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.  

 

I talk to my father on the telephone every morning and every night and sometimes in between. This is a great blessing to me.  I love my father very much. I wish that I could do more for him.  I am so very grateful for this time we have to spend together. It means the world to me.  

My sister Cindy is my oldest and dearest friend. I love her very much.  I am so grateful that I was not an only child and that God gave me her.  (and my brother) She is so kind and so wise.  She has often been my voice of reason. I trust her advice in all things and she is the one I go to first when I need to make my mind up about things.  She knows me probably better than I know myself, and she loves me anyways! haha  I love this easy friendship of ours.  I love that we enjoy spending time together.  I love that we have so much in common and common interests. I love that she is a kind dear person who sets a wonderful example for me in so very many ways.  I just love her. 

My brother David is coming down for a visit at the end of this week. He means the world to me and I am looking forward to seeing him. He is probably one of the kindest people I know, next to my sister. He has always been a great example to me. When my sister and I were teenagers, he had our backs and would follow us sometimes just to make sure we were not going to get into any trouble. I think back on that now and am grateful to him for that. We didn't always appreciate it at the time, but looking back, I know he was trying to protect us.  All through the years if we needed help with anything, he was always willing to help us out. I wish I could do something for him in return, but all I can do is to love him and I do . . . love him.  I am sure there have been many times through the years when he has just shaken his head at the mistakes I have made, but he has always been there to support me, without judgement. 

I am a pretty lucky woman, very blessed I know . . .  God has given me a lovely family.  My mother, bless her, was a sweet example to us all and taught us much about forgiveness and sacrifice and caring. My father taught us how to laugh and how to roll with the punches. My brother and sister are kind and caring individuals with hearts of gold.  I have good children.   God has surrounded me with good, good people.  I am grateful for all of them.

I am grateful for the values I was taught as a child. Honesty, integrity, the value of hard work and simple things. They have stood me well throughout the years.  I had good, good parents who did their best for myself and my siblings. We had everything we needed.  We were never cold or hungry or in danger. We were loved.   We were and are blessed.

I am grateful for my journey. It has been filled with lots of bumps and potholes, but it has also been filled with lots of joy.  The bumps and potholes have taught me lots, so that is good. To be able to take a lesson from the negative turns it into a positive.  Both the good and the bad have shaped me into the person that I am.  I like her. Oh, sure, I wish she was thinner, but I have been wishing that for about 30 or more years now. I don't think that is going to change!  I have often wished that she was prettier, or had nicer hair, etc. Those things are not going to change either!  They are not really things that matter a whole heck of a lot when it comes right down to it.  I am a good person with good core values.  I have never been intentionally mean to anyone.  I am not perfect and I have made plenty of mistakes in life. Hopefully I have learned from them.  There are some things I wish I could do over and do better, who doesn't wish that  . . .  there are no do-overs in life.   All we can hope for is to do better . . . 

I am most grateful for the courage and the support and the love and the examples set which have brought me this far on my journey through life.  I know I still have much to do and learn, and more of the journey still ahead of me.  I do not know what battles I have yet to fight, but I know that the strength I have gained from the ones I have fought already will help me to fight any battles in the future and my faith  . . .  that muscle of faith that I keep strong . . .  it can help to get me through anything.   Courage is the tiny voice of faith in the face of the enemy, that tiny voice that knows and believes that it will and can conquer anything to be faced in one way or another.

I have a busy week ahead of me.  I have a talk to write for church on Sunday and a lesson to prepare to teach in Young Women's on Sunday (on chastity no less, a challenge). Things to get ready in preparation for my brother's visit. Work, and hopefully some play!  Life is good.  I am grateful for every bit of it!  I woke up at 3:30 this morning and all of a sudden the weight of the week weighed upon me and I had a difficult time getting back to sleep.  When I did finally, I dreamed of the weight of the week and in my dreams the weight was added upon.   I am reminded of that age old question . . .  How do you eat an elephant? and the age old answer . . .  one bite at a time.

This will be a week filled with bites, and hopefully by the end of the week I will have eaten the elephant!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

 *‎Do not trouble your hearts overmuch

with thoughts of the road ahead.

Maybe the paths that you each shall tread

are already laid before your feet, 

even though you do not see them.

~Galadriel, The Lord of the Rings

•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Low Carb Turkey Burgers. These tasty burgers are amazingly delicious. Moist and tender and filled with plenty of flavor! 

I hope that your week ahead is filled with lots of goodness. Along the way be happy, be blessed and don't forget! 

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And I do too!