JOY

by Shauna Brown 

              

               Digging to the bottom of a plastic Christmas box I was excited to see them once again. Years ago I purchased three large letters - YJO.  When the letters are mixed up they don’t make sense, but when the letters are placed in the correct order=JOY, it can mean so much more.  Within minutes I had them placed them in a predominant location for all to see. JOY!  

       JOY!  I smile as a parade of thoughts march through my mind. What brings joy to me? Dancing in the kitchen with my sweetheart, peanut butter kisses, pigtails, crystal prisms, sunrises, praying children, peaches, sunsets, rainbows, daisies, giggling children, red patent leather shoes, pictures of my posterity, pom poms, star stickers, bumble bees, full tank of gas, yellow balloons, hugs, hankies to name just a few. Why, we even nick -named one of our daughters “BJ” meaning “Brings Joy.” She has lived up to that name foresure.  

           However, in case you think I have forgotten, and leading the parade, is Jesus Christ. He continues to bring JOY. 

        Last Sunday I spoke in church and started off by singing a hymn, one that Rick sings around our home on occasions. He learned it when he was a Methodist boy. It makes me smile when he bursts into singing it. I rejoice in the message of JOY that it brings to me, and those within our home, and those throughtout the world. 

        Oh! say, but I’m glad, I’m glad, 

        Oh! say, but I’m glad; 

        Jesus has come and my cup’s overrun; 

        Oh! say, but I’m glad. 

        Wonderful, marvelous things He brings, 

        Into a heart that’s sad; 

        Through darkest tunnels a soul can sing, 

        Oh! say, but I’m glad.  

         

                   My cup is full and bursting over with JOY because of Christ. He has come, and I rejoice.  

           In the scriptures Ammon shares his feelings of joy:  Alma 26: 11 

    “My JOY is full, yea, my heart is brim with JOY and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my god, for in his strength I can do all things..” 

                  ‘Brim with joy,’ ‘ for in His strenght I can do all things!’ 

          Let me stand and clearly testify that I love Jesus Christ, and I too have learned that nothing is impossible when it comes to turning one’s life over to him. My cup is over flowing with gratitude for Jesus Christ, my Heavenly Father and all that continues to pour into my life.  

                I was watching an interview of a talented violinist, Lindsey Stirling, LDSface2face, when she made a comment that touched my heart.   ‘Jesus Christ was rejected by his own. He is still rejected to this day.’ 

          Wow! When everyone of us should stand, shout praises that Jesus has come...bringing eternal joy and possibilities.  

        Have you checked your cup lately?  Is it full?  Brimming over?  You think it is empty? 

I say, “Look again!” 

               

“Man is that he might have JOY!”

EnJOY your Sabbath

Love Always,

Shauna 

                                 As a young mother I tried to be fun and inventive with my children. Helping them learn

the value of work was at times challenging, and even daunting.  Over the years I created an array

of job charts, incentives and motivational materials with all hope to generate success in completing an assigned responsibility. I would use fun names such as, Kitchen Kaptain, Bathroom Butler, Duster Buster, Family room Phantom, in hopes they could use their imagination while learning how to implement the skills within the jobs expectations. One can’t imagine how many stickers, stars and stamps I used.  We had “Gold Rush Days,” “ Golden Turtle Awards,”  “ Swarming,”  

“ Friday Night Specials”  and such, to add a little variety.         

        While taking my “shower- power time”, this morning I pondered upon the incentive chart that I am in need of at this time of my life. There’s got to be more than a Golden Turtle at the end of the road for me.  What kind of incentives must I use as my motivation to complete tasks, and goals, and even to set them?  I wonder, ‘shouldn’t I have outgrown the need’ ? Evidently not, as I continually find myself jotting down ideas, and starting new goals, and it isn’t even New Years.         

“Dust Buster” doesn’t seem nearly as pressing to me today, as I allow the spiders to make their creative web designs in the corners of my rooms.  However, I find I am more concerned about the cobwebs in the corners of my mind. I wonder have I let dust gather, are my talents lying dormant, or sadly undiscovered?  Let me give you a clearer visual:   

        I remember sitting on the church bench, as a young child on a Sunday Morning. The speaker was sharing the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25. I listened as he talked about the two servants who used the talents that the master had given them. I felt sorry for the third servant who was lazy and did not work and wasted the talent while the others multiplied their gifts.  I envisioned the third servant digging in the dirt and burying his talent.  I thought how foolish he was. I didn’t want to become  a person who merely dug a hole and hid the talent so that it wouldn’t be lost.  

