Life

I have not had much time to journal this week, but I have taken some time to sketch and play with color. It is simply my lifeline and my sanity! But as I was contemplating what to add, this is the thought that came to me. I hope it is inspiring and can help anyone else who may be 'enduring'.

I am in Utah helping my sister who just lost her husband of 36 years. Loss is hard, and especially hard for her. My sister is in a wheelchair. She has had so many challenges in her life, many I cannot even imagine facing, let alone making it through them in tact. But she does.

I remember when she met her husband and when they married. She was ecstatic and scared. I think she didn't feel anyone would want someone that was 'broken'. But he saw her spirit and beauty and he cherished her.

Through all the trials she has faced, she has a stronger testimony and understanding of the gospel than just about anyone I know. She is firm in that.

I remember her getting after me to go to church when I didn't want to, or to pray when I had a problem. On one occasion, I didn't feel my prayers were being heard. She taught me to imagine that I was with my very dearest friend, sitting beside him with my head in his lap and he may be stroking my hair or holding me as I pour out my feelings to him. This advice has never left me. My prayers changed. I felt 'heard'.

At death we stop and honor the one we love and lost. But I wanted to take a moment to honor the one that has lost and is taking the loss with such testimony, and with such a knowledge that they will be together again, and they will both be whole. She faces this with such joy.

Wow.

Life is still very difficult for her. Every day is a struggle. But she has the Lord with her every step of the way. She will be alright.

I am thankful for sisters...

 

Live Creative,

Amy

 

Being Accepted

I was on a trip with a friend. we were talking about life things and worries. I realized in our conversation how much we try to please people in our lives. We worry about how we are dressed because we want to create a good impression. We try to do a good job at work so our boss will like us. We create art that is trendy or what people will want. It is our nature.

I always try to read before I go to bed, and that night I was reading scripture when I came across a talk (not in the scriptures but in my notes) about being acceptable to God. We run around trying to please people in all parts of our lives, which is a good thing, but we forget to put God in the equation. Are we doing things that would be acceptable to Him?

I have found in my own life, if I am doing the things that make me acceptable to God, then everything else seems to work out, the friends, the job, the art, the kids...all of it. Of course it is not problem free, and many times I wondered if it was really working, but there is a confidence inside me that is not there otherwise. And there are promises from God if we are doing those things that make us acceptable. And God always keeps His word. He really does.

So I will try to do what is acceptable to God and let him take care of the rest.

Here is a link to that talk. https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/05/being-accepted-of-the-lord?lang=eng

Here is my journey today...

Youth Conference 2015

We had such a great Youth Conference this year and I wanted to send thank yous out to all our wonderful Youth Council who took time out of very busy schedules to help plan this. Thank you to leaders who who worked so hard planning and preparing and making this happen behind the scenes! Thank you to ward leaders who came with such enthusiasm and really made the stations fun!

Testimony meeting was great! You are all so incredible! I am the luckiest person on earth to get to work with such amazing women (thanks, girls!) and youth! And I am so fortunate to belong to a church where the men are so honorable and fun and a credit to what being a true example of a man is all about. You guys are great!

So, I quickly sketched a little thank you. Let's all emabark and make things happen! Thanks, all!!