Thanksgiving To A Four Year Old

This little girls has an EPIC gratitude list. She and I spent a little time sitting on the bathroom floor and talking this morning. I explained what thanksgiving was and asked her what she was thankful for. Over the next 15 minutes, in between our other conversations, here is what she said. None of this was prompted, or even expected, by me.

E: I’m thankful that Jesus made our bodies...I’m thankful that he made rainbows. And did he even make the sky and clouds?

K: Yes.

E: I’m thankful for those too. And birds and butterflies, and I’m really thankful for the trees.

K: You like all the pretty things don’t you?

E: Yes, but most of all I like cute things. So cute and pretty.

We talk about other things for a bit, then...

E: I’m thankful that I love to sleep—well—I’m not really thankful because I cry, and I don’t really like Amelie’s crying.

We finish preparing her breakfast…

E: I’m thankful for everyone!

K: I’m thankful for food!

E: And drinks! I’m thankful for Church. And the temple…

But the best really cute thing that I’m thankful for is at grandma’s house…it’s DISNEYLAND!

(As a side note, this is one of the many variations on how she regularly dresses at home).

Understanding Meditation

I recently listened to a CD called Pure Meditation. In it, Pema Chödrön teaches about the Tibetan Buddhist practice of meditation. The entire talk is mind blowing and so inspiring, but here are just a couple of my favorite concepts from it.

I love how much emphasis Pema puts on cultivating ultimate compassion and friendliness toward ourselves and others. She also debunked some of the myths I had believed about meditation, thus helping me realize what it really is and is not. Before listening to this, I felt like I would never be able to sit comfortably and meditate, removing all thoughts from my mind. But now I understand that it isn't supposed to be comfortable. It's about being with ourselves and accepting what we are in the moment. Sort of like checking in with oneself each day, and confirming that we are invested in our own well being. If you are looking to learn more about meditation, I can't recommend this CD enough!

Midday, Midweek Thought

I just listened to an awesome talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf where he talks about "The Incredible Power of HOPE." If you want to get some positive thinking going on, click here and give it a listen. It's amazing what the feelings and thoughts of hope can do for us emotionally, physically and spiritually.

"Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time."

Becoming Like A Child

I'm sure it's no coincidence that on the day I've been thinking about "becoming as little children", I would happen upon this video. Before I get into the video, let me just be clear on what I've been thinking.

"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18-3-4

With those verses in mind, consider what I was considering this morning. Many people I know are selective about the movies and TV shows they watch, hoping to avoid things that aren't uplifting, or contain inappropriate sexual content. But so often violence is justified as being ok because "it's only violence." I was imagining watching a violent show in front of my sweet, innocent little girls. What would their initial reaction be seeing something like that? Fear, disgust, shock, uncertainty? My four year old would probably run into her room and bottle up that feeling; she'd try to convince herself that she could bury it, not talk about it again, and everything would be ok. But the fact that it could potentially affect her in that way is interesting to me. I wonder if each of us tried to obey the commandment to become like little children, would we begin to feel sensitive toward the media we let into our minds? Would we realize that in order to continue watching, we'd need to convince ourselves that we could bury the feeling, not talk about it, and everything would be ok?

Media happens to be the example that came to my mind in pondering this concept. But the important part is not the example used, rather the lesson behind it. If we consider the qualities children possess, and try to gain those qualities ourselves, maybe we would begin to move away from things that we wouldn't want our children to do or see or say. Perhaps that seems extreme, but I don't think it is.

There is a huge motivation behind abandoning bad habits. "The simple fact is this: anything that does not draw us closer to God, takes us away from him." (Spiritual Bonfires of Testimony Joseph B. Wirthlin)

The video referenced earlier hits on this point. We are made in the image of God (see Genesis 1:26) and our bodies are temples of God because of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us (1 Corinthians 6:19). If that is the case, shouldn't we be more careful about how we nourish that Spirit? Each thought we think, image or movie we see, and word we say has great influence on ourselves and our spirits. Elder Russell M. Nelson put it perfectly in the video when he said:

A Fairy Wand And The Power Of Prayer

Over the past 3-4 weeks we have been searching for Evelyn's wand. It is an old glow stick that has a removable star on top. We had the star and needed that wand. 

After about a week I told evie she could pray for help. She did, and we searched the entire house. Time and time again we followed this routine where she would pray saying, "please bless that Jesus can help me find my wand" and we would hunt in new places. 

These past two weeks the prayers have grown more intense; she prays, "I'm thankful that I will find my wand TODAY. Please bless that it will show up." I have been praying myself that her faith will allow her to find it. I believe children have a special relationship with God and we as adults sometimes diminish that. I did not doubt that her prayers would be answered, I only hoped her patience and faith would last as long as it took.

