What I learned - Be Thou Humble

One of my all time favorite Hymns is Be thou humble.  It reminds me of who I would like to be and what I am really working on.  This talk was also amazing.  I learned so much listening.  I love the idea that "some of the greatest sermons are preached by listening to the hymns." 
The hymn Be Thou humble is based on a scripture in Ether and one in the Doctrine and Covenants. 
Ether 12:27. The verse in Ether reads: “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; … for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”
I really need the weak things in my life to become strengths.  I know that I need to not worry so much.  That I need to trust more and try and take care of it all myself, less.  Trusting is hard for me.  I never quite correlated trusting God with the ability to humble myself.  I am just trying to bother Him less and take care of my own problems. 
This talk has reminded me that those problems are not necessarily mine to take care of.  Sometimes, we all need to trust in a higher power and allow Him to bear the burden.  Humility is the willingness to admit that I can't possibly do it all.
I have had many experiences to try myself and make me more humble.  I have walked through the shadows and  tears.  I have felt my soul ache and my heart break.  Humility keeps it all real for me.  I know that there is nothing that I could possibly suffer, that Christ himself isn't aware of.  I know that He is willing to walk with me. 
As Elder Snow shared the story of His son, my heart ached with him and I could not help but remember my own experiences with my children.  There is so much uncertainty in knowing what will happen.  Whether they sin, or someone else does, whether life is fair, or it isn't.  I believe that we never stop worrying about their welfare and their spiritual well-being.  No matter what happens, they are my children, grown or small, it doesn't really matter.  I love them.  I know that Heavenly Father loves them and that He desires they may learn how to be humble and loving here upon the earth.
He desires to lead us safely Home. 

Lyrics to Be Thou Humble

1. 1. Be thou humble in thy weakness, and the Lord thy God shall lead thee,
   Shall lead thee by the hand and give thee answer to thy prayers.
   Be thou humble in thy pleading, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee,
   Shall bless thee with a sweet and calm assurance that he cares.
2. 2. Be thou humble in thy calling, and the Lord thy God shall teach thee
   To serve his children gladly with a pure and gentle love.
   Be thou humble in thy longing, and the Lord thy God shall take thee,
   Shall take thee home at last to ever dwell with him above.
   
   Text and music: Grietje Terburg Rowley, b. 1927
3. (c) 1985 IRI

Don't be impressed

This is one that we all need to be aware of.  It is easy to be impressed by what we perceive others have accomplished.  It is easy to look at the visible signs of success and wish that we had the same.  But those things that we can not see, are so much more important.  I know that when I am having problems myself, it is the simple things that bring me the greatest blessings.  The kindness of a stranger, the generosity of a friend, the integrity of someone who finds something I have lost, and last, but not least, the humility of those around us. 
Our world is impressed by all the wrong things.  We look at success as something that is physically tangible, instead of something within.  We use things to determine whether or not we are worth something.  We use money, status, toys, titles, business, even people to show that we have worth.  The thing is, worth is not determined by what you have.  It is determined more by what you do. 
Once, a long time ago, I had a job interview.  The interviewer asked me what I could bring to that office.  I told him of all the things that I have done in my career.  He replied, "I don't want to know what you have done in the past, I want to know what you will do for this office to improve it". 
I learned from that interview.  Our past really doesn't matter as much as we think.  Our current status really isn't important.  There are more important and pressing issues for each of us.  I prefer to think of it as: what can I do to change what is going on around me for the better.  What can I bring that is different and unique.  I have learned that kindness is always welcome, there is never enough integrity to get things done, humility goes so much farther that pride, and generosity brings some of my greatest joys. 
I hope that we all start to become impressed by the things that matter most, instead of the ones that really aren't that important.  Remember that you are truly better than you think you are. 

Gratitude for Courage

COURAGE

Above all, we must realize that no arsenal,
or no weapon in the arsenals of the world,
is so formidable 

as the will and moral courage
of free men and women.  

It is a weapon
our adversaries in today's world do not have."  

Ronald Reagan

I come from a family of military people.  The above picture is my sister and brother in their respective uniforms.  Today, I just wanted to take a moment and thank all those who have served as well as the ones who are currently serving in the military.  I am so grateful for their courage and values in our world today.   I am thankful that I enjoy freedom and liberty because of all those who have defended our rights and privileges.  

