Of Mountains and Molehills - Throwback Thursday

It happened about four summers ago.  I was worn and tired from the whining and complaining I had been hearing all day long from my children.  I made an attempt to turn things around and tried to prepare a nice family dinner that would hopefully put them in a better mood. I did some searching online and made a special trip to the store, going through great lengths to make it the most kid-delicious, kid-friendly, kid-approved meal they had ever had.  Surely this would put a smile on their faces.

Proud of myself, I spread the table and called everyone in.
Three of my children rejoiced at the sight of my culinary creation but Micah stared angrily at his plate and mumbled, "I hate this food!"
"You haven't even tried it!" I sternly responded.
"I don't care.  I hate it!"
"Serious?!" I questioned, after all my efforts. My patience was completely gone and I shouted, "Well, you have to eat at least one bite!"
Stubbornly, Micah refused.
"One bite, Micah, ONE!!" I demanded until he finally complied.
Dramatically, he gagged a fork-full into his mouth, his face still frozen in an angry glare, obviously already decided that it was disgusting and no amount of force would sway him otherwise.  I waited for him to swallow but instead he spit it back on to his plate, spraying smaller pieces across the table.

That was the last straw and I wasn't about to let him win this battle.  The whole family looked on watching to see what I would do.  I raised my fist, pounded it on the table as hard as I could, and yelled, "This is SO STUPID!  It's absolutely ridiculous, Micah!  I can't believe you are making THIS BIG of a deal out of ONE STUUUPID BITE!"
Everyone was stunned and the room was silent, except for Micah who began to cry uncontrollably.
I could see the disapproval on my husband's face which made me even more mad because I wanted someone to justify my immature behavior (you know give me back-up).  Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't ever lost his cool before, I grumbled in rationalization.
I was so angry but also terribly embarrassed.  I knew I behaved poorly.  I grabbed my car keys and left the house in an effort to let off steam.

I drove to a nearby trail-head and began hiking at full force to get every angry feeling out of me, never pausing, never stopping, just stomping my way up the mountain to the painted Y.

I huffed along determining that I would never again lose my temper like that.  The scenario played back in my mind and the look on everyone's faces haunted me.  I scolded myself, "You were the one being stubborn, Alicia....  You were the one making such a big deal out of something so insignificant.... And you want to know what was stupid?? Your behavior was stupid!..."

I arrived at the top of the Y and found a place to sit.  I folded my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs.  Taking a large deep breath and then exhaling slowly, I surveyed the beautiful panorama of Provo,  I sat there for quite sometime on that mountain relieved to be away but disappointed in myself for the behavior that led me there.  I searched for the roof of my apartment in the tiny scale of buildings below.  Pinpointing it, I squinted and marveled how small everything looked.  It caused me to recall a quote I had stashed away years ago by Confucius, "Men do not stumble over mountains, but over molehills." I thought to myself, "Boy, did I ever stumble!"  How foolish I had been to make such a big deal out of something so small.   Tears rolled down my face as I prayed for forgiveness.  I pleaded for the kind of patience and humility that would prevent me from ever doing anything like that again.

A calmness covered me, the stillness refreshed my soul, and I felt grateful for such a loving Father in Heaven.  The next step was to make things right and do some serious apologizing.  The sun began to set beyond the horizon and the city lights glittered brighter.  I began my descent back home continuing to ponder on the changes I needed to make as a mother and anxious to tell Micah how terribly sorry I was.

When I walked through the door of the apartment, I discovered that he was already asleep.  Quietly, I stepped into his room and knelt down by his bed.  I could tell by the shutter in his breathing that he had cried himself to sleep.  Such a realization pierced my heart with sorrow.  I whispered another prayer, asking for Micah's forgiveness.

