Author: symplyrosie

Posted on

Memories

I remember lying in bed with a fever and feeling very sick. I was probably only around 6 or 7.

My mother was sitting by my bed and my picture of Jesus was on the wall in my room. But I didn’t want her to leave. I remember being so scared to be alone.

That night my Mother told me a story about a little girl just like me who was very sick and she was all alone in a hospital. She was so scared that she cried so hard but there was no one around to hear her it seemed. Then finally she cried out in almost in a whisper: “Is there anyone out there to protect me and give me comfort?”. She closed her eyes and felt a warm hand take her hand and dry her tears with His other hand. She instantly felt safe. She opened her little eyes and there was Jesus smiling down at her. “Your never alone, all you need to do is reach out, I will be there always”. She went to sleep peacefully. And when the nurses checked her in the morning her fever was gone and she was on the road to recovery.. 

Mommy said “that is Jesus” and she pointed to my picture on the wall. Jesus loves all his children.  We prayed together. Then she kissed me goodnight. Jesus was there. I have never stopped talking to him since. 

Many years later I learned that the little girl in this story was my Mother when she was sick with Scarlet Fever. Mother is passed now and I truly miss her. I am so thankful for the lessons she gave me. She gave me the greatest gift of all. A relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ.

Posted on

Please Look At The Bigger Picture

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all of the tasks we have on our plates. Taking the time to ask ourselves why we are doing them can help us remember the bigger picture our daily tasks are leading us to.

How do I stay motivated?

Try to understand your role in the universe. You didn’t arrive on this earth or get to where you are now without connections or history. You have ancestors who worked hard and had values. You have parents who did their best. And you have a spiritual connection to God, the Creator of the universe. Meditate on that for just a moment: the guidance and assurances from an all-powerful God who loves and cares for you; the sacrifices made by the people who came before you. Think of the hard work it took them to get you to this point. Let this be a motivator for you.

How do I stay on task?

Make a game of tedious tasks, or contemplate meaningful things in your day-to-day life while you work. Listen to inspirational podcasts. Make a list of your tasks and give them each a time frame for completion. Be smart about the order in which you accomplish tasks. Organize your tasks so your time is efficient. Some tasks require more brainpower—do those first. Some require low distractions—turn off phones and close your door so you can focus in peace and quiet. Write down the things that give meaning to your life. When you know you have a family to get home to or a person to help, it gives purpose to your goals.

Posted on

Graphical Location does not necessarily define the Church.

No, Utah is not my church, The politics suck ….I don’t believe in “what many call Mormonism”, and please never describe me as “Churchy”.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jesus Christ is my Savior and Friend. He hears all of my prayers. He comforts me. I believe that He is at the helm of this Church but that He is also is watching over all of His children. I believe that music has a great power and that it played a very large part of the creation of this world and everything in it.

I believe that nothing happens by accident and that everything we are and everything we own first belongs to God. It is by his grace that we are able to take part in this amazing creation.

Most of all I know that I am a Child of God and that He Loves me.

In The Name of Jesus Christ …. Amen

Posted on

Halloween is Coming!

I used to enjoy dressing up for Halloween. I made costumes for my children as well as myself. It was fun to do trick or treating. However, the bloody gory movies, and the evil ugly costumes that have overtaken the commercial end of it all has sickened me to no end.

Halloween does come from Christian origins.  Halloween is the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows’ Day.  (also known as All Saints’ or Hallowmas) on 1 November and All souls’ Day. on 2 November, thus giving the holiday on 31 October the full name of All Hallows’ Eve (meaning the evening before All Hallows’ Day).

In Europe groups of poor people, often children, would go door-to-door during Allhallowtide, collecting soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the dead, especially the souls of the givers’ friends and relatives. Soul cakes would also be offered for the souls themselves to eat, or the ‘soulers’ would act as their representatives. As with the  tradition of , Allhallowtide soul cakes were often marked with a cross, indicating that they were baked as alms. On the custom of wearing costumes, Christian minister Prince Sorie Conteh wrote: “It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints’ Day, and All Hallows’ Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. In order to avoid being recognized by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities”.

I do genealogy and Temple work to honor the dead. So I chose to reflect on those that have gone on to the next life and pray for them. Especially on Halloween. I try to avoid the evil celebrations.

I do still like the dressing up part though….

Posted on

The Healing Power of Music

I found this story that was submitted to Facebook a while back:

I turned onto the street where my father lives. The closer I got to the house, the more I dreaded seeing him.

Since Mom died and he lived alone, Dad was often angry, and lately he was getting more and more confused. Today promised to be worse than usual. He had a new aid named Liuda, from our home country of Lithuania. The presence of a stranger was bound to make Dad even more irritable.

Sure enough, Dad started complaining as soon as I got in the door. “This new girl doesn’t know anything,” he grumbled.

“It’ll take some time for her to learn how to help you,” I reassured him.

The three of us sat awkwardly in the living room. I wished I could think of something to say. Lord, please help us feel more comfortable with this arrangement. 

Liuda sprang to her feet. Walking over to Dad’s record player, she dropped a Lithuanian folk record onto the turntable. The familiar accordion music played. Dad started singing. Liuda smiled.

The music seemed to drive all the tension from the room. We chatted about Lithuania. It was one of the nicest visits Dad and I had ever had.

When I left he hugged me good-bye and asked me to look at old photos with him and Liuda next time. For a moment I glimpsed the old Dad. The man I’d always loved spending time with.

I’d come to Dad’s expecting the worst. But with Liuda’s help and a little music from the old country, I’d found what I would always love.