2.26.2008

Experiences great and small

Wow - it's been a great couple of days, just full of joy and testimony.

I have recently been feeling a little sorry for myself, feeling a little lonely - you know how it takes some time making friends in a new place (even if you are as talkative as me). I was praying for friends. Nice, eh? Please - just some friends would be nice. I've got fabulous friends that I've met along my journey through life that have come into my life in unexpected ways before.
1. Joanne - moving a few doors down when I needed a good friend, hitting it off immediately. Just one of those people that "get" me, who I can be myself with 100%. Haven't found another like her since.
2. Michelle - someone I admired from a far for a while, then became friends with kind of casually. Such a talented and thoughtful friend. (Again, just a couple of doors down).
3. Lynn - someone who I have learned so much from about being a mother, and who I see eye-to-eye with in so many ways. Getting to know one another when our ward boundaries changed, thrusting us into each other's lives. LOL!

Oh, the list goes on and on, and I realized that it was the Lord's hand that brought these friends (and many, many more) into my life. So here I was, feeling sorry for myself - as mentioned earlier :P and I decided to pray for a friend. Funny thing - I had the answer come in my heart to forget myself and SERVE! Um..okay, how do I do that besides serving in my calling? I don't know anyone here very well...how can I be of service? Well, the Lord provides...

Saturday Leah called (a gal who also just moved here in the last couple of months) and wanted to visit over some hot chocolate. YES! I went over and we visited. I babysat while she picked up her hubby from the RCMP training center, and had a great time.

Sunday, I noticed that Veronica (the Enrichment counselor in the Relief Society presidency) left home after Sacrament meeting. I asked her husband where she went off to and he mentioned that she felt like throwing up. Oh no! I knew that feeling well.. I told her husband if they needed anything to call. Of course he didn't. Next day I felt impressed to phone her, and lo and behold - her husband answered (obviously she was still sick and he was home caring for her). Turns out their little 1 year old boy had the stomach flu as well. I told them I would be bringing over dinner that night, and I got to work making some light-tasting honey Dijon chicken with rice, some salad, and some fresh fruit for dessert. I had just gotten over the stomach flu a few days before, so I knew to include some ginger ale and a nice bright potted plant with yellow flowers (sorry - can't remember the kind, just that they kind of looked like yellow daisies). I felt on cloud nine as we dropped it off. You see, it occur ed to me that because we had just had the stomach flu here, I fully appreciated how ill they must be feeling and made the decision to bring dinner, though they hadn't asked. I also had a good idea of what I could stomach when I was sick, and what kinds of foods to avoid. I could hear the relief in her husband's voice as we brought it over - he was overwhelmed with just caring for his wife and child. I could see the Lord's hand in it completely.

Tuesday I signed up to help clean the Temple. The temple is cleaned by the members every week - dusting, vacuuming, glass cleaning, disinfecting, even raking the carpets to remove vacuum lines. What an amazing blessing and privilege to help to clean the Lord's house! While living in Calgary, we lived about 3 hours from the nearest temple, so having the opportunity to clean it had never come my way before. If there was ever a way to forget myself and serve it was in the temple. What a magnificently beautiful building it is inside. The feeling of peace just made my spirit soar. Amazing.

But that wasn't the best part of the evening. Since it was my first time cleaning it, another sister in the ward (Sheri) took me under her wing and let me tag along with her to do the dusting. We struck up a conversation and realized that we have a lot in common. We both moved her from Alberta, we both love scrapbooking and other paper crafts. I found out that she is my daughter's primary teacher. I'm sure that we'll become great friends. I also had a great conversation with a member of Temple presidency who showed me around some of the rooms, pointing out all of the new gold-leafing work that had been done this past week. All in all, the cleaning took only 45 minutes! (It doesn't get very dirty, really - and we had 9 people show up to help). I can't wait to do it again!

Finally, I had a conversation with my brother in law who is living in China. He is going through a bit of a rough time right now. While in the past things have seemed to come easily for him, he is going through his "trial" period. If you know what we've been through in our family the past year, you know that I could relate to much of what he was saying. I was able to bear my testimony that when everything is coming your way, you're on the wrong side of the street! LOL! Actually, he asked me how we handled the various trials we've experienced, and I told him that while it wasn't a party, we weren't miserable through it. I told him that when you are living the gospel, you have a perspective that trials are a necessary part of life that help us learn and grow, they help us get to the next part in our lives. We knew, even amid our trials, that while we lived the gospel the best we could - the Lord would use these trials to help us rise to greater heights in our testimonies and in our ability to serve others. Case in point! I felt as I spoke with him, that things had come full-circle. I remember him giving us encouraging words as we struggled with the decision to move, for my husband to finish his degree etc. and now here I was - giving encouragement to him. If I hadn't experienced the trials I have, I could not have been in a position to offer hope and encouragement from a position of experience.

