An Easter Story

The Rich Family In Church

By Eddie Ogan

I'll never forget Easter 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12, and my older sister Darlene 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with seven school kids to raise and no money.

By 1946 my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home. A month before Easter the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially.

When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. This would allow us to save $20 of our grocery money for the offering. When we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn't listen to the radio, we'd save money on that month's electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could. For 15 cents we could buy enough cotton loops to make three pot holders to sell for $1.

We made $20 on pot holders. That month was one of the best of our lives.

Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we'd sit in the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would give them. We had about 80 people in church, so figured that whatever amount of money we had to give, the offering would surely be 20 times that much. After all, every Sunday the pastor had reminded everyone to save for the sacrificial offering.

The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and got the manager to give us three crisp $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change.

We ran all the way home to show Mom and Darlene. We had never had so much money before.

That night we were so excited we could hardly sleep. We didn't care that we wouldn't have new clothes for Easter; we had $70 for the sacrificial offering.

We could hardly wait to get to church! On Sunday morning, rain was pouring. We didn't own an umbrella, and the church was over a mile from our home, but it didn't seem to matter how wet we got. Darlene had cardboard in her shoes to fill the holes. The cardboard came apart, and her feet got wet.

But we sat in church proudly. I heard some teenagers talking about the Smith girls having on their old dresses. I looked at them in their new clothes, and I felt rich.

When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were sitting on the second row from the front. Mom put in the $10 bill, and each of us kids put in a $20.

As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. At lunch Mom had a surprise for us. She had bought a dozen eggs, and we had boiled Easter eggs with our fried potatoes! Late that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelope in her hand. We asked what it was, but she didn't say a word. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three crisp $20 bills, one $10 and seventeen $1 bills.

Mom put the money back in the envelope. We didn't talk, just sat and stared at the floor. We had gone from feeling like millionaires to feeling like poor white trash. We kids had such a happy life that we felt sorry for anyone who didn't have our Mom and Dad for parents and a house full of brothers and sisters and other kids visiting constantly. We thought it was fun to share silverware and see whether we got the spoon or the fork that night.

We had two knifes that we passed around to whoever needed them. I knew we didn't have a lot of things that other people had, but I'd never thought we were poor.

That Easter day I found out we were. The minister had brought us the money for the poor family, so we must be poor. I didn't like being poor. I looked at my dress and worn-out shoes and felt so ashamed—I didn't even want to go back to church. Everyone there probably already knew we were poor!

I thought about school. I was in the ninth grade and at the top of my class of over 100 students. I wondered if the kids at school knew that we were poor. I decided that I could quit school since I had finished the eighth grade. That was all the law required at that time. We sat in silence for a long time. Then it got dark, and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to school and came home, and no one talked much. Finally on Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted to do with the money. What did poor people do with money? We didn't know. We'd never known we were poor. We didn't want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom said we had to. Although it was a sunny day, we didn't talk on the way.

Mom started to sing, but no one joined in and she only sang one verse. At church we had a missionary speaker. He talked about how churches in Africa made buildings out of sun dried bricks, but they needed money to buy roofs. He said $100 would put a roof on a church. The minister said, "Can't we all sacrifice to help these poor people?" We looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week.

Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. She passed it to Darlene. Darlene gave it to me, and I handed it to Ocy. Ocy put it in the offering.

When the offering was counted, the minister announced that it was a little over $100. The missionary was excited. He hadn't expected such a large offering from our small church. He said, "You must have some rich people in this church."

Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of that "little over $100."

We were the rich family in the church! Hadn't the missionary said so? From that day on I've never been poor again. I've always remembered how rich I am because I have Jesus!

Basketballs and Forgiveness

One day a son came home from school and, after having been home for awhile, came in to where I was and started telling me about his day. He was telling me about a boy in p.e. class that had thrown a basketball at him on purpose and had hurt him. As he was telling me the story, he started to cry, as if he were feeling the pain all over again. I told him that wasn't very nice of the boy, but then I shared with him something that occurred to me in that moment, and that has come back to me many times since. At the time he was telling me the story, the pain had long since subsided, but it was as if that mean boy was hurting him over and over again, each time he thought about it. I told him that he needed to pray and ask Heavenly Father to help him forgive the boy, so that he wouldn't continue to be hurt by him, even though he was no longer being physically hurt. I have come to believe that this is why we are commanded to forgive others: to get rid of the pain we inflict on ourselves as we continue to wallow in past resentments, many of which have probably been forgotten by the one who inflicted the pain, whether intentionally or otherwise. That idle, negative chatter can be a killer. The Spirit has a hard time getting a word in edgewise when we use our thought space to rehash the grievances we carry around with us. How much better to let go of them and free up that space, allowing us to feel the peace that comes and to hear the voice of the Lord to us through the Holy Ghost.

Airport Story

This wonderful, true story illustrates one way to diffuse an otherwise very uncomfortable situation.

airport story

March 15, 2010 at 9:51 pm

Just a warning: today’s blog has nothing to do with nutrition. It’s just a funny story about something that happened in the Long Beach airport on the way home from Anaheim yesterday.

So Tiffani and I got there almost 3 hours before our flight was to leave. We’d been at a raw restaurant with lots of people from the show, raw foodie and earthy crunchy friends with dreadlocks and guitars, the night before, till late. And we’d been talking to people for 3 days straight. My vendors were there. My best friend and her parents from San Fran. One of my favorite readers, Tonya. A few of my former university students who came to hang out with me. A million people trying to get us to try their stuff. Heather Mills, the richest ex-wife in history. The Biggest Loser (who looks to have gained a few kilos). The whole show was a trip!

Point is, we were both in need of a cat nap.

So we saw these comfy chairs with no arm rests between them and we sprawled out. Each of us was taking up two seats. No big deal, in a room full of 250 chairs and about 10 people. Right? Well, you’d think.

A lady and her husband walked up. She had that frown-lined face that speaks of a lifetime of conflict and bitterness. She demanded: “ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE UP THAT WHOLE SPACE YOURSELVES?”

I said we were going to take a little nap. Tif pointed out that there were many chairs, all of them comfy, with hardly anyone in the waiting area. The lady became angry and demanded that we give her the seats. I said, very quietly to Tif, “I don’t think we should do something just because a bully wants us to.”

So Frowny Lady stormed over to a security guard. The guard came over with a triumphant Frowny and asked us, “Do you need that space?” We said yes, and the guard said to the lady, “Well I can’t MAKE them move,” and walked away.

At this point, I was finding the whole thing really amusing and I was fighting a case of the giggles. You know, the kind that you keep trying to suppress—you cover your mouth, you clamp your lips together—but it just going to come out no matter what! I think people who see a room full of hundreds of chairs and want the ONE and ONLY THE ONE someone else has—well, it seemed like great comedy at the time.

