Thoughts From the Heart

My thoughts:

Life is not easy. Each day brings challenges to each of us. Whether we are parents, grandparents or children. It is a constant battle. Questions: How do we get through a day? Answer: One day at a time. It is best not to get too far ahead of oneself. Taking too much at one time can be overwhelming and the ‘road of life’ more or less gets bumpy on us. If a warning alarm were to figuratively go off, then would be that time!

We learn to walk by crawling. After we have gained our strength in our muscles we crawl until we have the strength for our legs to hold us up, and we become “toddlers.” Sometimes we are toddlers and don’t even know it when it comes to making decisions that effect us for the rest of our lives and eternity.

Our spiritual nature is the same way. We learn to cope with life’s challenges mostly as one reaches the age of young adulthood. That being said, those choices made during and shortly after that time have been known as the period of time that many (wise) decisions are in store and need to be addressed. There needs to be a base, a foundation to make the right choices from which we must prepare for and DO! The physical as well as the spiritual needs to be in sync, however, when the emotional age we are and the physical age are not in sync, the SPIRITUAL age suffers. There in a lack of congruence at this critical time that must be nurtured and need to reach inside oneself to stretch those ‘spiritual’ muscles to carry us through the next important stage of our lives by having solved those issues that come up in our lives.

We have a very important gift bestowed upon us that is a sure way to be guided and directed on the path to making those eternal decisions. It is the Holy Ghost. The greatest way for the Holy Ghost to help us to is be worthy of his presence and allow ourselves to listen to the still small voice that confirms to our heart and soul to make the right decisions no matter what those may be. The more we listen, the more will be given. Then on the other hand, if those promptings are ignored, we are on shaky ground and need to ground and center immediately to have any success in what we are doing.

The Book of Mormon, Holy Bible, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price are the standard works that have been given to us by holy prophets of God. We have a living ,latter-day prophet on the earth today who is also the resource we need to follow Jesus Christ to regain the promises of dwelling in HIS presence and worthy to be in his presence now. Standing in holy places is the solution to bringing us closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

The Gospel is simply beautiful and beautifully simply. As long as we are listening and striving to do the right thing for the right reason, we will have that companionship as be drawn to doing and making the right decisions. We submit our will unto the Father and the Son, and receive the fruits of our own labor besides the innumerable blessings that come from being Obedient.

I find that reading the scriptures is my own way of having the closeness of the Spirit to be with me as I partake of the sacrament each week. I take notes (while reading and listening to the scriptures) in a Gospel Study Journal to make observations and take note of insights that come to mind as I pray and study. I have gained so much hope and comfort as I have had many challenges over the years as a parent in assisting my children to Come Unto Christ. I allowed my hand to be in their hands and found so much JOY as a parent. Reading the Book of Mormon with them increased my testimony as well as theirs. I found that I was given much help in my day as I counseled my children, each one individually many times. We had regular family prayers, morning and evening; and attended (all) our meetings each week. We functioned as one and I do not recall any opposition from any of my children when it came to attending Church. I and grateful I was so blessed that way. We had the sweetness of the GOSPEL in our home that brought us all closer as a family in those years of raising children with only the help of the Godhead to carry me through.

I took seriously the mission I had as a mother. When I was thrust into single parenthood, I know I could not have gotten through that on my own. I relied on the counsel in my Patriarchal blessing. It was my blueprint and Urim and Thummim. I was given many spiritual insights of what to do. I wrote in my journals, I listened and was greatly rewarded as my blessing promised. I was promised that if I would do and follow the counsel from the Holy Ghost and what I was given from my leaders, I would be blessed in raising my children the way God would want me to do. He kept his promise. I know he was aware and was and is always there for me when I went to them for guidance for each one, of my children to bless and help them in their lives. I took it a day at a time, and look over where I had been and marvel that God was always there for me. I attended the temploe regularly as counseled in my Patriarchal bless. I also fasted; when approaching insurmountable challenges-- I was comforted to know how to proceed.

I have a deep and abiding love for my Heavenly Father, his son, Jesus Christ my Savior and didn’t falter. I was given strength with spiritual muscles with my testimony and unwavering faith in Jesus Christ to tell me all things that I must do. II Nephi 31;20-21 also known as The doctrine of Christ.

I bear witness as anyone who seeks to know the mind and will of God, and trust his, and allow his will be done, we will ALWAYS make the right decisions and accept it.

My Mother Elena

My mother's birthday was last week. I thought of her often, and do think of her most days. I remember her ingenuity and how she must help me a lot in my day. For example, when I come to a situation to solve I think in my mind what would work the best to solve the issue? And then here comes (instantly)an idea, thought will come in words of what to do.

I consider my mother, Elena a genius. She was like a domestic Engineer She loved to crochet. Her maternal grandmother taught her to crochet at age 8. She lived with her and had influence from her day to day. Nestora was like her second mother, literally. I know they had a special bond for 12 years until Nestora passed away. Elena could look at a crocheted item and copy it by checking it out and come up with the exact thing she made from just examining it. I once sent her a crocheted collar and she sent me back a new one exactly like the original. She thought over a situation and could come up with an answer to the very best result. it amazes me when I come to something like that I think for a second and then comes an answer. i know it isn't me, but her wisdom coming through.

