from fat to thin

Monday 27 June 2011

Mother's Wisdom


I wanted to share some of the things I have learnt from my Mother, My mother who is called Marion and is now in her 81st year. 



My first thoughts were of the practical things that my mother taught me how to do, such as; getting dressed, eating with a knife and fork, baking, knitting and cooking in general. Then my thoughts drifted in a direction that I didn’t expect to things that weren’t so obvious but yet mean so much more. 

So I took the time to reflect upon all the things that my mother has taught me and I came up with four I would like to share.

Be Brave
My Mother taught me to be brave in the face of adversity and trials. Sometimes we have to do something that we really don’t want to. Last year my Mother’s brother, my Uncle Alfie died after a long and difficult illness. I know she didn’t want to have to face her nephew yet another Alfie because when someone dies it feels like a failure. But she went to the funeral and we went too and were brave with her because being there for each other is sometimes the only thing we can do.

Have Courage
When I was 35 yrs old my marriage failed. It had been heading that way for some years but we kept trying and now it was done. It was at this point that I finally told my mother I loved her and then she had the courage to say it back. Love is the thing that gives us courage to stand and be strong. 

Be Patient
Sometimes the things that we want to happen either don’t happen as quickly as we expect them too or they in the way we would like and sometimes we just need to wait and see. My mother has spent 18months waiting for something very important to happen and I now know that it as but life is not always so straight forward.

Trust God
I have been taught that there was a God that heard prayers and answered them. It wasn’t ever forced on me but it was always just around, a feeling. When I was 14 yrs old I went to find God for myself. The God I found was the same God my mother had taught me about but I now saw him differently. I learnt that God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost was not a three-in-one but three individual entities. But it was still a God who I should trust, who would love me no matter not. 

Our mother’s can teach us many things. I’m not what my children have learnt from me, that’s for them to settle on and maybe time will tell. 


Sunday 26 June 2011

You are invited to supper ...


As I have already said this is an invitation to supper. The Last Supper with my friend Jesus and he’s also invited some of his friends too. 

There is, now let me see if I can remember, oh yes, Simon, who is also known as Peter, James, the elder, John, Andrew, fishermen by trade, Philip, Bartholomew, also known as Nathaniel, Thomas, a bit of a doubter, Mathew, a collector of taxes no less, James the younger, Judas the son of James, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.  Now what’s in that purse he is carrying and where did he disappear to earlier and he’s also looking a little shifty, if you ask me, that is. 13 of then, so say that’s unlucky!



So why are they gathering, it’s the Passover of cause. I time to remember the forefathers and take time to celebrate. So there they all are gathered in the biggest upper room that we have, never seen it so full. There is a feeling that something is about to happen, a lot of talking between each other. I heard one say ‘is it I?’ I don’t know what he’s done but he seems to think he’s done it. 



Jesus, who appears to be their leader as asked for a bowl of water and towels to wash the others feet. I always thought it was the other way around. One protested, Simon Peter it was; ‘...Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, what I do thou knowest not now, but those shalt know hereafter. Peter said unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, this hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and are clean but not all.’ (John 13:6-10) He also warned Simon Peter that before the cock crows thrice he will deny Him, Simon shook his head and said nothing.



Then the man Jesus did this strange thing with the wine and the leaven bread. First he took the bread and prayed over it and stated that the Apostle should eat of it in remembrance of his body and then he shared it out and they all had some. Then he blessed a cup of wine and told them all to share it as a remembrance of his blood which would be shed for them. All except that Judas Iscariot who I saw slip out the side door; I think he thought he had gone unnoticed. But Jesus knew that Judas was up to no good. (Matt 22:15-20)



You are invited to join the sacrament of the Lord Jesus Christ in remembrance of the sacrifice He freely gave today and every day. ‘Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ We are his friends. Will we be like Simon Peter and deny him or Thomas and doubt his mercy and his love or even as Judas Iscariot and betray him?



Saturday 25 June 2011

Compassion

I think my whole week as been a week of compassion, for me, i might add. So today i'm grateful for those who have shown me compassion, whilst i continue to hobble about on crutches.

The Gifts




- The elderly gentleman who held open the car door
- Being taken out for lunch to stop the boredom
- Bumble bees
- Butterflies
- Strawberries and cream
- Automatic doors
- Nurses
- For all those strangers who just say 'after you' and let me hobble into lifts and through doorways first
- The Last Supper
- The Sacrament
- Forgiveness
- Birthday surprises
- Pink envelope from Mum and Dad
- A funny postcard
- A friend with a good heart
- Daughter home from university
- A blessing that took away the pain
- Fields full of poppies
- Seeing the sea
- The Glass Factory and the glass roof
- The sunshine and the showers
- And loving hearts



http://pinterest.com/pin/44333490/

Thursday 23 June 2011

Still bridging the gaps

As i said last week i'm trying to create order out of chaos and it's kinda coming together, but i've also learnt that it will take more time and i really will have to be more organised. But just don't i've forgotten my declartion this is what i've come up with;

Monday will be Mothers words. It will contain words from me has a mother, things i have learnt from my mother and my grandmothers and from other women who talk about mothering and mothers in general and in some ways how to mother, because we all need help with that.

