No Ordinary Hero.........Joan Trumpauer Mulholland

BOOK REVIEW FRIDAY

 She Stood for Freedom.
© 2016 Shadow Mountain Publishing 

I was recently invited by Shadow Mountain Publishing to review this book : 

She Stood for Freedom : The Untold Story of a Civil Rights Hero

Joan Trumpauer Mulholland.

Have you ever heard of her? I had never heard of her until 2 years ago, when I was talking to someone that I had only just met and she shared with me a clip from a movie about a a woman who was active in the early sixties Civil Rights movement. 

My new friend was very excited about this movie, because she was acquainted with the man who made the movie and also the woman who the movie was about. The movie was called "No Ordinary Hero: The Joan Trumpauer Mulholland story. What was interesting was that she is white, and also that she is alive and well and living in Arlington, Va. And she is still very active in the fight for civil rights, for all lives. Here is a synopsis of what the book is about and why it is so important and timely:

   She Stood for Freedom is the story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, a white teenager in the South during Segregation who found herself on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement.Written by a Utah resident and published by a Utah-based publisher, this book has received glowing advance reviews from national media for its enduring message and compelling and unconventional collage artwork style by Charlotta Janssen which perfectly captures the turmoil of America in the racially-torn era of the 1960s. The book will be published simultaneously in a picture book and middle grade edition. The picture book tells the story in an age-appropriate way and focuses on the heroes who fought for social justice and racial equality.  The edition for ages 8-12 features collage artwork, plus period photos, sidebar commentary, and shocking primary source documents taken from Joan’s personal archive, illustrating deep institutional racism.This is a well-timed book for this divisive election season in which American values are being profoundly questioned and with social justice and women’s roles in history sure to be on the minds of your readers .....

She Stood for Freedom.
© 2016 Shadow Mountain Publishing 

She Stood for Freedom.
© 2016 Shadow Mountain Publishing 

I really loved this little book with a big and powerful message. It is no coincidence that her story is now being brought to light, right now. Once again history is in the “making”. I was a kid growing up in the South during the sixties; my parents participated in local freedom rides and in organized protests. I remember my parents, so young, making a small mark in history, being brave. When I think of Joan Mulholland, and my parents and many more that went before us, we see history at its ugliest. Sometimes the pictures are too hard to look at, but we can't look away even now, when everything around is threatening our "false" sense of security in this world. Sometimes we have to do scary things, but know that God is for us.

I really liked that one of the things that motivated Mrs. Mulholland to step forward, was her own Christian upbringing. 
She said “As a child we’d go to church and we’d learn these Bible verses about how to live, do unto others as you would have them do unto you and love thy neighbor as thyself. But then we were hypocrites, we weren’t doing that and I thought as a southerner when I got the chance to help make the south the best that it could be, I should do what I could and that brought me to the civil rights movement.” 

(Found this on the Internet, though not affiliated with the book, this will help to put a "face" on this wonderful lady.)



TK2LDCNews Presents: Joan Mulholland

Hi! 😊 We started our own news channel on YouTube @ 9&10. We made history in just 2 mo. from starting our own channel! We are the youngest to ever ? @the Hill Center on Capital Hill & the youngest reporters 2

DISAPPEAR FEAR: RISING STRONG

Wow, the world has turned upside down, even in the animal world.
You may think you're having a bad day, what if you were a Rooster, and couldn't do your job? You know, rise and shine every morning with a beautiful song of "cockadoodle doo?". Seriously.  Here is a story about a rooster named "Poodle Roo", now I think that name alone would get you beat up in the barnyard. But this little bird is special, and will steal your heart. 
What ever bad day you are having, his day was worse but he managed to overcome it



SuperSoul Original Short: The Rooster Who Nearly Died and Rose Again Strong

Words to live by: It seems that a great majority of the decisions we make and the subsequent actions taken on those decisions are motivated by fear, whether objectively or subjective. Lets fight fear with love...
Quotes to live by.....

