Worms

Layne and I have spent the weekend comfortably at home, in grubbies, watching General Conference.  I love Conference.  Several of my recent concerns were addressed:  pornography (of course) and personal change ("That's Just the Way I Am"--which was the topic I spoke on at our Women's Stake Conference).  I loved the information shared on those two topics and so many others.  As usual, many of the speakers used stories to illustrate principles.  So here is one from our own driveway.  Since the arrival of the spring rains, many of the worms that inhabit our lawn escaped the wet by wiggling their way onto our driveway, and sidewalks, where they dry out and die.  Once dry they cannot easily be swept away, by the way.  So dead worms decorate the concrete for as far as the eye can see.

                                             Worms, so close to safety, yet so far away.

This morning, after an overnight rain, the worms, dead and alive, were nice and juicy and easy to sweep.  So I did, all the while telling them how foolish they were to be there.  So here's my illustration:  often, when confronted with a challenge or some other type of trouble, we seek help in the wrong places and wind up worse off than we were before.  Sometimes lots worse off, like the worms.  They cannot know that their driveway destiny is death because they don't have the sense or perspective to think and look ahead.  But we do.  Sometimes that is what we need to do to make better choices; think:  what will be the eventual outcome of the decisions I am making right now.  So there you go.  I suppose, if we think about it, there are examples of good and bad choices all around us.  Even in nature.

Speaking of that, it has snowed since I returned home last week.  But spring is still making a showing.  I know I mention nature a lot since being here but it is so very loud with its announcements.  Spring brings an explosion of color and plants appearing where no sign of them existed during all of the winter.  It is magical.

                                                               Spring is showing.

    Bulbs Layne planted last fall are making themselves known.  Pretty magical stuff.

Audrey and Isaiah are coming for a visit this Thursday.  The rest of the family will follow soon after.  I'm excited to have family in my personal space again.  I miss it.