Beautiful Poem Left On My Mormon Message

I randomly looked at the Mormon Message from a few years ago and found this in the comment section. Extremely kind and humbling to read. Thanks to the poet. 

A daughter of God
with the face of an angel
and eyes filled with pearls
of profound appreciation
tints the sadness of her plight;
a sweet young lady
painted with light
and sunshine smiles
that burns the heart to ignite
the warmest of tender feelings;
a lady that inspires
our heavenly choirs,
an angel of pure delight.

Ron Larter - LDS Poet.

Mountains to Climb

MM: Wrong Roads

The Time I Received Injections Twice In One Visit

Yes that is a little kid's paper hospital gown. Mama Berry, my lifelong OT, and my doctor thought it was hilarious having the "adult" in a kid's gown...and it fits to boot. 

Turns out that the first set of botox injections were really just saline. (no kidding, folks) I, of course, have the best luck of anyone I know so when the doctor returned to tell me she had to inject me again with the real stuff I took it like a "champ"...sort of. It hurt as per usual but I didn't cry. That's a win in my book. 

Needless to say, I've been a little extra sore this round of injections. I've received a lot of great help from my family and my neighborhood. Just within a short week I've made lots of new friends. Service really does eliminate barriers and opens doors for friends. For this reason alone I'll forever be grateful for a less than perfect body. 

Good Tidings of Great Joy: The Birth of Jesus Christ

The Will of God

Take The Time To Share Your Beliefs...Join In The Conversation

Saturday Mornings

On the Mormon Channel on YouTube, the LDS church has added all these classic 1980s and 1990s commercials on family...I loved them growing up and still love them! 

Brigham City Temple Open House Invitation

If you're in or around Utah you should take the chance to attend this open house. A very unique opportunity to see an LDS temple.  

"Welcome To Palo Alto"

Every state, every city has "Welcome To [insert name] signs. More often than not we simply speed past them and those signs never register in our minds again-even if we pass them on a daily basis on our travels. Five years ago I flew by this sign, focused only on finding Louis Rd and moving into my "new" home. It was not until years later, after residing in Palo Alto, that I passed this sign and took note. Now you're each beginning to ask: why is she writing about a "Welcome To" sign...stick with me folks. It wasn't the sign, it was the message. I moved from a town of 247 people (not 247,000 but really 247) that was the only place I knew as home to Palo Alto. Boy was I scared. I knew NO ONE. Yet, instantly the people I met wrapped their arms around me (some times literally). To name just a few: Mer sat by me on my first day at church.  JW and ACF invited me to dinner the first week I was there, just to get to know me. My HP team welcomed me with open arms and teasing (mostly Pete and Roy) and while our original team has been disbanded for years, they are always my team.  The "acts" to welcome me to this place continued, in fact, they never stopped!  Remember this video? This is just a small fraction of the kindness that I've been shown in my time in Palo Alto. All of this doesn't speak volumes of this physical welcome sign, what it speaks of is the amazing ability of the people of Palo Alto (and its surrounding areas, of course) to embody this sign in their actions, in their words, and in their consistency of both.  Palo Alto has become my home, not because the Dish is beautiful or because the downtown is awesome or because it has 10,000 parks or because the weather is great (let me just throw in a note that these are all added bonuses). Palo Alto has become my home because the people, because they brought me into their homes, because they showed me that family can be built among anyone, no matter what their backgrounds.   As I leave this home, to return to my other home it is bittersweet, however, Palo Alto will also be home in my heart! (And luckily my many Palo Alto family members tell me I'll always have places to stay when I come home to visit)! I love each of you. Thank you. Thank you for everything. No matter small or large your acts of kindness I hope you each know that I'll forever be grateful for the love, (too numerous to count) hours of service rendered, and for the wonderful memories created. 

Good News: He Is Risen

This week as my chronic aches, pains, and fatigue seemed at moments unbearable I watched this video and it gave me a needed reality check. Christ chose to be sacrificed so that He could rise again, providing each of us the opportunity to obtain a resurrected body. 

