LDSscrap

An Open Letter to Mrs. Douglas

Dear Mrs. Douglas,


   The first day of AP English you told a story of a man who had bragged about not reading a book since he had graduated. Then you said something to the effect of how sad. That obviously has stayed with me through the years. Every time I finish a book I say to myself Mrs. Douglas would be proud. You are a powerful teacher who still influences my actions today. You opened up great books to me and I thank you for it.

  I find it sad that a person young as you is retiring.

  I remember sitting in your class near graduation day, thinking that I had become myself. That, although there was much more life and experience to live, I would not change much. I had finally matured into the adult I was to be. HA! I wish you joy in this next phase and discovering the person you are about to be.

  With love.

Patty Casey Lingwall

 

Journal Challenge: Teachers

Mrs. Douglas was my high school English teacher. She is retiring this year and her son asked everyone he knew to write a letter to her which he is compiling in a book. There are many teachers who influenced my life. The challenge is to journal or scrapbook about a special teacher in your life and also to thank that teacher if possible. It does not have to be a school teacher either, think of all those who have taught you. Here are some other "teachers"...

Primary teacher
Youth leader
Coach
Friend
Mentor
Parent
Child
Scout leader

 

No Disney...

 

Every year at Christmas my husbands family gives up the traditional Christmas gifts and donates $100.00 to a vacation pot. We then vote on three locations and at our Christmas party we "unwrap" where we are going. This year was Disneyland in CA. We were excited! We had never been there as a family.

But then life hit us with a bang. The economy affected my job, we had medical bills come up, and Scout camp and our Disney savings dwindled. We had struck Disney from the list and was hoping to make California and the beaches, but last week we set the kids down and informed them that we would not be going to Disney this year or the Lingwall family vacation. My husbands parents offered to help. But we felt it important to live with in our means and teach that lesson to our children.

Sacrifice...it is a powerful tool.

This week we encourage you to share a story about sacrifice.

Journal Challenge: Sacrifice

1. We know we don't like to talk about ourselves. But as women we know you have made sacrifices. Share one.

2. Those pioneers in your life who made sacrifices to accept the gospel.

3. Has someone sacrificed for you?

4. The ultimate sacrifice. The atonement of our Saviour.

5. A sacrifice that someone else made that touched you.

Sitting on the bench, smelling the lilacs.

 

I was in a small town in Idaho last week for a family funeral. It was a couple of days after Memorial Day and the graves still had all of their flowers and decorations. In this grave yard are generations of my mother's family. Including my grandparents whom I love so dearly. It was the first time I had seen their headstone. It really is not a headstone, it is a bench. A place to sit and reflect about them. I was early at the site and had a chance to sit on the bench. I could smell the fragrance of lilacs that someone had left. Grandma and Grandpa always had lilac bushes in their yard. It was beautiful to sit their smelling the flowers grateful for the Plan of Salvation that allowed us to be an eternal family.

 This week we challenge you to create a layout or journal about a core belief. The Plan of Salvation, the divinity of Jesus Christ, or faith and hope. Some times we do not share these things. It is either such a part of us that it seems natural, or it is something sacred and held in reverence, or we just cover the day to day aspects and forget to share our deepest feelings. Here are some ideas.

1. Make the title of the page "I Believe"..as a spring board.

2. Share a faith promoting, life changing experience.

3. Record the feelings you had at your baptism.

4. Write down your testimony.