Have a Nice Holiday

I wish you the best! Have a wonderful time connecting with your family and friends. Send lots of love into the Universe. I send lots of love to you.

Habit of Doing

If we cultivate the habit of doing . . . service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger and will make, not only our own happiness, but that of the world. Ghandi

We know a man with degenerative muscle disease. All he can do now is smile from his bed. What an uplifting smile it is. All those around him feel blessed by that smile

Success

It is high time that the idea of success be replaced by the idea of service. Albert Einstein

I love what Albert Einstein has to say. He has such common sense, for all the fancy theories he formulated. What a guy!

Your Rent

Service to others is the rent, which you pay for your room here on earth. Muhammad Ali

I love this quote. It helps pull me out of my lack of connection with those around me. I am grateful for my place on this earth. I don't ever want to take it forgranted. 

The Highest Truth

The highest truth cannot be put into words. Therefore the greatest teacher has nothing to say. He simply gives himself in service and never worries. Lao Tzu

This is an interesting concept. In our western culture, we sit at the feet of the masters to learn the great truths. Maybe we are great teachers when we give ourselves in service to others.

At this time of year I know you are all giving to others. Give yourself a pat on the back for your good works.

Gifts to Others

Gifts to yourself are gone when you are gone. Gifts to others live on as  your legacy.

Give the gift of service to those around you. The love you give will come back an hundred fold. Service is one of the most powerful tools in the process of our becoming whole. Give abundantly.

Filled with Love

I can picture Moroni copying this sermon of his father Mormon onto the plates and being filled with the love of God and love for his great father. I'm gratefull God gave us such wonderful prophets to guide us. Mormon and Moroni loved us enough to devote their lives to bringing us inspiring scriptures.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons [and daughters] of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen. Moroni 7:48

Encircled in the arms of God's Love

Oliver Cowdery and Lehi received the promise of being encircled with God's love. If you and I live well, that gift can be ours also. I love to image God's arms around me when I need Him.

I will encircle thee in the arms of my love. D&C Section 6:20
I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love. 2 Nephi 1:15

Love One Another

Every day I try to remember to love those around me.  I want to be born of God and know Him. Sometimes I fell short, but I'm working on it.

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7

Daughter of God

John, the Beloved, tells us we are loved of God. When Christ shall come, we shall be like Him. What greater gift of love could He give us?

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons [and daughters] of God. . . . Beloved, now are we the sons [and daughters] of God, . . . we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:1 - 2

Love of God

I love this scripture. Christ is getting ready for His great Atonement and He takes time to teach us about the Love of God. To be loved of God as Christ was - can I even comprehend that?

. . . that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. John 17:23

. . . that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:26

As I Have Loved You . . .

In the hustle and bustle of this busy season, may we turn to Christ who loved us first and taught about love through example and word.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. John 13:34

Christmas is time of Love

At Christmas time our thoughts are turned to others in celebration and love. May we keep this spirit in our hearts all year long.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Knowing God

He who knoweth his own self, knoweth God. Muhammad

As you radiate positive energy, it will come back to you. It will return even an hundred fold.

                         Try it!
                         Look for the 'Godliness' in those around you.

A Disciple

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Jesus, Bible John 13:34-35

Act with Goodness

…beware of pride, and not seek to excel one above another, but act for each other’s good, and pray for one another, and honor our brother or make honorable mention of his name, and not backbite and devour our brother. Joseph Smith

Do I look to complete with others or cooperate with them? Do I want the best for them, or am I looking to better myself? Which brings lasting happiness?

A Good Heart

I have nothing in my heart but good feelings.

I possess the principle of love. All I can offer the world is a good heart and a good hand. Joseph Smith

Miracles

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. Albert Einstein

Nothing can compare with your human spirit. It can soar to heights of happiness or swell with bursts of appreciation. It can also take you to the depths of despair if you allow it. It all depends on your attitude. The choice is yours. Fill yourself with positive light.

Dividing Love

Only love can be divided endlessly and still not diminish. Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I will make a conscious effort to divide my love today and notice that it has not diminished, but has increased and made my heart more worthy and vigorous.

Never Good Enough

Have you ever been around someone that found things were never good enough. They have problems with their circumstances and things around them. They are critical of their friends and family. How can one find the good surrounding them? One must look. It takes conscious effort sometimes to see beauty. It's a daily goal of mine.

