Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Al's words


The sum of my existence is a cat that loves to hide
Spare keys and nails and old golf tees
In shoes I’ve put aside
For hiking in the mountains
Behind my Grandpa’s home.

Beside the garage the old grey truck
Hood up and tire flat
Provides a sunny sleeping space
For his old ornery cat.

I sat there too, to contemplate
The memories of that man
Who sat me down upon his knee
And taught me of the land,
Of God and love and growing corn
Of being kind and good.
Of helping those he sees in need
And why we always should.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Faith Hope and Charity

 
Many years ago my mother asked me to make an Amish doll for my aunt, her sister.
Roberta, an elderly single woman, said she felt hopeless. I made three Amish dolls, Faith, Hope and Charity.
 I sent Hope to my aunt so she wouldn’t be hopeless.
A few weeks later my mom, depressed over her health said she was lacking in faith.
I took Faith to her, a symbol of love.
I never finished Charity. She sits naked in my closet. She reminds me that we should never be finished with Charity.
Moroni 7:46,47
46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth.  Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail--
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

What have you done lately to increase you hope, your faith, and your charity? I just got a new book called “All God’s Critters Got a Place in the Choir” by  Emma L. Thane  and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Reading about the lives of these two Mormon friends has made me think about what I am doing with my life. I want to be more, do more, experience more. I have been a drone for a few months now as I get used to a new community, and sort through the memories of the last forty years.

Another example of charity was posted on the Yahoo news page today
  
‘Lance Cpl. Myles Kerr may have lost the Jeff Drenth Memorial 5K footrace in Charlevoix, Michigan, last weekend, but he won the hearts of hundreds of thousands of admirers.
On Saturday, the 19-year-old Marine noticed 9-year-old Boden Fuchs struggling to complete the race. The boy had become separated from his group. According to the Facebook page, Seal of Honor, which posted a photograph of the pair running together, Boden asked Kerr, "Sir, will you please run with me?" Kerr, wearing boots and fatigues, and carrying a full backpack, stuck with the boy, encouraged him to complete the race, and helped him reunite with his party at the end of the course—even though Kerr was dead last in his age group, clocking in at 35:43 minutes (five seconds behind Boden). He came in so much later than his Marine buddies, in fact, that they were concerned he had been injured.
 The Seal of Honor page—which was established in the memory of Lt. Michael Murphy, who served as a Navy SEAL in Afghanistan—went on to praise the young man: "By his unwavering commitment to help those in need through his ability to inspire others by his unequivocal level of motivation, Lcpl Kerr reflected great credit upon himself and was keeping in the highest traditions of the United States Marine Corps."
Look for small acts of charity this month.
Add opportunities to increase your faith
Live your life with a hopeful outlook.

TOMORROW
















I saw the stars in your eyes
this morning
Remembering yesterday.
I saw the way that you felt
As your dreams
Became your reality.
That’s all I ever wanted
For you.
Life
So uncertain,
So curious
So unforgiving
Held your joy
For one long moment.
Tomorrow
And tomorrow
And tomorrow
Time undulating
Rolling
Swelling
Heaving
Into the vast wonder
Of what we might
Become 
Should we try