I delight in the power of one.

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.

Last night I had the incredible experience and privilege of attending a performance by the special needs mutual. They are a group of youth/adult members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -Day Saints with special needs who join together each week. Every year they put on a presentation and invite everyone to attend. This year's presentation was "Be Strong in our Standards." It was based around the church's pamphlet and program entitled "For the Strength of Youth." My commitment to the foundational principles of the gospel were strengthened as I felt the testimonies and love of each participant in the program as they performed in skits, sang songs, and recited their lines.

My Mom worked extra hard with Christin to help her learn her lines. "Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness." Christin can't read but Mom had worked hard with her on being able to recognize and sound out the initial phonemes (sounds) of each of the words. She did a great job and was SO proud of herself. They all performed to the best of their abilities. I love the billboard put up by Workers Compensation (I think)...'Don't dis-ABILITY.' While they may not have the same abilities or looks as you or I, they have so many abilities that reach beyond what the world values. Smiles that warm the soul. Testimonies that touch the deepest part of the heart. They live lives that teach and testify the eternal truth that 'Charity Never Faileth.'

A few weeks ago, I sat at my homeward in Sunday School. It was an unusual occasion because a) I rarely/never go to my homeward when I'm home on Sundays. I usually go with Craig to the singles ward. And b) My parents had been invited to attend a different Sunday School class so it was just Christin and I from our family in Gospel Doctrine. The lesson was on Christ-like attributes and in essence child-like attributes. The teacher began class by having members of the class suggest attributes that children have...kind, obedient, loving, trusting etc etc. As they told of different experiences I couldn't help but watch Christin color, unaware of the conversation going on around her. I couldn't help but think...they're speaking of her, she's right here. The Christ-like attributes are so well personified and embodied in countless precious souls, children with special needs, children with special gifts.

Over the course of my life, I have had people tell me on a number of occasions that they could 'never have a child with a disability' or that they just 'wouldn't be able to handle this or that.' Almost every time I interrupt them and inform them that they could if they had to and that its not bad, its just different. Life often goes differently than we plan but it never means its bad, just that its different. Everyone has the power to change the world: in every deed they do, in every word they say. You have just as much power as the next person. Make it work together for your good...that's the key to success. That's the power of one.

Mosiah 3:19For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

I delight in reese's eggs.

These are the best. Seriously. Go buy some before Easter is over.

And so, the inspiration for today...

Delight daily.

I delight in educating desires.

photo by my dad...its a porcupine in a tree

Currently, I'm doing just that...educating my desires. I am passionate about helping people and about communication, hence I'm studying speech-language pathology, its the perfect match! On my mission of my district leaders gave a fantastic training about the importance of educating our desires. It made an everlasting impact on my life...we have desires for reasons and it is up to us to educate those desires. So if you desire to learn cake decorating, Sister Oaks said the classes at Michaels are 'fabulous,' if you desire to sew, well by golly learn how, if your passion is rocks, go rockhounding, if your passion is people, talk to them, if your passion is learning french, well learn it! A world of knowledge is at our finger tips, what we choose to learn is entirely up to us.

All semester I have been working with the two most amazing little boys. They have captivated my heart and have driven me to do things I never thought I could do. My expectations have risen has they have in turn risen to the occasion and reached beyond their goals. Today was the last time I'll have them in therapy. It breaks my heart in someways but in other ways I feel nothing but pure joy. Joy in their confidence and their honed abilities to express themselves. They have impacted my life and truly 'shown me how its done.'

What does a picture of porcupine have to do with any of this? Nothing. Pretend its a beaver will you...it goes better with my story. The word beaver was difficult word for one of my clients. We worked on it and worked on it...why am I working on the word beaver? He loves animals and it was in our book (It's Not Easy Being A Bunny). Anyway, we worked and worked and he has beaver down now as well as bear, bird, pig, moose, possum and skunk. Today as he read the book (with my help of course) to his next semester clinician my heart radiated with joy as I heard him say beaver with ease. He was no longer the shy boy who was insistent the word was 'too hard.' He was now the boy saying the word was 'easy.' His primary desire is to communicate, to interact back with the world around him. He's working so hard to educate himself, to learn and to do it better, so others will understand him. He is my example of the importance of taking control of what we want to do in life and doing it. And so, life lesson from a 4 year old hit home for me today....'Educate Your Desires.'

I delight in the unexpected life.

Tonight Sister Kristen M. Oaks (wife of Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) came to speak to my relief society. All day I had been teetering with going or not going. But I decided a long time ago, that I was going to go. So I did. And boy am I glad I did.

I walked in to a beautiful table of refreshments for after--delicious looking cupcakes. So, I'm headed into the chapel, I turn the corner, and there is 1 person standing in the foyer...Elder Oaks. Imagine my surprise. I say, something...I don't even know what, it caught me so off guard. All I remember was thinking...you spoke to me in the MTC. Anyway, he greeted me and I him, and he thanked me for coming. He thanked me...I thanked him back!

So that was neat! :) And his wife...well she is really fantastic. She recently wrote a book called A Single Voice. She spoke to us of our experiences we now face and potentially will face as single sisters in the church, for however long our 'single-ness' lasts. I was so appreciative of the words she spoke on many levels, if you want more details about the talk, I'll happily tell you all about it but for now...I'll share the inspiration that spoke so powerfully to my heart.

The unexpected life is no less a life.

And isn't that true. And won't it continue to be true...for whatever life holds for each of us. Whatever it is...its a life, we signed up for this!!! :)

P.S. Thank you for the smile.

I know right now I'm blogging about my 'lessons learned' but I just have to interject this delight in. Yesterday I was feeling like a horrible person. I felt so selfish, so consumed in my to-do list, my schedule, my courses that the thought of serving someone else, wasn't ever in my head. What more can I do...I asked myself over and over again while gazing at the full moon from my bed. A member of the custodial staff here at Willard (the U of U library) helped me answer that question.

Here I was typing away, catching up on yesterday's unfinished paperwork when a man pushing a trash can walks in. What do I do? Smile. What else would you do. Well I suppose I could have not looked up, I could have ignored his presence but a smile was the automatic response. I didn't think another thing about it. Smiles aren't completely uncommon, especially for me, but they are much less common when I am stressed, concerned or when I have a lot on my mind. Anyway...he went about his work in the graduate reading room, but then before leaving, walked past my table and quietly whispered..."thank you for the smile."

Thank you for the smile? Really? It was so sincere, so heartfelt that it makes me almost want to cry. I know nothing about this man and whose to say a smile really has potential for impact...but it apparently made a difference to him, so much so that he went out of his way to acknowledge it with more than just a smile back. And so, while I may not be picking up litter off the side of the road, visiting elderly neighbors and family members or working at the local food bank, I can make a difference to the one who needs a smile. The one whose day can be so easily brightened by a propped door, a simple hello, or a listening ear.

And so, to the man who thanked me...I say thank you, for reminding me about what's really important.

I delight in 3 simple words.

Nike had it right.......Just do it.

I delight in tact.

Silence isn't golden, but tact is. President Simpson (concerning training nm's).

A critical lesson that some never learn.