Recently the CEO of 'My Pillow' asked the country to look to God. He gave a beautiful and thought provoking plea during a press conference with the President of U.S.A. He is being condemned in the media. When did it become wrong to share your faith, and ask others to look towards their faith? We have come to a sad time in our world. This is a scary time with a virus that going around the world and doctors had no treatment for it, and there is no vaccine for it. People world wide are being asked to be 'safe at home'. This is causing economic hardships on many people as businesses are deemed 'non-essential' and asked to close. Governments are trying to keep up with the needs of the health care workers and their citizens. Families are coping and teaching their children at home since schools are closed. We can look at this time as a time to reconnect with our faith. If you haven't prayed in years, now is the time to take the time to do that. If you haven't read scriptures with your family, now is the time to start that as you plan out days together. There is nothing wrong with believing in prayer, and having faith. Though today's media would lead you to believe it isn't 'cool'. Let's step forward and put faith in the forefront again. I truly love seeing all of the churches that are doing live feeds on Facebook. It's so inspiring. Church isn't the building, religion and faith are anywhere two or more are gathered in His name. Whether that be in the sanctuary of one's home with the most important people in your world, your family; or whether it is via satellite on television, or via Facebook live posts. What gratitude we can have to be in this time, to have the technology to make it easy to maintain contact with church. We don't need to be physically in a building to be close to our Heavenly Father. Now is the time. Let us stand up for those who turn to television or social media to bear their own personal testimony of the miracle of prayer and faith. We have to be louder than those that try to shut it down. "I Shall Not Be Moved!"
1 Comment
There is so much hate being spewed toward our President and his administration STILL, even with our common worldwide crisis. So, I wanted to focus on something else. Gratitude. I am grateful for technology. Technology has allowed scientist and doctors to move forward in working through the virus. Technology has allowed businesses to hold virtual meetings and have employees work from home, and teachers still teach both in college and K-12 school. Technology has allowed us to reach each other worldwide while confined to our homes. I am grateful for teddy bears popping up in windows to relieve the stress for a few moments of children and parents. I am grateful for people in apartments that lean out windows and stand on balconies and make beautiful music together. I am grateful for policeman that drive down streets and then abruptly stop, jump out of their cars and serenade those in their houses on the street. I am grateful for musicians, country, classical, opera, Broadway, and high school, for using technology to provide concerts for all of us sitting at home. I am grateful to truckers, grocery store workers, transportation companies, television and radio staff and talent, mechanics, construction workers, restaurants and delivery companies, on line companies that are still providing necessities, post office and FedEx and UPS, all still working to keep us in a bit of the luxury of our time. I am grateful to companies that are stepping up to provide medical equipment by refurbishing their assembly lines. I am grateful to fabric companies working with citizen volunteers to have what they need to sew masks. I am grateful for fast food establishments providing free meals to children out of school. I am grateful for cafeteria workers and bus drivers that are getting food to children delivered on their streets. I am grateful to online companies that are providing their conferencing to teachers for free. I'm grateful for companies that are non-essential, and had to send their employees home; however, they have chosen to keep them on the payroll. I am grateful to youth who tend to the needs of elderly so that they don't have to leave the house and go among the populace. I'm grateful to mayors, governors, presidents of all countries that are trying to keep their communities safe, even if it means confining people to their homes. I'm grateful to leaders who come before the public and try to reassure the public, who know how to bring hope and optimism into lives. I'm grateful to public figures that once they are diagnosed with the virus, stand up in the media to be examples. I'm grateful to public figures that use social media to show that they are in their homes, and encourage others to do the same. I'm grateful for doctors, nurses, nurses aids, hospital works from the administrators to the every single one of the staff. They have stood firm, through hard ships that many have never seen before, world-wide. Gratitude. There is so much for which to be grateful during this world wide crisis. However, people are good. And, it shows. I'm grateful for this world, complete with it's imperfectness, in every way!! And to what are you grateful? I have watched the press conference held by President Trump and the task force for the last several days. I have seen reporters ask questions posed simply to instill fear. It is a sad thing. One reporter today simply said to President Trump (and to another member of the task force wanting them to confirm her question), "Do you think it is bad for you to sound so calm amidst this pandemic? Isn't that misleading to the people of the United States, to make them things are not that bad?" What a sad person. Now, that is not a direct quote, but it is what she was saying. She wanted the task force to instill FEAR in the people, she wanted chaos among people. The definition of FEAR according to Dictionary.com, "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. "he is prey to irrational