What happened to Blogger while I wasn't blogging?

Sheesh. A girl steps away from her blog for a few months and all hell breaks loose. Why the changes, Blogger? Don't you know I hate change? As if I didn't already have enough to deal with. *rollseyes* I was going to write an awesome post, but instead I have to use this time figuring out how to add pictures to what was sure to be a ridiculously boring post.

Twelve

We haven't had any babies around here for a long time, and that's been cool. Our family is awesome just how it is. Yesterday, though, I kind of wished we had some short people running around.

You see, my baby turned 12 yesterday.



With her big sister getting ready to turn 14 later in the year, it's clear to me that I might not be ready for these girlies to spread their wings as soon as they might want. In fact, that are both preparing to spend almost the entire summer away from us, their parents. Bella is going to a horse camp in Utah with a friend and Madeline is riding along so she can be dropped off in Arizona with their Sauls side of the family, and then she will FLY HOME ALONE. o_O

I guess I better be getting ready for those girls to fly.

Humbled

Today I really, truly got a taste of what my mom has been doing for the past year or so as she cares for my aging grandparents. It was only a few hours and I was wiped out. My mom is made of much sterner stuff than I.

Today I gave thanks that one of my brothers and my sister were LISTENING and HEARD the voices calling to them, telling them to check on my grandparents. Miracles happen. If you don't believe me, I know a few people you can talk to.

Today I watched my own girls jump into the fray to help anyway they could. Isabella rubbed lotion all over Grandmom's itchy back (more than once!) and Madeline volunteered to stay the night at the hospital so Grandmom wouldn't be alone and Mom could get some rest. I thought about how grateful I am that my 12 yr old cousin Catie has been just as willing to help time after time. None of these girls has even flinched when they've been asked to help in ways that would probably disgust people three times their age.

Today I listened as these two proud, amazing people apologized for needing so much help. As if it isn't a blessing to take care of them now as they have taken care of so many before!

I'm only on the fringes of it all. I'm only carrying a tiny portion of the load. My job is to mostly pray and give relief to the weary when I can, which isn't often enough to be honest.

So I'm humbled as I watch angels, both literal and figurative, do God's work.

"As I have loved you, love one another"

It's no secret that I'm not entirely satisfied with the teachings of the LDS church. However, I've been told that this church has the answers to any questions I might have and I'm willing to wait for those answers all while passionately and faithfully agitating as I seek.

With just as much passion, and regardless of my feelings toward 'the church', I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I take His words seriously when He said "Love they neighbor as thy self".

Yesterday I posted this quote from Stephen Colbert on my Facebook wall.



I believe this with all my heart (or as you might hear in an LDS testimony meeting, "with every fiber of my being".) I also made the request for people to contact me if they had the desire to actually put Christ's words into action. I'm sure you can imagine my disapointment when the quote got numerous "shares" and "likes" but only one person- and not even an LDS person- contacted me.

I want to issue the call again, here on my blog, for the whole world to see. If you want to be a true follower of Jesus Christ and His teachings and not just pay lip service on Sunday in the pews, then here is something you can do.

Tracy McKay is a blogger, writer and artist in the LDS blogging community. She is a single mom with three children, one of which has special needs. She has been putting herself through college with an eye toward graduating in June then moving onto Grad School. She has been writing about her journey for several years now, and it never fails to move me. (Her essay in Dance With Them absolutely shattered me.)

This week she was informed by her bishop that the church would no longer be able to help her with her rent payment. She was already facing the Herculean task of paying for the GRE, applying to Grad Schools and an out-of-state move.

People in the LDS blogging community are trying to figure out ways to help this sister who has done nothing but continually pull herself "up by her bootstraps" and out of poverty so she can make a better life for her children and herself. Feminist Mormon Housewives has set up a scholarship fund for Tracy with an eye toward doing just that.

If you read the comments in the post at FMH, someone says that this is the definition of "Relief Society" in the purest sense of the word. I agree wholeheartedly. Another commenter at Tracy's blog said that "the church" might not be able to help her anymore, but since *WE* are truly the church, then it is time for us to step up and help a sister in need.

Just as Jesus Christ taught us.

Hola, Blogateers

How long can one go without updating one's blog before one's audience completely loses interest?