Wordless Wednesday -

 

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.

One side of the story

So many people take sides.  We take sides based on who we like, or who we don't.  We take sides based on what we hear, or what we are told.  We take sides because we only know part of the story.  It is too easy to judge based on which side you hear.  It is too easy to be in the wrong, when we don't value someone enough to listen. 

I love the story of Solomon and the baby.  Two women went before his judgment seat.  They had both had a baby.  One of the babies had died and one lived.  Both women claimed the living baby was their own. 

After some deliberation, King Solomon called for a sword to be brought before him. He decided that there was only one fair solution: the living son must be split in two, each woman receiving half of the child. Upon hearing this terrible verdict, the boy's true mother cried out, "Oh Lord, give the baby to her, just don't kill him!" The woman who lied, in her bitter jealousy, exclaimed, "It shall be neither mine nor yours—divide it!"
The king declared the first mother as the true mother, as a true, loving mother would rather surrender her baby to another than hurt him, and gave her the baby. King Solomon's judgment became known throughout all of Israel and was considered an example of profound wisdom.
Both women wanted to be right, but one was willing to be wrong in order for the baby to live.  King Solomon was able to listen to both sides of the story and reach a fair and just decision.  What an example for the rest of us. 
No matter what we believe, or how much we hurt, or what has happened to us, there are always two sides to every single story.  Often, both sides have hurt and heartache.  When we jump to conclusions and judge, we risk never finding out the truth.  We risk supporting others in their lies and jealousy.  We risk condemning the wrong party. 
How grateful I am that the only person I have to worry about judging me is the Lord.  He alone knows my thoughts and my heart.  He knows my innocence and even my guilt.  He knows everything about me, including why I am the way that I am.  With Him on my side, I don't have to worry so much about the opinions of others.  With Him in my Heart, I know that the truth will someday come out and that, in ways I don't yet understand, All will be well. 
So, for now, my prayer is that we will all learn to listen to the story in it's entirety and not just one side of it. 

Control Your Tempers

A temper can be a terrible thing to unleash on someone else.  I have learned in my life, that although physical abuse hurts, the words said in anger are the ones you never forget.  Sometimes, working with the public stretches my temper to the limits.  People are not always nice to one another.  I can't change the way anyone feels about the Post Office, but I can change the way my office treats any of the customers who walk through the doors.  I have learned that if you "kill them with kindness", you are really killing enemies and making new friends.  People usually respond better to kind words than to aggressive posturing.  

How beautiful is it to respond with kindness when someone is expecting you to be enraged.  I wish I could say that I never spoke an angry word, but I would certainly be lying through my teeth!  I can say that I am better now than I used to be, but not as good as I would like to be.  

My goal is to get to the point in my life where I never find it necessary to raise my voice in anger.  I am trying to learn to channel it a little bit better.  

Begin With Hope

We all have times in our lives when things change, when they need to change.  We all wonder where we are going to start, or how we are possibly going to finish.  When we look at the entire prospect of change, good or bad, we can be very overwhelmed.  But when we start just one step at a time, we begin to feel hope that we just might get through this. 

We start out with so much hope!  When we are children, we believe that tomorrow is going to be a better day.  We believe that everything will work out.  We believe that things are simple and that we are nearly invincible.  We begin our lives with hope.  Hope that we will be loved.  That we will grow and be nourished.  

We grow up with our hopes and dreams getting squished and moved around in our hearts.  Life can suck the hope right out of you if you let it.  

We grow up with fairy tales and happily ever afters in our thoughts and dreams.  Most of the time, reality does not quite live up the the illusion, and if it does, it is usually after great trials that we find those blessings.  

It can be hard to find hope in the world today.  Hard to find it when you heart is aching, when you are exhausted, when you are stressed, and when you don't know how you are going to pay the bills because you just lost your income.  

Hope is that little voice inside your head that tells you to try again tomorrow, hope reminds you that all is not lost, hope tells you that you are worth loving.  Hope begins with every step we take in the right direction.  

Nothing is Permanent

I have got to love a good Charlie Chaplin quote.  Especially this one.  Nothing is permanent, even though it feels that way.  I know that sometimes things are just hard.  We struggle, we search, we wonder, we ask, we seek, we ache, we cry, we hope, we love.  All things in their won seasons and at their own times.  But I try and remember this when I am overwhelmed with adversity.  

We find friends in the strangest places.  People we never knew were going through the same things are we are.  We find hope in their courage and convictions.  I know that I have felt so filled with sorrow and pain, that I couldn't bear to face it anymore.  It just felt too hopeless.  I retreat inside myself and try and center.  I go to counseling, I go to church, I talk to friends, I keep trying, even though inside, I am so very broken.  

