What Small Things Do I Need To Attend To?

My gardening in preparation for Spring…

Being more diligent in recording my weekly ponderings…

My Tai Chi discipline… it’s slipped a little lately…

Are three that come to mind.

When and where will I start?

I’ve started…

My seeds haven’t germinated so far!  It’s been a week…  I hope they will – if they’re still viable.

And here I am spending some of my Fabulous Friday time writing down some of my ponderings.

I’ll do my best to continue the weekly FOCUS for the rest of the year…

I wonder what it is for you?

What Helps Me Be Strong?

Sunday Afternoon – May 3^rd 2020 

I was called as the Discovery Ward Relief Society President last Sunday.  
It’s been a week of getting to know what’s changed in Relief Society administration, and finding out about many of our Sisters that I don’t know yet, choosing counsellors and a secretary, proposing them, and making contact with them – two of whom I do not know yet.  
I realized today that if I walked past them in the street, I would not know them.  Sobering…!  
A brave new chapter…  And on we go.  
How will we make meetings happen?  
How will we conduct our business in these circumstances…? 
We’ll find our way…

I’ve always wanted to attend “BYU Women’s Conference.”  
Because of Covid 19 affecting the whole world, this year BYU Women’s Conference was a digital event.  
I got to spend about six hours on Saturday watching the Conference.  
What a spiritual feast!  
I look forward to sharing some of parts of the sessions with those who might be interested as time allows.

We are now on Stage 4 of lock-down.  
I’m not sure what has changed – except that we are all required to wear cloth or other effective face masks when we are out and about for essential shopping and visits to doctors and other essential journeys.  
I’ll find out on a need-to-know basis, or I’ll hear over the radio or internet.  
What a wonderful day to live in!  I’m glad to live now.

This week’s question…  Who helps me be stronger when I need to be?  In what way?

I’ve been thinking a lot about that…

My Heavenly Father helps me be strong when I need to be.

I know I’m His Daughter.   

I’ve made covenants with Him.  I want to keep them. 

I am a Disciple of Jesus Christ.  He helps me be stronger when I need to be.

The more I learn about Him, the more I want to be His Disciple – want to follow Him.

These pictures help me remember to be strong:

  

Prophets, Apostles and those that speak in General Conference help me to be strong.

So have those who have articles printed in the Church magazines.

They help me see what I otherwise might not see.

My husband helps me be stronger when I need to be. 

I have learnt some “street smarts” and to be more realistic, down to earth, from him. 

I’ve learnt lots about how many in the world think, speak and behave from him and his family.

It’s been a truly useful education.

I’m bolder than I would otherwise have been able to be.

My children have helped me be stronger when I’ve needed to be.

I’ve gained insights and experience from these four very different and dearly beloved human beings.

FAMSA and LifeLine have helped me be stronger when I need to be.

I’ve gained deeply valuable information and experience working for them/ with them.

I’ve learnt how to manage, living in this world, speaking in terms they might better understand.

My Tai Chi group helps me be physically stronger than I might otherwise be.

My WeighLess group and leader also motivates me to be strong and helps me manage my weight as well as supportive and encouraging tips like these almost every day.

My beloved family and friends are truly valuable to me. 

Although I don’t see or hear from them often, I know they are there.

They give me honest feed-back.  That’s precious to me.

Now my Relief Society presidency Sisters will also help me be strong when I need to be.

Also my Relief Society Sisters have been a source of valuable learning, a refuge and strength to me through many years.  I’ve learnt a lot, about a lot, from and with them.

I’m reading Paul’s letters in the New Testament at the moment.  He helps me be stronger. 

So does Abraham in the Old Testament, and Jacob, son of Lehi, in the Book of Mormon.

Actually, there are many people I know, and many I don’t personally know, that help me be strong when I need to be.  
Joyce Meyer’s ten or so minutes in the morning on Radio Pulpit has been a great blessing in my life.
Bongi Gwala on SAFM.  
Oh… too many wise ones over these many, many years to remember and mention…  
I’m grateful for those who have lived great lives and accomplished many types of great deeds and shared their experiences.

I just hope I can be strong for my whole life. 

I also know that though I am weak I am strong. 

I also know that my weaknesses can be turned into my strengths.

I’m grateful for those from whom I’ve been able to borrow strength in my years leading to now.
Among them the police, lawyers, doctors, homeopaths, physicians, financial advisors, Bishops, supervisors, professors and others.

What makes me stronger from them all?

I’ve learnt how I want to be, and how I don’t want to be. 

I’ve learnt to be a better woman, wife and mother, in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother.  
I’ve gained vocabulary, and increased comprehension of so much, and increased integrity and maturity!  

I’ve learnt to love more, be more compassionate, patient, understanding, grateful, balanced, imperturbable, confident, genuine, peaceful, temperate, open, happy and cooperative than I used to be able to be. 

I’ve learnt to mind my own business more. 

I’ve learnt to let other people take care of their own business more. 

I’ve learnt to be healthier than I used to be able to be. 

I’ve learnt to enjoy my every-day life more than I used to be able to. 

I’ve learnt what is fun for me.

I’ve learnt to respect myself and others more. 

I’ve learnt to be a better home-maker and property-owner than I used to be able to be.

I’ve learnt to be a better citizen than I used to be able to be.

I love that, imperfect though each one of us is, we can learn, live and, love together. 

I love that I’ve learnt to set reasonable limits for myself and others too.

I’m glad I learnt about

Firm, Fair and Friendly;

Guide, Protect and Bless;

Verbal, Vocal and Visual;

Submissive, Aggressive and Assertive;

Persecutor, Rescuer and Victim;

Problem-solving, Appropriate and Flexible;

Green, Yellow and Red;

Correlate, Reduce and Simplify.

And many more!!!

What a journey I’m on! 

I’m glad I’m making it. 

I’m learning to be myself. 

I’m glad to be who and where I am at the moment.

I’m glad to get to know each of you better too. 

Onward, ever onward… Stronger, ever stronger… Always sufficient for our needs.

Carry on carry on, carry on – as long as I am able and well as I’m able… mind, body and spirit.

This from off my fridge...

Healing...

Wednesday afternoon – 8^th April 2020 –

Patrick and Angela’s 26^th Anniversary.

Happy Anniversary!

Some of My Thoughts on Healing…

I savored the General Conference this past weekend.  I feel spiritually pointed in the right direction again, refreshed.  I made my notes in one of my notebooks whilst thoughtfully listening to the prayers, talks and music.  I love our church music.  My notes will help me remember what made an impression on me.  I’m grateful for the technology available to me – and what I know about it!

And now about “worldly/physical” healing that has struck me anew:

Each night (almost,) since I came across the Addiction Recovery Program material in 2006, I have taken the time to read a paragraph or two before I go to bed.  When I finish one reading through, I start again.  At times I have attended Addiction Recovery meetings. 

ChurchofJesusChrist.org - type in Addiction Recovery in the search box.

Sometime along my life-journey I became aware that I am one of the ones who is at high risk of developing an addiction, or multiple addictions.  These are the typical characteristics to look out for.  The more of these one relates to, the riskier it is that one might accidentally or intentionally slip, slide, be curious, want to please, or fall headlong into some addiction or another:

·       Related to others who have developed addiction

·       Experiencing other mental health disorders

·       Adventurous and risk-taking

·       Disconnected and cautious

·       Obsessive and compulsive

·       Apathetic

·       Unable to self-regulate

For the record:  One can become addicted to substances, behaviours, thinking patterns, ways or responding, moods, and people that harm/sabotage oneself, others, relationships, society, animals or property.   Maybe more could be added to this list?  Anyway, as I understand it these days, the characteristics of addiction are - one loses perspective and a sense of priorities.  One experiences powerful physical, psychological and emotional cravings.  One habitually serves wrong/irrational/ illegal impulses and/or compulsions.  One slides to where one simply can no longer realise consequences, think straight and/or make one’s own choices – either short-term or long term.  

Of course there are degrees along the continuum's here…  I'm still learning...

Last night I was reading in the second step material in the section about Hope.  As I pondered the principle and re-read my answers from before, and what I have added in the 14 years in between, I became acutely aware of degrees of healing that have taken place in me through the years.  Little bits of almost daily “thinking on these things” have brought me greater personal peace, power and contentment.  Most days I am happy for most of the day.  When I’m not, I know better how to give myself a break, and go and find my balance and sane thinking.  I loved the “delicious” ideas that came into my head when I heard “When you have lost your temper, go away and find it.”

Another leap in my physical healing journey was coming across the book "Fit for Life."  I experienced after following the principles that instead of regularly sleeping 4 to 5 hours a night I was peacefully sleeping 7 and 8 hours a night.  My physical health improved dramatically.  I later came across South Africa's "Natural Way" authored by Mary-Ann Shearer.  I was able to attend a symposium in which she presented.  I now follow the Natural Way most of the time.  I am stably healthy.

