Closer to Home

 Five years ago I went to work outside my home for the first time in 25 years. It was part-time and manageable, especially since my children were almost all raised. It has blessed us not only financially, but it has provided benefits and led to additional job opportunities for my children that they may not have had otherwise. One of those jobs, which I took on primarily so that my girls could work with me, is no longer needed for that purpose. I have been able to let that one go just this month!

I am switching what I do. I will now be working part-time in our local school which is only a block away. I am excited to be able to walk to work, slip home for my breaks during the summer, and to maintain my savings goals. 

I am so thankful for this opportunity. I will be able to take care of my home and yard better by working so close. I am blessed to eliminate travel time. I have a certain amount of flexibility granted so that I can take care of my family still as needs arise. I am also looking forward to getting to better know those that I work with and for. I've also been blessed to feel absolute peace and calm about this change. I know that this is where I need to be at this time and I'm thankful to the Lord for a job that seems so personalized to my needs.

Putzing Around

 I have had a couple of days to just enjoy the outdoors. I typically start early in an effort to beat the heat. This week has been great! I was able to finally spread the bark for my vegetable garden. It looks so good - sadly, I ran out of bark before I finished, but that is easily remedied! 

I've also cleaned all the cracks in my cobblestone sidewalks, sprayed the lawn for weeds, weeded my flourishing garden, trimmed bushes that were overgrown, and moved all my houseplants outside... I remember to water them better when they are outside!!! LOL! We had a nice little rainstorm this week which cooled things off, and gave me a little help in keeping things growing. It was so wonderful to sit out on our covered deck and just watch and feel the rain pouring down on the parched earth. I love the rain.

I don't know why, but I can spend hours outside and feel so good about being out there. It has been so good to have a reduced schedule which opens up my ability to take care of this space that is allotted to me. I think I am not far off from being able to actually spend my time outside with a book in hand rather than a hoe! [Fingers crossed]

I have found great purpose and contentment in working. It never seems to end, but it feels so good to get it done... funny, even knowing that, I am still REALLY good at procrastination... I like to think I am getting better at getting things done though. Just yesterday I was listening to President Nelson as he spoke in September 2000 to the BYU students. He taught,

"You work to sustain life, you don't live to sustain work."

I need to remember that better. There is joy in a job well done, but the joy is greater when it is shared with those we love in the simple spirit of just being together.

My Personal Liahona

 This week I have been studying and pondering the talk given by Elder Randall K Bennett in the Spring General Conference, Your Patriarchal Blessing—Inspired Direction from Heavenly Father.

I remember the day I received my patriarchal blessing, one of my deepest concerns had been addressed. It was my first experience of feeling the Lord's love and concern for me through my patriarchal blessing.

I was encouraged a few years ago, by a good friend, to list the desires of my heart. It is a list I revisit often, in fact, I rewrite it every year. With not one, but two talks on patriarchal blessings in general conference I renewed my determination to learn from my patriarchal blessing. I have studied it more intensely and with more focus over the last few months - specifically looking for where the desires of my heart pop up.  It has been a beautiful experience. I have learned so much, and I feel like my personal connection with God has deepened.

My patriarchal blessing has done so much for me. It has:

• brought great comfort at different times in my life
• helped me feel personally known by my Heavenly Father
• given me evidence of God's generous, personal care for me
• given me an eternal perspective
• helped me feel valued and needed when the world told me otherwise
• instilled in me a deeper desire to study the scriptures
• motivated me to deepen my prayers
• given me a greater sense of purpose in my life
• intensified my desire to be a faithful covenant daughter of God
• given me a greater appreciation for the generations of good parents in my lineage
• helped calm my fears
• increased my sense of divine watch-care and protection
• increased my faith and trust in my Heavenly Father, my Savior, and in the words of the prophets
• filled me with hope when discouraged, anticipation of good things to come, and a determination to be better every day
• moved me to seek after specific spiritual gifts and develop my talents further

I feel my patriarchal blessing is a gift to me from God. I believe it helps me see myself (a tiny bit at least) through God's eyes. I know that as each of my children received their blessing, I was overwhelmed by the potential and the love that I could discern for them from the Lord. I know it is the same for me. What a great, personal gift it is to have specific personalized counsel from my Heavenly Father.

