Palm Sunday: Hosanna!

By Harry Anderson
Used by permission from ChurchofJesusChrist.org

"...when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, (they) took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna:  Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."

John 12: 12-13

The people shouted "Hosanna" which we often think of as a word for giving praise.  Biblically it means "save us"*.  It is an appeal to God for deliverance*.  Many, and maybe all of those shouting hosanna at Christ's entry thought He had come to save them from the Romans.  We know that He had actually come to save all of us from sin and death.

Though the gospels do not all have the cleansing of the temple on the same day as the triumphal entry, Matthew, who was the eye witness, did.*  Jesus said, 

"My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."(Matthew 21:13).

While there are many things we can think of on Palm Sunday, as I read about it today it reminded me of the Sacrament.  We are temples, and are unclean.  We need Jesus to save us now.  We need Him to cleanse our temple, and make it fit for the Spirit of God.  Jesus finished His work.  Because of Him we can shout Hosanna -- calling on Him to save us now, and at the same time praising Him for cleansing us when we turn to Him.

Hosanna!!

*Bible Dictionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

*Dictionary.com

*God So Loved The World:  The Final Days of the Savior's Life by Eric D. Huntsman pg. 20

The Light Will Shine Again

Picture from churchofjesuschrist.org

This is a happy Easter gift written for you, my supportive friends and family!
Click on the title to hear me sing,
or just read it and enjoy.

The Light Will Shine Again

The sun came up and shone into the tomb where Christ was laid,

And the women coming to find their Lord were at first afraid.

But angels reassured them, saying there was no need to fear

For “Christ is risen as He said”, and “He is not here”.

With fear and joy they ran to tell disciples all they’d heard

Peter and John ran to the tomb on hearing the women’s word

Christ was risen from the dead, and was not in the tomb

But later showed Himself to them as they gathered in a room

He is Risen!  The body broken now was new again!

And everyone will have this gift, whether foe or friend.

He is Risen!  What good news that is for us today.

For Jesus came for all of us, and He shows us the way.

If we will choose to follow Him then He will lead us home.

It is for us and all our sins that He came to atone.

He loves us more than it is possible for us to understand

And it is for us He constantly is reaching out His hand.

One day the Lord will come again in power and great light

And morning sun will push out all the darkness of the night.

And every tomb will open, and give up those who have died

To rise again like Jesus after He was crucified.

Rejoice!  He’s risen as He said.  The battle has been won.

Rejoice!  For Father up in Heaven gave us His Holy Son.

Rejoice!  For love will win each battle raging in our day!

Rejoice!  For when He comes again the evil cannot stay!

So as the sun comes up and shines think of the empty tomb

And feel Christ’s love and joy and peace come right into your room.

He has risen!  He has conquered death, and the darkness of our sin.

If we stay with Christ, the dark will flee, and light will shine again.

Words and tune by: Sherie
***The usual disclaimers apply. If I were to be a perfectionist nobody
would hear anything I write.

Remembering Kindness

A fun memory from 2009.  It was a white elephant gift for Derek
gave to me :-)

How far back can you remember someone being kind to you?  I was just thinking that I can remember a lot of people being kind throughout the years, and all of these years later I feel grateful for every kindness I remember.  Remembering these things helps me to be thankful for all of the good people I have come across in my life.  It also encourages me to remember to be kind myself.

Here are a few of the things I remember.  I remember getting up to find my Mom in the kitchen making breakfast and greeting me with a good morning.   When we moved to Kentucky, I can remember her sitting by me when I cried because I was homesick and assuring me that things would get better.  I remember the hug goodbye from my 3rd grade teacher before we moved, and the kindness of a girl named Wendy when I was panicking because we had to change classes and I'd never done that before.

In yet another new school my 6th grade teacher would talk to me at recess when I had nobody to play with.  In a new school in 9th grade I was greeted immediately upon entering the school by someone who welcomed me and said she would be my friend -- and she was.  Two friends from church helped me my senior year when I went to a new high school and was feeling completely lost and alone.  They showed up every hour and made sure I knew where to go.

