Friday, December 30, 2016

Hello One Little Word 2017

              My word for 2017 is nurture




nur·ture

[ˈnərCHər]



VERB 

care for and encourage the growth or development of: 

"Jarrett was nurtured by his parents in a close-knit family"



NOUN

the process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something: 

"the nurture of ethics and integrity"



SYNONYMS

foster, cradle, nourish, sustain, cultivate







A year to learn the best way to to nurture and be nurtured. 

January-

February-

March-

April-

May-
Nurturing more moderation
May 1- Moderation in What?
May 8- Moderation in Thinking
May 15- I've Moderated Much
May 22- Setting Limits
May 29- Moderating Negative Thoughts

 June-
Nurturing for the wrong reasons
June 5- The Fixer
June 28- Am I Nurturing Idleness? 

 July-
Nurturing My Health
July 3- Positive Self-Talk
July 10- Nurturing Stamina and Energy
July 17- Nurturing S Relationship With health Practitioners
July 24- Nurturing Patience

 August-
Nurturing Patience
August 3- The Anatomy of Patience
August 14- Patience in Waiting
August 21- The Anatomy of Patience Refined
August 28- Patience Rewarded
September- 
Nurturing My Students
September 8- Pacing My Work
September 15- Support Is A Product of Nurturing
September 18- Inviting My Students To Act
September 25- Inviting My Students To Develop Grit





October- 
Nurturing The Wilderness
October 2- Let Me Tell You About The Wilderness
October 9-Beware of Dehumanizing Words and Images
October 16- Nurturing Connection
October 23- Nurturing The Soft Front
October 30- How I Was Nurtured Reading Braving the Wilderness

 November-
Nurturing Thankfulness
November 6- I Am Thankful For My Word Of The Year
November 13- Nurturing My Writing Skills
November 20- Thankful For My Imagination
November 27- The Gift That Lies Beneath The Surface

December-
Nurture As My One Little Word
December 4- A Look At The Facts
December 11- A Ritual To Remember My Word

This is a contents page to be added to each week. Please come back on Nurturing Mondays to explore with me how the word nurture can impact our lives.


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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Books Read In 2016




Look at a book. A book is the right size to be a book. They're solar-powered. If you drop them, they keep on being a book. You can find your place in microseconds. Books are really good at being books, and no matter what happens, books will survive. 
Douglas Adams



Book List for 2016
   1- Draw Everyday Draw Every by Jennifer Orkin Lewis
   2. A Year Between Friends by Vettese, Maria Alexandra, Barnes, Stephanie Congdon, Wizenberg, Molly
   3. Upstream by Mary Oliver
   4. It's Never To Late To Begin Again by Julia Cameron
   5. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
   6. A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
   7. The God Seed by Catherine Thomas
   8. Journey To Munich by Jacqueline Winspear
   9. Light In The Wilderness by Catherine Thomas
  10. Deborah Crombie Mysteries
  11. Into The Magic Shop by Dr. James Doty 

      These are the top eleven which come to mind. Recording the books I've read sounds like a good idea but I get started then forget. Number nine, Light In The Wilderness by Catherine Thomas is one I reread this year. Thomas writes about our spiritual journey through life and in particular about the frontier of the mind. She is a scholar of Ancient Scripture but writes in such a way to invite the most humble learner to yearn for enlightenment. 
   "The mind is there frontier and the tool, and fixing the mind to spiritual awareness and practice is the key to continuing spiritual experience."
  I love books that challenge but find I must take notes to retain the principles I learn. I just finished a workbook for Into The Magic Shop by Dr. James Doty by reclaiming a board book and adding embellishments. I plan on adding elements as I experience more with Dr. Doty's magic tricks. They are not traditional tricks but they worked magic in his life which took him from a poor boy with ailing parents to a Neurosurgeon and entrepreneur. 


Finishing a good book is like leaving a good friend. 

William Feather




 I have been writing with the Five Minute Friday Group for two years and I really enjoy the talented writers who share their thoughts and big ideas.

  
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Monday, December 26, 2016

Mindful Monday- A Year of Mindfulness

"The challenge is simple: lose the long list of changes you want to make this year and instead pick ONE WORD."

