Ethan, age 7, is very excited about the upcoming junior basketball season. His mother (my daughter) spent her growing up years dancing, not playing basketball like all her other siblings. Last week she walked out into the yard to check on Ethan and see if he was playing with friends or what. He was shooting baskets.
Upon seeing her enter the little family basketball court at the side of their house he passed her the ball and said, “Hey Mom, you try to shoot it!”
“OK,” she replied, took aim and shot. They continued to pass the ball around and Ethan’s mom, the dancer, taught him what she knew about the various types of passes.
Then came the invitation that made her chuckle inside. “Hey Mom, how about every day at 3:00 you come out here with me and we have practice and you be my coach!”
So often we think we have to wait until we become “experts” to serve as support to others, but this little interaction between a mother and her 7 year old has all the elements of good support: Enough care to wonder how another human being is doing; Willingness to walk out onto the court, or pick up the phone, or knock on the door; Enough inclination to pass the ball back and forth a few times, interact in some way, or just sit visit a while; The courage to share what little you know about passing the basketball, about moving ahead, or conquering any of life’s challenges; And finally, enough love to show up again tomorrow and the next day.
We may or may not be experts about much of anything, but expert or not, without these qualities we can make no lasting positive difference in the lives of others. With these qualities we just might make all the difference in the world.
So the next time someone calls out, “Hey coach!!!” I don’t have to be afraid. I don’t have to be an expert, an authority, a master, or a virtuoso of anything. All it takes is Care, Willingness, Interaction, Courage to share what I’ve been given, and Loving Consistency. These are qualities that can be prayerfully sought by any of us. As the truth has been coined, the proper response is not “Who me?” but “Why not me…SURE, PASS THE BALL!”
By Nannette W.
Posted Saturday, February 28, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Hands Alone, Hands Together - 12 Step Progress
“So Lord, people are starting to notice that I’ve lost ninety pounds. They all want to know how I lost it. I always tell them that I deal with the issue of food like a recovering alcoholic deals with alcohol. I use all the tool of recovery. I apply the 12 Steps to my everyday life and I attend recovery meetings, because food has become my drug of choice. The reaction is fascinating. It’s quite obvious that people just want to know which of all the latest diets I used. I tell them that the foundation of my success is in coming unto Christ and receiving direction and power to abstain from destructive behavior in regard to food. It becomes immediately apparent that most people have never considered that the excess weight they carry around has anything to do with their spiritual life and certainly not with addiction.”
“The next thing they seem to be curious about is how long it took to loose the weight. I don’t have a very impressive answer for them Lord. I discovered the 12 Steps twenty years ago and practiced, and studied, and applied these spiritual principles to my life for a long time before I ever lost a pound. Even when I was blessed with weight loss it was a half a pound some weeks and a quarter another, week after week. Every day for twenty years I have been blessed with glorious results. Many things in my life have changed: my feelings about myself, relationships with others, my understanding of the Gospel, my appreciation of the mission of Jesus Christ in my daily life, and unspeakable gratitude for the His Atonement. I learned; I grew spiritually, I stopped gaining weigh, but I didn’t ‘get skinny’ over night. I want to ‘carry the message’ Lord. How should I think about this journey? It’s certainly not the quick fix everyone hopes to discover when they inquire?”
This was the essence of what I expressed to the Lord one night while I was loading the dishwasher. I didn’t have to wait long for the answer. It came in the form of a likening, but not from the scriptures, from life. As I stood at the sink, addressing my thoughts to God, my teenage son Andrew, was upstairs practicing the piano. I had challenged him to start learning the hymns. I can’t remember what he was playing, but it sounded terrible. He was upstairs with the door closed. My habit was to call out some bit of advice to any child who was practicing in a way that defied any progress, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to hear. In my mind I said, “That kid needs to practice hands alone!”
“Exactly Nannette!” the Spirit saw His opportunity. “You had to practice ‘hands alone.’ For years and years you had used physical programs to loose weight. You were successful too. Time after time you lost it. You know exactly how to loose weight, but you had absolutely no idea how to maintain what you obtained. Maintaining recovery from any kind of destructive personal behavior has to be spiritual first. The earth was created spiritually before it was created physically and so was your healthy body. You’re right; the results you originally came for twenty years ago did not come fast. Applying the Atonement is not quick fix. I’m not interested in the quick fix. I am interested in you real and ever - lasting progress.”
Hands Alone, Then Hands Together - Spiritual Then Physical - That’s The Lord’s Way.
By Nannette W.
Posted Thursday, February 26, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
“The next thing they seem to be curious about is how long it took to loose the weight. I don’t have a very impressive answer for them Lord. I discovered the 12 Steps twenty years ago and practiced, and studied, and applied these spiritual principles to my life for a long time before I ever lost a pound. Even when I was blessed with weight loss it was a half a pound some weeks and a quarter another, week after week. Every day for twenty years I have been blessed with glorious results. Many things in my life have changed: my feelings about myself, relationships with others, my understanding of the Gospel, my appreciation of the mission of Jesus Christ in my daily life, and unspeakable gratitude for the His Atonement. I learned; I grew spiritually, I stopped gaining weigh, but I didn’t ‘get skinny’ over night. I want to ‘carry the message’ Lord. How should I think about this journey? It’s certainly not the quick fix everyone hopes to discover when they inquire?”
This was the essence of what I expressed to the Lord one night while I was loading the dishwasher. I didn’t have to wait long for the answer. It came in the form of a likening, but not from the scriptures, from life. As I stood at the sink, addressing my thoughts to God, my teenage son Andrew, was upstairs practicing the piano. I had challenged him to start learning the hymns. I can’t remember what he was playing, but it sounded terrible. He was upstairs with the door closed. My habit was to call out some bit of advice to any child who was practicing in a way that defied any progress, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to hear. In my mind I said, “That kid needs to practice hands alone!”
“Exactly Nannette!” the Spirit saw His opportunity. “You had to practice ‘hands alone.’ For years and years you had used physical programs to loose weight. You were successful too. Time after time you lost it. You know exactly how to loose weight, but you had absolutely no idea how to maintain what you obtained. Maintaining recovery from any kind of destructive personal behavior has to be spiritual first. The earth was created spiritually before it was created physically and so was your healthy body. You’re right; the results you originally came for twenty years ago did not come fast. Applying the Atonement is not quick fix. I’m not interested in the quick fix. I am interested in you real and ever - lasting progress.”
Hands Alone, Then Hands Together - Spiritual Then Physical - That’s The Lord’s Way.
By Nannette W.
Posted Thursday, February 26, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Fire His Impostor – Steps 2 and Step 3
It would not be uncommon for someone with years of sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous to share the following at an AA Meeting. “In order to ‘[Come] to believe that the power of God could restore [me] to complete sanity’ (AA Step 2) and ‘[Make] a decision to turn [my] will and my [life] over to the care of God as [I] understood Him’ (AA Step 3) I had to fire my old God.” The first time I heard this comment, I was sitting in a community 12 Step support group. My ears perked up. I was a bit taken back. “But I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! This advice does not apply to my case,” I thought to myself.
