And He shall direct my path

I have been giving a lot of thought to my feet of late. I injured my feet in a fall down the stairs about a month ago. It seems that this is the most common place for me to injure myself. I have, over the years, been afflicted with injury to my knees and my feet more than in any other place in my body. Perhaps it is because they are the foundation to so many of the things that I have been asked to do in my life. I believe that all people have tremendous use of their feet and legs.

Without our legs, how could we be propelled? We do have the modern convenience of cars and busses, but we need to get ourselves to them. Although there are some among us who need to propel themselves in wheelchairs because of injury or debilitating illness, the majority of us depend upon our lower extremities to move about.

What a great gift we have in our legs and feet. They are our foundation for movement and for service.

This morning, as I drove into work, I was listening to a CD called "Charity Never Faileth". In it there is a song that includes the phrase "My feet are the Lord's feet. Without them, how could He walk with the poor?"

As my feet and my legs are the foundation for my movement and my service, as I am grounded in truth and righteousness, I will have a sure fondation for my life and my service to others.

It is my daily prayer that I will be supported in my service to others and that I will be grounded in true principles.

Something Old

Years ago, we had an activity in our ward Relief Society in which we created a canning jar filled with questions designed to spark our memories regarding our past. I have decided that it is time to start answering them in this format so that I might be able to retrieve some of these memories.

Describe your first paying job. What were you paid?

My very first paying job was cleaning dental offices. I worked in the evening after they closed, and also on Saturdays. The main thing was to be sure that all of the waste baskets were empty and that all surfaces were clean. I was paid $1.60 per hour. I cannot say that it was my best job ever, but it was a start! I worked with another girl and I remember sitting in the hallway outside of the offices with the bag full of trash just talking about silly, girlish things.

Was there much music in your house? What kinds?

I lived in a home with 3 sisters and my brother. My sisters and I always did the dishes together in the evening after supper. (We never called it dinner.) The drier always got to sit on the counter top. That was actually my favorite job, but the thing that made doing dishes so much more enjoyable, was the singing that we did as we completed that task. My sisters and I sang harmony with each other. We also liked to sing "rounds".

Additionally, I and two of my sisters, played musical instruments. I was the first, and I chose to play the flute, because my friend Debbie Matsch played the flute. After my adventures in band, my sister Barb took up the coronet. She actually learned to play my flute as well. Finally, my sister Lynne took up the saxophone. Barb learned to play that as well. She was always able to excel at everything to which she put her hands.

Speaking of Barbie and music, she always longed for a piano. She asked for one for Christmas on multiple occasions, but the best that Santa could manage was a "Charlie Brown" type piano. I am certain that she had dreams of that little toy piano making the kind of sound that Schroeder made on his!