Stronger Through Him

  We drove 3.5 hours each way to the town where the viewing was held for our student's dad.   It's where the bulk of the family live.   Where grandparents and uncles and cousins can surround them in love and they can mourn together.   Where they can begin to patch pieces of their broken lives back together. It was a long drive, especially on a school night, but we made it out of love for a precious girl. There are several things I will never forget. The sound of her little voice ringing out, "Mrs HK" as she ran across the parking lot and into the arms of her teacher.   Her confidently introducing us to her family members over and over again.  "This is my teacher.  This is my principal.  This is my counselor.  This is my Spanish teacher." I was her Spanish teacher for 15 minutes a week when she was in kindergarten.  Never doubt the difference we can make.   One of my colleagues approaching the deceased's mom whom she had never met and e

  I am writing this as I ride with colleagues to a viewing for one of our student's father's viewing.   She is 8 years old.  And last Saturday she witnessed her dad being shot and killed in a 7-11 parking lot.   How do we even begin to process what that means for her? How will this trauma impact her? How do we ever make sense of this madness? I find myself pushing the emotions aside and plunging in to help and serve and do.   But I'm also filled with profound sadness. We have a better way. We know a better way. And yet we refuse to forgive, we stoke the fires, we model rage and hatred.  We stand for the sanctity of life- but only some- and reduce others to undeserving of love and respect.  We look for ways to get ahead no matter what and not only turn a blind eye to our children's sins but provide them with examples of rationalization or deception. We reject the teachings that provide true happiness for a sort of counterfeit that when it fades leave

  I went to pick up my car from the mechanic tonight, grumbling a bit about the cost to myself. And the inconvenience of not having a vehicle.  Then when I arrived the mechanic shared with me the updates on his family since we were there last.  We are the kind of car customers who keep him in business so get updates semi-regularly.  But having cars that are paid for are worth the hassle for our circumstances.   He and his wife are raising his grandchildren after his daughter passed away and their dad was sent to prison.  He told me we needed to get things settled up quickly so he could get to the church talent show where his grandkids would be performing. He shared how when she died it turned out his daughter had visited a small church shortly before her death.  And that even though they had attended another large church faithfully for years, there was little to no response when they hit their difficulties.  But day after day this other pastor showed up to bless them, pray wit

  I am teaching a lesson on prioritization this week at work and it reminded me of a priority I need to bump up in my life.  Temple attendance. I remember when my friend's grandparents had set a goal to visit every temple in the world.  That seemed reasonable and achievable at the time. Now we have an ever increasing number of temples allowing more and more people to make temple attendance regular.   Yet sometimes it seems as if our plans to attend are repeatedly thwarted.   By illness.  Or work schedules.  Weather.  Or conflicts. Or personal struggles.  But that just reminds me that I need to put more energy into planning and achieving that goal.  Like many other aspects of the the gospel, each time we go our experience can bring us new learning, insights and blessings.   Sister Silvia H Allred explained,"The temple is a house of learning. Much of the instruction imparted in the temple is symbolic and learned by the Spirit. This means we are taught from on hi

  One of the most encouraging  and touching passages in scripture for me is found in the 19th chapter of 3 Nephi. Today was a really good day for that.  Jesus had appeared to the people in the Americas and prayed for them.  Listen closely as they are read and feel their power.  "29Father, I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me out of the world, because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them. 30And when Jesus had spoken these words he came again unto his disciples; and behold they did pray steadfastly, without ceasing, unto him; and he did smile upon them again;" Jesus prays for us.  He prays for you.  He prays for me.   If we show some faith.   It doesn't have to be perfect; just what we can offer today.  And keep praying.   And he will smile upon us. So many people are just looking for that smile. That smile that says

  I was on the playground helping monitor 75 kindergarten students and one little friend was struggling with hitting other students.  I had already redirected him, engaged him in other activities that kept his hands busy and tried discussing it and helping him successfully play with others. But he had hit another student. I approached him and explained that he would now not be allowed to touch students in anyway for the remainder of recess because it was my job to keep his friends safe just like I keep him safe.   He immediately began to stomp his feet and exclaimed with much dramatic flair, "but I was about to switch to hugging my friends and now you won't even let me show love to them."   I bit my lip to keep from laughing (the about to switch to hugging did earn high points for creativity) and told him I was sorry but I couldn't trust his hands yet and he would have to complete recess without touching anyone.  He burst into tears, told me I was mean and ran

