Be Still

I am in love with these words.  I have a very hard time letting go.  I never thought that he Hebrew translation was more than being quiet.  I think we have to be quiet to listen, and be quiet to learn.  But I love that the Hebrew of this means to Let Go. 

So many times, I cling to that which I think is mine to hold.  I feel like I have to hold it tight especially when it hurts and when I am failing miserably.  I feel like I will fail even more if I give it to anyone else to do.  Even if the person I am giving it to, is God.

How is it possible that in my mind, I can't hand all the grief, sorrow and pain over to Him?  How is it possible that there is even the smallest part of me that doesn't understand how much the Atonement of a loving Savior applies even to me. 

I know that He was sent, not only to forgive us and pay for our sins, but also to suffer our pains and heartache.  I know that He understands exactly what I am going through.  I know that He knows me.  He loves me in spite of my fears and my aching.  I know that He will take the burdens from me if I will just let Him in and let them go.   

What I learned - The Master Healer

You don’t have to experience the sorrow caused by sin, the pain caused by others’ actions, or the painful realities of mortality—alone.

The Master Healer by Carole Ann Stephens

I loved this talk.  It was a totally amazing example of what I need to do most. 

“Is there something specific that women should focus on?”

I answered, “Yes!” as President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “A Plea to My Sisters” entered my mind. President Nelson taught, “We need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ.”

Nephi described the doctrine of Christ this way:

“For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. …

“And now … I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

“… This is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ.”

I love that the Master Healer of us all, can help to heal the pain when others are responsible for our hurts.  He knows what it is to be betrayed by friends.  He knows what it means to feel all alone.  He knows our hearts and our minds and our grief.  I love that we don't have to be responsible for the sins of others.  We can have compassion for them and love them, but we don't have to take their sins upon ourselves.  We can turn it all over to Him who truly knows our hearts and our minds. 

I am sure that I am making this sound easy.  In reality, it is not.  It is hard to watch others stumble and fall, especially when we love them.  It is hard to forgive when our hearts are aching and angry and hurt and afraid.  I love that He can take all that away and provide peace in our darkest moments.  We do not have to carry our burdens alone.  Lean on Him. 

You Are Not Nothing

You Are Not Nothing

by Patricia A Pitterle

I am nothing, and I know it,

In this dark place, I'm alone.

The walls close themselves around me

And the light I knew is gone.

I can't see how I came here.

I can't find the pathway out.

Darkness is all I know now,

I breathe it in and breathe it out.

In my mind I see more clearly,

And I recognize my sins

I turn my thoughts toward Jesus

And my heart invites Him in.

Into my soul that's aching,

Into my troubled mind,

Into the past that holds me

Into chains that tightly bind.

The past that holds me captive

To the person I have been

And whispers I'm not good enough

To return, once more, to Him.

A light pierces the darkness

It chases night away from me,

Reminds me I'm a child of God

A light that sets me free.  

His grace is there before me

And His redeeming love,

He pulls me from the darkness

His spirit like a dove.

He reminds me I am holy.

He reminds me I have worth.

He reminds me He has died for sin

So when I leave this earth,

I will see His glory.

I will see His face.

I will walk beside Him,

As He leads me from this place.

The past is now behind me.

I have repented of my sins.

I've changed my life for Jesus.

Opened my heart and let Him in.

He cast out all the darkness.

He changed my night to day.

His path is one of mercy, 

As I follow in His ways.

Now, I look up in times of trial,

I am searching for His light.

I know He removes the darkness

And restores eternal sight.

When the darkness falls too quickly

And you don't know what to do,

Invite Him right into your heart

And He will make you new.

New in faith and understanding,

New in hope and strength from above,

New in His tender mercies,

New in His eternal love. 

So, now you know, you are not nothing

You are a child of royal birth.

He welcomes you into His arms

And reminds you of your worth.  

Not Alone

Not Alone

by Patricia A Pitterle

Buried in water,

Covered in Grace,

Lifted in Glory,

Heart filled with Faith.

He sees my weeping,

He knows my grief,

He gives me mercy,

He grants relief.

Out of the darkness,

Sensing His presence,

Feeling His love, 

Filled with forgiveness.

Home to His keeping,

Away from my cares,

Surrounded by His arms,

My burdens He bears.

He is my Savior,

Redeemer and King,

He sacrificed His life

Salvation He brings.

What does He ask of us?

What does He need?

He asks that we serve Him

by feeding His sheep.

And so, I share His words,

His strength and His teachings,

His Love and His service,

His arms that are reaching.

Reaching out in our stumbling,

Catching us when we fall,

He walks softly beside us,

We're not alone after all.

31 Days of Hope - Day 19

Now, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.

