New Blog address

I have set up a new blog address.  All my new postings will be on it so if you want to keep up with my little snippets, thoughts, and updates you can find them on http://charitysreflections.blogspot.com/

A lesson in humility

Accepting help has always been a problem for me.  I think I need to do it myself; I want to do it myself.  But this life isn’t about doing it by yourself.  We need help.  We have a Savior who can do what we alone cannot do.  As I struggled with the idea of letting others come to my house and help me de junk and organize and catch up on what I have fallen behind on, I realized I needed help although I wasn’t so anxious for the help.  It is that way with the Savior he is willing to bear our burdens if we will let him.  How hard it is to give up our weaknesses to him so that he might help us find strength.  Letting others be aware of my weaknesses and shortcomings is quite humbling and scary.  Humbling in that I know I can’t face this trial alone and need the help of friends and scary because I feel so vulnerable to have others see me “in all my glory”.  But what is funny about that, is that is humbling as well, to know that I am still loved despite my shortcomings, wow!  This has been a real lesson in love.   Despite what we have done or what our weaknesses might be our Savior loves us and is willing to help us.  How eternally grateful I am for him and for such selfless and caring friends.  Thank you to all who have given of your time and prayers and thoughts and service.  It is in you I find strength and through my Savior.    I truly appreciate all that has been done on my behalf.  You all are so kind and I know the Lord will bless you for your kindness and generosity.  I treasure your friendship and love.

Hooray for New Beginnings!

Despite the rhyme eight is great, 2008 just was not my year.  I am looking forward to a new start filled with opportunities and blessings that come through enduring adversity.  I know for me 2009 will be filled with many challenges but I am grateful for good friends, the support of family and the love of the Lord.  I am also grateful I can close the book on 2008 and look forward with hope to 2009 and know it is a new beginning.

Scared to death

I love watching CSI shows, but starring in one is not on my top priority list. Last night, or should I say early this morning I had the most horrifying experience.  I was asleep in bed when my five year old, Ariana, came and got into bed with me.  She told me that she had a scary dream and I told her that she was safe and that God’s protecting angels were round about us.  We just started to doze off when I heard a loud bang.  It sounded as though someone or something had hit our house.  I sat up and again heard the noise.  This time it seemed somewhat more recognizable like gunshot.  My dogs were barking like crazy.  I got out of my bed to make sure that the house was securely locked and found that I had missed the back door.  As I was looking out the glass door into my backyard I saw a flash of light and smoke disappear into the air directly in front of me above the toddler slide just opposite of the picnic table in my backyard.  My whole body was quaking with fear.  Who was shooting at my house and why?  I quickly went to the phone and couldn’t make it work.  Where was my cell phone?  I couldn’t think, all I could do was pray for my safety and the safety of my children and that my phone would work so I could call for help.  Again I tried to use my phone and this time I was able to call 911.  It seemed like it was forever before the police came to my door even though I was on the phone the whole time with the 911 operator.  While I was waiting I heard two more bangs.  I could see the police patrolling the neighborhood.  Finally after they had finished investigating one officer came to my door.  I let him in and took him to the backyard where I had seen and heard the noises.  He discovered exploded plastic bottles and debris right where I had described.  He relayed to me that it appeared to be dry-ice bombs.  I have never heard of such a thing.   Two other officers joined him.  And just like they do in CSI one officer put on plastic gloves and collected the evidence and put it in a bag. They informed me that a few weeks ago there was an incident at a Walgreen’s involving dry-ice bombs and a lady was injured and hospitalized.  Lucky for us we were only scared to death and not injured or sustained any damage to my home.  I suppose my home is an easy target but nevertheless it was a bit unnerving and now I will make sure I never miss a lock or window before going to bed.  And perhaps I should cut down on the CSI shows they don’t help with my run away imagination in times of fear.  Sleep would have totally evaded me if it weren’t for the power of prayer.  How grateful I am for the blessing of being able to communicate with our Father in Heaven and feel of his comforting arms.   I also pray for justice and that the culprits are caught and that their days of vandalism and terror are brought to an end.

Lemons? How about poop?

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!

Well, what do you do when life hands you a big heaping pile of poop?

 

I told a friend that I felt like I just got handed a big bowl of poop and she says now make something with it.  I thought for a minute what can you do with poop?  Well, I thought you can plant flowers.  So that’s what I said, “I’ll plant flowers.”  I have thought about that comment for some time now.  And you know we can do one of two things we can make something with what we have been dealt or we can sit there and it let stink up our lives.  I have encountered some very challenging circumstances in my life currently.  None that I truly imagined I would have to deal with, feared perhaps maybe, but never truly believed I would actually be going through it.  It has been difficult dealing with the stench but I have been pressing forward planting tiny seeds.  I have hope that from this experience I will be rewarded with a beautiful bouquet.  I know I have a lot of work ahead me but it is my faith that pushes me on.  I am so grateful for the gospel in my life and the lessons we are taught.  There are many scriptures that come to mind about cultivating seeds to grow but the scripture that stands out is found in Moroni that relates to faith and how we receive no witness until after the trial of our faith.  Now it is hard to have faith that something good could come from a pile of poop but if we exercise that faith and plant a seed and cultivate it will grow into a beautiful flower.  As we see that growth we receive a witness of our faith and it becomes knowledge.  I know the Lord is my strength and is carrying me through this trial.  I am so grateful for all those who have heeded promptings to stop by and offer a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on or have made a phone call to check on me. I love the Lord and know I am not alone and it is through the errand of angels he meets the needs of his children. 

Happy Thanksgiving!