I am blessed, and probably judgmental

Look who now owns fancy dress socks for Sunday

 There are two thoughts I wanted to share today.  The first being, I feel very blessed today.  Maybe it's the sunshine and warm weather, but life seems really good.  I've done up my living room, I made it into the musical, I have a car that finally works well, I'm in good health.  I think what I'm most grateful for is the wonderful people I know. 


For starters, I have a husband who treats me like a treasure, a best friend, a confidant.  He supports me, like giving me a home and food and stuff, but also in all my endeavors. He is also a fabulous daddy to Theo.

Oh Theo, my sweet little boy.  He and I have a great time being pals at home, and I'm thankful that I get to hang out with him, and that I enjoy it.  He is so much fun, with such a friendly warm heart.  And so smart!  Sometimes a little too smart for me...

In addition to my cute family, I have so many wonderful people in my life.  The branch has been a source of support that I've needed so much.  Plus there are just awesome people to be friends with, so that's a plus.

I'm thankful for technology, that lets me stay in touch with my parents and my sisters.  I sure love video chatting with my adorable nephews and nieces, and texting a sister a quick note is a fun tender mercy.

I know a lot of quality people, and I thank all of you for enriching my life!

Sort of a weird note to transition on, but I'm gonna keep going anyways.  Yesterday in church we had our fifth Sunday meeting. The topic was accepting others and ourselves.  Wow, it was a charged lesson.  I know it can be a sensitive subject, so I hope as I ramble on that I don't offend anyone.  And if I do, sorry in advance!

We started the lesson talking about the story of Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman at the well (John chapter 4).  The idea was that although she was culturally an unclean person, and she was probably not living the law of chastity and thus a sinner, that Jesus was still talking with her and accepting her for the daughter of God that she was.  Even though she was obviously not living by Jesus' standards, he didn't shun her, but taught her how to follow the path of happiness.

I think the context the teacher was going for was that we accept those who come to church as children of our Father in Heaven, rather than ignore them, gossip, or even outright persecute them. He gave examples like someone who is going through a divorce, a gay man who is still faithful to the Gospel, and a pregnant but single woman.

I've seen this, and probably even done this, where someone who we perceive to obviously be a sinner comes in our path, and isn't greeted with the same amount of warmth that, say, Molly Mormon receives when she comes to church. There are so many different reasons for this, but I don't think there are any good ones.  Church is for sinners, trying to get it more together than they had it the day before.  Whether the sin is obvious like a pregnant teen, or secret like a pornography addiction, or even something tiny like harboring contention in your heart, we all still count as sinners. 

I think what I'm trying to say is, obvious sin or secret sin, every person on the earth is mortal and imperfect, and therefore we all need the Atonement to become better. Church isn't the place to judge others.  It's the place to judge our own hearts by comparing how we were in the past to how we are now, then making improvements.

So if I see someone who I perceive is lower than me for some reason, I need to change that thought, especially if it's affecting my actions. I think this is especially applicable between socioeconomic classes.  Outwardly, it may be obvious who makes six figures and who has a modest income. But that shouldn't affect the way they treat one another.  I think the root of judment comes from not understanding the worth of a soul.

President Uchtdorf said, "One woman who had been through years of trial and sorrow said through her tears, “I have come to realize that I am like an old 20-dollar bill—crumpled, torn, dirty, abused, and scarred. But I am still a 20-dollar bill. I am worth something. Even though I may not look like much and even though I have been battered and used, I am still worth the full 20 dollars.”'

Maybe she doesn't look like much, but she is still worth more to God than anyone can imagine. Each one of us, no matter what we look like or what we've done, is a precious treasure in His eyes.

And I'd like to add a footnote.  There are situations where it's important to judge others' character.  I think it has to do with how that person affects you.  I've been in a toxic relationship, where that person made it harder for me to live the Gospel, and made me dislike myself.  Jesus taught, love your enemies, but I think it's ok to love someone from a distance.  It's judging people by the surface appearance, or before you get to know their character where being "judgmental" is a bad thing.

And here is your reward for being at the end of this blog post: the cutest cereal head I know.