Monday 17 March 2014

Small and Wonderful Things . . .

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"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 express myself with my imagination and hands.  I am so grateful for my ability to do this.  I spend countless hours imagining and thinking up things and then turning them into reality.  I cannot imagine not being able to do this.

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This is one of the hymns we sang in church yesterday, For All the Saints, number 82 in our hymnal.   It's amazing how often you can sing a hymn and it is just words on a page, but then one day you are singing it and it speaks to your heart in a special way . . . the next verse goes like this . . .

And when the strife is fierce,
the war-fare long,
Steals on the ear 
the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again,
and arms are strong,
Alleluia, Alleluia

 So much of life is an up hill battle it seems.   I am ever grateful for my Lord and Saviour who helps to make me strong and to keep me moving forward on those days when I feel like giving up.


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Every Sunday morning, at our church, we have what is called a Sacrament Meeting.   It is during this hour that we conduct first business which is pertaining to our Ward or Stake, and then the Sacrament is blessed and passed to all who are there.

"The partaking of these emblems constitutes one of the most holy and sacred ordinances in the Church." ~ Joseph Fielding Smith

This is our opportunity to make things right with our Lord and Saviour each and every week.  To be able to repent of our wrong doings of the previous week, and to renew the covenants which we took upon ourselves when we were Baptised.  It is a time to remember Him, and what He did for us.  This is such a simple thing, and yet so very sacred.   Our lesson in Relief Society yesterday was on the Significance of the Sacrament.  It was a great lesson and gave me much food for thought.   It is so easy to sit there when the Sacrament is being passed and think about what you are going to cook for dinner when you get home, how noisy the kids are being around you, etc.   As we were being taught yesterday it came to me that when the Saviour and his disciples were in that upper room and he was giving them the wine and the bread, these were the last actual instructions that he gave to his disciples (and to us)  prior to his atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane and his crucifixion.

"This ye do . . . in remembrance of me."

It had been our teacher's Birthday last week, and she related about how all the important people in her life had seemingly forgotten her Birthday and how sad that made her feel.  How she had returned home from work at the end of the day feeling very low and depleted about this . . . and then she had noticed the message light flashing on the telephone and when she picked it up, her was her little two year old grandson singing Happy Birthday to her, and how instantly her whole sense of being was transformed and what had been a sad day was instantly made joyful.  Her heart sang.

The Saviour laid down His life for all mankind, and all He asks in return is that we remember Him.  I don't think I shall ever take the Sacrament again in quite the same way.

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This is a piece of artwork by the artist Darin Ashby, entitled Greater Love.   There is no greater love.  This is it.  This picture says it all, and it says it beautifully.  I am going to buy this print because it speaks to my heart in a very special way.    You know I received a letter from  one of my sons on, I won't say which one and in it he said to me that "he was a Christian, and I was a Mormon" and he didn't know how to reconcile those two factors . . . that it upset him to think that I was going to Hell.  There is something very wrong with a religion that teaches it's members that good people doing good things . . .  people who worship the Saviour Jesus Christ and live their lives by his example . . .  are going to hell.  That makes me sad sometimes, to think my children think I am going to hell, simply because I choose to worship God in the way that I do.   Surely it matters not how I come . . . only that I come?

Enough on that.

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Fields and fields of daffodils that are blooming profusely now.  They are everywhere. I love that about England.  All the verges and centre islands are planted with them, peoples gardens are filled with them.  They are so beautiful and so cheerful.  I love them!  This autumn I want to get Todd to buy bags and bags of them so that our garden can be     filled to overflowing with them too.  We have a few but I want a plethora of them!

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I am going out to spend a few hours with my good friend Sheilagh today and I am looking forward to it. It has been far too long since we have spent any appreciable time together.  She's "retired" now and I can't wait to hear how she is enjoying it.  It will be nice.   Time spent with good friends is precious indeed.

I must dash actually as I have to have a shower and get ready to go out, but I will leave you with a thought to carry with you through today and God willing, I will be back tomorrow . . .

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 FAITH....
When you walk to the edge of all the light you have
and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown,
you must believe that one of two things will happen:
There will be something solid for you to stand upon,
or, you will be taught how to fly?
~Patrick Overton

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There is a delicious "home cured" Salt Beef with Vegetables and Parsley Sauce cooking in The English Kitchen today!

