Post The First

I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a swimming pool, shivering, and trying to decide if I really want to jump in. But, as my niece Annie says, "everyone and his dog" has a blog now. And, although I frequently question whether or not I have a particularly interesting life, I'm hopeful that writing about it will reveal the unexpected delights that I tend to overlook.

So. Let's jump in.

In Sunday's Relief Society lesson, Jennie shared the following quote:

Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself. And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again.

Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other.

Elder Marvin J Ashton, "The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword," Ensign, May 1992, page 18

I'd like to become a person who displays Elder Ashton's kind of charity. Jim would probably like that as well. :)