Little Things

Sometimes on the grey days and the black days,
we are prone to focus on the darkness.
But it is far better to look at the shoots and the stars.
Those little stars in the bleak blackness.

A call from a friend.
A walk with the dog.
A good book that makes you laugh.

All of these are can lift the weight off you.
Each little thing helps.
They don't have to be complex.

A hug rather than a worried look.
A small task completed for you.
A meal made for you.

Just little things, but they make life worth continuing.
Every little sensation.
A taste. A touch. A feel. A smell.

Thank You God for all the little things.
For even when there is darkness all around...
I will choose to fix my eyes upon the little things.
Starting with a breath and ending with a poem.

Dogs

They are a unique species. 

No animal comes in so many varieties. 

From the St Bernard to the scruffy Mutt, 

to the little Jack Russell, each has its own personality.

They each possess so many abilities. 

Police dog, companion, Blind dog, 

specifically trained therapy dogs for PTSD, 

Epilepsy, and even those who help people with CP (Cerebral Palsy),

 to maintain their balance.  

It's been said that even looking into a dog's eyes

 can generate oxytocin- happiness. 

Dogs can calm, exercise, reduce anxiety and depression, 

give you a reason to look after yourself, 

reassure you that they adore you, no matter how bad things get,

or how many times you may fail.

Dogs make our lives better. Thank you God for dogs.

To my sister, who challenges me with love.

Comprehension

People are afraid of what they do not understand.

Some even avoid the unknown-

People that look and act differently to what they consider 'normal'

Music, listening to other languages, music, cultures, and accents and pronunciations, 

that they cannot understand, and so don't begin to make the attempt. 

Some time ago I became aware that I did this too. 

I then set myself a challenge to try the things that scared me. 

Try new things, talking to people different from me, 

embracing and acknowledging new ideas. 

I joined a Gaelic Choir, began to learn sign language and 

had more in-depth conversations with my sister (a Geologist). 

Doing these things has taught me that not understanding something 
can in fact be invigorating. 

There are two reactions- to wonder, say this is amazing, yet then just walk away.

Or to admire and to get inspired to discover more

about the astounding world we live in.

I once did only the former, now I rejoice in continuously doing the latter. 

Because I believe that we need to do a little of each, a little salt, a little pepper. 

We must investigate to marvel; to become lost in our admiration of, 

what I consider to be, God's intriguing and intricate creation.  

To rejoice in every sensation, uncovering each pattern within.

Now I challenge you readers, grow with me as human beings. 

As a tree sprouting new leaves from its nodes,

letting them develop into leaves, and from leaves to form branches. 

Go on... try something new, do something that scares you, allow yourselves to 

look beyond your own personal understanding. It may just be worth it.

Perhaps together we can create something unique.  

Diversity might then cease to make us tremble. 

Be brave... share with me in my delight. 

Emotions

There are times when I’ve yearned for my emotions to simply cease.

But what would that look like? After contemplating the question, I resolved that if we eradicated all feelings… grief, loneliness, comfort, jealously, satisfaction, affection, joy, hatred, compassion, envy, anxiety, dispiar, anger, shame, joy…

Leaving them all behind would destroy our motivation, empathy and sense of purpose.

We need to feel. If we became entirely apathetic we could not feel for others. Never having experienced, and therefore not able to understand, where the other person is and how they are feeling.

It is deeply encouraging to me to know that Jesus knew how painful it can be to live in this world
- but he came regardless.

He came so that we might not endure the estrangement, but the adoption.

So that we may know the happiness amongst the grief. The colour against the black.

For what we did not earn he gave in abundance. He gave his grace. 

A treasure that will never spoil or fade.

Now when emotions make strong attempts to overwhelm me, I will recall him who triumphs.

I will put on the armour of God as I prepare for battle. As I march out surrounded by other Christians, I will remember that I do not struggle alone. With the support of my brothers and sisters, I am not alone. None of us are, God is with us…  Always.

The Eye of the Storm

I've been learning to fully appreciate moments.

In all the chaos, I pause, experiencing the calm in the midst of the storm.

Noticing the breeze and how it moves through everything.

The trees sway and their leaves rustle. 

The clouds float across the sky and shapes form, change and dissipate. 

The birds are guided by the pressure and direction of the wind. 

Time ticks on , yet still I sit, absorbing and valuing each moment.

My eyes continue to scan the landscape. 

The colours of the grass, fading from vivid green to dusty brown.

The varying colours of  tree trunks
-grey, red, blue, silver, merging with the brown. 

The shade, making colours darker and richer.

The sun, making colours brighter and lighter.

Making dappled sunlight fascinating.

Looking up at the sun as it sets,

It draws the eye along with the blues, purples, pinks, oranges, and yellows.

It eventually gives way to deep purple, blue of the sky, and silver of the moon and stars. 

To think that God created all things, just using words.

But I know my words cannot truly express what the eye can see and the heart can feel.

So I would urge everyone to pause and fully appreciate moments.

To find the calm in the midst of the storm. 

  

Memory

I can hurt
I can fade.
I can make you want to hide.

When you think over things said and unsaid.
When you think about what you have and have not done.
When you think on all things past and future.

I am memory.
I will not go away.
I am not entirely bad.

Some instances, you may recall,
are not just there to drive you up the wall.
Some make you smile and laugh and stand tall.

Although you may recoil and avoid
the recollections that you wish to forget and ignore.
Allow me to point to the times you have endured and had faith.

In all things faith and hope can be clung to.
In all circumstances you can be still and know that God is God.
In all things God works for the good of those who love him.

Rest and remember the merciful God who loves you regardless.
Rest and remember that through all your emotions he is with you.
Rest and remember that when you do not love yourself...

God always has and always will.

The Future

I used to dwell on  the past.

It was eating me up inside.

I was tired to the bone.

Then I turned to God.

To the God who loves me, cares for me and helps me grow. 

The Lord my God who has helped me time and time again, helped me to recover. 

Now I can look to the future without apprehension.

Now I pray that my Father will make me more and more the women that he wants me to be.

Now I am free to learn from my past, live in the present and look to the future. 

Matthew 6:26 and 27

"Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. 

They don't even store grain in barns. 

Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them.

 Aren't you worth much more than birds? 

Can worry make you live longer?"