I love the above quote by Ronald Reagan.  I think it says a great deal about the young men and women who serve our nation.  I lived on a military base for years and will forever be grateful for that experience that taught me so very much.  I know of their personal sacrifices.  I know of their hardships and difficulties.  

Most of all, I am very aware of how much they have given and continue to give to bring peace and freedom throughout the world today.  May we all recognize and be grateful for that unselfish gift in our behalf.  

So, in between the cookouts and the errands today.  Let's give all our military the honor that they so richly deserve.  May they know how grateful we really are for their sacrifice and service.  

Five Minute Friday - Turn

Today is Five minute Friday, we really, I have been gone this weekend, so for me Friday has become Sunday, but I decided to participate anyway.  This is the day when a group of us get together over at Kate's Place and share our own stories in just five short minutes.  The rules are easy:  Write in five minutes flat without caring about whether it is just right or not.  Go over to Heading Home and link up your post.  And visit the person who linked up before you to share a comment about their writing.  See, easy.

Today the prompt is:

TURN

START

Inevitable Light
by Patricia A. Pitterle

Every way I turn
There's a path to take
And each step becomes
A choice I make.

As each road beckons me
From the right to stray,
I look to His light
To guide my way.

Seeking His inevitable light.
Searching for His peace.
Knowing that He loves me
And His love will never cease.

As I turn from path to path
Some grey, some light, some dim,
Some look right and call to me,
Only one leads to Him.

As I turn to make my choice
Along life's stormy ways,
I find His light within myself
To brighten all my days.

Seeking His inevitable light.
Searching for His peace.
Knowing that He loves me
And His love will never cease.

My feet step out upon the path
Of bumps and pain and strife
Knowing that He walks with me
And guides me through this life.

When darkness comes and I can't see
He takes me by the hand
And leads me through the hardest times
Through all life's shifting sands.

Seeking His inevitable light.
Searching for His peace.
Knowing that He loves me
And His love will never cease.

STOP

So, now it is your turn,  What can you write for your own five minute Friday?

Becoming Like Him - Day 27 - Free

For my 31 days of writing, I am linking up over at Heading Home and over at the Nester. There are several of us that are taking the 31 day writing challenge. Kate has suggested that we spend 31 days of Five minute writing. You can use the prompts or write about anything you would like, you just need to write.

I am sharing my journey for 31 days as I strive to become more like Him. My prayer is that you can find hope and peace in my words.

John 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Today the prompt is:

FREE

START

I used to not understand this scripture.  You would think that it would be easy, but I was taught from an early age to lie.  I had to learn to tell my parents what the wanted to hear and not the truth.  If my mother decided something was the truth, than anything else you told her was a lie, no matter what the truth really was.  So, I learned to lie very, very well.  

I am not proud of that fact, and I made a vow to my Heavenly Father when I got married that I would never lie to my husband.   It has not always been an easy vow to keep, especially when I first started, but it has been one that I have never violated.  I want my husband to know that I love him enough to always tell the truth, even when the truth is a hard thing to face.  

Telling the truth is a freedom for me.  I never have to remember what I said, because I always remember the truth.  It is freeing because my sweet husband accepts me, even with all my faults.  I am free because God gave me that gift.  I am free to live and worship and have a family.  

I love the old saying,

"You are free to make your own choice, but you are not free from the consequences of that choice." 

I am so grateful that Heavenly Father gave me free agency to choose.  Sometimes I choose right, and sometimes I make mistakes.  That saying is so true.  When I make choices, there are always consequences for them.  Sometimes the consequences are hard things to bear, sometimes, they are easy, but they are always there.  

STOP

Becoming Like Him - Day 18 - Taste

For my 31 days of writing, I am linking up over at Heading Home and over at the Nester. There are several of us that are taking the 31 day writing challenge. Kate has suggested that we spend 31 days of Five minute writing. You can use the prompts or write about anything you would like, you just need to write.

I am sharing my journey for 31 days as I strive to become more like Him. My prayer is that you can find hope and peace in my words.

"We write to taste life twice,

in the moment, 

and in retrospect".