I could certainly see how others might need to replace the God of their understanding with another, but not me! My “Higher Power” was God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, three glorious beings whose work it was to bring to pass my Eternal Life. No sir, the advice to fire my old God and hire a new one did not apply to me! I had been to Primary, Young Women, Seminary, and Brigham Young University. I had spent a lifetime praying to Heavenly Father and singing, teaching and testifying of the true and living God. Adopting a new God could not possibly be the key to the mighty change I desired.
I imagine that like me, many active members of the Church feel they have already taken the first three steps. One day I had an experience that helped me see that in a sense I would do well to revisit my vision of God. It was a very simple experience, a moment in time. My Grandma lived in a neighboring town, just a short distance from our home. One day I was doing housework when a simple impression came into my mind, “Nannette, call your Grandma.” Then, “Nannette, you should call you Grandma!” Then “Nannette, you should’ve called your Grandma!” Then, “Nannette, you are the worst Granddaughter in the world. You hardly ever call your Grandma!!!!” I continued to scrub the bathroom feeling like I’d been given a royal scolding by the God of my understanding. Then these peaceful, gentle words flowed into my mind, “Nannette, I simply said, ‘Call your Grandma. Please don’t assign the drama and the scolding that followed to Me. That was not My voice.”
Today when the devil starts giving me a royal scolding in the name of God I recognize Him for the impostor he is. I ask myself, “Nannette, would your loving Heavenly Father, or His Son, or the Holy Spirit talk to you like that?” The truth is, I didn’t have to fire old my God, but I did have to get to know Him better. I had to learn to recognize His voice. I had to come to trust His character. The God of my understanding today has the same name as He did when I was a little girl. The difference is that today I know He knows me and He loves me. Today I hear His voice more clearly. I didn’t have to fire my old God, but in order to place my hope and trust in Him, just like the alcoholic with years of recovery, I had to fire His imposter.
By Nannette W.
Posted Monday, February 23, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
I could certainly see how others might need to replace the God of their understanding with another, but not me! My “Higher Power” was God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, three glorious beings whose work it was to bring to pass my Eternal Life. No sir, the advice to fire my old God and hire a new one did not apply to me! I had been to Primary, Young Women, Seminary, and Brigham Young University. I had spent a lifetime praying to Heavenly Father and singing, teaching and testifying of the true and living God. Adopting a new God could not possibly be the key to the mighty change I desired.
I imagine that like me, many active members of the Church feel they have already taken the first three steps. One day I had an experience that helped me see that in a sense I would do well to revisit my vision of God. It was a very simple experience, a moment in time. My Grandma lived in a neighboring town, just a short distance from our home. One day I was doing housework when a simple impression came into my mind, “Nannette, call your Grandma.” Then, “Nannette, you should call you Grandma!” Then “Nannette, you should’ve called your Grandma!” Then, “Nannette, you are the worst Granddaughter in the world. You hardly ever call your Grandma!!!!” I continued to scrub the bathroom feeling like I’d been given a royal scolding by the God of my understanding. Then these peaceful, gentle words flowed into my mind, “Nannette, I simply said, ‘Call your Grandma. Please don’t assign the drama and the scolding that followed to Me. That was not My voice.”
Today when the devil starts giving me a royal scolding in the name of God I recognize Him for the impostor he is. I ask myself, “Nannette, would your loving Heavenly Father, or His Son, or the Holy Spirit talk to you like that?” The truth is, I didn’t have to fire old my God, but I did have to get to know Him better. I had to learn to recognize His voice. I had to come to trust His character. The God of my understanding today has the same name as He did when I was a little girl. The difference is that today I know He knows me and He loves me. Today I hear His voice more clearly. I didn’t have to fire my old God, but in order to place my hope and trust in Him, just like the alcoholic with years of recovery, I had to fire His imposter.
By Nannette W.
Posted Monday, February 23, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
“You’re Excited About My Tonsillectomy?” – All Steps
I called my granddaughter, Eliza, today to see if everything was finalized for her surgery. Apparently all is in order and tomorrow she will have her tonsils and adenoids removed. Her poor little throat is so full of tonsils the size of marbles she can hardly breathe.
“I’m so excited for you Eliza!” I said in reaction to the upcoming event.
“Excited!!! You are??? Why???”
“Well, you are going to feel so much better. You’re going to sleep better and be so much healthier.”
“Oh. OK,” she said with some disbelief and the, “My Grandma is a little crazy!” sound in her voice.
I have conversations like this one with people nearly every day - not concerning tonsillectomies, but in regard to applying the 12 Steps to personal problems that have become debilitating. I am sincerely excited for newcomers, for the prospect for recovery and healing and progress that lies ahead for them. When I share my optimism with those just starting to apply the Steps to their lives their reaction is often just like Eliza’s. “Excited!!! You are??? Why???”
My response is, “I’m excited for you because if you continue on this road, life is going to get better and better. I know it’s hard to imagine.” I have a friend who is a fellow missionary in the Church’s Addiction Recovery Program. I love and resonate with the answer he gives when people ask him what he does as a missionary. “I watch the miracles happen,” is his reply.
Eliza is going to submit to the cure for all the problems cause by over sized, infected tonsils, based on the testimony of the doctor, her parents, and of course her Grandma Nan. To those individuals just beginning their journey through the 12 Steps I invite you to submit to the marvelous healing power of Jesus Christ, accessed by applying these 12 simple principles. You can rest on the experience of countless men and women who have gone before you. Everyday we watch miracles happen, and the next one is going to be you! That’s why I’m excited for you.
By Nannette W.
Posted Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
“I’m so excited for you Eliza!” I said in reaction to the upcoming event.
“Excited!!! You are??? Why???”
“Well, you are going to feel so much better. You’re going to sleep better and be so much healthier.”
“Oh. OK,” she said with some disbelief and the, “My Grandma is a little crazy!” sound in her voice.
I have conversations like this one with people nearly every day - not concerning tonsillectomies, but in regard to applying the 12 Steps to personal problems that have become debilitating. I am sincerely excited for newcomers, for the prospect for recovery and healing and progress that lies ahead for them. When I share my optimism with those just starting to apply the Steps to their lives their reaction is often just like Eliza’s. “Excited!!! You are??? Why???”
My response is, “I’m excited for you because if you continue on this road, life is going to get better and better. I know it’s hard to imagine.” I have a friend who is a fellow missionary in the Church’s Addiction Recovery Program. I love and resonate with the answer he gives when people ask him what he does as a missionary. “I watch the miracles happen,” is his reply.
