Carried, Lifted, and Supported

When thinking of New York one of the first things that come to mind is the Subway. Of course, there is always the old-fashioned way of getting around on your two feet, but taking the Subway can save you time and energy. Another interesting way to get around New York is to use bike carriers. This is where a trailer with a seat for two is behind the biker and you sit and ride while you are carried around the city. Both modes of transportation bring to mind the importance of allowing others to lift you and carry you when needed. While there we walked 6 to 10.62 miles a day and climbed 23-30 flights of stairs some days. We did all this and we took the Subway often. I can't imagine how exhausted I would have been if I hadn't used the resources available! While we never used a bike carrier, they added an interesting dynamic to the city.  

Another lesson in being lifted comes from our hotel. The hotel we stayed in had two elevators and 26 floors with about 4 rooms per floor. On checkout day, one of the elevators was out of order. Imagine the headache when nearly one hundred guests (our choir tour group) checked out. With all my luggage in hand (my suitcase was NOT small) I waited over 15 minutes for an elevator that never arrived. Because of the delay and my concern that I wouldn't make check out in time, my son and I carried my luggage down 24 flights of stairs. It was exhausting and made me realize how blessed I am to be lifted, carried, and supported in life! Also, I CAN do hard things...but sometimes it's just nice to be supported by modern conveniences! 

You are remembering a moment before you were born

Today on my walk, I listened to the April 2024 conference talk by President Henry B. Eyring entitled, All Will Be Well Because of Temple Covenants. Speaking of seeing the Celestial Room for the first time I heard him say, "I looked up at a high white ceiling that made the room so light it seemed almost as if it were open to the sky. And in that moment, the thought came into my mind in clear words: “I have been in this lighted place before.” But then immediately there came into my mind, not in my own voice, these words: “No, you have never been here before. You are remembering a moment before you were born. You were in a sacred place like this where the Lord could come.”

As I contemplated those words I realized all who are on this earth were in that sacred place called the pre-existence. We each were obedient to our Heavenly Father. We all loved Him and felt His love for us. Just as a young child loves and follows its parents we also adored our Heavenly Parents and had a desire to follow them. The greatest challenge we face is remembering that desire when we are so bombarded and distracted by the things of this world. We must always remember!

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." -Helaman 5:12 

Cedar City Utah Temple Celestial Room

Don't Sit on the Floor

 Every place you go has rules that don't make sense and New York has one that made no sense to me, at the time. While waiting there were moments that benches weren't available. One moment was waiting for the Subway and the other time was waiting for others to finish up an event. When I heard someone say not to sit on the floor of the Subway I figured it was for sanitary reasons. Those floors look like they are rarely mopped. When we were in the neat and tidy building at One Vanderbilt and the security guard asked the kids to stand up I had to ask. Why was this a rule? I mean these kids were exhausted and there were NO benches. Why couldn't they sit on the floor and relax if they wanted to? The answer surprised me. In a city with so many people, in the case of an emergency and everyone running, the kids would not have time to get up. It was literally a rule because it could save their life. This made me realize that there is no harm in asking why. Sometimes knowing why makes it easier to be compliant! 

I chose to share this lesson from New York today because I watched stories about 9/11 this week and that lesson was understood on a deeper level. Some of those who died on 9/11 were trampled as people ran to safety. It's amazing how many changes came from 9/11. I am truly thankful for the opportunity to see the memorial while I was in New York!    

9/11 Memorial Pools

One Vanderbilt

Finding Myself

For nearly four years I was working in customer service and for the last two years I have worked five days a week. Three weeks ago I made a job switch to being a teachers aid and I LOVE it! For a long time I've felt lost and stuck. I didn't know what to do, but I knew I wasn't loving my life. Whenever I discussed changes with my husband I could sense the fear and weight he was concerned about carrying alone, yet I knew I needed something different. I knew I needed something that would give me more time with my boys but still allow me to help with the financial responsibilities of my family. 

