Finding joy in the everyday

There are very few things in life that are free — or it can certainly feel that way? Day-to-day living is pretty expensive and most people are fed up with always handing out money — bills seem to be going up, the price of food, clothing, utilities, all those extra charges and taxes. Once $50 could last ages in one's wallet, now it can go in a few moments at the supermarket with very little in return. It can all get very depressing.  But, there are many things that are free but sometimes we forget about them. So here is a list to remind us all of the many wonderful things in life that are as free as a bird and are waiting for us to enjoy. Some of these things may not seem to be very important — quite trivial but without them, our lives would not be as rich or as joyful.  So the next time you feel weighed down with all those bills, remember the long list of things that are free that will bring happiness and joy to your day. The bible A glorious sunrise ...

After the hustle and bustle of daily life, f or me, ending the day quietly and peacefully is very important.  My husband and I usually go to bed at around 9:30 these days and for the next hour or so I read (my husband likes to go to sleep). There is nothing nicer than being all cosy in bed at the end of the day reading quietly (perhaps with a mug of hot chocolate on the bed stand).  The house is perfectly still, even the cats are resting, dogs are asleep and there is complete calmness.  I couldn't think of better way to end each day. I usually have two books on the go — one is a novel or perhaps something non-fiction and the other is my daily Christian reading. In the evening I read my novel for a short time then switch to my daily devotional/bible reading and my journal writing (which includes my daily “thankfulness” list). Following this, I usually read a chapter from my Christian reading pile — at present its Plenty for Everyone by Corrie Ten B...

If I had my life to live over by Erma Bombeck If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life. I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband. I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the ...

The smile on my face doesn't mean  my life is perfect.  It means I appreciate what  I have and what God  has blessed me with. Life doesn't always go the way you want it to. But its so important to not regret what you haven't got, but instead rejoice at what you have. Blessings xxxx

The East End of London, 1939 ( source ) Too many bloggers bemoan the school system, how bad the government is, how society is slipping into quagmire, the size of the debt and the list goes on.  Some of this is true, but to a non-Christian, it comes across as a lot of unhappiness and complaining.  We need to start looking around for what is good, at people who are doing wonderful things, the kindness, the gentleness, the beauty that can be found. Being positive. Constantly finding fault in society (blaming the government for everything) is not healthy or productive and its depressing. We are told in the bible to " rejoice ", but many a blog I visit is anything but rejoicing.  I have just finished reading " Call the Midwife " by Jennifer Worth.  Some of you may have seen the series on TV (which was excellent), but the book is even better and I would highly recommend it. Jennifer was a midwife in the 1950's working in the East End of London. The East End h...

Earlier this month I posted an story on a Gratitude Jar - filling up a jar with notes about the good things that happen. I have decided to do this slighty differently by using a dairy and record each day one thing that I am grateful for or feel blessed about. I thought I would share some of these with you throughout the year. *** Only 1% of China’s urban population is breathing air considered clean by European Union standards.  According to the World Bank, about 375 000 people a year die prematurely because of air quality and another 60 000 die as a result of unclean drinking water. The Chinese government is spending $290 Billion to help improve the pollution over their skies.  ( Source: New Scientist, Dec 15, 2012) It is with these sorts of statistics that I looking out of my window and thank the Lord for living in a location that has clean fresh air (all the time), where my drinking water is not polluted and is not over populated.  We often don’t reali...