Exciting news-- baby #8 is a boy!! That gives us 6 boys in a row!! I think they will have a ball growing up together. I'm glad I had my sweet girls first and together. I'm glad they have each other. Our new house is coming along. It has been mostly framed so the next thing will be the roof, windows and doors, then they'll start on the plumbing and electrical. It is turning out even better than I anticipated. We have a great view of the lake and the mountains. It is so pretty, expecially now with the snow covered mountains reflecting in the lake. We just can't wait to be down there. I like the way the entryway is turning out- i was a little worried it would be boxy but it's plenty big and nice and open. I also really like the size of windows, and my laundry room will be plenty big. We also have a nice big yard that I am having fun designing it for the future. Just 8 weeks left to go. We are really getting tired of being in the car so much. We can't wait for my husband to have a shorter and safer commute as well.
I'm feeling better with this pregnancy. I'm feeling big, but I have my energy mostly back and I've started exercising again which feels so good and helps me feel like my own person. I'm sure I'm big too because I got so stretched out with the twins last time and this is my 7th full term pregnancy after all. But just having one baby this time doesn't seem like such a big deal after those twins. Plus he'll be born in the summer instead of the winter or fall so that will be nice and we'll be in a house that works better for the number of people we have living here and we'll be able to park in the garage. I remember the days I used to leave the sleeping the babies in the car in the garage after we'd get home from running errands and such. It will be nice to have that option again. Now if we can just keep going until then!!
I'm working on the regular stuff -- housework, laundry, organizing, cooking-- it is such a big job. I'm learning to delegate better. It is a process though. Life is busy but good. We spent a couple hours at the park today-- it was so nice out!
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Things I've Learned and Things I hope I don't Forget
When I started this blog, most of my posts were about books or works I read. I started this blog during a relatively slow easy time of my life. While pregnant with #5 I had time to start to learn the guitar, I was a member of 3 book clubs and I was part of some very nice homeschool groups and I had some very good friends. After having #5 I managed to read plenty, keep up with my book clubs, homeschooling, housekeeping, guitar and piano playing, running, yoga, cleansing, healthy cooking and other fun activities for both me and the kids. I was called to serve in Young Women's. I was in there about a year and learned a lot. It was very good for me to see what my girls were headed towards. A year later I was back in primary and about 6 months later I found out I was having twins. My life has not been the same since. I have grown as a person a hundred fold. That pregnancy was incredibly difficult. The following year and a half were also difficult for varying reasons. I have a sense now that we have switched wards (congregations), we'll be moving into a new house with an awesome layout, and my husband's work paying off more that we may get to experience some less stressful and growing times for at least a little bit. I know life doesn't slow down -- so I could be wrong about all that, but I still want to remember what I've learned these past couple years so that I don't ever forget.
Starting with the twin pregnancy: It was incredibly difficult. I was unable to keep up with most of what I had been doing before. No more exercising, playing the guitar or reading. It was all I could do to feed the kids and clean the house. By the end I seriously felt that I could better understand people with serious health issues. I have so much more empathy for people who are bedridden. At least for me it was for a wonderful cause and I had something marvelous to look forward to, and I knew it would end. How disheartening for someone for whom there may be no end to the pain and constant discomfort. That is the first thing I don't want to forget: I don't want to forget how it feels to be incapacitated. The first trimester I felt terrible-- I just let the kids watch TV and eat sandwiches and fruit. I just ate whatever I could get down. The house got so bad that we couldn't even walk down the hall. I am embarrassed to admit this on a public site, but it is the truth. The 2nd trimester was a reprieve, but the last trimester I got so big that I could barely get around. People were asking me all the time if I was pregnant with twins. I started to swell and I had to wash dishes and cook sitting down on a tall stool. I mostly just sat and slept.
The next thing I don't want to forget is how being a young mother alone feels. After the twins were born, I didn't have time to keep up my relationships with people and some of my best friends moved during this time. Also some of my friends were done having children and their youngest started school so they were no longer available for the get togethers I enjoyed with my older kids when they were young. Also, I essentially had a job teaching those older ones and I was unavailable for get togethers unless it involved my older children. Gone were the leisurely days of spending hours at the zoo or the museum or even the store. I finally realized and experienced how many first time mothers often feel alone and overwhelmed with their baby. All my babies have slept well and been calm and I'm pretty laid back so even 5 young children didn't slow me down or make me feel overwhelmed. Twins did it. I didn't have any time for anything besides caring for my new babies and my older children and my house.