Anais Nin

START

Oh how I love this quote.  It is amazing and really reminds me why I write.  Life is amazing, and without writing, it is easier to forget the good times and to get lost in the bad.  Most of my memories of my childhood are not so good.  I really wish that I could remember good things because I know they where there, but in childhood, the hurt far outweighed the happiness.  So, I remember the hurt.  Oh how I wish that someone had taught me to write back then.
Writing is much like cooking.  When I first got married, I was 17 years old and I knew nothing of following a recipe of cooking.  My mother cooked with cans and boxes and pre made food.  I really wanted to learn to cook homemade.  
I remember my first stew.  It cooked all day and we had company for dinner.  The potatoes weren't done yet and we still crunchy.  I cooked it too low.  Everyone ate, no one complained, but my husband said, (after the company had left), please don't cook that again.
So, I didn't, but I made other things and I learned.  I used to cook amazing cinnamon rolls and sweets.  I made homemade candy and breads and pretty much any dessert you can think of.  I even got good at it.  It took years of practice and lots of failures, but I learned.  
When I married my husband now, the hardest thing to blend was the cooking.  My kids, loved my cooking.  His kids loved his cooking.  So we had to learn to blend things together into new flavors and new traditions that became our own.  
He does a lot of the cooking.  He enjoys it and I don't mind at all.  The only thing everyone insists that I have to cook is gravy.  That is the must have on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Mom's gravy is still number one.  Like I said, I took years to perfect it. 
As an adult, I have written a lot.  I write poems, I write articles, I write about my love of God.  Because so much of my writing focuses on my testimony of the Savior and His love for me, I live it again in the words.  I live it first in my thoughts and feelings, then savor it again in the words when I write them down and finally taste my heart in the words again when I reread them.  
My hope has always been that my children will someday want to really get to know me, for something besides the recipe to gravy.  And that these parts of my life that I taste will somehow inspire them to reach just a little bit higher than they ever imagined.  

STOP

Becoming Like Him - Day 13 - Work

For my 31 days of writing, I am linking up over at Heading Home and over at the Nester. There are several of us that are taking the 31 day writing challenge. Kate has suggested that we spend 31 days of Five minute writing. You can use the prompts or write about anything you would like, you just need to write.

I am sharing my journey for 31 days as I strive to become more like Him. My prayer is that you can find hope and peace in my words.

You are what you do;

Not what you say you will do.

START

Our community has a yearly day of service.  All the churches work together, all the people sign up for jobs and we get things done.  I love this day.  It is a day when differences are put aside and people just learn that they are really the same at heart.  

Usually, I am part of the road crew.  Everyone gets a vest, and a garbage bag.  We have a mile area that our group is responsible for.  With so many people working together, the entire area all the way through town gets done.  

This year, I was asked to be in charge of making cards for the military.  My husband was asked to help with the food (how does he do that???).  I have a lot of crafts at home and I bought more for the event.  Everyone had a great time making cards and writing in them for those in our town that are serving, that have served, or family members that are currently serving.  

The young women liked it so much that they want to do it later in the year as a project.  I think that is a great idea.  

After our service projects, we all met at the park for a lunch of hot dogs, chips, drinks and brownies.  I am sure that is most of the communities favorite part.  Nothing costs anyone anything.  It is a day of service to make our town look better and to bring people together.  

They have already asked me to do the cards again next year.  

What a wonderful way to come together and to get to know those of other faiths.  It is an amazing way to strengthen our community and learn what it means to be a neighbor.

STOP

Five Minute Friday - Tell

Today is Friday, one of my favorite days. This is the day we all get together and write, without worrying about whether it is just right or not.  Then we link back over to Kate's Place and tell our stories.  We also read and comment on the post before us.  This weeks prompt is:

TELL 

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

START

Sometimes, when I think of telling, I think of saying things I shouldn't say.  Of doing things I shouldn't do.  I think of speaking up when I should remain silent, but I have learned that often, we should stand up and tell the things that are important.  Often, when we are silent, it is because we are afraid to speak up, we are afraid to tell anyone about how it really is.  We are afraid to defend the weak and the weary and the hands that hang down.  

Sometimes, we are too exhausted to cope with all the wrongs that surround us.  We just don't have the energy to get involved in something that might not be our business.  We are trying to do what is best for ourselves instead of taking care of those who need us right this minute.  

So, I try and teach my children that they should always tell when something doesn't make sense to them.  They should always speak up when someone is being a bully.  It is their business when others are cruel and mean.  I don't want them to hide in a small corner of their life afraid to live because of the evil that is all around us.  I want to teach them to tell, to speak out, to be involved and to try and make it right.   

