Today . . .

 

“ I cannot believe that the inscrutable universe turns on an axis of suffering; 

surely the strange beauty of the world must somewhere rest on pure joy.” 

~Louise Bogan 

 

 Think of yourself as a garden. Each day being grateful helps to till the soil of your soul. We plant seeds of simplicity and order which root themselves deep into the earth of who we are, and our everyday being. The flowers of harmony inspire us with courage for both ourselves and for our loved ones, the courage to make it real. Patience and beauty blossom around us and we are happy. Not only are we happy but, we have found joy, a wellspring of joy that refreshes us, nourishes us and renews. We have found our bliss, our place in the world. 

 

 

"With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, 

and the deep power of joy,

we see into the life of things."

~William Wordsworth

I have been lucky enough to walk amongst the daffodils that Wordsworth wrote of so beautifully, and to spend some time in Wordsworth country. It is indeed very beautiful up there. A beauty we can all share in by reading his very beautifully penned words. He was able to see into the life of things through the power of his mind’s eye and he was able to share it with us through his words. 

Being able to see into the life of things is an important step in being able to embrace the path of true joy. I believe that there is joy for each one of us to take, despite the path of struggles we so often find ourselves walking upon. 

 

In order to truly be able to do this we need to learn to live in the present moment, letting go of the past and the future. We have to stop telling ourselves that the worst is going to happy and expecting the worst to happen. In doing so, I truly belive that we almost "will" the worst to happen to us and it becomes almost a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"We" become the auhors of our own misfortunes.  As we struggle each day, from one crisis to another, allowing circumstance to batter and bruise us, we often forget that we always have a choice.

We can choose to expect the best things to happen instead of the worst. We can look at the glass as being half full instead of half empty. By doing so I believe we can stop the drama and learn to trust in the flow of life and the goodness of the spirit. We can TRULY be the authors of our own happy endings.

 

I have been reading the stories lately of some of the pioneers of my church. Many of them pulled handcarts across the Western Plains to get to the Salt Lake Valley.  This must have been an arduous journey for all of them, many of whom had already made arduous journies leaving family and friends behind to journey across oceans into vastly unknown futures, only to learn that this wouldn't be the end of their journey, but only the beginning.  They would still have to travel across the plains and mountains of American to reach their Zion and final destiny. And on foot most of the way. Many experienced great hardship and loss along the way. 

Then when they got to "Zion," it was a virtual wilderness, a desert, an environment where they would have to literally carve out lives from the dust, building homes, planting crops, etc. with very few tools and resources to work with.  How did they do it?

I think their faith was probably the greatest tool they carried with them, across oceans, across plains and across mountains, etc.  And it was that same faith that enabled them to create for themselves better lives, lives filled with hope and with promise. They truly believed that the best was yet to come.  They had faith that the best was yet to come and that, if they did their part, they would be rewarded with better, brighter futures.

 

In this season of Pandemic and trials, I know many are suffering.  Every day I read of  more people I know that are testing positive for the virus.  It is so easy to feel overwhelmed with all that is going on around us and to lose hope that any bright future exists. It is very tempting to just sit down, give up and say "That's it. I quit. I cannot take another step." 

Quitting can't, shouldn't and must never 

be an option for those of us who believe

and hope in better and brighter futures.

You quit, you lose. Its as simple as that. 

 

When I find myself wanting to give up hope and to quit, I just remind myself that were I to do so, then I would be turning the journey I have taken thus far into something which was done for nothing.  There is no way I am going to allow the journey that is my life count for nothing. No way. No how. All parts of my life have value and all parts have their own seams of joy running through them.

Try telling a salmon swimming upstream that their journey is for nothing. No way. No how. They will never quit. Why? Because the end is worth it.

Tell yourself that today you are going to let go of the struggle and embrace the joy. Claim all the blessings that this day . . .  today . . . has waiting for you to discover. These blessings have been there every day. They’ll be there everyday. They’ve just been waiting for you to find them. 

In doing so you can change the trajectory of your universe so that it now spins on the axis of joy, pure joy. That’s not to say that bad things won’t still happen, but let’s face it . . . In the midst of all that joy, how can misery and despair ever hope to gain a toehold in your life again???

All of your tomorrows are build with todays. Just my thoughts on this cold January morning.

(Today's photos are the art of Jessie Wilcox Smith.)

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *All that we are

is the result of what 

we have thought.

~Buddah •。★★ 。* 。 

  

 

In The English Kitchen today, I downsized my Traditional Cottage Pie Recipe. Its simple and delicious and now built for two.

Have a great Wednesday.  We are taking my father to his Urologist appointment in Kentville today and popping into Michael's craft store. I can't wait! My father isn't looking forward to all the water he has to drink before his appointment and I don't blame him.  At his age it is a very daunting prospect. Keep him in your happy thoughts please, thanks! 

Don't forget! 

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

And I do too!