I read this 10 part article this morning and bawled like a baby! I've followed Nie Nie since the accident but this article explained everything so beautifully! And it inspired me--to be BETTER. To think better, to live better, to love better. And to remember the things that matter. The things that matter most.

My favorite quote from the article:
"There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity."
Washington Irving

Oops!

Wow I've really let this blog fall through the cracks! I promise I'll post again soon!!!

What matters most

I was watching mormon messages on youtube tonight and saw this one by President Monson. And it was just what I needed to hear :)

Nienie also has a wonderful one on her blog about Hope.

Waiting upon the Lord

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

When I lived in Provo during my single college years one of my favorite spots was the public library. Sounds boring, I know! But the library there was bigger than any this small town girl had been in and it was awesome--especially because it had tons of LDS literature. I remember checking out a book of BYU Speeches and I absolutely fell in love with a talk by Elder Eyring entitled "Waiting Upon the Lord". I love this talk and just recently dug it out again. He talks about bringing down the powers of heaven in our every day lives. This talk is pretty much my ideal--if I can some day come to be the person Elder Eyring urges me to be in this talk. . .well let's just say I have a long ways to go to get there :) I'd just like to share a small segment of it here now but go ahead read the whole talk--it's worth it!!! You can find it here

"Let me encourage you by telling you a story. It was told to me by my father. He told it with the intent to chuckle at himself. It was a story about his trying to do his duty, just the way you try to do your duty.

Now you have to know a little bit about my father. His name was Henry Eyring, like mine. He had done some of the things students of this university are preparing to be able to do. His work in chemistry was substantial enough to bring the honors some of you will someday have, but he was still a member of a ward of the Church with his duty to do. To appreciate this story, you have to realize that it occurred when he was nearly eighty and had bone cancer. He had bone cancer so badly in his hips that he could hardly move. The pain was great.

Dad was the senior high councilor in his stake with the responsibility for the welfare farm. An assignment was given to weed a field of onions, so Dad assigned himself to go work on the farm.

Dad never told me how hard it was, but I have met several people who were with him that day. I talked to one of them on the phone the other night to check the story. The one I talked to said that he was weeding in the row next to Dad through much of the day. He told me the same thing that others who were there that day have told me. He said that the pain was so great that Dad was pulling himself along on his stomach with his elbows. He couldn't kneel. The pain was too great for him to kneel. Everyone who has talked to me has remarked how Dad smiled, and laughed, and talked happily with them as they worked in that field of onions.

Now, this is the joke Dad told me on himself, afterward. He said he was there at the end of the day. After all the work was finished and the onions were all weeded, someone asked him, "Henry, good heavens! You didn't pull those weeds, did you? Those weeds were sprayed two days ago, and they were going to die anyway."

Dad just roared. He thought that was the funniest thing. He thought it was a great joke on himself. He had worked through the day in the wrong weeds. They had been sprayed and would have died anyway.

When Dad told me this story, I knew how tough it was. So I said to him, "Dad, how could you make a joke out of that? How could you take it so pleasantly?"

He said something to me that I will never forget, and I hope you won't. He said, "Hal, I wasn't there for the weeds."

Now, you'll be in an onion patch much of your life. So will I. It will be hard to see the powers of heaven magnifying us or our efforts. It may even be hard to see our work being of any value at all. And sometimes our work won't go well.

But you didn't come for the weeds. You came for the Savior. And if you pray, and if you choose to be clean, and if you choose to follow God's servants, you will be able to work and wait long enough to bring down the powers of heaven."

