Elizabeth

Teacher Shout Out

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My kindergartner misses school so much! This is a shout out to all the incredible teachers out there working hard to bring school into our homes. We are grateful for all you do! Our kids miss you desperately 💕 In my home we have had tears multiple times from both of my school aged kids because they want to see you! It is hard knowing we won’t be able to go back to school for the rest of the school year. My little five-year-old’s day was made when her teacher asked for a virtual high five. Thanks for still bringing joy, even if it is from a distance! We miss you!

What amazing things have your children’s teachers done?

Aware in All Things

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Last summer I was able to take a quick trip to Target without kids. I was giddy to get a little shopping in without little ones… you know, doing what little ones do! While driving through the parking lot I noticed an elderly man sitting in the back seat of an old beat up sedan. He kept looking over his shoulder to the entrance of Target. I don’t know why he caught my attention, maybe it was the urgency he seemed to exude as he glanced over his should. For some reason I felt like I needed to take a closer look (usually I am not a stalker!) I made a loop around the lot and ended up finding a spot, a couple of cars away, where I could still see him. Again, he looked over his shoulder at the doors to the store, as if he were anxiously waiting for someone to return. I pulled the keys from the ignition and rummaged through my purse, plopping my phone into it. I glanced at the man again and it became clear he seemed distressed.

I got out of the car feeling awkward. Did this man need help? He was a grown man, surely there was nothing I could do for him. I started to walk down the isle of the parking lot towards the store which led me closer to the man, who didn’t notice I was there.

Once closer with a better view it dawned on me, this man was locked in the car in 95 degree weather! He was an extremely frail looking man, sweat dripped down his forehead and he kept swiping it away. His t-shirt was drenched in sweat as well. I could tell there wasn’t a dry spot on it. It was obvious this man had been locked in the car for a long time.

I walked over to the car not surprised to see the windows were all rolled up. “Do you need help?” I asked the man bending down so he could see me through the window. His face was frantic and he nodded with a weak, “yes”. Without hesitating I pulled the phone from my purse and dialed 911.

Within minutes a police officer arrived and was able to unlock one of the car doors with a special tool, freeing the man. My heart dropped when he stepped from the car, not only was his t-shirt soaked, but the thick jeans he wore were drenched as well. The EMT’s swooped in to care for the man, while the police got a statement from me.

Later, as I pushed my cart through Target, I couldn’t help but feel grateful that I hadn’t had my usual distractions (aka, my rambunctious pack of kids). Would I have noticed the man in the car? I would like to say I would have, but I’m really not sure. It was a busy day at the store, with a full parking lot. How many people had walked by him without noticing? We are all very aware of children left in cars, but who would pay attention to a grown adult?

I tell you this story, because since that time I have realized that in recent years I’ve become less observant to those around me. It was a slow progression that I hadn’t even realized had taken place.

This slow progression reminds me of what it is like when wearing old glasses. I just got a new pair of glasses for the first time in five years (yes, I should take better care of my eyes!) My old glasses were worn, looked ridiculous, and were not even close to the prescription I needed anymore. I’d grown accustomed to the lack of detail. I didn’t think about what I was missing. Once I put on the new pair of lenses, I was in awe at all the extra detail I could see. It wasn’t anything new. I’d seen it all before and yet, I had easily stopped caring what I was missing out on. I think we all get a little lazy on our view of life. We all can get too preoccupied to notice what is right in front of us.

I will be the first to admit that I live in a state of preoccupied… all the time. I am an extremely task oriented person. I usually have a checklist outlined somewhere in my house to help me focus on what needs to be done. When it comes to running a household, I like order. I spend my days being mom: carpooling to school, helping with homework, chauffeuring kids to activities, reading stories, putting kids down for nap time, the usual stuff. Being a mom consumes me. There isn’t anything wrong with this, but I have a tendency to forget to look up and enjoy the beauty around me. I live in my own little snow globe world and it takes effort to look beyond the fictitious glass, to what is on the outside. Frankly, the thought of even trying to do this can exhaust me.

In all the busyness, I can forget to breathe, look up, and take it all in. I forget to take care of myself. At one point, I’d even gotten to a place where showering felt like a chore! Showering was just another thing I had to rush through to check off my list, and lets be honest… most days I never even got around to it (and I have to admit that I still don’t always get around to it)!

