Sabbath Day Scribblings - He Can Provide

"Throughout our lives, whether in times of darkness, challenge, sorrow, or sin, 

we may feel the Holy Ghost 

reminding us that we are truly sons and daughters of a caring Heavenly Father, 

who loves us, and we may hunger for the sacred blessings that only He can provide."

—Robert D. Hales

Five Minute Friday - In-Between

It's Friday again, my favorite time of the week in more ways than one!  Got five minutes? Let’s write. Let’s make our words count.

Let’s just write and not worry if it’s just right or not. Here are some simple rules to play along:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat, no stopping, no going back.
2. Link back over at Lisa Jo's place and invite others to join in.
3. Go leave some comments for the five minute artist who linked up before you.

It’s a great way to catch your breath at the end of a long week.

OK, are you ready? Let’s see your best five minutes for the prompt:

In between

GO

In between yesterday and today is an entire lifetime.  Moments filled with happiness and sadness, joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure.  Moments that become memories.  Moments of regret and moments of pure love.   In between then and now is an entire world of anguish and the overcoming of it.  In Between is where I seem to live most of the time.  In between one heartache, and the next, I learn to live.  I learn to hope.  I learn to have faith and I learn to trust.  I learn that there are great lessons to be had in the fragile moments that we call life.  I learn that with the bad, comes blessings I never thought I would find.  In between is so much love that I am in awe and in grace.  In between every moment, I find Him.  Often in the darkest places, shines forth the brightest light.  His Light, His life, His Redeeming Love.  Life breezes by so fast that soon the in between times are yesterday and I am zooming ahead into the future of His dreams for me.

STOP

OK, now it is your turn.  What can you share in your own five minutes?  
Don't forget to link back with the rest of us over at Lisa Jo's.  
Hope to see you there!

We Are Not Perfect

"None of us is perfect.  I know of no one who would profess to be so.  And yet, for some reason, despite our own imperfections, 

we have a tendency to point out those of others.  

We make judgements concerning their actions or inactions".  Thomas S. Monson

Why do people have to do that?  I have a board at work that I write a quote on every day of the week.  I have people who love to read the quotes and love to bring me some when they find a good one.  I have been doing it for seven years, but I always make it a point to spell things exactly how they are quoted.  Depending on who said it, that might mean that the word is spelled differently than it is today. 
There are days when I want to respell the words, misquoted or not!  Especially when I have people who are so happy to point out the fact that I can't spell. 
This is just a small example of judgement.  There are so many more.  I try my best not to be guilty of it, but I know I am not always right.  I have met so many people lately who are scarey looking when you first met them (tatoos, large piercings everywhere, dreadlocks,ect), but when you get to know them, they are really just like me.  They are kind and good and just trying to do the best they can with what they know. 
It can be so easy to judge people because of appearances or "habits" instead of because of who they really are. 
We have been through a lot, having a daughter with tourettes.  It can be hard when she does things that aren't "normal" to those who don't know her.  But, after arguing with the school and fighting for her rights, this year she has really started to blossom.  She made a 3.8 grade adverage for the first time in four years. She always made straight A's until the tourettes decided to manifest.  She is a very concientious girl.  She worked hard to be good at school.  Then tourettes messed with her focus and her concentration.  She went from all A's to D's. 
It has been a rough four years and the school was trying to tell us that it was her own fault.  They have even told me that it is my fault that she gets bad grades.  So, after fighting, they finally gave her a 504 plan and all of the sudden, she has A's again.  She feels like people finally believe her.  It is amazing how much changing happened when she stopped being judged and started being supported. 
I have learned a lesson from all of this.  Every single human being needs to be encouraged and supported, no matter what we might think their problem is.  Especially if there is a problem.  Especially if they are struggling.  Sometimes, we just need to know that we are cared for and loved.  We can change the world of someone just by letting them know that they are needed and wanted and loved. 

Looking is Common, Seeing is Rare

"Eyes that look are common; 

eyes that see are rare."  

J. Oswald Sanders

We all have times when we just look.  We observe without really seeing.  A glance, a moment, but we are not really paying attention.  Time passes and we miss the things that just might be important.  All the little things get swallowed in the minute moments.  To "look" is to see the obvious; to really "see" is to wonder, inquire, and understand at a deep level, it is to make connections to people and things and to even change the world around us.  To really see is to understand that we all have to power to change for the better.  Sometimes people look at the common as interesting and uncommon.  Others see the situations around them from very unique perspectives.  As we begin to see, observe, and study the small details of objects or situations, we will start to notice things differently.  We will start to see the uniqueness that surrounds us.  We just need to slow down and observe.  The journey begins with how each of us chooses to see.

