Busy Other Places

I feel like I haven't posted here as much lately, but it's because I've been writing here:

http://www.ateachermom.com/2013/03/19/book-review-last-child-in-the-woods-saving-our-children-from-nature-deficit-disorder/

http://www.ateachermom.com/2013/03/21/finding-nature-in-the-city-a-general-guide-for-apartment-living/

http://www.ateachermom.com/2013/03/30/finding-nature-in-the-city-part-3-houston/

And I've been editing here:

http://powerofmoms.com/2013/03/all-hail-the-kangaroo/

http://powerofmoms.com/2013/03/a-deep-uncomfortable-patience/

http://powerofmoms.com/2013/03/spiritual-sundays-matzah-and-motherhood/

As you can see, I've been having fun. I hope you enjoy these. :-)

Power of Moms

So in the last two weeks I took on a new, fun project. I am now a volunteer editor for The Power of Moms. My friend, Rachel, helped me get involved, and I'm so grateful to her!

I had been a casual reader of The Power of Moms for some time, bu nowt it's so fun to be on the inside of things. When I edit articles, I can't wait to see them published! Here is one that I really liked:

http://powerofmoms.com/2013/03/unrushed-moments/

And, really, I like all their articles. They post one every day, and they are idea-sparking and inspiring.

Also, I will be attending this retreat in May. Does anyone in the SLC area want to join me? http://powerofmoms.com/premium-retreat-in-park-city-ut-may-4-2013/

It does cost quite a bit of money, and so do some of the programs on the site. BUT I just found out that as a board member I can do a Power of Moms giveaways! I can't give away retreats, but I can give way programs. So I'll keep you all posted.

Tender Mercies

The most amazing thing happened yesterday. But to understand the story, I need to give some background.

My sister, Marie, is serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the South Dakota Rapid City Mission. She received her assignment less than 6 weeks after President Monson announced a change in the age requirement for missionaries. For years, girls have had to wait until age 21 to serve, while boys could serve at 19. Now, boys can go at 18 and girls can go at 19!

This change in policy was life changing for our family-- and a tender mercy all on its own. Marie, who does not turn 21 until September, really wanted to serve. But the timing of her birthday was inconvenient considering her education schedule. When the prophetic announcement was made, Marie and my mom (and me) started crying because we knew what this would mean for Marie--and for the Church, and for missionary work, and for women all over the world.

And it meant Marie could go immediately! Within just a few weeks, she submitted her application, which is quite a feat considering that the process requires a physical exam, dental exam, multiple interviews, etc. And just a few weeks after that, she received her call to South Dakota. She reported to the Missionary Training Center on Feburary 20th, and just a week ago Monday she arrived in Rapid City. There, she received her first assignment to serve in Gillette, WY (pictured above).

Mare's mission covers North and South Dakota and parts of Wyoming, Iowa, and Minnesota. I'm not sure on the exact stats, but I would be willing to bet that Marie's mission has the lowest population density of any mission in the United States. There just aren't a lot of people who live up there. In fact, before yesterday, if you had asked me if I knew anyone that lived in her mission boundaries, I would have told you, "Nope, not a one."

But when I found out she was assigned to serve in Gillette, I thought the name sounded familiar (and not because of the razor company). I told my mom, "I think I've heard of Gillette. I must know someone from there, because otherwise, why would I have ever heard of it?"

Gillette is a town of 30,000 (which is big for Wyoming), but it's in the northeastern part of the state-- far away from Yellowstone and the other big Wyoming attractions. I had never been anywhere near it. I did a quick search on Facebook to see if anything would come up if I typed in Gillette or Wyoming. No luck. Oh well, I must have been wrong. So I didn't think much of it after that.

But last night, my friend Crystal (who served with me as a missionary in South Africa) wrote on my wall: "Guess who I met tonight??? Um a wonderful sister missionary by the last name of Sheranian :D Yep she's serving in my town (Gillette, WY)!! She says hi and that she loves you :D"

And then it all clicked. Crystal is from Alaska, but I do remember seeing something on Facebook about her getting a teaching job in Gillette!

And so the tender mercy: Marie, during her first week as a missionary (which is usually filled with a roller-coaster of emotions as you realize you are with people you don't know, doing something you don't really know how to do, in a place you don't know, and you're going to be there for a year and a half!) meets the one and perhaps ONLY person that anyone in her family knows in her entire mission boundaries. Not only that, but the person she meets was someone that her sister served with as a missionary. Someone who is very familiar with the name tag Sister Sheranian (and even knows how to pronounce it). Some may say it was coincidence, but to me-- and I'm sure to Marie-- it was a tender mercy. 

A tender mercy is a gift from God-- an event where a small, almost coincidental miracle occurs. Nothing big. But to believers, it is a sign that God is watching over them. 

And God is watching over Marie. He is in the details of her life, and yours, and mine. I forget that so often. But in moments like these, it is undeniable. 


. . . . .


So just a few hours after finishing this post, I experienced the power of tender mercies again! 

I was shopping at Costco and saw a woman I know from church a couple checkout lines down from me. Her cart was FULL of food, which I knew was to feed her growing kids. I wasn't close enough to say hello, but after I checked out and started walking towards the exit, I saw her again. This time she was talking to the cashier and looked distressed. So I walked up to her and asked if she needed help. She explained that her husband had taken her checkbook and debit card and that she had nothing to pay with! 

It was so amazing to me that I was there at exactly the right time. So I swiped my credit card and she arranged to pay me. I didn't feel any particular prompting to be at Costco at that exact time, but I did feel prompted to go up to her and ask what was wrong. I could have easily walked past, and I'm so glad I didn't! There is nothing better than becoming a tool in the Lord's hands to work a tender mercy for someone else.