My sisters would let me lay my head in their laps when I was feeling so down I couldn't quit crying, and my older sister sent me a flower at school at least once for Valentine's day.  My brothers and sisters were my friends through all of the ups and downs of growing up, and are still my friends.

I remember someone smiling at me when I was having a hard day in college, and a stranger at BYU walking with me to class and talking to me -- easing the loneliness I was feeling at the time. 

These things don't even scratch the surface, and don't even get me to halfway through my life!  Every good thing someone has done or said has made good times better, helped to get me through hard times, and has helped me become the person that I am.  I'm sure that I could look back and remember things that aren't as happy, but I like to focus on remembering kindness.

Being Excessively Sorry

This is a picture I took so we could wish our nephew a happy birthday.
When I apologize excessively it is usually to Derek who
kindly reminds me that I am not responsible for everything.

Last evening I realized that I was apologizing a lot.  What was I doing wrong?  Well, really I was not having as much energy I wanted, and so I wasn't doing all I thought I should do, and so I felt I was letting people down.  Who was I really letting down?  Only me.  Were my expectations for myself a little ridiculous?  Probably.  Did I keep doing things when I didn't need to?  Of course.  Did I ask for help?  Yes, I did a couple of times.  Yay me!  Should I have asked for more?  Definitely.

I think that I apologize excessively less than I used to, and I am thankful that realizing I was apologizing too much gave me a clue that I needed to rest.  I was smart enough to climb in my bed a little early and stop worrying over little things that don't matter.  Now I just need to figure out how to have more reasonable expectations all of the time, and to more consistently ask for help instead of trying to do so many things by myself! 

Possibilities

Sometimes, when we are stuck, it is hard to see how it is possible
to become unstuck!

I love the word possibilities.  A few years ago when I was feeling stuck in some way I went to talk to a friend who always seemed to have a unique way of looking at things, or at least a way I hadn't thought of.  When I talked to her I could see possibilities.  I could see ways to think or do something differently.  Talking to her helped me see that there were ways to become unstuck, and would get me moving away from whatever thought, emotion or situation was causing a problem.

This past weekend was the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  As I thought about possibilities, I realized that the reason I look forward to Conference every 6 months is because it is full of possibilities.  The possibility to get a better perspective, to understand something that seemed unclear, or to get direction that I may not have even realized I needed.  There is the possibility that I will hear music that will strengthen my faith, and stir my soul.  In General Conference I get to hear what Jesus wants me to hear, and to feel how very much He loves me. 

Just like I am thankful for my friend, who had a gift for helping me see things differently, and in what I felt was a better way, I am thankful for General Conference which never fails to help me feel God's love, and to find ways I can draw closer to Him.

**Photo by Tomas Tuma on Unsplash

Standing Up For Christ

Abinidi in chains before King Noah.  By Arnold Friberg
Used by permission from churchofjesuschrist.org

Several years ago Derek was leading a discussion during study time at his parent's house about voting.  He asked the youth, if they were given a chance, would they vote to keep the pool open on Sunday or closed?  Derek did not give his opinion.  Connor listened to the discussion, and then made a comment that I recorded in my journal.

Connor told a story from the Book of Mormon that happened when King Noah and his people were wicked.  I wrote that Connor "talked about Abinidi and how he stood up for the Lord when nobody else would -- even though he was killed for it -- and that we should stand up for the Lord too, and not for everybody elses opinion."

In our voting and in our conversations are we standing up for Christ?  We can stand up for Christ kindly.  We do not need to argue.  We do not need to prove anything.  We can just quietly say what we believe, and respect the fact that they can choose to believe differently.  Maybe, in standing up for Christ in a kind way, we can help others learn again that there is such a thing as disagreeing in a civil way.  We can share our belief and then try to understand what someone else believes without thinking they need to agree with us.  We can be kind without needing to vote for what they want.  They can do that.  We can vote for Christ.

My Daughter Tia

Tia and Lucy

I am writing this on Tia's birthday.  April 6th.  Twenty Six years ago Tia was born.  Like all of my other children, she was scheduled to be born via c-section.  Unlike all of my other children, I was required to have a amniocentesis before her birth.  She is also the only child whose gender I didn't know in advance.

Tia on her first birthday.