Eliza is going to submit to the cure for all the problems cause by over sized, infected tonsils, based on the testimony of the doctor, her parents, and of course her Grandma Nan. To those individuals just beginning their journey through the 12 Steps I invite you to submit to the marvelous healing power of Jesus Christ, accessed by applying these 12 simple principles. You can rest on the experience of countless men and women who have gone before you. Everyday we watch miracles happen, and the next one is going to be you! That’s why I’m excited for you.
By Nannette W.
Posted Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Monday, February 16, 2009
“What Am I Hungry For?”
The following is an exercise that only requires your journal, a pen, your scriptures and a little bit of time. I had my Young Women ponder and write about these questions during a quiet hour at camp one year. I wanted the girls and their leaders to feel as though we were sitting on the couch in my family room having a conversation. My hope is that the simplicity of this interchange might be helpful.
Every so often I ask a person how they’re doing and they tell me they feel empty inside. I’m pretty sure they’re not saying they skipped breakfast or it’s time for dinner. So what are they talking about?”
This is a Primary level question, but it’s important. Our souls are made up of two parts. See Doctrine and Covenants 88:15. What are the two parts of our souls?
Both parts need to be feed or filled. I’ve discovered that the empty feeling I sometimes have inside when I feel like screaming or crying or when I feel just plain nothing is my spiritual tummy saying, “Please feed me!” Do you ever feel the discomfort of being spiritually hungry or empty inside?
How does it feel and what do you usually do about this feeling?
Sometimes we feel spiritually empty and don’t recognize it for what it is, and don’t know what to do about it. Often we try to fill ourselves with things or activities that feel good. The trouble is that the good feeling we get doesn’t last. It’s very temporary. In today’s world, often what people use to try and make them feel better is very destructive. Try writing down some of the things other people do or use to make them feel better.
Some of the common things people do are actually good things done in excess like watching TV, playing computer games, texting, surfing the web, over eating, excess shopping, exercise, and work. Others find temporary pleasure in tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, and drugs (prescription and illegal), and behaviors that become compulsive and addictive such as gambling, viewing pornography, inappropriate sexual behavior, anger, lying, violence, and disorders associated with eating.
Can you identify any substance or behavior (serious or seeming innocent) you use to make yourself feel better that may be causing problems in your life?
How is your behavior affecting your life?
What do you think your spirit likes to feast on?
Let’s see what it says in the scriptures. Look up 2 Nephi 32:3. What is your spirit hungry for?
Look up 2 Nephi 9:51. What are the qualities of spiritual food?
Our spirits love to feast on the words of Christ. Where do we find the His word to us?
So if I don’t study or feast on the word of God I’ll be spiritually hungry or empty and nothing else is really going to satisfy my hunger.
In 1 Nephi 11 we read about the dream of the Prophet Lehi. In that dream we are taught that there is a special blessing awaiting those people who continually hold fast to or feast on the word of God. They are led to a special tree called the Tree of Life.
The Tree of Life is a symbol. Look up 1 Nephi 11:22. What is it a symbol of?
In Jacob 3:2 we are taught that our Spirits are hungry for something else. What?
So if I feast on the word of God I will be led to the love of God
Lehi’s Tree of Life has fruit on it. Look up 1 Nephi 8:11-12.
What does Lehi say about the fruit? How did it make him feel when he ate it? How did it taste?
When you think of the love of God what picture comes to your mind?
The picture that comes to my mind is the picture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross atoning for my sins. This was the greatest sign of the love of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father for us.
What is the fruit of this tree?
One of the meanings of the word “fruit” is “result” The fruit or the result of Jesus’ loving atonement is His ability to prepare us in every way to return to our Heavenly Father. His ability to give us direction through the Holy Ghost and the power to do what is right are results or fruits of His Atonement. The people in Lehi’s Dream who are eating the fruit of the Tree of Life are partaking of the blessings that come to us because of the Atonement.
So how can you and I partake of the Atonement today and fill our spiritual selves?
If I study or feast on the word of God I will be led to and be able to feast from the “Love of God Tree” and partake of all the fruits or blessings that result from the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Not only will I be spiritually full, I will receive all that my Savior desired to bless me with.
When the Bishop asks us if we are praying, reading our scriptures, writing our thoughts and impressions in our journals, and attending our meetings he’s not being nosey or judgmental. He is really trying to find out if we are full or if we’re starving spiritually. It’s kind of like having a doctor ask us if we are getting enough sleep, exercise, and good nutritious food.
So how is your spiritual tummy today? Are you full or are you running on empty?
If you are hungry what can you do about it?
The commandment to pray and read and write and attend our meetings is an invitation by God to you and I to feast upon His word. Feasting upon His word will lead us to the feast upon the love and the loving gifts He can give you because of His Atonement. This is the feast of all feasts and the kitchen is always open.
By Nannette W.
Posted Monday February 16, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Every so often I ask a person how they’re doing and they tell me they feel empty inside. I’m pretty sure they’re not saying they skipped breakfast or it’s time for dinner. So what are they talking about?”
This is a Primary level question, but it’s important. Our souls are made up of two parts. See Doctrine and Covenants 88:15. What are the two parts of our souls?
Both parts need to be feed or filled. I’ve discovered that the empty feeling I sometimes have inside when I feel like screaming or crying or when I feel just plain nothing is my spiritual tummy saying, “Please feed me!” Do you ever feel the discomfort of being spiritually hungry or empty inside?
How does it feel and what do you usually do about this feeling?
Sometimes we feel spiritually empty and don’t recognize it for what it is, and don’t know what to do about it. Often we try to fill ourselves with things or activities that feel good. The trouble is that the good feeling we get doesn’t last. It’s very temporary. In today’s world, often what people use to try and make them feel better is very destructive. Try writing down some of the things other people do or use to make them feel better.
Some of the common things people do are actually good things done in excess like watching TV, playing computer games, texting, surfing the web, over eating, excess shopping, exercise, and work. Others find temporary pleasure in tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, and drugs (prescription and illegal), and behaviors that become compulsive and addictive such as gambling, viewing pornography, inappropriate sexual behavior, anger, lying, violence, and disorders associated with eating.
Can you identify any substance or behavior (serious or seeming innocent) you use to make yourself feel better that may be causing problems in your life?
How is your behavior affecting your life?
What do you think your spirit likes to feast on?
Let’s see what it says in the scriptures. Look up 2 Nephi 32:3. What is your spirit hungry for?
Look up 2 Nephi 9:51. What are the qualities of spiritual food?
Our spirits love to feast on the words of Christ. Where do we find the His word to us?
So if I don’t study or feast on the word of God I’ll be spiritually hungry or empty and nothing else is really going to satisfy my hunger.
In 1 Nephi 11 we read about the dream of the Prophet Lehi. In that dream we are taught that there is a special blessing awaiting those people who continually hold fast to or feast on the word of God. They are led to a special tree called the Tree of Life.
The Tree of Life is a symbol. Look up 1 Nephi 11:22. What is it a symbol of?
In Jacob 3:2 we are taught that our Spirits are hungry for something else. What?
