Easter

"Easter is the commemoration of the world's greatest victory." Harold B. Lee

The spring snow seems appropriate today, making things seem quiet, clean, and pure. I hope your celebratings are happy!

less is more

"One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few." Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"...just the way you are."

My earliest memories include watching Romper Room and later Captain Kangaroo each morning; I still love to sing one of the songs from his show, “Playmate, Come out and Play with Me”. I was so sad when he finally went off the air, he was a dear friend. I had never been much of a fan of Mr. Rogers; his show seemed a little too calm, even sugary sweet for my tastes (although I DID appreciate his proper use of the English language). So when I had children of my own, we were drawn to the more lively Sesame Street which became a regular part of our daily routine. Occasionally, if we happened to catch him, we would also watch Mr. Rogers, but really it was only because it was on, and we were there.

One day the children were off playing in another room and I sat down to fold laundry just as Mr. Rogers sang his closing number. Then he looked right at me and said, “I like you just the way you are.” I had heard him say it a hundred times before, but that day I knew he was talking to me, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I don’t think anyone had ever said that to me before, but it spoke volumes to me and I finally understood why it is such a precious thing for children to hear, for all of us to hear. He was telling me that my identity is not just a list of my weaknesses, my mistakes, my daily challenges and the way I get frustrated; or that only as I overcome these things “someday” will I be acceptable. He was telling me that I am important, good, worthy, worthwhile, valuable, accepted and even loved, now. Not because he doesn’t know all of those things about me, not even in spite of all of those things. He saw each one of us as a whole package, a whole wonderful package at this very moment in time. That was his magic; not catchy songs or cute characters. It was his Christ-like eyes, through which he saw this world, everyone and everything in it as truly marvelous. Oh that we all could be more that way…

Thank-you, dear friend.

waste some time today

"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted" John Lennon

what God permits

“Do not suppose that God willfully causes that, which for His own purposes, he permits. When you know the plan and purpose of it all, even these things will manifest a loving Father in Heaven.” Boyd K. Packer from “The Play and the Plan”

we need...

"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity."- Margaret D. Nadauld, "The Joy of Womanhood," Ensign, Nov. 2000, 14

it will all work out

“It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry.
I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us… If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him,
if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers.”

Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Oct. 2000 p.73

wise words

Heber J. Grant loved this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased.”

Heber J. Grant believed this with all his heart and proved it many times over through persistence and hard work. Ralph Waldo Emerson was indeed a very wise man. Here are some of his other gems of wisdom:



“Whatever you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children… to leave the world a better place… to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

Have a successful day today, dear friends!

divine direction

“It is said that the very hairs of your head are all numbered; is it not to teach us that nothing, not the smallest things imaginable, happen to us by chance? But if the smallest things we can conceive of are declared to be under the divine direction, need we, or can we, be more plainly taught that the greatest things of life, such as the manner of our coming into the world, our parents, the time, and other circumstances of our birth and condition, are all according to the eternal purposes, direction, and appointment of divine Providence?” (A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, William Law, Sovereign Grace Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1971.)

Do good anyway

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous,
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world your best and it may never be enough;
Give the world your best anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway."

Mother Teresa

"Our deepest fear..."

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous" Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to manifest God's glory within us. It's not in just some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Nelson Mandela (inaugural speech)