How does service also cleanse the soul of both the giver and the receiver?When someone serves another person, she helps them, on the surface. She offers a piece of her own self, a piece of her time, her substance, her love. She is willing to give up what she might otherwise have chosen, in the name of helping someone else.
When we give of ourselves, we can feel just a tiny bit how Jesus felt as he served everyone with whom he came in contact. He gave them a little piece of his goodness, a small sample of virtue. This builds feelings of goodwill, of self worth, and lifts the spirit of the receiver.
Somehow, it also lifts the spirits of the giver. By serving our neighbor, we share with them the attitude of sharing and gratitude. We allude to the thought that we think they are worth our time and our efforts. We honor them, and in that act we also honor our Savior.
At baptism, we all take upon ourselves the name of Christ. This means we are willing to stand up for good things, and not sit still when injustice occurs.
How is service, to or from others, blessing your life right now?
I was able to talk to the lady from the Salvation Army, about help they might need in the future. She outlined some of their needs, and I was able to pass those along to Frank. He told a scout about that need, and it may be able to work as an Eagle Project.
My neighbors share in the carpool responsibilities as we transport children to and from school activities every week. This lightens my responsibility load considerably.
My visiting teachers, Becky Cyr and Mischell Shapiro, are dedicated to...me! They check up on me, and bring me inspirational messages. Last month they helped wrap empty boxes to be used in the Ward Christmas party. They helped me with one of my responsibilities. They lifted my "burden."
Their service helped me feel "light." I think this is the strength the Savior wishes for us to have. We grow stronger when we try to live like Jesus Christ.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Friday, November 25, 2011
Being Thankful
Being thakful. It's Thanksgiving weekend again! Here is part of my list of Things I Am Thankful For.
A husband who is willing,and has been willing for almost 20 years, to support our family.
Frank has a good, stable job.
A church closeby.
Good neighbors.
Transportation: 2 working vehicles.
A new, functional kitchen.
A dry garage.
Soft blankets to cuddle with and watch a movie with Frank.
Beautiful fall leaves.
High-speed Internet connection.
Good books.
Inspirational messages from General Conference.
Pumpkin pie.
Warm roll with ham and cheese.
Laughing with family.
Eating dinner with my family.
Cell phones.
Medical facilities closeby.
My own teeth and hair!
Being able to exercise.
Electricity.
Running Water.
Schools.
Good teachers.
This is just a start! Our family is so blessed.
A husband who is willing,and has been willing for almost 20 years, to support our family.
Frank has a good, stable job.
A church closeby.
Good neighbors.
Transportation: 2 working vehicles.
A new, functional kitchen.
A dry garage.
Soft blankets to cuddle with and watch a movie with Frank.
Beautiful fall leaves.
High-speed Internet connection.
Good books.
Inspirational messages from General Conference.
Pumpkin pie.
Warm roll with ham and cheese.
Laughing with family.
Eating dinner with my family.
Cell phones.
Medical facilities closeby.
My own teeth and hair!
Being able to exercise.
Electricity.
Running Water.
Schools.
Good teachers.
This is just a start! Our family is so blessed.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Thoughts on Sunday
I need to keep up on my journal, and this is the most comfortable place for that right now.
GRATEFUL for Frank. The more I talk to people/friends/neighbors, somehow the more I am grateful for my husband. So many stories of men who won't talk to their wives about things, who don't take care of the kids or who when they do, it's only putting them in front of a DVD and otherwise ignoring them.
Frank played with our kids when they were little and never balked about taking care of them solo--including diapers, thank you, and he did a good job of it. (Neither one of us wanted Puke Duty when there was stomach flu...we kind of switched off. Eeeewww.)
Now, he asks them for their input on trips and outings, and is willing to drive them places when there is a conflict (a conflict with ME doing it--it's still my job. His job pays our mortgage, and everything else). He knows about their activities and goes to Back to School Night.
The girls "fight" over who gets to sit by Dad in Sacrament Meeting. The kids really like to be with him. He makes a great weekend breakfast, and lets Kara have sleepovers. (I'd say no to every sleepover, don't know why. But Frank thinks they're no big deal, and they probably aren't a big deal. We have them periodically.)
I need to be more meaningful in my prayers. I am in such a distracted state most of the time--somebody is always right in my face with a question or needing to find something. I really pray more in my mind while I'm in the car or getting ready in the morning. It's not a good habit that I've fallen into.
I never thought parenting would be the way it is. And we have good kids! ha. It's everywhere, all the time, always more to do, as a parent! And reminding the kids to do things (chores, practice piano, etc.) is not fun. But I need to be the parent. There needs to be boundaries. Even the Lord sets boundaries for us, and even He chastises us when needed. He does it to us because he knows we'll be better people for it. I need to look at the big picture and recognize that my kids will be better people if they are taught responsibility and accountability, and to love the Lord.
Now I'm rambling. I love my kids. They are awesome.
More later, Kari
GRATEFUL for Frank. The more I talk to people/friends/neighbors, somehow the more I am grateful for my husband. So many stories of men who won't talk to their wives about things, who don't take care of the kids or who when they do, it's only putting them in front of a DVD and otherwise ignoring them.
