What Will You Give Me?

Yesterday's visit to George Fox University became today's game of FARMER, FARMER, LET ME DOWN.

I don't know if you're familiar with this game as teeter-totters are rarely found on today's playgrounds, but in this familiar game of yesteryears, a child sat on either side of the teeter totter. One would shift on the seat, to bear their whole weight, raising the peer to the skies, and render them powerless to return to the ground. The hanging child would then state, "Farmer, Farmer, Let me down."

The captor would then ask, "What will you give me?" The child, still dangling in the air, would then start naming off trade, and when something is heard the captor likes, he/ she changes position and pushes off to transfer power and it is his/ her turn to give up a made up something for self benefit.

Not everything in life is easily obtained. Sometimes we have to make a choice, trading something we want, for something we want more.

In high school we trade the popularity of being part of the partying in crowd, for the peace of knowing we're in the right crowd. We trade social niceties of theatre tickets and new clothes for four wheels and a back seat for friends. We trade free time to hang out, for time cards in employment toward a higher education.

What will you give me? Yesterdays campus visit was eye opening in costs, and I'm faced with a decision as it is more than I'd thought to be fair and make up the difference in what I told my husband, and in what I learned. Have you ever heard the parable of the bicycle?

In a nutshell--a child tells her father "I want a bike." Dad says, "Then save all your pennies."

The determined girl is saving and dad sees how true she is and realizes by the time she has enough for that bike--she'll want a car.

So dad tells the girl to bring her piggy bank. They go to the store and she chooses a bike. She is sad when she sees the amount that rings up on the register. "I don't have enough," she says. To which Dad replies, "You give all you have, and I'll do the rest." That little girl dumps her bank while coins roll on the belt, and clerk counts all her pennies, dimes, and nickels. She proudly rides that bike all the way home, with Dad beaming behind.

This story is used to show how the atonement works, but, I see a new message in self reliance and planning that I think makes the blessing of any one thing, worked for, that much more beautiful.

Sacrifice in any form is an investment in good works, good hearts, and good transformation.

Sacrifice is not a price, but a gift to others or oneself.

My Knowledge project just taught me a valuable truth as I continue with Choice and Accountability #1 in making wise decisions.

I Am a Giddy George Fox Girl!

Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!

I just got an amazing phone call, and suddenly I feel like the girl I was in high school, with a million questions, and a zillion thoughts. My brain is all a happy excited jumble, like a school girl walking by a crush that just smiled at her. I'm giddy, jazzed, wildly overjoyed.

My counselor just called me from George Fox. Tomorrow morning he's invited me to meet with him for a private tour of the school, and he wants to bring me to the English department to meet the teachers saying everyone thinks there's a lot I can bring to the university as well. That made me happy as I like being used. I love being put to work.

So, here we go. My Knowledge project is complete, though the experience is just beginning. I hope I don't blow up the table in chemistry or pass out in dissection. It's the English, the writing, sweet words of the ages that draws me in.

I just love Dad Ries. I just told him the news before posting. He told me to remember it's not about graduation, but about the "transformation and growth of the individual." I like that. It takes the fear factor right out of the equation, placing purpose over the piece of paper. So tomorrow starts my first experience at George Fox, and I go with a smile.

The Worth of a Soul

This past Sunday was sad celebration. A whole mix of feelings, both sad and beautiful. There were many truths that hit me like a confession ripped from the heart.

I looked at the newly released Presidency, and felt my heart break all over again knowing how much they must love these girls. I've yet to pass from that deep love for girls myself. I don't know if I ever will. It seems to be innate. I kept wiping tears the whole meeting through. Though the calling goes away, and it's another's turn to learn and grow and love these precious daughters of deity, I was glad to learn the love never goes away, and even better, nor does it have to. When Jenn and I had to dash off after Sacrament, my heart flooded for these sisters seeing them embraced. I wanted to hug them and share what I've learned. That those relationships remain. If they don't know that now, they will.

We dashed off to bid farewell to a wonderful new missionary. This elder was in my son's group of priest friends. His story is remarkable. Some months ago ago he wanted to meet up with a serving missionary who had a large effect on him. He asked if they could meet at lunch.

They met and enjoyed the short reunion when a call came to this senior missionary and our new missionary saw how his face changed. They left and went to a companion apartment where a missionary sat outside badly banged up. There had been a physical fight between companions. After talking with the bruised missionary, the man not yet a missionary, went in to find the second.

He was found next to a packed suitcase. This Elder was a twin. While his brother was having a successful mission, for this brother, life had been hard and he felt no self worth or value in the hand he'd been dealt which included divorced parents and serious struggle. He felt useless in his mission and wanted to quit.

"Elder, would you stay on your mission, if you knew you made a difference in just one life?"

The elder looked at this humble man that had simply listened, and said, "yes."

"Good. Because you have just made a difference in my life. You've been through all this, and still came on a mission, while I've been feeling sorry for myself and trying to figure out what I should do. All my friends have been on their missions, they're gone, most of them married. I know it's late, but because of you, I'm going on my mission. If you can go through all that, and still be here, then I can go, too." The elder and future elder shared tears, and the suitcase started to be unpacked. One missionary stayed, and another leaves for the MTC to make a difference in someone else's life. (I had a quite the wad of kleenex in my hand that Sunday.)

What is the value of a soul? One of the reason tears fell unrelentingly making me feel like a ninny Sunday, is because I do know the difference one person can make in the life of another. Sister Olsen, my own, YW advisor taught me my self worth, and to this day, I love her for that. When I was with Sister Olsen, the spirit was strong, and I felt "precious." Every week, I saw Sister's Olsen's white laced table cloth. I saw the picture she set out of the temple. I saw her husband Maynard, how he adored her, and I felt her love for him. I knew I was seeing Heavenly Father's promises fulfilled and knew that is what I wanted for me. And, because of the heightened spirit I felt at Young Women's, with sister Olsen's teachings then, I have God's promises fulfilled today. There's not a day that I take that for granted.

