Entrepreneurship

KennaDee has become our little entrepeneur.  She always wants to take our kid table and chairs outstide and have something for sale for the community.  It's been lemonade twice and this last week she decided to sell her "art." She made these beautiful art pieces.  As soon as she finished all them, she said, "mom - I think people will want to buy my drawings."  I said, "I bet they would!" So away she went with her procedure.  As she came back in, she reported that she had sold 2 paintings for a quarter.  (Before she went out, she was gonna sell them for $1 a piece.) I guess she negotiated.  She then changed her prices: one for a nickel, two for a quarter and three for a dime.  Brian and I started laughing and she immediately said, "wait wait wait. No - one for a nickel, two for a dime, three for a quarter." LOVE that girl! Here's a sample:

Now - keep in mind - she sold her best ones already.

Looking back

So last weekend, an old friend from Highschool came into town and I was able to spend a little time with her.  On my way over to visit her at the house she was staying in, I started thinking.... What would have happened to our friendship had I not joined the church?  She was not a member and I had joined the church a year after highschool.  After I had joined, unforunately, I had to break away from the group because the lifestyle I once led, was too tempting to follow.  So I started thinking, I wonder if we would have been closer had I not broke away.  Had I not decided to move out of the apartment, would I have been invited to their bachlorette parties and their weddings?  Would I have received their baby announcements?  Would we still be good friends to this day? I started feeling sad that I was the only one in our group of friends that was not invited to those things.  As I shared this with Brian, he said, "you can't look at it that way though, Shara. Think of all the good friends and blessings you have now because you DID move out.  I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "I guess."  Having friends is important to me and knowing that I'm not close with them anymore...hurts.
I ended up having a great time with them and am glad we were able to talk. However, I still left that night wondering.

Then Sunday came - Thanks goodness for Sundays!! Two of my friends sang this BEAUTIFUL song.  They are my 2 favorite female voices (other than my moms) that I LOVE to hear sing together. The spirit is always so strong when they sing and....I don't even know how to describe it. It's just beautiful.  Anyhow - the song they sang was, Power of Heaven.

These are the lyrics they sang:
Heaven's light flows through the windows
Warming even walls of stone
In the refuge of the temple
I find strength beyond my own

I can feel the power of heaven
As I stand on holy ground
And the spirit whispers what I long to learn
Eyes are touched with understanding
I can see beyond this world
Its the place I reach for heaven
And it reaches in return

Filled with purpose, filled with power
Granted gifts to lift the world
In Gods house and in His presence
I am filled with strength to serve

It's the place I reach for heaven
And it reaches in return


This was a testimony and an answer to me.  This is why I broke away.  Although I still hurt at times because of lost friendships, the blessings of the temple strongly outweigh anything and everything. I am grateful for the membership I have in my church and the many blessings it brings me.  Yes - there are things that I sacrifice but....sacrifice brings greater blessings.

Thankful

The other day, my two sons and I were running a few errands.  We drove by a homeless woman.  She was standing on the corner of the street, as they often do, holding a sign that said, "homeless, please help." It's hard to know when they are really homeless or are just looking for money.  I guess that part is not ours to judge but to give regardless of what they do with it. Anyway.  We drove passed her and as I continued to watch her, we drove through the light.  I couldn't stop thinking about her so we flipped around and drove down the same street.
I told Jackson to grab one of our "needy" bags.  (For a church activity, we had assembled several homeless goody bags to hand out as we see them in the streets.  They have food, drinks, sanitary items, pamphlets of where to go for help, etc.) We have about 4 of them in our car.  He quickly grabbed one and hopped to the other side of the car so he could hand it to her through the window.  We pulled up to her, rolled the window down, and Jackson said, "excuse me." She turned, took the bag, and replied, "thank you." She then set it down on the ground and continued to walk up and down the street.  As I watched her through my side view mirror and as I watched Jackson watch her, I started to tear up.  I thought of what kind of life she might have and what kind of life I have.  I began to thank my Heavenly Father above for all the blessing and luxuries I enjoy.  My car, my children, my home, my food, my parents, my husband, my husbands job, my membership in the church, my friends that so often help me. The list could go on and on. My bed. The warmth I feel in my home, etc. I'm grateful for ALL the choices I have made in my lifetime to get me where I am today.  I know that every choice we make today will determine our tomorrows.
What made this experience even better was that when Jackson sat back down, he was smiling.