Family Lessons

Family is sooo important to me. I love creating, feeding, fostering, and enjoying my family relationships. This makes it difficult when families are torn, divided, or otherwise injured, making me feel injured in the process. I'm not saying they should make their decisions with me in mind, but rather that I hurt along with them. It is hard when they understand some things so well, making careful choices of what to allow into their lives, but don't know that they push away so many helpful things that they're really loosing out from what their missing. I struggle...

Dedicating our home

I started to compose a post about dedicating our home on May 9 but did not finish the post and publish it until later. It published as if the date were May 9. I invite you to go back and read it.

A Great Lesson in Customer Service

I have often touted how I love working for jetBlue. I love the atmosphere and the people, but last night I had an experience that made me love them even more. Usually as a standby customer/crewmember, you kinda get the bottom of the barrel. We know we're standby and only get to fly when there's space and we usually get treated that way. But last night, the crewmember who helped us get squared away for tonight, really hit it on the head. She was outstanding to the customers. I felt proud to work with someone who resembled in person what I try to do on the phone. When the customers were on the plane, she sighed a great sigh of relief - I felt worried for those of us left. It became clear we weren't going to make it and then the announcement came. She called us all up to the podium, explained the situation and our options and proceeded to help us out. There she was again, nice and professional - with a smile on her face. Its amazing how great it feels to be treated like a person! At 1230am I got a phone call from her. There had been a problem moving my family over, though I made it. She called me, a crewmember flying standby, to let me know they are aware of the issue, and she will be working tonight to fix it and make sure all is right. It blew me away! She didn't have to do that for me, but she did. It reinforced all of those things we need as humans - to be heard and cared about, even after we're no longer a pressing voice in someone's face. I appreciate her so much and it would bring me back to jetBlue - even more so now than before. Caring is such an underestimated value today - I just had to share. It really is out there.

Words

I have often thought about how powerful words can be. I've written poetry, and found ways to use words to be very descriptive or convincing. but lately I have been noticing just how powerful they are. They can invoke the deepest feelings of love, joy and peace, lift the soul, comfort the weary, give hope, share humor and do many other wonderful things. but they can also, hurt feelings, damage relationships, change the future, tear apart families and create war. and many things in between. Once you have said something, you cannot UN-say it. You can not control how it will be received, interpreted, or effect those that hear it. speaking out laud is permanent, in that respect. This got me thinking. "Am I thinking about, and choosing my words with care?". Or do I just spit them out recklessly, not paying attention to their effect. I am now trying to think about and chose my words wisely.

O Say, What Is Truth?

I read this on the personal blog of Matthew Kastendieck, one of my blog followers. I couldn't have said it any better, and it really impressed me, as it's exactly how I feel:

D&C 93:24 says: “And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;”

This grand principle is not generally known among mankind. In grade eleven, I had a teacher who defined truth as the accepted beliefs of how things are. She talked about how truth was subject to change as mankind learned more about the universe around them.

If this is the case, what principles ought we to build our lives upon? According to this definition, even truth cannot be relied upon because it may change.

I am grateful for the knowledge that truth is unchanging; it is more than a belief or opinion. While we do not have a perfect knowledge of the truth, God does. That is why we can trust in Him to guide us in this life.

In the tempest of changing opinions and beliefs in the world around us, we can always look to the lighthouse of God’s word, which guides us according to the absolute and unchanging truth.

The Lord's University

In a talk presented by our Stake President, he spoke of the Lord's University. It being the temple. That church and scriptures, seminary, etc are kind of like elementary, middle, and high school. They are very helpful and send you in the right direction, but if you really want to know what to do, how to do it, and everything else you have to go to the University. It will really give you direction in your life.

something I am continually learning....

To obtain knowledge and wisdom, requires patiance and faith.