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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Being able to have my daughter stay with me for these past 12 days.  This was a wonderful blessing. Something I used to only dream about when I lived in the U.K.  I love that she enjoys spending time with me. We didn't do anything too special.  A few days out, cooking together, etc. It was just nice spending the time with each other that we had to spend.  I love her very much. I love all of my children. No surprise there. 

I remember being so excited when she was born. I had been hoping for a daughter as I already had a son.  God was good and gifted me with a special daughter. Being given the privilege and blessing of raising a special needs child has blessed my life in countless ways. Knowing that God trusted me enough to be able to care for her and raise her to be a strong independent and happy adult gives me peace in a way that I cannot explain. 

 

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Every Spring and every Autumn the church I belong to holds a special conference for its members and any others who wish to listen/watch.  That was this past weekend and once more it was wonderfully inspiring. I have come away from it feeling truly fed spiritually and inspired to make a few changes in my life for the positive. I have come away from it feeling loved and feeling cared for.  I know, I always do.  There was one talk which spoke to me in a really special way. It was the last one in the Saturday evening session, given by Neil L. Anderson.  

"For those suffering from the serious sins of another, joy and light will come again through Jesus Christ. His atoning love can be found in the most difficult situations. I give you my absolute assurance the Savior knows you and loves you. Reach out to Him. He is your comfort and strength. He will send His angels to bear you up. When will your pain be gone, your grief subdued, the unwanted memories forgotten? I do not know. But this I do know: He has the power to bring beauty from the ashes of your suffering.”

That spoke to my heart in a special way, and I felt like the words were just for me. It brought me an extra layer of peace.

 

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Sunday dinners with the family. I had a busy day yesterday with helping Eileen get ready to go home and then taking her home, watching two sessions of conference and having Sunday dinner with the family. My sister made a beautiful chicken stir fry.  I told my father he was lucky that he got to eat in a five-star restaurant every night!

Spending time with family is always a great blessing. I them all very much.  I am very grateful that we still have our father with us. 

 

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The gift of laughter. My brother, sister and I have a special chat group on Facebook where we can talk to each other.  We leave messages for each other on there every day and sometimes have the opportunity to chat when we are all online. It's been a really wonderful thing. This weekend we had a great deal of fun coming up with misheard lyrics to pop songs that we knew. We laughed so much.  Family and laughter.  Such wonderful things in their own right and a special blessing when enjoyed together.

 

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I am so grateful that the gnat problem has resolved itself.  I am so thankful for my sister's help with that. I don't think I could have gotten control of it without her. I think I can now take down the pest strips. I might need to get her to help me to do that. I have not seen a gnat in about a week and a half now. I am so relieved that we were able to get it sorted. It was quite an upset when it was going on. 

Really, I know I love my sister, and not just because of how good she is to me, but really  . . .  how would I cope without her help?  I dare not think about it. I could not.  I hate that I am an extra burden on her, but I am grateful that she is there for me. I wish I could be more there for her. There will be an extra special place reserved for her in Heaven because she is a Saint if there ever was one. 

 

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One of my goals for the week is to carve out some coziness for myself. To create a space in my week that is just for me and has nothing at all to do with work or service.  I know, it sounds a bit selfish, but it really isn't. Carving out a cozy corner of the week just for you is probably one of the greatest gifts that you can give to yourself, and to others . . . because it makes for a happier you. It doesn't need to be grand or expensive. It just needs to serve you in a way that gives you the strength to cope with everything else that might come your way.  This can mean creating and setting aside a physical space for you to do nothing but relax and meditate, or it can mean creating and setting aside a mental space for you to do the same.  Only you know what it is that you actually need.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day.  

A thought to carry with you . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*Fill your paper

with the breathings of your heart.

~William Shakespeare • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。 

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 

In The English Kitchen today, Quick & Easy Chicken Pasanda. This was a simple curry meal that I made for Eileen and myself. My brother said it looked like scrambled eggs on rice, but I can promise you it was much tastier than that. It was rich and creamy with just the right amount of heat and spice. Simple to make as well.

I hope your days and week are filled to overflowing with abundance.  Be well and be happy. Don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!