Funny thing is, just when I feel as if I can't walk another step or bear another burden, something happens that gives me the courage to continue on.  This morning, I discovered someone who has been through many of the heart aches that I have.  This person's strength and testimony brought me hope in my own journey.  I felt the spirit fill my heart with peace and I know that at this time, in this moment, all is well. 

You never know what those around you might be going through.  We profess to try and be Christ-like in our lives, but how many judge one another as "bad" or "good"?  How many gossip and talk about someone behind their backs.  How many mean things do we say in the course of our daily existence.  

I have learned, it doesn't matter if you can trace your roots all the way back to Adam, or if you don't know the name of your maternal Grandfather, we are all Children of God.  We are all charged to "love one another."  

My prayer today is that we will remember the Saviors wisdom when he said, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone".  And the accusers left one by one and did not stay.  Then the Savior said to "Go thy way and sin no more".  My prayer is that we will stop throwing stones at one another.  Stones of anger, hate, unkindness and words.  They do destroy.  They do cause damage.  They destroy hearts and hope and courage.  We damage each other so much by the words we choose to speak, by the names we choose to call.  

We can also heal the aching by sharing a part of ourselves with others.  We can heal by being kind, by showing compassion and love.  We can heal the breaking hearts by sharing our own.  We can build each other up.  

Absolutely nothing is permanent, but I think we can choose to make kindness permanent.  We can choose to give a smile, or share a tear.  We can choose to help one another.  

4th of July

There is something about a small town fireworks show that just makes you feel good.  We celebrate in a big way up here in the White Mountains.  Some cities have their fire works on Saturday, and some on Monday.   We have parades, barbecues, festivals in the parks and outings at the lakes.  I love having a small town type of life.

We are actually known for our fireworks up here.  There are no city lights to take away from the bright show.  The stars sparkle in the sky and the fireworks light up our own corner of the world.

I loved seeing some of the more unique parts of the show.  The spirals and the hearts are a favorites and are the waterfalls.  We sat with the firefighters this year, as I had ambulance duty.  It was quite the show and one of the best places to sit!  We have to be able to get in and out fast, which makes a quick getaway essential.

I loved the red heats that lit up the sky with all the others, of course, no matter how hard I try, I can't get the pictures to do justice to the evening.

I love the 4th of July, but not just the picnics and the families and the fireworks.  I love the meaning of it.  I am proud to be an American.  I am happy to be free.  I won't forget those who have fought and died so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have today.  We can disagree, vote, live, forgive and raise our children in freedom and democracy.  As much as I don't like the fact that so much of this great land has turned their hearts from our Heavenly Father, I know that this has all be prophesied.  As much as I can look around and see great wickedness, I can also look and find peace.  I know that God blesses this land of ours.  I know that His hands are upon the waters and the earth.  I know that we are greatly blessed.  God has truly blessed America.

A Leap of Faith

I have felt this way so often in my life.  Especially in the past several years.  It seems as if I am tossed and turned by every wind that blows by.  Often, I feel like I can't possibly survive or escape.  I can't find my way out of the darkness that surrounds me.  Sometimes, you just have to trust that somehow, it will all work out all right.  You have to believe that Someone Else, has your best interests at heart.  It can be nearly impossible for me to see and to be patient enough to wait; yet when I do, things change, and I am amazed at the outcome that I never imagined.

Often, those things don't turn out the way I wanted, but they end up being just what I needed.  One of the hardest lessons that I ever had to learn is that God does not take away the free agency of another for me.  He allows all of us to make our own mistakes.  Even when those mistakes affect others in a negative way. 

Eyes refuse to see, lips speak angry words, hearts get broken, and still He lets us make our own choices.  I have learned that the choices of others can be devastating to me.  But just because I hurt, doesn't mean that they don't have the right to choose.  And so I wait, and watch and pray and hope.  Sometimes I even get to see the change, sometimes I have to let it go, but no matter what happens, I get to choose too.  

I choose the power that I give another person to change my life. 

I choose what kind of person I will become because of it.

I choose to forgive. 

I choose who I want to be. 

I choose to follow HIM.   

Glow Yourself

First, we have to take care of ourselves.  First, we have to find our own lights.  Then, once we are glowing, we can spread that light to others.  It seems easy, but it can be so hard. 
I love candles.  I love the way they flicker and glow and light up a room in the darkness.  A long time ago, when I was small, we weren't allowed to play with matches.  When the lights went out, my mom always lit the house with candles.  I even had them in my room, but the only way that I was allowed to light it, was to hold the wick next to one that was already lit. 
I would get so excited to see the light I was holding flicker into life with the flame from my mother's candle. 
Her light spread to me.  My light would flare to life and grow because of her one small flame.  So it is in life.  Our lights grow as we share them with others.  Our testimonies become stronger, our faith more sure, our lights more bright.  When we share, we are not weakened, we are strengthened. 
As I struggle in my own life, I find that I am strengthened by sharing my thoughts and feelings with those around me.  We might not always see eye to eye, but we can always share heart to heart and light to light. 

