Book Review - What It Is by Lynda Barry

This is the strangest, weirdest, coolest, most inspirational book I've read in quite some time.  

I heard an interview with Lynda Barry on NPR and her comments intrigued me so much that I ordered the book based on no other recommendation.  I had no idea how hugely therapeutic it would be for me.

I thought it would tweak my writing skill, which it verily did; what I didn't expect was how it would persuade me to quit judging myself and allow my creativity to flow freely without criticism.  She did this by very candidly exposing her own demons, making fun of them and putting them into perspective, to all of which I freely related.  

My first impression of the book, was reticence at best.  I couldn't believe she'd managed to get it published based on a cursory look.  Before long I was captivated!  To actually read it I found myself turning the book sideways and upside down so as not to miss a single thing.  Sweetie thought it all looked so silly. In doing so I had to abandon so many of my own hangups and I guess that was the whole idea.

As we grow older in our society we give up on so much of what blesses our childhood with delight, joy and creativity.  Ms Barry has changed all that.  Not only am I writing more and more freely, I am also drawing, dancing and singing!  She let me believe again, that I am an artist, dancer, singer, story teller.  I am beginning again to be who I really am in a most childlike way.  How amusing!

Book Review - Being Enough by Chieko N. Okazaki

I thought Lighten Up! was an outstanding book, and it certainly did win me over to the wonderful philosophy and counsel of Chieko Okazaki, but this one really blew me away.

Growing up and even now, living in a culture that seems to be never satisfied, this book practically opened the prison doors for me.  I filled it with so many Book Darts that I could hardly hold it up to read!

Because of all the highlighted treats its going to be tough to select a few to share with you  but here goes:

So the way to have the most possible time is to live each moment as fully as we can, being completely present.

It doesn't matter that we come to sacrament meeting every week as imperfect people who have done wrong things for which we are seeking forgiveness.  We don't have to be perfect to stretch out our mortal and unclean hands for the small piece of bread and the tiny cup of water.  We only need to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  We only need to be honest with God about what we have done wrong and sincere in our desire to repent and do better.  The sacrament ins't for perfect people; it's for imperfect people trying to move in the direction of perfection.  It's for us! 

As long as we're human, we will make mistakes.  Count on it.  Get used to it.  And get over it. 

If you have been hesitating about doing anything, because you can't do everything to fix the situation, now is the time to act.  You're not called to fix things or save him or her.  You're called to listen, to pray for this person, and to be with him or her.  Sometimes that's all we can do.  Most of the time, if you've noticed, that's what the Savior does for us.

Well, hopefully this little taste has whet your appetite because a marvelous feast of heart felt, honest, compassionate hope is in store for you if you'll take the time to read it.  I even have a couple of extra copies if you'd like to borrow one!

Sister Okazaki has helped me get past my feeling of inadequacy by teaching me to start evaluating myself in terms of what I've been given, instead of measuring it by what I lack.  Widow who offered her mite, lacked a husband and money, but Jesus measured her by her generosity, faith and humble determination and found her to be abundantly worthy.  We are enough, just as we are, with no more than what we've got.

Best Kept Little Secret in Utah!

I have driven to Manti and Ephraim dozens of times over the years and not even noticed the sign to Spring City.  Then recently a passenger on my bus told me about the place.  I was so intrigued that Cheya, Kristi and I stopped there a couple of weeks ago while meandering home from Las Vegas.

Spring City is between Mt. Pleasant and Ephraim and just a mile off the main highway.  What we found astonished us!  Here is a tiny little town that time simply forgot.  Nothing seems to have changed in 100 years.  The houses, the church, the way of life, all simple, quiet and entirely distant from our modern world.  There is some of this in Manti, Ephraim, Mt. Pleasant, Fairview and the other Sanpete towns, but each of them is mixed with so much more of the modern.  No false fronts in Spring City!

