Last week I was at St. Thomas’ Church for the extraordinary Flower Festival. As I stood, surrounded by stunning blooms and marveling at the amount of work that went into each and every arrangement, I couldn’t help but feel proud of our community.
The Flower Festival was celebrating ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ and it made me think about the children at Stanhope Barrington. The school year is almost over and the school reports have been sent home. Each report containing glimpses of what was learned and enjoyed, and detailing what requires improvement. The children have all grown in their knowledge and experiences this year. In September, the year 6 children will move on to another school and continue to bloom and the remaining children will begin anew. In the meantime, the summer holidays stretch before us, full of possibility.
Surrounded by purple heather moors, pleasant afternoons will be spent paddling in the river, there will be feasts of strawberries and summer fruits, and time to play in the countryside. We are so blessed to live in a vibrant community, with an outstanding school for our children, where opportunities abound to be grateful.
ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL
Chorus
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.
Chorus
The purple headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;−
Chorus
The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,−
He made them every one:
Chorus
The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
We gather every day;−
Chorus
He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
Chorus
(Amen)