So an even funnier thing happened. Frowny stomped over and sat in MY seat, right up against me. She plopped down really hard, with a big “UMPH!” sound, to be extra obnoxious. Wiggled her fanny around to really settle in. Not in the seat next to me, mind you, but IN MY SEAT WITH ME.

Every point of the side of her body was in total contact with mine.

Well, here’s the thing. I love to defuse situations like that by doing what I call THE OPPOSITE. The opposite of what most people would do. The opposite of what is expected. The opposite of instinct.

When I make a driving error and someone flips me off, I employ THE OPPOSITE. I wave enthusiastically as if the person giving me The Bird is a close friend I am thrilled to reconnect with, on the road. (Warning: your children will be mortified by this.) (Tip: do this while thinking of someone you would truly love to see in the other car.)

The person who made the obscene gesture is completely taken off guard. At first they are startled and think (watch carefully and you can see this thought register on their face), “Oh no! I just flipped off a friend!”

Then they see they really don’t KNOW me, and they become very annoyed, because they’ve failed in their goal to make me angry. Instead I’m obviously just stupid in my giddiness to say hello, grinning ear-to-ear.

Back to the airport story. Doing THE OPPOSITE came in handy.

I imagined her being my grandma, whom I like very much. I snuggled into her—burrowed, really—and put my head on her shoulder, closed my eyes. Took a long, leisurely breath. A contented sigh, really. This was going to be an even better nap than I’d get stretched out! Perfect!

This did not, however, go over big. She said:
“DON’T. @#$%. TOUCH. ME.”

Tiffani, whose jaw had been hanging open ever since I decided to enjoy my lovely, soft, Frowny pillow, finally spoke, indignantly:

“But you’re touching HER!”

Well, Frowny got up and stormed off. Everyone in the room laughed so hard, and so long, that very frankly the whole event was worth the stress. Laughter is like raw food, and oxygen—it’s just GOOD FOR YOU!

One woman, an hour later, came over and cozied up to me IN MY CHAIR just like Frowny had, and then cracked up and went back to her chair. One guy couldn’t stop laughing for about 20 minutes. Other people showed up, and they were told the story, and everyone got to enjoy it over and over.

It was great fun. Try it sometime. Do THE OPPOSITE. Anger is toxic. It’s really fun to defuse it.

My friend Laura once said, “Everything that happens is good. Either it works out well, or it makes a great story.” Hope you enjoyed mine.

Source: http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/blog/2010/03/15/airport-story/

Not letting others control the way we act. That's the challenge, isn't it?

Have a fabulous day!

Why some men have dogs and not wives

1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.

2. Dogs don’t notice if you call them by another dog’s name.

3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.

4. A dog’s parents never visit.

5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.

6. You never have to wait for a dog; they’re ready to go 24 hours a day.

7. Dogs find you amusing when you’re drunk.

8. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.

9. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, ‘If I died, would you get another dog?’

10. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.

11. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.

12. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don’t get mad. They just think it’s interesting.

13. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck.

14. If a dog leaves, it won’t take half of your stuff.

Warning: Corn tortillas can kill you.

No, the little critters don't jump up and try to stab you with your fork, or anything like that. They're a lot more subtle, in that they burst into flame when no one is looking. This is not like that gas pump story where some people have burst into flame while talking on their cell phones at the same time they're pumping gas. This happens to tortillas when high heat is applied and I think somebody needs to write a letter to the FDA suggesting that they put labels on them. In my article on ADED (Attention Deficit to Everything Disorder, in case you missed it), I mentioned my problem with grilling cheese sandwiches. Apparently the disorder is hereditary, probably carried on a recessive gene somewhere, and we found out the other day that one of the boys has it. I don't think it has anything at all to do with my being the common denominator to both my and his situations, so for now, I'm going with the hereditary thing.

I was in my room trying to do homework when my 15-year-old son came in and asked what I was reading. It turned out to be Lord of the Flies (which I don't recommend, necessarily, and which I would not have bothered with except that it was required for a class I'm currently taking; but I will say that it wasn't as gruesome as I expected, so there's that at least). He asked what it was about, and it will come as a shocker to anyone who reads my stuff here, that it took more than just a few seconds to tell him about it, especially since I was close to finishing it. So I launched into the plot, adding interesting commentary along the way (well, I thought it was), when all of a sudden his eyes got big and he said, "Oh! I've got stuff in the oven!" Okay, it had been quite a while that we were there talking, so I was just waiting to see what he had to say. "They're on fire!" he yelled from the kitchen. If I were a more reactionary type, I would have been in there, but being as I tend to go calm in the face of emergencies, I yelled back, "Blow on them!" "It didn't work! I can't get them out of the oven!" By now, I was finally trying to scoot myself across the micofiber bedspread without setting myself on fire from the static sparks flying everywhere, and I finally made it to the kitchen to see the whole cookie sheet covered in 4-inch flames. Right, blowing on them wouldn't have worked. I thought I remembered from somewhere deep in the recesses of my brain that closing the oven door would remove the oxygen and smother the fire. So I did that, hoping that my brain knew what it was talking about. Within a short time the flames went out and then smoke started pouring forth from under the back burner. I think smoke is better than fire, but now we had to open the windows and doors while that cleared out. I got the cookie sheet with the charred remains out of the oven and took them outside to cool off on the back step. It wasn't until that evening when we were telling my husband about it that I found out that it wasn't bread that was under that cheese, but tortillas, and they had been so burned up I couldn't tell the difference. I'm thinking of doing some research for my preparedness blog, which so far doesn't have anything on it, to find out if tortillas have ever been thought of as a substitute for firewood. Maybe if I dehydrated them, I could break them up for kindling. It would be kind of cool if I turned out to be the originator of a new idea. Just remember, you saw it here first.

Just as a review, let's go over the safety rules for broiling things in the oven:
1. Stay with it until it's done and the oven is turned off. If you haven't got all minute to wait, you shouldn't be broiling. Eat a banana.
2. If you forget to do #1, and the stuff catches fire, close the oven door. Or better yet, broil with the door closed and it shouldn't be able to catch fire in the first place. My mom always broiled with the door open, so I do. She probably cut the ends off the ham, too.
3. Don't try to toast tortillas in the toaster, because there is no door to close when they catch fire. I won't embarrass anyone by saying why that rule is on here, just trust me on this one.


Here's a free label that you can cut out and stick on all your tortilla packages, if you'd like. The life you save could be your own.
Afterword: It occurs to me that it might not be just corn tortillas that we have to watch out for, but since corn is my area of expertise, I'll leave the title as is until I've had experience with other kinds. Not that I'm planning on it, mind you.

A One-Step Program to Wellness

I really enjoyed the following article. A great reminder.

