Choices!

It has been awhile since I have really written from my heart, why? Well, to be completely honest with you...I am struggling. I had always heard about when women went through Menapause and how tough it could be. I remember well, how hard it was on my own Mom. I was determined to live a different life from my Mom, so that my results would be different. I can almost feel my Mom on the other side...smiling right now :)

. Hormones are Hormones, Life is Life and Stages in life are normal, even if we don't really want them. 

I finally got some natural things to get my sleep back, which was a big blessing. Not sleeping for weeks at a time made me a pretty unhappy camper.

Now for the hormone roller coaster, well... I am on it! Poor Jeff, he just looks at me crying and being so sad, and he doesn't quite no what to do with me. He keeps asking me what he can do... and I only wish I knew. He has been so kind and so patient, I really shouldn't complain at all. 

I remember right after being diagnosed with cancer for the 1st time, the oncologist explaing to be the side effects of some of the medicine he thought I should start taking! There were so many of them, I asked him "well, then what do you do for the big side effect of "Depression that you mentioned?" His response was " well, we can give you another medicine for that!"

I know this is all part of the menapause but I have to admit, it has been really scary at times. I am usually a very, very happy and positive person. To feel so down is not a fun place to be.

I know for a big part of my life I have done things more Natural and still I think that is what I would always choose first. So I am on a quest right now...trying to get my hormone balanced, my emotions in check and get some hope and energy back into my life.  I know millions of women have gone through this and LIVED! I just want to be one of them!!!
 To watch my body change ( and not for the better ), and to have my emotions on my sleeve all the time... has been a bigger challenge for me than I ever imagined.
That is one of the reason I haven't been writing, didn't feel like I had much to motivate you about!  This is suppose to be a motivational blog right ?

 I am so sorry I have been absent for awhile. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I want there to be something to learn from in this blog, not just a place to complain!
Lots of changing coming to my body, my mind and my work right now so... I am just going to try and take it one day at a time.
Thank you for your friendship and for your kind words. Even if my life is a bit crazy right now, I could never deny how Blessed I am!
Good Night dear friends!

It takes more than just lemon juice!

I loved this story and was once again reminded that we all have room for self improvement, if we only would  examine our lives more often.
I love Sundays and the things that I learn on how to be a better daughter, wife and Mother!
Good Night dear friends!

"Some years ago there was a news story about a man who believed that if he rubbed lemon juice on his face, it would make him invisible to cameras. So he put lemon juice all over his face, went out, and robbed two banks. Not much later he was arrested when his image was broadcast over the evening news. When police showed the man the videos of himself from the security cameras, he couldn’t believe his eyes. “But I had lemon juice on my face!” he protested.³

When a scientist at Cornell University heard about this story, he was intrigued that a man could be so painfully unaware of his own incompetence. To determine whether this was a general problem, two researchers invited college students to participate in a series of tests on various life skills and then asked them to rate how they did. The students who performed poorly were the least accurate at evaluating their own performance—some of them estimating their scores to be five times higher than they actually were.⁴

This study has been replicated in numerous ways, confirming over and over again the same conclusion: many of us have a difficult time seeing ourselves as we truly are, and even successful people overestimate their own contribution and underestimate the contributions that others make.⁵

It might not be so significant to overestimate how well we drive a car or how far we can drive a golf ball. But when we start believing that our contributions at home, at work, and at church are greater than they actually are, we blind ourselves to blessings and opportunities to improve ourselves in significant and profound ways."

I found the story HERE:

Having to go to Plan B...once again!

Well, I am sorry it has been a couple of days since I have written but it has been a crazy few days. When the girls and I were rearranging and cleaning the rooms, I didn't put on my face mask to protect my lungs...I know better but honestly when it is hot ...it is really hard to want to put anything over your mouth. But I should have because by Friday I was having tightness in my chest and my nose and eyes were running.
Amy came over Saturday and I could tell that I was still struggling with my breathing. She helped me work on my Sewing Studio downstairs, she was a great help. What an organizer she is, not sure how any of my kids got that talent...not from me, that's for sure!
The girls played outside and made some homemade crocheted sandles, they are pretty creative with that yarn.

