Wednesday this and that . . .

 

(Here is the Church, by Katheryn Fincher) 

Did you used to do this when you were a child?  Play that game with your hands . . . . Here is the church, here is its steeple, open the doors and see all the people.  I saw this painting this morning and it brought back a flood of memories, all good. 

My mother was a praying person and it was my mother who taught me how to pray. Every night when she tucked me into bed, she would recite with me the "Now I lay me down to sleep" prayer and then we would bless all the names of the people we loved and cared about.  It is a prayer I have recited to myself (along with others) every night when I go to bed all the days of my life. My other prayers are not quite as simple as this one these days, but I am grateful for a praying mother who taught me to be the same.  

 

(Jan 2019, Amanda, Bruce, Anthony, Eileen, Doug)

I have prayed for my own children all the days of their lives.  When they were smaller, they were mostly prayers for happiness, health and safety, but as they got older I would pray for them to do well in their exams, etc.  I prayed for them to be able to meet and marry good people, people that would make them happy and those prayers have been answered incredibly well. They all have loving and caring spouses that have brought them joy.  Once the grandchildren began to enter the picture, they were added to my daily prayer list.  

Love is a wonderful thing, and to me praying for someone is the

most loving gift you can give to them!!   

 

 

People will say to you, I can't do much  . . . but I can pray for you . . .  like they wish they could do more, or like they feel their prayers don't amount to much.  Prayer is the ultimate thing you can do for someone!  Prayers lifted up by loving hearts mean more than anything and like hugs are the perfect gift, in that they bless both the giver and the prayed for.  I know that for myself, when I know people are praying for me, or for my loved ones . . . I feel a whole lot better, lifted, grateful . . .  and I feel the same way when I am praying for others.

In fact, if you have a problem with someone why not try praying for them. It has been my experience that when you pray for your enemies, something changes.  First of all, it is very difficult to hate someone you are praying for, if not downright impossible.  Maybe the first change comes within yourself . . .  your whole attitude towards that person can't help but change.

"Love your enemies and pray for them who despitefully use you."

~Matthew 5:44 

This was the Saviour's charge to us and indeed, even whilst He was on the cross dying, He prayed for those who had put him there, and asked for forgiveness on their behalf.  Prayer has the power to change everything and everyone. 

It has been my experience that prayers are always answered, maybe not when I want or hope them to be, but in God's perfect timing for me.  The answer isn't always yes, or what I want it to be either, but I have learned to trust that my Heavenly Father truly knows what is best for me and I have learned to trust in His answers and His timing . . .  even if the answers are no and not now.  Afterall . . .  He knows the end of the story.  

 

Well, we have woken up to another dull, wet and cool day.  There has been a wind blowing and there is some bite to it.  Todd actually put the heat on yesterday for a little while.  He feels the cold more than I do. I think your blood thins out as you get older and you just feel colder.  Maybe I am wrong . . .  I don't know. 

  

Once again our palm tree is in bloom and the bees just love it.  You can see them all the day through moving in and out of the blooms. Last year it stayed looking like this all the summer through.  I am not sure why it started blooming, but everyone's is. It was the same last year.  I said to Todd, it may not seem like the temperatures here are increasing, but I do believe that our Winters are getting a tad bit warmer, and our summer's a tad bit cooler  . . .  it is almost as if the season's are slowly merging into one with little extremes between them.  Then again I could be wrong.  

 

I caught a bird in flight against the backdrop of a pewter sky. It would have been nicer if its wings had actually been open, but alas, they were not.  Its gliding in for a landing I guess . . . 

  

  

And there he is  . . .  a bird on the wire . . .  if you look really closely you can see his beak is open . . . I think it was slightly open when he was flying as well.  Perhaps catching insects mid-air, his in-flight menu.  (So grateful I've been fed much better when on a plane!)  

 

And while I am at it, the progress of the beans . . .  runner and bush, both yellow and green. You never see yellow beans in the shops here  . . .  I am not sure why that is.  Back home you can even get yellow ones in tins.  My mom always called them Yellow Wax Beans. I love them both, the yellow and the green.  I hope soon to be able to pop down to that Organic Veggie Shop which is near to us so that I can have a look at their wares.  I understand they sell a lot more than just vegetables.  I think farm shops are so much fun to visit, don't you?  

  

There is one on the motorway north to Scotland at the Tebay Services that I just love.  Whenever we have been staying up that way we called in about every second day or so to get things for our supper back at the cottag we were staying in.  

 

 

They literally had everything in there.  We were spoilt for choice.  Todd hates shopping for food, but even he was impressed!  Back home I used to go to farm shops a lot.  The local ones were called Avery's and they had a lot of them, in just about every town.  They sold everything you needed pretty much along with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, as well as locally baked goodies.  You could choose from a wide variety of cookies, squares and pies. 

Darnit, now I am wanting pie  . . . 

Oh well, that's how the cookie crumbles . . . 

Darnit it again!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *The man in the moon

came tumbling down 

and asked his way to Norwich;

He went by the South

and burnt his mouth,

with supping cold pease-porridge.

~old nursery rhyme •。★★ 。* 。 

 

In the kitchen today . . .  Crustless Veggie Quiche for Two.  With broccoli, cauliflower and a good cheddar. Quick, easy, delicious and somewhat healthy! 

Have yourself a wonderful Wednesday!  I hope it starts to brighten up here!  In any case,don't forget! 

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

And I do too!