So if I feast on the word of God I will be led to the love of God
Lehi’s Tree of Life has fruit on it. Look up 1 Nephi 8:11-12.
What does Lehi say about the fruit? How did it make him feel when he ate it? How did it taste?
When you think of the love of God what picture comes to your mind?
The picture that comes to my mind is the picture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross atoning for my sins. This was the greatest sign of the love of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father for us.
What is the fruit of this tree?
One of the meanings of the word “fruit” is “result” The fruit or the result of Jesus’ loving atonement is His ability to prepare us in every way to return to our Heavenly Father. His ability to give us direction through the Holy Ghost and the power to do what is right are results or fruits of His Atonement. The people in Lehi’s Dream who are eating the fruit of the Tree of Life are partaking of the blessings that come to us because of the Atonement.
So how can you and I partake of the Atonement today and fill our spiritual selves?
If I study or feast on the word of God I will be led to and be able to feast from the “Love of God Tree” and partake of all the fruits or blessings that result from the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Not only will I be spiritually full, I will receive all that my Savior desired to bless me with.
When the Bishop asks us if we are praying, reading our scriptures, writing our thoughts and impressions in our journals, and attending our meetings he’s not being nosey or judgmental. He is really trying to find out if we are full or if we’re starving spiritually. It’s kind of like having a doctor ask us if we are getting enough sleep, exercise, and good nutritious food.
So how is your spiritual tummy today? Are you full or are you running on empty?
If you are hungry what can you do about it?
The commandment to pray and read and write and attend our meetings is an invitation by God to you and I to feast upon His word. Feasting upon His word will lead us to the feast upon the love and the loving gifts He can give you because of His Atonement. This is the feast of all feasts and the kitchen is always open.
By Nannette W.
Posted Monday February 16, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
“I Wish She Was The Mother!” – Step 3
Little children seem to have a strong sense and sensitivity to the serenity or the lack of it in others. I was reminded of this reality as a young mother of three preschool age children. One night I was in the middle of the Saturday night bath routine - one child in and scrubbed, out and dried, nails clipped, and hair brushed - times three kids. In the middle of this rubber-ducky routine my mom walked in the house. She offered to help dress my oldest little girl Mandy and brush out her blond head feathers while I worked toward bedtime with the other kids.
I continued to rush about and scurried into the family room where my mom was visiting with Mandy and sweetly brushing out her hair. Mandy looked over at me as I entered the room. I’m sure she could sense that I was now ready to move onto the next phase of the day. “Time for all kids to be in bed!” Her response to my passion for putting an end to a very busy day as soon as possible came in the form of a wish. These were the words that came out of her mouth that stopped me in my tracks. “I wish she was the mother,” she said looking up at my mother. At that point my first thought was probably “I wish she was the mother too. I’m exhausted!”
Actually Mandy’s honesty and sensitivity to her peaceful Grandma made me smile. I specifically remember that I did not feel jealous of my mother or discouraged in any way about my own motherhood. I did recognize this humbling truth; “I will never be able to be all things to all my children at all times.” I felt grateful that God sends earthly angles to fill in where my energy and know-how leave off.
That night I wrote out Mandy’s words at the top of a clean white page in my journal, “I wish she was the mother.” Then I thanked the Lord on paper for creating grandmas. You are veterans, seasoned in earthly experience, and now freed from the heaviness of midlife responsibility to share with us the wisdom and love of a lifetime. God bless us all at every age and stage of life to trust His plan for our usefulness.
This post is dedicated to my mother who just celebrated her 78th Birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! I couldn’t be more grateful that you’re “the mother.”
By Nannette W.
Posted Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
I continued to rush about and scurried into the family room where my mom was visiting with Mandy and sweetly brushing out her hair. Mandy looked over at me as I entered the room. I’m sure she could sense that I was now ready to move onto the next phase of the day. “Time for all kids to be in bed!” Her response to my passion for putting an end to a very busy day as soon as possible came in the form of a wish. These were the words that came out of her mouth that stopped me in my tracks. “I wish she was the mother,” she said looking up at my mother. At that point my first thought was probably “I wish she was the mother too. I’m exhausted!”
Actually Mandy’s honesty and sensitivity to her peaceful Grandma made me smile. I specifically remember that I did not feel jealous of my mother or discouraged in any way about my own motherhood. I did recognize this humbling truth; “I will never be able to be all things to all my children at all times.” I felt grateful that God sends earthly angles to fill in where my energy and know-how leave off.
That night I wrote out Mandy’s words at the top of a clean white page in my journal, “I wish she was the mother.” Then I thanked the Lord on paper for creating grandmas. You are veterans, seasoned in earthly experience, and now freed from the heaviness of midlife responsibility to share with us the wisdom and love of a lifetime. God bless us all at every age and stage of life to trust His plan for our usefulness.
This post is dedicated to my mother who just celebrated her 78th Birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! I couldn’t be more grateful that you’re “the mother.”
By Nannette W.
Posted Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Carrying the Message Inside and Out - Step 12
A friend of mine had a memorable interchange with her grandson. While I was visiting, she related the incident and we had a great laugh. Before I let you in the dialogue between this Grandma and her Grandson I want to tell you that my friend is sixty something, but you would never guess it. She is lovely, youthful, very put together woman.
She reports that the other day her grandson looked up at her and said, “Grandma, how come you don’t have gray hair like Grandma _____?”
“Well, I like to keep it brown so I look young,” she answered, and then added,” Don’t you think I look young?”
After a pause for some close scrutiny the little guy replied, “Well, the hair looks young, but the face is still old!” Oh the honesty of a child!
Last week I looked in the mirror and saw something that frightened me. It was wiry and gray; the only one of it’s kind, at least on my head. It’s gone now. I plucked it out. Try as I may though, there is no thorough, lasting way to hide the fact that I have had years of earth life experience.
As we apply gospel principle our hearts heal, our health improves, in some ways we become like little children. In so many ways our lives are renewed. Even so, this transformation does not erase the inner wisdom or the outer wrinkles born of life’s experiences. The maturity that comes because we have lived through and overcome hard things can’t be covered up.
God doesn’t care how hard we work at making age sixty the new forty. He allows our experience to show. It’s part of the plan. The Senior Class in earth school has a legacy to share with the freshmen. So, if your grandson ever tells you that your Lady Clairol hair looks young, but your face looks old, don’t take offense. It’s just your God given experience showing, the lessons learned, the trials endured, and the temptations overcome. It’s a sign to the Freshmen Class that you are a part of the more experienced Senior Class and that you have a message to share. We carry the message inside and out!
By Nannette W.
Posted Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
She reports that the other day her grandson looked up at her and said, “Grandma, how come you don’t have gray hair like Grandma _____?”
“Well, I like to keep it brown so I look young,” she answered, and then added,” Don’t you think I look young?”
After a pause for some close scrutiny the little guy replied, “Well, the hair looks young, but the face is still old!” Oh the honesty of a child!
