Canada the words of Isaiah echo as a reminder of God’s vision of peace,

    “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
        to the temple of the God of Jacob.
    He will teach us his ways,
        so that we may walk in his paths….”
    He will judge between the nations
        and will settle disputes for many peoples.
    They will beat their swords into plowshares
        and their spears into pruning hooks.
    Nation will not take up sword against nation,
        nor will they train for war anymore..” (Isaiah 2:3-4)

    The Isaiahs of the world hold the hope not the hatred, they spread visions of peace not hurt, they remind us of the way home to God….they point to the pathway up the Mountain Top, above all the unrest to a place where we can better find God’s presence. They live their lives on a higher level, above all the petty activities that anxiety lures us toward.  

    What the world needs are Isaiahs, so be an Isaiah.

    Be one who has the wisdom, courage and faith to speak words of life into a world of pain.

    Be an Isaiah.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Joshua Earle used with permission/Unshplash

  • Once In A Blue Moon

    Once In A Blue Moon

    Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any stranger; October arrives!

    October begins this coming Thursday bringing with it a full moon and, in 31 days, leaving us with a full moon; two full moons in the same month. October 1st is the Harvest Moon, which usually makes its appearance in September, and on October 31st, just in time for Halloween, is the even more rare Blue Moon.

    The Harvest Moon is named as such because it is particularly bright and rises early. In the past, this allowed farmers to extend their working day under the light of the extra-bright moon, gathering in crops to prepare for the winter months.  For my family, this year the October 1st Harvest Moon will take on extra meaning as my one son’s girlfriend is teaching us a new tradition.

    Vi Van moved to Canada from Vietnam when she was 8 years old.  She grew up in a Catholic home rich with Vietnamese traditions and now she is teaching these traditions to us!  We have a tin of Moon Pies waiting to be opened on Thursday, October 1st and there will be a lantern lit for our evening meal with a menu of festive fare.   

    This new tradition has extra meaning. When my children left for university my empty nest was most uncomfortable.  Little did I know then that they would return with new partners and our family would grow in numbers, traditions and love!  It is this I will be celebrating on my first New Moon Festival.

    As for the Blue Moon; don’t expect the moon to actually be blue.  The colour “blue” has nothing to do with this event, the moon will be big, bright and beautiful as always, but it won’t be blue.  There are several definitions of a blue moon, but the most commonly known one is a second full moon that occurs during one calendar month in the year. On average, this coincidental event happens roughly every 3 years. Because of its rarity we have the expression, “once in a blue moon”.

    As COVID-19’s second wave crests over us, let us not despair for God has sent us a reminder to look up!  May the waning and waxing of these full moons remind us of the ageless healing of a great and wonderous God.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo used for this Blog was taken by Aaron Visuals, used with permission/Unsplash

  • Pumpkin Spice Season!

    Pumpkin Spice Season!

    Do you smell it?  The aroma of pumpkin spice is everywhere!  Pumpkin spice lattes, coffee creamers, muffins, cookies, pies, candles, oatmeal and even pumpkin spice flavored communion wafers (although I think that was supposed to be a joke!).

    Today, the first day of autumn, the day of unfolding the flannel sheets, taking inventory of sweaters, the hanging of autumn wreaths and garlands, dusting off the hearth while preparing the fireplace, and, the most dreaded of all autumn tasks, the donning of socks.

    I have waited until today to switch out the quickly fading summer flowers in my flower box and replacing the front door wreath with brightly coloured Flint corn.   The wheelbarrow will fill with all the summer annuals and the compost will be fed to its fullest.  The bird feeders will once again appear, filled and poised to welcome birds of many feathers.  Of course, these feeders will also feed the snippy little red squirrels, the playful black squirrels and adorable chipmunks. 

    This past month we have also welcomed, for the first time in 30 years, a beautiful grey squirrel and a rather loud night guest- a Great Horned Owl. 

    Supper will be chili with crusty buns followed with apple crisp.  By day’s end, my beloved puppy Abby and I will walk our daily tree lined path as she gaily chases after each leaf that falls and I soak in all the smells and sights of mother earth. The noisy Canadian Geese will gather overhead preparing for their annual trip south while the salmon splash about in the shallow Sydenham River, ending their final trip home.

    Each season is a cause for joy; each bringing gifts too beautiful to miss!  As author Stanley Horowitz writes, “Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all.”

    May you take time to savior the gifts of this most mosaic season!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo was taken by Alex Geerts, used with permission: Unsplash

  • Lessons From Trees

    Lessons From Trees

    These cool evenings seem to have signaled the start of the yearly transition from deep shades of green to brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange. Once this week, during my daily walk, I stopped to admire one small maple tree that donned in equal measure leaves of red, yellow, orange and green; it looked so unreal I almost thought it a fake!  

    Later, as I stood on a rocky uphill path I paused and turned to admire the panoramic view.  I tried to decide which was the most beautiful.  Was it that splash of yellow to the right or the deep red of the lower lying foliage straight ahead or perhaps it was the random touches of orange that were appearing in many of the taller trees; which was the most alluring?   After much consideration, I decided they all were magnificent in their own unique way and together they added much to the view.   

