Prayers of Love

Yesterday, even before I wrote about my beloved uncle, I had received an outpouring of love from many friends who know of our relationship and heard of his illness. After I posted, I had a breakdown, because I almost could not handle the amount of love that came from all levels of relationships. I know that he feels your prayers and we are all grateful for them. 

Many times in my life I have had people ask "what can I do?" for someone that is in need. Since we are all made in our Father's image, does it seem so foreign that we should want to reach out to others, to lighten their loads, bring them comfort when they are struggling? Reaching out to another should not be a completely new concept. It is instilled with in us when we are created. There have been very few times in my life that I have ever met a truly selfish person. Almost everyone I know wants to lift others. I will share with you the one act of service that I have personal knowledge of saving lives: Prayers.

Prayers are the link between us and heaven. It is how we commune with the angels, and with God. Time and time again I have seen prayers literally pull someone from darkness back into light. I have seen countenances change from anguished to peaceful as they feel the prayers of others carry them through difficulties. When we are praying for someone else, we are serving them, and through service, we are showing them love.

There are many points on the spectrum of peace. It is up to us as individuals to allow ourselves to feel it, regardless of the circumstances. Will you be one who accepts the prayers on your behalf without expecting more, allowing yourself to be a recipient of the peace and blessings that come through those prayers? Or, will you be one who expects more- more time, more energy, more money, more anything from others- because their prayers are not enough to satisfy your hurting soul? 

Sometimes, many times, all we have to offer are prayers. Do not feel bad or guilty over this! Prayers are beautiful, needed, and bring light to this world! Each of us have our own lives to live and often times our own plates are so full we just have nothing else to give. Even Christ came to this point in His life, when He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, and finally when He died upon the cross. He had no more to offer the children of the world, but His prayers. Yet, is was because of those prayers and we are redeemed, saved by Him!

Photo courtesy of: lds.org

When we serve another, we are showing them love. At this time, as my family prepares to bid a mortal farewell to our beloved uncle and head of our family, your prayers- your love- are appreciated. Thank you for that. Thank you for your love. May the blessings of heaven fall upon each of you as you reach out to another in need.

Faithfully praying for you-
Mama Dragon

Preparing for Heaven

Those that are closest to me know that I am the great-niece of a prominent leader in the religious organization I belong to. His sister was my grandmother. My grandfather (her husband) was my uncle's best friend.

For a while now, we have known my uncle has been ill- the whole world has known. It is only today that it has been made public knowledge that in the very near future, he will be returning to his Heavenly Home. Although our family has had time to prepare, seeing it in the news headlines makes it that much more difficult. 

How does one prepare for heaven? I believe it is by living your best life. In a letter I just sent to my cousin who is very close to our uncle, I shared these thoughts- 

"I just.. want to tell him how much I love him, how much he has impacted my life, and the life of my family, for good. I want to share how my eldest is in the process of filling out his mission papers and he will serve with honor! Part of that credit goes to the example of our uncle. There is just never enough time in this life, is there? Will he ever know how his Christ-like example has saved my family more than once? When Grandpa died, Uncle Tom became like a surrogate to me. Although our busy lives have not allowed for us to see each other often, he still has been a guiding force in my life. I love him as a grandfather and I will miss him as one. 

I think of the sweet reunion awaiting in heaven- of my grandparents and the other siblings, of his sweet Virginia and their daughter- of his parents, (my) Uncle Jerry, and (my) Aunt Mignon.... and I cannot grieve too long. I rejoice in the beauty and love that awaits him, and I only grieve for those of us left behind. I pray that his pain is lessened in his last days and that he may go in peace."

To the world, he is an apostle of God. To me, he is my beloved uncle as well. Either way, I am better for having him in my life. There is no man greater than one who serves the Lord willingly. This is my uncle. In serving the world, he has served God. In that, we can rejoice when he is called Home. 

Working towards Heaven-

Mama Dragon

Courtesy: lds.org

Abundant Life

Inside each of us is the ability to break free of the chains that bind us from reaching our greatest potential. Like most everyone else in the world, I went through severe challenges in my youth that eventually lead to a sense of uncertainty as to who I was and what I could accomplish in my life. It is only after working hard at overcoming these incorrect ideals that I am now creating an abundant life- the one I want and deserve. 

