For Mother's Day

The Lanyard
by Billy Collins

The other day as I was ricocheting slowly
off the pale blue walls of this room,
bouncing from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,
I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.

No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one more suddenly into the past --
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.

I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother.

She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sickroom,
lifted teaspoons of medicine to my lips,
set cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light

and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.
Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.
And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift--not the archaic truth

that you can never repay your mother,
but the rueful admission that when she took
the two-tone lanyard from my hands,
I was as sure as a boy could be
that this useless, worthless thing I wove
out of boredom would be enough to make us even.

LDS Humanitarian Service Project Blog is up . . .

and although I wouldn't quite describe it as "running", I would say that if you'd like to help out or have information you'd like to add, email me! The link to the blog is on the sidebar, and will be permanent.

One great quote!

"My dear sisters, do not pray for tasks equal to your abilities, but pray for abilities equal to your tasks. Then the performance of your tasks will be no miracle, but you will be the miracle."
Pres. Monson Sept. 07

A Message from Connie Sokol

Hi Ladies,

I was reading one of those early reader books with my daughter on Seabiscuit, the miracle racehorse, and was reminded of the power of seeing the soul.

Short version, Seabiscuit came from great racehorses but he didn't look or act great himself; his legs were short, crooked, and he ran funny. He had never won a race. He made trouble, was overweight, and slept all morning (this may be hitting close to home...) But then Tom Smith came along, saw inside his soul, and got a buyer to bring him home. He made the stall roomier, brought in stray animals for friendship, and even slept in the barn with the horse. Seabiscuit responded to the love. In six years he won 33 races and more prize money than any other racehorse.

Sometimes what you and I, and children or neighbors or cranky co-workers, really need is a little Tom Smith. We need someone to see inside our soul and look beyond the outward behavior-to make a stall more roomy, bring in a trusted friend, or shower us with a little affection. I invite you this week to choose someone who may be troublesome in your life, and to see him or her as a Tom Smith would. And just maybe you will nurture and develop a legendary winner.

All my best,

Connie


Connie Sokol
President
LIFEChange
info@lifechangeprogram.com
www.lifechangeprogram.com
801.787.4910

LIFEChange - Copyright (c) 2008
All Rights Reserved

They were at war. . .

they were confused and worried. This was their experience, and it is mine as well. I'm grateful to be able to be another witness of the Lord's goodness and watchful care. He has indeed blessed me with assurances, peace, faith and hope. I stand in wonder as I contemplate where I'd be without Him.

Alma 58:11

Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.

For Gloria

Paul died on Sunday morning. 39 years old, severely autistic....but still such a shock. In the aftermath of the news I sit reflecting on life, the Plan of Salvation and motherhood. I write in honor of my mother-in-law.
I don't know how life with Paul really was. I have heard many stories, seen a few of them in action and have asked her many questions. Still, I have no idea of the struggles and blessings she has experienced through her time with Paul.
My own experiences as a mother leads me to know that she loved him dearly; more than herself. She looked at his newborn face and knew she would do whatever it took to protect him, teach him and travel with him through the storms and sunshine in life. She spent more time with him than anyone else did. She bathed him, not just for a few short years like the rest of us, but for over 30 years. Every day she woke thinking of his needs and went to bed checking on him. Everyday she prayed for guidance, ability and patience. Everyday she sought to understand and to help him understand. Everyday.
I think she might be feeling conflicting emotions right now. Joy that Paul is free from his body and able to do so much more. Sorrow that she no longer gets to feel him touch her hair. Guilt, though unjustified, about what else she could have done. Relief that he went first so she didn't have to worry about him if she had.
Amid all the emotions, I pray she is feeling true peace and comfort that comes from Jesus Christ.
Gloria, I honor and respect you for the many unnoticed acts of service you have rendered day after day, year after year with patience and love to Paul, and to all the rest of us. I know you won't see it as that.....you see it as "just" being a mother.
Love, Amiee