 I was worried it would get too bad for me to teach on Sunday but my prayers were answered and I got to teach just fine, except that my voice was really deep...I sounded like Jeff.
My lesson was on the importance of having Prophets on the earth. We turned on my time machine and went back in time and went over what we learned from prophets of old!

Jeff and I went over last evening to Amy and John's for a Father's Day dinner, she did a great job!

Then Jeff got to Face Time or calls with the other kids. 

Jeff is one of the most wonderful Dad I have ever seen. How grateful I am to have him in our lives!

I had a hard time breathing last night and so when I woke up this morning, I knew I was in trouble when my chest was hurting bad when I woke up, plus I didn't have my voice. To cough really hurt, I knew I had better get into the Doctor right away! 

I got in to see her this afternoon and it was what I suspected Pneumonia again! It was in the right lung and she suspected the left one because I was wheezing when I tried to give her big breaths. Oh well, got my antibiotics and inhaler tonight so I guess I will stay down for a few days! Definitely not what I planned. My granddaughter and I had planned a big 5 day Sleep Over, I was sad that Jeff had to call tonight and postpone that with her. Guess it will have to be Plan B again!

Well, I don't feel like doing much, but I did get a good laugh from watching this short video of a Grandson and his Grandfather playing a game together. It was too cute and I would like to get that game myself!

If you want to smile today then watch this...
funny video for grandparents HERE:
Good Night dear friends!

Judging Others!

This story by Jason Wright is so true, I need to remember it more often. Everyone has a Story!
Went to Port Townsend all day with our family...what a beautiful place we live in!
Good Night dear friends.
.

There was just something about her.

The woman behind the Handy Mart counter had worried eyes and a tired smile. I suspected the reason her smile was exhausted had nothing to do with using it all the time. It was just tired of lying.

It was 6:40 a.m. in the quiet convenience store and I’d planned to buy a newspaper and enjoy a donut and juice before heading to my office. And, because I’m a serial talker, I’d hoped to chat with whoever might be working or simply passing through the combination gas station and Dunkin Donuts.

I paid for my breakfast and decided to try to pry a smile with a joke that was outrageously funny in my head, but in the real world? Not so much. The clerk, Cheri Romick, grinned anyway, wished me a good day and returned to her routine.

I went back a couple times a week for several months and was met with the same polite but disconnected smiles and the obligatory, “Thank you,” and, “Come again.” No matter the hour and whether I was alone or with my crazy kids, her mood never seemed to change.

One morning, after a long trial and after examining the evidence, I appointed myself judge and issued a verdict. “She’s just not very friendly,” I decided. “Plus, she’s grumpy and definitely not a morning person. Oh, and she probably hates her job, too.”

And so, with judgment in hand, I moved on.

Though I’d given up on Romick, by then I’d become friends with the other employees and continued visiting the store. The others were kind, engaging and funny, and despite the occasional presence of their perpetually miserable coworker, I enjoyed stopping by.

Then one morning as I filled a fountain drink, the manager came over to say hello and to wipe down a nearby counter. I sidled up next to her and, noticing that Romick apparently had the day off, finally addressed my curiosity. “So, tell me about Cheri? She sure doesn’t seem very happy. What’s her deal? She’s never been very friendly.”

The manager lowered her eyes and put her hand on my arm. “You don’t know?”

“I guess not,” I thought, and the lump in my throat quickly became a pit in my stomach.

“She’s had a really hard year,” she said softly. “Both her parents just died. She was living with and caring for them. She lived with them her whole life.”

My breakfast didn’t taste very good that morning.

A few days later, I returned and spent a little more time than usual at the counter. I asked some casual questions and for the first time ever, I saw her.

I really saw her.

The once grumpy, grouchy and unfriendly clerk was gone. In her place stood a daughter of God who’d been tested and challenged in ways she’d never imagined.

Cheri Lynn Romick and her parents moved into the house she still calls home more than 30 years ago. She never married, did not have children and made caring for her parents her top priority. They had a lawn and garden business that kept them side-by-side and as tight as family can be. When her mother, Lucy Romick, began struggling with health problems in 2010, they closed the business and turned their attention even more to what matters most.

On Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011, her mother fell and fractured her pelvis. Three days later, Cheri and her father put Lucy to bed. When they checked on her the next morning, she was gone.