A new day came and Micah woke up as his bubbly-happy-self.  It was as if nothing ever happened.  He greeted me with a hug and a kiss and grabbed his breakfast.  "Hey, bud..."  I said, as he shoveled cereal into his mouth.  "I'm really sorry for the way I behaved last night.  I was the one who was making a big deal out of something so small.  I was the one who was behaving stupid.  I'm really, really sorry.  I will never lose my temper like that again.  Will you forgive me?"
"It's okay," he said reassuringly as he continued to hum with each spoonful.
I was completely inspired by his ability to so easily let go of what I had done. I felt thankful for a brand-new day...
a new day to put my words into practice,
a new day to get up and try again,
a new day to exercise my faith and call upon the Lord for strength,
a new day to put one foot in front of the other and focus on what really matters.

In my journey, this is the mountain worth climbing.
-Alicia

"Dear Younger Me" - Way-back Wednesday

Father's Day is around the corner and I feel as if I haven't really painted my dad in the best light when I've written about him. (I have mentioned that he's not the same person I knew as a child. And that's probably the most credit I've really given him.)  When I lived with my parents, dad was an emotional mess... and it showed in his violent abusive temper. As a kid, I was terrified of him.  He was a ticking time-bomb and you never knew when he was going to blow!  I remember changing the words to the primary song, "When Daddy Comes Home" to sing, "I'm so mad when daddy comes home, mad as I can be.... Put my hands around his neck and squeeze it tight like this.  Smack his cheeks and give him what?  A great big kick." I can't remember if I sang it out-loud like that but it was definitely in my head.

Dad began to seek help from the bishop when I was in highschool.  It didn't start off well and I remember being so embarrassed when I heard from my mom that in dad's initial interview, he left the bishop's office rather livid, swearing and slamming the door on his ecclesiastical leader. 

I never saw my dad cry until the year he attempted suicide three times.  Late one night when everyone had gone to bed, I lay there sleeping when I was awakened by a strange sound.  I listened closely.  I could hear someone weeping from the family room down the hall.  I climbed out of bed, silently peeked around the corner, and saw my dad kneeling in his bathrobe, praying out-loud and crying uncontrollably with deep and heavy sobs.  It surprised me and something within my heart changed at that moment.  The anger and resentment I felt for him was replaced by compassion and empathy.  I knew I had to forgive him because he so desperately wanted to change.  He hated himself for all he had done.

As I began to study the scriptures and become more involved in seminary, forgiving him became much easier.  At that time in my life, I also learned some things about my dad's childhood that helped me understand his explosive behavior.  And just recently, I've gained more perspective from reading "The Body Keeps the Score".  I guess I never realized that he was a serious trauma victim!

My dad was the oldest of ten children.  (It was a "your's-mine-and-our's" situation.)  Even though he had nine younger siblings, his parents called him "Little Lee" to differentiate between him and his father (who he was named after).  My dad had a lot of energy as a kid.  (I don't know what normal boy doesn't.) But back then, his parents didn't understand it was normal and struggled desperately for ways to deal with it.  They took him to a family therapist who poorly advised them,  "Whenever 'little Lee' gets out of hand,  tie him in a straight jacket away from the others in the basement until he 'calms' down."  

That's how they dealt with it.  Can you imagine??!

This was only the beginning of his trauma.

When he was nine, his mother passed away from breast cancer and two years later he lost his younger sister to Leukemia.  His step-mother was young (almost 17 years younger than his father).  She was terribly jealous of my dad's mom and would never let anyone grieve her loss.  

As a teenager, my dad remembered one morning laying in bed and being awakened by a sharp stinging pain in his shoulder.  He opened his eyes to see his step-mother standing over him glaring angrily.  Dazed and confused, he tried to sooth the pain by rubbing his arm.  He was bleeding and still in shock from such a rude awakening when he glanced down at the side of his bed and saw the shattered framed picture of his real mom on the floor.  He looked back up to hear his step-mother rebuking him threateningly, "I don't ever want to see this picture hanging in your room again!!"  (This is just one example of the abuse he faced but there were other moments like it.)

