PART II – End of the Year Reflections for 2012
May through
July
Planning a
High School Reunion…Blessings from Reconnections
How was I to
know that planning a class reunion would bring so many amazing people into my
life? I had no clue really.
It has been five
months since the reunion and I still continue to be blessed by the
reconnections made in and because of the planning.
In fact, I am
sure that had my prayers not been that God might send those who could bless my
life, then there would have been NO reunion. At least not a reunion planned by
me.
Remember, I
set out to plan a small get-together.
I do not even remember how this turned into a
reunion hosted for 230 classmates and friends? But maybe God was answering my
prayers J
Now that I
think about it, I think He was answering the prayers of a few others as well, I
am sure of it.
Here are just
a couple reasons why I think so…
Sometime in
June my reunion planning reconnected me to Jayne Wheaton Jackson.
I had thought
about Jayne many times since high school but had never tried making a
reconnection with her. I did not even know how to begin to find her.
I remembered
Jayne from high school as funny and delightfully positive. I don’t ever
remember a sour; look, comment or action from her in all the time I knew her. Although
she and I were not very close friends in high school, for some
reason my memory of her included a feeling of “connection”, sort of like “kindred spirits”.
(The kind of kindred mentioned in the story of “Anne of Green Gables”)
Anyway, when I found out how to contact her…I did it
almost immediately and invited her to lunch.
I have to just
add here that I thought Jayne was a sweet and pretty young girl in high school,
but she is now a VERY beautiful and elite lady.
Although the young
girl is gone, she has been replaced by someone improved upon with age. She is
now; a young at heart, kind of whimsical, very artistic, so creative and
talented, lovely, glamorous and refined lady.
Oh, and to add
to this, she now has a touch of salt and pepper in her hair that, well… just
adds lots of sparkle, distinction and grace to her countenance.
Jayne and I
talked a long time at lunch that afternoon sharing many stories…almost 46 years
has passed since we last saw each other.
Looking across the table from this lovely woman and
listening to the stories of her life, the thought occurred to me; I really want
to make sure it is not another 46 years before we visit again.
Our conversation turned to life’s trails, blessings from God
and the power of prayer was mentioned.
At some point after the prayer part of the conversation, we
both shared that finding friends to bless our lives had been in our hearts and
prayers as of late. Suddenly a light came on for me…I think for both of us
really.
We both just smiled…there were no words…we just sat looking
at each other for a few seconds. Then with a twinkle in her eye, she invited me
to come to her home for a visit.
I knew she was thinking the same as I, “God has sent you to
me as an answer to my prayer”. This little ah ha moment still touches me beyond
words.
I made a reconnection that day, and have so been blessed by
her friendship. She has been an answer to my prayers. I hope in some small way
I bless her life as well. It is my prayer that I may never lose this lovely
friend again and that if she ever needs me…I will be there.
Other reconnections and friendships are still growing from
this reunion planning. There have been emails, phone calls, visits, lunches and
dinners. Even a “slumber party”…LOL, now there is a phrase I would have never
thought I would say or do at my age.
There have been lots of reconnections that I need to hang on
to. There is even a plan for a vacation to Hawaii with some of my newly
reconnected-to friends. God is so amazing.
Jayne Wheaton Jackson
Another quick story
that has soooo touched me because of the reunion…the reconnection of two old friends
When the reunion and
clean-up was over, before the dust had even settled, my committee had met for
the very last and final time for a Sunday brunch in Oak Ridge. It turned out to
be a “good bye” and “thank you” lunch and day after the reunion. The whole
committee showed. I was so impressed that they would come have lunch with me
the day after the reunion. What an awesome bunch they are J
Brenda Loy, Connie Elrod and I were the last three standing
after that Sunday afternoon brunch, and as we walked to our parked cars, Brenda
with tears in her eyes, thanked me repeatedly, “thank you so much Linda, you
just have no idea what you have done”.
The reunion had brought Brenda and Connie back together
after a life time of separation as friends. So hearing that they somehow
contributed me to having part in this blessing really was humbling. I began to
cry then as well…and a group hug was next, some giggles and lots more tears. We
all vowed to stay reconnected and made a date right on the spot for our next
meeting.
One other highlight from this reconnection…they have found their
old friend Sheila McCulley. The three of them have rekindled their old
friendship and meet together regularly.
Front: Brenda Loy, Me, Connie Elrod
Back: Fluttie Goodman, Dave Hall, Robbie Underwood
Now this is just one of the reconnections that I am aware
of…but something tells me there may be lots more J
God has certainly filled my life with some wonderful people
as answer to my prayers. Well…I actually think several people’s lives have been
blessed. In fact I am sure of it. J
August
Education
Week at Brigham Young University…Lessons Learned
Another blessing in my
life this year has been the week I spent in Provo Utah attending Education
Week.
