The alphabet of the human heart

Can't our emotions teeter-totter regularly from positive to negative! Yes. And a down-slide is usually an ugly ride. I dislike using my energy recouping from ill feelings (and ill-er body that may follow) so I lingered over these illustrations when I saw them, liking this advice. These're like Recovery spots Laura and I often cite for each other.

Pick and choose from this alphabet below today for an enlightening look at how negative emotions can set us back and how we can get over it.

A... IS FOR ANGER: We all know what anger is. But what makes us angry? What fears, griefs, insecurities past hurts? Understand your anger and you can overcome it. Anger might make you enemies, but enemies don’t make you angry. Your thoughts do. Control them and everything will be cool.

B... IS FOR BOREDOM: Bored, restless, anxious, disconnected? The cure is curiosity. So, try something new. Learn to dance. Snowboard. Paint. Sing. Juggle. Ask a child for their advice. Take it. Pretend that today is the last day of your life. Or the first. Turn off the television. Tune in to life.

C... IS FOR CRITICISM: Criticism tells you everything you need to know about yourself. So listen carefully. The faults you point out in others are very often your own in disguise. The way you speak about the world is the way the world will speak about you. How can life ever look up if you keep putting everyone down?.

D... IS FOR DEPRESSION:If you think you might be depressed, the bravest thing you can do is seek help. The only shame would be to miss out on life. Talk to your doctor. Find a therapist you can trust and relate to. Confide in your friends. Exercise. Eat healthily. Rest. Meditate. Don’t self-medicate. Always remember, this, too, will pass.

E... IS FOR EGO:To truly live, live for others.To serve your best interests, serve someone else. The less it is all about you, the more will come to you. The only thing coming between you and happiness is your ego. Let it go.

F... IS FOR FEAR: Fear holds you back. To get over it, get into it. Scared of heights? Jump from a plane. Scared of spiders? Pick one up. Scared of clowns? Paint your face. It won’t be easy, but life will get easier. And much less frightening.

G IS FOR GREED: Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Values, not valuables, are what define us. Greed may make our bank balance and bellies grow, but it shrinks our soul. Ask yourself how much is enough, and how much is too much? Sometimes the things that are supposed to make us happy don't.

H... IS FOR HATE: If you begin to feel hate, stop. It is a lethal emotion. And will take you places you don’t want to go. So make peace with yourself. And make peace with the world. Practice positive mind control. Let go of resentment, envy, hurt and anger. Face down your fears. And don’t feed the fire. It will consume you.

I... IS FOR INSECURITY: Insecurity can steal our lives. But it can be overcome. First, ask yourself: who is saying the hurtful things? You’ll discover that the voice inside is your own. So keep telling yourself that you are loving and loveable, worthwhile and wonderful. Soon others will, too.

J... IS FOR JEALOUSY: Jealousy kills the love it seeks to protect. It can remind you of who and why you love — but it can bring with it pain, anxiety and heartbreak. To save your relationship, lose your jealousy. This isn’t easy. It takes time and effort. Truthfulness and trust. Patience and perseverance. Reality checks and reassurance. It’s a labour of love. Jealousy is a snake: cut off its head.

K... IS FOR KARMA: Karma is Sanskrit for ‘deed’ or ‘act’. It is the law of cause and effect, part of the Buddhist cycle of past, present and future. Whether your karma is good or bad depends on your intentions. Act with a pure heart and your karma will be kinder.

L... IS FOR LIAR: Lies never lie still. They toss and turn inside us, trying to escape, tearing us away from our own deepest truth. If you lie, ask yourself: ‘Why?’ Lies often cover our deepest fears of being discovered, found out, unmasked; of being seen for who we really are. To be all you can be, tell the truth. It might hurt at first to admit it, but it will truly set you free.

M... IS FOR MOOD: Many things can cause moods to swing. Drink. Drugs. Diet. Stress. To find balance, go back to basics. Sleep well, eat healthily, exercise. And choose your thoughts carefully. Where your thoughts go, your moods will follow.

N... IS FOR NEGATIVITY: Life looks the way you look at it. A negative perspective paints a bleaker universe. Always remember that your outlook will be your outcome. A few small changes can make a huge difference. For instance, try saying ‘Yes’ to every question (within reason). You’ll discover new places, meet new people and live a happier and richer life.

O... IS FOR OVERWHELMED: When things get on top of you, it’s time to get on top of things. Stop for a moment. Make a list. Identify your priorities. Prioritise your priorities. Be realistic about what is achievable. Estimate the time it will take. Double it. Then start at the top of the list and work your way down. Do one thing at a time.

