I Believe in the Moon even when the Sun is shining

Posted on March 19, 2023 by sincerelysandra

Recently, I ventured outside on a beautiful morning, looked up at a magnificent blue sky and saw a big, bright moon. I have seen the moon in the daytime sky many times before but it always seems to surprise and amuse me.

As my day progressed, I continued to marvel at this rare opportunity I had to see the moon and the sun share the sky.  

The logical, intellectual adult in me considered all of the scientific reasons that the moon would be shining in the daytime sky. I knew that for me to see the moon during the day, it had to be at just the right spot in the Earth’s rotation and that the right climatic conditions had to exist. But, the ever-wondering child in me continued to be awestruck by the fact that all of these conditions magically came together at just the right time for me to witness.

I love the times that I can see a daytime moon because it reminds me that the moon is always there, even though I cannot see it. It is rare and several conditions are required for us to see it, but it is still always there.

I believe that our Heavenly Father intended this as a reminder for us. Just like this daytime moon, He is always there watching over us. Just because we cannot see Him does not mean that He is not there. 

 Just like the beautiful moon that He created, He is always there. 

So, I will continue to have faith that the moon will always be in the sky above me. And I will continue to have faith in my Heavenly Father who created it.

Posted in Faith, Miracles | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Finding My Way

Posted on March 12, 2023 by sincerelysandra

My house sits on the corner. The road ends here so there are only two choices for travelers to make when they reach this point in their journey, right or left. A big yellow sign displays these two choices and a stop sign instructs drivers to pause long enough to make this choice and consider their options.

 I am relatively new to this area so I am not quite sure what lies ahead in each of these directions. I don’t know what I will encounter in my path if I choose to turn right or conversely if I choose to turn left. To gain this knowledge, I could consult a map, my GPS, or I could ask someone who is knowledgeable or familiar with the area. 

I have recently experienced some significant changes in my life and am somewhat unsure or uncertain of the path that lies ahead. When I gaze out my window at this sign I often feel as if it is taunting me asking “which way are you going to go?…which path are you going to take?”

As is the case with my road, I am new to this area, this place in my life and am uncertain which direction to go, which path to choose. I stand at an important crossroad, in desperate need of a map, a GPS or someone who knows the way…

As I contemplated my future and the unknown path that would take me there, I realized that I already possess everything I need to find my way.  

My Heavenly Father has blessed me with everything I need. I have His word as recorded in scripture to serve as my map. I have His Spirit to serve as my spiritual GPS. And through prayer, I have access to someone who knows all things, someone who knows the path I should take, someone who loves me and wants me to find my way back to Him.

So while the path I must follow may be steep and filled with bumps, potholes and construction work, I will keep moving forward. Though I may be forced at times to travel through storms and dangerous road conditions, I will not fear. I will remember that He is always watching over me, walking with me and at times, when necessary, carrying me.

Posted in Choices, Heavenly Father | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

In His Eyes

Posted on December 18, 2022 by sincerelysandra

A couple of weeks ago, I witnessed my own personal miracle. It was completely unexpected but thoroughly appreciated. It left me feeling humble, grateful and loved by both my Heavenly Father and my friends.

It all began with my preparations to attend a long-awaited comedy improv show (The Society Comedy Troupe in Santa Clarita, California). I have a friend, Lincoln Hoppe, who is part of the show, and I had been attempting to attend this show for a very long time-TEN years in fact. To be honest, the first NINE years were due to the fact that I lived in another state over 1300 miles away.

When I moved to Southern California a little over a year ago, I began excitedly making plans to attend. Unfortunately, every time I made plans “life” got in the way. The last time I planned to be there, I found myself in the hospital. I began to think I was never going to see the show.

Fortunately, this last Saturday, everything finally fell into place and I was able to go. The show was amazing and I had a terrific time. The next afternoon, I wanted to post something on Facebook about the show and include a picture of myself and my friend. I was very hesitant because I knew that in the picture I looked vastly different from my profile picture which hadn’t been updated in quite some time.  

I reluctantly decided to update my profile picture but posted it in a way that it wouldn’t appear in the public feed. But something went wrong and I had to repost it. The second time, I got in a hurry and posted it directly to the public feed.  I was so upset.  I really didn’t want to draw any attention to it.