Education week offers over
1000 classes taught by 200 or more of our best instructors.
Everything from finances,
home repair, church history, self –help, life skills, religion and much, much more are offered.
You could attend every
year and just pick a different topic of interest, and never run out of things
you were interested in learning.
I have lived in Utah and
even worked at Brigham Young University for several years, but never before had
taken the opportunity to attend.
What was
different this year?…I had started looking for things in life to enlighten and
inspire me.
When you pray
for God to bless your life with inspiration…don’t forget to allow him to answer
your prayers.
God cannot bless
our lives if we are not where we are supposed
to be, when we are
supposed to be there.
If we are in the
right place at the right time, he can inspire and uplift our lives. God uses
people, music, nature and every good thing on earth to answer our prayers.
We all know
this, right? But until you live it and believe it… you will not have all the
blessings God wants to fill your life with.
I was emotionally,
physically and spiritually wiped out after the reunion in July. I felt it was
definitely a refueling time for me. I knew I needed the nourishment. J
So I registered on line and was excited to go.
I went all by myself as well, so I felt proud I was confident enough to do
that.
Doing things like “eating
out and going to the movies alone” were some of my fears or really…some of the “uncomfortable”
things that I had faced in 2011. So I knew I could do the “alone thing”. J
The course catalogue was
overwhelming. I could not believe all the choices for classes.
Finally I decided…I would
take the following classes;
“You have a
Devine Mission”,
“The Book of Mormon”
And “Quest for Self-mastery”.
I also bought
tickets to one of the evening musical concerts for me and my youngest daughter,
Lindsey.
I don’t even know how to
begin and tell you of the wonderful things I learned. But oh, how inspired and
uplifted I felt at the end of the week.
I did come away with some
pretty profound impressions and a few things seemed to stick with me.
I have researched, prayed
and thought about them a lot since Education Week, and these are the ones I
will share.
The Book of Mormon Class:
I joined the Mormon Church with my entire family when I was 14 years old, but I did
not have a testimony of my very own at that point. I did however love and trust
my parents and was baptized at their request.
Gradually the importance
of my life and my feelings about who God really is in my life began to change.
I went from thinking of
God as a powerful creator who did not care about or love me… to understanding
that God is my loving Father in Heaven, and that I, am actually one of his
daughters.
Of course there was much,
much more that I learned as I grew in the church, and the years went by.
But the point is…I had no
idea that God loved me until I became a Mormon.
I only read the Book of
Mormon in sections, a few scriptures at a time, as a young girl. And this was
mostly done while attending classes and meetings. I never read it with the
purpose of knowing if it was truth, that is, until I was about 29 years old.
At the time of my first
reading of the book through in its entirety, I did received a witness and answer to my prayer that
it was true. From that point forth I have had a testimony that it is scripture.
But, like anything of
value in our lives, we must keep it near to our hearts, refresh it and use it,
or it will slowly loose its importance to us. It is like this with anything
wonderful in our lives…it is oh so easy to take our blessings for granted.
When we do take them for
granted slowly our lives and hearts become numb and hard. Without even noticing
it I had begun to take the blessings of this doctrine for granted and was
feeling very numb in my testimony.
There is a truth
that all men must learn before they can understand faith and the ways of
God…you can only gain a testimony with the help of the Holy Ghost. The second
men begin to use their own experiences in life as a gage for what is truth and
lean to their own understanding they are lost.
God’s ways are not man’s ways…God’s ways and teachings can
only be understood by the gifts of the spirit. The Holy Ghost is the teacher.
Over the course of the three
days class, I felt the icy hardness of my heart begin to melt and the Holy Ghost
began again to bear witness to me of the priceless treasure the Book of Mormon
is and has been in my life.
There is a promise in the
Book of Mormon left by one of the prophets who wrote in it. If you read it with real intent and with the purpose of
knowing if it is truth…then the truth of it will be manifest to you by the
power and gift of the Holy Ghost.
I love these prophets and
stories in the Book of Mormon…they are real. They do not replace in anyway the
Bible, but confirm and clarify the truth there. They are powerful and they are
part of the fullness of God’s work and glory, and to bring to pass the understanding
that Jesus is the Christ. He is our savior and our advocate with the Father.
His work and life is to bring about the salvation, resurrection and eternal
life of mankind.
These Book of Mormon
prophets had powerful testimonies and loved God and Jesus Christ. There were
many sacrifices made to write, preserve and keep these records and then finally
to bring this book of scripture to the world.
I came away from these
three days so refreshed, enlightened and inspired J
A side Note:
At the time of this class,
our family was going through a hard and sad time. My youngest daughter,
Lindsey and her family was experiencing a really
tough problem. I was so broken hearted for her and her little family. Our whole
family was in the middle of prayer and fasting for them.