P... IS FOR PERFECTIONISM: Perfection is a kind of paralysis. The tighter you hold on to something, the more it will hold you back. Often the best way to improve something is to let it go. So do the best that you possibly can, finish it and relax. It will be better than you think. It might even be perfect.

Q... IS FOR QUIT: To give up is to give in to the voice that says: ‘It doesn’t matter.’ It does. You know it does. Sometimes, the only thing we have to beat is our desire to give up. Overcome this and you can overcome anything. Never give up on your dreams. Never give up on you. Never give up. Never. Ever.

R... IS FOR REGRET: Stuff happens. But it doesn’t need to keep happening. Regret keeps us living in the past, dragging us backwards, holding us back. To get over it, get into the moment. Empty your mind, let go of your thoughts, just be. Be forgiving. Be loving. Be grateful. Let the past be past.

S... IS FOR STRESS: Insomnia. Heartache. Anxiety. Depression. The cost of stress is never worth the salary that demands it. When designing your work life, make sure that your life works. Remember the importance of relaxation. Exercise, meditation and moderation all release the tension. Drink, drugs and junk food don’t. So unwind your mind. A little stress is healthy; too much can kill you. Deal with it before you snap.

T IS FOR TEMPTATION: Temptation has a habit of growing on you...

U... IS FOR UNCERTAINTY: One thing is certain in life — nothing is certain. The best way to deal with uncertainty is one step at a time. You can never know which way things will fall. But if your life is in balance, you will land on your feet.

V... IS FOR VICTIMHOOD: We can’t control what happens in life, but we can control the way we respond. This means eliminating self-pity, blame and victimhood. Bad things happen to good people - but being the victim steals your future.

W... IS FOR WORRY: Worry is your brain in too much of a hurry. To get on top of it, get over yourself. Your thoughts are not facts and not fixed. Like clouds, they will pass. Let them go. Let them be.

X... IS FOR XENOPHOBIA: Xenophobia is an ugly word. Xeno means foreigner. Phobia means fear. Together they mean racism, biogtry, intolerance, injustice. Yet, if we embrace the differences in this world, the world looks different. More interesting, more rewarding.

Y... IS FOR YOU: We all have our downside, our shadow side. Embrace it. Admitting our weaknesses is the first step in regaining our strength. Shining light on our darkness is the beginning of enlightenment.

Z... IS FOR ZEN: Zen is a state of being. Of silence. Peacefulness. Mindfulness. Balance your being and your life will be in balance. Live right and everything will be in balance. Sit in stillness and silence. Turn your eye inward.

• Extracted from The Alphabet of the Human Heart by Matthew Johnstone and James Kerr.

The Last Lecture

“The key question to keep asking is, Are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have.”

and...

"You may not want to hear it, but your critics are often the ones telling you they still love you and care about you and want to make you better.” ―Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Does He know me?

The Widow’s Mite, by Liz Lemon Swindle. “And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. “And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all” (Luke 21:2–3; see vv. 1–4).


I love Larry Barkdull's (link) perspectives. Always. I've brought them to this blog before and don't hesitate to post his writings because of his evident faith in Christ. I thrive on the hope his writings hold forth. I love the image he evokes, similar to this above, in his article The Widow’s Mite–A New Perspective (link below). Who was she? What urgency drove her to the temple that day? Why would she sacrifice “all her living” in humble obscurity?

One cannot read the story of the widow’s mite without coming to the conclusion that when she offered her tiny but enormous sacrifice, she was utterly isolated by her humility and her poverty. Seemingly, on this most important day of her life no one had paid any attention to her or her plight.

But Jesus noticed. He saw her.

Which brings us to a disturbing question: Was Jesus just an observer, or did his notice urge him to action? 

To answer that question, we might ask ourselves if we have any evidence that Jesus ever observed anyone’s pain without rushing to their aid. Could we imagine him taking the occasion to use the widow and her desperation as a convenient visual teaching aid then turn his back on her? We simply cannot form a mental image of a Savior who observes but does not save.

There is another important part of the story of the widow’s mite that we should consider. When Jesus pointed out this widow and her mite to the disciples, he seemed to know everything about her.

For example, he knew that she was a widow. How did he know that? Certainly not by her clothing. She was, after all, very poor and probably was wearing the only garment she owned. Besides, in those days, the practice of mourning was typically demonstrated by rending one’s clothing and covering one’s head with dust. That would have happened long before her trip to the temple.

Also, Jesus knew that she had dropped two mites into the treasury. How could he have known the denomination or number of coins when at a distance they would have been too small to see or hear? For that matter, how did he know that the two mites were “all her living?” Clearly, Jesus knew her intimately. They had never met, and yet he knew everything about her!