About 5 days ago Mike tried his hand in searching for it. He took the flashlight around and looked everywhere. Still no luck.

Then last night, I heard a squeal of joy coming from Evelyn's room. It grew louder as she ran toward me, wand in hand! "I FOUND MY WAND!" My jaw dropped, "where?!" It was in her dollhouse, a place we had searched in and around numerous times. It was right in plain sight. 

I am so grateful The Lord allowed her to have the experience where her prayer was not answered immediately, but it was answered. I hope she'll always remember that God does hear and answer our faith-filled prayers.

LDS General Conference October 2013: Images

This post is going to be quick because it's purpose is simply to put a few images into the online world. But before I do I better explain a couple things. First, General Conference is a broadcast that takes place every six months where leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints address any and everyone who wants to listen. Second, the speakers are not given a topic, rather they are encouraged to search their hearts and follow whatever impressions they feel would most benefit the audience. And finally, I look forward to this time of year because I always learn something new. I am always inspired, and more determined to improve myself. You can watch, listen or read any of the talks from this past session, or any previous session. Below are some images I made based on talks from the conference.

The above image is a verse from the poem 'Good Timber' by Douglas Malloch which our Prophet Thomas S. Monson quoted in his talk.

I loved how Dallin H. Oaks inspired me to stand up for my beliefs with confidence.

Todd D. Christopherson spoke about women in a talk I highly recommend for all. The above image was inspired by a part of his talk where he was quoting Margaret D. Nadauld.

My Take On The Seasons Of Life

There is an article in this month's Ensign magazine titled "Saints For All Seasons", and it talks about how each of us experience sunny and stormy times of life. As I began reading, I recalled a few months back when I was pondering the concept of seasons. Summer had just begun to roll in and I thought of the excitement of spending lazy sunny days at the pools, enjoying BBQs and celebrating Independence Day. The further I dove into these traits of summer, the more interested I became in the qualities of each season and how they apply to our lives. This season analogy is a different twist than the article by Dieter Uchtdorf, but I found it valuable in helping me enjoy the season I am currently in.

I hope as you read though my thoughts you understand that this is a generalization. It made sense in my mind, for my life. If it doesn't apply to you I'd love to hear in the comments how you could change it to make it work. What aspects of the seasons apply to your life and what season do you think you are in now? I find it very therapeutic to meditate over these things, especially to create analogies between nature and our lives. 

SPRING

Birth, beginnings, new life, new start.

We enter this world as tiny babies and immediately begin to experience change and rapid growth. Just as infinite varieties of flowers and plants quickly bloom and grow, we are learning and experiencing a new world. I imagine the spring of our lives as the time we experience the most physical growth and learning.

I see the varieties and colors of the flowers and hear the sounds of new animals and critters. There is so much to take in, all the senses can be overloaded in spring. To me this relates to our childhood, how exciting and sometimes overwhelming it can be. 

SUMMER

Heat, work, struggle.

During this phase of our lives we are trying to establish ourselves. We are still learning but often it is through great trials or experiences that stretch us. Difficult times might be the result of our own choices, whether good or bad. We are learning more about who we are and what is truly important. This is a time of career establishment, building lasting relationships, and having children. In my own life, becoming a mother has been the biggest challenge ever. It's even more hardcore than the Industrial Design program at CSULB (which I thought nothing would rival). But as I go through these times of work and struggle, I emerge stronger and ready to face the next challenge. I wouldn't trade it for anything because I believe that the purpose of life is to improve, learn, and refine ourselves.

Just like the actual summer where we brave the heat in order to enjoy the beach, pool, BBQs etc., in the summer of our lives we understand that the rewards far outweigh the challenges.

FALL
Slowing down, empty nest.

As our children grow and leave the house, things slow down in a sense. Leaves fall from the trees and blow away in many directions, so too our children leave our care for the lives they choose to live.

Hopefully, by this point, we have learned quite a bit and developed many interests. Our souls continue to attain more depth, just like the deep and highly saturated colors of the trees. We feel excitement for what is to come, and we sit back a moment to enjoy the apple cider and pumpkin pie of life.

WINTER
Stillness.

Perhaps the most still part of life, where we grow old and are often alone. The bright snow reflects in a way that no other season can, each tiny crystal of ice shining light toward us. This is like our memories as we reflect back on how our life was...hopefully one of joy and service. Hopefully one with few regrets.

I hope that when we get to that point, the snowflakes of our lives will be reflecting another sun, the Son of God. By following him in each season of our lives, we will have peace, purpose, true happiness, and satisfaction.