ADDENDUM

I would like to invite everyone to study their patriarchal blessings. I have found some suggestions for different ways to do this. I personally have found great insight in crunching specific words, as well as dividing the blessing up into 12 sections to study each month of the year. Can I also invite you to study the meaning of your name? I can't believe all that I learned by doing that!!! Another idea is to match the words of your blessing with words from the scriptures or general conference talks. I have loved the deeper insight this provides. More recently I am also focusing on writing affirmations from my blessing. When I use the phrase [I AM] in a sense it becomes a statement where Jesus [who is the great I AM] and I are working together. I love that idea! One more thought... greater revelation can come as we study our blessings. It is not the end of all that the Lord wants us to know about ourselves and our purpose and His love for us.  

Facing Opposition

 Last fall, when President and Sister Nelson was supposed to come to our area and speak to us the week following General Conference [but ended up doing a broadcast instead], Sister Nelson told us of the great opposition that the various speakers at General Conference had to face as they prepared their messages. It makes me think that there is a story of struggle behind every one of those talks. 

Since then, I have noticed that there are times in my life when opposition is mounting, and usually, it is when I am doing something to teach the truths of the family structure. I have taught six firesides over the last year on Strengthening Family Ties, and almost unfailingly prior to each fireside, I have to deal with increased lethargy, lack of motivation, extra responsibilities, a drain on my time, and general opposition. I have managed to still prepare and teach those firesides and I have been so richly blessed in the process. I don't know if the content and material I present are changing the lives of my ward members, but I know that for me - it has been a strengthening and rewarding process of learning. I am so thankful for this opportunity to learn and share those family truths that bring joy to my heart.

When the Sun, Moon and Stars Align

This week I've been studying  Accessing God’s Power through Covenants by Dale G Renlund

There is so much that I love about this talk, but I will focus on only one thing today. I love the powerful example given in nature of the pororoca which teaches us so well about overcoming the natural man. Elder Renlund makes it so clear, that the equivalent of the sun, moon, and stars aligning in our lives is walking the covenant path, which connects us to God's power. With His power, we can do ALL things. Exaltation and eternal life are in essence up-river. The world would carry us downriver, moving us at a fast pace with a current we don't always even recognize until we begin trying to move against it... our covenants, coupled with the atoning power of our Savior Jesus Christ,  give us the power that makes that movement [progress] possible. And there are so many blessings available as we do so. 

Stillness Matters

I have a wise cousin, who is liberal with her wisdom and experience. This past week she invited her friends to embrace stillness, and in that stillness, to let the God of truth impart greater understanding and learning upon our souls. Part of that process is being willing to challenge our beliefs... do they align with God's definition of truth, or do they align more with convenience and worldly views and attitudes? This is the challenge for us all in mortality... to recognize truth AND to also be able to recognize when something false might impersonate truth. I know that judging something means taking upon ourselves that energy - so if we judge something to be dark (especially if it is not), we invite darkness into our lives. If we judge something or someone to be good, we invite light into our souls and in so doing open ourselves up to greater learning, wisdom, and love. If we simply withhold judgment - especially of people - we actually open ourselves up to light, wisdom, and love as well. 

I'd like to share her words with you here:

"As soon as we judge something to be good, bad, right, or wrong, We lock ourselves into a fixed mental position. And when we feel to defend these positions, we limit our experience, judge others harshly and feel terrible for it. This stunts our growth.

Might I recommend...

Be fully present in each moment you find yourself. Before you judge, notice the new information that feels unfamiliar to you and tell it, "Thank you."

Thank you for the opportunity to expand your consciousness.

Thank you for the new vantage point.

Thank you for the new way to relate to others and to the world.

Thank you for the opportunity to love unconditionally.

Thank you for the new opportunity to rid myself of the shackles of limited perspectives.

Thank you for this new opportunity to go to the creator for my wisdom and truth

“Happiness that depends on anything outside of you, be it, a wife, child, money, fame, friends, (and might I add fixed beliefs) cannot last. But if you find happiness in God, who is everywhere, all-pervading, who is your self, that is real happiness.” - Sri Anandamayi Ma

Open your mind, soften your heart, and let go of everything you think you know so that the God of the universe can teach you without man’s filters.

... be open to the possibility that your beliefs are not always telling you the truth.

Do you have the courage to let go of beliefs that limit you in order to follow your heart?