What I learned - Always Retain a Remission of your Sins

"In his spiritually stirring farewell sermon to the people he had served and loved, King Benjamin described the importance of knowing the glory of God and tasting of His love, of receiving a remission of sins, of always remembering the greatness of God, and of praying daily and standing steadfastly in the faith.¹ He also promised that by doing these things, “ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins.”"

 Elder Bednar has quite a way with words!  I loved this talk.  It reminds me that we need to do what is right and be obedient so that we can have the spirit of the Lord to be with us.  As we feel the comforter in our lives, we will also be blessed to know that we have a remission of our sins.  What a beautiful and wonderful blessing that is. 

In mortality we experience physical birth and the opportunity for spiritual rebirth.  We are admonished by prophets and apostles to awake unto God, to be “born again,” by receiving in our lives the blessings made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. With His help, we can stand spotless before God at the last day. 

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a personage of spirit and bears witness of all truth. In the scriptures, the Holy Ghost is referred to as the Comforter, a teacher, a witness and a revelator.

Part of partaking of the blessings of the Holy Ghost involves participating in sacred ordinances.  These ordinances allow the blessings and powers of heaven to flow into our individual lives.  What a blessing I have found in participating and coming to know that heaven is real!

Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins “is the introductory ordinance of the gospel” of Jesus Christ and must be preceded by faith in the Savior and by sincere repentance. Baptism provides and initial cleansing of our soul from sin.  It really is one of the first steps on our journey. 

The baptismal covenant includes three fundamental commitments: (1) to be willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, (2) to always remember Him, and (3) to keep His commandments. The promised blessing for honoring this covenant is “that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us].”

“Baptism [by] water … must be followed by baptism of the Spirit in order to be complete.”  As the Savior taught Nicodemus, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”  I think sometimes we forget the spirit part of this.  Just being baptized does not lead us to conversion.  It is the spirit that does that.  It is the spirit that leads us home. 

The principles of repentance, baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost are all connected.  The Savior Himself proclaimed, “Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day."

As members of the Lord’s restored Church, we are blessed both by our initial cleansing from sin associated with baptism and by the potential for an ongoing cleansing from sin made possible through the companionship and power of the Holy Ghost.  It keeps happening over and over, as long as we repent, we can be forgiven.  We don't just get one chance at forgiveness, we get a multitude of opportunities to change. 

The sacrament is the third ordinance necessary.  That we might more fully keep ourselves unspotted from the world, we are commanded to go to the house of prayer and offer up our sacraments upon the Lord’s holy day. The sacramental emblems are sanctified in remembrance of Christ’s purity, of our total dependence upon His Atonement, and of our responsibility to so honor our ordinances and covenants that we can “stand spotless before [Him] at the last day.”

 

Wordless Wednesday - New Hair!

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 Sum of our Sins

 

This is important!  How we identify ourselves can set us up for either success or failure.  I tend to dwell on the mistakes that I have made.  I worry a lot.  I stew about things.  I have a hard time putting it all away.  Satan would have us believe that there is no way back for us.  That repentance will never happen.  That whatever it is that we have done is too horrible to ever receive forgiveness.  That is not what the Lord says though. 

2 Peter 3:9 
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

I love that Heavenly Father wants us all to come to repentance.  He wants us to come home to Him.  If He chooses not to remember our sins, why do we persist in doing it?  He chooses to grant us the mercy of forgiveness, why do we throw that gift right back into His face.  I am talking to myself a lot here.  I know that I am guilty of not forgiving myself.  It is a great comfort to know that the sum of my sins do not define who I am.  
I am so much more that any mistake that I have made.  I am so much more than my past.  I can choose to change at any time.  I can repent, receive His grace, and find my place with Him.    

Stand Where it is Shining

A few years ago, we were camping on the Rim and it was pretty cold.  Even with the camp fire blazing, the air was chilly.  One of the girls was complaining about how cold she was, and her bother told her that if she wanted to be warm, she needed to go stand in the sunshine.  So she did, and she warmed up and spent the rest of the day happily playing in the crisp mountain air. 

