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. 

 

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Keeping the Sabbath, and this begins with going to church and partaking of the sacrament, renewing my covenants with Him. I have been going to church for most Sundays for many, many years now. During Covid we had no church, and I really missed it. Then we were allowed back but only sitting in our own individual family bubbles and masked, which meant I sat on my own. We were not allowed to sing the hymns. Special protocol was in place for partaking of the sacrament. It was a very different time for all of us. I do not always feel like going to church every Sunday morning. There are weeks I would rather stay at home, but I do know how much better I feel if I do go, and I remember how much I wanted to be able to go when I couldn't go . . .  when there was no church, and so I go and yes, I do always feel much better for having done so.  My weeks begin with all of the spiritual nourishment I need to get through the rest of the week.  That is a very good thing as Martha would say!

 

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My sacred space, my home, the music I listen to, the things I watch, the things I read.  I have tried to make my home a place of sanctuary.  A place where I can feel safe from the outside world and the smut that exists there.  Hallowed ground, a sacred space. The world stops at my door, and I do not let it inside if I can help it. It's not hard to do.  When I was setting up my space I did so with the idea in mind that only things which brought me joy and peace would be allowed inside its walls. I choose the things which I hung on the walls very carefully.  There is nothing without meaning or that does not inspire. I have surrounded myself with things which I love and that are meaningful.  Tender remembrances from friends and family, etc.  I do not watch the news. I try to always watch things on the television which are inspiring and uplifting, joy filled. I listen to music which fills my heart with peace and with joy as well.  My home is a sacred space to me, a sanctuary. A blessing.  I treat it with the reverence that it deserves. 

I am blessed to have a space to call home. 

 

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Family times.  I have been able to spend a lot of time with family over these past days. Eileen and Tim, Cindy, Dan, my dad. It has all been very wonderful.  When I think of the empty years that I spend overseas, not having any family close by, these times I do spend with my family become even more treasured in my heart.  Oh, how very much I longed to have family close by.  How very much I missed them.  

I have a sorrow in my heart that I did not have the time to spend with my mother before she passed, I would give anything to be able to have had even a few hours, but that's not how life works.  I am blessed to be able to spend special time with my father now and that means a lot to me. I can see him slowing down with each week that passes, but he is happy, and he is content, and he is well cared for. I love him. These past few years have been a gift to me.

A gift also is the time I get to spend with my sister. I treasure this. We always said when we were children that we would be old ladies together like the Baldwin sisters on The Waltons.  We are not quite the Baldwin sisters, but we are blessed to have each other close by and to have the special relationship that we have.  

Siblings are gifts from God. If you are blessed enough to have them, then you must always treasure them. You share a history with your siblings that you share with nobody else on earth.  There is nobody who will ever understand you and who you are more than a sibling. They "get" where you come from because they "came" from the same place.  I am so grateful for my sister and my brother. I love them dearly.

 

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I was blessed to have had good parents. Parents who loved me and took the best care of me. A father who worked hard to provide us with a home and all that we were in need of.  A mother who nurtured and taught us.  They kept us safe. We were loved and cared for in every way. We did not always appreciate it, I am sure. We often took these things for granted. They were not perfect, nobody is.  I look back in my old age and I recognize the love and the care that was there, through all of the years.  My brother, sister and I are good people. We are kind people. We are decent and law-abiding citizens of our planet. We all care for others and have compassion. We are these things because our parents were these things and taught us to be likewise.  What a blessing it is to have been given good roots to steady us and strong wings to carry us, and love . . . so much love.

 

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The truthfulness of this scripture has been proven to me again, and again, and again.  There have been many times over the years when I have been tempted to just give up. To wallow in my sadness, but just like a joy that is shared is a joy doubled, a burden that is shared is a burden halved. It has happened time and time again. I cannot refute it for the very life that I live is proof of the truthfulness of these words.  He does sustain me.  Often it is through the actions of others and the love and support that they give.  I believe acts of kindness, kind words, etc. are all inspired. If He cannot touch us with His hands, He provides and inspires others to use their hands to reach out and help us. When my life fell apart at the end of 2020, you were the Lord's hands to me. I was surrounded by caring people and so much love.  It was everywhere. He gave me the strength to keep moving forward and a safety net to catch me when I faltered.  When I look back on the times of my life, I can see clearly that He has always been there for me every single time that the hard times came, and He has rejoiced with me on all of the hill tops. I am so grateful for the faith that I have and for prayers, both my own and those having been uttered on my behalf. 

 

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Can you believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2024?  How quickly this year has gone.  It has been a year filled with a myriad of joys and some sorrow, but all told a good year.  I am so grateful to have been given it. What will the next year hold for us.  Good things, I hope. And if not, then I hope we will have the strength to cope with whatever it brings. I am grateful that I do not have a crystal ball, and I am grateful for each day I am given, one day at a time.

A thought to carry with you . . . 

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

 *.˛“Most of the time the universe 

speaks to us very quietly 

in pockets of silence, in coincidences, 

in nature, in forgotten memories, 

in the shape of clouds, in moments of solitude, 

in small tugs at our hearts.” 

~Yumi Sakugawa  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 

A little nibble for New Years Eve in the kitchen today . . . Puff Pastry, Honey, Cheese and Herb Bake. Such a simple thing to make and oh so delicious.  Real decadence. You can either use it as a dip for people to enjoy, or you can cut it apart into servings for each person to enjoy individually. The key word here is "enjoy."

I hope that you have a beautiful day, and a beautiful week filled with an abundance of small and wonderful things.  Be happy, be safe, be blessed, and don't forget!

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And I do too!