“We come to love not by finding a perfect person, 

but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly”

Sam Keen

Being On the Fast Track to Nowhere!

"There is more to life, than increasing it's speed". 

Sometimes, I think that I never really understood that.  I had to become a Grandparent to see how much they really needed me.  Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love my children.  I have grown up ones and I still have ones at home.  The ones at home usually need me more right now, but that will change.  

All my life, I had to worry about paying the bills.  Where the money was going to come from for the little extras that all kids need.  I worked three different jobs at one time.  One for the Post Office, One delivering newspapers every night with the kids sort of taking turns.  And one job on the weekends shooting weddings and doing outdoor photography.  I used to take one of the kids along to carry the bag.  

All in all, I did my best.  I do think they know that they are loved so much.  But if I could go back and change things, it would be simply to spend more time with them.  To be where they needed me to be every single time.  

Believe me, I have been to football and basketball and track and music and singing with them, but there were always things that I could have done better.  I wish just once, that I could have been a chaperone on a field trip with them.  That I could have been home when they walked in the door.  I really wish that we could have slept through the night and not had to get up at 1:00 to go throw papers.  

The speed of my life has always been fast and busy.  I am not sure that I even know how to slow down.  I suspect that day is coming and that it will happen.  

I just want you to know that there is so much joy in life.  We experience less of it when we are so intent in increasing it's speed.  So, just for a moment today, stop and enjoy the journey.  Whatever part you are in, or wherever you may be on your own road.  Take a second and just enjoy your life.  Believe me, tomorrow it WILL change.  

“It is good to have an end to journey toward, 

but it is the journey that matters in the end.” 

~Ursula K. Le Guin~

Today, I needed to laugh

Laughter is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life. 

I saw this one today and had a good laugh.  When I went to visit my daughters a couple of months ago, I played the alphabet game with the grand-daughters on our way to Kansas.  I have to admit, some letters are so much harder to find!  I could have really used a sign like this when the going got tough.  

I am not always good about laughing.  Life can seem pretty serious to me on a regular basis.  I forget to just enjoy it every once in awhile.  I really think that I need to learn to laugh a little more at myself and take things just a little less seriously.  I need to quit wishing for things to be clear and helpful and trust that they will become that way as time goes on.  I will be able to find the Q's, X's, Y's and Z's that I need.  And a little laughter will go a long way toward making it a fun journey.  May we each find a little more joy in our day to day existance.  

Sabbath Day Scribblings - Family is Everything

"As you center your home on the Savior, it will naturally become a refuge not only to your own family but also to friends who live in more difficult circumstances. They will be drawn to the serenity they feel there. Welcome such friends into your home. They will blossom in that Christ-centered environment."

—Richard G. Scott, "For Peace at Home"

"Kneel down to pray. Step up to serve. 

Reach out to rescue. Each is a vital page of God's blueprint to make a house a home and a home a heaven."

—Thomas S. Monson, "Heavenly Homes, Forever Families"

Gratitude Brings Peace

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."  Melody Beattie

My first thanksgiving as a mother and a wife,  found us very poor.  Living on a meager serviceman's salary, made making the ends meet, nearly impossible.  We weren't in military housing yet, and so were renting a small house off base.  There was just enough food in the pantry to make it paycheck to paycheck.  Thanksgiving came and it was right before a payday, so there was very little to eat in the house.  The only meat we could find were fish sticks frozen in the freezer.  We used those for our turkey, and made some homemade french fries with some canned peaches for dessert.  It wasn't the best Thanksgiving meal that I have ever had, but it was one of the most memorable.  I know I cried before dinner.  I was so discouraged.  I didn't cook well even if we would have had the right materials for dinner, but I learned an amazing lesson.
No matter what our circumstances from moment to moment, there is something to be thankful for.  Over the years, I remember the fish sticks instead of turkey, with much gratitude.  We laughed, we played cards, we played with the baby, and we enjoyed our very first Thanksgiving.  Fish sticks and all.
I have learned that we all could benefit greatly from the results of gratitude in our lives.  So, why don't we commit to a practice of being grateful on a daily basis.  Did you know that it takes a multiple number of positive comments to erase one negative comment in our daily interaction?  Let us consciously dress ourselves in gratefulness every morning as we get ready to begin a new day.  Living a life of gratitude carries a sense of peace and bliss, a sense of fulfillment, a sense a enough.    