But I still love my older children and I take my responsibility to care for them very seriously and I made sure they had friends and activities and schoolwork to help them grow. We didn't do as many outside things as before but we had these cute babies to play with and care for and it was pretty fun. We read a lot and got a lot of schoolwork done. Once the twins were about 6 months old I felt that we could breathe a little and I wanted to get back to being more involved at church and with our homeschool friends. One thing that was very annoying to me during this time were people who didn't want to "burden" me by asking me to help with things that affected my own children. I felt that I was perfectly capable and with older kids, I could certainly get away from the twins for an hour to help with something with the older ones. I didn't volunteer any help during the twins' first 6 months of life, but when I was ready I expected that others would be happy to have me back. This was not the case. I sensed that people wanted to keep me away. They didn't like me and were glad that I had been out of the picture and they wanted to keep it that way. This was mostly at church which I've written about before. But I don't want to forget how that feels because I don't ever want to do that to anybody else. People also assumed that I had to be so busy and because of that I was basically unable to do anything outside of my home at all. Especially the older women-- I think most of them had forgotten what it's like to have a bunch of little ones at home. It is very important for young mothers to get out of the house sometimes, interact with other women and do some things by herself-- not all the time, but it is necessary at least a little. Having a bunch of little ones is very physically demanding. There is very little leeway. If the mother hasn't thought out meals and snacks ahead of time, there will be a bunch of crying, hungry children and then it is almost impossible to make anything for them to eat.
It is not possible to just "run" to the store or check on this one thing real quick. Nothing is quick with little ones that you have to buckle and unbuckle in their carseats constantly. Going anywhere is a major undertaking that has to be planned ahead of time. The less stops, the better. There are lots of things that have to be packed like snacks and diapers and jackets and socks and blankets, etc. These children cannot be left alone at anytime. They have to be supervised at all times. It is a 24 hr. job. There is no "winging" it and when you have several children, eating out is just too expensive. Everything must be planned or you can't go. Older ladies especially seem to forget this-- so many of them just really don't have enough to do. They go shopping, they do projects, they read, they attend classes, etc. There is nothing wrong with any of these things, but they need to be sensitive to strain that young mothers bear. I hope I don't ever forget that. When I'm old I want to make sure I give a smile, kind word and encouragement to young mothers. I want to drop off homemade bread or just stop by to chat for a little bit. I want to reach out to their children and make them feel that they have a friend in me and I want the mother to feel at ease with me around her children and know that I really do love her and her children. I don't want to get caught up in all the projects and activities I'll finally be able to do. I want to be sensitive to the feelings of those around me.
Another thing I want to recognize when I'm old is that these young moms who will look sooooo young to me are full grown adults with personalities and opinions that are just as valid as my own. I never want to think that I am so much wiser just because I am older and have already raised my children. Those mothers deserve my full respect because they are working 24 hours a day and most do an amazing job. I hope I realize that I probably can't do half the stuff I was able to do when I was young-- and if I can, then I need to try to help out at least be respectful and encouragin and loving.
The other thing I experienced as I realized that I was being shunned at church is what it feels like to be subject to people who don't care about you-- how it feels to have no one care what you think about anything even though it affects yourself and your children. I sensed a lot of leaders willing to take my children and teach or serve them, but totally unwilling to reach out to me as a person. It was as if I didn't matter as a person-- just my children were important. The attitude was "thank you for bringing me your child, now please go away". They wanted zero input from me. Really they didn't want me to be me. They wanted me to fit some other mold that I couldn't. I closed up. I stopped interacting with these people. I avoided them, and I only went to church to worship and take the sacrament, not for social reasons. I finally understood first hand how inactive members and non LDS members must feel. I don't ever want to forget that because I don't ever want to make anyone feel the way I was made to feel. I want every person I meet to know that I care about them and love them as a person, not just because it is my duty to act like I care. I want them to know that I truly and sincerely care for them regardless of if I am in a leadership position in the church or not. I also want to remember what it's like to not have a calling and how ostracized it makes a person feel. It is much easier to deal with people's insecurities and letting your children go with them when you have another job in the church to do as well. But when you have nothing, no responsibility and not a soul who can help you that cares, how awful that feels. I don't forget that. I am so much more empathetic towards others. A lack of love, concern and care really does kill a person slowly. I never knew how bad until I experienced it myself and I hope I never forget.