As soon as I posted it, it began receiving “likes” and wonderful, positive comments telling me I looked beautiful, fabulous, amazing and stunning. When the first couple of “likes” and comments came in I discarded them as flukes. Then they just kept coming, some from friends I hadn’t heard from in quite a while. I kept wondering if Facebook was somehow showing them all a different picture. I spent the evening teary-eyed…I have not felt “beautiful” in a long time…

The following day, I pulled out a book my husband had given me several years ago.  I use the card he gave me with the book as a bookmark and that morning I saw where he had written above the text of the card “To my beautiful wife.” The tears began to well up in my eyes again. It was obvious to me that my Heavenly Father was trying to send me a message.

As I pondered this miracle and this message, I marveled at the great love and compassion that our Heavenly Father has for each of us. He knows each of us personally. He knows our needs and our wants and at times, even performs miracles to help us receive them.

I am very grateful for my miracle and its message. Going forward, I will strive to see everyone as my Heavenly Father sees them. I will try to see everyone through His eyes, including myself…

Posted in Miracles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A tree named Joshua

Posted on October 30, 2022 by sincerelysandra
(Photo by Petre Nazar)

Many of you know that I am a recent immigrant to a strange and curious land called “California”. I live in what the natives refer to as the high desert. This desert is “high” because it lies at the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains. It is home to many unique and diverse plants and animals. I have found one of the most interesting of these to be the Joshua tree.

As my intrigue led me to research these trees, I found they aren’t really trees at all. The Joshua tree is a very large yucca plant. In fact, it is the largest Yucca species in the world.

Early Mormon settlers to the area named them after the Old Testament prophet Joshua. It is said that the plant’s limbs reminded them of Joshua’s outstretched arms as he plead with God to lead the Israelites out of the wilderness. Similarly, the Joshua trees and their limbs led these early pioneers through the desert.

It has been suggested that Joshua trees have existed for more than 2.5 million years. They regularly live between 150 and 500 years but have been known to live as long as 1000 years.

They have an extensive root system. A common plant can have hundreds of roots. These roots can grow several inches wide and up to 10 to 30 feet deep. These deep roots empower them to stand tall and strong in spite of the harsh desert conditions. Year after year, they stand undaunted and unmoved by the extreme heat, freezing cold and fierce winds.

After learning more about these Joshua trees, I am even more intrigued by them. Now when I see them, I remember to look continually to God for direction in the wildernesses of this life. I am reminded that if my faith is strong and deeply rooted like the Joshua tree, I will be able to stand strong and tall no matter how harsh the conditions of this world.

I am grateful for the Joshua Tree and its example. I am grateful for its reminder that no matter how chaotic and turbulent, no matter how barren and desolate the wilderness, I can continue to stand faithful, undaunted and unmoved.

Posted in Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Even the Sparrows

Posted on May 1, 2022 by sincerelysandra

I recently moved into a new home in a somewhat rural area. My room has a nice large window that allows me the opportunity to look out over the front yard. Fortunately, the trees in my front yard provide homes to many little sparrows and I have enjoyed watching them.

I have marveled at their variety and uniqueness. They are different sizes and colors. They sing different songs and have different markings and habits. Some of them are so unique that I have begun to recognize them when they land in my yard. Some even have names.

My son bought me a massive bag of birdseed and I have watched with pleasure as they gratefully consume it. I have also watched happily as they play with one another and worried when they sometimes squabble. I have also watched helplessly as larger birds swoop in and scare my little ones away.

As I have watched my little birds, I have been impressed with the miracle they are. I am reminded of Christ’s teaching from the New Testament that even a sparrow cannot fall to the ground unnoticed by our Heavenly Father. Our Heavenly Father created each of these little birds and watches over them still.

Our Heavenly Father created and watches over each of us too. Like these sparrows, each of us is unique and special to Him. We come in different sizes and colors. We have different habits and sing different songs. But He knows each of our names and loves each one of us individually.

He watches over us as we “play nicely” with one another and when we unfortunately squabble and bicker. He watches as our enemies “swoop in” with dangerous intentions. But unlike me and my sparrows, He is not powerless to help us.

As I watch my sparrows this week, I will remember how much love went into creating them and I will remember that love exists still as He watches over them each day. I will remember that the Savior taught us that in the sight of God we have more value than many sparrows and that even the hairs of our head are numbered by Him.

I will remember these things, and I will be grateful to Him.

Posted in Heavenly Father | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Butterfly’s, Lightingbugs and Charity

Posted on April 24, 2022 by sincerelysandra

When I was nine years old I spent part of my summer vacation at my grandmother’s house. That summer, in a tiny Oklahoma town in the middle of nowhere, my “granny” taught me some invaluable life lessons through her example.

