May the Best Man Win

It could very well be that my opinion doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in the Florida Primary today, and yet I feel that I have to make one little itty-bitty comment concerning one of McCain’s remarks about Romney. Although I didn’t hear it all and perhaps I could be taking it out of context, the gist of what I heard is that America needs a leader, not a manager. While the worthy senator and war hero conceded that Romney was a terrific manager, he expressed some serious doubts about his leadership ability.

What I think is that anyone who looks at Romney and his family can surely see the evidence of strong leadership. Isn’t he the only Republican candidate who’s been married only once? Aren’t his fine young sons proof that Mitt and Elizabeth Romney have provided guidance and powerful examples of integrity, hard work, and service? I didn’t hear all of  the interview with three of his sons, but I heard enough to know that these young men love and respect their parents. One admitted that often he’d get discouraged with a task and want to quit; his father, on the other hand, would always keep on keeping on. I like that tenacity. I also like that Mitt Romney leads by example.

A final comment about family leadership, and then I’ll stop this diatribe (so much for an itty bitty comment) and get back to work. The night that Romney gave his talk on faith, one of his little grandchildren who was on the stage afterwards reached for his hand in a natural, trusting sort of way, and this man who has proven himself as a leader and manager over and over again did what came naturally to him. He took the child’s hand. It wasn’t a contrived, deliberate attempt to demonstrate what a great grandfather and family leader he is. That simple gesture spoke volumes.

Time to stop the mud slinging, Gents. Cease and desist. Let us all see your leadership qualities, and may the best man win.

Sallie’s Afternoon

Lauren and Charlie invited us to attend a Parent/Child Dedication, and yesterday afternoon we had the  privilege of joining dozens of other doting grandparents, supportive friends, and miscellaneous other relatives at this service. As we sat waiting for the program to begin, I couldn’t help but notice the power point screen and the verse from Samuel in which Hannah is telling how she prayed for “this child” and the Lord granted her petition. I’d like to add verse 28 (Chapter 1) because it seemed to me that that’s what this assorted group of worshipers was doing: lending these little ones to God. “Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord.”

The music was awesome, and the last song entitled “Legacy” really touched my heart. What greater legacy to give a child than love, support, acceptance, and the knowledge that he or she can turn to a loving Heavenly Father when in times of distress, doubt, or indecision? I was also impressed by the frequent comment about the church being there to help in any way possible to help raise the children. Many of my fondest childhood memories are from church related events and relationships. Even now, I often encounter leaders and teachers from my youth and recall their lessons…and their patience with some stubborn, rebellious teenagers!

No one is more important in the rearing of children than parents, and as I’ve told my daughter and daughters-in-law many times, it gives my husband and me a feeling of peace to know that our grandchildren are being raised in loving homes. It adds to our deep happiness to know that they are being raised in churches that reinforce family teachings and expose them all to Christian principles.

Brooke and 25 Others

I KNOW that counting blessings increases feelings of gratitude, happiness, and well being. In fact, psychologists are now looking at gratitude as a positive emotion that one needs to cultivate in order to ward off the blues and feel more optimistic and upbeat. That’s why I love Connie’s idea of coming up with 100 things that make you happy. Her list is great. While I’m pretty faithful about keeping a gratitude journal, some of my entries might be a little too private to share with the world. However, since today is the 26th, I thought I’d copy my friend’s example and enumerate 26 things that make me happy today.  

My sister Ann sent me an email this week that began: ”I’ll tell you something positive -God is good!  Even so, I will not be attending your book club.” She’s  funny gal, and I liked her opening sentence so well that I thought I’d begin the list with her.

