Giving Thanks

Today, I have been wondering about giving thanks.  As always, when I am feeling reflective, I turn to the Savior who is the ultimate example of us all.  I love reading the story of the ten lepers.  The Scripture story is found in Luke 17:12-19

12  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13  And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14  And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17  And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

I wonder how the Savior felt when only one returned to thank Him.  He did this amazing miracle and they were so excited that they hurried off without even a single word of thanks.  The one who did return to thank Him was a Samaritan.  These were people who did not believe.  Yet, this one man remembered and returned.    I find it interesting that ten were cleansed, but only one was made whole.  I think that this must have been a wonderful and amazing blessing in his life.

Bishop Merrill J. Bateman taught: “In becoming a whole person, the grateful leper was healed inside as well as on the outside. That day nine lepers were healed skin deep, but only one had the faith to be made whole” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1995, 16; or Ensign, May 1995, 14).

The Savior alone knows how help us.  It is to Him that we owe our gratitude.  I think of His great example of strength.  What strength He must have had to almost never be thanked or appreciated.  What strength it must have taken to continue walking with those who did not recognize who He was or what His purpose was in coming.  May each of us take a moment today (or even several moments) to remember those things which we have been blessed with in our lives.  May we each remember Him who helps to bear our burdens and heal our hearts.  May our faith in Him help each of us to truly become whole.  

Washed Clean

by Boyd K. Packer

In ancient times the cry “Unclean!”

Would warn of lepers near.

“Unclean! Unclean!” the words rang out;

Then all drew back in fear,

Lest by the touch of lepers’ hands

They, too, would lepers be.

There was no cure in ancient times,

Just hopeless agony.

No soap, no balm, no medicine

Could stay disease or pain.

There was no salve, no cleansing bath,

To make them well again.

But there was One, the record shows,

Whose touch could make them pure;

Could ease their awful suffering,

Their rotting flesh restore.

His coming long had been foretold.

Signs would precede His birth.

A Son of God to woman born,

With power to cleanse the earth.

The day He made ten lepers whole,

The day He made them clean,

Well symbolized His ministry

And what His life would mean.

However great that miracle,

This was not why He came.

He came to rescue every soul

From death, from sin, from shame.

For greater miracles, He said,

His servants yet would do,

To rescue every living soul,

Not just heal up the few.

Though we’re redeemed from mortal death,

We still can’t enter in

Unless we’re clean, cleansed every whit,

From every mortal sin.

What must be done to make us clean

We cannot do alone.

The law, to be a law, requires

A pure one must atone.

He taught that justice will be stayed

Till mercy’s claim be heard

If we repent and are baptized

And live by every word. …

If we could only understand

All we have heard and seen,

We’d know there is no greater gift

Than those two words—“Washed clean!” 

Note to God

Today, it is Valentine's day.  A day of joy, a day of love, and day of candy, flowers and chocolate.  And with all the festivities, I wanted to write a note of thanks to my Heavenly Father.  He is the reason that I can take so much joy in this time of year. He is the reason my heart is full and my thoughts are thankful.  

Dear God,

How do I ever thank you for my life?  There were times that I questioned and doubted.  Times when I wasn't sure you were really there.  There have been good times like watching my children take their first steps, teaching them to sing in the car, listening to them give their first talks in church, and even listening to their feeble efforts to tell jokes.  There have been bad times too, my first garden, my first accident, my first ticket, surgeries, illness, death, and lots of taxes!  There have even been tears and sorrow, mistakes and regrets.  But when I really think about it, I know that You always knew better than I what it was that I really needed.
If I could go back right now and change the worst, totally unmentionable things, I am not sure I would really change any of them.  Especially if changing them would have taken me in a different direction.  Because, You know how much I love right where I am at this moment.  You know how much my family means to me.  The relationships I have with them, the love I feel for each one of them, the way my heart melts when I see them.  You know what it means for me to have a husband who loves, honors and cherishes me.  I might not have appreciated all those things if they would have come too easily in my life.  I might not be the person that I am today without the trials that I had to go through.  There is a reason that we each have thorns along with the roses of life.
So, just for today, I am thankful for those trials.  For the lessons I have learned, for the heart that has been both broken, and healed.  I am so thankful for Your loving influence in my life.  For the power of the Atonement that can both forgive our sins and heal our hearts.  There is not a greater gift in my life than the sweet, simple act of forgiveness.
During the tough times is when I see the miracles that surround me.  It is when I become aware of the many blessings.  It is when I recognize and acknowledge Your hand in all things.
For this day, I want you to know how very much I love You.  How much it means to me that You love me too.  And most of all, how grateful I am that you are there for me.  Your love, your forgiveness, your mercy and your grace are what gives me hope.  No matter what happens, I know that I am surrounded by your love.