Five Minute Friday - Rhythm

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back over here at Lisa Jo's and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on the word:::

Rhythm…

GO

Rhythm, "any regular recurring symmetry” generally means a “movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions”.


I love the fact that rhythm is both strong and weak elements. Much like my life is a rhythm of up and down, back and forth, good and bad. I am surrounded, moved and comforted by rhythm. I see the pattern of weak things becoming strong. I see that there is a time and a need for both in our lives. I see moments and movements and family. So much rhythm is in family. There are times when we are sick and also times when we are well. Times when we hurt and times when we heal. There are ways that we are opposite and ways that we are similar. There is always so little time to love and yet so much time when love is needed. The rhythm of family starts with a dance of two people learning to love. In my own life, a sweet baby was held tightly in the movement of togetherness. I found myself rocking the baby to and fro and back and forth. Sometimes starting and stopping and starting again. Then I added a few more children to our rhythm to make the dance grow in numbers and in motion. My rhythm is always changing, one step, one moment, one verse at a time. The movement of babyhood changes to the carol of the toddler, then to the chorus of the child and the symphony of the teenager. Always the rhythm keeps us going and helps us to balance. The tide of rhythm is constantly moving, out and in, the waves sometimes soothing and sometimes in the surge of a storm. Everyone is different. Every family is different, yet each holds within their hearts the rhythm of eternity, the music of love. One sonata at a time.

STOP
Now it is your turn.  What can you write in just five minutes?  Don't forget to go visit Lisa Jo's Place and link you with the rest of us.  I hope to see you there!

Charity

"Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down.  It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily.  It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings.  It is accepting people as they truly are.  It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time.  It is resisting the impulse to categorize others".  Thomas S. Monson

I taught the lesson on Charity this past week at church.  I learned a lot during that short time.  How many of us have ever said, or heard someone else say, "I don't take charity!"  I know that I have.  Yet, after this lesson, I think we need to realize exactly what charity is.  It is not something for nothing.  It is the pure Love of Christ.  So, if we don't take charity, does that mean we don't want to take His Love into our lives? 
If we don't accept service from others from time to time, does that mean we don't accept His Love?
We all need to serve.  We need to become more like Him.  We we don't allow others to help and serve, I am starting to think that we stop their progression as well as our own.
There is a difference between charity and getting something for nothing.  Charity is given and done in love.  The something for nothing principle is given because it is owed.
The only debt we owe is the one to Him for all that He has done for us.  For our lives, our chances, for our eternal being.  We owe Him everything that we are or hope to be.  I want to become more like Him.  Instead of thinking of charity as something shameful, maybe we should think about it as something that brings us all a little closer to His love.
And isn't that really why we are here in the first place?

“In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it's wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.” 

~Elizabeth Gilbert~

My "To Do" List

"What really matters in life, 

is rarely on my daily *to do* list!"

Oh my gosh!  This one is so true.  We all have choices every single day.  We each have the same amount of hours, but different responsibilities.  No matter what we decide, there are consequences for our actions.  Sometimes those are good and sometimes, well, not so much.  

As I am getting older, I am learning that the things that matter most are rarely the ones we think need doing right this minute.  But when we put them off, and put them off, and put them off.....

Soon time has flown and the things that are most important are still undone.  

I remember when I was a young mother with four small children at home.  One of the sisters in my ward was very ill and I volunteered to bring their family dinner.  I made the meal (enough for both families) and made a cake for the other family.  I did not have time to make one for us.  My sweet son, following along behind to take the dinner across the street, kept asking, "Are we going to eat cake OVER THERE?"

Needless to say, I went home and made more cake, because obviously, it was way more important to him that we had dessert than it was to me.  

I learned to share with my children, the work as well as the cake.  

So, no matter what is on your own "to do" list, make sure that you leave room for a little bit of chocolate cake to remind your family how very much they mean to you.  

As for me, the more the years pass, the more important they all become, but the less they want to believe that.  Sometimes, all I can do is just keep them on that list.  

Gardening for the Future

"A garden is a great teacher.  

It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; 

it teaches industry and thrift; 

above all it teaches entire trust."  

~Gertrude Jekyll~

The very first garden that I ever tried to grow, did not survive my endeavors.  I managed to kill everything except the radishes and weeds.  I used to have a seemingly green thumb when I lived in Washington state.  I could grow nearly anything, inside or outside the house.  I loved plants, and loved growing things and nurturing the ground with my own hands.  

