THE SEASONS IN OUR LIVES

          Think of life as “seasons”….

I like to listen to "Music and the Spoken Word" while I am walking on Sunday morning.  But I am always a week or two behind the broadcast since I walk long before that program airs at 9:30 Mountain time every week.  

This is MY take-away message which I heard for the March 5, 2023, broadcast.  I thought it was worth repeating.

A wise six-year-old once said that you can have a "NO problem day", but you can't have a "NO problem life".  What a good little observer!

It doesn't do any good to keep a running count of sunny days and rainy days, tallying up good days and bad days.  Happiness doesn't depend on the absence of problems.  Problems are always going to be there.  They are the STUFF of life!

Instead, we would do well to think of SEASONS in our lives.  Seasons of both rain and sunshine. 

When we keep a larger perspective, we know for sure that the cold which accompanies the beautiful winter white will soon turn into the brilliant sun and warmth of summer.  The same is true of stress and pain.  Both are needed since the sweet often comes after the sadness or pain or bitter of bad days.   

It's a cycle--because both are essential.

Embrace problems as a vital part of the cycle instead of seeing them as the enemy of your life.

Good days are temporary. Bad days become better in time.  

Beginnings have endings.  Endings have beginnings. 

BITTER AND SWEET.  That's what makes a good life!

Words of wisdom for us all...EACH SEASON IS ESSENTIAL !

CONNECTION...

I went into JoAnn's Fabric store a few weeks ago to return some wooden beads.  There was a LOOONG line for the cash register that snaked around out into the aisles, and it looked like I was in for a long wait.  There was a woman in front of me, looked like she was from my time, so I just said casually, "Is there something special going on?  This is just a plain old Friday, and I don't know of any holidays."  She said she was surprised at the number of people in the store at that time which was way before noon.

As we stood there together, I started talking about sewing in general and that my daughter had told me recently that the price for patterns was now upwards of $20.  I told this woman I was shocked at that because when I was doing a lot of sewing for my children as they were growing up, I hated it when the price of a pattern creeped up near $3.00.  When I first started sewing as a girl in 4-H, and when my mother purchased patterns to sew clothing for my sisters and me, the Simplicity and McCall's patterns were less than Fifty Cents.  I think Butterick Patterns might have been similar, but VOGUE was too stylish, and the patterns were costly.  Probably $1.99.  She shared her thoughts about patterns, sewing for her kids, and while we were talking slowly advanced forward in that long line.

At one point the group conversation in front of the two of us included a little girl who said she was someone's little sister.  I joked and told her, "Just don't let anyone call you 'Baby Sister'!  One of my older sisters called me that until the day she died, and I was a grown woman with grandchildren."  Everyone laughed.

Shortly after that, the woman in front of me was first in line and was called to a cash register.  I got the next call to the register which was close to hers.

A couple of minutes later, the woman who had been in front of me came over to me as she was leaving the store and handed me a wrapped life saver.  "Thank you for talking to me.  Have a good day!"

"Oh, you're welcome...you have a good day, too!"

I was taken aback.  Was this woman lonely?  Did she often find herself in a group where no one said anything to her?  When she was in line at a store, didn't anyone ever say anything to her?

Whatever the reason, I was glad I had struck up a conversation with her.  It wasn't any big deal for me.  I didn't stand there and think to myself that this woman looked lonely.   I certainly didn't feel compelled to talk to her.  Must be because I am so used to engaging with strangers, I just opened my mouth and started to talk just like I always do.

But for some reason, this woman felt a connection.  And I was glad that I initiated that connection.  You never know who needs a smile, a kind word, an interested comment.  I think that's what ministering is all about--just reaching out to make a

CONNECTION....

NO COMPETITION !

 

When I was a little girl, I always enjoyed when we sang the hymn “We Are

Sowing” at Church.  The tune was catchy, and I could remember the

words….”We are sowing, daily sowing countless seeds of good and ill…”  The

four verses pretty much tell the parable in Matthew 13, but that particular

citation in Matthew is not in the scripture notation at the bottom of the hymn 

page.  However, this story of Jesus was well-known even to me at that time, 

and I could see the whole story in my mind as we sang the words.

 

I had chosen to live the doctrines of the gospel and hold onto the covenants I 

had made.  So, I never saw myself in this parable, except having received the 

seed in good ground.

 

Until we recently studied the parables in Come Follow Me. 