fears"" Fear is usually apparent when the unknown presents itself. We are in an unknown situation. We cannot allow those who want to create fear and chaos to win this battle. The question is, how do we distill the fear? We can distill fear by being informed from the source, not from third parties, or fourth parties, or fifth parties...or experts that are being armchair quarterbacks without all of the information from all of the countries involved. We have to realize that unfortunately, a pandemic means ratings. And, ratings mean money. There are several places that one can get the daily press conference without commentary, either watch it live or on playback on many different sources. Do NOT listen then, to the commentary afterwards. They are there to instill fear, which translates to ratings, which translates to money. We can be prepared. Apparently everyone has enough toilet paper, however, does everyone have enough easily stored or prepared food. Something as simple as Ravioli's or complex as a full course meal. Some of us are cooks, and some of us are not. We can be prepared against boredom. There are jokes about forefathers being called to war, and we are being called to sit in front of the tv on our couches. Instead of doing that, plan for doing the many things that you have wanted to do...read those books on the bookshelf, learn a new language (apps for that), virtual workouts (you probably already have a video at home that has dust on it), games (especially if you have children home from school), opera's and musicians are providing free concerts on line while they are also quarantined at home, while Broadway plays are cancelled the actors are urging college and high school students to join with them to video themselves singing songs from the plays that have been cancelled, the list goes on. We can be prepared spiritually. Many churches are closing to comply with requests for large gatherings to be cancelled. We need to take time out of our day to have sincere prayer. Creating a time during the day for scripture reading will also bring calm and peace to our everyday situation of fear and chaos. Our Heavenly Father wants us to be joyful. We need to find the positive even in tumultuous times. When the world around you wants you to fear to the point of hysteria so that they can report on it, let's be the ones that are singing hymns out our windows in Rome; or presenting piano and horn recitals from the balconies. I do admire those that are putting up Christmas lights in the United States to give a bit of cheer. For those feeling they are losing their worship, remember Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Take comfort that the Holy Ghost will bring the reverence needed to come closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We can be prepared through gratitude. As we look around us in our homes, we can be grateful all that we have. We can look in our kitchen and be grateful for the food we have to eat. Think of all the things that one can be grateful for during a frightening time, and then dwell on those things. You will see a change come over you as you lose yourself in gratitude. We can be prepared through service. We can check on elderly neighbors or family. If you are running to the store, you can pick things up for them. If you have a sewing machine, you can sew much needed face masks for hospital workers. If you have the talent to read books with flair, you can do some videos and put them on line for parents to use. Now is a time to write a letter, a real letter with pen and paper. Now is a time to send a card to someone, a home made card would be even more appreciated (even if it is stick figures!). If you are great at math, you can volunteer to tutor the teens that may be beyond their parents knowledge in advanced math classes. We can be prepared simply by not allowing the world of fear to overcome your home. Smile. Spread joy where you can. Give sympathy where needed. And remember, "Pray always", and "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another..." (1 Thessalonians 5:11). It concerns me that so many people are being interviewed by the media and posting on social media with their 'complaints' on how there aren't enough test kits for the coronavirus; how the government hasn't acted quick enough; how the travel rules have caused them to cancel their vacation plans; and, it goes on and on. The needs for immediate responses on all situations makes me wonder if our instant gratification society has produced a population that just doesn't understand that things take time. It also takes me to the thought that perhaps these are people raised on 'Bewitched' and 'I Dream of Jeannie'; and later 'Sabrina, the Teen-age Witch', and of course, Harry Potter. Well, folks, those are all make believe, one cannot simply blink an eye, nod the head, or wave a wand and one's needs are before you. It just doesn't happen that way. So, let's look at this situation in a different light. Let's go step by step and see what an amazing time in which we live. First of all, I'm grateful for worldwide communications that brought us the information of other countries so that we knew there was a new virus that was affecting people. And, later, the communications allowed us to know how quickly and widespread the virus was going through the world. Which, amazingly, was another sign of our times, because air travel was the way that most of those affected by the virus was taking it from one country to another. Second, I am grateful for doctors and nurses that recognized that this was a new virus; and, yet, staying on the job to treat those who were in need of the skills and talent. Third, I am grateful for the scientists began to dissect the virus to figure out what it was, how it worked, and what would ease it's symptoms. I'm grateful for the companies that had the equipment for the scientists to use to develop a test for the virus. I'm grateful for the lab technicians that took those tests and began to test the test so that