More than that, I hope that by teaching them, I will teach myself.  I don't have to hide from anyone.  I am strong enough to stand up and tell them exactly what I think and what I know and what I believe.  I am always strong enough to tell.  

STOP

Now it is your turn.  What can you write in your own little breath of five minutes?  Hope you come over the Kate's place and share with the rest of us!

Wordless Wednesday - Off To The Rescue

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.

The Light in the Fridge

If we are not supposed to have midnight snacks,

Why is there a light in the refrigerator?

I must admit, I love to snack.  I could feast on Oreo cookies and chocolate cake several times a day.  I would look like it too!  But I am not sure if the way I would look would completely stop me from doing it.  I do know, that the way I would feel keeps me from eating sweets more than every once in a while.  (As long as I don't buy the packages of Oreo cookies!)

I taught a lesson a week ago on the scriptures and how they are supposed to be a feast for us.  How the Lord never intending them to be something that we turn to every once in a while.  I talked with the girls about what they think of when they think of a feast.  I talked with them about Thanksgiving, Christmas, Birthdays and even Easter.  How, when we think about those meals, we can even smell them in our minds.  We look forward to them with anticipation and with excitement.  We put together the dinners and desserts with love and joy.
The scriptures are very much like a compass or a map or even a GPS.  They will guide us on the path we should go if we will only use them.  Too many of us treat the scriptures like they might be a snack, something we eat every once in a while.  Something that we take out and nibble at from time to time.  But to really feast on them means that we look forward to the light that is in them . We look for that light, we search it, we embrace it, we welcome it.
It becomes the light that leads us home.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Psalms 119:105

Misunderstanding

The worst distance between two people

Is misunderstanding.

I am definitely getting older.  When my older children were young, we experienced lots of misunderstandings.  Someone would mutter under their breath, someone else would hear, someone would push or shove or take.  Someone would use words that were not nice.  They could and would make each other cry.  One of my most used expressions at the time was, "if it makes someone else cry, it is not fun or funny!"  I know that they got tired of hearing it, and it took many, many years for them to finally understand (I hope) that teasing is mean.  It is tremendously hard on people to be mad fun of.  It hurts their hearts and their spirits.  We have learned together that the worst distance ever between us is always a misunderstanding.  

In this crazy age of technology, it is easier than ever to develop misunderstandings.  The way we write, the punctuation that we leave out.  The shortcuts we take all lead to misunderstandings.  As I try to teach the young women I am working with at church this principle, I know they think I am old fashioned.  I know that sometimes they tease on purpose.  They MEAN to hurt each other.  That can be the hardest to bear of all.  So I work on teaching them that no matter how angry or hurt they think they are, it is never, ever all right to treat anyone in a way you would not want to be treated.  Even if they treat you that way.  

It hurts my heart when they are unkind to each other.  It is so hard for them to understand that every single moment can help to encourage someone else.  You can literally be the reason that their day changed for the better.  

I found a good scripture for this one in the New Testament.  I hope that it touches you as it has touched me.  May the words we speak always bring happiness to the Lord.  

Colossians 8:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Our Actions Speak Louder

Actions speak louder than words. 

We can apologize over and over,

But if our actions don't change,

The words become meaningless.

One to the things that I try most to teach my children is that sorry, isn't always good enough.  Sometimes, it is too easy to say "I'm sorry".  It comes too quickly to our lips.  It is as if the words can heal all by themselves.  Now, I don't want anyone to think that they should never say "sorry".  The difference is that we need to mean it.  We need it to matter enough that we will do whatever we can to show that it matters.  We have to act upon the "I'm sorry", we can't just let it go.

Words have a lot of power.  However, by themselves, a word is just a word.  It is when they are stung together in a story that lets us know what they really mean.   It is when our actions show our love that our words really start to matter.   

What You Get

Sometimes, What you get

Is better than

What you wanted. 

Somewhere, in the midst of all those tiny people, are a couple of my grand children and my three younger girls.  Grammy and Papa took them all to the museum.  It was amazing.  Climbing, running, looking, crawling, sliding, searching and even getting lost once or twice was all part of our exhausting day.  Now, you should know that the girls did not want to go to the museum.  No matter what I told them, they thought it was going to be dumb.  The only thing they wanted to do was go ice skating and swimming.  

