Angels Among Us!

When you get a job as a shoe clerk, you notice every ones shoes. When you get a new car, you notice how many others of that same car are out there. When you are trying to get pregnant it seems like everyone you know IS pregnant. Anyways, that is what I do...I obsess, with whatever thing I am currently undertaking. So my RS lessons that I teach I end up doing the same. This month was no different but in a very good way! My lesson was on Angels. So for the past month I have had the opportunity to look at everyone a little differently... a lot differently. Little acts of service or kindness or love to me have been signs of My Heavenly Fathers great love for me. The Errand of Angels, we are either the Angels or the Errand. Of course, we all would rather be the Angels, but each day...whether we would like to admit it or not, we are also the errand! Some errands are very small, a smile at the store from a stranger, a call from a dear friend with a listening ear. And of course, those life changing errands that someone goes far beyond they needed to.

I have been writing in my journal daily for the past year and a half. It all started when I heard the General Conference talk by Henry B. Eyring and the specific way in which he wrote in his journal. That talk spoke directly to my soul and I knew this was what I needed in my life. My journal entries now all start the same way: "I felt Gods hand in my life today when..." So now at the end of each day, I take the time to record the way my life has been blessed. I must admit on those hard days, it can be a real stretch, but I can ALWAYS find something. I am blessed and watched over daily! I have had so many angels in my life and to be able to recognize them for what they are is amazing, these are things that the Lord would do for me if he were here on earth and able to do them himself~How wonderful is that!!!!

There are angels among us...those that love me, help me, pray for me, put up with me, call to check on me, listen to me, walk through trials with me, offer up help to me and bless my life! I wonder if I can keep these rose colored glasses on a little longer and look at all of those that I come in contact with in a new light. Can I look at them as either my Angel or my Errand?

Just think how this little change in our thoughts about others could change so many things in our lives. One of my favorite quotes is "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience." There are so many, many angels around us...signs that we have a loving Father in Heaven who knows our names and what we are going through and is looking to bless us through others or send us on his errand!

Friends!

Good Friends... what would we do in this life without them? I have friends that I have known for over 30 years. We use to play babies together and now we are having our own babies (no I am not pregnant...well in this photo I AM!!!) Where did the time go? Life just seems to be passing by so quickly. I wish I could have a little chat with Father Time and ask him a few questions: Why does it seem that the hardest times in our lives seem to drag on and take forever to get through; while the most fabulous times of our lives seem to pass by so quickly. It feels to me like the 9 months of pregnancy (I really don't enjoy being pregnant) seemed to take forever to get through, but the past 17 years of my sons life have gone quicker by far than the 9 months it took to get him here. It just doesn't make any sense.

Being a mother to my 5 beautiful children has been the BEST part of my whole life!!! They are some of my very best friends. I don't know what life would be like without them. They are some of the most amazing people I have ever met and each new stage brings us closer to one another.

I am so thankful that when our loving Father sent us here to take this test he sent us here with friends. Friendships that help us weather the storms of life. Friends to be our cheerleaders and lend support when we need to be lifted up. Friends that have strong shoulders to cry on, friends that have listening ears and friends that move us to action and help us to change. But my very most very favorite friends of all are the ones that love me no matter what and do not pass any sort of judgment on me. They take me for where I am and realize that I am trying to do my best. This sort of friend seems to be the hardest to find.

I am thankful for friends, throughout all of my life, I have always been blessed with very good friends!

A Conversation with a Teen, reading between the Lines

Makayla: "Mom, today at church I learned that we picked who we wanted for our mothers."
Me: "Really and you picked me?"
Makayla: "Yep, because we knew our mothers would be able to help us through what we were going to go through in this life."
Me: "Really and you picked me?"

I was a little surprised by this short conversation, we had while making Sunday dinner. If I am not mistaken, I think this may have been a complement from my 13 year old daughter. I think she was telling me, that she is glad I am her mother.

Oh, to just have a glimpse beyond the veil. What did it look like, smell like, feel like? Who were we there, who did we make promises to? What were a few of things that we wanted to come to this earth to accomplish? Have you ever walked into a room and then tried to remember what it was that you came in there to get! That is what I feel like sometimes...what was it that I came here to do? In a world with so much to do on my list, how will I remember to do what I am supposed to do for that day.

I set the timer each time I bake another batch of cookies or I would never remember they were cooking. I hope that when my timer goes off and says that I am done baking in this rather hot world at times that I will feel done. That I will have all of the ingredients that I need to take with me....

I hope that I am doing what I should be doing, need to be doing and things that are of some eternal importance. That my maker will look into my eyes and know who I am and how hard I have tried, sincerely tried.