Write at the Heart

On the 11th day of Christmas, Christ gave me… Creation. I’m a self-proclaimed Nature Gusher. Oh, it’s just what it sounds like. I gush at nature. At trees, rivers, lakes, sunsets, landscapes, flowers, rocks, mountains, you name it, & I gush like I’ve never seen it before! 😆 I can’t help it. I find LIFE & SPIRIT in nature. Being under the heavens brings me back to myself like nothing else. I feel like Alma, who proclaimed: “All things denote there is a God” (Alma 30:44) “We cannot disregard the divine in the Creation.” (Pres. Nelson) “For by [Christ] were all ​​​things​ ​​​created​, that are in heaven, & that are in earth… (Col 1:16) “By the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten” (Moses 1:33) I think of Moses’ incredible vision where he “beheld the world upon which he was created… & all the children of men… he greatly marveled & wondered” (8) I BET HE GUSHED.  It took several hours for his strength to return. He said, “Now, for this cause I know that man i

Well, I ALMOST stayed on track with my 12 days of Christmas posts. But never fear, day 10 is here 😆 On the 10th day of Christmas, Christ gave me… Hope. One day when my son was in 1st grade, he came home from school with an art project where they cut up a picture & then glued it back together in an artsy way.  He told me after they cut up their pictures, they put the pieces in baggies to finish later. But when it was time to put their puzzles back together, he panicked. He couldn’t remember where his pieces went! As everyone else began gluing, he didn’t know what to do. He wanted to cry. Then he said a prayer. He told me earnestly, “Jesus Christ helped me put it back together.” The way he said “Jesus Christ” with complete confidence.❤️😭 And I thought, when things are a mess in my life, Jesus helps me put my pieces together again, too. He is Hope. “The word hope is sometimes misunderstood. In our everyday language, the word often has a hint of uncertainty… In the language of the go

On the 9th day of Christmas, Christ gave me... Eyes to See. One of the things I love most about Jesus is the way He noticed everyone. Not only noticed them, but saw them deeply. He understood their situation. He knew their worth, their potential, their heart.  For the past 9 months, I’ve volunteered at the local food pantry.  One day a young woman came in SO excited & happy. I curiously watched her run up to the lady in charge & give her a huge hug. She was glowing! Then I learned this girl’s story. A few months earlier she had come in at her absolute lowest. She was struggling big-time. When a volunteer discovered she was sleeping on the streets, he went around the pantry right then, gathered cash from other volunteers, went to Walmart, & bought her a nice sleeping bag😭 No judgment. Just kindness. She got back on her feet. She turned her life around. And she was SO excited to tell everyone how she was doing. I heard her say, "This place changed my life! And as soon a

On the 8th day of Christmas, Christ gave me… Healing. For the woman with the issue of blood it was 12 years. For the afflicted man waiting at the pool of Bethesda it was 38. Six years doesn’t seem like much in comparison. But during those 6 years I pled to be healed. I struggled with horrible body image starting at age 14. I thought I could fix it. So I made myself throw up off & on for years. As you can imagine, this brought NOTHING good into my life. It drew me into a dark place of obsessive thoughts & actually fed the demons I was trying so hard to destroy.  Instead of "fixing" me, it was breaking me. Yet I couldn’t stop I prayed & prayed & didn’t know why God wasn’t taking it away from me. It is painful to remember. But I don't want to forget. Because this is a story about overcoming. A story about healing. I don’t recognize that girl anymore. There is a line in the show “The Chosen.” After being healed, Mary Magdalene says, “I was one way, & now I

On the 7th day of Christmas, Christ gave me… Peace. I didn’t know what else to do except get out of the house & drive. I didn’t know where I was going or when I’d come back. I just knew I was in absolute turmoil. I found myself heading towards the temple. It was snowing. It was really late. I knew the temple was not the ideal place to go in slick conditions, as it was up the mountain. But I went. I saw it gleam up ahead. Not a person or car was in sight. I climbed the hill alone. Slowly I drove until the temple was in full view. It was breathtaking. I drove the loop around it, much on my mind. “Help me, God,” I pled. As I started carefully creeping my way back down the hill, movement caught my eye. A deer. Strolling gracefully across the snow-covered road in front of me. I stopped. He stopped.  We stared at each other. Me & him, in the darkness of the night, under the glow of the temple, surrounded by the beauty of falling snow. Then he continued on. And so did I. A powerful se