Awhile back, I was driving on the freeway and I glanced up and noticed the mountains. It might seem cliche to say that my breath was taken away, but that’s how I felt. I’ve lived in Utah my whole life and the mountains easily tend to blend into the background of a preoccupied mind. I realized then that I go through life with my head down, more metaphorically than literally. For weeks after that, I made an effort to look up and take in the beauty around me. The peace those few moments brought each day, made the burdens I had at the time lighter. Taking a simple moment transformed me. It transformed my perspective on life.

No matter our circumstances, burdens seem easier to bear when we take that much needed breath, step back, and enjoy the extra little details around us that we tend to gloss over. Try to start looking through new lenses, to see what you are missing. Even if it is just a moment to lift your head and notice the small miracles around you. Soak in the little details and enjoy them!

Now lets get cheesy. There is something therapeutic about noticing the tiny details of nature, it’s like medicine for the soul!

An ant carrying a crumb across the sidewalk.

A bird working hard at it’s nest.

The early buds of leaves starting to sprout on the branches of trees that weren’t there the day before.

The bite of a cool breeze brushing through our hair and across our skin.

The smell of rain on the pavement.

I’d venture to guess these are all things we enjoy, but how often do we really notice them? How often do we let ourselves enjoy a moment where we do nothing but sit and take it all in? How often do we enjoy God’s creations? Most of us live in a whirlwind of absolute busyness. It is rare for us to allow ourselves time to really meet our own needs because we are hurriedly trying to meet everyone else’s needs instead.

Image by Jacques GAIMARD from Pixabay

It’s okay to take care of yourself first

At times there seems to be a stigma about caring for ourselves before others. I’ve been in several conversations where someone is going through a difficult trial in their life, or suffering from depression, and a well meaning individual starts talking about service. Yes, forgetting about ourselves in the service of others is an amazing thing! It really can help pull us through when we need it the most. But, it is impossible to give ourselves to others if we are merely an empty shell.

I work at a children’s hospital and often have parents, who are extremely worried to leave their child’s bedside. Many of them haven’t showered for days, forgotten to eat several meals, and are severely lacking in sleep. Some are barely functioning after a couple of days of frantic worry. Whenever I see this, I sit down with the parents and discuss with them the need to care not only for the child, but for themselves as well. We talk about how they can care for their child so much more, if they are meeting their own needs. It is amazing the difference I often see after they take a quick shower, or go for a little walk by themselves.

“Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.”

Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation

Self care is not a selfish act. Meeting our own needs makes us more equipped to take on our daily tasks. Life is busy, especially as a parent. We run ourselves ragged! Never underestimate the importance of taking a little breather for ourselves, no matter how small it may be. How can we possibly be fully aware of the needs of others if we are constantly ignoring, or aren’t even aware, of what our own needs are?

It would be fantastic if we could all check out on our responsibilities once a week and have a designated self care day. That is unbelievably laughable, right? No one has time for that! So the majority of self care we get comes in little moments throughout the day. A moment we pause, step back, and cleanse our minds of any useless internal dialogue, and just breath. Sometimes this requires briefly walking away from children or other busy environments. When we are at our whits end, overwhelmed, depressed, or frustrated, this is a useful tool to have in our survival belt.

So remember to stop and take care of yourself! Even if it means taking that tiny break I mentioned earlier by simply looking up and out of your own little snow globe of a world you live in. Take a breath. Enjoy the good. Not just in nature, but in all aspects of your life. Maybe it’s the way your kids are actually playing together and it’s adorable. Maybe it’s the way your spouse left you the last piece of your favorite dessert. Maybe it’s the way your eighty year old neighbors still hold hands when they take their daily walks. Maybe it’s by adding just an extra minute or two to the shower you usually rush through.

With social distancing we have been given a rare opportunity to stop, take that breath, and become more aware. Our usual routines are disrupted, making it a great time for self evaluation and starting new habits. It’s time to take a look at those details we so easily overlook. COVID-19 has impacted every individual differently. Some of us have found ourselves stuck in our homes with more time on our hands than we have ever wanted. Others, such as healthcare workers, or mom’s with school age children, may be busier than ever. Either way, learning to look beyond our distractions at our own current needs is a valuable skill.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Being aware helps us care for others

We have all had phases in our life, where we have more time on our hands to reach out to people. There are also times we might be on the verge of tears when we are asked to add one more thing to our plate. I’ve been there. I’ve felt completely overwhelmed by the mere thought of doing some big gesture to help someone else out. There are times I’ve been hanging on by a thread and I couldn’t think beyond the needs of my own family. It is okay to feel this way! We have all been there!