1. My sister…she’s brainy, zany, and downright delightful.
2. DH’s many skills. Just this week, he’s installed a ceiling fan and two light fixtures.
3. My three children and their unique talents, temperaments, and charm.
4. The uniqueness of our grandchildren, with a special mention of Brooke’s prissiness and blond halo of curls. She just had her third birthday and deserves to be singled out. In fact, I think I’ll mention the other two who are in her age category.
5. Hannah’s sweet, sweet, sweet nature and soft voice.
6. Whitney’s determination and the way she asks, “Where’s Grandma Jayne?”
7. Words. Take stellar for instance…or spendy, a new word I picked up from urbandictionary.com.
8. Books. All kinds of books. A few personal favorites include The Little Engine that Could, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,  The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Joy Luck Club, Water for Elephants, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
9. Music, including such diversity songs as “Baby, I Need Your Loving” and “Thy Spirit Lord Has Stirred Our Souls.”     
10. El sol and how it illuminates the earth and provides energy.
11. Our screened in porch, a private window on Mother Nature.
12. Friends, old and new and those I’ve yet to meet. A special salute to Connie who recently turned 39 again and whose creativity, contagious laugh, and generous spirit endear her to one and all.
13. Memories. Even now I can see my mother looking her beautiful, ladylike self  in a pink flowery dress.
14. Parents who set great examples and made a host of sacrifices
15. Color—Isn’t turquoise awesome?
16. The ocean.
17. Living in America, a choice land.
18. The power of prayer.
19. Scriptures. What better source is there for guidance, solace, and inspiration?
20. Technology…cell phones, computers, and televisions.
21. Laughter, especially Carrie’s and Katherine’s when they get carried away.
22. Amanda Stalvey. If I’d handpicked my son’s future wife, I couldn’t have found anyone more perfect for him.
23. Washing machines and dryers. Without them, I’d be down by the riverside doing laundry instead of blogging.
24. TJ Maxx.
25. Movies, my all-time favorite being Fried Green Tomatoes.
26. My awesome brothers and their wives whom I consider sisters.

I feel happier now…and more upbeat and energetic. Why don’t you try coming up with your own list and see if it works for you. I’ll be waiting and watching. 

Morning Always Comes

On Fridays, I have the good fortune to be able to work from home, and this morning, I’m going to intersperse my online course work with my blogging…beginning with blogging. One must establish priorities, right? There are lots of thoughts and experiences running around in my mind, but I think I’ll begin with something that happened last Saturday.

My sweet, sassy little granddaughter Brooke had her third birthday party last Saturday, and my daughter Elizabeth and I were determined to be a part of the celebration. Brooke’s parents had planned a carnival complete with games, prizes, popcorn, hot dogs, and pink smiley face cakes. Brooke’s mom Carrie is incredibly creative so I knew we were in for a treat. By the way, I may be a little biased when describing Carrie as so creative, but I think her friends would agree. And I think the reason I’m so awed by it is because I don’t have a creative bone in my body.

Early that morning, Elizabeth and I headed out for GA in the pouring rain. As we continued our three-hour trek, I kept thinking that surely the rain would cease, but it didn’t. I should add that it was wet AND cold that day. We arrived at our destination around 11:30 and literally ran into the house where the games had been moved in from the back yard which had turned into a soggy mess. While watching the children compete in a “candy walk,” I got a call from DH warning me that more freezing rain was expected in SC and that I needed to get home ASAP. Plus, he warned, for Elizabeth to drive back to the coast that night would be utter folly because of  the danger of black ice. Not all that concerned, we hung around until mid-afternoon and then again braved the wet, nasty weather and slick roads. At times the rain was so heavy that the windshield wipers were doing double-time, and I still couldn’t see that well. Hours later, we arrived home, and it was STILL raining. Fortunately, I was able to convince Elizabeth to spend the night.

We went to bed to the sound of rain on the window sills, but sometime during the night, it ceased. The next morning, it was so sunny and bright that it seemed almost strange. Really, it was a drop dead gorgeous day. Cold but sunny. As she and I were eating lunch, we discussed the shenanigans of Mother Nature the day before, and I commented that storms ALWAYS pass. The sun will eventually come out again. We chatted a little about how the same was true in our own lives, and Elizabeth brought up one of our family mottoes: “No matter how dark the night, morning always comes.”

Here’s how the motto came into being. We once went through a season in which family members put an inspirational quote of the week on the refrigerator door and one week my son’s quote was “No matter how dark the night, morning always comes.” Impressed by the depth of his thinking, I asked for the source and was surprised and a little caught off guard when he told me it was a video game. A video game. Truth surfaces in the strangest and most unexpected of places. Still, it’s true. Morning always comes. Storms always pass.

