This is an amazing story all around. Not only is this sports coach willing to take a special needs kid under his wing AND give him playing time in an important moment of the game, but a huge group of his peers (teenagers, no less!) are there to cheer him on and sacrifice teenage ego for his success. So inspiring, I just had to share this. Happy Sunday!
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Mondays with Emma
Here's our weekly inspiration from Miss Emma. Love that girl!
One of my favorite lessons from this week was found in Helaman 5: 51-52 which say, “And as many as were convinced did lay down their weapons of war, and also their hatred and the tradition of their fathers. And it came to pass that they did yield up unto the Nephites the lands of their possession.” I like this because up until now, this group of people (Lamanites) had generally had a tradition of wickedness among themselves. However, once they heard the gospel they completely changed and became a righteous people. I think this is wonderful because I think sometimes we have sins we want to give up but Satan tries to tell us that there are things about us that we can’t change, we just are going to have to live with it. However, this scripture gives us encouragement, because if the Lamanites could change their entire way of life, I can change the little things that I need to change. If you are ever feeling down on yourself, just think that you are probably not doing things as bad as the Lamanites were, and they changed so we can too!
I also like the word choice in this scripture of “convinced”. When I read the word “convinced” I thought of the word “converted”, because I think part of being converted is having a belief, or being convinced, but after the Lamanites were convinced or converted, they didn’t just leave it at that. Rather, they acted upon it. Because they knew, they changed their way of life and didn’t war anymore. This applies to us because it is great if we believe the gospel is true, but we also must do something about it in order to strengthen our faith. Today in Ward Conference my Stake President shared something that I really love. He said, “Testimony is what we know and feel. Faith is what we do and become.” In conclusion, I learned two major lessons from this part of scripture. 1. I believe that we are never too far gone to receive God’s help to make us better and 2. I believe that once we are “convinced” or have a testimony, the next step is to “do” or live it. This will help us be even more useful in the hands of God.
One of my favorite lessons from this week was found in Helaman 5: 51-52 which say, “And as many as were convinced did lay down their weapons of war, and also their hatred and the tradition of their fathers. And it came to pass that they did yield up unto the Nephites the lands of their possession.” I like this because up until now, this group of people (Lamanites) had generally had a tradition of wickedness among themselves. However, once they heard the gospel they completely changed and became a righteous people. I think this is wonderful because I think sometimes we have sins we want to give up but Satan tries to tell us that there are things about us that we can’t change, we just are going to have to live with it. However, this scripture gives us encouragement, because if the Lamanites could change their entire way of life, I can change the little things that I need to change. If you are ever feeling down on yourself, just think that you are probably not doing things as bad as the Lamanites were, and they changed so we can too!
I also like the word choice in this scripture of “convinced”. When I read the word “convinced” I thought of the word “converted”, because I think part of being converted is having a belief, or being convinced, but after the Lamanites were convinced or converted, they didn’t just leave it at that. Rather, they acted upon it. Because they knew, they changed their way of life and didn’t war anymore. This applies to us because it is great if we believe the gospel is true, but we also must do something about it in order to strengthen our faith. Today in Ward Conference my Stake President shared something that I really love. He said, “Testimony is what we know and feel. Faith is what we do and become.” In conclusion, I learned two major lessons from this part of scripture. 1. I believe that we are never too far gone to receive God’s help to make us better and 2. I believe that once we are “convinced” or have a testimony, the next step is to “do” or live it. This will help us be even more useful in the hands of God.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Here's Emma Again.
Here's another guest post from my little sister, Emma. I hope she'll keep sending these to me, because I like reading them. :) Fun fact about Emma: she received her mission call this week to serve as a full-time missionary in Cusco, Peru. That means she'll be there for 18 months, teaching people about our Savior and His Church.
The big white envelope containing the mission call came on Friday. Friday night, we all skyped in: Grandma, Mom, Dad, Brigham, McKay, and Mary from Colorado; Emma, Sam, Elise, and some of Emma's roommates from Utah; Dana Lee, Kyle, & Breckyn from Colorado; Chad and me from here in Louisville; and Taylor & Jenny from Atlanta. It was so wonderful to hear her read the words, "You are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You have been assigned to labor in the Peru Cusco mission."
