COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR

We all have compulsive behavior in one sort or another. We become all consumed with something and it takes precedence over everything else. Our mind is full of ideas and solutions and it’s hard to do the mundane things that are required of us in our daily undertakings.

Combine compulsive behavior with artistic ability that is always driving us to accomplish and create and we may have a problem. We may neglect our health and those things we care about the very most.

Compulsive behavior may even separate us from those we love if we let it. We won’t realize it because we feel that we are taking care of the needs of our family and mate. But we unknowingly have a barrier that closes our eyes to the little things that mean the most.

I know about compulsive behavior because I have struggled with it at various times in my life and it’s not fun to say the least.
I’m so grateful for a companion that brings me back to earth. He is a farmer at heart and knows how to separate the things that really matter. I hope you are that kind of companion or you have a companion who helps you come back to earth so to speak.

Farming is a twenty-four hour job but a farmer is so fortunate because they work so closely with the soil and nature. They notice the beauty that surrounds them and depend on nature for survival. We sometimes depend on ourselves too much and this can lead to driving ourselves too much.

Take time to sort out. Take time to sleep. Take time to love. Take time to appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. Take time to pray and most of all take time to express appreciation to your Heavenly Father, those you love and everyone you meet.

Don’t let compulsive behavior rule and run your life. Rein it in. Keep it in control and life will be much simpler and more enjoyable.

Carol P. Warnick

ONLY ME CAN MAKE ME BETTER

Too often we rely on others to come to our rescue when we are feeling sad or depressed. But I’ve found ONLY ME CAN MAKE ME BETTER. I PRAY FOR GUIDANCE AND THE INSPIRATION ALWAYS COMES AS TO WHAT I CAN DO TO HELP MYSELF. After all next to the Lord, noone knows me better than me. I’ve lived with myself long enough to know how to get myself out of a slump or unhappy time. And prayer comes as a reminder as what is best for me but as well how I can help myself by helping others.

I’ve found so many times that whenever I need help, I am drawn to others who are struggling with a problem similar to mine. By helping others, I help myself. I feel that is the whole reason we are on this earth, to learn and to help each other. But first, I had to get to really know myself. Sometimes we are afraid to become OUR OWN BEST FRIEND. We only seem to see the worst in us. We are much, much too critical of ourselves, looking at others attributes not our own. We need to observe others and learn from them their strengths but not use it as a gauge to make us feel inferior and down grade ourselves.

The best way to get to know yourself is to spend some time alone meditating, evaluating. Long walks are good for this. I not only learn about myself but I feel a closeness to nature and the beauties of which I am surrounded, and I am in a position to receive personal revelation concerning my problems from the Lord.

Next, make a list of your attributes or good traits; either written down on a piece of paper and put in a secret place where only you can see it often or take mental notes. Realize those traits that you need to improve but don’t dwell on them—just work on improving them. The talents that you possess will help you toward accomplishing your goal of self-improvement.

Often one of the biggest causes of depression comes when we feel we are failing or when we let feelings of guilt weigh us down, or changes have come into our life that threaten our sense of security. We feel threatened or lose our confidence in ourselves to solve our own problems. This is a good time to bring out the written or memory list of our attributes, THEN GO TO WORK, ASK YOUSELF “WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP ME?” We must remember though that sometimes we need to struggle and overcome to build our own self esteem and to be an example to others who have not learned the secret of using prayer, then listening to the inspiration that will come to help us to help ourselves.

As I mentioned before, I believe we are placed on this earth to learn and to help others. But part of learning comes when we let others help us—after all, that is part of THEIR learning process as well.

This was written in 1988.
Carol P. Warnick

Jasper the Cat

The mother cat at Bob’s folk’s farm had a batch of kitchens soon after Bob and I was married. Bob and I looked at them all and chose the cutest of the bunch, a little fuzzy orange kitten. We named him Jasper.

Jasper was a fun kitten and would entertain us with his antics. We loved him.

After Robert was born and Bob went to ROTC summer camp two days after I got out of the hospital, I went to stay with my folks who only lived a couple of houses away from our house.

Jasper would come to visit us and I would go home to check on him as well.

One day I had my baby in arms and heard a hissing noise outside the front door of Dad and Mom’s house. I opened the door and saw a terrible sight. There was a huge snake coiled and its head was up like a Cobra snake attacking my cat, Jasper.

I let out a scream and mother came running. She thought something had happened to my baby. I told her to look outside. She saw the snake too and ran for the shovel. She then killed it. It was a frightening experience for me and I still see it in my mind to this day.

