Inspiring Stories

I have been feeling a bit better lately, better enough to read some books :) I wanted to share these fantastic books. The first one is, As I Have Loved You by Kitty De Ruetyer-Bons. I bought it for my mom for mothers day but just had to read it before i wrapped it up. This woman Kitty lived an amazing life! She acknowledges her mother for it. I won't tell you all the details. The greatest two lesson's i learned from it was to ONE be grateful for everything- keep prayer on the tip of your tongue to give your thanks to a loving Heavenly Father. The second was to love unconditionally- even your enemies. I don't feel like i have any enemies especially compared to Kityy and her family. Kitty and her family were held in concentration camps in terrible conditions but Kitty's mom never stopped showing love. I  learned that i need to love the people around me. I need to show love through service. I need to show love through sacrifice. I have a lot to work on!

I am currently reading a book called Lighten Up by Chieko N. Okazaki a former General Relief Society President. She is a Japanese American who was born in Hawaii. Her examples are real and even though i will never compare to what she has experienced i am learning a lot. I like the book and know i have a lot to learn about this subject. I know I will find some gems as i continue to read.

Not only books but the movies Andy and I have recently watched have also been inspiring. Such as: Secretariat, Beyond the Blackboard, Invictus, and Walking on Water (Christian surfer movie). They have made me want to do more and be more. I am at a lost at that point...what more do i need to do and what more do i need to be? That what this life is about i guess. I just need to figure it out as i go.

Andy is a great example to me. He always says he want to be excellent. He wants to be excellent in his work, never give less than his best. I am trying to follow him and be excellent too. And right now, for me, that is getting ready to be a mom. I want so much for my kids but i know i need to be the example and i have to start now. My sister Brook recently posted on her facebook a thought she had, "Not everyone has a story book life but we get awfully close when we are positive." My whole life i have been trying to figure out how to stay positive when i just down right don't feel like it. I haven't figured it out yet. I'll let you know when i do :)

To conclude all of this nonsense, i just have to say i am grateful for the moments when things are clear and i finally understand and know what i need to do BUT i am even more grateful for the moments that it feels like i am in the dark, lost and confused because its those moments that lead me to my greatest lessons.