Sunday Scribblings - The Details

 

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.   Luke 12:6-7

The Best Things

I really hate the bad things.  Sometimes they feel so overwhelming.  Sometimes I feel like they are going to last forever and that things will never be the same again.  Sometimes, I can't imagine that they could ever lead to something good. 

Life can be so very hard.  And there are terrible things that happen.  I have had to learn to trust through them.  People sin, they make mistakes, either on accident or on purpose.  It can be impossible to tell which.  But I know that I have made mistakes myself, and the more I read about the atonement of Jesus Christ, the more that I am aware of how much I need it in my own life.  For me, not just for anyone else.  I can honestly say, that as the years pass, I realize that the really bad things have brought me strength and blessings that I never could have realized without them.  I believe that there are always blessings that we gain after the trial is over.  We continue to be blessed by a very loving Heavenly Father.  He doesn't take away the trials, but He does provide the blessings.  I am learning to trust that He will give me the things I need to make it through. 

I have had some hard times, but those things have made me who I am today.  They have given me the strength and love and perserverence that I need to make it through yet more trials.  My dreams have ended up coming true, just not the way I planned.  Today's life is so much better than my own visions of the future. 

I have learned to weather the storms of life.  I wish I could say that I always did it cheerfully and graciously, but sometimes I go kicking and screaming through the trials.  Nevertheless, I am grateful to stand here today and to acknowledge the blessings. 

I know that some of the very worst things in life, lead us eventually to some of the greatest blessings that we will ever experience.  I am not saying that it is easy, as a matter of fact, it is really, really hard.  But I am saying to hold on.  To know that the light will come.  To have faith in tomorrow.  And most of all, the know that your Heavenly Father wants you to know joy.  He wants you to be blessed.  He wants you to be happy. 

And so, today, in the midst of trials, I await the blessings, and I know that they will come. 

Restored

 

Oh how I love listening to this man speak.  He really gives me hope.  I know that I have felt like my own life is shattered, especially lately.  I have even had times when I couldn't see how I would make it to tomorrow.  Not because of my own sins, although they are more than I would wish, but mostly because of others that affect me. 

This quote is my new mantra.  There will be better days ahead.  There will be cause for rejoicing.  All that is lost will someday, somehow be restored.  I won't miss out on it forever, just for this moment.  No matter what is happening in each of our lives, we need to know and believe that Heavenly Father knows exactly what we are going through.  He knows our heartaches, He knows our suffering, He knows what we need. 

We can all have hope in His love and His mercy.  We can all rejoice in the knowledge that He wants to bless us.  Somehow, in ways that we probably can't understand right now, everything will work out for our good.  The shattered windows of our life, will all be made whole.  I wish I could explain how I know that, but I do.  I absolutely believe in the truth of that marvelous teaching.  We will all be made whole.  All the wrongs will be made right.  All will be restored. 

Cheering you on

 

I have felt alone for so much of my life.  Alone in a room full of people, alone in a town, alone in a city, alone in church.  Just alone.  I have felt and believed that no one could possibly understand what it is that I am going through.  I have felt like I had to keep the bad secret from everyone.  Like I had to showcase the good. 

Slowly, with a lot of effort and energy, I am learning that is not the case.  I am learning that the only way I am really alone is if I choose to believe it.  I do have good friends, although they are pretty much as busy as I am.  I have my family in my life, even if their needs are different from mine.  I am learning that I am really only alone when I choose to be.  I just haven't been aware that it was a choice. 

I love thinking about having heaven cheer us on.  Just to know that someone is rooting for me through all the hard times, and the hurtful times.  Just to know that someone has their arms around me even when I fail.  To know that they are calling for me to get back up and try again.  To know that mistakes are not the end. 

It does my heart good to feel like I am not in this by myself.  It reminds me that Heavenly Father wants me to succeed in all that I do in His name.  I believe that He wants us all to return to His loving embrace.  I believe that He doesn't want us left behind in this crazy, mixed up and very messy life.  He wants us to embrace each other and keep moving forward, even if it is one wobbly step at a time. 

Heaven is cheering us on. 

