Focus

As we rush about our lives, trying to keep up with the demands of the world, we regularly fail to notice everything going on around us. Think of the last time you ran to the store and didn't see someone until they called your name to get your attention. If they hadn't called out to you, you wouldn't have even known they were there. All too often this seems to be the pattern in our spiritual lives too. We get too busy worrying about the world and what it tells us to do that we sometimes miss the small and simple things in life. Have you ever stopped to watch the way a snowflake gently drifts to the ground settling in among the many that have come before? Maybe this is a little silly to some people, but when I park on a hill I smile every time my car door opens or closes for me because of gravity. Looking around during the different seasons, notice the many different colors. I like to think that God provides one for each of us because he knows we're all different and like different colors. If we're always rushing through life, we miss these things. Instead of focusing on the beautiful petals of the rose in front of us, all we see is the concrete of the sidewalk as it winds on and reminds us of things we need to do. As we fill our lives and minds with so much STUFF, we are blocking out the Spirit. Take the ear phones out, put the phone away, and just notice! It might just be that the next person to walk by needs that smile from you, even if they have no idea who you are. Just because we are in the world doesn't mean we have to be OF the world. Try changing your focus from the demands of the world to the things of the spirit. If you do, everything will work.

My GRANDma

Dress up. V-8 juice. Lemon Pepper. Dark Chocolate. Crab apple trees. Easter Egg hunts. Bonfires. Little apple-shaped bottles of Martinelli's juice. Orange tabby cats. American Rabbit. Touched by an Angel. Early Edition. Doc. Making valentines out of heart-shaped paper doilies to send to cousins who were serving in the mission field. Ginger snaps and milk. Sleepovers. Sunday dinner. Cabbage. Lima beans and ham. The birthday drawer. Plums. Climbing the willow tree that used to be in the front yard. Family vacations in the RV. Ice cream in Yellowstone. Daisy the 4-wheeler. Little Black Sambo. The pig cookie jar that oinks when you open it. Picnics in Oak City canyon. Duffy and Pursy the cats. Walking sticks with bells. Picking leaves in the fall when they change colors. The candy dish that is usually kept on the dryer but moves to the fireplace mantle during holidays. Charcoal pencils. Typewriters. The yearly flooding of the basement when the irrigation comes. Homemade ice cream with saltine crackers. My first dance at Van's Dance Hall. Sitting in the hot tub. The Taj Mahal. Orange sticks at Christmas time. Bottled grape juice. Dancing to the Rice Krispies record. The little closet in the "play room" where she keeps the easter baskets.

I'd like to deviate a bit and dedicate this entry to my amazing Grandma. Many of the simple joys in my life are a result of the many times I've spent at Grandma's house. As I was avoiding homework one evening, I realized the impact she has had on my life. The list at the beginning of this entry contains just a few of the many things that remind me of her. Some of them have stories to go along with them, while most of them would be recognized immediately by any who know her. I'd like to share a few of those stories with you.

Every summer my family and I (along with Grandma, of course!) would pack up the RV and take a vacation. She kept a walking stick behind the fold down couch (which was indisputably her bed). The walking stick had a bell on it. If I remember correctly, it was from Yellowstone. One year when we went to Yellowstone, some of my siblings and I had seen more than we wanted of rocks. That's all Yellowstone is! So at one stop, we refused to leave the RV and go on yet another boring hike to see... yup, rocks. When those who did go on the hike came back, they were eating ice cream, mom and dad's "punishment" to us for not going. Grandma gave me the rest of her half-eaten ice cream cone and told me it was because I take such good care of her.

My first (and only) dance at Van's Dance hall was a lot of fun. Daddy and I "danced" the polka. When I say "danced," really I mean he picked me up and spun me around while HE did the polka. It was also the first time I had ever danced with a boy. Tiffany made me dance with her friends. Next to the memory of my dance with Daddy, though, is dancing with Grandma. We danced around the room as she told me random things about the dance hall and how it used to look before they remodeled some of it, and how she used to like dancing.

Grandma always had cookies in her cookie jar. I think she got the oinking pig so she could know when we were sneaking a cookie. As we all got older, we discovered how to lift the lid carefully and quickly so we could hold down the button to keep it from making noise.

Watching TV with Grandma is always fun. I'll always remember the day when she told me that she had a "crush" on Billy Ray Cyrus in Doc. I laughed as she told me she thought he was very good looking.

I blame the fact that I LOVE dark chocolate on my Grandma. She is, after all, the one who introduced me to it and shared her stash with me.

To my Grandma:

You gave me a mother

and raised her up right

some aunts and an uncle

all taught with the light

You gave me a friend

in whom to confide

to share in my pain

when I'm broken inside.

A person to share

in my happiness too

who let me run rampant

in a house like a zoo.

Without you I'd miss

many memories dear

and fun things we've done

when'er you were here.

The great camping trips,

the paths that we walked,

bonfires shared,

and times we just talked.

Pictures were taken

and glued in your book

to always remind us

to just stop and look.

There in the hot tub

on a cold winter eve

we'd sit and we'd soak,

no desire to leave.

At the end of the day,

when all's said and done,

I'll always remember

you were equaled by none.

Truly she is a GRANDma.

