Throw away babies

I was married in 1967.  My life up to that point had been like a fairytale. Life was simple, easy and fun from the moment I arose each morning until I went to bed each night.  I wasn't spoiled and was willing to eat and wear whatever was given me.  I never complained, and I was never bored.  I also had no idea what was going on in the poor sections of my city, the rest of the country, let alone the rest of the world.  I truly had a carefree childhood.

Over the last 40 +years my eyes have been opened.  I have been educated through travel and a lust for learning about the world through books.    I have been drawn to the atrocities in the world before my time, during my time and at the present, particularly concerning women and children.

Did you know that the Cultural Revolution that went on in China in 1967 persecuted those who were educated and they were severely punished?  I just read a wonderful book that takes place in China at this difficult time, the main character is Benfu, a teenager who was sent to a commune, then imprisoned, beaten, harmed, all because his parents were educators.  Then one day a young boy (he hardly knows) risks his own life to send Benfu off to freedom.  Just one act of kindness changed the world, at least Benfus world. 

That boy becomes a man, marries and becomes a trash collector.  As you may know baby girls are discarded and abandoned in China because of the “one only child law” and the heavy emphasis on the value of boys.  Benfu finds these baby girls in the trash, and he keeps them, him and his wife feed them, clothes them, and provides them as much love as they can, even though they themselves were living in poverty.  Over the years he found 24 abandoned girls, mostly babies.  Some die, most live, those that die, knew that for a few days or weeks they were cherished and loved.  This is a story about family, loyalty and love.

Here are a few values that are taught in the book:

You can’t judge a group as a whole by the actions of one or a few.  There are good and bad in all groups.

Never let pride get in your way if you need help.  Don’t deny those you love a better life because you can’t admit you need help.

One good deed can change a life, as well as your own.

A full life does not require material things.

If someone waits until they are financially sound to have children, there wouldn’t be much procreating going on.

 The book is called “The Scavengers Daughters” by Kay Bratt and is based on two caring people who found and cared for abandoned baby girls.

 

Like  Benfu, I hope I will always risk my comfort  to better the life of someone in need especially a child.

 

 

From mother to daughter to granddaughter

  What a long yet glorious day.  We sat on the side of the chappel filled to capacity and watched as our hearts were filled listening to our oldest granddaughter McKensey give her farewell talk and sang two beautiful songs as her prelude into the mission home.  She will be serving the Lord for the next 18 months in the Hondoras Mission. 

Feelings and emotions of that hour brought back so many memories.  That same building, the same chapel where her mother Christine, our first daughter had her funeral services almost 2 years ago.  Loosing a daughter to cancer was a very difficult trial.  However, we came out triumphant.  Our daughter raised 8 beautiful children, with McKensey being the oldest.  Our son-in-law remaired Janiene and she has done a wonderful job in loving and caring for our grandchildren.

Some of the emotions and feeling as McKensey spoke were of being a pround parent and grandparent.  Yes, McKensey is a  wonderful young woman.  We had the remarkable experience to have her live with us for a year as she worked up in our area.  As I watched her speak I could see the countance of her mother.  I know she was there, and will be with her on her mission.  Oh how I enjoyed her being in our home.  She made me feel young and she shared life through the eyes of a 21 year old.

McKensey your mother lives on through you.....as we are linked from generation to generation.

 

 

 

 

Love Suffereth Long

 I Corinthians 13:4

 Over the years of my married life, when things were not going as well as I would have liked, I would pick up my Bible and read I Corinthians 13. It always helped to remind me the problem was usually with me and my lack of love. Oh, it takes two to have problems but the solution always begins by not fixing the other person but fixing yourself. Proverbs 10:12 says, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Focusing on the qualities of true love as defined in I Corinthians 13 always got me headed in the right direction of working on the areas of my own life that needed to be changed so that I could truly love my spouse.  Recently, I was reading a chapter on Charity and Love that again sparked my interest in this passage, and reminded me of a long held desire to develop the quality of love as given in verses 4-7.

If love suffereth long, what does it mean to be longsuffering?

 Longsuffering’s definition: “Bearing injuries or provocation for a long time; patient; not easily provoked” (1828). This NT “word group suggest self-restraint in the face of unsatisfied desire”

 Longsuffering’s use in Scripture:

The word longsuffering is found 4 times in the Old Testament, and 13 times in the New Testament.   Longsuffering is an attribute of God:

 Numbers 14:18 context with Exodus 34:6 – Moses reminds God of His own Word

2. Psalm 86:15 “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”

 2 Peter 3:9   Longsuffering is a quality in spiritual Christians:

 A fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22

 Paul prayed for the Colossian believers to have longsuffering – Colossians 1:11

 Longsuffering is necessary to become more like God:

 Paul listed it as a quality of a minister of God – 2 Corinthians 6:6

 Paul listed longsuffering as part of his own testimony – 3 Timothy 3:10

 Paul instructed Timothy to be longsuffering as he ministered the Word – 2 Tim. 4:2

 Longsuffering’s example in the Old Testament:

 God toward the wicked in the days of Noah (I Peter 3:20)

 Joseph with his brothers

 Hosea with his wife.

D. Abigail’s longsuffering toward Nabal contrasted with David’s impatience – 1Sam. 25:3-38

 Longsuffering’s example in the New Testament:

 Apostle John on the Isle of Patmus

 Jesus Christ dealing with Paul – I Timothy 1:16 

But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him [or her].” (Moro. 7:47.)