Faith in God

To those who have strayed:
I know that life is hard.  I know that sometimes people we love make wrong choices.  I know that sometimes people we respect behave badly.  But I also know that people are not God.  They are not perfect.  They are simply doing the best they can at this moment to try and hold it all together.  Sometimes that means that we are really falling apart. 
We can all say that we know someone who is unworthy, or even hypocritical.  That person can also be ourselves.  I found a long time ago, that I am the one responsible for my own testimony and faith.  If I am doing the things that are right, what someone else believes or saysdoes not influence me.  I love it when people share the positive.  I dislike it when I am always on the defense with those I care about because my beliefs are different, but all the arguing in the world does not change my faith, my hope or my own belief.  Even when I can't defend those beliefs, it just makes me study harder so that I can be more prepared next time. 
I have learned that none of us have the power to convince someone to believe when their eyes are not opened and their hearts are far from Him.  Then I resort to the scriptures.  I especially love the one that says,
Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, might, mind and strength.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like unto it; Love thy neighbor as thyself. 
I don't see anything there about only loving those who believe the same as me, or who are easy to love.  I only see that we are supposed to love each other. 
People in the church can hurt you.  I have had that happen to me in very hard ways.  But you should know that God always loves you.  Why in the world do we let others who might not even like us, determine our own relationship to our Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally? 
He is my anchor.  People are nice to have around, but I worship always to get closer to Him. 

Gratitude - Day 6

What seems to us as bitter trials

Are often blessings in disguise.

Oscar Wilde

In my life, I have known many trials.  Sometimes, I agonize over them and wish them gone.  They have seemed too bitter to bear.  Yet, looking back, I can say that there have been so many blessings that have come into my life because I went through those trials.  

A few years ago, I lost my best friend because of a terrible falling out.  I felt betrayed and abandoned.  I wasn't sure that I would ever make another friend.  Honestly, I wasn't sure that I was worth the effort for anyone to befriend me.  You should know, that I don't make friends easily.  It can be very hard for me to reach out to people enough to trust.  

The blessing was in learning to reach out to strangers, I found friends that I never knew were there.  People who would stand by me in my sorrow.  People who would support me in my grief.    Women who cared for me with all my many faults.  In my trial, I found great blessings with what has become some of the best friends I have ever had in my life.  Had I not been in that place, I would have completely missed out on their love and compassion.  

I have found that Heavenly Father never gives us a trial that doesn't have hidden blessings.  I am who I am today because of the trials that I have borne.  Today, I am thankful for my trials.  Each and every one.  No matter how much I cried on the journey, the ending is so much better than I ever imagined.  I am sure that there will be more trials in my life.  Hopefully, I will be able to keep the gratitude in my heart and the understanding of His mercy and His love.  He truly knows what we bear.  He will help us through.  

One of my favorite scriptures says this so much better than I ever could,

“And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.“The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?"  Doctrine and Covenants 122: 7-8

May we continue to walk in His ways and trust in His words.  And may we truly see our greatest blessings.  

Five Minute Friday - Hold

Today is Friday, at last.  I am so glad it is here.  This is the day that I join with a bunch of other writers and write whether it is just right or not.  I hope that you all join in over at Kate's Place with the rest of us.  Don't forget to read and comment on the person who linked up before you did.
Today, the prompt is

HOLD

START

One of my all time, favorite quotes is:  "I am sure our Heavenly Father is displeased when we call ourselves, "nobody", as children of God, we are somebody.  He will build us, lift us and magnify us if we will but hold our heads up, our arms out, and walk with Him.  

I have been guilty of feeling like a "nobody".  I have been guilty of letting my head hang down.  I have been guilty of forgetting that I am also His.  
Sometimes, the hardest thing we do is to simply hold on.  To keep moving forward when everything seems to conspire against us to pull us down and back.  Sometimes, we just need to reach out for Him and hold on with everything we've got left.  He never lets go of us.  It is always us who let go of Him.
I remember when my girls were very young, one of them was very stubborn, and wanted everything to be her way.  She wanted to run ahead and leave the rest of us far behind. She wanted to be wherever we currently weren't.  No matter what we did, it was not the outcome that she wanted for herself.  
I was holding her hand and we were in a very crowded place.  She pulled with all her might and took off running.  I did not let go, she did.  She made it impossible for me to hold on.  She got lost.  It took us awhile to find her.  As I wiped her tear-streaked face and held her trembling body close, she asked me why I let go.  I told her that I did not.  She pulled away and slipped off into the crowds where I couldn't see her.  She told me that I was lost and she was afraid.  
"I know", I said to her, "I know.  Tell you what, you hold onto my hand and don't let go and I will promise you that I will never be lost again."  She thought about that for a moment and said, "OK, mom.  I don't like it when you get lost, it scareded me.  Don't do it again".  
So, she held my big hand in her little one and we were both not lost that day.
As children of God, we are all Somebodies.  Hold your arms out to Him and remember that He never, ever will let you go.  