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ― Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.” ― John Lennon

1 John 4:17-18The Message (MSG)God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

 Somehow, this post turned into a love fest. It's all bout love ya'll
LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE

Pondering: WHAT IF...... rising strong

Have you pondered these things recently: 

What if?

• What if the Donald becomes the president of the United States?
• What if Hillary? 
• What if I were to move to Canada? 
• Have you been speaking in hushed tones lately, walking around as if not to be noticed?
• Are you quietly doubling down on your food storage? Don’t. 
• Got your passport squared away, don’t. Wait a second:

Hebrews 10:35-37Do not throw away your trust, for your reward will be great. You must be willing to wait without giving up. After you have done what God wants you do, God will give you what he promised you. The Holy Writings say, “In a little while, the One you are looking for will come. It will not be a long time now.

It’s been a stormy year; heavy rain, massive floods, hail and lightning. In my neck of the woods, a whole state, West Va.is in distress. I saw a Youtube video of a house that was overtaken by a flooding river and torrential downpour. The water was so strong that it lifted the house from its foundation and carried it away with the current. But if that weren’t bad enough lightening struck the house as it was floating down river. It caught fire, and the fire exploded and took out a tree as it traveled along, breaking up in bits and pieces. Wow, I was dumbstruck to say the least. I hope that the person filming the scene was not the homeowner.  I believe that this is the part where we say: This is a “storm” of biblical proportions”.  And it is. 

I started to compare it to the 10 Plagues of Egypt. Let’s see, we have had wild animals (alligators) behaving badly in the Florida everglades, which could stand in for the Nile River. Unfortunately, human lives were taken, blood in the water. And again in certain beaches in Florida, there is “toxic” algae growing and dying in the water ways. We are in the throes of El Nina, with a weather pattern so judicious, that when it rains in one part of the US, you can be sure that the same weather will happen in your state to some degree. Like I said before, hail, torrential rain, thunder and lightning. 

Many first, second and even 3^rd born children are losing their lives to a plague of senseless violence, explosions, gangs and the secret combinations that finance them.  There are mothers against daughters; a murder in Texas of two daughters by their mom. Fathers against sons and the reverse. Parents divided in their homes.  These are hard things right? And we only speak of these things in whispers, too negative. But we can’t look away, even now, when everything around us is threatening our “false” sense of security in this world.

This past Sunday, our lesson centered on the concept of “being a witness”. I found quite a few definitions of the word, several stood out to me that related to the lesson. We, as in we who are believers in Christ, Christians, covenant makers etc. We are witnesses for Christ when we reflect or mirror the attributes of the Savior himself. A witness should be in theory the “mirror” image of ‘Him who has sent us”. But there is another definition that I almost forgot, a witness is a martyr. Sometimes martyr’s actually live rather than die for a cause. There are hundreds of scripture in the Bible encouraging us to “be strong in the Lord and the power of his might”. And “be not afraid of the terror by night”. And all of these encouraging messages we apply only to ourselves, but let’s turn the page where the scriptures give us a “What if scenario”.   

Genesis 18²⁰ And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, ²¹ I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

The “world” has literally “ended” quite a few times in history. During the time of Noah and the flood, the tower of Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, even Pearl Harbor and 9-11. These are patterns of human behavior that have required an intervention. In this scenario, God has “come down”, to make an assessment of what is really going on in Sodom and Gomorrah. He is responding to “the outcry against it”. What is that outcry, and who are those who are speaking out against the behavior of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah? Obviously and it would seem that there is a “group” of concerned citizens (of the kingdom), who after doing what they could, have prayed for this people. Did they build churches in the community; did they take a stand against unjust practices of those who were in leadership? Did they create strong family relationships and then extend that hospitably to their neighbors?  I think this where the statement applies “When we have done all we can do…..”

22 And Abraham came near and said: “Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? “What If there were fifty righteous within the city; would you also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?