Here is a link to Charice singing her hit "Note to God" on Oprah.  I loved this rendition.  I hope you do too.

Sunday Devotional - Service

“Sometimes we get discouraged because the needs in the world around us seem so great and our resources seem so few. We think, “We’re not doing enough. We can’t do enough. Nobody could do enough.” When we think like that, we focus on what is left undone, and we lose the joy that comes with service. 
I want to tell you that we don’t need to compare ourselves to anyone else, either collectively or as individuals…We can do great good when we work as a united sisterhood, as long as we don’t burden ourselves with unrealistic expectations that rob us of the joy of achievement.” Chieko Okazaki,Aloha, pg 21

A Simple Moment - Sisters, A Common Bond

This Moment

A single photo – no words 

 capturing a moment from our lives.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, 

savor and remember.

A moment that brings a smile to my lips, 

and joy to my heart.

Cafe Rio Recipes

My sweet daughter, who is pregnant with her first child, is having cravings for Cafe Rio.  The problem is, they have recently moved from Utah, and there is no restaurant close to them that has the same flavor of food.  So, what is a loving mother to do?  Luckily, one of my blogging friends, Serene posted Cafe Rio knockoff recipes last week, so we have willingly been cooking and trying them out, (in the name of science, of course) making versions of recipes that remind us of the lovely place in Utah that we all love.  The two recipes that we like the best are Cilantro Lime Rice, and Sweetened Pork.  Here are my versions to the recipes from Serene, you can try  hers also by visiting her site.  I made this on Sunday and it cooked all day while we were at church we came home, made the rice, added the sugar, sode and salsa to the meat, and had ourselved dinner in under an hour.  We all loved it, and I am betting these recipes will become new favorites for us!

Sweet Lime Cilantro Rice

1 quart water with chicken bullion or chicken broth  (I did not have the broth, so used bullion.)
2 cups rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice (1 - 2 limes)
2 tablespoons mayonaise
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 - 2 Tablespoons cilantro  (we like it, so we used two)

Stir ingredients together and cook according to the directions on your rice cooker, or bring to a slight boil then cook on low for 20 minutes (or until rice is done) covered, on the stovetop.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

3-4 lb. pork sirloin roast
1 cup salsa (We used mild, but it would be equally good with medium)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Sprite or 7-up (we used sparkling apple cider as that was what was in the pantry).

Place the pork roast in crock-pot. Cook on low heat for 6-7 hours, then drain out the liquid from the pork. Shred the meat and add the Salsa, brown sugar and Soda.  Let it cook on low for another one to two hours or until sugar is desolved.  (We only cooked it an additional hour as the kids were hungery!!)  The amount of sugar can be adjusted, the original recipe called for 1 and 1/3 Cups of Brown sugar, we found that to be too sweet for us and adjusted it down.  I actually think that I will adjust it to 3/4 cup next time. 

We used this with the rice in burritos with cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, onions, pinto beans and guacamole.   I did not make the dressing, but am including it here if you wuld like. 

Serene also posted this recipe for the dressing, since we did not have the tomatilloes in our pantry, we were unable to try this out with the rest, but it is definitely on the list for the next time around.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 cup Ranch dressing
1 (12 ounce) can tomatilloes, drained (you can also use fresh, but you will need to cook them first!)
1/2 bunch cilantro
dash of cayenne or hot pepper sauce (optional)

Puree all together in your blender and enjoy!