Prayer

"I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go." Abraham Lincoln

This quote was shared today in sacrament meeting and I loved it as soon as I heard it. All of the talks were on prayer and I sat there and bawled through the whole thing. It seems the older I get the more I cry :)I asked the Lord this morning to send me a message--to help me learn something for me in sacrament meeting today. My prayer was rather short and truthfully not very heartfelt but I offered nonetheless because I felt I needed to. The woman who spoke based her talk on the ensign article by Elder Eyring in this months ensign--I'm definitely going to have to read that one today! And the two main talks are what I needed to hear. My prayers have been pretty crappy lately when they've been uttered at all. I find I've let my life crowd out things that are of most importance. And at a time when I need the most guidance as I strive to raise his children with a desire to return back to Him. The man who spoke emphasized the importance of daily devotionals where we take the time to feed our souls and receive enlightenment. And his wife shared a story from her life where she needed the Lord's guidance and so she turned her will over to the Lord. She prayed ferevently that His will would be made known in her life. So that's my goal for not just this week or this month but for however long it takes! Because I know it's more of a process of development then a simple thing you can attain and cross off the list. I'm going to give some of my time--which is actually the Lord's anyway--to the Lord. For FEREVENT prayer, and study and just reflection. And strive to give my will to him--to finally come to know what He would have me do. . .and do it.

ETA: A friend posted this on facebook today and I thought it went well with this post:

Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples

I'm the primary secretary in our ward and one of my duties is a monthly newsletter. I both enjoy and loathe compiling the newsletter :) Each month I make up a primary presidency message and the August theme is on temples. So I went digging through all my temple info and decided upon a talk given in the last general conference. (Ensign General Conference issues are gems!!! So full of great talks!) The talk is entitled "Sared Homes, Sacred Temples" and it's by Elder Gary Stevenson. And it had just the message I was looking for. Here are my favorite quotes from his talk:

"I remember a warm, sunny afternoon when spring was trying to nudge its way through a long winter in Cache Valley, Utah. My father, whose Saturdays were always filled with chores for his grandsons, stopped by our home with an offer to “go for a ride.” Always happy to ride in Grandpa’s truck, our four- and six-year-old sons scurried into the back jump seat, and I joined my father in the front. Our drive took us through the streets of downtown Logan, which wrap around the Logan Temple, prominently situated on a hill, centered beautifully in the city. As we moved further away from the city, we turned from paved, busy streets to seldom-used dirt roads, where we crossed old bridges and weaved through trees far into the country. We were far from any other traffic and all alone.

Realizing his grandsons were in a place they had not been before, my father stopped the truck. “Do you think we are lost?” he asked the wide-eyed boys as they gazed out the windshield across the valley. Followed by a moment of silent assessment came the profound reply of a young child. “Look,” he said, pointing his finger, “Grandpa, you are never lost when you can see the temple.” Our eyes turned, focusing with his, seeing the sun glistening off the spires of the Logan Temple, far across the valley.

You are never lost when you can see the temple. The temple will provide direction for you and your family in a world filled with chaos. It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the 'mist of darkness'. It is the house of the Lord. It is a place where covenants are made and eternal ordinances are performed."

Recently, in a stake conference, all present were invited by the visiting authority, Elder Glen Jenson, an Area Seventy, to take a virtual tour of their homes using their spiritual eyes. I would like to invite each of you to do this also. Wherever your home may be and whatever its configuration, the application of eternal gospel principles within its walls is universal. Let’s begin. Imagine that you are opening your front door and walking inside your home. What do you see, and how do you feel? Is it a place of love, peace, and refuge from the world, as is the temple? Is it clean and orderly? As you walk through the rooms of your home, do you see uplifting images which include appropriate pictures of the temple and the Savior? Is your bedroom or sleeping area a place for personal prayer? Is your gathering area or kitchen a place where food is prepared and enjoyed together, allowing uplifting conversation and family time? Are scriptures found in a room where the family can study, pray, and learn together? Can you find your personal gospel study space? Does the music you hear or the entertainment you see, online or otherwise, offend the Spirit? Is the conversation uplifting and without contention? That concludes our tour. Perhaps you, as I, found a few spots that need some “home improvement”—hopefully not an “extreme home makeover.”