You may or may not know anything about how mission calls are assigned (or what Mormon missions are all about, for that matter). In a nutshell, the 12 Apostles (or some of them? can't remember.) meet together and review each and every missionary application. They pull up the picture of the applicant on a big screen and look over the needs for missionaries in the different missions in the world. (this is a big deal, because there are usually 50,000+ missionaries at any given time, and the number of applications has skyrocketed since the announcement that girls could serve at 19 instead of waiting til 21). And then, through prayer and revelation, they determine where each individual missionary is to be called. I know this process is directed by God. I just do. If you have ever opened a mission call or been present when someone else opens theirs, there is an overwhelming spirit there just letting you know this special assignment is from Heavenly Father. I've also heard that being a part of the call-making process is pretty darn special.
Anyway, I am so excited for Emma. I know she will be a diligent, studious, fun, & loving missionary, and I can't wait for her to fall in love with the people of Cusco! Here's what she sent me this week (this is a weekly assignment for her Book of Mormon class at BYU, and I offered to give it a home on my blog).
"This week in Book of Mormon the assigned reading was Alma 43-56. One of my favorite parts of that reading was Alma 48:17. At this point in The Book of Mormon, Mormon is telling us a little about Captain Moroni. Mormon says, “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” I love this description of Captain Moroni because it is such a powerful statement. I don’t know that I could replace my name for Mornoni’s in that statement because I still have a lot of things to work on, but it is inspiring to know that this could have been said of a mortal man. It means that it is possible for us to live in such a righteous way that Satan’s temptations will be to no avail. It is also a reminder that the devil can only have influence in our lives if we allow it. Since Moroni was so steadfast, the devil wasn’t even able to get a foot in the door. The same could be true for us if we live like Moroni. I also like this scripture because it gives us a small glimpse of what it may be like at the Millennium when Satan is bound and has no power over us. Why not start working towards that now?"
The big white envelope containing the mission call came on Friday. Friday night, we all skyped in: Grandma, Mom, Dad, Brigham, McKay, and Mary from Colorado; Emma, Sam, Elise, and some of Emma's roommates from Utah; Dana Lee, Kyle, & Breckyn from Colorado; Chad and me from here in Louisville; and Taylor & Jenny from Atlanta. It was so wonderful to hear her read the words, "You are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You have been assigned to labor in the Peru Cusco mission."
You may or may not know anything about how mission calls are assigned (or what Mormon missions are all about, for that matter). In a nutshell, the 12 Apostles (or some of them? can't remember.) meet together and review each and every missionary application. They pull up the picture of the applicant on a big screen and look over the needs for missionaries in the different missions in the world. (this is a big deal, because there are usually 50,000+ missionaries at any given time, and the number of applications has skyrocketed since the announcement that girls could serve at 19 instead of waiting til 21). And then, through prayer and revelation, they determine where each individual missionary is to be called. I know this process is directed by God. I just do. If you have ever opened a mission call or been present when someone else opens theirs, there is an overwhelming spirit there just letting you know this special assignment is from Heavenly Father. I've also heard that being a part of the call-making process is pretty darn special.
Anyway, I am so excited for Emma. I know she will be a diligent, studious, fun, & loving missionary, and I can't wait for her to fall in love with the people of Cusco! Here's what she sent me this week (this is a weekly assignment for her Book of Mormon class at BYU, and I offered to give it a home on my blog).
"This week in Book of Mormon the assigned reading was Alma 43-56. One of my favorite parts of that reading was Alma 48:17. At this point in The Book of Mormon, Mormon is telling us a little about Captain Moroni. Mormon says, “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” I love this description of Captain Moroni because it is such a powerful statement. I don’t know that I could replace my name for Mornoni’s in that statement because I still have a lot of things to work on, but it is inspiring to know that this could have been said of a mortal man. It means that it is possible for us to live in such a righteous way that Satan’s temptations will be to no avail. It is also a reminder that the devil can only have influence in our lives if we allow it. Since Moroni was so steadfast, the devil wasn’t even able to get a foot in the door. The same could be true for us if we live like Moroni. I also like this scripture because it gives us a small glimpse of what it may be like at the Millennium when Satan is bound and has no power over us. Why not start working towards that now?"
