Month: April 2019

It Doesn’t Hurt To Ask

While grocery shopping and walking around the variety of pastries and desserts stacked on tables, I was drawn to the apple fritters. Immediately, my mind was reflective and reminiscent of times during my lunch breaks at a summer job I had between high school graduation and my first semester of college when I savored delicious, mouthwatering, moist fritters filled with real apples from a nearby bakery.  

Upon seeing the apple fritters among the amazing assortment of sweets, I decided to get a package, intentionally selecting one with the latest best-by-date. When I got home excited to experience the nostalgic taste of a fond memory of my early adulthood, they were not what I expected. Rather, the apple fritters were fried and crispy with a hint of visible, but tasteless apple and not the same soft consistency nor fresh apple tidbits throughout I was hoping to enjoy once again. Even though I did not like them at all, I thought someone else in my family might want to try them.  

The day following, I noticed the best-by-date on the packaging was the day preceding my purchase of the apple fritters. I then realized that I had not known what the actual day of the month was when I was shopping and though I selected the latest best-by-date assuming they would last for days, the apple fritters were already old. I was bummed. I considered the possibility of returning them to the store, but was concerned that I would not be able to return them for the mere fact I just didn’t like them. I wondered if with this particular brand, fresh or old, the overall taste would have been exactly the same. I was giving credit and the benefit of the doubt to the brand of apple fritters to justify why I was stuck with them and that the error was on my side for not paying attention that they were outdated before purchasing them. I wanted to believe and told myself there wasn’t actually anything wrong with the apple fritters per se, other than they were not conducive to my taste buds. After all, different brands of chocolate chip cookies taste different. 

Although I didn’t like how they tasted, I debated still eating them anyway if no one else in my family would or just throwing them out and accepting the loss of money wasted. Then the thought entered my mind, “It doesn’t hurt to ask if the store will return them”. Even though I questioned if I could return them for taste alone, it occurred to me that I could bring up the fact they were sold outdated. In going into the store and showing my purchase receipt and the date on the package, it was a tender mercy that even though I had already eaten one, I was able to return them and get my money back. 

When have you purchased food you didn’t realize was already past its best-by-date and although it was probable the food was still edible and fine, but not to your liking, you were able to return it and get a refund?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Happy Medium

Days after Easter, I was ready to clear off the holiday treats from my kitchen countertop and free up the space. I started with a carton of chocolate covered marshmallow eggs. When I opened it, there was one mouthwatering marshmallow left inside. It looked yummy and I knew it would taste good, however, I didn’t particularly want to eat it right then. Even more so, I didn’t want to leave the carton on the countertop or place it on a shelf in the pantry for a single marshmallow or waste it by throwing out perfectly edible food. 

Although I wanted to savour it later, I didn’t think it would likely be remembered if I put it in a baggie to hang onto it so I decided to eat a portion and toss the rest. As I took the last marshmallow out of the carton, one of my children walked up to me, saw it in my hand, and shared that they had never before had one. When I asked if they would like it, they said yes. Along with their showing an interest, they also expressed an uncertainty as to whether they would like it or not so I offered them half. Where I did not desire all of it for myself in that moment, I gladly split the marshmallow and the half that otherwise would have been thrown out, they accepted. It was a tender mercy that the timing of my child’s approach resolved the dilemma of what to do with the delicious chocolate covered marshmallow egg without wasting it. 

When have you been tidying up your kitchen and clearing out near empty packages of unexpired good food that was taking up space, to which you were not personally wanting to eat right away or desiring to throw out, and you were able to share it with someone else without wasting it? 

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

I’ve Got This

On a regular basis I catch myself confidently stating, “I’ve Got This” during moments when I am challenged outside of my comfort zone. On occasion, I follow it up expressing further with unquestionable belief, “I’ve got this, I truly do”. With the frequency I’ve iterated these words, they are now embedded in my mind, so much so, that it has become my natural self-motivating “go-to” phrase. I find myself routinely and automatically speaking the words internally and out loud, often times without even thinking about it or realizing it. And, my kids as well have pointed out moments when they’ve overheard me not dialoguing with anyone directly, but rather, under my breathe, without my being aware I am doing it, giving myself a pep talk.

The encouraging words I tell myself remind me of a Winnie The Pooh quote I really like, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

It is a tender mercy I’ve had a “go-to” phrase that has become a part of me and is with me always wherever I am and no matter what challenges I am going through when I need a lift. 

When have motivating and encouraging word/phrase(s) you’ve told yourself enough times they’ve become ingrained in your mind helped you move through hard things?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Not Settling For Mediocre

Upon completing a post entry for my blog, one of the finishing touches before it was ready to publish was trying to figure out which picture image to attach that corresponded adequately to the experience I was sharing. I had a couple of options I was considering as possibilities, yet, it wasn’t clear which one I should select. Although I was leaning more heavily towards one of them, neither felt completely right nor connected in the way I’d hoped for or wanted. 

Because I didn’t have anything else to choose from at the time, I decided to move forward and just go with the one I liked to a greater extent and it would have to make do. I was about willing to settle for “just ok” from the limited selection I had until I was abruptly interrupted and needed to take care of another matter. As I stepped away briefly and walked into another room, I observed on a wall a picture to which I immediately knew and felt was the perfect image for the post. It was a tender mercy that in the very moment I was close to publishing and settling for a mediocre image, I was drawn away to then come across an amazingly ideal and fitting image for my blog entry.  

