Blue Island Letter #27

Hermana Hoer & her Knight in Shining Armor

Service project picking up garbage in a trailer park field: Elders Clawson, Stumph, Barney, and Lavelua, Hermanas Hoer and Moffat

 

 

The weather is GORGEOUS!!!! Therefore, I am a happy woman! It has been so beautiful the past few days. I am soaking it up, and crossing my fingers that it isn't all a ploy before HumidHeat makes his return...If seasons were campaigning, I would vote for spring: softball, green grass, cool breeze, warm sun....all good things.

Two neat things that came to me this week:

ONE:
Journal writing.

Yesterday in Church, Elder Lavelua was teaching the class about scriptures. Towards the end, he brougt up the importance of keeping our own personal records. As he was wrapping up, he shared that he has a habit of finishing every journal entry with a "for my son" section. He shares with his future son what was learned or how God had a hand in that day. His comment really struck a chord within me, because it led to a realization/evaluation about my own journal writing: I don't think my kids would like it. I'm not sure I would like it sometimes! I realized that so much of the content is just me unwinding at the end of the day (which is a good thing, don't get me wrong); yet, I want more meaningful, significant, intentional journal entries.

Therefore...(here is the goal / application to the awesome mental moment): I turned a whole page in my journal, wrote "New Chapter" and then turned another page before I began. This new chapter of my journal is dedicated to my future children. Each day I will share the experiences I learned from, and what I learned. I will share with them in mind, thinking of how to give words to the incredible experiences I am having. After all, I don't want to share only a list of daily occurences with them someday. I want to share with them the MEAT of life -- the bread and butter, meat and potatoes, whatever the best main course is! I want to share what's in my heart.

Thinking about my audience has changed how I look at my day, not only how I look at my journal writing. This new chapter of journal writing may just be a new chapter of me also. Through the day, I think to myself, what do I want to be able to share with my children about this phase of my life? What can I do today, right now, so that I am able to share that with my kids? It's causing me to think more about God's impact on my daily, momentary life.

TWO:
Towers. Elevated Attitudes. Eternal Perspective. Mosiah 20.

I had several neat insights while reading this chapter; however, I am just going to share one of them. Brief summary so that things make sense: The wicked priests that were hiding out in the desert kidnap 24 of the Lamanite daughters, and the Lamanite king assumes that Limhi's people were responsible (even though they were not, nor were they even aware that it had occured). Consequentially, the Lamanite king gets his armies together and goes to attack the people of Limhi...

At this point, it says in verse 8 that Limhi had seen them coming from the tower. He had seen their preparations for war as well as their movement towards Limhi's land. Because of this, Limhi was able to prepare his people for what was coming.

All this got me thinking about the critical element of the tower-an elevated location from which we can see potential threats. When we have a "tower" of an eternal perspective, or maybe an elevated attitude of optimism and positivity, we will be able to prepare ourselves against attacks, even if they are unjust (as was the case in the situation with Limhi and the Lamanites). Life brings unjust, undeserved attacks. This example came from a misunderstanding and assumption. That happens to us all the time, right? You bet it does. If we are building ourselves up a spiritual, personal tower each day, we'll have the view and perspective as well as the ability to confront these attacks of life. Limhi's people were much smaller in number compared with the armies of the Lamanites; yet, they held their own and even caused the Lamanites to flee from them despite their larger Lamanite numbers.

Even if we aren't the strongest of the armies, we will be victorious against the attacks of discouragement, assumption, miscommunication, etc. if we have a lookout "tower" in our elevated perspective and attitude.

That's my two cents for today. Well, I guess it's for the week, isn't it?

Love,
Hermana Hoer