Here in Glasgow we are finally enjoying some gorgeous weather, and as the first hints of autumn play around the leaves of the trees, I find myself delighting in the beauty of creation and calling to mind these words from Philippians 4:8

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

The Message paraphrase

How easy it is to slip into whinge and whine mode, focussing on things negative.  How easy to take for granted or not even notice all the natural beauty and goodness and loveliness that surrounds us because we are preoccupied by other things.  I like this injunction to look for the good rather than the bad, the lovely not the ugly, the hopefilled not the hatefilled and so on.  And it's a challenge, for sure.

So, it's a challenge I've decided to accept and make my own; that each day I will consciously look for a thing of beauty and loveliness.  It might be the toothless smile of an old man out fetching his paper, it might be the way the sunlight plays on the trees, it might be the feel of the breeze playing on my skin, or the indulgence of an extra latte, who knows.  But I am excited to accept the challenge and learn more of the wonder of God's creativity through it.

At last night's Songs of Praise we sang a lovely Welsh (funeral) hymn.  Alas, the English translation didn't scan (I'd failed to check) so we ended up with a trio by our three Weslsh speakers.  And it was a delight to hear Welsh voices singing as only Welsh voices can.  Here's the final verse...

  O fryniau Caersalem ceir gweled       

  Holl daith yr anialwch i gyd,       

  Pryd hyn y daw troeon yr yrfa       

  Yn felys i lanw ein bryd;       

  Cawn edrych ar stormydd ac ofnau       

  Ac angau dychrynllyd a'r bedd,       

  A ninnau'n ddihangol o'u cyrraedd  
     
  Yn nofio mewn cariad a hedd.     

       
   From the hills of Jerusalem can be seen       

   The entire journey all through the desert,       

   This time come turns of the course       

   Sweetly to fill our mind;       

   We can look at the storms and fears       

   And horrendous death and the grave,       

   And we have escaped from their reach       

   Swimming in love and peace.