Last week I looked in the mirror and saw something that frightened me. It was wiry and gray; the only one of it’s kind, at least on my head. It’s gone now. I plucked it out. Try as I may though, there is no thorough, lasting way to hide the fact that I have had years of earth life experience.
As we apply gospel principle our hearts heal, our health improves, in some ways we become like little children. In so many ways our lives are renewed. Even so, this transformation does not erase the inner wisdom or the outer wrinkles born of life’s experiences. The maturity that comes because we have lived through and overcome hard things can’t be covered up.
God doesn’t care how hard we work at making age sixty the new forty. He allows our experience to show. It’s part of the plan. The Senior Class in earth school has a legacy to share with the freshmen. So, if your grandson ever tells you that your Lady Clairol hair looks young, but your face looks old, don’t take offense. It’s just your God given experience showing, the lessons learned, the trials endured, and the temptations overcome. It’s a sign to the Freshmen Class that you are a part of the more experienced Senior Class and that you have a message to share. We carry the message inside and out!
By Nannette W.
Posted Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The “Standing Long Jump” – A Contradiction In Terms? – Step 2
Recess at my elementary school meant swinging around and around on the monkey bars until you were sick, which I never experienced, because I couldn’t get up enough momentum to swing. It meant standing or running around the inside a large circle painted on the playground with lots of other little kids until that embarrassing moment when someone threw a large rubble India ball at you and didn’t miss. It also meant swinging on the rings, like a monkey, one hand after the other, which I also never mastered because every time I tried it felt like I was going to pull my arms right out of the sockets.
Physical education class included the mortification of waiting my turn to be “up to bat.” I have no words to describe the anxiety. “Three strikes your out.” Boy I’ve heard those words more than I care to admit. “Just bunt it Nannette.” “Just walk Nannette.” Just give me a good game of Caroms, foursquare, or tetherball. What I’m trying to say here is that I was not a very physically fit, strong, active child.
One fateful day in the middle of the 1960’s I sat in school doing reading, writing, and arithmetic dreading the hour we would be sent out to “play” or have P.E., when the teacher stood and announced that the President of the United States was concerned with the physical fitness of the children of America. He had personally come up with a plan to help us get in shape.
For the next 10 years President Kennedy’s Physical Fitness Tests were the bane of my existence. I never passed. In high school The Presidential Fitness Tests became even more of a frustration. The deal was if you flunked you no longer had the option of taking swimming or folk dancing or volleyball. No, you took Physical Fitness and practiced until you got it right.
Whenever I think of the Presidential Fitness Tests, the one that makes me laugh at the thought is “the standing long jump.” Isn’t that a contradiction in terms? I clearly remember standing at the line. “Bend you knees Nannette. Swing your arms forward then backward a few times and then lung forward from a standing position and jump!” Year after year I stood there thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” There was never anything “long” about my jump. “Just sign me up for remedial PE class for yea, one more year!” Physically speaking, from where I’ve come from it could only have gotten better…and it finally did.
One of the miracles of recovery for me is that thirty-seven years after high school graduation I’m blessed with the greatest physical fitness of my life. God delivered me from 90 pounds. I’m not any kind of Olympian by any means, but hiking, lifting, swimming, a brisk walk, and a little running are activities I welcome today. I’ve hiked up and down a challenging mountain three times now. I’ve run a half marathon and a 10-mile race. I always come in last or nearly, but I run. It truly is a miracle.
I share this in the same spirit that motivated Ammon when he said, “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things… (Alma 26:12)”
When I think back on all the things I tried, hoping for some kind of lasting ability to overcome compulsive eating I am reminded of the “standing long jump.” I lined up time after time at the starting line of one exercise or food plan after another. Then I’d put all the energy I could muster into doing the deal. I even seemed to move forward, but nothing long, nothing that long lasting.
Then one day someone introduced me to the thought “that God could and would [help me] if He were sought”(Alcoholics Anonymous, 60). I had no idea He would care about such a thing. My testimony is that He cares about anything that is holding us back physically, spiritually or emotionally. What’s your “standing long jump?” Is there an area in your life where you are standing still and trying to jump long? I invite you to begin to apply the 12 Steps, because when the Lord is involved the “standing long jump” is no longer a contradiction in terms.
By Nannette W.
Posted Monday, February 9, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Physical education class included the mortification of waiting my turn to be “up to bat.” I have no words to describe the anxiety. “Three strikes your out.” Boy I’ve heard those words more than I care to admit. “Just bunt it Nannette.” “Just walk Nannette.” Just give me a good game of Caroms, foursquare, or tetherball. What I’m trying to say here is that I was not a very physically fit, strong, active child.
One fateful day in the middle of the 1960’s I sat in school doing reading, writing, and arithmetic dreading the hour we would be sent out to “play” or have P.E., when the teacher stood and announced that the President of the United States was concerned with the physical fitness of the children of America. He had personally come up with a plan to help us get in shape.
For the next 10 years President Kennedy’s Physical Fitness Tests were the bane of my existence. I never passed. In high school The Presidential Fitness Tests became even more of a frustration. The deal was if you flunked you no longer had the option of taking swimming or folk dancing or volleyball. No, you took Physical Fitness and practiced until you got it right.
Whenever I think of the Presidential Fitness Tests, the one that makes me laugh at the thought is “the standing long jump.” Isn’t that a contradiction in terms? I clearly remember standing at the line. “Bend you knees Nannette. Swing your arms forward then backward a few times and then lung forward from a standing position and jump!” Year after year I stood there thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” There was never anything “long” about my jump. “Just sign me up for remedial PE class for yea, one more year!” Physically speaking, from where I’ve come from it could only have gotten better…and it finally did.
One of the miracles of recovery for me is that thirty-seven years after high school graduation I’m blessed with the greatest physical fitness of my life. God delivered me from 90 pounds. I’m not any kind of Olympian by any means, but hiking, lifting, swimming, a brisk walk, and a little running are activities I welcome today. I’ve hiked up and down a challenging mountain three times now. I’ve run a half marathon and a 10-mile race. I always come in last or nearly, but I run. It truly is a miracle.
I share this in the same spirit that motivated Ammon when he said, “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things… (Alma 26:12)”
When I think back on all the things I tried, hoping for some kind of lasting ability to overcome compulsive eating I am reminded of the “standing long jump.” I lined up time after time at the starting line of one exercise or food plan after another. Then I’d put all the energy I could muster into doing the deal. I even seemed to move forward, but nothing long, nothing that long lasting.
Then one day someone introduced me to the thought “that God could and would [help me] if He were sought”(Alcoholics Anonymous, 60). I had no idea He would care about such a thing. My testimony is that He cares about anything that is holding us back physically, spiritually or emotionally. What’s your “standing long jump?” Is there an area in your life where you are standing still and trying to jump long? I invite you to begin to apply the 12 Steps, because when the Lord is involved the “standing long jump” is no longer a contradiction in terms.
