Stronger Through Him

 Yesterday I worked with more than 30 different struggling teens in my classroom throughout the day.   29 of them asked for a snack.  I work better when I am not hungry, so I always have some simple things for them. A few chose fresh mandarins, one chose an apple, and the rest chose granola bars or Oreos left from another project. ONE said thank you. And he was at the end of the day. It took me by surprise how much I appreciated that thank you after a long day.   So I let him have one more Oreo. His classmate immediately piped up, “But I said thank you too.” I reminded him that his  exact words were “Why you so stingy?” when I said he could have two cookies.  I had then prompted, “Do you mean Thank You, Mrs. Potter?” He had nodded his head. Nope.  That doesn’t count.  I don’t expect them to say thank you every time.  Some of them are going through some pretty big and difficult stuff. But it sure does feel rewarding to hear it.   I bet He...

  Today was infusion day and I found myself almost looking forward to the treatment. There are some unpleasant side effects, but I also know that thanks to the large Benadryl bolus to counter the hives, and the toasty warm blanket my nurse always gives me,  I will soon be able to doze off and that once I make it through the night of nausea and exhustiin, I will have more energy and less pain for the next few weeks. Slowing down organ damage is a major benefit as well!  And don’t forget about catching up on the latest gossip with my 70-year old buddy, Julia, whose infusion schedule mirrors my own.😊 But today, as that blanket, fresh from the warmer, was tucked around me I thought of the many ways the Lord provides “warm blankets” for me even in the midst of difficult times. One of those is the scriptures and our invitation to feast upon the words of Christ.  Sister Bonnie D Parkin invited, “They will enlighten you, lift you, comfort you, strengthen you. They will enve...

  Be Still My Soul As I was driving to choir practice yesterday, by good fortune I stopped at  a red light in front of a local church.   Its bells were playing and the beautiful tones caught my ear. “Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side.” A calming peace washed over me and the Spirit quietly testified of the truth. God is on our side.  A gentle but profound reminder.  I can learn to live with increasing peace no matter what is happening around and to me. I can learn to not just pause for a moment, but to embrace that tranquil reassurance day in and day out.  Elder Ricardo P Giménez shared his love for that same hymn along with this prophetic promise. “As we face the storms of life, I know that if we make our best effort and rely upon Jesus Christ and His Atonement as our refuge, we will be blessed with the relief, comfort, strength, temperance, and peace that we are seeking, with certainty in our hearts that at the end of our time here...

  For Random Acts Of Kindness Week, some of our support staff baked cookies and left them for us in the office with encouraging messages about kindness.   This one caught my eye.   Doing ordinary things with extraordinary love. I determined to look for more evidence of this around me. As I walked back to my classroom, I smiled as the group of special needs young adults came through the halls. As part of their life skills training they visit businesses and learn to complete needed tasks in an effort to help them prepare for work possibilities. At our building that includes emptying all of the recycling bins and returning the bins to their specified locations. As each student held onto one of the large receptacles, I noted that they all paused and looked back down the hall. “We need “Mark” to help us find the way!” a girl with long black hair and a broad smile exclaimed. The others nodded. I watched with curiosity. One young man in a wheelchair chair was at the top of the g...

 Happy Random Acts of Kindness Week! A simple act of kindness can brighten someone’s day and bring us closer to Christ. President Thomas S. Monson said, "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." As we serve others, we follow the Savior’s example: "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you." —Ephesians 4:32 You don’t have to know someone to show them kindness and there is an uplifting benefit in keeping it anonymous.  Let’s spread love and kindness this week!

 I was messaging a friend as we were coming up with ways to help support another who is going through a devastatingly difficult time right now. This friend mentioned that she had been praying and wondering how to help and saw someone mention how they had been helped on instagram. She shared with me that she saw the idea and thought, “I could do that”.   So she DID. I have had many more thoughts and impressions than I have acted on.  And sometimes, not running faster than I have strength is the right choice to make. But more often the answer is asking for help so the load is shared and the blessings are multiplied.  Or simply taking action like my friend did. As Sister Linda K Burton so eloquently taught, first observe; then serve. I thought I could do that, so I did.

  This year, one of the adjustments I made to help compensate for some of my physical losses was to hire a service to clean my house every few weeks.   The owner of the company and her team do a thorough job, emphasizing the details.  As a part of growing her new company, she posts pictures of her work on social media. Sometimes she posts pictures with captions such as “another immaculate home that is truly beautiful”. Or “breathtaking design and attention to detail”. Mine?   It’s a “before and after”. 😂 I’m not alone, but when I first saw the example of the shower walls before and after the big scrub, I cringed a little. It hit my pride.   And I had to remind myself that it’s okay to be a before and after.  It’s literally why I hired her. I knew I needed help!  Our neighborhood happens to have groundwater with the highest rust content in the region as confirmed by water treatment.  If it’s not scrubbed daily, it turns red....

  I decided to take my garden seriously this year.  At least for this week. So I started some onions from seeds last week in the house. And for several days I found myself staring at the dirt in the box and trying to somehow will some green to appear. Finally, today I spied the tiny little sprouts pushing up toward the light.   Barely discernible,  I know what potential each sprout holds.   And I know that if I properly nourish them, they will properly nourish me later. In the same way, some parts of my testimony are fleshed out and already producing fruit, while other parts are the most minuscule hairs of life just starting. If I will nourish them, they will bear fruit that will spiritually nourish me when I need it. I know this is true, because I have seen it over and over again.  Alma 32:37 – “And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us...

 As I watched a sweet young couple face the unthinkable this week the same words kept coming to mind over and over.   I kept thinking back to those moments when my own NICU baby was facing life or death circumstances and the unshakable testimony George had that she was ours no matter what. Ours no matter what. This sweet girl faced 286 days in the NICU with the most devoted parents who did everything humanly possible to give their fragile daughter the most “normal” and fulfilling baby life possible. Songs, stories, massage, exercising her little limbs, conversation, rocking, and so much advocacy.   She was a fighter who had to work for EVERY breath she ever took.  EVERY one. She only knew love.  She was fiesty and knew what she wanted and didn’t, and let everyone know! Staff came in on their day off to say goodbye and be with the family they had grown to love. They scrambled to get her baptized this week and I was thankful for my knowledge that Jesus Christ embr...

 After the tragic plane crash that happened this week, meteorologist Matt Rudkin, from South Bend was temporarily stuck in DC.  Today he posted about his experience returning to Regan airport and included this paragraph. “It's a bit eerie being here today. I volunteered this AM to help with customer service/bag tags as the airport reopened. It's very quiet & somber, and everyone is being very respectful of each other. Lots of hugs between strangers. We see & hear division constantly from various media, but there is compassion out there. Sometimes you just have to shut off the TV & put the phone down to see it.” Jude 1:22 reads, “And of some have compassion, making a difference:”. Even amidst the devestating tragedies, compassion makes a difference. It makes a difference for those showing it. And it make a difference for those receiving it. But sometimes we DO have to shut off the TV & put the phone down to see it.