The interesting fact is when we do what I am suggesting, and take that small breather, we tend to notice those around us more. This puts us in a situation where we can reach out and help someone in need! Much like the elderly man trapped in the car. What if I hadn’t looked up and been more aware of my surroundings? What if I had my “task oriented brain” turned on and was only tuned into what I needed to buy and finding a closer parking spot?

It is an amazing thing, when we take a moment to look up. We notice little ways we can help others. It doesn’t always take some grand gesture of service. When we take a moment to be more aware of our surroundings we notice great opportunities to lend a helping hand. Like a cute old lady at the grocery store trying to reach a jar on the top shelf but coming up empty handed. The mere seconds it takes to step in and help her out can put a smile on her face, and ours for the rest of the day. This type of service may seem simple and take very little of our time, and yet it can be just as impactful to the person we are helping with any grand service project.

“Kindness and awareness work together. Through awareness we understand the underlying beauty of everything and every being.”

Amit Ray, Nonviolence: The Transforming Power

I urge all of us to look up and practice awareness. The more we do this the more we will come to realize how awareness and service go hand in hand. It is great that awareness has a two fold consequence! The first one is for our own personal benefit; when we are aware (take that breath and step back) our spirits soar, it rejuvenates us and brings us peace. The second consequence is it provides opportunities to serve, blessing so many other lives beyond our own.

Be aware of all things

I bear my personal witness that the Father is at this moment aware of you, your feelings, and the spiritual and temporal needs of everyone around you.

Henry B. Eyring, His Spirit to Be with You, April 2018

Our own Heavenly Father is aware of us and our needs. He is aware! Isn’t it about time we start pondering what our own needs are according to his will? If He is aware of my needs, I want to be more aware of them as well. I want to be ready when he calls upon me as a tool to meet the needs of another. I want to be aware of those around me and their needs. This can only be done through being aware and tuned into the Holy Spirit, and by being aware of those around us.

It would be amazing to put on the lenses of God and see the world how he sees it. To see his children the way he sees them. To see our family, neighbors, friends, and even strangers as He sees them. What a marvelous perspective to strive for! To see ourselves as He sees us. If we could share this view I can only imagine the infinite love that would fill our souls.

So take time to breath, and look up. Take time to listen to the Spirit’s promptings. We will be guided on how to meet our own needs as well as others. As we take these moments throughout the day and pause, we will be guided and blessed by the spirit. We will find peace and feel rejuvenated to take on any responsibility, no matter how daunting it may be. When we do this, we will likely find someone who is in need of our help, and find joy in serving.

It is time to practice being aware, just as our Heavenly Father is aware of all things.

What does being aware, just like our Heavenly Father is aware, mean to you? Please comment below on your insights!

51 Daily Quarantine Challenges

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Staying home during this COVID-19 pandemic is taking it’s toll on all of us! The days are running together and we are all becoming bored out of our minds. Here is a list of 51 daily challenges you can turn to in order to brighten your day, while maintaining social distancing. They are meant to be fun, productive, and give hope! The challenges are in no particular order and you can choose one or more a day to work on. Below is a free printable of these so you can hang them up where you can see them each day!

Have Fun!