Tuesday will be 'Tuesday talk-about'. This is where i will share a book or a poem or even a film???



Wednesday will be 'Write about'. I'm not a great writer and i don't profess to be a scholar either but here i want to share the importance of Journal writing. Those day to day things that we warble on about may not be important to us but for those who follow us they are their history.



Thursday is food day. I'm not a great cook either. I'm a throw it in and see how it develops. My favourite celebrity chef is Jamie Oliver and i wish i could cook like he does, but i don't i do it my way.



Friday will be Family Day. Here i will talk about Family History, Family trees and how to find someone who doesn't want to be found. How i managed to weedle out the right Rebecca Pollard (my great grandmother) from a selection of six possibilities. Also hoping to show what to do to bring your hard work together. I will introduce you to my Dad next week.



Saturday will always be gift day.

 
Sunday is the Sabbath unto the Lord. Here i will share some spiritual insights from the scriptures, books and from my heart.



So my plan is to set it all going from Saturday onwards, watch this space.

Life is journey and i invite you walk some of your journey with me.

Sunday 19 June 2011

Faith - is doing the little things


At church today Tom spoke about faith and this one statement stayed with me - 'Faith is doing the little things'. We often aske God why we haven't recieved this blessing or that blessing but then we take a step back and realise that we are entitled to the blessing we so dearly need after all. 

Most of us have faith that when we go to bed at night the morning will come and the car will start and we will get to work on time and be ready for the day. However many of us just expect it to happen. So we hit the alarm button for 10 more minutes and then maybe we do it again. We had planned to make lunch the night before but hadn't quite got round to it and we were going to iron that shirt we needed for today but we just didn't.

James 2:20 reads - 'But wilt though know, O vain  man, that faith without works is dead'

It is alright having the faith that the morning will come but if we are not prepared we will fail. Yes, the morning will still come but instead of the healthy lunch you had in mind it ends up being whatever you can procure from the nearest shop and instead of th neatly pressed shirt its a t-shirt or a quick run over with the iron but you can't take your jacket off all day or someone  else will notice.

Faith is in the little things we do every day. To pharaphrase C S Lewis in his book Mere Christianity - the tone of the whole day is set by the thoughts we have first thing in the morning. Those very first thoughts. So what if we stopped presuming that God will walk with us today, tomorrow and every day, why don't we spend a few minutes inviting him to walk with us, through prayer and reading his Holy word.

Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge but we can prepare ourselves to recieve instructions from God line upon line throughout our day. Faith is in the little things that we do every day but it's up to us to exercise our faith.

Thursday 16 June 2011

A bridge



I've come to the conclusion that i'm not a very good blogger, but that's ok because it means there is room for improvement, rather then being perfect. I visit other people's blogs and many seem to have a so and so monday, a such and such tuesday and a this and that wednesday and so on. Order in other words. I dont have order, and if you dont have order you have chaos. So i guess i have chaos.



My blog seems to have morphed from one thing into another but still as no direction. Although i do blog alot about God and His word and how He influences my life and i would still like to keep that going. However i feel i need to bring some order to the chaos. Firstly i would like i new title but i'm not sure if i do that if i would have to go hunt down my followers again, which are few? If you are reading this and don't FOLLOW then please click the box, thank you.



So what i'm saying is, expect some changes. I will continue with the spiritual theme. Add some family history. Maybe a book review or two, as i do read alot, keep the 1,000 gifts going, they seem to have become a bit sparodic or even absent. Maybe a recipe or two, something about food anyway, i'm not a fancy cook. One day will be called 'What i learnt from Mothers' being a mother myself i cant really do it from a father's point of view. Then there is knowing 'I am a child of God', food, exercise, meditation, how to make ourselves whole and complete person and being able to accept who we are so we can stop competing with the world. Maybe something about writing Journals and personal histories although i'm no expert on the later.

So this is the bridge between the old and the new. Still thinking so may need a day or two to sort things out but i feel a growth spirt coming on so please bear with me.

And a photograph day!

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Family

Hubert Hirst about 1963
When i was 18 about 30 years ago, that's not a difficult sum so i won't add it up for you, I started researching my family tree. Back in those days, many moons ago, it was hard work. Most records were on microfilm or microfiche or you always had the parish records to fall back on. Many people now have an interest in finding out who they are, where they came from an if great-great- grandfather left any money. I have managed to track my family back to the 1500's or even further, with help from my sister Carole. 

So how did you do it, i hear you cry!

