Reminders

Life gets busy.  And crappy.  Fast.  Thank goodness for homework assignments that make you look outside your temporal perspective and appreciate the eternal perspective.  I may not go to BYU anymore, but I can still see God's hand in the little things, like seemingly mundane photo assignments.

I have yet to finish editing these pictures, but I did indeed take these at sunset on Saturday.  

Fall is beautiful, especially in Virginia, and I thank my Heavenly Father for such a beautiful reminder of His love for us, His children.


Goal for this week:  Do more than just survive.


A year ago, I was barely surviving.  10 days later, I wasn't at all.  I just need to get past the next month.  I know it's going to be a huge stumbling block, but I need to move past this time in my history and prove to myself that I AM more than my past.

Full

My heart and spirit are full tonight.  Cliché?  Maybe.  But, I'll try to explain why it's the only way to describe what I'm feeling.

My heart is full of love.  Saturdays are the days when I get to volunteer at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children.  There are some incredible stories that I am blessed to observe, to take part in, or hear about.  There are also some devastating occurrences.  Last week I was able to hold a baby cardiac patient.  After I settled into the chair and situated this baby's head comfortably in my arms, I looked around the room.  Hanging from each post of his crib were 2-3 Rosaries.  My heart began to ache for this family.  I was able to begin to sense what they must be feeling and for what they must be praying.  I said a quick prayer for this child and his family.  It had never seemed appropriate to pray for children that I don't even know but, for some reason, I was prompted to pray for this family.  I love the children I serve.  From the 7-day old infant I held this afternoon, to the 14-year old I played "around the world" with a few months ago, I love these children and it pains me to think they have to know so much suffering at such a young age.

My spirit is full.  General Conference was this past weekend (October 1-2).  It is amazing how Conference can take place over 8 hours and yet for the next 6 months, we learn so much more than what we actually heard!  The talk that stood out to me the most was by Elder Hales.  He described the importance of waiting upon the Lord in times of trials.  He says, "Every one of us is more beloved to the Lord than we can possibly understand or imagine. Let us therefore be kinder to one another and kinder toward ourselves."  We will never be able to comprehend the love the Savior and Heavenly Father have for us, in this life.  But, we need to understand that we are loved.  No one more than the other.  In turn, we need to show love and compassion to all those we come in contact with, and maybe some we never meet.  

Does that support why I had to be cliché?  I sure hope so.  I'm getting too tired to make coherent sentences.  So, au revoir.  At least for now.