Stronger Through Him

  Artwork by Yongsung Kim "Is this our Nicholas? (Name changed)." A former preschool coworker sent the text with a screenshot of a missing child.   My heart nearly stopped and it was hard to breathe as I saw this little guy's face looking back at me. He is 12 now, but all I could see was the little 4-year old who gave me a run for my money with his antics.  That little boy had created a permanent place in my heart.  And now he had left a friends house to walk home and never made it.   I offered prayers and paced around the house for a bit before I had to do SOMETHING. I jumped in the car and headed to his neighborhood.  As I approached, I talked to other faculty including a friend who is his current middle school teacher as we asked each other if anyone had news. Passing the school near his home, I saw a cluster of police cars.  I swung into the parking lot and jumped out, quickly explaining who I was and that I wanted to help. They asked if I could possi

 Elder Mark E Petersen phrased beautifully what is so readily apparent all around us right now.  "Spring! A time of renewal, a revival in nature of the life that is all about us, but especially a reaffirmation of the divine promise of life everlasting! It was spring when the Savior made it all possible by his atoning sacrifice and his resurrection." The divine promise of life everlasting! For you. For me. Because of Him. ❤️

  I hate missing church. Don't get me wrong.  I eagerly watch for that cancellation text when storms come as much as anyone.  My warm covers beckon on Sunday mornings.  But on weeks when my health (and consequential need for continual close proximity to a restroom) make church attendance unwise, I miss it.   The people.  The messages.  The music.  The Spirit. And especially the Sacrament.  And while I have troubles and difficulties of my own, they pale to many of those around me.  And I feel their pain deeply. Maybe you are feeling like you have no more reserves left to face this next chapter and are running on empty. Maybe you feel all alone and like no one understands.  Not even God because you haven't been able to hear or feel answers in awhile.   Or maybe you feel like you are too well known and will never be able to shed the shadow of your past choices no matter your current heart.   Maybe you've been hurt or are suffering physically or spiritually.  

 My neighbor has a different view on faith than I do.  And tells me.  We talk and share and disagree and listen and reflect.   But she still reaches out and shares. And she's a great neighbor and friend.  Today she brought me this jar of treats.  We have made an agreement to talk and discuss but also to always come back to charity- the pure love of Christ.  Sister Silvia H Allred spoke about this citing the very same scripture. "In reviewing Paul’s previous description of charity, we learn that charity is not a single act or something we give away but a state of being, a state of the heart, kind feelings that engender loving actions." It's not the treats or a single act of service, it's our commitment to keep seeing and believing the best in one another. It's our commitment to truly be neighbors.

  My good friend shared this story about her teacher mom and her 1st grade class. "Last week, the 1st graders at Byron Elementary had an assignment to write a letter to a sports figure for March is Reading Month.  The theme this year is "March Madness," and Mrs. Bartlett's 1st graders decided to write to Michigan State Head Basketball Coach Tom Izzo with a challenge. 💌 The class said that each time Michigan State wins a game in the basketball tournament, they will read not 20 minutes a night, but 40 minutes.  📚 This week, the students were thrilled when they heard back from the Michigan State Men's Basketball Team, and even got a picture of Mr. Izzo reading their letter. 📝 The team said they hope the students will be reading 40 minutes many times during the tournament, and thanked them for their encouraging words.  🏀 The advice the 1st graders offered the team was to "try your best, be brave, and remember that you are loved whether you win or

  We watched "A Man Called Otto" last night. Okay George watched the whole thing and I watched the first twenty minutes and fell asleep....but I finished it today. What a beautiful and emotional message about how we all have things to give and contribute.  We all have reasons to live. The theme song, "Till You're Home" has a powerful lyric that states  I will tell you the whole truth, That there's no color in the world without you. Each and everyone of us.   That includes me and you and every other soul on this earth. Those who seem to have it all and those who are misunderstood, angry, hurt, and lonely. Sister Reyna I Aburto spoke passionately of this, "Sadly, many who suffer from severe depression distance themselves from their fellow Saints because they feel they do not fit some imaginary mold. We can help them know and feel that they do indeed belong with us. It is important to recognize that depression is not the result of weaknes

  "I just want to have a great life."   "Me too." Two fourth grade girls were having this conversation this morning as they walked by me. "Can I have a great life too?" I asked as they stopped to give me their morning hugs. They giggled and then one shared this wisdom, "Well, start by making a great day!" The other girl's eyes lit up.  "Yeah! And then just keeping adding on those good days and it will make a good life!" And off they headed to help with their five minutes of encouragement to younger students they do every morning. And off I go to make today a good one.   No matter how yesterday went.   "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." Psalm 68:19

  The woman with the issue of the blood. Scriptural accounts are not clear exactly what the issue was.   But we know bleeding left her unclean according to Mosaic law. And therefore outcast. She had been seeking for answers and exhausted her financial reserves. And as anyone knows who has fought a chronic illness (in this case going on for 12 years) there is an incredible emotional exhaustion involved as well. Hope risen and dashed, time and time again. Sitting on the sidelines while it appears everyone else gets to more fully participate.  Praying over and over again that this time it will end differently.  And yet she believed.   She  makes a plan and acts in faith.   She didn't just sit and pray. She went to Jesus and found her way through the crowd and touched his hem. Jesus feels the loss as the transfer of energy in healing takes place.  But then in His words we find profound truths. Mark 22: But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he s

I remember a day last year when a first grader had already been sent to the office twice and it wasn't yet 9:00 am.   I was asked to walk him back to class and as I did I noticed he wasn't himself.   Experience has taught me to check in with physical needs first.   "Did you have breakfast today?" "Yeah.  I had oatmeal at my babysitters." Ahhh.  A before school babysitter.  Serving many of our factory families, we have multiple parents who drop kids off between 3-4 am so they can work that shift.  It's not ideal, but few people can truly live the ideal and his parents were doing what they could to provide for him and his sister.  "Did you go back to sleep at the babysitters?" He shook his head no.  "I couldn't.  I left my blanket at home. " "So now you are extra tired! Why don't we go back down and see if you can lay down for a bit. " I walked him to the nurses office and she made a space for him on

 After a harsh weekend of lupus meds that don't seem to have even worked, we went to church in St Joseph today to see a friend.  So we stopped by the beach so I could take pictures and just listen to the calming influence of the waves. Psalm 18:  17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. Even on the hard days I want to awake and still be with thee, Lord.  Thank you for the many, countless ways in which you think of me. ❤️

  In one of the most touching tales I've ever heard or seen, two teens saw a need and organized a response. Their Texas basketball team was playing another school, Gainesville which was a juvenile correction center for teens who had committed felonies. In nearly all of that team's game they had a fan crown of no more than a few people. Often zero.  Frequently that is also the number of positive role models those who end up incarcerated had in their lives.  So these players decided that something about that didn't feel right and took action. They not only organized a few fans, they assigned half of their fans to cheer for their opponents.   And cheerleaders. And made signs and posters.   The results were incredibly touching for all involved.  Every single one.  "Everybody needs someone to cheer for them no matter what mistakes they have made." When the Savior confronted the crowds around the woman caught in sim he had a similar message.  The accuse