I asked Cheri, now a good friend and one of the kindest people I know, what she remembers about that moment. “To this day I can see my daddy standing in their bedroom asking me, ‘What are we gonna do without her?’ ”

Yes, while I was worrying about why she didn’t think my jokes were funny, she was worrying about life without her mother.

Five months later, her father, Harry, had a stroke and was transported by medical helicopter for emergency surgery. He never saw his home again; he died in November.

In nine months, the woman I judged as unfriendly, grumpy and grouchy buried the two people she loved most in this world and was left alone in the house that raised her.

Today, Romick savors every moment. “Jason, I’ve learned that life is too short to worry about stupid things. You just never know when your last day will come.”

I love my trips to the local Handy Mart more than ever. No, it’s not the only convenience store in town, but it’s the one where I am reminded that the person behind the counter, or on the street, or on the other end of the phone doesn’t need to be analyzed or judged. They need to be seen.

Why?

Because there’s just something about them.

Found the story Here:

Gratitude!

I am thankful for the chance to be here on earth, at this time...to have these sweet kids in my life!

Truth be told, there's nothing better than being a grandparent. All our elders know this and it is evidenced by that twinkle in their eyes. Of course, they know more than they let on—life's secrets have come to them through time, experience, and patience. ~author unknown

Our grandchildren accept us for ourselves, without rebuke or effort to change us, as no one in our entire lives has ever done, not our parents, siblings, spouses, friends - and hardly ever our own grown children. ~Ruth Goode

"The most precious jewels you'll ever have around your neck are the arms of your children."

"Life is too short to be too busy for the people you love."

" I love you to the moon and back"

Expectations!

One of my favorite sports as a kid was playing basketball. I was the only girl in my family, I had 4 brothers so...no one was surprised when I came out a Tom Boy. But I really loved basketball and can remember practicing on our basketball hoop that we had near the drive way on our farm in the evening till it got dark. It wasn't adjustable, but sometimes I wished it would have been.
Then when Jeff and I got married and we started having kids we bought the Little Tykes basketball hoop, they loved that. By the time they made it to Jr High, we bought the adjustable basketball hoop to put in our drive way too!
 Loved this analogy by Jason Wright of the basketball hoop and kids!
Hope you do too...night dear friends!

Should we lower the hoop for the kids?

After a lengthy and well-orchestrated campaign by my two young sons, I finally purchased a basketball standard for the driveway. It’s the typical rolling model with height adjustment for the rim and a large base to fill with water or sand.

The rim is a bit small — it seems to clunk out more of my 3-pointers than other hoops I’ve used — but that’s another column.

One recent evening, my youngest took advantage of being home alone with me to shoot around without having his older brother there to block his shot. As I mowed our front lawn, he two-hand heaved from every angle. The rim was at regulation height, 10 feet, and most of his attempts barely brushed the bottom of the net.

After a few passes with the mower, I took a break and lowered the rim to its lowest setting. We played together for a few minutes and I showed off my soaring, rim-thundering, ground-shaking LeBron dunk.

I also demonstrated how to miss that dunk, but for instructional purposes only.

Soon I was back to mowing, and each time I crossed the driveway, I watched him make at least one attempt. After several minutes on the side of the house and out of view, I passed back in front and spotted my son standing on the base and straddling the pole. He’d released the latch that secures the rim and backboard in place and was pushing up as hard as he could.

I quickly killed the mower. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to get it back to the top,” he answered without looking away from his project.

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

It was an odd case of father-son question-and-answer role reversal.

“Because I want to shoot at the regular dad height.”

I approached and helped him remove the pin that would allow the hydraulic mechanism to raise the hoop. Then, I did exactly what any thick-headed dad would do — I told him he wouldn't make many shots at the regulation height.

“That’s why they make it adjustable, bud.” I tussled his mop of sweaty brown hair.

Reflecting on the exchange, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment he quit listening to me.

“Look,” I continued, “it has different heights so you can shoot at the kid levels until you’re bigger.”

All right, maybe it’s not so hard to pinpoint the exact moment he quit listening to me.