The last day of class I
went with a prayer in my heart that God would watch over them and bless us to understand
the best way to deal with this sadness. I prayed that I might be inspired to
know how I might help. While I was sitting in my Book of Mormon class I felt my
prayer was answered. What a comfort it was that in the middle of sadness God is
watching over us and answers our prayers.
I really feel like I had
placed myself in an awesome place where the Lord’s spirit was able to inspire
me. What if I had not gone to these classes? I may not receive the answer that I got.
A great lesson learned…Be where you need to be
so God can bless your life.
The Musical
Concert with Lindsey… ”One Clear Voice”
Four amazing women form
the group, ‘One Clear Voice’. Although I had never heard them before, the theme
of the concert was really what caught my attention, “A tribute to Women”.
Of course I thought of
Lindsey and the great sadness she and her family were in the middle of. She was
looking the challenge of a life time in the face, and I hoped the music would
comfort and inspire her.
How fun for me and my baby
daughter, we smiled, laughed, sang along a little, and cried a bit too. The
music was fun, warm, inspiring and just what we both needed. We both came away
uplifted and refreshed and a little bit more bonded as mother and daughter.
“A Mother’s Prayer” was
one of mine and Lindsey’s favorites.
Here are the lyrics;
As I lay me down to sleep
It's not for me, I ask
But my children's souls to keep
It seems the world is going crazy
And though I need to do my share
Could you please, take them under wing
Watch over them especially
Keeping them safe from everything
This is a mother's prayer
I know you're listening
In the silence of this night
The news is blistering
But I hold on to your light
And though there's darkness all around us
By my faith, I know you're there
Give me the strength to lead the way
Send me the words I need to say
Use me to guide them day by day
This is a mother's prayer
I know, I can't do this by myself
I thank you for your help
I know you're listening
So I know, I'm not alone
I feel you here with me
As we all face the unknown
Could you return us to your garden
Where no one's hurt and no one's scared
Free us from pride and bitterness
Keep us so close we won't forget
Teach us to love as you love
This is a mother's prayer
Teach us to love as you love
This is a mother's prayer
I thank you for your help
I know you're listening
So I know, I'm not alone
I feel you here with me
As we all face the unknown
Could you return us to your garden
Where no one's hurt and no one's scared
Free us from pride and bitterness
Keep us so close we won't forget
Teach us to love as you love
This is a mother's prayer
Teach us to love as you love
This is a mother's prayer
You have a
Devine Mission:
I know you have
read that I refer the changing my life style
habits and losing weight as a “Butterfly Quest”.
By half
way through the first year of this quest and 90 lbs. lighter, I also realized I was searching
for my mission in life.
How had I lost sight and
understanding of this?
Well…I am really not sure
I ever really understood what my divine mission was.
I mean I knew I wanted to
have a family, (be a wife and a mother), but somehow I totally forgot the real
purpose of life.
I had given up on life
after my family and marriage began to fall apart.
I say it was at that point,
but really, it was long before then. In fact, the demise of the marriage and
family unit was just the end result of a long darkness and forgetfulness on my
part. I forgot to love myself, respect myself and see beyond the daily routine
and problems in life. I hate to even recall how I felt about myself at my
lowest point of self-esteem.
I remember once sharing with one of my daughters
that I had not felt like a woman for a very long time, or that I even mattered.
And I did not care.
I had become really good at not thinking about my
needs. It is very sad and extremely embarrassing to admit it. The saddest part
I think is that I was so numb I did not even realize how bad off I was.
But thanks be to God there was a divine
intervention and I was now ready to remember.
“The two most important days in your life
are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Mark Twain
The same God that placed
the star in a precise orbit millennia before it appeared over Bethlehem in
celebration of the birth of the Babe has given at least equal attention to
placement of each of us in precise human orbits so that we may, if we
will, illuminate the landscape of our individual
lives, so that our light may not only lead others but warm them as well.
The Lord has placed currents of divine influence in your life
that will lead you along the individual plan He would have you fulfill here on
earth. Seek through the Spirit to identify it and carefully follow
that direction that the Lord has put in your life. Align yourself with it.
Choose, willingly, to exercise your agency to follow it.
Do not be overcome by
concentrating solely on today, its challenges, difficulties, and opportunities.
Such preoccupations must not totally capture your attention so as to consume
your life. Oh, how I would encourage you to weave deeply into the fabric of
your soul the recognition that your life now is a part of a much bigger plan
the Lord has for you. What you decide to do now will affect how well you
fulfill that divine, personal plan He has for you. (Ensign, Nov. 1999)
I think the thing I had forgotten is this… ‘My Mission in
Life is actually what God has in store for me.’ (He
knows me and knows better than I what I need to learn in life to better fulfill
my mission)
It is so easy to get bogged
down in life. To get overwhelmed with the challenges, disappointments and
trials. It is easy to see just the surface of life…especially when we are
passing through life’s daily routine. It is in these times of learning though
that we are becoming who we need to be to fulfill our mission. I can only
imagine how disappointed I would be to face the Savior after this life, in
light of all he sacrificed for me and NOT be able to hear, “Well done”.