A One-Step Program to Wellness

by H. Wallace Goddard

Just as there are different levels of eternal rewards, perhaps there are different levels of truth and different levels of well-being. To go from heathenism to reluctant respect for law is a step forward. However, for someone who had already embraced whole-hearted loving and serving to move to grudging respect for law would be a serious step backward. Civility may be better than barbarism but it is not better than charity or true discipleship. Or, said in terms of eternal destinations, terrestrial is better than telestial but still far beneath celestial.

Maybe this is akin to psychological growth. It is better to be self-sufficient than dependent---but it is best of all to be God-reliant. It is better to be in recovery than addicted---but it is best to be filled with sacred covenant. In fact, some people who give up addictions to substances seem to become addicted to recovery. The whole world is seen through the lens of addiction and recovery. In contrast, when people are most healthy, they become absorbed in love and service. They are taken over by Christ. Beyond recovery is discipleship.

Limits of the Addiction Approach

Wendy Kaminer has written a tart critique of the recovery and self-help movements. She writes that “intense preoccupation with addiction and abuse reflects an ominous sense of powerlessness . . . It offers absolution and no accountability and creates entitlements to sympathy, support, and reparations. . . . Recovery gives people permission always to put themselves first, partly because it doesn’t give them a sense of perspective on their complaints . . ..No one seems to count her blessings in recovery” (pp. 152, 153, 27).

The addiction approach to alcoholism and other “addictive” behaviors is challenged scientifically by a wealth of research. Baumeister, Heatherton, and Tice (1994) observe that the “rise in addictive behaviors may be similarly fueled by the belief that people cannot control their desires for drugs or alcohol (p. 251). Addiction approaches undermine a sense of control or responsibility. According to Seligman (1993), “there is no sign of an alcoholic personality” (p. 209). While recovery programs may point people in the right direction, they are unlikely to provide the right balance of personal responsibility and divine grace.

I think recovery is lots better than addiction. But I have a sneaking suspicion that there is something still better. I am inclined to turn to a book with a unique claim. According to Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon is “the most correct book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book" (Documentary History of the Church 4:461.). I believe that the Book of Mormon is also more effective at bringing us right with God than any program.

A Better Approach

My favorite therapist from the Book of Mormon is a man who did not use the jargon of psychology. Yet his insights are timeless and sharp. We call him King Benjamin. This amazing servant-leader taught his people a program of spiritual development that was delivered to him by an angel (Mosiah 3:2). Let’s consider the phrases of a single vital verse from King Benjamin’s final message to his people (Mosiah 3:19).

For the natural man . . .

Note that Benjamin does not talk of addicts. He puts our dilemma in spiritual perspective. We are natural. We have not been changed and enlivened by the power of God.

is an enemy to God,

God cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance (D&C 1:31). We are all tainted and therefore alien, foreign, and offensive to the Divine. The immediate question is, how can we get out of our desperate situation?

and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever,

Ouch! Our situation seems hopeless. We will always be enemies to God engaging in behaviors that do not serve us or Him well as we journey through life

unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit,

Thank Heaven for that “unless”! There is a way! God sends a lifeline---the Holy Spirit---His helper and messenger. Notice that this helper is not an indifferent observer. He is enticing us to come to God. Enticing! Inviting, pleading, urging.

What is the thing we must do in order to be rescued? We must yield! This seems akin to 12-Step programs that require participants to acknowledge that they are helpless and dependent upon God. The vital truth that Benjamin adds is that there is a specific form of yielding---to God’s special messenger, the Holy Spirit.

and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint

I would very much like to put off that ornery, contrary natural man and become a saint. I have found that my efforts to do that have not paid off reliably. So, with Enos, I ask, “Lord, how is it done?” (Enos 1:7) This is the great truth on which all hope of growth hinges! The answer for Enos and for all of us is “thy faith in Christ” (Enos 1:8). This fits beautifully with King Benjamin’s observation:

through the atonement of Christ the Lord,

Ahhh! The atonement! The central power in the Great Plan of Happiness! “For why not speak of the atonement of Christ!” (Jacob 4:12) Why not! Let us “talk of Christ, . . . rejoice in Christ, . . . preach of Christ, . . . prophesy of Christ, and . . . write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source [to] look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:26).

and becometh as a child,

Childlikeness does not come easily to humans. Willfulness, stubbornness, and contrariness are more natural. Becoming as a child includes being:

submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

There is a wonderful irony here. Twelve-step programs encourage participants to turn their lives over to God. So does King Benjamin. The difference is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ puts a face on that God. We are not just declaring ourselves to be powerless, we are covenanting ourselves to be His. When we draw the power of Christ into our lives, we feel very powerful. But we know where the power comes from.

Ammon was a “recovered” (The Christian word is converted!) sinner:

“Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things” (Alma 26:17)

I knew a man who had an especially disagreeable and destructive “addiction.” As his bishop, I felt directed to have him study the great repenters of the Book of Mormon. What great lessons! Alma was transformed when he totally turned himself over to Jesus. Nephi moved from despair to joy when he focused on the One in whom He trusted. I believe that there is more power to heal us in the doctrine than we ever imagined.

There are many ways of drawing power and truth from the scriptures. We can search the Book of Mormon for the doctrine of Christ. We can feast on the great atonement speeches (Hebrews 9, 2 Ne 2, 9, Mosiah 3, 4, Alma 34, 42, 3 Nephi 27, D&C 19). We can look for the “have mercy” pattern in scripture. (You might be surprised how many of the righteous cry for mercy!) We can study the process of covenanting.

To overcome the natural man we need more than the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. We need pure, energizing doctrine. Elder Packer’s keen insight is worth serious and repeated study: “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. Preoccupation with unworthy behavior can lead to unworthy behavior. That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel” (Boyd K. Packer, Conference Report, October 1986).

There certainly are places for professional help in our tortured mortal journey. We should use all wise supports. But if we want to be truly transformed, we must go beyond the language, methods, objectives, and mentality of the world. We must immerse ourselves in the doctrine of Christ. “When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed” (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, November 1985). No program or set of tools should become our focus. Our focus should continue to be immersing ourselves in the doctrine of Christ There is no purer source for that doctrine than the great sermons and stories in the Book of Mormon.

The one-step to heaven is to turn our hearts, minds, and lives over to Christ. That one step may take many tries and many decades, but He is the Panacea for all ills. While we should wisely apply all the wisdom the world can offer, we must never elevate it above God’s own instructions and processes. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

References:

Baumeister, R. R., Heatherton, T. F., & Tice, D. M. (1994). Losing control: How and why people fail at self-regulation. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Kaminer, W. (1993). I’m dysfunctional, you’re dysfunctional: The recovery movement and other self-help fashions. New York: Vintage Books.

Seligman, M. E. P. (1993). What you can change and what you can’t. New York: Fawcett Columbine.