STOP

Now it is your turn.  What can you write in only five short minutes?  Don't forget to join the rest of us over at Heading Home.  I can't wait to hold on to your words today.  

Five Minute Friday - Change

Today is my favorite day of the week.  It's Friday once again.  This is the day that a bunch of us gather together over at Kate's Place to write, without worrying about whether it is right or not.  The rules are simple, write for five minutes about the assigned prompt, link back over at Kate's Place and leave at least one comment for the person that linked before you did.  Enjoy yourself and experience writing the way it was really meant to be!

The prompt this week is: 

CHANGE

START

Change

By Patricia A Pitterle

A baby is born

Not able to do anything

And we love them

Anyway

she changes a little

And soon

She is scooting 

Cross the floor

Then crawling 

On all fours as 

She hustles into

A whole new world.

She changes again 

Into a toddler,

A child who stumbles 

Walks, and learns to run

One who asks questions

 And loudly yells, NO!

She changes again 

Into a child

Growing day by day

And starting school.

Learning to read 

And write

And understand 

Just a little bit more

This life that she is living.

Soon she becomes a teen

With all the doubts

And lack of self-esteem

Friendships that begin

And end

Like a summer rain.

Heart that gets broken

Over and over

Yet still she goes on.

She becomes a woman grown

And looks back at her past;

She sees the good times,

More often than

The bad ones.

Life, cannot pass

Without heartaches 

And pain.

And growth

And grace.

STOP

but I can't quit without finishing what I started, here is the rest.  I hope you like it.

Change is

The process of becoming 

Something totally different

Than the person

I used to be.

It is growing up

And learning those things

That help me to survive.

Change is not allowing

My environment, 

Or sin,

To dictate the person

That I will choose to become.

It is believing that the past

Can truly stay in the past,

And that the future

Is as big as my dreams.

It is knowing 

That we are each

Guilty of sin;

That we have hurt others,

As well as ourselves.

It is believing 

That His tender mercies

Will be enough

To wipe away 

The red stains

On my soul.

I have learned that

We all have hurts

We all have pain

We all suffer

We all sin

But as we move forward

In our journey,

We can choose to change

We can choose to become

Whoever 

We might want to be.

As we seek 
To walk with Him; 

We can find strength,

We can find love,

We can find peace,

We can find grace,

We can, at last, find Him.  

Now, what can you write in your own little world of Five Minutes?  Don't forget to link back over to Kate's place and let us read your work.  

LIGHT AND DARK

Light and Dark

By Patricia A Pitterle

The sun is waking up.

We see small

Fingers of light

Reaching into the darkness,

Stretching ever upward

As the sun peeks quietly

Over the horizon.

Brightening the world

Around us with

One thin finger,

One spiraling strand,

One magnificent breath, 

Of color and light. 

Soon, the trees

Stand in shadows of twilight

As the sun chases 

The dark away.

The morning glow 

Clothed in beauty 

Becomes a promise 

That the darkness

Will not last forever,

And that the sun 

Cometh in the morning.

Life can be just like

The dawn reminds us of 

The darkest of nights,

As we struggle with trials 

And temptations.

We lose our hopes,

Not seeing past the dark

To the possibility of light;  

Not knowing that rescue is just 

Beyond the horizon.

We are in darkness

For our own moments

Before the dawn.

The Savior sends

Small miracles that become

Light in our lives.

We open our eyes to see,

Our minds to recognize,

And our hearts to bask 

In the light of His love.  

The darkness 

Will not last forever,

And we are promised that joy

Cometh in the morning.  

Five Minute Friday - Glue

So come and write with us. Together. On one word for five minutes. And then link up your post or leave it in the comments. But remember, the one rule here is that you visit the person who linked up before you and encourage them in their writing.
That’s it. The gift of encouragement – pass it on.
All the back story and details for how to join in are over here.
Today the word is for battered Thursdays and broken Fridays and aching Saturdays.
Today the word is GLUE.
Go:
- See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/#sthash.PJ2qoAMv.dpuf

So come and write with us. Together. On one word for five minutes. And then link up your post or leave it in the comments. But remember, the one rule here is that you visit the person who linked up before you and encourage them in their writing.
That’s it. The gift of encouragement – pass it on.
All the back story and details for how to join in are over here.
Today the word is for battered Thursdays and broken Fridays and aching Saturdays.
Today the word is GLUE.
Go:
- See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/#sthash.PJ2qoAMv.dpuf

So come and write with us. Together. On one word for five minutes. And then link up your post or leave it in the comments. But remember, the one rule here is that you visit the person who linked up before you and encourage them in their writing.
That’s it. The gift of encouragement – pass it on.
All the back story and details for how to join in are over here.
Today the word is for battered Thursdays and broken Fridays and aching Saturdays.
Today the word is GLUE.
Go:
- See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/#sthash.PJ2qoAMv.dpuf

So come and write with us. Together. On one word for five minutes. And then link up your post over at Lisa Jo's place or leave it in her comments. But remember, the one rule there is that you visit the person who linked up before you and encourage them in their writing.