To love another person is to see the face of God. Victor Hugo

Service

"There is no higher religion than human service." Woodrow Wilson

"Small service is true service while it lasts.
Of humblest friends, bright creature! scorn not one:
The daisy, by the shadow that it casts,
Protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun."
William Wordsworth

Humility

Humility means loving and serving others. 
Humility means really listening to others.
Humility means considering their ideas as valid.
Humility means finding joy in other's happiness.
Humility means doing the task no one else wants to do.
Humility means going the extra mile.
Humility makes me happy. What about you?
Humility means . . .

Saying Thank you

I love to tell others I am grateful for what they do for me. Just those two little words make me feel happy inside. Of course the smile on their face adds to my happiness inside, and then we both feel grate.

Say 'thank you.' It's the best medicine to chase the clouds away and let the sunshine in.

Accepting Thanks

I have a dear friend that has a hard time taking a compliment. When I tell her 'thank you,' she always says, "I don't know about that." And then I always say, "I know about it, and you're wonderful." She just laughs.

Consider the lilies. . .  God made us all. We are not perfect, but we are wonderful. Let others tell you about your goodness, and take it in. It will help you smile inside.

Connection with Family

I am grateful for my connection with my family. What fun they are. I cherish my time with them.

“In family relationships LOVE is really spelled T-I-M-E.” Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Connection with God

I am grateful for my connection with God. I love to spend time with Him each day, talking things over with Him, listening to His promptings.

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.  And I will be found of you, saith the LORD.”  Jeremiah 29:12 – 14

Roses

I picked my last boquet of roses today. What a wonderful blessing they are in my life. I love their fragrance and their beauty. From now until spring, they will exist only in my memory.  I am thankful for times of remembering. Through the long cold winter, memories will keep me warm. I will take time to let the reflections of summer echo in my mind.

Gratitude

“We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude.” Thomas S. Monson

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Gratitude and positive thinking go together. See if you can separate them. I've tried, but can't. They work as one.

Gratitude

“Gratitude is the twin sister of humility.”  James E. Talmage

At this time of Thanksgiving may we remember that these two great attributes go together. One is not truely part of us without the other. I will work to keep these two principles before me all year long.

Listen

Listen, gems of knowledge may come from others.
Listen, fortune may knock softly at your door.
Listen, discernment will come from your inner wisdom.
Listen, inspiration will come from God.

Train up a child . . .

When our children were home for the summer, we took them to the Draper temple open house. Our little three-year-old grandson loved being in the temple. At his young age, he could already feel the peace there. Later in the year, I visited them at their home in Phoenix. I dropped our daughter and son-in-law off at the Mesa temple to do some family sealings. Our grandson had a full-blown temper tantrum when we let them out. I couldn't figure out what the matter was, and he couldn't tell me until it dawned on me that he wanted to go into the temple. He had been in one temple and wanted to go into another. When I explained to him that when he was a little older he could go in to do baptisms, he was satisfied.

Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Gratitude

As thankfulness grows in one's heart, gratitude becomes part of one's actions.

When I think of all those who have made my life as good as it is, I feel overwhelmed. I am thankful for the baker who makes my good bread, the farmer who grows my delicious produce, the builder who make my strong house, the machinist who put together my furnace, my family who loves and supports me, my religion that gives me faith to go on.

May my actions connote my gratitude.

Thoughts

If you change your thoughts, you change your world.

A young boy picked a bouquet of roses for his mother.
His neighbor thought the boy destroyed the beauty of nature.
His younger sister thought her brother was trying to get out of his chores.
His father was jealous that he didn't think of roses for his wife.
His grandfather thought his grandson would become a great diplomat.
His grandmother knew the young boy loved his mother.

Thoughts

We are shaped by our thoughts. We become what we think. Buddha

My thoughts are my constant companions. Do they make me a better person? Are they in control of my life or do I direct them? Like an errant child, they need gentle guidance at times. I will direct them for good.

Sometimes I'm successful in guiding them and sometimes not. But I continue to counsel and educate them to be the bests that they can be because they belong to me.

Love

"I will encircle thee in the arms of my love," the Savior tells us.

When I feel discouraged, I remember this promise. Through prayer I connect with my Savior, and I feel His love. Our greatest task while here on this earth is to learn to love, and the Savior set a perfect example for us.

Love One Another

Love one another; as I hve loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if he have love one to another. John 13:34-35.

Every day I begin with this thought in my heart. Sometimes I am successful. Sometimes not. Then I start over again and again and again. But I will keep trying. I am a disciple, an imperfect one, but still a disciple.

God's Love for Us

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field . . .shall he not much more clothe you. Matthew 6:28-30.

Heavenly Father knows us, each one, and loves us.

A Higher Purpose

Have you ever had a failure and felt all was lost? Well, I have. But look to the higher purpose. Many times there is a gift in failure. What could it be? A refiners fire? A learning experience? A polishing of who you are? A cementing of relationships?