Your Deeds Are Known

"As I look into your faces I can feel your goodness. I commend each of you for your day-to-day works of righteousness. Even though your works may be known to only a few, they are recorded in the Lamb’s book of life, 1 which one day will be opened to witness of your dedicated service, devotion, and deeds as “instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.” James E. Faust, “Instruments in the Hands of God,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 114

Three Good Quotes

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves.
- JAMES M. BARRIE



Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
- NORMAN MACEWAN



A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.
- TENNEVA JORDAN

Time-the ultimate gift

Reading the last conference Ensign (Nov. 07) has been a blessing in my life. I came across one very important paragraph from a talk by Elder Costa.
His statement was, "The fast-paced lifestyle of modern-day life and excessive amounts of work are curbing parents' attention from what is most important: to give time, to give of oneself to one's family."

From the beginning of my mothering experience, motherhood was fairly intuitive. The "nurturing gene" seemed to kick right in and the deep love I felt/feel for each of my children made sacrificing many things I was used to almost easy. I have sacrificed, labored, loved, soothed, kissed, sung and done all of those things, but when I read this quote I wondered if I have actually made the conscious choice to GIVE of myself. Sometimes when the sacrificing gets hard to endure I think, "did I really choose all this!". Of course, I say that in jest, but deep down I wonder if I haven't made the commitment that I need to make to truly GIVE of myself. That choice really could make all the difference. The hard things will still be there, day after day, but consciously choosing to give all that I have and all that I am to my family. That is a deeper commitment, a deeper sacrifice and a deeper potential for pure, Christ like love. It reminds me of the Lamanite king from the Book of Mormon who chose to give all his sins that he might know God. Would I give all I have, my whole self, to my family. I hope that I do, I hope that I will and I hope that I will always know why I chose to do it----"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

We Cannot Fail

Sometimes I get overwhelmed. Think of me, an ordinary, flawed person, trying to accomplish the mighty and sacred task of raising up righteous children in a failing world, with an enemy that never sleeps, who constantly tries to bind and enslave my precious ones. At times it seems like an insurmountable task.

It is…for someone who tries to accomplish it under their own power. But women who rely upon the Lord are not ordinary. I believe that when we put our trust in Him and do His work, the “least” of us will become the greatest of all, because we will rely upon the Lord to use us as an instrument, imperfect though we may be. It is then that the true miracle occurs, and the Lord shows forth his power, by making weak things become strong.

It is interesting to me to find out after all these years that life is not about accomplishing a checklist of things perfectly...it is about our partnership with the Lord in doing the list. How well we perform, I believe, depends upon our willingness to let go of our wills and just keep trying, doing our best and letting the Lord make up the difference when we fail. And when we do, we are no longer ordinary. The Lord will take the ugly little lump of clay that is our efforts and magnify it, until it becomes something "Glorious".

Perfection is not the key to this life, repentance is. I am taking great comfort in the fact that failure was part of the plan. We were expected to come to earth and fail on our own power. That is why a Savior was provided for us. All we have to do is reach up our hand and let the Savior become our partner in this great work (become yoked with him) and then our burdens will become light and we will be able to accomplish what we came to earth to do. You, as a mother, no matter how imperfect, are a daughter of God marching forth to help Him accomplish His great and glorious plan. When you keep trying, you cannot fail. Become partners with Him, and He will make you glorious.

I cannot say the smallest part.

Alma 26:16

Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

I'm just so aware of my own weakness, and need for the Lord in every minute of my life right now. Sometimes I feel like I can't breathe without Him. More amazing to me, however, is what he can do with me in my weakness. He causes me to stand, helps me to face an uncertain future with strength and resolve. He lifts my spirits and leads me to His will. I am often overwhelmed by the love I feel, His tender and watchful care over me. He is powerful and merciful, patient and all-understanding. He lets us pass through sorrow and difficulty that we might learn to turn to, trust and draw strength from Him - and then, to testify of His matchless and wondrous power. I know. I'm there. He is so good to me, and I love Him.

