Brenda Grandma Travelers

 Brenda Clausing spoke in church today.  She talked about unity and love.  I loved a story she shared.  Her grandparents lived on South Temple between 400 and 500 West.  The railroad tracks passed by their home and trains would slow down by their home as they approached the turn into the train station.  Often people who were riding the train without tickets would hop off as the train slowed.  Often these travelers would find their way to her grandparents' home.  Brenda said her grandma never turned them away.  She baked bread or rolls regularly and they raised chickens.  So at the least she would have bread and eggs to offer these travelers, sometimes more food.  Brenda didn't think much about it as a little girl, but she looks back on these memories with fondness. Her grandma loved and served others, regardless of their background.

LESSONS LEARNED:  

How can I be a little more generous with my time, talents and money?  

I need to be less prone to judge those whose lives are different than mine.  They are my brothers and sisters.  Do I treat them as such?

I can do small acts with great love, in the words of Mother Teresa.  That's how unity and love and righteousness will grow.

Matthew 25:34-46 says:  

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his ^aright hand, Come, ye ^bblessed of my Father, ^cinherit the ^dkingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an ^ahungred, and ye ^bgave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a ^cstranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye ^avisited me: I was in ^bprison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee ^asick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have ^adone it unto one of the ^bleast of these my ^cbrethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the ^aleft hand, ^bDepart from me, ye ^ccursed, into everlasting ^dfire, ^eprepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an ^ahungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the ^aleast of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into ^aeverlasting ^bpunishment: but the ^crighteous into ^dlife ^eeternal.

Romney Grandfather Welcome

 In her book I Like Me, Anyway, Brooke Romney explains that one afternoon her grandfather asked her cousin to help him put up a large Welcome Home sign on the gate to their private community.  Her cousin asked where the man was returning from, expecting the answer to be the military or a mission.  Her grandfather replied, "He is coming home from prison, and I want him to know that we are happy that he is back with us." (64)

Romney writes, "That day, my grandfather stood proudly and caught this man's stones so he could walk back into life knowing that someone was on his side, someone was rooting for him, someone was glad he was home." 

Lessons Learned:  

Am I a stone catcher for those whose lives have gone differently than mine?  Am I a stone catcher for those who have made mistakes or who sin differently than I do?

Matthew 5: 7 "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy."

Elder Uchtdorf said in April 2012:  "When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:

Stop it!

It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters. I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”

Susan Heart Miracle

 I've been able to go walking a few times recently with Susan Vincent.  She found out a couple of months ago that 2 of her arteries were completely blocked and a third one was 80% blocked.  The doctor said it was a complete miracle that she hadn't suffered a heart attack.  In December, she had heart surgery to clear the blockages.  She's had a rough couple of years.  She's had multiple surgeries on her foot.  She is hoping to get on the liver transplant list.  She has been hospitalized several times and now had heart surgery.  But she comes to church each Sunday and she is going for walks around the neighborhood to build up her strength.  She is an inspiration to me.  She just keeps doing what needs to be done and tries to live a faithful life despite her challenges.  

In Real Talk Come Follow Me two weeks ago, Ganel-lyn Condie talked about an experience she had.  She had a dream about a friend of hers named Carrie Clark.  Carrie is a good woman.  She serves others.  She reaches out to those who are struggling.  She serves valiantly in callings.  She has been a scout leader and a primary worker and is one of those who is continually behind the scenes, doing what needs to be done and serving those who need service.  She will likely never be famous and her name will probably not be in history books, but she is good and valiant and makes a difference in the lives of those who know her.  Ganel-lyn had a dream one night that Carrie had died.  At her funeral, the stake center was filled and there were the boys she had taught in scouts and who were now returned missionaries and fathers.  There were her primary children, her neighbors, her friends.  Each one had a story of how Carrie had blessed their lives.  Ganel-lyn reached out to Carrie and shared her dream and Carrie thanked her and said she'd been wondering if the small and simple things she did really made any difference at all.  Ganel-lyn said that if you are a Carrie Clark, you ARE seen and known and what you do DOES matter.  And Susan Vincent is a Carrie Clark.  In fact, most of the women I know (and many of the men) are Carrie Clarks.  I am surrounded by valiant women who change this world in small but nevertheless profound ways through their goodness and their service.  I want to be a Carrie Clark.  I'm trying to be a Carrie Clark.

LESSONS LEARNED:  

Be valiant.  Keep being faithful, no matter what comes.

Even in the midst of hard challenges, the Lord sends miracles and tender mercies.  Notice them.  Record them.  Remember them.

Be a Carrie Clark or a Susan Vincent.  Keep doing good all the days of your life!!

