For the beauty of the earth

Happy belated EARTH Day!!


For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
Pleasures pure and undefiled,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of heaven,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For thy Church which evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

Marcy

I figure I met Marcy about 35 years ago. We lived in the same college dorm our freshman year. Our rooms shared a common telephone and it was actually kept in a little compartment in the wall that we could access from our rooms on either side. Marcy was so small that she could fit in the telephone box and she crawled through that box on more than once occasion. Anyway, we hit it right off as friends. We had some things in common and yet we were worlds apart on other things. She was a southern CA city girl, I was an ID country girl. She came from a wealthy family with two brothers, I came from a middle income family with six siblings. She was popular in high school - a cheerleader with suitors lined up around the block. Me, not so much (not at all actually on the suitor front.) She was a convert to the church and her parents were not members. I came from a very active LDS family and I was raised in the church. She was small and short. I was tall and thin. We looked like Mutt and Jeff.
In spite of our differences, our similarities won out. We loved Rock and Roll music. We loved to laugh and have a fun time. We loved to try out new adventures. We loved to talk and share ideas and secrets. We loved attending college, but we loved the social aspect even more. We had goals and aspirations and we had many boy crushes. We dated boys who hung out together at the time and that made for some fun interactions. She introduced me to different ideas and ways of looking at things. I introduced her to skiing and she visited me faithfully when I ended up breaking my leg. We both loved the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And now comes the good part - she literally changed my life for good. No question about it.
She decided to serve an LDS mission. She got called to cold Minnesota. She prepared to serve and right before leaving to enter the mission home, she came to Utah to spend some time with me and to ski. What were we thinking, going skiing right before she entered the mission home? What IF she would have been injured? We were fool hardy and intrepid, and thought we were ten feet tall and bullet proof, just like most 21 year olds. She asked ME, her friend to escort her to the mission home and help her get check in. I felt very honored to have the opportunity. And that very day, my life changed because I was with her. I felt the unquestionable prompting that I should serve a mission too while I was helping take her bags into the living quarters. There were many bunk beds with bright yellow bed spreads on them. I just felt our Saviors love so strongly and I felt the impression that I should serve as well. If this little five foot nothing girl who weighed 95 pounds (who came from a family who didn't belong to our church, one who could put her own plans and goals and aspirations on hold to serve) could line up to be counted, then I could line up as well.
She changed my life for good. I'll be forever grateful for her example, for her encouragement and for her friendship. It took a very strong impression along with her example to convince me to do it, but I'm eternally grateful that I did. I cried all the way home after I dropped her off. Part of the reasons for my tears was because I wouldn't see her again for a year and a half. Part was because I knew what my own future was going to be. I didn't even listen to my new Gary Wright "Dream Weaver" 8 track cassette tape that I just bought. I just contemplated that my life was going to change ~ and it did! In ways I can't even describe.
We've kept in touch through the years. Visits, calls, Christmas cards, visits to her home, visits to mine. Last weekend I went to visit my friend Marcy in her home again. She is the mother of five wonderful sons. Four of the five are return missionaries and are married in the temple. They are pursuing their education and starting worthwhile employment. After being the only girl for so many years, she now has four daughters-in-law and a beautiful granddaughter. Her youngest son is a junior in high school and will undoubtedly follow the footsteps of his brothers. She and her good husband Bruce have raised a great family. I'm so proud of my little friend Marcy! We spent the entire weekend talking, laughing, listening to some favorite tunes, going to movies, getting a pedicure, going to lunch, sharing trade secrets, shopping, seeing the sights of her city and just enjoying every second of being together. I continue to learn from her. We continue to confide in each other. We continue to share our lives. Our personalities are quite similar. We like to "say it like it is" and forge ahead in things we are doing. I think we encourage each other to be the best we can be. So this one's for you Marcy! I have been changed for good because of YOU. Love you dear friend...

I have been changed for good

I LOVE the themes and messages in WICKED. I thought I'd explore a few. Before I do though, check out the very cool Wicked web site here. Take a look around. The pictures are so amazing and you can hear many of the songs!

Check out this link to You Tube (and have fun watching the other Wicked videos on the right side of the screen) and get ready to enjoy my favorite song! I makes me think of all the people in my life who have changed me for good. There are so many who fit into that category and tomorrow I'm going to highlight one special friend who changed my life for good.

(Elphaba) I'm limited
Just look at me - I'm limited
And just look at you
You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda
So now it's up to you
For both of us - now it's up to you...

(Glinda) I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

(Elphaba) It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you

(Glinda) Because I knew you

(Both) I have been changed for good

(Elphaba) And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the thing I've done you blame me for

(Glinda) But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share

(Both) And none of it seems to matter anymore

(Glinda) Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood

(Elphaba) Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood

(Both) Who can say if I've been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better

(Glinda) And because I knew you...

(Elphaba) Because I knew you...

(Both) Because I knew you...
I have been changed for good.

Sexy/Modest Part II

Good! I got some of you to think about the topic and to comment. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. My niece Jamie put the entry on her blog and got some more comments from people who read her blog. Some agreed and some didn't with the general ideas I presented. That's fine, all comments are welcome.

Obviously, we don't all think the same on this topic or any other. That's as it should be. I think most of us have an opinion about the topic and I think it's interesting to hear what other people think about the topic of clothing and modesty. I was trying to target the LDS woman community mostly, but the topic is broad and has wide application. The vast majority of us pay attention to what we and other people wear. Clothing choices tell a lot about a person. First impression stuff. We draw conclusions. We make judgments, weather good or bad based on those conclusions. Not the "you're not a good person and I hate you because of what you're wearing" kind of judgments, but the "she must be having a bad day and didn't have time to get dressed" or the "she looks really nice and well put together...she cares about her appearance" kind of judgments.
I thought Jamie's blogger friend Desiree put it very well - "As far as how others dress, when I see someone who is modestly dressed and carries herself well, that raises my respect. Whereas if I see the opposite, it's disappointing to me... I admire people who refuse to give in to the temptation to try to dress sexy and show off their bodies."
Years ago my niece Madison said an interesting thing about my daughter-in-law Courtney. We were enjoying a 4th of July family swimming party and Courtney came to the pool in a cute and modest one piece bathing suit. Madi said to me, without any prompt or other dialogue when she saw Courtney: "You can tell a lot about a girl by the swimming suit she wears." When I told Courtney what Madi had said, it made her feel very good. She was being watched by younger cousins and nieces and she was setting a good example for them.

I read an interesting article in Time magazine about reality TV shows (that's a topic for another day.) The author made a very valid point that applies here in regards to body image and dress. He said: "Now even makeover shows have become about sprucing up your psyche...the secret is finding not the right bra size but the right frame of mind, shedding not pounds but psychological baggage." How true that is!!! Our psyches may have more to do with clothing choices than we think. If we're well adjusted and value ourselves, it is reflected in how we feel about our bodies and how we dress.

I do think it's a good exercise to consider WHY we do what we do when we choose clothing to wear and also consider WHO it is we're trying to impress. Clothing has power. Clothing sends messages and defines who we are at least to the point that people get to know us better. There is a time and place for all types of clothing. I just believe that certain types of clothing should be kept in the proper time and place. As LDS women, we have been given additional wise counsel to consider and to implement if we so choose. We don't need to be self righteous about any of it or be harsh with people who don't make the same choices we do. I already admitted that I'm very disappointed with LDS women who don't uphold the standards of dress as outlined in the Strength of Youth pamphlet which states: Immodest clothing includes short shorts and skirts, tight clothing, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and other revealing attire. (LDS) women should wear clothing that covers the shoulder and avoid clothing that is low-cut in the front or the back or revealing in any other manner. And there is no fine print that says: Except for choosing a bathing suit or a prom dress, then anything is good because it's so hard to find anything that's appropriate.
Those standards have application for all ages and when an LDS woman has been endowed in the temple, I believe the standard is even more important to observe. Even though my respect for a person may rise or fall based on what they're wearing, I can still love the person, just not their choices in clothes! I believe we just need to consider what messages we are trying to communicate by the way we dress.

Speaking of that, take a look at this link to the article about an LDS married woman Bonnie Hubert who chose to wear a modest dress while she competed in her Mrs. Texas competition. She said: "I think the world sends a message that in order to be beautiful you have to reveal your body," said Sister Hubert. "I will say that it takes work, you have to want to live your standards, but you can find clothes that are your style that are modest. "I will not wear a dress that doesn't reflect who I am," she remembers saying. "If I can find something that reflects my standards I can be an example for others.""

I respect the woman, what more can I say?

Happy B-day to R!!

Someone we all know and love had his 29th birthday today (May 2!) I want to pay tribute to a great son-in-law who we all enjoy and who takes such good care of our daughter Claire. He was raised by wonderful parents and he came from a very great family with three sisters and one brother. He was raised in an area of the country where he was the only white kid in this grade school class and was definitely in the minority most of the time. He learned to work hard and to serve others. He participated in Scouts, became an Eagle Scout and recently completed his Wood Badge requirements. He loves the out of doors and if we ever had a disaster, I hope he lives near by because he knows what to do. He is patient and kind. He served his mission in Venezuela and had a great experience there. He worked in the library as a circulation clerk when he met our daughter and didn't give up when she was a little stand-offish at first. He is an valuable attorney in his law firm and contributes to the success and prestige of his firm. He loves sports, enjoys the BYU Cougars, plays tennis, loves to hike and be outdoors and enjoys playing games and watching old movies. He is a man of good moral character and judgement. He is witty and knowledgeable about many things. He is just a good guy and we always enjoy time spent with R and Claire. He is helpful around the house and he helps Claire be all she can be. We love you R and hope you had a fun day celebrating your day of birth.