I always wanted to be two things: a mother and a teacher. I was going to graduate high school at age 17, get my Bachelor's Degree in Education by 21, serve a proselyting mission for my church, and finally get married. I knew I would find my equal in my companion when it was the right time. I knew we would have an amazing family with at least 6 children, but hopefully more. Well, I did graduate at age 17, started college, then 9 days before my 20th birthday I got married. One month before my 21st birthday, I became a mother. We had extremely difficult pregnancies and multiple miscarriages. We had four children and stopped, not wanting my body or emotional state to risk anymore trauma. We have been through multiple job layoffs, financial losses, mental illness, and aftermath of childhood abuse. Life has been a constant uphill battle and we could not be more blessed. 

In my youth, nothing was going to stop me from reaching my successes. As an adult, as one difficulty after another arose, my dreams of success started diminishing. I felt myself wondering if I would ever have the life I always wanted. Then, I learned more about the Law of Attraction. 

The Law of Attraction states that what you put out in the Universe, it will come back to you. This being said, if I spend my time and energy working towards my successes I know are awaiting me, then they will come. 

One example of this is my husband's new job. After working for several companies in a short amount of time, he expressed (out loud) that he desired to work for a company with integrity and honesty. He said he desired to have solid work with a solid paycheck, enough to support his family, plus a bit extra. Days later, he had a job interview. The following week, they offered him the position. The company met all of his requirements. On his first day on the job this week, they expressed interest in possibly sending him to the city we are going to relocate to later this year. By his second day of work, they officially offered him the position, to start immediately, with better pay. He manifested what he wanted, believed in the abundant future awaiting us, and opened himself to receiving the blessings that were waiting for him. 

As I look at my life now, I see that my desires and goals of my youth have been met. I have an incredibly beautiful family that we have fought hard to have. I have the opportunity to teach, because I am a homeschool mom. We have enough on our plates and to share with others. I get to use my talents (music) to lighten the burden of others and bring light into their eyes. This fall, we will be living in the home we want, in the city we desire to be in. We are manifesting what we want and creating our abundant life as we go. We are truly blessed, because we choose to be. 

Abundantly living-
Mama Dragon

Teacher Gift

One of my favorite pastimes, as I shared on yesterday's post, was my love for reading. I have hoped to inspire this passion in my children as well and for some, it has worked. My youngest, however, is very average in not caring to read until she was about 7 years of age. This year in school, she has had two teachers who have helped cultivate her love for reading. We wanted to make them a special gift, from Missy B's heart, that would show her appreciation. We decided upon bookmarks. What nicer gift for a reading teacher that is made with a lot of love. Today, we are going to show you how simple it is to make these items. It literally takes about 5 minutes and most of us have the items already at home. 

Select your paper. You can use the same one for front and back, or choose two different patterns that compliment each other. Missy B chose the green stripes with floral on the right. 

Cut one paper to the size of bookmark you want. Using a glue stick, glue them right sides out. 

With straight edge or "fun" scissors, cut around the edge. Your papers should be sticking together just fine at this point. At this point, write a little message on the bookmark, should you choose to.

Optional: Using contact paper (or clear packaging tape, like we used), cover the bookmark.

Punch a hole in one end. 

Cut a small selection of thin ribbon 4-6" in length. We did a 4" strip. Fold the ribbon in half and pull partway through the hole. 

Pull the loose ends through the loop and pull tight. 

You now have completed bookmarks for teachers, students, or for yourself!

Your teachers will love them for years to come.

Joyfully creating-

Mama Dragon

Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime?

One of my favorite songs from childhood is a cute melody that says:

Oh what do you do in the summertime when all the world is green? 