Frank played with our kids when they were little and never balked about taking care of them solo--including diapers, thank you, and he did a good job of it. (Neither one of us wanted Puke Duty when there was stomach flu...we kind of switched off. Eeeewww.)
Now, he asks them for their input on trips and outings, and is willing to drive them places when there is a conflict (a conflict with ME doing it--it's still my job. His job pays our mortgage, and everything else). He knows about their activities and goes to Back to School Night.
The girls "fight" over who gets to sit by Dad in Sacrament Meeting. The kids really like to be with him. He makes a great weekend breakfast, and lets Kara have sleepovers. (I'd say no to every sleepover, don't know why. But Frank thinks they're no big deal, and they probably aren't a big deal. We have them periodically.)
I need to be more meaningful in my prayers. I am in such a distracted state most of the time--somebody is always right in my face with a question or needing to find something. I really pray more in my mind while I'm in the car or getting ready in the morning. It's not a good habit that I've fallen into.
I never thought parenting would be the way it is. And we have good kids! ha. It's everywhere, all the time, always more to do, as a parent! And reminding the kids to do things (chores, practice piano, etc.) is not fun. But I need to be the parent. There needs to be boundaries. Even the Lord sets boundaries for us, and even He chastises us when needed. He does it to us because he knows we'll be better people for it. I need to look at the big picture and recognize that my kids will be better people if they are taught responsibility and accountability, and to love the Lord.
Now I'm rambling. I love my kids. They are awesome.
More later, Kari
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
How to Best Spend Our Time
Life is full of decisions to be made. Where to work? Where to live? Rent or own? Which school to attend? What to eat? Drink or not? Smoke? What to have for dinner? Some decisions are important. Some are not, but they still take up our time. 
The trick is to spend an appropriate amount of time pondering the more weighty issues. The clock will tick on, whether you are using time wisely or not.
These days we think about work. Look for different opportunities? Sta
y with what we have until one or more child(ren) graduate(s)?
It's quite cold here in January. And this year, there is lots of snow. It is beautiful and all, but it's a lot of shoveling and worrying about how it can harm the house, the cars, make ice dams on the roof which leads to leaks. This has been difficult for me! I also just don't like being cold. I don't aspire to be a true New Englander. I'm just visiting. So, do we visit for a few more years? Or try to make a move soon?
I'm trying to be in the right frame of mind, more often. Read scriptures, advice from church leaders, listen for promptings or answers in quiet moments. There are not many of those, of course! But I try to make opportunities for quiet moments.
The trick is to spend an appropriate amount of time pondering the more weighty issues. The clock will tick on, whether you are using time wisely or not.
These days we think about work. Look for different opportunities? Sta
y with what we have until one or more child(ren) graduate(s)?It's quite cold here in January. And this year, there is lots of snow. It is beautiful and all, but it's a lot of shoveling and worrying about how it can harm the house, the cars, make ice dams on the roof which leads to leaks. This has been difficult for me! I also just don't like being cold. I don't aspire to be a true New Englander. I'm just visiting. So, do we visit for a few more years? Or try to make a move soon?
I'm trying to be in the right frame of mind, more often. Read scriptures, advice from church leaders, listen for promptings or answers in quiet moments. There are not many of those, of course! But I try to make opportunities for quiet moments.
Pray for Those Who Persecute You
Hello!
I'm trying to figure out what exactly I want this blog to be...since I have not shared the website with anyone, it is really for myself. I can add photos if I want, but mostly it is my own thoughts and insights.
I've been reading about Ruby Bridges; she's the little girl in 1960 who was the first African American to attend an all-white school in Louisiana. The Supreme Court ruled that blacks should get the same educational opportunities as white people, so integration would start in September of 1960. White people protested, most of them taking their own kids out of school when little Ruby walked in. They had 4 members of the National Guard there to protect her, picking her up from her home, driving her to the school and walking her to the school doors. Angry whites lined the sidewalks, shouting obscenities and spitting on her. Absolutely amazing.
Disney made a movie of the story. I read "Through My Eyes," the story written by Ruby herself, as she saw it when she was 6.
One part of her story made me think. She said her mom taught her to pray, and she always thought that prayer would get her through anything. "Jesus said to pray for those who persecute you," she remembers her mother telling her.
People kind of lose their brains when they are in a crowd. Like all of a sudden they are not themselves, and they can say and do things they won't be held accountable for.
There was a group of mothers the press called the "cheerleaders," who would shout obscenities and threaten this little 6-year-old girl, each morning she walked by them, into their school. I couldn't even believe it. And this girl's mother told her to pray for them.
I'm trying to figure out what exactly I want this blog to be...since I have not shared the website with anyone, it is really for myself. I can add photos if I want, but mostly it is my own thoughts and insights.
I've been reading about Ruby Bridges; she's the little girl in 1960 who was the first African American to attend an all-white school in Louisiana. The Supreme Court ruled that blacks should get the same educational opportunities as white people, so integration would start in September of 1960. White people protested, most of them taking their own kids out of school when little Ruby walked in. They had 4 members of the National Guard there to protect her, picking her up from her home, driving her to the school and walking her to the school doors. Angry whites lined the sidewalks, shouting obscenities and spitting on her. Absolutely amazing.