That’s it. The gift of encouragement – pass it on.

Today the word is for battered Thursdays and broken Fridays and aching Saturdays.

Today the word is GLUE.

Go:

My family is my everything.  I have watched them grow and change and become.  They don't always choose the same road that I walk on, but I love them fiercely not matter what.  I never give up hope for them.  I love them in their success and their difficulties.  I love them in spite of themselves.

Families are funny things. They are each different. They can be filled with trials or triumph, sadness or joy, anger or patience. Sometimes they can even have a little (or a lot) of each. But the thing that holds everything together is the love. 

The love of a family is amazing.  A crazy bunch of people all wrapped up in each other. Sometimes they giggle, sometimes they laugh, sometimes they cry. They learn and grow and become. They choose their own paths in life, but the glue of family was built and cemented by love. It brings them back time after time. In the midst of struggles, it brings them home. Home to a crowded house, lots of noise and chaos and messes. Home to barbeques in the back yard, bouncing on the trampoline and crowding around the table for talking and eating. Home where they will always be glued together tightly in love. Home to me.

Our Heavenly Father set the example of how to love unconditionally. He loves us no matter what our sins, no matter how long we have been away, no matter that we do not live the way he wants us too, right this minute. He loves us. If I, a totally imperfect mother can love my children (adult or littles) with every fibre of my being, I can just begin to comprehend how very much He must love each of us. The glue that holds us all together has always been His love.

STOP

Now it is your turn.... what can you write in just five minutes?  Don't forget to join us over at Lisa Jo's.  

Sabbath Day Scribblings - He Will Heal Our Wounds

"We are Heavenly Father's children.  He wants to be a part of our lives, to bless us, and to help us.  He will heal our wounds, dry our tears, and help us along our path to return to His presence.  As we look to Him, He will lead us".  Carl B. Cook

The Savior said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” 

(Matthew 11:28).

"I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will  heal thee"... 2 Kings 20:5

"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds".  Psalms 147:3

Trouble Ahead

"Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and repeat to yourself, 

the most comforting world of all, 

this too shall pass".  

Ann Landers

Trouble comes and goes in my life.  Indeed, I can pretty much say that it shadows me constantly.  As soon as I get one problem taken care of, two or three more pop up to say "hello".  I have a hard time accepting trouble as inevitable.  I really have been guilty of thinking if I was only a better person than I would not have so many trials.  If I only made better decisions or if I didn't make so many mistakes, everything would work out better.  

This is especially true when my problems involve my kids (grown or not).  This weekend, we had family time.  Many members of my family came up the mountain to have a wild and crazy time with their mom and grandma for my birthday.  I worry constantly about my children.  Especially when they make choices that can cause them harm.  It can be very hard for me to "stay out of their business".  Yet, they love me, even when I tease them unmercifully and try and get them to go back to church, they still love me.  We have had some amazing times together.  

I can honestly say that I would not go back and change anything.  Well, I would try and spend more time with them, but otherwise, the troubles are what brought us so very close together.  The years throwing papers and taking pictures.  All the traveling and stopping at, Every.  Single.  Monument.  Along the way.  

I might not like the problems, but I love the memories.  I know that the good times pass and so do the bad ones.  Sometimes I get so focused on the moment I am currently in,  that I forget that the moment will pass.  I forget that the bad things will also pass.  Time will go by and I will learn what I need to know.   Eternity beacons me onward.  It is comforting to know that the difficulties will pass away.  They will not last longer than I can bear.  Joy, yes joy, cometh in the morning.    

Depression, It Goes On and Off and On and Off.

"In three words 

I can sum up everything 

I've learned about life:  

it goes on".  