He galloped into the yard, retrieved the ball and began taking and missing shots at the 10-foot height. He missed from close, he missed from far away, he backed all the way down the driveway and took a long and winding road to a layup. His eyes were locked on the rim and he carried the ball most of the way, running fast and stopping a few feet from the rim.

He missed.

Eager to make another “dad mistake,” I offered to lower the rim for him before returning to my yard work.

“Nope,” he said before missing another shot, and another, and another, then one more.

I smiled and stepped back to the mower. But before restarting it, I turned and watched another shot. He launched with both hands and we heard the unmistakable clank of the ball hitting the rim.

“Almost!” he shouted, and his head swung around to check whether I’d seen it or not.

Finally, for the first time all evening, I did something right.

I invited him to keep shooting and promised not to leave until he’d made one. I chased his misses into the garage, the yard, the neighbor’s yard, the bushes and the road.

Some were close.

Some hit him in the head.

Then, with all his might, he aimed for the square on the backboard and pushed the ball from his chest with every ounce of little boy energy he could muster. The ball hit the square and nearly every inch of the rim. As it fell through the net, he raised his noddle arms high over his head.

I raised my arms, too.

“Yes!” we shouted together and I raced to give him a high-five. But he was already chasing the ball down for another shot.

Back at work, I watched my all-star miss many more shots that night than he took. But I smiled knowing he was shooting at the ‘dad height.’”

Later, as we said goodnight, he thanked me for playing basketball.

“You’re welcome,” I whispered. “But you did a lot more than play ball.”

That night a son taught a dad that lowering the hoop, or personal expectations, may be a missed shot for giant success — 10 feet higher than expected.

You can read more of Jason's articles Here:

Things I need to remember today!

I woke up a bit earlier than usual this morning, because I had to eat my breakfast by a certain time and then fast from then on ...until the scan. Since yesterday I was only allowed to eat Cheese, Meat or Eggs, that was a switch, I don't tend to eat a lot of any of those but... just for a couple of days I could do it. After breakfast I decided I should just go back to bed and kill some time before I have to leave. Then I realized that I probably should do something productive, instead of just trying to kill time. So I began my scripture study. Now that is something I usually do in the morning during or right after my breakfast, but today I took on a new type of reading...I was searching. Funny how you tend to search and ponder things more, when you are discouraged or scared. I have been both of those for quite some time since I have been sick.
As years past, I have found such comfort and hope in the scriptures that I am always sad when I forget to go there first. I try to figure it out myself, I look at only today, and how bad or sick I feel.  As I was reading and studying in other sources too, I found this wonderful quote " When our day -to -day challenges loom before us, it is natural to focus on the hear and now. But prophets have admonished us to remember the eternal perspective. Only then can we successfully navigate mortality." So true! I need to remember to look at the whole picture! Things look so much better that way. I was reading in the Old Testament in the book of Deuteronomy 11:18 where Moses admonished tangible objects such as Frontlets, to be worn on the people as a reminder of God's goodness. When I looked up the word "frontlets" in the Bible dictionary, it tells that they were scriptures and prophet's words written on strips of parchment and rolled up or put in tiny boxes and worn on their arms or foreheads. One would think for sure you would remember the words of God and the prophets, if you them strapped on your head, right between your eyes every day! :) Then in the book of Joshua 4:21-24 it talks about where the Lord directs Joshua ( who succeeded Moses) to have the people gather 12 stones and keep them with them. And when their children ask what the stones mean, then they could share with them, the miracles that God had given them in their lives. They would share their testimony of how mighty their God is.
I have to admit, I love the Old Testament, I love the stories and the symbols and things that they used to teach and remind themselves of the goodness of God.
When I served my mission years ago, I loved being able to share my testimony of the Love of God. In a world of so many troubles and concerns, it was great to tell the people who wanted to hear...that there is a purpose why we are here on earth. In a book titled Why Did This Happen to Me? by Ray Pritchard. He says: "Sometimes we will face things for which there is no earthly explanation. In those moments we need to erect a sign that reads, 'Quiet: God at Work.' Meanwhile, hold on, child of God. Keep believing. Don't quit. Don't give up. Let God do His work in you. The greatest tragedy is to miss what God wants to teach us through our troubles."
This sign is what I needed to have on my mirror the last few weeks.
 I know that my Heavenly Father loves me. I know that I have to have this scan today to see if there is Cancer in my body. I know that I can handle with His help, anything that comes my way. I pray it isn't Cancer... but then again, we need to know what we are up against, I need to get better... my body is responding slowly and sluggishly, we need to know why.
So I will go to this appointment today, I will drink that nasty shake that has the dye in it for the exam. I will wait as they pump more dye through a IV hooked up to a machine to push it through my whole body, and then next go through the radiation... and then we will wait and pray.
Thank you for your love, prayers and support. It truly means more to me than I can ever express adequately in words. The love of family and friends, is more powerful than one can hardly imagine. I love you, I appreciate you and I hope that I can be a good example to you, of the faith that I have. I have been through many dark days, and I am sure that I will have many more but;
 I hope by my life, you will know that God lives and that our future...is as bright as our Faith!
Thanks for always being there.
Have a great day! 
I found my quotes and scriptures from here:

beautiful heart break

Found another great video from Hilary Weeks that was simply uplifting! Just reading the words... is inspiring, but the video is great too!

Watch the music video  HERE:

Beautiful Heartbreak lyrics
I had it all mapped out in front of me,
Knew just where I wanted to go;
But life decided to change my plans,
And I found a mountain in the middle of my road.

I knew there was no way over it,
So I searched for a way around;
Brokenhearted I started climbin',
And at the top I found...

Every fear, every doubt,
All the pain I went through;
Was the price that I paid to see this view;
And now that I'm here I would never trade...

The grace that I feel,
And the faith that I find;
Through the bitter-sweet tears,
And the sleepless nights;

I used to pray he'd take it all away,
But instead it became a beautiful heartbreak.

I never dreamed my heart would make it,
I thought about turning around;
But heaven has shown me miracles,
I never would have seen from the ground.

Now I take the rain with the sunshine,
Cause there's one thing that I know;
He picks up the pieces,
Along each broken road.

Every fear, every doubt,
All the pain I went through;
Was the price that I paid to see this view;
And now that I'm here I would never trade...

The grace that I feel,
And the faith that I find;
Through the bitter-sweet tears,
And the sleepless nights.

I used to pray he'd take it all away,
But instead it became a beautiful heartbreak.

I would never trade...

The grace that I feel,
And the faith that I find;
Through the bitter-sweet tears,
And the sleepless nights.

I used to pray he'd take it all away,
But instead it became a beautiful heartbreak.

I have to say that I truly believe what this song says....I have learned some of important life's lessons through my hardest trials!

Good night dear friends!

Too young to Date!

This article really jumped out at me, because I was a very young when I started dating, not 3rd grade like this article but...I was too young. We won't go into all the details of how that happened with me, but I have to admit... dating at a very young age is like driving a car without a steering wheel. You don't have the emotions or understanding to be dating so young. I am sorry to say that I had to learn this lesson the hard way. Nevertheless, I was able to help my kids understand the importance of being old enough to date. It is a great article, take time to read it if you can.
Good night dear friends!

Wright Words: Are third-graders too young to date? 

 

What's too young to date? Some fourth and fifth graders report being dropped off by parents for “dates” at places like the local roller rink and arcade — sometimes with an adult, sometimes without.