  1. Look at old photos, yearbooks, and scrapbooks. It’s time to reminisce!
  2. Write a journal entry about your experience during this pandemic.
  3. Listen to a meditation audio clip, YouTube has some great guided imagery.
  4. Research a topic you have always wanted to know more about.
  5. Call two people today and chat. No text messaging is aloud- actually talk to them!
  6. Turn on your favorite song and sing it out loud- have fun with it and sing your heart out!
  7. Clean an area of your house you usually try to ignore.
  8. Do something that makes you feel good about yourself.
  9. Come up with a family emergency preparedness plan for times of crisis (fire, earthquake, etc.) Hold a family meeting to go over this plan.
  10. Google inspirational quotes.
  11. Color a picture- get in touch with your grade school self!
  12. Sit outside for five minutes and don’t talk. Just look around, relax, breath, and enjoy! If you can’t escape kids, do it in the dark after they go to bed.
  13. Take a walk in a new place you have never been before.
  14. Do a yoga video, free ones are available online.
  15. Start reading a book you have always wanted to read. If you don’t have one, find an article online that intrigues you.
  16. Download a free geocaching app and go find some “treasure”.
  17. Watch a documentary.
  18. Start a new hobby that intrigues you.
  19. Avoid internet and other screen time for an entire day. Get creative on how you spend your time.
  20. Pull out a project you started in the past and never finished- it’s time to complete it!
  21. Spring cleaning time!
  22. Purge old belongings- sort things to give to charity.
  23. Have a camp out in your own yard or living room.
  24. Karaoke party (even if you are alone!)
  25. Make a bucket list of things you are excited to do once quarantine is over (because it will end!)
  26. Take a scenic drive.
  27. Get romantic, there’s no better time to let that special someone know you love them!
  28. Binge watch a new series.
  29. Yard work, get working on those weeds!
  30. Indulge in a favorite treat.
  31. Do all those “fix it” projects around the house that never get done.
  32. Pack a lunch and take a day trip. Drive in the morning, play and eat lunch in the afternoon, then drive home.
  33. Make a list of friends, family, and acquaintances, who are alone at this time. Come up with a way to reach out to them (phone call, letter, face time, get creative!)
  34. Take time to kneel and pray out loud.
  35. Read scriptures.
  36. Take a Bike ride.
  37. Do an aerobic exercise video, free ones are available online.
  38. Take a bubble bath.
  39. Plan a “drive by” for extended family or friends. Let them know when you will be driving by so they can be outside watching. Then honk wave, and hold up signs as you pass.
  40. Make a movie or music video.
  41. Plan and execute a service project.
  42. Write thank you cards to those serving in your community- healthcare workers, police officers, firefighters, etc.
  43. Order take out to support local restaurants.
  44. Have a dance party (even if you are alone!)
  45. Get dressed and fixed up for the day, even though you know you aren’t going anywhere.
  46. Complete a sudoku or other mind puzzle game.
  47. Check in with a neighbor to see how they are doing.
  48. Have an impromptu photo shoot.
  49. Write a short story- fact or fiction.
  50. Research family history (http://www.familysearch.org can help).
  51. Start listening to a new podcast.

Want to put this list where you will see it often? Here is the free download:

Quarantine Challenge Free PrintableDownload

Please comment on your quarantine experiences. I want to hear all the ideas you have come up with to fill the time!

Never Inadequate

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I vividly remember sitting in the women’s general conference, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in October five years ago. I sat on the church bench with my three month old baby sleeping happily in the car seat next to me. I honestly don’t remember the talks from the broadcast but I do remember watching Sister Linda K. Burton, who was the Relief Society General President at the time. I felt inspired by her message and remember thinking, “Wow, what an amazing woman. What kind of life must she have led to be standing where she is now.” At that instant a jolt hit me with force, like lightning crackling from my head down through my body. I was stunned. I had never felt anything like it before. I have felt promptings from the Holy Ghost and received personal revelation, but I had never experienced such a strong physical… push. More profoundly, however, were the feelings that accompanied it.

Now I want to be clear- this was by no means saying I was destined for the same path as Sister Burton. To me the message was direct, Heavenly Father loves me and has a plan for me. I knew I needed to start taking the actions needed to reach my full potential. I knew I was a long way off from where I needed to be, and where I wanted to be.

I drove home inspired, I made a plan to start reaching goals that would help me get on the path I wanted.

Did I mention this was five years ago?

Yeah, I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t follow through with most of my plan. I still feel like I am lacking and far from the steps that prompting encouraged me to take. I’ve been discouraged and mad at myself for not trying harder. I’ve had two more babies since that time and life got busy. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. In part, it was true. I never have a moment alone and those steps I needed to take were time consuming. When I became honest with myself though, there was one main thing holding me back.

Inadequacy.

Starting this blog was one thing I knew needed to happen. Over the years the prompting has gotten stronger until I no longer could ignore it.

I was terrified.