D&C 138: 14 states: "All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the ^ahope of a glorious ^bresurrection, through the ^cgrace of God the ^dFather and his ^eOnly Begotten Son, Jesus Christ." 

This is my firm hope as well! I yearn for the glorious resurrection day made possible through our Savior, Jesus Christ. The beauty however in this mortal life is that we do struggle, that we have aches and pains, to help us remember how much we are in need of a Savior, of His Atonement, of His Resurrection.  For many in my age demographic the gift of the resurrection, of a perfected body may not seem very significant right now while you're in your "prime". One day, maybe this Easter when you ponder the Savior's sacrifice, maybe when your 50 years old and you're needing bifocals to read, maybe when you lose a loved to death, it will prick your heart how glorious this precious gift is now and will be when we receive it. How this knowledge that He Is Risen is truly the firm hope that will increase your capacity to handle your personal struggles and will give you the courage and strength in this brief moment of mortality to be happy amid the aches, pains, and fatigue that may plague your body and/or your heart.  This I know to be true, from the very depths of my soul. Look forward with an eye of faith and a hope in the Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Happy Easter!   

Pass It On

Finding the Incredible: What Cancer and Trials Can Teach Us

Looking through Windows

God Will Lift Us Up

Amen Sister, AMEN! You're my newest hero. Thank you for reminding of such precious truths. 

Choosing Faith Over Fear

2011: Surviving Hard Times Plus Great Moments

My disclaimer: When I returned from my month in Idaho I was promptly welcomed by a cold that turned into a sinus infection, this in combination with a hectic month end my 2012 goal to pick up my blogging with more dedication has been delayed...by almost a month. I suppose that is predictable when you're busy living blogging takes a backseat.  


2011 in review:


It was a hard year: full of fatigue, sickness, anxiety, and loss. It was a year of survival, waiting upon the Lord. Luckily, my capacity to survive was expanded, thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 
   

I could give a laundry list of the hard moments of 2011 and for historical purposes I have documented them but for purposes of this post I will be dwelling on the great moments that happened amid the storms of 2011. I believe it speaks volumes to the mercy we still receive from God even in the toughest of times.  While many of these may seem mundane to some readers, remember this past year was not about thriving but surviving and being physically ill for over a year (more than normal) even mundane moments become great moments if those moments allow you to focus on something other than the constant feeling of fatigue. 


(in no particular order)


Arizona trip in March with my family (spring training, golf, shopping)
Participating in the videoing of the Mormon Message, Our Hands His Hands, Our Hearts, His Heart.  
Watching my freshmen graduate
Lots of service (mostly received)! 
Opening day of baseball season 
Golf league with The J-Crew 
BS & BW's wedding in April
SJ & NJ's wedding in July
JBH & HN's wedding in July (yes, lots of weddings)
Gordo's wedding 
Spending time with SEC, parents, and BW in Utah in July
Going to Israel, a once in a lifetime experience (and 11 days of physically feeling okay to make the trip)
Spending time with AR and MPR before they moved
Golfing at Deep Cliff (great day)
 AC and NB's engagement surprise
Cook club
Spending time with the Carlstons 
Yankees in the BAY
Thanksgiving with The Ellwangers
Hot tubbing (lots of hot tubbing)
My birthday!
Mama Berry coming in October to help me  
General Conference
Parents and G-parents visiting in November
Purchasing my new bed! 
FMC
Post-Thanksgiving dinner with the Jarvis family
Being with my little girls
Spending the month of December in Idaho

Jack Berry would be proud that I'm still spitting in that "damn mitt". 

Here is to a better year in 2012. 

Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them

A Book of Mormon Story

Worth 5:15 minutes of your time! 

Opportunities to Do Good

There are amazing people everywhere willing to lift a helping hand and always opportunities to do good! We must simply be looking and be willing to act!