This is the day the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and and be glad in it.
Palms 118:24

Each week, I receive an e-mail from Susan Wittig Albert, author of All About Thyme-A Weekly Calendar of Times & Seasonings, (abouthyme.com.) It gives a listing for each day of the coming week, some serious, others more frivolous. Who can ignore "National Chocolate Mint Day" or "National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day"? Feast days of the saints are included, along with some recipes to honor the holy ones. Gardening, cooking, and other life skills hints are given to inspire and educate. I especially liked the one for the first week in March which included tips on growing and the history and uses of rosemary, and a pod-cast, "Rosemary for Remembrance".

From the "first days" of Genesis, to the "last days" of Revelation, there are more than a thousand references to the word "day". In between, there are days of joy and days of sadness, days of peace and days of strife, good days and bad days. Psalm 90 tells us to "number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom". We are admonished to remember the days past (history) and to plan for the days to come (future). Rules are given for the days of rest and restitution, for feasting and fasting. Time was reckoned as, "in those days", "in these days" and "the days were accomplished that she should be delivered..."

All our days are numbered. Only God knows what that number is. If you knew how many days you had left, how would you spend them? Would you have a wild and crazy time, doing things that would give you a short-term thrill? Travel the world to see places you had only viewed in photos or books? Would you visit old friends and relatives, make peace with those from whom you are currently estranged? Spend hours with your closest loved ones? Do something brave and dangerous to help someone? Offer your "re-usable parts" so that someone else might have better quality life? Spend the time in prayer and study of the scriptures or try to bargain with God to let you off the hook, as Jesus did on Calvary? Each of us would probably make very different choices.

How will you use your allotted days ...

Contributed by Rosemary
Sunday May 11, 2008
Liturgical Year A Week 24
Sunday Gospel reading:
Fifth Sunday of Easter