So much love

Do you have a friend, maybe your best friend, some one who always cheers you up? I have a friend like that. She is so selfless and always cheerful. Her name is Aleta, and she is one of my very best friends. Even when she lost her job and must have been having a hard time she was still cheerful and ready to talk. She was concerned about me because my kids were sick and went out to buy them medicine, she brought over dinner when I felt sick, she talks to me when I am down and I always leave her feeling happy again.

Aleta is my sun and my flowers. Every time I see her I just feel happy, I want to give her a hug and say thank you. But there are some things that words cannot express. There are some feeling that go so deep that only the Lord knows what they are. Some times when I pray I am so full of love and gratitude and all those things I do not have a name for that I have to ask Heavenly Father to look inside my mind and heart to see what's there. Well I wish Aleta could look into my heart and see that special place that she has. I wish she could know how much she means to me and how grateful I am to her.

I used to move around a lot and I had friends wherever I went, but few of them were real friends, the ones that stick with you no matter how far away you are, no matter what happens they are there. I have a feeling that Aleta is that kind of friend, she just has so much love to give.

I believe

I believe in Christ. He is my Savior and my King. I know He lived and He died for me. I know he was resurrected and some day, I will live with Him and my Father in Heaven. I believe that Christ is my older brother and that he atoned for my sins. I believe that because of His atonement I can be forgiven and live with god again. I love my savior and my Father in Heaven.

My belief in God and in Christ are important to me, my life is centered around my beliefs. There are some who do not believe as I do and to you I say, that is your right. It is your right to believe in a different God, a different religion or to not be religious at all. I believe that you have the right to choose and I believe that I have the right to choose. I will not interfere with your right to choose and I expect that you will not interfere with my right to choose. My belief does not negate your, nor do your beliefs negate mine. We are being born with the ability to choose and act upon those choices. Tolerance goes both ways my friends. I call you my friends because I know that even though we may not have the same faith or beliefs we can still get along and be kind to each other, we can still be friends.

It's not fair to use your beliefs to take away someone else's ability to choose or interfere with their belief. Keep believing what you believe to be good and true, I will do the same. But neither of us will impede the others choice, right? See, I knew we could get along, after all, we're friends.

Swimming fun

Yesterday we went swimming as a family. It's been awhile since we have been able to go swimming as a family. Ok, so Glen and Benjamin are just about as opposite as two boys can be. Benjamin is afraid of everything, hates splashing, but loves swimming. In the water he is a little fish. Glen is afraid of nothing, loves to be splashed, but he hates the pool, at least until recently. Yesterday I bought a baby swim ring for Benjamin, one that will hold him up with straps on the inside. We have this other swim ring, but there are no straps. Benjamin will use that one and swim like a fish, but Glen wouldn't get in the water until yesterday. Glen asked for a turn in the new swim ring. I put him in, and pushed him out. At first he was pretty freaked out, but then he realized that he wasn't sinking and he got so excited that he was swimming. Before long he was paddling back and forth and even jumping in. He had so much fun swimming, ya know, in the water. Instead of just sitting on the side or steps like he usually did, he played and he loved it. Benjamin is still in his regular ring.

Isn't it funny how different kids can be?