Pearls of great price

For my would be 30th wedding anniversary, I bought myself a pearl ring. I picked out a very unique setting and my son Steven affirmed it was the right one. Pearls have  several symbolic meanings: Pearl of great price; don't cast your pearls before swine; a symbol for peace, to name a few.

For me: I have had to battle back from depression and am healing from a very painful episode in my life. Losing my husband twice: once to his demons he drowned in addictions and then to his untimely death at age 52. We were married 26 years. So, the reason for the ring.  John bought me a ring on each of our milestone anniversaries. 5 years---a simple gold band, 10 years---a sapphire, 20 a lapis and opal inlay. It seemed natural to me that I should get a pearl on the 30th to carry on the tradition.

The Pearl of Peace is especially significant. I have had to do a lot of soul searching, forgiving, healing and mending my heart as to events to that scarred me and wounded my soul and spirit. Pearls of great price have healed me: scriptures, prayers, ARP meetings, friends, family, home teacher, writing, knitting.

I have found peace in My Savior. The ultimate gift of peace. The finest pearl. The Pearl of great price to me.

conference encouragment

Persecutions may rage, anger may spill out, nay sayers may mock, but the truth is undeniable to me. It is my life. The work is true and will go on.

Grateful for the prophet of God on the earth today brings joy to my soul.

Talks about those who feel so alone, those of the widow, touch me deeply. I am not alone. I do have a family, a church family, an eternal family.

Too many blessings to list today. Just grateful for them all.

Enduring isn't just overcoming. Sometimes it's being crushed and ground to powder--with His name on my lips.

(Stephen E. Robinson)

Why do I quote this? Too often, I have felt like this. When I do cry out for Him, He encircles me in his grace and love. So much to be grateful for now. For so long, I was in a tunnel of pitch-blackness. The tiny dot of light at the end began to grow bigger and closer. Finally, after a lot of hard work, prayer, studying and faith, I have emerged from that very dark place. I don't ever want to go back into that dark night. 

Keep the faith.

Mile High Milkshakes

There this place in town that makes the absolute thickest milkshakes known to mankind. I just had a butterfinger one. Truely, so thick that a spoon stands up in it and doesn't budge. Creamy? Yes. So rich that I have to order the junior size.

Well worth every delectable bite.

Fridays, popcorn, Legos and six year olds

Bliss. Pure Bliss.

Give a room full of six year olds some popcorn, some legos, some cars, some stencils-paper-and colored pencils, some pointers and TIME to actually play, and you have Bliss, Pure Bliss.

That's the best part of being a First Grade Teacher. Seeing those little ones play. No tests, no rapid reading, no phonics workpages, no pressure to hurry up, just play, play play. 

Wouldn't that be nice if all of us could do that? Just return to that safe place in a child's life when time and playing was all that mattered.

Hope. There is Hope in my heart when I see children at Play. Blissful Play.

Life is a quandary.

I am taking liberty to personalize a scripture for my crazy situation.

From Alma 53:4

I am building a breastwork of timbers around my heart, to an exceedindly great height.  

Some people cannot make a decision to save their life.  I am vulnerable and fragile. Not willing to get hurt or dragged into crazy drama....... 

Monday, Monday, hooray for Monday. A day off from work to reflect on history, and embarking on history in the making. MLK holiday today, Inauguration of Obama tomorrow. Watching the unfoldings on TV and listening to the commentators. Has anything really changed since 1968? 40 years later? Some things have, some have not. I, speaking for myself, was raised in a family that embraced diversity and free thinking. Serving others without judging them. I have been blessed to raise 3 wonderful children who think that way too. Each of them have or are serving a 2 year mission for their church. One speaks fluent Spanish and teaches in a school with a diverse population. I am optimistic about our future because of the children I have raised, their contribution to society and also the children I teach at school. It is a great and marvelous time to be alive.