For a while there I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to ride a bike again. Well, I can't ride my bike. But there has been a miracle...a different form of transportation and I love it! I now ride a trike! (Mine is a Catrike Expedition). I can move again, ride again, train again (although somewhat slower), and I'm outside! It is such a blessing to be able to ride! When things happen, or changes come about there is always a reason. One thing I know for sure is that God is a "God of miracles" (Mormon 9:19).
Me on my new wheels, Catrike Expedition, headed out for a ride.
Changes happen for a reason...just like graduation. My daughter, Lara, graduated this past June and is already at BYU (Brigham Young University). I am coming to understand a little more about what Christ was trying to teach when he said, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Lara, always making me smile. She is such a happy person!
Lara, on her graduation day.
Lara with Jeff and me on her graduation day. I love the fact that Lara and her dad have a great relationship. They are quite the pair. Love these people!!!
Lara was ready to move forward and get going with her college education. What I was surprised with is the emotion I felt as my daughter was moving out and going away to college. It is part of the natural process, but I was surprised at how difficult it was for me with this big change in our household and family. When changes take place it is as though our Father in Heaven is saying it's time to move forward, learn something new, or practice something some more. I may not understand why things have to happen or why changes take place, be they physical, emotional, spiritual, or intellectual; but I do know that God "loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things" ( 1 Nephi 11:17). God's whole purpose is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39).
Change within and around us helps us prepare to be with our Father in Heaven again. Even though there may be changes in my life, it is a great comfort to know that "God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity" (Moroni 8:18). Life is good, even with all its changes, challenges, losses, joys, increases....all of it. I know that we are loved beyond our comprehension. God truly is a God of miracles. (So happy to be riding again!!!)
Me on my trike, Kevin (my brother-in-law), Fred (my dad), David (my brother), and Garrett (my nieces husband). We are headed out for a 50 mile ride around Bear Lake, Utah. It was a beautiful ride and the temperature was perfect!
"Keep the faith". This is a saying that she says to us often. I love this short and to the point truth. Keeping the faith is about having a bigger perspective when things are not always easy, or perhaps they might not even be good. Recently my mother has had a round of health issues that are quite life altering and will hopefully be “but a small moment” (D&C 121:7). During this time I have had the blessing of serving and spending lots of time with her. She has an incredibly positive attitude about all that she is enduring. As I have watched my mother go through this it has become apparent that “keep the faith” is more than just a nice phrase for her. She lives the teachings of Paul written to Timothy: "... I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). I continue to learn to “keep the faith” even when things aren’t ideal from the good example of my mother.
"Be thou an example of the believers". Paul said: "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). My mom truly lives this admonition. She and my dad just celebrated 52 years of marriage. Throughout their marriage I cannot recall my mom ever being negative about my father. She supported him when he wanted to start his umpteenth business, sometimes she would be the only one bringing in money teaching piano. She has never complained that he hasn't attended enough church or isn't spiritual enough. She truly lives this idea of being an example of the believers. She loves my dad, with all his faults, flaws, shortcomings, and his strengths. She has taught me to not complain when my husband works late, but rather rejoice in the fact that he is working and providing for our family. I rejoice in the fact that she loves my dad and lives what she believes "in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity".
"Be of Good Cheer". My mom has this on her answering machine. I have come to love this saying. Christ says it to His disciples just before he goes to the garden of Gethsemane, and Golgotha; before the Atonement. He says: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). There is much to "be of good cheer" even when we are in the midst of challenges. Throughout my life my mother has been of good cheer, even when things have been desperately difficult for her. She has taught me that Christ has overcome the world, and in Him, all will be made well.
Me with my mother who teaches me by her example, she practices what she preaches.
At the young age of 43 I have started taking piano lessons again (I stopped taking them about the age of 15). It has been fun, challenging, and insightful. I have been working on a couple of pieces for about 2-3 months now. They have been pieces that I have had to practice, sometimes, measure by measure. It has been difficult, but so rewarding! As I have done this kind of practicing I have come to understand more about various principles the Lord is trying to teach me in my life. I will share a couple of them here.
When I first started taking I was not able to sit down and play these two pieces with no mistakes. In fact, I couldn't play them all the way through without making many, many mistakes and going incredibly slow. This kind of practicing, taking one measure at a time, and then a couple, and then a complete line has led me to see and understand more about the scripture in 2 Nephi 28:30. It reads:
"For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from then that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have".
As I have practiced "line upon line" it has been amazing to me the clarity of playing that has happened. Some days after having practiced a section over and over I think I have it perfect, but the next day, I play it and make many mistakes. But that practice hasn't been wasted. In fact, I have found that it affects other pieces I practice as well. I am able to do other pieces or read music better. As I have practiced these pieces, it hasn't been an instant success, but I am moving forward, learning, and enjoying the progress I am making. Elder Marvin J. Ashton said: "Remind yourself that striving can be more important than arriving. If you are striving for excellence-if you are trying your best day by day with the wisest use of your time and energy to reach realistic goals-you are a success" (A Woman of Faith).