Tia was my littlest baby at first, and then she got bigger.  She started out as my worst sleeper ever, and then turned into the best at naps!  She has always, always loved music.  If life was not going like she wanted, a song could often help her feel better.  She is like her Mom in that way!

Tia, over time, became very good at a lot of things.  She became good at laughing, at reading, and at playing the piano.  She became a good friend, and a good example.  She became good at listening, and at caring about people.  She became good telling stories, and at writing them.  She became good at keeping many people's hair looking beautiful or handsome.  She became good at moving forward when things were hard, and life seemed unfair and lonely.

Tia has dealt with hard things.  She had good friends who ended up not being so good to her.  She deals with the anxiety that everybody in my family has in some form.  She has sometimes struggled with what she should do next, and how to deal with the hard things in life, including having her husband go off to basic training for 5 months shortly after their marriage, but I believe she has done it all with an incredible amount of grace!

I love so, so many things about Tia.  I love that her siblings are her friends.  I love that she can pull laughter from people, and can help others feel important, and comfortable in her presence.  I am very thankful that Tia is a part of our family.  She is creative, fun, loving, kind, and intelligent.  Home is better with a Tia!!!  I love her.

Two year old Tia.

Tia the dancer turns 3!

Trisa and Tia in an
awkward family photo :-)

Tia and Derek.  Not turning 3
even though there are only 3
candles!

Tia with her long time faithful stuffed animal companions.

On The Way Home

Ray and Lori's new landscaping.  Lori, and my Mom.

My Mom had the great idea of us stopping at my brother Ray's house on the way home.  I was so tired, and had such a headache, and was so grumpy that I wasn't sure it was the best idea for that day, but I love my brother and his wife, and I know that they always like to see us and so we went.  It was good to see that Lori is getting around without her wheelchair, and it was fun to get a tour of their yard from my brother Ray.  I wonder how often, if I just made myself do something even when I don't feel like it, I would end up just being glad that I did.  Probably most of the time!

Ray with his row of baby trees after giving me a tour.

My Dad and Ray after Dad had a tour.  I love my Dad's smile always
and was happy to see it in this picture.

Spring Break a Helpful Adventure

Sherie (Me!), Dan, and Jake during Spring Break

The week of Spring Break Derek and Kayli had to work, and so I took Jake and Dan and went to hang out with some family.  I love my family and I'm so grateful for what good people they are.  Dan's favorite part of the trip was showing his Uncle Jeff the programming he'd been doing.  Jeff is good at being interested and encouraging.  I also like that Jenny and Jeff are good at sharing adventures with family members.  They offered an adventure the first night -- but I was tired and we went to get sleep instead.

My Dad, and Lizzie the dog.
I meant to get pictures of my parents
and the projects we worked on.
I forgot.  Oops!

The second day my boys helped their grandpa outside and I helped Mom inside.  It was good to accomplish things and to feel helpful.  In the afternoon my niece Haven was able to tell us the real name of the "swirly whirly death wish park" so Mom and I took the boys there for an hour.  Then we made dinner and Jenny took the boys and I hiking.  It was so fun!  And so beautiful!  I love that she was willing to go hiking with us with very little warning, and that she knew an awesome place to go! 

Jenny and Me

Dan and Me

The falls by Gunlock Reservoir

A beautiful place, where I happened
to pull a hamstring.  Sigh.
I'm still really glad we went.

The Beam and the Mote

Photo by Ian Simpson on Unsplash

Matthew 7:3-5 says, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"  We were studying this scripture at home and I asked which was bigger, a beam, or a mote.  Well, it turns out that they were thinking of the kind of moat that goes around a castle!  That would change the meaning of the scripture!  The mote in the scriptures is just a sliver.  Something not big at all.  A beam is large, and heavy.  

Photo by George Lucian Rusu on Unsplash

I am wondering if, perhaps, we might start out with our own little sliver in our eye, just like everyone else, but as soon as we turn and try to find the faults in someone else, even if it is to "help them pull it out" then we have created a beam in our own eye, making us completely blind.  Then we bludgeon someone with our beam, hurting them when we were trying to "help" pull out a sliver.

