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.




Helping out Doreen and Billy.  This is a photo from a few years back when we went on a day out to Llandudno.  It is the only picture that I have of them together.  Doreen doesn't get out and about much these days.  She's got some pretty big pain issues these days.  She had a fall about six months ago and injured her spine.   Its taken months and months for them to sort out what has been causing her pain and making it difficult for her to walk.   It's her spine.  They say there is nothing they can do for her now except give her pain killers.  Its a shame really.  We visit her often and because she is shut in, Todd is blessed to be able to bring her the Sacrament.  We visit her several times a week.  Because she is shut in and doesn't get out the days seem very long to her and time passes very slowly.  She can't read anymore because she has cataracts and she is waiting to have them operated on, but it will be a while yet, so sometimes I read to her . . .  we had gotten her the Ensign magazine for her birthday last year, so I read to her from that, which she enjoys.  Sometimes she needs someone to read her mail to her.  Billy can't read and so we are glad to help her with that.  Sometimes Billy will get something in the post which he can't understand and so we are happy to help him with this as well.  I often bring them muffins or cake or cookies which I have baked and every so often I will cook them a roast or some such, which Doreen really appreciates, as she no longer cooks and although he tries hard, Billy isn't a great cook.    We love being able help these two lovely people out.  They are like family to us, and I hope that we feel like family to them.  Sometimes I think we need to be doing more.  Helping others is such a simple thing to do, but it means so much to both the giver and the receiver.  It is a double sided blessing, and pretty wonderful.



My tomato, bean and pea plants are growing like weeds!  I have flowers showing now on both the tomatoes and the peas.   We need to get some taller stakes for them.

 

All the rain we have had in this last week is doing them the world of good!  Now we want some sunshine.  It's very cool out there this morning.  Not warm at all.  Brrr . . .  you would not think this is the first day of summer.  Its very UN summery!

 

Our Lesson in Relief Society yesterday was from the Howard Hunter Manual, Lesson 12: Come Back and Feast at the Table of the Lord.  It was very good.  All about reaching out to the less actives and helping them to feel of our Heavenly Father's and the Saviour's love for them.


“To those who have transgressed or been offended, we say, come back. To those who are hurt and struggling and afraid, we say, let us stand with you and dry your tears. To those who are confused and assailed by error on every side, we say, come to the God of all truth and the Church of continuing revelation. Come back. Stand with us. Carry on. Be believing. All is well, and all will be well. Feast at the table laid before you in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and strive to follow the Good Shepherd who has provided it. Have hope, exert faith, receive—and give—charity, the pure love of Christ.” 

I love the lessons we are taught each week at church.  I love the talks which we get to listen to during the first hour and the Sacrament Meeting.  Yesterday they were based on Father's Day thoughts.  At the end of our Sacrament Meeting the primary children sang and then handed out treats to all of the men.  No man is left out.

 

Sometimes I feel very overwhelmed with the thoughts of how very much my Heavenly Father and the Saviour love me.   Yesterday it dawned on me that throughout all the years they never once stopped calling to me, or gave up on me.  Even sometimes when it seemed like I was very far away from them.  They kept calling out to me.   From the time that the message of the Gospel first spoke to me when I was a young woman and two Elders had come through the neighborhood and I got a book of Mormon, but ignored the message  . . .  to having friends who were LDS as a young woman living in Alberta, and again being given the book of Mormon and yet again, ignoring the message . . .  many, many years . . .  many, many promptings, and hands reached out.  In just a few weeks time, on the 8th of July I will mark 17 years since my Baptism.  I was 43.  That is how long it took for me to finally listen and to do what I needed to do.  Twenty five years, from that initial contact way back when.  But He never gave up on me.  My life changed for the better seventeen years ago.   It has been an amazing journey.  Not an easy journey.  But an amazing journey and I am so very grateful for it.  Life is good.  I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and their love for me.  ☺

 

I had bought way too many bananas last week and so had a banana baking spree at the weekend.  This meant a lovely banana bread and banana muffins to share with others.  Nobody complained.



I found this picture of my eldest son at the weekend.  He was probably about 12 years old here, building a house of cards.  I got to talk to him a couple of days ago.  He was at work.  He was made redundant from his last job a few months back, but has been working at the Gallery in Fredericton, getting it ready for the summer onslaught, cleaning statues, paintings etc.  doing repairs.   It was good to talk to him and he seems to be very content and at peace with his life.   I miss my children very much.  I am very grateful for the good relationship which I have with three of them.   I must talk to my eldest daughter pretty much every day and my two oldest sons frequently as well, although not as often as every day.  Its all good.  If there was only one thing I could change in my life it would be that we would be able to live closer to each other and see each other more often, but I am very grateful for the efforts which are taken both on my part and on theirs to remain close to each other.  Its a special blessing in my life.

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷღೋღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
"Have faith in God and His promises, 
and do what is right all the time, 
regardless of who knows." 
~David F Evans
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷღೋღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Spiritual Enlightenment


 

In the English Kitchen today  . . .  Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.


I wish for you a week abundantly filled with small and wonderful things. Please know that . . .

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And I do too!