I became friends with a sister in my ward from Mexico. She was struggling with her marriage and seeking to know the Lord’s will. One day she asked if I would go the temple with her. The temple was extremely busy. We waited an exceptionally long time in the waiting room. For several weeks I had been ... Read More
Giving Up: Despair or Delight – Steps 1, 2, and 3
I often strive to the point of strife. This strife is always counterproductive. I never seem to be able to kick and scream my way to any kind of real and lasting progress. Math and especially science that involves math has always been a struggle for me. My high school chemistry teacher was my dad. ... Read More
Who is Going to “Pretect” Us? And What is a “Harmerax”? – Step 2
I was your classic scared of the dark “Heavenly Father, Please bless me that I won’t have any bad dreams,” “Close the closet doors mommy,” “Please check under the bed daddy,” kind of a kid. After I was put to bed I would lie there, full of anxiety, anticipating the moment when everyone in the house ... Read More
Too Grown Up for a Hand? – Steps 1, 2, 3
Madeline is apparently four going on fourteen. Maddie recently and suddenly announced her own coming of age. Just before an ordinary mother/daughter crossing of a busy street, Kendra, completely unaware of Miss Madeline’s growth sprit, reached down to take her hand as she traditionally does. But ... Read More
“Oh, Besides Him”
One day I had the occasion to sit in on a Young Women lesson being taught by one of the Young Women. She was teaching a lesson on what the girls could do to avoid immorality. “So, what are some of the things we can do to keep ourselves morally clean?” she asked the class. There was a long silence. ... Read More
“Surfer Girl”
I know that thismorning is two words, not one, but I don’t ever seem to know it in the middle of writing it. Lots of things are like that for me. I can teach it, sing about it, pray about it, write about it, see it in the lives of others ancient and modern, but when it comes right down to life, my ... Read More
“He leads me, He leads me along.” The Difference a Few Words Can Make – Step 2
Out of a slight sense of embarrassment we tend to keep some of the little ah-ahs of life to ourselves. For example, we have probably all experienced the surprise and humor of gazing down at the words of a song we have chanted over and over since childhood, only to discover that the words we thought ... Read More