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. 

OK, are you ready? Won’t you please give me your best five minutes on:::

LOOK

Start

Hope can be hard for me to find.  I have discovered that I have to look within myself for it.  It is not enough to wish for it, or want it.  I have really have to focus on it.  I can get so caught up in my feelings and what is going on around me, that I have a hard time getting past the trial of the moment, to find the hope.  It is hard to look at the positive possibilities for the future if I can't get my thoughts past the present.  I am learning to let go, forgive, and move on.  I wish that I could say that it gets easier, but I just keep telling myself, "He never promised us it would be easy, He only said it would be worth it."  Somehow, I believe, that if I keep looking up, it will be worth it in ways that I can't even imagine.  

STOP

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

Five Minute Friday - Tender

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.


We write because we want to, not because we have to. We write for fun, for joy, for discovery.

We just write without worrying if it’s just write or not.

Won’t you join us?

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

2. Link back over at The Gypsy Mama and invite others to join in.

3. Go a little overboard encouraging the writer who linked up before you.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on:

Tender…

START

Psalms 145:9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

So many times in my life, I have felt the quiet, comforting, tender mercies of my Heavenly Father.  I have come to realize that He is always there when I need Him. 
It doesn't matter if I do not see Him.  I know His peace in my heart. 
It does not matter if I do not hear His voice,  I know His Words through the Scriptures. 
It doesn't matter if I can't touch His hand, I feel His Love in my soul. 
In quiet moments when my heart is full, He whispers through His tender mercies that I am loved and He is here.  The Lord's tender mercies are very personalized and individualized.  They are a message to each of us that we are not alone.  That He cares for us.  That He is mindful of our needs.  
He loves each of us with all the tenderness of a perfect parent.  Not because we are perfect, but because He is.  He loves us in spite of ourselves.  He loves each of us even if we are flawed, rejected, imperfect, or broken.  Because of His tender love, there is hope for us.  No matter what has been in our past, no matter how we have lived the beginning of our stories, we can yet change our ending.   
Through His tender mercies, we can be healed and made whole. 
 
STOP
 
Now it is your turn.  Spend five minutes just writing and come link up over at The Gypsy Mama.  I promise, you are going to love it!!

Writer's Workshop - Winter Snow

Every week you’re invited to join us in Writer’s Workshop over at Mama Kat's by responding to one of the provided writing prompts posted each Tuesday. The directions are simple:

• Choose a writing prompt from the list provided that inspires you most.
• Write.
• Come back this Thursday and paste the URL from your post into the list of links that will be displayed…this way anyone can click on your post thumbnail and head over to your place to see what you wrote.

 Writing Prompts:

1.) Have you decorated your Christmas tree? Share a favorite Christmas ornament.
2.) What is it about that movie that makes you cry every. time?
3.) Open letter to Santa Claus.
4.) Blast from the Past: What were you writing about last year at this time? Tell us what has changed (if anything) since then.
5.) Write a poem about a snow memory.

Winter Snow

By Patricia A Pitterle

The snow falls

softly and beautifully

 in quiet whispers.

Glistening and sparkling

Like glitter

On the paper

That is my life.

Each and every time

I see the flakes

Falling softly down

To the earth,

I stop to breathe in

The wonder

Of utter coolness.

I taste the ice

Of winter in the air.

I see the colors

Of the world

Covered up

In a soft blanket

Of white, winter wonder.

I watch the clouds dance

Against the ice blue

Of the sky.

The snow is cold

On my bear skin

As I reach out to touch

And it slips through my fingers.

The large, drifting flakes

Settle softly on the ground.

I stand there,

Twirling circles

In the shifting swirls.

Enjoying for this moment

The beauty that is snow.

My Life

is much like

The crisp winter snow.

The cold of trials

Fall upon me,

Filling me with sadness

And despair.

But hope also falls

Upon this place.

Settling softly

On my heart.

It glistens and sparkles

And covers the agonies

I have endured.

Soon the adversities

Are covered up

In a soft blanket

Of love

And forgiveness.

I experience life again

In all of it’s wonder.

The snows of life

Shift and move

And fall again
Making swirls

in the pattern of the light,

Until soon, I feel faith

Settle softly on my heart.

Spring will surely

come again,

And this winter

will, eventually, pass.

It is Faith that twirls

And whispers

quietly around me.

This is only

for a small season.

I can endure.

He is here,

I am loved

Safe, in His arms,

At last.

Writer's Workshop - Lost

Thursday is one of my favorite days.  This is the day when I join with Mama Kat for her Thursday Writer's Workshop.  The rules are simple.  Choose a prompt, post it on your blog, and come back HERE to add your name to the link list. Remember that everyone loves a good comment, so try to comment on the three blogs above your name!!