Robert Frost

It certainly does!  No matter what is happening in my life, it passes.  Sickness, health, depression, anxiety, broken arms or even winter storms, they all move on to the next time, the next season, the next trial or even the next joy.  No matter how difficult things seem today, they really will look different as time goes on. 
I think that is why depression can be so hard for us to bear.  We lose the focus of moving on and become entirely focused in the here and now.  It feels as if there is no way to survive whatever our current problems are.  Instead, we are in a seeming unending loop of anguish.  We stay up and worry, we eat and worry, we sit down and worry.  Worry becomes our constant companion.  There is no break from the pain.
I am learning to live with depression.  You would think, after so many years of suffering with it for most of my life, that I would know.  Yet, I still go on and off medication.  I still have days and weeks when I quit taking care of myself.  I still feel hopeless sometimes.  I still forget to depend on the timing of my Heavenly Father.  I still lose hope.
Depression is a disease like many others, but because our society doesn't accept it, often those of us with it don't accept it either.  We constantly struggle to feel "normal" again.  Sometimes I forget that this is my own kind of "normal" and it is ok just as it is.  We all have challenges, the goal is to bring light into our lives in spite of them. 
So, whatever your trials may be, this too shall pass away, we are not alone, we can endure and we can make a difference.  Remember, remember always that you are loved and needed, just the way you are.

Luke 12:6-7
Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Our Own Fridays

“Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.”
― Joseph B. Wirthlin

This has been a year of Fridays.  They can be so overwhelming, maybe even more so because I don't feel comfortable talking about it.  I am learning to endure Fridays.  For most people, Friday can symbolize the end of the week.  A time to prepare for fun and rest.  A time of relief.  We call those days "Friday Light" around here.
For me, Fridays have become more difficult.  There is nothing light about them.  They are days of stress and anxiety.  They are days of not knowing how anything is going to turn out.  They are days when I am so totally not in control.  Fridays are like my first crochet project.  None of the stitches turned out right.  The blanket was crooked and did not look good.  I had to take out all the stitches, days and days of work and struggle, and start all over again.
Perhaps, that is why I need these Fridays.  These days of trial.  These days of pieces and unraveling, like yarn from my project.  These are the days of preparation for new beginnings.  The Savior gave up His life on a Friday.  He knew that Sunday would come.  He knew that in the darkness of death, was a new beginning, a new Resurrection.   He knew that He would yet live.
So, during these Fridays in my own life, I think of Him.  I think of His love and His promises.  And I know that Sunday really will come.  I may not be in control, but He is.  I may be weak, but He is my strength.  I may lack trust, but He knows me and teaches me and directs my path.
In my very broken-ness, I know that Sunday will come.  

Sabbath Day Scribblings - Plan A

If plan "A" doesn't work, 

hold on:  

The alphabet has 25 more letters!

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

"Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."—Jeffrey R. Holland, "An High Priest of Good Things to Come", Liahona and Ensign, November 1999

God Is In the Details

"Small events and choices 

determine the direction of our lives 

just as small helms 

determine the directions of great ships."  

M. Russell Ballard

Sometimes we feel that we are alone and that God has forgotten us. The snow is deep, the road is rough, the struggle seems like it will never be over.  But He is always with us, extending His merciful arms toward us.  He will help us up the hill, step by step, until the struggle is over and we arrive, finally, at the top in His arms.  God is in the details of our lives.  He is in the little things as well as the seemingly big things.  He is concerned about our hearts' desires -- especially when we are choosing to live our lives in alignment with His teachings. He is always there to help us on our journey.  Reach up, reach out, and find Him.  

Five Minute Friday - Grasp

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 and encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

Here is my best five minutes on:::

Grasp…

GO

Many years ago, when I was much younger and more limber, I used to climb cliffs for fun.  My favorite type of climbing was face climbing.  This is accomplished by looking for a crack that runs along the face of a cliff and putting your fingertips and toes into that crack, grasping with all your might and then climbing the long, difficult journey to the top.  Sometimes, the climb would be so difficult, that I would slip from the crack and fall on the rope until I could grasp again and continue onward.  Most of the time, my fingertips and knuckles (and even my knees and elbows) would be scrapped and bleeding long before I was done.  I would arrive at the top, bruised, out of breath, heart racing, and completely relieved that I had made it at last. 
Today, I might not grasp at the edge of real cliffs anymore, However, the metaphorical and less physical ones seem to abound and still manage to exhaust me in the climb.  I grasp at hope each inch of the way.   I grasp at friendship to help me make the journey, I grasp at love and hold it tight so that I might not forget what is best and good in this world.  I grasp at faith that all things will somehow work out and most of all I grasp at trust.  Trust in His vision for what I need.  Trust in His knowledge of what is to come.  Trust in His ability to catch me as I struggle and fall. 
I grasp and in the grasping I lean and learn that it is alright to let go.

