Bloom Where You're Planted

Photo (C) Sally Hipwell
May be copied for personal/church use.

I took the picture in this post while I was visiting Minnesota. I was walking through a park and as I went over a bridge I noticed a tiny plant beginning to grow between the boards of the walkway. It was small and vulnerable, yet sure and strong. It was blooming where it was planted, even though it wasn't necessarily the best place for a a seedling to take root.

I love the quote by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin in his talk during the October 2008 General Conference.

 

"Come What May and Love it."

Notice, he didn't just say come what may and endure it, or come what may and somehow survive. He said come what may and love it. The phrase bloom where you're planted takes on a whole new meaning for me after pondering this quote.  The plant wasn't just surviving in between the two boards or barely hanging on. It was thriving, growing, and developing even when it wasn't in ideal circumstances.

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't love adversity. Sometimes, I even cringe at the sound of the word. I find these words from Elder Worthlin very encouraging.

"I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life. If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times

of greatest happiness. . . .

 

"Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives.

We can learn to love it."

I hope that with the help of our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, we can find the strength to not just endure, but to love whatever comes our way. God has a plan for us. He is mindful of us and He will bless us.

Sincerely,
Sal

Forgiveness

In Doctrine and Covenants the Lord tells us that we are to forgive all men and that the Lord will choose whom He forgives. Some posts back I wrote of a sister at church who had hit my daughter. About a month later I was in Nursery with my son and she came in to assist. I went to tell her that she was okay not to sub, but before I could get more than her name out of my mouth, she shut the door firmly in my face. That hurt more than I can put into words. Since then I have cried for strength to really forgive and allow the Spirit to move her into forgiveness as well. Last Sunday she gave my husband a bag of scraps left over from her sewing projects for me. I have since decided a thank you card is in order. That the Lord works miracles in our lives when we sincerely pray for them is my testimony.

Last Sunday a sister shared a poem with us that showed the effects of sin when we judge and do not pray to forgive others.

The Cold Within
Six humans trapped by happenstance, in bleak and bitter cold,
Each one possessed a stick of wood, or so the story’s told.
Their dying fire in need of logs, the first man held his back,
For of the faces ‘round the fire, he noticed one was black.
The next man looking cross the way, saw one not of his church,
And couldn’t bring himself to give the fire his stick of birch.
The third one sat in tattered clothes; he gave his coat a hitch.
Why should his log be put to use to warm the idle rich?
The rich man just sat back and thought of the wealth he had in store,
And how to keep what he had earned from lay, shiftless poor.
The black man’s face bespoke revenge as the fire passed from sight,
For all he saw in his stick was a chance to spite the white.
The last man of this forlorn group did naught except for gain,
Giving only to those who gave was how he played the game.

Hope this gives you strength.
Happy creating, everyone!

Linda

Discouragement

Discouragement. That is a big, ugly word with a capital “D.”  All of us from time to time have felt it. That dark, deep-down feeling that we are nothing, have no worth, and will never amount to anything. It’s that feeling of despair and hopelessness that nothing will ever work out.

If I were talking face to face with you right now, I would look you directly in the eye, grab your shoulders and shake you (Okay, so I might be more gentle than that, but you get the idea J), and firmly tell you that those feelings are not true. But, don’t just take it from me. Here’s what President Uchtdorf says:

Another way Satan deceives is through discouragement. He attempts to focus our sight on our own insignificance until we begin to doubt that we have much worth. He tells us that we are too small for anyone to take notice, that we are forgotten—especially by God.

Have you ever felt that way before? I certainly have. Sometimes it seems that we are of no value because we’re not famous, not rich, don’t feel like we’ve done anything worthwhile, and this list goes on. Especially for those who are women, sometimes it seems like the day-to-day tasks that we accomplish are so minute and that they will never make a difference. But, once again, these discouraging thoughts are wrong. President Uchtdorf continues:

The Lord doesn’t care at all if we spend our days working in marble halls or stable stalls. He knows where we are, no matter how humble our circumstances. He will use—in His own way and for His holy purposes—those who incline their hearts to Him.

