Stronger Through Him

 Yesterday I worked with more than 30 different struggling teens in my classroom throughout the day.   29 of them asked for a snack.  I work better when I am not hungry, so I always have some simple things for them. A few chose fresh mandarins, one chose an apple, and the rest chose granola bars or Oreos left from another project. ONE said thank you. And he was at the end of the day. It took me by surprise how much I appreciated that thank you after a long day.   So I let him have one more Oreo. His classmate immediately piped up, “But I said thank you too.” I reminded him that his  exact words were “Why you so stingy?” when I said he could have two cookies.  I had then prompted, “Do you mean Thank You, Mrs. Potter?” He had nodded his head. Nope.  That doesn’t count.  I don’t expect them to say thank you every time.  Some of them are going through some pretty big and difficult stuff. But it sure does feel rewarding to hear it.   I bet He...

  Today was infusion day and I found myself almost looking forward to the treatment. There are some unpleasant side effects, but I also know that thanks to the large Benadryl bolus to counter the hives, and the toasty warm blanket my nurse always gives me,  I will soon be able to doze off and that once I make it through the night of nausea and exhustiin, I will have more energy and less pain for the next few weeks. Slowing down organ damage is a major benefit as well!  And don’t forget about catching up on the latest gossip with my 70-year old buddy, Julia, whose infusion schedule mirrors my own.😊 But today, as that blanket, fresh from the warmer, was tucked around me I thought of the many ways the Lord provides “warm blankets” for me even in the midst of difficult times. One of those is the scriptures and our invitation to feast upon the words of Christ.  Sister Bonnie D Parkin invited, “They will enlighten you, lift you, comfort you, strengthen you. They will enve...

  Be Still My Soul As I was driving to choir practice yesterday, by good fortune I stopped at  a red light in front of a local church.   Its bells were playing and the beautiful tones caught my ear. “Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side.” A calming peace washed over me and the Spirit quietly testified of the truth. God is on our side.  A gentle but profound reminder.  I can learn to live with increasing peace no matter what is happening around and to me. I can learn to not just pause for a moment, but to embrace that tranquil reassurance day in and day out.  Elder Ricardo P Giménez shared his love for that same hymn along with this prophetic promise. “As we face the storms of life, I know that if we make our best effort and rely upon Jesus Christ and His Atonement as our refuge, we will be blessed with the relief, comfort, strength, temperance, and peace that we are seeking, with certainty in our hearts that at the end of our time here...

  For Random Acts Of Kindness Week, some of our support staff baked cookies and left them for us in the office with encouraging messages about kindness.   This one caught my eye.   Doing ordinary things with extraordinary love. I determined to look for more evidence of this around me. As I walked back to my classroom, I smiled as the group of special needs young adults came through the halls. As part of their life skills training they visit businesses and learn to complete needed tasks in an effort to help them prepare for work possibilities. At our building that includes emptying all of the recycling bins and returning the bins to their specified locations. As each student held onto one of the large receptacles, I noted that they all paused and looked back down the hall. “We need “Mark” to help us find the way!” a girl with long black hair and a broad smile exclaimed. The others nodded. I watched with curiosity. One young man in a wheelchair chair was at the top of the g...

 Happy Random Acts of Kindness Week! A simple act of kindness can brighten someone’s day and bring us closer to Christ. President Thomas S. Monson said, "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." As we serve others, we follow the Savior’s example: "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you." —Ephesians 4:32 You don’t have to know someone to show them kindness and there is an uplifting benefit in keeping it anonymous.  Let’s spread love and kindness this week!

 I was messaging a friend as we were coming up with ways to help support another who is going through a devastatingly difficult time right now. This friend mentioned that she had been praying and wondering how to help and saw someone mention how they had been helped on instagram. She shared with me that she saw the idea and thought, “I could do that”.   So she DID. I have had many more thoughts and impressions than I have acted on.  And sometimes, not running faster than I have strength is the right choice to make. But more often the answer is asking for help so the load is shared and the blessings are multiplied.  Or simply taking action like my friend did. As Sister Linda K Burton so eloquently taught, first observe; then serve. I thought I could do that, so I did.