Source: http://www.ldsmag.com/myth/040224onestep.html

RS President Released After Confession

This was positively shocking! What is this world coming to? RS President Released After Confession

Paul

PROVO, UT—Former Relief Society President Emily Jacobsen of the Provo 127th Ward was released last week, only four days after having revealed at a Home, Family and Personal Enrichment Night (Homemaking) meeting that she did not know how to bake bread. “I regret every having accepted this calling, realizing full well the magnitudes of my shortcomings,” said sister Jacobsen in a statement released through a family spokesperson. “In hindsight, I understand it would have been better to admit this fault to the Bishop and receive my few stripes for turning down a calling rather than deceive all my sisters in the Ward, leading them to believe I was something I was not.” The statement went on in a feeble attempt to try to suggest to Ward members that while the stain of sin rests upon her, she hopes they can continue to see that she is a good person. “We trusted her with our casserole recipes, with planning our activities, with organizing our acts of compassionate service,” complained Sister Audrey Compton, the First Counselor in the 127th Ward Relief Society, “and to think that all the while, she harbored in her bosom such gross disregard for such a basic tenet of our faith, this sacred element of the female place in the Kingdom of God. It shakes my faith to think we could have been so deceived.” Bishop R. Kingsley “King” Peterson admits that at first he didn’t believe the reports. “You know how the sisters are,” he smiled, “They get all excited over such little things.” Bishop Peterson says he was reluctant to pull Sister Jacobsen in for an interview because she was otherwise such a model example of the feminine virtue in the Church. “She’s a stay-at-home mom, educated at BYU with a degree in family sciences, pleasant to look at, all her kids have gone through the seminary program. But it turns out she has some pretty dark secrets.” Although the Bishop is constrained from divulging the content of his interview and subsequent release of Sister Jacobsen, sources close to the situation, on condition of anonymity, disclosed that she also confessed to not even owning a wheat grinder for her food storage. “Apparently she felt it was face-saving enough just having all those buckets of wheat,” said the source. “She had no idea what to do with it, and given the age of those buckets, it’s not likely anyone worthy could make use of it now. It will all go to waste.” Her husband and children expressed shock when they learned of the great deception that had taken place right under their noses, but the whole family agrees that they will gather around their wife and mother in love and forgiveness, and try to coax her back into the full faith and fellowship of the Church. “She’s not a bad person,” explained her oldest son Michael, “she’s just never really understood the finer nuances of the gospel and her place in all of it. She can learn to do this.” “I guess we know now why the bread she allegedly ‘baked’ tasted so much like Wonder Bread,” concedes her husband. “It WAS Wonder Bread. Here we thought she had mastered the craft, and it turns out she was just faking it. This will be hard, but I’m sure we can work through this.” Jacobsen’s Stake President, M. Parley Twittle, speaking at last week’s sacrament meeting in which Sister Jacobsen was released, issued this warning. “It is a sad day when members of this Church think they can hide behind their callings before the Lord. You are only hiding from yourselves. The Lord knows His own, and weeds out the chaff. Sisters, go home and bake your own bread. After the block, I mean.” The shock of Sister Jacobsen’s confession continues to reverberate throughout her ward and stake, causing local leaders to undertake a massive witch-hunt in an effort to ferret out other unworthy women serving in callings of significant responsibility. In a related incident, the Primary Chorister in the Orem 210th Ward was revealed to have no musical talent what so ever. A release is pending.

The Room

This is a story that travels around the internet, and with good reason--it's a great story. I love to read things that help me understand a little more about what the Atonement can mean in my life. There has been some misunderstanding as to the true authorship of this article, but I believe it is correctly attributed at the end.

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with small index-card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I Have Liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.

And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match.

A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed."

The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I Have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed At." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've Yelled at My Brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger," "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my 20 years to write each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.

When I pulled out the file marked "Songs I Have Listened To," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented.

When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: "No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.

But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus.

I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?

Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.

"No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.

He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.

By Joshua Harris. Originally published in New Attitude Magazine. Copyright New Attitude, 1995. You have permission to reprint this in any form. We only ask that you include the appropriate copyright byline and do not alter the content.

The Lord's Earthquake Warning

Editor’s Note: President Larry Laycock and his wife, Sister Lisa Laycock head the Santiago Chile East Mission and had spent the two weeks prior to the 8.8 earthquake visiting each missionary apartment and preparing them for an earthquake. They brought specific instructions on what to do, supplied water purification bottles for the missionaries, told them how to create a 36-hour kit for emergencies and how to stay in communication should an earthquake strike. They prayed with each missionary and dedicated their apartments. Why? Because of a special experience that alerted them to what was coming. They told their missionaries, “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.”
They have 171 full-time proselyting missionaries in this mission.
Special thanks to the Laycocks for allowing Meridian to publish this letter that Sister Laycock sent to her family shortly after the earthquake sharing their remarkable experience of kindness from the Lord. They are in Chile with their son, Landon.
The picture of the missionaries on the cover and in this article were taken at a March 1st gathering. These are post-earthquake smiling faces.
Dear Everyone,
I am writing to let you all know how very grateful we are for your prayers, concern, and love. Please keep praying! We need the Lord's help and guidance in order to do all He would have us do to learn what He would have us learn from this earth quake tragedy, and to minister in the way He would have us minister.
During the past few days, we have witnessed many events which serve to remind us that the Lord is in charge and that as missionaries and members of His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are performing His work, and as President Monson teaches, "When we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to His help." I want to share with you a few miracles that will help you to understand our profound feelings of gratitude.
When we were set apart for this calling, Elder Scott of the Council of the Twelve Apostles taught us many important lessons. He spoke from personal experience when he was a mission president in Argentina. One message that he shared with us is this: "At times, during your mission, you will be awakened in the middle of the night or the early morning hours with thoughts of specific things you should do for certain missionaries. Do not ignore these thoughts. They are promptings from the Holy Ghost who will communicate with you in the stillness of the night or the peace of the early morning hours. He will speak to you then because that is when you are still enough to hear."
Elder Scott further instructed us to keep a notebook beside our bed so that we could record these precious promptings. He said that by the next morning, we would be likely to forget the promptings if we didn't write them down.
We have been astonished at the fulfillment of Elder Scott's prophetic words. We have received many promptings in the exact manner that Elder Scott described. We are so thankful that Elder Scott taught us how to recognize and act upon these precious promptings. Had he not taught us, we may not have given these promptings the attention they require.
Nearly two-and-one-half weeks ago, I was awakened at around 4:00 AM by just such a prompting. I did not hear a voice, but the thought was as clear as if it had been in the form of spoken words: "There is going to be an earthquake. Prepare your missionaries." I sat up in bed and immediately remembered Elder Scott's counsel. That morning I told Larry what had happened. He immediately set to work organizing our missionaries to prepare for an earthquake.
In talking with our office missionaries to arrange for them to put together a list of everything we would need to prepare...in both Spanish and English...we discovered that the Lord had also let two of our office missionaries know of the possibility of an earthquake (in the form of dreams) and the need to prepare our mission.