Regardless of the raging storms or dark nights we have, the sun rises. Here’s a great scripture (Psalm 30:5) that’s perfect for these thoughts: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” I don’t know about you, but there have been plenty of times when I needed that reminder.

Follow Thou Me

I’m not sure what people mean when they say that Mormons aren’t Christians. I was raised in a Southern Baptist church, and we called ourselves Christians because we followed Christ. Has that definition changed? We worshiped Him, praised Him, and believed that He was God’s only begotten son.

Born of Mary, the babe of Bethlehem grew to maturity and at about age 30, He identified himself to the woman at the well (John 4: 25-26) and spent the next three years teaching, healing the sick, raising the dead, performing miracles, and sharing parables that are both simple and profound. As Peter said, He “went about doing good.” (Acts 10:38). He’s our Savior and Redeemer, the Prince of Peace, the great Emmanuel, the Holy One of Israel. He loved us so much that he died for us, and even at the point of death asked His Father (and ours) to “forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23: 34)

Christ said “Follow thou me.” That’s what Christians do, and I’m a Christian. And I’m a Mormon.

SC Primary

It’s a cold rainy day in SC, and the polls are open. If you care at all about the future of this great country, grab your umbrella and head out to cast your vote. That way, at least you’ll know you had a say, and that kind of gives you the right to whine and complain later if things (policies, high taxes, immigration laws, etc.) aren’t to your liking.

And yes, I’ve already been. Elizabeth and I are heading out for Rincon, GA in a few minutes to celebrate Brooke’s third birthday, and I’m proudly wearing my little “I Voted” sticker to remind everyone we see in the Cracker Barrel, the rest areas, and the BP stations to get out and make a difference.

Despite our many problems, this is still the best country on Earth. Do you part to make sure it stays that way…starting today in the SC Primary.

Take This Pole

DH and I were scanning today’s The State after lunch, and I was feeling all sugar and spice after writing and reflecting on my earlier post of today. Then I came across this “Quote of the Day” by Mike Huckabee in reference to the Confederate flag: “You don’ t have to like people from outside the state coming in and telling you what to do with your flag. In fact, if somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we’d tell ‘em what to do with the pole, that’s what we’d do.”

Does that statement strike you as being a little weird, or is it just me? After all, I wrote about showing love through speech this morning so I might still be feeling the after effects.  Do Huckabee’s words seem Christ-like to you? Is that how a “man of the cloth” speaks? If this is how he responds to criticism about Arkansas, can we assume that that’s the way he’d respond to heads of state (if he were the president)?

Maybe I should heed my own advice and speak words of love. Then again, maybe I have a moral responsibility to bring the Huckster’s  statement to your attention.

Love is Spoken Here

I promise that this will be the last post about the power of words for a while…a week or so anyway. Many will recognize “Love is Spoken Here” as the name of a children’s song, an especially moving one when sung with the sweet and beautiful voices of the little ones.

 A few months ago, I heard a young woman singing it on Steffie Lynn’s blog, and I was captivated. I listened to it several times before finally downloading it to my desktop so that I could enjoy it as often as I wanted to without having to log on to the internet. Yep, it’s that good. 

During this time period, I was visiting my niece Katherine and noticed that she had the words “Great is Thy Faithfulness” written (painted?) above a window in her dining room. It looked so perfect, so right, that I had to get all the details about how she did it. It was easy. Katherine went to a local art shop and simply placed an order for the words and picked up the decal a week later.  The words look like script that someone painstakingly painted on her wall, but actually someone made a decal for her that she applied to the surface. Copycat that I am, I quickly followed Katherine’s example but used my own words: “Love is Spoken Here.” Those words are now above the archway in my dining room that faces the living room/family room, and it’s amazing what an impact they have had on us.

 Whenever anyone is tempted to gossip, speak sarcastically, lash out in anger, or speak hurtful words, that little reminder stops him or her. During the Christmas holidays, it wasn’t unusual to have someone point to the words to remind me that perhaps I needed to be a little gentler, kinder, or more patient.  Sometimes I’ll get wound up about something (don’t we all?) and think about how I need to really let so-and-so know how it is in no uncertain terms. Then I’ll pass through the dining room and feel a little ashamed of my thoughts. 