God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good.

May I emphasize this statement one more time: “God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good.”

lds.org

Wow! How cool is that? God knows us, loves us, and sees the good that we do, even though the world tries to tell us that what we accomplish isn’t worthwhile. Our loving Father in Heaven wants us to trust in Him and realize our true worth as His sons and daughters. I hope that we will all take the time to remember who we really are and cast awful feelings of discouragement out the minute they come into our hearts. Remember: those despairing feelings are not true. Through the infinite power of our Father in Heaven and Christ’s atoning sacrifice, there is always hope.

-Sal

You're Not Alone

I remember sitting in the car as my mom played "You’re Not Alone" by Michael McClean over and over again. I cringed every time the CD was put back on that track and soon started making fun of my mom’s constant hitting of the back button on the stereo.  Although at the time I didn’t appreciate the repetition, I do now for one reason—the song has stuck with me.

Here’s a little song to help you get along

It will see you through when you’re feeling blue

And though it’s not profound when you’re feeling down

So down

Sing this little tune and you’ll feel better soon

You’re not alone, even though right now you’re on your own

You are loved in ways that can’t be shown, your needs are known

You’re not alone

And when you cry you’re just letting go a heartache deep inside

So tomorrow there’ll be sunshine and sky and love close by

You’re not alone

Well I know that it’s not easy, but I know that it won’t last

Cause one who loves you more than me

Is sending blessings fast

You’re not alone…say it one more time, “I’m not alone”

And even when it’s hard to find the words

Your prayers are always heard

You’re not alone

I love those comforting words. “You’re not alone. . . . You are loved in ways that can’t be shown, your needs are known.” I have found those words to be true throughout my life. I know that we never have to face anything by ourselves. God, our all-powerful, loving Father, is always right by our side, holding our hand, and leading us home. He doesn’t give us hard things to punish us or condemn us, but rather to teach us and help us to reach our full potential. I know that if we turn to Him in humble prayer and make a sincere effort to make Him a part of our lives, He will fill us with a knowledge of His love for us.

-Sal

Perfect Timing

Ever wonder why we stress so much about time? I mean we learn in the Scriptures how time is measured differently to Heavenly Father than it is to us. Some of us know this is true when we get these amazing patriarchal blessings and then get frustrated when the blessings don't come into our lives for years or even in this lifetime.

This past Sunday I woke up an hour after I should have been at church. When I asked my daughter why she didn't wake me up, she said she had but I told her I wasn't going, that I was too tired. (I don't remember any of that conversation.) After getting my slew of kids together we raced off to church for the last hour and a half.

Although the Relief Society lesson was that we need not let our fears keep us from sharing the Gospel with others, the lesson I learned was to have faith in Heavenly Father to know there are reasons for being late, sometimes ones we never know about. After church we stayed for a baptism, and it was tough on my two year old. I know there would have been no way we could have stayed if we had gotten to church on time.

One time I took the Greyhound cross country and the whole trip was one big frustration, with waits as long as 8 hours.  During our journey, we got stuck in the traffic of a major accident where an oil truck had exploded and killed those nearby. If we had been on time we would have been caught in that terrible tragedy. After seeing that happen, it really calmed me down and I felt a humble gratitude to Heavenly Father for knowing and having the perfect time schedule to keep me and my children safe.

This week, after struggling for two years to come up with a design I love for my website, I finally was able to create it. It all happened because I had an unhappy customer who had bought one of my workshops and didn't see any of the templates that she liked that were for free in a certain design. So instead of getting frustrated at her moans, groans, and negative complaints, I set out to design it for her free of charge because I knew she was on a set income. And boy has it blessed my life! I even came up with a beautiful redesign for my spiritual strength page with wonderful quotes to boot. If you get a chance check it out at www.ruoiled.com/my_spiritual_strength.html.

I have a testimony that we are always on course as long as we strive to keep Heavenly Father the center of our thoughts and actions. May we always find the way to stay focused on that instead of any set time is my prayer for us!