We set a goal and arranged our schedule so that we could visit every apartment in the mission to check for safety and to review with our missionaries what to do in case of an earth quake. What a wonderful experience we have had as we have met with them and shared scriptures with them about being spiritually and physically prepared. "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30).
We instructed every missionary to have a "go-bag" (36 hour kit). We reviewed our emergency action plan with them of where to go and what to do if they had phone service and in case they did not. We gave everyone a paper with all instructions in English and Spanish, and we reminded them that "this life is the time to prepare to meet God" (Alma 34:32-34). We shared with them our thoughts and feelings about the need for spiritual and physical safety.
Some of them became frightened and asked us if we knew something they didn't know. We smiled and repeated "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." We didn't want to unduly alarm them, but we did want to impress upon them the need to be prepared. We tearfully reminded them of our recent transfer conference where we had shared our feelings about our dear Elder McKay Burrows who was unexpectedly called home in January while serving his mission in Romania...how he was prepared in every way to meet God. We reissued our challenge to "be prepared" in every way. Then we knelt with them in their apartment and dedicated each apartment, asking for a blessing of safety and security to be upon every apartment.
When the earthquake came, we were prepared. We did not experience the panic that many felt. We knew we were prepared. Because of the words of the Lord's chosen Apostle, Elder Scott, we had listened and heeded the quiet, but clear promptings of the Holy Ghost. We were blessed with peace in the midst of chaos. We learned an important lesson: our preparation helped us to avoid panic and fear, but the Lord, in His wisdom, allowed us to experience enough discomfort to know that He has all power. He is in charge. We are nothing without Him. We are dependent upon Him for every breath we take. Only He can save us from death and destruction. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our perfect example. If we follow Him, we will be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of His Gospel.
As the earthquake became more violent, the mission home groaned and wailed. The power died, so the whole city was black. The windows made a hideous screeching sound, and flying objects banged against swaying walls. The printer/fax machine, books, book ends, and fifty-pound television burst from the entertainment center and crashed to the floor, cabinets emptied, drawers flew open, the refrigerator moved, water sloshed out of the toilets, the floor jolted up and down as we ran across it trying to hold onto the walls to keep from falling down, and the piano toppled over like a small toy. As we made our way to the back yard, I remember thinking, "God is all-powerful. He is our only refuge from this horrible mess." I prayed and prayed for Him to still the earth.
When we reached the back yard, we watched in terror. By the light of the moon we could see the swimming pool water form giant waves and crash out onto the rocks. House and car alarms screamed into the night...some from being crushed by falling debris and others, I guess, from the bizarre movement of the earth. I am not sure if the intense rumbling sounds came from the earth itself or from everything else that was shaking so violently. Finally, it stopped.
When the calm came, we had to sit down because our legs were weak and unstable. My legs stayed wobbly all day and night yesterday. Today the muscles in my legs hurt like I ran a marathon. The aftershocks have been extremely unsettling. Each one begins like the one last night started. We just close our eyes and wait to see if it escalates or dies down. .I have never experienced anything like this!
We were awakened this morning by a very strong after shock. Larry jumped out of bed and yelled, "Welcome to another glorious day in Chile!" We just had to laugh. We moved a mattress into the floor in our bedroom and made Landon sleep in our room. He was in his room with the door locked the night before and we couldn't wake him up. He never locks his door, but he was playing a joke on Larry because every morning Larry wakes him at 5:30 AM for seminary by tickling him unmercifully. So Landon had decided to stop him.
When we couldn't open his door, in the middle of the quake, we thought he was trapped, so we screamed and banged. Landon thought that everything was falling off the walls because we were banging so hard on the door. I think we scared him more than the earthquake did!
Today, we attended a strong ward where Larry was invited to speak. The entire chapel and beyond was filled. People were so humble and so teachable. Larry taught the importance of doing the small things. He taught about Jesus Christ and the opportunity we have to love one another and to share what we have with others.
It was a great blessing for us to be with these beautiful Chilean people. Some have lost their homes...or at least parts of their homes. But they are strong and they want to serve the Lord. He taught of the scripture in Luke 21:11,13 which says, "and great earthquakes shall be in divers places...and it shall turn to you for a testimony." He also welcomed the sweet young woman who was in the congregation with the missionaries...her first time attending church...and then he invited her to be baptized from the pulpit. He asked her to please invite us to her baptism, and she said, "I will." The Lord always knows what His people need.
Landon was reading in Alma 15:17 today. He said, Mom listen to this. This is what is happening here in Chile just like in happened in Ammonihah. The people were humbled and "checked as to the pride of their hearts and began to humble themselves before God, watching and praying continually that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction."

Our hearts are filled to the brim with gratitude for all of the blessings we have received in the Chile Santiago East Mission. We see miracles every day. In the midst of great pain and suffering, we can always find our Savior. He stands with His arms open, pleading for all of us to humble ourselves and come unto Him. He loves us. He invites us to accept His gift...the atonement. He invites us to repent. He wants us to love one another and to serve one another. He wants us to bring our families and those we love to Him. We can do it. We can do all that He asks, no matter how difficult it may seem. "With God all things are possible"
We are having a devotional tomorrow for all of our missionaries to talk about the last week of Christ's life in preparation for Easter. We want to remind our missionaries to teach and preach with increased vigor of Christ. Last Monday in our office meeting, Larry suddenly stopped in the middle, and said, "During the prayer, I had a very strong impression that March 2010 is going to be our best baptizing month we have ever had in this mission."
Now we know why he received that feeling. We are going to prepare to bring many souls to the waters of baptism in March. Please continue to pray for us and for the people of Chile. Please pray for the missionaries to have strength and courage to do all that is being required of them, even in difficult times.
We are so thankful that the tsunami did not turn out badly in Hawaii. Who would ever think that an earthquake in Chile could threaten the shores of Hawaii? Thankfully, the Lord is in charge. He is the one to whom we must turn for refuge from every storm. He has the power to save us.
Editor’s Note:
The letter ends here, but President and Sister Laycock told us:
“We’ve never experienced anything like the earthquake. We have had 90 aftershocks, some stronger than others. Our legs are wobbly. It is a scary feeling to experience an aftershock because it brings back all the feelings we had during the earthquake.
“We love being with our missionaries. Because they were prepared, they were immediately able to turn their attention to helping others. They were never concerned about themselves. They were concerned with those who need help and by mid-morning the day of the earthquake, we were able to dispatch them to help others. We told them to investigate the needs of their neighbors and help in any way they could.
President Laycock noted, “The Spanish translation of Luke 21:13 says that there will be earthquakes in many places, and it will give you the occasion to bear testimony. We met with 10 sisters this morning, and one of them mentioned a neighbor next door whom they always asked if she would have time to speak with them, and she always said no. Yet in the crescendo of the toll of the earthquake, she was speechless with fear and not prepared. When the sisters said, ‘Could we pray with you?’, she answered, ‘I have time to pray with you.’ It opened the door to a teaching opportunity to share the gospel.
President and Sister Laycock said, “Everyone we talk to has been so willing to talk about Christ and God’s power. We’ve been sharing God’s love with them. We are seeing God’s love everywhere. People are reaching out to one another. They are serving one another. The news reports looting. We are seeing a different side. We are seeing people who want to communicate with God, who are sincerely looking for the truth.”