  Waking up to snow yesterday  seemed like our 16th winter was upon us.   It felt wrong, as evidenced by the many kids who showed up for school lacking winter gear.   It simply doesn't make sense for us to be having snow while we count down the last few weeks of school!  Proverbs 26:1  advises, "As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool." For us to honor fools is as wrong as snow in summer. But what is a fool in scriptural terms?  Fools don't believe in God (Psalm 14:1). Fools gossip about and slander  others (Proverbs 10:18).  Fools stir up trouble for fun (Proverbs 10:23). Fools think they are always right and reject counsel (Proverbs 12:15). Fools don't learn from their mistakes (Proverbs 17:10). Fools are contentious (Proverbs 18:6). Fools still also are loved and receive blessings from God (Proverbs 26:10).  Fools don't control their tempers (Proverbs 27:3).  Fools are full of vanity (Ecc 7:6)

  Mary The quiet of the early morning.  It is finished.  He is gone. My heart forever fragmented. I trusted.  I believed.  I loved.  Yet now it is the pain I feel so acutely. Deeply. Forever etched in each aching crevice.  Yet it wasn't enough that they mocked and ridiculed,  Beat and tortured, And crucified.   They took his body.  And I know not where he is lain. My emptiness within rivals the stone sepulcher.  Each breath an effort to force the air into my lungs and back out again.  Each step a monumental effort to press forward through the dense grief.   Lost. Angry. Confused. Broken.  I don't know who I am without Him.  And then... a voice calls, and I turn. And in that instant I know. And the light comes and the fog lifts and I feel as if I might burst with joy.   For He lives. 

  Like many, I assume I become more focused on the gifts of Jesus Christ in my life during this Holy Week. On one hand I wish I didn't need all of the ceremony and ritual remembrance to  maintain that focus. But on another I recognize and accept that the scriptures are full of examples of rituals and remembrance that show this is a meaningful part of our human experience. And who doesn't love a reason to gather and celebrate? So throughout  the week I've tried to be a bit more aware of the events that transpired in his last week. On Palm Sunday we joined friends on a walk through an outdoor "Stations of the Cross" symbolizing Christ's own walk as he made his was down Via Dolorosa, his final path through Jerusalem.  And I wondered would I have been their laying my robes and palm leaves? What do I now lay before him?  Holy Monday - the cleaning of the temple- what aspects of my own house need cleaning?   On Wednesday a friend shared her faith'

  My daughter is the athletic trainer for a small, private Christian high school.   Tonight the softball team played the Indiana School of the Deaf. They won, but that's not what stood out. Knowing they would be playing them, several of the students took the time over the last week to learn and practice some sign language so they could reach out to the other team in friendship.  A kind, beautiful thing to do.   But one girl took it even further.  Faith Christian has a tradition of their athletes inviting the opposing team to join them in prayer following the game. So this girl had learned an entire simple prayer in sign language so they could pray together.   They saw an opportunity to include and they took the steps to take Christ-like action and reflect love to others.   Their faith was beautifully demonstrated.   Elder Gary E Stevenson taught, "We have a primary responsibility to set a tone and be role models of kindness, inclusion, and civility—to teach Christlike behavior

  Yesterday at a leadership meeting we had multiple supposedly competent adults attempting to get our projector to work. We eventually called for tech support.  When our tech person came in, she quickly started with the power cord and secured both ends.   In a matter of seconds she had it up and running.   She laughed and reassured us that the majority of issues actually have simple fixes, it's just making sure you run through them all quickly and don't jump to a fine detail.   Power cords and connections are the most common culprit.  In a gospel sense I suppose that is true as well.   The small things become great things. Simple habits have big payoffs (good or bad).  Sometimes I just need to be reminded to ask myself "Did I think to pray?" It won't solve everything but it's a really good place to start. 

  Today I was at an Easter event learning how to make Ukranian Easter eggs called pysanka.   It is a complicated process which takes multiple steps of carefully heating a tool that you dip in beeswax and then then applying the wax in the patterns you desire one layer at a time.   I carefully drew my first layer on the white and then died the egg yellow.   Then I added another layer and died the egg orange.   Finally I added one more layer and died the egg a vibrant pink.   I was feeling proud of my progress on my very first egg which had taken nearly 2 hours to complete. For the finishing stage each artist takes their egg and holds it into a candle flame to heat the wax and uses tissues to wipe off the melted wax. I sat down and proceeded to hold my egg into the flame.  As I did so I watched the gentleman at our table who had already been revealing his and commented on the beauty. Then I looked down to see my egg covered in black soot. Based on my life experience, th