Stronger Through Him

  https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1X2bXWntRV/?mibextid=wwXIfr This is an inspirational Christmas message my daughter inspired me with today. 

  Yesterday I woke up to find that I had missed a 1 AM phone call from a coworker. A deep pang of concern flowed through my body as I quickly reached out for more information. An email from our principal came through stating we needed an impromptu staff meeting following a tragedy. Individual faces of students began to flash through my mind as I quickly threw on my favorite GHS T-shirt, and stood there desperately wondering what I needed to do. I knew that regardless of what the tragedy was, I would be a part of the response. I offered a quick prayer, took a deep breath and asked George to give me a blessing. He did, and I headed to school, where I learned which student had died unexpectedly. I spent a long and hard and terrible and yet tender and beautiful day working alongside many others and watching people take action in so many ways. Administrators from other schools showed up to help with our lunch and lobby duties. Teachers who were not familiar with the s...

 It is true.   We are all teachers and students. We cannot choose to not be a teacher to those around us. We can only choose what it is we teach. President Colleen K Menlove  cautioned, “Children are always learning from us. They are learning what is important by what we choose to do as well as what we choose not to do.” We cannot choose to not be a student because we are always learning. We can, however to at least a degree, choose the environment in which we are learning. We can choose who we look to to follow. We can choose the effort we will put into our learning process.  Sister Aileen H Clyde gave this wise counsel to consider.  She said that when we have learning experiences, it “becomes easier to identify the ways we have become prone to routine, allowing comfortable habits to insulate us from using our minds with spiritual power to see “a more excellent way”. Yikes.   Do some of my routines insulate me from accessing my spiritual power? Which of t...

 Just a beautiful reminder I came across today. This is my clipboard from last year with a note a student gave me.   Romans 5:8 reminds “But God commandeth his love toward us, in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” This is so very clear. Jesus Christ loves us BEFORE we ever got things right. In the mess. In the middle. You are loved!

 Posting with her permission. This girl has already been an amazing missionary in her very first two weeks.   She thought she would be serving in St George, Utah.  That’s what she bought clothes for, packed and even had her plane ticket. But she was needed here and even though she is disappointed, she jumped in and started working immediately.  She didn’t wait for the disappointment to fade, she decided to be obedient.   In Preach My Gospel, we read “In addition, missionaries humbly serve where called. They do not attempt to serve based on worldly standards of status or preparation for future careers. They serve with all their heart, might, mind, and strength wherever they are assigned.” She is an example to me of having a humble heart and being willing to serve how and where called.

 A new apostle! How glorious. This morning I needed to be at work early to man the doors and thank the volunteers who were dropping off contributions for breakfast for our teachers. It’s something one of our local churches partners with us to do once a month. And it is a gift!! Food prompts gatherings and smiles and a warm start to a day that begins with the arrival of nearly 1,000 12-14 year olds. Elder Gérald Caussé admonished, “Every disciple of Christ should feel the importance of blessing their families and the community in which they live.” How blessed I am to live in a community that makes that a daily part of life.   Look around.  What can you do?