Whew! What a week (and the week's not over). I know things will steadily improve in the friend department as I forget myself and serve! It's worked great this week :)

And since no blog entry is complete without some photos, I wanted to show you a little project I completed yesterday. This made me do a little happy dance! I was reading on Heather's blog and she has come up with an inspired idea to create a sort of "friend file" with 4X6 cards that her blog readers create about themselves, then mail to her. I loved the idea and got to work creating mine! She wanted some info about us - hobbies, etc. and a photo. I recently bought some paper from Michaels (K&Co. has the most gorgeous paper kits with fun embellishments that all co-ordinate) so I made quick work of this:

I wish I could have kept it! LOL! I loved the idea so much, and considered doing it myself, but it's not the same when you've got 10 people visiting your blog compared to her hundreds! LOL! Maybe when I've reached a point where I can't keep track of my visitors, I'll borrow this idea. So much fun. If you are a Heather D. White fan - get to work on your 4X6 card and get it in the mail!

10 comments:

Joanne said...

I totally miss you too !!! I had the experience of cleaning the Edmonton temple and what a cool experience. I didn't like it at first but then I realized the blessings. Good for you for being a good "new" friend. I'm sure in no time you will have your new scrapping buddies and sniff sniff don't forget about me!!!!

Lynn said...

Aww....Thanks Bobbi! I am the one honored to be YOUR friend. You are so amazing. I KNOW it won't be long before many know you and are you friend. You are a natural at drawing people to you.
My sister helps clean the temple in Edmonton and she has the same experiences as you. So cool to see how are trials can give us the experience needed to help someone else out, eh? That is neat about your BIL. Thanks for sharing. It's a good thing to remind us all.
I too saw Heather's desire for a 4x6 card. I could NEVER do something like you did. You are SO talented!

Jenn said...

That is so funny. I just got done posting my card for Heather too and came to yours and it totally felt like deja-vo. However you spell that. Yours outdoes mine by a ton! You really are the woman when it comes to mad talent. Anyways.

I am so happy you are making friends in your new ward and area. I love that you are just letting it go and giving service to find them.

And as it warms up and more people are outside I am sure you will have a lot of new fun people to hang out with.

Michelle said...

Wow Bobbi! Where do I begin! I remember when I first moved to Calgary almost 11 years ago now, Bill was already living here & I moved out here October 31, 1997, I got on that plane leaving my friends (my best friend in the whole world), my Mom & my Grandpa. My heart was broken, I cried the whole plane ride but, I know I was starting a new part of my life. I also knew that I was only a 1 hr plane ride to Vancouver but, honestly it took me a long, LONG time to settle in here, now that everyone has moved out here except for my best friend it is alot easier but, I truly still miss those girlfriend moments with my friend...I miss her dearly but, know that it does get easier. Than I finally start making wonderful friends here...like yourself & than you all move away, so I'm missing those friends AGAIN, it's tough, but, it will get easier. I'm so glad that your faith & your beliefs are guiding you each & every day, you are a very kind & thoughtful person & anyone would be delighted to have a friend like you.

PS I just love this 4x6 recipe idea...maybe I'll try it...grin!

Alex said...

Oh Bobbi, I felt like it was ME talking as I read this post! I have only been living here in Northern California for about 3.5 months and I am SO VERY LONELY! We live pretty rural and I am having a hard time breaking into the groups of women who have been together since birth (literally) even with my mouth and so I have been feeling pretty sorry for myself! I wish we lived closer, I would be your friend *smile*

Your project is totally awesome - you have mad talent girl so pretty soon you will surrounded by friends who want to scrap, stamp, and hang out!

*STAMPIN HUGS* Alex

amy w. said...

Thanks for the spiritual uplift mid-week. I always try to remember in order to make friends, I have to be a friend. I know I forget that often. :D

Your card is fabulous btw!

Andrea said...

wow- great advice to serve. I better get to work.
And so true about trials.

Amy said...

You are such an inspiration! Wow. Simply amazing!

Joanne Brown said...

Your friend who made the first comment has a great name :) (wink!).

What a great message for us all! Service is such a great way for us to 'lose' ourselves but I forget that sometimes! Your post has inspired me to serve more than I do now. I know how hard it is to move somewhere new and make new friends. I've had to do it many times in my life. But I know that the Lord always puts good friends in my life if I'm willing to put myself out. It sounds like you are doing some great things to make friends and I'm sure you'll have lots of good friends in no time! If you lived on this side of the ocean I'm sure we'd be friends :)

And I read Heather's blog too and am going to make her a card!. Yours is so cute! And if you do decide to do the same thing, you can count on one from me :) joanne x

Anonymous said...

HOLY HANNAH!!!!!! Bobbi...your card is seriously awesome!!!! I can see why you had a hard time parting with it. I will take VERY good care of it! ;-) Oooh...can't wait to see it in real life! Thank you so much for your comments that you leave on a regular basis. It's always nice for me to see my "regulars" pop up (my "familiar faces!").....sure wish you Canada gals lived closer!! I'm betting we'd be great friends if we didn't so much land in between us. LOL! Thanks again for participating in my little project! Will let you know when your card arrives!