Kindness Begins with Me!

What an awesome Sunday we had with our Stake Leaders!! It was awesome to have so many with us and to feel of the power of each of your testimonies as you attended the meetings and listened to the messages that were carefully and thoughtfully prepared by our leaders. When I was told of the topic for RS on Sunday and was asked to choose a song that could be used for Kindness.

 The first song that came to me was “I’ll Walk With You.”

If you don’t walk as most people do,

Some people walk away from you,

But I won’t! I won’t!

If you don’t talk as most people do,

Some people talk and laugh at you,

But I won’t! I won’t!

I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.

That’s how I’ll show my love for you.

Jesus walked away from none.

He gave his love to ev’ryone.

So I will! I will!

Jesus blessed all he could see,

Then turned and said, “Come, follow me.”

And I will! I will!

I will! I will!

I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.

That’s how I’ll show my love for you.

I had called several families to see if their kids could help sing this, but it just didn’t seem like what was supposed to happen this time. I asked my Roomie Nicki for some suggestions and we sat and listened to song after song and finally found “Not to far from Here” and it seemed to fit perfectly. I have always loved this song and it was fun to revisit it. Many of you have asked about it so I thought I would include it for you today.

I love the simple truths that this song teaches. There are people ALL around us. Sisters in our OWN neighborhood that need a little hope. Feel like they are on the last straw. And may feel that life is just too hard right now. A little more kindness toward our Sisters would make such a difference in their world for the day. It may be the very person that you feel has it all together that is really falling apart. If we just work on being a little better. A little more kind. Serving those around us just a little more, we will have an extra portion given us to deal with our own things that we may be going through.

There is something REALLY powerful that I have learned from a sister in this ward as I have become close friends with her. When she has a situation that may be hard to be dealing with in her life, or someone says something that might not be very nice, she chooses to be “generous” with them and try to see what they may be going through to act that way. What a great principle to be GENEROUS. To show an extra portion of love and charity to someone who may really need that. In the end an attitude like that, can only help YOU! Thank you for teaching that to me Nicole. I think about it daily as I face lives ups and downs. I have a LONG WAY to go as I work on being more kind and generous to those in my life, but knowing the principle is half the battle.

I love visiting the Mormon.org site on my down time and watching the Mormon Messages. I always feel so uplifted and refreshed hearing stories of over coming battles, service to others and being reminded of conference talks. Recently I was touched by a story done on a cheerleading squad in Utah. Kind acts and charity are all around us. We just need to open our eyes and acknowledge the people in our lives who show us that example and try our hardest to emulate it.

I am so thankful to all of you for being “GENEROUS” with me through all my short comings. For the many kindnesses that get done for me and the emails, texts, calls and visits of support and love. Those acts help me to stand a little taller, to be a little kinder, to look a little harder for others whose life I can bless. Thank you for trying to be generous in all your dealings with the Sisters in our ward. We truly are a blessed ward and where much is given, much is required.

I love you! I hope you all are holding your heads up high this week and being buoyed up in all your many challenges and you turn to the Lord in prayer. I will not be sending an email for this coming Sunday as I am going away with friends for my Birthday. But I will be back with you on Sunday the 13th.

Sisters, I want you to know that I have a testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know that He has taken upon him all of our weaknesses that they can be made strong. He is our Redeemer and for that I am so thankful cause I need Him. I have a testimony in the power of prayer and fasting. I know that it works. I know that it strengthens our faith and that it reaches us closer to heaven. I know that we have a living prophet today and that He leads our church and is the mouth piece of the Lord. I know that this is His church and am so honored to belong and have a testimony in that. Most importantly, I know that he knows us and loves us one by one. He is always there no matter what and in the day which we live in, that knowledge alone is power. I know these things to be true and I say these things to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Meg