Do you have the courage to let go of the many things you cling to in this world because beliefs, tell you to cling to them?

...Let stillness teach you" -- Janet Thurgood

 I love the theme of gratitude her invitation embodies. I believe that gratitude for the things we experience in this life has a refining effect on our souls. Gratitude and stillness help invite God's peace more tangibly into our hearts and the result is greater joy. 

Running on Fumes and the Struggle to Juggle

What do you do when you start the week with a 4-5 hour night of interrupted sleep? Interrupted by coughing... I began the week with a short bit of light sleep. Though I had to drag myself out of bed I was still out the door by 3:30 a.m. It didn't take long before I could feel the draggy ness in my limbs, and the heaviness in my eyelids. When I got home, I found myself attached to the couch, and the weights in my eyelids gave in to the pull of gravity. Dad was probably just as tired, but he had some work to do in town, so he kept plodding along.

On day two of my week, I carried the same droopy eyelids, though I perked up a bit when working outside. Both at work and at home I have cleaned up a whole pile of dead branches and opened spaces that needed attention. It looks so good. Dad has made several trips to the dump to haul it all away. I might be super tired, but I think working in the yard is my therapy - my happy place. 💓 When I'm done I'm so tired, but it feels so good to have those things taken care of.

On day three I didn't have to get up as early, so I actually started my day with energy! It was good but short-lived, not too many hours in I hit a brick wall and came up empty again. Despite feeling tired, I worked like I have energy and got a lot more done.

I think that sometimes, at least for me, we feel tired in observing spiritual patterns too. Sometimes it is a force of my own will to make sure that I spend time in the scriptures and in prayer... and some days require so much of me that there is precious little time for those holy habits. When I'm physically tired, it's also hard to focus on the study that I typically love to engage in. What do you do when you are running on fumes, and struggling to juggle all the important things in your life? 

Thankfully, I have been blessed with very productive days, despite my low energy, and no matter where I am at with my energy, it is always restored with a proper amount of rest several nights in a row. As for my spiritual slumps, I find that I just keep going through the patterns of study that I have established, and focus on my love for the Lord, those things will soon swell my heart back into full discipleship. I am so grateful for consistent sleep, and for consistent scripture study which invigorates both the mind and the body. 

Holy habits, done consistently, pull me out of my slumps and refill my soul with joy.

Fathers Are So Special

This weekend has been one true Father's Day Weekend!

HIGHLIGHTS OF GRANDPARENTING

We love having our little ones come to play. Ellen made herself right at home, starting with the magnet blocks she and her mom built a fully functioning Ferris wheel. It was sad when we had to take it apart to put it away! Little Lena, who was tired, still shared lots of smiles and 'stories' as we visited. Ellen watched Grandpa send pictures on his phone and later on she decided it was time to play with Grandma outside. We toured the yard in a circle. Check the fish ... jump on the trampoline... see the greenhouse... walk the brick path... check the fish... you get the idea. It was so nice to explore my yard through the eyes of a child again.

THE GRAINS OF RICE SIFT HOME...

The next day we had Breanna come home. She caught a ride to Lethbridge with us and then came home later on with Charity. We got all of our errands run in good time. Myles, who came to our house straight from work, brought his saw and helped us cut down the 10-12' tree trunks that were growing next to the fence. It took barely any time at all and they were all cut down! It looks so good!!!

EIGHT IS GREAT...

We were also able to attend the baptism of my niece Nora. She was so thrilled with her frilly white dress. At that age, it's easy to focus on feeling like a princess, but the most important part of baptism is the covenants we make to follow Jesus, and the spirit testifies of our true nature and the love of the Lord for us! When we feel that we can all feel like royalty... just like Nora in her princess dress. It was good to see those in attendance, not just family, but friends from our days in Taber as well. We didn't linger too long. There were brakes to fix, oil to change, headlights to replace, and more wood to cut up. Myles had the locks on the doors all updated for us when we got back and then as the day cooled he fired up his saw again and cut up the rest of the logs. We created an assembly line to stack it and now it is all cleaned up back there! It is so awesome!!! I am so thankful for the help my children have lent us this weekend. The things they helped us with would have taken us weeks to do on our own. And when it was all done, we sat down to a lovely treat...

... ice cream cake! a perfect treat after spending so much time out in the heat. 

