Stronger Through Him

  On one of my flights last week I was seated next to a little family with two daughters. One was 18 months and one was 3.  The 18 month old, like most toddlers, wanted to sit with whichever parent was currently not holding her and kept trying to dive back and forth across the aisle from her mom to her dad.   The airplane only had an extra oxygen mask on one side so federal regulations said she had to  remain in place on that side. Not understanding, and being very 18 months on the final leg of their journey, she was exhausted and cried for much of the flight.   When mom and dad finally switched places so dad could hold her the three year old promptly fired up her lungs in protest. She now wanted Mommy. These loving parents tried food, books, toys, movies, games, songs and still their embarrassment and frustration with the public situation was palpable. They kept apologizing to me and those around us. We assured them we had all been there and that they were doing gre

 This time of year is my least favorite season. The long stretch of grey and brown gets old and it's easier for me to fall into periods of melancholy. Today I was teaching kindergarten and we were learning about space. As the students sang along to a tune about the eight planets (I still automatically say nine....) one of the little guys looked up at me looking all teary.  When the song ended I crouched down and asked him what was wrong. "I am just so happy we get to live on this Earth.  We are actually on it right now! Can you believe it?  Our very own planet for us to live on and take care of." Here was a six year old reminding me to be grateful for this planet I get to live on. That I once shouted for joy at the chance to come to. (Job 38:7). Isaiah 45:18 reminds further, "For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; a

  Some restructuring is happening at my school. And that means there will be at least some people in leadership returning to classroom positions.   It is making some ultra competitive and fearful. I was asked how I would feel and was able to immediately say that while I do have a preference, I would be okay wherever I land. I recognize that people have many different gifts and different personalities that lend themselves to various outcomes.  Sometimes I will match that.  And sometimes I won't.  But listening to the concerns of another, I realized that our volunteer church organization has helped and pushed me to stay humble. While its run by imperfect people so won't always be run perfectly,  I have served in many capacities and have seen the impact and growth possible for me and those I serve in every single situation.  Some have been easier than others and some have forced me to grow in uncomfortable ways.   Some have taught me to extend the hand of friendsh

  "Train to all terminals will be arriving in 2 minutes." A variety of passengers shuffled into line near the double glass doors as the snow fell outside the window.  One man in a business suit glanced at his watch and paced back and forth, obviously in a hurry. As the train slowed to a stop, the doors remained closed and the electronic sign flashed "train not available for service".  The gentleman, well that's probably not the right word based on the language of his displeasure, began shouting at an airport employee standing nearby.   "That's ridiculous! Why would they have that train just sitting there.?  What a waste of time and money!" (Feel free to liberally sprinkle in your chosen profanities- most were used.) "Well sir, that a snow train." "A snow train? What #,*^!! is a snow train?" I was impressed with his calm demeanor as the employee firmly explained, "The temperature has been dropping and the snow

 Strive. It's a word that in my mind means to try.   To do something.   To keep going, even imperfectly.  It's part of the antidote to my perfectionism.  But this weekend has been hard.  My health knocked me flat.   Even more than usual and I literally couldn't do anything.   I had to cancel my plans with friends.   I started to empty the dishwasher but it hurt too much to lift the cups up.  I couldn't climb the stairs. I couldn't even eat dinner.  So I laid on my bed and watched movies of people who seemed to have life together.   Who could move.  Who could do things.   And I cried.  And this morning I woke up only slightly better.   And I wanted to go to church. To show the Lord my love for Him. To strive. So I pulled myself out of bed and turned on the shower.  The water hurt too much so I skipped that.   And I put on a comfy new dress and five layers of makeup to cover the splotches of broken blood vessels and lupus rash.  And I went. I strived.  And the Sacrame

  Tonight I'm thankful for extra oil for my lamp. I was at a baptism when my neighbor texted to let me know our power was out.  So when we got home and it was already dark I went to the cupboard and picked up my emergency flashlight and clicked the button and.....nothing. So I grabbed the backup flashlight....nothing. We have two kerosene lamps but when I picked them up and gently shook them I knew they were empty. I needed to make a pot of soup for the souper bowl party at work tomorrow....so I turned the knobs on my gas stove and....without the electric igniter I would need a match. Which wouldn't be a problem except that I used our VERY LAST match this week and hadn't bought more yet.  And the two lighters in the drawer produced little more than a faint spark. George came home then and filled the lamps with our reserve oil from downstairs and we got them started with the sparking lighter.  And I improvised with a paper towel tube stuck into the lantern to

 This one hit me hard today. Matthew 5: 44 " But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" Sometimes I am my own worst enemy. I curse myself.  Or even hate myself, or at least get incredibly frustrated with my shortcomings. I don't always take the best care of my body and other times push it past it's limits. And yet.... This wisdom from the Savior is just as true for how we treat ourselves on our hardest days. We start by loving ourselves. Doing good to ourselves. Praying for ourselves.  And maybe even winking in the mirror. ❤️

  One of the most important things for the human brain is to anchor to doctrinal truths. When we anchor to partial truths or false statements, it can create a disconnect, called cognitive dissonance, that leaves us unsure what or who to trust and make life incredibly difficult.  One example of this for me was when as a teen I was anchored to this statement.  "If I keep the commandments, I will be happy."  To be fair, no one explicitly taught me this.  I heard examples of people talking who were happier after they kept the commandments.  And I still had a very teen definition of happiness (no problems, and not lacking anything, finding success in all I do). But it could easily have led me to make the false assumption that if I was keeping the commandments and I wasn't happy, then the commandments weren't true, so the gospel wasn't true.  Additionally let's not pretend that keeping the commandments is going to magically make the chemical effects of adol

 It's short and simple tonight. Wisdom from a 4-year old. "Guess what?  Jesus is even stronger than a Power Ranger!" Adorable but also exactly right. As Sister Virginia U Jensen so wisely shared, "The light of Jesus Christ is stronger than any darkness we face in this life, if we have faith in Him, seek after Him, and obey Him."

  I had just finished praying for multiple friends and loved ones who are facing struggles.  The biggest kinds: death, grief, depression, marriage issues, faith and testimony questions, identity and health concerns and more. I was feeling the emotional load of sharing that burden  and particularly magnifying some of my own trials.   Hard.  That's the word I was hanging on to tightly as I headed to work.   As I drove, I had a specific memory come back to me. My son was 3 years old and had been jumping on his bed when he slipped and gashed his head open.  We were now at the ER attempting to stitch the wound.   And he wanted no part of it.   To say he was scared and anxious about needles is the understatement of the year.   Even getting a sliver out was a three-alarm event for this kid. He took screaming and kicking to an astronomical level.   So the doctor and nurse had to use a sheet and wrap his flailing arms to his sides like a tight swaddled burrito.   He was