On the 6th day of Christmas, Christ gave me… Repentance. One year the Easter Bunny had a SERIOUS lapse in judgment by putting FLARP in each of the kids’ baskets. What’s Flarp, you ask? It’s akin to SLIME, GOO, or PUTTY. Like I said, LAPSE IN JUDGMENT. Well, that Easter morn, I’d retreated into the basement to print off my lesson on the atonement that I'd been stressing about for DAYS.  When I ascended back upstairs, what did my innocent, never-been-Flarped eyes behold? NOT ONLY candy wrappers & jelly beans sprinkled all over the floor like confetti, I saw IT. Flarp. Melted into the carpet. In 7 different places.  It was gooey, it was wet, & it was NOT coming out. 😫 FLARP IT ALL! I was SO mad & I said some very unkind things about the Easter Bunny (aka me) to the kids. I said giving Flarp to 6 kids ages 10 & under was the stupidest idea he could have ever had. I threatened to banish him henceforth. I threatened to throw their baskets right into the garbage. We arriv

On the 5th day of Christmas, Christ gave me… Humility.  I was fuming in my college apartment bedroom the day I realized that Jesus washed the feet of the man who betrayed him. I'd been offended & in my self-righteousness thinking things like, "How DARE they!" & “I can't BELIEVE them!" And then- as if starring in my own seminary video- my eyes fell upon my roommate's picture of Christ. My mind went to His final night. To Jesus kneeling at the feet of His disciples. Removing their filthy sandals. Gently cleaning the dirt away. He who was THEIR master, THEIR leader, THEIR teacher, THEIR Savior… yet, He washed THEIR feet. INCLUDING JUDAS. Whoa. What was THAT like? Christ knew the end of His mortal mission was coming. The ultimate sacrifice was about to take place. As well as the ultimate betrayal. And "He knew who should betray him” (John 13:11) HE KNEW. He knew that despite Judas being his friend & follower for 3 years, witness to His kindness,

On the 4th day of Christmas, Christ gave me… Grace. A few nights ago we went to a drive-thru live nativity put on by a local church. At each “station” people in costume enacted the Christmas story. It all was so beautiful! But I couldn’t stop thinking about the angel. “Gabriel” stood on a stool. In each hand he held two long sticks draped in flowing white cloth. He faced Mary, depicting the moment when he reveals her divine mission. And the whole time he raised his arms up & down, up & down, like angel’s wings. Over & over. And every time he raised his arms, he winced with the effort. Every. time.  My kids said worriedly, “Look how tired he is! I feel bad for him!” And so did I. How long had he been there? I saw the cars ahead & the many cars behind. I wanted to roll down my window & say, “It’s ok! You can rest! We don’t care!” But he was not breaking character. For some reason, this touched me. And days later, I am like, why? Why did it feel so meaningful? Because

On the 3rd day of Christmas, Christ gave me… Joy. A few years ago I was asked to be a presenter at our stake women’s conference on “Living with Enthusiasm.” I was excited & terrified. The next few weeks as I prepared my talk, several extremely hard things happened to people around me. My heart hurt so much from the pain others were experiencing, & I asked myself, "HOW can I POSSIBLY speak on living life with enthusiasm?" It seemed impossible. I searched the scriptures & read Alma 26. It changed everything. I felt every word. My heart burned as I read it over & over, Ammon’s expressions of pure joy, REJOICING at life & GLORYING in the Lord. Why was he SO HAPPY? -Repentance- he changed from a wicked, rebelling youth to a humble man of God. Did it make his life easier? No! But it brought purpose, meaning, & joy into his life. -Service & sacrifice- he refused to be a king in order to teach the gospel to a seemingly hopeless people, suffering “every pri

On the 2nd day of Christmas, Christ gave me… Divine Worth. When I was 12, I had 2 posters hung up in my room: Jonathan Taylor Thomas (fondly known as JTT) 🤷‍♀️😂, & a poster of Christ with the words “You Are Never Alone.”  That poster of JTT had been GREATLY sought after. I marched into the local drug store, babysitting money in hand, & beamed in happiness as I took that adorable face home! It was the FIRST (and only, actually) celebrity to grace my walls!! Yes, my life was complete! I could gaze upon JTT's face in my VERY ROOM. My friends & I admired his cute flannel jacket, his cheesy smile, his chestnut bangs… Ah, to be 12. Now, the other poster. The poster of Christ was given as a gift to welcome me into the Young Women’s program. It hung on the wall directly across my bed. It caught my eye a lot, & when I prayed, or felt sad, or scared, I often found myself opening my eyes & talking right to Him.  I can see the pink & white striped wall behind Him, I c

