"And then they went on."

This evening I had the opportunity to watch a delightful puppet show put on by my sweet nephew Brady. The entire show was completely spur-of-the-moment. I was surprised to see what a wonderful story teller this little guy is, especially when he gets going. It started off with the sweetest of beginnings... "Once there was a little boy riding a cow..." (Which was Spiderman riding on a spotted cow with wheels.) He then began to tell of the adventures of this young boy. Every minute or so he would introduce a new character by having the boy ask if they wanted to join in on their adventure. Soon, many a creature had joined this band of friends. What I loved most about his puppet show was when he would say, "And then they went on." for he said this quite a few times. When they were done at the river... "And then they went on." The cave... "And then they went on." And so forth up the mountain, through the jungle and back up another mountain, they continued onward, gathering friends of all shapes and sizes as they went. There were no questions asked of the new friends but one. "Would you like to come with us on our adventure?"

I have thought about his story all evening. Noone wants to go along on their journey alone. I hope that I can be more like Brady. His sweet spirit was made ever so clear in his play tonight. And a simple message of hope was given. For trials will come. Swift rivers. Dark caves. Tall mountains. Dangerous jungles. And even when we have passed through these we may be asked, again, to climb the heights of the mountains. "And then they went on." His words ring clear. We must go on. Endurance brings light and love to those around us. And those around us will return that light and love. I am so grateful for children. They teach us without trying and love us without question.

"I am the gardener here."

I would like to share a story, that came to my mind today, from a talk given by D. Todd Christofferson entitled "As Many As I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten":

God uses another form of chastening or correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us. President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:

“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”

President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”

Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:

“I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall.

“And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. …

“… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’”⁵

God knew what Hugh B. Brown was to become and what was needed for that to happen, and He redirected his course to prepare him for the holy apostleship.

Sometimes we cannot see the reasoning behind a situation, but there is a plan. Our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. Sometimes it is just hard to see, but remember the little currant bush and press forward. Hope and courage walk hand in hand. -Erin

Letters.

In a world full of technology, that is progressing daily, I feel as if there are simple pleasures that are being left behind. Out of the many things that I could choose to list I choose just one.

One thing.

Letters.

The old dusty box that you discovered your great grandparents love letters from the war. The sweet note letting you know you are loved. The hand written evidence of a life once lived. What will our children and their children be able to read of our lives?

Text messages? Deleted after a couple days. Journals? Blogs (Exibit A). Emails? System crashed. Lost.

Challenge? Yes. Write someone a letter. Small. Big. One word. Leave that note. It will mean so much more than a text or an email. It will be something they can hold on to.

Letters.

Treasures

This morning brought a fun adventure. Now, I have been to yard sales. Plenty! I had never experienced an estate sale however until today. And let me tell you, A-MA-ZING! While I wasnted just about everything that was in that beautiful home I found 2 things that caught my eye as well as my imagination. Here were my treasures for today:

I have always had a strange fascination with bottles. There has long been a secret wish within me to be walking down the beach, enjoying the breeze and the sand beneath my feet, and coming across a bottle enclosed with a message from another time. Perhaps, one day, I will set adrift my own message out into the seas. A love letter, a plea to the world, or a prayer. It is simply such a beautiful idea to me and when I saw these bottles I couldn't help but let my imagination get the better of my pocket book. Five dollars for a little piece of dreaming in my window... truly, it is priceless.

This estate sale that we went to was incredible. There were old black and white photographs of what looked to be family, old linens that looked like they had been used in a different age, beautiful white gloves, tea sets, walking sticks, vintage furniture, old jewelry, kitchen ware from today and past yesterdays... it was full of history and memories so thick that I couldn't help but be overwhelmed. I assume that the tenant had passed away and had left such beautiful memories behind. Their is a journey in each peice of memory. While the meaning is unknown to the new owner, that meaning is never lost. It remains with it's unknown presence. This makes me wonder about the bottles that I have acquired. While they are simply two glass bottles, they are full of memory, and have a history all their own. How beautiful.

Who knew?

Well, it is official... I am allergic to wheat. How could I not see the signs before? Funny thing about allergies... THEY SNEAK UP ON YUH! (When I wasn't looking of course.) I have been doing some food testing by slowly adding things back into my diet. Doing tests on ones self probably isn't the safest of ideas but after test #2 I found that I should probably just accept the allergy instead of experimenting to see if my throat would get super tight again. Yup, swolen throat, itchiness... uggh. But I heart bread so much! Oh, and pasta! And cereals. It is when you realize that you really can't have something that it seems to be EVERYWHERE you look.