On this Mindful Monday, the last one of the year, I choose to write about the impact this word has had on my life. I will freely admit that choosing a word for the year sounded silly at first. That is why I picked Ribbistrate in 2015. It was a word no one knew because my friend made it up. The novelty of playing with a completely unknown word made it fun to use it, write about it, and incorporate it into my life. This year in January I felt an urgency to submit to mindfulness. Unpacking the many ways I needed to be more mindful proved so useful. Each month I picked an area in my life that needed my attention starting with my scattered  mind. Meditation was the foundation of my mindfulness training. Learning to sit and let my mind center on my breath, sounds, physical sensations, has become a long term habit. I may not be good at it but I am and will continue to show up to meditate every morning. 

 
Morning meditation makes it easier to catch myself driving without attention, not listening to someone in front of me, or not acknowledging my body's clues that I need to rest.
On Wednesday I will actively plan out a year with a new word. Another word that seems suited to my needs. These words do not just benefit me but extend to my loved ones, students, and friends. 

"This process provides clarity by taking all your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single focus. Just one word that centers on your character and creates a vision for your future."
Mike Ashcroft
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Friday, December 16, 2016

Now

Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones. 
Thich Nhat Hahn



Right now the cold is seeping under my doorways and the warm air is flowing from my heat pump above. My shades are still drawn even though it is daylight. Dishes from yesterday's dinner sit in the sink. Texts from my grown sons are appearing on my phone on the table about how we can get four families together. 
The Christmas season has this aspect to it which causes panic. I fight that by spending some time each morning with scripture and meditation. What happens is fine and what doesn't happen is all right, too. It makes me sad when I sigh a sigh of relief, ready to take down all the decorations. Jesus is not a year older after his birthday passes. He is Alpha and Omega. He is now.








 I have been writing with the Five Minute Friday Group for two years and I really enjoy the talented writers who share their work. Would you like to join us?


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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Calling Thy Name

Tomorrow begins the waiting in earnest. 

We wait upon the day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Counting off the twenty-four days becomes more poignant as we draw, in mindfulness, toward the many names given to The Son of God. Twenty-four names, not a complete list, but representative of who he is, what his mission is, and how we may address him.

Join me each day for an advent devotional to place our thoughts on the coming of The Lord.

This is a contents page, linked to each day so that you can come back here and find a post you missed. 





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Monday, November 28, 2016

Mindful Monday- Grateful For Children

If we have a heart to learn and a willingness to follow the example of children, their divine attributes can hold a key to unlocking our own spiritual growth.
Jean A. Stevens

Walking into my classroom at church yesterday I found six excited and ready children. I was not expected to teach that day, as I had a music assignment later, but how could I not gather them around me on the floor and meet their expectant eyes? I was filled with gratitude for their readiness. 



"These children are providing examples of some of the childlike qualities we need to develop or rediscover in ourselves in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven. They are bright spirits who are untarnished by the world—teachable and full of faith. It is no wonder the Savior has a special love and appreciation for little children."

My class of six and seven year olds are full of faith. They believe I will guide them into important paths which will engage and enliven them. I wonder how often I disappoint? If my lesson is a disappointment I am quickly forgiven. If I forget something, they don't look at each other with raised eyebrows assessing my capabilities. They do lose interest but I find it happens when I am not fully engaged. They respond to being "all in".



   I find them to be more teachable than I imagined. If I provide careful instruction, equal to their abilities, with many repetitions so that they can gain proficiency, they come along. They come along with enthusiasm. I am grateful to be among children everyday. I hope to remain teachable and faithful.


Elder M. Russell Ballard has taught us the importance of the Savior’s admonition to “behold your little ones” when he said: “Notice that He didn’t say ‘glance at them’ or ‘casually observe them’ or ‘occasionally take a look in their general direction.’ He said to behold them. To me that means that we should embrace them with our eyes and with our hearts; we should see and appreciate them for who they really are: spirit children of our Heavenly Father, with divine attributes”
(“Behold Your Little Ones,” Tambuli, Oct. 1994, 40; emphasis added; “Great Shall Be the Peace of Thy Children,” Ensign, Apr. 1994, 59).


 



November is a month for paying attention to my level of gratitude. It is part of my year long exploration of mindfulness. You can read more about my Year of Mindfulness here.
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Friday, November 25, 2016

Surrender



Everyone has noticed how hard it is to turn our thoughts to God when everything is going well with us... While what we call 'our own life' remains agreeable, we will not surrender it to Him. What, then, can God do in our interests but make 'our own life' less agreeable to us, and take away the plausible sources of false happiness? 
C. S. Lewis

Thanksgiving was a day of surrendering. My three grandchildren who wanted to come over and "help" me before dinner came at 9:00am. I surrendered to the idea that I was going to keep them involved for six hours. The pie I wanted to make, gluten free, had a life of it's own and became pumpkin without a true recipe and without a promised outcome. It was eatable and disappeared. I will never be able to make it the same way again because it just evolved.



