Sometimes the right answer is the wrong one!

 I was talking to one of my daughters the other day and she was telling me about one of her friends that she saw at school.  I was surprised because I had heard that she was going to a different college to play on a sports team.  She had gone but then, a couple weeks later, changed her mind because the environment wasn't to her liking.  That was probably disappointing to her, but it was probably a good thing.  She went for her dream.  She realized it wasn't what she wanted and now she is likely much happier where she is now.  But if she hadn't gone it, she might have always wondered what might have been.  Therefore, the right answer for her was the wrong answer.  She might not have been content where she is now without the previous experience.

This made me think about some of the choices I have made in my life.  I had a similar experience.  After I graduated from college, I left to to go make my way in California.  I had prayed about it and felt good about going.  I hadn't been home from my mission  too long and felt strongly that I should live somewhere else besides Utah.  However, after a few months in California, things were just not working out.  I started to not have good feelings about being there anymore.  So, after a while, I moved back to Utah.  Because of my experience, I felt happier to be in Utah.  I felt content to even think that this is where I could put down my roots.  And I have been happy here.  I know this is where God wants me to be.  This experience isn't to say that nobody should live in California!  It isn't even to say that I will never live in California or any state other than Utah.  What it did help me to see is that there was a place for me here and this is where God wanted me to be.  If I hadn't gone I might not have been able to live contentedly in Utah.

These two experiences also caused me to remember this video from Elder Holland that I saw a while back.  It gives you something to think about.  Heavenly Father is so good to us and wants to help us.  That help comes in many different ways and through different means:

My Kindness shall not depart from thee

A few weeks ago, I was introduced to this song. I love it. It is inspirational and soothing. It has caused me to think about how kind God and His son, Jesus Christ are. The words to this are taken from Isaiah 54:10-

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Of all the wonderful attributes that God possesses, kindness is a favorite.  He is kind and wants us to be kind, too.  I love the phrase "My kindness shall not depart from thee."  What a beautiful and comforting thought!

One of my favorite talks from Elder Wirthlin on kindness:


The Virtue of Kindness


And here is a talk from Elder Holland that talks about being kind among other things:
The Laborers in the Vineyard

It reminds me of the song from Primary that I learned years ago:
I want to be kind to everyone,
For that is right, you see.
So I say to myself,
Remember this.
Kindness begins with me.

I was so happy with the movie, Cinderella, that came out a few months ago.  I loved the motto that the mother gave Cinderella:

Have Courage and Be Kind.  

And, last by not least, one of my favorite scriptures that speaks of kindness:

Ephesians 4:32
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.