Stronger Through Him

 One year I had a particularly difficult little 4 year old boy in my class.  This kid was everywhere all the time and didn't ever hold still for more than 11 seconds.  I know because I timed him.   Unless he sat on my lap.  Then he would lean back and relax in safety and use his arms to help mine hold him secure.  So that was generally where he needed to be for us to have a productive circle time. I often say I'm not very patient, but in truth I'm incredibly patient with little children, I just get less patient with myself and other adults and teens.  I'm working on it.  One day as I was calming this little guy down by softly talking to him and almost imperceptibly rocking and giving him some needed pressure on his overactive muscles, he leaned back and looked up into my eyes with his forehead on my chin.  "Mrs. Potter, I think your voice must be what God's voice sounds like." Then he snuggled in and I started circle time.  It was without a doubt the great

  Ephesians 4:31-32  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you." Let ALL of the hurtful emotion be put away.   That sure is hard! My memory holds onto way too much detail of negative situations.  But I believe I can learn from them and that as we have been promised, our weaknesses can become strengths through His grace. Tonight was an example when my memory turned out to also enable me to show kindness.  Ella came downstairs and asked what she should do with this belt buckle. Confused, I asked her where she had gotten it.  She explained that it was at the bottom of the box to her electric putting green which I had purchased at a yard sale last summer.  This was the first time she had emptied the whole box. While it would have been easy to discard it, it was a personal enough item that I tho

  When my son, Colton, was serving his mission he wrote home one week about a woman who had just gotten baptized.  Here are his inspiring words:   "It was very easy to tell that she was happy and excited about the decision she made. She has changed so much over the course of the last few weeks that we have been meeting with her. There is just a different light about her and she is so much happier. I have found that the happiest people I’ve taught and met over the last 2 years are those who let Christ into their lives the most." The happiest people are those who let Christ into their lives the most.  Powerful words!  "Faith in God and Christ make for righteousness in the world and for happiness. One who knows has said: “God exists in the world. He exists wherever men let him in. Perhaps it is only humble men, men in search of him, men with a great need for him, who really let him in. And God comes to such men not only because of their great need for him, but also because

 Driving home from work something felt a little off.   I thought I detected a bit of a soft thunk-thunk sound. I wondered if it was coming from the tire.   In this household we know only too well the cost of ignoring tire sounds and issues and driving on flat tires.  So I immediately pulled into the next parking lot and got out and circled the car.  Everything looked fine. I got back in and continued to drive but the sound was still there and I could feel it.  There were no warning lights but I called George and he said to bring it by when I finished my tutoring lessons.  That it should be fine until then.   He looked it over and couldn't find anything either except a suspect loose license plate which he said he would tighten at home.  So I drove home but it was still making the sound.   When he got home he took it back out to double check and found a bolt in one of our tires. Fun fact.  Or maybe a factoid since I can't actually verify it, but Elkhart County has the highest rat

 Tonight's sunset was just the smile from heaven I needed.   Psalm 65:8-  "...thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice." Let the sunrises and sunsets remind you that we are here to rejoice.  To find little things to be grateful for.   To slow down and breathe.  To remember you are never alone.  To smile and say, "Thank you Lord, for another day."

 James 5:16- "... pray one for another, that ye may be healed." My sister and her friend took their kids sledding.  They don't often get snow like the polar vortex dropped in the south this week, so they made the most of it.   However, the sun was extraordinarily harsh in its reflecting on the snow and all of them, children and adults, ended up with painful sunburns.  But little Ryen ended up in the emergency room where they had to call in the burn team and he had to undergo a debridement procedure where they removed the damaged skin from his face.  My sister texted me pleading for prayers and I offered to add him to the Worldwide Unified prayer page.  She immediately said yes, please, for prayers and also to warn other parents of the need for sunscreen even in winter. Even at that moment she wanted to spare other families from the trauma they were enduring.  In the first minute more than 100 people were praying for him.  By the next day it was over 5,000 people. As I scr

 When I was in high school one night a friend of another faith came home with me and was staying the night after a basketball game.   As we sat on my bed, I pulled out my scriptures to read before I went to sleep and it prompted a fascinating conversation.   She asked how I knew where to read.  And then how I could actually use the scriptures to guide me.  "So if you wanted to know about why it's wrong to kill?" I knew that one.  Exodus 20 has the Ten Commandments. "What about deciding on your major and college options?" "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."  Scripture Mastery.  I wanted to make sure I leaned on God's guiding principles of truth, and not just what I thought I wanted right now. "What about being happy?" I flipped to the index and quickly found several scriptures on the topic.   For the next hour she gave me one question or topic after another and together we found scriptural answers.  Finally she shoo