I wonder how often I forget in my own life, that if I want to feel the light on my face, I need to stand where it is shining.  It doesn't do me any good to stay indoors, or sit in the shade.  If I want the light in my life, I need to bask in it.  I think the Savior works the same way for us.  If we want to feel His light in our lives, we need to stand in His influence.  We need to do what is right, we need to read and listen to His words, we need to obey His commandments. 

We all have times that we question and struggle, He has never told us not to question things, but in with the questions, we still have to be willing to step into His light.  We have to give Him the chance to answer. 

When I think of the way the Savior dealt with questions during His life here upon the earth, I don't recall an instance where he turned anyone away.  He might have sat and thought about it for a moment.  He might have given an answer that they did not want to hear, or that they did not understand at that time, but He always answered them. 

He does the same thing today.  I have received many answers to prayer.  Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it is no, and sometimes it is not this moment.  Sometimes I don't want the answer I am given, especially when it is painful.  But there is still an answer if I am willing to hear it. 

He wants to be part of our lives.  He suffered for our sins.  He knows our names.  He loves each and every one of us, but if we want Him in our lives, we have to walk into His light.  When we do, He will be there waiting.  His light will touch our hearts, and bring peace to our troubled minds.  His light will be the light in the darkness that cannot be hid.  It will enfold us in the arms of His love. 

Sabbath Day Scribblings - One Body

“But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
“And if they were all one member, where were the body?
“But now are they many members, yet but one body.
“And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
“Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
“And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
“For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

“And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”

—1 Corinthians 12:18–26

The Spirit of Fear

I forget this way too often.  I forget that Heavenly Father does not put fear in my heart.  I forget that He loves me.  I forget that He wants me to be happy.  Sometimes, I am trying so hard, that I don't realize when His voice stops, and Satan's begins to intervene.  I seem to be filled with fear and worry.  Fear that things won't turn out the way they should, fear that people will believe the worst instead of the truth, fear that others won't like me, or my family.  There are far too many fears to name. 
I needed this today to remind me that the voice of God is never in the spirit of fear.  His is power and love.  When I imagine talking to my Heavenly Father, I imagine a voice filled with love.  Filled with understanding, filled with compassion and forgiveness.  I can't for a minute imagine Him yelling at us, or calling us names or berating us for our lack of being perfect.
When I imagine the voice of God, He is my father welcoming me home.  Welcoming me into Grace, welcoming me into His presence, welcoming me into the arms of His love. 

Memorable People

I have several jobs and hobbies, and have seen people behave in all different ways.  I have seen kindness by strangers when none is expected.  I have seen love in the eyes of those who are saying a last goodbye, I have seen adults throw better temper tantrums than any two year old, I have seen the couple who have been married for over 70 years, still holding hands on the way out of church.  I have been blessed to see people at their very best, and people at their. well,  "not so good". 
One of my memories is taking someone to the hospital who had a chronic illness.  Her husband pretty much blew her feelings off.  He wasn't in a hurry to help her, he didn't want to go with her.  It broke my heart.  I could not help thinking about the difference between him and my own husband. 
My husband deals with everything about me.  I have chronic migraines.  They are not a lot of fun, and they seem to happen at all the most inconvenient times.  I get them especially bad on vacations.  For some reason, my body pulls out all the stops and they haunt my every fun moment. 
the thing is, John never criticizes me for them.  I know that if I needed to go to the hospital, he would not leave me there alone.  When I have been afraid, it is his shoulder that I cry on.  When I feel hurt, he is there.  For me, love means being there for everything.  It means being available for the hard times and the good times.  It means wanting to be a part of my life even when I am sick and hurting.  It means loving me even when I am most unlovable. 
My point for this isn't how blessed I am, it really is how we need to be careful what face we are presenting to those we love.  Are we available for them even when it is not something we want to do?  Are we happy for them?  Do we love them in spite of themselves?  I think we can all benefit from sharing a little more love in the hearts and lives of those around us.  I would pray that each one of us is always a little kinder than we need to be.  I would hope that we are each more forgiving than we wanted to be.  I would believe that we can all be just a little more like Him. 

What I learned - The Sacred place of restoration

Christ said to His people in Jerusalem:

“And other sheep I have,

which are not of this fold.”

“I am the good shepherd,

and know my sheep,

and am known of mine.”

