I Think I have lost a lot of my creativity!

We made it through this week!! It was the first week of ISAT (Idaho Standards Achievement Test) for the students at Jefferson Elementary, where I work during the school year. (At least I presently work there--who knows what will happen after all the cuts!) I have been working in this district for no less than 15 years now. If I reach full retirement in the state retirement system, I will have worked for the State of Idaho for approximately 23 years. Presently I am waiting to hear about next school year. No decisions have yet been made by our school board so far as I know.

Life has its twists and turns and can be very difficult to negotiate at times. We are trying to have some humor around here, but the stress is overshadowing everything we try so far. And yet we cannot stay serious all the time. After all not every minute has to be sad. Only some minutes need to be sad so that we can appreciate and know happiness.

Sometimes we need to count our blessings and enjoy the beauty and humor surrounding us in life. Every day of work I have bouncy, happy, little ones all around me!! How could I be more blessed?! Our little 4-year-old is a magnificent blessing in and of himself. And when I go to work at the school there are 630+ just like him, many of them running up to me each day to tell me about something they did, when their birthdays are, what they got or are getting on their birthdays, their teeth that are wiggling loose and what the tooth fairy brings, what they can do on the bars or the slide or the glider, how their favorite professional team or their own peewee team won a game, how they did on the state tests, and many other wonderful things in their lives. Sometimes I sit down with a student and we visit about how life is working out for them. Often they come to me for help in solving a problem with another child or other children.

Sometimes their parents call me to ask for help with their student. "I just don't know what to do!" I am often told by a frustrated mother. "Can you help my child do better in class? on the playground?" a parent asks me. I am simply humbled by the faith and confidence placed in me at times by both the children and the parents. I often ask myself, "Can I really do this?" And yet somehow I usually manage to help that child and/or parent in some way--even when I don't think (and maybe they don't think) I am doing so.

Over the years I have been a school counselor I have been thanked many times by grateful and gracious parents and children. I have also been criticized by some of the same--even after working intensely with the student and risking my credibility (i.e. sticking my neck out) for that student and even for those parents.

But all of the bad stuff pales in comparison with the joy of seeing a child happy and full of excitement over life's great moments.There is nothing more wonderful than that!!

LDS.org - Family Chapter Detail - The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles

All our friends:

To find out more about what Easter is please use the following link:

LDS.org - Family Chapter Detail - The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles

Easter, a Sacred Time of Year

Easter--Is is not about eggs and bunnies and Easter baskets. Those are fun and nice and come from pagan rituals. It is about the atonement. It is about our Savior, Jesus Christ's and Heavenly Father's love for us. Easter is a very important time of our year when we remind ourselves of His mortal ministry and that we really cannot comprehend that sacred something he did for us. He suffered for our sins in Gethsemane. He suffered and died on the cross and was resurrected and brought us the resurrection. He has taken away the sting of death and the victory of the grave. After we leave this life, we can then be resurrected and live again with Him.

This life is a time for us to prepare to meet God and to perform our labors and serve Him. We will never be perfect (complete) in this life. When we leave this life it won't matter how close to perfection we are. What will matter is which direction we are headed. As an apostle of the Lord once said, it just doesn't matter how far up the "ladder" we are, so long as we are headed up and not down or some other way. We will be saved in the celestial kingdom of God so long as we are going in the correct direction.

I am so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and his love and sacrifice for us!! I have made sacred covenants to live as He would have me live. May I so do!!

Of the truth of these things I testify in His name, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

For more information to to www.mormon.org  or www.lds.org