What do I have to say that anyone would even care about? What if no one likes it? What if I offend people? What if no one reads it? What if my writing isn’t good enough? I’m not as spiritual as I’d like to be right now. How can I help others if I’m not even where I should be? I’m no one special, I can’t make a difference.

Self doubt flooded over me.

“Be careful not to mistake insecurity and inadequacy for humility! Humility has nothing to do with the insecure and inadequate! Just like arrogance has nothing to do with greatness!”

C. JoyBell C.

Inadequacy Does Not Equal Failure

Inadequate. This is a feeling we have all felt at one point or another. It’s negative connotation speaks volumes when someone says it towards another person. When we say it to ourselves, our self worth drops significantly.

The feelings that come with fearing we are inadequate tear us apart and ultimately can make us lose hope. We feel like we have failed.

Feelings of inadequacy often come from constantly coming up short in many areas of our life. We play countless roles through life, these roles are ever changing. I’ve made a quick list of all the roles I currently play in the life of me:

I am a-

  • Wife
  • Mother
  • Homemaker
  • Daughter and daughter-in-law
  • Sister and sister-in-law
  • Aunt
  • Cousin
  • Niece
  • Friend
  • Neighbor
  • Nurse
  • Employee
  • Coworker
  • Ministering Sister
  • And I serve in different callings in my church

Some of these roles, I feel like I do okay in. Others stress me out and there are several I know I am failing at miserably. Feeling overwhelmed and spread thin is a common feeling we all have. This leaves us feeling inadequate and quite frankly exhausted. “If I only had more time during the day,” is a common thought I have, “then I could have done everything I needed to do”. But we don’t have more time, and the things we wanted to accomplish can pile up. This can make us feel like we have a big fat “FAILURE” tattooed on us for all to see. This only worsens when we start comparing ourselves to what appears to be the picture perfect people around us. “Those” people seem to have it all together, “they” have it all figured out.

In what aspects of your life are you feeling inadequate? To organize your thoughts it might help to make a list of all the roles you play like my list above. Look at the areas you are strong in, you aren’t failing! What areas do you need to improve? What areas terrify you to even start trying? If you feel like you are not strong in any of them that’s okay. Failure should never be defined by our regrets, it is what we choose do with those regrets that defines it. So do we choose to push on, to keep trying? Or do we wallow and hide?

The reality is we can’t do it all at once. There are so many roles we play in life, that we can’t possibly excel in all of them at any one given moment. So stop trying to be perfect at everything all the time! We are going to make mistakes and mess up, no matter how much we think we have improved. We will never be perfect. Instead, we must learn to accept imperfection, or we will never learn from our mistakes. It is okay to place things on the back burner, while we take the time to focus on another area. Prioritize what areas you need to focus on. When one area is strengthened and new habits have formed, you will be able to focus on another area.

What things didn’t make your list that you want for yourself in the future? It is okay to dream big, to want more. What do you need to do to make it happen? What negative words of self doubt do you need to cast off?

One thing that must be said, is there will be situations that arise where we feel like we aren’t enough, like we don’t have what it takes. These situations occur outside of the designated roles we see ourselves in. I’ve heard many people lately saying they feel inadequate because of the situation COVID-19 has put them in. They don’t feel equipped to home school their kids, they feel inadequate to provide for their family, and other various strains. It is okay to grieve, it is okay to be afraid, these reactions are part of humanity, and they have a purpose. Acknowledge them, mourn… but don’t let it consume you. For more on this see Letting Ourselves Grieve.

“You cannot be escorted by the belief of inadequacy and get to the destination of excellence. Go along with “a can do spirit” because that is the only companion!”

Israelmore Ayivor, The Great Hand Book of Quotes

There is a term I learned, in my psychology class in high school, and I became familiar with it again in nursing school. It is called “self fulfilling prophecy”. According to this, our actions are influenced by a belief or prediction we have. Because our actions were influenced by our thoughts, the prediction actually came true. In other words, if we tell ourselves we are inadequate and can’t do something, then our actions reflect this and it becomes true. Luckily we can use this for the positive as well! If we learn to change our mindset and tell ourselves, “I can do this!”, we are more inclined to put it into action and voila! We learn that we really can!

Reaching Our Full Potential

How many of us have had a Disney’s the Lion King moment, “Simba, you are more than what you have become!”