At first, I thought this talk was "just" about the restoration.  Don't get me wrong, I love the restoration.  I love the fact that Heavenly Father loves us enough to not leave us alone.  He cares so much about us that He gave us the gospel in our lives so that we could become closer to Him.  So that we could follow Him, so that we could have a prophet to lead us and guide us. 
However, what I loved about this talk was that this wonderful man had questions about the gospel.  He followed the teachings, but he still wondered and studied and tried to find the answers.  What I love is that eventually, after he was ready, the spirit gave him the answers he sought.  That is an important concept.
We all have questions.  We all struggle to find answers.  We all want to know the truth.  We all are children of God and He loves each and every one of us.  I love that the answers came.  That, after the struggle, the answers were given.  I love that peace and understanding filled his heart and mind.  I believe that Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us.  He wants us to question.  He wants us to ask, He wants us to be willing to wait and receive the answers. 
Perhaps, the waiting is every bit as important as the learning.  The questions are important.  The answers will come.  He really does love us. 

Wordless Wednesday - Jasper

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.

With God

I forget this truth sometimes.  But, with Him in my life, it is good.  I am blessed.  Life is full of promise.  It is easy to focus on the problems and troubles.  It is easy to get distracted by all the bad in the world.  It is easy to be overwhelmed and over burdened.  It is easy to forget the God is good and that He wants us to have joy. 
For me, the simple messages are the best.  It is a way to remember what I might forget.  It is something that gives me a little more strength, a little more determination, and a little more willingness to endure. 
Today, I want to remember that God is always good, and that life was made to be good too.  No matter what is happening around us, there are always blessings if we will only turn our faces toward the light. 

If you listen

I have heard Paul Cardall speak, I have heard him sing.  He is pretty amazing.  What I really love about him though, is the things he has overcome.  How he keeps on being positive in spite of the trials he faces.  How he relies on his Heavenly Father to get him through it.  I am trying to be more like that. 
I try and listen.  I search.  I pray.  But I have a very hard time believing that everything is going to be OK.  I suppose it is a trust issue on my part.  I hate having bad things happen, and there is this part of me that believes they are going to keep happening, over and over again.  There is a part of me that believes I deserve the bad things and not the good.  There is a part that feels like I am being punished. 
I think there are times when we all feel that way.  When the prospect of grace is just too overwhelming to even begin to comprehend.  When our sins haunt our hearts and disturb our rest.  When perfection is something we should be obtaining.  Sometimes, it is as simple as what my mind thinks it knows and what my heart believes. 
Today, I am trying to convince myself that everything is going to work out alright.  Maybe, just maybe, I will do it.

AMAZING GRACE

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now I'm found.
Was blind but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Then when we first begun.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found.
Was blind, but now I see

Where are you sitting?

 

I like this one for two reasons; the first is because we tend to judge ourselves at our very worst and compare ourselves with those around us at their Sunday best.  The second is because of the history of church pews.  A long time ago, pews were contracted and purchased individually.  They were adorned with family crests and designs.  The more wealthy you were, the better your seat.  Royalty had seats in the very front of the church.  As time went on, you no longer owned your church seat, but you rented it.  Depending on what you could afford, your seat could be good or bad.  If you had no money, you brought your own stool and sat in the back, or even stood in the back if you did not have a stool. 

Today, the pews are not bought, nor the seating assigned, but there are still people who will tell you that you are sitting in "their" seat if you happen to change places by accident.  I know that I have struggled to teach my children that there are no assigned seats in church, we sit where ever it is open.  It can be hard for them because they all have set places that they prefer to sit. 

When I read the quote above, I can't help but think of all the times we judge each other based on what our individual perceptions are.   

Do we participate in judging ourselves or others based on what seat we are sitting in?  Do we judge someone harshly because they are not in church?  How about if their beliefs are different than our own?  As for me, I am grateful for our differences.  I am grateful that it is not my place to judge.  I can welcome all with open arms and a loving heart.  I think the Lord will judge us more on how we behave than on where we are sitting. 

There is an old song sung by Kenny Rogers that I used to listen to.  It is very thought provoking and I think it fits this well.  I hope you find some wisdom in it too.

 

 

A Little More Like Me

It was an April night and I was right
Then out on the town
The show was at the Palace
So we all went on down.

We all had a ball as I recall
But now it seems absurd
As the madness raged upon the stage
He didn't say a word.

He was a little weird and we all feared
He wasn't one of us
He didn't drink, he didn't smoke
And he didn't even cuss.
You'll see him now and then
With a bunch of men hanging 'round the sea
And I'm sure I would have liked him more
If he were a little more like me.

It was a Spring each day
The clouds were gray
Look like it might rain
We thought about the night before
I was so ashamed.

When I heard what they had done to him
Stranger I have known
But as drunk as we all got last night
It's a wonder we got home.

He was a little weird and we all feared
He wasn't one of us
He didn't drink, he didn't smoke
And he didn't even cuss.
You'll see him now and then
With a bunch of men hanging 'round the sea
And I'm sure I would have liked him more
If he were a little more like me.