Saturday, January 12, 2013
A Book of Mormon Post, from a Special Guest Writer
I love my little sister, Emma. She'll be guest writing occasionally on this blog about her reading in the Book of Mormon. I've always admired Emma for studying her scriptures so consistently, so I'm excited to read some of her thoughts. Enjoy!
"Hello everyone that reads Cammie’s blog! My name is Emma, and I’m Cammie’s little sister. I am taking a Book of Mormon class at BYU this semester and one of our assignments is to share some insights that we have while doing our assigned readings. This class studies Alma chapter 30 through the end of The Book of Mormon.
For my class, we were assigned to read Alma chapters 30-35 for the week. One scripture that I really like in this is Alma 30: 44, especially the end part that says, “…yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.” I really like this because it is a reminder to me that I can remember God’s hand in my life every day by all the little things that happen and everything surrounding me. I don’t need a huge miracle to see that God exists because He can be found in all the details. The complexity and beauty of this earth is always a great reminder of God’s love for us and His existence. Today it snowed quite a bit in Provo. Everything looks really beautiful and it’s awesome to take a moment to admire how God made us such beautiful surroundings. Other things testify to me that God is real because of their complexity. I am taking an anatomy class and it is remarkable to learn about all the different parts of us and all the different processes that take place in us. I think something so amazing could have only been designed by Heavenly Father. I’m grateful for this scripture because it reminds me that everything witnesses that God is real."
"Hello everyone that reads Cammie’s blog! My name is Emma, and I’m Cammie’s little sister. I am taking a Book of Mormon class at BYU this semester and one of our assignments is to share some insights that we have while doing our assigned readings. This class studies Alma chapter 30 through the end of The Book of Mormon.
For my class, we were assigned to read Alma chapters 30-35 for the week. One scripture that I really like in this is Alma 30: 44, especially the end part that says, “…yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.” I really like this because it is a reminder to me that I can remember God’s hand in my life every day by all the little things that happen and everything surrounding me. I don’t need a huge miracle to see that God exists because He can be found in all the details. The complexity and beauty of this earth is always a great reminder of God’s love for us and His existence. Today it snowed quite a bit in Provo. Everything looks really beautiful and it’s awesome to take a moment to admire how God made us such beautiful surroundings. Other things testify to me that God is real because of their complexity. I am taking an anatomy class and it is remarkable to learn about all the different parts of us and all the different processes that take place in us. I think something so amazing could have only been designed by Heavenly Father. I’m grateful for this scripture because it reminds me that everything witnesses that God is real."
Monday, December 31, 2012
New Year's
Happy New Year's! I can't believe this year has come and gone. I love the reflection that comes with a new year.
At the beginning of this year, I was: in love with Chad. hating my internship. trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel (with said internship). counting down to visits (with said Chad). getting ready to propose my thesis. trying to stay focused on school. dreaming of graduation.
At the end of the year, I am: in love with Chad. NOT hating my internship, because it ended. working in a job I LOVE. not needing a light at the end of the tunnel (I guess I'm not in a tunnel, right now). sometimes taking for granted the fact that I'm with Chad everyday (but glad I don't have to count down to visits). done with that crazy thesis thing. done with school. graduated.
Whew! Chad and I are both excited to see what 2013 will bring. I have several hopes and goals for the year. Tonight we are celebrating New Year's with our dear friends Duane and Andrea. Hope your night is magical, whoever you are and wherever you are.
At the beginning of this year, I was: in love with Chad. hating my internship. trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel (with said internship). counting down to visits (with said Chad). getting ready to propose my thesis. trying to stay focused on school. dreaming of graduation.
At the end of the year, I am: in love with Chad. NOT hating my internship, because it ended. working in a job I LOVE. not needing a light at the end of the tunnel (I guess I'm not in a tunnel, right now). sometimes taking for granted the fact that I'm with Chad everyday (but glad I don't have to count down to visits). done with that crazy thesis thing. done with school. graduated.