STOP

Now it is your turn!  What can you write in just five minutes?

Five Minute Friday - Deep Breath

This has become one of my favorite times of the week.  It is when I link up with Gypsy Mama for a Five-Minute Friday.  It is a few moments every week when I don't worry about what I write, or the spelling, or the words or even the subject.  I just take the prompt and spend five minutes writing.  It is one of the most freeing moments that I get to experience.  I am always surprised and amazed at the things that come out.

Wanna just write? Without wondering if it’s just right or not. You’re welcome to play along. The rules are easy.

1. Write your heart out for five minutes and show us what you’ve got.
2. Tell your readers you’re linking up here and invite them to play along.
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Today's prompt is: Deep Breath

START

Trials come into my life like a blow to my belly.  

Unexpected, unwanted, 

Unwelcomed.  

Much like the labor of a woman

As she anticipates 

The moment

When she will

Welcome her new baby

Into the world.

No matter how many times

She has endured, 

She is never, quite ready

For the pain of the waiting.

Yet she holds on,

Takes a deep breath,

and waits for the blessing.

Misfortunes

Come to each of us

As we journey through 

This earthly existence.

Most of the time

We can not plan for them

Or prepare for them.

And like the woman

About to become a mother,

The pain can be difficult to bear.

But I have learned 

That the Bible often says,

It came to pass.

And never says, 

It came to stay.   

We can endure the moment 

If we will just

Take a deep breath

and wait for the blessings.  

Stop

Jesus take the wheel

Yesterday was a scary day!  I needed to go drive up to Sunrise to pick up Miracle.  She had a skiing field trip with her school, and also had a pre-concert practice with the college.  I drove to the ski resort to pick her up and take her to choir.  I started out in a snowstorm.  The wind whistled and blew around my little truck, I was able to make pretty good time until just outside of Showlow.  Then the snow hit in force.  The visibility shrunk down to only a few feet past the hood of the truck.  It took me an hour to drive up the the ski resort. 
I got there, to find my sweet young daughter, shivering in the wind and cold, waiting for me out in the parking lot because she was afraid I would not be able to find her in the snow.  We drove all the way to Snowflake in a blizzard.  The visibility was near zero, I could not pull the truck off to the side of the road because I was afraid of being hit by another vehicle.  You literally could not see if there were other cars on the road. 
The road was so slippery, that I put it into first gear and went slowly onward.  The truck did circles down the road at one point.  There were steep ditches on either side of the road and whenever I looked over the edge, I was certain we would not be found easily if we slid off.  It scared us both so bad and Miracle has decided that she is NEVER going to go anywhere in a blizzard again. 
Of course, we did not know that it would become a blizzard.  It was not on the news.  I only know that there were several parts during that trip when I am absolutely positive that it was not me driving.  At one point, we were sliding sideways toward a big ditch at the side of the road.  Right before we went over the edge, the wheels caught something and I was able to straighten out the truck.  We did finally make it to choir and were just in time for Miracle to practice her solo.  We had an amazing practice and another harrowing ride to get home to Overgaard.  It took me over two hours to get to Sunrise, two and a half hours to get to Snowflake, and another two hours to get home.  This is major dedication!  All I know is that when you can't see the road because of the storm, you need to not worry about going home!

While we were going through all this, a song came on the radio and stuck with both of us for the trip.  I thought I would share it with you.  It is so true.  Sometimes it is wise to remember that we don't have to travel this road alone.  There is always someone in our lives who is willing to help us.  He will take the wheel if we will only ask. 

"Jesus Take The Wheel"

She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati
On a snow white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy with the baby in the backseat
Fifty miles to go and she was running low on faith and gasoline
It'd been a long hard year
She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention
she was going way too fast
Before she knew it she was spinning on a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn't even have time to cry
She was so scared
She threw her hands up in the air

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel

It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder
And the car came to a stop
She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat sleeping like a rock
And for the first time in a long time
She bowed her head to pray
She said I'm sorry for the way
I've been living my life
I know I've got to change
So from now on tonight

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel

I Could Call You By Name

This video (I AM Christ) was shown at a youth conference in Missouri in my daughter's Stake.  She loved it so much that she called me and shared it with me.  I also thought it was amazing.
I hope you hear the message and know that He lives.  You are never alone.  He does hear our prayers.  He is aware of each one of us.  He knows your trials and your heartaches.  He loves you.  May you have His spirit to be with you today.