When I was a teenager and quit practicing and taking lessons, it was like I was saying, I "have enough", and seriously, all those years of playing and practicing slowly went away. By the time I was 21 and was asked to play the piano on my mission for various meetings, I couldn't play the Hymns well enough on my own. I was often only able to play one hand and someone else would play the other hand. This is not only true with practicing the piano, it is also the same with truth and light. When we continue practicing daily living of the Gospel, we do receive more light until we are filled with light (see D&C 88:67).
What a wonderful blessing to be able to learn and be given "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little" rather than needing to have it all learned the instant we sit down to play. We are loved and watched over by a loving Heavenly Father who will give us and lead us along and we will, through our daily practice, learn wisdom. What rewards await us as we do our part a little at a time, diligently, and honestly. Life is truly a joyful melody as we learn "line upon line".
As I have been adjusting to a "new normal" with some changes that have taken place, I have often wondered if this is a good thing. It has been very difficult to accept the changes and not get discouraged about what I have to give up, change, deal with, and live with. The thought that keeps me going at times is this: "O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel" (2 Nephi 9:19)! He is a merciful and loving God. I don't know the outcome of these changes, and I have mourned and sometimes continue to mourn what I am no longer able to do. And then I read this passage in the scriptures:
And now, my beloved brethern, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great things, let us remember Him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off: nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon the isle of the sea" (2 Nephi 10:20).
The Lord has not forsaken me in or during my trials. Just as Nephi and his family had to leave all their comforts, money, friends, and life they knew in Jerusalem and were led to a "better land", we too are led to "better lands" when we have a sea of challenges and trials as our path. We are led and will enter safely a "better land". Nephi was able to have his family and the records of the prophets to teach his family of covenants and eternal promises. We too, as we put our trust in our merciful God, will have blessings that draw us closer to our families and to God. It isn't easy to give up patiently what we want for what God knows is something better, especially when we can't see what lies ahead in the middle of an ocean of challenges.
I don't know what is better sometimes, but "in God I have put my trust" (Psalms 56:4) and therefore I know that things will work out. Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley said: "Things will work out. If you keep trying and praying and working, things will work out. They always do. If you want to die at an early age, dwell on the negative. Accentuate the positive, and you'll be around for a while" (Presidents of the Church Teacher Manual Religion 345). I don't want to "hang down" my head, but rather I want to go forward in faith believing that "things will work out" because, truthfully, they always do. We are truly blessed with a merciful God who will always lead us to a "better land"...sometimes that journey is a bit rough, but God will always get us there, "for we are not cast off" (2 Nephi 10:20).
A couple of weeks ago I was asked what I did all day. As I listed off my tasks it was a very simple list of things I did, this list is pretty similar everyday. I said I exercised, studied my scriptures, made breakfast for our children, did lots of laundry, did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, drove our children to school and picked them up from school. I made dinner for our family, and if I recall correctly, did more dishes. One friend got it and said, "Oh, you were the mom today". I am the mom every day and I have sometimes wondered if it is enough. I definitely don't get any accolades for doing what I do, and I don't earn any money for it. I seem to get little thanks, just more laundry and more dishes.
But there is one scripture that frequently goes through my mind when I am asked "what do you do all day"? It reads as follows:
"And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another" (Mosiah 4:14-15).
I love these scriptures. My time spent cooking and doing laundry is important to God. I feed His children, who are under my care, daily. I also make sure they have clean clothes and are not "naked". I get lots of opportunities to teach them to love one another and to not fight and quarrel with each other. Great conversations take place daily about loving, serving, lifting, creating, working hard, chastity and many other gospel topics while we spend time in the car driving to and from school and other activities. These have become beautiful moments to teach by example and share my testimony of gospel truths.
I am so grateful for the blessing of being able to "feed His sheep" (see D&C 112:14; John 21:16-17), to "lead, guide, and walk beside" His children on a daily basis (I Am a Child of God). I am helping God with His work, which is: "...to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). I don't need to worry about comparing myself with other women or if I am doing enough. I am doing His work, and that is enough.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said this about parenting: "The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you. He knows that your giving birth to a child does not immediately propel you into the circle of the omniscient. If you and your husband will strive to love God and live the gospel yourselves; if you will plead for that guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit promised to the faithful; if you will go to the temple to both make and claim the promises of the most sacred covenants a woman or man can make in this world; if you will show others, including your children, the same caring, compassionate, forgiving heart you want heaven to show you; if you try your best to be the best parent you can be, you will have done all that a human being can do and all that God expects you to do" (Because She is a Mother).
God lives. He loves all of His children and wants all of us to learn to "love one another and serve one another" (Mosiah 4:15). As mother's we are blessed with a special responsibility and opportunity to teach and serve, which includes "feeding the hungry" and "clothing the naked" (see Mosiah 4:26; Isaiah 58:9-11; Jacob 2:19; Alma 4:13); and thus, we grow and are doing enough.
Enjoy the video about being a mother...which is enough.