All I can say is that I have so much more compassion for those with allergies than I did before.

My Dearest Wheat,
Our time together must be cut short. How long we have been friends. I will always remember the long summers we had. Peanut butter and jelly. Deli ham with mustard. Egg salad and mayo. And oh, the winters! Hot chocolate with toast! Grilled cheese with tomato soup. Our memories are blissful. Of course we had our messy spaghetti times, but those happen. I will never forget the good times. You will be forever missed as I now must substitute rice flour for wheat flour and granola for sweeter things. Change has to come. I tried to make it work. Believe me I did, but alas, we must move forward. It will be better for both of us. So long my dearest of friends. Remember me well.
Erin

Something New

Do we learn something new every day? And not just the facts from school. Don't get me wrong. These things are definitely important. Gaining knowledge is a wonderful thing. But do we learn something new about ourselves, the world around us, or someone we love? Do we learn things that we can apply into our lives and make a difference to others? Learning is so important. It's good for the soul and it enriches our lives. School learning, life learning, and soul learning. Make sure all three of these categories are getting attention. Joy comes from learning.

The Love Post

1. Welcome to Texas. Glad you arrived. My sister told me that I must have brought this cooler weather with me. No complaints on my end. I think I would have died if the 110 degree weather persisted any longer. Happy day for perfect weather! Looove it!

2. I also love the feeling of being unpacked. No more storage unit! No more junk in the car! (I can actually take people with me in my car now!) I know where everything is as well.

3. Oh my gracious! Can they be any cuter?? Neice and nephews!

4. Sleep. I have been sleeping oh so good! The saying "I slept like a rock." Ya, that just doesn't cut it.

5. Reading is so nice!

6. I was reading a talk this morning and I wanted to share these thoughts:

"As we go through the rest of the days of our lives, now is the time for decision making. What am I going to do about it? What are you going to do about it? When tomorrow comes with challenges, opportunities, successes, joys, or disappointments, we must be ready to perform effectively when 'what shall we do then' becomes now.
 
We are all different. God in his wisdom has so created us. Only we can determine what we will do with what happens to us. What we do with what happens to us is more important than what happens to us. Certainly with God's help we can do what is right.
 
What shall we do then? Let us resolve to so live that the Lord can say to us, as he did to the Prophet Joseph Smith in some of his darkest, most trying hours: "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph" (D&C 121:7­8).
 
God lives. He is our Father. He knows us. He stands ready to help us. He has placed us here in life to see what we will do under all conditions and situations. It is a time of trial, tribulation, and testing. Often we would prefer to have "this cup pass" rather than go through the consequences. We must never lose sight of the fact that often success, popularity, and fame are more difficult to live with than uneventful calm or even tragedy. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8) or the things he experienced.
 
We came into this life for experience, and that's all we can take out of it. Thank God we have the right to decide personally and individually what we shall do then. The future does belong to those who know what to do with it. Look forward to the unknown with optimism and confidence. Look to tomorrow with happy expectancy, realizing that with God's help you can do all things. You and your Heavenly Father can make right decisions together, and with his companionship, I promise you success."
 
Marvin J. Ashton was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this devotional address
was given at Brigham Young University on 21 January 1975.

Answers come line upon line. It's a beautiful new day.

Did you know?

Cinnamon. I love it! The taste, the smell, the color. I never realized where cinnamon came from however. We sprinkle it out of a shaker and when we run out, all we have to do is go buy more from the local grocery store. Easy peasy!

Did you know?

Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of a tree belonging to the cinnamomum family. Cinnamon obtained from the cinnamomum zeylanicum tree indigenous to Sri Lanka is generally believed to be of the highest grade.

Whereas in the wild cinnamon trees can grow as high as 20 metres, those used for harvesting the spice are pruned down when they are two years old so that they can produce large quantities of finer bark. Harvesting of cinnamon is held twice-yearly after the trees are three years old, soon after each rainy season.

Nowadays cinnamon is produced in Southeast Asia and many tropical countries from the cinnamon tree itself and the cassia tree which is related to it. However, cassia is inferior to zeylanicum or true cinnamon as its color is softer and its flavor sweeter. The price of zeylacicum is higher than cassia cinnamon.

Health Benefits? Of cinnamon? YES!