When have you almost settled for a mediocre choice and in the very moment of decision an abrupt interruption guides you to another option that is even better? 

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Naturally Awakening

As sleep deprivation and exhaustion set in after rising early in the morning following a night of not getting much sleep, I was in need of a nap prior to attending a meeting. Although I set my alarm clock, I realized when I woke up on my own that I had set it incorrectly. It was a tender mercy that although my alarm clock did not go off at the time I meant for it to ring, my body naturally woke up just in time to make the meeting and not miss it. 

When have you promptly woken up naturally on your own and not missed attending a planned event after having set your alarm clock wrong and it not going off at the time you had intended?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

One Thing At A Time

I had a lot of “to do” activities I was looking forward to accomplishing throughout the day on my mind at the same time I was searching to find a particular seasonal decoration bin from our attic. I was unsuccessful in quickly finding the bin and walked away. As I one by one cleared my “to do” list, I returned to the attic to try once again. Only, this time, I was focused purely on locating the bin. It was a tender mercy I spotted it immediately. Turns out, it had been right in front of me all along when I had been distracted and bombarded earlier by all that was on my mind. Without even realizing it, I had been standing next to it. Once I had isolated my attention to finding the bin and my thoughts were centered on one thing at a time, I was then able to see it. 

When has a singular focus on one thing at a time, among the myriad of competing thoughts and plans on your mind, allowed you to locate an object you were trying to find and that item ended up being right in front of you?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

My Uncomely Appearance Was Not A Hinderance

Seasonal allergies, specifically pollen and ragweed, have zapped my energy the past week and a half. When going to a Mindful Parenting group, I did not let how I felt stop me from attending. Considering, the head pressure and heaviness I was experiencing from being congested and not up to being as put together when leaving the house, not to mention I was wearing my unappealing glasses, it was surprising I was ok that my outward appearance was not at its best. I knew that the light, love, and warmth I felt from within could radiate and shine above and regardless of my temporary shabby and crummy physical looks. I was not concerned, caught up, or worried about how others saw me. 

It was a tender mercy that my thoughts did not deter me from going to the parenting class based solely on my outward appearance. In being present, not only was I grateful I was able to contribute helpful insights to the discussion, be supportive and complimentary of all the other moms there; in addition, I walked away feeling blessed, inspired, and uplifted by what they each shared and brought to the class. 

When has your brain been in an “under the weather” kind of fog to where your thoughts did not talk you out of stepping into public to do something good for yourself and others even though you did not look your best? 

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Giving Up My Jacket

Before leaving the house to take our boys to an overnight youth camp out, last minute I was prompted to grab my hooded jacket. Initially, I attributed my receiving the prompting to my tendency to feel cold when outdoors at night. I was happy I had received the thought and that I’d be prepared in the event I needed it while out.  

Upon arrival at the campsite, it was a short time till dusk. As the temperature had slightly dropped, one of my boys expressed feeling a bit cold upon my noticing that it appeared he was and asking him. Because it had been warm outside all day he had not brought with him a jacket or long sleeve shirt. I felt impressed to offer up my jacket so he could stay warm through the night.

It was a tender mercy I had my jacket in the car available when he needed it and not just for the warmth, but also, being unaware and not anticipating that the weather would change so drastically the next morning with a torrential downpour and intense hailstorm that came through our area, the hooded jacket covered his head from the rain and protected him. 

When have you felt prompted to grab something on your way out the door assuming it was for your use later on and, after all, it was intended for someone else with a greater need than your own?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Slow Leak

After I arrived at the car dealership for a routine tire rotation and learned that my timing for when the service was to be done was unexpectedly off and I opted to wait for the next regular maintenance to take care of it, the thought came that since I was already at the dealership I might as well have the pressure in each of my tires checked. 

As the weather had been fluctuating up and down for quite some time, I assumed the reason my tire gauge light came on was because the tires needed air. As the tires were checked, I was informed that the pressure in one of the tires was lower than the rest. Upon examination, it was identified that a nail in the tire was causing a slow leak. 

It was a tender mercy that through a quick and easy complimentary service, the slow leak was discovered and I was able to drive immediately to a tire shop nearby for a price less than what was quoted by the dealership to have the tire patched and repaired right away before it went completely flat in an inconvenient and/or dangerous place. 

When have you gone in for a routine visit (car, doctor….) and separate from the purpose of your visit, you casually requested a look at something else and an issue was caught early enough and treated before a more serious, catastrophic experience occurred? 

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Spotted

Before the sun completely set after a spiritually-filled day of listening to and watching two amazing sessions of a semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on TV followed by a welcome visit from the missionaries serving in our area, I was excited to go for a walk with my husband and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. On our way out the door, I spotted out of the corner of my eye the Redbox movies we had rented and watched the night before sitting on our kitchen countertop. 

In taking in and soaking up each of the inspired messages as they were conveyed and later pondering on them while in the relaxation and comfort of our home, I lost track of the movies and the plan to return them earlier. It was a tender mercy I caught a glimpse of the videos 1 hour before they were due and they were returned in time before being charged another day for them.

When have you forgotten about an item you had rented and before it was turned in late, you noticed it sitting out and took it back just in time?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*