Just a Thought

I'm putting this thought in a visible place where it will daily inspire/comfort/focus me. Worthy goals, and beautiful.

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely; await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common: this is to be my symphony."

*William Henry Channing*

Just a Thought

In preparation for my first Relief Society lesson yesterday, I've been thinking about gifts of the spirit lately. In addition to the many gifts listed in Moroni 10, Doctrine & Covenants 46, and 1st Corinthians 12, I appreciate this beautiful thought from Elder Marvin J. Ashton:

Let us review some of these less-conspicuous gifts: the gift of asking; the gift of listening; the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice; the gift of being able to weep; the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable; the gift of avoiding vain repetition; the gift of seeking that which is righteous; the gift of not passing judgment; the gift of looking to God for guidance; the gift of being a disciple; the gift of caring for others; the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a mighty testimony; and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost.

I find those words both reassuring and motivating, as I seek to cultivate existing gifts and develop new ones.

Just a Thought

I stopped putting on my makeup for a moment and peered at myself in the mirror. I'm not stressed out yet, I thought, but if someone could just take the kids for a couple hours, I could get everything done and continue to stay calm and happy. I wouldn't ask anyone, but...it would be nice.

Barely even a prayer, really. Just a brief thought directed heavenward during a quiet moment as I prepared for our trip to Denmark the next day.

Yet, a couple hours later, Paige stood at my door. I can't remember why my neighbor stopped by, but I remember what she said: "Would it help if I took Dallin and Jamie Beth for a while today?" I hesitated because my first instinct was, Oh, no, I'm fine; we'll be just fine; everything is fine. Then that non-prayer came to my mind and I realized it was being answered. "Yes," I responded, "that would be very helpful."

Like any mother, I worry about my children's educations, futures, health, and safety, and I think about their social, emotional, and spiritual development. And then, in addition to the big stuff, I also pay attention to their favorite books and favorite foods, their daily ow-ies, who they play with at recess, what they want for Christmas. The big things and the little things that matter to them, also matter to me. I believe in a Heavenly Father who feels the same way about me. He helps me work through the important issues, and sometimes he sends someone like Paige to help with the littler matters.

"The Lord does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other."
*Spencer W. Kimball--Ensign 1974*

Just a Thought

Some of my favorite words come from a woman whose views, for the most part, were not shared with the world until she was in her eighties. I find great wisdom from such experienced, genuinely happy women.

"We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove anything, to be what we are."
*Marjorie Pay Hinckley*

Just a Thought

I enjoyed the general Relief Society conference last week, and President Dieter Uchtdorf's talk was my favorite. His words about creating spoke especially to my heart, but I also liked this thought:

"In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers."
*Dieter F. Uchtdorf*

Just a Thought

I recently read the following thought on miracles from C.S. Lewis and found it so brilliant, insightful, and beautiful that I can't help sharing it.

"One of their chief purposes [of miracles] is that men having seen a thing done by personal power on the small scale, may recognize, when they see the same thing done on the large scale, that the power behind it is also personal--is indeed the very same person who lived among us two thousand years ago. The miracles in fact are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see....God creates the vine and teaches it to draw up water by its roots and, with the aid of the sun, to turn that water into a juice which will ferment and take on certain qualities. Thus every year,...God turns water into wine. That, men fail to see....But when Christ at Cana makes water into wine, the mask is off. The miracle has only half its effect if it only convinces us that Christ is God: it will have its full effect if whenever we see a vineyard...we remember that here works He who sat at the wedding party in Cana.

"...Do not imagine I am trying to make the miracles less miraculous. I am not arguing that they are more probable because they are less unlike natural events: I am trying to answer those who think them arbitrary, theatrical, unworthy of God, meaningless interruptions of universal order. They remain in my view wholly miraculous....True miracles express not simply a god, but God: that which is outside of Nature, not as a foreigner, but as her sovereign."

*C.S. Lewis, Undeceptions* (emphasis added)

Just a Thought

"...My heart assures me that the dearest possession a man has is his family."

*David O. McKay, Pathways to Happiness*