~Linda

Dealing with Hurtful Church Members

lds.org

Every Sunday for the past three months has been a struggle for my family. My four-year-old girl has not wanted to go to church. We thought the transition from Nursery to Primary was the problem. After being really sick with a virus, I was able to return to church after being out for roughly a month. Needless to say, returning to church has been rough.

Then something occurred that made me glad I was at church with my little girl.  Her teacher told me someone else, not me, should drop my daughter off to class, and I felt concerned. Then as I sat in Sharing Time with my little girl, she became excited upon seeing one of her best friends give a talk while being helped by her mother. She excitedly whispered to me how glad she was that her mother was helping her best friend. Without warning, my daughter's teacher reached across the two other little Sunbeams and continually slapped my daughter's wrist while telling her to be quiet. I was stunned to hear the slapping sound and I watched dazed as she did this to my child. I found myself filling up with an enormous amount of emotion, so I took my children out of the room. After speaking to the Primary president and the bishop, I left church because there was nowhere for us to go. How does someone deal with situations where spiritual harm is done?

Well, I will tell you what I plan to do. I plan to follow Jesus's example and pray for this sister every time she comes to mind. I forgive her; however, never would I permit anyone to touch a child in this manner, much less condone someone touching one of my children this way.

Often the verse is on my mind, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for such is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Mark 10:14). To me this verse means we adults bite our tongues, control our impatience, and find a creative way to redirect a misbehaving child so they feel listened to and valued. It does not mean to make them suffer! I find myself wondering how else this sister has inappropriately corrected my child. Knowing that my little girl is just a young child who does not know how to tell on others when they hurt her, all she knew to say was that she didn't want to go to church.

It has been my experience as a member of this precious gospel that in dealing with the failings of human behaviors, if we focus on the great love and blessings that flow from obeying the commandments, we will be given the strength to stand strong in times that test our faith. I share with you that I was guided by the Spirit to leave the room when my first reaction was to reach over and do bodily harm back. Heavenly Father gave me the strength to act as a lady, and I never so much as even glanced her way in Sharing Time today.

A similar situation happened to me some years ago that I draw strength from today. When I was a single mother in Washington, I had asked the Relief Society president for a ride to the temple, to which she refused. I heard from a good friend that I wasn't allowed the ride because the president did not want me to be friends with a single brother who also was riding in the car. So I confronted the president and was told that she saw me as a loser because I had bought a car eight months earlier and I still wasn't driving. I thank God for filling my bosom with compassion, driving out the negative thoughts I had for her jumping to conclusions. The president was unaware that I was struggling to learn to drive because of abuse I had endured in a ten-year marriage to my first husband. The Lord greatly blessed me that I was able overcome my fears and get my license the following week, after struggling and failing the test three times previously over a twelve-year period.

When the time came for me to move from Washington, the sister who had been president bore her testimony the fast Sunday before I left of how she never had the courage to apologize to a certain sister who was part of the branch for denying service to help her overcome obstacles in her path.  Having seen her great strength to overcome certain difficult circumstances, she knew that Heavenly Father had a huge part in that sister's life.  She regretted not being open to being a part of the growth the sister had accomplished. She spoke of lost opportunities and how she saw now that she would never again be given the chance to be of service to that sister.  Furthermore, she was deeply affected that the sister never was found gossiping about her in return for the unkindness she had showed.
I knew she was talking about me from the way she continually looked at me while speaking. I can't say that it made the pain less, for every Sunday I found it a struggle to show up to church, yet I knew I needed to go to set the example for my children.

All I really want to say is that if any of you are struggling to go to church because of hurts, please let my experiences give you the strength to go. You are not alone. Heavenly Father will bestow the blessings of His Spirit on you. Know that by relying on Him, we come to be like Him and we are blessed beyond comprehension in all areas of life. May we all find the courage to stand for truth in the gentle ways that become the followers of Christ. And may all of us feel connected to the True Source of our creativity, joy, and light, is my prayer!

