52

Friday, April 17, 2015 was my Birthday! I turned 52 years-old that day. Fifty-two...52...FIFTY-TWO????? How can I possibly be 52??  I don't FEEL 52. lol  Most days I feel the same age I was when I got married - 25...that's 52 backwards...lol Some days I act 12 - other days I feel 3 and a half - some days, (usually after working in the yard or at the gym) I feel 82. I guess I've decided that age is just a number. It's what you do with the years allotted to you that truly matters. My sister-in-law, Debbie Webster always says, "Learn from it, grow from it, and MOVE ON!!"

For some reason, this Birthday got me thinking about the lessons I've learned in my 52 years on earth. Some lessons have been silly, others profound.  Here are a few I'd like to share.

Throwing a water balloon at a Carabinieri (Italian State Police) car is a BAD idea. As a follow up to that lesson, water balloons, even when empty, do not flush down the toilet. Never stick a rubber spatula in a blender with the blender running. In Arizona, if you have an abundance of crickets in your yard or on your patio, the black widow spiders will follow. And finally, soap for hand washing dishes and an automatic dishwasher do not mix well.

All humor aside, I have learned some things that hopefully are making me a better person. As a young teenager, I learned that I am a child of God. I have a loving Heavenly Father. He knows me by name. He knows my needs and loves me enough to provide for those needs. He knows my heart. He knows my faults and flaws and loves me enough to help me overcome them. He loves me enough to provide a Savior to atone for my sins and show me the pathway home. I learned that Jesus Christ not only atoned for my sins, but He suffered all my grief and pain so that He could have perfect empathy and know how to perfectly succor me through the trials and challenges of my life.

I've learned that the greatest gift God gave me is the gift of agency. I've learned that agency isn't free - there are always consequences to our choices. While we may be free to make whatever choice we desire, we are never free to choose the consequences of our choices....and sometimes those consequences come back around to bite us in the rear. I've learned to be grateful to my Heavenly Father for all things in my life - great and small. I've learned that there's no way to pay Him back for all He's done for me, no matter how much I may wish I could. I've learned that ultimately, the one thing He wants is for us to surrender our will to His - just as His Son, Jesus Christ did. I've learned that when I follow the path Heavenly Father has laid before me, I find the greatest joy and fulfillment in my life.

I've learned that motherhood was more wonderful than I ever dreamed, but more difficult and challenging than I could have imagined. Because I get to be a mom, I've learned to love without limits, boundaries or conditions. I've learned that marriage is hard but so worth it when you both give it your all. I've learned the joy of being married to someone who "sees" me - heart, mind, and soul and loves me for what he sees. I've learned how gratifying it is to love my spouse unselfishly and fully, and to become the woman that he "sees".

Through various circumstances in my life, I've learned to do "hard-things". I've learned that it's not as important what happens to you as how you deal with what happens to you. I've learned that Heavenly Father will not give you trials that are beyond your capacity to overcome. I've learned that sometimes dealing with those trials means simply making the best of them and enduring them well. I've learned that being kind is never the wrong choice.

Finally, I've learned that at the end of our lives, we will not be judged by the sum total of the good and bad we've done, but by what we have become. I've learned that when my time on earth is over, I want to have used up my life in the service of my loving Father-in-Heaven - who gave me this life and the opportunity to grow and progress. I have come to the great desire to hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant". 

So, here's to the last 52 years - I'm eager to see what the next 25, 30, or 52 have in store! All I can say is that it's been one heck of a ride so far!

Opposition...

This weekend was General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The Church has these conferences every six months.  For two days, (Saturday and Sunday) the members of the Church and other interested parties gather to hear the words and counsel that we believe is given to inspired leaders from our Heavenly Father.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is no paid clergy. Everyone serves in a volunteer capacity. We believe that callings (or jobs/positions) in the Church are issued by inspiration from Heavenly Father. That includes the callings of our Apostles and Prophet.  Each member is regularly given the opportunity to raise their hand and sustain those who accept callings in the Church. They are also given the opportunity to voice an opinion to the contrary. Bear in mind, we are not voting to put or keep people in their positions. We are simply showing our public support of these individuals in their respective callings. It is an act of faith, not a popularity contest.

In the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference, a few members in the Conference Center yelled out "NO!" when asked to sustain the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This came as quite a shock to many who had never seen an opposing vote before. Honestly, it surprised me a little, too.  It has been many, many years since I heard any opposition expressed at a sustaining of the Church officers.

One of the things I truly love about the Gospel as found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the concept of agency. Agency is a gift from God which allows us the opportunity to make our own choices - good or bad. Although we are free to choose for ourselves, we are not free to choose, nor are we free from the consequences of our choices - good or bad.

God knows that we are all different. He created us that way. Thank goodness he did - or life would be pretty boring. lol  However, because we are all so unique, we each come to our belief, worship, and spiritual progression in our own way. I am grateful for that - God doesn't judge me by what someone else does or doesn't do. It's scary enough to be accountable for my own foibles and follies.

Those members who expressed their opposition in Conference did so for their own reasons. They are on their own personal spiritual journey and will progress or not at their own pace. I pray that they will be able to work out their feelings and find peace with Heavenly Father.

Their opposition did something for me that I didn't expect. It made me think about what it means to sustain our Church leaders. It made me realize that sustaining our leaders means more than just raising our hands. It means that I will live my life in compliance with the tenants of my faith. It means that I TRULY believe that these men and women have been called by God to serve in His Church. It means that because I raised my hand, I am committing myself to being obedient to my Heavenly Father and the counsel He gives me through His ordained servants. It means that I will back up my raised hand with my thoughts and words and actions.

Because of all it means...I raise my hand a little higher and think about what it really means to sustain the Prophet and Apostles of God.