There is a higher purpose in all we do. Grieve your loss, your sadness and then move on, looking for the deeper meaning of your life. Your purpose here on earth is to bless the lives of others.

Find your way.

Abundance

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38

Love is all around us in abundance. Give of it and it shall be returned an hundred fold.

Freedom

Yesterday we exercised our freedom by voting for those who would govern us. I am grateful to live in a land of freedom. I respect those who have given their lives for our freedom. I will honor them by living the best life that I know how.

It is our freedom to progress that makes us all want to live and to go on. EleanorRoosevelt

A Sense of Place

The places I am from are many.  They are the places where my ancestors lived.  These places live in my bones and my blood. 

I stand on the seashore.  The wind blows my hair just like it did when my great grandmother stood there.  I feel the sand beneath my feet, molding to my foot just like it did for her. 

I climb the rocky hillsides where my great great grandfather worked the soil.  I feel his love for the land.

My flower garden grows roses like those of my grandmother. 

Hear the quiet of your past.  Let it fill you with life.

Teaching Children

Some family visited our home yesterday. I was struck by the difference in two little boys about the same age. One spent his time climbing, throwing balls and running around. The other one was fascinated with puzzles, putting them together over and over. Both are darling children, and they will have the blessing of choosing their own way in life because their mothers allow them to grow in the direction their interests take them.

"I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn." Albert Einstein

Fear vs. Faith

Sometimes my lack of self confidence overwhelms me, and I fear becomes part of my existence. I think of all my mistakes and inadequacies. I am discouraged.

AA has a saying that Fear and Faith can't exist together. Fear is on one side of the coin and Faith on the other. Which side of the coin is up? Fear or Faith. At times the Fear side of my coin is up.

Then I remember the scripture in Second Timothy 1:7 (Paul wrote this during his second imprisonment just before he was martyred.) "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind." I have power to change my thinking. God loves me so I can love myself. Because my mind is sound, I can have Faith in myself.

I turn the coin over to the Faith side again and again and again. Sometimes it doesn't want to stay, but I anchor it down with prayer, and positive thinking.

Inner Harmony

I had dinner with a cousin and his wife last night. The food was delicious and the conversation insightful. He has a peace about him that is contageous. He meditates daily, finding an inner harmony that reduces his anxiety and worry. He has found an avenue to tranquility in his life that works for him.

My path to peace is different than my cousin's. But how wonderful that we can each find our own way to a life of contentment and meaning.

What is you way to peace? How do you connect with yourself?

This daily blog is one of the ways I find my inner harmony. I settle on a point of wisdom that guides my life for the day. I choose a topic that is related to my tasks for the day and helps me handle them with maturity and prudence.

Greatest Good

The greatest good we can do to ourselves and each other is to refine and cultivate ourselves in everything that is good and ennobling.

Eliza R. Snow

Courage

Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. Atticus Finch

Sometimes I feel like Atticus Finch. I feel unworthy - licked, but I push ahead anyway because I want to see my task through. I also know if I include the Lord in my tasks, He will strengthen my heart.

Wait upon the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Psalms 27:14

Listening

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, . . .

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee:

Job 22:27 - 28

God is listening. He hears our every wish.
Do we hear God? Are we listening to His every wish?

Trials

The trials in our lives bring us the lessons we need most.

List your trials and look for the blessings they bring.
I would not ask to experience some of my problems again,
but I can see the strengths I have gained from them.
I won't say that my trials are blessings,
but they have led me to virtues I didn't know I had.

Prayer

If your day is hemmed with prayer, it is less likely to unravel. Proverb

I hem my days with prayer:
Prayer that I might listen to others
Prayer that I will learn something new about myself
Prayer that I might serve others
Prayer that I will feel gratitude
Prayer that I can connect with God.

I am grateful for prayer.

Harvest

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. Edwin Way Teale

I made another batch of tomato soup today. The house smells wonderful, like that of the harvest. It will linger into tomorrow. This time of year is a time of reaping, but it is also a time for sowing - sowing thoughts and memories and soup that will last through the long, cold winter. It is a time of scattering abroad our thoughts and memories and soup to those we love.

Friendship

Today I'm feeling very grateful for friends. Thursday is friendship day because our writing group meets every Thursday night. We revel in our successes and joys and hold each other up when the rejection letters come. Sharing brings us closer.

I have lots of friends: family, church, service organizations, writing groups, my lunch bunch, childhood friends, couples we spend time with - fishing was the last expedition, and my music buddies. And I am grateful for the blesssing of each person who enriches my life. Greater riches no man could have. 