Here are a few examples:

A number of retirees have purchased and restored the old homes and fixed up the gardens and opened some of the shops.  Others have shops in a granary, chicken coup or barn out back.  Folksy crafts are sold here and there.  A sign on one shops says, "We open when we get here and close when we leave."  Another shop was open, but unattended.  Customers are on the honor system to put the sale on a receipt, calculate the tax and simple leave the money.  We found a large check in the receipt book.  There's a cute art gallery and a handmade Windsor Chair Shop. Unbelievably wonderful hand crafted chairs! 

Nobody seems intent on making a living out of these little shops, they're more of a hobby and things often seem to be sold to make room to create something else.

I loved it so much I went back a week later and spent another hour walking around mainstreet.

Here are a few more treats:

Next time you're in Central Utah, don't miss this one of a kind, utterly non-commercial, quiet little treasure.  I'd hesitate to even mention it for fear crowds would ruin everything.  But then, nobody read Live and Learn anyways.  And if you're headed my way, I wouldn't mind if you picked up a pint of two of bottled peaches from the shop pictured last.

Book Review - MEE Speaks by Mary Ellen Edmunds

When I went to the Philippines to serve my mission in 1969, the church there was new, only 3000 members.  Among the members, many kept asking me if I knew Sister Mary Ellen Edmunds.  Though the name sounded familiar, I had never met her.  Over the two years of my mission I was astonished at how many people, even in far flung places, members and non-members a like, inquired after this, obviously very unique and influential person.  She arrived in the Philippines in 1963 and I arrived six years later.  Still, she was very much on the minds of many!  How they loved her!  I wondered about Sister Edmunds often.  How remarkable that she remained so important to them after so many years.

Upon my return to BYU in the fall of 1971, I reclaimed my part-time position as head custodian at the Smith Family Living Center on campus.  I cleaned the heads.  One of the restrooms was a private one in an office in the Nursing Department.  There, upon a desk, stood a name plate with the name of Mary Ellen Edmunds on it.  Aha!  So that's how the name was so familiar to me!  She was still occupying that office two years later.  Since my shift was from four to seven in the morning, still, I never met her.

In the event that I had carried some sort of parasite home from the islands, BYU requested that I provide a stool sample to the Student Health Center.  I was given a little box to bring it in.  As I awkwardly crossed the campus with my little box I noticed dozens of others toting their little boxes too.  All this foreign poop converging in one place.  Seemed pretty ominous to me!  A few days later I went back to see a doctor and discuss the results of their tests upon my residue.  The Doctor was Dr. Edmunds.  I asked if he might be related to Mary Ellen and it turns out he was her father.  I was pleased to tell him of the profound influence his daughter still held on the hearts and minds of so many Filipinos.

At Conference time, I was anxious to see my old missionary pals and went to my Mission Reunion in Salt Lake City.  It was then, that I finally met this remarkable sister.  I expected her to be ten feet tall or some other equally remarkable form of extraordinary. I was quite surprised, after someone pointed her out, to find her to appear just as ordinary as the rest of us.  When I finally found her alone I ventured to introduce myself.  I reported to her of the frequent loving inquires I had entertained in her behalf.  Her eyes glistened with tears and then she giggled.  Her expression was a form of joy and attention and love and delight such as I had never experienced!  I can hardly describe how I felt being near her.  She made me feel as if all was right with the world because I was in it.  We chatted for a few moments and reminisced about the Philippines and she seemed especially emotional.  Then she said she felt impressed that she should tell me a story.  

Mary Ellen pointed out that she was single and that she longed to return to the mission field.  She said she had thought it impossible to do that until she was retired but that she could think of nothing else.  She considered going to her Bishop and sending in papers as she had done before.  But then she thought, "I want this to be a call from the Lord."  So she told no one but God.  In fasting and prayer she humbly made herself available to serve as God wished.  And then she told me that on that very morning she had received a letter from The President of the Church, calling her to serve as a health services missionary back in the PI!

