Faith

'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen' Hebrews 11:1

I have been teaching about the Apostle Paul for several weeks now in my Sunday school class and i've gotten to the point that i can imagine what he would look like; dark haired, short, stocky, olived skinned and really you wouldn't be able to pick him out from a crowd. Until he spoke that is, then everyone listened even if they didn't like what he had to say.

Paul had been one of the people, a Jew, someone who really didn't like this man Jesus and did all that he could to rid the cities of his Apostles and his disciples, even to the point of signing the papers to allow the martyrdom of Stephen. 

However once he had seen the Lord Jesus Christ in a vision he became one of the greatest missionaries of all time and spent 30 years of his life repenting of what he had done. The one thing that struck me in his epistles to the Thessalonians, the Galatians and the Corinthians is that he teaches them that we have a Father in Heaven, that Jesus Christ is his son and that the Holy Ghost is a spirit that can dwell with us. Although they are one in purpose they are all separate beings. That only through faith in Jesus Christ can we be saved because through our faith we will strive to do all that He taught. 

I have been a student in this class before but to teach it takes it all onto a different level.

Are you Fat?

NO it's not ME

I was just going to prattle on about me being fat but i thought you might like a few statistic - figures - to look at first.

'The dress size of the average British woman has grown from a size 12 to a size 14 in just over a decade ... bust 36c, waist 28, hips 38 and height 5ft 4in'  The Independent,  26 Jun 2000

'The average British dress size is 16 while the average height is 5'4'' - The daily mail, 5 Feb 2010

'Average measurements in 2009 were 38c - 34 - 40 and even Marks and Spencers had a buy larger manikins.

So are you fat?

Actually i dont know if you are fat but even if according to those statistics you are there is still too much of me. Now i'm not a woman who worries about being stick thin or over weight of how much chocolate i eat on a daily basis but i have come to the conclusion that im just too fat.

So how did i come to this conclusion? How did i decide i was fat?

It wasn't an easy thing to decide. I'm a rounded size 18 but i used to be a lot bigger and i've got used to being this size, it's just me, the way i am. 

So what changed?

(And enough of the excuses.)

In March this year i slipped down a flight of house stairs and yes i was bruised and i ached but i didn't think much else about it. Until one day at work, 8 weeks later, my knee gave way and i had to hobble around for the next two days and since then i've been off sick - that was May.

I now have a diagnosis, although i have mild damage i have severe arthritis. So now i hobble around on two crutches and live on pain killers. For those who want to know what it feels like to have constant pain find the 'Spoon Theory'. Go on put it in Google and up it should come. It's all about choice. If i decide to do one thing will i then have the ability to do the next thing???

So i need to lose all the access weight i have 107lbs to be exact, okay i will let myself keep 7 if necessary. That works out at 7st and 6lbs approx. I need to get fitter, healthier and maybe then i will be able to go back to work.

Are you fat? Instead of answering that question, ask yourself this one - Are you healthy enough to live your life how you want to? If you can honestly answer 'yes' then you're not fat, but are you being honest??

Time

I read a blog the other day by someone who was claiming to write a blog in 15 minutes. He advocated that we set and timer for the alloted time and sit down and write whatever came into our heads. No looking on the internet no doing last minute research, just write.

So here i am just writing. Where are my toughts tonight? Really and truthfully it's on time. We never have enough time, we are always trying to squeeze more and more things into our time so we have no time to even breath let alone find time to eat properly or sleep enough. 

There are things that happen in life that make us realise that we have no control over time. We plan, we scheme, we try our best to climb up that corporate ladder or to be seen in the right social cirlces but yet if we were honest with ourselves we would begin to realise that most of what we think we want would have no value if we were running out of time.

Today i'm giving you all the time you need to tell someone you love them. Give a friend a hug. Write a note to say 'i'm still here and i really do care.' To tell someone thank you. To hold a hand and to say a prayer. Today, this moment is the only one we may get to do these important things for tomorrow is always a day away.

Danielle when you died, time stopped. I can't explain it but for all those who have suffered grief from death of a loved one will know exactly what i mean and the rest, well, you will get your turn. Life is life. We live and then one day we leave it all behind us. For those who go forward there is only life just in a different place for those who stay there is only death. There comes odd moments when you begin to realise that time and life continues around you and although you want to shake every person you pass and make them slow down you know it would be an impossible task. So you continue on your own way, walking a little slower watching the nights turn into to days, the days into weeks and then into months and you just want to get off the carousel of life but you cannot. You must continue to walk in time.

We are all running out of time and there is nothing we can do to stop the clocks from moving forward. In all our planning me must remember to live, to love and to forgive.

I will go where you want me to go dear Lord ...

Mary and Martha Luke 10:38-42

I apologise i've been a bit lazy with my blogging this week. My thoughts are going everywhere and i wanted to say something profound but i'm not kind of person, more like a little mouse. 

In church we sing a hymn called 'I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord' and it goes on 'over moutain or plain or sea; I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord; I'll be what you want me to be.'