My granny taught me the value of hard work as we cooked, cleaned, canned and gardened. Granny was just months away from turning sixty that summer but she worked right beside me and probably did ten times the amount of work that I did.

She also played right beside me. She taught me that if you work hard you deserve to play hard too. We spent that summer swimming, exploring and catching butterflies and lightning bugs-together.

My granny also taught me about charity. Her possessions were small but her heart was huge. She always cared more about the needs of others than her own. If she heard that someone had a need she did her best to fill it. If she did not have the resources, she would not rest until she found someone that did.

I remember when I was very young, my granny would collect my extra toys and give them to children that she knew would not be getting any toys for Christmas. I really didn’t understand this at the time, and in all honesty, I was not very happy about it. In my view, I didn’t have any “extra” toys. Today, I cherish this memory and the example of selfless service that my granny was for me.

One of the greatest lessons that granny taught me was to have an eternal perspective. Granny’s favorite song was “This World Is Not My Home”. She sang it often. She was a happy, joyful woman no matter the circumstance. She knew that the trials, hardships and difficulties of this life were temporary. She knew that her home would one day be with her Heavenly Father.

It has taken me many years to fully understand and appreciate all of the lessons that my grandmother taught me that summer and throughout her lifetime. She has been gone nearly thirty years, but she lives on through me. Every good thing that I do and every act of service that I perform are a tribute to her, the example she set and the life she led. I hope and pray that one day I may leave a similar legacy through the life that I lead.

Posted in Good Examples | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Why Easter is My Favorite Holiday

Posted on April 17, 2022 by sincerelysandra

***Originally posted April 20, 2014***

Easter has always been my favorite holiday. My mother always thought it was strange that while other children were looking forward to Christmas or even Halloween, I always had my sights set on Easter. When I was a child, I used to tell everyone it was because of all the chocolate, but even then I knew that wasn’t the real reason.


In all honesty, I love everything about Easter. I love candy in the shape of bunnies, eggs and chicks. I love the colorful baskets. I love dying and decorating eggs in a rainbow of colors. I love hiding and hunting for the eggs after they are decorated. I love seeing everyone all dressed up in various pastel hues.

I think one of the other reasons that Easter has always been my favorite holiday is the season. I love Spring. I love witnessing the earth coming alive again after the dead of winter. I love the smell of the air and the feel of the breeze. I love seeing the trees bud with new leaves and lawns and pastures turn green seemingly overnight. I love seeing flowers literally bursting out of every field and flower bed that I pass.


I love the season, symbols and celebrations of the Easter holiday, but they are not the reasons that Easter is my favorite holiday. The reason that Easter is my favorite holiday is the same reason that we celebrate it in the first place. I love Easter because it is a celebration of the life, teachings and resurrection of the Savior.


Over two thousand years ago the Savior lived a perfect life of love, compassion and service. He taught others His message of love and service through his words and through his example. He suffered great pains and ultimately died for each of us, but His death was not the end. We celebrate on Easter because three days later, He rose again.


So, yes, Easter is my favorite holiday. It is my favorite holiday for many reasons but most of all because it reminds me of the gratitude I feel for my Savior. I am grateful for His life and for His teachings. I am grateful that I know not only did He suffer and die for me but that He rose again.

I know that He lived and I know that He still lives and I am eternally grateful.

Posted in Easter, Savior | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Consider the Lillies

Posted on April 9, 2022 by sincerelysandra

I was born precisely nine days before the fiftieth birthday of one of the people I admire most, my maternal grandmother Lillie May Estes. I know this fact very well because she often expressed her disappointment that I didn’t “wait” nine more days to make my entrance. She was, however, pleased that we at least share the same birth month.

Because we share the same birth month, we also share the same birth flower-Lily of the Valley. Long before I knew what a “birth flower” was, I loved Lilys of the Valley. My grandmother loved flowers too, and when I was very young, I thought these tiny little lilys were named after her. As I grew older, I was sure of it.

According to legend, the small white blossoms of the Lily of the Valley symbolize both the tears that Eve cried as she was banished from the Garden of Eden and the tears the Virgin Mary shed at Christ’s crucifixion. They are mentioned several times in the Bible and are known to symbolize purity, humility, joy, sweetness and hope. 

Everything about these flowers reminds me of my sweet grandmother, their name, their form and their symbolism. Like the flower that bears her name, my grandmother was beautiful yet strong, delicate yet resilient. She was pure, humble, joyful and full of love.  

This little flower symbolizes hope for the second coming of the Savior. My grandmother lived her life filled with this hope and filled with great love for both her Savior and her fellow brothers and sisters.  