 When I first started teaching in my current school district and found out that I would have four evaluations by leadership members each year I was apprehensive and nervous.  I was handed a rubric and told we would be breaking it down and learning about it in our professional meetings. I opened it and discovered 19 areas with a total of 105 characteristics that I would be judged on. And I just about got up and left.  At the first professional development meeting our master teacher presented on just one of those 105.  We reflected on some questions and did a couple of practice activities to explore possible ways we could tweak our teaching in small ways that week. In my zealousness and desire to do well at my job I tried working on everything at once and got very frustrated, very tired, and very confused.  And then I wanted to scrap it all.  But then I had my first evaluation.  My evaluator worked with me to identify one of the 19 areas that was a strength to focus on for the next few m

 Parenting often gives us lots of opportunities to interpret behavior and make guesses as to what is happening. Sometimes that is easier than others. When my daughter was just two or three years old, one day I walked into the bathroom and discovered her completely stripped down with toothpaste smeared all over from her waist to her thighs. As I saw her there with that blue gel all over her privates I froze.  I tried to mentally interpret what I was seeing but I had nothing.  Not a single explanation could come to mind.  My instinct was to demand "what on earth are you doing".  But I didn't. I paused.  "What happened?" I tentatively asked. And then  I was quiet and listened.  Her green eyes peered up at me and she confidently stated, "We were out of toilet paper." 😂😂😂 I bit my lip to try and keep from laughing but it was no use.  I giggled as I said, "I see that.  Next time you can just call for me and I'll bring you some." With a sheep

  This hymn has spoken to me this week.  Lean on My Ample Arm Lean on my ample arm, O thou depressed! And I will bid the storm Cease in thy breast. Whate’er thy lot may be On life’s complaining sea, If thou wilt come to me, Thou shalt have rest. Lift up thy tearful eyes, Sad heart, to me; I am the sacrifice Offered for thee. In me thy pain shall cease, In me is thy release, In me thou shalt have peace Eternally. –Theodore E. Curtis Why would such a hymn be included in our hymnals?  Because it addresses shared human difficulties.  It acknowledges that we may well face depression and directs us to lean on His ample arm.   He is strong enough for anything we may be bringing.  Strong enough for anger.  Strong enough for fear for our children.  Strong enough for our broken hearts.  Strong enough for self-loathing.  Strong enough for questioning minds.  Strong enough for loneliness.  Strong enough for sin.  Strong enough for whatever you are carrying right now.  He will calm the storm.  Quit

In the Smith home angels came. In the Hale home the translation of the plates began. In Joseph and Emma's home the work continued. And in the Whitmer home the translation was completed. I have visited many of these simple homes.   Perhaps we should remember that the Lord often uses homes as the setting for His most important work.  Perhaps home-centered church isn't as new as we thought.  Perhaps we should be asking what great work will happen within our own four walls.  Elder David A Bednar explained, "Making our homes sanctuaries wherein we can “stand in holy places" is essential in these latter days. And as important as home-centered and Church-supported learning is for our spiritual strength and protection today, it will be even more vital in the future."

Sometimes the kindness and love of others takes my breath away. My 15 year old knew a couple in our ward had suffered a miscarriage.  So she got up this morning and on her own she painted them this picture, baked some cookies and asked for a ride to deliver them.   She used her day off of school to use her talents to share her love in the best way she knew how.  And in her work she shared her testimony of families and of her belief that Jesus offers comfort.  "Mourn with those who mourn, comfort those who stand in need of comfort".   It was on my To-Do list to reach out to them.  I just hadn't gotten to it yet. She made it a priority.  She made room for love.  It really is that simple.  And it touched me deeply.

It is often said that it is a human need to be seen and heard.  But in my class today I heard it phrased so beautifully I wanted to remember it and share it.    Dr Bailey talked about the times when we may say or do wrong or hurtful things.  The times when we are triggered and react by either lashing out or pulling back.   Whether it's because we are hurt, tired, scared, frustrated or a myriad of other conditions that make success seem further out of reach, we all have times when we feel like failures.  When we are discouraged.  When we feel hopelessly inept.   She said we need to be kinder to ourselves and remember we get more of what we focus on.  So she said to phrase it this way.  "Please see the beauty in me. Especially when I feel lost in inadequacy." Isn't that what we truly all want to say?   Focus on the beauty and we will grow.  Focus on the inadequacy and we won't.   Neil A Maxwell reminded, "The first thing to be said of this feeling of inadequacy

  It has been an extraordinarily good week for our family.   Sometimes I almost feel guilty when good things happen to me and my family because I know so many other deserving people who may be suffering.   Psalm 9:1-2 "I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High." But I want to embrace the joy and goodness that comes into my life.  I want to share it with others and let them know how truly wonderful our Heavenly Father is.   So I will make this commitment.  I will praise Him with my whole heart.  I will be glad and rejoice. I will thank Him more fully.   Tonight I thank Him for Ella's heart healing.  He continues to hold her in His palms and I am grateful for each and every day.  Thank you to all of you who have joined us in rejoicing.  We know the trials will keep on coming but for a night I will catch my breath and appreciate it.   What c

