To Take Upon The Name Of Christ
As I was sitting in the temple, the other night, I saw a copy of The Book of Mormon on the table next to me. I picked it up and randomly began to read. I had opened to the book of Alma. Captain Moroni had just torn his coat and written upon it the famous Title of...
O Lord, I Beseech Thee
"O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant." (Nehemiah 1:11) How many times have we felt as the faithful Old Testament nobleman Nehemiah and found ourselves on our knees "beseeching" the Lord in prayer? The word...
United in Christ
Today, one of the difficulties we all have in common is facing challenges with hope and faith—but it is not a new sentiment. People from all ages have dealt with such obstacles. We can learn from them. There is no question that trials today come in every shape...
The Story of Moses: Strengthened By the Lord
I love to read stories of prophets called of God and to watch them overcome their natural inadequacies and grow into men whom the Lord can truly work through. One of these prophets is Moses, and part of his story can be found in the book of Exodus. Raised by...
The Small Things Are Not Small
For us adults out there, as we grew up, I'm sure we all heard our parents tell us to be grateful for the small stuff in some way or another. It's something we all know we should do, because, as the lyrics to Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" say, "You don't know what...
Am I Plugged Into the Source?
After my morning routine, I grabbed my phone off the charger ready to dive into the day. Soon, I saw the red low battery warning flashing. Huh? How could that be? I knew I'd just unplugged the phone. I walked back into the bedroom to inspect and also to...
Poetry from Within My Heart: Part 1
Many years ago, someone read my poetry and said, “I love to read poetry! I really wish the poet would share the back story that prompted the various poems… I’d like to know what was happening in their lives at just that moment." Writing poetry was the furthest...
Rejecting God’s Blessings
It seems like a strange concept, doesn’t it? Let me tell what sparked my thoughts, then I’ll explain how they apply to a disciple’s life. Last night, I happened across a headline that caught my eye. Maybe you saw it, too. It advertised a 5-year-old piano...
What is Truth?
Facing difficult challenges is hard to do at the time. My children are grown, but I remember the times when my daughters got their braces. That was never easy. They are expensive, painful, and restrictive. They could not eat all the things they wanted to at the time,...
Faith and Obedience
Recently, I quizzed a group of friends about how things are going in their wards (local congregations) at church. Our leaders have made a number of important changes over the last couple of years. As these changes were made, my group of friends had several lively...
Love Is An Action
A few weeks ago my family and I got to speak in our main congregational meeting at church. Our topic was love, a seemingly easy topic, but one with so many facets. My little boy gave a beautiful message about what matters to him. His fascination right now surrounds...
Hold On, the Light Will Come
The rock crabs scuttled around searching for food on their large, jagged home. Their wary eyes kept watch while their legs kept them balanced and secure as they searched for food. Then BAM! a wave crashed over them, totally immersing them momentarily. As...
A House of Order
There is a set of scriptures within the Doctrine and Covenants that has always given me a bit of trouble. Not because of what they actually say, but because of what my puny brain focuses on and remembers from what they say. See for yourself: Organize...
Can Prayer Really Tell Me What’s True?
Sometimes people will ask me why I decided to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—a Mormon, as some call us. I explain how I studied the religion and then turned to God in prayer to find out if the Church was true. Often, they respond,...
The 3-2-1 Parable: Finding Perfection Through Repetition
If you ask any of my piano students what my favorite method of teaching is, they will tell you it is what I call the "3-2-1 approach." It is a rather cumbersome activity that creates tremendous growth by repeating a phrase, line, or measure of music over and over...
Crocodiles and Charismatic Friends
I met Roger Anthony, founder of Crocodiles Not Waterlilies™, nearly two decades ago. My brother and I were working together when Roger’s great lessons and principle-based teachings changed everything. Each time I associated with Roger, I walked away a better...
God Loves Your Child
I had the opportunity to have lunch with another autism mom recently. It was awesome! I love how much we learn from each other and how supportive it is to have another woman who knows exactly what life is like at my house. We struggle because we don’t have autism, but...
To Know of God As Did Joseph
175 years ago, a mob murdered two of my greatest heroes. The scene's played over and over in my mind today. To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch. They...
Take Hold of Teaching Moments With Children
Teaching moments with a child are precious. The opportunity to have honest, uplifting conversations with them is not as rare as one might think. It all depends on us as parents and teachers being properly aware of when those times occur. The other day my...
Physician, Heal Thyself
As I reflect on the emotional earthquakes in my life, I am reminded of a prompting I received to help me heal many years ago, long before I understood anything about the abuse my sons were experiencing. I was married in the temple and I had taught seminary for four...
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