Then I moved to Arizona and the heat along with the clay soil was another problem entirely.  Some people manage to grow gardens even in the desert.  They manage to have tomatoes and peppers and carrots and onions and so many other amazing things.
I plowed my yard and planted, hoping to get fresh vegetables to supplement our food supply.  After a season of trying and failing, I ended up with plenty of weeds and radishes, too hot to eat.  I can't manage to garden at all since.  

My husband has more talents in this area than I do.  He built a greenhouse in our mountain home and grows the plants inside where the frost can't get to them.  This year, we have beets, spinach and corn as well as pumpkins, rhubarb and tomatoes.  He knows how to convince the plants to grow.  He has much more patience than I do and doesn't mind waiting for the needed time to harvest.  

For Father's Day, we enjoyed a beet greens and spinach salad with a hot bacon vinaigrette.  It was amazing.  

The girls are learning to garden.  To labor and wait and trust.  They are learning that what they sow, they will reap.  They are learning the goodness that comes from patience and time.  

They are learning the goodness of the garden and the possibilities of the future.  

“It was such a pleasure to sink one's hands 

into the warm earth, 

to feel at one's fingertips 

the possibilities of the new season.”   

~Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden~

Adversity - Haunts me daily

"Adversity is the state in which man most easily 

becomes acquainted with himself, 

being especially free of admirers then."  

John Wooden

Can you remember a time when you were involved in a bad situation?  A time that was creating much adversity in your life?  I know that I have seen so many of those times in my own life.  During those times when life's problems confront me, I tend to start having feelings of self-doubt and loneliness.  I even start to question if I am loved and needed.  Sometimes, it seems as if my friends have left my side and I am all alone.    There does not seem to be anyone around me who can help me work out those difficult issues.
I have learned that it is not easy to face our weaknesses at any time, but I have come to know that the times I make the most changes and see things the most clearly are during those times of adversity that I hate so much.  As I learn to deal with my trials, my character becomes clear to me and I learn a little more about myself.  I literally come to know myself through my journey. 
I love the scripture that says:

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
Ether 12:27

I believe that it takes courage to look inside ourselves and recognize our weaknesses.  To finally be able to recognize them and to surrender them to a loving Heavenly Father is the start of changes in our own hearts.   Through Him, we will become strong.

Sabbath Day Scribblings - I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus

"To become as He is, 

we must also do the things 

He did."  

Lynn G. Robbins

It is not enough to wait for someone else to step up and volunteer.  We shouldn't choose to sit by while those around us are hurting and sad.  He has showed us the way and led us to the path.  Now we get to choose whether or not we are going to be like "everyone else", or whether we are going to become more like Him.

Not too far from here, someone is waiting needing and waiting and hurting and praying.    

What are you going to choose?

Light and Dark

"Every moment of light and dark 

is a miracle."  

Walt Disney

What a blessing to find that little gem of a quote for me this week.  It has been a very 'dark' feeling type of week.  I got sick, which I don't do often and it has made the weeker tougher than it needed to be.  But, if I think about this for a moment, I honestly don't get sick like this more than once every five years or so.  I am blessed with mostly good health.  Yes I deal with some things, yes they are hard, yes, every once in a while I complain about them, but overall, I am healthy and strong.  The hardest thing for me this week was to miss out on my daily walks.  I miss the companionship of other women who walk with me.  I miss talking to them and being with them.  I miss the time I spend every morning learning that I am really not alone. 
The light  in my life is the moments that I spend with friends and family.  The memories and the love that I take with me into my day.  The dark is the harder times.  I have learned that for every single dark moment in life, the Lord gives me light.  I receive a blessing that lightens the burden and helps to bear my grief. 
And with Alma, I want to cry,

"And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me".  Alma 36:27

Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!  The light and dark are both miracles to me!

Five Minute Friday - Listen

So, here’s the skinny: every Friday for over a year hundreds of people have joined a kind of writing flash mob over at Lisa Jo's Place.  
We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt.

No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation.

Unscripted. Unedited. Real.

Your words. This shared feast.

How to Join:

It’s easy to join in, just:

1. Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog (or in the comments at Lisa Jo's if you don’t have a blog).
2. Link back over at Lisa Jo's place and invite friends to join in.

Our most important requirement for participation: There’s really only one absolute, no ifs, ands or buts about it Five Minute Friday rule: you must visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

So join us now as we write about the prompt:::::

Listen…

START

"The word listen contains the same letters as the word silent".  