It is so important to reach out. Even just an encouraging smile that shows your love can do wonders. Life is hard. You never know what people may be going through. We must love each other. We can all feel different and on the outside for various reasons and we need to lift each other and pray for charity for it truly is the greatest gift of God. Charity. Charity. Charity. I hope I will always remember this so that I never make anyone feel sad or lonely or weak. I hope they will feel love and that I will be able to love each and every person I meet.
I am really grateful for these hard times. I was strong enough to learn from them. I don't know if I would have been ready for these lessons earlier in my life. I am grateful to understand humanity better. I think I was very naive before. I loved people, I tried to be good and reach out, but some of the feelings people would tell me about, I just really didn't understand and now I do. I pray that I never forget. These have been most valuable lessons for me. I feel more connected to real people and to life. I don't think I'm scared of much anymore. I feel very empowered. I know that my worth and testimony are not based on other's opinions of me, but on my personal relationship with God. I feel that I understand better what our Savior went through with the hatred of those who should have accepted Him. I am so grateful. I pray that I never forget. I have much more to learn, but that's O.K. I will continue to learn and grow. It's O.K. to be wrong. Life is good, repentance is real. The Savior and the Atonement are real. Life is good. I am very thankful to have some new friends and a wonderful, welcoming, accepting ward where I can feel the Spirit and the Savior's love each week. Thank you new ward full of such wonderful people. Amen.
Starting with the twin pregnancy: It was incredibly difficult. I was unable to keep up with most of what I had been doing before. No more exercising, playing the guitar or reading. It was all I could do to feed the kids and clean the house. By the end I seriously felt that I could better understand people with serious health issues. I have so much more empathy for people who are bedridden. At least for me it was for a wonderful cause and I had something marvelous to look forward to, and I knew it would end. How disheartening for someone for whom there may be no end to the pain and constant discomfort. That is the first thing I don't want to forget: I don't want to forget how it feels to be incapacitated. The first trimester I felt terrible-- I just let the kids watch TV and eat sandwiches and fruit. I just ate whatever I could get down. The house got so bad that we couldn't even walk down the hall. I am embarrassed to admit this on a public site, but it is the truth. The 2nd trimester was a reprieve, but the last trimester I got so big that I could barely get around. People were asking me all the time if I was pregnant with twins. I started to swell and I had to wash dishes and cook sitting down on a tall stool. I mostly just sat and slept.
The next thing I don't want to forget is how being a young mother alone feels. After the twins were born, I didn't have time to keep up my relationships with people and some of my best friends moved during this time. Also some of my friends were done having children and their youngest started school so they were no longer available for the get togethers I enjoyed with my older kids when they were young. Also, I essentially had a job teaching those older ones and I was unavailable for get togethers unless it involved my older children. Gone were the leisurely days of spending hours at the zoo or the museum or even the store. I finally realized and experienced how many first time mothers often feel alone and overwhelmed with their baby. All my babies have slept well and been calm and I'm pretty laid back so even 5 young children didn't slow me down or make me feel overwhelmed. Twins did it. I didn't have any time for anything besides caring for my new babies and my older children and my house.
But I still love my older children and I take my responsibility to care for them very seriously and I made sure they had friends and activities and schoolwork to help them grow. We didn't do as many outside things as before but we had these cute babies to play with and care for and it was pretty fun. We read a lot and got a lot of schoolwork done. Once the twins were about 6 months old I felt that we could breathe a little and I wanted to get back to being more involved at church and with our homeschool friends. One thing that was very annoying to me during this time were people who didn't want to "burden" me by asking me to help with things that affected my own children. I felt that I was perfectly capable and with older kids, I could certainly get away from the twins for an hour to help with something with the older ones. I didn't volunteer any help during the twins' first 6 months of life, but when I was ready I expected that others would be happy to have me back. This was not the case. I sensed that people wanted to keep me away. They didn't like me and were glad that I had been out of the picture and they wanted to keep it that way. This was mostly at church which I've written about before. But I don't want to forget how that feels because I don't ever want to do that to anybody else. People also assumed that I had to be so busy and because of that I was basically unable to do anything outside of my home at all. Especially the older women-- I think most of them had forgotten what it's like to have a bunch of little ones at home. It is very important for young mothers to get out of the house sometimes, interact with other women and do some things by herself-- not all the time, but it is necessary at least a little. Having a bunch of little ones is very physically demanding. There is very little leeway. If the mother hasn't thought out meals and snacks ahead of time, there will be a bunch of crying, hungry children and then it is almost impossible to make anything for them to eat.
