Happy New Year

by Mrs. Smith on January 13, 2015

I have some interesting goals for this year.

I’ll probably share them in another post soon.  With, like, 4 months between posts, I’m sure you have every confidence that I’ll make good on that promise.

Some of those goals may seem like I’m setting the bar a little low – but remember, a little over a year ago I did well to get from the bed to the bathroom on my own.  Ah, the good old days.

I have (what feels like sometimes) a long way to go before I know I’m really up to my normal Mary Poppins status… but I really have come a long way.  

See?

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I so totally got this.

The following picture is pretty much my favorite of all time, mostly because of the happy smiling faces & personalities featured, but also because of the experience surrounding it:

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It started with us missing The Turkey Bowl.  

It’s been our tradition, you see, to miss that super-fun/bonding/well-attended church activity.  In our defense, the first year we were here, we didn’t really know about it.  (That was the year of the infamous imu-cooked ham.  Ah, memories!) The second year we have no excuse – we were just lame-o.  Or maybe it was that we had company and they were on Utah time still.  That could be it.

The third year I wasn’t well (but didn’t know it yet)… and again the TB didn’t happen. But here we aren’t:  

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THIS year… Josh was a little under the weather and I was simply not up getting everyone to an early morning football game.  That sort of endeavor still sounds pretty intimidating.  Plus we actually don’t like football (sh!  don’t tell the Toilolos!), so I guess we’re still just lame… lol…  Maybe 2015 will see us a little less lame.  Resolution #11.

But guess what happened this year.

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This year, someone from our congregation drove clear out to us the next day (3 blocks away, okay, but it counts!) and brought us the t-shirts we didn’t get while we tried to sleep in that morning. 

I can’t tell you how loved and included I felt by that small act of kindness.  It was NOT small to me.

So, naturally, I felt compelled to take our whole family. to the beach. in those shirts. and get a picture.  For whatever reason, I fixated on that and would not give up.  They brought us shirts!  They love us!  We needed to show gratitude, dagnabbit.  We gettin’ a picture!

You’d think getting to the beach would not be that difficult… but it was.  There was severe whining/complaining.  I know. Silly kids.  THE BEACH, for crying out loud! And they were – crying out loud.  Most of them.  Deafening volume.
And Josh didn’t really want to go either.  I knew he was humoring me despite a desire to just give up against the whiners.

But I held strong anyway.  I had faith it would be worth it.

And it was.

IMG_20141129_163647638Funny, he doesn’t look miserable…

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It was one of the shining moments of that whole semester.  The kids had a blast.  And it happened because I made a plan and carried it out.  Go me! 

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Josh and I got to touch into the joy of seeing all of our kids playing peacefully and happily together in a beautiful place.IMG_20141129_163555618_HDR

 And we got that selfie!  HA!  WIN!!!!

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But it’s not always like that.

I don’t always have a plan.  I don’t always feel confident it’s going to turn out well.  I often crumble in the face of opposition (read: excess whining).

I am learning, though.  Learning every day to rely on the Lord even more.  He transformed last year’s challenges into an amazing experience of growth and healing; I have no reason to doubt He can do it again this year.

The following (long) quote is a touchstone for me —

Those who will repent and forsake sin will find that His merciful arm is outstretched still. Those who listen to and heed His words and the words of His chosen servants will find peace and understanding even in the midst of great heartache and sorrow. The result of His sacrifice is to free us from the effects of sin, that all may have guilt erased and feel hope.

Had He not accomplished the Atonement, there would be no redemption. It would be a difficult world to live in if we could never be forgiven for our mistakes, if we could never purify ourselves and move on.

 The mercy and grace of Jesus Christ are not limited to those who commit sins either of commission or omission, but they encompass the promise of everlasting peace to all who will accept and follow Him and His teachings. His mercy is the mighty healer, even to the wounded innocent.

 

 

I recently received a letter from a woman who reported having endured great suffering in her life. A terrible wrong, which she did not identify but alluded to, had been committed against her. She admitted that she struggled with feelings of great bitterness. In her anger, she mentally cried out, “Someone must pay for this terrible wrong.” In this extreme moment of sorrow and questioning, she wrote that there came into her heart an immediate reply: “Someone already has paid.”

If we are not aware of what the Savior’s sacrifice can do for us, we may go through life carrying regrets that we have done something that was not right or offended someone. The guilt that accompanies mistakes can be washed away. If we seek to understand His Atonement, we will come to a deep reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ, His earthly ministry, and His divine mission as our Savior.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored to move throughout the world the knowledge of the life and teachings of the Savior.

Boyd K. Packer, “The Reason for our Hope”

 

I’m so thankful for our Savior.  For our Father’s plan for each one of us.

Psalms 23

 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths ofrighteousness for his name’s sake.

 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Everyone in my life is there for a reason

– even you silent blog readers who never comment, who surprise and deeply touch me when I find out you’ve been keeping tabs on my little topsy-turvy world.  It never ceases to amaze me when the threads of our lives interweave such that miracles happen.  I love seeing it happen, and it seems like in the last year there have been miracles unfolding constantly all around me.  It’s beautiful.  I look forward to seeing even more happen in the future.

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Thank you for being here!

 2015, bring it on!

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Jessie January 14, 2015 at 1:59 am

Great moms are those who try again tomorrow. I love that when kids look back they remember the fun and forget the whining!

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mareena January 14, 2015 at 6:14 am

awesome! Much better taking the selfie than being gifted a coupon for a large canvas print and not having any good pictures to redeem it for. Yep. We’ve learned our lesson. 😉 Wish we could come visit you guys!

Reply

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