Category: Jesus Christ

Harvest

Mark is serving his last few weeks of his mission and this post is a record that my missionary “son flowers” arrived again this year. In fact, I had to thin them by about 50% earlier this summer because the ground was so crowded. God is an abundant giver.

My first missionary sunflower showed up 8 years ago on the week that Daniel left, and each year their return has been a symbol of hope for me, a new love language expressed to me by the Lord.

Just like the surprising arrival of the sunflowers, I didn’t expect to have feelings of loss during these last weeks of being a missionary mom. I didn’t realize I will miss this burden that I can now call sweet.

Soon we will end this era of writing and sharing spiritual moments, praying for friends I will never meet from countries far from home, and so many unique blessings and experiences. It has been a good era because the Lord has been very near.

Like the sunflowers, the impact of our sons’ missions grows and multiplies with the years, bringing blessings to them and the people they loved and taught. The Lord of the Harvest is so, so good.

little things

I don’t do big things lately. In fact, I juggle a schedule of many little things that I won’t list here. I’ve been temped during this season of my life to feel superfluous or unneeded because I’m no longer planning big events, speaking to large audiences, or raising children. But that temptation is a lie.

It turns out that little things, done consistently and with love, are just as transformative as big things. It’s also true that little gestures matter to people.

The Lord chooses to work by small means most of the time. My current season of doing small things helps me trust the Lord’s method of elegant, simple solutions.

Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

Alma 37:6-7

Presence

I care about having a welcoming home. I have studied design concepts and worked hard to create a home that reflects peace and comfort. Plus, I clean a lot.

In a video I watched recently about home decor, the narrator said that design principles matter, and cleanliness matters, but there is an intangible quality you find in an inviting space. It is the influence of the owner that creates the final impact of a home. It’s their presence. Think of your grandma’s house, or a friend’s house where you feel loved and accepted. These people and their spaces are the magnet for your heart.

Think of the House of the Lord. The decor and lighting are serene and lovely, but this is only part of the story of why you feel good here. The presence of the Lord is behind the stillness, the light, and the ideas that come to your mind.

Think of the room where you spend the most time, or even your desk. What do you learn about yourself by looking at the objects you choose to display? What messages do you convey in this room or space? Can the Spirit of the Lord dwell there?

I want each person who enters our home to feel loved and welcome. I want the Spirit of the Lord to be here. His presence is the piece that makes all the difference.

Found!

Perhaps you’re like me and can think of something that you lost in childhood and never found. I recall a few things that my children lost, and I found one this week as I moved some shelves in the basement. It was a very satisfying moment to reunite this piece to the set.

As I revamp our home after raising children, I remember and remember.

The words, “dismember” and “remember” can be considered opposites. To “re-member” is to be complete again. Recalling the past and reflecting on the fruits of my parenting adventures brings a wholeness to my life that I didn’t expect.

Remembering is also a religious theme. God wants us to always remember Him. It’s a key to being one with Him, complete and whole.

So, how can I remember Him (be reunited with Him) today?

One in Christ

Richard and I were guests on the last night of youth conference this week. We enjoyed dinner and then watched the youth assemble this work of art. Earlier in the week, each youth was given a rectangle tile to paint with some basic lines and instructions. Most pieces had simple colors and lines with very few clues about what they were actually creating.

As the sun set on the last evening, they lined up to affix their tiles to the large board as we listened to their recorded testimonies expressing why they wanted to walk with Jesus. When the art was complete, we sat quietly as we admired it and listened to music. In a world of virtual everything on small screens, this tangible, large object lesson was refreshing.

The art made me think of the process of building a testimony, day by day. It made me think of gathering Israel, one person at a time. Painting a tile could represent faith that our righteous actions will make a difference. It was also a visual reminder that the church is one in Christ, and each person brings something essential as they walk with the Him. What a beautiful object lesson with so many applications!

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12

Also the body hath need of every member, that all may be edified together, that the system may be kept perfect.

Doctrine and Covenants 84:110

Friends I didn’t know I had

I was sad to miss my regular temple appointment because I had a cold, and my friend sent this message which really touched my heart.

I learn something each time I attend the temple, and this time, a lesson of belonging reached me even though I had to stay home.

May I have eyes to notice those who are missing or withdrawn. May I have the courage to reach out to them and help them feel seen.

You do not need to worry about fixing all the problems.

I can get overwhelmed by the problems I see around me. Sometimes I will have an interaction that leaves me speechless and baffled by the things I observed. Sometimes I’m part of the problem, but at least then I can do something about it.

There are other times when my actions and attitudes have no part in the problem. The person is beyond my reach or beyond my capacity to help. At these times, I’ve seen the emancipating power of this phrase during prayer, “I trust Thee,” meaning that I trust the timing and manner of God’s miracles. For me, a frequent equivalent of offering loaves and fishes is offering prayer.

Jeff and Paris

The extended Ross family had quite a month. Yesterday was a happy spot, with the wedding of our nephew Jeff. The darling couple played jazz saxophone with their band, sang, and danced at their reception. How enchanting.

Weddings are beautiful, and this one was particularly lovely, but nothing compares to the blessings from our Father in Heaven that we heard during their temple sealing. Well begun, Jeff and Paris!