The Prompts:

1.) Write about a time you or someone you know saved the day!
2.) Who is the last person you spoke with on the phone for more than 30 minutes? Write about one thing you talked about.
3.) Write about a time you probably should have called for a ride home.
4.) Write a poem inspired by the word “Loss”.
5.) If you were to go back to the moment you decided to start a blog, what ten blogging tips would you share with yourself?

I chose to write a poem today, it is one of the reasons that my post is so late.  I had to think for awhile.  Hope to see you over there.  

Lost

by Patricia A Pitterle

I have been lost and uncertain,

Not knowing which way to go

Or even, who to follow.

And, now,

I come to you

On my knees at last,

And lay my problems

At your feet. 

I believe that you

Can take the parts of me

That are hurt and aching.

The places deep inside

That need healing.

I believe that you,

And only you,

Can take each moment,

No matter how ugly

Or how difficult,

And make it a strength

Instead of a weakness.

You, with healing

In your wings

Can take those moments

Of despair and faithlessness

And make me whole once again.

You find me,

Lost, broken and afraid

And bring me

Once again.

Home to faith.

Home to love.

Home at last

I am a crooked line

I am Linking up for two things today.  The first is for this poetry challenge at Danabugseyeview for the poetry bus.  There are no rules except that it has to start with this phrase:  I am a crooked line. 
The second is for the Bigger Picture Moments over at Alita's Place 
Spend a few moments visiting others as they also write.  I Hope you like it.

I Am A Crooked Line
by Patricia A Pitterle

I am a crooked line,
Wondering across the pages of life
To and fro,
From side to side.
I want to go from here to there
In a straight line,
But that does not seem possible
For me.
My way
Weaves along the light.
I can see the path;
It beckons me,
But when I try to walk it
Something always seems
To get in my way.
I wonder off into the wilderness
Of life
Until I see the light again.
I warms my heart
and beckons my soul.
Until, once again
I work myself
Back to the narrow way.
I am a crooked path
And that is OK
Because He knew that I would wonder,
He knew what I would be.
And yet,
He still loves me.
He straightens the path behind me,
And lights the way before.
Until, finially,
I see my path
Becoming not quite
As crooked as before.

We're seeing the Bigger Picture through simple moments -- moments that force us to stop and take notice of the ways our worlds are important, meaningful, and beautiful. Please join us today at Alita's place! Grab the button, link up and share your Bigger Picture with us!

Inadequacy, I am doing it.

"Do not allow yourselves to be made to feel inadequate or frustrated because you cannot do everything others seem to be accomplishing. Only you and your Father in Heaven know your needs, strengths, and desires. Around this knowledge your personal course must be charted and your choices made."
~Marvin. J. Ashton

This simple quote, really struck home to me today.  In our busy world, I find it so easy to feel inadequate.  There are so many things that need my attention.  There are so many good things worth doing.  Somehow, I don't have the time or the energy to keep up.  In my life, I have discovered that my choices are not so much between good and bad, rather they are between good and good.  Like Mary and Martha, I am constantly struggling to choose the good part, the best part, the part that my Heavenly Father would have me choose.  


Thank goodness that facts and the truth can be vastly different realities. While the facts of life may be saying you're too short, too heavy, too far in debt, your house is too small and your kids don't even love you, the truth is our adequacy, worth and value is never, ever, never determined by anything external.

I challenge you to tear down the lies that say you aren't good enough, smart enough or gifted enough to do what your Heavenly Father is asking you to do. He knows who you are, and what you are capable of.  No matter what the world appears to be saying of you or no matter what your situation appears to be, remember that you are a child of God and He loves you.  
Satan would have us believe many lies, but especially 
The lie: Because of our weaknesses and failings, God is continually disappointed in, frustrated with, and even angry with us.  There is no way that such a perfect person could love someone us imperfect and sinful as I am.
But the TRUTH is more simple than that: 

God loves each and every one of us and rejoices in us because we are His children.  If we will only turn to Him, He will guide us, and lead us home.

Holiness to the Lord

This is one of my new favorite stories.  I hope that I can be this kind of a Steward to my Heavenly Father.  I think it is important to not that Brother Moyle wasn't any different from most of us.  He was a simple man who worked with his hands and gave his heart to the work.  He believed in what he was doing and he worked to make sure that he did it well.  That is the thing that is required of each of us.  To be whatever we can be.  To bloom where we are planted.  To give our hearts to our Savior.