Cinnamon has been used in folk medicine since the Middle Age to cure sore throats, flu and coughs. It has also been very popular in Chinese medicine and aryurvedic medecine. Here are the most common health benefits of cinnamon:
1. For treating malfunctions of the digestive system: indigestion, stomach cramps, nausea, spasms, flatulence, diarrhea and anorexia.
2. For treating rheumatism and other inflammations.
3. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, and anti-clotting agent.
4. For treating vaginal infections.
5. For treating stomach ulcers.

The earth provides natural ways of healing for us. Amazing!

 
Picture this! From here...

To here...

And finally to here...

It's fun to be curious about things!

Five Days and Counting

Moving!!!

Who Blogs?

I do! I do! Well... I really struggle, but I feel that since my life is turning out to be quite the mobile adventure that I should begin to document my life so that my friends from the north, the center, and the south can hear about my doings.

Ephraim Utah
Here I am in Ephraim, Utah where I have been nicely situated for the past 3 years. (Well, the Sanpete Valley at least.) Sunsets and starry nights have become my delights. Snow College is my comfort. Evening walks. Getting to know the locals. Teasing the Wal-Mart associates. Welcome to my life.

Arlington, Texas
Here I go! I left Arlington three years ago and headed north-ish to tempt my fate at Snow College. Now I find myself returning for a time to take a breather and refocus my health. Exciting! I will be getting rid of the non-essentials in my life. YARD SALE! De-junking! I will no longer need a storage unit after this process. Simplicity will be a stress reliever. I am no longer employed in Sanpete County. I am almost free.

Adventure is my middle name! (It must be!) New places. New faces. Sunshine and smiles. I am excited to be with the fam. I have never met my newest nephew Wyatt and the other two kiddos are growing up without me! Unacceptable!

Who blogs? Me. Erin Adventure Morgan. Woo!

Easter

A day of joy, peace, and true miracles.

We received some very sweet new additions when the family that I am living with decided to purchase three lambs.

Of the many names that hold the meaning of Christ there is one that came to mind while I spent time with these sweet creatures: the Lamb of God.

How fragile life can be! There is only so much time that we are given. To become meek, humble, and submissive like unto a child... To become like the Lamb...

todays question

How can such a hard day turn out to be one of the best days I have had in a long time? <3 I feel so good.

Breathe

"You breathe one breath at a time; each moment is set apart to its act, and each act to its moment. It is the moments and the little acts that make the sum of the life of man. Let every second, minute, hour, and day we live be spent in doing that which we know to be right." -Journal of Discourses

"Many things that are hard to measure now ultimately matter most." -Journal of Discourses

My mind is lost in thoughts of time and the idea that I may or may not be doing enough. President Uchtdorf said, "If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most." This talk that he gave, in the October 2010 General Conference, has been one that I seem to refer to often.

i would follow you into the dark

It is my personal belief that this life becomes so much harder when we have the most potential for good. These are the times that we must ask ourselves, "Will we follow Him into the dark?" Surely, life will be hard, and with each struggle we overcome another will come to test us again. These dark times are not the happiest of times, but they are necessary for our progression. Following Him is the only way to make it through.

Counting my blessings is one of the best ways to bring happiness to my heart.

1. Eyebrows. I was listening to a talk on the radio a while back about a woman who had to undergo Chemo because she had cancer. Because of this, she had lost all of her body hair. She said that she never realized how thankful she was for her eyebrows. "They keep the sweat from dripping into your eyes," she said.

2. Sleep. I am learning how important sleep truly is to a persons' well being. It has only taken me 23 years for me to figure this out. Perfect timing! Sleep? Where did we get seperated along the way?

3. Sunshine. This past week I was able to be in the sun so much. My neck even got burnt! No complaining on my end though! It felt so good. Sunshine = Happiness for me. I could feel the happiness soaking into my body and filling me up like an empty glass.

4. Pregnancy. My sister is having a baby boy in April. What a beautiful time! Bringing a beautiful spirit into this world who is still so close with heaven. Wonderful!

5. Holding Hands. Sweet, innocent, and blissful. Butterflies.

My life is nothing of significant circumstance. I have not made world known accomplishments. My words will only be heard by few and remembered perhaps by even less. And so I have come to the conclusion that in the small, special ways that I am capable of, I hope to leave a print on the hearts of those people that I can be in contact with. What would this life be if we could not connect on a deeper level with the people around us? To love but not simply love; love deeply. To live but not simply live; live truly. Fear of feeling something, running risks, and of change only limits opportunities for love.