It is not possible to just "run" to the store or check on this one thing real quick. Nothing is quick with little ones that you have to buckle and unbuckle in their carseats constantly. Going anywhere is a major undertaking that has to be planned ahead of time. The less stops, the better. There are lots of things that have to be packed like snacks and diapers and jackets and socks and blankets, etc. These children cannot be left alone at anytime. They have to be supervised at all times. It is a 24 hr. job. There is no "winging" it and when you have several children, eating out is just too expensive. Everything must be planned or you can't go. Older ladies especially seem to forget this-- so many of them just really don't have enough to do. They go shopping, they do projects, they read, they attend classes, etc. There is nothing wrong with any of these things, but they need to be sensitive to strain that young mothers bear. I hope I don't ever forget that. When I'm old I want to make sure I give a smile, kind word and encouragement to young mothers. I want to drop off homemade bread or just stop by to chat for a little bit. I want to reach out to their children and make them feel that they have a friend in me and I want the mother to feel at ease with me around her children and know that I really do love her and her children. I don't want to get caught up in all the projects and activities I'll finally be able to do. I want to be sensitive to the feelings of those around me.
Another thing I want to recognize when I'm old is that these young moms who will look sooooo young to me are full grown adults with personalities and opinions that are just as valid as my own. I never want to think that I am so much wiser just because I am older and have already raised my children. Those mothers deserve my full respect because they are working 24 hours a day and most do an amazing job. I hope I realize that I probably can't do half the stuff I was able to do when I was young-- and if I can, then I need to try to help out at least be respectful and encouragin and loving.
The other thing I experienced as I realized that I was being shunned at church is what it feels like to be subject to people who don't care about you-- how it feels to have no one care what you think about anything even though it affects yourself and your children. I sensed a lot of leaders willing to take my children and teach or serve them, but totally unwilling to reach out to me as a person. It was as if I didn't matter as a person-- just my children were important. The attitude was "thank you for bringing me your child, now please go away". They wanted zero input from me. Really they didn't want me to be me. They wanted me to fit some other mold that I couldn't. I closed up. I stopped interacting with these people. I avoided them, and I only went to church to worship and take the sacrament, not for social reasons. I finally understood first hand how inactive members and non LDS members must feel. I don't ever want to forget that because I don't ever want to make anyone feel the way I was made to feel. I want every person I meet to know that I care about them and love them as a person, not just because it is my duty to act like I care. I want them to know that I truly and sincerely care for them regardless of if I am in a leadership position in the church or not. I also want to remember what it's like to not have a calling and how ostracized it makes a person feel. It is much easier to deal with people's insecurities and letting your children go with them when you have another job in the church to do as well. But when you have nothing, no responsibility and not a soul who can help you that cares, how awful that feels. I don't forget that. I am so much more empathetic towards others. A lack of love, concern and care really does kill a person slowly. I never knew how bad until I experienced it myself and I hope I never forget.
It is so important to reach out. Even just an encouraging smile that shows your love can do wonders. Life is hard. You never know what people may be going through. We must love each other. We can all feel different and on the outside for various reasons and we need to lift each other and pray for charity for it truly is the greatest gift of God. Charity. Charity. Charity. I hope I will always remember this so that I never make anyone feel sad or lonely or weak. I hope they will feel love and that I will be able to love each and every person I meet.
I am really grateful for these hard times. I was strong enough to learn from them. I don't know if I would have been ready for these lessons earlier in my life. I am grateful to understand humanity better. I think I was very naive before. I loved people, I tried to be good and reach out, but some of the feelings people would tell me about, I just really didn't understand and now I do. I pray that I never forget. These have been most valuable lessons for me. I feel more connected to real people and to life. I don't think I'm scared of much anymore. I feel very empowered. I know that my worth and testimony are not based on other's opinions of me, but on my personal relationship with God. I feel that I understand better what our Savior went through with the hatred of those who should have accepted Him. I am so grateful. I pray that I never forget. I have much more to learn, but that's O.K. I will continue to learn and grow. It's O.K. to be wrong. Life is good, repentance is real. The Savior and the Atonement are real. Life is good. I am very thankful to have some new friends and a wonderful, welcoming, accepting ward where I can feel the Spirit and the Savior's love each week. Thank you new ward full of such wonderful people. Amen.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Kids and Cameras
I am taking my camera back. My girls love to set up scenes with their dolls, playmobil or legos and take a ton of pictures. I have a ton of pictures of stuffed animals at the Monte L Bean life science museum with no kids in them. I like pictures of people especially my kids and I kind of let my girls take over the camera thinking they were getting some good shots of the kids-- WRONG!! There are some, but not nearly as many as I would have taken and not nearly as good-- plus the camera gets filled up with junk pictures so it's not available for the really good pictures. Both girls now have their own cameras and I will be guarding mine-- I'm the only one who will be allowed to use it-- when the boys are ready to take pictures, I'll get them their own cameras!! That's it!!! I'm taking control of the situation!!! Also got a new refill kit for the printer so I can print too!! What a hassle photography can be-- one I don't like to delve into as you can tell by the number of photos I post here!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Cleansing, Life
I sure do try to do a lot of things sometimes. I have realized that it is physically impossible for me to do as much work as there is to do around here- there jsut simply aren't enough hours in the day. This means that the kids have got to help more, and I will have to make them. Not a great prospect come tomorrow after a long weekend of playing around, and the necessity of doing schoolwork!