♪♫♪B░E░A░U░T░I░F░U░L░░B░L░E░S░S░I░N░G░S♪♫♪

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! 

PS - I mean no offense when I speak of my son's thoughts on me going to hell because I am a Mormon.  I just think it's strange that a church would teach that.

11 comments:

  1. Enjoy the day Marie and savour every precious moment.

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  2. Happy St Patrick's Day to you, Marie! We'll be eating some of your Irish Boiled Fruit Cake for afternoon tea to mark the day. It smelled wonderful coming out of the oven, so I'm looking forward to trying it.

    I've been seeing pictures of the English daffodils in the news and they look wonderful. Ours have popped up through the soil, but are only a couple of inches tall at this stage - a very long way to go, but seeing that sea of golden nodding heads in the UK gives me hope. We had heavy snowfall overnight, so I hope that doesn't affect them - I covered them with a lot of oak leaves to protect them before the snows came.

    I hope you have a wonderful time with your friend in the spring sunshine.

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  3. Thank you Suzan. You too!

    I hope you enjoy the cake Marie! Have it with butter. Sooooooo good!!! I hope you see your daffodil soon!!


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  4. I think the good Lord has given us so many different churches to go to so as to give every one a chance to know Him. In my lifetime, I attended several different ones and finally settled on the one that was right for me. Truly there is only one God and He does love us all. I hope you have a wonderful day with your friend. Happy Monday! And Happy St. Patrick's Day too!

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  5. You are right Pam. It only matters that we come, not how we get there. He does love each of us in such a beautiful and perfect way. You have a Happy St Patrick's Day too! xxoo

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  6. Hi Marie - I'm so sorry your son said that to you. I truly believe that no matter what church you go to as long as it believes and teaches the word of God it is the right thing. After all is done - I don't think God is going to pick and choose one particular church.

    1 Corinthians 12:12 ESV

    For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

    I truly believe God knows what's in your heart. Keep up the good work my friend.

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  7. I can understand your son's concern if his church teaches that, however unless you two are face-to-face debating religion (happily by both involved), I would probably not choose to try to convince my family member by using the word "hell." As a matter of fact, I know that I wouldn't. But you should try to hold onto the happy thought that he cares enough for you to be concerned about you. That actually says a lot, I think. It must be hard for you to have found such comfort in your faith but not share it with all your loved ones. Thankfully, you share it with your husband. PS I love that hymn and haven't sung it in many years. Thanks for the reminder!

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  8. You are right Brenda and Laura, I was able to speak to my son and reassure him that I was not going to hell. It made me feel bad that he thought I was. Nobody would like to think that about their parent. I am not sure he ever entirely believed that I was safe. There are a lot of people who go to that particular church who feel bad that their loved ones who have left the church and become Mormons or Jehovah Witness's and are now on a fast track to hell. I don't think God has children who are muslims, or Mormons or Baptists or Anglicans or Jews. He just has children, and he loves us all equally. I think there are a lot of people who will one day be very surprised!

    Happy Day to you too Monique!

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  9. I seem to be a day late in getting a comment to ...go...didn't go yesterday. I hope that you enjoyed your day with Sheila...Sorry that your Son's church teaches such a thing Marie, My thougts are that it matters not what church we belong to but the we obey the Lords commands the we Love him first of all and love our neighbours...if we do that how can we possibly condem anyone...we may not always agree but certainly it is not up to us to tell other practising Christians they are condemed...
    We have had some probs with a lady coming t the coffee and chat whoo si a born again christian...and she has been telling some who come that they are not "real christians" as they have not been born again. I'm afraid our minister has had to have words with her as it is not the time or place to say such things...We dn't want to put people of comming in to coffe and pray that perhaps by our actions seeing how Christians should work tongether and love one another...whatever there thoughts might be. Judge not that we be judged...Have a lovely day I will I am sure we are off to Slimbridge very soon xx

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  10. This was such a lovely post. I loved your thoughts on the Sacrament and the pictures of the emblems of the sacrament and the one with I love you and Christ's hands; were just so beautiful. Often when I am thinking about the Savior during the sacrament an his last supper. There are so many lessons to learn from those tender moments with his disciples. How he loved them.
    I know you had a great time with your friend.
    I too am upset at times because people in other faiths think we are a cult. The fact that they don't understand that we are Christians is sad. You hang in there with that son; one day he will know and believe.
    I loved your thoughts today and bless you always.

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