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.

 

In our church we can get a special blessing called a "Patriarchal Blessing."   This is a special blessing pronounced upon a member by the "laying on of hands" by the Stake Patriarch of the Stake in which they live and worship.  Unlike other priesthood blessings, patriarchal blessings are recorded and archived at LDS Church headquarters.  Under ordinary circumstances, a member will receive only one such blessing in his or her lifetime.  After having a Patriarchal Blessing, usually a few weeks later, the member will receive a hard copy of this blessing via the post, to keep and to refer to throughout their lifetime.   I keep mine in my bedside table.  A "Liahona" is a special type of compass.   I love this quote where President Monson says that your Patriarchal Blessing is a Liahona of light to guide us.   I refer to mine often.   Each time I read it I often see something new in it that I had not noticed or understood in all of my previous readings.  It has been a great source of comfort to me through the years, and is something which I treasure greatly.  It is not just a piece of paper.  It is a piece of paper which has special revelations pertaining to me and my life printed upon it, revelations which I believe have come from my Heavenly Father.  I know of no other church in the world which has such a thing.  One thing which my Patriarchal Blessing says is that I will be as a light on a hill to my family.  There have been times over the intervening years when knowing this has been the only thing which has enabled me to keep putting one foot in front of the other, to keep moving forward and to not lay down in defeat.  Knowing that my Heavenly Father has such faith in me is a great blessing to me.

 

I do not know where I would be without prayer.   Prayer is like my secret weapon or power that I use multiple times every day.   It is life sustaining and soul enriching.   I can honestly say that I have never said a prayer that was not answered in one way or another.  It has sometimes taken years for an answer to come.  It has sometimes taken literally seconds . . .  but the answers have always come.   I love that Garth Brooks song called "Unanswered Prayers."  We may think we are not getting answers to our prayers, but sometimes that is the answer . . .




Getting to spend time with these great young people.  I admire them so very much.  I know their struggles and their challenges and yet, they keep doing what they do, despite what  must at times be very disheartening and disappointing.   I have never heard a Missionary say that they hated being on their Missions.   Indeed any Missionary I have ever spoken to will say the opposite . . .  that it was the best two years (Young Men) or eighteen months (Young Women and Senior Couples) of their lives.   They are all such fine examples to me.   I love them to pieces.  I really do.   I love being with them.  I love teaching with them.  I love feeding them.  I love learning with them and being taught by them.  I just plain love being with them full stop.




Photographs of my grandchildren.   I am not sure if my family realises just how very special seeing a photograph of one of my grandchildren is to me.  Because I have only ever very rarely gotten to spend time with any of them, these photographs are little glimpses into their lives for me . . .  and a way for me to connect with them.   I love all of my children and grandchildren very much.  I never envisioned that I would live so far away from any of them, or for so long.  This is the one thing in my life I would change if it were possible, but it is not possible, at least not at this point in time.  Photographs are my link to them and I treasure each one I get to see.   They may never ever really know me, but I hope that one day they will know that I loved them in a very special way and that no matter how far away I have been, my heart has always covered them and held them in a very special place that is reserved just for them.

 

If you have not seen this video of this mum in a car with her Chewbacca Mask, you really must.  It will do your heart so much good.   The joy of this woman is so tangible and real.   Oh, but I did smile so much and laugh almost until I cried.   Laughter is always the best medicine!  She reminded me so much of myself when my children were growing up.   What a joi de vivre!  I got a message from my son pointing me to this video, and he said he shared it because it reminded him of the Chewbacca Halloween Costume I bought for him when he was about ten and how I had scared him with the mask, and how much we had laughed about it afterwards.  Of course that mask was not as much fun as this mask appears to be.  The only sounds that mask made was the ones I made for it!  Oh, this little remembrance did make my heart smile.  It's amazing . . .  I bet that costume didn't cost me much more than a few dollars, and here it is some 30 years later still making me smile.  ♥♥♥




They are blooming again.   I love these Oriental Poppies, even if they don't stay in bloom for very long.  They are a prelude to other blooms.  Right now the snap dragons are in bloom and the roses are budding, also the Clematis . . . June is almost upon us and that is when the garden is almost at the height of its beauty.




Each day brings something new to rejoice in and to marvel at . . .



I know this to be true  . . .


And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day . . .

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷღೋღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
The Lord’s purposes are 
often accomplished as 
we pay heed to 
the guidance of the Spirit. 
I believe that the more we act 
upon the inspiration and impressions 
which come to us, 
the more the Lord 
will entrust to us His errands.
~Thomas S Monson
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷღೋღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Spiritual Enlightenment



In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Asian Slaw with a Spicy Peanut Dressing.

May your week ahead be filled with an abundance of small and wonderful things! Don't forget . . .


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and I do too!