In order to keep the temple and those who attend it sacred and worthy, the Lord has established standards through His servants, the prophets. We may be well-advised to consider together, in family council, standards for our homes to keep them sacred and to allow them to be a “house of the Lord.” The admonition to “establish . . . a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” provides divine insight into the type of home the Lord would have us build. Doing such begins the construction of a “spiritual mansion” in which we all may reside regardless of our worldly circumstance—a home filled with treasure that “neither moth nor rust doth corrupt.”

This talk made me realize that I have some work to do! I want my home to be a house of the Lord--a place where all who enter may find refuge from the storms of the world. And I've got to start with me. I find that the old saying, "if mama aint happy, aint nobody happy" is quite true. I usually set the tone in our home. May I speak with more kindness and love. And to put it bluntly--stop yelling!!! There's nothing that drives the Spirit out of our home faster than a tired, yelling Mom!!!

The Ministry of Angels

Today when I was pondering about what to write this conference talk came into my mind. It's entitled "The Ministry of Angels" and it was given by Elder Holland in the October 2008 General Conference. I loved the talk when I first heard it and so I decided to read it again today. It's a wonderful talk and I'm going to quote quite a bit of it! :)(But you should really just go to lds.org and read the whole talk!) I'll start with him relating an account given to him by a friend:

"Referring to his childhood on a large Idaho farm, Brother Barrus spoke of his nightly assignment to round up the cows at milking time. Because the cows pastured in a field bordered by the occasionally treacherous Teton River, the strict rule in the Barrus household was that during the spring flood season the children were never to go after any cows who ventured across the river. They were always to return home and seek mature help.

One Saturday just after his seventh birthday, Brother Barrus’s parents promised the family a night at the movies if the chores were done on time. But when young Clyn arrived at the pasture, the cows he sought had crossed the river, even though it was running at high flood stage. Knowing his rare night at the movies was in jeopardy, he decided to go after the cows himself, even though he had been warned many times never to do so.

As the seven-year-old urged his old horse, Banner, down into the cold, swift stream, the horse’s head barely cleared the water. An adult sitting on the horse would have been safe, but at Brother Barrus’s tender age, the current completely covered him except when the horse lunged forward several times, bringing Clyn’s head above water just enough to gasp for air.

Here I turn to Brother Barrus’s own words:

“When Banner finally climbed the other bank, I realized that my life had been in grave danger and that I had done a terrible thing—I had knowingly disobeyed my father. I felt that I could redeem myself only by bringing the cows home safely. Maybe then my father would forgive me. But it was already dusk, and I didn’t know for sure where I was. Despair overwhelmed me. I was wet and cold, lost and afraid.

“I climbed down from old Banner, fell to the ground by his feet, and began to cry. Between thick sobs, I tried to offer a prayer, repeating over and over to my Father in Heaven, ‘I’m sorry. Forgive me! I’m sorry. Forgive me!’

“I prayed for a long time. When I finally looked up, I saw through my tears a figure dressed in white walking toward me. In the dark, I felt certain it must be an angel sent in answer to my prayers. I did not move or make a sound as the figure approached, so overwhelmed was I by what I saw. Would the Lord really send an angel to me, who had been so disobedient?

“Then a familiar voice said, ‘Son, I’ve been looking for you.’ In the darkness I recognized the voice of my father and ran to his outstretched arms. He held me tightly, then said gently, ‘I was worried. I’m glad I found you.’

“I tried to tell him how sorry I was, but only disjointed words came out of my trembling lips—’Thank you . . . darkness . . . afraid . . . river . . . alone.’ Later that night I learned that when I had not returned from the pasture, my father had come looking for me. When neither I nor the cows were to be found, he knew I had crossed the river and was in danger. Because it was dark and time was of the essence, he removed his clothes down to his long white thermal underwear, tied his shoes around his neck, and swam a treacherous river to rescue a wayward son.”12

My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.”13 On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal.