FATHERS DAY MORNING

Sunday morning brought another sweet surprise... a hearty breakfast and a great big box of dad-sized treats for him to enjoy. At church, all the men got a special chocolate bar [I prepared them on Saturday] as a token of our love and appreciation of their role [or potential role] as fathers in our lives.

I am so thankful for fathers. I am so grateful that my husband has taken his role as a father seriously. He has taught each of his children handy skills, how to work hard and to expect the best that you can. While he doesn't proclaim perfection, he has been a good solid example, always providing for our needs, allowing me to stay home and just be 'mom' even though we had to sacrifice to do so. He has always supported me in everything I ever wanted to do, in the hard times and in the good times. He has been a steady and solid part of my life and the lives of his children to the degree that they desire. He has been an active part of taking care of the house when my hands were full, and is super understanding when I run out of time to finish things up - he's always willing to help - not just me - but anyone who is in need. He is such an example to me and I am so thankful for him.

I am also thankful for my father. He also was a great example of hard work and taught me the value of feeling good about wise use of time. In a sense, he gave me some of my first lessons in agriculture... teaching me the names of ALL the weeds that grew on the farm. To this day I can identify most weeds while still in the 2-leaf stage! I worked beside him and behind him as the need dictated. I also learned from my dad how to relax. I remember pleasant evenings laying on our backs on the lawn watching for cloud pictures in the sky, camping, and hiking with frequent stops to enjoy the scenery. Dad encouraged goodness in his children, always expecting the best of us, and encouraging forgiveness, love, and unity. It is a theme he continues to encourage. I am so grateful for his kind and generous soul.

A Stitch in Time

 Over the last year or so I have learned how to do paper piecing which is using a printed design to create detailed pictures or precise patterns in quilts. I LOVE it! It speaks to the creative side of me in a big way! In fact, I can't sew fast enough to keep up with all the patterns and ideas I want to try!

 Last fall I came across a design that was very free and non-structured - a stained glass window idea. It is so pretty. I made mine with lots of different colors and this week I finished it!!! It felt so good to sew that 48th block and then stitch them together into a twin-size quilt.

I'd actually like to try another one that has more of a color scheme as well, but that will be a project for another day. I had a lot of fun putting this together and an awesome bonus is -- it is all made of scrap fabrics.😀😀😀😀

I am already onto the next design - a lone-star pattern. This is my first block... 

I am so thankful for a mother who taught me the basics of sewing, and who encouraged me to keep learning, helping me as I needed it. Because of what she taught me, I am able to take great satisfaction and find enjoyment in creative sewing projects. It is a joy to share talents with loved ones.

Infested!!!

 This year has some interesting developments in the yard... This year there are more grasshoppers in our yard than I have ever seen in any one place before in my life! I had some nasturtiums planted and they were growing nicely, but they have been eaten right off.. there is nothing left! I have a border of Bishop's weed in the front yard, and it is nothing but bare stems left! Now they are attacking the yarrow, dogwood, and who knows what else! I am worried for my vegetables!

How many grasshoppers can you count?

 

What is left of the bishop's weed

This week, in an effort to reduce the population of grasshoppers a bit, we actually went out with a butterfly net and a big bucket of soapy water and scooped them off the plants, scooping up to a dozen at a time!!! But once we did the initial swipes, they all jumped away or dropped to the ground because I could only catch one or two at a time after that. The next effort we put forth was to sprinkle diatomaceous earth on the worst areas. Diatomaceous earth is finely ground sea shells and is perfectly safe for people and pets, but for insects, it is like walking on glass, so we are hoping that they will consume it with the leaves it is on and that it will make them sick. We have even considered getting a few chickens, but they eat vegetables too.....

We will continue to do everything that we know how to do to control the damage and minimize the loss as much as we can, but with this many grasshoppers in the yard, it might be more than we can do - especially since they are just as bad in the neighbor's yards and gardens. I pray for rain and I pray for answers and guidance to help us know how to deal with this problem. I know that the Lord knows the solution to the problem, and He will guide us in whatever we are able to do and He will help with the rest regardless of the outcome. I am so thankful for the peace that that knowledge gives me.

Surprise Solutions

Heavenly Father knows what is best for each of us, as the prophet Isaiah taught: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts”” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

His ways are not our ways—and that’s a good thing! There are instances where we would wish for the Lord to simply intervene and remedy the struggle and hardness we face. We may feel like stopping, leaving, escaping, or maybe even giving up.