By Nannette W.
Posted Monday, February 9, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Parents kind of WHAT? – Step 4 Truth
Leave it to the three year olds of the world to tell the truth as they see it. My brother and his wife had the good fortune of having two at the same time, boys, Landon and Gavin. Double fun! Double trouble! And, double the “out of the mouths of babes” moments!
These two three year olds were right on schedule with their first memorized Primary song. “I am a child of God,” Landon sang out one day. “And He has sent me here,” he continued. His proud parents appreciated every note and every word, pleased with the foundational truths there little fellow was beginning to grasp.
Landon’s rendition of the next part of the song took his devoted parents by surprise. Landon got a little bit creative. He sang out, “Has given me an earthly home With parents KIND OF DEAR!” Oh dear!
Landon’s adaptation was rehearsed for family and friends over telephone lines, over the Internet, and around the dining room table. His lyrics added a little levity to any gathering. There was a kind of knowing smile and laugh from anyone hearing the telling. Deep down I think we all know we fall short of “kind and dear.”
When we take Step 4 we “Make a searching and fearless written moral inventory of ourselves.” When I first read the 12 Steps I thought, “Well, I’ll take the first three steps and the last three, but I’m not taking those steps in the middle. I was afraid of what I might find, things I might remember and have to deal with that had long been put away. I had tried my best to be a good person, a good wife, and a good mother, but I knew in my heart that mistakes had been made, and though I don’t like the word, especially if it is attached to me, sins had been committed. What if I found that the bad outweighed the good?
To my surprise “Making a searching and fearless written moral inventory” of myself turned out to be a great blessing. It was a blessing because it was a careful visit with the Truth, with Jesus Christ, about me. Through the Holy Ghost He showed me my strengths and He verified my weaknesses. With the help of the Lord, taking Step 4 helped me put the events of my life into perspective. Before I took Step 4 I let Satan take my inventory for me. The devil only has two approaches. He either uses his resources to convince us we are doing fine on our own, or that we are worthless – Either that we don’t need God or that God couldn’t possibly need us.
People give a knowing smile when they hear Landon’s rendition of “I Am A Child of God” because his words speak the truth. It’s the same truth we find when we do our 4th Step Inventory. My parents were “kind of dear” and so were their parents and so are the parents of my children. Not one of us has managed to be “kind and dear” fulltime!
None of us will leave a perfect “kind and dear” record for our children. The most important legacy we can leave to others is that we knew our need and we called out for divine direction and power. The love we feel and the divine perspective we receive as we take the middle steps, the ones I wanted to skip, are invaluable. They propel us to sing out, “Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, Help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do To live with Him someday.”1
By Nannette W.
Posted Saturday February 7, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
These two three year olds were right on schedule with their first memorized Primary song. “I am a child of God,” Landon sang out one day. “And He has sent me here,” he continued. His proud parents appreciated every note and every word, pleased with the foundational truths there little fellow was beginning to grasp.
Landon’s rendition of the next part of the song took his devoted parents by surprise. Landon got a little bit creative. He sang out, “Has given me an earthly home With parents KIND OF DEAR!” Oh dear!
Landon’s adaptation was rehearsed for family and friends over telephone lines, over the Internet, and around the dining room table. His lyrics added a little levity to any gathering. There was a kind of knowing smile and laugh from anyone hearing the telling. Deep down I think we all know we fall short of “kind and dear.”
When we take Step 4 we “Make a searching and fearless written moral inventory of ourselves.” When I first read the 12 Steps I thought, “Well, I’ll take the first three steps and the last three, but I’m not taking those steps in the middle. I was afraid of what I might find, things I might remember and have to deal with that had long been put away. I had tried my best to be a good person, a good wife, and a good mother, but I knew in my heart that mistakes had been made, and though I don’t like the word, especially if it is attached to me, sins had been committed. What if I found that the bad outweighed the good?
To my surprise “Making a searching and fearless written moral inventory” of myself turned out to be a great blessing. It was a blessing because it was a careful visit with the Truth, with Jesus Christ, about me. Through the Holy Ghost He showed me my strengths and He verified my weaknesses. With the help of the Lord, taking Step 4 helped me put the events of my life into perspective. Before I took Step 4 I let Satan take my inventory for me. The devil only has two approaches. He either uses his resources to convince us we are doing fine on our own, or that we are worthless – Either that we don’t need God or that God couldn’t possibly need us.
People give a knowing smile when they hear Landon’s rendition of “I Am A Child of God” because his words speak the truth. It’s the same truth we find when we do our 4th Step Inventory. My parents were “kind of dear” and so were their parents and so are the parents of my children. Not one of us has managed to be “kind and dear” fulltime!
None of us will leave a perfect “kind and dear” record for our children. The most important legacy we can leave to others is that we knew our need and we called out for divine direction and power. The love we feel and the divine perspective we receive as we take the middle steps, the ones I wanted to skip, are invaluable. They propel us to sing out, “Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, Help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do To live with Him someday.”1
By Nannette W.
Posted Saturday February 7, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Closing the Gap: The Distance Between Getting Organized and Establishing a House Of God – The Tools of Recovery
“I’ll be OK. I just need to get organized!” These are words I’ve heard and words I’ve said countless times. I have spent a lifetime trying to get my time and my stuff in order. I felt it was the key to everything. You can imagine my joy when I ran into the Lord’s command to “Organize yourselves” in Doctrine and Covenants.
The verse reads: “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;” (Doctrine and Covenants 109:8)
These words validated what I felt to be my prime directive. In a panic toward perfection I read the words “organize yourselves” and I was off to the races. It takes vigilance to get organized and stay organized. I’ve certainly worked hard at it. So many of us have.
My understanding was that order must be the “first order of the day” and that when I accomplished that happy state then I could move on to establishing “house of prayer…fasting…faith…learning…glory…order…God.” But I couldn’t seem to get off first base.
After taking each of the 12 Steps, I came to this verse again with new eyes. Even though it had been displayed in stitchery and calligraphy in my home I don’t think I’d never read it properly.
What I came to realize was that in my excitement to create order in my world I had read the mandate, “Organize yourselves” and not understood that what followed was Jesus’ instructions on how this task might best be accomplished.
Organizing ourselves seems to be the divine outcome as we focus on establishing:
1. “house of prayer,” by more continually directing of our thoughts to the Lord
2. “a house of fasting,” by practicing continued abstinence
3. “a house of faith,” by taking action based on our trust in God
4. “a house of learning,” by seeking and recognizing daily personal revelation
5. “a house of glory,” by fostering gratitude and more consistently standing as a witness of Him
6. “a house of order,” by being painstaking in our obedience to His direction
7. “a house of God.” This is the precious result of organizing ourselves in this manner.
