An Irish Blessing

My Wish For You!

ACFW Interview of Donn Taylor and Cindy Thomson

Meeting of Authors

My lunch with Grace Bridges (author from New Zealand) and Cathi Hassan (from Cincinnati, not pictured.) Grace is traveling the world and is currently working her way across the US. See more of her videos here: http://www.shoutlife.com/gracebridges#blog

Outdoor Worship

I love outdoor worship (not to be confused with worshipping the outdoors!) Once a year my hometown church holds church outside. It was terribly hot, but I still enjoyed it. It was comfortable otherwise (love my folding chair!) and I feel closer to God outside of a building. That's a very Celtic concept, by the way!

Here are a few shots I took. The blue tent housed the sound guy. The singers were behind the little locust tree, and the band was to the left in the background. The worshipers were spread out, mostly in the shade where I was! Note the shoes in the first photo. I wonder if the man took them off because he was on holy ground. I admit that I slipped mine off when I saw that! :)

My New Book!

Celtic Wisdom, Treasures From Ireland is available for pre-order at Amazon UK, but strangely I've noticed other sites, like this, offering it now and posting the cover image.

I hope you'll check it out!

Happy St. Brendan's Day!

photo via creative commons by fhwrdh

I almost let this day pass. Shame on me. Brendan the Navigator is one of my favorite Irish saints because of two things: his wondrous journey, which had to have taken a huge measure of faith and trust in God, and the numerous monasteries he founded. He wasn't alone in that, of course. He is one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland--all of whom were hugely influential in the way they spread the faith. There is also the fact that he founded a convent, which was headed by his sister Briga. He took his dying breath in that place. It's a story (most of it in my imagination) that I hope to tell one day in a novel.

So, enjoy the day and look for your own adventure.
Read about Brendan here.

Irish Pub Bans Danny Boy!

The Irish owner of a pub in Manhattan has banned the playing of Danny Boy for the entire month of March. He says, "It's overplayed, it's been ranked among the 25 most depressing songs of all time and it's more appropriate for a funeral than for a St. Patrick's Day celebration."

While it's true that it's not a traditional Irish song (at least not the lyrics, which were written by someone who never set foot in Ireland) I find the pub owner's remarks amusing. St. Patrick's Day does, after all, mark the day of the patron saint's death.

Irish songs are depressing? Who would have thought that?

I do agree that it's overplayed. I'm tired of it myself. Your thoughts??

Read more here.
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'Tis March!

Of course, if you're Irish, you're Irish all year, but everyone's a little Irish as we near St. Patrick's Day.

I ran a contest on my newsletter. It's too late to enter, but maybe you'd like to try answering anyway. (If you'd like to sign up for my newsletter--the prize this month was a t-shirt--go here or here.)

Which of the following is false?

1. St. Patrick was Irish.
2. St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland.
3. St. Patrick was the first bishop sent to Ireland.
4. St. Patrick's vestments were green.
   

(The picture is the Shamrock Club of Columbus Pipe and Drums at the Lancaster Celtic Gathering, March 1, 2008)

St. Valentine and Ireland

photo via creative commons by Canadian Pacific

The Irish seemed to be connected to everything! St. Valentine, a resident of Rome during his lifetime, is buried in Ireland. Well, at least some of his relics are there, and we think it's the same St. Valentine from which we get Valentine's Day. After nearly 1,800 years these things get confused sometimes.

How did he get to Ireland? His relics were a gift from Pope Gregory XVI in 1836 and reside at the Carmelite Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin. You can read more here.

It's a special day there where couples come to his shrine to receive a blessing on their lives together.

Be Thou My Vision - Healing Angel

Celebrate with me! I just finished my first draft of CELTIC WISDOM: TREASURES FROM IRELAND, to be published by Lion-Hudson this fall. This hymn, which was originally an 8th century Irish prayer, was a major influence on this book. It so beautifully illustrates the Celtic view of Christianity.

Happy St. Brigid's Day!

L Fheile Bride sona daoibh!

©Cindy Thomson

Feb. 1 is St. Brigid's Day, special of course to me because I am the author of Brigid of Ireland.

There are many traditions associated with Brigid, but none so special as the cross she wove to explain Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

Here's an article on How to Weave a Saint Brigid Cross.

Did you know there is a band called Brigid's Cross? Visit them here. They are from Ohio. I just wonder how they got in that tree!

What's your favorite thing about St. Brigid? Let me know!

Celtic Wisdom

I found this in THE BOOK OF CELTIC WISDOM by Michael Scott, which has special meaning to those of us who write:

Words have a magical power.
They can raise up the spirits or dash them down.
They can bring laughter as easily as tears.
Spend words like a miser counting coins.
Make each word count.

Thoughts on Winter

What do you think about winter? Perhaps because it’s a new year, you’re making resolutions, organizing, exercising more. Or perhaps you find winter depressing, cold, lonely. Or maybe you think about winter this way:

Winter is a time of rest. The natural world rests and stores up energy for a new growth season. A fresh snowfall makes everything look new and clean. Colder weather forces us inside, closer together, with time to talk and share warm meals. In warmer climates, weather also brings rest from tourism and the crazy holiday schedule.

In today’s world, we tend to forget about rest. The invention of electricity meant work could continue all hours of the night. Our schedules stay full, and workloads often increase as people get back to their routines after the holidays (mine included.) But the truth is, God planned a time of rest for us. Darkness (something we have more of this time of year) is an indication that we should rest and restore ourselves. I’m going to try to remember that this winter. The cold, the snow, the long nights—all gifts to remind us that we need to take time to slow down, reflect, relax, and regenerate. And while you’re doing that, take time to look at the world in its wintertime beauty.

(This is one of the bluebirds that has been visiting me lately!)