I'm sorry, It's my fault, please forgive me.

This is what my friend suggested I say to fix a frosty relationship in my extended family. We were driving home from a weekend conference, and I'd asked her advice. We were taught there that you can't have a relationship with someone you don't trust, you can only have a strategy. I had a serious 'strategy' relationship in mind. Every time we would contemplate a visit, I would form my plan. If she said this, I would do this, and so on, and so on. This had been happening for over ten years. In fact, I'd know for sure that I had PMS when this certain person would come to mind. I'd mop the floor in gleeful ferocity, replaying the wrongs I had suffered, over and over in my mind.
When my friend suggested that I write a letter of apology, there was a gripping sensations in my vitals; a knotting, tightening, nauseating feeling that told me she was on to something.
A funny thing happened though, as I opened my heart to the possibility of writing that letter. I began to see things in my behavior that had been hurtful. Memories that had been buried deeply under hard feelings began to surface. I'd completely forgotten the time she drove almost an hour to take me to the hospital when my oldest child was a baby. He was very sick, and I was heavily pregnant and without a car. All sorts of forgotten kindnesses widened the cracks in the wall I'd built between us. By the time I sat down to write the letter, all hard feelings, jealousies and resentments were gone. I felt truly and deeply sorry for the years I'd lost of closeness and friendship. I sent the letter off, telling myself I didn't care how she responded. I almost believed it. "I've asked for forgiveness, whether she forgives me or not is her problem." I told myself. I waited a little over a week with no response. When the phone rang this morning, and her voice was on the line, I knew that I really did care. She told me how sorry she was, that it was really her fault, that she'd love to be closer too. We spent a long time catching up, without the undercurrent of tension. I felt giddy, healed, and lifted to a higher place. A miracle happened in my life. Bad feelings that I'd fought for a decade and begged the Lord to remove were whisked away like smoke in the wind the moment I was willing to humble myself.

By Small and Simple Things

Hi, my name is Amiee House. I am the mother of 5, wife of Brent and trying to be a righteous woman of God. This is my first blog post...ever. I support the role of motherhood and the knowledge that it is a divine institution. I am learning so much through motherhood---there is wonderful joy and sometimes heart-breaking sorrow, but always there is learning and growing.

I felt emotionally drained one Saturday morning in March and had only 5 minutes until the next "thing" to do was happening. My state of mind had much to do with my 6 year old daughter and the awesome responsibility of helping her learn and remember that she is a child of a Heavenly Father who loves her.
All of my family was in the van waiting for me, but I needed to ground myself and quickly. I prayed and flipped open the Book of Mormon sitting on the desk. A few sentences passed through my head, another page flip and then I was stopped in my tracks. My problem seemed great and I have spent many hours on my knees. The anxiety of the whole issue was creeping up on me and then I read those freeing words by Alma, "...by small and simple things are great things brought to pass....and the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls." Alma 37:6-7
Hope flooded through me as I realized that not only is my Father aware of my concerns but He, who knows my daughter better than I, also has already provided the "small means" on the earth to bring her to salvation. Hope comes through obedience to the small, simple gospel truths. I am teaching my daughter to pray, to have faith, to come to know Jesus Christ and His atonement in a very personal way. I have weaknesses, as does my daughter, but those means are in place and if I keep taking the small, daily steps to follow the true gospel of Jesus Christ and teach my children that also, there is great hope and truly "...great things (will be) brought to pass."

The Pink Crayon

n excerpt from Knowing When to Persevere and When to Change Direction, a speech given at Brigham Young University by Janet G. Lee on 14 January 1992. I posted this on Seats Seven, but felt that I should post it here, as well.

