Sunday ponderings . . .

 

(from one of our trips to Hever Castle)

In Ancient Greece, there were "oracles" . . . people who answered questions for the populace . . . answers which were supposed to "come from the Gods." The answers the oracles gave were supposed to always be true answers.

One day a boy said to his friend, "I am going to make the oracle lie. I am going to catch a bird and hold it in my hand. Then, I'm going to say to the oracle, 'What do I have in my hand?' He will of course answer, 'A bird.' Then I'll say, 'Is it alive or dead?' If the oracle says, 'It's alive' I'll squeeze it in my hands until it is dead . . . that way the oracle will have lied. If he says, 'Its dead,' I'll let it loose from my hands to show it is alive. Either way, the oracle will have lied."

 

(from that same trip)

The boy did as he said he would. He caught a bird, held it in his hand and went to the oracle. He said, "What do I have in my hand?

The oracle answered, "A bird."

The boy said, "Is it alive or dead?"

The wise oracle answered, "That is entirely up to you."

This is so true of all things in our lives. We can have lives which are "alive" . . . full and active . . . filled with the joy that comes through love of family and mankind, and service to others and to our Lord . . . . or we can have a life which is "dead" . . . where we do nothing, accomplish nothing, serve noone, love noone . . . where the sole import is in, of and for . . . "our own selfish purposes."

The choice is entirely up to us.

 

Today our church is participating in a World Wide Day of Fasting and Prayer for all whose health permits.  Our Prophet has asked us to pray for relief from the physical, emotional, and economic effects of this global pandemic.  As a Diabetic, I am unable to fast in a norman way, but I can pray, and I can bear my testimony. 

As I look out my dining room window this morning, not much in my little world appears to have changed.  There is a breeze blowing and the sun is shining and the birds are flitting back and forth from the hedge to the feeders.  It is quite chilly this morning but very bright.  The truth is everything has changed, in a way nobody could have predicted even as little as two months ago.  Everything is strangely quiet, except for the birds. No jet streams mar the blue of the sky above me.  There is no sound of traffic on the motorway humming in the back ground . . . and for the past week, I have seen relatively few people moving about. Most are all taking our Government's warnings to stay home very seriously, which is as we should do.  It is a time in history when I should feel very afraid, and I'm not going to lie, I do have those moments, but they are greatly overshadowed by other moments as I endeavor even more to put my trust in the Lord.    

 

I have a peace in my heart, the peace which truly passeth understanding. This time of struggles we are all going through, this is our opportunity to become acquainted with God in a most private and intimate manner. I know that He is real and I know that He knows me, knows my heart, knows my fears and my struggles, and He is right there with me in them. He loves me. I can trust in my Saviour because I know that He has felt everything that I am feeling and more.  He has been down to the deepest depths of despair and risen above it all. And He will shoulder this burden with me if I will share it with Him.

There is so much that I do not know. I do not know the details of how the beautiful world we live in was created. I do not understand the intricacies of the Atonement, or how the Savior’s sacrifice can cleanse all repentant people, or how the Savior could suffer “the pain of all men.”

I do not know why my beliefs sometimes come into conflict with assumed scientific or secular knowledge, and I often don't understand  the “mysteries … of heaven.” I do not know why life often appears unfair, and why some prosper and others don't. Why some suffer and others don't . . .  why bad things often happen to good people.

And while I don’t know everything, I know what is important. I know the plain and simple Gospel truths that are there for all of us to embrace freely. I know that our Savior did suffer the pain of all men and that all who come to him can be cleansed and born anew. And I know that what I don’t know or don’t completely understand, with the powerful aid of my faith, I can bridge the gap between darkness and light, and move on, partaking of the promises and blessings of the Gospel.

Because of my faith I can work through the struggles and difficulties in life with peace and assurance. Because of my faith I have the power to turn questions and even doubts into assurances and understanding. Because of my faith I can approach the unknown, unseen, and unexplained with unquestioning assurance. And because of my faith, even in the seemingly worst of times, I  have the power to recognize with peace and gratitude that in reality it can be the best of times. Faith truly has the ability to turn our prisons into Temples if we allow it to.

I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ.

A thought to carry with you  . . .

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *Every time I witness a strong person, 
I want to know:  What darkness did you 
conquer in your story? Mountains do not 
rise without earthquakes. •。★★ 。* 

 

In the English Kitchen today  . . .  Diner Lemon Pudding.  Deliciously simple.

Have a blessed Sunday.  I hope that you are able to find much in today that will bring you joy of one kind or another.  May you embrace the simple things which embroider each of our lives with goodness. Don't forget! 

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

 

And I do too!    

 

 

Saturday this and that . . .

 

So this has been an interesting week to say the least.  I don't think any of us at the dawning of the year 2020 thought that a mere three months later we would be sitting where we are sitting right now, experiencing what we are all experiencing.  Its a good thing we don't have crystal balls, or  . . .  well, I dread to think. 

I have seen so many positive things this week however, despite all of the bad news.  

I have seen hundreds of thousands of people step and volunteer in amazing ways.  I have seen an NHS already stretched beyond capacity, stretch even further.  I have seen people volunteering to take supplies to the  most vulnerable of us, reaching out in amazing ways to their communities.  It is truly inspiring. The cream does rise to the top. 