"John R. Moyle lived in Alpine, Utah, about 22 miles as the crow flies to the Salt Lake Temple, where he was the chief superintendent of masonry during its construction. To make certain he was always at work by 8 o'clock, Brother Moyle would start walking about 2 a.m. on Monday mornings. He would finish his work week at 5 p.m. on Friday and then start the walk home, arriving there shortly before midnight. Each week he would repeat that schedule for the entire time he served on the construction of the temple.

"Once when he was home on the weekend, one of his cows bolted during milking and kicked Brother Moyle in the leg, shattering the bone just below the knee. With no better medical help than they had in such rural circumstances, his family and friends took a door off the hinges and strapped him onto that makeshift operating table. They then took the bucksaw they had been using to cut branches from a nearby tree and amputated his leg just a few inches below the knee. When against all medical likelihood the leg finally started to heal, Brother Moyle took a piece of wood and carved an artificial leg. First he walked in the house. Then he walked around the yard. Finally he ventured out about his property. When he felt he could stand the pain, he strapped on his leg, walked the 22 miles to the Salt Lake Temple, climbed the scaffolding, and with a chisel in his hand hammered out the declaration 'Holiness to the Lord.' "

Jeffrey R. Holland, "As Doves to Our Windows," Ensign, May 2000, 76–77

These are the panes that were carved on the Salt Lake Temple

When I think of the sacrifice of men and woman like John Moyle, I am amazed.  I think of the love that they had for their Savior.  I know that I want to be like them. 

Always Remember Him

Many years ago, I learned to climb cliffs.  It started as a way to fight my own fear of heights.  I can't tell you how many times I would shakenly try and climb a cliff, only to slip and fall down the side of the mountain, usually leaving some of my own skin on the downward plunge.  One of the first principles of climbing that I ever learned was the principle of the belay.  As a beginning climber, I never attempted anything without first being "on belay".  This meant that I was safe.  That the climber who was holding the rope had me in his sights and was protecting me from any fall that I might take.  I grew to love climbing and still have a couple of pictures of myself in my bright pink, trademark, spandex.  (And no, I don't show those to ANYBODY!)


The following quotation has been used a few times by LDS authors and speakers over the last few years comparing the emotion of gratitude rock climber Alan Czenkusch felt towards the man who saved his life to the gratitude we should have towards the Savior who saved ours.

Climbing is a unique sport, presenting mental and physical stress that you learn to overcome by operating close to your limits. Sometimes your limits are higher than you realize. "Of course, you recognize your limits in climbing by falling off the rock," says Alan Czenkusch [leader of Whistepig Climbing School of Del Norte, Colorado]. "However, you're safe because you're on belay." The belay anchor system is the crux of climbing. It allows falls with impunity - almost. The person running the rope does so to protect the climber. There is a great responsibility and obligation to this concept and Czenkusch explains it solemnly. The belayer protects himself by the use of pitons and other devices which give him fail-safe redundant protection. When the belayer calls out to the climber below "On Belay" it means he is set up correctly and has assumed a serious duty and would even give up his own life to protect the climber. Such dedication should allow the person below to ascent with no fear of falling. The mutual trust which allows belaying is part of the camaraderie, the intimacy, the mystique of mountaineering. Belaying has brought Czenkusch his best and worst moments in climbing. Czenkusch once fell from a high precipice, yanking out three mechanical supports and pulling his belayer off a ledge. He was stopped upside down 10 feet from the ground when his spread-eagled belayer arrested the fall with the strength of his outstretched arms. "Don saved my life," says Czenkusch. "How do you respond to a guy like that? Give him a used climbing rope for a Christmas present? No, you remember him. You always remember him."
“The Vertical Wilderness," Private Practice, Nov. 1979, p. 21.

The Savior has always had you "on belay".  He is the one who has His arms outstretched and is saving you from your own sins and anguish.  He is the one who loves you so much more than you can possibly imagine.  He alread gave His life for you that you might have the opportunity to live forever with Him and our Father in Heaven.  How do you respond to a brother like that?  What are you doing to always remember Him?

The Nest

We were driving down to Payson when my husband saw a large nest up in a tree just off the road.  We came back later with the camera and the girls to walk around and look at the nest.  The nest was so large that we thought at first, it was an eagle's nest.  However, the bird flying in the air was slightly smaller than an eagle.  We had a wonderful time taking pictures, walking the dog, and watching the bird fly in and out of the nest. 
The next day, I talked with one of the rangers in town and they told me that is an Osprey nest.  They are sometimes called "Fish Eagles".  They are considered to be a large rapture and are beautiful to watch.  They are approximately 24 inches in length and their wings span up to two meters.  As their name would suggest, they live around large bodies of water and fish is the main part of their diet. 
The forest service has been watching the nests.  It takes a long time for wildlife to come back after a fire has damaged the habitat.  This is a wonderful thing to see them coming back.  It is a sign that the forest is healing. 