Like Eve leaving the Garden and the tears she shed that these tiny lilies represent, my grandmother had a difficult life filled with sorrow and hardships and she shed more than her fair share of tears. But my grandmother always knew that this earth life was temporary. She knew that it would end and she would return to live with her Heavenly Father and Savior.  

I am grateful that I share my birth month with my cherished grandmother and I am grateful for our birth flower that continues to remind me of her. I am grateful for the example she was to me and the things she taught me. I too know that this life is temporary and one day I will return to my Heavenly Father and Savior and I will see my beautiful grandmother again.

Posted in Good Examples | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Never Ignore a Prompting (aka: The Disappearing Blog)

Posted on April 3, 2022 by sincerelysandra

All week I worked on a blog that I planned to post today. I thought it was a good one, but for some reason I kept getting the feeling that it was not the blog I should post. It was a hectic week and consequently I continued to ignore the feeling. Last night, when I went to finish it and get it ready to post, I found it had “disappeared”.

After my initial shock and a chaotic, frantic search, I realized it was gone. It would not be posted today. As I pondered how and why this happened, I remembered all of the feelings I had ignored earlier in the week. I got a distinct and powerful impression that these feelings and disappearing blog were all from my Heavenly Father.

I spent the rest of the evening and a good part of the night considering these promptings that I had ignored all week. I remembered the words of Thomas S. Monson: “We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey. We do not postpone following promptings of the Spirit.”

I remembered an activity from my youth that taught me the importance of listening carefully to my Heavenly Father’s promptings. I was blindfolded in a room full of obstacles and barriers. A friend was on the other side of the room giving me the directions for my safe passage. All I had to do was listen carefully for her voice and follow her instructions. Unfortunately, there were other voices and other noises that interfered with my ability to hear her. I had to focus very carefully on her voice and ignore the other voices and noises. If I did, I would travel through the room safely.

I do not know whether this week’s lesson was intended just for me or whether someone out there needed the reminder also, but I am grateful. I am grateful for my knowledge of a loving, kind Heavenly Father who is there to lead us safely through the perils and pitfalls of this life if we will only listen for and follow His promptings…

Posted in Heavenly Father, Listening | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Reminiscing with Hall & Oates – Revisited

Posted on March 26, 2022 by sincerelysandra

It has been eight years since I wrote this blog and attended this concert. This week as I read my thoughts and feelings from that day, I wondered how my advice might have changed with the knowledge I have today. Would I tell my younger self that less than eight years in the future, her sweet husband would no longer be sitting by her side but would be on the other side of the veil? Would I tell her to hold on to him so very tightly and never take a moment with him for granted? I definitely would want to, but I still agree with my advice from eight years ago…

*****************************************************************************

Thirty-one years ago this month I attended a Hall and Oates concert with my future husband. This month, with my husband of over thirty years by my side, I attended another Hall and Oates concert. As I sat in the auditorium waiting for the concert to begin, I couldn’t help but reminisce about that first concert and the thirty plus years that had transpired since.

I thought about the young woman at the first concert. I smiled as I remembered how full of hope and excitement she was as she anticipated her future. I thought about all the things I would like to tell her if I could. I could warn her about the poor choices and bad decisions I had made. I could tell her about the struggles and trials that lie ahead. Maybe I could help her to avoid some of the pitfalls and stumbling blocks that I know the next thirty years will bring.

As I reflected on what I might tell my younger self, I realized that I wouldn’t want to warn her about any of those things. If I had not made the choices and decisions that I have made, if I had not experienced the trials and tribulations that I have experienced, I would not be the person that I am today. I would not have the empathy, compassion and patience for others who are experiencing similar trials and making similar choices.

So what would I tell her? I would tell her that her Heavenly Father loves her very much and will be there for her no matter what. No matter how hard things may get or how much her heart is breaking, He will always be there for her.

I would tell her that her Heavenly Father will also send many special friends to help her through the hard times. They will love her, hug her, cry with her and stay by her. I would tell her that she should never pass up an opportunity to do the same for them and for others in her life.

I would tell her to always look for miracles because they are all around her. I would tell her that if she doesn’t see one right away, she should help make one happen for someone else.

So while I sat waiting for my second Hall and Oates concert to begin, I recognized that I am a little older and a little wider, but I am also a little wiser. I am very grateful for who I am today and for who I may yet become with my Heavenly Father’s help….

Posted in Choices, Faith, Heavenly Father, Progress, Time | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment