sabbatical 2019 - Contentment

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Happy Birthday America!

We saw very fine fireworks in Center Sandwich, NH, last night, at the tiny village where Becky and I got married. The Federated Church (where we were married by Becky's dad 41 years ago), was hosting an ice cream social preceding the fireworks. Happy New England fun! This followed a wonderful hike on 5 Finger Point next to Squam Lake, (the lake where "On Golden Pond" was filmed). There were 5 swimming sites along the trail, 2 of which we enjoyed. This selfie is at one of the sites. We celebrated our 41st anniversary at a restaurant in Plymouth, NH, where I seem rather content!!! What a blessing to be in a fulfilling marriage, in jobs we both love, and even working together. AND to have all of these beautiful places to live and visit. God is so good!

I am now reading a book on Celtic Spirituality in preparation for our pilgrimage walk and trip to Britain. I am fascinated by the emphasis on the blessing of God's creation in that theology. The first Celtic theologian, Pelagius, had a strong sense of the goodness of God's creation. He said "everywhere narrow shafts of divine light pierce the veil that separates heaven from earth... When God pronounced that His creation was good, it was not only that his hand had fashioned every creature; it was that His breath had brought every creature to life. The presence of God's spirit in all living things is what makes them beautiful; and if we look with God's eyes, nothing on earth is ugly."

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