Despite all his trauma growing up, he served a church mission and when it was completed, he pursued a degree in elementary education and psychology.  He says that living away from home in a dorm was the most free he had ever felt in his life. (I don't blame him.) 

At the University, he made a lot of friends and was in a singing group.  I always loved the fact that my dad liked to sing.  He made a great baritone.  I think music was healing for him.  He loved to play the piano and the guitar.  His favorite artists were Anne Murray, Cat Stevens, and Simon & Garfunkel.  (I played all my dad's records and learned to love that genre.  It was healing for me too.)  We were in a choir together when I graduated from highschool. I'll never forget singing Handel's Messiah with him and the Oratorio Society of Utah at SLC's Tabernacle.  

See, life wasn't all bad... I have other good memories of my father too:  Dad loved camping and every summer we would visit a National Park as a family.  He took tons of pictures everywhere we went. (I appreciate that so much more now than I did then.) He liked word games such as Boggle or Scrabble and strategy games like Chess (at least those are the ones I remember playing with him).  Dad had a very dry sense of humor (he had a pun for everything) and any time he sneezed he tried to make it sound as goofy as possible.  I got really good at giving courtesy laughs. Dad loved books, especially children's books... he had tons on hand because he was a school teacher. He loved C.S. Lewis and from him I learned about The Chronicles of Narnia. 

These were all very good things in my life.

It has been an interesting journey over the past 20 or so years for me to come to a place of understanding about my dad, to see that his outbursts weren't my fault (and in some ways they weren't even his fault).  He had never been taught how to deal with his emotions in a healthy way.  Even still, he admitted to his wrongs, he experienced a mighty change of heart, and repented, fully repented.  I'm proud of him for it.  He has hope in and through the Savior and His wonderful, atoning sacrifice.  Today, we enjoy sharing our faith and testimony with each other over the phone or in person. I love my dad!!

I heard this song "Dear Younger Me" the other day on the radio and thought of the scared child I was growing up and how often I'd blame myself for my "punishments".  I thought of how many times I wished I hadn't been born into the family I was given.  But today... the older me would say to the younger me, "Alicia, this is the perfect family for you.  It is in this home you will learn to have compassion, you will learn to forgive, you will learn to love those who do not love themselves, you will witness great miracles, you will witness hearts change, and you will come to know the Savior in a very deep and personal way."

Compared to my dad's childhood, my life was quite easy.  I can see where he did try to give something better than what he had.  I wonder too (with all that my dad went through and with the redemption he witnessed) if he would write this same letter to himself?

-Alicia

  

"Dear Younger Me" 
by, Mercy Me

Dear younger me
Where do I start
If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far
Then you could be
One step ahead
Of all the painful memories still running thru my head
I wonder how much different things would be
Dear younger me, dear younger me

Dear younger me
I cannot decide
Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life
Or do I go deep
And try to change
The choices that you’ll make cuz they’re choices that made me
Even though I love this crazy life
Sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride
Dear younger me, dear younger me

If I knew then what I know now
Condemnation would’ve had no power
My joy my pain would’ve never been my worth
If I knew then what I know now
Would’ve not been hard to figure out
What I would’ve changed if I had heard

Dear younger me
It’s not your fault
You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross
Dear younger me

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

Every mountain every valley
Thru each heartache you will see
Every moment brings you closer
To who you were meant to be
Dear younger me, dear younger me

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

The War From Within

Of all the enemies the Nephites fought as they strove to protect their people and land, there is one enemy that proved to be the most tremendous threat of all.... themselves.  The greatest damage to the Nephite community was not the result of physical battles fought outside their fortresses with clashing swords.  No, it was much more internal, the problem was within their own government and in their own church.