Just as the forest takes a long time to come back after a fire, so can our spirits take a long time to come back after sin has entered our lives and damaged us.  But, even though it takes awhile, it IS possible.  We have a very loving Heavenly Father who has not sent us here alone.  He knew that we could never be reunited with Him unless someone else was able to pay the price. 
This is the mission of our Savior.  He is the one that heals the forests of our soul and  helps us to change.  As we make the changes in our lives necessary to return to Him, we change inside our very souls.  Change is possible for each one of us, no matter what we think we have done, or not done.  Those actions have already been atoned for. 
I wonder if perhaps, the greatest obsticle standing between us and our Savior, isn't our own ability to forgive ourselves for our past mistakes. 
So what are you waiting for?  The trees of testimony are growing in your soul.  The nest is built.  All that is waiting is for you to wecome the Savior in.

I might need to call for help!

I heard a talk yesterday that touched my heart and made me think.  The message was truly wonderful. I pondered it for most of the day and I wanted to share it with you. 
The story (in this case it happens to be true) was told by a man who was called to the ER to help do an emergency surgery on an older gentleman who needed a hip replacement.  The man was in a tremendous amount of pain and having a hard time with being moved for anything during the preparation for the surgery. 
The man required several people to lift him and place him on the gurney to go to the surgery room and he started yelling, "I need my cell phone, I need my cell phone, I NEED my cell phone!"  There were doctors and nurses and orderlies gathered around the gurney and they looked at each other with puzzlement on their faces.  This man was soon to be unconscious and would not even hear the phone ring!
Finally, the doctor took the gentleman's hand and said, "Sir, I don't think that you will need that today."  The man replied, "Yes I do, I might need to call for help!"

How many times are we like that older gentleman in our own lives.  There are people around us who know how to help and they even want to help us, they care about us, they want us to succeed, they are trying, to the best of their ability, to take away the pain or make it bearable.  And we, who are in the midst of adversity, can't see that they are there to help.  We can't see or understand that they might just be the answer to our prayers.  All we see and know is that we are hurting, that we feel so alone, that no one could possibly understand, and that life is perhaps even a little (or a lot) unfair. 
How many times do we turn away from the help that is offered because it doesn't meet with our expectations?  How many times do we cling to the past comforts just like this older man was clinging to his cell phone.  The cell phone was not going to be able to replace his hip, and let's face it, it was not going to be able to take away the pain either. 
So, what are you holding onto that you think makes you feel safe, but probably isn't what you need at all.  What are you clinging to that you need to let go of? 
Are the things that you are clinging to, leading you toward, or away from the Savior?  He knows what you need in your life.  He knows what you need right this moment.  He is holding your hand.  He will send you the help that you require to get you through, and most of all, you are never, ever alone. 
Remember, if you need to call for help, He doesn't require a cell phone. 

 

Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart, Searching my soul? …

He answers privately, Reaches my reaching
In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.
Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.
Constant he is and kind, Love without end.

The Accident

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Missouri to visit my oldest daughter. It was a long and grueling drive. The majority of it took place in a blizzard, so the going was slow and visibility was poor. We were afraid to stop because the majority of the weather system was behind us. Had we stopped, we would have had to stay at a hotel for two days. Our trip was only a week long, and we did not want to loose two days with family. By driving, we were able to stay toward the front of the storm and avoid the majority of the road closures.
As we were getting to the leading edge of the storm in Missouri, John, who was driving at the time, saw a car on the opposite side of the highway, slide off the road and go over the edge of the embankment. He told me immediately what he saw. The car disappeared from site and we were both worried about injuries.
I am an EMT, which isn't a lot, but I am a first responder and carry a kit in my car for emergencies. I immediately put in a call to 911 while John took the next exit and we tried to use the GPS to find a road somewhere off the highway that would lead us to the vehicle. There was no where to park on the highway without endangering ourselves or our children, hence the need to find a back way.
While we were trying to figure out where to go, I was trying to also figure out how to tell the dispatcher where we were. The GPS and the Atlas called the highway a name that the dispatcher did not know. On the map, it was Highway 60. The highway actually had a name and not a number as far as the dispatcher for EMS was concerned. I spent a frustrating five minutes that felt more like an hour in trying to let people know where I was located.
We found the back road that took us about 200 yards from the scene of the accident. I took off running with my emergency kit. I had on my crocs, (these are like sandals in case you do not know), a t-shirt, and lightweight trousers. I was running through a light snow, over rocks and brush and through trees and tall grasses. I had ice in my hair, in my shoes and down my neck. Life is good.
I ran up to the car and found a woman and her little boy. I was able to talk EMS to the scene by telling the dispatcher what direction the sirens were coming from. They were on scene approximately two minutes after I got there. The woman and boy were miraculously unhurt. The car was not so fortunate. The car had crashed through several hay bales before coming to the bottom of the embankment. Those hay bales kept the occupants from being seriously injured. The embankment made it hard to locate them. They were completely out of view from the passing traffic above them. I was so relieved to have them safe and unhurt. I stayed with them until the paramedics were able to get down the embankment and take over the scene, my husband arrived about the same time and we then walked together back to our children then we left to continue our drive to my daughter's house.
When my husband and I got back to the car, we found all three of our girls with tears in their eyes asking if everyone was alright.  My oldest daughter informed me that they had said a prayer for the safety of those people in the car and for our ability to help them.  They then suggested that we have a prayer of gratitude for the answer of the first prayer.  So we did.  We bowed our heads inside our car and said a quick and heartfelt prayer of thanks for our Heavenly Father's blessings that day and for the safety of all concerned.

