What is in a Name?

The other day I was at an outlet mall near my home and noticed that it was uncharacteristically busy.  In fact, as I was shopping in one of the children's clothing stores that so often gets too much of my money, I noticed a very long line outside.  When I asked the cashier what is was for, she told me that it was for the grand opening of the new COACH store.  She said that people started lining up at 4:30 that morning to get the 30% off discount, and that the line had not let up since.  As I finished getting my little guy some clothes and headed outside to hit a couple more stores before lunch, I began to notice COACH purses everywhere.  At least half of the women that I saw shopping that day were dawning their newly acquired bags.  I kept seeing the same bags over and over again on a variety of different women off all ages.  I must admit that I was a little perplexed.  What is the motivation behind such a rush to claim a COACH bag?  Is it the quality of such a bag?  The style?  The name, or the status that name carries?  What is so great about having the same purse as so many other people who waited in line for hours to claim one as well?  These bags are not cheap, even on sale.  But, does it make one feel more sophisticated, more stylish, more able to keep up with their neighbors - knowing that they have a brand name purse?  I guess that begs the question - what is in a name?  I guess I am still trying to figure that one out. 

Kids These Days

It has been my observation and experience that kids these days are so far ahead of previous generations in matters of spirituality.  My nine year old daughter came to me yesterday and said that she didn't really think that the church was true.  She told me that she had stopped saying her prayers and that she just didn't know what to believe anymore.  We had a long talk about faith, prayer, and obedience.  We talked about how you gain a testimony and how you don't need to know everything all at once.  I don't know if she really understood what I was saying.  But, I do know that she sets her alarm for 5:45 every morning to get up and read scriptures with Dad.  She loves that time with him and is an active participant in those discussions.  I guess I am surprised by how deep she is thinking about this at such a young age.  I didn't really even think about it until I was much older.  She is barely nine years old.  I'm not really worried about her finding a testimony.  I think that will come with time.  I think this may even end up being a good thing in the end for her to be searching for a testimony at such a young age. 

My 11 year old some is going through the same thing.  He used to get up in Sacrament Meeting nearly every month and bear his testimony.  It has been quite awhile since he has done that because he says that he really isn't sure if the church is true and doesn't feel like he can get up and testify.  Once again, that goes to show me the spiritual maturity in these young kids.  He understands that a testimony is a witness of God, and realizes that he shouldn't get up and give a testimony if he is unsure.  But, the fact that he is seeking after a "REAL" testimony at 11 years old shows me how far he is ahead of me when I was the same age.  I believed that the church was true at that age, but I didn't have the burning to find out for myself like he does, and like my daughter does.  Kids these days have to be so strong.  They need that testimony in order to safely navigate the halls of their schools and the influences of the world that are all around them.  I believe they are so much more sensitive to the spirit than the children of other generations.  You can feel the strength of their spirits in their sincere desire to learn about spiritual things and then live them with conviction amidst opposition from the world.  I am grateful for the example of my children.  I try to teach them, but sometimes I feel like they teach me so much more.

There is Beauty all Around

Growing up in the desert, I never really learned to appreciate it's beauty. I always longed for snow, flowers, trees with REAL leaves and no thorns, and grass that didn't hurt my feet when I walked in it barefoot. I didn't really miss it much when I went away to college in Utah. I couldn't get enough of sitting in the grass and enjoying all the flowers and greenery. Then, after a few years there, I moved to the Midwest and spent six years there. It was then that I came to learn that even Utah was a desert. The beauty of Ohio and Indiana were unparalleled in comparison to what I had previously known. We had to cut the lawn twice a week to even keep up with it, and the flowers and vegetables grew without ever having to be watered by anyone other than Mother Nature. The trees were beautiful, especially in the Spring and Fall. The beauty did come at a price, however. It RAINED and RAINED for weeks on end. There were days when I wondered when I would ever see the sun again. It was then that I realized that I was solar powered and gained more from the sun than I had previously thought. It just made me happy.

I didn't think that I would ever end up in the heart of the desert again, after having been away for so long. But, here we are. It did seem pretty drab, and let's face it - UGLY at first. I missed the trees, the grass, and the flowers more than I thought I would. I missed the changing of the seasons with the fall leaves and spring blossoms. (I did NOT, however, miss the snow.) But, one thing that I noticed right away was how beautiful the sky was here. It seemed to stretch on FOREVER, and it was always BLUE. And, the sunsets - AMAZING!! I still can't get enough of them.

We just moved into a new home, and this is the view from my back porch:




As much as I may prefer the look of trees, grass, and flowers, I can't get enough of the view from my windows. It really is BEAUTIFUL with the saguaros and desert foliage on the mountain. Even the coyotes howling outside my bedroom window add to the beauty of the whole picture. (The scorpions, not so much. . . ) I guess I am just realizing that there really IS beauty all around. It may be in the eye of the beholder, but it is there. The desert has its own kind of beauty that I am coming to appreciate more and more as time goes by. I still do miss the fall leaves, especially right now when the mercury is still over 90 degrees on most days. But, I guess it is a trade-off. In a couple of months I will be so happy that I am on my back porch enjoying the view in the sunshine instead of shoveling snow in sub-zero temperatures. Oh, I love the desert!