        I frequently ask myself if I am developing the talents that God has placed within me.  To know, to do, and how I might become a usable instrument for God for good has been important to me.   You see, I still believe as I did as a child that I don’t want to return to my maker and realize that I totally overlooked, and even in some cases buried my gifts, perhaps even the talent that He needed me to use the most.   

         Years ago I read a great quote of Erma Bombeck, who was a skilled and creative writer, and humorist. Her thought hit my heart.    

        “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.”   ~ Erma Bombeck 

     

        So this day I am going to make another job and talent chart.  Upon it I will highlight those talents I believe that matter most to God.  Love my neighbor, Love myself, Serve others, Spread sunshine, Listen more, Hug more, Pray more, Believe more, Learn more, Stand up more often. ..  I can see it’s going to be a big chart, even a poster board size this time around. I’m going to use stars, glitter stars, to show my success, and if it sparkles by the end of the month I’ll get a tattoo. [ just kidding!]   

                Knowing that each of us has been granted gifts from God to make life better, I want to untie the bows, pop the lid and eagerly discover and use each one. No time for cobwebs!

   “Our talents are the gift that God gives to us... What we make of our talents is our gift back to God” ~ Leo Buscaglia

Have a great Sabbath

Love Always,

Shauna  

               

           In my home I have a room that is decorated with decor and pictures of lighthouses, ships, and lanterns.  

           For years I have been fascinated with stories about lighthouse keepers, and sea captains.   

       Centered upon one wall is a picture painted by Norman Rockwell, it is entitled, Sea Captain.  I loved it when I saw it hanging in a gallery. I have studied it and with imagination I have created my own stories around it. I have found several themes within the picture, probably never imagined by Norman Rockwell.  Hope, trust, love, faith, courage, family, wisdom, listening, fatherhood, Godhood, are but a few I have tied to the picture and used in lessons. 

It is easy to  imagine the old captain telling the young lad about his adventures upon the sea. Perhaps he was teaching how to study the conditions of the ocean. Surely there were salty stories laced with tears of a shipwreck and losing some of his crew.  

     I believe some pictures can be worth a thousand words, and at least a thousand lessons or stories. Let me share one of my favorite stories of the sea. 

      “One night at sea, a captain saw what looked like the light of another ship heading toward him. He had his signal man blink to the other ship: “Change your course 10 degrees South.” The reply came back, “Change your course 10 degrees North.”  The ship’s captain answered,” I am a captain. Change your course South!” To which the reply came, “Well, I am a seaman first class. Change your course North.”  This so infuriated the captain, he signaled back, “I say change your course South. I am on a battleship!” To which the reply came back, “And I say change your course North. I am in a lighthouse.” Hope Publications, Kalamazoo, Michigan 

 

       Life can give us moments when the waves wash over us, and drowning worry takes us on a rough and sea sick course.  It is then we need to seek the eternal lighthouse keeper to guide us to safety and security. 

      We were on a family campout when my daughter Brooke, who was eleven years old at the time complained about a mysterious pain in her tummy. Knowing we were on vacation she didn’t want to spoil the fun for everyone. I tried to comfort her and gave her every remedy that I could think of, with no success.  She sought to convince us that she would be all right. But, call it Mother’s inspiration, parent’s intuition, prompting, we decided to pack up the family and head for the doctors. Prescriptions were given. Hours passed and Brooke wasn’t getting any better and grew steadily worse. We prayed again and again. I was worried even though the doctor didn’t seem concerned.  I suggested “Could it be her appendix?”  He looked at me, and shook his head, “No probably an infection, it will be gone in a few days.”  

I still had a lingering feeling that it was her appendix.  After a whole day and a very restless, painful night, we went to the hospital. We asked for another doctor’s opinion. This time the doctor listened.  Long story short, and a $4,000.00 surgery later... it was her appendix! Brooke’s appendix was not in the normal location, and had enlarged like a balloon, and within moments it ruptured within his hands, as he was removing it. He deemed it a ‘miracle’  that it hadn’t ruptured much earlier, threatening her life. Clearly our prayers had been heard, and we had listened. Gratefully this doctor listened as well.  The course was changed and a sweet life was spared.   

        Our Heavenly Father is a lighthouse to us all.  His desire is to bring us safely home. Thomas S. Monson says it in a way that brings me peace. 

        “Anxiously you ask, ‘Is there a way to safety? Can someone guide me? Is there an escape from threatened destruction?’ The answer is a resounding yes! I counsel you: Look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. It calls, ‘This way to safety; this way to home.”    ~ Thomas S. Monson 

Enjoy Your Sabbath, 

Love Always, 

                        Please, Pilot Me Lord

by Shauna V. Brown 

           A couple of days ago  I was observing a small airplane in flight.  I watched as it circled and changed directions. From my point of viewit looked like the airplane flew effortlessly, gliding through the clouds. I imagined how fun it would be to sit at the controls and fly here and there, overlook cities and neighborhoods, while observing  life below.  

