Category: Lionesses

Lemonade vs. Jamba Juice

The saying goes, “When life gives you lemons – make lemonade.” It is such a wonderful way to live and think and truly the most healthy, rewarding, and beneficial. BUT….

What if when life gives you lemons you just want to go out and buy a Jamba Juice? Easy, Peasy, someone else will squeezy?

I encountered this attitude yesterday when I decided to listen to the little man on my shoulder feeding me full of rationalizations & excuses. I was frustrated and fed that frustration turning it into a negative result. I wanted to take the easy road and have someone else fix the “lemon”. I wasn’t ready to own the “lemon”, in fact I didn’t want the “lemon”. I didn’t even ask for this “lemon”. It just decided to place itself in my life. I really wanted to ignore it and sit back and relax. I was ready to bask in my self-deserving atmosphere of pretending I was not to blame. But alas, I found out what I already knew….A lemon doesn’t turn into Jamba Juice.

Therefore I abandoned the notion of entitlement & ease, finally coming to own the lemon that was placed before me. The change in my attitude was sweet. I knew I needed to take that lemon, squeeze it into juice, and even add an extra cup of sugar (after all I live in Sugar City) – that would give me the drink that was intended. Lemonade is filled with much sweetness.

Moral of this story: The best way out of a sour situation is to make yourself sweet. It is up to you, nobody else will do. (If only it were as easy to do this as it is to write it…)

Speeding Along

I love the way Stephen can smile through any challenge! It is a gift that I greatly admire.

Current Status: Speeding Along

It can be really tricky – Speeding along Life’s Freeway. Many times life is fast, thrilling, and exciting while trying to fit everything in (it is fun to see how much I can actually fit into one day). At other times I wonder how I can catch up to the other “cars” in front (how are people so efficient) or even how I forgot about the “cars” behind me (I meant to read, do, say, make, fix, give “that”). Sometimes I find myself in a big rut trying to get out (power struggles & conflicts). On a rare occasion, I experience a blow out (literally & figuratively). Right now I would like to slam on my brakes (while making cool track marks on the freeway of life) and just put on my hazard lights (I’m tired of speeding). Instead, I will undoubtedly pack up the trunk, put on my seatbelt and get back on cruise control (tomorrow’s another day).

My life in the fast lane.

Born to Live…Live to Die

Today I attended a funeral or can I say a celebration of a wonderful earthly life? Hopefully that doesn’t cause anyone to take offense, those words just resonate inside me better. I have come to approach death as a graduation from our earthly body. The funeral for me is a way for loved ones to be able to celebrate the things the earthly body was able to accomplish and to recognize the good deeds done, the ways a person was able to accomplish the mission they were sent to perform while here in their body. The beautiful thing that I am grateful to know is true – is that the person (in spirit) is still alive and continues on being the person they were here on earth…just in a better place.

I have been the observer of death on different levels, the granddaughter, the aunt, the friend, the cousin. While I have felt sadness and loss, disappointment, and grief. I don’t want to pretend to understand how difficult it must feel to be the wife, the daughter, the mother, the sister. Death has not come that close to home yet for me personally. I can’t imagine it nor do I want to. My heart hurts when I think of the aching that must go on. I have watched and heard from my own mother  – she has been the sister, the daughter, the niece, the cousin, the sister-in-law. She has taught me and I have learned from her faith. As I sat at my Grandfather Baldwin’s funeral I noticed her choking up – I leaned over and asked, “Are you thinking about your parents?” And she said, “No, I just know it is all true!” A speaker was talking about the plan of salvation. My own eyes brimmed with tears and my heart knew what she said was right. Through her faith I was blessed with the same knowledge.

As a young girl I attended many funerals and have continued to as the years have progressed. I feel blessed to have witnessed with my two eyes and one heart the effects of death in all of its sweetness. I have seen Christ-like actions: loving neighbors and friends offering to help in anyway, countless food items dropped by, a note expressing condolences.  But even more tender are those of caressing hands on a sweating brow,  the gentle guiding of uneasy steps, the brushing of gray, curly hair, the painting of  toenails, the blanket sewn to cover a chill. These pictures have been painted on my heart as witnesses of genuine Christ – like love in perfect action. I am humbled when I think of the love that can exist and be expressed from one human to another. It is sweet, yes, very sweet.

I happen to thumb through the Bible on Saturday when I found myself open to Ecclesiastes chapter 7. I don’t ever remember reading this chapter before in the 34 years I’ve been alive. It seemed timely as I have been contemplating the meaning of death….

“A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth. IT is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning;…”

After reading this I then remembered the only chapter think I have actually read in Ecclesiastes before Saturday – chapter 3. “To ever thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

Last thought, today in the closing remarks of “the celebration of a wonderful life” a.k.a. the funeral, the Bishop quoted Elder Russell M. Nelson as saying, “We are born to live and we live to die.” I hung onto this thought and added it to my list of acquired thoughts. It is true we are born to live on this earth – to learn to grow and become who we are meant to be. We live here on earth so that when we die (or turn in our earthly bodies) we will be prepared to qualify for exaltation.

I have faith in my Heavenly Father. I know His plan for us in perfect and we can trust Him in that He knows the right time for all things. We are here to learn of His plan,  to show we can trust Him with it, and strive to become like Him as long as His timing allows.

You are Here

The other day I caught myself going through the motions again, I had turned on my auto pilot switch unconsciously. I was in a hurry. I was completely and utterly distracted. I most definitely was NOT ready to appreciate and respect the NOW.

I remembered having a conversation with my dear friend who is watching her father prepare to exit this temporary life in which we live. She commented on how she would not be taking any precious moments for granted. With this in mind, I stopped and thought about what I was doing and how I could cherish it more. I wonder why it is such a hard thing for me to appreciate the gift of life and choose to make a conscience effort to take all of life in tangibly.

I easily saw that I have become too busy – I need to slow down a little and zone in on what is going on. Let’s think of the Mary and Martha story from the scriptures…I’m sure many others could go along with this thought as well.Can you see where this is going? Yes. A new year’s resolution – and more! I have now decided to make this my mantra for the year – Live in the Moment (notice my new slogan). I found the following article a helpful reminder on how to, Slow down…Zone in…and Live in the Moment.