Sometimes we wish the Lord would tell us exactly how He’s going to help us—or when! It takes a lot of faith to simply trust Him when we can’t see where He’s taking us. But that’s what we have to do. Remembering that because His thoughts and His ways are so much more advanced than ours, the solutions to our problems might be something we would never, ever think of on our own.

In the footnotes, of Elder Carl Cook's talk, it says "Although [Zoram] had to endure a little rough handling, the trap he was caught in was the very situation through which God had determined to bless him. Though he had to give up his homeland, God was preparing a better one." (David B Paxman, BYU Devotional, July 27, 2010) [2 Nephi 1:30-32]

Zoram had no idea the blessing that his trial would bring into his life. I have learned that I can be  receiving answers and direction and guidance from the Lord through the Holy Ghost and have absolutely no idea that I am being guided... until the outcome is manifested and suddenly as I look back over the events that transpired and the ideas that flowed, I can see the many things that the Lord guided me to do that contributed to bringing about a greater miracle and blessing than I had ever anticipated!

This talk is such a good reminder that it is a blessing to Just Keep Going - With Faith, to not "let discouragement overwhelm us when we face disappointment, painful experiences, our own inadequacies, or other challenges." God guides us steadily through these things and brings us out into a brighter light than we ever thought possible-  we just have to hang on to Him and persevere.

Living IN Revelation All the Time

 A couple of weeks ago I listened to a talk given by Elder Bednar where he taught that we are LIVING IN REVELATION.

Here are a few words of Elder Bednar:

Elder Bednar:

 I’ve always found it strange that we talk about the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, and yet we seem to have limited recognition that it’s real. We say it—but do we believe it? We’re mortals, we make mistakes, so I’m not talking about every nanosecond of every moment of every minute of every day, [but] as long as we are doing our best and pressing forward on the covenant path, and repenting as we go, then indeed, we are influenced by the Holy Ghost all the time. I think we fundamentally divert ourselves by wondering, “Well, is that me? Or is that the Holy Ghost?” The more time we spend worrying about that question, the more we get in our own way in recognizing the blessings of having the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

I have pondered that for days! He said that too often we will live expecting revelation to come, feeling like we are waiting for it… but that is wrong. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost. We are in revelation constantly. What we need to be aware of is what takes us out of revelation so we can correct it.

As I have practiced this principle, I have found that living IN revelation is understanding that the Lord guides me in every thought and every action and I can actually feel Him nearer to me than I do when I have the perspective of being OUT of revelation and waiting for it to COME to me.

Apple Blossoms and the Tree

 

Here’s a thought on Elder Bednar's conference talk, “Abide in Me, and I in You; Therefore Walk with Me”. He talks a fair bit about nourishing the seed and allowing it to grow into a tree (the footnotes add quite a bit more to this theme). As I studied this week, I was reminded that if you cut branches laden with apple blossoms and take them inside to enjoy, they will NEVER produce fruit. They had the potential, but without being connected to the tree, that potential is lost. Elder Bednar lists so many blessings of abiding in Christ… it is similar for us as the branches of the tree, if we are in any way severed from Him, we can never realize those beautiful and desirable fruits in our lives. We need the Savior… full-time.

A Binding Relationship

 This morning I was listening to one of my podcasts and they made the following statement

"Without relationship with Jesus Christ, religion is a burden."

In fact, I would go so far as to say that without a relationship with Jesus Christ, not just religion is a burden, but service is a burden, forgiveness is a burden, ministering is a burden, and in some cases even showing love and kindness may feel like a burden. It is the relationship that changes everything that we do into a joy and a privilege.

I also heard a new definition of religion that invites deeper reflection:

Religion is 'tying yourself to God'.

I've since looked that up and found an article written by a Catholic Christian who explains it this way:

"Few know the true meaning of religion: the Latin root Ligare means “to bind.” Religare leads you to re-bind, re-connect, renew, and relationship.

“The word ‘religion’ means literally a binding relationship,” scholar Peter Kreeft explains in his new book, Food for the Soul. “Religion is a relationship. It is like a road on which two parties meet.” - The Real Meaning of Religion: A Binding Relationship, Reconnecting

Religion is first and foremost about our relationship with God but it channels down to relationships with others as well. It is all about connecting with God and with the children of God... 

We all want to be happy, joyful individuals. We want peace, contentment, and stillness to dominate the crazy, chaotic busyness of the world. Viewing religion as a relationship with God that includes a relationship with others is a view that will ultimately help us obtain the level of happiness that we yearn for and make religion a privilege rather than a burden.

"As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness." -Dieter F Uchtdorf

 As we connect with others, and offer the measure of strength, support, and love that is ours to give, we will experience increased joy and happiness. That peace and calm we yearn for will begin to seep into our hearts. I am so thankful for the peace of Jesus Christ in my life. Jesus Christ is my Joy.

I Choose Joy

Who loves a spontaneous surprise?

This week I got one!  Our lives are so full that special days aren't always celebrated on their specific date. It's been a few months since my birthday [which we did celebrate the following day at home], but we were in the temple that day, so actually going out for supper got put off, and then there were other things that sapped our energy and kept us from extra trips to the city. So... long story short, my husband surprised me with a trip to the city and a birthday dinner in the middle of the week!

It was GOOD! We went out to Echodale Park which isn't really functioning right now as it had a tornado last year, so the lake has been drained. Let me just add... it was HOT! We parked at the top and I rode the scooter for my first time down the hill. There are some good trails down there so we decided to go for a walk. Did I mention how hot it was?!!! But it was so pretty. There was a thunderstorm rolling in creating a constantly changing arrangement of light and shadow on the hills.

We walked for about half an hour. The only wildlife we saw was a bunny crossing the trail. It was so nice. Before leaving the city we made a parcel delivery to Breanna and then we went out for supper at Montana's. As we walked into the restaurant, the heavens opened and huge drops of rain began to fall. It was so refreshing and welcoming after the heat that surrounded us!

The food was great but filling! On the way home we grabbed some more bark for the yard and bought some fish to go in the fish pond. As we traveled we discussed principles of teaching the gospel to help me prepare to instruct an upcoming teacher council meeting. 

It was a great evening. We did so much good stuff but the best part was the conversation... the connection... the promise of good things to come. We tend to discuss topics deeply as we drive, and the discussion always enhances my understanding. I love that my husband and I can learn together as we engage in conversation. We can feel truth settle upon our souls and we can help one another grow in knowledge and understanding. 

I do love surprises, but I don't always get super excited about the unplanned part. I don't always find it easy to let go of the things I thought I was going to do in that time slot... but I'm usually blessed well beyond what my nice comfortable schedule would have given me when I invite the unexpected into my life. There can be true joy in the unexpected - often it is all a matter of outlook. I choose JOY.

Refilled as I'm Running on Empty

How often do you let your car run down into the red on the fuel gauge? My car actually seems to like to run on less than half according to the gauge, yet I get better mileage on the bottom half of the tank. I never thought I was like my car... but these last couple of days - I have been!!!

This week started out with two super early mornings in a row [2:30 and 3:30 a.m.] and the night in between I didn't get home until 9:00 p.m. As you can imagine, I was feeling pretty tired not far into the second day. I could have laid down at any moment in the day and fallen asleep, but I didn't have that option.  Even when I got home there was so much that still needed to be done. I won't bore you with the details, but I mainly focused on the outdoor tasks that spring requires to be done within a reasonable time frame. I have finished planting the garden - It has taken 2 full weeks, but everything is in and it is also beginning to grow which is so exciting and rewarding for me! 

Some time ago, I learned that if I prayed for the Lord to bless me with the time I did not have to do all that needed to be done, somehow, He would help me get it all done in the time available  - It's like He gave me time. I have learned that this principle also applies to energy, and that is what my prayers were for these last couple of days... and you know what???  I have had the energy provided to me. Not the bouncing off the walls kind, but enough that I could summon up the energy for each task as it presented itself. Usually, my best energy is in the morning, but today I was much like my car, the bottom half of the energy tank didn't dry up as quickly as I would have expected. What a blessing.