I feel truly blessed to have made this shift. I've missed having the time to share my thoughts. I've missed having the mental energy to clean my house. Thank goodness for help from my boys over the last four years. Yesterday my husband asked where all this energy came from as I kept organizing and cleaning. I realized that while working only part time my energy was drained from trying to solve others problems and when I came home I had very little energy or ambition to give to my family or my home.

I am eager to give this platform some of my time and energy as well, because with this shift in my life I feel the sun is shining brighter. I have a greater purpose in my work away from home and I have a greater capacity to give to the people in my home. Thank you for supporting me in my efforts to bring sunshine and light to others! 

Next week I am looking forward to sharing some of the lessons I learned from my trip to the Big Apple back in May! See you then!

How's Your Streak?

 

Are your friends and family like mine? Do you get daily texts revealing the New York Times' latest Wordle or Connections game someone has played? It's the worst when you've got a good streak going and you forget to play, isn't it? Sometimes I get a streak of three or four days...and that's when I'm actually trying. I'm much better at keeping up with my DuoLingo streak as I try to learn Spanish. My current steak is 144 days, but that's only because they give you streak freezes so you don't actually lose your streak when you forget every now and then. 

With all these streaks we try not to lose, it got me thinking. What if there were a streak for saying daily prayers. Would we be better at remembering to pray? What about scripture study? If your phone sent you a message telling you not to lose your streak would you make sure to pull out your scriptures and read at least a verse or two every day...you know, in order not to lose your streak?

Is this not what the parable of the ten virgins is all about? You can miss a day here and there, sort of like Duo Lingo's freeze streak. Maybe it's not a "perfect" streak, but it's consistent enough to keep your streak going. It's consistent enough to build a reserve of oil for when the Bridegroom comes! I hope that when you get those reminders "not to lose your steak" you will ask yourself how your "scripture streak" and "prayer streak" is going. Then we will be more likely to be prepared for the time when our Lord and Savior returns! 

We will know Him!

 It's been a bit, but I am still here!

I wanted to share an experience from my weekend that brought a smile to my face and light into my life. When I was a little girl (kindergarten and younger) I had a best friend who I adored. Her family moved to Florida and later my family moved from that small apartment as well. I've thought of this friend over the years. She was dear to me. The man in this photo below is her father today. I haven't seen him in nearly 40 years and yet it only took me a few moments in a chance meeting in his store to recognize him and ask him if he was who I thought! What a fun reunion it was!

Today in Sunday School as I thought of the Tree of Life leading us to Christ I thought of this experience. After 40 years I still knew my friend's father. I realized just as I knew him in an instant so we will know Christ when he returns. In Philippians 2:10-11 it tells us, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

As I contemplated the scriptures, I realized we already know Christ! We knew him before we came to this earth, and we will know him again! Knowing him is not a question. The question is do we remember him now and do we live so when he returns, we feel worthy to be in his presence. Not because we are worthy, but because we've remembered! We've remembered that only through him can we become worthy! I hope when I meet him that I will know that I used his atonement enough to be comfortable in the presence of his love. I want to continue to partake of the fruit of His goodness. I want to partake of his love daily!

Helaman 5:12

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

How Great Shall Be Your Joy!

 The scriptures in Doctrine & Covenants 18:15-16 says, “And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!”

I’ve heard it said that the one soul you need to bring is yourself. Typically, when you think of this scripture you think of missionaries and the souls they teach and bring into the gospel. Today while hearing this scripture at the homecoming of a missionary in our family it hit me a little differently. What if those other souls it’s referring to are my children?!? 

I’m always working on my relationship with my Savior! The truth is I can only teach my children how to find Christ. They have to build that trust and relationship with their Savior themselves. I hope that they will follow my lead because if I can bring all three of these souls unto Christ my soul will surely be filled with joy! ❤️❤️❤️