Have a great and productive week! And may all our burdens be light as we practice our daily walk with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Hugs!
Linda

Creators of Nations

Linda from Ruoiled will be blogging on Sundays. Here is her first post:

Happy Mother's Day to all our sisters who read this blog. I want to take a moment to introduce myself; I'm Linda from the shop Ruoiled (Are you oiled). I am excited to share in the writing of this blog on my favorite day of the week, Sunday.

Some would say this is breaking the Sabbath, but I do not consider it work because I am going to stay focused on sharing things that inspire me from church. Today was an interesting day because we just had a missionary return this past week in our ward and we will be sending off another missionary from our ward on Wednesday. The missionary that returned is now a new person. He glows unlike the young man who left here. Before, he was closed and seemed so worldly with his sloppy clothes, unkempt hair, and eyes that seemed empty. Many of the brethren worked hard to get this young man ready to go on his mission. I was doubtful that it would happen, much less last 2 years. But his parents' faith paid off. And he was so beautiful to look at today, in his missionary attire, minus the tag. I know I have learned a lot through witnessing that miracle!

Then began the speakers for Sacrament Meeting. It was so wonderful to hear from the mother of the missionary who will be going, of how the great grandmother's husband was called on a mission in the beginnings of the Church and even though they were struggling that they decided he needed to serve the Lord. Well, that dear brother had an accident befall him on his journey to begin his mission and was killed. The sister was struggling to provide for her small children for they were really poor and lived in a house made of sod. That winter there were holes in the walls that let in the cold and she became very ill with tuberculosis. Well, she heard from her brother who invited her to come take over the home that her parents left behind, but withone condition, that she forsake the Mormon religion. He said he would wait to receive her letter when she had enough of living in poverty. She quickly told him that he would never receive such a letter, that she was committed to the truth found in the Church. A few weeks later she died. Her children were raised by one of the apostles. And now this young missionary was the seventh generation of missionaries from this sister.

Then the father in the talk said this profound sentence: we mothers are creators of nations. That rang deep in my heart. How often do we consider the greatness of our positions as mothers in Zion? I don't know about anyone else, but I struggle to find the time to create items in my Etsy store. I shamefully and humbly admit that I don't always know how to balance my quiver full of children, care for my 80-year-old diabetic father who requires monitoring of his diet and blood sugar and has to be reminded to go to the bathroom, along with the full time job of creating items, a website, videos, conference calls, photographing items, creative writing for the listings, and managing the different social media sites to get the word out. I have faith that I am working a mighty work, connecting Energy Medicine with the scriptures in my blog here on Blogspot, as well as on my website; however, I plan to go forward from this day remembering that these beautiful children are the beginnings of my future nation. 

May all of us mothers find a way to relate our love for the gospel in such a way that it becomes the very nature of our children, that should the Lord call us home before they make it to adults, we will instill in them a determination to be future missionaries and leaders in moving the work of the Lord forward in these latter days.

Hope all who read this blog will feel inspired to make whatever necessary changes they need to make to allow time to cultivate the creation of their future nation is my prayer. 

God Bless,
Linda

Captain's Message: Despite Adversity, Be of Good Cheer

Source: PlumStreetPrints on Etsy

The Church website features a small page titled "Despite Adversity, Be of Good Cheer," featuring quotes by the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Here is a selection from Elder Robert D. Hales:

“In the school of mortality, the tutor is often pain and tribulation, but the lessons are meant to refine and bless us and strengthen us, not to destroy us,” Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles says. “There is nothing that we are enduring that Jesus does not understand, and He waits for us to go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. I testify that if we will be obedient and if we are diligent, our prayers will be answered, our problems will diminish, our fears will dissipate, light will come upon us, the darkness of despair will be dispersed, and we will be close to the Lord and feel of His love and of the comfort of the Holy Ghost."

I hope that when you read this short message you will feel the Spirit confirm the truth. It is so vital to know that Jesus understands everything we experience, and that our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to communicate with Him through prayer. They love us unconditionally and want our growth and happiness.

Please read the Church website page, "Despite Adversity, Be of Good Cheer." Be uplifted and have a wonderful week!

- Rachelle