Connections

Yesterday I went to lunch with two friends that I've known since Jr. High School. As youth, we spent a lot of time together until we graduated from college. Then we went our separate ways. We have just reconnected with each other and are enjoying catching up on life and remembering past times.

I love that these two good friends knew me before 'life happened' to me. They knew me in the beginning. There is something comforting to be with someone outside my family circle that values me, not only for who I am but for who I was.

One of them said yesterday that it's nice to know that you are the same person you were as a child, although life has changed you. Through our joys and trials, we change; but we also remain the same. Being with someone who validates your sameness is comforting.

Promises

Undertake not what you can not perform, but be careful to keep your promises. George Washington

Today I have been making delicious peach fruit leather. Each year our oddly-shaped, scrawny peach tree keeps its promise of growing wonderful fruit. It is a simple gesture.

What promises have I made in my life? Am I keeping them? Today I will focus on only one of my promises and strive to keep it. That way I won't feel overwhelmed.

One day at a time I will endeavor to be true to my promises.

Happiness

Happiness comes, not from the pursuit of pleasure, but from giving service to those around you. The time I'm the happiest is when I am giving freely of myself to others.

I imagine my roses are the happiest flowers in my garden right now because they are giving me such great beauty. I love their intricate design and color. Some blooms begin as subtle yellow, blending to a warm peach color at the tips of the petals. Others are soft pink. White ones burst into multiple blooms.Their petals are so soft to the touch, and their delicious fragrances fill the air with a bouquet of aromas.

Thank you roses for enhancing my life.

Authenticity

“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say” Ralph Keys

If my actions match my words, I am genuine.

If my actions match my words, I am reliable.

If my actions match my words, I am trustworth.

As I figure out who I am, there may be times when my actions don't match my words. If I know this about myself, I am on the way to becoming authentic. 

Peace

Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace. Buddha

I worked with a lady yesterday who was upset at one person asking her for help. When she finished telling me about that incident, she immediately began explaining her anger at someone else for looking at a situation differently than she did. At that minute her life was devoid of peace.

May we banish resentful thoughts and peace will surface in our hearts like the waters of a bubbling spring.

Connections

My mother (age 91) has a pear tree with the most delicious fruit. As small children, all of her grandchildren loved to eat the pears when they came to her house. Today they are grown and have moved all over the country. They still love the pears, so I help her dry them and mail them to each grandchild. Now the great grandchildren wait every fall to get the pears in the mail.  Connections bind us together

Discouragement

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Bible, Isaiah 41:10)

When I feel discouraged about my circumstances in life, the only thing that brings me peace is the knowledge that God is with me and will lead me into the paths He wants me to follow. My awareness that He is there brings me peace, and then I begin to count my blessings and feel grateful for what I have even though things are not as I think they should be.

Daily Decisions

"Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving."  Albert Einstein

I am grateful for those who have gone before me, those who are with me now and those who will come after me. What, if any, will my contribution be? I decide daily.

God never requires compulsion; He only gives us opportunity. He is always at the door, waiting for us to knock. Being compelled goes with the words "have to." Opportunity comes with "want to." When I find a "have to" in my life, I change it to a "want to."It's amazing to me that I can reaffirm my positive attitude almost immediately by getting rid of the "have to." I "want to" do everything possible in my life to stay close to God.

Today I have been to Heaven. I didn't get there for the sunrise (as shown in the picture above), but I watched the clouds create patterns in the sky and aspen leaves sift to the ground like snow flakes. It is my most beautiful place on earth because my father walked the forest and his father before him and his father before him. My children and my children's children run in the woods, chasing squirrels, looking for wild bunnies and gathering huckleberries. Six generations have loved the earth and received of its power. The land connects us to one another and gives us a sense of place - our own Heaven.

Great Discoveries . . . involve the cooperation of many minds. Alexander Graham Bell
We become better than our best when we create a synergysm with those around us through cooperation.

Love is not love until you give it away to those around you.

Perseverance

With God on my side and a lot of hard work, I'll make it through. It may not be the most eloquent of journeys, but I am wiser for having travelled and stronger because of the work I've done.

I am grateful for connections. I love watching the pink and blue clouds of a sunrise - the orange glow of a sunset. I enjoy this time of year because my roses are still blooming. Their smell permeates the air, and the memory of their beauty stays with me through the snowy winter. I am thankful for delicious sweet tomatoes and juicy peaches and ripe pears. What a wonderful world God has given us.

If you would be loved, love and be loveable. Benjamin Franklin

Cherish your human connections: your relationships with friends and family. Barbara Bush

If thou canst believe, all things are possible. Mark 9:23