Sad to say, they have the meanest mom and grammy ever.  We went to the museum because I wanted to go.  Then they proceeded to have one of the very best days ever!  

I could post a hundred pictures here to show you how much fun they had, but I will stop with these few.  Suffice it to say, that I learned something from my kids.  We never know what is in store for us in this life.  We don't know if we will like it, or not.  We don't know if we will learn something, or not.  We don't know if it is going to be fun, or not.  But we do need to learn to trust.  To believe that God knows what we need.  He wants us to return to Him.  He loves us more than we can possibly imagine.   He knows each one of our names and what we like and what we need.  I love the scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants that says:  

"Pray always, and I will pour out my spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing - yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth."  D&C 19:38)

He wants to pour His spirit upon us.  He wants us to succeed here.  He truly knows our hearts and our minds and has sacrificed that we might also return to Him.  The scriptures are filled with stories of those He loved; the woman at the well; the lepers; the blind; the crippled; the sinners; those He raised from the dead; the five thousand that He fed; the children that He blessed.  We read of his desire to rescue the "one" lost sheep, the lost lambs, He has said that He would gather us together, "as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings"  (Matt. 23:27).  The Saviors example is indeed the light which shines over our path.  He is always willing to light our way in the darkest of circumstances.  Sometimes, what we get, ends up being so much more than we ever thought we wanted or deserved.  

Silence of Good People

"The world suffers a lot, 

not because of the violence of bad people, 

but because of the silence of good people."  

Napolian

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

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

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

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

    Is is True

    Is it Helpful

Does it Inspire confidence

    Is it Necessary

    Is it Kind

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

To My Children's Teachers

A Teacher’s Gift
By Patricia A. Pitterle
May 2010

Years ago, a child started school.
On that very first day;
She was so afraid!
A teacher took her hand
And gave her the courage
To face her fears
In the arms of new friends.

Another day at school,
She cried.
(Life can be so hard
When you are little).
A teacher put her arms around her
And taught her courage
To carry on.

That child had moments
Of sadness;
And a teacher is the one
Who taught her about
The gift of tomorrow,
And having hope
In better days to come.

When she was disappointed;
A teacher helped her
To find her own
Talents and abilities,
And to magnify them
Into things
She could be proud of.

When she experienced
Moments of surprise;
A teacher showed her
The gift of perspective
And seeing the wonder
Of the world around her,
In all of it’s many differences.

When she was puzzled and confused;
A teacher encouraged her,
To investigate the mysteries,
One searching question
At a time,
Until at last,
She had the answers.

When she was happy;
A teacher smiled at her,
And laughed with her,
And taught her that
Learning can be fun.
And joy is often found
When we least expect it.

Her teachers have taught her: There is learning everywhere we look.
There is joy in the most surprising places.
There is beauty in teaching, caring, and loving.
Thank you for helping her to learn,
Not only the lessons that were
Prepared and taught for her mind,
But the lessons for her heart as well.

Thank you for your giving and sharing,
And for helping me to raise
A truly, beautiful daughter.
Thank you for teaching her
To see the beauty of kindness
through the eyes of her wonderful teachers.

Finding Joy in the Journey

We live in trying times.  We live in a world that doesn't what us to know who we are are or what we stand for.  A world that runs on an entirely different set of priorities than most of us are trying to run on.  A world that puts ~ your status, how much money you make, how you dress, how you look, what your weight is and what your job is ~ well above all the things about you that truly matter.  Sometimes, I think that we can be our very own worst enemies.  We can do more damage to ourselves because we buy into the worldly views around us.  For me, there are some very simple points that "the world" works on to help us wreck our own lives.

1. Get us to pick on and squabble with one another.
2. Confuse us about who we really are.
3. Keep us from understanding the Atonement