it could be produced for the mass market. I'm grateful for the companies that produced the components of the tests; and for their employees, who are only human and can only work so fast, yet, they know and understand the importance of their work and even though it might be a hardship for them stay at work. Fourth, I am grateful for government leaders that bring companies together to lay out a plan to get the test kits to the mass markets. I am grateful for companies that give of their facilities to aid in the public to be able to get the test kits. I am grateful for shipping companies that can literally move the completed test kits to where they need to be, literally overnight. Fifth, I am grateful for stores that are trying to keep items stocked and closing down their stores in order to restock and sanitize the stores. I am grateful to their employees who are working as fast as they physically can to keep shelves stocked, and sanitized. I am grateful for the railroad employees and the truck drivers that are moving the items to where they need to be; as quickly as humanly possible to do so. Sixth, I am grateful for the silly lady that dressed up in a cape and gloves and walked through a local mall to present laughter and sanitizer to the people in the mall. I am grateful for the police department that did a music video of their staff washing their hands, complete with comedic relief. I am grateful for those who have the talent to make meme's that bring laughter to our days, but especially for the one of the children with their hands tied and their mouths taped while Mom was working on the computer in the background. Seventh, I am grateful for teachers who are trying to put together worksheet kits for their students who do not have access to the internet so that they don't get so far behind while school is out. I am grateful for the cafeteria workers that are still coming in to prepare meals that are being given out to the children who were on the free breakfast and lunch programs. I am grateful to the bus drivers who drove those meals on their usual routes to meet the children to hand out those meals. I am grateful to online companies that are providing free access to online meetings to teachers. I am grateful to educational companies and museums that are doing free instruction on line for the teachers to refer to their students. I am grateful to the employers that understand that mom and dad need to be at home to make sure home schooling happens, so they allow them to do remote work. Eighth, I am grateful to the restaurant owners that are providing meals to families that have parents out of work because their jobs closed. I am grateful to airlines and cruises that are giving vouchers or refunds to those who had booked trips that are now cancelled. I am grateful to the fast food restaurant that showed up a hospital with 1000 meals for the health care workers. I am grateful to the companies that have promised their employees that even though they cannot come to work, they will still get paid. I am grateful for the government that is preparing to financially assist workers whose companies are not large enough to provide payroll while closed. I am grateful to the NBA player that did a video of himself in his home dressed in his uniform and being announced out on the 'court', his humor eased frustrations. I am grateful to the actor and his wife who contracted the virus and quickly let people know hoping that his notoriety would ease panic about contracting the virus. Ninth, I am grateful for the people who are smiling along the way. I am grateful for the Italians that escaped to the balconies of their apartments and sang together. I am grateful for the person that helped the elderly gentleman who couldn't afford the expensive food choice, so the person behind him in line purchased it for him. I am grateful for our society today that gives us so many options that was not available in the past. Yellow fever epidemics were so widespread that the city of Memphis TN was quarantined completely and still lost so much of their population that they lost their city charter. The plague in England spread so fast that mass graves were used. We are no where near these extreme situations, and for that I am truly grateful. Tenth, I am grateful for the handful of opposing party governors that are praising the administration's response for their states. I am grateful for media that allows the national task force of experts to be able to provide daily updates. I am grateful for peace of mind. We truly have so much for which to be thankful. We need to look toward gratitude for what has happened. Last week we challenged our readers to keep a journal. Things were in a disarray then, not quite as bad as they have evolved today. At this point schools are closing, restaurants are closing except for drive thru and take out, in some areas restaurants and bars are completely closing, sports has shut down, theater has closed, movie theaters and other public places are closing. Many have been sequestered in their homes for a period of time, or if they are in a susceptible health situation they have been asked for an undetermined amount of time to remain in quarantine in their homes. We are in historic times. My daughter is a teacher that is preparing to present her days lessons via the internet. One of the assignments she is giving her students is to write in a journal every day that they are out of school because of COVID-19. This will be prized reading in the future, for themselves and for their posterity. What a treasure! Churches have closed and asked their members to have a scripture study within their homes. Stories are abounding on Facebook of the spiritual experience the families are having with such an intimate service. One noted that even their 18 month old paid more attention with Grandpa being the one giving the prayer. Another shared that children were wrapped up in the time spent with family in prayer, songs, and scripture discussion; again children who have a difficult time paying attention in formal worship services. All of this needs to be recorded in a journal. These are spiritual experiences that can be looked back on and referenced when one's emotional and spiritual self is in need of an uplift. 