Small and Wonderful Things . . .

 

"The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But who gets excited by a mere penny? It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted with pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. What you see is what you get." ~Anne Dillard 

 A few of the small and wonderful things which bring untold joy into my life. It's the small things in life which truly mean the most. Simple abundance . . . it's the best. 

 

(source)

The blessing of rain. We have had a lot lately, but we have needed it. It is nice to see our rivers and ponds filling up again. We are in for a rainy week this week as well. Its all good.

However . . . 

This is what I am looking at this morning. It is still snowing. A fine snow mixed with rain, which will turn to rain by the midafternoon, so it won't last. The snow.  That's okay. I don't mind the snow either as it is all moisture that we have desperately needed. I am okay with it.

I am also very grateful that I have a garage to park my car in. No having to scrape windows or sweep off the accumulated snow for me.  Thank goodness.

 

(source)

Church on a Sunday.  I love going to church on Sundays. The congregation at the church I go to now is very small compared to the one I left back in the U.K.  In fact is is a Branch rather than a Ward.  Most Sundays we may only have about 30 people. But it is a warm bunch of people and a group that feels intimate and like family. It is hard to get lost in the bunch.  I have some very close old dear friends in that bunch that I really love dearly. 

I love being able to partake of the Sacrament each week and focus on the Savior in a special way.  To take His name upon me again and to recharge my spiritual battery for another week.  I have been saying this for years, so nothing new here. 

I was asked to give a talk in January yesterday. I don't mind giving talks really. I am grateful that they give us lots of time to ponder these things before we actually execute them. It is good to have time to really think about what it is that the Lord wants you to speak about. We get to pick our own topics.

My cozy little home. Every night when I say my prayers I thank God for the blessing that is my home.  I have not forgotten how it felt to not have a place to call my own and to be dependent upon others for a roof over my head, or the joy I felt when I was given this place to live in.  I hope I never start to take it for granted. It really means the world to me and I am grateful for it.  The windows of heaven were truly open when they poured out this blessing upon me. I have seen people renting out rooms recently (on Facebook) and they are asking for more than what I pay for rent on this place. Knowing that the rent on this place will never go up adds to the blessing I call home. God truly is good.

Sunday dinners with family.  I am so grateful for a sister who invites me over for dinner every Sunday. I really enjoy being together like that as a family. It means the world to me. Its not about the food, although that is always delicious, it's about just being with each other, and sharing each other's company. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I am so blessed to have the family that I do.

Yesterday she made the most delicious chicken casserole. It had chicken, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower in it.  She had made the sauce using garlic mushroom soup.  Cheese on top. Crispy fried onions.  We enjoyed it with rice. I could have made a pig of myself. I will have to simply make some for myself sometime and make a pig of myself on that. lol  It was really good.

Knowing, absolutely knowing that this is truth. It is a truth I have carried in my heart for all of my life.  I am never alone.  I am truly blessed. 

Having an attitude of gratitude.  This makes life infinitely better.  I am so happy that I am able to live my life with gratitude.  I hope that I always will. 

Happy grandchildren. It was Jakes 15th birthday this weekend. I am so grateful that I now live much closer to my grandchildren and that I have been able to develop a much closer relationship with them. Well with five of them anyways.  

I got to speak to a few of them this weekend, and my oldest son as well via facetime. Ahhh . . . modern technology. Something else I am really grateful for. No waiting six months for a letter to arrive. I can be in touch and know what is going on in literally seconds.

Sometimes life can make you feel small and insignificant.  That is the world's way.  I am grateful for a heart and knowledge that knows that I am not small and insignificant, and that I have a Heavenly Father who is mindful of me and cares for me in a personal and individual way. I don't know how it is possible, but only that it is.  He has manifested His presence in my life in many, many ways. I know He is there, and that He cares and that He listens.   He mourns for and with me. He laughs with me. He loves me. I matter to Him. 

This is something that I sometimes need to remind myself of daily.  I have moments of deep sadness and moments where I can feel alone and unwanted, or that I am falling short of the mark. As my sister tells me, I need to learn to give the grace that I give so freely to others to myself. I am working on it.

The difference between an abundant life and a life that is always in need, is all in how you look at it.  If you are happy with what you already have, then anything over and above that will always feel like a bonus. Happy mind . . .  happy life. 

The windows of heaven which have poured out blessings upon me in abundance over these past years. I am ever mindful of each and every one of them and I take none of them for granted. I am very cognizant that there but for the grace of God go I. 

Each of you. You are also a great blessing in my life. I am thankful that you still come to read me each day. I know I can often be boring or repetitive. Thank you for loving me anyways. 💕 You bless my life.

And with that I will leave you with a special thought for today  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *I am the Lord your God

who holds your right hand,

and I tell you, don't be afraid.

I will help you.

~Isaiah 41:13 •。★★ 。* 。  

In The English Kitchen today, Sheet Pan Pineapple Chicken.  This was really delicious and took hardly any time at all to make. I love simple and easy meals like this!

Have a great day.  I hope you week ahead is filled with plenty of small and wonderful things!  Don't forget along the way  . . . 

 

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And I do too!