So, just returned from an Alaskan cruise. It was all so fabulous. This earth is an amazingly beautiful place with more wonders than anyone could possibly take in in a life time! Out of all the wonders we encountered, I wrote this ode to the one that excited me the most:
Sweet was the time,
The scenery sublime,
But nothing delighted
So much as we sighted
From the small boat, a WHALE,
Who twice dove, and showed us a tail!
http://www.mormon.org/blog/3-reasons-to-spend-time-in-nature
Here’s another poem written for the vow renewal that is happening today!
The path to true love is steep and narrow,
With wondrous vistas along the way.
When two souls share hard times together,
Their confidence grows day by day.
Their trust becomes more real;
Their love becomes more sure.
Through hardships, hearts can heal.
Through prayer, love becomes more pure.
The path to true love requires both
Souls to put each other first,
To listen to each other through
Better, and through worst,
To strive to look for the good with
Patience, when tempers flare,
Allowing for life’s frustrations
To dissipate through the air.
We each have our own weakness,
And if we need to say
Something the other is doing
That blocks our love along the way,
Then’s the time for ears to hear,
As hearts open with care
To listen with real intent;
To try our best to be fair.
We each have different ways
In how we need to be loved.
Affections, appreciation & acceptance,
Lift one’s conscience up above.
Most negative feelings will
Seldom get a start.
The path to true love is understanding,
And each soul must do the greater part.
http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-09-0100-love-at-home?lang=eng
So, I’m thinking ahead here. In 4 days we will be cruising to Alaska! One thing we have planned on-board is a vow renewal ceremony, and I wrote this poem to be read at that time.
It is truly a blessing to have a buddy, companion, spouse and friend to share life with. We should all appreciate the precious moments shared, and take care of each other with kindness and patience. A little bit of laughter along the way helps too.
There’s nothing like a buddy
Walking always by your side,
Who laughs with you, and cries with you,
Who you let in your heart–inside.
As years fly by
and age sets in,
More beautiful they be.
They’re bound to us, a part of us,
It’s wondrous, you see.
And now, today we stop to celebrate,
And remember all the things
That have made it all so great.
Again we pledge, again we vow, again we give our heart.
And then we turn to face new days,
Fueled by love, again, we start.
http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/topics/marriage-and-family?lang=eng
At the end of every rainbow, there’s a pot of gold.
And clouds are lined with silver, so I’m told.
But don’t you think a rainbow and a cloud are pretty too?
Must you always look ahead for gold to come to you?
Sometimes we need a friend so say, “There’s beauty in a storm,
Although the winds blow chilly cold, we can be safe and warm.”
And suddenly the sun breaks through–a bright and shiny ray.
Sometimes I need a friend like you to help me through the day.
It’s odd that I would write this poem, because I’ve always been one who suffers through trials. I’m the one who rolls their eyes if someone suggests to look for lessons or growth in hardship, and I have a really hard time thanking God for everything, including troubles. The poem reminds me of my Dad when I was a child. I was absolutely terrified of lighting and could not understand how he could sit out on the front porch and watch a lightning storm and enjoy it! Sometimes he would see my terror and pull me onto his lap and try to comfort me, which it did, until the next storm.
But I do believe that it is true about how we grow the best when we are challenged; when things are tough. And I have noticed that heartfelt prayer is a great tool.
The following it a short video from the MormonChannel.org. It deals with trials and adversity and comfort through prayer.
http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-002-comfort-in-trials?lang=eng
John 14:27: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
This poem, written by Bob, is a cute reminder of how precious our children are, and also about how fast they grow up. One day they are crawling, and the next day, they have a family of their own! Our roles as parents are ever-changing. We spend so much time when they are babies and toddlers that I sometimes wonder if we have enough energy or brain cells left to adapt ourselves to our new role as a parent of teenagers, or young adults. The roles seem especially challenging when they leave us and have a family of their own. Where do we fit in? How do we advise and help? How do we handle our frustration and disappointment about not doing a better job?
Being a parent is absolutely a timeless blessing, and sometimes we need to be open enough to take advise, counsel, and inspiration.
Energy unending,
Hurts that need mending,
To him, life’s a constant sea
Of endless curiosity.
Exploring places, pots and pans,
Cats and puppies, garbage cans.
I stand in awe at how he learns,
Each bump and jar it’s value earns.
He lays, then crawls, then walks, then runs,
My boy! My son! My brother! My friend!
Eternal brothers never end.
The following link (to lds.org) is an illustration of a mother’s love, and how prayer will help us through our darkest moments of despair.
Last week I waged a battle with the back yard weeds. It felt so good to grab their bodies and jerk them from the soil. They are unwelcome visitors…they take up precious space. I could grow flowers or vegetables there. Handful after handful. I filled two large yellow leaf bags, and then looked around, and went for the squatters in another small-ish area, and then another, and then, just one more to fill the bag firmly. I was proud of myself. I had won the war, or, at least the battle of the day!
That afternoon, Bob and I went to the zoo…just to walk around and enjoy our favorite friends. I no sooner entered through the gate than I felt incredible drained and tired, and, the father I went, the more I realized that I was in pain. It actually took me a couple of days to realize that the weed-warrior had some serious battle scars in the low back!
