One-liners

Today I hired a babysitter so I could drive to a parking lot and sit in my car for two hours and read a book in peace and quiet. It’s true. And it was delightful. You could say that this morning was really just a continuation of last night.

Tonight was the evening session of Stake Conference and Ernie and I enjoyed it immensely. It was a particularly good session for me and I left feeling uplifted and happy (which clearly I have not been for a couple of days now!). The Baton Rouge Temple President, Max Brough, spoke about spiritual one-liners. He quoted Neal A. Maxwell who said that often in our lives people say one or two sentences that stay with us for the rest of our lives, and then Pres. Brough shared some of his “one-liners” with us. It was a wonderful talk (actually, all the talks were really good) and it really got me thinking about a variation of his talk. During stake conference tonight, triggered by comments made about visiting teaching and hymns sung that I sang on my mission- my heart was really softened and a handful of people and moments came to mind- really just a sampling of the memories that I have been going back to over the years for comfort and inspiration. I think that the influence I feel from these memories is very similar to the influence of Elder Maxwell’s one-liners.

President Arlen B. Crouch, my mission president. At the time I loved him and I respected him, but it’s been since I’ve been home that his zone conference lessons- which have percolated for almost 12 years now- have had their biggest impact. Pres. Crouch was planting seeds to help me prepare for the rest of my life.

The Cac Chi (Vietnamese for Sister)- my dearest Ngoc, Hoa, Minh, Ha, Ai, Diem, and Tram. What would my life have been like without having you as my companions? My memories of serving with each of you are so tender.

Nan Howard- Nan was in my first ward after Ernie and I got married and she taught me that family is more important than anything else. She was a woman of faith and compassion. She died of cancer while I was pregnant with Emmaline and I still think of her often.

Camille Lindsay- who showed up at my door with dinner, while I was pregnant with small kids and working full time and Ernie was living in Kentucky (and we were still in Indiana). It was such a small thing, but I think of that meal to this day. I remember what she brought and I often think how wonderful it was that Camille listened to the Spirit on a night that I would never have asked for it, but I really needed some help.

Jenny Martin- because Heavenly Father knew I was going to need her.

The last thought I will share was a quote from President Gwin referencing our kids and others around us. “When they know what we know, and they feel what we feel, they will do as we do.” Meaning that when we teach our kids the gospel and we teach them to feel and recognize the Spirit, they will live the gospel centered lives that we want them to live. I don’t think that Pres. Gwin was offering a no-rebellion guarantee, but he was reminding us that to give our kids the best chance we can- they have to know what we know and feel what we feel, so they can do what we do.

What a wonderful way to end, what started out to be, a no-good, very bad, terrible, awful day!