Stronger Through Him

  Yesterday I woke up to find that I had missed a 1 AM phone call from a coworker. A deep pang of concern flowed through my body as I quickly reached out for more information. An email from our principal came through stating we needed an impromptu staff meeting following a tragedy. Individual faces of students began to flash through my mind as I quickly threw on my favorite GHS T-shirt, and stood there desperately wondering what I needed to do. I knew that regardless of what the tragedy was, I would be a part of the response. I offered a quick prayer, took a deep breath and asked George to give me a blessing. He did, and I headed to school, where I learned which student had died unexpectedly. I spent a long and hard and terrible and yet tender and beautiful day working alongside many others and watching people take action in so many ways. Administrators from other schools showed up to help with our lunch and lobby duties. Teachers who were not familiar with the s...

 It is true.   We are all teachers and students. We cannot choose to not be a teacher to those around us. We can only choose what it is we teach. President Colleen K Menlove  cautioned, “Children are always learning from us. They are learning what is important by what we choose to do as well as what we choose not to do.” We cannot choose to not be a student because we are always learning. We can, however to at least a degree, choose the environment in which we are learning. We can choose who we look to to follow. We can choose the effort we will put into our learning process.  Sister Aileen H Clyde gave this wise counsel to consider.  She said that when we have learning experiences, it “becomes easier to identify the ways we have become prone to routine, allowing comfortable habits to insulate us from using our minds with spiritual power to see “a more excellent way”. Yikes.   Do some of my routines insulate me from accessing my spiritual power? Which of t...

 Just a beautiful reminder I came across today. This is my clipboard from last year with a note a student gave me.   Romans 5:8 reminds “But God commandeth his love toward us, in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” This is so very clear. Jesus Christ loves us BEFORE we ever got things right. In the mess. In the middle. You are loved!

 Posting with her permission. This girl has already been an amazing missionary in her very first two weeks.   She thought she would be serving in St George, Utah.  That’s what she bought clothes for, packed and even had her plane ticket. But she was needed here and even though she is disappointed, she jumped in and started working immediately.  She didn’t wait for the disappointment to fade, she decided to be obedient.   In Preach My Gospel, we read “In addition, missionaries humbly serve where called. They do not attempt to serve based on worldly standards of status or preparation for future careers. They serve with all their heart, might, mind, and strength wherever they are assigned.” She is an example to me of having a humble heart and being willing to serve how and where called.

 A new apostle! How glorious. This morning I needed to be at work early to man the doors and thank the volunteers who were dropping off contributions for breakfast for our teachers. It’s something one of our local churches partners with us to do once a month. And it is a gift!! Food prompts gatherings and smiles and a warm start to a day that begins with the arrival of nearly 1,000 12-14 year olds. Elder Gérald Caussé admonished, “Every disciple of Christ should feel the importance of blessing their families and the community in which they live.” How blessed I am to live in a community that makes that a daily part of life.   Look around.  What can you do?

  As I was driving, I looked down at my favorite bracelet.  A friend and mentor gave it to me several years ago.  It’s my faith over fear bracelet.  As I looked down, I noticed the individual beads and thought about how faith is built one bead of action at a time.  And I thought about that tarnished cross and how imperfect and rough my offerings are at times.  But Jesus Christ is that strand in the middle holding on no matter what.  I want my faith to grow! Sister Lisa L Harkness explained how that can happen.  “Our faith grows as we experiment on the word of God with hope and diligence, trying our very best to follow Christ’s teachings. Our faith increases as we choose to believe rather than doubt, forgive rather than judge, repent rather than rebel. Our faith is refined as we patiently rely on the merits and mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah.” Believe rather than doubt.  One bead. Forgive rather than judge.  Another bead. Repent rath...

 Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. The word praise comes from the root that means to attach value or worth to or to set a price.   So when we sing praises to our Heavenly Father and Savior, we literally raise their value and worth in others’ lives (as well as our own). As the holiday season approaches, it is natural and beautiful to incorporate music that shows our love and appreciation for Jesus Christ, but also allows us to remind others of who He is and what He has given to all people.   Raise your voices and share your thanksgiving!

 It’s been happening daily for weeks.  A knock on my classroom door every day between B & C lunches.   Every single time I get to the door no one is there and I feel my temper flare.  Sooo annoying!!  Each time my huff is a bit louder and my generous thoughts are a bit softer.   It happened again today.   But the teacher next door happened to see it. “It was that boy in the black tee shirt!”  I followed her pointing finger and saw a student I recognized.   He’s been in trouble more than once.   “I should have known”, I thought.   And then I watched him fist bump a friend in passing. I called his name and he turned and smiled and waved to me.   Suddenly a flash of understanding came over me. This young man was simply saying hello to me every time he passed my door. I’m one of his people.   And what seemed like an annoyance in adult terms, was a “fist bump” gesture of connection in teen terms. That glimpse of understandi...