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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 hummingbird—equal 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 :: Helping Hands
How do you frame your covenants? I can appreciate people finding meaning through the lens of dwelling in the house of the Lord, holding to the iron rod and following the covenant path, shepherding lost souls, or fighting the good fight. As I have aged, I have found little so meaningful as understanding my covenants though the symbol of the Body of Christ. Some years ago, my mind was awakened as I sat through the administration of the sacrament. I realized that my covenant to remember the body of the Son, was not only a promise to remember a weeping god, burdened with the weight of the human yoke and…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Shared and Sacred Grief
“This is an impossible week that contains an impossible grief, but it is made bearable by the love and care of a community” I wrote those words during a week when I received some crushing news about someone my family cared deeply about. While I experienced deep personal grief at the news, the bulk of my sorrow came on behalf of those who were suffering much more than I. How could I lift their burden? I knew from experience that there was no way around feeling pain at such a loss, that the only way ahead was straight through it. What could I do to support them through this process?…
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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 — more active than either before or after. And they weren’t 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. That’s fine with me. I do not mind having different opinions than my friends. It’s why I can be friends with you. It also…
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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 father’s 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! ——— “In Remembrance of Me”: 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 child’s 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 Isaiah’s 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 wasn’t easy to get her out. After her rescue, little Chirp was shaking with pain and fear. She didn’t 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 — we had to bottle feed this litter — and then set her down. Chirp’s 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…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Be Still
I live by a lake. Like many bodies of water, its appearance is connected to the weather. On a sunny day, the lake is deep turquoise blue and very stunning. On cloudy days, it is faded blue or gray. And when it’s stormy, the movement of the lake makes it difficult to determine its color. As I drove home one winter day, I noticed the reflection — or image — of the nearby hills in the still water. I thought that it seems we only see the image of the hills when the water is especially still. Two scriptures immediately came to mind: “Be still, and know that I am…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Protection in Christ
Lately it feels like everything in my life is on fire. Simultaneously. Not a small brush fire here or there that needs a bit of quick attention and management, but frightening conflagrations that threaten to consume and destroy. There is a lot of fight and flight and not enough peace and quiet. And for me it means that feeling tired and unsettled is the default. In my more objective moments, I realize that some of this is just a feature of my personal phase of life, but there is also something else at play. So many others seem to feel the same, as if we are all being pushed to…
