most blessed mom!!

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Summer Projects part 1

I am notorious for working on projects (many at a time)... but I did finish some!

Loving this window of all the people I love!

And this chair is just what I was looking for...

just had to switch out the dark orange cushion covers.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

My Hiding Place, My Foundation

Life is just hard- and always will be... I think that is how it is meant to be and for a reason...

But my hard is not as difficult as so many others- take the life of Corrie ten Boom, for instance. I recently read The Hiding Place, a book about the life of Corrie and her experiences during World War II. (I would highly recommend this book!) She is such an inspiration to me! Corrie had lived a simple life. Her family had not had wealth or privilege. Yet Corrie and her family had each other and faith in Jesus Christ. Corrie's father read from the scriptures daily, and her aunts and mother worked hard to serve others in many ways. When the war came, Corrie and her family just continued to love and serve those around them, regardless of the man-made consequences.

At nearly fifty years old, Corrie experienced some of the most difficult circumstances a human being has ever had to experience- in prison, in a labor camp... Yet Corrie held on to her faith, she (and her sister) lived her life with a view towards helping others... her hiding place wasn't a place- it was her attitude and her belief in the truth of the Gospel of Christ. And Corrie's life had so much richness and meaning!

So when life seems difficult (as almost every day can be), I need to remember what I learned from Corrie's experiences and continue to construct my life's foundation upon my Savior.

"Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

Helaman 5:12

The cannot fall part is VERY reassuring!

Corrie's life was not all ease and good experiences. Her troubles did not vanish when she made her foundation on Christ. But Corrie did not fall. The pain and anguish were eased, her fears were hushed.

My life will not be all ease and good experiences either. But I know that if I rely on my Savior by following His teachings, I will not fall and I can have my fears hushed as well.

I am so very blessed to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life!

Thursday, May 28, 2015

"Art Thou Greater Than He?"

D&C 122:8

Great question to ponder... but sure can be tough! Lately, life has been REALLY hard- from so many angles. In the midst of some of the toughest challenges of my life, with no end in sight and no apparent answers and compounding questions, it is hard to look forward- would be so easy to stagnate in self-pity!

But Doctrine & Covenants 122 is something to hold onto...

"fools shall have thee in derision"- check
"their influences shall cast thee into trouble"- check
"in perils amongst false brethren"- check
"accused with all manner of false accusations"- check
"thine enemies tear thee from..."- even this, yes
and sometimes it feels like so much more!

I MUST remember:

All "for a small moment"
When righteous- "thy God shall stand by thee forever and ever"
Most of all: "The Son of Man hath descended below them all" (meaning every rotten thing I could ever experience in life). "Art thou greater then He?"

And then the counsel: "hold thy way... Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."

No, these words, no matter how wonderful, do not make all of the challenges better- but this does make it easier. And if I can just remember all of these amazing, incredible, and true promises, there is hope.