Reflections

I have a new visiting teaching route and it is so inspired!

We went to visit a lady for the first time yesterday and she shared a beautiful gift with us, the story of how her youngest passed away.  It was a sacred and beautiful moment to have her share such a personal thing.

And it brought something to mind....

I am so grateful that, for all the times I brush my children aside and say, "not now" or "tomorrow," the night before my Isaak died, when he turned to me and said, "Mommy!  I left my football at the soccer field!" I loaded up everyone in the van again and headed right back to the soccer field we had just left and looked for it.

I didn't make excuses, I didn't get frustrated with him (the usual response)...

I just did it.  Happily and supportively.

I am so grateful that Heavenly Father inspired me to truly mother him in a kind and gentle way in those last hours before...

Giving

Kosszi, Zita, for sharing this beautiful reminder...

Thanks to all who help save my little ducks...

...when they fall through the grate.

August 2013: Grace for Mother Duck and Me


By Rosie Kaufman

One spring afternoon I was packing my car to begin shuttling my five young children to and from lessons and practices. As I loaded soccer cleats and dance bags, I noticed a mother duck and her ducklings waddling down the sidewalk of our suburban neighborhood.

As I watched, she began to cross the road. Unfortunately, she chose a gutter grate for her crosswalk, and as she passed over it, her babies followed. Four of her ducklings slipped helplessly between the bars of the grate.

When the mother reached the other side, she realized she was missing some of her little ones and could hear their muffled peeps. Totally oblivious of her mistake, she crossed back across the drainage grate, looking for her missing ducklings and losing two more. With horror and some disgust at her poor judgment, I went to the grate to see if I could lift it. Although I used all my strength, the grate barely budged, and I was late to pick up one of my kids.

Figuring I would have to fix the situation later when I wasn’t so rushed, I hopped in the car while muttering self-righteously, “She doesn’t deserve to be a mother.”

During the next hour and a half, I made many of my recurring parenting mistakes. These are mistakes I have begged forgiveness for many times from both my children and my Father in Heaven. Each time I resolve to do better and not to fall prey to these weaknesses again. When I snapped at one of my kids for teasing another, my words echoed loudly in my ears, “She doesn’t deserve to be a mother.”

Suddenly I felt overwhelming compassion for that mother duck. She was trying to navigate the world with the instincts she was given, just as I was. But sometimes those instincts simply weren’t enough, and it was our children who suffered.

I resolved to get the grate off somehow and lift the ducklings out. As I rounded the corner to our street, I saw a small group gathered. My neighbor had lifted the grate, climbed inside the drainage tunnel, and was gently lifting the ducklings out to safety. The frightened little birds scrambled to find their mother, who was pacing nervously in a nearby bush. She hadn’t asked for help, but my neighbor had stepped in when her protection was simply not enough. I was overcome with emotion as I thought of the Savior doing the same for my children and me.

Sometimes we come up short, even when we have the best intentions and try our hardest. However, the Savior’s “grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before [Him]” (Ether 12:27). It comforts me to know that my shortcomings will not ruin my children and that they will be the recipients of love, peace, understanding, and grace from our Savior. He “reaches my reaching”1 and wants my family and me to succeed. Our shortcomings will not prevail when we humble ourselves and stand with the Lord by our side.

Avot's amazing post!

Our Talents

Check it out...amazing!

Devotional on Talents

Here is a great sequence of "things" to help you ponder on talents:

First, the parable:

Then we read this great article about talents, with the quote after it:
http://www.lds.org/ensign/2003/08/parables-of-jesus-the-parable-of-the-talents?lang=eng#listen=audio

President Gordon B. Hinckley exemplifies this important attitude: “My talents may not be great, but I can use them to bless the lives of others. I can be one who does his work with pride in that which comes from his hand and mind.”

Here are some amazing people who are humble seeking their own unique talents:

These people are amazing!!  They took the talents they were given, or talents that they wanted to have, and are just plugging away :).  Totally inspiring.

On the final note, just a reminder that you were born to be a creator.  Love it!

Out of the Wilderness

I love the example of the disciples in the scriptures, good, yet imperfect men trying to do what God wants them to do.

I was touched by a verse just now.  The Savior just told the disciples that He wanted to feed the multitudes before they left. 

4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?

Don't you feel that way sometimes?  Like the Lord asks you to do something and you just feel drained of resources?

Just remember the stunning conclusion after the disciples gather all they can muster....

7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.
 8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.

May I act in faith, and see the miracle that follows!  I guess the key is just making sure I am giving my limited resources exactly where He directs me, eh?  

Spiritual Sanitizer

As I was reading in Mark 7 this morning, I came across the scripture where Christ is berated by the Pharisees because his disciples eat their meal without properly washing, according to the Mosaic Law.  I love the Gospel of Mark, how it was written to the Gentiles, because it helps me understand the Mosaic Law a little better, not taking for granted that I just know it, like some of the other books.

 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with ^aunwashen hands?

 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people ^ahonoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the ^atradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

 10 ^aFor Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso ^bcurseth father or mother, let him die the death:

 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is ^aCorban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

 14 ¶And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can ^adefile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that ^bdefile the man.t

As I pondered on that last verse, it struck me that, even when we physically partake of something that is contrary to our religion, like to drink coffee or smoke for me, it is not as much the actual substance that defiles me (however bad it might be), but it is more the spirit of disobedience in my heart that defiles me.  
This led me to the thought that this verse gives us true and full ownership over our spirituality!  God is promising that outside entities cannot defile our souls, whether physically, emotionally, or visually!  If our hearts are true to Him, seeking to obey His commandments, no matter what other people do to us or show to us, if we are, again, doing everything in our power to live true to what God wants us to do, we cannot be defiled!!

The next verses added additional insight:

 21 For from within, out of the ^aheart of men, proceed evil thoughts, ^badulteries, fornications, murders,

 22 ^aThefts, ^bcovetousness, ^cwickedness, ^ddeceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

 23 All these ^aevil things come from within, and ^bdefile the man.

As I pondered the word "defiled," it made me think of "disinfectants," and how obsessed modern society is with sanitizing themselves physically.  What if we paid as much attention to the cleanliness of our souls, how often would we seek to apply repentance...the ultimate "soul sanitizer" to cleanse us of pride, of deceit, of covetousness...

Hmmmmm.....