On the 1st day of Christmas, Christ gave me… Love. President Joseph F. Smith, just before he died, was in the act of pondering 1) “the great atoning sacrifice that was made by the Son of God”  And 2) “the great & wonderful love made manifest by the Father & the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world” (D&C 138:2-3) Great Sacrifice. Great Love. With such reflection came an unbelievably significant & mind-blowing revelation for President Smith- one that explained Peter’s Biblical words about Christ preaching to the spirits in prison.  One that revealed Christ as the Savior to All. ALL. Even those “who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.” (32) The spirit world is a place of learning & growing?! How incredible it is to know we still have opportunities, change, & progression AFTER we die!  What a gift! Death is not the end! Not for our physical bodies, not for our minds, not for our sou

“We announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet…” (D&C 135:1) The prophet was dead. But the restored gospel was here to stay. He knew who he was. He knew his mission. He said: ​​​​“I speak boldly & faithfully & with authority… I understand my mission & business. God Almighty ​​is my shield; & what can man do if God is my friend? I shall not be sacrificed until my time comes; then I shall be offered freely.” He knew his time was short. He knew the risks of speaking the truth. He did it anyway. “…though I was hated & persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true… who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, & I knew that God knew it, & I could not deny it, neither dared I do it” There will always be those who don’t believe. ​​​​“… You don’t know me; you never knew my heart. No man knows my history… I don’t blame any one for not believin

It was the WORST marathon experience of my life. Halfway through, something went horribly wrong. I was having a few issues & I felt my goals, along with all my motivation, slipping out the window.  Physically, I felt done. Mentally, I felt done. And I still had 13 miles to go. 13!! I held back tears as I switched between walking & running- ok, shuffling. HOW could I finish? Words can’t describe how disappointed I was in myself. It was not what I trained for. Not what I planned for. Just then, a lady came up from behind me. She walked & talked with me for a few minutes until she took off again. Immediately my spirits were lifted. Mile after mile, strangers spoke words of encouragement to me, many struggling themselves. And my feet somehow kept taking the next step. And the next. And when I was dying of thirst in the hot sun, a woman on a motorbike appeared & offered ice from her little cooler, which I shoved right into my mouth. It was heaven-sent! I was like- is there r

My 7-year-old needed extensive dental work done. When we met with the anesthesiologist, she bluntly went over possible side effects in front of my son. Including the risk of death.  Ahh! I hoped that my little boy- who already was SO nervous- hadn’t heard her. However, after she left, my son looked at me & my husband, fear in his eyes. “What did she say? A risk of… what?” He’d heard it. How could I repeat it? Yeah son, your parents whom you love & trust the MOST are turning you over to these strangers to do something to you that might cause you to die?! THANKS a LOT, lady. We hugged him. Calmed him. Told him this was going to help him. For the greater good! And that sweet boy looked at us bravely with complete trust. Trust that we knew what was best. Trust that this was what he needed to do. Trust that it would be ok. He knew we loved him. And that was enough. It brought me to tears. Don’t worry- he came out unscathed 😅 I don’t pretend to have an understanding of the church’s

She was converted & baptized into the Church in 1924. It was then that they began to happen. The dreams. In the dreams, her deceased grandmother- who had raised her- appeared & asked, “Would you like to see your mother?”  Orphaned as a baby, she answered, “Oh yes!”  Her grandmother led her into a dark room. She said, “I can’t see anything. It is so dark!” Her grandmother told her she must come farther. Taking her by the hand, she led her from room to room, each darker than the last. Until finally, “Here is your mother now.”  Then came her mother’s voice, “Child, child, save me!” She did not know what to make of the dreams. One day she told her branch president. And for the first time, she learned of baptisms for the dead. She “understood immediately.” Her dream was about temple work. Thirty years later, as soon as her family immigrated to America & could get to a temple, her mother’s work (& many others!) was completed. (Story taken from an interview with my great-grand

