Mirrors

"Did you ever go out to the fun house to play and look at the mirrors?
They bend up your face and widen your waist and alter the shape of your hair.
In one place you're as huge as a hot hair balloon and another as thin as a stick.
At first you're as slim as a telephone pole and everywhere else you are thick.
Some people are mirrors reflecting to us an image we really are not.
If we think that those mirrors are telling the truth, we've been blinded to all that we've got.
Some say that we're onry or stupid or weird, some say that we're stuck up or fat.
But in others real view is a reflection of you that doesn't have any of that.
Who are the best mirrors that you and I have? Who gives a reflection that's true?
Who sees us for all that's hidden inside? Father in Heaven that's who.
You've also got teachers and parents and friends whose reflections are true and correct.
When Peers say you're homely or hotty or dumb, God says you're my child, you're elect.
So get out some paper and pick up a pen and write down what others may say,
Then turn over and fill it with things the Lord and Prophets convey.
On one side you'll have all that others have said, some are true, some are hard to conceive.
Then turn to God's side and ask yourself "Which side am I going to believe?"
~John Bytheway

Throughout our lives we are given all sorts of labels. These labels are given to us by people who may or may not know us well enough to make a judgment, but feel they have some sort of right to try to define us. In my short 25 years of life, I have received many different labels; some uplifting and encouraging, others painful and demeaning, and some completely contradictory. I have been labeled as smart, stupid, amazing, beautiful, difficult, fat, fun, soulless, the nicest person in the world, crazy, determined, spitfire, "hott", emotionless, compassionate, selfish, sweet, motivated, lazy, funny, independent, stubborn, gorgeous, talented, blunt, empathetic, evil, cold, delicious, stuck up, cocky, cute, wonderful, and the list goes on and on.

What we call each other becomes what we think of each other, and it matters. As children of God, we need to be careful not only how we try to define others, but also how we allow the opinions and labels of others to affect the way we view ourselves. In a world where we are constantly told what's wrong with us and that we're somehow lacking, we need to remember that these opinions hold no value. Our worth is not determined by how others view us.

In Max Lucado's "You Are Special", we are reminded that God's opinion of us is more important than the opinions of those around us. "You are special because I made you, and I don't make mistakes."



We are all children of God, therefore we are each of incomprehensible worth. The world will beat us up. People we love will say hurtful things. People we've never met will pass judgment based solely on our appearance. We need to make sure that we reflect the truth when dealing with others. Are you a fun house mirror that distorts the reflections of those who look to you, making it difficult for them to see who they are? Or are you a true mirror, someone who shows others who they truly are and allows them to see themselves the way our Heavenly Father sees them?

I Knew What You Were When I Picked You Up

We all do things we know we shouldn't, then wonder why we suffer so much when the consequences follow.


But You Promised!
As Told By Iron Eyes Cody

Many years ago Indian braves would go away in solitude to prepare for manhood. One hiked into a beautiful valley, green with trees and bright with flowers. There as he looked up at the surrounding mountains, he noticed a rugged peak capped with dazzling snow.

"I will test myself against that mountain," he thought. He put on his buffalo hide shirt, threw his blanket over his shoulders, and set off to climb the pinnacle. When he reached the top, he stood on the rim of the world. He could see forever, and his heart swelled with pride.

Then he heard a rustle at his feet. Looking down, he saw a snake. Before he could move, the snake spoke. "I am about to die," said the snake. "It is too cold up here and there is no food. Put me under your coat and take me down to the valley."

"No," said the youth. "I know your kind. You are a rattle snake. If I pick you up, you will bite me, and your bite will kill me."

"Not so," said the snake. "I will treat you differently. If you do this for me, I will not harm you."

The youth resisted awhile, but this was a very persuasive snake. At last the youth tucked the snake under his coat and carried it down to the valley. There he laid it down gently. Suddenly the snake coiled, rattled, leaped, and bit him on the leg.

"But you promised," cried the youth!

"You knew what I was when you picked me up," said the snake as it slithered away.


From the 1990 New Era talk by Robert B. Harbertson
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=7663a27ac5eeb010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Favorite Quotes

I am a collector of quotes, as you can tell from my previous post. Quotes are wonderful pearls of wisdom that can comfort the brokenhearted, uplift the disappointed, and inspire the great to be even greater.

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes about love:

“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." ~ Morrie Schwartz

“Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep... wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky his is to have you.... The one who turns to his friends and says, 'that's her.'”

“I don't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but I can tell you what it is for me; love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person, love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of, love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into a room and smile at you.”

I absolutely love this one:

You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip. ~Jonathan Carroll, "Outside the Dog Museum" :D

“It is impossible to fall out of love. Love is such a powerful emotion, that once it envelops you it does not depart. True love is eternal. If you think that you were once in love, but fell out of it, then it wasn't love you were in. There are no 'exit' signs in love, there is only an 'on' ramp.”

“Falling in love with someone isn't always going to be easy... Anger... tears... laughter.. It's when you want to be together despite it all. That's when you truly love another. I'm sure of it.”

“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.”~ Washington Irving

My personal favorite at the moment:

"No one falls in love by choice, it is by CHANCE.
No one stays in love by chance, it is by WORK.
And no one falls out of love by chance, it is by CHOICE"

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.” Neil Gaiman quotes

I was once told that "love" is action word; it causes people to "do". When someone is in love they do things that they normally wouldn't do otherwise. When a man truly loves a woman, he will move Heaven and Earth to be with her. I'll continue to add to this post as I come across quotes I like. Some will be ridiculously sappy and others, I'm sure, will be like the one above. What are some of you favorite quotes?