People often quote this part of the hymn in talks and add the following - 'I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord, but please don't expect me to go there or do that; 

I'll say what you want me to say dear Lord, but i really can't talk to that person or say that, honest;

I'll be what you me to be dear Lord, but that's just not me and why should i change?

I've just been pondering this hymn for a few days and i've come to the conclusion that i'm following my own thoughts and actions and not those of the Lord's and i really am saying not today, not that, not now. Then His sweet spirit touches my soul and I know His will not mine be done.

Calla lily

By the side of my bed stands a calla lily. My daughter bought me it for my birthday in June. It's beautiful but recently she suffered a slight drought and some of her leaves have turned brown. She is also a little squashed and could do with more room to grow. But she is still beautiful.

God sees us as beautiful wherever we stand, even when our leaves turn a little brown or our hair a little grey and our skin not so smooth any more. But He too wants us to have room to grow. He wants us to be fed daily with the clean pure water of the His words. That we can take off the layers and grow anew.

There are days when the world calls so loudly for our attention that we forget to pause and say good morning to God. Every morning i spend time with God, reading my scriptures, praying and meditating but sometime my heart is only half in it and i feel the pull of the day and the busyness of life. But really i have no excuse for God has given me time to languish while my injured knee heals and i have space has my children are grown and don't need my constant attention any more.

Today languish in God. Soak up his love for you and walk in his ways so you can grow.

On saying - Thank you ...

I'm posting twice today, once on each blog, mainly because yesterday i meant to write on this page but ended up in bed with a migraine from hell. Thankfully although today i am feeling a little fragile i am working towards recovery.

I'm sure like me you have read a post from someone else, thought how amazing it was and maybe even signed up as a follower of that blog. But after a while you forget to say 'thank you' for the kind words that were given, the impact that those words have had on your life. Or maybe even add something to what someone else has said to give words of encouragement and support.

We all become so busy trying to achieve the Gold Star that we forget there are others who would like a Gold Star too. How many Gold Stars would we get if we gave them out freely? I don't know, i really don't, but i do know we alll need words of love and strength and encouragement.

Yesterday in Sunday school i taught about the martydom of Stephen. Called to 'serve tables' (Acts 6:2) yet he was so faithful he served even until the end when he prayed that God would not 'lay this sin at their charge' (Acts 7:60).Can we be that faithful? can we serve like he did? Can we willingly give gratitude where it is deserved?

How many Gold Stars can you give away this week?

Keep Calm for Ladies

I was going to write my blog this morning but as usual when I have a great plan something happens. This morning I had no internet connection. It said I needed to reset the router, which would have been fine if my son wasn’t asleep in the room where the router is and if it hadn’t of been so early.

Yesterday my friend brought me a very late birthday present, well I’m presuming that is what it was as my birthday is actually in June, but i will let her off this time as she does live in Luxembourg. Maybe time is different there? Maybe it is actually June??

Putting all that to one side, it was good just to see her. Part of the gift was a small book titled ‘Keep Calm for Women.’ It’s a little book full of useful/less quotes, some are funny but here are a few of my own when stressed;

      Eat chocolate – i went to see my doctor the other day and apart from him looking about 12, he actually said that women need to eat chocolate, it’s been proven that women benefit from it

      Giggle – find a few girl friends and giggle, boys just don’t giggle

      Don’t believe you can solve everything – you can’t always solve problems on your own so get others in to help when necessary

      Find some space – go to your room and shut the door, sit in garden, go for a stroll, leave the house and find some ME time

      Delegate – we didn’t get the usual dinner last night because it wasn’t my turn but no one starved either

      Buy flowers, or scented candle or something that looks pretty and/or smells nice

      Accept – sometimes we just have to accept that we can’t change what is going on in our lives and only time will tell.

‘It is utterly false and cruelly arbitrary to put all the play and learning into childhood, all the work into middle age, and all the regret into old age.’ Margaret Mead

Love at Home

In an age when the world would see the family and all that it stands for destroyed it is important that we stand strong as one. Family is the greatest blessing we can have. Home is a  harbour from the storms of life and place where we should be able to come to find rest not only for our bodies but also for our souls.

It is important that we show appreciation for that which others do for us. We should give honest compliments, and there is nothing like a hug to show someone else that you are there for them and that you love them.

It is also important that we tell those we care about that we love them. To actually hear the words 'I love you' is heart warming and uplifting. We all have bad days when we feel the world is against us and it's not as if we would like someone else to solve our problems for us, that would be nice, sometimes we just need to know that someone else is listening to us. Someone else cares.

President Monson  'let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey and share our love with friends and family. One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows. Let us not put off what is most important.'

What is most imprtant almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that others know that we love them and therefore forget to say the words. By showing love one to another we will bring heaven closer to our homes and all who dwell there will find peace.

President Monson - 'May we make of our homes sanctuaries to which our family members will ever want to return.'

http://lds.org/liahona/2011/08/love-at-home-counsel-from-our-prophet