Sing Your Heart Out

In January we inherited a cat, affectionately known as Charlie. He's a pretty good cat and behaves himself well. However we also have birds. Now you know how birds and cats like one another – they don't! Charlie was pretty good, usually he would just sit back and eye them warily, watching for an unguarded moment when he could perhaps get at them through the bars, but it was not to be so for the bars are simply too close together for his large paws. One day after coming home from church, we discovered the birdcage turned upside down laying on the floor and Charlie was nowhere to be found. We assume that he had somehow managed to knock the birdcage off its perch which caused it then to roll down onto a chair and then down onto the floor. Amazingly, both birds were unharmed, if not a little frightened. We must have walked in the door only a few minutes after it happened, because the ruckus that the falling cage made, was enough to scare Charlie into hiding.

A couple of weeks ago we noticed that one of our little birds, our Society Finch, had an injured leg. We had no explanation for the injury. He seem to be unharmed and every other way, he just refused to use that one little leg. We could not figure any way that he could be injured other than somehow the cat had got a hold of him. But that didn't make sense either because we are pretty sure that if the cat had got his claws into that bird, it wouldn't have got just the leg.

A few days after we noticed the injury on our little bird, we discovered him hanging upside down from his little nest caught in a very fine fiber which was wrapped securely around his bad leg. As I had seen him fall over the edge and out of his nest he had not had a chance to struggle to try to get free. I reached into the cage and gently freed him. It was then that we began to understand what happened to his little leg. Our little birds love bells! We have some little bells from Christmas that were on a ribbon hanging just outside the cage. These little birds love to grab at the ribbon and ring the bells. They do it steadily all day long. They must love the music that comes from those bells. What we didn't realize was that the ribbon was slowly fraying into invisible threads that were being pulled into the cage. As time went by, pretty soon there was a significant ball of fuzz and it would seem that this ball of fuzz became entangled in our little finches leg. It must have tripped him into panic. Having so many invisible fibers wrapped around his leg he then instinctively would have set out to free himself most likely with his beak. This little bird with a beautiful song pecked and pecked until he was free of those nearly invisible entanglements. He will be forever maimed. And that is so sad and so unfortunate. He will carry the scars of that incident forever. But his little heart is full of music, and he sings just as loudly and just as beautifully as he ever did.

This little bird has reminded me of some of the things that we face in life. Sometimes we do things that are not very good for us, and become entangled in habit or actions or even patterns of thought that slowly wind themselves, almost imperceptibly, about our spirits until before we know it we are securely bound. Sometimes we struggle against those restrictions, casting blame away from ourselves, getting angry or seeking vengeance. This usually causes further harm not only to ourselves but to our families and those around us. However, there is One who we can reach out to at anytime, day or night, who will loosen our bonds. Over time and through our sincere efforts to blend our will with His, we are freed, and completely liberated. Unfortunately, the scars – the consequences – of our actions will forever be with us. But through the atonement and grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the pain, remorse, and deep regret we once felt will vanish and will no longer afflict our souls. When this miracle occurs in our lives, we will find that our hearts are filled with song – the song of gratitude and love to our merciful and loving Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. And then we will sing, we will sing our hearts out, in praise, just like my sweet little bird still sings his heart out and shares his joy with all who hear his song.

To Infinity and Beyond

This as got to be one of the most fulfilling and joyful occasions of my life! The day Alisha got married was very near perfect. We had spent the previous day decorating the cultural hall for the event. It looked so pretty with all the ribbons and table coverings put out. Around the sides we used weathered wood to display the quilt, the guest book, the gifts, the story books (which we made to tell of Brandon and Alisha's courtship) and the cake among other things. 

Part way through our decorating efforts we stopped for pizza and birthday cake. Yes, Melodee spent her birthday helping to decorate for her sisters wedding. What a special thing to do on your birthday.

After everything was up, Alisha and Brandon walked around and inspected things. Here they are testing out the arch as their special place in the receiving line.

The morning of the wedding was beautiful. The day was warm and sunny - very near perfect for a wedding. We were able to stay on schedule and there weren't even any hitches in the day. One fun thing that the best man and matron of honor did for the newly weds, was to chauffeur them from place to place. As they traveled they played games. It was amazing!

The cutting of the cake got a little crazy when Brandon missed (on purpose) Alisha's mouth and she took after him with a cupcake, but there was no harm done and lots of smiles at the antics of the newly-weds.

We were honored by the presence of both sets of grandparents on our side of the family.

The food was well taken care of by our good friends. They were so efficient and made everything look so nice. Without them the day could not have possible gone as smoothly.

