Serving With Smiles--Corinne Allen and Elizabeth Jeffrey

My good friends started a non-profit organization, Serving with Smiles, to teach kids to help others.

It's AWESOME! They get together once a month and put together humanitarian kits for kids all over the world.

Some of their other service activities include:

Picture books

Coloring books

Bead Geckos

Baby Blankets and quilts

Jewelery

And the whole point is for kids to help kids.

They've got programs to get your school involved too. Check it out.

Cami Walker--29 Day Challenge

Cami Walker has started an organziation called the 29-Day Challenge.

From what I've read on her website, Cami has MS and was given this advice to help her out of her depression. "Give away 29 things in 29 days."

She took the challenge and is now challenging others. Go to her website and sign up if you're interested. I especially enjoyed her video. She's looking to get at least 2000 people to take the challenge. I just signed up, but haven't yet decided what I'll give today.

Mary Ellen Edmunds

This is what Deseret Book's website says about her.

"Mary Ellen Edmunds has served as director of training at the Missionary Training Center and as a member of the Relief Society general board. She graduated from the College of Nursing at Brigham Young University, has been a faculty member at BYU, and has served several full-time missions. A popular speaker, she is also the author of Happiness: Finders, Keepers; Love Is a Verb; and Thoughts for a Bad Hair Day."

Today I was lucky enough to go over to the Stake Center for a class that is being offered for the next several weeks studying the New Testament. Mary Ellen Edmunds is the instructor. How lucky am I? I'm very grateful if nothing else. Apparently she just lives around the corner in a ward nearby.

This lady likes to joke and brings a smile to my face so quickly. The best laugh of the day for me came when she was telling us about how she was asked to offer this class. The stake president wanted to know how busy she is and asked her about her service in the church. She told us, "My favorite thing to do in the church is teach. I like it even better than keeping the commandments." Don't we though? Don't we enjoy telling people what to do a little more than doing it? I'm really going to enjoy these weeks with her.

Let me know if you're interested in coming with me next week. We can go together.

Ross K. Moore--Husband and Father

How come the people I love most, I tend to appreciate the least? Darn it. Today's post is an effort to fix that, at least in part.

On Sunday morning before church I noticed that a neighbor's dog had gotten into the garbage of my next door neighbor, who was out of town. I promptly did what I thought was the right thing to do. I called them up to let them know. "Hey, your dog is in the neighbor's garbage. It's strewn all over their yard and their driveway. It's really a mess, and I knew you'd want to know because they're out of town and won't be back until tomorrow, so you should really make sure you get to it before it makes an even bigger mess." I promptly hung up the phone to finish getting ready for church.

When I drove into my driveway more than three hours later, I noticed the garbage was still there. Ross and Connor, our seven year old son, had walked home from church together and also went by the mess. But their reaction was different than mine. Without fan fare or finger pointing they simply got another garbage bag and started to pick it up. It didn't take more than a few minutes.

I'm especially grateful to Ross for being a great example to both me and to our children. It's a seemingly small incident, but not insignificant. In that moment Ross' example taught many principles that he and I both want our children to learn. While I'm busy flapping my lips and preparing lessons on charity, cleanliness, kindness, and initiative, Ross is teaching by example. I want to thank him for it.

I appreciate Ross so much. I want him to know, and I'm happy to share it with all of you... As much as it may be in my nature to say, "You sure do have a great big mess there. You better get going on that because it stinks." This time I want to be the one by your side cleaning it. Even if it takes a little longer than we want.

James L. Ferrell--The Peacegiver

I'm reading a book for the second time. I don't do it that often, but this comes as a recommendation from a friend I respect, so I wanted to try it.

The book is by James L. Ferrell, The Peacegiver--How Christ offers to Heal Our Hearts and Homes. Here's a quote that stood out to me from my reading several days ago, pg 33 or so.

"Being mistreated is the most important condition of mortality because eternity itself depends on how we view those who mistreat us."

Right now I'm deep into page 140 or somewhere around there. I'm learning or relearning, I should say, that no matter how I may try I will still mistreat people, because that's life--it's what we as imperfect humans do. The whole crux of this story rests in the fact that I need the Savior as much as anyone who I might think has wronged me needs the Saviour. Very, very, slowly I might be getting this. I'm open to more book recommendations to keep me on track.

Dr. Wally

I’ve not met him personally, but I was first introduced to Dr. Wally sometime this spring through articles he writes for Meridian Magazine. It’s an online magazine that brings 4 or 5 articles daily to my inbox. Given my certain interests, or struggles, which ever you want to call them, I was drawn to his articles on marriage and family. Every time I see something written by him I generally read the entire article and I’ve searched out his blog in order to send him my comments, and appreciation.

A lot of what he believes and teaches touched me, so when I saw that he was a speaker at Education Week I made it a point to go to one of his parenting classes. I chose “Parenting with Compassion” a topic I’m sure I can improve on. I was not disappointed.

H. Wallace Goddard is his name as it appears in the catalog. I’ve come to know him simply as Dr. Wally. And even though I didn’t have the guts to let him know in person that I appreciate what he’s taught me, I wanted to make up for it by writing this post.

Most recognizable to me first was his own love and compassion for people. It was a tangible feeling in the room and the more he spoke the more I felt it.

Second, he said something like this, “Sometimes when we see children we see them as a collection of problems and not as real people. We can and ought to see them as advised in D&C 121:41-45 with ‘pure knowledge.’ See them as God sees them, filtered from our earthly limited view.”

I thought I’d write about Dr. Wally today, as a thank you to him and as a reminder to me of what I’m learning.

Amazing Parents

I sure don't have to go far from home to find ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things. Today's post is dedicated to another of my neighbors, Jeff and Natalie Rose. We don't hang out necessarily, but I always enjoy her comments at book club, and learning about her life through reading her blog. She's bright and kind, so I consider myself lucky to share a back yard with her and her family. Yesterday, or the day before, she and her husband did something that I think is extraordinary.

They have just adopted 2 year old triplets. Yes, that's right. They have a 5 year old daughter, a 3 year old daughter, and are now the proud parents of three 2 year old boys.

I don't know the details, but I know that Jeff and Natalie want these children in their home. They are happy and excited to have expanded their family and to be able to give these 3 boys opportunties for a great life.

I want to wish them all the best. My thoughts and prayers go to that birth mom, who has given those boys a new life and a great family. I'm confident she, as well as those boys, as well as the Rose's will be forever blessed.

I'm inspired today to look at my own blessings and say, "I'm so grateful for this challenge." And then to also look to my challenges and say, "I'm so grateful for this blessing."