I
don’t really know what I should do next with my life…but I know God knows. So if
I try to put my life in order with God and stay worthy to have his inspiration
in my life, then I will be more likely to fulfill that divine mission. No
matter what else happens we have to keep this in mind. God, I pray I can for it
is not easy is it?
Obviously
I had let the trials and routines of life numb me to the point of forgetting
the greater purpose.
So the lesson then again? …Don’t forget to be where you are supposed
to be so God will be able to remind you. (You know this is not what I was thinking
I had learned from attending Education Week)
SURPRISE…learned a lot and this too J
Quest for Self Mastery…Obedience is Power
Learn the art of self-mastery. If you do, you will be blessed with the
companionship of the Holy Ghost and you will be guided as you make important
decisions about your future.
When a man makes
war on his own weaknesses he engages in the holiest war that mortals ever wage.
The reward that comes from victory in this struggle is the most enduring, most
satisfying, and the most exquisite that man ever experiences. In no other conflict is there so much at
stake. In no other struggle are the values so precious and the results so
compensating and so comforting. [Bryant S. Hinckley, That Ye Might Have Joy (Salt Lake
City: Bookcraft, c1958, 1965), 83; emphasis added]
I think this is the theme I took away with me after
attending this class, ‘Obedience is Power’.
A lot was shared in this class but for me the story
of Abraham seem to stick with me and stay on my mind. As I left Utah and came
back to South Carolina, I still thought about Abraham. I tried to find
everything I could to read about him and asked others what they knew. I was so
impressed with the fact that he had fulfilled his mission in life with obedience.
Had he decided it was too difficult and that he
just could not do it…then where would we be?
How would that change the scriptures?
Through Abraham all mankind has been blessed.
Because he was obedient and trusted in God, he was able to bless the nations of
the earth.
Obedience
was the power Abraham used to fulfill his divine mission.
It is through solving problems correctly that we grow spiritually. We are
never given a burden
unless we have the capacity to overcome it. If a great problem is set before
you, this merely indicates that you have the great inner strength to solve a
great problem. There is never really anything to be discouraged about, because
difficulties are opportunities for inner growth, and the greater the difficulty
the greater the opportunity for growth. Peace
Pilgrim
Imagine that
every person in the world is enlightened but you. They are all your teachers,
each doing just the right things to help you learn perfect patience, perfect
wisdom, and perfect compassion. Buddha
To end…I wanted to share an email I received
from someone who inspires me. Maybe it will inspire you too J
As 2012 comes to an end, I want to
send you my warmest wishes and greatest hopes that 2013 brings you all you
dream of.
I am a true believer that “what
we think about, we bring about” (a quote I loved from the “The Secret”). I
know first-hand the power of my own thoughts and how when I focus intently on
feeling the feelings of joy, love, peace, serenity, empowerment, and courage, I
bring all those things into my life.
The same works conversely. . .
When I get off-track, worrying about
what potential problems may arise, who may hurt me, or what may not work out, I
inevitably draw negative experiences into my life to also show me what I’ve
been focused on—what I’ve thought about.
You are this powerful, too!
As you move into 2013, I want to
share with you a process I do to evoke the power of my greatest self. At one
minute after midnight, open a window in your home, close your eyes and repeat
this prayer:
Dear
2012,
Thank you for seeing the year through for me.
Thank you for all the love and joy you’ve brought to me.
Thank you for those tough times too—those painful experiences—for they have shaped me and helped me to see things differently—to learn the lessons I was meant to learn.
I am ready now Dear 2013 to hold onto the love and light of 2012 and to let go of the anger and sorrow that has been held inside of me.
I breathe in 2013. (inhale)
I breathe out 2012. (exhale)
I breathe in 2013. (inhale)
I breathe out 2012. (exhale)
Thank you in advance for being the best year of my life!
Amen . . . and Amen!
Thank you for seeing the year through for me.
Thank you for all the love and joy you’ve brought to me.
Thank you for those tough times too—those painful experiences—for they have shaped me and helped me to see things differently—to learn the lessons I was meant to learn.
I am ready now Dear 2013 to hold onto the love and light of 2012 and to let go of the anger and sorrow that has been held inside of me.
I breathe in 2013. (inhale)
I breathe out 2012. (exhale)
I breathe in 2013. (inhale)
I breathe out 2012. (exhale)
Thank you in advance for being the best year of my life!
Amen . . . and Amen!
Let’s all make 2013 our best year
ever! Now, don’t forget to close your window!
Many Blessings,
Happy New
Year Butterflies