I was astonished!  I couldn't comprehend the power of her faith, her love, her humility.  What I could comprehend was why, after so many years she had been so lovingly remembered by so many.  And I could see why God had heard and answered her prayers.  As a missionary, she is priceless!

Funny way to start a book review eh?  Well now you can see why I read her book when I discovered it.  It was a good book, full of faith, well worth reading.  Still, Mary Ellen, like Nephi, can't quite put in written words, the profound effect that comes of hearing her voice.  When MEE (her initials) Speaks there is something so bright, and cheerful and hopeful and kind and optimistic and humble that you can't help wondering if you aren't hearing the voice of God.

Read the book! It has a ton of encouragement and contains wonderful messages of hope and faith; but if you get the chance, listen to her speak.  The book contains what she would say but is a poor second for being in attendance when MEE Speaks!

Here's and example:

    

Book Review - Lighten Up! by Chieko Okazaki

I read this book years ago and loved it so much that I framed the cover and hanged it on my study wall.  I remains there today.  This morning I finished my first re-read of this wonderful book and was amazed at how much better prepared I was to receive it's powerful message this time around.

Sister Okazaki was a counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency back in the eighties.  She wrote the book directly to the women who are members of that great organization.  Consequently, far fewer men than women have been exposed to this wonderful woman and her marvelous book.  This is a crying shame.

I recommend it to men all the time and after re-acquainting myself with its message, will be pressing even harder to spread the word.

Here are a few quotes from the book to whet your appetite:

Ideals are stars to steer by.  They are not a stick to beat ourselves with.  (Barbara Smith)

In principles, great clarity.  In practices, great charity.

Don't think the Lord can do without any of your gifts, no matter how you feel about them. 

When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.  (Corrie Ten Boom)

Whenever I saw a parent trying too hard to make one child fit the family mold, I flinched a little.  I knew there would be trouble.

Maybe you've received a lot of "shoulds" and "oughts" about your spiritual life.  Do any of these sound familiar?
     You should read the scriptures at the same time every day.
     You should go to the temple once a month.
     You should always wait quietly for the answer after you've prayed.
     You should always accept every calling in the Church.
Well, I have another "should" for you.  Here it is.  Are you ready?
     You should do what works for you.  

These are just a small sampling of the wisdom, insight and encouragement Sister Okazaki offers to the willing reader.  I am profoundly grateful for her counsel.  If you feel burdened by your service in the Kingdom, or your home, or your job, or your life in general read this book!  Or be reminded of Sister Okazaki's counsel:

Christ's burden is light.  When he says, "Learn of me," he wants us to do something that will be light and joyful to us, not heavy and discouraging. 

Just this week I heard someone say in Church that we should set a particular day and time to attend the temple and stick to it.  And that if we don't the devil will keep us from getting there.  I think Cheiko Okazaki might have turned in her grave had she heard that.  First of all, the message was designed to make us feel guilty that we hadn't set that date and actually made it.  Second, it implies that there is nothing on God's green earth that is more important, ever, than keeping that date.  Third, it assumes that Satan is the only one who has influence over us on a day to day basis.  Like there's no way that the Holy Ghost would spontaneously prompt me to go to the Temple.

I have heard that counsel before, and followed it.  And sometimes, not very often, I should have been doing something else that I know in my heart was, at that moment, more important.  It wasn't necessarily something big, more often, it was small, like giving my weary wife a break from three toddlers, but it was, at that moment, what the Lord would rather I do.

In church I would much prefer being joyfully inspired and uplifted, than being shamed and guilt tripped into conforming to someone else's view of perfect performance.  Their prescription for my spirituality is no more a match for mine, than are the prescriptions for our glasses.  Thank you Sister Okazaki for releasing me from the guilt our culture so readily seeks to apply.  Thank you Master, for applying the Balm of Gilead to my wounds and the Atonement to my weakness and for offering to be my yoke-mate.

*****