Saturday, January 5, 2013

The New Year, Writer's Block, Creation and NYC

I'm not really totally sure what writer's block is but I think I have it. I just don't feel motivated to write and I'm not sure why. But write I must. Bear with me.
I was staying up in the mountains for a few days, with my  husband, to bring in the New Year. The place where we were staying was at a high elevation in the Catskill Mountain range. At night I could see the universe, so many stars shining brightly. They are the stars we can't see in the city or the suburbs because of the light "pollution." The night sky as viewed from the mountains is a wondrous thing, it was awe-inspiring. How anyone can think that creation, life and our beautiful planet is an accident is beyond me. I'll never understand that. I am inspired by God's magnificent creation and the order, complexity and intricacies of creation "speak" to me of a divine Creator.
Yesterday I was in Manhattan on a day trip with a group of like-minded women who like to explore our city and the surroundings. We went to the New York Public Library, an historic landmark on 5th Avenue. For someone like myself who loves books, it was "heaven." The famous Rose Main Reading Room with its 52 foot high ceiling, beautiful chandeliers, the decorative, gilded ceiling with murals of clouds, and thousands of reference books is something to see. There are so many treasures in New York City, the Main Library is surely one of them.
A favorite part of the weekend for me will be on Sunday morning, when I speak to young children about Epiphany. They love the story, I've done it before. The story of the three wise men, bearing gifts for the baby Jesus, the star that shined brighter than any star, that led them to a great Divine King.... there is so much to capture their religious imaginations and deepen their faith.
And so, seeing their young faces, listening to their responses, which will demonstrate their innocent faith and belief, having them respond to questions about the baby Jesus and the gifts they will bring to Him, that will certainly be the highpoint of my weekend.
NJA