So, I’ve been limping around and feeling old and broken. It reminds me of the poem Bob wrote many years ago when he cracked a vertebrae. I’m sure I’ve posted this one before, but, here it is again:
Each day I live you come to me,
Almost always by surprise.
You have no thought of decency,
From my tip-toes to my eyes.
Sometimes you stay just a little while,
Other times you stay too long.
And when you do, you sing to me, a very painful song.
But, dear old friend, thank God for you,
For without your warning signs,
I would not know and could not know
Those injuries of mine.
And I would probably bleed to death,
Or something just as bad,
If you weren’t there to counsel me
By helping me feel bad.
So, my dear friend, thank God for you
Just one more time.
‘Cause when you’re gone, and I feel good,
That feeling is sublime!
The following link is to mormonchannel.org and contains a 3-minute video of a man who endured a lot of pain. It makes me feel grateful that my pain will subside. It’s not something I have to live with, as so many others do (my husband included).
http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/im-a-mormon/tim-hurst-running-on-faith
Share your stories of pain, please!
Many people want to see a miracle. They want to see something that says there is a God; and yet, all around us is the handiwork and majesty of life–from the perfection of a little ant to the perfection of an elephant, or each flower and tree, to the moon or sun, or anything!
Is life for the moment? Is that all we really have?
Can we work toward tomorrow? Or is that really bad?
In our world, fleeting moments seem to stifle most our dreams.
Is there something worth relying on, or is it all a scheme?
Does the universe not care? Is God unfeeling too?
What makes life worthwhile, if nothing’s really true?
If each child’s own pathway has no guidelines for their life,
Then what is the reason for becoming mates through life?
If it all ends with the grave, than let passion rule my life.
If selfishness brings happiness, then take all that we can.
Does it really matter if we hurt our fellowman?
Can you see love in a flower as it blooms in early spring?
Can you see love in the floating of a bird upon it’s wings?
Yet, who’s the Master Painter who paints all that we see?
In endless living color, through all eternity?
http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-10-017-gods-greatest-creation?lang=eng
We love to hear your comments. Please, if you are reading this, post your thoughts and ideas.
Be Christ’s hands and heart to others here upon the earth.
Look to other’s needs and heartaches, and we will find true worth.
If we think too much of ourselves, our worries grow within.
When we serve the weak and poor, we gain pure light and win.
Recently, our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has challenged us to step outside ourselves and to minister unto others, using Jesus Christ as our example. The following short video (less than 2 minutes) illustrates that challenge.
http://www.lds.org/mycalling/ministering/a-vision-of-ministering?lang=eng
We have all been the recipient of well-timed service. I am grateful for those people who were discerning enough to see my needs, and, with the Spirit’s help, know how to meet those needs with simple acts of kindness, usually small, such as a note, or a phone call. Let us all make this world a better place by being Christ’s hands on a more consistent basis.
The strength that really matters, child, isn’t found within one’s arm.
True strength is found in love, my child, toward thy fellowman.
To love and share and help, my child, or just to understand,
That, if I could, I’d help the one, fallen in despair,
To lift the souls that want to grow, and comfort them in prayer.
True strength, my child, is something that comes from up above,
And guides each torn and sin-tossed soul to God’s eternal love.
http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/im-a-mormon/im-a-mormon-2011?lang=eng
Strength and courage…what is the difference? Do we need one to have the other? Does one come first? Give me some examples, please!
Last month we took an extended vacation to one of our most beloved places: the Oregon coast. Almost as a last minute thought, we decided to take our 3 oldest grandchildren along (ages 14, 13, and 7). To be honest…I had my doubts that we could successfully endure 17 days. There would be a lot of driving on several days, probably 8+ hours, and those kids usually complain after 1-2 hours! And, I’m not sure they really are into appreciating scenery. Will we be able to have enough for them to do? Enough to EAT? Will they fight and quarrel to the point of driving us insane? We both decided to give it our best effort, and to really try to show them how much we love them. And now, looking back on it, I think perhaps it is one of the best trips we’ve ever taken. Those 3 were a positive delight. Their exuberance at their first ocean sight and encounter forcefully reminded me of how wondrous the ocean really is. I saw it all through different eyes, the eyes of children.
There is definitely something about being together, away from home, for more than just a few hours. Bonds were reinforced, connections made, and love grows. Memories will fuel me for a long time, and I hope that will also be true for them. I hope in years and decades to come, that they will reflect upon events of this trip, and find comfort and strengthen in them because they know of our love for them, and they will know that they are important, valued and treasured, just as was expressed by Russell M. Nelson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He shared a profound family acronym about his feelings for his children and grandchildren: LAWN: Loved, Adored, Wanted, Needed.
The following short video expresses the value of spending time together as a family. I can strongly relate to the comments at the end by the grandparents, expressing that phone calls just don’t take the place of time together.
There is so much beauty in one day,
If man can open up his eyes,
To look at God’s great canvas,
From a flower, to the skies,
From the delicate color
In a butterfly’s wings,
The the majestic blues and greys
On the mountain side.
For here lies God’s creation,
My testimony and eternal progression
To those who follow love.
