Laughing Matters

Talking with a good friend in the library this evening I had the question come to my mind- “what has made you laugh today?” I liked the question so much, just me asking it gave me a little chuckle!  Being at BYU, our church group gets together every Sunday evening to spotlight at few people in the Ward (congregation) and share a thought and prayer.  I have had some excellent questions come to my mind while attending there these past few months:

“When we are children, we have hopes and dreams.  Where you are now in your life, which of those dreams do you feel you are living from when you were a child?”

“Inspired by the recent movie Warm Bodies; if you were a cold blooded zombie, what is one thing which would warm your heart and bring you back to the living?”

“What is your dream vacation- I mean an actual dream, if you could dream and vacation, where would you like to go?”

I have others, but those are good to start!  I have noticed a few common things which have come with these questions-

Perfect

My sister has recently become engaged, and as such my Mom is on a search for the perfect cupcake for the wedding.  In the pictures is a box of the most recent 9 cupcakes I have been asked to taste test (we all have to make sacrifices!).  If I had the recipes I would share- but the Oreo cupcakes were divine!  Mint Chocolate also deserves an honorable mention!  Have you wondered why wheat grass didn’t taste like chocolate, and chocolate like wheat grass?  It would be easier to maintain a healthy life style!

But even for those who do their best to be healthy, and as sweet as those things were, some other things, such as this creature found at the bottom of a box of oranges were not quite in “top condition!”  I figured with the nice wrapper which oranges have, the inside would still be good and fine to eat! . . . I am just teasing; I did not taste the orange.  I was thrown off by the oneness shared between the box and the orange- meaning the bottom of the box and some innards of the orange stayed attached as I lifted the orange out.  To give you an idea on my train of thought- I am thinking today about getting old and hope.

I was recently told I fit in very well at a senior home I was visiting- and I do relate to a few things very well which they are going through.  A favorite question I recently had which I asked them was in reference to pickling.  Have you heard the phrase that all people pickle- just some are sour and some are sweet?  Last time I was visiting the center I asked a few wonderful daughters of our Heavenly Father if they had any advice about pickling. 

Testimony for Fast Sunday

Church today was inspiring!  It seemed people stood up in droves to fill the stand in order to bear their testimony.  I was particularly inspired today after a brother in our Ward, Parker, stood up and bore his. I had walked to the front of the congregation, but found that there was not enough time for me to bear my testimony as I would like today.  But, I am able to share it here and now! And I don’t feel awkward taking pauses to think and ponder!

This is a remarkable church! There are remarkable people!  I am grateful for those who are willing to share their testimony and the personal things which have made an impact in their lives.  The things people mentioned made an impact on me today.  They made me more grateful for the blessings I have, and I was also inspired to be better in all I do. What I share I do in hopes that it may also help some other person.

Taking the Road Less Traveled

The path was to the right of the stadium through the trees.

I biked to campus this evening- like I usually do.  Biking is much cooler than driving—not just because I usually do it, but you can use that as a reason.  Also, the speed one goes is directly proportional to the coolness factor.  Biking this afternoon I ran into difficulty as so many people were walking around the stadium.  I decided to take my secret shortcut on the higher road and cut through a dirt trail a little higher than the stadium parking lot.  It was a good idea- but when I got on it I realized the majority of it had been torn up and was now mostly loose dirt/sand/no trail.  It was bumpitybumpitybumpitybumpity.  As I got on I thought wow, I did not know I was coordinated to ride my bike across this without going falling over!  On sand/loose dirt, if you go to slow the bike does funny things and it is easy fall to the side, or nearly impossible to get going.  This evening I found I could ride over it for an extended period of time!  I learned sometimes I don’t really know what I am able to do, until I suddenly find myself in the middle of doing it.