 The challenge for us, is to allow Christ’s teachings, magnified by the Holy Spirit, to guide us to his ways of seeing and being.

Now, understanding charity or being charitable is not easy. And our scriptures have not indicated that it would be. 

Even “charity suffereth long” requires some pondering. The “suffering” that may come from loving is the result of our great caring. It comes because another matters to us so much.

To avoid that kind of suffering, we would have to avoid what gives us life and hope and joy—our capacity to love deeply. As an antidote against the suffering that will surely come as we have loved ones die, or see them struggle or be misled, or have them misunderstand us or even betray us, we can find relief in charity to others.

 We have been admonished  to look around us to do what we can as individuals to relieve pain, or loneliness, or injustice in our own communities.  If we do, a compassion will enter our hearts, and through the Holy Ghost sanctification could take place within our souls, and we would become more like our Savior.

 

May God help me to be longsuffering like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Tomato seeds

 Tomato  Seeds

This morning I was blanching and pealing tomatoes in preparation to store them in the freezer for winter.   A memory of over 50 years came to me.  As a small girl I use to love going out and eating the ripe tomatoes off the vine.  I remember how luscious they tasted and how they squished out over my small mouth and ran down my clothes, and knew I was going to be in big trouble for staining my clothes.  I also remember trying to clean myself up the best I could while looking at the little tiny tomato seeds, and wondering if these tiny little seeds had baby tomatoes in them.  I took a few in the house and tried prying them open, only to discover there was not a baby tomato in them.  How could a tomato grow from that?  It was so small I really couldn’t see anything.   It looked like only the outside of the seed I had cut up.  Where did that  tomato come from?

I learned later that a tomato seed held the potential to create a tomato plant which would then create thousands of tomatoes.  Just the potential, with many components needed to be met before a tomato could appear.  One of those components was light. 

I thought how much I am like that little seed.  Had someone dissected me when I was just a little seed they wouldn’t have seen anything either.  However, given the right timing and the right environment I appeared.  My parents took care of the environment and training in my youth.  I have had to do my own training since.  I  too have sought for the light….just like the little tomato seed needed light by stretching toward the heavens, the light in my life has come from Jesus Christ.  With that light, and with the truths I have discovered from the scriptures and prophets I too have unlimited potential.

The Sneeze - Needing God's Blessings

     I have never understood how one woman who is an athist, managed to get prayers and any reference to God thrown out of all the schools.  Here is a humorous way one graduating class put it back in.

THE SNEEZE

     They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt. Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears. This class would NOT pray during the commencements, not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.
                    
       The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families. The speeches were nice, but they were routine until the final speech received a standing ovation.A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened. All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED !!!!


The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said,'GOD BLESS YOU' And he walked off the stage...    
                        The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval. it happened at Eastern Shore DistrictHigh School in Musquodoboit Harbour , Nova Scotia.

Fence or Ambulance

In a village there was a dangerous cliff.  It was a beautiful walk winding up to it and the view below was magnificiant.  However, over time people came too close to the edge and slipped.  The town's people got together and said something has to be done.  As usual, there was many opinions, some said "Put a fence around it" while others said, " "Have an ambulance ready down in the valley." 

 A fence would distract the lovely view and so the ambulance carried the vote and the town's funds went in that direction.

Then an old sage spoke up and said "It's a marvel to me, that people give more attention to repairing results than to stopping the cause, you would be better to focus on the prevention!  Just put up the fence and you can dispense with the ambulance down in the valley."

"Oh, he's a fanatic," the others compained.  They wouldn't listen or give heed to the wise old sage. They collectivly decided  that their problem had been solved.

But the sensible few, who are practical too, would not listen to the nonsense much longer,  they believed that prevention is better than cure.  It's better to guide  the young than reclaim them when old.  To rescue the fallen is good, but tis best, to prevent is even better.

It's better to close up the source of temptation and crime, than deliver from dungeon and galley, like a strong fence round the top of the cliff, than an ambulance down in the valley.

How much this story reminds me of my life.  How often I have done things the hard way, trying to skirt around the real problem rather than face the fact that I had made a mistake, repent and ask for forgiveness.  Then stand as far away from the cliff by creating my own fence to protect me. 

However, some of the best lessons in life have been learned by the pain I experienced by falling off the cliff.   I guess ambulences have there place in life, as long as I don't use them as my only sourse of transportation.

 

 

 

Jesus Christ a big part of my life

 Summer around the fire

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we look forward to spending time in our holy temples. This is a place where we can feel close to the spirit, make covenants and learn more about the creation and our first parents, Adam and Eve. This is done through live reenactment in certain temples and sometimes it is through video instruction. On Tuesday my husband and I went with our friends to the Bountiful Utah Temple and were pleased by the new videos with great music and new people.

My favorite character in the new video was Eve. She is much more like a real woman, a thinker and a leader. She and Adam are great. The music was also terrific. The creation scenes were more beautiful and I loved the rich textures in the Garden of Eden. The photography was great, the music was outstanding. There was so much more sincerity, compassion and kindness. Lucifer was sooooo intense that it almost frightened me. I went again on Thursday and my experience was even better.

I encourage all my family with recommends to go as soon as you can. Those without recommends, get one. To all my non-member friends call me and I will be happy to teach you about the purpose of temples in our day, and how Jesus Christ has set up His church again on the earth.