Whew! Chad and I are both excited to see what 2013 will bring. I have several hopes and goals for the year. Tonight we are celebrating New Year's with our dear friends Duane and Andrea. Hope your night is magical, whoever you are and wherever you are.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Aruba, Jamaica...nah, I'll just stick with Aruba.
I am so in love with Aruba.
It began when the Lord sent me there for 6 months as a missionary and then for another 3 after some mission time spent in other places.
It continued when I went back a year later because I scored a research grant to learn about marriage education on the island.
I slogged through my master's thesis, which I wrote about the marriage education in Aruba, while fantasizing about being IN ARUBA.
And now, three years later, I keep feeling pulled back to my little "dushi tera" (sweet land). I am obsessed with that place! I've gotten to share it with mission companions, and my parents, and Steve & Barbara Duncan when they came to help out with the research. Next month, I get to share it with the love of my life, so I'm extra extra excited. I hope he loves it as much as I do.
I'm planning on snorkel time, and pastechi/pan keshi (delicious food involving delicious Dutch cheese), and batidos (fresh fruit smoothies), and tracking people down I haven't talked to in 2 years, and lounging. Lots of lounging. I'm sure it'll be cool to see the Christmas lights on all the pretty houses, too. I haven't ever been there at Christmastime. Oh, it's going to be glorious.
It began when the Lord sent me there for 6 months as a missionary and then for another 3 after some mission time spent in other places.
It continued when I went back a year later because I scored a research grant to learn about marriage education on the island.
I slogged through my master's thesis, which I wrote about the marriage education in Aruba, while fantasizing about being IN ARUBA.
And now, three years later, I keep feeling pulled back to my little "dushi tera" (sweet land). I am obsessed with that place! I've gotten to share it with mission companions, and my parents, and Steve & Barbara Duncan when they came to help out with the research. Next month, I get to share it with the love of my life, so I'm extra extra excited. I hope he loves it as much as I do.
I'm planning on snorkel time, and pastechi/pan keshi (delicious food involving delicious Dutch cheese), and batidos (fresh fruit smoothies), and tracking people down I haven't talked to in 2 years, and lounging. Lots of lounging. I'm sure it'll be cool to see the Christmas lights on all the pretty houses, too. I haven't ever been there at Christmastime. Oh, it's going to be glorious.
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| This is me, and Chad. Well, it will be me and Chad. |
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Just Lovely.
Check out the beautiful view from down my street as I got home from work last night. I had to run in and grab my camera.
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| to the right of our casa: TOO MANY CARS, but what an amazing sky |
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| to the left of our casa |
So, last night was Monday. We try to have Family Home Evening on Monday nights. I'd have to say that it was just perfect last night. Chad and I had invited a family from Church to come have FHE with us, but they weren't able to come. So it was just the two of us, as usual. We had a great discussion about how Jesus is described as the "living waters" in the scriptures, and what this means to us. Then we watched the re-run of BYU beating Georgia Tech in Atlanta last weekend and decorated a little family of acorn squash for our porch (thanks to Mama Smith for the cool pumpkin stickers!). What a fun time!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Excitement
Also, in exactly two weeks I will be headed to Atlanta to hop on a plane for home. The excitement is finally hitting me. Home! Wedding! Chad! Family! And I recently decided to forego my graduation ceremony in favor of a full extra day of honeymoon in Florida with Chad AND--this just in--a possible jaunt up the Atlantic coast on our way back up to Kentucky (now that we won't have to stop in Auburn for graduation). Oh, this is just becoming too good to be true.
Oh hey, do you have a favorite book or book on tape? I'm thinking suspense or mystery--you know, something really gripping--but I'm open to whatever. We're gonna have a looooong drive from FL to KY.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Fresh Starts. . . and the FINAL Louisville visit before I make it my place of residence.
Just a quick bedtime post to say I'm really grateful for fresh starts, which are in rich supply for me right now. I moved a bunch of stuff up to Kentucky and saw the beautiful little home Chad and I will be living in, and we basked in being together and enjoying our last visit before the wedding.
