Fake Treats

With one of my children being grade 11 this year we are involved in the annual production of the grade 11 play. As parents we always help out. In addition to helping with the meal, this year I also accepted the assignment to make fake baked goods which will be used as props on the set. This has been a project that was more challenging than I had anticipated. Making fake food takes way longer than just making up a batch of goodies. Being a crafty sort of thing, I have had the participation and help of some of my children in this endeavor. Together we have made cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and donuts. The cupcakes are made out of plaster-of-paris with half a styrofoam ball glued on top and then iced with royal icing which turns rock-hard. The brownies are made out of sponges painted brown and then iced with brown royal icing. The cookies and donuts were made out of salt dough, baked until they were completely dry, and then painted and frosted. Everything looked very real and quite delicious. If you hadn't known what the ingredients were you might be tempted to sample something.

I found it ironic that we finished making all these sweet confections just before April Fools' Day. We never thought to use them as a joke, but afterwards the kids couldn't help but think what a great joke it would have been! We had a few people that saw the treats and if we had not told them that they were fake they were pretty convinced that they were real. I even had one person who when they saw them, they said, "it looks like you've been doing some baking!" Had she actually sampled one of them I think she would have been very disappointed.

Because I know what these foods are made from, it doesn't matter that they sat for a week waiting to be taken to the school. It doesn't matter that I see them more than once a day. There is no desire in me to eat or sample what their appearance suggests that they are. One of the hardest things in life is to discern the difference between a deception and a truth. We live in a world that is filled with deceptions and falsehoods. So how do you tell the difference? Recognizing the reason for deceptions and lies is a big help. All these things come from the great imitator, our mortal adversary, even Lucifer himself. He imitates good things all the time. He whispers lies into our ears and tells us that to partake of these things will be wonderful and satisfying - they will enrich our lives. He seeks to convince us that happiness is an equivalent of a momentary pleasure. He would have us believe that to give into selfish desires will make us feel whole and complete. He even tries to convince us that religion is outmoded or "old-fashioned". He would have us believe that we do not need God. He is very good at making these things look real and sound appealing.

Would you like to sample a cupcake or perhaps bite into a brownie? When you know that it is false the whole feeling of desire for that treat is lost. As we learn to discern between between good and evil that same thing happens. As we desire goodness, anything that we can recognize as being from the adversary loses its appeal completely. As we engage in actions and habits that lift, it becomes easier to discern between the two. We have scriptures and modern-day prophets that speak to us the words of Christ and testify of where happiness comes from. As we pray upon these things our hearts are quickened and discernment comes. Our Sunday meetings and worthily partaking of the sacrament also increase our ability to discern between good and evil. These things represent real food that is satisfying and enjoyable. It is the food of the spirit which sustains us and gives us hope and joy and happiness. 

Fake food, no matter how good it looks, is of no value to us. There is no nourishment. All things that come from the adversary are designed to sap our spiritual energy and offer us nothing in return. Let us seek for the genuine thing, found through the Saviour Jesus Christ, bringing joy and peace and happiness in its wake. The truth of goodness and righteousness is found in the living of a Christ-like life.

Fish Tailing

A couple of weeks ago I was on my way home with my daughter who was driving. We were on a gravel road which had some pretty pronounced grooves in it and the gravel in between was deep. At one point a little gopher hopped up out of the ditch and ran across the road as we approached. My daughter has a definite distaste for gophers, and she immediately swerved to hit the gopher which put her into a very deep, thick gravel. Immediately the car began to fishtail and I could see her foot going for the brake. I calmly stated, "Do not brake," and then I put my hand on the wheel and helped her stear as we went back-and-forth being pulled by the gravel. As the car slowed, control was regained and we were able to continue on without incident. She thanked me and I could tell she meant it, for there had been a moment of fear there when she had felt the car being taken from her control as the driver. I know that she learned a valuable lesson that will serve her well when she is driving on her own in the future.

In the time that has followed I have thought about this experience. Driving on a gravel road can be related to life. Sometimes we get distracted and we veer off the proven path and suddenly find ourselves in unfamiliar territory, fish tailing uncontrollably. We no longer know how to respond to the situations or circumstances that we find ourselves in. And quite often there is fear in our hearts as we wonder how we can possibly get our lives under control and get back on the path that will take us to the destination we seek. Listening to those we trust can really help us in these times of uncertainty. Just as my daughter listened to me, and allowed me to help her we must be willing to listen to our Savior, Jesus Christ and his prophets who are upon the earth, teaching and guiding us with His words, even the words of eternal life. We also find this direction in the holy Scriptures, and I know that as we pray about the things we read that the Holy Ghost will testify to our souls of the truth and that we will also receive revelation, personal revelation, that will guide us back to the path as we make the necessary changes in our lives that are required of us. 