May we all believe more readily in, and have more gratitude for, the Lord’s promise as contained in one of President Monson’s favorite scriptures: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, . . . my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”14 In the process of praying for those angels to attend us, may we all try to be a little more angelic ourselves—with a kind word, a strong arm, a declaration of faith and “the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted.”15 Perhaps then we can be emissaries sent from God when someone, perhaps a Primary child, is crying, “Darkness . . . afraid . . . river . . . alone.” To this end, I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I know I have been blessed in my life with angels from both sides of the veil. I'm sometimes amazed at the way the Lord uses others to bless my life--to teach me, to love me, to humble me at times, to strengthen me. I am truly grateful to those "angels" who have come to my rescue in times of need. May I learn to be a "little more angelic" and be a means of saving those in need around me.

Quick Quotes

I made a goal to try to write a few thoughts down on this blog each Sunday. Unfortunately I don't have a lot a time today so you get it short and sweet! Todd and I watched "The Emma Smith Story" a few months ago. I really liked it and found myself writing down a few quotes during the movie. The following two are my favorite:

"God's tender mercies are all around us--we just have to be willing to see them."

"Strength isn't something you have, it's something God helps you find."

I love these lines. They're simple yet cause me to ponder. I hope they inspire you!

Redefining Joy

I recently read a book entitled "Redefining Joy in the Last Days". It's a tiny book--a very easy read. It was great book for me, my very spoiled self, to read. It helped remind me of my tremendous blessings, why I'm here and that we've all got trials. I wanted to share with you a story he tells in the first chapter. He was in the Air Force and had been away from home for a number of weeks. He was anxious to get back home to his family but he was having problems with his plane so he landed in the Philippines to have it fixed. Because of the short notice there was no room for them on the base so he stayed downtown in a hotel. He'd been up all day and was very tired and in a foul mood. The rest is an exerpt from the book:

"I was frustrated that we had spent so much time messing with a broken aircraft, frustrated that I was thirsty but afraid to drink the water, frustrated that I had to spend another night away from home. The bed looked lumpy. The room had bugs, of course--everything in the Philippines had bugs. I knew the only American shows I'd be able to watch on the television would be old reruns of The Brady Bunch. I was out of gum. I had a broken lace in my boot. My head was starting to pound.

My list of reasons for being in a bad mood was long and full.

Hoping for a quick nap, I went to the window to pull the curtains closed. My window happened to be at the back of the hotel on the second floor. Looking down, I saw the reason for the fence, for there behind the hotel was an open aqueduct with several terraced levels upon which hundreds of people had built a shanty camp. Families were living all along the sides of the canal--some in cardboard houses, some in tents, many in the open. For a long time I stood by the window in my air-conditioned room, tired but not hungry, with a headache but otherwise healthy, and very happy that I was going home. Home to the United States, land of Freedom and plenty. Home to a wife and family who were fortunate enough not to live in a ditch and who had never once in their lives gone hungry. Home to more blessings that I could even count.

Standing by the window, I watched a young mother as she washed her daughter's face and hair with the filthy water that was fushing from a pipe feeding into the canal. The scene touched me deeply. I can remember it very clearly, even through the years.

And as I watched this young family, hungry, dirty, homeless, and certainly nearly hopeless, I suddenly felt so ashamed of my selfishness.

I leaned a lesson that day about feeling sorry for myself.

I think of that experience from time to time, especially when, once again, I find myself feeling a little down. Sometimes I have to wonder if I learned the lesson well enough. Do I appreciate the blessings I've been given? Or do I forget sometimes--I guess we all do--the attitude and persprectives it takes to live a happy and joyful life?"

The book goes on to talk about why we came to earth, and gifts we've been given, and trials we face and how trials can be blessings. He talks a lot of perspective. I really enjoyed it and hope to take his words to heart. I am extremely blessed and sometimes feel like I must have some huge trial coming because of the easiness of my life. But at the same time I certainly find plenty to complain about. There are certain lessons to be learned in having as well as needing. I hope I can more readily see my blessings and the service I might render because of them. And I hope I can see the lessons the Lord has to teach me through my trials as well as my blessings.

