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.

 

People think that animals/fish/birds are incabable of feeling such things as compassion.  I have been witness this weekend to an amazing show of compassion from one of our fish to another.  We put two Gourami's in the tank a couple of weeks ago.  About two days ago one started looking like it was struggling . . .  just kind of laying listless on the bottom of the tank.  Just when I would go to try to help it, it would start swimming and acting like nothing was wrong.  But, clearly something was.   It would take itself into the little house we have in the tank and just lay there.  Yesterday I noticed the other Gourami nosing it every so often as if to say . . .  "Come on Buddy!  You can do it." and it would get all active again and swim about with renewed vigor.   It was very clear to me that this fish was trying to help its little friend.  I watched it doing it again and again throughout the day.   I am not sure how things are this morning as I am not downstairs, but upstairs on an older computer.   The Internet wasn't working for me on the new laptop at all.  I don't know what's up with that, but it's darned annoying.  This isn't about annoying stuff however, this is about small and wonderful things.  The compassion of one of God's creatures towards another . . .  inspiring stuff.



Snaps and snails and puppy dog tails.  Beautiful blue eyes.  Pine needles.  Cheesy little grins.  Love this cheeky little boy.  Cameron.  My youngest grandson. He is three years old last June.   I haven't met him yet, but I hope to some day  . . .

 

Sugar and spice and everything nice . . . little girls feeding ducks.   Maryn.  She started school this year.  I would so love to know how it is going, but for now will content myself with this small peek into her life.



Country hikes together.  Oh how I wish I could go on a country hike with them.  Oh, I know . . .  in reality they probably wouldn't want to go with me because they don't really know me.  I am a stranger to them.  I wish I could get to know them better.  My heart longs to know them better.  I will never give up praying for that to happen.  For healing bridges.

 


Being able to listen to and watch the talks this past weekend from our church's 186th bi-annual Conference.  Oh my but we were well fed spiritually.

President Monson spoke of how every man and woman can find happiness and how keeping the commandments of God yields great promises in this life and the next.

Here are five of the things President Monson invited each of us to do to be better and to come closer to God:

-Do more than just believe in Jesus Christ and His mission. Work to learn of Him in the scriptures, come to know Him through prayer, and continually use His power to repent and improve.
-Know God’s laws and live them. It’s the only way to obtain true happiness.
-Live the truth.
-Share the truth.
-Care for our bodies and our minds by observing principles set forth in the Word of Wisdom.

But that is only the tip of the iceberg of Spiritual nourishment we all received.  I cannot wait to be able to read the talks and to go over them again and ponder them at length.  I always get so much out of Conference and am always inspired to be better, to do better.   I keep that momentum up by listening to a conference talk every morning as I putter in my room, putting on my makeup and doing my hair.  It helps to set me up for the day.  It brings untold joy and blessings into my life.

Several things that I came away with over this past weekend are that I really need to develop my prayer life more, and be  more consistent and fervant in my prayers.   My Heavenly Father really wants to listen to me on a more regular basis.  I need to dig back into the Book of Mormon but this time read it like I am reading it for the first time, and to ask myself more frequently, what is this telling me.   I need to be better at keeping the Sabbath Day holy and sacred.   I have been slipping there.    I need to be willing to open my mouth and share more this joy that I feel from being and walking closer to my Saviour.  We live in perilous times.  I can foresee a time when it will be seen as dangerous to be a person of faith in God our Father  and the Saviour.  It is becoming increasingly secular in the world.  There are many people who are not able to worship as they want in the world.  We have been blessed in the West to be able to do so, but it will not be this way forever.  I need to make sure my lamp is full before that happens so that it can sustain me when it does.

I feel so blessed to be a part of a church which nourishes and sustains its members like this.  I know we are not alone in feeling nourished and that many other churches also nourish and sustain its members.  When I say that I am not trying to talk down anyone else.  I am just remarking on how very blessed I feel to be a part of this one.

 

Oh how I love my Saviour.  I was moved to tears at the depth of His love for me many times throughout the weekend.  Many times.



Sunday talks with my mom.  The hour always passes far too quickly.  I wish I could talk to her every day.  I love her so very much.  I miss her.  It does my heart good to know that she is happy and safe and loved and well cared for.   I had never thought about her being lonely, but those six  months before her cancer operation when I was calling her every day, I realised that she probably had been quite lonely and alone.  I am so very grateful that she will never be any of those things ever again.  I can hear the joy in her voice.  It makes me happy to hear that.

And that is my small and wonderfuls for this week, although there were many, many more.  My days are filled with them.

A thought to carry with you as you go along your day  . . .


⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰
Beautiful faces are
those that wear
Whole-souled honesty
printed there.
~Ellen Palmer Allerton
⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰

Spiritual Enlightenment





In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Sage & Onion Stuffing.  Seriously tasty!

I hope the week ahead of you is filled with many small and wonderful things. May you be truly blessed. Along the way don't forget . . .

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════


and I do too!