Quarters from Heaven

Yesterday Melanie offered to clean out the little van, and took quite a while gathering garbage and vacuuming it really well.  I was working on something else and didn't go down to check on her, but had to pick up the boys later from something and noticed immediately how nice it looked.

As I pulled out of the driveway I called her to let her know how great it looked and to thank her for her hard work.  Just as I hung up, I heard a sound I quickly identified as a coin, then felt something hit my shoulder and land in my lap.  A quarter had somehow fallen from a coin holder that is mounted on the ceiling of the van.

I had to laugh.  Though it should have fallen on Melanie for doing such a great job, it made me think of how quickly we probably get blessed for doing the right thing and being kind, even just by being grateful and saying thank you.  Stronger relationships and willing service are definitely great blessings.

Celebrate Every Day

While visiting my sister, her husband, and their cute new baby in the hospital I learned a great life lesson that I wanted to jot down to remember.

When we arrived to visit, the little "celebration" dinner from the hospital for the new mom and dad was just being set out in their room, which included a bottle of Martinelli's sparkling apple cider. We like to buy it as a fun thing very once in a while, but my sister mentioned that her husband has it in the fridge almost all the time. He said it helps him to think about little reasons to celebrate every day. I don't know if he really thinks about something before he gets himself a glass, but I thought it was wonderful. We might need to have Martinelli's in our fridge more.

Welcome to the family Baby Ben! You are definitely a reason to celebrate.

More Decluttering Benefits

My decluttering efforts have slowed down during the past month (Jamie hasn't been out of town so I guess I haven't had to keep myself busy after the kids go to bed). I wrote about some side benefits before, but I was surprised by yet another benefit I just realized the other day.

I sent an e-mail to my bracelet mailing list two days ago that started with, "StylinBaby.com has really taken off in 2008! I don't know why suddenly I'm getting so much more business there, that I've decided to slow down listing on eBay and focus more on the website." I've been entirely surprised by the website business I've been getting this year. Usually January is TERRIBLE and I stress all month about sales because I'm trying to restock beads and other bracelet makings I've run out of from Christmas with not much coming in to do that, but this January was so busy I hardly had a break from the big Christmas rush. And it still really hasn't slowed down much. I haven't done any extra advertising to explain the extra business. It has just come.

A short while later after sending my e-mail I was catching up on a few blogs and came across a recent Lazy Organizer post that linked to this post from last year.

I guess it really is true, what goes around comes around.

Mothers

Our book club is reading "I am a Mother" by Jane Clayson Johnson this month. Nothing against Jane, but I hadn't read it before now because I worry that books like that are more fluff and back patting than anything. I already enjoy being a mother, so I really don't need anything like that.

The doctrine in this book has been exciting and wonderful. One favorite quote so far (there are many) is from Elder Neal A. Maxwell.

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?"

I wonder about the greatness and leadership and love placed in the hearts of some, and the prejudices and hatred placed in the hearts of others, guiding both to act according to the things they had been taught. Was it because of a mother?

The hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rocks the world.
--G.S. Weaver

I was going to share some disturbing quotes in the news I've read recently about how gender isn't important, but I'm not. Still, it is another testimony to me of prophets that the Proclamation on the Family was given to prepare us for things to come and that it has been taught so much since, that it declares that gender is important, and that mothers and fathers have their own divinely designated roles and responsibilites to fulfill.

Maybe I'll write more on this another day. It's already been sitting on my screen for 3 days waiting to add more, but the children keep calling, and I (usually) love to answer.