         My mind shifted to thoughts of Orville and Wilbur Wright, who were credited with building the world’s first successful airplane.  Inspired as young boys by a toy helicopter that their father had brought home to them.  They played with it until it broke, and then built their own. That little toy was the initial spark that set them forth to create a flying machine.  

        Imagine how excited they must have felt when after years and years of tests, trials, unmanned kites, gliders, mishaps, dashed dreams, and crashes they finally succeeded. Their constant efforts to improve their craft and creation was finally realized. Surely hope and faith were resting on the wings. Today air travel has evolved, from a first flight that lasted 12 seconds to airplanes today flying round the world.  

        I shared a story at a woman’s conference which fits perfect here: 

   “On a remote airstrip almost a half century ago, a small plane was preparing to taxi into position for takeoff. An unexpected storm system was approaching with heavy rain and gusty winds. It had already started raining and the wind was picking up. Suddenly a lone figure, with his coat over his head ran from the terminal to the plane, his silhouette outlined by lightning. Upon seeing the man on the runway the surprised pilot shut down the twin engines and opened the door. The man came on board, had a rather heated exchange with the  pilot, and then turned to the eight passengers. “My name is Walter Beech,” I am the designer of this airplane and I supervised its construction.  I know what it can do and what it can’t do. This plane is not designed for weather this severe and I urge you to get off with me now. I know your destinations are important and this represents an inconvenience, but please don’t remain on this plane.” 

        The pilot interrupted angrily. “I have been flying this aircraft for years and I, too, know what it can do and what it can’t do. If we avoid further delay we can get ahead of this storm. I urge you to stay on board. I will get you to your destination.” 

        One woman stood and walked forward to get off the plane with Walter Beech.                     The two watched as the plane left the ground, climbing several hundred feet. Then what began as a slow roll quickly became an ugly, uncontrollable spin as the aircraft fell from the sky. All aboard were lost. The woman standing with Walter Beech was Eleanor Roosevelt. She would later tell reporters, “I felt it wise to take the advice of the designer and builder of the airplane.” ¹         

        I am impressed that Eleanor quickly following the advise of the designer of the Beechcraft Airplane, and probably the prompting from above.                  

        “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding, In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”  Proverbs 3:5-6 

        Pilots are expected to create a flight plan, check fluid levels, routinely inspect their airplanes. These procedures are intended to be completed prior to lift off, hopefully insuring safe travel.  

We too need to implement procedures and plans to our life. Shouldn’t we, as well, seek council, and direction from our creator?  Our Father in Heaven knows our limits. He knows how we can withstand the turbulent storms, sudden wind shifts and moments of distraction that shall surely come.   Do we know where we are going? What is our intended destination? What do we routinely check to make sure we are on course? 

At times our life controls seem beyond our reach, yet we must stretch, and take hold of the throttle while seeking  a higher attitude as well as altitude. ‘Look to God and Live, and develop faith unwavering.   

“With God nothing is impossible, for He is very much aware of the details and complexity of our making.   

        I often ask Heavenly Father, “What is the purpose of my life? What was I created to do here on earth?”  I want to know. I want to see as He sees, become all that He designed, and crafted within me.    I like to imagine that He held me. Then with a gentle push He sent me on my way - gliding into life.   

        Enjoy Your Sabbath, 

        Love always, 

        Shauna

1 - Dan Stuecher, (When I’m Needing a Fresh Start, pg 78)

I am thankful for my eyes. What a wondrous gift created for us. 

Our eyes and the ability to to see is such a blessing.   

           When my mother lost most of her eye sight I began to have an increased appreciation for my eyes. I watched as my mother took  a large magnifying glass and held it up above each word in order to read. She could barely read it, but word by word she tried. You see, mother loved reading. For as long as I can remember mother was surrounded by books. Watching her struggle to see the words on the page was truly painful. 

Mother had always been one to appreciate the sunsets, cloud formations, trees, tulips and lilies, butterflies and, well, everything. My heart broke as she no longer could see to sew, or write.  As her vision diminished she would say frequently, “Appreciate your eyes Shauna.”                     

        While visiting the library as a young girl, and looking for books  that might be of interest, the librarian suggested that I might enjoy reading biographies and autobiographies. Together we walked to the section that contained them. She reached up upon a shelf and pulled down a book. “I think you’ll enjoy her,” she said with a smile. It was Helen Keller’s autobiography.  It was then I was sent on an adventure of a life lived in true darkness, yet lived in light. Something within her words touched me profoundly, and continues to invite me to seek and appreciate more.  Let me share just a particle of her words that have forever made me look a little closer to those that influence my life.  