I’m also grateful for putting certain righteous routines into my life.  I think living “in the world,” as we do, needs us to take advantage of, and use, the best resources developed by the world to deal with the problems that arise for us in the world, and I think our physical bodies are part of that.  I came to the conclusion some time in my mid adulthood that I was “so concentrated on heavenly things and was not of much earthly use.”  Not to myself, and not to most others either.    (By the way, I think our finances are also part of “this world.”  So are our properties I think, the places and spaces we live in.  Now that I think about it, so is the “work” we do, and the technology and media we use, as well as the furnishings, vehicles, clothes and makeup we think are so important.)  How much is sufficient for our needs?  How much betrays and distracts us from more important things – for now, for here – wherever we are right now?  

I belonged for many years to a WeightWatchers group (no more in SA.)  When WeightWatchers left the country I thought I could/would just “do it on my own.”  That lasted two months, and I knew I was rationalizing again, bluffing myself.  I joined WeighLess, a South African version of WeightWatchers.  I go every week.  I think WeighLess is a better programme than WeightWatchers, though I don’t much care for the name.   I also belong to a Tai Chi group.  I do at least one Tai Chi routine a week. It’s a relief to just surrender myself to being in the group and being accountable every week – and learning more too.  I’m grateful for the two group leaders and members.

I am very grateful for these, and my other righteous routines and holy habits I have put in place in my daily life.  With our  covid 19 lock-down now, the two group leaders are most diligent in checking in with those of us who belong to the two groups.  

What healing have you experienced in your life to this point?

Who, or what, might help you along your way?

Some good food for thought I think…

I love you!

Mom / Judy / Gran Judy

I love these Morning Glory flowers… but I do not want them in my garden!  They are a nuisance, they run rampant.  They are too much work for me.  So I take them out, wherever I find them. I saw these stragglers this morning.  I went out and plucked them, enjoyed their beauty, photographed them and put them in the compost. Near the Botanic Garden there is a piece of fence ablaze with Morning Glories!    I enjoy them as I drive past.

Reconciliation

Tuesday evening March 17^th 2020 midnight

You are all much in my thoughts this evening.
I am wide awake...

Sigh… How much has changed in one week!

We are in a stage of national lock-down here.

How are you doing with the corona virus pandemic?

It doesn’t really affect me much personally.

I’m loading with fresh fruit and vegetables – more than usual.

I believe this will bolster my immune system.

I’m fairly assured this will pass me by.

I still do the odd shopping when I need to.

I still have a lot of gardening and sorting out to do.

This gives me time to do it, and more incentive.

Our Tai Chi group in the Botanic Garden is 11 people,

and in the open air, so we went ahead this morning -

being sure to keep our reasonable distance from each other.

I love being there.  It’s part of my weekly refuge that enables me

to be human when I’m with other people at other times.

World-wide church meetings are suspended until further notice.

On Sunday we gathered at Erene’s home for a family sacrament meeting.

12 of us.  Doug, Nadia and three, her sister Kayla and husband,

Erene, Roisin (Nadia’s sister) and Erene’s mother, and the two of us.

It was a lovely personal experience.

Earlier in the day Glenn and I had our Sunday School discussion with each other.

This is the A4 poster I made in relation to Jacob 2 – our reading for this past week. 

And on we go – into this new week!

I think of you every day – and pray for you.  That’s what I do…

My roses are blooming gloriously this week!

An extra reason to think of you all – as though I need it…  I don’t.

I’m sufficiently reconciled and at peace with my circumstances of this time…

It’s all interesting actually.

Who would have ever thought…!

Sleep well.

I hope to now...

“Dream of me and you’ll have happy dreams.”

I'll dream of you and have happy dreams.

Love

Mom / Judy

In my on-going sorting out I found some of the big posters I have made… 

(Type in  "Posters" in the search-bar if you're interested)
(Or... here they are in the previous recent posts.)

I enjoyed making them, and I enjoyed seeing them again…

After the big ones I went to making small A4 ones that would fit in my journals.

Sunday Afternoon - January 19th 2020 - My Search Continues...

My Daily Search for … Continues…

What am I searching for…?

When I was a new family and marriage counsellor I had a young client.

She came out to South Africa from Holland? Germany? and found herself

in a complex situation she could hardly have imagined.