This last summer we took our kids to church sites in Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, & Illinois. We had one last place on our list, the place closest to us- Kirtland, Ohio- & finally checked it off this last week!  Visiting these historical places while studying the D&C has been awesome. It’s become more real to me. I’ve never understood the D&C as much as I do now. I’ve taken more time to study it than I ever have. I feel fortunate to have so many resources from which to study. I’m grateful for the many incredible podcasts with historians & scriptorians & others who dive headfirst into the details & documents & journals of the early church, sincerely looking for facts & truth & objectivity.  And how amazing is it to have so many writings from Joseph Smith himself, to be able to go straight to the source & see that he knew & loved God, like, REALLY knew & loved God! The revelations & doctrine he received & taught were so dee

The Lord called Joseph Smith to repentance many times & Joseph candidly spoke of his own faults on many occasions. So why was he called to be THE prophet of this last dispensation? Because God works through the simple, the imperfect, the humble. Over & over again. He works with "rough stones" (Joseph Smith), the “wretched" (Nephi), the "slow of speech" (Moses), the “hate[d] (Enoch), the "weak" writers (Moroni), the forgetful (brother of Jared), the doubters (Thomas), the deniers (Peter), the betrayers (Judas). I could go on! WHY does he choose such people? You mean, why not just call perfect people?! The Lord told Joseph: "For unto this end have I raised you up, that I might show forth my wisdom through the weak things of the earth." (D&C 124:1) Joseph's like, oh thanks 😉 "God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (1 Cor. 1:27) "The weak things of the world shall com

Once upon a time there was a guy who went around teaching the “word of God,” but in REALITY was “bearing down against the church,” aka SOUNDED good, but= false doctrine. He said people should try to be “popular.” Like him. He said it didn’t matter what you did in life- everyone was gonna be saved anyway.  People liked him & gave him money. Meet Nehor, the Nephite social influencer. Now meet Gideon. A man of faith. They crossed paths & Nehor “began to contend with him sharply.” But Gideon “withstood him, admonishing him with the words of God.” Go, Gid! Nehor did not take it well. He drew his sword & killed Gideon in cold blood. Nehor was tried for his crimes & put to death. But it was too late. Priestcraft spread through the land. As well as persecution of believers.  “Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith; nevertheless, they were steadfast & immovable in keeping the commandments of God, & they bore with patience the persecution whi

This year my 12-year-old joined the cross country team. He’d never really run before, so I was curious how it’d go! Well, it was hard. He was tired! Sore! And missing out on hours of play time! But I watched him commit. I watched him get stronger.  I watched him build endurance.  I watched his time improve again & again, a few seconds at a time.  I watched him finish 9 races. Some with blazing temps. Some with small streams to run through. Big hills to climb. Ditches to hop over! I watched my non-runner son become a runner. Every finish made me wanna cry! (ok I did) I was so proud of him. Not because he was the fastest. Not because he smashed any records. Not because running was easy for him. No. Because of his efforts! He fought for every finish. And he knew it. I’d hug that sweaty, red-faced boy & he would just beam! He knew he’d done what he could. When Oliver Granger had fallen short of a task, the Lord said of him, “When he falls he shall rise again, for his sacrifice shal

When we moved here, one big adjustment was not being surrounded by those of our faith. (Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Utah anymore! 😉)  My two youngest kids play with a bunch of neighbor kids almost every day. They’re all great kids! One day a neighbor girl saw our picture of Jesus hanging in the entry way. She asked, “Does your family love Jesus?” My daughter responded we did! Her friend said, “My family does, too!” Then last week my daughter asked me, “Mom, are we Christians?” Her friend had asked, & she didn’t know what to say! And my 7-year-old son apparently had answered confidently, “No, we’re not.” Ok, this discussion was definitely needed! #momfail 🤦‍♀️ I explained we believe in Christ as our Savior! So yes, we are Christian! I said there are many religions that are Christian, & we are one of them. I said some people call us Mormons, but the actual name of our religion is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After my mini sermon, my daughter said OHHH,