I was not able to ride my bike to campus when I first started this semester.  This past summer I had both knees and a hip replaced.  The joints have been a little reluctant to start working for me again, but they have slowly been coming back.  The main therapy I have been doing on them has been biking as mentioned and recently I added swimming again.  I had earlier had my other hip replaced, so this summer made it so I had a complete set- both knees and both hips.  I did not know I could handle this and still be a happy person.  But hey- I’m doing it!  Going over the muddy sand at first I was a little shocked, but the momentum of the bike carried me until I could get going.  With these surgeries I have also been carried as I learn to deal with them.  I found that being carried on my bike is a wonderful analogy for how we are lifted through the struggles we have in life.

Nil Sine Numine

Colorado State Motto: Nil Sine Numine=  “Nothing without the Deity”

Do you ever go out to do something righteous—but then find as soon as you start that the Lord had a different plan for you all along?  The weather this evening has been beautiful.  In an effort to take advantage of it, I went to the hammock in the backyard to read my scriptures.  I wasn’t sure where I was going to read, but I had said a prayer that the Lord would help me find the right verses to give me the guidance I needed.  After my prayer, it was very hard to concentrate—two Robins had gone absolutely berserk.  They were squeaking like I didn’t know a Robin could and acting very strange.  They kept teasing our dog Chester (a beagle)—landing right next to him and then hopping away, almost but not quite getting caught.  I had not realized those birds could be such dare devils!  Eventually the birds succeeded in navigating Chester to the other end of our yard and they stopped.  I was glad it was over, but after almost a whole 2 seconds Chester came running back over to investigate something under a tree in the back corner of our yard, and the whole ordeal started over again.

But I caught on this time, I walked over to where Chester was looking (both him and the birds were distracting each other) and I found a young bird frozen on the ground.  It was not a baby, but was definitely younger.  I put the dogs inside, and then came back out with some gloves to rescue the bird.  When I came back, all the birds were gone.

Faithfully Ignorant?

                A single old lantern hung from a hook above the stall.  Will anxiously watched his father as he worked with the animal in the dim light.  The young calf was not doing well; she had suffered a traumatic birth and now seemed to have stopped breathing.  In his mind Will offered a silent prayer- “God, please help our cow to live, help her to be ok.”  At that moment, the cow began to move- something had changed and she was breathing again.  Although the night passed long, she did continue to recover and became a very healthy cow.

                Many years later history repeated itself.  Will was down working with another sick cow, and his little boy stood watching him full of anxiety and worry.  Will wondered if his boy was praying as he had done so long ago.  Will also wondered why he was not praying himself.  He could see the calf really was not breathing, he could tell the heart had stopped and she was now dead.  Why was it easier to pray and ask God for these things when he knew so much less about the cows and caring for them?  Can ignorance help faith, is ignorance bliss?

                So, the story might not be the most interesting (I have heard similar, but this one I made up), but I like the question it brought up.  It is something I had wondered about before- specifically “Can ignorance help one’s faith?” 

Great Achievements- From Great Gifts

Family and Friends in Rocky Mountain National Park

It seems to me every day that the future is coming faster and faster- “time flies on wings of lightening.”  I never would have guessed I would end up where I am now- it is far better than anything I could have imagined! :)  The future seems to be clicking into place.  I have decided on classes and a major I love, the Lord continues to give me great gifts to help me continue with excitement and faith to the future.  I am so glad I am able to come home for this summer!  The idea was to save some money and get some surgeries done, but I have found I have not realized fully what other great gifts have come with this.

1.       I have the gift of a great family!  


I love my family; my Mom has been spoiling me now that I am home.  I no longer have to cook the majority of my meals- and other people actually help with the dishes on a regular basis (WOW!!- that is amazing).  My Mom is patient with me in shopping (I hate clothes shopping- it is hard enough trying to decide what clothes to wear every morning).  My Dad has gone biking with me in the morning- it is much more fun to have someone to go with (over 50, and still waiting on me).  My sister Beth represents an epitome of fun!  I love spending time with her- we have a lot of fun together!  I have an amazing brother still living in Provo.  Chad has been a great example to me of hard work and planning for the future!  My sister Tara is a superstar!  She is a wonderful example of concern and dedication to the work she is in.  I know we are all on to great things!

2.       I have the gift of great opportunities!