They are all so easy to identify, but not so easy to stop.  We have to learn to control our own unruly tongues.  Do you participate in gossip around your neighborhood or even in your church?  Do you listen to others who tell you about what they "know".  I will tell you that one of the most important things I have learned living in a small town is that the neighbors seem to know everything!  Even the things they don't know, they are happy to make up and add to, for someone else's benefit. 
I have also learned that there are usually three sides to any story.  Your side, my side, and the facts.  The facts have a bad habit of being scarce where gossip is involved.  Women are nurturers by nature.  We can do so much good if we will just nurture and care for one another. 
I use a simple test to monitor for this in my own life.  Just see today as you go about your business, how often you are tempted to say some snotty, little, thing about someone else.  Then don't say it.  I think that every one of us deserves to feel accepted, nurtured and loved.  What we really need is to hear from others, "Don't worry, you can do it!"
The opposite of criticism is an outpouring of love and support.  How would your family react if they received this from you instead of nagging, yelling, or even ordering?  (and yes, I have been known to behave that way from time to time).  How would your life change if you had the love and support that you needed today?  How would your life change if you gave that same love and support to those around you? 
We need to know and believe that we are daughters of God, first and foremost.  We are here to do His will and follow His example.  We are princesses of a Heavenly King!  (I totally love that concept!  I think all girls, and women too, should be treated like princesses).   You are not and never have been anything or anyone else.  Knowing who you are, helps guide us to know what things in our lives are most important.  When we are confused, we chase after the things that the crowd follows.  We lose our way in the confusion of the world.  It is like being in a maze, searching and searching for the way, but unable to find it.

John 14:4-6
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

For me, part of understanding the atonement is to realize that we only need to look toward our Savior to find the way home.  He is the WAY.  He will lead us.  He wants us to come to Him. 
I have learned that one of the biggest mistakes we make is the failure to forgive ourselves.  For me, forgiving others is not that hard.  I get mad, I think about it, I forgive and it is gone.  But forgiving myself, that is the problem.  I hold grudges against my own mistakes in ways I would never do to another. 
I know what the Atonement was for.  I know that Christ lived and died for me, but somehow, there seems to be this part of me that thinks it must have been for everybody else.  Somehow,my understanding of that wonderous miracle, doesn't apply to myself. 
I struggle with that one on a daily basis.  I make mistakes daily.  I should know better.  I should do better.  I should be better.  Often, I think that part of understanding the great miracle of God's love is showing more kindness to myself.  And so, in this difficult struggle, I tell myself, "There has only ever been one perfect person in the world.  And you (insert your name as I insert mine) are not Him". 
So today, be a little kinder to yourself.  We are all learning.  We are all growing.  We are all trying.  Just because we are not in the same, exact place, does not mean that we are not individually doing our best.  Finding joy in the journey is a process.  It is learning to put the things that are most important first, and allowing the others to find their place.  It is the process of accepting that we are all imperfect people in a trying, difficult, challenging, destructive, fault-finding, belittling, and unforgiving world.  We are all trying to change it to be just a little bit better than it was before we came here.  Let us all follow Him, let us listen to His words, let us practice His example. Let us find joy in our own journey as we seek to be more like Him.  

Blessed With Miracles

"I delight in the examples of those in the scriptures who walk by faith on their earthly journey. Each time I walk with Abraham and Isaac on the road to Mount Moriah, I weep, knowing that Abraham does not know that there will be an angel and a ram in the thicket at the end of that journey. We are each in the middle of our earthly path, and we don't know the rest of our own stories. But we, as Abraham, are blessed with miracles."

Susan W. Tanner, "My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord," Ensign, May 2008, 82-83

Spiritual Manners

“Follow me,” Jesus said, and Simon Peter and Andrew left their nets and followed him. Just like these humble fishermen who became Christ’s disciples, we, too, seek to follow him. He performed miracles, healed the sick, raised the dead, turned water into wine, showed us how we should live, and was an example for us in all that He did.
He has said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” John 14:15
and, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” John 13:35.
How can we show our love for Jesus and for one another?
We all have opportunities to be good examples in our homes, at work, at school and in all areas of our lives.  We come in contact with the public in many places.  The store, the Post Office, church, and neighborhood functions are just a few of the places others come in contact with us.  We show others what we believe by the the words we speak, but mostly by way that we behave.  If we are minding our "Spiritual manners" than we are treating others as He would treat them.  We are helping them as he would help them.  We are being His hands here upon the earth.  How we treat others goes a long way toward setting an example.  Setting a positive example involves love and respect for others as well as a tolerance for their differences.  It is often easier to be kind to others (or even strangers) than it is to be kind to our own families.  When we are tired or ill (or in my case, under stress), are we patient with a crying child, are we understanding of a thoughtless spouse, are we trying to be more like the Savior?  Or are we more concerned for ourselves?
1 Peter 3:8  "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:"

I found it interesting that the scriptures tell us to be courteous. Respect and courtesy go hand in hand with reverence for the things of the spirit.  As we learn to have compassion, understanding and courtesy, we learn who we are and who we can be.  As we remember who we are and act accordingly, we also learn charity, which "doth not behave itself unseemly" and which will help us love others as the Savior loves each one of us.  