I try to remember that.  My life is full of loud.  Loud TV's, loud music, loud voices, loud people at work.  Sometimes it seems as if it is impossible to hear silence in all the noise.  
Today, I was loud.  I didn't listen when you were frustrated.  I just got frustrated right back at you.  I couldn't find the silence that I needed to hear your meaning behind the noise your words made.  
It is my fault, I know.  I am the grownup and you are still a child, even if sometimes, you think you know more than I will ever know.  It is my job as your mother, your example, and as someone who loves you unconditionally, to just listen to your heart, even when your words cover the meaning of the beats.  Even when the noise of the world is so deafening around us.  
I am working on patience my daughter.  I was struggling so hard today, to just breath in and out and think calm noises, that I didn't listen to what was important to you, right that minute.  
I wanted instead for you to know what was important to me.  I wanted you to know that I am not a complete failure, that I did not forget you.  That I knew what needed to be done.  I wanted you to know that you are loved and wanted and needed.  
I got so busy and mixed up with my own noise, that I forgot to be silent when it mattered most.  I forgot to stop planning the reply and listen, really listen just to understand your amazing heart.  
Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling...it is a joy...it is my passion.  It is, above all, a beautiful blessing.  
Every single word you speak is worth my attention and my silence as I listen.  

STOP

Five Minute Friday - Fall

Now, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back over at Lisa Jo's and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::

Fall…

Sometimes, when we fall, 

we fall right into a Miracle.

START

She stands on wobbly legs, she stretches her arms out to me.  She tips her head back and laughs.  She reaches out just a little more and takes one, single, tentative step, then a half step more.  She balances, then loses the battle and falls down on her diaper clad bottom.  She giggles and stands, safe in daddy's arms to try again.

She hold daddy's hand on the road in front of the house, waiting for the bus for her first day of school.  The driver stops on the opposite side of the road, she runs on chubby legs across the street and falls on the black top.  Her dad rushes to her side, picks her up and kisses her skinned knees all while carrying her to the bus and placing her gently on the steps to try again.  

She is eight now and learning to ride her bike without the training wheels.  Dad has taken them off and she is excited for this new adventure.  He stands behind her and gently pushes her off.  She tries to pedal the now two-wheeled bike, but it starts to sway and she finds herself twisted up in the wheels on the dirt road.  Daddy picks her up, dries her tears, and helps her start over to try again.

She is 16 and going on her first real date.  She is dressed up and so excited to introduce him.  He drives up in his parents car.  He knocks on the door and I can tell that he is scared.  His knees are knocking so loudly that I think I hear them.  Daddy shakes his hand and tells the boy to have fun, be safe and remember that this girl is a princess.  She hugs him tightly and walks out to the car leaving daddy behind.  

My baby has grown.  She has fallen and learned to rise again.  She has struggled and been defeated and then stood up straight and tall and tried once more.  Her fathers arms have taught her that she is safe, she is wanted, she is beautiful, and she is a princess.  She fell right into our hearts and right into our love.  She is Daddy's Girl.    

STOP

Now it is your turn.  What can you write in just five short minutes?  Don't forget to go over to Lisa Jo's and share with the rest of us.  I hope I see you there!

Leaving a Mark

"It is very sad to me, that some people 

are so intent on leaving their mark 

upon the world, that they don't care 

if their mark is a scar."  

Joe Greene

I really like this quote.  It has been 11 years since the Rodeo-Chediski fire here in the White mountains.  In many places around my town, you can still see the burn areas.  The undergrowth is coming back, there are now small trees and bushes, but the scars from the fires remain.  

As sad as the fire is, to me it is even sadder that so many people try to make themselves look better at the expense of someone else.  There is so much gossiping, backbiting, and even sheer making things up so that you wear the white hat and someone else wears the black hat.  It seems to be nearly impossible in our culture for people to have different opinions.  I can't even begin to tell you how difficult it can be to deal with people who think their way is the only way, and they are always right.  

It is sad to me that the only way they are happy is when they are causing someone else pain.  I don't know how to deal with that, I don't know how to fix it for them, I don't know even what to do except to try and just let it go.  It is why I get tired of listening to politics, and trials and the news.  Everyone has their own opinions of what is right and wrong, and if you don't believe the same, than you are just, well, wrong.  

So, the next time I want to disagree with someone, if it is not a regulation or a law, than I am going to try and just listen, let them vent, and hope that they walk away happy afterwards.  After all, I get to choose if I want to have the scar or not.  I am going to choose to let it go, right out the door and down the street!  And maybe, we will both leave our marks just a little bit better, without the scar.  

