A quote I like...

Every one of us can mother someone—beginning, of course, with the children in our own families but extending far beyond. Every one of us can show by word and by deed that the work of women in the Lord’s kingdom is magnificent and holy. I repeat: We are all mothers in Israel, and our calling is to love and help lead the rising generation through the dangerous streets of mortality.” Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 96

Counsel with the Lord

I have learned many lessons through my years on this earth. Some I have learned early, some I learned recently, and some I've learned over, and over, and over again.

I have often been taught to counsel with the Lord in all my decisions. I have tried to be diligent in using this tool. However, only recently have I discovered that the Lord does not always expect you to sit around and wait for his guidance. I have been made aware of this on a smaller scale, but on a much larger scale, this is still true.

So much of my life has been spent wishing and hoping that the Lord would grant me things that I did not have the courage to ask for. I figured that if they were supposed to happen, then the Lord would simply make it all fall into place. This is not counseling with the Lord, this is sitting back and watching life go by. The Lord expects us to make choices and then consult with Him on whether they are right or not. If this was not His plan, then we would be following Satan's plan, and be told exactly what to do, when to do it, and how. Instead, we have our agency and the Holy Ghost to guide us.

Its amazing what the Lord will bless you with if you only ask with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. You must be ready and willing to accept for the Lord to say no as well, but you'll never know whether or not He would have said yes until you ask.

I am so grateful for my many blessings, the best and most wonderful being the gospel and my husband. There are so many others, and I am grateful that agency is among them. I grateful for the Lord's guidance in my life. He knows what path will bring me the most joy and happiness. It turns out, I have a pretty good idea of what will make me happy as well...I guess we make a great team!

Mother's Day

Okay, so Mother's Day is next Sunday, however I am not the happiest of people on Mother's Day. I love and appreciate my mother and mother-in-law, as well as all of my family and friends who are mothers. However, on Mother's Day I tend to get sucked into a downward spiral of self-pity. Don't lecture me please, I know I should focus on others but, oh well. I can't help it, its a dark day for me. Its even worse because my birthday is always either on Mother's Day or right before or after it. There is nothing like celebrating one more year without children on the day you should be honored for having them. Don't worry the rest of this post is very happy and uplifting, I just had to preface it with this dismal explanation.

So, in the spirit of Mother's Day, I have decided to write a blog post for the mothers I know while I'm still in the mood. :) So this is to tell my mother how much I love and appreciate her, as well as the other mothers in my life. :)

Mothers should be recognized all year long, however especially on Mother's Day. There is a reason for this day!!! I know not all mothers are as they should be, but there are plenty who are worthy of the honor of this day.

There is a song I like to sing to my mom on Mother's Day. The words are:

Mother, I love you

Mother, I do

Father in heaven has sent me to you

When I am near you

I love to hear you

Singing so softly that you love me too

Mother, I love you

I love you, I do

My mother has dealt with a lot of ups and downs in her life, but she has always tried her hardest to be the best mother possible. Unfortunately, there are people out there who forget all she does for others, who forget the capacity of love she has to share, who forget that nobody is perfect and our flaws are what make us unique. My mother would lay down her life for any one of her children. She will willingly give up anything she has, anything she could borrow, and anything she could steal, for her children or grandchildren.

One of the best things about my mom, is her ability to accept people. Don't get me wrong, if you hurt one of her kids you had better sleep with a gun under your pillow. Cause, she'll send one of my brothers after you! However, she is "mom" to all who come around. There is no difference to her whether your an in-law, a step-child, a friend's kid, etc, your family.

My mom is an inspiration too. She graduated from college, though it took her 30 years. Then she went on to get her masters and is currently working on her second!! She supports the choices of her children, and like all mothers, offers advice when she feels its needed. Though we may not want to hear it, she is just trying to share the lessons learned in her life.

There are no words to describe the love that I have for my mother. I am so grateful that we will be a family for eternity.

Another incredible mother in my life is Cam's mom. My mother-in-law is also a wonderful mother. Her children and grandchildren put a special smile on her face. She is also a great mother-in-law. I have to say, one of the most fun times I have EVER had was a girls trip we had in Seattle. Cam's sisters, his mother, and sister-in-law all headed to Seattle for a weekend, and boy...we laughed a lot! My mother-in-law would do absolutely anything for her kids or grand kids. My favorite things about her is watching the way her whole world lights up when she is around her family. The efforts she puts into family gatherings, even with extended family, reveal how much she loves us all.