Recently, I strolled around the track at the local school with a handful of students discussing what subjects they liked most and who were their favorite teachers.
After a lap or two, a young man startled us from behind by sprinting right through the middle of our group and shouting something rude as he blurred passed.
“Whoa!” I asked, "Who was that?"
A darling blonde swept her long hair over her shoulder and said, "Oh, that's just my ex."
You would expect that interplay among high school students. No, these kids aren’t quite there.
Middle school? Nope, these kids still have to hold a hand when crossing the street.
They couldn’t possibly be in elementary school, could they?
Indeed, my walking buddies were third-graders.
I quizzed the kids as we continued circling the track. “How many of you have already had a boyfriend or girlfriend?” Almost half said they had.
“Have you ever been on a date?”
A few brave students said they had, and then explained that a “date” for kids their age usually means meeting at a predetermined place on the playground during recess.
“Do you actually call them dates?” I asked. “Do other boys and girls watch them on the playground and think it’s a date?”
“Yeah, duh,” one of them answered, presumably for the group. Then he added an epic eye roll, presumably just because.
Consider this — these boys and girls are 8 and 9 years old. They aren’t far removed from potty training and “Sesame Street.” They still ask to be tucked in at night and have to be reminded to wash their little hands.
What are they talking about on these playground dates? How much they get from the tooth fairy?
Fresh off my eye-opening session of Elementary School Dating 101, I decided to ask some older students about their own relationship experiences. Kids in the fourth and fifth grade reported being dropped off by parents for “dates” at places like the local roller rink and arcade — sometimes with an adult, sometimes without.
Who in the world is supervising them? Sponge Bob?
It’s not as if kids are hiding it from mom and dad. Recently, a friend used social media to announce how sad she was over her third-grade son’s first broken heart. His girlfriend had broken up with him the day before and he was simply devastated.
What ended the relationship — a dispute over the juice box?
I get it. They’re not dating the way older teens date and most are not yet engaging in sexual activity. But according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, some certainly are. Their research reports that 16 percent of children have had sex by age 15. By age 16, 33 percent have had sex and by age 17, the number jumps to 48 percent and then to 61 percent by age 18.
Maybe we should pray for a global cootie outbreak.
All familial and parental circumstances are different and we should be careful not to judge or apply a standard across all kids. But can we agree that allowing or even encouraging kids to date — no matter the definition — at such a young age is cause for concern?
Intelligent parents can debate and disagree about the exact age for dating, but promoting emotional relationships between elementary school students is like giving them access to dangerous weapons and hoping nothing goes wrong.
There are reasons we don’t let children play with knives, chemicals or guns. All are useful when used properly.
Likewise, we don’t let young teens drive cars because they’re simply not ready. After training, at the proper age and with parental support, their time will come. But putting an untrained child in a car before their time and praying they safely travel from point A to point B is like allowing a third-grader to have a boyfriend or girlfriend.
We live in a world where everything has to happen immediately. Website didn’t load instantly? Snooze. Not wealthy by 30? Lazy. Bloomin’ Onion took too long at the Outback? Light them up on Facebook and scrap the tip.
Fine, but can’t we let kids be kids? Why not encourage them to walk a little slower around the track? There will be plenty of time for broken hearts and hard-learned lessons about love and dating.
When our kids sing the words, "Two little lovebirds sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g ... " they should be playing, not recapping their weekend.
You can read more of Jason's articles HERE:

 

Sleep verses Cleaning!

Woke up really early this morning because I was hurting and just couldn't go back to sleep. My arm has started swelling again, I have been wearing my compression sleeve every day and doing my lymphatic draining each day too, but still it isn't going away. The pain feels like it is a bad ache all the way to my bone in my upper arm. Days like this make me frustrated that the Doctor took so many, if not all of my lymph nodes out. I know that is just what they did years ago when they were treating cancer patients. But I was a swimmer at the time and specifically asked not to have many taken out...just for reasons such as this. It has been 5 years and I have had to deal with this the whole time. That is very frustrating. Good news is, I think now they try to leave as many nodes as they can, so maybe there won't be so many women suffering from Lymphodemia as much. We can only hope.
I decided since I couldn't sleep to just get up and clean, that didn't make my arm feel better at all but...I was glad to have a cleaner house. I am still struggling with a decision I have to make and that too ( along with the pain ) was keeping me from sleeping. Why do I let things go so long, before I stand up for myself? I know better than to stay in a situation when there is bad energy there, I can't afford to have that. Negative energy is bad not only for your health, but for your heart and your soul.
Today as I cleaned, I think I came up with ways to fix my situation, but they aren't going to be easy or pleasant, that is what I don't like. Oh well, need to head to bed and see if tonight will be kinder to me.
Good night dear friends!

Life is just hard sometimes!

I got some bad news today...from myself!  Remember, how I said that I had almost been completely healthy for one year? Well, that wasn't true. ( I didn't mean I lied on purpose ) I happened to be going through some of my posts on my blog from last year, and realized that I got pneumonia (once again) in August and it wasn't until Sept 20th that I was back to health. So that means, I was only healthy for 7 months straight! Far cry from a year, I know...I was so disappointed.