I have learned from this experience how important it is to know where you are so that you can help another. Harold B. Lee said, "You cannot lift another soul until you are standing on higher ground than he is. You must be sure, if you would rescue the man, that you yourself are setting the example of what you would have him be. You cannot light a fire in another soul unless it is burning in your own soul".

In the New Testament in Acts chapter three, is the experience of Peter and John as they were on their way to the temple. They met a man at the gate who was lame from birth. He had never walked and was begging alms of all who approached the gate. As Peter and John approached, he held out his hand asking for alms.
4 "And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5  And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6  Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus
    Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk".  Acts 3:(4-6)
Now, in my mind, I can just see this man looking at Peter and John and thinking, "do they know that I have never walked?"   But the scripture doesn't end with the command.  Peter did not just tell the man to walk, he also “took him by the right hand, and lifted him up” (Acts 3:7).  He showed him that it was possible.
Can you see in your own mind, that Apostle lifting him up?  Can you imagine him putting his arm around the man who used to be lame and helping him as he takes his first step?  Then the scripture continues and tells us that the "the man leaped with joy".
You cannot lift another soul until you are standing on higher ground than he is.  Peter had the fire of testimony burning in his own soul.  He was an apostle and charged to bear witness of the Savior to the people.  He was able to command the man to walk because he himself believed and knew that it was possible.  He had seen the Savior healing the sick, raising the dead, and causing the lame to walk.  He knew who the Savior was.  He knew what miracles could be wrought.
During this accident in Missouri, I could not help as effectively as I would have liked to, because I did not know where I was.  I was unable to give the needed information to the dispatcher.  This caused both of us to be very frustrated.  I saw, with my eyes, where the car went off the road, but I could not describe the location.  I did not know the address.  The desire to help was there, but my lack of knowledge delayed the response time of the local Fire Department.  I was unsure of where I was and unsteady in giving the directions that would be the most help.
Each one of us will have times in our lives when we will want to help others.  It might be our friends who are struggling with difficulties.  It might be the sisters we visit teach, or the families we home teach.  It might be our own family members.  It might even be our own teenage children.  If we are to help them learn to stand on firm foundations, we first need to make sure that our own foundations are sure.

We need to know where we are.

We need to know where we stand.

We need to know that we are standing on the Rock

 that is our Savior Jesus Christ.

Happy Easter

I love Easter.  It is one of my favorite holidays.  I sometimes think that my children do not believe that.  Indeed, they have often made of a point of letting me know that they have be deprived in their childhood because I am crazy.  You see, I discovered a long time ago that I would not win the battle to make Christmas more spiritual.  I had children and they focus on the presents!  Don't get me wrong, I try to bring about traditions during the season that put Christ first.  Sometimes, I think I am even successful, but in the back of their minds, the presents are still coming.
So, I made a decision many years ago when my oldest child was born, that we would not celebrate Easter with bunnies and baskets.  We would make that our most spiritual holiday of the year.  We would focus out thoughts on Christ and His sacrifice for us.  We would remember the resurrection and the glorious promise that He Lives!
Don't feel too bad for my children.  We color eggs the weekend before easter, and there is always a bowl of candy on the dining room table.  Each child gets a new dress or a suit for Sunday.  We talk about how getting new clothes, symbolizes putting aside the old person and committing to be a new person in Christ.  We talk about the meaning of obedience.  We talk about His great love for us and the power of the atonement.  We talk about how he died on the cross for us and of His life and teachings.  We talk of our testimonies and our love.
Most of all, we talk about the fact that He lives!

Luke:5-6
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen.