I always appreciated this line since I grew up in Mesa, AZ where it was rarely green. The song spurred my imagination as to what I would do, if I did indeed have access to a green world. For the most part, summers were spent catching ladybugs, running through sprinklers, and hours upon hours we would swim. We were not in a neighborhood that had any home pools, as many new-builds now do. What we had was far greater- we had the junior high public pool. For my family, it was across the street on the other side of the school track. It was literally a five minute walk down a very hot berm of dirt. With bare feet, we would run across the scorching street, then as fast as we could to the not-so-green grass on the other side of the school yard fence. Some days, the grass was so dry that it was less painful to walk on the berm. We children would build up our summer calluses on our feet with extraordinary speed. We would go swimming for a quarter a day. If we were lucky that summer, the folks would be able to afford a full-summer swimming pass for $25 for our entire family (this was usually the case). From Monday through Saturday, noon to 9 pm, we would go to the pool, without worry of sunscreen (as it was just then being invented and no one cared to wear it) and we would swim. Usually, we did not even need a towel to dry off, as the sun would take care of that in minutes when we laid on the naturally heated sidewalk to dry. 

Poston Pool
Photo from azcentral.com

Our pool was not indoors, but outdoors with a shallow end, 12 swimming lanes in the middle, and three diving boards in the deep end. Terrified of heights, I always opted for the two lower boards, perfecting the cannonball with splashes that would tackle those in passing. Several times throughout the day, the deep end would close down so we could play Sharks and Minnows. Like a game of tag in the water, this was a great way to have some fun with many friends at once. My brother and I had an advantage in that we could hold our breath for long periods of time and swim to the bottom of the 12 foot water, crossing the pool in one breath, avoiding being caught by the "sharks". This was often followed by a game of Marco Polo as the deep end went back to being used for diving. The pool was my sanctuary, a refuge from the world. There, I was free to laugh, play, explore, and use my imagination. I was physically active and fit through hours of play all summer long. 

At only 38 years of age, I do not remember complaining about being bored. Now with computers and social media taking over homes and schedules, it seems that children (sadly) do not know how to use their imagination very well. With all due respect, perhaps it is also that younger parents have not been taught the art of allowing their kids to be.... kids. That is alright. Turn to more experienced parents for guidance. (Most of us appreciate opportunities to share what we learned the hard way.) It seems education plans state that every activity and learning opportunity must be scheduled and timed. This takes away from children being allowed to be... kids, to imagine themselves into a world where Boredom doesn't exist. Give them a piece of sidewalk chalk and teach them how to draw a hopscotch for hours of fun. Buy them a jump rope! Hand them a basketball. Sets of marbles are only $1 and can provide plenty of learning as well as entertainment. For those that are still learning and needing ideas, the internet is a great resource, as well as the library. Online, you can find links such as this one that will help generate ideas to keep your kids busy all summer long.

Photo courtesy of mesalibrary.org

LIBRARIES! That was my other saving grace in my youth. Each of us had our own library card and we would go to the library weekly, stockpiling books of all genres. When I was not swimming, I was reading. I read so much my mother had a difficult time getting me to do my chores. If chores were not done and rooms were not picked up, then fun got pushed aside. This taught us responsibilities and fun both had their place. 

As we rear our children towards adulthood, remember they are kids first. This is not an automatic invitation to be on the computer all day. It is, in fact, an opportunity to teach them to utilize their minds. When they are grown with families of their own, and their children and grandchildren ask, "What did you do in the summertime?" Do you want them to say, "I spent 9 hours a day on video games," or would you rather have them say, "We went on great adventures. I was a pirate for a while, then a mountain climber, then an Olympic swimmer!" Encourage imagination in your children, for it just longs to be set free!

Raising explorers-

Mama Dragon 

Today, I Honor You

Dear Sir or Madam,

You do not know me, and I do not know you. I am writing this letter and sending it with a prayer to heaven, to find you. Since the time of the Revolutionary War to the current war in the Middle East, you have gone forth proudly, nobly, and without hesitation to defend your beliefs. You knew that there was a greater good to accomplish, an evil to terminate, and so you put on your uniform, manned yourself with your weapons, and went to fight. You might have had six weeks of training, or you might have been a farmer that only knew how to till fertile soil. You did it anyway. 

You battled on the front lines with less than an hour's sleep and hardly anything in your belly. Tired and fatigued, you allowed adrenaline to pump through your veins so you could find that enemy and take him down, so his leaders would lose power and eventually lose control of the war. You even looked the enemy in the eye and realized he was not that different from you. He, too, was following orders, perhaps also drafted into a battle without choice.