So, Emily and Matt, these ones are for you today.  I hope you both enjoy your meal in far off places, just as much as we did here.

Value

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"
Hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.  We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what, was always have value to others and to our Heavenly Father.  We are never totally lost, or totally wasted.  It is up to us to figure out what we need to do in order to get to where we need to be.  
I was looking at a project that I am trying to do for my grandkids this morning, and I thought about how nobody really cares about a project that is not completed.  Halfway done, is still not done. 
I think life just might be a lot like that.  We judge ourselves as if this moment is all we are ever going to be.  It doesn't matter how much good we have done, how many projects we have completed, it only matters for this one thing I haven't gotten to yet, this one flaw. 
We see this mistake if you will, as the one thing that will keep us totally out of our Father's presence.  We see ourselves as if we can never change. 
Isn't it a wonderful thing that Heavenly Father looks at the entire story of our lives, and not just the parts that are in shadow?  Isn't it wonderful that He sees the entire project and not just our own judgements of it? 
Maybe today, the person that you should be a little kinder to is yourself.  You might be crumpled, stepped on, dropped on the ground and injured or sick, but you are still a child or God.  You are of infinite worth.  You are needed.  You are wanted.  You are loved. 

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

What is so interesting out that little, tiny window?

What brought these people to this?

That is a long way to go to see a pretty view!

But oh, was it amazing!

Nothing quite like this anywhere!

Won't Let Go

One of my blogging friends, took the time to make this music video.  You can find her blog over at Homemaking Honeys.  I hope you will take a few moments to go over and see what she has to say.  I loved this.  I loved the words and the video.  I hope you do too. 



 I never listened to this song before as if it were Christ talking.  But now that I have heard it that way, I have realized how much I love it.  It makes me realize, even more, all that He has done for me.  My blog is all about finding Christ in my daily life.  Today, I found Him in my heart, simply by listening to a song.  I think   that is the important thing, not so much where we find Him, but that we look for and find Him all around us.  

The Treasure

When I was a young girl, I loved to read.  It was my escape from the reality that was life.  Each day, I would lose myself in the pages of a book.  I loved reading the old classics, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Heidi, Treasure Island, The Secret Garden, and even The Little Princess.  I watched adventure movies, and read adventure books.  Many of the books I read told stories about maps and buried treasure, or about finding something hidden and desirable.  The Secret Garden talked about finding a secret place and making it bloom and grow again.  All of my favorites involved a mystery that I could solve if only I could just manage to put the pieces of the puzzle together. 

Nothing could tear me away from the pages of my books. Each was like a long lost friend that I hungered to be near, each was a treasure to be cherished. 

At a different time and in a different place, the Savior of the world also spoke of treasure. He declared:

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” 

The promised treasure was not gold or silver or precious metals. It was not hidden rooms or gardens.  It did not consist of worldly things. 
The Savior was speaking of the treasure that is available to each one of us. It brings us joy here upon the earth and happiness well into the eternities.

We have all that we need to guide us on our own treasure hunt as we journey through this life and strive to find the person that we need to be.
The path that leads us home is straight and narrow, however it is easy to find if we make use of the tools that we have been given.  We need to take care also that we don't listen or heed the voices and distractions that are all around us.   

One of the first quotes I ever memorized says:

We live in the present,

We dream of the future,

But we learn eternal truths from the past. 

Those things we seek today are the treasures that we are laying up for the tomorrows in our lives.  One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows.  It is up to us to recognize the true, eternal treasures from the things of the world. 

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Sunday Devotional - Be Strong

As Richard L. Evans so beautifully stated: “Our Father in heaven is not an umpire who is trying to count us out. He is not a competitor who is trying to outsmart us. He is not a prosecutor who is trying to convict us. He is a loving Father who wants our happiness and eternal progress, and who will help us all he can if we will but give him in our lives an opportunity to do so.”

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16–17.)