Sister Olsen taught me that long after YW you can touch girls lives. A simple genuine compliment can make a girl's heart soar, but Sister Olsen went beyond. She held my first baby. She shared my name with one of her own daughters, and we are still in touch. I still marvel as I watched her serve as a Mission President's wife. Take in exchange students. And love this gospel. I've been so blessed to have such examples.

On that note I'm off to the last value for Individual Worth before the project. Individual Worth #3. Do all you can to build others, watching for two weeks and acknowledging their good qualities. Write about how your own confidence grows when you build others. This will be pleasurable fun. You know what else is really cool about doing Personal Progress as a mom? I didn't know this, but in reading learned my own daughter can sign off my experiences. And she is. That's a pretty neat feeling going to Jenn for completion and sharing all of this with my own beautiful daughter.

On George Fox, I received a wonderful email. "I will be reviewing your application on Wednesday or Thursday, and giving you a call on that day.

"From that point (if you are indeed accepted) there are a couple of other pieces we will pull together so that on July 8th we can try and get you registered for classes."

"Does that sound good?"

Yes, very. It's D Week. Decision.

And now Onward and Upward.

Lessons From Alice

I've just completed Individual Worth #2. I'm not going to go into that much as our blessings are a personal thing. Likewise, is that experience of obtaining them, but I will say mine is my liahona and light in times of trial, my guide and my hold.

We learn a profound but simple truth from works like ALICE IN WONDERLAND where Alice comes to a place of multiple paths from which to choose. Alice asks the Cheshire Cat, "Which path shall I take?" And the cat responds giving a nugget of wisdom to the reader. "That depends on where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn't really matter which path you take."

It's amazing what happens when I write down a goal. That solidified statement becomes a pact between me and the action. My aunt years ago, as a young adult, taught me about goal setting and mind mapping--how to get line upon line to that creed of promise, starting at the core of desire; how to set my sights on an accomplishment and act upon it to make it happen. I was grateful for that first organizer she encouraged me to buy. She taught me to use it fully, teaching me organization and commitment.

How do you plan an entire life? You can't. Obviously the unseen will come into play, so we can't chart an entire life's course in all we'll go and do, but there are tools to help guide our righteous desires, and they can come about depending upon our faithfulness in doing what is right. We can chart things that matter most and work our way there through smaller stepping stone goals and determination.

Although I don't know what lies ahead for me at this stage of the game, I know my progression to grow both as an individual, and in spirit is key to our personal happiness. And I am excited for both what I've laid out ahead of me in my own goals and direction, and for whatever surprises the Lord has planned ahead in this journey called life. The sweetest thing is I know as I proceed, that I am far from alone, we can seek that guidance and direction always.

Because I do know where I want to go, the path I'm on feels good.

Sweet Somethings

As I was wrapping up Knowledge #2, I was reading through the Personal Progress Book to see what I wanted to do next, and I learned the menu goal I had been doing, was actually required for Good Works #2, so I placed the reached goal there and decided to take a new approach to deepen the meals at home goal. On my menu shopping, once I worked out the kinks, it worked great!

When my sweet Mom Ries comes, it means I get to learn to cook a bit differently. She and my Mom have both been recently diagnosed diabetic. Although my mother is the first I know of, for diabetes, on my side of the family, it is in Mom Ries's genetic makeup. Dad Ries once told me growing old isn't for the faint of heart. It's hard to see our parents begin to see body changes knowing these changes aren't easy. But I marvel as I watch how they relearn and conquer and it makes me proud of them. None of our parents simply accept or wallow in anything. They get tough and going against it to win over the opposition, and I love that about them. maybe that's where I get my resolute grit?

It does make me think though, about what I might change now to buy health later. To complete learning a skill for Knowledge #2, Mom Ries has been teaching me simple nutrition and about better cooking. For example, I thought cutting junk food sweets was cutting sugar, but white flour, white potatoes, regular pasta, white rice. All that pours fast sugar into the bloodstream. It's all bad carbs. Whole grain wheat flour, wheat pasta, red potatoes, and brown rice is better. I learned you can even buy brown rice partially cooked frozen in Costco. Mom says it's great so you can still time everything right and it's a good consistency. Corn syrup is the worst.

I've also been learning about sugar substitutes. Ideal is my favorite. It looks just like sugar, and bakes like sugar, but has to be ordered online. I've also been experimenting with splenda. Still, everything needs to be in moderation. It's been interesting learning from, shopping, and cooking with Mom. It is tricky, and she showed me that even though a label might read low sugar, you have to go inside the label to learn what kind of sugar it is, and what kind of flour is used as in crackers. I thought meals without sugar or whites would taste like chalk and be bland, but I've been surprised. Even my great aunt Beverly's own banana bread recipe was really good with flour I ground myself. Dad said the wheat gave it a real home grown earthy taste which he liked. Sugar Free chocolate cake was good, although I had to add milk to the frosting as it kept pulling the cake skin off as I frosted, but it turned out okay and the ugly mass covered. I might keep some of these changes for my own family, especially if it's better for us in the long run. I'm tempted to prick my own finger to see how my blood sugar is... as that's part of that life too, but not tempted enough.

On the George Fox project, everything is in and now we wait. My next goal will be Individual Worth #2. It's about reviewing our blessings. I think in preparing for Writing From the Heart, this is a good time to look upon the gifts the Lord has given me and to be reminded that I have it within me to help others progress and grow and to give to others what has been so graciously given to me in time and mentoring. One of my favorite weeks of summer is here.