By focussing on the Saviour of this world, we exercise faith rather than fear. This is essential for our progress toward God. Those little gophers may manifest in many different ways. They may be distractions. They maybe pressures, deadlines, attitudes, and even beliefs. But anything that takes us away from the Savior, Jesus Christ, can cause fishtailing and requires a course correction. I am so grateful for the stabilizing influence of my Redeemer. Just as my daughter and I felt calm and peaceful as the car came under control, Jesus Christ can bring peace to our hearts as we seek Him. I am so grateful for the joy this knowledge of brings to me. I have been blessed to feel of His peace, even in those times when life seems to be fishtailing uncontrollably, He has been there for me. Because of His presence and guidance, I am able to hang on without panicking and hitting the brakes and I know that I am carefully guided and assisted back toward the path that will lead me to the destination, the Eternal destination which I seek.

The Cat of Many Colors

Last night I enjoyed the first of a series of oil painting classes. For my palette, I used a palette shaped board but it did not have a cover of any kind. As the class lasts for several weeks, I felt that I would like to figure something out to prevent the paint from drying out before the class ends, but I couldn't think of what to do... Meanwhile my palette sat out in the open. Before lunch I prepared the next board for next weeks class but I still hadn't figured out a solution for my oil painting palette. Quite honestly, I forgot about it as there were several other things pressing upon me and requiring my attention.

About three hours later, we happened to notice our cat who was soundly sleeping on the living room chair... he looked like he was bleeding. Upon closer inspection I immediately knew he had found my oil paint palette. He had blue's and reds all over his paws and in a few other places. Now how do you clean oil paint out of a cat?!? Chad was here and he was able to help me, thank goodness, because it was a minimum of a two person job! After rubbing as much off of him with a dry cloth, we decided it was time to use soap and water. Thankfully, oil paint is a vegetable base paint so it cleans up with soap and water quite nicely. However, Charlie did not like the tub of water we put him in. He kept meowing his displeasure, but you know he submitted to what we were doing. He got pretty wet, but he cleaned up well. There is a little residual on his paws that we were not able to get. Hopefully, he didn't swallow too much of it in his own efforts to remove it. Naturally, the chair he had been sleeping in, areas on the floor and other places he had been also needed attention.

There are two things about this experience that come to mind. First of all, it was pretty much my fault that he got into my paint. I had left it with the intention of taking care of it and then forgotten. Despite my fault, nobody pointed a single finger at me, for which I am deeply grateful. Instead, everyone pitched in and helped clean up the mess (the kids were home before we got done). Second of all, Charlie who was the one who suffered for my mistake, yet he didn't lash out or scratch or bite, he simply submitted to our ministrations and allowed us to clean him up. The effects of sin are so much like that paint! It leaves its telltale signs. When a person sins, pointing fingers of blame or accusation increase the damages by hurting relationships and feelings. There was none of this, not even from Charlie. Sometimes we are hurt by other peoples mistakes, yet Charlie taught me something about how to respond to that kind adversity. He submitted and allowed me to do my best to correct the problem. Sometimes when we are hurt we fight back and make it difficult for others to correct their mistakes. In some cases we even refuse to recognize their efforts. We must never give in to this type of temptation. 

Charlie's example of submission also teaches me to submit to the ministrations of my Savior in my life as He helps me overcome my weaknesses and mistakes. The process isn't always easy, in fact it usually is hard, but it is always worth it. Imagine... To discover such lessons from a cat! I am thankful to be reminded of the joy of the atonement today. I have had much on my mind, and to discover these simple yet divine truths in a simple experience is exciting and joyful. Oh, and Charlie cleaned up beautifully as he dried near the warmth of the fireplace.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Last night as I was finishing lesson preparations from the book of Ezra which deals with the adversity the Jews faced in rebuilding the temple even with the support of King Cyrus, I was reminded of a lesson from my youth where we were taught about lemons. As a second thought, I decided to include the same quote in my lesson...

It just so happens that I had lemons in the fridge so this morning I grabbed some sugar, a knife and my lemon and brought them to seminary. I printed the above photo on a sticky note for each of my students and I was set. What I didn't anticipate was the degree to which I would be taught by my students!

I displayed my lemon prominently at the front of the room all through the lesson without explanation. At the end of the lesson I showed the following saying about adversity...

I asked my class how God had watched over them in times of adversity or helped them in their challenges. One girl shared her feelings about the atonement, saying that she has found that she has to rely upon the enabling power of the Atonement of Christ to help her when she doesn't feel strong enough. I realized as she spoke, that it is the enabling power of the Atonement of Christ that is the sweet nectar that changes bitterness into sweetness, or lemons into lemonade. 

After the lesson I provided the materials needed for each of my students to experience making lemonade from a real lemon. I provided each of them with a quarter of a lemon, ample amounts of sugar and of course water. They were not told how much to use, but were left on their own to make their lemonade. One student who had never made lemonade from a lemon before was so amazed at how good the drink was. She commented a couple of times on her discovery and expressed a desire to go home and make more after school.

I couldn't help but think how our adversity and challenges in life CAN become as sweet and amazing as her lemonade was to her. They never feel that way when we are in them, especially at the onset, but as we apply the sweetening nectar of the Atonement with its enabling and strengthening power in our lives, those trials become sweet and almost hallowed. We begin to see God's hand helping us and guiding us, strengthening and supporting us. And as we become aware of His great goodness we begin to understand that it was through our adversity that we were turned to Him and the sweetness and joy of His blessings begin to abound... even if the adversity persists. I KNOW because I have had some very hard challenges in my life, and yet, those things have become sacred to me because of what they have helped me become, and because of the awareness they instilled in me of the love of my God for me. There is great joy in the process of refinement, even though it is hard. To draw closer to God rather than away from Him in our adversities yields blessings untold.

One Tiny Little Rock

The other day as I was coming home from teaching seminary, I began to notice an awful squealing noise... At first I was hopeful that it was coming from on of the nearby farms and that it wasn't my car, but after I got off the gravel road, and turned onto the highway, there was no longer any doubt - it was me. I didn't go more than a 100 feet down the highway before turning around and high tailing it for the mechanics shop. As I drove the noise persisted. I couldn't help but wonder if our mechanic could hear me coming from his shop!

I was blessed in that when I arrived at the shop, the mechanic was able to take a look at my car. He diagnosed a rock in the tire, but could not find it in the usual place, meaning he had to take the tire off. I sat down to wait, hoping that he would indeed find a rock and not some other malady. About 10 minutes later he came in holding a very tiny piece of gravel - about half the size of my fingernail. I was amazed that such a tiny rock could be the culprit for so much noise! I was so thankful to have it gone! I guess a rock in a tire is kind of like having a rock in your shoe, until you get it out, it is hard to think of anything else! 

I was blessed further in that my mechanic did not charge me for the work he did. That leaves it up to me to pay it forward. 

Our plans for the day, were to drive to Cardston to attend the temple. As we traveled I worked on my next seminary lesson, but there was something about that little rock that left an impression on me. Sometimes, we get little rocks in our souls and we don't always treat them like we would if they were in our shoe. If we get a rock in our shoe, we usually stop, and dump it out. It is quickly forgotten and we move on steadily and confidently. However, a rock in the soul is often lodged so deeply and securely near our heart that we don't know how to get rid of it. It may be an injustice we have suffered, a shock, a betrayal, or even an act of abuse. By choosing to leave it there, wedged next to our heart, we are barely able to function and go about our daily responsibilities. Relationships suffer, individuals are pushed away or discarded, all in the name of the tiny squealing rock. It looks and feels like a boulder. 

Rather than removing the rock, we begin to blame others for its presence in the first place and for the resultant noise it is making. Gossip starts, collusion begins, alliances are formed, and before we know it our heart is in a state of war as it listens to the insistent screams of the rock which is now so firmly wedged, that the thought of removal is promises pain. As odd as it may sound, if it were removed, all the excuses and justifications would have to go with it. Faced with that, the rock has become a safety net - painful though it may be, it is clung to as though it were part of our original composition. We begin to lie to ourselves just so that we can hang onto all we have built up around it... We think about it everyday. If we were let it go what would we focus on? How would we continue to justify everything we have done thus far to explain our need for that squealing rock?

And yet, the rock is still a foreign object. It doesn't belong where it is. And if we really honestly asked ourselves about it's presence, we would quite quickly wish it away. But we have put to much work into explaining its presence that to have it removed is scary. Someone we value might label us bad or not want to associate with us anymore. Is it worth getting rid of? And how do you get rid of a rock that is wedged so tightly near your heart even though you hate the noise of it in your life?

Just like I did not know how to fix my car, there is only one way to get rid of a rock that is wedged near our hearts. We must go to the Master Mechanic. Only through His redeeming love can it be removed. It is also up to us to help him. We do this by desiring to have it gone from our lives, and then letting it go. When the mechanic showed me the rock I was amazed by it smallness because it seemed like something making that much noise should have been a LOT bigger! I had no desire to keep it. It was quickly discarded in the garbage and forgotten. When we give our rocks to the Savior, we should do so so completely that we would never consider asking for them back, or wishing that we had them. However, if we were to look at them, we would be shocked at just how small they really are!

The great beauty in all this, is that the Master Mechanic does not require a fee for His services just like my mechanic did not require a fee of me. Instead, all He asks of us is to do good to others, to be a blessing in the lives of all we know rather than a curse. As we do this, He lifts our burdens from us and we become free to feel happy again. Free to let the bonds of justification and blame drop away. The happiness that comes is so tangible and liberating that it is worth giving away EVERY sin to possess it! What joy fills my heart as I ponder the great love that my Savior, Jesus Christ has for me. He has removed many rocks from my soul, and I have been blessed to know of the happiness that is promised. He is the surest, fastest way to JOY that we have and others see it in us. Later that day as I was leaving the temple, I had a lady approach me and tell me how happy I looked. I WAS happy. I still am HAPPY. My happiness has come through letting little rocks be removed from my soul through Christ.