This is how you begin - Buy a book and a pen or two and write down your name, your date of birth and where you were born. Add to this your spouse's information and your children's and their spouses and children if they have any. Don't forget marriage dates and places to.

Next write down your parent's information, remember to add a marriage date and place. Add your brother(s) and/or sister(s) information and their spouses and children, and their children's children if they have any.

Go and talk to your mum and dad. Add to your information their mum and dad, and their brothers and sisters and their spouses and children and anyone else they come up with it. 

Just a word of caution; all the information that my mother gave me was correct but it didnt always belong to the person she believed it to have done and so don't be surprised by anything,

Now you have a whole list of informationn you have no idea what to do with, it definately needs some order.

This may be useful - https://www.familysearch.org/learn/getting_started

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp?page=home/welcome/simplePAFRegistration.asp

PAF stands for personal ancestral file, add your information one person at a time, this way you will be able to see what information you have missing then add this information as you acquire it. The one thing i have noticed recently about my own family tree is that i don't have many death dates, it's not always easy to find all the information you are looking for and there are times when the information comes from unlikely sources, but welcome ones but more about that another time.


The Bindley wedding, first look at how posh they all are!

back row left to right - unknown male, Fred Bindley (bro), James Spencer (groom), Vera Bindley (bride), Unknown male possibly William (Bill) Bindley's brother, William (Bill Bindley). Front - Unknown female possibly Eva Sowden (sis), Harry Norton, Rene Bindley (sis), Maud Bindley (sis), Norah Norton, Emma Bindley (mother - nee Sowden) (1936, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England)

So if what we know about this photograph is correct it contains both my maternal grandmother and my maternal great grandmother and is an absolute gem.


And this beautiful lady is my paternal great grandmother Rosetta Dean.

More about these people and how i managed to join together 13, 700 + people.

Tuesday 14 June 2011

Differing from the Norm ...

Just read a post by Leo Babauta - http://zenhabits.net/norms/  about what is seen as 'the norm'. I agree that there are some behaviours that we would all find unacceptable but there are somethings that we do individually that make us different from 'the norm' in a positive way i hope.

Here a few of mine:


1. I'm a Christian and more then that, i'm a Latter-day Saint Christian. The Lord calls us a peculiar people. There are a few instances of it in the Bible but i like the way Peter says it best -

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" (1 Peter 2:9)

Do people around me see me as peculiar unto Christ and his ways? It's a question i ask myself often and know that i could be more Christ-like in my ways, my thoughts and my speech. But i'm here to learn and i am forever learning. But we are a chosen generation and i know that God has called us out of darkness unto light and that now it's up to us.

2. I don't have a television, i don't want a television. I am often asked what is that i do if i dont have a television. At the moment i have a jigsaw spread out across the kitchen table. Makes eating dinner different but i sit and place piece next to piece and others, like my daughter and my friend comes and sits and chats and do the same. Or sometimes there is just silence and peace.



3. I teach Sunday school to adults. To me it seems normal but to the world it doesnt. The question i am often asked is 'isn't Sunday school for children?' No! We are all here to learn. Knowledge is one of the few things we can take with us when we die.



4. I dont drive and i dont wish to learn and i dont have a car. I think the public transport could be more reliable, and cheaper and there are still places you can't get to if you dont have a car - annoying.

5. I like to keep the Sabbath day Holy. Basically, to me it means; if it doesn't bring me closer to God should i be doing it? There are times when i do things i shouldn't be doing on a Sunday but i know that it's a conscious decisions and not one that influenced by society. 



Am i a peculiar person? I think you will find that my children would say so.

Thursday 9 June 2011

When we are called

Sometimes God calls us to serve and we try not to listen. 

To step up, to step out of the world is a brave thing to do.

Many have done it before us and i we think 'why me? What is it that makes me any different from anyone else? 

However when the call comes we have two choices we either serve or we dont.

C. S Lewis in his book Mere Christianity, stated (to paraphrased) that God either exists or He doesnt, there is no half way mark. We can't chose just to follow the teachings that we want to and pretend the others dont exist. It's either all or nothing. But when you know that God exists, how can you chose nothing?



In the Bible i love Jonah. Jonah was called to teach the wickedest people he knew of in the most degregated and immoral city there was. He went, he looked and then he turned his back on Ninevah. But the Lord had called him and He wasnt going to let Jonah of lightly. During a storm at sea, Jonah was washed overboard and was swollowed by a large fish. Jonah sat in the belly of the large fish three days until he agreed to fulfil God's mission and then the fish vomited Jonah on to the seashore.Jonah prophecied the destruction of Ninevah if they did not repent and then was angry with God when they did repent and the city was saved. (Jonah 2-4).




I dont think God will put me into a belly of a great fish mainly because i live in the middle of a city but i cannot deny that He exists and that He has a great work for me and for all those who answer the Call to serve.