The source of that energy didn't come from me at all. I was refueled by my interactions with others. Monday it came through participating in our Reflections Class - a small group of women who gather each week to study the most recent general conference talks. I LOVE it!!! Today it was a Relief Society Presidency meeting. My counselors are so amazing! I love them so much. They are wise and spiritual and they help me fulfill my responsibilities. Best of all we have fun doing all of that together. It fills me up being with them! Then there was working this morning with a good friend. And working both days with more friends who support me and appreciate the services I give. I believe that it is these interactions that actually keep me running when I am otherwise empty. The Lord knows that these things will fill me up and energize me EVEN when I am running on empty. It's not how we refuel cars, but I am thankful that the Lord gives me the energy I need as I need it to do the things I have set out to do without dropping in exhaustion part way through the task. 

Parched or Quenched

Well, things are turning green, and in places - at least in my yard - yellow... I am so thankful for the rain we received last night and like many of you, I am praying for the Lord to bless us with more. Yesterday we received an invitation to fast for rain, for crops, for fire relief, and for the overall blessing and benefit of our land. I am reminded of the passage in Isaiah where Isaiah is teaching the true law of the fast. It says, "And the Lord shall  guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." [Isaiah 58:11] We need rain, tiny droplets of water to quench our parched land, but in a similar fashion, we also need the Lord to quench dry and thirsty spirits as we endure the heat of trial and challenges. My friends, as you fast for rain, and as the rains come this month, I pray that you may also feel the dews of heaven quenching your souls in the dry deserts of your afflictions.

My Power Boosters

 The other day I had the blessing and privilege of spending the day with my grandchildren while their mother was away.  They are both super sweet, but very active. We jumped on the trampoline, but it was kind of chilly out so I led the kids back inside and discovered in the basement a whiteboard easel. I introduced my grandson to making his own games. We played x's and o's a half dozen times and then I asked him if he would like to play a new game. He loves drawing x's so he declined but a short time later he says to me, "Odin want to play a new game!" So I drew a simple maze for him. He's super good at mazes.  After 3-4 progressively more complicated mazes I decided to add the elements of hearts and monsters. I told him that he needed to not touch the monsters or they would eat his power, but if he got the hearts, they were power boosters and double hearts were superpower boosters. He loved that idea! He began drawing his own mazes and it became my job to draw the hearts for him so he could get his power boosters [and he didn't miss a single one!]

He was so fascinated with power boosters and mazes that they occupied his attention for the better part of the day - in fact, he didn't even want to watch tv! [which NEVER happens]

As I thought about that, I considered the power of a heart in one's life... meaning the power of love. Love is my power booster. I am blessed with people that love me, and I am also blessed to feel the Lord's great love for me. One super power booster, a place where I can really feel God’s love is the temple. His love and grace multiply my abilities to do what is right in a world that is confused about right and wrong. I have found scriptures study and gospel discussion to be great power boosters. Prayer journaling is a power booster as is service. There are so many things that invite me to feel God's love and when I recognize them and thank Him for them; it is like finding another heart in the maze of life. I am so grateful for the power of love that flows from God to His children - all of us. To quote President Nelson, "Jesus Christ is joy."

Finding Personal Peace

This week I have had the opportunity to study President Eyring's talk, Finding Personal Peace.  You can almost tangibly feel President Eyring's desire for us to have peace. In the guide to the scriptures, peace is defined as "the inner calm and comfort born of the Spirit that God gives to His faithful Saints." This kind of peace is a state of heart. Our faith in the Savior is a steady anchor of peace through the troubling nature of our mortal experience. It is like Sister Harkness taught "The Savior teaches us how to feel peace and calm even when the winds blow fiercely around us and billowing waves threaten to sink our hopes." I also loved the emphasis on parenting in peace. And I love the assurance that the Lord raises up PEACEMAKERS that have the Holy Ghost with them and He guides them to His choice but errant children to reclaim them. President Nelson has asked us to be peacemakers and President Eyring makes it clear that one of the roles of a true peacemaker is to not only receive the gift of personal peace but to help many others to find it and pass it along.

A few days ago I had an experience that shook my peace of mind. It occurred within a friendship. I felt rejected and the high hopes I had held were dashed. As I pondered, I realized that my hopes had infused more into a relationship than was there. The exchange brought sadness, disappointment, and a feeling of loss. I fell asleep that night with a heavy heart and a prayer on my lips. The following morning, focused on the Lord's love, and with His help, I accepted the reality of the condition of that relationship. My hope is restored though it looks different now and peace has returned to my heart. I am so grateful for a personal peace gifted to me by My Savior, Jesus Christ through His infinite atonement.