From Darcy

A couple nights ago on BYU TV I heard an amazing talk. You may be familiar with him, but this was the first I had heard of him or this talk. Brad L. Neiger - To Act in Holiness Before the Lord.

As we go about our days doing mundane things, or worry about doing simple things over and over, he sheds light on why some of those things are eternally important. As I am dealing with my children and helping them become responsible adults, sometimes it is difficult to say why we do things. It just really hit home to me in so many ways. I thought you would appreciate it. Here is the beginning of his speech...

A number of years ago I taught evening classes for the University of Utah at the old Stoker School in Bountiful. One winter night I walked outside after class and found myself in the middle of a heavy snowfall. As I trudged to my black Subaru station wagon, arms full of class materials, I discovered the lock on my door was frozen. After numerous failed attempts, I moved to the passenger door, only to experience the same result. The best idea I could muster under the circumstances was to heat the locks—hence my professional pursuit of health and not engineering. I walked to the nearby house of some friends and borrowed a candle and some matches. To my dismay, this effort failed as well. Though I could insert the key, I could not coax it sideways.

By now the night was growing late, and I was becoming increasingly cold and tired. Most of the other cars were gone, and I found myself nearly alone in the parking lot. As I stood there, something interesting caught my eye. A few rows over from the car I was so ingeniously trying to enter was my black Subaru station wagon. After seeing my car, I was relieved on three counts: I could now drive home, there was no damage done to the other Subaru, and the owner hadn’t shown up while I was attempting to torch his lock.

This experience has long served as a personal reminder that in this life we can be drawn to things that squander our time, energy, and light without moving us toward a meaningful end. Still, the way home is straight and narrow, and it is vital to know the difference between something that helps us return and something that deflects or restrains our progress. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said:

Someday, when we look back on mortality, we will see that so many of the things that seemed to matter so much at the moment will be seen not to have mattered at all. And the eternal things will be seen to have mattered even more than the most faithful of the Saints imagined. [Neal A. Maxwell, Even As I Am (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1982), 104]

I could totally relate to this story. Anyway, I thought you would appreciate it as well.

(side note - another talk dealing with same topic can be found at: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=beba230bac7f0210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1

From Winonia

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don't just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance,
Grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly.

From Pamela

I was thinking about what makes me laugh and remember the times I have laughed so hard that I streamed milk from my nose or wet my pants. I can't remember what it was that made me laugh but I know I was with people I love and we were enjoying fully the moments we were spending with one another. Of course in both situations the incidents only made us laugh the more.

I did have a great time laughing at my little grandchildren as they learned they could spin in circles only to find they couldn't stand up straight once they stopped spinning. They were very determined little souls and wouldn't give up until they started feeling sick! I don't know where they get their head strong attitudes! LOL!

From Becky

What makes me laugh? Hearing a child (especially a baby) laughing uncontrollability and roller coasters. I love to scare people. Once Noah had scared me really bad here at work so, I went and hide under his desk and waited for him to come and the jump out when went to sit down. That was fun and funny.

'How can you not love this entry! Let's all get inspired and add some fun in our life, do something out of the ordinary!!! -Colette'

Follow your dreams!!

Except that one where you're naked in church.

When all else fails, laugh! I heard that you need to look back on your week, find your lowest moment and then find something about it to laugh at. So, I am looking back on my week: Our refrigerator broke for the 2nd time in 10 days. I have this wonderful idea to get out of my funk and bake cookies for a good friend that I know is struggling a bit. But I have to go buy ice blocks to put in my freezer to hopefully save some of the food. I'll do it together and kill 2 birds with one stone. Happily I make my cookies, man am I good! Then I ask Emily to drive with me to help me carry the ice blocks. She is 16 and likes to drive, so sure, she is helping me out, I'll let her drive. We put the cookies on the backseat, run to the store, stick our ice blocks in the car and joyfully head off to my friends to deliver my freshly baked cookies. First turn, out of the store, Emily takes with a jerk and I hear a noise that I can only describe as defeat. I knew before I looked, but of course had to see for myself. Yes, the cookies were under the ice block, a nice plate of cookies crumbs peeked out from under the sack. All I could do was laugh. Well, I was out of my funk, not because I actually took cookies to my friend, but because I could laugh at cookie crumbs. I am so grateful to my children who not only teach me to laugh at myself, but sometimes force me to!

From Geniel

What a neat idea to share our experiences and wisdom. We all need our 5 minutes and sometimes 10. As my 6 year old Grandson told me Be Happy, Be Thankful and (my addition) if we have Love, we have everything.

From Jessica

This was a hard subject for me because I have been given so many pieces of wisdom that could improve my life, I just cant seem to apply them.

After much consideration I have decided on one that I feel I have done a half way decent job of putting in to action.

After having my first child everything had new meaning to me. It took me a while to sort out but I learned through trial and error that everything we do, people we associate with, and even our thoughts need to be questioned. So I pose the question to all of those things "Is this of Eternal consequence?"

It has changed my life drastically. I have great friends who uplift me, a love of serving my Heavenly Father, and I am able to see things a little clearer. I can't say by any means that I have perfected it. But it helps keep me on track.

-Jessica Urry