Loss of the brave

When I woke up this morning I received some sad news which not only shocked me but greatly upset me too. For months now I have been following the story of a brave young girl called Claudia who had been diagnosed at five with a brain tumor and was given just weeks to live. That was three years ago and she managed to defy the odds. It was a sad and yet beautiful story to follow. Her parents shared her high and low points along with their own. The tide appeared to be turning for them a few days ago when they managed to purchase a new house, one which would suit Claudia better. Unfortunately the lull in the storm finally broke for them and sadly last night Claudia passed away in her sleep. I can not imagine the grief and pain that her parents must be feeling. I can't imagine the agony that is overwhelming them right now. Claudia's fight was courageous and I know that her family, while heartbroken, will be extremely proud of her. I am in no doubt that Claudia is in the arms of her saviour right now but I can't help by thinking about her family. The sting of death it seems is reserved for those left behind. 

Claudia and her family are the type of people I would class as brave. 

I can only hope that The Lord will comfort them during this time. Their lives will never be the same again but I hope that one day they manage to find peace. 

Faith is a wonderful thing but sometimes I wonder if there are some things it simply can not fix. 

Baking and making

Baking and making are without a doubt two of my most favourite things! It might be because I love to eat and baking supplies me with a steady stream of treats to satisfy my sugar cravings! I also like pretty things and making stuff allows me to fill my home with pretty things to look at.  I also get a sense of satisfaction when I have finished either a baking or making project. I'm pretty sure this is because there is nothing I really excel at in life, my talents are neither in your face or hidden they just don't exist! So when I have created something by myself I do feel a tiny little bit of pride.

This week I got myself into a creating mood! With Christmas fast approaching (It's scary I know) I decided to attempt a ribbon wreath!! I couldn't find a tutorial for the one I wanted to make but being a resourceful mormon girl (and also a girl who is really bad at following instruction and recipes and tends to just make them up as she goes along anyway) I set about making it the way I thought it should be done. 

After raiding my craft supplies and finding the huge amounts of pretty ribbons I have stashed over the years (almost like a secret hoarder) I set about making it!! It only took me about an hour and a half and it was done and even I have to say it looked pretty good!!!!! 

I think by the time Christmas rolls around Santa might struggle to get down my chimney due to the amount of wreaths that will no doubt be surrounding my house!! 

Finding joy in the journey

Over the past month I have realised that sometimes life sucks! Sometimes life can seem unfair, rubbish and dark. It can make us sad and grumpy and deeply unhappy. The darkness can overwhelm us. We become so weighed down by the negativities that we can no longer see the positives. We fail to see a way out of the darkness. We lose sight of who we are and where we are going. We lose our eternal perspective. Just recently I have learned that it is so important during the darker times to remember that these trials and hardships,this darkness is only temporary! We are almost conditioned as human beings to face moments of weakness and darkness and to feel lost but we need to remember that Heavenly Father will light up that darkness, he will lead us home if we let him but we have to keep going. Spiritual lightness rarely comes to those who are sitting in the dark. We have to keep moving and eventually we will find that light. There are opposites to everything. The scriptures tell us this is true. That means that there is an opposite to the sadness and darkness. There is joy and light. Eventually, no matter how long or dark the tunnel is The Lord will lead us to the light at the end of it. We just have to keep moving and trusting in him. 

The truth is that light that we so desperately need in those moments of darkness are all around us we just fail to see the . The kind acts of others, this beautiful world we live in, the creatures GOd has made, the opportunities we have to feel the rain on our skin and the wind in our face. Those things we often complain about and choose to view as a negative experience in our lives should actually be a positive. There are many people in this world who do not get to experience those blessings. I complain all the time about different things, especially the weather but one after some serious contemplating I know that I am blessed to be able to experience all four seasons. When we begin to turn the negative into the positive and choose to look at life and the world from a different perspective the light we are searching for will be switched on. It will illuminate the darkness that we feel. Where there is sadness there is also joy. We just need to find it, embrace it and enjoy it! 

Find joy in the journey because life is meant to be enjoyed and not endured. 

Smile, be happy, you are exactly where you're supposed to be.