'This too shall pass'. And when it passes without recording it, the future family misses the historic moments ancestors lived through. Imagine if you had journals to read from family that lived through the Great Depression in the early years of the 20th century. Or, the fears of the wives of Confederate and Union soldiers as they held the family together alone during a war in their backyard. This is your time to leave that written legacy. How many of us have a journal? How many of us have a journal that has one page written in since the day after we bought the journal 5 years ago? Yep, I thought so. Why is a journal an important part of developing courage? Because it gives one the time to reflect on the day. It gives your children's children a hint into what your life was like. It gives you a few moments to go back in time whenever you are feeling that you just can't through what you are going through. There are so many reasons to keep a journal. I think the most important is to record your family. The day will come when you will be sitting alone and will want to look back. I know of widows that do that, and it does make them cry. However, they say it also makes them smile. Even as an empty-nester I can understand the looking back for memories times. However, I think there is a different reason for keeping a journal. It's your history. It's how the world revolved, and then how it pertained to one person's life. Leaving a legacy may be new thought to most people, because they probably think of a legacy as a material item. But, a legacy is documented in a journal. It's difficult to add keeping a journal to one's schedule. But, step aside and do it. Would the best time be at the end of the day? Perhaps, for some. Maybe it's first thing in the morning? Or, maybe it's a once a week task, like a Sunday afternoon. Whatever will fit into your schedule, do it. It's your first step into Family History. You can get a journal or a spiral notebook. Know that a journal will probably have acid free pages so that the paper will last longer than a simple spiral notebook. But, we want you to get started, so whichever is within your budget, get it. Another way to do it, that may not be as personal to your family because it won't be in your handwriting, is a word processing program. There are also websites that are journals and give you the ability to add pictures to the pages. So, whatever way you decide is the best for you, get started! I promise, your family will not complain if you leave them the precious gift of a journal. This seems like an odd thing for which to have courage. However, I know people who eat out all the time and then can't figure out why they don't have money. My son had just moved into an apartment with several other roommates, and he was the 'new' one. He went to the store and bought flour, sugar, ground beef, eggs, and other staple items. His new roommates laughed at him and couldn't figure out what he was doing. Then...it happened. It was not quite close to payday and all of his roommates were counting change and dollar bills. One night when they couldn't even pool their money to come up with enough for pizza; my son was in the kitchen preparing lasagna. He said to them, "You laughed. But here's some dinner if you want it." From that day on, they pooled their money for groceries instead...given to my son to make the menu and purchases. Eating out is expensive. Money that could be spent on necessities that are post-poned and in some instances, incur late fees. Or, it can be put away in savings. Or, it can simply give the saver peace of mind that there is a few dollars left in the checking account at the end of the pay period. No one can use the excuse that they don't know how to cook. One simply needs to read the recipe. Oh, yeah. The recipe. Cooking doesn't mean buying pre-prepared meals and heating them up. It means cook your meals from scratch. It takes planning. It takes budgeting. I suggest taking a calculator and a list, and keep up with the total. My son-in-law updates their shopping list as they need it and when they make their menu on the store app. Then, when they are ready, he pays the bill and they go to the store later that day and pick up their order. I know Walmart and Kroger do not charge extra for this service (however, I would offer to tip the employee that brings it out to your car). This is an amazing way to keep track of what is spent, and cancels out impulse purchases. Dave Ramsey, the financial expert, suggests that one separates your paycheck into envelopes for purchases for the month. One envelope is for groceries, one for entertainment, one for gas, etc. So, when you check out (or as you are adding on the calculator), you stop when you get to the amount in your envelope. He suggests, if you are not using a calculator as you shop, that you put the things you really could do without at the end of the conveyor belt so that when the register rings in at your limit, you know what you can do without. For the planning part, write out a menu. You can draw out a calendar on a piece of paper and fill it out with the meals for each day. Or, you can download our calendar and print it off. (Click here). One more tip, allow one day for left-overs; unless left-overs are used for lunches the next day. So, what does this have to do with Courage? It takes courage to make changes. It takes courage to stick to a plan. And, the freedom and peace of mind this small change makes in your life will be a fairly immediate reward. And, not all of our goals provide immediate results! |
Carolyn Bendall"After years of teaching people how to develop their 'outside' image; we realized the 'inner image' need just as much work. Let's take this journey together!" Archives
August 2022
Categories |