4 Simple Secrets To Feeling Happier Every Day

The following tips come from Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of SELF Magazine.

1. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing

The airlines have it right when they tell you in case of emergency, put your own oxygen mask on before you help the person next to you. It’s not selfish, it’s self-preservation. The same is true when it comes to caring for all those around you in your daily life. Yes, it’s wonderful to be giving, especially with your time, but at a certain point you can give too much of yourself, and then it’s just depleting and you’re no good to anyone.

When you get to this point, you need to learn to say no to the next person who asks you to chair another school benefit. You can also ask for help from your spouse, your best pal or your child’s friend’s mother in sharing carpooling duties, for instance. You’ll have more opportunities to pursue your own interests and nurture facets of your personality that make you happier, and then you’ll be more of a giver when you have the energy again.

So whether it’s signing up for a local extension course, getting outside for a walk after dinner, taking a morning swim, reading on your porch or doing whatever else it is that turns you on and replenishes you, you’ll feel less overwhelmed by too many “have tos” with more “want tos” in your week. Think of it this way: You have to be strong to help others. Taking care of your inner self is as important as taking care of your outer self. Know your limits, and be happy to be healthy.

2. Now is the moment! Enjoy it!

I remember when I was a child, enjoying long, luxurious afternoons with pals in the playground while my mother and her friends watched us. We had hours to explore every inch of the place and it felt freeing. I think of those as perfect moments of my childhood. But when it came time to take my own kids to the playground, I was always rushing them to and fro. I thought to myself: What will they remember? Me saying “Hurry up!” on the way to the park.

My daughter, especially, loved to dillydally, and now I understand that for her, pausing on the street to stoop down and watch a caterpillar was more interesting than being at the swings. I had to slow down, too, and say: My memories of the playground may play like a movie on the screen in my mind, but her movie will be of this, the “fuzzy wuzzy” she helped to safety. My thinking had to change from "Get to the playground to have fun!" to "Have fun here, or wherever you may be." This is it. Now is the moment. Enjoy it! Connect. This could be another perfect moment, for her, if you let it be.

3. Find your “mouse hole!”

No matter how much of a people person you are, everyone needs some moments alone each day to recharge. (Think about it: Even your phone gets to recharge!) Time is the one gift you can give yourself each day to be happier and ward off a bad mood, and it doesn’t cost a thing (or require you to go anywhere). However, when you’re living with roommates or raising kids or inundated with more work than ever and fewer hours to do it in, claiming time and space to yourself can seem like an impossibility. Fortunately, you don’t need to jet off to a palm-tree-dotted island (though that would be nice) or even sleep in the guest room (also tempting sometimes) to get that precious time alone.

When my daughter was 3, she used to crawl into her “mouse hole,” the tiny space under the platform of the plastic slide in her room, and drag a picture book or stuffed animals in and play by herself. She told me, “You can’t come in; it’s a mouse hole and only I fit inside.” The wisdom was clear: Even a kid needs time and personal space to herself, to block out the world and think.

I generally find my time and space when I am swimming or jogging, away from it all. Think of where you feel most relaxed, whether it’s at a local coffeehouse, or even just folding laundry in an unhurried way. Find those peaceful sojourns, banish all the worries and think about the big picture of what makes you happy. The important thing is to try to figure out what that is and then make more time for it in your life, whether it’s being in nature, sharing experiences with the ones you love, or helping others find their emotional satisfaction.

Whatever it is, you’ll feel better just thinking about it. After this mini-break, I guarantee you’ll feel better and more grateful when you get back to the hustle and bustle of your emotional “house” and your busy life there.

4. Conflict can be OK!

This is something we all need to learn. When a friend is mad at you, or you at them (or you are not agreeing with a coworker about the best approach to a project), the hardest thing sometimes is to call the person up and talk about it. But once you do, you always feel better. Chances are, the thing you disagree over is minor, and you have more in common than not, but you need to discuss the situation to find out where you agree and where you don’t.

Call your pal and arrange to get together to talk. Tell her she means so much to you and you want to get beyond this stumbling block, and hear her out; then tell her your point of view. Rather than assign blame, let her know you’re sorry for the hurt you caused, or explain that you feel hurt.

Connecting, especially with friends, is important to your happiness long-term, studies show. While you don’t need to overlap completely to have a lot in common (and a lot of fun together), you do need to communicate and get past the little disagreements. Find the overlap and learn from each other, celebrate your differences and laugh about them, too. You can say to yourself: It’s not a case of either/or but both/and, since it’s not either we agree on everything or we can’t be friends. We can both be pals and disagree in one area. We can have conflict in one area, yet still be friends forever. Conflict is healthy. In fact it’s part of life.

Glean more happiness secrets at Lucy’s Blog at Self.com or by reading The Nine Rooms of Happiness by Lucy Danziger and Catherine Birndorf, M.D.

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/16006/4-simple-secrets-to-feeling-happier-every-day/

Cowboy Poetry

Jake, the rancher, went one day
To fix a distant fence.
The wind was cold and gusty
And the clouds rolled gray and dense..

As he pounded the last staples in
And gathered tools to go,
The temperature had fallen,
The wind and snow began to blow..

When he finally reached his pickup,
He felt a heavy heart.
From the sound of that ignition
He knew it wouldn't start.

So Jake did what most of us
Would do if we had been there.
He humbly bowed his balding head
And sent aloft a prayer.

As he turned the key for the last time,
He softly cursed his luck
They found him three days later,
Frozen stiff in that old truck.

Now Jake had been around in life
And done his share of roaming.
But when he saw Heaven, he was shocked --
It looked just like Wyoming !

Of all the saints in Heaven,
His favorite was St. Peter .

So they sat and talked a minute or two,
Or maybe it was three.
Nobody was keeping' score --
In Heaven, time is free.

'I've always heard,' Jake said to Pete ,
'that God will answer prayer,
But one time I asked for help,
Well, he just plain wasn't there.'