She looked at me earnestly and said “All I want is a nice quiet life…”

We worked together to deal with her newly realised reality.

I’ve pondered her words lots in the intervening 30+ years.

“Yes.  That’s what I want too.” I remember thinking at the time.

“ And now I have the words to express my deepest desire.  Thank you!”

In some respects my life is not what others would call “quiet…”

What then does “quiet” mean to me?

Sufficient harmony within myself and with those I live and work with.

And I have that most times these days...

I conserve and nurture my goodwill with myself and with particularly these others. 

I create the peacefulness I need, within myself, and around me every day.

I heard someone talk recently about important “holy habits” and “righteous routines.”

I have developed what works for me and gives me pleasure.

Tai Chi every week is important to me.

It helps me be physically and mentally more peaceful.

I found my Tai Chi group I used to belong to at the Botanic Gardens this week!

They meet an hour earlier!

That’s why I have missed them since we got home!

Happy Day!

Steve, one of the leaders, said “I can see you did Tai Chi while you were in KZN…”

Indeed, I did, every week.  Sometimes on the beach, sometimes in the garden,

sometimes in our apartment, sometimes on our West balcony.

One of my righteous routines…

The group has progressed to level 4.  I am well-schooled in levels 1 and 2.

On Tuesday I was delightfully clumsy in the next two levels!

I giggled and giggled as I tried my best to follow.

As you know I have difficult with my left and my right.

So when Lynda said “drop your left hand and circle your right” it was

a significant mental feat for me to follow her…

There’s a child-likeness to not knowing that is very blissful for me.

Another righteous routine is a bath in the afternoon.

It helps me physically and gives me a good soak.  “Relax.  Unwind.  Soak.”

Oh yeah…!  Thank you Dianne for “Relax. Unwind!”

She has those words on her bathroom wall.

What are you searching for, reaching for?

How’s your search going?

Some searches take a life-time… and beyond…

“A happy life must be, to a great extent, a quiet life – for it is only in

an atmosphere of quiet that true joy can live.”

Bertrand Russell said in “Boredom and Excitement” –

(Reader’s Digest – How To Live With Life, p 219 “Slow Down - and Live.”

May we all prosper in the deepest meanings of the word this 2020.

Love

Mom / Judy

Yep... it was chilly enough - in January! to wear a cardigan on Sunday.

PS We began functioning as Young Single Adult advisors…

A Whole New Learning Curve for Us!

Working together… that is a new one…

We’re good at parallel work… Now we’ll get to working on companion work…

Here’s hoping… 

I liked these companion sculptures at

The newish Cradlestone Mall Muldersdrift, near Krugersdorp.

A Change of Routine

 I had not the time to go to the Botanic Garden for Tai Chi this week.

I drove to our chapel grounds, walked around, selected a spot and did my Tai Chi routine.

Then I had a call I was expecting from Doug to go to Florida and do some business.

 

Tot siens chapel grounds... my time here was refreshing.

 

 

I fetched Doug at his new house.

Plumbing underway...

Ishmael, Doug and Dom.

The new bathroom to be in the second unit...

This screeding done in unit one, ready for floor.

Second unit work underway.

Dom and Cindy are due to move into the second unit at the end of the month.

The floor taken out in a pile to be carted away/used as firewood?

Day by day each life is built - Doug's life and mine - and yours too.

 

We went off to the Bank.

They were off-line for an hour and the Bank was locked-down.

One of the Customer Services people was at the door about to go into the Bank.

We explained our situation and got

personal attention outside the door of the Bank!

 

I walked away thinking... "Another Tender Mercy..."

I feel cared-for, cared-about - blessed, again. 

Busy Tuesday...

The veld ready for fires...

 

A sacred pause.

I walked to the waterfall.

Dark and rugged path.

 

A pause for Tai Chi. 

A touch of Autumn.

In Autumn and Winter the succulents come into their own.

 

Now this is really growing where you find yourself...

The roots make their way amongst the rocks.

Wonderful textures and colours.

And back to the other lushness.

Hey... I'd love a bench like this in my garden!

 

And as I leave the glorious Barbeton Daisies are blooming.

As we walked to Cabryn's 10th birthday supper on the 10th March

I looked back at the progress on the patio project.

Doug, Nadia and family,

Erene and Kayla, Vi, Glenn and I.

Dom and Cindy arrived later.

10 candles!

A full and happy day.