I guess I'm just really happy about moving into a new phase of my life, being done with grad school (PLEASE can I be done revising my thesis?!), and thinking about who I want to be. I love the opportunity I have right now to think about who I have been in Auburn--in the branch, in my calling(s), at school, with my roommates, as a person, really--and to decide who I want to be in my new city. What kind of wife/Church
member/citizen/therapist/person will I be?
Speaking of fresh starts, I was feeling really proud of myself today for actually improving on something I've struggled with. I realized that Christ's Atonement offers us lots of 'fresh starts,' and I'm grateful for that. Starting over--whether it be moving to a new city, getting married, or just improving at something and forgetting past mistakes--it all just feels like such a blessing right now.
Oh, and um...only 26 days!! Good heavens.
Here are some trip pictures.
I guess I'm just really happy about moving into a new phase of my life, being done with grad school (PLEASE can I be done revising my thesis?!), and thinking about who I want to be. I love the opportunity I have right now to think about who I have been in Auburn--in the branch, in my calling(s), at school, with my roommates, as a person, really--and to decide who I want to be in my new city. What kind of wife/Church
member/citizen/therapist/person will I be?
Speaking of fresh starts, I was feeling really proud of myself today for actually improving on something I've struggled with. I realized that Christ's Atonement offers us lots of 'fresh starts,' and I'm grateful for that. Starting over--whether it be moving to a new city, getting married, or just improving at something and forgetting past mistakes--it all just feels like such a blessing right now.
Oh, and um...only 26 days!! Good heavens.
Here are some trip pictures.
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| by the scummy water after deciding not to swim. |
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| oh how badly I wanted to get in the water. . . but couldn't bring myself to do it. |
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| looking adorable. |
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| pretty trees and sunshine by our campsite. |
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| a parody of our overly-abundant "squishy face" pictures |
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| lookin' sweaty...106 degrees of pure humidity |
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| flowers, a card, AND my favorite person all in one house. |
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Math
124 days until my last day of work
125 days until my last day of class
129 days until the wedding
136 days until graduation
I can do ANYTHING for 4 months and a little. Anything!
Ok, so I'm a little worried about getting everything done, but I'm really trying to believe it can happen. It's got to. Right?
125 days until my last day of class
129 days until the wedding
136 days until graduation
I can do ANYTHING for 4 months and a little. Anything!
Ok, so I'm a little worried about getting everything done, but I'm really trying to believe it can happen. It's got to. Right?
Friday, July 1, 2011
Life is so good.
Just wanted to share that I am really, really happy right now. Sometimes really great things happen to me and I think, "Wow, I really wasn't expecting that to happen." After all the good things that have happened in my life, I should really just be expecting it by now. I think that's part of what faith is--believing that something good will happen. I'm just really grateful, that's all. :)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Easter Surprise
I had quite a lovely surprise yesterday for Easter, while taking a nice walk through town to wind down from the huge Easter feast my roommates and I hosted for several friends. I was just a little homesick/lonely, when one of my best friends from high school texted me and asked if I lived in Auburn. Apparently, she and her family were in the middle of moving from Houston to Virginia, and they were stopping here for the night! I could not have been more pleasantly surprised. I got to meet her husband and their adorable little boy, and it was so great to catch up with her after about 5 years!
Some people will just always be friends, no matter how long I go without seeing them. Of course, Heidi and I were attached at the hip for several years. We did EVERYTHING together. Some of my favorite memories include leaving notes in a secret mailbox by the church (we were in different wards), stealing cake from the teacher's lounge when we were at school for marching band practice (we were so bad!), and trying to connive our parents into taking us to the mall every Saturday. Good times.
Also, my roommate and I prepared an Easter feast--we made ham, and homemade rolls, and steamed green beans, and cheesy potatoes. We were very proud of the meal. It was so fun having some of our friends from the branch over, too.
Some people will just always be friends, no matter how long I go without seeing them. Of course, Heidi and I were attached at the hip for several years. We did EVERYTHING together. Some of my favorite memories include leaving notes in a secret mailbox by the church (we were in different wards), stealing cake from the teacher's lounge when we were at school for marching band practice (we were so bad!), and trying to connive our parents into taking us to the mall every Saturday. Good times.