Image courtesy of: headlinepolotics.com

You missed your family back home, yet you stayed where you were, because that is where your father, grandfather, great-grandfather also stayed. Somehow in your heart, you knew that is where you needed to be, and you were willing to pay the price- any price- for freedom.

You fought so that I, a stranger, could sleep at night in peace, wake in the morning and have breakfast with my family, send my kids to school or homeschool them, attend any church of my choosing, or have different opinions from my neighbor on presidential candidates, marriage equality, education reform. You battled harsh weather conditions, grenades thrown at you, firing from the enemy, shell shock..... because you knew that one day, evil would be destroyed and good would overcome. You did that because you knew it was needed, and right. 

Then, one day, the enemy drew fire on your battalion and there was nothing more you could do. In one final moment, you were injured and eventually died, or you were killed from one fatal shot. Maybe, just maybe, God allowed a bit more grace for you and you died without any suffering. Perhaps your last breath left your body as angels gathered around you, ready to take you to a place of peace and rest. Perhaps the angels in attendance were your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who understood what it was like to go to a Heavenly Home before you had the chance to return to your earthly one. 

To you, sir or madam, I sit here in tears, praising God for you. I pray for your family, that they may have comfort in knowing that you are a true hero. Today, I honor you, dear Soldier, for giving everything you have, until your dying breath, so that I could be free. May you fly high with the angels and rest in God's everlasting care. 

With gratitude-

Mama Dragon

Living a Superhero Legacy

Often, people will ask: What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? Instead of focusing on the legacy we will leave, what if we concentrate on just living that legacy right now? It has been a ray of light in this world to see one such group doing that. The Legacy Initiative is a community enrichment organization that was founded by a group of nine friends that wanted to make a difference in the world not just one day, but here and now.

Travis Hysell heads up the group, overseeing the areas that have been created branch by branch. He jumps in feet first everyday, not just supervising but leading others into this great community effort. In asking how Legacy got started, he shared, "We began as a community enrichment group and have tried to maintain that direction. Our first work was in providing food for less fortunate people. From there, it was a natural progression into homeless outreach, then crime prevention, the (community) garden, and then the Causeplay Team [which is a costume team that focuses on superheroes and princesses, bringing joy to children effected by homelessness and/or life-threatening illnesses." Their goal is (in his words) "to empower and motivate the people of our communities to participate in making positive changes. We have narrowed in on poverty and hunger as our primary causes because they have so much impact on our society."

The first Saturday of each month, a group of volunteers involved in this non-profit organization get together at a local restaurant and make hundreds of bean burritos. The food is all donated by local citizens and companies. The night before, Travis spends hours at home soaking and prepping the beans. On Saturday morning, the beans are cooked and the burritos are made.

The food is then taken to the meeting point in downtown SLC where other food items, such as cookies, oranges, and water bottles, are divided up between street teams, with all ages included.

The teams then head out all over downtown Salt Lake. You can see the team here, along with a homeless community member that has just received the gift of food. (front left)

Come rain, snow, or shine, the teams keep their commitments. 

Each team has a leader and is assigned a walking area in the downtown district, where the homeless spread out throughout the day. These members of the community are treated with the utmost respect as they are approached by our teams and kindly asked if they would like something to eat or drink. Most of the time, they are in need and they are ever so grateful for the kindness extended to them. I have personally walked the streets with these fine people, offering food and clothing to the folks of Salt Lake City. It is incredibly humbling to see the gratitude from the recipients and the compassion on the face of friends and strangers who have come together to reach out and lift others in need. 

What began as a small group of friends wanting to make a difference in this world has now turned into an extended group of 600 community volunteers. The members of the Legacy Initiative are changing the world, one kindness at a time.   

If you are along the Wasatch Front and would like to get involved, please check out their Facebook Page. For those of you outside the Wasatch Front who wish to join efforts in your own communities, there is always someone who needs you. [Photos are of the Legacy Initiative Group and used with permission.]

Joyfully Serving-
Mama Dragon