This is one of my favorite easter songs.  I have sang it several times and love the meaning of the words.  I can never sing it without reflecting on our Heavenly Father and His great love of us.  I think of how difficult it must have been to watch the Savior suffer.   I think about how much He must love us and be mindful of our needs, both here and throughout eternity.
I pray that the words will touch your heart and bring you comfort and peace as you spend some time today reflecting on the true meaning of Easter.

The Sacrifice
by Wanda Lindstrom

Abraham's life had been shattered;
Now his hopes for the future were gone
'Cause he could not conceive, and he could not believe,
God would ask for the life of his son.
The obedient Abraham trembled
As he tried to tell Isaac his task.
Then his heart finally broke when his faithful son spoke,
"Dear father, I'll do what you ask."

Father, where is thy mercy?
Instead of my son, take me!
This Father is crying
When I think of him dying,
But I'll do it now for thee.

As he raised up the knife
and looked down at his son,
Pure sorrow filled up in his heart.
To shed the pure blood of this innocent one
Was tearing his soul apart.
Beyond the thin veil in a Heavenly place
The anguish and heartache were felt.
While Abraham cried as he sadly asked why
And poured out his heart as he knelt.

Father, where is thy mercy?

Instead of my son, take me!

This Father is crying 

When I think of him dying,

But I'll do it now for thee.

"Stop!"  came the answer from heaven.

"I've seen what I needed to see.

The test is now done;  do not slay your own son.

Now I know you'd keep nothing from me.

I, too, am a father with love for my son.

And mine is a similar task.

And my heart also broke when my faithful son spoke,

'Dear Father, I'll do what you ask.'

And He'll die for the cause of mercy

In order for men to be free!

And this father is crying when I think of Him dying,

But I'll do it, my child, for thee.

This Father is crying when I think of Him dying,

But I'll do it, my children, for thee.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I love this song.  Actually, it is probably my favorite song of the entire season. There is something so sad about it, and then the last verse comes out so powerful and hope fills my heart.  What makes this song so special though, is the story behind it.  I heard it recited on Music and the Spoken Word, on the BYU channel.  I have always loved the story, but it means so much more to me now.  We each face trials.  It is part of why we came here.  But, believe it or not, it is not the trials that break us.  It is what we do or do not do because of them.  "I heard the Bells on Christmas Day" was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

This story, about the hymn “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” was taken from this website (which gives permission to share and copy the article).
http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Fellowship/Edit_I.Heard.the.Bells.html

One of America’s best known poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), contributed to the wealth of carols sung each Christmas season, when he composed the words to “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” on December 25th 1864. The carol was originally a poem, “Christmas Bells,” containing seven stanzas…

The poem gave birth to the carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” and… five [of the seven] stanzas [two referring to the Civil War were removed] were slightly rearranged in 1872 by John Baptiste Calkin (1827-1905), who also gave us the memorable tune.
When Longfellow penned the words to his poem, America was still months away from Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9th 1865; and, his poem reflected the prior years of the war’s despair, while ending with a confident hope of triumphant peace. (…[At this time, Lincoln] prompted his countrymen to “rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.”)

As with any composition that touches the heart of the hearer, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” flowed from the experience of Longfellow– involving the tragic death of his wife Fanny and the crippling injury of his son Charles from war wounds…. Henry married Frances Appleton [Fanny] on July 13th 1843, and they settled down in the historic Craigie House overlooking the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They were blessed with…five children– Charles, Ernest, Alice, Edith, and Allegra….

Tragedy struck both the nation and the Longfellow family in 1861. Confederate Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard fired the opening salvos of the American Civil War on April 12th, and Fanny Longfellow was fatally burned in an accident in the library of Craigie House on July 10th…. After trimming some of seven year old Edith’s beautiful curls, Fanny decided to preserve the clippings in sealing wax. Melting a bar of sealing wax with a candle, a few drops fell unnoticed upon her dress. The longed for sea breeze gusted through the window, igniting the light material of Fanny’s dress– immediately wrapping her in flames. In her attempt to protect Edith and Allegra, she ran to Henry’s study in the next room, where Henry frantically attempted to extinguish the flames with a nearby, but undersized throw rug…. Failing to stop the fire with the rug, he tried to smother the flames by throwing his arms around Frances– severely burning his face, arms, and hands. Fanny Longfellow died the next morning. Too ill from his burns and grief, Henry did not attend her funeral. (Incidentally, the trademark full beard of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow arose from his inability to shave after this tragedy.)