             “If by some miracle, I were granted three seeing days, to be followed by a relapse into darkness, I should want to see the people whose kindness and gentleness and companionship have made my life worth living. First, I should like to gaze long upon the face of my dear teacher, Anne Sullivan, who came to me when I was a child and opened the outer world to me. I should want not merely to see the outline of her face so that I could cherish it in my memory, but to study that face and find in it the living evidence of the sympathetic tenderness and patience with which she accomplished the difficult task of my education.  I should like to see her eyes. . . 

             I have often thought about Helen and her three day adventure of sight. To see a little baby’s face ....  “So that I could catch a vision of the eager, innocent beauty.”  Or the moment when she walked “ in the woods and intoxicate my eyes on the beauties of the world of Nature, trying desperately to absorb in a few hours the vast splendor that is constantly unfolding itself to those who can see. And I should pray for the glory of a colorful sunset.” 

        ‘Glory of a colorful sunset.’ I wonder just how many of us take daily a moment to appreciate it. I remember my parents rushing to the back gate of the yard while encouraging and inviting us, “Come see the beautiful sunset!”  Somehow I always felt that sunsets are like heaven’s goodnight kiss.  

             Because I can see: I love bursting sunrises, polka dots and pink balloons, I love lady bugs and butterflies, white Shasta daisies and yellow ones too. I love watching Autumn’s leaves float to the ground, and giggle as children jump into piles of crunching wonder. I love my sweetheart’s blue blue eyes and forever love those six pairs of eyes that looked to me in motherhood. I am so blessed to see the ‘glory’ of it all. Today I shall embrace the blessing of sight, and savor, and store all the memories of glorious creations around me. My sweetheart smiles as he holds me tight, he says  “I’m imprinting.”  I pray that by some miracle I shall have archived enough pictures in my mind to last an eternity.   

         Yet, above all the wonders of this earthly existence, I pray that some day I shall be blessed to see the face of God.  ... and like Helen expressed... “to study that face and find in it the living evidence of the sympathetic tenderness and patience - patience with me.   

Helen found God in her dark and silent world and He opened her life to all the possibilities. 

                “It’s wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky. Behind me and before me is God and I have no fears”  ~ Helen Keller 

        I love my life! I only get but one moment to step upon this earth, so I am embracing it! Grateful for liquid mountains and tender feelings of the heart that allow me to see more clearly, perhaps the way God wants me to see.  

        So for this moment, I draw back the curtains and look at the sky. It’s a cloudy day. The wind is blowing the leaves from the trees.   It’s a perfect day, planned, and prepared just the way God wants it to be.  You see, I believe that God is in the details of our lives.   May we all find the ‘glory’ within the walk. 

        Enjoy your Sabbath 

        Love Always, 

              

                   Take My Breath Away!

                                                                                        by Shauna Brown 

        One of my very favorite memory moments of life was when our babies took their first breath. We held our

breath until they took theirs.  Gratefully it was followed by tiny cries, as well as our own.  I was blessed to have six of those delightful -heavenly, breath taking experiences.  As we take that brand new baby home, bundled in blankets, and long anticipated love, we worry. We are always checking to see if they are breathing.  I would watch their little tummies rise and with each breath would feel relief, peace and gratitude. 

There is a popular quote, that reads...  

“Life is not measured by the breaths we take,  

but by the moments that take our breath away.”  

        Now, don’t think poorly of me while I tell you, that in order to get my baby’s attention at times, to distract them,  most often when they were fussy,  I used to blow gently upon in their face.  They would blink and gasp, and frequently a smile would surface. Then, they would look to me for reassurance.  With my little gust of wind, and a returned smile, they would forget what they were crying for.  It worked time after time. 

        I realize at times our Father in Heaven needs to get our attention as well.  If we were always bundled up in fleece and flannel experiences... we wouldn’t appreciate the needed warmth when the cold chilly winds blow and intense storms are pending.  Life will be made of experiences that will at times take our breaths away. I have had gasping, heart wrenching, air sucking moments, but interestingly [ looking back ] they can refresh and renew our spirit of faith.  

                “It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal.  Teach our members that if they have a good miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out. There is great purpose in our struggle in life”         ~ Boyd K. Packer     

  

        A good Bishop, while giving me a blessing once said,  “You  will come to understand long suffering, but there will come an end to it.”   I have held onto those words like a rainbow promise.  