 

My Grandson Jake, makes me smile 

Mr Rogers always said when things were scary and our future unknown, we should look for the helpers, because they are always there.  And they are.  Twice this week my next door neighbor got bread for us. It is very difficult to find flour at the moment.  There just isn't any.  When she was still going out to the shops to help people, she got me a loaf of bread and yesterday when she got her order from the local Spar who is delivering to the shut-ins (our local convenience store) she got a loaf of bread for us again.  She is so kind to think of others even while she and her son are also on lockdown.  I am surrounded by examples of positivity. 

  

And the young lad who delivered it, walked it over

as he doesn't have a car. 

Going above and beyond. 

   

My niece posted this on her FB page.  We do live in an amazing world and the amazing is starting to shine with love and positivity.  We just need to concentrate on the positive, rather than the negative.  

 

This week I have seen butterflies and bumblebees. (Not these ones above.)  The early brown and orange butterflies and big fat bumblebees.  We have gotten a lot of work done in our garden, clearing it up after the winter, and Todd has been able to cut the grass.  And we have enjoyed plenty of glorious sunshine. It has been warm in the day and we have been able to throw open the windows and back door, and let in the fresh air and sunshine.

  

My friend Mabel's husband cooking an apple pie. 

People everywhere are swallowing their fear and stepping up.  All of a sudden accomodations are being found for the homeless. People who have suddenly been put out of work and who can't work from home are being helped by the Government.  Our country is going into debt to help those who can't help themselves, putting people and their needs ahead of everything else.  

What we need now is utility companies, etc. just to put everything on hold for the time being, just provide power, water and gas etc. to our country for the time being until we can get back to normal again.  People shouldn't have to face the stress of having to pay these bills on top of everything else at the moment.  I know it sounds outrageous, but people are more important.  They just are.  We have all been asked to sacrifice.   Its time to put people ahead of profits. And as a people we could shut off the power, and the gas for so many hours a day, just because.  There are plenty of things we can be doing that don't require either one.

  

I have done a lot of thinking this week.  I will be 65 years old in August this year and this is the first time in my life that I have experienced anything like this.   How blessed am I?  I have not experienced war or hunger.  I have always had a roof over my head and clothes on my back.  I have always had access to affordable medical care.  In fact, my whole life it has been free.  This is so not the case with a great many people in this big old world we live in. I have always had the freedom to think, worship and believe whatever  want to think, worship and believe, without fear of reprisal.  The freedom to speak my mind and to stand up for whatever it is I wanted to stand up for.  How lucky is that.   All of my education, bar further education, has been free.  I've always been able to vote and to have a say in things regarding my country's politics.  How priviledged am I? 

People in this world have had to sacrifice tons  and lives and God knows what else to have those same things, and many sacrificed lives, etc. so that I was able to have them. How priviledged am I? 

And all because I was lucky enough to have been born where I was born, at a time I was born into.  How priviledged am I? 

 

(free prinable)  

 This is a time to count our blessings and they are many,  Many things which as westerners, a lot of us have always taken for granted.  These weeks have been an opportunity for all of us to take stock of what is truly important in this world and this life, and it isn't a designer handbag, or good looks, or a hefty bank account.  It is Love.  Love for our God, for our families, for others, for our communities, for our world. 

Make no mistake about it.  Things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better, but we all have a choice that we can make.  Mourn the sadness and the losses, yes, but also be thankful for the positives and count the blessings. Use this time as an opportunity to stretch and to grow and to become in whatever ways that you can.  

 

(Bigger Bolder Baking)  

Over these next couple of days I am going to use some of my precious flour to make these.  I have researched really well and this is the recipe that I believe is going to make the best English Muffins using the least amount of our precious flour. It only makes 8 which is perfect as we are only 2, and I can freeze some for later.  I'll let you know how I get on! I also need some English Muffins for my online writing gig and I haven't been able to buy any, so the next best thing is to make my own. 

 

Two weeks from now my church will be having its Spring General Conference, and will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Restoration. As you might suppose this is really important to us.  We were promised that it would be a Conference of historic proportions and unlike any other.  This is already proving to be so.  We were asked to spend some time prior to the Conference on how the events of the restoration had affected our lives and what it has meant to us.  Has the study of the Book of Mormon affected your life and how.  This is from my journal and I am prompted to share it with you. 

"200 years ago through the faith of a young man, his desire to know and ask for truth, and his willingness to embrace and share the impossible, our world changed forever. My life has been changed forever because of Joesph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I now understand the atonement of the Saviour in a way that I never did before, and have been able to apply it to my life in life changing ways. Because of this I am a better person than I was before. My capacity for giving, loving and sharing has increased ten-fold or more. My understanding of who God and His son are is much greater. I feel and KNOW of their great love for us and this brings me joy and comfort. Because of this knowledge I want to do better, to be better. I have been able to connect with who I was before I came on this life's journey, why I am here and where I am going when I die, and have a strong desire to share my love of the Gospel . . .  the Good News with all. One of the great joys has been sharing this love with others. I have often said that I could not pull a handcart across a country on foot. Perhaps this trial we are going through at the moment is a bit like pulling a handcart for each of us.  I know we will be blessed in doing so with faith in our God and optimism about an unknown future.  The future is and can be brighter than any of us can possibly imagine, no matter where that takes us.

I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ."

A thought to carry with you  . . .

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *Pray, not only because you need something, but also because
you have a lot to be thankful for.
•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

 

In The English Kitchen today because you never know when the craving will hit.  Microwave Potato Chips.  Low in fat and salt, high in fibre and very easily done.   Delicious! 

Have a wonderful Saturday.  Smile. Be positive.  Don't forget . . . .

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

 

And I do too!