The first Christmas after Fanny’s death, Longfellow wrote, “How inexpressibly sad are all holidays.” A year after the incident, he wrote, “I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace.” Longfellow’s journal entry for December 25th 1862 reads: “‘A merry Christmas’ say the children, but that is no more for me.”
Almost a year later, Longfellow received word that his oldest son Charles, a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac, had been severely wounded with a bullet passing under his shoulder blades and taking off one of the spinal processes. The Christmas of 1863 was silent in Longfellow’s journal…. Finally, on Christmas Day of 1864, he wrote the words of the poem, “Christmas Bells.” The reelection of Abraham Lincoln or the possible end of the terrible war may have been the occasion for the poem. Lt. Charles Longfellow did not die that Christmas, but lived. So, contrary to popular belief, the occasion of writing that much loved Christmas carol was not due to Charles’ death.
Longfellow’s Christmas bells loudly proclaimed, “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep”

Here are the words to that Christmas Carol that were written so long ago. 



I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), 1867)

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

May you find your peace in the Savior this Christmas season and always.  And my you continue to have everlasting hope and joy in His love. 
"It is not enough to know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is our
Savior, and that the gospel is true. We must take the high road by acting
upon that knowledge." Elder Dallon H. Oaks

"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature."
--Ezra Taft Benson, "Born of God", Ensign, July 1989, 2

The fruit of the spirit

Sometimes, it seems so hard to feel the spirit in my life.  I struggle, I pray, I read scriptures and I cry.   I wait and I try listening, but sometimes it seems as if my Heavenly Father just isn't there for me.  I know that we have all felt that way at one time or another in our lives.  Today, I was listening to a talk CD in the car on the way to Show Low, and the speaker recited a scripture in the New Testament.  It was one that I am sure I have read before, but it was not marked. This scripture was an answer to my prayers for the spirit to be with me.   

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law.

So, have you been happy today?  Have you been kind to someone else?  Have you treated your husband (or wife) with love and respect?  Have you felt peace and calm?  If you have felt any one of those things, than you have felt the spirit with you today.   Remember that the spirit does not speak with a loud voice although sometimes, I think that I would like it to.   Sometimes, I would just like to KNOW that He is listening!  So this scripture was exactly what I needed to hear and in a way that I needed to hear it.  It was the still, small voice, spoken in such a way that even I could understand.  I could recognize the voice through the understanding of the scriptures.
So who do you think you are?  The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves.”  Knowing who you are—who you really are—is closely tied to knowing God, for you are His children. Think for a minute what this quote means.  We have part of the divine nature of our Heavenly Father inside us.  If we honor that nature and come to know it and appreciate it, we can also come to a closer understanding of our Heavenly Father and a greater understanding of ourselves and what we need to accomplish here on the earth. 

Elder Richard G Scott said:  "With all my capacity I encourage you to discover who you really are. I invite you to look beyond the daily routine of life. I urge you to discern through the Spirit your divinely given capacities. I exhort you to prayerfully make worthy choices that will lead you to realize your full potential".

So part of understanding and discovering who we are happens as we make worthy choices that lead us ever closer to our Heavenly Father.  Part of discovering who we are, also involves looking past the normal cares and worries of the world and seeking the gifts that He has given each one of us.  We are supposed to be in the world, but not of the world.  I think that the world works a lot like background noise in our lives.  If you let it, the background noise (or cares of the world) can overwhelm everything else.  We can get so involved with the daily aspects of living, that we don't think of anything else.  We don't try to find and hear the whispers of the Spirit that is trying to guide us. 

President Gordon B Hinckley:  "Never forget that you came to earth as a child of the divine Father, with something of divinity in your very makeup. The Lord did not send you here to fail. He did not give you life to waste it. He bestowed upon you the gift of mortality that you might gain experience—positive, wonderful, purposeful experience—that will lead to life eternal.".

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us, and we love Him!  Think about what those words mean.  He does not want you to fail!  He sends help for you all along the way.  He knew that we would each make mistakes, but the amazing part is that those mistakes were already atoned for!  Now we just need to take His name upon our selves and live His laws and His teachings. Of course, there will be some problems along the way. We all have difficulties to overcome. But they will not last forever. He will not forsake us on our journey.  One of my favorite hymns can be found in the LDS Hymn book.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. …

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
(“Count Your Blessings,” Hymns, no. 241)

He is watching over each of us.  He hears your prayers and will answer them.  He loves each one of us and shows us that love through the constant blessings that He gives to us.  Let the Holy Spirit guide you in all that you do and be aware of it always in your life.  Remember that you will recognize the Holy Spirit in your life through the fruit that it brings to you.  You can always become someone different than you are today.  If the road you have traveled is not the road you want to be on, than turn around and change.  You can do it. You will have friends and loved ones to help. And God will bless you as you pursue your course home to Him.