My 9-year-old recently discovered a piano duet book. Every day she asks me to try a new song with her. And every time it’s KIND of a test of patience for me! You see, she is just a beginner at the piano. And it takes time as she stumbles her way through her simple, one-noted melody. My fingers are at the ready with my more advanced chords, waiting for her notes to be played alongside mine, but it can be a slooow process. She wants to be right the FIRST time. She hates messing up. She doesn’t like to be corrected! Eventually she asks for my help & takes the time to get it right. THEN- we sound awesome together. We make a pretty great team. The Lord gives Thomas B. Marsh some beautiful counsel in D&C 112, including this well-known verse: “Be thou ​​​humble​; & the Lord thy God shall ​​​lead​ thee by the hand, & give thee answer to thy prayers.” (10) Thomas had a strong testimony, served extensively in the Church, & did a lot of good. Then, long story short, he left. H

Hi! I’m still here! And though there are some unintended dry spells, I really do cherish this small account because each little box reflects pieces of my testimony. ❤️ They are personal snapshots of deep thoughts, study, & heartfelt conviction… compacted into 2200 characters. 😊 I love voicing where I stand. I love putting things in writing. In fact, writing is kinda BINDING… wouldn’t you say? D&C 109:46 says, “Therefore, O Lord, deliver thy people from the calamity of the wicked; enable thy servants to seal up the law, & bind up the testimony, that they may be prepared against the day of burning.” That phrase, BIND UP THE TESTIMONY, struck me. It’s found in the Bible & the Book of Mormon as well. Isaiah said, “And many among them shall stumble, & fall, & be broken, & be snared, & be taken. BIND UP THE TESTIMONY, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the Lord.” (Isa. 8:15-17) BIND UP THE TESTIMONY.  What does it mean? Well, we know the Lo

I was walking to the school cafeteria when I heard my name on the intercom. I had a message in the office to call home. My oma had died. My beloved oma.  When I got home, I ran to my mom. We held each other & cried. I’d never heard her cry like that before. She said, “My mommy is gone!” That day my opa came to live with us. He was meek, humble, & loved making people laugh. He also suffered from dementia. So sometimes he’d ask in his thick German accent, “Where’s oma? Why am I alone?” It was heartbreaking. One day he asked me. I said, “She’s… gone.”  “At home?” Uhh… “At home up there.” I pointed up. “I have no frau? I am alone?” I can still hear his sorrow. “No, you’re not alone! You have us! And oma is waiting for you.” Solemnly, knowingly, he repeated, “She’s waiting for me.” Then I turned from him & bawled. I felt grief deep in my chest. For him. For me. For my mom. It was too much! I’d heard stories of people who flipped open their scriptures & found exactly what the

Four years ago my mom signed me up for a 50-mile bike ride. She then dropped off her old road bike, helmet, gloves, shoes, jersey, & 2 pairs of “specially padded” spandex shorts cause she had upgraded all her stuff & figured, as a long-time biker, it was time to recruit me into biking, too. OKAY THEN, MOM! Thanks! 😁🚴‍♀️ I mean, I learned to ride a bike when I was 5- how hard could road biking be? Turns out there was a bit of a learning curve. Not only did I have to learn how to shift (it was a bit different than my old 10-speed!), I had to learn how to “clip in.” Yeah, did you know that REAL bikers have special shoes that clip onto their pedals, essentially locking their feet right to their bike? Me either! The idea of being locked in to my bike terrified me! But I wanted to be cool like my biker mom & friends! So I practiced while balancing in the hallway. Then I took it outside. And TOTALLY crashed & burned! Twice! (Pro tip: Lean to the correct side when you unclip

As a 16-year-old visiting Nauvoo, I sadly stared at the crumbling remains of the temple. It had been built with sacrifice & faith, & then abruptly abandoned by the driven-out Saints. It was soon destroyed by arson fire, & if that wasn’t enough, a tornado took it down shortly after.  It was stripped of its strength, beauty, & purpose for over 150 years. Yet there I stood in front of the incredible Nauvoo temple just a few weeks ago. There I did temple work with my husband & 3 of my children. There it is today, standing tall from the ashes of adversity, rebuilt from William Weeks’ original drawings- which were discovered in a “chance” meeting with some of his ancestors, who then felt strongly they needed to donate the blueprints to the Church. I also recently stood in Carthage Jail, a building quite different than the temple; however, the same powerful spirit! But is it such a surprise? The missionaries told us something I won’t forget: the Church did not acquire the

