Saplings and Sunflowers

I had years of disappointing birthdays stacked up behind me. Birthdays where my husband didn’t get the right gift. Or he forgot the flowers. Or my family just pretty much forgot the holiday altogether. Years where no one really emailed or called or not as many people as I had hoped. Or the cake wasn’t right. Or no card. Or the card message wasn’t long enough. You get the picture. It was getting to the point where I was dreading my birthday because it just never met my expectations. Expectation is the death of all joy.  So, I decided to try a different approach. Instead of spending all of my time mourning about what I wasn’t  getting for my birthday, I decided to make my birthdays giving birthdays.   I have had some wonderful adventures on my giving birthdays. One year I decided to do some service by leaving flowers on the grave of my dear friend Lois Price. I accidentally locked my keys in the car and my old school phone had run out of minutes. Here I w...

The other night I was awakened by an awful feeling of sadness at an opportunity that I had missed through my own mistakes.  My soul ached when I opened my Book of Mormon to 4 Nephi 1:9 and read the words ``there were many cities which had been sunk…and these cities could not be renewed.”  The Lord seemed to be telling me that the opportunity was gone.  “No, please give me another chance.”  But I felt that it was now too late.  I prayed to the Lord with a spirit of sadness.  “What can I do now?”  And the words seemed to come: “Forgive yourself.” I have yelled at my children.  Made cutting remarks to loved ones.  I have offended family members.  I have lost money.  I have broken things.  I have gotten in car accidents.  But I think that the mistakes that hurt the most are the ones where I disappointed God.  Where he was counting on me to do something or to not do something and I let him down.  Those ones really hur...

Photo by Juan Mendez from Pexels Jeffrey R. Holland said that the commandment to "be of good cheer" is one of the least obeyed commandments in the scriptures.  Sometimes, Christian believers can give the impression that they were baptized in a bucket of lemon juice rather than in the pure, cleansing waters of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  We should be smiling saints - with all that God has given us we most certainly should be looking on the bright side of life.   This Easter season is a wonderful time to remember that the word Gospel means "good news!"   Imagine the state of the world when Jesus Christ came on the scene.  Believers in God were trying to navigate a complex series of laws and rules where there was no hope for forgiveness.  Rather, any hope for salvation hinged on perfect obedience to legalistic religious obligations.  As far as all people knew, this life was the end.  There was no sure doctrine teaching life after death ...

Here I am standing with relatives on the site of the original family dugout I was out running yesterday.  I am trying to train for a half marathon.  As I was running an elderly gentleman in a truck rolled down his window and said something like, "Are you from Alaska?"  I kind of laughed, thrown off by what he meant.  Then I looked around and realized that there was snow on the ground and my hands were  a bit numb.  I had been running in the cold and hadn't even noticed.  Immediately I felt rather proud - I was becoming "Minnesota Tough." I first heard this term on a trip to Minnesota this past year.  There I learned about my ancestors from Minnesota - Anton Anderson and Maren Lund.  I learned that they came from Norway in the 1800s and settled in Western Minnesota.  They started out in Minnesota in a little dugout.  They endured blizzards, grasshoppers and an extremely inhospitable climate.  The family eventually grew to eight ...

This weekend I hit a little point of burnout.  I was feeling tense, tired and snapping at everyone.  I hadn’t had the best night’s sleep the night before and I had been giving a lot.  I finally just laid down on my bed exhausted and staring blankly at the wall.  Luckily, after years of practicing at my career as a mother I knew what I needed to do. I needed a break.  And soon.  So, I told my husband and - bless his kind heart - he immediately kicked into gear.  He took the kids and the new puppy for a little outing and left me to recuperate in peace.  I fixed myself a healthy lunch, took a nap and took a warm bath.  By the time he came home I was feeling ready to face the rest of the weekend. Now what you do for your breaks may be different than me.  But I feel that everyone needs breaks.  Especially, if you run most of the day in high gear.  Indeed, I feel that women who take breaks are kinder, more effective mothers than thos...

I am just starting the process of sending my six boys out on missions.  But here are some ideas that I have gathered and have tried to implement over the years that might be helpful to others working towards the same goal. 1. Build a Testimony Hold your family scripture and prayer.  Hold family home evening. Make sure they know the importance of reading scriptures and saying prayers on their own.  Keep them clean and worthy to serve a mission.  But also let them make decisions.  Don’t force.  Give gentle reminders or use consequences when necessary. 2. Teach them to Teach others The best way to do this is to give them opportunities to teach in your own home.  Have them give family home evening lessons, Come Follow Me lessons or devotional messages.   3. Serve Others With Your Family When you go ministering, bring your child with you.  But more importantly look for neighbors and those in your community who need a helping hand....

    As I have learned about my ancestors I have appreciated more and more the value of the ordinary life.  The life as one of the ninety and nine.  A life where sacrifice and service take precedence over wealth, glamor or ease.  A life that is a composite of tender touches, work worn wrinkles, dusty shirts and dinner time conversations.  A life where success is sacrificed on the altar of integrity.  A life where ambition melts in a compassionate glance.  A life where a child’s call is answered.  In this type of life we don’t get seen much.  These lives become yet another plain cotton thread in the fabric of a very warm, very soft blanket.  A family.  A community.  A nation.   My Little Place “Father, where shall I work today?” And my love flowed warm and free.  Then He pointed me out a tiny spot And said, “Tend that for me.” I answered quickly, “Oh no, not that!” Why no one would ever see, No matter how well my w...