This time around I actually paid attention to the part of Matthew 13:23 which

talks about bringing forth fruit “some an hundredfold, some sixty, some

thirty.”  What exactly did that mean?  Something like the parable of the talents,

maybe?  During part of the study I did, I learned that it meant some of us

have the capability of yielding 100, like the prophet and the general authorities

and others that are admirable for their great contributions. Others at

another level can produce a goodly amount at 60 depending on their situations

at the time.  Then sometimes we are in a season of only being capable of 30

perhaps because of family circumstances, health constraints, or other

limitations.

 

But this is the most important part of what I learned this month.  All those

yields are good.  And I needed to stop worrying that so and so was seemingly

doing more than I was.  That another so and so was at the forefront of

everything that seemed to be of importance. More visible stuff that definitely

looks impressive.  But it doesn’t matter.  We yield what we can at the time:

30, 60, 100.  There is no competition. 

 

And for a very competitive person like I am, that was a good lesson to learn. 

My “thirty” contributions are just as important as are the “one hundred”

contributors’. President Nelson and others have said their callings are not

more important than anyone else’s.  All are needed. 

 

This lesson has become a constant daily reminder for me…what I am doing, if it

is wholehearted, is also valuable.  My contributions are good, too.  Just

different than others’.  All of it counts as bringing forth fruits. 

 

No competition!

TALK ABOUT LUCK....

 

BE A BUFFALO....

 

When people think of Colorado, they usually think of the beautiful mountains that dominate much of the state.  Interestingly, those majestic Rocky Mountains cut the state right in two. The Colorado Plateau region is on the western side of the state, where there are hills, valleys, plateaus, and mesas.  Then east of those towering mountains are the Great Plains.  This flat area is where most of the farming in the state can be found.  It is also where buffalo—and cows, too—roam the high plains.

Scott Millson describes an interesting phenomenon often played out in Colorado:  "When cattle sense or see a storm coming over the Rockies to the West, they will turn to the East and try to outrun the storm.  If you have ever seen a cow run, you know there is no chance that the cow will outrun anything, particularly a storm.  So, when the storm hits, cows are simply prolonging their time in the storm by running with it, maximizing the amount of pain, time, and frustration they experience from that storm.  

 The buffalo on the other hand sense the same storm, but when the storm crests, they charge West, directly into the path of the approaching storm.  By running head-first into the storm, they run straight through it, minimizing the amount of pain, time, and frustration they experience from that storm.

 Both animals have similar time periods to evaluate the storm as they both come up against the SAME storm, but their responses and experiences are dramatically different.” 

 The conscious decisions we make when we encounter storms in our lives are very similar to those choices manifested on the high plains of Colorado.  Adversity is no stranger to any of us.  But much like the cows or the buffalo, it’s how we react to the storms that come to us through illness, the death of a loved one, employment challenges, wayward family members, or the problems in the world that makes the difference in our progress. 

 Do we blame God and rail against heaven for our misfortunes?  Or do we realize we are all subject to the same conditions of life, death, the actions of others, and the very nature of the earth? Again, it’s not the type of adversity we are suffering that makes the difference, it’s how we react. 

 So, let’s face the storms in our lives by running straight through them to minimize the battering and, at the same time, recognize with gratitude all that is still good.  That’s what allows us to survive the storms of life.

 In other words...

Be a buffalo.                                                                    

 

 

I HAD A HEART ATTACK!

 

Ro and Pippa at Ma' G's

My youngest grand people, Ro aged 9 and Pippa who is seven, came from Portland with their mother Brittany last week to spend a few days with us for a winter break. 

 One morning before I got up, the three of them quietly covered the front door with a burst of paper hearts to wish me a Happy Valentine's Day.

What a wonderful surprise! 

I had never experienced a HEART ATTACK before, and this was a fun one, designed to let me know I was loved.  

Besides that activity, we had a regular Nichols Family "Happy Hearts Week" complete with an old-fashioned Nichols Family Valentine's party, which included decorated boxes full of Valentine wishes for each person and HEART Bingo.  Ma' G also pulled some great memories out of the Nichols Family Archives which she shared with everyone.  Lots of reminiscing and laughs....

Additionally, we ate Nichols Family favorites like Poke Cake, Maple Scramble, Chocolate Turtle Cookies, Cheese Boats, Crescent Chicken Sandwiches, homemade potato soup, and decorated sugar cookies in various sizes of hearts.  Oh, we pigged out for sure all week long!

And...we staged an 80's party one night because Ro's school class was having one in Portland, and we didn't want him to miss out.  The movie we screened?  You guessed it--BACK TO THE FUTURE!.  Definitely a Nichols Family favorite!