If a sliver is a sin -- something that needs to be pulled out -- then I hesitate to think that I am ever going to be ready to turn to someone else in judgment.  Christ forgives sin.  He can help them with their mote, and me with mine, and then we can both see clearly to lead people to Him instead of trying to do a little "helping" with our destructive, heavy beam!

Feed My Sheep -- Feed My Lambs

In church today I heard a talk about grace, and the speaker told of how Peter, who knew that Christ was the Son of God, was told by Jesus to feed His lambs, and to feed His sheep.  While listening to the story, I got to wondering about those words and why Christ chose them.  He didn't say, "Go find my sheep, find out everything that is wrong with them, and make sure they know."  He didn't say, "Go tell my sheep they are going the wrong way", or "Go scare my sheep" or "Go lecture my sheep".  He said to feed them.

This is what He asks us to do, and I am sure He doesn't mean to feed them poison, or things that aren't nourishing.  He wants us to feed them love.  He wants the good news of the Gospel shared -- as good news, and not as a list of things the sheep are doing wrong.  I am sure that Jesus meant that we should feed everyone encouragement for all they do right, and love for every difficulty including wrong choices.  He wants us to share joy for every success we see. 

Jesus wants us to know what He did so it can be beneficial to us.  He wants us to know where to look for help, and salvation.  Jesus is the "bread of life".  He wants all of us to know Him.  When we know and accept Christ, and the gift of His atonement, we will truly have been fed, and will want to feed others the joy of Christ and His gospel.

*Picture by Kamille Corry used by permission from churchofjesuschrist.org

Old Knots and Bad Habits

The blinds.  Looking new again.

Today Kayli and I were fixing some broken blinds.  In order to do that, we needed to untie some knots that have been in the bottom of the blinds for over 20 years.  Those knots are what carries the weight of the blinds when they are lifted up and down.  Those knots were really, really hard to untie.  We were able to do it, but it was difficult.  Once they were untied, we could replace broken slats with new ones.

I got to thinking that those knots are like bad habits that we have allowed to stay for a really long time.  Bad choices that we have consistently made through the ups and downs of life.  The longer we have those bad habits, the harder they are to get rid of.  Not impossible, but really, really hard. 

Kayli and I tried to be patient.  We sometimes got frustrated.  But we persisted and the broken pieces of blind were removed, and replaced with unbroken slats.  Now the blinds look new, and work better.  We really can undo our bad habits.  It will take patience.  We may get frustrated.  But if we persist, that bad habit will be replaced with a good one.  The choices we make will be better.  Getting rid of a bad habit and replacing it with something good is like getting to be new again.  Unbroken.

Seeing The Real You

I went to an activity with women in our church congregation where we were all supposed to answer questions, all of which required us to write something good about ourselves.  It was so interesting to watch us all struggle.  Sometimes I think there was a real struggle to believe there was something good to write down.  Sometimes it was a struggle with being able to say something good about ourselves, especially around others. 

I really think that we are afraid to see the real us.  There are probably quite a variety of reasons behind this, but we need to somehow find a way past that fear.  Interestingly, it seems to be the good parts of us that a lot of us try not to look at, or acknowledge, as if acknowledging the good in us is somehow a flaw in our character.  Who are we?  We are really children of God.

There should be a certain level of confidence that comes from knowing this.  If not confidence in ourselves, at least confidence in our Father, and what He and our Savior can help us become.  I have many flaws, but I know God doesn't want me to focus on all that I am not, because I am a Mom, and I sure don't want my kids focusing on all that they are not!  I want them to know that they are capable of more than they can imagine, and I want them to see that God gave them good qualities, and talents.  

The "real" us is not in the talents we don't have, or the mistakes we make, it is in all that is good about us.  As children of God that is who we really are!  If we focus on what is good, and improve on that, all that is not good will more naturally fall away.  If we also focus on the good in others, it will help them improve so that all that is not good in them will more naturally fall away.  There is power in knowing, and acknowledging, who we are.  I think more than anything the good in us is what Satan does not want us to see.  He is afraid of the good in us.

I don't know about you, but I rather like the idea of Satan being afraid, and so I am determined to do better at seeing the real me, and the real you.  If we all do that, I believe that our power for good will increase more than we can imagine.