'Does God answer prayers of some,
And ignore the prayers of others?
That don't seem exactly square --
I know all men are brothers.'

'Or does he randomly reply,
Without good rhyme or reason?
Maybe, it's the time of day,
The weather or the season.'

'Now I ain't trying to act smart,
It's just the way I feel.
And I was wondering', could you tell me --
What the heck's the deal?!'

Peter listened very patiently
And when Jake was done,
There were smiles of recognition,
And he said, 'So, you're the one!!'

That day your truck, it wouldn't start,
And you sent your prayer a flying,
You gave us all a real bad time,
With hundreds of us trying.'

'A thousand angels rushed,
To check the status of your file,
But you know, Jake , we hadn't heard
From you in quite a long while.'

'And though all prayers are answered,
And God ain't got no quota,
He didn't recognize your voice,
And started a truck in Minnesota '

BETTER KEEP IN TOUCH !

Only A Mother Would Know

One day my mother was out, and my dad was in charge of me.
I was maybe 2 1/2 years old. Someone had given me a little
'tea set' as a gift, and it was one of my favorite toys. Daddy was
in the living room reading the evening news when I brought him
a little cup of 'tea,' which was just water. After several cups of
tea and lots of praise for such a yummy tea, my Mom came home.
My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him
a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!'

My mom waited, and sure enough, here I came down the hall with
a cup of tea for my daddy; and she watched him drink it up. Then
she said (as only a mother would know), "Did it ever occur to you
that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?"

Stairs vs. Escalator

This is awesome! An experiment was done to see if making stairs more fun would encourage people to use them. It was a smashing success! I wonder what areas in my life could be improved by taking steps to make the things I don't necessarily want to do more fun? Something to think about. Enjoy this video:

http://upload.youtube.com/my_videos_upload?feature=mhw4

Some people might be better off just staying home

Comments from Airline Ticketing Agents

I had someone ask for an aisle seats so that his or her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window.

A client called in inquiring about a package to Hawaii. After going over all the cost info, she asked, "Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii?"

I got a call from a woman who wanted to go to Capetown. I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information when she interrupted me with "I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Capetown is in Massachusetts. "Without trying to make her look like the stupid one, I calmly explained, "Capecod is in Massachusetts, Capetown is in Africa." Her response ... click.

A man called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando. He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that is not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, "Don't lie to me. I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state."

I got a call from a man who asked, "Is it possible to see England from Canada?" I said, "No." He said "But they look so close on the map."

Another man called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas. When I pulled up the reservation, I noticed he had a 1-hour lay over in Dallas. When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said, "I heard Dallas was a big airport, and I need a car to drive between the gates to save time."

A nice lady just called. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:20am and got into Chicago at 8:33am. I tried to explain that Michigan was an hour ahead of llinois, but she could not understand the concept of time zones. Finally I told her the plane went very fast, and she bought that!

A woman called and asked, "Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know who's luggage belongs to who?" I said, "No, why do you ask?" She replied, "Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said FAT, and I'm overweight, is there any connection?" After putting her on hold for a minute while I "looked into it" (I was actually laughing) I came back and explained the city code for Fresno is FAT, and that the airline was just putting a destination tag on her luggage.

I just got off the phone with a man who asked, "How do I know which plane to get on?" I asked him what exactly he meant, which he replied, "I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these darn planes have numbers on them."

A woman called and said, "I need to fly to Pepsi-cola on one of those computer planes." I asked if she meant to fly to Pensacola on a commuter plane. She said, "Yeah, whatever."

A businessman called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China. After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded him he needed a visa. "Oh no I don't, I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those." I double checked and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When I told him this he said, "Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express."

A woman called to make reservations, "I want to go from Chicago to Hippopotamus, New York" The agent was at a loss for words. Finally, the agent: "Are you sure that's the name of the town?" "Yes, what flights do you have?" replied the customer. After some searching, the agent came back with, "I'm sorry, ma'am, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a Hippopotamus anywhere." The customer retorted, "Oh don't be silly. Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!" The agent scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, "You don't mean Buffalo, do you?" "That's it! I knew it was a big animal!"

HE is Mindful of me!

I've been sick this past week. One good thing I can say about the experience is that at least it isn't a toothache. The birth of 10 children, all by natural means (except for the first one, but by the time they finally gave me stuff of "take the edge" off, it was all edge and the drugs didn't help, so I still consider the pain the same as toughing it out "naturally"), has me convinced that a toothache is still the worst pain there is. So I'm glad for that. Here's an insider trading tip: run out and buy stock in Kleenex. You might get some Petal Soft bathroom tissue stock, too, but after I write my letter suggesting they change the name to Wood Chip Soft, it might be differently titled, so you might want to wait on that one for a bit. Every day this past week I've filled around 3 grocery bags with spent tissues, so there might be at least a temporary fluctuation that one might take advantage of. See your stockbroker. Last night, lying in bed, not sleeping, and convulsing into coughing spasms every minute or so, the idea finally penetrated my foggy brain that I should ask my husband for a blessing. I'm not sure why that didn't occur to me sooner, much sooner, but at least it occurred to me at all, so this morning I did. He was able to get our home teacher to come over a couple of hours later and they gave me the blessing.
He blessed me that I would be healed, and he also blessed me that I would feel of my Heavenly Father's love for me, and that I would know that he is mindful of my situation. From the time I "woke" up this morning, or at least got up, since coughing doesn't lend itself to much sleeping, I had pretty much been coughing non-stop, with little breaks here and there, while the bad guys re-loaded. After the blessing, I put myself to bed, totally exhausted, and I slept for 3 hours, without coughing at all. At times I would become semi-conscious and realize that I could feel some pressure on my sinuses, but the passageway stayed clear so I could breathe freely for the first time in several days.
I woke up, not healed, though at this writing I do seem to be somewhat improved, but realizing that I had been given 2 gifts: 1) I was allowed to finally get a little bit of sleep, and much more importantly, 2) I FELT that Heavenly Father is mindful of me and my situation and that when He feels I am ready to be rid of this, then in His own due time, I will be. I already knew that, and I had been praying for relief acknowledging His timetable and His will, but FEELING that He is with me in this makes all the difference. It will make it easier to bear with patience, while I just keep trying to take care of myself. And that's a great feeling!

Christ-centered Healing From Depression

A friend recently told me about a fabulous Education Week talk that was given in 2005, entitled Christ-centered Healing from Depression. It is wonderful, and I highly recommend it to everyone, whether you deal with these issues or know someone who does.

Christ-centered Healing From Depression

Go here for the transcript of the talk:
http://morninglightcounseling.org/images/stories/pdf/Depression/transcript%20christ-centered%20healing%20from%20depression.pdf

Click here for the Audio download file
http://www.byub.org/talks/Talk.aspx?id=1251

Click on the video link to watch this talk from BYU Education Week
http://www.byub.org/findatalk/details.asp?ID=5442

The audio and video links above, both contain links for both formats, but I was only able to get one of the formats to work at each link. That's why I've given both.