Jasper turned up missing and I looked for him and found him a few feet from our house where Bob and I were renting. He was dead. Someone had shot him.

I will never forget Jasper.

My Memories of President Gordon B. Hinckley

My memories of President Gordon B. Hinckley are special to me. Like other members of the church I loved President Hinckley and sustained him as the prophet of our church. But I had some special experiences with him that I will always remember and cherish.

The first was at the ground breaking of the Mount Timpanogas Temple. Bob and I received an invitation. We never knew why we were invited. Maybe it was because Bob was the mayor of Ephraim or maybe it was because he was then the President of the League of Cities and Towns. But we would like to believe that it was because he was the son of Merrill N. Warnick who purchased the land as a stake president for a welfare farm where the temple was to be built. And we also felt that Bob’s dad may have had something to do with it although he had passed away a few years ago.

But here we were. And as usual I had my trusted camera with me and was determined to get a photo of President Hinckley.

Bob knew that when I have a camera I did crazy things to get my photo. So he held onto my arm at the conclusion of the groundbreaking ceremony and then when he thought it was okay said, “Okay, you can now go.” And go I did. I dug my high heels into the soft dirt of the field and headed toward President Hinckley.

It wasn’t easy. He was surrounded by security men and they were big. I wove through the crowd, thinking why did I wear these shoes?

Finally I caught up but still had to reach through the people. I touched President Hinckley’s shoulder with a security fellow in between us. President Hinckley didn’t feel it. So I said loud enough for him to hear as well as everyone else around him, “President Hinckley.” He turned and looked at me. I continued, “My husband’s father, Merrill Warnick, purchased this land when he was stake president.” He responded, “Oh yes.”
Then I took his picture. As I think of it now I should have asked his permission. Kelly, my son, joked about my experience by saying, “And then they wrestled her to the ground.”

My second experience came when I attended the rededication of the Manti Temple. Bob was in the Snow College Stake Presidency and Bob, Faylyn and I were seated at the front of the Priesthood Room at the top of the Manti Temple. President and Sister Hinckley were there and spoke and then President Hinckley rededicated the temple. It was a spiritual experience.

I had with me the wallet that I had made for Dad when I was in the seventh grade. I had tooled his name in the leather on the front of it. When he died I found it in his possessions. It was well worn and inside was the things that were so typical of my carpenter dad, a nail he was probably using as a gauge to find one like it at the hardware store and a small piece of paper with some dimensions written on it. He was always exact in all he did.

The next time I saw President Hinckley was while Bob and I were on our mission to Cambodia. I had mentioned to Elder White who was serving there with us at the time that I thought Cambodia should be dedicated. I don’t think it had any bearing on the decision but I like to think that I was in turn with what would occur and the Lord’s desires for the Cambodian people.

All of us missionaries were so excited when we got the word that President and Sister Hinckley were coming to dedicate the land. And we were instructed to limit the time spent with him. So when the time came for the dedication to take place behind the Cambodiana Hotel I stayed near my husband and tried to comply with the instructions that we had been given but longed for personal time with the prophet.

I was grateful for the brief time we had with him as he so graciously circled the small group that was assembled there and shook our hands. I said to him as he shook my hand, “As they say in Cambodia, Lahaohi” and smiled at him. Then he proceeded to the small bus that was waiting in front of the hotel. We all followed and watched as he embarked. But the thrill came to me when he peeked around the doorway of the bus and waved saying, “As they say in America, good-bye.” It was so personal. It was just between my prophet and me and meant so much to me. I can still see that wonderful, kind man peeking around the doorway of the bus in my mind today.

With the death of President Hinckley we now have a new Prophet Thomas S. Monson. In my lifetime I have been fortunate to have known nine prophets of the Lord now with President Monson. Not many people get that opportunity in their lifetime. Each one has been special to me.

President Harold B. Lee married and sealed Bob and I in the Salt Lake Temple when he was an apostle. He gave us some good advice when it was time for Bob to slip my wedding ring on my finger and Bob removed the engagement ring to do so. He asked us both, “Why do you put the wedding ring on first?” We really didn’t know. We just thought it was the traditional thing to do. Then he explained, “Because courtship continues on after your marriage and should always be a part of your marriage.” He went on to tell us about his marriage and how he had tried to court his wife.

President Lee had been in Bob’s home as Bob’s dad had been the Stake President for years. So Bob had requested him to be our sealer at the temple. What a spiritual day that was!