My View on Pity

Alright, so today, in my daily conversations, someone mentioned how they feel so sorry for someone else, and it just made me think...
We ALL have our trials and obstacles, whether obvious or not, physical, mental, spiritual, or even financial- it's still the same. I think that we, as people, should not take pity on another OR ourselves. If there is a situation you can help, then help! If there is a situation you can fix, fix it! If there is nothing you can do but show your love, then, by all means, show love!! But that is still no reason for pity. Pity just makes people feel bad, and look at the negatives. Oh, so sad for this person, so sad for that animal, so sad for perhaps even yourself.
But where does that get us, as a community?
Where does that get us, as people?
HOW can that help ANYONE?
Helping is great, giving is great, loving is great-
But PITY is not. :)

...Just a thought...
-Mary Lynn

Dad

When I was only eight years old,
My daddy went away.
He swore he'd always love me,
But said he couldn't stay.

Days turned into weeks
And weeks turned into years.
I hardly saw my father,
He never saw my tears.

He never read me bedtime stories
Or tucked me in at night.
He didn't showed up for my birthdays,
Though I always hoped he might.

He missed my first day of school
And all of my school plays.
He doesn't know how much I miss him,
Each and every day.

It's almost time for college now,
The years go by so fast.
I'm looking forward to my future,
But trapped within my past.

I guess I'll never understand
Why it has to be so sad
My parents didn't get along
But why did I lose my dad?

Sunshine

The world gives me reasons
To shout, scream and cry
But the Sunshine always
Make my worries go by

The Sunshine is like an angel
It touches my very Soul
It gives me a reason to smile
Makes me complete and whole

The Sunshine is like a sound
It synchronizes the music in me
I get great cause to celebrate
As it sets my spirit free

No matter whether day or night
The Sunshine's always there
Making the cruel world all around
Look so pretty and fair

My Sunshine is soft and gentle
It's snug and soothing, too
It takes my sorrows off of me
My Sunshine, Lord, is you!

Random cookie baking

So
I was in a particularly happy and joyous mood today, and decided to make my family chocolate chip cookies! (Those are a favorite here!)
So, I'm spending all day making ALL these cookies, right?
I even had to stop & run to the store for baking soda (we were completely out!).
So, I'm finishing up the last batch, right?
..And these ones look a little funny, for some reason (I think I put too much baking soda in, since people were picking at the dough the whole time, while I was gone!)
ANYway,
I mention something about it to my mother, who just happened to be walking past.
I think I said something like "The cookies look.. disfigured. I hope they don't taste different!"
And do you KNOW what my mom said!?
"Maybe they're disfigured 'cause they take after YOU. And it doesn't matter if they taste gross- you'll be throwing them up afterward, anyway!!"

OH.
MY.
GOSH.

I can't believe she said that!
I just stared at her for a minute.
then she was like "You have that look on your face that faith (my 8 year old sister) gets when she isn't sure if I'm joking or serious."
.. and then she walked away.
I am SO pissed right now!
Like, I can't even put into words how I feel.
It is just so AWFUL!

Aauugghh
I just don't know what to do!


....
..THIS is NOT helping me in recovery.
It's pushing me back

I'm so upset.


Oh, man.. I have the WORST headache you could IMAGINE
..for the fifteenth time, this WEEK.

UGH.

Back from EFY!

I'm back from EFY!
I must say, it was single-handedly, the most spiritual, learning, and amazing experience ever. I am just so humbled, right now.
My testimony has grown SO much, this week.
I love you all so much!
And, guess what?
I KNOW this church is true. And I sure hope YOU do, too.
WE are children of God. Do you realize how amazing that it? We are SO blessed!
We need to stay together- unify- we are SO strong. We are an ARMY.
We aren't marching into battle..
We are already fighting, on the front line.
Do you realize this? We are LITERALLY, in the middle of the greatest battle of ALL time.
It's OUR time to stand up, it's OUR time to SHINE.
There is power in number...
There is POWER IN PURITY.


Here are some lovely quotes that I jotted down, while I was there. They are really good!

"The chief cause of failure of happiness is trading what you want MOST, for what you want at the moment."

"If you ever have a problem, all you need to do is ask TWO questions:
1. Have I prayed about it? 2. Am I reading my scriptures?"

"Life is a mission, not a career!"

"Forget yourself, and get to work (helping others come to the church)"

"If there is something you want, you must take initiative!"

"We are WASTING our time if all we do is come here, sit, listen, read, and WAIT to be inspired! We need to reach inside our souls, and FIND it!"

"If you don't know where you're going, then ANY road you take, you'll get there!"

"Where there is no vision, people will perish."

"Don't be fooled into thinking that you are LESS than you really ARE."

"We have promises to keep, and MILES to go, before we can sleep"

"It's hard to wander away when you're on your knees!"

"The greatest gift-- the greatest POWER we have, today, is the POWER of PURITY."

"Don't settle for less than what you ARE!"

"What we are is more important than what we've been. What we can become is more important than what we are."

"Just because you aren't in a perfect situation, or don't come from a perfect family, doesn't mean YOU can't be perfect!"

"Answers WILL come.. Testimony WILL grow... Strength WILL enlarge."

"Let your heart not be troubled, neither be afraid."

"I WANT an added power, to make me WANT to obey!"

"EVERY problem we may have, every trial, every question, is ANSWERED, in the scriptures."

"FORGIVE, and you WILL be blessed."



Remember who you are.
Always.