It was a party that beat all parties and it was a delight to be a part of it. There was so much happiness there and so many people to greet, each wanting to congratulate the happy couple. Marriage is so much more than just a relationship between two people. When marriages are strong, communities are also strengthened. We each invest a little of ourselves into the success of marriage relationships. When one fails, it is a keen disappointment, even when you don't know the couple well. It is my sincere hope that Brandon and Alisha will be able to maintain the joy that was felt on their wedding day. This choice to be married, will bless their lives eternally. I am so grateful for such a day! I am so grateful for the institution of marriage, for I know that marriage blesses and enriches my life. I know that Brandon will take good care of Alisha, much like my own husband has taken such good care of me. This is joy. Caring for others and taking delight in their successes and accomplishments. The future is full of promise.

Shadows and Light

A couple of days ago I took a course on how to draw with colored pencils. It was very interesting and enjoyable. The first thing we were taught was to establish shadows. This rounds out a picture so that the subject matter doesn't appear flat. So if you were to draw a pear and color it, it would look much like this:

Then your start adding color over the shadows....

And then more color...

Until you are finished.

With that principle in mind we were each given the shape of a log to color, and the assignment was to make it appear three dimensional with our shading. There were 17 people in the class. Some used blues, others used purples or browns. I used tones of gray, then started adding color with purples and browns. It was amazing how well they all turned out!

Well, with that much practice under our belts, we were given the task of drawing and coloring our own designs. I had a specific project in mind which I had already sketched out. The challenge was in seeing the shadows and dark places first, in recognizing them and defining the picture in those tones before using the color. I loved it, but it was hard to do. It took me over 6 hours to complete my drawing which was roughly 9x11 in size.

It is interesting to me how important those shadows are. Without them you have a very flat picture. Isn't it ironic, that sometimes we find ourselves in life resenting the shadows... the hard things we face? These difficulties shape us and help to define our character. These moments and experiences, as they are endured well, actually become beautiful to us, not for the difficulty they presented, but rather for the definition and color of the lessons we learned that shaped us. We are each magnificent pieces of art in God's hands. Sometimes it feels like there is nothing but shadow or even darkness, but it is our promise, that as we trust Him, the blessings of color, contrast, light and definition will become ours in the Masters hand. What a joy it is to catch a small glimpse, through a small art project, of Gods work - the work of perfecting and exalting each of us.

Showered

Last fall was a thrilling time for our family. With Alisha getting married, we were honored to have so many friends and family shower her with gifts. Alisha was honored with two bridal showers. The first one close by in Bow Island. She got to see lots of people that she hasn't seen for a while and she got lots of awesome food storage items along with the food to put in them! I was overwhelmed with the showing of support that she received.

A week later, we attended another shower in Lethbridge. This one was put on by the bridesmaids and grooms family. They had decorated the church very nicely and as we arrived we immediately could feel their warmth for Alisha. There were so many people there. Once again I was overcome with the showing of support and love for my dear daughter. Alisha was given a crown to wear and a special corsage.

There were piles of creatively wrapped gifts for her to unwrap. The most unique, I think, was one wrapped in her tea towels and constructed to look like a cake out of her wedding colors. It was complete with silk flowers!

As the gifts were unwrapped the ribbons and tissue paper were used to construct a beautiful veil. The silk flowers off the tea towel cake were collected and used as a bouquet. Here she is posing in her colorful veil and matching bridal bouquet and an excited bride to be. I love this picture!

Just prior to the bridal showers, Chad and I wrapped up Brandon and Alisha's wedding gift (which we had purchased about 9 months prior) and presented it to them. They had just purchased a house and we wanted to be sure that as Alisha lived there before the wedding she would have some of the necessities available to her. This gift they got to open together. It has been so fun being a part of helping them get started. 

All in all, I would say that besides food storage  containers, one of the most repeated gifts that Alisha and Brandon got were crock pots. Now of course I am including my observation of their wedding gifts in this as well, but despite some duplication, they seemed to get a really nice assortment of everything. There is little that they will need to purchase as they set up house together.

Gifts are always fun to receive.  I love to make and give gifts. I don't think I've always felt this way, it seems in my memory, that there have been times that I have made things and liked it so much that I didn't want to give it away. I know I've felt that way about some purchased items as well, but over the years, that has changed. It is a change that I welcome. I am no longer tempted to covet the gifts I give. I once read that you cannot give yourself poor. It is interesting, because I have tested that principle and I know it to be true. The more you give, the better you feel, and that spirit of giving enlarges your heart such that it encompasses more people. Also, as you give, your resources are seemingly resupplied. I have had more ideas and opportunities to do things and make things for others since I have given more freely. It is a wonderful blessing.

I also love to receive gifts. My favorite gifts though, are those made available to me through my Savior. As I watched Alisha be showered with gifts and well-wishes, I couldn't help but think of the bounty of gifts that the Savior has bestowed upon me. I love to see the generosity of the Savior mirrored in the actions and kindness of others especially toward my children. What fun it is to revel in such feelings.