When we find ourselves lonely, lacking, desperate, and in some way impoverished, we can likewise summon faith and approach the Lord with the purpose of giving him all that we have left to give. That sacrifice is called the sacrifice of the heart.

Guaranteed, when we consider our pitiful offering we will wonder, Is it enough?  We might even ask ourselves, 

Will he see me? 
Will my two tiny mites attract the attention of the God of heaven? 
Will he hear my prayer? 
Does he know me? 
Does he know what I’m going through? 
Will he help me?

And the answer is yes.
http://www.gospelideals.org/the-widows-mite

Memorial Day picnic

I got very few pics at the picnic and hardly any faces. No one smiling into the camera like I would have liked at any point - eating lunch is all about eating, no posing for pictures Nana! And I was busy like hostesses be.



Sun and shadow



made it too hot for some



but not for others.



Dad wanted not the hot, but got half his wish. Before the blessing was said he asked one of the kids to go inside for his visor. That helped.



We had good food



and everybody had a place to sit (but the cook) on our postage stamp-size covered patio.

Babies

There was eggshell on the deck this morning when Kent went out to clean off the patio furniture and set up the barbecue grill.

He said to me as I came outside I'm taking this thing down - pointing to our hanging basket full of fluffy nest and (we now we know for sure) eggs our mother bird has been tending - and dumping this. Eggs are falling out of this thing from all the wind.

Two solid days of east wind.

We can't have eggs falling and scrambling on our deck, he said.

I gawked at him.

What?! 

So he stood on a chair and took the macrame rope from the hook to count how many more eggs there.

And LOOK!



The babies have arrived! That's not scrambled eggs on our patio, it's eggshell from the hatching. Goodness! We think there's three babies in there but who can tell...  and where would a fourth one fit anyway?

Back up on the hook the plant goes. It'll hang in the sunshine and shadow with our babies in it who I hope won't die of malnutrition or lack of warmth from their mother's body while we party below on hamburgers and dogs for a few hours this afternoon. Their mom can't nestle with them and us all at the same time - she'll fly to the neighbor's roof to watch us like sometimes she does when we slide the back door open and step outside. There'll be a lot of that going on today.

Did she see us take the nest down? And me take pictures? Ack!

Put our trust in Him

Grandparents

I power-walked this morning up and down hills around here and thought my heart, chest and brain would explode. 'Twas good for me - the exercise powered me through the rest of the day. It was hard to let go of a headache though.

Here's Pa in front of the television where he likes to stay. We all futzing around doing our thing don't have to hear the very loud sounds of what he's watching - often such as my parents downstairs are watching simultaneously, Gunsmoke or Bonanza - if Pa keeps his earphones on.



(Kind'a reminds me of this little guy, my grandson Brady age 6 months!)



But generally pa'll fade away a while into his program. We're debating (ha!) about just taking his earphones off him then or turning off the television. Whatever... there's a whole week to go, I'll let you know how that goes! And there was a bit of a lull for both of them late in the day.



Late in a, whew, busy day for me. I pushed. Cleaned and cooked. We're having a picnic on Monday and about everything I want to have to eat tastes better two days made than just made. So mom and I made baked beans and potato salad and cooked and cleaned up after three regular meals for six. And I made Molasses Snaps (far and away a more grown up cookie than the M&M White Chocolate Chippers and Blondies I made Friday) and they were a hit. My dad asked that a bowl of them come downstairs if you please. And grocery shopped. Gee, and so did half the county. And did kind of an intervention with mom and Ann (the aide) and Dad just before dinner that drained me; emotionally. But there were miles to go...

Then really late I lay back on the couch with the folks and watched basketball. But really I shut one eye and then the other and took a nap just like the grandparents.

Nana and Pa

Kent's mom and dad came today!

For a week.

More tomorrow...

Bird-brained

The wind blew all day yesterday. Pummeling the artificial plant in a basket that hangs by a macrame rope from a hook in our patio ceiling.



Pummeling it.

That matters since there's a nest in it. YES! A bird next. Oops, I mean nest. Typing too fast.



How's a mother bird gonna pick our artificial bleeding heart to build a nest in and lay her eggs?

Held fast to its hook it circles like the Mad Teacups at Disney World. Or flies out parallel to the ground like the flying swings at the state fair Midway. Every state fair, any state fair - those things rock up away from the ground so high it hurts my stomach to watch.

My bleeding heart does the same outside my window.

In spring here.

In wind like that.

