Day 6 - Air Hugs #GiveThanks

 My daughter can be such a thoughtful little girl. For a while, I would leave at 5:30 p.m. to go to water aerobics. She would hear me going to the front door and as I would be closing the front door she would come running from there dinner and she would give me a hug or run to show me an I love you sign. 🤟🏼 Sweetheart! 

Today she finished her lunch and got down to go take her nap. I turned around to find her giving my legs a hug and she hugged Daddy... and then not able to get back up in the booth with her brother she said, "TK, air hug!" And he and she proceeded to send each other air hugs. Then her happy little self said goodbye and ran down to her nap. When she is happy, she is sunshine! And she freely gives away love--and so easily. She can be very, very thoughtful.

                                                     Happiness is: SLEEP and bedtime!                          

Day 2 #GiveThanks

 I was putting Bugaboo down for his nap. As I went to shut the door he raised up in bed and looked concerned at my hand in the door. I wondered if he thought that I was going to shut my fingers in the door. I said good bye but he still had a look on his face that he wanted me to do something. He finally said, "Mom, do I love you sign." Then I realized he was trying his hardest with his two year old fingers to make "his" sign. My heart melted that he wanted me to do the sign. 

The other day in the car, I moved my mirror so that I could look at him and smile. He was working with his hands and I just smiled back not realizing what he was trying to do. After some "hard" work, his little exasperated voice came and said, "MOM teach! Teach, teach I love you sign, teach." Then I realized what he was trying to do with his hands. So I showed him how to do the I love you sign. 🤟🏼. 

I know what he was wanting me to do, but in my mind I seemed to hear was that I should teach him how to love. Teach him how to show love. Teach him how to receive love. Typing this out seems a bit funny as he is a toddler. HE is the one who can teach me a thing or twenty about love. And yet what am I teaching, by my actions, reactions, or non-actions about my love and God's love? 

Today I am thankful for a little boy who wants me to say I love you.

#GiveThanks

 Happiness is:  a little beautiful four year old saying, " Heavenly Father loves you" with her own I love you sign... on my 38th birthday. What a profound gift. 

Summiting A New Mountain

 So many beautiful things at such a crazy time of life...

About 4 month's after receiving direct revelation to move to the family ward... I received a call from a man in the Singles Stake asking if it was alright to interview me. I went to the interview not knowing a thing and puzzled as I was being interviewed by a Stake I was no longer a member of.

The interview was one of the most sacred and amazing interviews I have ever experienced in my life. Brother Jensen (the one interviewing) could not tell me what it was about but said he would get back in touch with me.

A week or so later, several impressions, and a mistaken phone call I found out I was possibly being called to be an institute teacher...  turns out my wonderful Singles Ward Bishop--Bishop Stu, had been asked by the Stake for names for institute teachers. He wrote the email responding that with the situtation in his own ward, he did not have any names that he felt that he could offer as the leadership that he had in the ward was very needed and he could not spare anyone.... but then the impression came to submit my name. I was no longer in his ward let alone the singles Stake. I had been gone for over four months. But this dear sweet Bishop followed his impression and told the Stake that I was out of "jurisdiction" but that they should look into interviewing me. Through the whole process l had other Missionary couples and the head of institute teachers in the valley--praying for my name to be considered too.

Because a sweet prompting to leave the singles ward and hit a family ward...
Because a sweet Bishop followed an impression to submit a name not even in the Stake boundaries...
Because sweet couples and a wonderful Brother Gebert prayed for me...
Because a current Bishop allowed me to serve in multiple areas...
 ...five months of Mission Prep... An amazing co-teacher... over 130+ amazing students-- with 50+ with calls...
I attended one in-service training meeting...
And there he was..!

We met for only a few moments during a brief training in May. After MUCH research and great inside work from the wonderful Trudi, a phone number was found! [FINALLY!] A phone call, message, and a returned phone call. A few texts here and there and a hope that at least I would get to see him in the next inservice training in the summer. The more I facebook stocked him, the more I put him in the file of "unattainable".

That was that.

The only training (time to see him again for the summer)--I ended up missing as I was babysitting in IL. [Sad cry and a sigh].

But wait... (nearly two months later) a text the night I missed the training asking me if I was okay and that I was missed! Afew phone calls, some promptings followed, a date set up... And Whalha!

This is a taste of my last four weeks... swept literally off my feet. 

Ballroom dancing...

Drives up the canyon...

Ping-Pong sessions with Dany and Tim!

Star gazing and glow in the dark dodging...

