Monday, July 30, 2012

"When life's labor is complete may we find that we have listened to the whispering of that still, small voice that always guides us in the path of righteousness. . . to go forward throughout the ages . . . happy eternally." George Albert Smith

Friday, July 27, 2012

For I have only been in the service of God. . . . When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God. Mosiah 2:16 - 17

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it. Enos 1:15

Monday, July 23, 2012

"None of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they  have spoken concerning . . . Christ." Jacob 7:11

Friday, July 20, 2012

I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth. I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father. D&C 110:4

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

We have given of our substance to build a house to thy name, that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people. D&C 109:5

Monday, July 16, 2012

The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.
- John Milton

Friday, July 13, 2012

But he who dares not grasp the thorn
Should never crave the rose.
- Anne Brontë

I have quoted this before, and I think of it often when I'm working in my rose garden.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Let us accept truth, even when it surprises us and alters our views.
- George Sand

Monday, July 9, 2012

"You can be smart and happy or stupid and miserable. . .
it's your choice"
- Gordon B. Hinckley

I love this!!! Because it's true! Sometimes I'm smart, and sometimes I'm stupid.

Friday, July 6, 2012

"When I say do your best, I mean you're very best."
- Gordon B. Hinckley

Monday, July 2, 2012

Sonja wrote a little about how she came to write Carnival Girl. I wanted you all to see it.

"During the few times we carnival children attended school, I once received an A for a story about a Greek myth I had written, and on that day I decided to write about my mother’s life when I grew up.
All through the time I raised my six children here in the U.S.A., this thought was with me, and when the younger ones were a bit older, I started on my mother’s story. As the story unfolded, I realized that it would not be complete unless I also told my own story, the story of my childhood and my life with my mother.
And that’s how Carnival Girl began. I originally called it Conversations with Margot (my mother’s first name), but since the novel I wrote about her life isn’t published yet, I decided to re-name the memoir and publish it first.
As I wrote the story and remembered the things that happened in my early life, old feelings also returned, and I had to confront the childish reactions of my younger self. Now, as a grown woman, I was able to see things I had not seen as a little girl, and when my memoir was finished, I had a new insight and understanding for my mother, who had suffered so much and still came out ahead.
My mother, Margot, is now ninety-one years old. She lives in Stuttgart, Germany, and is still going strong!
Thank you Mutti, for everything you have taught me!"
Sonja
Carnival Girl
Searching for God in the Aftermath of War
By Sonja Herbert

The only life Sonja has ever known was on the road. Now she must choose between the carnival and her convictions, between her family and her faith. This beautifully written memoir of growing up in post-war Germany and meeting the Mormon missionaries will remind you of how much God loves each one of us and how his power can make anything possible.

Sonja Herbert and her five siblings were raised in a caravan, traveling the carnival circuit from town to town in post-World War II Germany. Sonja converted to the LDS Church, later married, and immigrated to the United States, where she received a bachelor of arts degree at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, and a master of arts degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. You can find more about her unusual life at germanwriter.com.

I felt drawn to this story because I come from similar roots. I have Polish ancestry as does Sonja, and my grandmother spent time in a German orphanage just like Sonja. My grandmother had funny little nicknames for all her children just as Sonja’s mother did. I love reading memoirs like this because they seem to fill in missing pieces of my family.

The reader watches Sonja grow from a toddler to a young adult who knows her own mind and what she wants out of life. Her mother consciously chose the exciting carnival life, but Sonja’s choice was a very different path than her mother’s. Sonja seems to be born with a testimony of Heavenly Father, and she began to recognize it even as a small child when she was taught to pray in the orphanage. Even though Sonja’s family rejected God, she found comfort in her constant belief in a Divine Being, which ultimately led her to the gospel’s light and love. Thank you, Sonja, for sharing yourself in this heart-warming story.

This is a great read! Take time to enjoy it this summer.