This mother bird's dizzy. I tried to look her in the eye... she sits on the nest even when I come out on the patio, and I've seen her bright eye... but all I got yesterday was tail feathers! Ditzy dizzy she is on the flying swing mad teacup ride. A bird-brained thing.

But maybe not. Maybe this one is just throwing caution to the wind.



We all do that once in a while!

Power source

If we're gonna be Plugged-In, it ought to be more to the scriptures than less...specifically to the Book of Mormon. For the reasons listed above - look at the promise of what will flow to us! Kent and I are finishing up our, oh, tenth time reading it through. Maybe not that many, but close. Kent's written all the dates in the front of his book... I could go look to make sure, but who's counting? The main thing is I learn something new every time we read it. No exception this time.

Technology that matters most? The word of God. Stay Connected.
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Fourth Nephi Chapter 1 (I wish the world could be like this now. Sigh.)

10 And now, behold, it came to pass that the people of Nephi did wax strong, and did multiply exceedingly fast, and became an exceedingly fair and delightsome people.

12 And they did not walk any more after the performances and ordinances of the claw of Moses; but they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord.

15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.

16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.

Deep dish pie

Monday morning I made this apple pie kinda lumpy, packed full



with this recipe Smitten Kitchen, my fave!



and some of this stuff Kroger deep-dish pie crusts, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples run through my apple slicer/corer (reduced to peelings), and a gorgeous lemon I scuffed for zest; apple pie spices: sugar,cinnamon, allspice and fresh nutmeg. Lemon juice and zest keeps the apples fresh and tart and a little flour thickens it. I'm learning!



Hope it tastes good. I'll let ya' know. (See below... oh man...)

APPLE PIE – SMITTEN KITCHEN (without dough recipe)
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook 

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 3 medium)
2 pounds McIntosh apples (about 4 large)
1 tablespoon juice and 1 teaspoon zest from 1 lemon
3/4 cups (5.25 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (from ¼ to 1, as desired)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1/8 or as desired)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg white, beaten lightly

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven and a rimmed baking sheet to 500°F.

Peel, core and cut apples in half and in half again width-wise; cut quarters into 1/4-inch slices and toss with lemon juice and zest. In a medium bowl, mix 3/4 cup sugar, flour, salt and spices. Toss dry ingredients with apples. Turn fruit mixture, including juices, into chilled pie shell and mound slightly in center.

Place top pie crust over filling. Trim top and bottom edges to 1/2-inch beyond pan lip. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan lip. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal. Cut four slits on dough top. If pie dough is very soft, place in freezer for 10 minutes.

Brush egg white onto top of crust and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Place pie on baking sheet and lower oven temperature to 425°F. Bake until top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate pie and reduce oven temperature to 375°F; continue baking until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30-35 minutes longer.

Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours.

(... yeah!...) Don't ask me why I cut it down the middle, oops!

A mighty change

"If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect. … No man ought to say, ‘Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature.’ He is not justified in it, for the reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that will eradicate them. If a man lacks wisdom, it is his duty to ask God for wisdom. The same with everything else." Millennial Star, Apr. 1894, p. 260.

I read this past week from Meridian Magazine "Gifts of the Spirit" (link) by Larry Barkdull about becoming like the Savior. Along the lines of Shakespeare's Hamlet's "It is easier to be than to try not to be," I guess I'm (sadly) trying to not be weak and sinful, but get that that's not causing me to be like the Savior. I can discipline myself and stop giving in to weaknesses - a function of my own willpower. But it isn't the same as changing my nature.

I'll reference a little more of Brother Barkdull's article in a minute. Yesterday we had a great talk given in Sacrament meeting on the Atonement. It's made me realize again the immediate effects of Christ's sacrifice for us. I sometimes only envision Christ's atoning sacrifice as having provided access to us - the way, a genuine path - to take us to Life with God and Christ in the hereafter after we've made it through this life with its refining processes. Though I'm hearing from the pulpit and learning again that Christ's atonement doesn't just kick in at the end of our mortal life, Christ bringing us so to speak chapped, bruised and even bloody along the path to the throne of God for healing and transforming then. The healing and enabling effects of the Atonement are available now, continuous with us now, divine intervention now, when we give over ourselves to be purged of sin and weakness.

Brother Barkdull writes:

My weaknesses were ingrained in me and had become an irritating part of my identity. 

I had been putting all my energy into not being, which was an exercise of discipline, but my effort hadn't solved the root problem. I could exert enormous effort and temporarily stop succumbing to the weakness, but I could not overcome on my own. Overcoming requires a transformation, a “mighty change” (Alma 5:14) – something I was powerless to do.