These are the tools that close the gap between our need to be organized and our great desire to establishing a House of God. One of the definitions of “organize” is “to assemble and make ready for use or action.” The goal is to prepare a dwelling place and a work place for the Lord. This verse is about something much bigger than having a place for everything and everything in its place. It’s the answer for those of us who are always organizing and never realizing the divine outcome – a house of God!
By Nannette W.
Posted Friday February 6, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W.
All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
The verse reads: “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;” (Doctrine and Covenants 109:8)
These words validated what I felt to be my prime directive. In a panic toward perfection I read the words “organize yourselves” and I was off to the races. It takes vigilance to get organized and stay organized. I’ve certainly worked hard at it. So many of us have.
My understanding was that order must be the “first order of the day” and that when I accomplished that happy state then I could move on to establishing “house of prayer…fasting…faith…learning…glory…order…God.” But I couldn’t seem to get off first base.
After taking each of the 12 Steps, I came to this verse again with new eyes. Even though it had been displayed in stitchery and calligraphy in my home I don’t think I’d never read it properly.
What I came to realize was that in my excitement to create order in my world I had read the mandate, “Organize yourselves” and not understood that what followed was Jesus’ instructions on how this task might best be accomplished.
Organizing ourselves seems to be the divine outcome as we focus on establishing:
1. “house of prayer,” by more continually directing of our thoughts to the Lord
2. “a house of fasting,” by practicing continued abstinence
3. “a house of faith,” by taking action based on our trust in God
4. “a house of learning,” by seeking and recognizing daily personal revelation
5. “a house of glory,” by fostering gratitude and more consistently standing as a witness of Him
6. “a house of order,” by being painstaking in our obedience to His direction
7. “a house of God.” This is the precious result of organizing ourselves in this manner.
These are the tools that close the gap between our need to be organized and our great desire to establishing a House of God. One of the definitions of “organize” is “to assemble and make ready for use or action.” The goal is to prepare a dwelling place and a work place for the Lord. This verse is about something much bigger than having a place for everything and everything in its place. It’s the answer for those of us who are always organizing and never realizing the divine outcome – a house of God!
By Nannette W.
Posted Friday February 6, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W.
All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The “Sick Coat” – Maintaining What We Have Obtained - Steps 10-12
If you grew up with me and happened to have the flue, a fever, the measles, the mumps, or an earache you were given some very special attention in the form of two items of clothing. First, the earache hat, a little homemade flannel bonnet mom placed on our heads if we were suffering the pain of an ear infection. It helped us feel cozy. It felt like a little bonnet of loving care tied securely with a bow under the chin. It also secured the soothing warm drops of oil my mother placed in the effected ear using a little teaspoon and the bit of cotton in the tender ear.
The other piece of clothing we affectionately refer to as “the sick coat.” This was a little jacket with a Hawaiian print on the outside and a terrycloth lining. If one of us was feeling under the weather we got to wear the “sick coat.” Like the earache hat, the little jacket felt like instant tender loving care. I was the first child married with children of my own and I inherited both these treasures and carried on the tradition. As a mother I could see that the wearing of the “sick coat” sent more than a message of love. It was a sign to my child that he or she was in a condition where extra care was needed. It helped them resist the temptation to declare themselves “all better” too early.
It requires a great deal of tender care to continue to make progress in our spiritual health. It’s so tempting, especially when we begin to feel a little better, to stop taking care of ourselves spiritually and physically the way we need to. When I neglect my spiritual and physical care, just like the child who goes out to play too soon, my old symptoms return. The memory of the “sick coat” comes to my mind. In a sense living in recovery requires me to put on such a little jacket every day of my life. It reminds me that I am loved and it helps me remain aware that I am in a vulnerable condition diagnosed as mortality, where continuous care is needed.
By Nannette W.
Posted Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W.
All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
The other piece of clothing we affectionately refer to as “the sick coat.” This was a little jacket with a Hawaiian print on the outside and a terrycloth lining. If one of us was feeling under the weather we got to wear the “sick coat.” Like the earache hat, the little jacket felt like instant tender loving care. I was the first child married with children of my own and I inherited both these treasures and carried on the tradition. As a mother I could see that the wearing of the “sick coat” sent more than a message of love. It was a sign to my child that he or she was in a condition where extra care was needed. It helped them resist the temptation to declare themselves “all better” too early.
It requires a great deal of tender care to continue to make progress in our spiritual health. It’s so tempting, especially when we begin to feel a little better, to stop taking care of ourselves spiritually and physically the way we need to. When I neglect my spiritual and physical care, just like the child who goes out to play too soon, my old symptoms return. The memory of the “sick coat” comes to my mind. In a sense living in recovery requires me to put on such a little jacket every day of my life. It reminds me that I am loved and it helps me remain aware that I am in a vulnerable condition diagnosed as mortality, where continuous care is needed.
By Nannette W.
Posted Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W.
All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
“Be-aware” of Dog! – Step 11 Personal Revelation
Here we go again! A knock at the door and our little dog Snitzel rips down the hall as fast as his little dachshund legs can maneuver, barking ferociously. Baby’s been asleep for thirty minutes but he’s absolutely awake now. How can one little puppy create such a disturbance? Part of me wants to discipline the dog so he’ll never do that again. Then I think of how that little bark may warn me someday and save my family or myself from an intruder.
That’s not the only time I’ve been frustrated with a potential warning. “To warn is to notify in advance, caution, forewarn.” Life is full of warnings, physical, spiritual, and emotional. Warnings of potential danger can be annoying, unpleasant, frightening, or down right painful. In the past, instead of taking action based on warnings, I’ve put a lot of energy into quieting them or downright getting rid of them. Today I am learning to see them as gifts from God. I’m learning to act on them as I would if I smelled smoke in the house. Listen to warnings! Appreciate the caution! Take action! The message might save my life. I am learning to appreciate the power of divine notification.
By Nannette W.
Posted Tuesday February 3, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W.
All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or
That’s not the only time I’ve been frustrated with a potential warning. “To warn is to notify in advance, caution, forewarn.” Life is full of warnings, physical, spiritual, and emotional. Warnings of potential danger can be annoying, unpleasant, frightening, or down right painful. In the past, instead of taking action based on warnings, I’ve put a lot of energy into quieting them or downright getting rid of them. Today I am learning to see them as gifts from God. I’m learning to act on them as I would if I smelled smoke in the house. Listen to warnings! Appreciate the caution! Take action! The message might save my life. I am learning to appreciate the power of divine notification.
By Nannette W.
Posted Tuesday February 3, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W.
All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Message From the Cedar Waxwings – Step 2 Hope
Step 2 says, “Come to believe that the power of God can restore you to complete spiritual health.” One of the pivotal words in this step is the word “you.” Can restore you Nannette! You restore you ______ (Fill in the blank with your own name.) It doesn’t help me at all to believe that God can and will help everybody else. I have to progress in my belief that He can and will help me. One of the things I’ve learned to do to foster this belief is to keep my eyes open for little signs, personal signs, witnesses to me that the Lord is minutely aware of my situation at every moment.