"Manners are like the zero in arithmetic.

They may not be much in themselves,

but they are capable of adding

a great deal of value to everything else". 

 Freya Stark

Music In My Life

My parents love to sing and play different instruments. My father plays the saw, the bones, the spoons, the scrubbing board, and a few other odds and ends that were once something else in the house besides a musical instrument. (Somewhere I am sure I have a picture of him in his crazy saw hat).  My mother plays the guitar and the banjo, and several other old fashioned instruments as well, all things that she has played and practiced at for years.
That is the real secret. She has played and practiced for years.  She has been working hard at her instruments since she was very young.  She has had lessons, practiced, taught, belonged to music groups, and incorporated music into nearly every part of her life.  When she married my father, she took him along with her and he had to learn to play something.  He likes to play the things that get the most attention and that are the most fun.  My mom often says that she spent years learning to play and people will not even notice what she is playing once my dad gets started with his ordinary non-instruments that have become instruments.  I love the fact that she has found a way to take something she loves and make it part of what she does daily.

How totally amazing is that???  

It is such an example to me, that we can live those things that we love.  It is a part of who I am.  And it is part of the reason that I blog.  I too, love music, and I love quotes and thoughts and writing and scriptures.  So, those are the things that I put in my blog.  I love finding things the Lord has said and making them a part of me.  I love bringing those thoughts and feelings to life through the things I write and the things I do.  I have learned through practice, that if I want to feel the spirit stronger in my day to day living, I have to look for it, find it, and cherish it.  I have learned that in the small, simple, ordinary, everyday things, there is often a message.  Heavenly Father doesn't shout it from the roof tops.  He doesn't speak with a loud voice.  His message is often soft and quiet.  It is sent to heal my heart and clear my mind and brighten my life.  I, like my mom and dad, have learned to find the music of the Lord in the most ordinary places.  

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." -Psalm 119:105

"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." -John 1:5

This song is one of my favorites that my mom and dad sing and perform.  It is a very old song from the 1800's.  I love the message of the words and I love the tune when it is sung. The message that I learn from this is that we each have the responsibility of being a light along the shores of life.  We never know when what we do, or say,  will have an influence upon others around us.  We never know how we might be able to reach out and change someone's life for the better.  We never know how our simple example can influence others and help them on their journey.  

Let the Lower Lights Be Burning
Philip P. Bliss 1838 - 1876

Brightly beams our Father's mercy
From His lighthouse evermore,
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

Chorus:  Let the lower lights be burning!
               Send a gleam across the wave!
               Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
               You may rescue, you may save.

Dark the night of sin has settled,
Loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore

Chorus:  Let the lower lights be burning!
               Send a gleam across the wave!
               Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
               You may rescue, you may save.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother!
Some poor sailor tempest tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost.

Chorus:  Let the lower lights be burning!
               Send a gleam across the wave!
               Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
               You may rescue, you may save.

The Daffodil Principle

I was searching the internet  for an idea for a post today and found this story.  It is actually one of my favorites.  I hope that you enjoy the thought and that it encourages you to change whatever needs changing in your life, today.

The Daffodil Principle

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday, " I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn!

The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!" My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car." How far will we have to drive?" "Just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this." After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!"

"We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils." "Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around."

"It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns-great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn.

"It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. 

The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

There it was, The Daffodil Principle. For me, that moment was a life-changing experience.

I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun-one bulb at a time-to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time-often just one baby-step at a time - and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

So many of us get wrapped into our yesterdays with all of the should'a, could'a, would'a, things that go with that.  We can be so hard on ourselves and our mistakes.  The truth of the matter is that none of us are perfect.  None of us can change the past, we can't change the things we did or the things that were done to us.  But every one of us can start today and change the direction we are going.  We can change our path, and we can even change the ending of it.  We just have to start.  So, start today and do something that will benefit someone else.  Do something that you have always wanted to do.  Plant a few daffodil's in your life and see what kind of beauty you can bring to pass.