Monday, November 15, 2010

A Precious Moment

"Should a parent need added inspiration to commence his God-given teaching task, let him remember that the most powerful combination of emotions in the world is not called out by any grand cosmic event nor found in novels or history books—but merely by a parent gazing down upon a sleeping child."
Thomas S. Monson, "Only a Teacher: A Personal Observation," Ensign, May 1973, 27


I love those precious moments when "gazing upon a sleeping child" or watching your husband play with your little girl.  Every once in a while we receive these wonderful moments where it makes it all worth all the hard work.  You feel every ounce of love for your child.  On Sunday I had a free moment so I went to check on Olivia in Nursery. She has only been left in nursery without Mom or Dad for a couple weeks now.  As I was looking through the window and watching her color the picture of a little girl I started to cry.  I think it was a realization that my baby is growing so quickly.  She is still the tiniest thing in there.  She struggled to get into the little chair by herself.  As she colored she was constantly looking for approval and attention from the adults. It touched me. She is big enough to be a nursery girl.  All of my tender, loving, emotions for her came and I sat outside her door with tears in my eyes.  I truly love her and that moment reminded me.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

A Local Miracle

This news article is talking about a local miracle that has happened this past week.  These 3 men are members of our Missoula stake.  These men had families and with all that happened there was really no reason for them to live, let alone not have brain damage.  Our stake had a stake fast for them this past week and a miracle happened.  They will all be ok.  It is amazing that we are still able to see real life miracles in our day.  Our Heavenly Father truly does listen to our prayers.

Hunters making remarkable recovery after poisoning episode

Posted: Nov 8, 2010 5:29 PM by Allyson Weller (KPAX News)
Updated: Nov 8, 2010 7:59 PM
    MISSOULA - Two of the three hunters who were found unconscious in their tent on a hunting trip near Lima one week ago have returned home while the third is expected to return home from a Salt Lake City hospital sometime this week.
    Randy Cook of Missoula and Brett Butler of Frenchtown are back at home recovering while Carl Saunders of Frenchtown is should be coming home by the end of this week.
    The three men suffered carbon monoxide poisoning after spending a night with a propane heater running in their wall tent.

    The men were discovered by their sons and a friend who helped save their lives and the victims were taken to Barrett Hospital in Dillon before being flown by air ambulance to LDS hospital in Salt Lake City.

    Randy Cook told his friends in church Sunday he "owes his life in part to the [boy] scouting program", and gave an emotional thanks to the young men who cared for the hunters at the scene as well as to the others who drove miles out of the backcountry to get help.
    Cook says "a lot of little miracles" combined to "make a larger miracle" and that prayers and support have helped to speed his recovery from the ordeal.

    Speaking just days after being in critical condition, he said that the "good things from this outweighed the bad 100 to 1".
    Cook's wife added that doctors in Salt Lake City were amazed at his recovery saying that he was "in the top 10% of the worst carbon monoxide poisoning cases they had seen." and her husband also, "wasn't supposed to make it".
    A chili feed is planned for next Wednesday at Frenchtown High School to help raise money for the hunters.

    Monday, November 1, 2010

    A Happy Home

    "A happy home is but an earlier heaven. President George Albert Smith asked, '[Do] we want our homes to be happy[?] If we do, let them be the abiding place of prayer, thanksgiving and gratitude' (in Conference Report, Apr. 1944, 32)."

    Thomas S. Monson, "Precious Children, a Gift from God," Ensign, June 2000, 5

    Wednesday, October 27, 2010

    Simplify

    "We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives.  We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us.  We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something.  We have to learn to be content with what we are."
                                                                                                              -Marjorie Pay Hinckley


    It's so easy to get down on ourselves, to judge ourselves and forget about our worth.  I have been struggling with that lately.  Thinking everyone is better at things than I am.  "She's a better mother, a better photographer, a better housekeeper, a kinder person."  The thoughts don't really stop.  Always comparing. Always putting myself down.  OK, not always but often.  I think that's what women do.

    So I came to the realization that yes people are better at things than me, but who cares.   Maybe I am not the best but I do have worth.  I have realized that I am a good person, I am trying and I am good at living my life.  I am still trying to grasp the importance of being a daughter of God.

    I once read where President Hinckley said, "We are are children of God.  Do we really understand what that means?"

    Monday, October 18, 2010

    Life is Busy

    Life is crazy.  Life is busy. Sometimes I forget to breath.  Ahhh.  Thats better.

    Monday, October 11, 2010

    Sunday, October 10, 2010

    Service

    Service.  It feels good.  Doesn't matter what you do you always feel better after doing it. 
    Yesterday the hubby and I did some service for an elderly woman and it felt great.  This time it was different though.  Normally its your average service project.  You know the type where the event is set up.  You come, help out, get a little dirty, talk, have fun, and feel good about yourself.  Those service projects are great but what happens when you create your own.  It's different.

    The other day we were driving through a near by trailer park and saw an elderly person painting the outside of her trailer all by herself.  My husband, being the good hearted man that he is said, "We should offer to help her paint her house."  I didn't say anything but immediately start thinking of how hard it would be with our daughter but that it was a nice idea.

    Later that week I was riding my bike through the same trailer park and there she was again, painting her house all by herself.

    I knew what I should do.  I rode the bike around a couple of laps as I tried to summon the courage needed to talk to a stranger.  After a few quick laps and talking to myself I took my courage and went up to this woman.  Rocky is her name.  She seemed a little hesitant to take my offer of help and came up with reasons why it wouldn't work.  I left as I told her we would stop by Saturday and see if she needed help.
    Saturday came.  We got on our painting clothes and headed over to Rocky's house.  When we arrived she gladly accepted our help.  We worked hard for the rest of the day with a few breaks.  Painting with our daughter was difficult as suspected but luckily our friends helped us out and watched her in the late afternoon so we could get some real work done.

    By the end of the day Rocky was so grateful for our help.  We didn't finish painting the house but probably took about a year off her work (I am really not kidding).  Poor woman had been working on one side of the trailer since July and just finished on Saturday.  It took her over 3 months to paint a quarter of her house. 
    She was so happy and appreciative by the end.  She said, "I wasn't praying for help but you sure are a godsend."  She bought us flowers and wanted to take us out to dinner.  She also said she just enjoyed having someone else to work with.

    In the end it was a great experience.  We worked hard but felt great. 

    My thought...

    What if we are always on the look out for those in need.  Whether it be someone who just needs a friend, help with their child, a smile, or some big project.  Where can we help.  What can we do to make people happy?  How can we help?

    My Challenge...

    Find a project.  Help someone or something that needs it.  Don't just wait to be asked.  Do it this week.  Let me know how it goes.