Also, my roommate and I prepared an Easter feast--we made ham, and homemade rolls, and steamed green beans, and cheesy potatoes. We were very proud of the meal. It was so fun having some of our friends from the branch over, too.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Scripture Reading Blog
Happy New Year everyone! I have a goal to improve the quality and consistency of my scripture study this year. To help myself do this, I have created a blog where I will post one short thought on my scripture reading each day this year. You can check it out here. Here's to a fabulous 2011!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Sister Gotze
I had the chance to go to a viewing for Filomena Gotze, who passed away last week from a stroke. She and her husband had flown to Utah from Aruba to celebrate their daughter's college graduation and visit with some of her other kids and grandkids.
As I watched the picture slideshow, what really got my attention was her eyes--they just shine in every picture. She looks so tranquil and happy with her grandkids, her kids, her husband, her church friends.
There's a different feeling at a funeral where people know about God's plan. There wasn't lots of crying, although my heart ached for her sweet husband of 40+ years. Still, her kids and husband talked about how things had worked out in a way that let them know God was mindful of them. She was able to spend time with kids and grandkids who lived in the U.S. and Spain, and visit Temple Square just before she died. Temple Square was a place she really loved.
Seeing two sisters I loved from my mission pass away recently has reminded me about the person I want to be. I'm grateful for both of their examples. I'm so grateful that families can be together eternally, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I hope I can live worthy of those blessings.
As I watched the picture slideshow, what really got my attention was her eyes--they just shine in every picture. She looks so tranquil and happy with her grandkids, her kids, her husband, her church friends.
There's a different feeling at a funeral where people know about God's plan. There wasn't lots of crying, although my heart ached for her sweet husband of 40+ years. Still, her kids and husband talked about how things had worked out in a way that let them know God was mindful of them. She was able to spend time with kids and grandkids who lived in the U.S. and Spain, and visit Temple Square just before she died. Temple Square was a place she really loved.
Seeing two sisters I loved from my mission pass away recently has reminded me about the person I want to be. I'm grateful for both of their examples. I'm so grateful that families can be together eternally, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I hope I can live worthy of those blessings.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Sister Maylinda
Meet "Sister Maylinda."
Born in the Dominican Republic, she moved to Aruba in her younger years to marry an Aruban. I knew her because I was a missionary in Aruba for 9 months. Every Friday, she had us over for lunch. She made the best food--rice and beans, but they were THE BEST rice and beans I've ever had. She'd usually make us some kind of chicken or meat to go with it. Plus, she'd make fresh passion fruit or mango or pineapple juice. And she'd serve us a little snack-pack pudding for dessert. When we finished lunch, we'd always take our plates over to the sink. Sometimes I would absentmindedly throw the chicken bones from my plate in the trash. She hated that--she saved every scrap so she could give it to the dogs on the side of the road.
She was a very talented seamstress. She ran a successful business for years, but by the time I knew her, she mostly just did favors for people. One time I was with her when she ran into someone who remembered Maylinda from 20 years before because Maylinda had made her wedding dress. She made my companion and me skirts one time--I still remember her exclaiming how VERY WIDE my hips were when she measured me. :) (Thanks to her beans and rice, probably.)
When I went back to Aruba a year after my mission to do research, she let me stay at her house. Even though I didn't expect her to, she doted on me and fed me. She was always putting people up in the spare bedroom in her house--it wasn't just me--and I'm sure she took care of them all, too.
A couple of times as a missionary, I remember having to go through her bedroom to get to the bathroom. Her bedroom was perfectly tidy. The bed was always made. All she really had in there was a set of scriptures sitting on the stand next to her bed. It was simple and clean and focused, just like her.
Maylinda was dependable. Nearly every week, she came with us to the English class we taught, just to be there. (She already spoke fine English.)
She was a sweet grandmother. Her grandkids LOVED spending the day at her house.
She walked to the bus stop every Sunday so she could go to church.
She would respond immediately if she heard someone didn't have anything to eat, by taking them a hot meal.
