The sun will come out tommorrow

*Snowdrops*

The snowdrops bloom - and yet I know,
That born of wind and rain,
These flowers - so like the driven snow -
Are part of joy and pain.

For joy and pain have each a part,
Within our lives to play,
And smiles and tears come to the heart,
Most every passing day.

And, if perchance the pain should be
Almost too much to bear,
May some sad heart, within my life,
Find Snowdrops growing there.
~Margaret Dixon

I know that the snowdrops are almost finished blooming now and daffodils are bursting out all over the place along with the crocus and small tulips in our garden, but I found this poem about snowdrops this morning and it perfectly illustrated the way I was feeling today.

Life is a mixture of contrasts. Joy is always tempered with a bit of pain, and indeed, if it were not for the painful episodes in our life, our joy could not really be appreciated and would not be complete. Each day would disappear into a mish mash of sameness and lose all of it's worth and meaning.

Sometimes it seems that there is more pain and discomfort in our lives than there is at others. Sometimes we just have rotten, no good, horrible days. Sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees or even the light at the end of our tunnel . . . sometimes we cannot see the sun shining through our tears.



But we have been promised that our pain will not last forever, over and over again in the scriptures.

"Weeping may remain for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

"When morning dawns and evening fades, you call forth songs of joy." Psalm 65:8

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14

"You who dwell in dust, wake up and shout for joy." Isaiah 26:19

Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes it may seem like there are far more downs than ups. When it appears that there is no hope and all seems to be spiraling down into the dirt, I try to remember that it could always be worse and that there is One who cares for me and that, He will lift me up when I can no longer lift up myself. I cling in faith to the promise that "This too shall pass," and I have learned to take some good from out of the bad, no matter what . . . a lesson learned, a small pearl of joy, a corner turned . . . Like the snowdrops that press their way from out of the cold winter dirt, reaching for the sun when it seems like the days will be forever lost in wind and rain and perhaps even snow . . . small miracles appear each day, each one born from out of my pain, and each, a tiny promise of better things to come . . .



That is when I go to my scriptures and I start to read. I have no plan . . . only a need, and I just take my book and let it fall open and start reading on those pages that I find before me. God has never failed to speak to me in those moments, and I have never failed to find comfort . . . it's amazing to me, but then again, I don't know why it should be. He has told us that He is always with us, no matter what. It's about time we started to believe that He is . . .

We may not find the end of our troubles today, or maybe not tommorrow, or even the day after that. It may take a lot of tommorrows before we see our way out of whatever is troubling us, but we will find an end to it eventually. That's a promise we can bank on, and in the meantime . . . we must trust in Him and all that He offers us . . .

After all that baking I've been doing lately, I felt the need last night to eat something that at least appeared on the surface to be good for me. We all need to get more fish into our diet and not the kind that is covered with batter and deep fried either. I have been preparing this delicious dish for years. It is easy and always turns out lovely. You can decrease or expand the amounts very easily according to how many people you want to feed.




*Tomato Herb Crusted Haddock*
Serves 2

Haddock is such a mild and sweet fish. It is one of my favourite types. Cheese and tomatoes go very well with it. Just be careful not to overcook your fish. It should just barely flake beneath the tines of your fork and still be moist. You can have this lovely meal on your table in less than half an hour depending on what you serve it with.

2 thickish haddock filets, about 4 ounces each
1 slice of bread, crumbed into soft crumbs (I use my blender for this)
2 ounces of cheddar cheese, finely grated
2 TBS finely chopped flat leaf parsley
4 sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a drizzle of olive oil

Pre-heat your oven to 200*C/400*F. Lightly butter a shallow gratin dish.

Wipe your haddock fillets and place them, right side up in the prepared dish. Season with some salt and pepper.

Place the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley and sun dried tomatoes in a small bowl and toss them together until they are well combined. Divide them between the two fish filets, piling it lightly on top of each. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and then bang them into the pre-heated oven.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and you can gently flake the fish with the tines of a fork. Remove from the oven and serve. I like to serve them with some oven roasted greek potatoes and some lightly steamed green beans on the side.