Often times these urges to be better than we are, come from an innate desire to improve ourselves. It doesn’t always take divine promptings that urge us to do better, to be better, to reach a goal that always seemed too scary to even try. We all have dreams and aspirations, but self doubt tricks us into thinking we are inadequate. These urges are a call to action, to stop thinking and start acting.

It can be terrifying to ignore the feelings of inadequacy, but if we do, life will be more fulfilling and purposeful. Changing our mindset from the negative to the positive takes practice, but it is possible.

We all have greatness within us. Heavenly Father has a plan for everyone. So I ask you, what do you need to do to reach your full potential?

“Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.”

Joshua 1:9, The Old Testament

Don’t give up. If you feel like you have hit a wall, get creative and try taking a detour that can get you to where you need. When self doubt and inadequacies threaten to take you down, hold your head high and remember that you are a child of God. If our own Heavenly Father knows we are special and sees the fullness of our potential, shouldn’t we start believing in ourselves? Believing we can be more? When we feel ill equipped to add more to our plates and that we are barely hanging on, believe in yourself. You are never alone and our Savoir is urging you onward.

Image by Vicki Nunn from Pixabay

We are worth His love, and our life is precious. We are never past hope and we are always capable of change. Reaching our full potential is a life long journey. We won’t get there tomorrow or even next week. Enjoy the ride and be brave. Believe in yourself!

Remember you are enough!

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When Foundations Fail

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Natural disasters are not subtle. They come sweeping in with an unpredictable fury leaving destruction, devastation, and chaos. That’s what I had always believed. Earthquakes, tidal waves, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters have always had widespread coverage in the news. I was familiar with these stories so when the hairline cracks appeared in the foundation of my childhood home during the spring when I turned sixteen, I wasn’t worried.

The street I lived on, which bordered a hill had slight changes to it’s original positioning and several of our neighbors had been noticing minor cracks in their foundations and shifting on their land. “The land is probably just settling,” was a phrase I heard several times. Specialists, like the state project geologist came out and surveyed the land. They measured the cracks with special equipment and looked at the five homes on our street who were effected. At first they didn’t say much, so I assumed everything would be fine. 

I was wrong.

Those hair line cracks in the foundation, as subtle and inconspicuous as they appeared to be, started to separate at a rapid rate by late summer. One home after another was being condemned. The experts continued to monitor the land, but they couldn’t figure out what was causing the ground underneath us to shift. When our house was condemned, we were given 24 hours to evacuate.

About a week after we moved, a 10 foot drop separated the front of our foundation from the back of the foundation. The only home I had ever known was gone. 

Here is my 15 minutes of fame! Front page of the newspaper sporting my pretty awesome overalls and carrying our cat, Mitzi out the back door of our home.

Almost two decades later and I can still remember packing up my house in a fit of adrenaline during the day. Into the silent night hours I worked with my parents. Boxes upon boxes left our house of things that you accumulate over a lifetime. We didn’t have much time to sort and since we had no where to go, most things got packed away and sent to a storage shed.

That was the first time I had ever stayed awake for two days straight, but I didn’t even feel tired. It was surreal. I packed fervently which kept my mind busy. I didn’t have time to think or let the emotions of what was happening impact me. The house creaked and groaned around us, as it was literally being ripped apart. I still remember the sound of my dad cutting the bolts that secured the back of the house to the foundation, to give us more time. 

We were going to loose everything. The insurance company claimed the landslide to be, “an act of God” and said it wasn’t covered.

I emptied drawers.

I boxed up closets. 

I cleaned out cabinets. 

I hugged neighbors and childhood friends goodbye. 

I packed up my bedroom. 

I carried Mitzi from our home and hid her in the hotel we lived in for two weeks (what else could we do with a cat who also lost her home?)

I signed my name to a baseboard in my bedroom. 

And I said goodbye to my home.

Our house was small and modest with a little carport and three big windows in the front that looked into my bedroom. From the outside it probably didn’t seem like much, but it wasn’t just a house. It was my home, a place where I could climb into my favorite tree for sanctuary in my backyard. A place that had the best Little Mermaid rock in the world. It had the bedroom I had shared with my sister where we played Malarky and Hu-watch-ee-foo, and did Christmas concerts with our stuffed animals. Sure, we had gotten older and I finally had the room to myself when my sister left for college. Life wasn’t perfect, but it was all I knew and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet.