            As part of God’s plan each of us came to earth to face different challenges, it’s part of our learning and Earthly education.  According to carefully scheduled and timed experiences we learn that some of us will swim in deep waters, wondering if we can maintain our head above the water. Frequently we observe that others are carelessly floating beside us, almost relaxing.

        I think about how often I blew in the face of my little newborn. Our Heavenly Father too, allows blowing gusts of wind into our faces to get our attention and ultimately His wish is to have us turn to Him. Once He has our attention He then cradles us with renewed love and whispers peace unto our minds. Gratefully I have felt heaven’s beathe upon my wet cheeks when anxiety found way to creep into the corners of my soul.  I know that Heavenly Father can lift any heart that is heavy and burdened. 

Years ago I came across an  Irish Blessings:

May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow. 

May the soft winds freshen your spirit. 

May the sunshine brighten your heart. 

May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you, 

and may God enfold you in the mantle of His love. 

I like that-- ‘God enfolds you in the mantle of His love.’

  Or how about His very promise: 

“Wherefore, be of good cheer and do not fear,

for I the Lord am with you and will stand by you.  D & C 68:6.  

Since it’s Monday - Enjoy your Week!

I guess I should say - “Let it Blow”

Love always,

Shauna 

            Snap Happy        by Shauna Brown 

               Last night my grandson, Jamison, came up and asked, “Grandma Sunny, can I please have some Snapdragons?  Then he added, “ And can I get some more seeds too.”  I smiled, as I have clipped numerous bouquets of snapdragons upon each visit.   Last time we loaded up Ziploc bags with seeds, millions of seeds, shaking them from the dry buds.  I’m sure there will be dragons popping up in their yard next spring. Imagine all the possibilities.  

               When I was young I watched as my own mother, gently picked the flowers and harvested the seeds. We placed the seeds in large manila envelopes.Then in due time and season she planted them. With each little sprout and spear she smiled, eager for the bloom. It was magical to me to watch it grow. Ours was an incredibly beautiful  garden. One might call it a ‘cottage garden’ for within was planted varieties of flowers and shrubs. Bluebells, Lilies of the valley, Baskets of gold, Roses, ferns, Daisies, Iris, Pansies, Carnations, Snap dragons, Tulips, Peonies, Chrysanthemums, and on and on.   

              One would have marveled at my mother’s green thumb, and green it was. With effort, knowledge and love , our garden grew and thrived. I often thought it must have been much like the Garden of Eden, it was that beautiful to me.   

             It is of little wonder why digging deep into dark earth and planting seeds and bulbs I find a sense of joy and satisfaction. Perhaps one would say this feeling was handed down to me.  I am one who talks with my flowers, who cheer leads, and encourages their sprouting time and thrill with each bloom or blossom, just like Mama did.  I’m sure my mother must be tickled, as she watches me  from heaven as I demonstrate the incredible workings of the ‘snapping dragon’ to another  grandchild--her great grandchild.  We gather seeds just as she did with all hopes that we too can enjoy red, yellow, pink, white bouquets and scents from heaven.  I marvel with each delicate blossom.  

             Life is, seed upon seed, generation upon generation, which stretches back to our divine creator.  Did we know where and when we were to be planted?  

        Don’t you ever wonder how we were taught in heaven? Did we watch as creation tasks were begun, as seeds were plucked and planted? Did we listen closely as glorious possibilities were explained? Did we echo smiles of hope and trust? I like to envision stepping within the presence of our creator and realize that I grew where I was planted. Then, I would see all who urged and cheered me on, as my life’s purpose rose towards the sun.   

        C.S. Lewis was inspired by a fellow writer whom he even once praised with a compliment of  “master”, so inspired by his writing.  I love this thought as it captures each one of us on such a personal level.   

        “I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God’s thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest and most precious thing in all thinking.”  ~ George MacDonald 

       With so many years now, in my growing season, I have come to appreciate that I was made by God- I am His seed. By a miracle and love I was planted deep within the dark earth of the gospel.  Gratefully, there are many moments when I know He has whispered words to encourage my growth. Words that warm my soul and make me burst with joy and color.  In all truth I want to grow and thrive and forever bloom - just the way God intended me too.  

       I love snap dragons, and memory moments in my childhood garden. Once again, in my garden I can cherish the time when young hearts bounce with enthusiasm and ask, “Can I please pick some a snapdragons from the garden.”  We pinch it’s face and make it talk, and snap away. I giggle, for I know that the seed has been planted once again, and the love will continue to grow. Perhaps I shall have memory moments for my seeds, and seedlings. I’m sure there must be snap dragons in heaven, for they beckon me to squeeze. 

Enjoy your Sabbath 

With Love Always, 

Shauna