  The turkey which I bought fresh a week ago and then decided to freeze still had ice chunks inside. My grandson liked rubbing it with coconut oil and spices. He put a ham slice inside because he wanted to see what would happen. I surrendered my expectations and it was really good.
    In the last half hour before eating, my knees needed to rest and I let my husband take over. He finished the mashed potatoes, made the gravy, prepared the food to go into dishes and led us in our giving thanks statements. Usually I do it all with noticeable frustration. I surrendered and others came to my aid. 
  Later I suggested a game called Famous People which is a great crowd game. I noticed how my family participated wholeheartedly. I took time to see each member's ability and humor. In the past, some participants have left the game mad. We had some issues yesterday but the majority of the family stayed engaged and working as a team. 
   Over controlling our lives is really a false happiness. False because we set ourselves expectations which often remain unrealized. Then, as we mourn what could have been we miss the little miracles provided by others in our behalf. I had time to feel truly thankful.




 I have been writing with the Five Minute Friday Group for two years and I really enjoy the talented writers who share their work. Would you like to join us?
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Monday, November 21, 2016

Mindful Monday- Grateful To Say Yes


“i imagine that yes is the only living thing.” 

E.E. Cummings

Yesterday I said yes four times and I am so grateful. I could have "no, it won't work", "no, I don't have time", or "not now". But, I said yes. The first yes went to The Spirit. While teaching my 6-7 year olds in church, I felt prompted to invite my students to search the four gospels in the New Testament. We have been working on finding references together. I allow them to put removable highlighter tape on our weekly scripture. Now the library copies have purple highlights on many pages. When I heard the prompting I put it away as impractical and without purpose. But I said yes and let them look. Each child found a highlighted page and they were all different. Having context for these verses made all the difference. We had a good conversation because they remembered the stories from previous lessons. YES.

My granddaughter was hanging on my arm during church sharing time. "Can I go home with you today?" I see her many times during the week and frankly after church I'm tired. But, I said yes. When we arrived home my other son was there with his daughter and the girl cousins had some alone time without their siblings. YES.




   
Later, my husband asked politely if I could cut his hair. It was the sabbath and I was tired. But, I said yes. A fifteen minute job made such a difference to him and it was easy for me. He had waited many weeks. YES.

    While my older daughter is home for a few months we occasionally do Evening Lines. The idea for Evening Lines came from a book by Regina Sirois called "On Little Wings". The aunt in the book invited her niece to visit. Every evening during her visit a teenage boy in the neighborhood came by to talk. She joined them and learned about Evening Lines.
“I wanted him to see the difference between what he read and what he thought so I gave him a daily assignment to find his favorite words and read them to me. It evolved into our nightly readings.


There are no rules. We each pick a line or passage out of something we read that day – be it cereal box or Shakespeare – and recite it to each other. Nothing long. Sometimes three words. Sometimes a paragraph.”

   As my husband came into the living room later, he told us he was ready for Evening Lines. Right now? But, I said yes. Our Evening Lines were so different. One was a quote from "The Brothers Karamazov" by Dostoyevsky, another from a book about our economy, and the third from a talk by Sheri Dew. Unrelated, disconnected, but fertile fodder for discussion. YES.

While learning to say "no" is important, saying "yes" can lighten and brighten your day. I am grateful for my state of mind and for allowing "yes"





November is a month for paying attention to my level of gratitude. It is part of my year long exploration of mindfulness. You can read more about my Year of Mindfulness here.

        
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Friday, November 18, 2016

Enjoy- What Makes A Day Enjoyable


"It was my interest in happiness that led me to the subject of habits, and of course, the study of habits is really the study of happiness. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life, and a significant element of happiness. "
Gretchen Rubin


     After many weeks of pondering what made me happy I  decided years ago that there are six habits that add to my happiness. An enjoyable day is one where all or most of these habits have taken place. Conversely, a bad day usually means I did not practice enough of these six habits and I am feeling a lack. 
  1. Prayer
  2. Gospel Study
  3. Movement
  4. Nourishing Eating
  5. Creative pursuits
  6. Service

These habits invite me to face inward and outward. They balance my need to be contemplative and other oriented. They nourish my soul and help me see others needs, as well as my own. 