Family reunioning...


Mountain strolling...

Temple attending...

 Dancing with Myrna...

Lot's of journaling...

Sore cheeks from smiling...

And so much more...!

It's been a busy four weeks. And I can't wait for the next four!

 Captured! 

Or more correctly stated: 

RECEIVED! 

One good man,

whom I love. 

Who would have thought?! Me!! With such a wonderful catch. :)

God is a God of miracles. Oh how I love Him...!

Happiness is the hand that fits so well in mine.

I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

To be continued..? :) We shall see!

14 DAYS OF LOVE!

I LOVE Valentines! Seriously, one of my favorite holidays! Mandi was doing 14 days of why she loves her Husband, and so I wanted to do the challenge too, just "tweaked" it a bit to fit my "love" needs! ;)

Happiness is a productive day that actually FELT productive.

I am grateful for clear, quiet mornings, with winter mountains, blue sky and just my thoughts.

DEDICATED TO ALL THE WOMEN WHO HAVE TOUCHED MY LIFE

This is dedicated to all the wonderful women in my life. Girlfriends, co-workers, sisters by blood, and sisters by sealings (which I now count as blood!), nieces, aunts and cousins, my mom, and choice adopted grandmas... Thank you for being the beauitful part of MY world. Thank you for standing for truth and righteousness. Thank you for trusting in God. Thank you for loving others. Thank you for choosing faith even when it would be so much easier to choose to live life with/in fear. Thank you for setting mighty personal examples of how I can better live my life.

(To my choice deaf friends. Please forgive my "screaming" e. Bad habit not yet broken! : /  -  :D)

Right in the opening session of General Conference I was moved by a story President Packer shared:

I was stationed in Osaka, Japan, when World War II closed. The city was rubble, and the streets were littered with blocks, debris, and bomb craters. Although most of the trees had been blasted away, some few of them still stood with shattered limbs and trunks and had the courage to send forth a few twigs with leaves.

A tiny girl dressed in a ragged, colored kimono was busily gathering yellow sycamore leaves into a bouquet. The little child seemed unaware of the devastation that surrounded her as she scrambled over the rubble to add new leaves to her collection. She had found the one beauty left in her world. Perhaps I should say she was the beautiful part of her world. Somehow, to think of her increases my faith. Embodied in the child was hope.

"[She] seemed unaware of the devastation that surrounded her...She...found the...beauty
...she was the beautiful part of her world."

Seriously, those words move me, and throughout the last two weeks since the address was given, I have thought of them often.

Daughters of God are meant to not only see the beauty, but to be the beauty by standing for truth and righteousness and our Heavenly Father will help us to do so.

We know, because we have been taught through the scriptures and living prophets, that hard times are not only here but will continue to come.

When we find devastation surrounding us in any form, be it physical, emotional, mental and/or spiritual. Be it with our own self or of those we love and/or around us... May WE FIND the beauty.  May we BE the beautiful part, of the world. Beautiful in attitude, in trust, in faith, in prayer. Beautiful in temple worthiness and worship, in charity, in hope, in love. Beautiful in kindness, in forgiveness, in compassion, in service. Beautiful in selflessness, in joy, in humility...

My heart is swollen. I take this as a personal commission from the Lord. And with deep gratitude I thank God for the women he has placed in my life who have/are teaching me about what it means to see and be His beauitful.

NOTHING CAN

My heart is truly happy today! It is all the time, but even more as I ponder over what God has done for me and what He IS doing with me. This morning I kept thinking over and over how nothing can separate us from HIS love! I may turn my back I may hide my face, I may scream or shout or ignore, but like the stepping out into the sunshine--I will be hit by it's rays.

And like the Son's love, I am hit by HIS rays!

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
...
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." --Romans 8:35,37-39

Yesterday as I was in RS I noticed someone sitting alone. My heart wanted to cry out. I had just invited someone else to come sit with me. There was NO physical way for me to sit in two different chairs. I seriously had this awesome little turmoil inside. It was like being in the EB3 rs all over again and seeing girls sitting by themselves and praying that God would inspire someone/anyone to be sensitive to the new gal's or alone gal's needs. God always pinned the angel wings on someone and someone would no doubt rush to the side of the very gal I was concerned for. Well yesterday those feelings arose as I noticed someone that I felt would not be good to sit alone. Stuck, and silently/inwardly praying for a miracle... angel wings were pinned to Micarie! I never turned to her to let her know my thoughts and HAD I shared my desires, she would have rushed over, but there was no need to share!! Micarie saw the same gal sitting alone and went to sit by her side. I seriously almost started to cry. Deep gratitude! Micarie, I love you! And no that is not a pile of snow behind Micarie! Told you she had wings! ;) (Yes I know I could use some skills in the drawing area! Anyone volunteer?!)

