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 s...

  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 w...

  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 p...

  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 th...

  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...

  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 an...

  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 ...