Six Thousand

Growing up I fell in love with putting jigsaw puzzles together. I believe it came from my Dad. We would spend time pouring over odd-shaped puzzles, 1000-piece puzzles, and everything in between. Looking back, I think our brains are wired similarly… solving puzzles and putting things together.

I was blessed to find a husband who has the same love and ability to put things together. As he was growing up he would put puzzles together a couple of times and then turn them over and complete them without the images.

I am sooo lucky to be surrounded by such smart men!

When we got married, Kevin and I started a tradition of buying a family puzzle every Christmas. Every year we search to find the perfect puzzle that will challenge us and keep the family interested. We have a wonderful collection of puzzles that are meaningful and different sizes.

Last Christmas as we were selecting our puzzle, we decided we needed a bigger challenge. We settled on a 6000-piece puzzle of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. We had no idea how large and intense it would be… but in for a penny in for a pound.

Over the past 4 months we have asked ourselves:

• what are we thinking?
• can we do this?
• do we even want to do this?
• will we ever finish this?
• will it have all of the pieces?
• are we legit crazy?

We had to celebrate every little piece we put into place. With 6000 pieces, that is a lot of celebrating. We would stare at colors, shapes, and patterns for hours, not knowing where to put anything.

It seemed like all of a sudden little things would fall into place. A set of pieces would connect with others and slowly but surely it began to take shape. When we stood up and looked at the bigger picture, we could see progress and the beauty of the image.

The puzzle began to be symbolic of our lives right now. It seems like there are so many pieces of it in a proverbial box waiting to be put together. And the more we stare at certain aspects of it, the less it makes sense. Sometimes we take pieces out of our box, look at them, try to put them together, and out of frustration, we throw them back in (putting them in time-out).

One of the images in the puzzle is God reaching out to Adam to give him life. I have come to love that part of the picture. I love to imagine God reaching out His hand to put the pieces of my puzzle into place, to give my life the meaning He sees it to have.

When I step back and watch, I can see God masterfully taking the pieces of my life out of the box and carefully placing them where He sees that they fit. He always works on the parts of my puzzle that need to be built so that I can move forward…giving me life.

A few days ago we finished the puzzle…and all of the pieces were there!!! WE felt a HUGE sense of accomplishment! We freaking did that!

And Heavenly Father is doing that with us too!!!! Piece by piece He is creating a masterpiece within us…how beautiful is that?!?!

His Gym

One Sunday morning this past March I awoke with a start. It was as if a force was pulling me out of my toasty bed and pushing me out the door to go for a walk. I still cannot explain what happened that morning, however I am forever grateful it did.

That day started me walking 1 and 2 miles a day down the street and back. Our street is located in the foothills of the beautiful mountains in Northern Utah. It is one of the most beautiful places to walk, jog or ride a bike. The changing seasons bring different colors, temperature, smells and creatures. I love this gym.

What began as walking has turned into running again after 18 years and retraining my running style.

What begain as walking down the street has turned into exploring the mountains behind our home. I have a wonderful friend who has introduced me to our mountains and the beauty they offer. I love our time in the mountains.

Yet, the first time I hiked the trails on my own, I found a profound sense of peace and freedom. I began to see that I am strong enough to make that journey on my own. It has become a sacred place of meditation and communion with my Heavenly Father.

Last week I took a run through the mountains. The colors took my breath away, inspiring me to stop frequently and take pictures (which subsequently made my run take a lot longer). The beauty of God’s gym is awe-inspiring, so I wanted to share what I found.

The beginning of the trail. I love how the leaves are scattered all over the trail!

I looked up to the side of the trail and this tree brought a smile to my face

(which is a little energy boost when running).

As the trail curves, it climbes into this beautiful little canyon.

Coming around the corner out of the little canyon, this red tree was waiting for my camera.

The colors on the side of this mountain stopped me in my tracks (again).

This little bridge over a creek has taught me so much about life (more on that another time).

The final ascent out of the canyon.

God’s gym is my favorite place to workout. In it I get to see my weaknesses, find strength I never knew I had, breathe in life and freedom, and commune with the Creator of all. This gym has been one of the greatest blessings in my life as I have seen Him daily in my life.

Seek Me

For the past month there has been a theme repeating in my mind, quietly doing its best to teach my heart something important. Each time I have heard it, I have taken note and continued about my way…not really changing much in my day to day life.

This morning the birds awoke me with their songs and chatter. It brought a smile to my face as I thanked Heavenly Father for these sweet creatures. I noticed today was a bit overcast and cooler. I felt a pull to be outside, waking up with the day.

The contrast of gray with the emerald greens on the mountains took my breath away as I stepped out onto the deck. The smell of coming rain cleansed my heart and mind, allowing me to feel content and full of gratitude for all that Heavenly Father has created.

Quietly it came again…the message He has been doing His best to teach me….

“I am here. Seek me.”

All at once each moment He has spoken this to my heart came back to me. It was the times when I sat with my scriptures open rather than looking online. It was the times I spent in the temple rather than being tied to my computer. It was the time I went out with my family and played rather than ‘doing my homework’. It was all of the times I stepped away from a screen that so easily occupies my time.