She has made great efforts to be supportive of my career, even flying out to IL just see me in a college show! Cam's mom and Dad also came out to CA to see Cam play the trumpet.

My mother-in-law inspires me with her excitement and dedication to genealogy, it has rubbed off on me. :) She has served as a musical missionary, and I always see her working on some project or another for people in need. She has taught me many of the skills I can't wait to teach my daughters, like cross stitching, crocheting, and HEC!!! :) I only wish we lived closer so she could teach me how to play the piano better...

I am very lucky to have such wonderful examples of mothers in my life. They make me believe I will be a good mother too, because I have had the privilege of learning from these amazing women.

Happy Mother's Day to my mothers, sisters, sisters-in-law, other family, and friends. You are all so special to me. Have a wonderful day on Sunday, but if your not my mother or mother-in-law...I'll talk to you another day. :) This day is truly important, it recognizes the greatest accomplishment of you life, guiding God's children through their time on this earth. Setting an example for all other mothers-to-be, and those who maybe shouldn't be mother at all.

I started small, looking up to you

I walked in your shoes, then fell and scraped my knee

I was comforted in your loving arms

This was how I knew you were my mother

I grew taller, yet I still looked up to you

I learned about hurt and anger and pain

I learned you were there when I needed you

This was how I knew you were my mother

I became taller still, and looked you in the eye

I watched you to learn how to become a woman

I confided in you and you loved me still

This was how I knew you were my mother

I'm all grown up now, and your eyes look up to me

I think of all we have taught each other

I realize that no matter what, I still look up to you

This is how I know your my mother

-L-

And to think I might have missed it...

Now don't judge...but sometimes Cameron and I are really bad and we don't go to stake conference. Well, we did go today and it just proves why we should always go. lol. our last speaker was Elder Kikuchi, and elderly Japanese fellow. Funny side tangent: he spoke at Cam's first missionary conference, lol. Anyway, I was very touched by his talk and I honestly wish it had been delivered at General Conference. It was a talk all members and non members should hear. So, I thought I would share some of it with you.

One of my favorite moments was when he was talking about chastity. He was specifically speaking to the young women. He told them that their bodies were not the Visitors' Center, they are the temple. Then he said to ask the men if they have a permit to enter their holy house. I swear I'm going to cross stitch that first part and hang it in my house. lol!

The end of his talk was a story about a young boy raised in a Buddhist family, the second of four children. He was a Japanese boy growing up during WWII. His father owned a very successful fishing company and provided very well for his family. Near the end of the war his father was killed in a bombing raid. The mother sold the business to take care of the family but they became extremely poor. This young boy took a job 9 hours away from his home, making tofu. He got up at 4 every morning and made tofu all day, then went to middle school at night. He went to bed around 11 just to get up again at 4. The boy grew up and became very anti-American.

The rigorous schedule exhausted him. He developed pneumonia and was put in the hospital. The doctors did not think he would make it so they sent for his family. His mother and older brother came but had to leave shortly after. That night as the boy lay alone in his hospital bed, he cried out "God, are you there? If you are, please spare me" then he cried out to Enlightened One (I can't remember exactly what he called him, sorry!), "Are you there? If so, spare me." He did recover and went to live with his uncle.

One day there was a knock on his door. Two American missionaries had been passing by on their P-day and felt impressed to knock on this door. Initially the boy told them to go away. He hated these men because they were American and the Americans had killed his father. One of the missionaries pressed a little harder at his resistance and mentioned that they had a message to share and that it included a story about a young man about this boy's age who had spoken to God. This caught the boy's attention and he finally let them in. A few weeks later, with the consent of his mother because he was under-age, he was baptized.

Elder Kikuchi then revealed that this was his story. He had been that young boy. I figured it was his story but it was his next words that started the tears running down my face. He said" I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU." He said it with such meaning and force, and then he added, "I love you because you brought me the gospel."

What more could someone say to a people who represented others who had killed his father and caused his family to become desolate? There was no hesitancy, no question. He loves us. What a beautiful thing to say. I wish I could describe the emotions his words invoked, but I honestly don't know how to put it into words. Then he asked that we change the closing hymn to "Love one another."

So, I just wanted to share his message with you. Love one another. Find forgiveness in your heart for those you harbor anger towards, do not judge or treat others unkindly. Love one another.

As I have loved you

love one another

this new commandment

love one another

by this shall men know

ye are my disciples

if ye have loved

one to another