Homework....

It seems that the hardest thing this semester for me so far is keeping up with the homework.  Most of my classes are rather labor intensive, more so than in the previous semesters.  In addition, life is running pretty hot right now--as though someone decided to turn the burner on the stove to a high fire.  All together, it is getting me a bit down.  That being said, I put my trust in the Lord that if I do my part, we will be blessed.

E minus 9 days....

It is funny, for the past 2 years I have missed my son, Elder Matthew Helm, as he has served his mission in the Pocatello, Idaho mission.  At times I have missed him so much it has been as a ache inside that nothing would abate.  Only the knowledge that he is serving the Lord has soothed that ache. 

As his mission draws to a close, I marvel that it is finally here--that in 9 short days he will be home (for a bit).  I know that he has served with great honor and has blessed many lives.  As I listen to his brothers and sister pray for him daily, I know that his service has blessed their lives as well.  They have been shown that serving the Lord is a blessing, not a drudgery. 

Matthew's mission has been a difficult one.  In the area where he has served, the people either love the church or hate it--there are few who have never even heard of us.  The opinions are tough and outsiders are not trusted easily.  Yet through these challenges, and others he has continued to serve with not only honor (I expected this) but with great joy as well.  He is like a light that burns brightly not only for those here at home, but those who he comes in contact with.

I am proud to be a missionary mom!  I know that I have been strengthened greatly while he has been gone--our entire family has.  I know that the work he has been doing is important to our Heavenly Father.  I know that God lives and that His son Jesus Christ died for us--he loves us that much.  I know that he restored His Church here to the earth.  I know the scriptures guide us, comfort us, and sustain us each day.  As my son has delivered this message to those who he has come in contact with, I have found myself testifying of these truths almost daily--something I was too afraid to do before.  I am blessed to be a missionary mom, and even though my arms have ached for 2 years to hug him, it is a small sacrifice for the good he has done. 

That being said MATT COMES HOME IN 9 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Knitting,

Tonight for the first time ever, I went to a football game with the intent of actually watching football.  Weird right??  As usual I took you, my precious knitting expecting that soon I would begin to be bored and you and I would begin our traditional football regime of knit and purl.  However that part never came tonight.  I watched the game, yelled and cheered for the players and was excited when we won!  However don't dispare, knitting, I was watching a special person play tonight, one of my former cub scouts, and so had a vested interest in the game.  I am positive that we will get tons of knitting done tomorrow while waiting for the band to play at half time. 

Fall.....

This morning as I was driving to school, the world was shrouded in a blanket of fog.  Most people I know hate the fog, but I love it.  I am reminded of the mists in the Gothic books I read as a teen.  Everything is so mysterious, and yet if you look--look really carefully, you can see the seasons changing. 

Over the years I have told stories to children about how the leaves get painted.  Stories about the fairies who flutter around painting the leaves one by one.  Other stories were of the great painting masters of the past, coming back to earth as angels and painting a wondrous delight for us to see.  In biology I was taught what really happened.  It is boring.  So I will keep my stories or wonderful creatures, angels or fairies who come to earth each fall and paint our leaves--one by one--brilliant yellow, orange and red.

Last week I saw a tree that had a vine that was wrapped around it.  The vine had turned a vibrant red while the tree was still green.  It looked as thought fire was wrapping lovingly around the trunk of the tree.  It was amazing to see.

Look around you.....take time to see the wonders Heavenly Father has given us....see the beauty we are surrounded with.  The world is decorated to give us joy!  Please don't let it go to waste in the vast speed of everyday life.  Take time....be thankful...find joy!

Thank You for my Freedom

A friend posted this on her facebook--I was very touched and wanted to repost it here:

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintend, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. 'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?' She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.' They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.' ... ... 'No,' she said. 'Maybe it's our behavior.' She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.' And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren’s classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room. The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/ she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.' At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.. Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.' By the way, this is a true story. Please consider passing this along so others won't forget that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by U. S. Veterans

Last week, my son in law was sworn in by the Army.  I am reminded of the many men and women in my family and those who are friends, that have served our country in various branches of the military, so that I can be free.  I am very thankful for the sacrifice of those who have served and those who have been left behind to pray, so that I can enjoy the freedom of living in this great country.  Be proud to be an American!  Never forget that freedom is NOT free!

Have you ever...

Have you ever had a day that several things went wrong and yet all you felt inside was a feeling of joy and love?  That is what my day was like.  If you asked me, I would tell you that I had a great day.  Several things happened that should have caused me stress, and yet all I feel is the love of my friends and family around me, most of all I feel my Saviors love.  Inside I feel joy.  What an amazing feeling....

Dear Knitting,

Dear Knitting,

I have been thinking that the reason you and I haven't gotten very far on the projects this past Summer was that I lacked motivation, but to my surprise it isn't that at all!  Apparently we just needed to go to a football game.  Yes my little pointy friends, a football game. 

Last school year, we blamed me going back to school, not even thinking about the fact that there were not any children in band for the first time in well over a decade.  Jessica had to choose between a class she wanted to take and one she needed to take as they were both taught at the same time--she chose the one she needed.  See no football game--no knitting at said football game to fill the time when the band is NOT on the field. 

Therefore, it is very important that we attend the football game so that we can knit while the players do whatever it is that they do with that little brown ball.  Last Friday we embraced the football game and knit a baby hat.  I can't wait until next week when we start the birdcage covers at the football game.  Yep, to knit we need football......Oh dear, what will we do when Daniel graduates and there is no more football while waiting for the band to play?