February 28, 2011

Any idiot can face a crisis – it’s day to day living that wears you out.
Anton Chekov

Love this quote! Feeling a little worn out, not sure cuz I really don't have a good reason...

I've had physicals, on and off exercise, had my thyroid checked, etc -- every year since turning 36, and now I'm facing turning 39 and still wonder how I'll ever feel like I'm doing/being/becoming the person I want to, know I can, be...

Wish I could hear from some of you who might be reading these -- drop me a comment, or if you want to be a follower, I would enjoy hearing from you!

Good Luck to You!

Great Quotes in Remembrance...

Do not conceive that fine clothes make fine men any more than fine feathers make fine birds.
GEORGE WASHINGTON,1783
Labour to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience.
GEORGE WASHINGTON, Rules of Behavior
The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.
GEORGE WASHINGTON, 1789
Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports.
GEORGE WASHINGTON, 1796
Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.
George Washington

The best thing about the future is that it…only comes one day at a time. Abraham Lincoln
Better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. Abraham Lincoln
Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition. Abraham Lincoln
He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help. Abraham Lincoln
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. Abraham Lincoln

I hope these strike you with the awe that I have of these men who sacrificed so much to serve their sense, their country, their families, and their God.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

"This life is not so much a time for getting and accumulating as it is a time for giving and becoming."
Lance B. Wickman

My wish is for you to know this day, and all days, that you are loved by at least one person -- me!! I may not speak to you often, but whenever a memory of you crosses my mind, it is followed by a prayer for your health, happiness, and heart. Your health that you may be able to live a long life; your happiness, that you may experience life in all its complexities; and your heart, that you may be willing to share it, give it, and allow it to be broken and mended, for only then can you become all that you are meant to be.

"You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving." Unknown

Please know of the love that I have for you and how much I would give to you if you need me --

Love and other Conundrums

A mother who radiates self-love and self-acceptance actually VACCINATES her [child] against low self-esteem.
-- Naomi Wolf

I heard this several years ago, and the speaker referred specifically to daughters, but I have altered it to include all children. As a mother of three daughters this quote is especially poignant for me. I am a daughter myself who has a mother who spoke self-esteem and self-acceptance but didn't believe in it for herself. It is hard to identify truth, and it is not an indictment against anyone, but the truth is also easier to take if you acknowledge it and strive to change your truth.

During this week leading to Valentine's Day, I challenge you to accept who you are, love the inestimable qualities that are divinely given, and forgive the human weaknesses we all struggle with. Your children need to feel the self-love you radiate, if you ever want them to believe your words - to radiate for themselves! They will feel your teachings, much more and much deeper than they will hear them.

Good Luck to You!

Late January 30, 2011

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” --Ralph Waldo Emerson

***Faith in God includes faith in His timing.***
Neal A. Maxwell

I am doubling up quotes cuz I am behind and they fit so perfectly with the week I had, the loved ones I shared it with, and the moments of grace that blessed me.

My mother was given a diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension 2 weeks ago, which often leads to Congestive Heart Failure; a similar diagnosis that claimed my maternal grandmother. It was scary and disappointing, especially because she was planning on attending the birth of my brother James' & his wife Sara's 3rd child. While they are still testing and determining how best to deal with her health concerns, I know she has been blessed with small mercies in these challenges.

They were struggling with severe Upper Respiratory Infections, she was 2 weeks overdue, and life was becoming untenable! My mother called on me to fly down to Dallas and stay for 6 days to help their little growing family, and fortunately God's timing matched our need. We were able to find the support we needed to allow me to leave our family (BLESSINGS!!) and she had a beautiful BIG baby boy named Royce Benson Mortensen on January 27, 12:38pm, 9lbs 11oz, 22 3/4" long, 14 1/2" head circumference. Maybe I'll figure out how to post pics, but you can try Facebook. It was a true pleasure to be of assistance, to spend time with my niece and nephew, and relish in the sweet and gentle presence of one so recently come from heaven...

The first quote is a strong reminder to me, and to all in this crazy, self-involved, ignorant world, that there IS A PURPOSE TO IT ALL...we cannot know the sweet without the bitter, we cannot solely pursue happiness as our primary goal in life for it will always elude us. Happiness is a by-product of effort, service, sacrifice, faith, accomplishment, determination, and persistence (to name a few). When I enact the guidelines of Emerson's quote I know that he was inspired because it speaks to my soul, not just my rational mind.

His words are summed up by the profound truth shared by a favorite apostle, Neal A. Maxwell. I grew up watching him, listening to his gentle voice, and enjoyed his challenging vocabulary and words of insight into the nature of God. I then remember as he suffered from cancer and watched as it eventually claimed his life. Oh, how I miss him at Conference!! Whenever I become impatient with my need to understand, by my need to have things work for my good, by my desire for guidance, and longing for peace, I recall his powerful words and the personal testimony he bore of their truth.

Good luck to you and pass this on if it helps you...