Small and Simple

. . . by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise (The Book of Mormon, Alma 37:6).

It is interesting to me that the smallest organisms created by God can cause the greatest damage to mankind--humans who are 100 times their size.  Nature continues to teach me object lessons.  I was "confounded" by one this week.  A small, unnoticeable tick somehow bit me.  I never knew I had a bite, but I became infected with a disease that has a high mortality rate should it go untreated.  Luckily, man has created a way around these little buggers, and I was able to get on an antibiotic, which after 5 days of absolute misery is now treating the illness.

While it is a little disconcerting to me that lives can be changed by such small means, I also realize that if God created these small creatures with such great, albeit harmful potential, the potential of his noblest creation, mankind, must be exponentially greater.  We have seen the realities of man's misuse of their capacity for greatness in more ways than one over the past several months, even days, but what about our capacity for good?  What unharnessed, unacknowledged potential for good do we have inside us?  What can we create that would change lives for the better?

In an address to women,  Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.  No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.  You might say, 'I'm not the creative type.  When I sing, I'm always half a tone above or below the note.  I cannot draw a line without a ruler.  And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.'  If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe.

So I say, even though we may feel small and simple, let's make great things happen!  God created us to do just that.

It's amazing what you can learn from a tick!

Watch this beautiful 2 minute video:
Create

Age 50 Rant

On June 18, I turned 50 years old.  Suddenly, I look at myself in the mirror and think I look 50 years old.  Suddenly, my body feels 50 years old.  What is happening to me!?!  I really didn't think it would be that big of a deal and on June 18, it wasn't!  I had a blast playing with my family.  My two out-of-state children surprised me by flying in for my birthday.  It was an awesomely wonderful weekend, but now . . . I feel it.  I really hope this is just a state of mind I can talk myself out of . . . SOON, but just in case, I have a doctor's appointment scheduled to see just how far the hormones have gone out of whack.  I really think at 50, hormones should give us women a break.  I mean REALLY, haven't they tortured us enough over the years . . . pregnancy hormones . . . baby blues . . . postpartum depression . . . premenopause . . . menopause . . . post menopause.  COME ON!  ENOUGH ALREADY!  And just when you think acne is a thing of the past, it comes back and accentuates all the liver spots!  By the way, will someone please explain why the word "men" shows up in "menopause"?!  Shouldn't it be called "womenonpause"?!  Because that is what it feels like . . . everything that used to make me feel like a women is on sabbatical . . . a very saggy, long sabbatical!

In all seriousness, my birthday was fantastic, and when I have time, I will post an awesome video recapping the wonderful time I spent with my family.  Each of them wrote me beautiful letters and notes that meant so much.  I will end with a quote my mom gave me:

Age 3:  She looks at herself and sees a queen.
Age 8:  She looks at herself and sees Cinderella.
Age 15:  She looks at herself and sees an ugly duckling (Mom, I can't go to school looking like this today!).
Age 20:  She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly" but decides she's going out anyway.
Age 40:  She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly" but says, "At least I am clean," and goes out anyway.
Age 50: She looks at herself and says, "I am what I am," and goes wherever she wants to go.
Age 60:  She looks at herself and reminds herself of all the people who can't even see themselves in the mirror anymore.  Goes out and conquers the world.
Age 70:  She looks at herself and sees wisdom, laughter, and ability and goes out and enjoys life.
Age 80:  Doesn't bother to look.  Just puts on a purple hat and goes out to have fun with the world.

The moral is, maybe we should all grab that purple hat a little earlier.
(Elder M. Russell Ballard)

I think I'm going to buy myself a new hat.