Rich or Poor

This last two weeks as the stock market has taken the "dive" and we watch the world change and panic, we can look at life in several ways. I have talked lots lately with family and friends about being poor (money wise speaking) now as my 401K has turned into a very limited amount. I read this story or thought today and it gave me a jump start to change my thinking:
Rich Or Poor - How Rich Are You?It All Depends on the way You Look At Things

One day a rich father took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night on the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?""Very good Dad!""Did you see how poor people can be?"the father asked."Yeah!""And what did you learn?"The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end.We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars.Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon."When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.His son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!

How rich are YOU? How much do you have in your account. I have decided that I have many accounts in this life. I have an account of money, an account of stuff (material things), an account of family, and an account of friends and a spiritual account, and a personal "me" account. I get to choose how much I have in each account. I also get to decide what I take out of each account.

I can deposit in my spiritual account by attendance at church, my personal prayer and study and temple attendance. I can feel the spirit if I put myself in places where it can be. I can loose that feeling and spirit even more quickly when I fail to continue to make deposits. Life will deduct from it each day with little things like stuff we see on tv, movies, or radio, the friends we associate or even the places we work and the people we work with. Where is my account and where is yours?

My personal account is all about me. This is not a selfish me, but a me that is accountable for the care I give my physical body, the things I eat, the things I do each day. It is the anger that I may have towards the "things" that happen to me or by me. It can be the good feelings for doing something for someone else that no one knows of. It can be the call or card from a family member just saying hello, an invite to go to lunch from a friend, the joy of watching the sunrise or set, my yard and my view from it as the seasons change. Each minute of my life and the way I am making a positive or negative difference in my account balance here on this earth?

My family account is the one I feel is the most important one for me to make the best deposits. It is the account that I never want to run into a negative balance. It is the account that is the working account. It is my every day deposit and draw from account. It is busy, and full of action. I must work hard to keep it with a positive balance. On days that I have not been able to add to that account however, many times my family has made deposits for me. They have given me physical, financial, moral, spiritual and emotional deposits. How awesome is that. I hope that I am making deposits in their accounts as well. They are my worldly and eternal accounting and reward.

My friends are an account that I have also been blessed to have an abundance of. My account runs over in that field. Along with family, my friends have always added to my account. I have been blessed with friends whose values and standards have lifted me up and added to my account. They too make big deposits into my life. This is also my eternal account. I hope and pray that I am leaving deposits of good deeds, and spiritually lifting them in their lives and making a positive deposit as well. They brighten my day, they will always be eternal deposits.

So, as I look at these accounts, which account takes on the least in value. The accounts of money and material things. Oh yes, I have been so blessed in this field as well, but what value are them in the long run. They make life better, sometimes easier, and some things are musts to have, but will they be an eternal want or need.

I am so glad to have read that little story and realized that I need to "visit the farm of the poor family more often" so that I can be reminded of how much I have and I realize the importance of those blessings.

Count Your Many Blessings

I went to church this morning at the Glendora 1st ward here in California. Scott called the old neighbor and friend to find out what time the church was. I just happened to be showered and so I jumped at the chance of going with Jolin. I did not find her until after church had started but met her after. Great meeting. Fantastic talks. I loved the opening song. Count your many blessings. Interesting enough, Scott and Teresa and I had been talking the night before about how blessed my life is. Here is my question for today: How many people do you know that are Aunt's who are invited to stay for a week almost with a niece and nephew, and then go to dinner at a beautiful Italian restaurant in Santa Monica by the pier. NOW I HAVE TO CONFESS RIGHT HERE THAT "I" yes me chickened out of going on the ferris wheel. That was the whole purpose of going down there was so I could ride the ferris wheel with Joel whose party we were celebrating. It was the Santa Ana winds were blowing and I have always hated the chairs swinging while they go around. Too much motion for me. However, now that I have confessed, I will continue the story.

I was privileged to meet with my nieces, nephews and their children for a wonderful evening. Joel was in an accident (and some day I will relate the strong person he is and his teaching me about taking responsibility for ones decisions) a couple of years ago. It resulted in the loose of his leg, and a severely cut and broken arm requiring a metal plate. He was found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol and was sentenced to jail time as well as community service. He offers his services to teach youth and others about the wrong decision to drink and drive and takes total responsibility for his consequences. We were celebrating his completion of his time served. What started as just a little dinner turned into a celebration of blessings.

I am so honored that I can be a part of a family (Alder side by the way) that allows me to be loved and to love. I was joined by a niece Syndea and her husband Randy and their daughter Mique and her husband Josh, Scott and Teressa and their son Jason and his wife and Cindy Alder, Joel and myself. Back to the question, how many people do you know that have extended "X" family by legal laws, who love them and include them in their lives. Well here is the answer, ME. I am the lucky, honored and loved person. All these children whose lives have touched mine for 40+ years have given me a glimpse into the eternities. It is people we love, the people who we share time with and who support us that will be there for all eternity. It will be a privilege for me to greet each of these beautiful people any time on this earth that I can or on the other side of this life. I am by far the most lucky, blessed lady in the world and that means for all eternity. Yes, I have counted my blessings this day, and they are many.

Uplifted Spirit

Wow what a wonderful conference weekend. OK, I know that I get preachy sometimes, however, I believe I am not the only blogger out there that thought Brother Dieter Uchtdorf's talk on Hope was absolutely one for the history books. I listened to it 3 times this weekend.
One of the hardest struggles I have is to keep HOPE alive in my life. I took notes on the 3rd time around and here are some thoughts that hit home with me:
1. Hope is one leg of a 3 legged stool, the other two being faith and charity
2. Discouragement and lack of hope leaves the heart sick, it kills ambition, drains all that is vibrant and hopeful, advances sickness, pollutes the soul and deadens the heart. Despair feels as if it leads forever downward.
3. Hope is like a ray of sunlight, It pierces the darkness,
4. Hope sustains us daily and leads to good works
5. Hope sustains us through despair
6. Sometimes we have to hope when all around us presents doubt.

His story about his mom leaving the children on the train while fleeing the Czech republic during the war and having the train gone when she returned ripped my heart from my chest. Karly and I were driving when we heard that story, and she had to run into a home and missed the rest of the story and that was the first thing she asked when she entered the car, Did she find them. His words were so sure and so reassuring that no matter how hard life may seem, we must keep HOPING and keep moving. His theme was: Move forward and put hope into action.

What a moving thought for all of us. Each person feels despair, discouragement, pain, and grief and how often do we want to give up. It is the hope of a new tomorrow that keeps us going.
Last week Syndea gave me the book the Last Lecture by Randy Pausch to read. I had heard his lecture on Oprah so I was familiar with the story. It has the same message of never giving up or giving in, but to live life the best you can and the most you can each and every day. There is no tomorrow, there's only today now has a new meaning when I sing those words.
Other thoughts that were terrific and hit home were:
One of the brothers talked about angels and how each of us is given the assignment to be an angel on this earth, to give hope and lighten the burdens of others. Others talked about our example of living and actions and how others learn from what we do more than what we say (that was William Oswald's on the jumping the rope story), and then there was Russell M Nielsen talk of Patterns of a shopper. How many of us make many of our choices using one of his examples of
study and find the best choice,
or bargain choice,
or splurger choice and jump in,
or steal what we need.
I thought about this analogy and how it applies to many of us as we make choices for all we do in life. I have made decisions in life using each of these choices (luckly the steal one has been very rare, but it has happened)

Needless to say, awesome weekend, so lucky to have a living prophet and leaders that inspire me to hang in there, to do my best, and to look forward with hope.