I remember someone we taught as missionaries who didn't know how to read. Maylinda agreed to have the woman over every week so she could read the scriptures to her. The woman continued to walk to Maylinda's house for months after my companion and I stopped teaching her. All kinds of people felt welcome in her house.
Aruba won't be the same place now that she's gone. I'm grateful for her example, her testimony, and her constant service. Mi ta stima bo pa semper, Hermana Maylinda.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Agency
I read the following talk by Elder Hales (one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
He said:
"Throughout His life our Savior showed us how to use our agency. As a boy in Jerusalem, He deliberately chose to “be about [His] Father’s business.”10 In His ministry, He obediently chose “to do the will of [His] Father.”11 In Gethsemane, He chose to suffer all things, saying, “Not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”12 On the cross, He chose to love His enemies, praying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”13 And then, so that He could finally demonstrate that He was choosing for Himself, He was left alone. “[Father,] why hast thou forsaken me?” He asked.14 At last, He exercised His agency to act, enduring to the end, until He could say, “It is finished.”15
I like the phrase "deliberately chose" in that second sentence. It's making me think about my life, and how often I deliberately choose to follow Christ. Sometimes, I may just do the right things out of habit or because my family and friends do them. But I feel a desire to be more intentional in following the Savior.
He said:
"Throughout His life our Savior showed us how to use our agency. As a boy in Jerusalem, He deliberately chose to “be about [His] Father’s business.”10 In His ministry, He obediently chose “to do the will of [His] Father.”11 In Gethsemane, He chose to suffer all things, saying, “Not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”12 On the cross, He chose to love His enemies, praying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”13 And then, so that He could finally demonstrate that He was choosing for Himself, He was left alone. “[Father,] why hast thou forsaken me?” He asked.14 At last, He exercised His agency to act, enduring to the end, until He could say, “It is finished.”15
I like the phrase "deliberately chose" in that second sentence. It's making me think about my life, and how often I deliberately choose to follow Christ. Sometimes, I may just do the right things out of habit or because my family and friends do them. But I feel a desire to be more intentional in following the Savior.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Watch This
I thought this little video was quite thought-provoking. What am I gonna do about it? Not sure yet. But I'll let you know when I figure it out.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Oh. My. Heck.
What a crazy night of work.
First off, as I was driving to work tonight I got caught in a blizzard. I prayed, and I sang hymns, and I felt inclined to think about what would happen if I slipped off the edge of the highway and died. I pleaded with God to let me stay. And I thought how it would be exciting to see Grandpa Davis if He didn't let me stay. But I figured Grandpa Davis and probably some other people, too, wanted me to stay.
I wasn't sure whether to pull over, keep driving, or turn around and go home. But I was expected at work. And there were other people on the road, too. So I kept driving. When the snow really got bad, I'd already entered the canyon and didn't have cell service anymore. So I plunged onward at 25 miles an hour.
I was half an hour late to work, and my co-worker hadn't arrived yet. When one of the day shift people called her to see if she was okay, she said she had been pulled over by a highway patrolman who told her to turn around and go home. Because there was only one of me, and also because the storm was bad, the two day-shifters had to stay.
It was funny to start out the shift with them. One of them was almost giddy at the thought of sitting and watching a movie on my laptop. A Series of Unfortunate Events and 3 episodes of The Office later, however, they were both out cold. One is sleeping at my end of the hall, and the other is sleeping at the other end. Both are laying flat on their stomachs. I am safely perched on the "sick bed," a sort of futon built into the wall.
"Safely perched." Because a few minutes ago, I thought I saw a mouse in the corner of my eye. I dismissed the idea, because when I first got hired, the program director had hired someone to come "take care of the mouse problem." I had heard them scuttling around in the walls, and outside the windows, but hadn't ever seen one face to face.
But a couple minutes after I thought I had imagined seeing a mouse, I really did see a mouse. It ran out onto the carpet, and stood there, inches from my sleeping co-workers face. I refrained from screaming because I knew if she woke up she would be completely terrorized, and every girl in this place would wake up, too. The little mousey ran under the pillow her head's on, and then retraced its steps and ran away again.