What if, indeed? Now we know the end of this conversation, it’s almost a bidding war between Abraham and God. If not fifty how about forty-five? Forty-five, do I hear thirty five? Thirty-five, okay twenty, twenty, I’ll take ten; ten righteous people and the city will be spared; sold. But in the end, only one person, Lot with a seeming vacillating testimony was spared. Not even his wife, nor his children who lived were spared. But why Lot? They were commanded in their fleeing not to look “back”, but I think that even before this, Lot may have “turned away” from his neighbors. He had no influence on them by his own life, even to save any of their lives. The story seems to paint a picture of everyone in the city as being a “bad” person except for Lot. What good is having an appearance of “personal righteousness” if we can’t impart some of that to others. Again this is where we apply those verses: be strong in the lord and the power of his might, be not afraid of the terror by night. We live in some “bad” neighborhoods, even those in the best neighborhoods. It is an act of great faith for most of us to just open our doors and go outside.  We live in the neighborhood of this world, and it’s a little scary.  Sometimes we have to do scary things, but know that God is for us.

So I asked my own “what if”, I asked what can I do? Who can I serve, even in my own reticence, and somewhat social awkwardness? I petitioned that I don’t bake very well, so no cookies. And I am not very handy, but I take direction well. I don’t want to see a “train wreck” and not do something about it. So the Lord heard my “outcry”. “Start where you are” in My household he said. Help those who are needy there, and then fan out into the world the Lord said. There are many members of our wards who are in danger, even one Sunday away from not coming back. Many just need a small helping hand.

Ephesians 5:13-14But everything exposed by light becomes visible, for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself. 14 So it is said: "Wake up O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ shall shine on you.  

So what did I do today? I drove a member of my ward to the hospital today before I went to work. It was a twofold lesson. I was able to wake before the clock went off, prepare for my day and then prepare to help this person in her day. No doubt she was anxious, maybe afraid, but you can’t know these things unless one’s heart is softened. As we are strengthened, we can help strengthen others, even those not of our faith. In the end it does take a village…  

APPOINTED DAY

 I realize that, although I thought I was already doing my best to read the scriptures—usually a few tired verses or a column a night, a chapter, if I was particularly alert—the Lord knew that I was not doing the best I could. And he knew that I need the blessings that come from trying a little harder to grab onto the holy in life, to make meaning from the meaningless spaces of the day.

I grabbed this quote today from the “Segullah blog”. I have been trying to get back into the groove of things, a “new” routine because the old one doesn’t work anymore. One of my “old” routines was to read my scriptures at least twice a week and more if preparing a lesson for Sunday school. The Book of Mormon “whispers to me”, and it really does.

Today is my birthday, and this is the first time that the “novelty” of celebrating for an entire month like “the queen” has worn off. I must create a new routine or better, make this the last birthday I celebrate in the old way and instead donate my appointed day to serving others, to wishing others a “Happy Day” where there is none.  

ps: Happy Birthday to you, and you know who you are............

Eulogy

PATRICK  W. GORDY
August 26 1957-March 23 2016

W. H. Auden

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Just thought I would mention that my husband and true eternal companion passed away 3 weeks ago. I am sharing this because we all "mourn with those who mourn". He had been progressively ill for the past 2 years from Heart Disease and all the "appendages" that come with it. But he was Valiant in his afflictions, and he tried to rally everyone around him to cheerfulness too. Although my heart is heavy, and tears are always close, the blessings, the gifts that he left me and all who loved him was one of Hope, and lightness of being and love and happiness. It was always hard to stay mad or sad around my husband because he radiated joy. I know that Heavenly Father loved him dearly, and I have the impression that in all of our wanting my husband to recover and get well and strong, the Father wanted it more than us , even in this life. I feel that in a crucial moment the Father laid out his future and asked him if he were strong enough to carry on, but even if he wasn't, it was ok. There would be rest.  He said Rest now my little one, my good and faithful servant. Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Matt.25:21

Here is a couple that inspires hope in me:

When Sonia Vallabh was diagnosed five years ago with a rare, incurable disease the couple banded together to find a cure.....

"The miracle of my lifetime is that we met...and even if we find a cure ;that will always be the miracle." Sonia Vallabh 



Danny Boy: Mormon Tabernacle Choir