This week I have two things I want to talk about. The first really came as a surprise for me: the honor bee. For those of you who aren't as familiar, the honor bee is a new addition to the personal progress program that a young woman can get by mentoring another young woman in finishing her own personal progress.
It would nag at me from time to time that I really ought to aim for that. I had lots of younger cousins and friends in our young women's group that would be easy to help. But life, as it usually does, got in the way and I would completely forget about it.
And then, last week, our young women's president (and my dearest of dear mother) called for me and the other two friends that I have mentioned a lot on this blog to come up. And guess what she presented us?
Honor bees.
She explained that, though we hadn't actually sat down and went through the method of checking of goals, she could 'think of no more deserving girls'. She brought us all to tears explaining how we had been examples, friends, and truly mentors to the younger girls. Even when most our age might look down and roll our eyes at them.
Quite frankly, us three always thought those little Beehives were cooler than us:). Besides, a good number of them were already taller than us. So I guess we would've had to look up and roll our eyes and the effect really diffuses the temptation.
But the point I got was following the spirit of a law. Sure none of us had had anything checked off on paper, but as I looked at the new little charm to my personal progress necklace, I felt that the Lord knew. He knew of all those girl's camp preparations as youth leaders. He knew of all the times we talked to the younger girls in the hall. He knew of my one friend's contagious laughter when she listened to one of their jokes or my other friend's fun way of making them feel a part of the group. He even knew of the time that I blasted Phineas and Ferb music in my car when driving them home.
How different things are when we remember the spirit. The law itself my produce an emaculate check-list and nice award. But the spirit of the law is something that's inside of you. The reward of that sort of devotion can be felt, both by you and others as you share it. A paper of recognition can only go so far, but a character of recognition can be spread to unnumerable lengths. I learned that there is a whole lot more to following the spirit of the law than I first comprehended.
The second, of course, is Thanksgiving. I am thankful for my mother's cooking and will probably be more so once I leave.
I'm thankful for my little cousin who came to visit and wanted to play princesses. And, on that note, I'm thankful that I somehow fit into my last prom dress for the occasion because the size of my platter suggested otherwise.
I'm thankful for my fuzzy socks that have kept me warm this whole Thanksgiving break and for my low-maitenence hair because there's more fun things I'd rather be doing on a weekened.
I'm thankful all the lockers I've had throughought junior high and high school. Each has provided me with many adventures. They range from popping my back just trying to open it to forgetting my combo twice and nearly being late for class.
I'm thankful for my car. It goes through the thick and thin everyday and my mother (as well as my little brother) could testify.
I'm thankful for a family who listens to Christmas music while cooking the turkey and mashing the taters and who put up the tree before even all that.
I'm thankful for the Disney station on Pandora. People who work on the holidays. My english teacher who never tells me that I've screwed something up until I admit it myself. For my Precalculus teacher who answers question upon question upon question and who always looks my direction when he assures my brainiac class that he will give help if we need it on tests.
For a good book. For friends who also love a good book. For Subway sandwhiches and baked Lays. For those few classmates that keep life interesting. For my family who has put up with my piano poundings all these years to the unth degree. For my art teacher who lets me draw my book characters instead of boring buildings.
For all the heavenly help I get with this blog and for of you who read it. As well as others who let me fill their eardrums with my endless ideas. (One of my classmates even had a dream about one of my characters. In other words, I talk way too much.) I'll be grateful for the gospel far into the eternities, even (and especially) the sacrament meetings where the organist falls asleep and a toddler flickers the light switch because sometimes the best medicine is simply laughter.
And I'm thankful for the pilgrims and indians who showed us all what's up. Because I could fill the world wide web really, but, again, I talk too much. So I'll leave it to all of you. What are you thankful for?
It would nag at me from time to time that I really ought to aim for that. I had lots of younger cousins and friends in our young women's group that would be easy to help. But life, as it usually does, got in the way and I would completely forget about it.
And then, last week, our young women's president (and my dearest of dear mother) called for me and the other two friends that I have mentioned a lot on this blog to come up. And guess what she presented us?
Honor bees.
She explained that, though we hadn't actually sat down and went through the method of checking of goals, she could 'think of no more deserving girls'. She brought us all to tears explaining how we had been examples, friends, and truly mentors to the younger girls. Even when most our age might look down and roll our eyes at them.
Quite frankly, us three always thought those little Beehives were cooler than us:). Besides, a good number of them were already taller than us. So I guess we would've had to look up and roll our eyes and the effect really diffuses the temptation.
But the point I got was following the spirit of a law. Sure none of us had had anything checked off on paper, but as I looked at the new little charm to my personal progress necklace, I felt that the Lord knew. He knew of all those girl's camp preparations as youth leaders. He knew of all the times we talked to the younger girls in the hall. He knew of my one friend's contagious laughter when she listened to one of their jokes or my other friend's fun way of making them feel a part of the group. He even knew of the time that I blasted Phineas and Ferb music in my car when driving them home.
How different things are when we remember the spirit. The law itself my produce an emaculate check-list and nice award. But the spirit of the law is something that's inside of you. The reward of that sort of devotion can be felt, both by you and others as you share it. A paper of recognition can only go so far, but a character of recognition can be spread to unnumerable lengths. I learned that there is a whole lot more to following the spirit of the law than I first comprehended.
The second, of course, is Thanksgiving. I am thankful for my mother's cooking and will probably be more so once I leave.
I'm thankful for my little cousin who came to visit and wanted to play princesses. And, on that note, I'm thankful that I somehow fit into my last prom dress for the occasion because the size of my platter suggested otherwise.
I'm thankful for my fuzzy socks that have kept me warm this whole Thanksgiving break and for my low-maitenence hair because there's more fun things I'd rather be doing on a weekened.
I'm thankful all the lockers I've had throughought junior high and high school. Each has provided me with many adventures. They range from popping my back just trying to open it to forgetting my combo twice and nearly being late for class.
I'm thankful for my car. It goes through the thick and thin everyday and my mother (as well as my little brother) could testify.
I'm thankful for a family who listens to Christmas music while cooking the turkey and mashing the taters and who put up the tree before even all that.
I'm thankful for the Disney station on Pandora. People who work on the holidays. My english teacher who never tells me that I've screwed something up until I admit it myself. For my Precalculus teacher who answers question upon question upon question and who always looks my direction when he assures my brainiac class that he will give help if we need it on tests.
For a good book. For friends who also love a good book. For Subway sandwhiches and baked Lays. For those few classmates that keep life interesting. For my family who has put up with my piano poundings all these years to the unth degree. For my art teacher who lets me draw my book characters instead of boring buildings.
For all the heavenly help I get with this blog and for of you who read it. As well as others who let me fill their eardrums with my endless ideas. (One of my classmates even had a dream about one of my characters. In other words, I talk way too much.) I'll be grateful for the gospel far into the eternities, even (and especially) the sacrament meetings where the organist falls asleep and a toddler flickers the light switch because sometimes the best medicine is simply laughter.
And I'm thankful for the pilgrims and indians who showed us all what's up. Because I could fill the world wide web really, but, again, I talk too much. So I'll leave it to all of you. What are you thankful for?
1 comment:
GOSH, DOLL! These last two posts just had me bawlin'! I'm really sentimental too, so I totally get you. And I'm SO SO SO GLAD you got your honor bee, and I'm SO SO SO GRATEFUL for the way you treat "my" Beehives. I don't think you really understand how much good you've done in that area. You girls have made all the difference. Really and truly. I can't say it enough.
I don't like to think of you leaving, so I won't. Not today. Haha. I'll think about it later... like in August, or something.
Post a Comment