Disney made a movie of the story. I read "Through My Eyes," the story written by Ruby herself, as she saw it when she was 6.
One part of her story made me think. She said her mom taught her to pray, and she always thought that prayer would get her through anything. "Jesus said to pray for those who persecute you," she remembers her mother telling her.
People kind of lose their brains when they are in a crowd. Like all of a sudden they are not themselves, and they can say and do things they won't be held accountable for.
There was a group of mothers the press called the "cheerleaders," who would shout obscenities and threaten this little 6-year-old girl, each morning she walked by them, into their school. I couldn't even believe it. And this girl's mother told her to pray for them.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Being Thankful
Since we just finished Thanksgiving weekend, I am feeling inspired to post an entry of things for which I am thankful.
My husband
My children
A warm bed
small pets, which bring my children joy
transportation
customer service people who actually help you
electricity
an empathetic smile from someone who feels your frustration
warm bread
sweet potatoes
water
old friends
new friends
the chance to learn something new
Internet access
airplanes
frequent flyer miles
a sturdy home
a safe neighborhood
We really are so blessed! And with those blessings come responsibility, to give to those who are without. I'm not sure how our holiday turned into a day for eating too much. But it's also a chance to spend time with people we love.
My husband
My children
A warm bed
small pets, which bring my children joy
transportation
customer service people who actually help you
electricity
an empathetic smile from someone who feels your frustration
warm bread
sweet potatoes
water
old friends
new friends
the chance to learn something new
Internet access
airplanes
frequent flyer miles
a sturdy home
a safe neighborhood
We really are so blessed! And with those blessings come responsibility, to give to those who are without. I'm not sure how our holiday turned into a day for eating too much. But it's also a chance to spend time with people we love.
Friday, September 24, 2010
His Hand is Stretched Out Still
"For all this, His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still." The lesson this week in Gospel Doctrine is about the prophet Isaiah and his teachings to the people so long ago, and what he saw of the people today (us.)
I love the imagery in the scriptures (there are many) that describe how the Lord sees us and is always there for us if we will but turn to Him. The scriptures in Isaiah 5 and 6 describe the sins of the people, how they are so focused on worldliness and are so concerned with costly apparel and idols of their own making.
"Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people...for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."
No matter what we do or don't do, no matter what time we waste on things of little or no importance, no matter how much we ignore the teachings of the prophets and insist on going about our own very important (in our own minds) business, the Lord is always there. At some point, hopefully sooner than later, we will wake up and realize that his way is the better way, and we'll decide to spend our time and energies on things of bigger import (i.e. building the kingdom of Zion, which boils down to serving our brothers and sisters and lifting the burdens of others).
Whenever that time is, the Lord will be right there. Not miles away, but right there.
I still imagine the visual given in a lesson one Sunday, years ago. The teacher held up both hands, palms facing each other. The hands represented each of us as individuals (left hand) and the Lord (right hand), conversing and walking together. The left hand (we) then decide to turn away and follow our own path, leaving the Lord behind (left palm turns away, left arm and hand go far left, leaving right hand in the center).
We decide, after a time, that we need the Lord after all, but wonder how far, exactly, we have strayed, and how can we possibly get back to where we were. (Left palm turns back slightly, towards the right hand.)
With that small motion from the left hand (us), the right hand (the Lord) immediately moves right next to the left hand again. Heavenly Father is right there. He is there, arms outstretched, at all times, ready to support us.
All we have to do is be willing to try.
I love the imagery in the scriptures (there are many) that describe how the Lord sees us and is always there for us if we will but turn to Him. The scriptures in Isaiah 5 and 6 describe the sins of the people, how they are so focused on worldliness and are so concerned with costly apparel and idols of their own making.
"Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people...for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."
No matter what we do or don't do, no matter what time we waste on things of little or no importance, no matter how much we ignore the teachings of the prophets and insist on going about our own very important (in our own minds) business, the Lord is always there. At some point, hopefully sooner than later, we will wake up and realize that his way is the better way, and we'll decide to spend our time and energies on things of bigger import (i.e. building the kingdom of Zion, which boils down to serving our brothers and sisters and lifting the burdens of others).
Whenever that time is, the Lord will be right there. Not miles away, but right there.
I still imagine the visual given in a lesson one Sunday, years ago. The teacher held up both hands, palms facing each other. The hands represented each of us as individuals (left hand) and the Lord (right hand), conversing and walking together. The left hand (we) then decide to turn away and follow our own path, leaving the Lord behind (left palm turns away, left arm and hand go far left, leaving right hand in the center).
We decide, after a time, that we need the Lord after all, but wonder how far, exactly, we have strayed, and how can we possibly get back to where we were. (Left palm turns back slightly, towards the right hand.)
With that small motion from the left hand (us), the right hand (the Lord) immediately moves right next to the left hand again. Heavenly Father is right there. He is there, arms outstretched, at all times, ready to support us.
All we have to do is be willing to try.
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