But still, I need to remind myself that it has been ages since I have been healthy for even 3 months at a time, so...I guess I am not doing too bad ( I think this is another half empty/half full test here? ). And I was doing too much, pushed my body too far, let my schedule get to full and I was worried about my son ....plus, I didn't honor THE WALL. Shoot when you say it like that, it almost seems like I deserved to be sick or that I was asking to get sick.
Some how all those things don't make me feel better but, I have repented and have committed to try once again to be a bit smarter and simplify my life a bit more. But can I at least be honest with you and say...that it felt great to be out and about, busy, serving, teaching, giving, active, helping and participating in life! When you have had so many down days,months and years as I have, it is hard not to want to be out and about in the world. It is a lonely place to be at home by yourself and only taking care of yourself. Service, makes life sooooooooooooo much more enjoyable!

So with that confession, I am going to bed. I was about 5 % better today, and I can think of a hundred things I am behind on (from being sick for 6 days now) but...I am just going to turn off the lights and go to bed. I hope someone out there is learning something from this blog?  Because I am trying to be very honest, not matter how bad it makes me look. :)

Good night dear friends!

 

“What do you first do when you learn to swim? You make mistakes, do you not? And what happens? You make other mistakes, and when you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning - and some of them many times over - what do you find? That you can swim? Well - life is just the same as learning to swim! Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live!”  ~ Alfred Adler

"A man's errors are his portals of discovery."  ~ James Joyce

“The only normal people are the one's you don't know very well.”  ~ Alfred Adler

Our prayers go out...

As I watched on the news of the devastating earthquake and tsunami, I was sadden. I couldn't even quite imagine what it would feel like to be in the midst of that kind of disaster. I am always grateful to see so many Humanitarian services step up to help immediately, without regard to the nationality or religion of the recipients. Then there are many services that are part of a longer-term effort to meet the needs of these disaster victims. Although those jobs have got to be hard, it must also be very rewarding to know that you are helping and reaching out to serve a fellow brother or sister, in time of need.

I have heard people say "oh if only we could do something". Well, how grateful I am for the opportunity we have to give monetary donations but more important, is the fact that we can pray for these victims. Now maybe to some, that sounds old fashion... but I know personally that prayers matter. I am grateful to know that my Heavenly Father lives and that He hears and answers our prayers. I know when I was battling cancer ... both times, there were so many who prayed for me. Some of who were friend of a friend, they didn't even know me personally and yet they petitioned to God in my behalf, I was touched. I am grateful that there is something I can do for all those people in Japan, I can pray and that is what I will do.

Life is tough, it is a place where we learn and grow. Many of those tests we go through, are the greatest teachers in our lives. May we all take the time to stop whatever we are doing, and prayer for these dear people who have had their lives turned upside down (literally). Yes, we can do something and we really should.

Seattle Times March 11, 2011

"Access to our Creator through our Savior is surely one of the great privileges and blessings of our lives. I have learned from countless personal experiences that great is the power of prayer. No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place."   ~James E. Faust  July 2002

"God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way."  ~ Unknown

"Find a need and fill it."  ~Ruth Stafford Peale

"He who gives when he is asked has waited too long."  ~Sunshine Magazine

Lessons in life...they just keep coming!

   Recently in our family we had something that caused some concern, worry and anticipation. It is interesting how much more sincere each prayer becomes, how precious moments seem to be, and how homesick you get for your family when things like this happens. Not everyone in our family is a worrier ( is that even a word? ), but each of us have learned from past experiences ... to pull together, pray together and to support each other, during these times. We have friends and family both who are praying for us (as well as we do them) and we feel like life is truly just a little bit better because of them!
   We were blessed with good news, and so we can now breath a little easier and be less scared. Most important we can thank our Heavenly Father (AGAIN), for the tender mercies that He has extended to us. Life is hard, life is full of lessons but...life is Good, and we are grateful for that! Thanks for always being there for us, we hope we can return the favor for you someday! Enjoy the poem!

A Lesson in Life

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, if they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. 

If someone hurts you, betrays you , or breaks you heart, forgive them. For they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to who you open your heart to.

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again.

Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either.

You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it.

http://www.indianchild.com/thoughts_for_life.htm

"Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be."  ~Grandma Moses

"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."  ~ Martin Luther King

"The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests."   ~ Epictetus