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Sabbath Devotional :: Enduring Love
I love Christmas time. For me, part of the joy of Christmas lies in long-standing family and community traditions. I grew up in Utah and always associated Christmas with all things winter: snowy landscapes, hot chocolate, more formal family dinners with heavier foods, carolers clothed in scarfs and mittens singing about a winter wonderland, and dark evenings for viewing Christmas lights. When I was on my mission, I approached the idea of Christmas in the hot Australian summer with some apprehension. Traditions in Australia vary from family to family, of course. But it was common to think of Christmas on the beach or at a backyard barbeque. Some gatherings were…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Gratitude Grumpies
I was asked to give a talk, the week before Thanksgiving, on . . . you guessed it, gratitude. I was grumpy about it. And I wanted to talk about my grumpies and my right to feel grumpy and not be tone-policed about my grumpiness. And how I can be grateful and grumpy at the same time. And that gratitude is much, much more than a rosy-cheeked smile on my face. But Iâve been taught well to happily accept all callings and âinvitationsâ to speak, so I threw myself on my bed and shed a few tears and then got to work making sense of this complicated (to me) topic…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Borne Our Griefs and Carried Our Sorrows
Isaiah 53:4-5 reads, âSurely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.â Alma 7:11-12 states: âAnd he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Three Perspectives on Gratitude
I am by nature grumpy and ungrateful, so this month of being reminded to give thanks is sometimes hard for me. My own deficiency in this regard has prompted me to notice wise things others have thought and said about why and how to be thankful. Here are three of my favorites: Messenger–by Mary Oliver My work is loving the world.Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbirdâequal seekers of sweetness.Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.Here the clam deep in the speckled sand. Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?Am I no longer young, and still half-perfect? Let mekeep my mind on what matters,which is my work, which is…
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Sabbath Devotional :: All Are Alike Unto God
During the summer of 2020, that time of social distancing, many people I know were more active on social media â more active than either before or after. And they werenât very nice about it. There seemed to be three major issues creating intense divisions in our country that summer. As I saw the memes, posts, and comments shared by my local friends and noticed the voices they were choosing to amplify, I found myself an outsider in my own ward on these three major issues. Thatâs fine with me. I do not mind having different opinions than my friends. Itâs why I can be friends with you. It also…
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Sabbath Devotional :: In Justice and Equity
The day my oldest son turned 8-years-old, another precious boy lost his life. David was a member of our ward and had been my primary student and one of my husbandâs scouts over the years. He was unarmed and 17 when he was shot and killed by an officer in broad daylight in an Austin, Texas suburb. On this, I want to be very clear: the officer who shot our friend was a good officer with a good reputation, and though he knew David was unarmed, he followed his training that day. Whatâs more, both David and the officer were Black. StillâDavid, in his fear, ran. And the officer, in…
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Sabbath Devotional :: “In Remembrance of Me”: The Sacrament of Root Beer Floats
True confession: I am visiting my parents for my fatherâs eightieth birthday. I thought that I would sneak off sometime today to write a devotional, but now it is late and my family is eating root beer floats, and I have not had an original thought all day. I did, once upon a time, write something about root beer floats, which might suffice. Please forgive me for recycling! âââ âIn Remembrance of Meâ: The Sacrament of Root Beer Floats I have a wonderful home teacher. He tries to visit every month, despite our frequent too-busyness; he remembers every childâs birthday, and mine; he shows up to baseball and basketball games…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Isaiah with Fresh Eyes
General Conference last April gave me fresh eyes for Isaiah. Many of the talks seemed to echo and elaborate upon Isaiahâs words. His writings are a book of poetry like Psalms or Proverbs pointing us to Jesus Christ and in many places, Isaiah wrote to women specifically, Isaiah prophesied of the great things that latter-day women will do. Isaiah 4 says “When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by a spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Witness of Christ
Our kitten, Chirp, went exploring and got her paw stuck in the shock springs under our car. It wasnât easy to get her out. After her rescue, little Chirp was shaking with pain and fear. She didnât tell me how she was feeling, even though I asked, but I think it was scary for her. My daughter comforted her and fed her â we had to bottle feed this litter â and then set her down. Chirpâs brother, Mittens, came over and cuddled with Chirp until she stopped shaking. They fell asleep together, but as soon as Chirp was calm, Mittens asked to go back outside. Chirp calmly slept for…
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Sabbath Devotional :: The Beings I Love Are Creatures
This week’s devotional comes from Kate Holbrook, a beloved historian of Latter-day Saint women who passed away last week. It is a sermon she gave when she was moving away from Boston to Utah. I love her reminder that the fallenness of the world, our imperfection and fragility, are not only cause for sorrow, but also occasions for grace. “Our fragility is not a reason for us to despise each other, but it is the reason we must love each other, forgive each other, cling to each other. In this world of injustice, inadequacy and impermanence, I testify that Jesus lives, that He heals us, that He visits us in…
