Did I email that!?

Sending and receiving emails are done almost without thought now. They are almost as easy and automatic as simply having a conversation with someone.

I recently had a friend send me an URGENT email. Stating to please delete the previous email she had sent, before I read it. Fortunately I had not read it and went in and deleted the email. I did see the subject line but didn't think much of it. She was very open in telling the reason to delete the email. She had forwarded it to everyone in her address book, including her daughter. Her daughter called her on the content of the email, she felt it was very un-Christlike and that she shouldn't be forwarding it on. It touched my heart that she was so humbled by her daughters chastisement. Later in the day I received the same forward from another Christian friend, I recognized the subject line. I deleted it without reading but thought about my friend and her daughter's courage. I have to be honest, I am pretty sure had I read the email, it wouldn't be too bad, this friend is one of the most Christlike people I know, but still if it was hurtful to one person, it is not worth forwarding.

It is so easy to just forward or send emails without much thought. Are we allowing ourselves to send things we wouldn't normally repeat out loud? Now I have a new commitment to watch the emails I compose and those that are forwarded to me. We need to be diligent in knowing if content is true and remember the carelessness that some people use when they slander or put down another human spirit. Let us all say (email) kind words to each other!

Precious Jeopardy

My daughter asked me if the address to my blog was because I had a love of the game show Jeopardy. It is most definitely not. It comes from the book by Lloyd C. Douglas, the author of another one of my favorite books, 'Magnificent Obsession'. However, I use the title from his book, "Precious Jeopardy" as I love the message of this book and the eloquence of the words "Precious Jeopardy".

I saw a friend a few days ago that has been suffering from cancer. Going thru the gamut of losing her hair, unpleasant treatments, fatigue, to say nothing of the emotional roller coaster that comes with cancer, had brought about a change in her. However, to my wonder, she was more beautiful than ever, she had a glow about her. A peace that not many of us achieve. It brought back the poignant message of Precious Jeopardy. She has gained something that most of us have not, she has dignity and grace that only this kind of jeopardy can give you.

Mr. Douglas states it so well in his book. It is during the great depression, the main character has lost his job and his value, so he decides to end it, but in a way the doesn't look like suicide. He steps on a sharp needle which breaks off in his heel. He believes the broken piece will travel to his heart and put an end to his misery. But he finds his life takes on new meaning. "His senses seemed abnormally keen. It was a great thing to be alive. The bare fact of living had never struck him with such vividness. Might it not be possible, he reasoned, that jeopardy sharpens the wits?"

Perhaps we should all walk around believing there is a needle in our heel. Or perhaps Heavenly Father gives our own specially picked blessings (trials) that can have the same effect if we allow ourselves to be clay in his hands.

Fall is Here!

I used to dread the Fall. It symbolized to me the end of Summer. I didn't like dusk, it meant the end of the day. I even hated when they played the theme song at the end of the Carol Burnett show. I would cry all the way home when I would leave my Grandparent's house. I guess it is pretty obvious that as a child, I did not like endings. I still do not like goodbyes. I will go to extremes to get out of saying goodbye. I guess it boils down to the fact that perhaps I don't like change.


Now I try to embrace change by looking for the positive in it. For instance, in the Fall, I love the beauty of the changing leaves and I love the cooler weather. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas and Fall is the gateway to those holidays. And I guess with age has come the knowledge that Spring will come and all will be right with the world again. Just like the second coming of Jesus. How hard it must have been for his disciples to say goodbye to him. How beautiful His message that He will return and all will be right. I am thankful for the earth and how all things testify to me that Heavenly Fathers kingdom is a kingdom of order and that just as the morning light replaces the darkness, our Savior's light will one day shine brightly again on the earth and the earth will be made whole and darkness will be taken from it. I am thankful for this knowledge and the joy and peace it brings me.

More Precious than Rubies

I recently sent a gift and I received a thank you of sorts. They said it was nice, but that it would have been better, had it been something they really wanted. Of course my first reaction was hurt, after all I had spent time and money on the gift and thought I had gotten something that they would like. Then, this morning as I listened to President Eyring's conference talk, I sat pondering my experience and because of the spirit speaking to me thru this beloved man, I realized I made comments like that to my Heavenly Father in a very real way on almost a daily basis. How many times have I received marvelous and wondrous gifts from my loving Father and dismissed them, or wished I would have received more or something I thought would be better. It was truly a moment of awakening.

I am now grateful to this person for making this statement and showing me why ingratitude can cause so much damage to our ability to receive and appreciate gifts. To President Eyring, who always carries the spirit with him so strongly, and especially to a forgiving, loving Father in Heaven, who still stands ready to bless me with His gifts and love even though for the most part I am unappreciative and sometimes don't even notice. I pray that when I dismiss a tender mercy as coincidence or take the kindness of a stranger for granted that I will remember this most valuable lesson. Of course, I am not comparing my gift to those of our Heavenly Father, mine was small and of no real value, the gifts of our Father are more precious than rubies.

Moments that count

I have been watching today to see how much I laugh after yesterday's blog. I wasn't doing too well until a friend called and asked if I would like to go to lunch. We got to laughing about something silly and I thought, it really does feel so good to laugh. Shortly after I returned home, my sister called me. We talked of our children, each other and life. We laughed and laughed. I am so grateful for friends and family. Without them I may not ever have reason to laugh. I love to be around my oldest daughter. She can get us rolling on the floor laughing at ourselves. No one can tell a story as well or as comical as her. What a blessing she is in my life. All my children have wonderful senses of humor, (is "senses" of humor really how you say that? Oh well I'll laugh about it later if it's wrong!) ;)

Helping others find laughter and joy is such a beautiful talent. I have always wanted to have that gift. I still lack it, but thankfully I can surround myself with people who have this gift and are willing to share it freely. I do have the gift of laughing and I am happy to share any time!

Maybe we don't always have to bake a cake to take to someone, but just take time to call a friend and invite them to lunch or just give your sister a call. These are the moments that count!

Your prescription today, 20 good belly laughs!

When we were under the age of 5 we laughed 400 to 500 times a day! As adults we only laugh 11-15 times a day. A healthy, good belly laugh is incredibly good for you spiritually, mentally and physically? A 20 second belly laugh is the same as 3 minutes of rowing. I don't know about you, but I'd rather laugh!

God wants us to be joyful. Men are that they might have joy. So why aren't we joyful? Could we be carrying thoughts, hardships and grudges around with us. If our load is heavy, how could we be happy? Jesus has already carried those for us, why do we think our carrying them will bring a higher resolution? What a falsehood. Let them go!

Take time today to stop doing the essentials and remember the vitals. To pause, breathe, and know that as we let go of this driven, must-do feeling, we allow a higher power to take over the details and help make it happen. Seeing small miracles in our lives not only rightly humbles us, but gives us a beautifully deep gratitude that makes everything in life suddenly A-OK! Just for a moment, slip off your shoes, close your eyes and soak in the sun, your life and the love around you. Take in a deep breath and feel the goodness of God and realize that, signs of his love for you, surround you constantly.

Put a smile on your kisser and someone may put a kiss on your smiler!

S.M.I.L.E = Spiritually Minded Is Life Eternal