In Case You Were Wondering...

Oh. Now I feel better. Don't you?!

Angels Among Us

Dear Friend Jan put a thought in my head recently and I spent this morning reading the words of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland from last fall's General Conference. In light of all I have been stressing out over and worrying about and keeping my heart heavy with fear and despair over the past several weeks, this was exactly what I needed to hear.

Elder Holland's talk was titled "The Ministry of Angels" and here are a few highlights I gleaned this morning that made me feel better.

• In the course of life all of us spend time in “dark and dreary” places, wildernesses, circumstances of sorrow or fear or discouragement. Our present day is filled with global distress over financial crises, energy problems, terrorist attacks, and natural calamities. These translate into individual and family concerns not only about homes in which to live and food available to eat but also about the ultimate safety and well-being of our children and the latter-day prophecies about our planet. More serious than these—and sometimes related to them—are matters of ethical, moral, and spiritual decay seen in populations large and small, at home and abroad.
• I ask everyone within the sound of my voice to take heart, be filled with faith, and remember the Lord has said He “would fight [our] battles, [our] children’s battles, and [the battles of our] children’s children.”10 And what do we do to merit such a defense? We are to “search diligently, pray always, and be believing[. Then] all things shall work together for [our] good, if [we] walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted.”11 The latter days are not a time to fear and tremble. They are a time to be believing and remember our covenants.
• I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.”13 On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal.

While I have never been visited by heavenly angels that I could see, I know that I have local, friendly angels who attend me regularly, and probably more than I deserve. I had a sense last night that I was protected by an unseen angel of the heavenly sort when I especially needed it as well, and while others were praying for me. This doesn't change the knowledge I have that God loves me, that I am His daughter and He will help me as I try to do what He has asked me to do. But it makes me feel better in between moments of strength and doubt.

Visual Learning

I can't take credit for this today. It came from a friend in an email. But being a visual learner much of the time, this email depiction put our nation's debt into perspective for me better than I have ever seen before. I hope it does for you too. Until we recognize the problem, we cannot fix it.


A packet of one hundred $100 bills is less than 1/2" thick and contains $10,000. Fits in your pocket easily and is more than enough for week or two of shamefully decadent fun.

Believe it or not, this next little pile is $1 million dollars (100 packets of $10,000). You could stuff that into a grocery bag and walk around with it.

While a measly $1 million looked a little unimpressive, $100 million is a little more respectable. It fits neatly on a standard pallet...

And $1 BILLION dollars... now we're really getting somewhere...

Next we'll look at ONE TRILLION dollars. This is that number we've been hearing about so much. What is a trillion dollars? Well, it's a million million. It's a thousand billion. It's a one followed by 12 zeros. You ready for this? It's pretty surprising. Go ahead... Scroll down...
Ladies and gentlemen... I give you $1 trillion dollars...

(And notice those pallets are double stacked.)

Uh, people of America...we have a problem.

Oh I Wish I Was...

I wish I was here today...Hukilau Beach on the isle of Oahu with those North shore breezes blowing my hair and ruffling the pages of my book as I sit on my sun-warmed towel on the soft sand and listen to the waves gently caressing the shoreline.

Ohhhh, don't wake me up! I am in my happy place...Wanna join me?!

Another Blessing to Count

Yesterday, The Boy had his dress rehearsal in full makeup. He plays The Narrator, an old man character in the 6th grade play. This is what he looked like when we got home from play practice yesterday.

From his reaction to putting makeup on, I have no worries of this kid ever being an "emo" or a "drag queen". Let me just count that tiny blessing.

Enough Already!

I am not very happy with the weather this morning. Yesterday the wild blew so hard I thought we might be in Kansas, Toto. I wake up today to this:

It is March 30th, for pete's sake. Enough already. Though, skiing friends tell me this snow is "epic, man".

Pouting Doesn't Change It

I have a pouty face tonight. I am being stubborn and I having a bad attitude.

In July I will go on the Stake Trek. Up until now, I have facing the fact that I will go--it is part of my job--but I haven't liked the idea. I enjoy a very cushy life. I like the cushy life. The Girl gets to go and I have talked myself into her needing this experience without her mom there. I will go but I wasn't going to like it.

The Lord told me otherwise today.

Oh, I am going, He reassured me of that. But tonight I heard Him telling me that there is more to this trek than me just going to fulfill my calling at the moment. He has something in mind that I will experience on this trek that will shape me for something else He has in mind for me down the road. I don't know exactly what the "what else" might be. Therein is the problem.

As a planning type personality I like to set an agenda for my life. I like to know what is coming so I can be prepared for it. I generally prepare for the worst case scenario, and find myself pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

The Lord, in my experience, doesn't work like that.

There is something coming that will be difficult for me to do. He knows this about me. He will shape me and mold me to be able to do whatever it is He has in mind. I don't want to be molded or shaped. I don't want to be stretched. I am comfortable now. I am afraid of what is coming for which He is working me out. I don't like these kind of surprises.

Sadly for me, He doesn't take my answers of "I'd rather not, thankyouverymuch." He knows I will do it, but I won't be happy about it. Makes me want to pout. It makes me pout. I am pouting even now.

Still doesn't change the fact that I will be in Wyoming on July. On a trek. In a pioneer outfit. Pulling a handcart. Dangit.