"There began to be serious contention concerning who should have the judgment-seat... because of so much contention and so much difficulty in the government, that they had not kept sufficient guards in the land" - Helaman 1:2 & 18  

"a little pride..in the church, which did cause some little dissensions" turned into "much contention and many dissensions."  This "pride which began to enter into the church - not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God" and resulted in "persecution of their brethren". - Helaman 3:1,3,33,34

The most disheartening of the two is what happened within their own church.  Helaman 4:11 says, "This great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God."  And in the next two verses, it says that because of their pride, they "withheld" giving or sharing, they made a "mock of that which was sacred, denied the spirit of prophecy and revelation," which led to all kinds of other sins.  "And because of this their great wickedness, and their boasting in their own strength, they were left in their own strength."

In my studies yesterday, I found some commentary that gave greater insight into how people within the church could fall so far.

"This attitude of the people is perhaps the most frightening aspect of this terrifying book of Helaman. We read of a people who were so caught up in the vain things of the world that they were blind and mostly unaffected by Nephi’s great call to repentance. It was not that the people did not have religion; it was that their religion was one of the facades of their respectable lifestyle. The deceit did not fool the prophets; they warned them of their ways. Nephi called down a great famine, while Samuel prophesied great signs and could not be killed. Both preached plainly with the power of God and with courage. Both were mostly rejected because the people hardened their hearts, preferring to believe instead the philosophies and excuses of men (Hel 16:15-23). The outcome of this blindness is well known to readers of the Book of Mormon. The Nephites continued in the same pattern of wickedness in spite of receiving great signs and having momentary periods of righteousness until all but the more righteous were destroyed at the Savior’s coming (3 Nephi 9:12-13)."- The Book of Mormon: Helaman Through 3 Nephi 8, According To Thy Word, ed. Monte S. Nyman & Charles D. Tate, Jr. Provo: Religious Studies Center, BYU, 1992(emphasis added)

The members of the church who rejected the prophets and refused to repent while continuing to preach from their own pulpits, basically set-up themselves in place of the "set-apart".  The word "repentance" haunted them because it flew in their face, broke the facade of their "respectable lifestyle" and revealed it for the self-centered pompish parade of vanity that it really was.

It's an interesting observation Elder W. Grant Bangerter observed, "I never found it necessary to break my standards, to remove my garments, or to apologize for being a Latter-day Saint... I can honestly say that no nonmember of the Church has ever tried to induce me to discard my standards. The only people I remember trying to coerce me to abandon my principles or who ridiculed me for my standards have been non-practicing members of the Church." - Elder W. Grant Bangerter (July 1982 - New Era)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland asked, "When gospel principles get unpopular or unprofitable or very difficult to live, will we stand by them 'for the duration'? That is the question our experiences in Latter-day Saint life seem most determined to answer. What do we really believe, and how true to that are we really willing to live?" 

In a world like today, most likely the hardest standards of God to live by are; humility, gentleness, and meekness.  Yet, these are the qualities that are the most rewarding!

 In the scriptures, those with solid testimony did not let pride, hatred, or anger claim a stake in their hearts.  Rather, they "did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God."- Helaman 3:35

I submit that the fastest way to "yield our hearts unto God" is through immediate repentance. The moment we recognize our own fault in a situation to say, "I'm sorry", to truly own that apology and the consequence that may follow instead of endeavoring to excuse ourselves and sweep it under the rug.

We also "yield our hearts unto God" by living by His way even if it means losing face or popularity, to not be fence-sitters but rather "Choose... this day whom we will serve" -Joshua 24:15

What are some other ways I can "yield my heart unto God" in these battles "from within"?

-Alicia

Love Isn't Blind

It seems to me that the trends of the world often follow the pattern of what I call "shallow love."  So many relationships leave no room for imperfection in one another and therefore leave no room for growth.  When the going gets tough or if anything dissatisfies... they abandon everything.

C.S. Lewis observed this about Gods love and maybe we can apply something of this pattern in our own lives with everyone we come in contact with:

"To see in some measure, like God.  His love and His knowledge are not distinct from one another, nor from Him.  We could almost say He sees because He loves, and therefore loves although He sees." 

