Conversations of Light

“Her father had always spent his nights in the lighthouse, ..., so he could continue the conversation of light between the tower and passing ships.” Lisa Carey

This brought to mind the "conversations" of light we can have with God as He helps us navigate the waters we travel during our journey here on earth. 

Kite Flying

Mary Floyd Holton

My mother & sister

February 1956

Mothers encourage us to look up and outward

Understanding

Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again. 3 Nephi 17:3

God wants us to understand. He wants us to be actively involved in hearing and understanding His message. Hear, ponder, pray – and then come back for more.

Slow of Heart

“Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken”  Luke 24:25

Slow of heart – When and why am I slow of heart? Slow to believe God and all that the prophets have spoken? Slow to respond to the need of a stranger or a loved one? Slow to do what the Spirit has prompted me to do?

When I’m slow, is it because I’m tired? Because I’m not paying attention? Because I’m focused on myself and my own needs or wants? Because I’m taken on too much?

Sometimes I’m “slow” because there’s only so much time in a day and there is a limit to what I can do. If I pay attention to the Spirit, I can receive help with my priorities and knowing if I need to quicken certain responses.

Drops of Awesome

“Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” (Alma 37:6)

Small and simple. Tiny drops. Go forth. Be Awesome.

This is from a blog post called "Drops of Awesome" by Kathryn Thompson back in 2012. I bookmarked it because it resonated with me. I came across it recently and needed the reminder that those tiny things I do every day can be awesome even if I don't get anything "big" accomplished. Sometimes the little things are really the big things. Thompson talks about focusing on the tiny awesome parts of our day instead of having negative thoughts about ourselves over what we didn't do. 

"“Drops of Awesome! I thought. Every time you do something good, something kind, something productive, it’s a drop in your Bucket of Awesome. You don’t lose drops for every misstep. You can only build. You can only fill.

All day long I chanted these words in my head. I picked up that tootsie roll wrapper off the front porch instead of stepping over it for the eleventy hundredth time. Drop of Awesome! I unloaded one dish from the dishwasher when I walked through the kitchen on my way to the bathroom. Drop of Awesome! I texted my sad neighbor to say I was thinking about her. Drop of Awesome! I had a critical thought about one of my kids and I brushed it away and replaced it with love. Drop of Awesome!

When I started thinking about my life in terms of adding these little Drops of Awesome for every tiny act of good, I found that I was doing more and more of them because it’s a lot more fun to do good when you’re rewarded with joy, rather than being guilted about every failure in your past. ... As I added up these Drops of Awesome, I found that in those moments I actually became the person I had always wanted to be.”

Thompson points out that our not-so-best self can be changed with the very next choice we make, “the next Drop of Awesome you put in your bucket. You may have done these things or have a hard time with them but they don’t define you and you can change this very instant. … And as you change that one next tiny choice, … And in that moment you were the person you want to be and that is a triumph. For one night, you were a person who went to bed early. One morning you woke up and the first words out of your mouth were positive so you were a morning person in that moment. Bam! Drop of Awesome.” …

In the end, it’s really about allowing yourself to feel joy and allowing yourself to be proud of the small victories of life. ..."

Small and simple. Tiny drops. Go forth. Be Awesome.
********************

Read the whole post here.
Thompson currently blogs at DropsofAwesome.com. 

photo from pixabay

Joe's Parents

Joseph Robertson Todd

Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Neely Todd

about 1934

about 1938

Serving & Loving

Becoming like Christ involves loving and serving others. Christ is our example of how this works. He fulfilled his mission on earth by loving and serving others. We should do the same. 

Christ taught, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Luke9: 24 

“I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and … lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.”  Thomas S.Monson

We are “surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers.” He said, “We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.” Thomas S. Monson

“True Christlike service is selfless and focuses on others. …  some of you … may feel stretched to capacity ministering to the needs of family members. Remember, in those routine and often mundane tasks, you are “in the service of your God.”  Cheryl Esplin

My sister reminded me of words of wisdom from Dad – “Dad used to tell me that those small daily tasks are the foundations that help others.... and to do them quietly with a grateful heart.” 

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." Mosiah 2: 17 

Slowing Down - Being There

 "... all the times you should have stayed still, 

should have listened, or waited, or looked, 

not kept acting and moving as though 

you always had somewhere else to be." *

With age comes the awareness of times I wish I had stayed still longer, listened more, waited with more patience, or looked with more observant eyes. 

*Dixie Partridge, Evenings in October

Around Town

 downtown construction project

It's interesting to watch the trucks. Everything is carefully planned. We saw one cement truck pull out and another one immediately backed into a spot that had very little clearance on either side. Another truck waited its turn. Out on the main street, more trucks were waiting to pull into the line. The crane on this project seems to be a block long. 

click here for more about the downtown projects

I was walking at Heritage Park when I spotted two bald eagles. 

They're in the top of the tree in the middle of this image.

Click here for information about the nesting pair in 2014. In 2013 Kirkland's 4th of July fireworks had to be adjusted because baby eagles were at Heritage Park. Click here. 

Hope & Faith

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.  Ether12:4

I like the optimistic tone of this verse. Hope and faith make anchors for our souls and help us be sure and steadfast. That lets us abound in good works while we glorify God. What a great way to be and to live!

Sewing Machine

My trusty sewing machine used to see much more action than it does now. Recently I took it out of storage to use at a service project. I realized this sewing machine was older than most of the women at the activity. In fact, it was older than some of their mothers! 

I still have the manual and a note that I purchased the machine in December 1970.

December 1972 I was using the machine to make down jackets for all of us. 

I made the dress I'm wearing in this picture. 

2010

More about the jacket & my sewing here

Good Neighbor - Good Grounds

Good Neighbor - Good Grounds

The local McDonald's gives away coffee grounds as part of their recycling effort. Evidently coffee grounds are very good for garden soil. According to the company's website, "Over 1,000 McDonald's restaurants in Oklahoma, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona are part of the program."

Reflections

When I picked up my journal I noticed my reflection in each of the squares. 

My mind and heart thought about all the people in my life. What do I reflect when he or she interacts with me? Hopefully the light and love of Christ are reflected in my thoughts, words, and actions. That's my desire and intent. 

Finished with Christmas?

The other day I came upon this pile of wreaths that decorated downtown Kirkland during the Christmas season. The pile was too big to fit into the trash containers in the background. 

I think it's important that we don't "finish" with Christmas. Our love for Christ and for sharing His gospel should stay with us year round. We might put away our Christmas decorations but we can celebrate Christmas year round by loving as He loves and doing what He would do. 

One Of Those Days

It was one of those days. The mountains were out - ALL of them! The Olympics to the west, the Cascades to the east, Mt. Rainier to the south, and Mt. Baker to the north. 

It was so beautiful that I stopped at two parks to soak up the beauty and see if I could get a picture that would convey the awesomeness. The iPhone camera isn't the best for a zoomed picture but the image below isn't too bad. 

 

 Another park

Another zoomed image