Goodbye...
Hello Readers! :D ~ This past year has been another good one! Heavenly Father has been so good to me and my family! :) I thank Heavenly Father for the many great memories, new friends (esp. my son's new girlfriend... the entire family loves that girl!) I didn’t have any big or astonishing goals for 2013 to accomplish and brag about… :o lol, but I realized upon a moment’s reflection that I learned a few things, and honestly – I have changed and learned a lot! Here’s how…
Item number 1: From the time of my youth, I carried with me a strange sort of “dislike” for cats. I WASHED my hands each time I felt FORCED to touch one of them. I saw them as filthy, annoying, stinky, and unloving … I was wrong! (What an awesome discovery; sometimes it is GREAT to be wrong! :D)
A few months ago our family adopted two of the most amazing and beautiful kittens God ever created; they are just as wonderful as adults... a beautiful, soft, grey, female cat named Misty; and a super handsome, big, fat, fluffy, black and white, shiny male cat named Oreo (I also like to call him “Mr. Kitty”). They are so gentle and so loving! They are also very clean and their coats are soft and lovely – not at all stinky or dirty – so much that I actually let them in my bed! That is something I was absolutely sure I would never do! I am a changed woman! And I feel so FREE!!! :D (Seriously, this is a happy miracle! :)
Item number 2: I guess me and the cats traded places, because after realizing how great they are, I struggled through a new list of vices or weaknesses that I suddenly saw in myself. Ugh! What a tough things it is – to see the ugly in yourself that you never knew was there!!! How humbling – in a truly horrific way! :O But alas, it is a good thing. Now that I am aware of some of my annoying habits etc., I am in a position to change them. It was really painful – at first, but not now that I have replaced criticism and negative thinking with forgiveness, and positive thinking. I'm thankful I can improve myself. I’m also quite thankful for my amazing husband for putting up with me and loving me so much despite it all! :D I’m the luckiest woman in the world! :D
Item number 3: Would you like to hear a few of the things I’ve learned? I thought so! :D Ahem…
*As you may already know, people can behave just awfully one moment, and perfectly wonderful the next – we are ALL a work in progress and God is helping us all! So I really try to forgive and forget, and just keep moving forward. This is as true with myself as it is with others…
*I used to think I was so polite! Ha! It was a painful discovery… I’m just not as “naturally” polite as I once thought I was! :o I need to make a conscious effort to be polite. Thank God for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the ability to repent and change. Thank God! Thank God! (Seriously, I am soooo thankful to Him! :)
*Along the same lines as the last, I hope to be a peacemaker like I was when I was a young girl. I was SO KIND and SO POLITE… so GENTLE and completely selflessly loving! HA! I wonder if I ever really was as wonderful as I remember being! ;) I do know this… I WAS gentle and kind. But I was also timid. I was AFRAID of contention. I was a peacemaker, but I didn’t know how to stand up for myself if I was being bullied. I sometimes lacked courage! And often, I was polite – to others – at the expense of myself. - Now that I am a grown woman and have had many years to learn to let go of fears and courageously speak up – the pendulum has swung… I learned to be polite to myself, – but sometimes at the expense of others. – Strength is only as effective as its companion, gentleness…
Now I'm learning and praying for greater balance… to be both strong, and gentle; both kind and courageous… Courage and Compassion are balancing companions. I pray to be able to stand up for myself as well as others, with strength and courage working together as a team with gentle kindness! This is my goal… PS. I think there are angels helping me. J Ah yes… Angels… J That brings me to another lesson learned!
* “There are angels among us.” (I always loved that show, and that line! :D) I used to think I should let my husband and children know what they do wrong so they can change (this is such a humiliating confession!). I learned this is best left to the angels! Now, I aim to keep my mouth shut unless the lord tells me to speak – and then I will do it with amazing compassion and kindness, so as to not offend or hurt; and I will show an increase of love afterwards. Unless I am called to judge, I am simply called to love. And when called to judge, it must be done with love and kindness…
*There will be times when the lord (or the devil) prompts another to make me aware of something I need to change (as I have experienced the past few months – thus the learning!) When this happens, I need to resist the urge to become offended. I need to be teachable. I need to patiently endure the painful words and respond with calm understanding. I need to be thankful. I need to not allow myself to feel hurt, but simply be thankful to learn and grow. I need to remember that Heavenly Father loves me exactly the way I am, while still so happy to see me learn grow. I need to remember that I am of great value, despite my shortcomings, and that I can still like myself and feel good about myself. I don’t have to be perfect to be of value! In God’s eyes, I am his perfect creation. I am perfectly worthy of His love. And I am worthy of His cleansing and healing balms…
*When someone is mourning – don’t give a pep talk about being positive – mourn with them! “Mourn with those who mourn, and comfort those who stand in need of comfort.” People need to feel UNDERSTOOD and VALIDATED before they are ready to listen to advice! And sometimes, they don’t need or want your advice, just your understanding! I learned that sometimes validation is help enough for them to be able to move on and figure out the solutions to their own problems…
*A GIFT is only a gift RECEIVED, if it is first desired… Heavenly Father has so many gifts He is waiting to give to us! But He often waits until we need them, enough to desire them, AND ASK for them; that way He can be sure we will receive and treasure a gift and not toss it aside due to not realizing its value…
This writing is already quite long, so though I’m certain I could think of much more to say I will wind down and come to a close.
Suffice it to say this has been a great year of learning and growth… I liked this year… J
I am so thankful for the love I feel from my Savior as he leads me on and calms me when I need him most. I love the story of Christ walking on the waters during a storm; when his disciples became afraid He calmed the storm for them. He told them, “Be not afraid, for I am with you.” I like to think of that when the storms of life threaten to take my peace away. He is always with me, and he can calm any storm – even the storms of regret, fear and worry that sometimes threaten to rage in my own heart and mind. There is no storm he will not calm for me. No storm that he will not preserve and keep me safe through. He is with me. He is here to give me messages of hope and peace. I choose to believe HIM; that gives me hope and peace. I bear you this testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen…
PS. I do have one accomplishment this year worth celebrating here quickly. I did lots of Genealogy and Miles and I did a ton of temple work for many of our ancestors this year. We now have a good solid habit going of doing work for our family each and every month. This is a very satisfying accomplishment, and I feel so blessed to be able to do it! :D -Yeah for us! ;)
I hope this year leaves you with some celebrating as well…
I hope this year leaves you with some celebrating as well…
Love, and Happy New Year! J
Corine :D