Reflections of Christ

My brother posted this video on our family blog a few months ago. I wasn't able to view it then because our internet was sooo slow. Well now our internet is a tad faster so I watched it this morning. And I loved it! The pics are awesome and I love the song!!

Caring For One Another

Wow! I've really fallen behind on this blog. I really do have a lot to post and will try to catch up.

I was asked to give a talk at the Relief Society Birthday Celebration last week. The sweet sister asked me to speak on the joys of visiting teaching and I couldn't tell her no even though the thought terrified me. I try to be a good visiting teacher but I'm probably pretty mediocre at best. Which I guess was a good reason to ask me to speak. I needed to strengthen my testimony of visiting teaching and this assignment really helped me to do just that. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from my talk:

“Visiting teaching is more than a visit or sharing a thought with a sister. It is how we connect with one another. We share hearts and souls and extend charity. Visiting teaching brings the love of the Lord to every home and to every sister. It is a sacred trust we have been given. Why do visiting teachers do visiting teaching? Mosiah describes it this way, “To bear one another’s burdens. . .to mourn with those that mourn; yea and comfort those that stand in need of comfort”. (Mosiah 18:8-9) LDS.ORG

I learned recently of loving service given to a mother when her children were very young. Frequently she would be up in the middle of the night tending to the needs of her little ones, as mothers do. Often her friend and neighbor across the street would come over the next day and say, ‘I saw your lights on in the middle of the night and know you were up with the children. I’m going to take them to my house for a couple of hours while you nap.’ Said this grateful mother: ‘I was so thankful for her welcome offer, it wasn’t until this had happened many times that I realized if she had seen my lights on in the middle of the night, she was up with one of her children as well and needed a nap as much as I did. She taught me a great lesson, and I’ve since tried to be as observant as she was in looking for opportunities to serve others.” Pres Monson

“Visiting teachers minister in behalf of the Savior. Our hands are his hands, our love in his love, and our service is his service. Good visiting teachers know the sisters they visit. They love them, serve them and help them learn the gospel by the Spirit. They focus on fortifying homes and lives. There is no greater privilege than to watch over and strengthen another person. It is truly the business of Salvation.” Julie Beck

I do have a testimony of the importance of Visiting Teaching. The Lord has given us stewardship over one of His children, and we are to watch over them---not just for that one 1/2 hour each month but always! He wants us to know of their needs and struggles, to pray for them and to come to love them. He wants us to serve them and help them draw nearer to Him. I pray that I can seek to give greater care to this important calling. And I know the Lord will guide me as I seek to do so--He is always there!

Create!

I saw this video on youtube and loved it! It inspired me to try a little harder to fulfill my potential!

More Holiness Give Me

I was sitting in sacrament meeting today juggling the boys around trying to be quiet. Then we started singing "More Holiness Give Me" for the sacrament hymn and I immediately felt the spirit. It had been a long time since I'd heard this song and I love it! The words have always spoken to me, urging me to seek after the Lord and those things that will sanctify. As I sat there listening to the words and just about bawling I made a promise to myself to seek after that which is holy. To purge myself of the unimportant and inappropriate. To seek after that which will build up, edify and uplift. To be filled with more reverence and awe for my Savior. And more heart-felt gratitude for His atonement.

More holiness give me, more strivings within.
More patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin.
More faith in my Savior, more sense of His care.
More joy in His service, more purpose in prayer.

More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord.
More zeal for His glory, more hope in His Word.
More tears for His sorrows, more pain at His grief.
More meekness in trial, more praise for relief.

More purity give me, more strength to o’ercome,
More freedom from earth-stains, more longings for home.
More fit for the kingdom, more useful I’d be,
More blessèd and holy, more, Savior, like Thee.