Manure Happens

In life we have so many different types of people. It is such a wonderful blessing to be a part of this world and to experience life.
I think of some of the people who are important to me and some who aren't.
Why do we choose some of the friends we do?
Are we instantly compatible, so much alike that we practically read one another's minds?
Are we polar opposites, drawn to one another because it brings balance to our universe?
Either way we do choose.
We choose to love and to be loved.
We choose to work on relationships or just let them die because it is just too inconvenient.

We choose.

Have you ever chosen to befriend a manure person?

"What's a manure person?" you ask...

We all know these people, actually it is quite sad when you think about it...

Manure is such a natural thing, it is a part of life. It is used in so many different ways. I recently read, an article CJ wrote, about families gathering manure to use to start fires when the weather turns cold.

Manure, if used correctly can make beautiful things happen to flowers and gardens.
So, the manure itself isn't bad, it stinks, but it isn't bad.
I guess it is like everything else, it's what we choose to do with it that matters.

We all know where manure comes from,
we all know that it is stinky and gross...
we all know that if it is left alone it will get a crust on it and it will dry out.

The people I am talking about today are the ones that love to walk up to a pile of manure and kick it, just to cause a 'stink'.

Let it go...

let the dung dry up and blow away.

Or use it to make something grow, or to keep someone warm.

Don't just make a stink...!!!

Make it a wonderful week,
and let's all try not to cause a STINK!!

I love you!

Worms

I have had a very interesting week...
in fact, if I really think back it started long before just a week ago.
This week was just the finale...
the amazing musical number they save for last...
Romeo dying,
the final set of fireworks on the Forth of July...
That was this week!
I'm not sure if I should think of it as a death,

...or a birth...

probably both.

Terry and I went to St. George with our friends and had such a great time. We went to see 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Grease' at the Tuachan Amphitheater. Both shows were amazing.
We had all day Saturday to play so we decided to visit a few of the historical sites, and of course, they all had to do with church history.
We visited the Brigham Young home, the Tabernacle, the Temple Visitor Center, and the Jacob Hamblin home. I was impressed with all of the tours and all of the sweet missionaries.
The story I want to tell you is the one the Sister told at the Brigham Young home.
She shared so much information with us, and then she told us that one of her favorite stories is of the Silkworm.

On the table in Brigham's office were several little trinkets,
one was a little jar of what appeared to be cotton balls, the size of a pecan.
The sister missionary picked up the jar and began...

...The early pioneers had silkworms sent from China, the little worms are totally dependant on humans for survival. They ate non stop for several years, until they reached puberty. Then they started to molt; to turn into moths.
They began to get little horns on their backs and sorta regurgitate everything they had eaten their whole life.
What comes out of their little worm bodies is silk. A very fine film of pure white silk. The silk forms a protective shield around their now vulnerable worm body.
When the pods begin to reach maximum maturity the Pioneer women would carefully take them off the Mulberry tree and put them in the pocket of their aprons. They would carry them around until they could feel movement, indicating that the transformation was complete and the little worm was now a moth.
Then they would drop the pod into boiling water.
The boiling water would kill the moth, the moth had to be killed or it would ruin the fragile fibers, and then the woman would unravel the silk.
Most pods produce approximately a mile of silk thread.

Then the thread would become whatever the woman wanted it to be.

I was so touched by the Silkworm story...
It sums up my dressbarn experience. I couldn't have heard the story at a better time. I believe it is Heavenly Father's way of helping me understand my life a little better.

Last week I was dropped into a pot of boiling water. I had done all I could as a worm. I had been forming the pod; cocoon, for a couple of years now and Heavenly Father didn't want me to turn into a moth...
...my mission is not to be a moth...
...my mission was also NOT to be the worm...
...my mission was to create silk...

And that is exactly what I did.

I have so many meaningful relationships that were developed over years of trust, tears, laughter and service.

The moth is dead...my dressbarn life is over.
All I have is the beautiful, pure white, fragile silk...

I get to choose what it will become.

I love my life.

I love you all.

Make it a great week.

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Hi family...
It has been a while since I have felt inspired...
I find, all the time, that I have so much more to learn. It seems that as soon as I think I have figured things out the only thing I figure out is that I need to change...evolve...humble myself.
Do you ever ask yourself why?
Why am I always the one that has to change?
Why can't the 'bad' person change and be better...
Why do I have to change and 'learn' to love them?
I DON'T WANT TO LOVE THEM!!!!!!!
Yes, we are back to that 'store manager'...
For weeks now I have been feeling as if I were getting closer and closer to a den of rattlesnakes...being drawn in because the miracle of change has happened within me, I just assumed that it had happened within her
...no.
She is still the person that I prayed to love. I had actually learned to love her...
But, a couple of days ago I found out that the only one that has changed is me.
In October, on my birthday in fact, I first met this woman...and I knew from the very first moment that we were like oil and water.
You all know from prior posts that this is a stumbling block I have continually prayed to overcome.
I didn't just walk out, or leave...I felt that my relationship with her would teach me something. Sometimes the things we learn don't bring us joy, but chalk this up to lesson learned. I know now that it is time for me to leave my job of five years and find a better path, one that will lead me where I want to go.
So today I have decided to not be 'chicken'.

And that my sweet family brings me to the message for this week.
I have been reading a book by Camille Fronk, "In the Hands of the Potter".
On pages 49-50 she records a section of the book, "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis.

..."When He said, 'Be perfect,' He meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; but the sort of compromise we are all hankering after is harder - in fact, it is impossible. It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad".

I hate to admit it...
but I HAVE BEEN AN EGG...

I have been a jolly good little egg,
I have been the BEST JOLLY GOOD LITTLE EGG EVER!!!

But it is time to hatch...
before I go bad...

IT IS TIME TO FLY!!!

I AM SOOOO EXCITED!

Have a great week family...
don't be chicken...FLY!!!

Have I told you all lately that I love you?

I do.