It is such a great time to be alive! To know that God lives! That Jesus is the Christ! Nothing can separate us from their love. We can try to remove ourselves from it, but His love is unconditional and has no boundaries!

And amen to you Elder Holland! For anyone one who didn't get to hear the world wide training on Sat. He shared his thoughts along with Elder Bednar and Elder D. Todd Christoffersen about what/how the priesthood looks like in the home. I felt it was totally random and out of the blue--but Elder Holland brought up that he thinks there should be more blessings given in the home. He acknowledged that blessings are given for the beginning of the school and for illnesses/healing but he thought/thinks that God would be pleased to see more blessings given--even for just spiritual strength. I don't think there could have been a more smiley girl than I was at hearing this counsel. A truth I have felt and taught, but sure does feel good to have support with a stamp of approval by an apostle of the Lord on having more blessings given in the home! And for those us that don't have priesthood in the home--God has blessed us with home teachers and bishoprics!

God sure does want to bless us! And give us strength to meet our challenges. He will help us conquer! (And don't you worry--when Holland's official quote comes out and I have more than just what I wrote down/what I was hearing, I WILL SHARE IT!)

This morning I listened to Mark and I was impressed when the Savior road upon the donkey and came into town. People cast their garments on Him and others spread their garments in the way. Some cut down branches of trees. Some went before him and others followed him... So many applications! My heart was filled with what garments [works] am I setting in place to make a path for the Savior? A garment is something cherished/beloved. And surely to have an animal walk on it--you just wouldn't place it to be stepped on because it is something respected. However, if my works and what I promise to give to God--can be placed down and make a way for him to come into the hearts of others--LET ME place garment after garment! Let me place work after work! Let me work to remove obstacles in my own life and in the lives of others. May we be so worthy to have our garments/works placed that the Lord uses them to enter into the hearts of those we love. May we shout praises of Hosannas for the Christ who is our Lord!... whom I know will come again.

Deep are the thoughts on my heart. Overwhelmed with Love and gratitude!

Happy Valentines Day! May you feel HIS great love for you today! Promise! You can't escape HIS rays!

Nothing can separate us...! Nothing can separate YOU! Nothing can separate ME!

...IS THERE MORE?

Last general conference was amazing for me. Okay, that is a "duh" statement because I always love general conference. But over and over I recount the words of Richard G. Scott's talk on Sat morning. He said:

Subsequently I prayed, reviewing with the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. When a feeling of peace came, I thanked Him for the guidance given. I was then impressed to ask, “Was there yet more to be given?” I received further impressions, and the process of writing down the impressions, pondering, and praying for confirmation was repeated. Again I was prompted to ask, “Is there more I should know?” And there was. When that last, most sacred experience was concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance.

This was new insight for me at conference! It had never occurred to me to ask God if there was "more" after I finished out my prayers.

Since conference I have quite a few times felt prompted to ask when I was finished with the prayer if there was something more... and a few times there has been something more.

This morning as I knelt and prayed and received some hard things to do--but I am confided God will help me do them. I ended my prayer and jumped up to read my scriptures before running to work. But I felt that I needed to go ask Heavenly Father if there was something more He needed/wanted me to know. So I went back down to my knees and simply asked if there was something more He wanted me to know. The answer came, "You are loved". I paused on my knees and the tears spilled down my cheeks.

Two things here. Yes I know that God loves me! Just with the picture above I was sitting on a pier at 5:45 AM in Mexico studying my scriptures with the breeze on my face and the multi colored fish below my feet and the stunningly blue water surrounding me on all sides. While pondering over some scriptures, over walks a little bird just a few feet from me. It is not the most amazing shot you have ever seen, God knowing I love birds and morning light--gave me this perfect little scene to shoot.

His love is evident by the people He puts in my life, for the gospel knowledge, for temples, for quite moments made just for me--but today, there was no scene, but words. Not through a blessing but through a real one on one moment. Second, "you are loved" is the lingo I use and say to others and I could not help but smile that God would use a style I use, to get through to me.

So for anyone out there who feels alone or feels the tasks ahead are hard to bare, get back down on your knees and ask the Lord if there is anything else He would have you know. And then, when His words/feelings/impressions come...write them down. Because they will!

I am loved! So are you!