the oak tree.

{image taken by me while on vacation last month}

The Oak Tree

A mighty wind blew day and night,It stole the oak tree's leaves away.

Then snapped its boughs and pulled its barkuntil the oak was tired and stark.

But still the oak tree held its groundwhile other trees fell all around....

The weary wind gave up and spoke,

"How can you still be standing, Oak?"

The oak tree said,

"I know that you can break each branch of mine in two,

carry every leaf away,shake my limbs, and make me sway.

But I have roots stretched in the earth,growing stronger since my birth.

You'll never touch them, for you see,they are the deepest part of me.

Until today, I wasn't sure,of just how much I could endure.

But now I've found, with thanks to you,

I'm so much stronger that I ever knew.”

-Johhny Ray Rider Jr



I loved the poem read by Elder Ballard in this months CES Fireside found here.

we are stronger than we think, if we can just plant our roots deep within the ground.

live, and endure to the end.

we are strong and we can make it in this world.