Stronger Through Him

  The last two months have been extra challenging for me physically. My rheumatology office had an error with their phone system so didn’t get messages even though I called daily for two weeks and I didn’t get my medication refills. Then my insurance changed how they would refill my infusions and it delayed the process so much I missed a full treatment cycle. The weather changed back and forth causing some additional pain and mostly I was exhausted for weeks on end. Yet life also continued.  Alex came home from her mission and then turned around and headed off to Harvard - all of which is joyful but travel is difficult for me physically. A close family friend passed away leading to more travel and additional emotional fatigue. And of course the dog was sick, George’s truck broke down and somehow during all of that we still needed to eat, work, and carry on. It’s called life.   I have been too tired to do much writing and posting but this morning my mind i...

  Lila and Al were married for 63 years.   And lived and loved life together to the fullest. A few weeks ago as the girls sat around her bed and listened to stories, Lila told them she and Al only had one argument- THE BOAT. And since there never was a boat we know who won that one! They treated each other with complete respect and love. Life, like it does for us all, deviated from their plans but they met each challenge together and with God as their guide.  Each anniversary Al gave her roses.  One white one for the year they married and a red for each year since.   So today at her viewing, her roses were on display. And the joy they must be having together is fully appreciated.   Ephesians 5 admonishes husbands to love even as Christ.   They both took that commandment and covenant seriously.  And lived it each and every day.  And so like the rose bouquets, their love flourished and bloomed bringing joy to all who knew t...

  We have a path of about 100 yards where our cell service is interrupted.   Unfortunately it’s from the edge of our neighborhood to our garage. So if I get into the car and place a call, it will drop it a good chunk of the time before I hit the neighborhood edge and rejoin proper service.   You would think that after enough dropped calls, I would learn when and where to make successful phone calls, but sometimes when I am rushing or just not paying attention I end up doing it again.   Elder James E Faust compared this same phenomenon to our spiritual reception. “So it is with divine communication.  Perhaps something in our lives prevents us from hearing the message because we are “past feeling”.  We often put ourselves in spiritual dead spots- places and situations that block out divine messages.  Some of the dead spots include anger, pornography, transgression, selfishness, and other situations that offend the Spirit.” Just like it would...

 Simple. And yet profound.   As we learn to love others better, we truly come to see how loved we are by our Heavenly Parents.   Ephesian 2:4 teaches “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,” If mercy is part of God’s great love for me, I must learn to show mercy when loving others.

 At seminary this week I offered some “helpful” advice to the students to help streamline their busy teenage lives. Instead of brushing their teeth multiple times a day, just brush them once a week with a HUGE glob of a week’s worth of toothpaste. Put in and take out your contacts 7 times on Monday morning so you will be able to make it through the week.   And instead of eating a normal sized bowl of cereal go ahead and eat seven portions in one big bowl once a week.   To be fair, a couple of them thought they could maybe handle the bowl of cereal, but also admitted they would be pretty hungry those other days.   Scripture study is the same.  An occasional deep dive can not replace the blessings and guidance and power of daily study.   Elder David A Bednar promised, “Let me suggest that holding fast to the iron rod entails, in large measure, the prayerful, consistent, and earnest use of the holy scriptures as a sure source of revealed truth and as a reliabl...

 Brock Purdy is an outstanding football quarterback. But also an outstanding person.   The 49ers QB recently had a conversation with Steve Young, another 49ers great. The topic of faith came up and Brock shared these inspiring words:  "My identity isn’t in football,” Purdy said. “I know who I am, and ‘God, if you want me to do great with (football), great. If not, all right, let’s go do something else, wherever you need me.’ " His sentiment brought to my mind the primary lyrics "I know who I am.  I know God's plan.  I'll follow Him in faith."  What a great phrase to live by. My identity isn't in ___________ (fill in anything here that you may be tempted to honor above God). I know who I am and God, if you want me to do great with _______, great.  If not, all right, let's go do something rlse, wherever you need me. Not what do I want. Not what feels easiest or best right now. But wherever YOU need me.

  It’s the end of the semester so I’ve spent lots of extra time with students desperately trying to complete missing assignments and submit corrections in an effort to shore up their grades. One student came in having completed NONE of her algebra homework in the last nine weeks. She listened in class and got passing scores on most tests, and only bombed one.   As we worked through the third of nine packets she needed to complete,  she suddenly sat up tall and exclaimed, “Mrs. Potter- this is the same stuff we did on our tests! But it sure would have been helpful if I did it BEFORE the test!!” I suppressed an eye roll and smiled.   How many times had I said that to her??!! It made me think about scripture study and how there have been times I’ve learned something and thought, “Wow.  That would have been helpful!”   The scriptures aren’t designed for us to use to pass some great knowledge test upon our death.   They are to help guide us...