 "He loves although He sees."  Think about it for a moment! "He loves although He sees."  I believe that is what endears us to the Savior's heart.  That is the quality that makes us comfortable to fall before Him as our imperfect selves.  There is no piece of us that is hidden, He sees the good, the bad, and the ugly in our souls... and yet He loves us still.  

In this Shakespeare Sonnet, observe how he describes love.  It is unchanging even when it finds reason to change and sees the infinite worth even when the person may not "measure up" to it. 

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,

That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come;

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

 If this be error and upon me proved,

 I never writ, nor no man ever loved. 

I really like where Shakespeare describes that true love "bears it out even to the edge of doom."  It reminds me of the verse I'm pondering this week on charity.  

After the Apostle Paul describes this wonderful virtue he warns us that we don't see the full picture and even don't understand our own hearts but the Lord does and eventually we will see clearly through Him.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12).

Pure and Christlike love always evokes and promotes feelings of unity, appreciation, and gentleness...  never discord, dissension, or hostility.  We are covenant people who have taken upon us the name of Christ and our behavior should reflect that same kind of perfect charity... to "love although [we] see."

Finally, I'll close this post with some thoughts from President Eyring in 1998

The sacramental prayer can remind us every week of how the gift of unity will come through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we keep our covenants to take His name upon us, to remember Him always, and to keep all His commandments, we will receive the companionship of His Spirit. That will soften our hearts and unite us. But there are two warnings which must come with that promise.

First, the Holy Ghost remains with us only if we stay clean and free from the love of the things of the world. A choice to be unclean will repel the Holy Ghost. The Spirit only dwells with those who choose the Lord over the world. “Be ye clean” (3 Ne. 20:41; D&C 38:42) and love God with all your “heart, … might, mind, and strength” (D&C 59:5) are not suggestions but commandments. And they are necessary to the companionship of the Spirit, without which we cannot be one.

The other warning is to beware of pride. A unity which comes to a family or to a people softened by the Spirit will bring great power. With that power will come recognition from the world. Whether that recognition brings praise or envy, it could lead us to pride. That would offend the Spirit. There is a protection against pride, that sure source of disunity. It is to see the bounties which God pours upon us not only as a mark of His favor but an opportunity to join with those around us in greater service. A man and his wife learn to be one by using their similarities to understand each other and their differences to complement each other in serving one another and those around them. In the same way, we can unite with those who do not accept our doctrine but share our desire to bless the children of our Heavenly Father.


We can become peacemakers, worthy to be called blessed and the children of God (see Matt. 5:9).

...........
- It's a new day. Let's seek for and choose opportunities to "see through the glass" with clarity, with the Spirit, with the eyes of Christ.

-Alicia

The Kingdom of God is in You

I LOVE a good movie score!!  I have always been enthralled with the magic of music, how it can stir our hearts, inspire our souls, enlighten our minds, increase our passions, enhance our words, and give meaning to sight through the wonder of sound.  This song called "Time" by, Hans Zimmer, was recently attached to a scene from an old black and white movie, The Great Dictator.

The Great Dictator is a 1940 film made by Charlie Chapman.  It is a story of a good man, a Jewish barber, who saves the life of a wounded pilot during World War 2.  During his rescue, this Jewish barber receives a concussion and loses his memory.  He and the pilot try to escape the Nazis and somehow are able to dress up in German uniform to help them get away unrecognized.  But the Jewish barber, who is played by Charlie Chapman, looks almost identical to Adolf Hitler.  In the mix-up, he is urged to speak to the soldiers and gives a speech completely opposite, and diametrically opposed to anything the real Hitler would have said.

The first time I saw this scene combined with the music from Hans Zimmer, I was taken back at how powerful it was. It stirred in my mind the plea and cry we hear from men and women called to speak in Christ's name today, called to cry repentance, to preach faith and devotion to God and to one another.  They plead for unity, for love, kindness, for gentleness, and at the same time stand by morals and principles, never condoning acts contrary to our Divine nature.