I will always remember the Valentine's Day when one sweet little boy taught me about the true joy in giving. He came from a deeply impoverished home and had joined our classroom just that week. His dad had abandoned his mom and siblings and she was struggling to provide even the most basic of necessities.   He spoke only a few words of broken English, so I didn't think he would understand how our class valentines even worked.  But I was sure he would be excited to see the treats and bright cards from his classmates and watched with eager anticipation.  When I showed him his box, his eyes lit up and he picked up the first two pieces of candy and looked at them carefully. But then he walked to the nearest classmate's box and dropped a piece in.  Back and forth he went delivering his candy to his new friends so that he could give too.  With tears in my eyes I gave him a hug and pulled an extra package of valentines out of the cupboard for him.  I believe every child should be

 One day when one of my children was young I found her facing the mirror.   "Why can't you do this right? You are always messing things up." She looked with disdain at her reflection.   My heart nearly broke in two.  I took her in my arms and told her how loved she was. I held her to me as the sobs wracked her little body.  When the shudders slowed enough I listened to her situation and we prayed and asked for help.   But I felt even worse knowing exactly where she had learned it.  They were the same words I used in my own mind, so the ones that occasionally escaped my tongue when I lost my temper.   Thankfully, with His grace, over time I have gotten better.  I learned to be more encouraging to myself and pretty soon those were the words that came out instead, even at my moments of intense frustration.   I learned to say "that was hard but you handled it."  "That was painfully disappointing but you owned it, apologized and are trying again. That took coura

  "How are things going?" "Is that working well for you?" "Are you happy with the results?" Those are the questions I get asked when my instructional coach visits with me.   They are good questions that help me connect my actions with the outcomes.   But the actual impetus to change has to be me.  I heard this statement made by Dr Becky Bailey in a class today.  "You can change out of desperation or you can change out of desire." Powerful.  Why not be in charge of my change?   In a separate conversation, another friend helped me see that Satan is the one saying I can't change. The scriptures are overflowing with examples of those who changed.   Elder Hugh W Pinnock taught, "First, you must want to change with all your heart. You must take responsibility upon yourself to do whatever is necessary to be different." So the question is how do I want to change and what am I willing to do to make that happen? I may have to choose a  differ

 It can be easy to feel overwhelmed with the evil around us.  So don't forget the Lord's promise that YOU CAN CONQUER SATAN AND ESCAPE THE HANDS OF HIS SERVANTS. Bernard P Brockbank said, "Prayer to God will give you power to conquer and overcome the evil powers and influences of Satan and this world. The Lord said, “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work (D&C 10:5)." What do we have to do?  Pray Always. So in the good times, the bad times, the scary times, the joyful times, the tired times, the exhausted times, the rested times, the hopeful times, the doubtful times, the funny times, the devastating times, the humiliating times.  All the times.  Pray always.  I'm still working on the always.  But I sure can't imagine trying to live life without prayer. And I sure do want that promise of protection.

 As my friend Julie's  boys sat in the ICU this week spending time with and saying goodbye to their dad, they cracked his phone password and looked through his last texts and pictures. He had ten years worth of photos of the things that were most important to him. Beautiful memories as families.  Inside jokes.  Music. Friends.  Beauty.  He had no warning.  The congenital defect which triggered the massive stroke could have happened at any time. But on the day it did his phone was full of genuine affection, positive memories and his goodness.  Just like his heart.  What a legacy.   What a good way to live.  Always holding onto the precious memories.  Deleting hurtful words.   Alma 34:31-32 reads, "Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. For  behold, t

 "Mrs. Potter! Mrs. Potter! This is for you!" The six year old smiled widely and her cheeks which were pink from the cold seemed to light up.   She excitedly withdrew a crumpled paper, smoothed it out and handed me a simple colored heart. "It's because I love you." Her big brown eyes shone with adoration and excitement.  She gave me a quick hug and skipped down the hall toward her classroom. My heart melted and every time I look at it I smile.  I didn't wonder why she gave me a crumpled one. I didn't ask myself if she only gave it to me because her favorite teacher wasn't there. I didn't try to read a hidden agenda into why she chose the colors she did.  I didn't worry about if she would now expect me to give her a valentine tomorrow. Why? Because any of those things would be ridiculous.  I accept freely given love from children with no reservations.  It's harder from adults for me but I recognize that is a flaw I need to work on overcomi

It's Sunday morning and you are in the pew.  You have heard a message that stirred your heart, taken the Sacrament and pondered during the music.  The Savior's love feels alive and you are going to carry it with you all week! But then the kids fight in the car on the way home.  And some jerk cuts you off.   And you arrive home to find you didn't actually start the crockpot as evidenced by the frozen mass of chicken still sitting there.  And you have a splitting headache.   And all of a sudden Christ seems very far away. Defeat and discouragement creep in.   Any of you been there?  I have.   But here is the good news.   He doesn't live at the church.   In John 14:18 Jesus promises, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." He will join you in the midst of the messy.   He will help you marvel in the mundane.   He will find you on the buses, at work, or in the doctor's office.  He will cry with you, laugh with you, praise with you where you are.