Letters

John Adams’ letter addresses Abigail as “Miss Adorable”                 4 October 1762

“Words words words.”
William Shakespeare, Hamlet

“My bursting heart must find vent in my pen.”
Abigail Adams

Letters. I love Letters; both writing them and receiving them.  There are many types and varieties, but the ones I want to address in this post are those that come from the heart. They are the personal kind.  Personal letters are pretty special for a few reasons.

1)  Letters connect us. When someone we love is absent from our immediate presence, we want to lessen the gap.  We long to link.  Share thoughts, laughter, experiences, and love. When someone we love is distant, our heart yearns to express and reach out, and, in return, receive. Letters are a way of connecting the distance.

2)  Written words fill a void where verbal expression falls short. The writer usually takes time to thoughtfully articulate matters of the mind and feelings of the heart.

3)  Seeing it in writing adds meaning: a thank you note, a love letter, an apology, an “I miss you.”  Writing it down gives words vibrato and longevity.

But, letters, as wonderful as they are, seem to be a dying art. Wouldn’t you agree?

What Mormons Think When You Ask…

Mormons get asked a lot of really weird questions. All my brothers and sisters – you know what I am talking about.

Oakland Temple

I want to answer them nicely, but sometimes I get kinda fed up.

And I get snarky. Just a little.

Here is how I would love to respond to these commonly-asked, annoying questions.

Because of Him

 

He Lives.

Have a Joyful Easter, friends.

 

 

 

 

 
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Gratitude: Appreciating the Scenic Route

The week before finals this semester was interesting, to say the least.

Usually, in my vernacular, interesting does not necessarily connote enjoyment.

Wednesday, my lymph nodes swelled to the size of ping-pong balls. The same night, I started to feel ultra sick. What made things worse was that I had to go on field trip for my natural disasters class the very next day, and I was not happy.

That night, a combination of pain, insomnia, and homework only allowed me to get 3 hours of sleep. I awoke early the next morning, got ready, and drug myself to the field trip.

Then I was stuck on an overheated, over-crowded bus for 7 hours seated in front of a girl with the voice of an annoying 12 year old who would. Not. Shut. Up.

Life with Real Intent

“An aim in life is the only fortune worth finding.”
Robert Louis Stevenson

“Be not simply good, be good for something.”
Henry David Thoreau

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.”                                    Michelangelo

I know, I know. Most of us have hit the post New Year’s resolutions slump, the pre-Spring blahs, and are now riding the daily doldrums escalator wondering if we’re ever going to arrive. While slumps are normal, if we get caught in them for too long, we could lose direction, wandering down avenues that strip us of so much more: joy, energy, inspiration, hope, faith, loss of purpose. Where’s the reward in that?

So, let’s turn it around. If aimless living has no rewards, then targeting each day should get us out of the doldrums and in a better direction. At least a direction. Hows about we take aim at living each day with Intention.