White (middle-aged wo)men can't jump

Lessons from Lot's wife

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke this week at the BYU devotional. He gave a remarkable talk and I've been thinking a lot about it. The title of the talk was "Remember Lot's wife" and he spoke about not looking back, especially not looking back at past grievances. Here are some favorite quotes:

• Lot's wife ignored God's command to "look not behind thee" and, upon looking back, was turned into a pillar of salt. It wasn't just that she look back - she looked back longingly. In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future. That, apparently, was at least part of her sin.
  
• ...don't dwell on days now gone or yearn vainly for yesterday. The past is to be learned from but not lived in.
• Philippians 3: 13-14 - This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ.
• Such an attitude leads to a universal timeless lesson, bemoaning that too many people fail to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life. This is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes - our own or other people's - is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist.
• Elder Holland asked that in all situations - including relationships, marriages and personal lives - ancient wounds not be reopened, the same wounds the Savior died trying to heal.
• Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change - and improve. Is that faith? Yes! Is it hope? Yes! Is it charity? Yes! Above all it is charity, the pure love of Christ.
• Forgive and then do what is harder to do - forget. And to forget again when it comes to mind again, remembering just enough to avoid repeating the mistake.
• Dismiss the destructive and keep dismissing it, until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future, and the bright future of your family and your friends and your neighbors.
• God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and with His help, where you are willing to go.
• Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, trust and divine love transform your life today, tomorrow and forever.
  

Pancakes

No, not that kind literally (but they do look good!)

This thought has been rattling around in my head lately:
"There is no pancake so thin that it doesn't have two sides."

This is an oft quoted phrase in our home. It means that in every situation, there are at least two sides, at least two points of view and many differences in viewing situations and ways in doing things. Given the profession of many of our family members, considering the point of view of all parties is a predominant theme.

I believe the pancake statement to be true. It's something I acknowledge that I continue to work on by recognizing that I don't have a corner on the one and only perfect one-sided pancake or approach to life. Have you noticed what happens if a pancake isn't flipped in a timely fashion? One side burns while the other side remains uncooked! It's certainly doesn't look like the pictures above and it isn't appetizing or desirable. No one has a corner on the correct way to do things. There are as many ways to accomplish a goal as there are goals. There is no correct way to do any given task. There is only the way a person is the most comfortable with, which may or may not be the best way. There may be a handful of situations where an exact procedure needs to be followed, but most situations and traditions allow for variety in methods used to achieve the end result. There are traditions and procedures that become habits and people are generally very protective of their own traditions and procedures for accomplishing something, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is the BEST way. It's just a way, maybe even a good way, but not the only way. As I see it, problems often arise when someone feels like their way is being called into question. They usually become very protective and resistant to what they may perceive as an attack on their way of doing something or their point of view. After all, their way has been effective over the course of time and they generally want other people to support it (maybe even admire it and copy it.)
More than likely, everyone has had dealings with people who think that their side of the pancake is the only side of the pancake. They don't want the pancake to be flipped. They don't want to even consider a different point of view. Or, how about those who become defensive if you simply try to explain your view from your side of the pancake? They may feel like you are trying to attack their side of the pancake when all you are really tying to do is flip the darn thing.
Sometimes people of similar persuasions and thought processes band together to push their point of view off on others and to try and sway them into a certain way of thinking, or they belittle other points of view as being lesser in value than their own. Are you open to different points of view and different ways of doing things? How open are you to acknowledging that no pancake is so thin that it doesn't have two sides?

Best wishes

We have a new President. President Obama and his family, the 44th president of the United States of America - the most free, blessed, powerful, strong, prosperous, amazing, wonderful, generous country in the world. Long may she live. May this new president NOT mess with our freedoms, change our way of life or make our country weak. I'm very concerned, but hope for the best.

The answer to a cold house...

What was I thinking? I didn't need to spend $168 to get our furnace fixed! All I needed to do was order Snuggie for $14.95, with a reading lamp thrown in for good measure in case the electricity goes out! What a great idea for Emergency Preparedness!!! I know what I'm going to get R next year for Christmas!!! He can wear it to stay cozy and warm at sporting events (a.k.a. football games.) It's so versatile and snuggily warm and it comes in an assortment of colors, even BYU blue. Go Cougars! Go Snuggie!