The Blind Shall See

As I was walking to class this morning, I noticed a young man trying to find his way across campus. He was blind. I watched as he used his cane to guide him away from the snowbank on the edge of the sidewalk. This is not an unusual occurrence on campus, as there are a few blind people I have noticed from day to day. This particular young man, though, seemed to be new. I felt a pang of sorrow for him as he asked a nearby voice where he was and where the student center was. I can't imagine going through life without being able to see where I was or the beauty that surrounds me everyday. This is one of the greatest reminders I have the God truly does love me. He sends amazing sunsets and sunrises to cheer me when life's colors are dull. He sends sparkling snow to distract me from the cares of the world. In the spring, He reminds me of the new life available to me through His atonement. In the fall, He changes the colors of the leaves to paint a beautiful picture on the mountainside. He sends rainbows and clouds with silver lining. He gave me sight to see the smiles on the faces of those I reach out to. He lets me see the pain and hurt in those I can help and the loneliness in the faces of those I can befriend. He has given me the privilege of being able to see the magnificence of the temple and the majestic mountains. I am so grateful that I am able to see the world, especially from behind the lens of my camera. I can't wait for the day when the darkness will be removed from the eyes of this young man and so many others like him.

Be the Answer

Walking home from class today, I noticed a couple girls trying (unsuccessfully) to get out of a snowed-in parking lot. One girl was driving the car and another was trying to push her out of the parking space. The snow was so deep in that area that one of the car's front tires was entirely off the ground while the other one spun uselessly on the snow. As I was coming up closer to the parking lot, one of the girls near me stepped of the sidewalk and walked over to help, then a guy wandered over. Suddenly three other guys realized it wasn't working and wandered over to help. I watched the scene unfold: one girl in the car, two more girls and 3 guys pushing. I wanted to help but knew I would only be in the way. I stopped to watch them push until the car was able to leave the parking lot, thinking about the way these random strangers took a few moments out of their walk home to help and realized the good that surrounds me daily. They could have walked on as I know many would, but they didn't. It made me consider the many times I felt like I should stop and help someone, but passed up the opportunity. The Lord put us here to help others. Sometimes the Lord will answer your prayers Himself, but more often He sends someone to us. Be the answer He sent you here to be.

Humility

This post is a bit different in that it is more humorous, but I had to tell my embarrassing first day of school story.

School started once again and I found myself trekking through the snow, across the slick ice on campus. Careful to keep my feet firmly underneath me, I walked from building to building. I slid a couple times, but I was able to keep upright. I was feeling pretty good about myself and my ice "skating" abilities, having made it safely from one side of campus to the other in less than ten minutes. I walked inside the building and started down the stairs when I realized my feet were no longer firmly underneath me. I can only assume the stairs were wet, because I slid the rest of the way down the stairs on my back. As it was, my pride was hurt enough without onlookers, but that apparently wasn't the plan. I had such perfect timing that it put me exactly between classes when everyone was out in the hallway. I really thought I felt okay afterwards, so I brushed it off and told all the guys I was fine. When I got to work, I realized I was going to feel it for awhile. I have bruises.

I guess this is the part where I add a moral... First, railings are there for a reason. Second, there will always be a large group of guys when something embarrassing is about to happen. Really though, to take it for what it's worth, we need to remember that the obvious dangers aren't necessarily the ones we need to watch for. I was aware of the ice outside, thus I was able to prevent an embarrassing outdoor display. It wasn't until I was inside, where I thought I was safe, that I slipped up. Pride is the first thing you notice damaged, but if you look deep enough, you will probably realize that wasn't the only damage done.

Choosing your Path

As I was rock climbing at the Rock Haus on Saturday night, I found myself halfway up the wall and stuck. I tried going left, but ran into an even harder path. Upon further investigation, the right was not an option either because I was too far left already. I clung to the wall for several seconds as I surveyed my situation. Doing the only thing I really COULD do as I sat there clinging to the wall, arms tired and failing, I put both hands in the same handhold and pulled with all my strength; trusting my belayer to catch me if I fell. I eventually made it to the top, though it wasn't easy. Looking up from the ground, I could see the many paths and hand/foot holds available; but from my position on the side of the wall, I hadn't thought ahead and planned my path. I also couldn't see that some of the rocks were going to be rounded and slick, with no crevices to grip. Trading places with my belayer, I held the rope as he climbed. Halfway up he got stuck in the same place. Although my belayer was watching me climb and giving some guidance from below, he still made the same mistake I did. I hadn't warned him to stay to the right when I got back down. On my next trip up the wall, I tried to choose my footing more carefully, yet ran into the same problem and got stuck in the same place. This time I didn't make it to the top. Weakened as I was, my arms were giving out and I could feel myself losing the strength I needed to hold on. At this point, I was very grateful for my belayer as he slowly let the rope out and lowered me to the floor. Sometimes in our lives, we get stuck on the path and can't seem to move on. Our hands may start to get slippery and we think we can't hold on. It is then that we need to put our trust in God and let him hold us up so we can keep going. There are times when we have to start out on the same path, we just need to keep in mind that there are many branches on the path. If one doesn't feel right or you get stuck, don't be afraid to let God help you go back and start again. When you reach the bottom again, you will have some knowledge to help others along the path too. You will be able to tell them about the rounded rocks and paths that will be easier in the climb to the top.