Just as importantly, the verbal reminder prompts us (me anyway) to actually speak more loving words, give more compliments, use more courtesy words, and watch my tone of voice. In my case, sometimes the people I love the most end up getting the leftovers, so to speak, so lately I’ve been working on changing this. Saying, “I love you. You’re the best!” is a frequent phrase. So are, “You look nice,” “I’m glad you’re in my life, ” or “I’m proud of you.” No need to go on and on about it. I think everyone gets the picture.

Speaking of pictures, I love the way the phrase looks so much (white letters again a russet red wall) that I snapped a photo of it and will upload it just as soon as I locate the cord. Hmmmm. I guess my wonderful, handsome, sexy, generous husband must have put it away somewhere. See, I told y0u I was working on speaking love. Try it. You’ll be pleased and perhaps surprised at the element of peace it will bring into your home.

Making a Life

I love my job. I can’t think of anything else I’d enjoy more. The mix of people I get to meet and mingle with, the variety of daily events, the newness of a semester, the pace of the academic calendar, and the mandate (?) to study all combine to make it a pleasure to come to work. Sure, there are those days when I get annoyed, tired, or frustrated; in fact, sometimes I feel all three states at once! Most of the time, however, there’s something cool about everyday, and this morning has been no exception.

As I was checking my email, a man from Jordan who’s been living in America for a couple of decades came by the office to say good morning. He’s also an employee at the local hospital, and he and I gave blood there the day before Thanksgiving. That day we both got t-shirts and a lunch coupon for the hospital cafeteria. Next time, according to Khalid, the prizes include two drawings for $500 each. A few minutes later a man who took psychology this past summer came by to say hello. He’s taking history and speech this spring, and he reminded me that he had chosen to take psychology first in order to “get it over with.” Allen also said (no joke) that the class had changed his life for the better. What a charmer. Then a young woman came by to ask if I knew anything about sociology, and if so, would I advise taking that or history? Kametria also mentioned that she liked my new hair style…said it made my eyes pop. I’m all about popping eyes. Before class, I resumed reading my email and saw a message from a former student, a female jockey, who always forwards fun and unusual things. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of too many other professions in which a person could meet so many interesting people.

The hallway is beginning to get a little noisy, a signal that 9:30 classes are ending and the 11:00 ones will be starting soon. Time to “rock and roll” as a former colleague used to say. Today we’re discussing genetics and prenatal development, and many of the students are in the nursing program. They keep me on my toes.

I’m going to miss this when I retire in a year or two. Wonder what’s next. Message to all of you young people out there: Your way of “making a living” soon becomes a way of “making a life.”

Power of Words

I thought it was Connie who started this “word thing,” choosing a word to be a guiding force in your life for 2008, but she’s giving credit to Christine Kane for stimulating her thinking in this direction. Whoever’s idea it was, thanks. It’s a great suggestion and has inspired many.  So far, there are people who have chosen such words as:

Courage

Believe

Love

Perseverance

Faith

Decorum

Serendipity

This morning I’m thinking that what all these words have in common is the power to help us push a little harder, strive a little longer, and aim a little higher to make our lives happier and more effective. Plus, it makes sense to me that if we’re happier, then the people in our lives will be too.

• Let’s have the courage to make that phone call, start that small business, or take that course.
• Let’s believe that we have whatever it takes to make our dreams come true (with a little help from our Creator).
• When the going gets tough (and it will), let’s have the perseverance to keep on keeping on. This sounds a little trite, but there’s often a lot of truth in these platitudes.
• Faith in ourselves and our divine origins will help us believe and achieve. As President Hinckley has said, “Things will work out.” And they will. Let’s have faith.
• Whatever our words, goals, and behavior, we must have love and SHOW it. This seems like a good time to remember the commandment to “love thy neighbor as thyself” and remember the “self” part. How can you give love to others when you can’t/don’t feel it for yourself? Let’s show love.
• Decorum is a great word too. Incivility, rudeness, disrespect, and slovenliness have no place in our lives.
• A work friend says her favorite lifelong word is serendipity and believes in finding “treasures without ever looking–anywhere, anytime, and anybody– and truly each day holds hidden treasures and finds—we just have to recognize them when we see them.” Let’s join her in looking for the treasures that abound in our lives.