Remember To Dream

Don't be led by problems.  

Be led by your dreams.  

What does it mean to you to be led by your problems?  For me, it means that I am living my life through reacting to what is happening around me.  I am not living through planning or deciding.  Instead, I am tossed around in the wind, to and for, and thrown up into the air with no notion of what will happen to me.  

My focus becomes on that is set on fixing things instead of living with them.  I am seeking to get through live instead of finding joy in my journey.  My problems become the journey and my dreams are lost in all the chaos.
I don't like chaos.  This past year has shown me how hard it can be to be led (and even consumed) by my problems.  I seem to have difficulties in putting the moment aside and finding faith toward the future.  I find it impossible to even remember my dreams, let alone seeking to be led by them.  My point is that we all can become consumed by whatever is going on in our lives.  It is easy to think these days will never end.  That we will never solve the problem that is surrounding us today.
I am learning that I need to still focus on the things that remind me what is most important in my life.  I still need family time, me time, and simple entertainment.  I still need to get my work done and do a good job.  I still need to move forward one single step at a time.  One of the most important things that I have learned is that when I can't see the possibilities of the future through the clouds of today, I can still have smaller and easily fulfilled dreams.  Instead of making my dreams a year or more out, I make them for tomorrow or next week.
By focusing on little steps, I learn to let my problems go.  I learn that I can trust my Heavenly Father for just this moment, or today or tomorrow or even into next month.  I start to learn that He does help me and that He does care.  By small things, great things will come to pass.  This includes your hopes, your wants and your dreams.  We just need to let go of the problems in our life and give them to Him.

Alma 37:6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

Silence of Good People

"The world suffers a lot, 

not because of the violence of bad people, 

but because of the silence of good people."  

Napolian

It can be a hard world we live in.  I read this quote and it made a lot of sense to me.  In our family, we have all faced bullying.  We have all seen the mean-ness and unkindness of others.  I have had to try and get things worked out at school when other parents won't admit that their child is causing pain to others.  All in the name of popularity.  I have come to see that if we would all be willing to recognize bullying in all it's forms and speak out and stop it, then it would not exist.  

The saddest part for me is when parent contribute to bullying.  There was an instance online of mother that took pictures at the graduation ceremony of her 8th grader and than blogged about how horrible the girls dressed.  The problem was not that I don't believe what she said, the problem was posting pictures and the name of the school involved.  To me, any time we belittle or degrade people, it is bullying.  

I can't get out of my mind the council from Thumper's mother who said:  "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."  

So, before we criticize and put others down, take a moment to THINK:

    Is is True

    Is it Helpful

Does it Inspire confidence

    Is it Necessary

    Is it Kind

Together, we can make a difference.  Together we can change what the world thinks is OK.  Together we have a voice.  Together we can stop the silence of good people everywhere.  

Sabbath Day Scribblings- Forgiving others

"The doctrine is clear. We all depend on the Savior; none of us can be saved without Him. Christ’s Atonement is infinite and eternal. Forgiveness for our sins comes with conditions. We must repent, and we must be willing to forgive others. Jesus taught, ‘Forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not … [stands] condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin’ and ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.’"
~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf~ "The Merciful Obtain Mercy", General Conference, Apr. 2012

When We All Work Together

My girls were in a fashion show a couple of weeks ago.  One of the girls did the fashion show about modesty in dress and showing the other girls that they can be modest at all times.  There were different styles and types of dressing:  Casual, dating, school and Prom.
There was a lot of work that went into this production.  It was hours of putting it together, hours to set it up more hours to design and decorate a runway and make and display decorations on the tables, and a lot of talent to put the outfits together for each girl in different areas.  There were even changing areas behind the "stage" for the girls to change their outfits and not have to worry about being walked in on.
I think the girls had a lot of fun and they really enjoyed being in the spotlight and getting their pictures taken.  There was also a potluck where all the mom's made italian dishes to share.  All in all, it was a really nice Mother-Daughter evening.
The biggest worry for me, was taking the time to help put it all away.  I thought it would not be done until very late, but every single girl and every mom pitched in and starting taking it all down.  When everyone worked together, the job was done in just over an hour.  It was amazing to watch all the work just disappear in moments.  One of the young women made a comment on it taking a lot less time to take everything down than it did to put it all up in the first place.  What a wonderful way to teach the girls that when we all work together the job is made light. 

Galatians 6:2,9 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.