This morning was a beautiful realization that life is to be lived, not watched on a computer screen. Funny how I am writing about this lesson on a computer screen.

As I continued to allow Him to teach me, I realized how much time I lose with those I love when I am tied to a screen (computer, Kindle, phone). It seems as though there is an invisible barrier created when I am screened. I am not as aware of them, the world and those I could be serving. My ability to create takes a backseat and my mind becomes a bit stagnant. Screen time for me is the easy, less-fulfilling path.

There are conversations to be had, books to be read, walks to be taken, fresh air to be taken in, ideas to nurture, people to serve, and inspiration to be received.

It is time to step away.

It is time to live again.

How grateful I am that He takes time to teach me simple lessons that are so important to growth and staying close to Him. I realized that as much as I desire to be near to Him and be His friend, He desires the same at a deeper level. I am grateful that He teaches me in moments that will last, if I choose to let them.

This morning was a beautiful, sacred time of teaching. I will seek Him.

 

Who We Truly Are

Tonight I was reminded of a deep and powerful truth and I felt like I needed to share….like somebody needed to hear it too.

In the Pearl of Great Price, God reveals himself to Moses. As He is speaking with Moses there are many times when God refers to Moses as, “my son.” He could have called Moses anything, and yet God chose to show Moses who he truly is…a son of God.

It would be easy to pass this story off and say that He has never spoken to me face-to-face, so what would it mean for me? Yet, the deep meaning here is the most powerful knowledge that we could ever have…

We are His.

We are His daughters.

We are His sons.

We are His.

As such, we have divinity within us. We have the capabilities to face things that feel bigger than us and overcome. We have the gifts to do more than we ever thought we had power to do. We have the knowledge that there is someone greater than everything who loves us deeply.

There have been many times that I have forgotten this reality. As I have allowed this knowledge to fade from my heart, I have seen firsthand the sadness, fear, anxiety, loneliness and heartache that takes it place. I know I cannot live without Him there.

So many of life’s problems come when we forget who we truly are. Yet, so many of life’s problems are overcome when we remember and trust.

Because we are His, we have within us the strength to overcome, the power to move forward, the gift to change and the ability to see. There is nothing He would have us do that we cannot accomplish. We are truly powerful.

It is truly humbling to my heart to think that I have a portion of who He is within me, especially when I see my weaknesses and know that I have so far to go. The beauty is…He sees this all too and offers His strength freely. Freely.

How thankful I am for the beautiful reminder that penetrated my heart.

I am His.

I am a daughter of God.

Unique and Beautiful

One of the most peaceful moments I have is watching the snow fall quietly. It is almost surreal at times as the snowflakes find their way to the earth. Each snowflake is unique and beautiful. Each has a purpose.

As I have pondered the beauty of God’s creations, I see in each of them a unique beauty and purpose. He has placed everything and everyone where they are for a reason. Those reasons are usually only known to Him, however there are moments we get to see into His great heart and understand.

Today I received a beautiful gift from Him. I had a few minutes to simply sit, think and watch. The ‘solitude’ was something I needed right then. Looking into my backyard, the snow began to fall. My mind took the opportunity and wandered wherever it wanted to go. I thought about how much He loves me, it humbled me. I thought about how perfect His plan for me is, again I was humbled. I thought about how unique He made me and in that is a special beauty that He has given me.

My heart turned to the many amazing people that I am blessed to know. As I thought about each of them I saw this unique and special beauty that is a true gift from Him. They are all incredible people, with amazing talents reserved for them. I was humbled to realize that they are all in my life…for a purpose.

I have to wonder what would happen if we all recognized this unique beauty that has been given us…all of us. How much closer would Heaven be if we could see ourselves through His eyes, if only for a moment each day? How much strength would we have to let go of the things that hold us back and cause us unnecessary heartache? How much more would we be able to give those who need us?

We have been blessed with 2 incredible children. I watch as they navigate this life, learning and becoming who they are. There is so much around them that would have them be less than, more like and not enough. Daily we tell them how amazing they are, specifically. Yet, sometimes words are not enough. They need to see that their Daddy and I feel within ourselves what we say. They need to realize that we are happy with who we are, what we are becoming and how we are getting there.

Some days are simply a battle just to survive. Yet, everyday we have the ability to choose to see ourselves as He does…no matter how many times we have fallen down. We find these glimpses in the simplest places, quietest moments and in the mirror.

May we all take a moment and look, so that we may understand we are unique and beautiful.

Reblogged from own-who-you-are.com.

Coming Home

Yesterday was the first official day of summer vacation for the kids. They have been counting down for at least 3 weeks…not for the last day of school, but for the first day of our volunteering. Every day it was one step closer to their favorite summer activity.

The kids and I spend the summer volunteering at a living museum called This Is The Place. It is an amazing place to spend one day a week. It is a village that represents the pioneer history of Utah. For a kid, it is a magical place to do everything they want to do…ride horses, climb fences ride trains, play in the dirt and mud, make arrowhead necklaces, pan for ‘gold’ and sing with talented, amazing people (there is a lot more that they do). For me it is a place where my kids are unplugged, happy and safe.