Years ago, right in the middle of motherhood, I woke up one day with the thought that I must take on something new, something just for me, something outside the “mommy box.” So what did I do? Within 24 hours I had I hired a harp teacher, rented an actual harp from her, picked up the harp, and ... Read More
Just Come!
Reverence was not a top priority for my 12 nieces and nephews visiting the Missionary Training Center on a February Sunday afternoon. We had just finished attending a sacrament meeting where their grandpa, after several years of service, had been released as a branch president. The children had ... Read More
“Right Face! Right Face! Right Face!” – The Tools
In a high school biology class we all learned a little bit about genetics. I’m sure you remember the day you were asked to go home and check the ear lobes of everyone in your family to see whose were attached and whose were not. I remember spending the late afternoon of a school day collecting and ... Read More
The Yellow Bedroom
In my home there is a room that in hindsight seems to have had a dedicated purpose. This room is affectionately known as the Yellow Bedroom. When I moved into this home in 1975 I had just had my first child, a little girl, and this small room with pale yellow walls became the nursery. Over the next ... Read More
Practice Makes Progress – Principles For a Lifetime
I can’t remember when I took my first piano lesson, but as far back as I can remember, practicing the piano daily was a part of my routine. In my elementary school years my teacher was the traveling variety. She came highly recommended, gray haired, thick-rimmed glasses, and very old. Once a week I ... Read More
“How Is It That You Have Forgotten?” – Step 11 Personal Revelation
Please forgive me for returning to a learning ground I have visited in the past, but a soccer field full of five year olds is such a rich spot of ground for being taught at all levels. Carson seems to have a little more energy for the game this season. In last weeks game he actually made two goals – ... Read More
“What Am I Hungry For?”
The following is an exercise that only requires your journal, a pen, your scriptures and a little bit of time. I had my Young Women ponder and write about these questions during a quiet hour at camp one year. I wanted the girls and their leaders to feel as though we were sitting on the couch in my ... Read More
Closing the Gap: The Distance Between Getting Organized and Establishing a House Of God – The Tools of Recovery
“I’ll be OK. I just need to get organized!” These are words I’ve heard and words I’ve said countless times. I have spent a lifetime trying to get my time and my stuff in order. I felt it was the key to everything. You can imagine my joy when I ran into the Lord’s command to “Organize yourselves” in ... Read More