A couple of weeks ago

I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting. My topic was "How We Can Have Happiness and Peace in our Daily Lives." I admit, I wasn't super excited to speak, but willing none-the-less. SO, I thought about what I would say. I perused the Church website for "peace" and "happiness". There was so much good material! The process began: open a new Microsoft Word document, copy pertinent information from selected talks from General Authorities, paste into said document. Usually, the recipe goes: to compile that information into a talk that flows, throw in some scriptures, maybe some stories (from someone else) and close with my testimony. It wasn't happening. I could not for the life of me focus enough to organize the information. I really lacked motivation, so I procrastinated, a little. Okay, maybe a lot. Eventually, I had to sit down to finish it. There was no way I was going to stand up on Sunday morning with nothing on paper! After prayer, I received some personal revelation that I feel comfortable sharing with you. As I sat here, waiting for my fingers to type something, I tried to think of a story or something personal to share and didn't know where to begin. Then suddenly, it hit me! Blog. Don't try to tell other people's stories from other people's experiences and thoughts, just blog. Wow! That's easy! I can so do that! The thoughts started flowing and my fingers were racing to keep up. I shared personal experiences and implemented a lot of the information I had compiled from General Authorities of the Church. It felt so good! I enjoyed watching it all happen, like it was someone else ;) My testimony grew by leaps and bounds- it was just what I needed, personally. It turned out to be a really long talk, and I had to cut it short when I actually gave it, but I want to share the "highlights". Oh- and I didn't "read" it, but I always type my talks word for word as I would intend to say it- for posterity :)

Having peace and happiness in our daily lives can be a struggle. In our home, with five small children, it would seem difficult; and with four of them being girls- impossible! Our youngest two daughters require the most attention. Ella, who is 3 ½, is learning about herself and her environment. She has discovered that she has likes and dislikes. She is learning to express herself, to put it plainly. As she experiments with her “self expression”, she also learns that there are limits, rules and consequences, much to her dismay. Her younger sister, Bryn, is not far behind. She is learning to communicate her wants and desires. We enjoy watching her grow and learn. I’ve learned that I need to watch her more closely. This past Friday evening, she wanted a cup of milk- her favorite! I had recently given her a cup, so I sent our oldest daughter Katherine to look for it, while I continued preparing supper. After a few minutes of scouring the house, she returned empty handed. Bryn’s request grew louder and more demanding, so I went to search for her cup. I scanned the obvious places, like the living room and kitchen, but could not find it. Then, as I looked in Travis’s room, I saw where she’d been playing. After lunch that day, I threw away a head of lettuce that was going bad. She had taken the lettuce out of the garbage and sprinkled it in little pieces on the floor, like little rose petals.


I admit, at first I was pretty bugged. It hadn’t been a great day, not that it was a bad day, but I just didn’t feel like cleaning up a(nother) mess that late in the day. Usually around supper time I feel “done” and want to relax. I sent Katherine to get a - what we call Walmart bag- just a plastic shopping bag, and began picking up the pieces of lettuce, when I realized, I have a choice here. I can either become angry and scold her for playing in the garbage, or I could blog about it! If you know me very well, you’ll know I like to blog- there’s something about it that relieves stress and helps me feel connected to the outside world- mainly my family. It’s important to blog. I ran to the dining room, where our desk is, and grabbed the camera. I got a few shots of the mess, some including the culprit in all her innocence.


The mess was cleaned up and Bryn calmed down once she was reunited with her beloved cup of milk. There is something about a cup of milk that is magical. Bryn becomes quiet and cuddly. Why is that? Is it really the milk that makes her happy? The security of holding the cup? I believe it’s both. Bryn was seeking peace, a peace that for her, can only come from a cup of milk.

Each of us seeks peace at one time or another. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “When we are at peace, we can be free of worry and fear.” “We can approach every day, every task, and every challenge with assurance and confidence in the outcome. We have freedom of thought and action, freedom to be happy. Few, if any, blessings from God are more valuable to our spiritual health than the reward of peace within.”

If you want to read the rest of the talk, you can go here. It's a long one, but a good one ;)