Student Confidence Poetry

 I have a darling boy in my class this year.  He is so sweet and smart and I am so happy that we'll finally be going back into the classroom in a week.

Tonight I was reading some of the poetry they have written.  When I got to William's I read his poem and it was well written.  At the bottom he wrote, "Not trying to brag but I think we both know I am pretty awesome at writing poems!!!!!"  I laughed out loud.  But I also smiled so big because I just love his confidence and that he happily embraces his strengths and isn't afraid to share them with the world!  I just love it.

LESSONS LEARNED:  Share your talents.  Embrace your strengths.

Be confident.

Jackson Expose Bias

When my children started attending Jackson for the dual immersion program there, in my head I told myself how happy the teachers would be to have my children.  I knew Jackson was in an area with high poverty.  I worked in a neighborhood with high poverty and I know the challenges that many of the children face.  And in my head I assumed that meant that many of the parents would have limited education.  That my children would have a big advantage over many of the students there. 

Now there was some truth in my thoughts.  I had worked at a Title 1 school for several years at that point and many of the families do have limited education.  But as I got to know the parents at Jackson, I discovered that there were quite a few that had as much or more education than I did.  Several were living there because it was in relative proximity to the university and were pursuing advanced degrees.  I held a bias that was neither fully accurate nor at all helpful.  And many of the students were great students.  

What is ironic about this is I grew up quite poor.  I lived in a trailer park until 5th grade, then in an apartment for 5-7th grade and then with my grandparents for 8-9th grade.  I had either free or reduced lunch throughout my childhood.  But my mom had a college degree and my dad had some college.  And I was smart.  I was a great student.  I know better than to assume poverty makes you a poor student.  And yet, I still carried a bit of that bias.  We all have bias and we can't do anything about our biases until we come to recognize them.  

LESSONS LEARNED:  Experience can help us uncover and reform our unconscious biases.

We should not make judgments about people based on their income or the neighborhood in which they reside.

Romney Stonecatchers Judging

Brooke Romney (I Like Me Anyway) attended her grandmother's funeral.  Her uncle said he remembered a time when he was excited to share some juicy gossip with his mom.  When he told her the gossip, her response was "People who live in glass houses don't throw stones."    He tried to repeat the gossip--this was great gossip.  She simply repeated her previous statement.  She taught him not to gossip or judge others.

In the book Just Mercy Bryan Stevenson says we need to do more than just not throw stones...we need to be stone catchers.  We need to stand up for and protect the vulnerable.  

Brooke Romney shared several examples of stonecatchers.  Her grandma, obviously, was one.

One day Romney was at Target with her young son.  He was melting down.  She was trying to stay calm and calm him down while also holding her infant.  A woman walked over and said, "I love how you speak so kindly to your children even when they are giving you a hard time.  You are a wonderful mother."  She had been on the verge of losing it, but this woman was a stone catcher.

A friend, Jessica, delivered her 6th baby.  Her 3rd grade son had just been diagnosed with ADHD.  The friend was overwhelmed and exhausted.  The teacher didn't question why she wasn't more involved at school or why she had another child when she was so busy.  The teacher tutored and taught the little boy and helped him make progress.

She gives hints of how to be a stone catcher:

Share your struggles openly.

Put an arm around someone who is struggling. 

Be genuinely glad that the rowdy child or surly teenager is at church even if he/she doesn't seem to be taking anything in.   

Include others.

Notice who is standing/sitting alone and talk to them.

Welcome the stranger.  

See others through God's eyes.

LESSONS LEARNED:  Be a stonecatcher.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.  And since that isn't me...don't cast a stone!

LOVE...LOVE everyone and let your love be seen and felt!

Romney Swimming Disability

 Brooke Romney (I Like Me Anyway) tells an experience that happened at the swimming pool.  She and a friend saw a woman in a bikini with toned arms, tight abs and strong legs.  They both thought how lucky this woman was to have enough time and money to have a body like that.

Then they watched her walk to the pool and lift out a heavy child with severe special needs from the pool.  She then tenderly carried her daughter to their chairs. Suddenly, they both realized that her body hadn't come from hours at a gym working with a personal trainer.  She was strong and healthy and she most likely got each one of those muscles by caring for her child..."through selfless love and sacrifice."

She then said it is easy to look at the outside or the visible parts of a person's body or personality and make assumptions about them...but "who they are is so much deeper than most of us are willing to discover.  It is easy to dismiss people because they seem to have it all, but those who are spiritually, physically, socially or emotionally great have most likely paid a price to get there.  How often I want things the quick and easy way!  I want the muscles without the lifting; I want the humility without the heartache; I want the empathy without the suffering.  But that is not the plan.  Those who are this way have paid the price."  (page 61-62)

LESSONS LEARNED:  Judge not that ye be not judged.