Inspiration

Last night was the girls night for their special Young Women In Excellence program. It is a night where they get to show something they've been working on over the past year in their Personal Progress goals. Tori had a goal where she had studied a bunch of scriptures of people who had great integrity and then she wrote about her impressions of them in her journal, and Leah learned about the Plan of Salvation and reported on it to the family. At the program, the girls each were given a neat bookmark with a quote by Neal A Maxwell, which has really impressed upon my mind. I just keep thinking about it, and I wanted to share it here -

"The same God that placed that star in a precise orbit millennia before it appeared over Bethlehem in celebration of the birth of the Babe has given at least equal attention to placement of each of us in precise human orbits so that we may, if we will, illuminate the landscape of our individual lives, so that our light may not only lead others but warm them as well."

This really got me thinking. This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever read, honestly. I've been absolutely inspired by it. What he's saying here, essentially, is that we are all placed here to be saviors, in our own way, to the people in our lives. Isn't that an amazing and wonderful idea? It does carry some weight, as well. I mean, we're responsible for the people around us. We aren't just here to take care of ourselves. We are stars, here to shine for others, to light the way for them and to warm them with our light. What a sweet thought. Here's another great quote, from a book called Strangers No More, by Beverly Campbell:


"A most glorious truth, which should be trumpeted from the highest battlement and received with joyous shouts of hallelujah, is that each one of us comes to this earth at exactly the pre-appointed time, along with a bevy of others known to us before we were here. They and we were sent to support one another and to help one another in the fulfillment of our missions."

I just really love this idea. I love the people around me so much. I've tried really hard to love the people in my life and keep them close to me. I haven't always been able to hold on to the people who I think I should, and that makes me sad. I've lost my mom and dad, and my brothers and sisters. They've all slipped away from me. I mourn them every day. I can't pretend there isn't a great hole in my heart over that. But I have my sweet husband and kids, and some other really great people around me, and I hold them close. I feel so grateful for them. I'm trying to shine for them as brightly as they shine for me. They are my saviors on earth for sure.

How wonderful life is when they're in the world . . .