  All six of these habits require daily intention. Maybe that means they are not habitual yet. If left to my slovenly ways I would do none of them. That would require little effort but make my least enjoyable day. Why do we resist the very practices that make us happiest? I think it is the nature of mortality. 





 I have been writing with the Five Minute Friday Group for two years and I really enjoy the talented writers who share their work. Would you like to join? 

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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Family Pictures

      I am joining Ann Dee Ellis and other writers in using a prompt to record memoir moments. If you don't write your story, who will?




In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.


Alex Haley

I love looking at family pictures, reading expressions and speculating about what people are thinking. Below is a favorite family picture. Made in about 1948, this family, my family, are survivors of World War II. My brothers have witnessed brutality and deprivation. They look serious. My father, the optimist, looks relieved and confident in a better tomorrow. My mother is posing and looking as she should. I am missing. I would not make an entry into mortality until six years later. By then the boys would all be teenagers and the decision to emigrate is made. 


 These two parents created a large family with four children, fifteen grandchildren, thirty great-grandchildren, and eleven great-great grandchildren. We come together once a year at my brother's home in Utah. There are always people missing due to travel constraints and  scheduling. Before the evening gets away from us someone shouts "family pictures". Reluctantly the children leave the games and the pool. The older members, yikes, that's me, make their way over to the semi-circle. We all give our phones to the lucky photographer and she painstakingly, takes two pictures on five or six phones. 


   The pictures get posted on Facebook and everyone feels grateful. We did it one more year. This year I set up a family history game. I posted their names on a large wall. My cousin walked into the room and asked why only dead people were on the wall. I announced we were giving a prize for the person who could match loved hobbies and talents with the emeritus members. People forgot that Cousin Werner raised chinchillas, Tante Hanni made hats, and Cousin Norbert was a car fanatic. I felt happy that they were part of the celebration. They started us all and without them we would not exist. I believe they are still invested in the happiness and well-being of those on earth. I feel it deeply. I am convinced.




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Monday, November 14, 2016

Mindful Monday- How Does Gratitude Feel?

Sit for a moment and think of  something for which you are grateful... 



Is gratitude a feeling that manifests in our body?  I think it is. In Psalms 30, David expresses his thanks to the Lord. He feels lifted up, secure in the Lord's prosperity, more aware of the healing power of God, girded in gladness, and his mourning is turned into dancing. These descriptions of how he feels indicate expansion, peace, and a lightness of spirit. Could a meditation on gratitude offer this to you and me?

Every morning, this past week, I have opened myself more fully to gratitude. I sit and breathe and think on someone for whom I am very grateful. I've noticed an expansion in my breathing and a softness in my heart. It seems that relaxation is related to these mental thoughts. As the minutes tick by, I find it easy to let my mind rest on more and more  things for which I am grateful. 


"Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you to focus your life in awe."
Wayne Dyer



November is a month for paying attention to my level of gratitude. It is part of my year long exploration of mindfulness. You can read more about my Year of Mindfulness here.





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Friday, November 11, 2016

Common

The common denominator of all mankind is a desire to hope in a better life.




    Looking through old pictures brought me a deep knowledge of the place hope had in my family. My father and mother lost everything and started over three times. The first time was when they became refugees from Silesia to West Germany after World War II. They left, on foot with what they could carry or push in a baby carriage or handcart. 



In West Germany, racked by losing the war, they were second class citizens trying to survive.  They rebuilt with hope. My father could see that things in Germany were going to be slow in rebuilding so he turned his eyes to America. We had a relative who blazed the trail for us over the Atlantic. Below is a picture of my brother and I waiting to board the ship.



   Again, my family had hope and started to rebuild security. The starting over this time included learning a new language and learning to navigate a new culture. But, there was hope.


   When I reached age four, my family seems content and readjusted. Mind you, that was my point of view. Above, the Christmas after my fourth birthday, I was so happy with Suzi, my Christmas doll, sitting upon my father's knee. My mother posed reading, with what I believe was the bible. She might have been reading something entirely different but she was the one that had hope in Christ. That hope attached itself to me and carried me through my life. 





 I have been writing with the Five Minute Friday Group for two years and I really enjoy the talented writers who share their work. Would you like to join? 
     

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