Thought for the Week with Revd Alison Love, associate vicar of the Parish of Cirencester with Watermoor and Chesterton.

On my bookshelf sits a copy of “A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe” by Roger Peterson, Guy Mountford and PAD Hollom.

It is a revised edition printed in 1969, the original dating from 1954.

This book belonged to my grandmother and I enjoy using it to identify garden birds and to learn interesting facts about them.

There are several pages in the book which can be used to record the species seen; and on these pages are the marks and notes made by my grandmother who was a keen birdwatcher.

As children she encouraged my siblings and I to join the Young Ornithologists Club which sparked my interest and love of the natural world.

This book is very special to me and I think my grandmother would be pleased to know that it is still being used, and that she inspired me to take an interest in something that was important to her.

At this time of year, as we enjoy the season of Spring, those of you who are awake early in the morning will know what a joy it is to hear the dawn chorus.

Each morning the sound of blackbirds, robins, thrushes, and finches fills the air and heralds a new day.

As the days warm and lengthen, even in these difficult times, as we emerge from another lockdown, the dawn chorus raises my spirits and helps me to be certain that there are reasons to be thankful and hopeful.

This sense of hope and joy is reflected in the festival of Easter when Christians remember that Jesus’ resurrection is a sign of God’s transforming power which can change suffering into salvation, sadness into joy, and hardship into new life.

On that first Easter morning as Mary sat weeping near the empty tomb, she heard the risen Jesus call her by name.

In that moment she saw the reality of God’s love for us all.

A love which is stronger than death, a love that will never let us go.

A love that encourages us to begin again after things have been challenging and difficult.

As we continue to make small steps out of this pandemic may the Good News of Easter and the beauty of bird song fill your hearts with courage to be hopeful.