"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.
Monday, November 15, 2010
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
Updated: Nov 8, 2010 7:59 PM
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
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?"
-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
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.
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.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Government Frugality
"To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt... I am for a government rigorously frugal and simple."
-Thomas Jefferson
So who is gonna tell Obama? Maybe I will just email this to him. You know, see if he agrees with Thomas J.
-Thomas Jefferson
So who is gonna tell Obama? Maybe I will just email this to him. You know, see if he agrees with Thomas J.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Small and Simple Things
"By small and simple things are great things brought to pass."
Alma 37:6 Book of Mormon
Missoula, Montana
"I couldn't possibly have understood this when I was young like I do now. When we look back on decades of life we see that the seemingly insignificant things we do over and over actually weave the pattern of our lives. And if those small and simple things are good, we will end up having a fulfilling life-"and that is a great thing!"
Marjorie Pay Hinckley, Small and Simple Things
Thursday, September 23, 2010
To Walk with Heads Held High
"For those who eschew evil and live good lives, who strive for a brighter day and keep the commandments of God, things can get better and better even in the face of tragedy. The Savior showed us the way. From Gethsemane, the cross, and the tomb, He rose triumphant, bringing life and hope to us all. He bids us, 'Come, follow me' (Luke 18:22)."President Thomas S. Monson has counseled: 'If we are to walk with head held high, we must make our contribution to life. If we are to fulfill our destiny and return to live with our Father in Heaven, we must keep His commandments and pattern our lives after the Savior. By so doing, we will not only achieve our goal of eternal life, but we will also leave the world richer and better than it would have been had we not lived and performed our duties' (Thomas S. Monson, used with permission)."
Keith B. McMullin, "Our Path of Duty," Ensign, May 2010, 13
Keith B. McMullin, "Our Path of Duty," Ensign, May 2010, 13
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
There is Beauty all Around
“I believe in the beauty of nature—the flowers, the fruit, the sky, the peaks, and the plains from which they rise. I see and believe in the beauty of animals.
I see and admire beauty in people. I am not so concerned with the look that comes of lotions and creams, of pastes and packs as seen in slick-paper magazines and on television. I am not concerned whether the skin be fair or dark. I have seen beautiful people in all of the scores of nations through which I have walked. Little children are beautiful everywhere. And so are the aged, whose wrinkled hands and faces speak of struggle and survival.
I believe in the beauty of personal virtue. There is so much of ugliness in the world in which we live. It is expressed in coarse language, in sloppy dress and manners, in immoral behavior which mocks the beauty of virtue and always leaves a scar. Each of us can and must stand above this sordid and destructive evil, this ugly stain of immorality.”
Gordon B. Hinckley, “I Believe,” Ensign, Aug 1992
I see and admire beauty in people. I am not so concerned with the look that comes of lotions and creams, of pastes and packs as seen in slick-paper magazines and on television. I am not concerned whether the skin be fair or dark. I have seen beautiful people in all of the scores of nations through which I have walked. Little children are beautiful everywhere. And so are the aged, whose wrinkled hands and faces speak of struggle and survival.
I believe in the beauty of personal virtue. There is so much of ugliness in the world in which we live. It is expressed in coarse language, in sloppy dress and manners, in immoral behavior which mocks the beauty of virtue and always leaves a scar. Each of us can and must stand above this sordid and destructive evil, this ugly stain of immorality.”
Gordon B. Hinckley, “I Believe,” Ensign, Aug 1992
Beauty
The world is a beautiful place but sometimes it is easy to forget. We focus on busy lives and not on the beauty around us. So this blog is dedicated to beauty. To good. To optimism. It’s dedicated to things that are uplifting, motivating, happy, lovely, praiseworthy, optimistic and beautiful.
I will start focusing on the good in the world and not all of the ugly things. I want to be an optimist again.
I will start with photographs. My specialty. I want to take photos of beautiful things and places. Lets do good daily. Lets see good things. Lets find the good in the world. Together.
So join me on my journey to find the good in this world. It could be fun.
I will start focusing on the good in the world and not all of the ugly things. I want to be an optimist again.
I will start with photographs. My specialty. I want to take photos of beautiful things and places. Lets do good daily. Lets see good things. Lets find the good in the world. Together.
So join me on my journey to find the good in this world. It could be fun.
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