When my daughter Stephanie was five years old, I took her to register for kindergarten . . . A teacher was sitting just outside the room with a box of crayons and several sheets of blank paper, and I smiled confidently to myself from across the hall as Stephanie was asked to choose her favorite color and write her name. "She could write all the names in our family," I thought to myself. . . But Stephanie just stood there. The teacher repeated the instructions, and again my daughter stood still, staring blankly at the box of crayons with her knees locked and her hands behind her back.
In the sweet, patient voice that teachers use when they are beginning to feel slightly impatient, the teacher asked once more, "Stephanie, choose your favorite color, dear, and write your name on this piece of paper." I was about to come to my daughter's aid when the teacher kindly said, "That's okay. We will help you learn to write your name when you come to school in the fall." With all the restraint I could muster, I watched Stephanie move into the classroom with a teacher who believed my daughter did not know how to write her name.
On the way home I tried to ask as nonchalantly as possible why she had not written her name. "I couldn't," she replied. "The teacher said to choose my favorite color, and there wasn't a pink in the box!"
I reflect on this incident often as I watch my children grow and observe life in general. How many times are we, as Heavenly Father's children, immobilized because the choice we had in mind for ourselves just isn't available to us, at least not at the time we want it?. . .
In other words, what happens when we look in the box, and the pink crayon just isn't there? It is so easy to lock our knees, put our hands behind our back, and do nothing when the things we wished for and dreamed about are beyond our reach. But to do so would defy the very reason we are placed here on this earth. As hard as it sometimes is to understand, stumbling blocks are essential to our progression.
Remember what the Lord said: "If thou are called to pass through [some] tribulation . . . know . . . that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:5-7)

A Mother's Prayer for her Children

Even though these words were spoken by Alma, (Alma 13:27-29) they are exactly the things I hope and pray for my children. What I am learning, is that the Lord is able to bring us under his wing, and let us "rest" from our cares even as a storm rages around us. There is nothing more sure to bring happiness to my children's lives than this.

27 And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;

28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;

29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.

Purpose for all Things

After I had my fifth baby it was a hard time of feeling far from the Lord and rather emotionally weak and sad. I wondered what had happened because I used to be so strong and never sad. It was like Moses, when he said "I found out without the Lord I was nothing, which thing I never had supposed." So finally when I received the inspiration on how to fix the problem through more regular temple attendance and was feeling better I wondered why it had taken so long for me to get that inspiration. The thought came to me that it was so that I would truly understand where our power comes from...that then I might be able to testify to others where true power comes from. It's amazing. There is a purpose for all things even though we may not understand.

Our Sacred Trust

“As mothers in Israel, we are the Lord’s secret weapon. Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning. In the premortal world, when our Father described our role, I wonder if we didn’t stand in wide-eyed wonder that He would bless us with a sacred trust so central to His plan and that He would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of His children. I wonder if we shouted for joy at least in part because of the ennobling stature He gave us in His kingdom. The world won’t tell you that, but the Spirit will.” Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 96

Patience, Faith and Chastening

Hebrews 12:6
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth


Mosiah 23:21-22
21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.
22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.


Mosiah 24:14-16
14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.


Patience and Faith. Patience, Faith and Trust in the Lord.

Expect a Miracle

You, as a mother, are entitled to miracles. The miracle is the Lord’s hand reaching down, through the power of grace and by the agent of the Holy Ghost, to help. You won’t suddenly receive a miraculous change in your circumstance…and he won’t make you perfect…but He will make up the difference. When you sacrifice your will through faith and obedience, you can expect a miraculous change inside of you…spiritually. You will receive more strength, more power, and intelligence that is not your own that will help you with your trials, duties, and responsibilities.

Try it. Reach up and take the Lord’s hand that is reaching down. Reach up and claim the miracle that is yours.

The Lord knows who I’ll become.

He knows what I’m capable of, truly. I have only my earthly experience to give me a sense of what I’m made of. He has memories of me that stretch far back into the eternities before this life. He can show me who He sees. Somewhere in that immense love I feel from Him are glimpses of all I was before my life on earth, and who I will become.