    The scene reminded me of words written by Michael A Singer, “When you walk through a beautiful botanical garden, you feel open and light.  You feel love, you see beauty.  You don’t judge the shape and placement of every leaf.  The leaves are of all sizes and shapes…That’s what makes them beautiful.  What if you felt that way about people?  What if they were like the flowers, and however they happened to be seemed beautiful to you?” (Untethered Soul, 288)

    As I continued my walk, I decided to accept Singer’s challenge and to view every person like those magnificent autumn trees; each beautiful in their own way.  This may seem a simple task but as my week went along, I found a few instances where I had to pause and remind myself what the trees taught me; everyone is unique and exquisite in their own way. Besides, if we want others to accept us then we must be accepting of them.

    And, of course this also applies to each of us, we each are beautiful and unique masterpieces by the Greatest Artist of all artists so we must be easy on ourselves. 

    As you take in the array of autumn’s beauty be reminded that with the same awe that you look at those trees God looks upon each one of us.   

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Chris Pagan, used with permission/Unsplash

  • That’s So 2020

    That’s So 2020

    The new neighbors moved in about a month ago filling our neighborhood with a new sound.  Each morning at about 7:00 a.m. they begin clucking like chickens and this continues for about 45 minutes, then silence until the next morning.

    The reason they cluck like chickens is because they are chickens!  Our new neighbors brought with them a chicken coop and so, for the first time in my 53 years of urban living, I have my breakfast to the soundtrack of chickens in my yard.  I am unclear why they cluck so loudly in the morning; I know nothing about chickens except that B-B-Q is my favorite!

    The chicken coop is located only 3 houses from the main thoroughfare of our town so each morning their clucking is mixed with the ordinary sounds of traffic, sirens, and distant church bells; the juxtaposition sums up 2020 perfectly.

    2020 will forever be the year when the extra-ordinary was blended abruptly with the ordinary. The year of working from home, carrying masks and hand sanitizer everywhere and the year the chickens began to cluck during my breakfast.  

    I now take comfort in their clucking; it has become familiar and homey. Even this morning I found myself smiling as their clucking filled my kitchen.  Similarly, there is a comfort I find in the wearing of masks and the use of hand sanitizer; I feel as though I am doing my part to end COVID-19 while also protecting myself and all those I love.

    As Albert Einstein wrote, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” and certainly 2020 has been a test to both!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with today’s Blog was taken by Hannah Oliver and used with permission/Unsplash.

  • What Lies Ahead?

    What Lies Ahead?

    Flight school is now in session and each morning I wake to the loud calls of Canadian Geese as they practice their flight formations readying themselves for their autumn trip south.  These young geese have no idea what lies ahead but they instinctively begin to prepare for this new journey, stretching their wings wide and learning when to pull ahead and when to ride on the tide of those ahead of them.

    The same is true for all the lovely butterflies who emerged this summer; they too are preparing for a new journey.  They truly are great explorers who after one transformational journey into and back out of chrysalids now, only a matter of weeks later, take flight to warmer climates.

    And we too are setting off in parts unknown.  This COVID-19 has set the pace, once again, and we follow into autumn not exactly sure what we will find.  We wonder what will happen when schools open, when some churches resume in-person worship services and office workers return to their cubicles. 

    It has been an anxious time, thankfully, there are some who have settled into this unknown rather stoically and like the Canadian Geese or butterflies seem to instinctively enjoy the unexpected.

    One thing we can be sure of is that no matter where this new journey takes us, we will not travel alone.  God, the one who is known to do new things, is with us and if we relax into that presence there will be many joyful surprises along the way.

    So, let us with trust and faith do as the Psalmist directs, “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalm 100:2)

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    (Photo by Grace Reany; member of Port Elgin United Church and used with permission)

  • Have You Been Forest Bathing Lately?

    Have You Been Forest Bathing Lately?

    In his book, The Little Book of Lykke, Meik Wiking explains Shinrin-yoku as a means of refreshing our souls and resetting our psychological health by getting a good dose of forest bathing! 

    During these stressful days of pandemic living I highly recommend you try some forest bathing.  All one needs is a good set of walking shoes, perhaps a walking stick and some comfortable clothing (just in case you got the wrong idea!).  Then find a patch of forest to “bathe” in. 

    This kind of bathing involves taking in everything around you with all your senses. Breathing in the fresh clean air, pausing to touch and focus your sights on every detail of the green foliage and at times closing your eyes to listen deeply to the birds, babbling brook or the wind through the leaves.   It is a mindful hike that may take your soul to great heights but you may physically not travel far.  In fact, even if one took a chair out to a group of trees and sat under them breathing in the entire experience, one would be forest bathing. 

    Wiking writes, “There is existing evidence of a positive relationship between happiness and exposure to green or natural environments in our lives.”  

    The forest, one of God’s earliest creations is full of divine mystery and undiscovered healing.  Many have said that they do not need church so long as they can walk in nature; that it is in nature where they meet God.  For me the mystical beauty of the forest is enhanced by my deep reverence for God’s church.  Without one or the other it would be a lopsided life.

    Even Job, despite all his hardships knew that God could not be contained by our understanding, “Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?” (Job 26:14)

     So, why not make time this week to go forest bathing either by a mindful walk in the forest or simply by sitting near a garden or a tree and rest long enough to hear God’s small whispers?

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The Photo with today’s Blog was taken by Anastasiya Romanova