I've been thinking about the topic of Creation a lot lately. When people ask me how I'm doing, I frequently respond that I am loving my yard. It may sound boring, but I am really loving being a homeowner right now. I love to walk outside my front patio and admire my pretty plants. I think it is more then admiration for beauty, but a joy that comes from being part of creation. I heard a talk titled "Happiness, Your Heritage" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf at a General Woman's broadcast in September of 2008. Here are a few quotes from it that sum it up quite nicely.
"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before."
"Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty—"
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| Homemade Three Berry Pie for Easter |
In April finished the third season of the great British baking show and decided to try a rough puff pastry. After three hours of work my yield was very small because that dough is impossible to work with. My instant reaction was complete disappointment. But once I was eating it I could imagine Mary Berry telling me that the combination of goat cheese and fig jam is spot on and quite delicious, and the pastry has an even bake. But I bet Paul Hollywood would tell me that the lemon-thyme meatball empanadas were ugly and not identical. Here is to trying something new even if I kind of failed.
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| Homemade Coconut Cream Pie |
"Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination.
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| This started out as a 3-4 inch piece given to me by a patient. Not sure what kind it is, but it is suppose to blossom eventually. Still waiting on that. |
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| transplanted from dad's yard |
"But to what end were we created? We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy. Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things."
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| Jalapeno plant stripped by rodents! but once the rodents were taken care of, it has grown back. |
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| Mostly the bugs and birds get the strawberries, but I still like it. |
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| Spaghetti Squash.... |
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| ...and it's growing like crazy! |
"If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them. If you are not a mother now, the creative talents you develop will prepare you for that day, in this life or the next."
"The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter."
"President Brigham Young spoke to the Saints of his day. “There is a great work for the Saints to do,” he said. “Progress, and improve upon and make beautiful everything around you. Cultivate the earth, and cultivate your minds. Build cities, adorn your habitations, make gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations. In the mean time continually seek to adorn your minds with all the graces of the Spirit of Christ.”
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| Got this at my house warming, still alive and growing new flowers every few months. "Anthuriums" |
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| Also a house warming present. So glad the fern decided to come back after winter. |
"The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you."
And sometimes you find joy in enjoying other creations...