Anyway, I'm happy to be up here on this "sick bed." And I'm happy to be alive. I'm grateful to have Buck the 4-Runner, with four-wheel drive for storms. I'm happy there are only 3 more hours left in this shift. I'm happy that this week is Thanksgiving. I'm happy that today is my third-to-last shift at this place--ever. I'm happy to have had a job.
I'm happy that God lives and the Savior came. I had a realization in the car today that I really haven't done everything I want to, yet. I also realized that no matter when this life ends, Jesus Christ will have to make up for my shortcomings. I felt extremely humbled to imagine my lack of preparedness to meet God, despite my efforts. Yet somehow I felt assured that He would make it okay. I feel so grateful for that today, and wish I could feel this grateful more often without almost dying.
First off, as I was driving to work tonight I got caught in a blizzard. I prayed, and I sang hymns, and I felt inclined to think about what would happen if I slipped off the edge of the highway and died. I pleaded with God to let me stay. And I thought how it would be exciting to see Grandpa Davis if He didn't let me stay. But I figured Grandpa Davis and probably some other people, too, wanted me to stay.
I wasn't sure whether to pull over, keep driving, or turn around and go home. But I was expected at work. And there were other people on the road, too. So I kept driving. When the snow really got bad, I'd already entered the canyon and didn't have cell service anymore. So I plunged onward at 25 miles an hour.
I was half an hour late to work, and my co-worker hadn't arrived yet. When one of the day shift people called her to see if she was okay, she said she had been pulled over by a highway patrolman who told her to turn around and go home. Because there was only one of me, and also because the storm was bad, the two day-shifters had to stay.
It was funny to start out the shift with them. One of them was almost giddy at the thought of sitting and watching a movie on my laptop. A Series of Unfortunate Events and 3 episodes of The Office later, however, they were both out cold. One is sleeping at my end of the hall, and the other is sleeping at the other end. Both are laying flat on their stomachs. I am safely perched on the "sick bed," a sort of futon built into the wall.
"Safely perched." Because a few minutes ago, I thought I saw a mouse in the corner of my eye. I dismissed the idea, because when I first got hired, the program director had hired someone to come "take care of the mouse problem." I had heard them scuttling around in the walls, and outside the windows, but hadn't ever seen one face to face.
But a couple minutes after I thought I had imagined seeing a mouse, I really did see a mouse. It ran out onto the carpet, and stood there, inches from my sleeping co-workers face. I refrained from screaming because I knew if she woke up she would be completely terrorized, and every girl in this place would wake up, too. The little mousey ran under the pillow her head's on, and then retraced its steps and ran away again.
Anyway, I'm happy to be up here on this "sick bed." And I'm happy to be alive. I'm grateful to have Buck the 4-Runner, with four-wheel drive for storms. I'm happy there are only 3 more hours left in this shift. I'm happy that this week is Thanksgiving. I'm happy that today is my third-to-last shift at this place--ever. I'm happy to have had a job.
I'm happy that God lives and the Savior came. I had a realization in the car today that I really haven't done everything I want to, yet. I also realized that no matter when this life ends, Jesus Christ will have to make up for my shortcomings. I felt extremely humbled to imagine my lack of preparedness to meet God, despite my efforts. Yet somehow I felt assured that He would make it okay. I feel so grateful for that today, and wish I could feel this grateful more often without almost dying.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Alma 34, and my roommate, Yo-yo
Verse 27: "Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you." Thus ends the section previously marked in my mind as "the prayer section."
Verse 28 says: "And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need--I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith."
I had never really noticed before that verse 28 is referring to the previous several verses on prayer. Our prayers are essentially ineffective if they aren't followed by action. Our heartfelt prayer for God to bless someone in need ought to be followed by our sincerest efforts to help them ourselves, in whatever way we can.
Anyway, I was reading these verses and picturing my adorable, Chinese roommate, Yo-yo, who, just before I walked out tonight to go to work, remembered, "Oh, Cammie! I have something for you!" She dashed to the kitchen and brought out a container of strawberry Yoplait yogurt. "You need the energy," she said. How cute is that? And then she explained to me that she thought it would be my favorite kind, since she's seen me eating strawberries, and she's also seen me eating yogurt. I love love.
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