But I had to.  

The back wall of the foundation completely dropped and the front of the foundation stayed in place. See the top of the door opening in the back wall? That’s the door I was walking out of where the newspaper picture was taken.

Disasters in life

Everyone in life has disasters. Some are obvious and come rampaging in and the devastation that happens is very apparent to an outsiders point of view. I had always thought of a landslide this way, where tons of rocks, mud, and water come rushing down a hill crushing and engulfing anything in it’s path. This I learned isn’t always the case. Disasters can also be subtle, but just as devastating. I’m sure we can all relate to the current situation of a worldwide pandemic. This trial started with news stories of a virus in far away countries that ended up creeping it’s way to our very own doorstep.

At sixteen years old, my life had been turned upside down. I started my junior year of high school living in a hotel. The American Red Cross paid for the hotel to help my parents get on their feet and until we found an apartment to rent. 

My parents took this time to evaluate more than just our living situation. After two weeks of living in the hotel they found an apartment, and soon after they told my sister and I they were going to get a divorce. This is when all the emotions I had held at bay swept in. Was it a surprise they wanted a divorce? Absolutely not. My parent’s rocky relationship was a known fact, it was more a matter of when things would end rather than if. Even though I knew it would eventually happen, it didn’t change the finality of it.

The only world I had ever known was literally crumbling in front of me. My home was gone, and my dad wouldn’t be living with us. It was all gone. Any illusion of my former life had been uprooted and destroyed. 

Whether the disasters we face come rampaging in or come at us slowly and unassuming, how do we survive these events without crumbling?

Building Our Foundation

For several years after the landslide one question kept resurfacing in my mind:

How had our families foundation been as faulty as the foundation we built our home on? I’m talking about the personal stuff that went on within the walls of my childhood home.

So I ask you now: how is your foundation? How is the foundation of your family? Is it where you want it to be?

What if I told you that there was a different house on our very same lot that had been deemed unstable and was moved away before my parents built our house? As crazy as that sounds, it is true! The foundation of the old home was ripped from the ground and the land put up for auction. My parents were reassured that as long as they built the house further up on the lot and closer to the road they would not have a problem.

I’ve noticed far too often the heart breaking scene of people shaping their lives with faulty foundations. Foundations that have already been proven that they cannot hold and will collapse. People lost and suffering due to drug addiction, pornography, and other such things are all around us. We all have known someone in these circumstances, whether it be a friend or a loved one. Or perhaps it is you that finds yourself in a place in which you feel lost and desperate. These devices are tools Satan uses to weaken our foundations. Feeling hopeless is exactly what the adversary wants, but it’s a lie.

It is never too late to start strengthening our foundations. It doesn’t matter if you are in a good place now, or in the depths of despair. We only need to start with a prayer. It’s that simple.

Christ loves us and he will come swiftly to our aid and fill any cracks that threaten our foundation.

What hairline cracks are compromising your foundation? Your families foundation? You might notice small ones that have a simple fix. Others might be overwhelming to try to take on any sort of solution right now. But I urge you to start patching one crack at a time, focus on what you can do. The reality is that we can’t do it alone, and that is okay! With faith, our Savoir can patch any foundation that is lacking.

I urge us all to find those hairline cracks in our foundations. They can be so unassuming, barely worth a second thought. The reality, however, is they could end up tearing us apart. Satan knows our weaknesses, he sees where our foundation is failing. We need to prepare for the day when he intends to exploit those weaknesses. With a firm foundation, we cannot fall!

The storms and whirlwinds that plague us may come from choices we have made or from outside forces that are not in our control. In the end though, it doesn’t matter because the answer is the same. Christ.

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Matthew 7:25

All those years ago I decided not to crumble. I decided to hold my head up and overcome. I had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At times I barely felt like I was surviving, while other times I found peace and eventually joy! It is possible to find happiness, no matter how hard the rain is beating us down or what disaster we may face. You may not find it immediately, but don’t give up. This does not mean ignoring your sorrow and pain, (see Letting Ourselves Grieve) but finding hope and the Saviors light in the dark is always possible. He can ease our burdens and lighten the unbearable load we carry… if we let him. We must choose to focus on Christ and not the storm raging around us. When it seems as though our foundation is slipping out beneath us, turn to Christ. He will lift us when we need it the most.

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