Shifting Our Thinking by M. Catherine Thomas

Shifting Our Thinking: The Second Shift
By M. Catherine Thomas

Last time, we considered the First Shift in our thinking to help us come to Christ. We saw that one of the hardest things for conscientious people to accept is that all our unworthiness, failings, inadequacy, and all that we lament in ourselves, have already been paid for – in a way, they’re a given; taken for granted. The Lord’s Atonement makes it possible for Him to issue a very sweet invitation just to come to Him. We resist this gift, but it can open a new dimension and change everything.

We also saw how refusing the gift and indulging in negative self-evaluation can plunge us into powerlessness. But the Plan of Happiness is so designed that first we come to Him and then we work out things with Him. The spirit of this free gift is captured in a poem I want to share with you. Here we have a dialogue between Love, who represents the Lord Jesus Christ, and a Sinner, who represents any one of us. The setting seems to be an abundant feast:

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack'd anything.

"A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";
Love said, "You shall be he."
"I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee."
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
"Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."
"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat.1

This poem describes things-as-they-really-are: the right to come to Him is a free gift, no matter how much dust and sin.

Now, as to a second shift we could make in our thinking, we turn our minds to what has happened to us since we left that premortal world of Light and entered this narrower, darker world, reduced from our premortal capacities, and our memory veiled. We see that without the memory of who we really are, we begin to create something of an artificial self, a mortal overlay,2 where false perceptions and distortion layer over the brilliant, eternal, premortal spirit. As this artificial overlay accumulates with stuff, our fears, our personality distortions, our weaknesses, our pride, our blindness, our contraction of spirit, our controlling behaviors, our unlove, all these begin to lodge in the overlay, acting like mists and clouds over our brilliance and beauty, troubling our behavior and experience.

But the Savior lifts the veil for us when He tells us who we really are: “Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth” (D&C 93:23); and, “The day shall come [that you shall know] . . . that I am the true light that is in you, and that you are in me; otherwise ye could not abound. Because we are of the Spirit of Truth, and because Christ’s Light of Truth gives our soul life, there are many transcendent and divine qualities in us. We can’t help it – that’s just who we are.

Our problem lies in our identifying more with our artificial self than with our eternal self. But we can choose to stop identifying with this false self’s doubt and negativity, and awaken more to our eternal self which holds these transcendent qualities. These qualities include Reverence for All Life, Pure Love, Perfect Faith, and an innate ability to Commune with the Lord.

There’s one additional step we can consider here that helps us identify more with our transcendent qualities: the Lord invites us to use our mind in a deliberate way, in a meditative way, so as to open access in our soul to Him: “Pray always and I will pour out my Spirit upon you….” (D&C 19:38-41); “Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36); “If your eye [mind] be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you…. Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God.” (D&C 88:67); and “[They that] … always remember Him … may always have his Spirit to be with them” (Moroni 4:3).

The reason we don’t do this form of meditation (if we don’t) is that we think it won’t make any difference – but I testify that it does, because the way we use our mind either blocks or opens our spiritual experience. If we knew how much depended on using our mind the way the Lord has instructed, in quiet sitting time or as we go mindfully about our life, we’d make every effort to find creative ways to remind ourselves to do it, until like a pump that needs priming, Spirit flows to us.

---

1 “Love (III),” by George Herbert.

2 Allen Bergin’s term.

Source: http://www.meridianmagazine.com/lineuponline/100226shift2.html . Used with permission.

Debbie responds to Weakness Is Not Sin Article

I posted the Weakness Is Not Sin article on a group list of moms and it generated quite the conversation. I will be sharing some of their responses over the next few days. I think you'll enjoying hearing what they have to say, and once again realizing that we're all in this together.

Ladies,
I love to read thoughts like this one that get us thinking. I am not am free with my thoughts and words so I will try to do my best to communicate my thoughts and feelings on this topic in which I have spent much time on my knees finding answers.

I have been concerned about how many women in the church and the world have problems with depression. It is not the way the Lord wants us to live in a sad and depressed state. I believe that as we live the laws that the Lord has given us we will be happy. Such laws are Word of Wisdom, getting enough sleep, keeping our bodies fit( I hate the word exercise), praying, reading scriptures, attending our meetings, etc. When these are out of balance we are not well spiritually, physically, mentally, or emotionally. When that balance is out of whack no one is happy. The Spirit has a hard time communicating to us what we need to hear. We are not in a state to hear it. I have experienced many days in my years of motherhood being depressed. It is not fun. We get caught up in the trap of failing even though we are doing our best so we think. We feel that we are in a whirl pool being sucked down every time we think we are getting out of the chaos.

I also had an epiphany after I had Isabell. I was crashing emotionally and was pleading with the Lord of why again. Every child, deeper and longer. The thought came to me. Satan is really mad that I just brought another spirit to my home and is trying in every way to make this fail. With that I have been fighting harder than ever not to get drug down.

This brings me to the next thought. Weakness. I love the scripture that you quoted from Ether 12:27. I remember talking about it in Seminary years ago. First the scripture states that "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." It does not say weaknesses. We as a mortal we have one main weakness--we try to do every thing by ourselves. Admit it we do. We try to figure things out to the degree of exhausted possibilities and then we turn to the Lord. That is not the way the Lord wants us to live our lives. How often do we repeat the cycle of pleading with the Lord getting through the trial and then slacking off of talking to Him with every thing we do.

Back to the scripture "that we may be humble...for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." We in our "non-opinionated, realistic expectations" lol, forget the goal that we had in the first place and the Lord has to help us see our weakness and we become humble again and refocus.

I started an experiment in Nov. in my own life. I was finding that I had no time to experience "Be still and know that I am God". I started by reading Elder Scott's talk from Oct. conf. and then I sat and listened. Yes, [my husband] took care of the household for about an hour one Sunday so I could have time to myself. The Lord outlined for me what I needed to do. I started doing it and my days went smoother than they have in many years. Some days I get off track and I feel it. The main thing is that I plan my day with the Lord, not the other way around.

The Lord knows each of us and will lead us in ways that we need to go. I struggle with depression until I am not pregnant or nursing. The depression is lifting and I am finding joy in my life that I haven't felt for a long time. What a blessing it has been in light of every thing going on in my life. [My daughter who is getting married] and I are still talking and I haven't pulled out any hair. The Lord wants us to be happy. Satan does not and will do what ever he can to make life miserable for us as we bring more spirits to earth and raise them in righteousness.

Thank you for letting me share my feelings about these topics. We are all learning and growing and gleen from each other.

Debbie