 “He is just the WORST at this! Idiot!” A kid on my 7-year-old’s soccer team yelled this within earshot of his teammate, the goalie, who had failed to block the winning goal. That little goalie walked off to the side & slumped in the grass in shame, placing his face in his hands. My mom heart! 💔 When my boy ran over to me, I asked him: “Do you see the goalie on your team? See how sad he is? Will you go tell him that it’s ok?”🙏 He ran right over! As he spoke, the boy’s head snapped up. A grin spread across his face. Then the two of them high-fived.🙌 My son ran back to me, smiling. “I told him it was ok. I said everyone misses sometimes!”  ❤️ In the midst of the Saints’ persecution, the Lord chastens them. He lists off things they’ve done wrong: “Contentions, & envyings, & strifes, & lustful & covetous desires… slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord… they esteemed lightly my counsel…” (D&C 101:7-8) Yup. Looottts of mistakes.  Yet instead of shouting “You gu

I was out with friends when a song came on the restaurant speakers. And I was swept away. To 2008. Sitting in front of my computer blogging about my then 2-year-old & 1-year-old.  Remember when blogs were THE thing? I jumped on that bandwagon! And when it was the “thing” to have blog “playlists,” I jumped on that, too. So with that song, I was TRANSPORTED. To that young mom of 2 typing hilarious & frustrating things about motherhood as she knew it. Oh, the aching nostalgia! Wasn’t I just THERE? How are those 2 babies teenagers?!  HOW do I have only 3 years left with all 6 kids at home under my roof? 3 years left before they start going off into the world. 😭 Am I teaching enough?  Loving enough? Deliberate & present enough? In D&C 93 the Lord says, “I have commanded you to bring up your children in light & truth” (40) THEN he rebukes Joseph Smith, Frederick Williams, Sidney Rigdon, & Newel Whitney. He tells them to repent, forsake some things, & set their ho

Okay, not gonna lie. I was behind on my scripture reading. So I settled into a chair on the deck one evening last week to tackle D&C section 88. I wasn’t planning on reading the whole thing in one sitting. But I could not stop. I was thirsty for it. Charged by it! Thinking. Underlining. Writing. Circling repeated words. “Law.” “Sanctified.” “Quickened.” “Light.” I read & read as the sun set, until my eyes strained in the growing darkness.  Good thing “the light shineth in darkness” (49) I thought of this HUGE eternal plan. Of the earth, made for us. And “after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory” (19).  The earth itself is filling the measure of its creation. Then it will die.  Then renewed, sanctified, & prepared to be, well, “heaven” itself 🤯. Am I fulfilling the measure of MY creation? Am I prepared to die, to “rise again, a spiritual body,” (27)? Prepared to be sanctified? Prepared for celestial glory? Prepared to meet God? I mean

She’d acted so strong. Completely unfazed.  When others asked how my kids were doing, I told them others were struggling, but NOT her. Until one day, weeks later, when the dam BURST. And all those pent up feelings exploded. “I wanna go home!” she sobbed. I sobbed with her.  Her brokenness broke me that night. I suddenly second guessed everything. Why? Why did we do this? Why did we move when we were JUST FINE where we were? How could we do this to our kids!? Were our promptings right?  We went from comfortably happy to DELIBERATELY stepping into the river of change, where our lives were swept gently to this exact place. A place we never planned for. A place we assumed would be temporary until we made it to our “real” place. A place I feel, more than ever, we were meant to be. Now 19 months later, we curiously asked our kids where they’d live right now if they had the choice. Here in Ohio. Or back in Utah. All six kids said HERE. And the child who shook with tears begging us to “go home

Yesterday as I combed my 11-year-old’s hair, she directed me, “Put it in a ponytail. But NOT a low ponytail. Last time it was in a low ponytail I looked like I was about to sign the Declaration of Independence!” 😂 It reminded me of her little sister’s comment years ago after I’d combed HER hair in a slicked back ponytail- she told me accusingly in her 4-year-old voice, “Mom! You made me look like an evil queen!” In both cases I thought they looked adorable! Yet, as soon as each of them brought up what THEY saw, I kinda saw it too!😆 Perspective. Lately I’m trying to find the balance between staying loyal to the things I know to be true & having empathy for others’ experiences different from my own. Where is the line? Can I be sympathetic to others- i.e. those who have different views of the church- & still be loyal to the things I hold sacred? I am trying. I can & should hold space for others to follow their path- but I must not sacrifice my own. I can & should reach o