Consider yourself warned: This post is being written post-sugar binge. But seriously...
See? Like it says, it's fine.
It has been another lazy week up here in the Pacific Northwest. We spent a day at Lake Sammamish, which I think sounds like Lake Sandwich. It was eighty degrees and the Seattle-ites came out in droves. It was towel-to-towel pasty white people on the beach. Here is Tess enjoying some other kid's bucket:
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| "Hey Tess, Where'd you get that bucket?" |
Commence abrupt subject change.
A few weeks ago our lesson in our Relief Society (that is the women's group at my church - pretty much the most awesome women's organization to ever be organized, even taking Pinterest and Avon into consideration) was based on a talk given by Jeffrey R. Holland (which you can read here - and you should if you have a spare five minutes and like being uplifted). I always enjoy Jeffrey R. Holland's remarks. He's straightforward. We were each given a copy of the talk to read along during the lesson and I've had it in my purse ever since (along with my 10,000 Target receipts). The other day I was at the park with my kids and I unearthed it from my purse for a re-read.
This part stood out to me:
May I plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented (or has the smartest kids, or the most organized house, or climbs mountains in their free time) or the most beautiful or even the most blessed. The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those.
Also, this one:
...coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live.
I find it alarming that those parts stood out to me. Maybe this is something I should work on? It is a happy way to live, indeed. (I guess I'm going to need to start snapping my wrists with a rubber band for this one.)
3 comments:
elise, jeffrey r. wrote that talk for me. not for you -- you're fine. you're doing great. he wrote it for me. and the fact that i have repeated and pondered those exact paragraphs to myself many times makes us buddies, because apparently we both desire to be nicer. (not that we weren't cosmic friends before, but you know...)
Elise, you are my most favorite commenter. if you stopped commenting on my blog, i would cease to find purpose in the world. plus, you are hilarious. it makes me feel cool that someone awesome like you reads my retard blog.
elise, i have now started three paragraphs using your name. it rolls off the keyboard. you're welcome.
Yes, please let us play, and by us I mean our kids, while we girl-chat and ignore them :). And we should invite Marie, she seems fun! :) When are you home?
Haha, I was hurt and envious when you got to go to Florida without me... And then you went to Seattle just moments after we left! Where is the justice! So maybe this talk is for me ;-) Or really just the whole world because, yes it is a beautiful uplifting talk :-)
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