Bright and Beautiful

This morning I woke and took our puppy out into the backyard, it was so beautiful that I had to capture some pictures of my favorite spots.

Cloud are always amazing me at their constant changing and enormity.  It is almost like watching a beautiful river in the sky.  I also love seeing the light and how it changes with the clouds.

One of my favorite plants to grow is Lime Basil.  Mmm, you get the yummy flavor of limes without having an actual lime tree!  I love growing yummy plants in my little garden.

Almost seven years ago I received a little tree from a church Christmas activity, it was so cute and little and covered in sparkles.  I have kept that tree and carted across the states with me.  This little pine is now three or four feet tall.  I love how soft and green it is.

Although our little fruit trees are still small and we haven't eaten anything from them, I love watching these fruits.  I am not sure if these grapefruits will ever mature, but they are so beautiful.  They remind me so much of new life.

After we cleaned this young palm's trunk off (it was covered in years of old fronds), I was so excited to see it flowering and something that appears to be baby coconuts.  I feel like we helped this tree grow and freeing it.  Now it is bursting with life.

I love seeing these little flowers growing from what seems to be a hard place to grow, yet they are burst with life and reaching for the light.

As I wonder through my yard admiring life, I think of this beautiful song about the beauties of the earth.

Why Am I?

On one of my many trips back and forth from school by bike, I chatted with a crossing guard mentioning how the end of the year becomes overly busy.  She curiously asked me what was keeping us so busy and my reply was mainly school and church, explaining that we do a lot of volunteer work at church.  Her quick reply caught me by surprise, "Ah, well just cut that part out.  You don't need more work, especially volunteer work."  I didn't have time to talk longer as it was time to go, but I have thought about this for a long time now.

Why?  Why do I do so much "volunteer" work beyond the hassles of raising a moderately large family in this crazy world that takes up so much of my time without multiplying it by six.  My response to her she may not have understand, but I said "I can't, because it is a part of me."  It comes down to my devotion to God.  Even though I may feel overwhelmed by all that I do as a mother, wife, citizen, and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; I do it because it is something I have covenanted to do and also my way to show my love of God.  I am willing to give my all to do what I feel is right.

As I serve I find so much joy and I learn so much that I could never learn any other way.  I make friends I never would have had if I hadn't served.  I gain talents I didn't know I had and polish other talents that may never have grown.

If I didn't live how I live in the gospel, I wouldn't be me, and I wouldn't have much purpose in life.

So though my life seems busy with tasks that others may see as unnecessary or burdensome, "on [I] will go though the weather be foul.  On [I] will go though [my] enemies prowl.  On [I] will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl.  Onward up many a frightening creek, though [my arms may get sore and [my] sneakers may leak."  Through heaven's help "I know [I will go] far and face up to [my] problems whatever they are."  (Dr. Suess, "Oh, The Places You'll Go")