I needed to be something else; that is the work of a God and a function of the Atonement. I realized that divine intervention was necessary. I needed the interceding partnership of the Savior and the Holy Ghost to provide the means for change (Atonement) and someone to intervene and enact the means (Holy Ghost).

Together, they could do for me what I could not do for myself: they could purify me (extract the impurities) and sanctify me (change my purpose and my very nature). Yielding to their purifying and sanctifying motions would literally burn the weaknesses (or sins) out of me so that a new creature could emerge, one that had no more inclination to be influenced by the weaknesses.

Is it really easier to be than to try not to be? Absolutely. It is much easier to make your way to Christ so that he can help you be something new than to exert exhausting willpower trying not to be.

One more thing: My friend Kristin and I talked last week and she suggested asking Father in Heaven to gift us with spiritual gifts we may need to help get rid of weaknesses. I can't believe how in line our talk was with what I heard at church and have read... I guess when the student is ready, the teacher will come! I immediately thought and have pondered what gift to ask for to help with a big weakness, and the answer - one word - did come; pretty much directly though quietly, as with the still small voice of the Spirit, on an afternoon while I was doing housework. I've begun to pray for this gift and now I'm finding myself in places and conversations and events that are teaching and humbling me. I think you have to be willing to pray "I will receive it all" if you're praying to be taught. Distinct from " will give my all to Thee," much as has been taught us as followers of Christ, a new thought (to me) is "I will receive Thy all, Father." And my spiritual self is outstretched toward what I pray for, no matter how I find myself in real life.

I loved finding this quote by President George Q. Cannon (top of the post) about our responsibility to beg that our imperfections be changed with the hope that God will "give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that will eradicate them."

Enticings

An Indian boy climbed a high mountain. It was cold up there. At his feet was a snake, a rattlesnake. The snake was cold and pleaded with the young man to pick it up and take it down where it was warmer.

The Indian boy listened to the enticings of the serpent. He gave in. He gathered it up into his arms and covered it with his shirt. He carried it down the mountain to where it was warm. He gently put it on the grass. When the snake was warm it raised its head and struck the boy with its poisonous fangs.

The boy cursed at the snake for striking him as an answer to his kindness. The snake hissed, “You knew what I was when you picked me up.” (“Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood,” Ensign, July 1989, 77)

Curious how in this story the boy "listened to the enticings" of the serpent. Things around us in the world entice us or arouse a hope or desire in us. Specifically, invite us to make choices. We make those constantly and freely - indeed, freedom of choice is fundamental - along with law, knowledge of the law, and opposition (good and evil) - to our use of agency in this life.

Father in Heaven put agency in place for each of us - gifted us with this, each of His children as we lived in the pre-mortal world with Him, and has allowed us to enter mortality (where we would for a time be away from His presence) with it - to protect our individuality. There must be that then which entices, or calls out for, us to use this gift.

We know from Mosiah 3:19 in the Book of Mormon: For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam..."Natural man" is described also in 1 Corinthians 2:14: ... the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 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...

There IS that which calls out for us to use our agency: the very opposite of the Serpent, the adversary, is the Holy Ghost which stirs in us desires and powers to be our very best selves. As the snake in the story above struck the boy, it did what it does, no apologies - poisoned; so the Holy Ghost as it enters us does what It does - enlivens!

As followers of Christ armed with His law and with a maturing knowledge of that law; aware of good and evil and constantly striving to be fully that; and free to choose... we will hear the still small voice of the Holy Ghost speak to our heart each time we choose aright: Well done! You knew what I was when you picked me up!
-----
postscript: I found this ↓ here (link):

The following chart illustrates what Elder William R. Bradford taught my brother Byron when he served as my brother’s Mission President:

God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ have spoken to prophets, but rarely talk face-to-face with mortal man. Fallen man generally communes with the third member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost (see D&C 130:22-23, Moroni 10:17, D&C 50:13-14). Satan also tempts man (see Moses 5:13, 2 Nephi 28:21, and Alma 30:53). Since both are spirits, they speak “by the spirit” (one a good spirit, one an evil one) to man. There is a gate, which shuts one or the other out. The handle is on our side. If we shut the Holy Ghost out, then we automatically open the door to Satan’s temptations. If we shut Satan out, then the Holy Ghost can commune with us. There is something that President Bradford did not show in his diagram that my brother and I think should be added. We think that for fallen man, there is a spring on the gate, making it harder to shut Satan out than to keep it open to the Holy Ghost. However, shutting Satan out and listening to the Holy Ghost is crucial to progressing and becoming like God.