A day in the life of a Home School mom is full of one-on-one tutoring. In my case I had the challenge of teaching five children who were all at different ages and stages. Five levels of reading, writing, and math – Five children with varying interests and attention spans – It’s really quite a challenge! I was always on the lookout for methods I could use to teach something to all five children at the same time. It had to be something that would hold everyone’s attention. It had to be a method that allowed everyone to learn at his or her own speed and on his or her own level.
I found the good old-fashioned flash card met the criteria perfectly. One picture is worth a thousand words, especially if half of your class is too young to sit and listen to a thousand words. I made large 8x10 flash cards. It allowed us to learn the names of hundreds of things – colors, shapes, animals, Presidents of the United States, Presidents of the Church, musical instruments, leaves, flowers, famous works of art, anatomy, the planets, geographical land and water forms, countries and their capitals, events in history etc. I made good use of every simple picture I could find – old calendars, use discarded out of date textbooks that were filled with great pictures. I had a great time collecting, but I had an even more wonderful experience rotating through various subjects and presenting new cards to my children. There’s nothing like walking into the Visitor’s Center on Temple Square and having your five year old say, “Look, that picture is ‘Gethsemane’ by Harry Anderson.
We had a great experience, but I have to be honest and say that there were times when it was hard and I was weary. There were times when I wondered if it was all worth it and if I was really doing what the Lord wanted me to do. Was he really aware of me and my little class of five? Would He help me keep up the pace day after day?
One night I sat on my bed until late cutting up an old calendar and gluing pictures of different kind of birds on to cards. I remember going to bed and telling the Lord that I was worn out, that it had been a hard day, and “was I doing the right thing?” The next morning we resumed our regular school day schedule. Half way through the morning I gathered everyone together. We sat on the floor in the living room and I drew out the ten new cards flash for the week, all pictures of birds. I flashed each of the cards one at a time, stating the name of the bird. The children repeated the name. We reviewed the ten cards following this same format three times. One of the birds I had selected the night before was the Cedar Waxwing, a lovely little bird, crested, mostly soft brown, black around the eyes, a yellow tipped tail, and red spots on the wings. I had never had the opportunity of meeting this bird, and when I flashed it for the children I commented that I wished we had something besides robins and sparrows in our neck of the woods. With that I finished up, put the cards away, and fixed lunch.
After lunch my oldest daughter walk her little brother over to a neighbors house. She was gone only a minute when she came bounding back into the house. “Mom, Mom, you’ve got to come and see. In the trees by path to the church there are hundreds of Cedar Waxwings.” We gathered and followed my little bird watcher to the path. Sure enough, a numberless flock of soft brown, crested, blacked eyed, yellow tip tailed birds with red spots on their wings rested in the neighbors trees nibbling away at the left over autumn fruit that hadn’t yet fallen to the ground. I stood there in amazement. I stood there looking up for a very long time. I looked up at the birds in wonder and I looked to Heaven in awe that the God of the universe would send a flock of birds to bring my children and me a message. "I am aware. I care very much. And most important, if I can deliver the birds to match you little flash card I can help you with anything."
I’ve looked every year since and never seen another Cedar Waxwing in those trees, but if I keep my eyes and heart open I can have a "Cedar Waxwing day" seven days a week. The Lord loves to manifest Himself to us. There are always Signs.
Take a look at these beautiful birds: http://www.ownbyphotography.com/newpage5.htm
By Nannette W.
Posted Friday January 30, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W.
All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
A day in the life of a Home School mom is full of one-on-one tutoring. In my case I had the challenge of teaching five children who were all at different ages and stages. Five levels of reading, writing, and math – Five children with varying interests and attention spans – It’s really quite a challenge! I was always on the lookout for methods I could use to teach something to all five children at the same time. It had to be something that would hold everyone’s attention. It had to be a method that allowed everyone to learn at his or her own speed and on his or her own level.
I found the good old-fashioned flash card met the criteria perfectly. One picture is worth a thousand words, especially if half of your class is too young to sit and listen to a thousand words. I made large 8x10 flash cards. It allowed us to learn the names of hundreds of things – colors, shapes, animals, Presidents of the United States, Presidents of the Church, musical instruments, leaves, flowers, famous works of art, anatomy, the planets, geographical land and water forms, countries and their capitals, events in history etc. I made good use of every simple picture I could find – old calendars, use discarded out of date textbooks that were filled with great pictures. I had a great time collecting, but I had an even more wonderful experience rotating through various subjects and presenting new cards to my children. There’s nothing like walking into the Visitor’s Center on Temple Square and having your five year old say, “Look, that picture is ‘Gethsemane’ by Harry Anderson.
We had a great experience, but I have to be honest and say that there were times when it was hard and I was weary. There were times when I wondered if it was all worth it and if I was really doing what the Lord wanted me to do. Was he really aware of me and my little class of five? Would He help me keep up the pace day after day?
One night I sat on my bed until late cutting up an old calendar and gluing pictures of different kind of birds on to cards. I remember going to bed and telling the Lord that I was worn out, that it had been a hard day, and “was I doing the right thing?” The next morning we resumed our regular school day schedule. Half way through the morning I gathered everyone together. We sat on the floor in the living room and I drew out the ten new cards flash for the week, all pictures of birds. I flashed each of the cards one at a time, stating the name of the bird. The children repeated the name. We reviewed the ten cards following this same format three times. One of the birds I had selected the night before was the Cedar Waxwing, a lovely little bird, crested, mostly soft brown, black around the eyes, a yellow tipped tail, and red spots on the wings. I had never had the opportunity of meeting this bird, and when I flashed it for the children I commented that I wished we had something besides robins and sparrows in our neck of the woods. With that I finished up, put the cards away, and fixed lunch.
After lunch my oldest daughter walk her little brother over to a neighbors house. She was gone only a minute when she came bounding back into the house. “Mom, Mom, you’ve got to come and see. In the trees by path to the church there are hundreds of Cedar Waxwings.” We gathered and followed my little bird watcher to the path. Sure enough, a numberless flock of soft brown, crested, blacked eyed, yellow tip tailed birds with red spots on their wings rested in the neighbors trees nibbling away at the left over autumn fruit that hadn’t yet fallen to the ground. I stood there in amazement. I stood there looking up for a very long time. I looked up at the birds in wonder and I looked to Heaven in awe that the God of the universe would send a flock of birds to bring my children and me a message. "I am aware. I care very much. And most important, if I can deliver the birds to match you little flash card I can help you with anything."
I’ve looked every year since and never seen another Cedar Waxwing in those trees, but if I keep my eyes and heart open I can have a "Cedar Waxwing day" seven days a week. The Lord loves to manifest Himself to us. There are always Signs.
Take a look at these beautiful birds: http://www.ownbyphotography.com/newpage5.htm
By Nannette W.
Posted Friday January 30, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W.
All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
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