A Simple Moment - Strength

This Moment

A single photo – no words 

 capturing a moment from our lives.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, 

savor and remember.

A moment that brings a smile to my lips, 

and joy to my heart.

A Stone's Throw

Once, many years ago, my boys were at the lake, throwing stones into the water.  They tried to skip rocks, make bigger splashes than their brothers, and generally just had competition for who had the most muscles.  One of the boys got angry with his brothers and threw a rock right at them, hitting one of the sisters on her back instead of hitting the brother he was aiming at.  Chaos reigned for a time, while I got mad at the boys and tried to sooth a screaming, crying, very much in pain daughter.
In my life, I have learned that angry and insensitive words, can be a lot like that inaccurately thrown rock.  The words we fling can bring pain and suffering to those we never intended to hurt.
In the new Testament we read:

“If any man bridleth not his tongue, this man’s religion is vain” (James 1:26)..

Our words can and will condemn us.  To me, this means that the words we speak have meaning and consequences.  We have to be willing to change not just our actions, but the things we say as well.  To say it, even when you don't really mean it, can still have lasting consequences.    Words reflect what we are thinking and feeling.  They can be happy or sad, angry, bitter, nasty, belittling, degrading, kind, gentle, and even loving.  
While some prefer to use words in anger and meanness, others use their words to uplift and edify those around them.  The choice in what we say and do is always ours.
I have often wondered how differently I would treat others if I could see them the way that my Heavenly Father sees them.  How would I speak to my children, if I saw them through the eyes of God?   When I think about how our Heavenly Father looks at each of us, it makes me see my fretting, frowning teenager just a little different than I saw her a moment ago.  I see her potential, and her worth.  I see who she might become, and even a little of who she wants to be.  I see, and love her.  And for a moment, that is enough.

 “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”  Mother Teresa of Calcutta

“One of the greatest expressions of love is simply to notice people and to pay attention to them. If you really want to know God, go to his people….. Rather than read twenty books on servant-hood, get the idea, and then serve people. Some of us have experimented with this little prayer: “Lord, lead me today to someone whom I can serve.” – Richard Foster

Once there was a silly old ant

This is a very old song that I grew up hearing.  My mother had many records of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.  She would take out the ironing board and iron the clothes while listening to the records.  This was one of my very favorite songs.  The tune was catchy, and I always imagined myself as the ant.  I just knew that I could do anything I set my mind to doing.



Usually, when we talk about becomming like a little child, we are talking about faith.  But I wonder if a part of that child we are supposed to embrace is hope.  It just might be the belief that with the Lord's help, we can do anything we need to do.  That complete and total trust in Him.  The faith to believe that if He wants us to succeed, we will, no matter how hard or impossible it seems.   Hope is the thing that gives us the courage to try.  I wonder sometimes, how many of us are really willing to give it our best shot, even when it seems impossible. 

The question for today is simple really; are you like the ant?  Who doesn't give up even when those around him might laugh and mock him?  Or are you one of the ones laughing and mocking and taking away someone else's hope?

“Dum spiro, spero (Latin), "While I breath, I hope"

"Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark".  ~George Iles

Wordless Wednesday - Belly Surfing!

Linking up over at MMB today.  Hope to see you there!

A Peculiar People

Deuteronomy 14:2 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.


Exodus 19:5  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people:  for all the earth is mine:

I wonder, does being a peculiar people mean being like everybody else, or does it mean being different, being unique, being His.  Before we think that we want to be the same as everybody else, maybe we should consider what that really means.



Doing what everybody else is doing, isn't always (or even usually) the right thing to do.  Sometimes, it can be totally wrong.  The crowd doesn't always know what is right.  It is only looking through the eyes of one elevator.  The crowd doesn't see the whole picture.

So, what does being peculiar really mean?
pe·cu·liar –adjective
1.  strange; queer; odd.
2.  uncommon; unusual.
3.  distinctive in nature or character from others.

I think the Lord is particularly thinking of the third meaning.  Distinctive from others.  Maybe we should work just a little harder on being distinctive instead of the same.