I sometimes feel answers from promptings from her.. I went shopping one day to find clothes to take on a mission. I walked through the department store and felt someone near by and almost showing where to go to find the right items. Mama had a sense of humor that comes through vividly. I found a bra and it was one that really held me up and had some features on it that I heard a comment that was not my own. Now, she had such a sense of humor she said to me "to not poke someone's eye out," with the choice I made when I bought that bra. I laughed knowing it was her and then realized when I go to a flea market or yard sale, she is right there to show me where to look and what to buy! I do find some very good, need items. It is kind of fun still to go "shopping" with her! Ethel and Elena, what more can I say??

So, I think of her often; lovingly and appreciate the person she was and in!

Who is Our Neighbor?

Who is our Neighbor?

Where does respect begin? I have a theory that when a high school student interacts with their peers, they need to use discretion and understand they themselves do not have all the answers to judge others in their class group. You never know who that person is or who they may become or accomplish in their lifetime.

The other day I was watching a news broadcast. I heard a name that I knew and was familiar with this person as a high school almost-junior class student. I remembered him fondly and had mentioned this person in our conversations early in Ron's and my relationship. He was retiring as an assistant coach at a rival university in Utah and I had not known anything about him later in life. My impression when I knew him was that he was the type of person that if I ever had a problem and needed help he would be someone who would offer to help anyone. He had had a fifty year career in coaching at the college level and with NFL teams and helped thousands of football players in his professional career. He is my age, so I know he worked beyond one retirement and was now retiring a second time.

This fellow in high school was what could be considered a “jock.” At the time I knew him, I had no idea what that was or what it meant. All I knew was that he was in football and was somewhat popular. I should say, he WAS popular but I never had the feeling or impression he thought he was better than me, or anyone else in our class.

I attended summer school, mostly to take a heavy class that would spare me a lot of homework on top of my other classes during a regular school year. The class was Human Biology, it was a required class so I took it the summer before my junior year. I had not dated much up to that time and was quite shy and had no specific male friends. This fellow's name was John P. He was tall, handsome and had brown eyes and blonde hair. He was fair skinned and had broad shoulders like a football player. Other than the observation from class, he was polite and knew the social graces and now that I think about was probably LDS. I didn't know many; of the students who were LDS in those years, mostly because no one really pointed them out to me. I think he was on the football team for Varsity Football. I don't think I even attended one football game my entire high school years. It was the “thing” kids did, but I was not part of that and not really interested in the competitiveness of team sports then.

I did notice though that some kids clustered socially after class and “hung out.” a lot in the same circles of the cheer leaders, the student body officers etc. I was a “nobody” so no one really bothered me but were polite and I felt comfortable around many of them. Many may have been LDS but then again, maybe they were just nice regardless. I usually had a few female friends, of all cultures. I had some Mexican class mates that I got to know from Spanish I-IV. I got along with all of them and we had our own so called group too I suppose. I had friends who were neither Mexican nor black. It was acceptable to call Negroes 'blacks' then.

John P. took the same class as I did in Human Biology that summer and we ended up being lab partners. That meant we would work as a team on our experiments or projects like dissecting a frog. We went our separate ways that summer and now a wonder in my mind, was John P a Mormon? Did he go on a mission? Did he have any family along the way? I thank him for his unconditional acceptance of who I was as a sixteen year old lab partner and fellow student.

There is a humorous (to me) incident that stands out in my mind regarding one of the class subjects the teacher, Mr. Hathaway taught one day. He stood in front of me and John as we sat in the front row as the teacher was trying to enlighten us on the ways of the world and human behavior. Mr Hathaway was telling us about how two individuals who were of the same gender and chose to live as if they were a married couple. He said, they lived together as one of them would take on the feminine role, and the other the masculine role but both would be men or women. He mentioned a few other characteristics as cooking or taking care of the household, and one being the breadwinner. It sounded very unusual to me and I whispered to my lab partner, (John P) “What is he talking about?” He looked at me; rolled his eyes and didn't say a word. He was in shock evidently for my having asked the question. I had never in my life nor had any idea about the subject. I was naive and really and honestly did not know what the teacher meant. I even remember it to this day the dress I was wearing that day. It was a white dress; sleeveless style. It was a white polka dotted design; a square neck in front and back with ¼ “ black and turquoise dots alternating 2 ½ ”apart on the material. I had made the summer dress myself that year since my mother taught me how to sew/make my own clothes that year. I was sixteen, and Mama was expecting my brother, David at the time in September, 1959.

Flash Back to now: As I thought about all this since yesterday evening, I came to the conclusion that I sat side-by-side with a genius of a class mate who effected a large group of individual and made a deep impression on so many in his personal and professional life. Who was I? I was just Anna Maria Rodriguez making it through my high school years, marrying a year later and raised a family of eight children. I felt that is my greatest accomplishment in my life. Being a mother and grandmother to over 40+ grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. My educational pursuits are paled with the great mission I had being a wife and the mother and loving my role as I came to understand and embrace being a first generation convert as a Latter-day-Saint. I would not change anything for what I learned and getting to know Jesus Christ as my Savior the last forty-eight years.

Takeaway: We never know who is sitting next to us, or who lives down the street and what they may become. We should not judge, it isn't for us to do that. Do we know who our spouse is, or who our children are that are sent to us from God? If we could see each other as Heavenly Father sees us, we would be amazed and treat each other with greater respect. God loves us unconditionally. And that makes all the difference in this world.