Letters to Pearl

Read Pearl's story here.

Dear Pearl,

At the beginning of your life, you are a symbol of hope for so many people. As hard as it may be to hang on, you're helping the rest of the world hang on through whatever trial they may be facing--including me. It's always hard climbing up the mountain but once you get to the top, the view is spectacular.


Remember you are a daughter of God. He loves you and sent you here to remind us all of His love.

I want you to know that God is with you. He has angels watching over you constantly.

I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. John 14:18

The world simply needed a miracle and it was you. I want you know that everyday miracles happen and they will continue to happen. You have helped bring so many people together.

Please remember that beauty comes from the heart. Being beautiful isn't about makeup or models in a magazine. It's about love and how much love we can share. Beauty is what is inside your heart and  you have a perfect, whole heart. You are so beautiful Pearl and God has a marvelous plan for you.

You are great, wonderful and noble sweet baby. You bring the world joy every single day. Everyone is praying for you to pull through.

Love you lots.

xoxoxo

~Lis

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Sail On

I have been learning more about enjoying the simple things. I now find myself on a new adventure where things that once mattered, won't matter anymore. Time to clean out, take only what's important and move forward. 

That's all one can do . . . keep moving forward and sail on.

"Many a sailor has been storm-tossed on a windy night in the midst of unfamiliar seas. Brave seafarers know that they must press forward. "Sail on! Sail on! Sail on and on!" they call to their crew. And so must we. When we are tossed and turned by life's currents, we move forward, we carry on. Difficult though it may be, we set our sail and find our way.

American scholar Oliver Wendell Holmes wisely observed: "I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. . . we must sail sometimes with wind and sometimes against it,--but we must sail, and no drift, nor lie at anchor."

The well-known saying is true: A ship in a harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are made for. And neither are we. We are designed to learn and grow--in wisdom and in experience. We are created to sail--sometimes in calm and smooth waters but often through rough storms.

In physics we learn of inertia, or the tendency of an object to resist any change in its state of motion or rest. We may feel the same tendency when we have suffered setbacks and experienced heartaches. We may feel defeated. We may want to stop trying in an attempt to protect ourselves from future failures. But by challenging such thoughts and not surrendering to the forces of inertia, we discover new strength. We keep sailing, and we become better at it. We refuse to stagnate, and somehow we find ourselves moving forward.

Yes, mistakes, setbacks, and even disasters happen. But the only way to find growth and happiness is not give up but to move forward--and keep sailing." 

Sunday Thoughts-Light

Taken one sunny afternoon while walking through Central Park.

When I first moved back to Arizona, I thought it had the brightest sun of anywhere in the world. I loved it and it's warm January weather constantly brought a smile to my face.

Lately, the light has been fading. It feels that even though this is one of the hottest, brightest times of the year--darkness is everywhere. I've never seen the sun and still felt like it was dark outside, until now.

Major life changes have been spiraling downward and all I can do is watch for the most part. You'll have to forgive me for my blogging hiatus.

Yet, even in darkness God knows how to put light into our lives.

Sunset in Sahuarita

He gave me my sweet friend Lauren and a safe place to stay. He gave me the strength that I have needed to organize my things. He gave me the love of a complete stranger who to this day, I've never met or even spoken with.  God has given me the sun and gorgeous sunsets. He gave me love from my family.

When struggling, I believe that one can choose to become closer to God.

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." -Doctrine and Covenants 84:88


I am being lifted up. Things will work out. There is light at the end of the storm.

Last night's storm with light at the end in Sahuarita.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." -Martin Luther King, Jr. 

{linking up with}

Wordless Wednesday-Christmas Love

Katelyn and the Christmas Tree

Christmas is a magical time of year.

Believe. Hope. Dream.

And miracles will happen.

Madi and the Christmas Lights

linking up with:

Looking towards the light

{source}

I've had a lot of comments about the post below this one.

And I've thought about it why my news is so heart-breaking.

It's true, I put everything I had into my marriage and I'm currently putting everything

 I can back into fixing it.

But let's get this straight. When I started full-time writing on this blog last September,

(I know it's almost been a year) I was going through a tough time.

More hard times followed.

Here is my conclusion.

I chose to look for the good and praise all great moments that were happening

right along with all the bad ones.

The good moments are what I wrote about.

And that's exactly what I'm going to continue writing about.

I come here to write about joy and you come here to read about it.

So let's continue it because joy has healed me before, 

and it will heal me again no matter what I face in the future.

I know that it can also heal you.

There is light in every dark situation.

I promise.