 I've been reading in the scriptures and pondering the constant rejection of the prophets of God.  In our family study, we are reading about Abinadi.  In my personal study, I'm reading in the end of 1 Nephi where "even the very God of Israel... men trample under their feet;... they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels."  (1 Ne. 19:7) "They turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel. And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish" (1 Ne. 19:13,14)

As we approach this weekend and have this wonderful opportunity to hear the word of God spoken by the mouths of His prophets, I pray we will not let their cries fall on deaf ears, that we will not "trample them under our feet" but that we will take them into our hearts, treasure them, live by them, and teach them.  The time we have on this earth is a gift to us.  For myself, I desire to use it better... for it will slip quickly out of my grasp. There is so much work to be done.  I pray that I will be inspired to be about the work that matters most.

-Alicia

The Speech - From, The Great Dictator

"I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost....

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men - cries out for universal brotherhood - for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world - millions of despairing men, women, and little children - victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.

To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. .....

Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!

In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” - not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power - the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Then - in the name of democracy - let us use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world - a decent world that will give men a chance to work - that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfil that promise. They never will!

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite!"

Recovery

A couple of Sundays ago I brought my 7yr-old daughter's plant with me to church to use as an object lesson in Young Women's.  During sacrament meeting, Kaylee wanted to hold her little plant.  I set it in her lap as she smiled adoringly at her two flower sprouts growing from the seeds she had sown.  As she held it, she accidentally snapped one of the stems.  She began to cry, thinking she killed it.  Sure enough, I looked down and could see the lifeless stem dangling on a hinge.  I gave her a hug and whispered in her ear, "Honey, it's going to be alright.  I don't think it's dead.  Let's just be really gentle, keep taking care of it, and see what happens."  

I must admit that a part of me wasn't so sure it would recover and I was a little surprised when after a few days I noticed it lifting its head back towards the light of the sun.  Honestly, I have never seen a stem come alive again after being snapped like that.  I recalled the words I had whispered into Kaylee's ear, "Let's just be really gentle, keep taking care of it, and see what happens."  I thought of our brothers and sisters who have been broken by sin or addiction and how the right environment can bring them back into full recovery.

In nature, there are archetypes - symbols in our physical world that have existed since the creation, symbols that testify of that which God has ordained.  Earth is an archetype of man, water is an archetype of woman, but there is more... 

The air is an archetype of the Holy Spirit, and the sun is an archetype of Jesus Christ.  

When I saw this little stem curving back up toward the light of the sun, I couldn't help but think of the light of our Savior, the Son of God.  I was thrilled with excitement.  I grabbed the camera and took a picture. 

I thought of the addiction recovery program.  They've just launched some powerful new videos with real stories of people going through each of the 12 steps.  Last night, my husband and I watched these videos together.  I wrapped my arms around my husband as we listened to story after story of people going to their bishop for help.  Joseph sighed gratefully with a tear in his eye, "Those dear bishops, they have to carry so much."  I smiled as I thought of ours - We both love and pray for him.  These men are called of God, they tirelessly watch over and care for their flock.  Through their inspiration and the addiction recovery program, countless souls are saved.  These are messages of hope, kindness, forgiveness, love, and ultimately of recovery through Jesus Christ.  It's a beautiful thing.

-Alicia

(Broken Things to Mend - April 2006 -  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland)

one week of recovery

10 days of recovery

2 weeks of recovery

6 weeks of recovery and growing stronger than ever


Come Unto Him 

He came to us; he loved us that much.
There isn’t a soul he’s unwilling to touch;
No life so dark he cannot light;
No sadness, no sorrow he cannot right.
Come unto him.

He came to earth; he lived as a man.
There’s no earthly care he can’t understand;
No earthly pain he did not feel;
No hunger, no heartache he cannot heal.
Come unto him.

He lived like us, acquainted with grief.
To those who believe he offers relief.
He opens eyes; he forgives sin;
For the humble, the faithful, who follow him.
Come unto him.

(Text:  Steven Jones  - Music:  Sam Cardon)