THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS

My first impression of the day is darkness, cold and dreary,and I feel only half awake. I miss the warmth and brightness of summer mornings but the fall has a special beautiful sadness; an awareness that life changes, and that a deeper joy and hope can be found in the messages of nature. The leaves will soon be ablaze with colour before they fall from the tree. They cover the ground and provide protection and then become the food that nourishes as it decomposes.

Life becomes busier for young mothers as they now have to organize their day around the school schedule. Your dad has gone back to school several times after retiring as an air-traffic controller and has found the experience very rewarding.

I have attended a very demanding and enriching group of women who met once a week to study the Bible and share their life experiences. We had homework that was very challenging and the discussion in our small groups full of life and the surprises that can be discovered in reading the scripture with new eyes. Reading and thinking and comparing one verse with others. We did not share much about our personal lives but we had a prayer chain for each small group of 10 or 12 and a prayer request could be put on this chain and the request was repeated word for word as I would receive it and then pass it on. This was done by phone and I soon became close to those I talked to during the week. Answering machines were not apart of our communications so we always talked directly and I took prayer very seriously.

There was a lot of heart breaking stories that you would never realize as we sat in our groups cheerfully discovering what we were learning.

I know in my own life I experienced inner healing and renewed strength; as I shared some of my struggles in my family life. This group was a great support to me at that time and I still find small groups the best way to grow in your faith.

I find it so difficult to understand the hatred that is being stirred up over the building of a mosque and the threat to burn the Koran. How can they use the word of God to justify their hate and cruelty. Religion becomes like a wall that separates believers from unbelievers, and lies from truth.

We are all the same we want to feel loved and respected.

My first impressions as a child was that of being very small with an older brother and most of the friends we played with where older than me. When I went to school I then met some girl friends my own age and I found I fit in with them.