Swimming at the YMCA, bowling at The Summit, visiting with Colorado cousins, family dinners, lunch with friends from long ago, and a Saturday night Ice Cream Social at the Church featuring games, dancing (slow, fast, and the Macarena), a hula hoop contest, balloon pop, prizes, and other entertainment rounded out that evening.

It was a great vacation all through the week which made it tough to say goodbye when it was time for our guests to fly home, tired but happy.   

Maybe we can plan a REPEAT for another week of Nichols Family Events for a different holiday this year.  Wouldn't THAT be enjoyable!  Maybe a summertime retreat....

In the meantime, we have lots of memories and lots of pictures to remind us how fun it is to be with family!  

THE NICHOLS FAMILY!

TRUE LOVE

 

Years ago, when I was on a layover for United Airlines in downtown Chicago, I went for a long walk far away to the outskirts of the city.  I passed Harpo Studios where Oprah Winfrey taped her television show, and then browsed some of the stores that were in nearby shopping areas. 

When I went into the Goodwill Store there, a beautiful piece of framed embroidery immediately caught my eye.  It bore a simple, but profound, statement that resonated with me.  

“Having a friend is a comfort that can never be taken away.”

In spite of the fact that the piece was 17x9 inches, I knew I wanted to display it in my home. So, I quickly paid $5.00 for my purchase and headed back to the hotel with my treasure tucked firmly under my arm because it didn’t fit into my backpack. For three days until that trip was over, I had to hand carry it through each airport and find a special place for it on each plane until I returned to Denver.  But it was worth the extra effort.  Every time I see that framed sampler, it is a happy memory of my day in Chicago AND of special friends who have enriched my life.   

I first met Rosalie in 1971 when she moved into my Arvada congregation at Church.  She was 11 years older than I was and we were in different phases of our lives, but there was something about our first encounter that sparked a solid friendship that has lasted over 50 years. 

In spite of the fact I had seven sisters, Rosalie became my “sister” and “aunt” to my children that my own sisters never were because of long distance and other circumstances.  Most importantly, she became my friend. My BFF. 

She was the one I called when I needed help and had no vehicle because my husband had our only car with him for his job.  She bandaged my toddler’s head when he split it open after a fall, picked up my elementary school-aged boy when he ran into a pole and knocked himself out, and when my little girl lost her stuffed bunny she found it. She bundled my children into her home when I went to the hospital to have a baby, and when we had to go to Wisconsin for my mother-in-law’s funeral Rosalie was there to make sure my children spent that time with her family.  When I had questions about dealing with my children, she counseled me with gospel principles.  She took care of our home while we were living on the East Coast and in Europe over a period of several years. She asked me to serve with her in the Stake Relief Society where I continued to learn so much more from her about ministering to others through her example. She catered my children’s wedding receptions when they got married.  And on and on….

Most importantly of all, she cared for me when my “mother heart” was grieving after my 10-year-old boy fell out of that old Cottonwood tree one beautiful summer morning and died the following afternoon.  Rosalie listened when I wept, held me when I cried, answered the phone in the middle of the night to comfort me when I felt like I couldn’t go on.  And she never once said any of those trite phrases like “He’s in a better place.”  Or “Time heals everything.” Or “You’re lucky you still have five more kids.” 

Instead, she would just tell me that she cared I was hurting.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin in October 2007 General conference taught that “love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the pathway of discipleship.  It comforts, counsels, cures, and consoles.  It leads us through valleys of darkness and through the veil of death.”

So, it is Rosalie that I think of most often when I glance at that beautiful piece of stitchery on my kitchen shelf.  Though she is now in her late 80’s and frail, she continues to reach out as a friend—at this time for over half a century—and continues that comfort for me which will never be taken away.

During this month of hearts and love, we probably think most often of romantic love.  But charity, the true love of Christ, broadens the spectrum to include the second half of the great commandment to love God, which is to love our neighbor as ourself.  (Matthew 22:37-39)

Obviously, we don’t need to do big things to show love to others.  The best expressions of love are the simple acts of kindness and caring we extend to those we meet along the path of life. Like Rosalie did for me.  That is the charity Christ exemplified because as we bear one another’s burdens, as He did, we fulfill the law of Christ.

I invite you to think of your friends—the ones who have ministered to you and given you comfort—and pass that example forward with some simple expressions of love for people you meet along the way, your neighbors next door, at work, in the community, or in the world.  Give them loving friendship that will comfort them…  Doing so will make happy hearts.  Yours and theirs. I promise!

Happy Valentine’s Day !