I am also in the midst of an awful cleanse. I started 2 weeks ago thinking I would ease into it for a week and just eat fruits and veggies, then move on to the deep cleansing with juices and broths and herbs and be done by now. Well, I got a new book on cleansing the bowel, so I've never done this cleanse, but it's a lot cheaper than the one I like doing the most of course, anyway, it took me some time to get all the supplies and get going with it. I'm hating it so far, but I know my body really, really needs it and we really can't afford $500 to do the other one. If it really doesn't work, then we'll have to cough up the $500. I wish insurance would cover that great cleanse. They'll cover medication and surgery, but for me colonics and herbal cleanses are what keep me healthy and avoiding medication and surgery. I guess even without insurance paying, it's more cost effective in the end- not to mention quality of life. But the cleanse I'm doing now will be even better if it works because I won't have to depend on anybody else-- going to an appt. or anything.
We'll see though, because I am REALLY tired of salad and watermelon and tomorrow I start the juice phase for 3 days. I hope I make it, my herbal combinations aren't as good as having it already made for me.
We also got the little goats. They were so loud going back to their pen. They've been quiet ever since, so I think it will work out. I hope it's worth the cost-- you know that goat's milk really does help the kids in their growth. I'm about halfway through The China Study, so I'm just not sure. The kids like them though, and they learn a lot about animals, nature, biology and responsibility taking care of the animals.
So glad we'll be moving. I hope it goes by quickly! The Lord really does watch out for us, but I don't really like growing and stretching. I'm glad in the end that I'm a better person with more understanding, but when I'm going through it, I just want it to be over. Patience, patience.
I am also in the midst of an awful cleanse. I started 2 weeks ago thinking I would ease into it for a week and just eat fruits and veggies, then move on to the deep cleansing with juices and broths and herbs and be done by now. Well, I got a new book on cleansing the bowel, so I've never done this cleanse, but it's a lot cheaper than the one I like doing the most of course, anyway, it took me some time to get all the supplies and get going with it. I'm hating it so far, but I know my body really, really needs it and we really can't afford $500 to do the other one. If it really doesn't work, then we'll have to cough up the $500. I wish insurance would cover that great cleanse. They'll cover medication and surgery, but for me colonics and herbal cleanses are what keep me healthy and avoiding medication and surgery. I guess even without insurance paying, it's more cost effective in the end- not to mention quality of life. But the cleanse I'm doing now will be even better if it works because I won't have to depend on anybody else-- going to an appt. or anything.
We'll see though, because I am REALLY tired of salad and watermelon and tomorrow I start the juice phase for 3 days. I hope I make it, my herbal combinations aren't as good as having it already made for me.
We also got the little goats. They were so loud going back to their pen. They've been quiet ever since, so I think it will work out. I hope it's worth the cost-- you know that goat's milk really does help the kids in their growth. I'm about halfway through The China Study, so I'm just not sure. The kids like them though, and they learn a lot about animals, nature, biology and responsibility taking care of the animals.
So glad we'll be moving. I hope it goes by quickly! The Lord really does watch out for us, but I don't really like growing and stretching. I'm glad in the end that I'm a better person with more understanding, but when I'm going through it, I just want it to be over. Patience, patience.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
kid stuff
#2 told my brother how she wants to be journalist because it uses no math at all, she also sold him 4 slingshots she makes out of sticks she finds in the backyard for $1.
I took #1 to milk the goat this morning, someone is supposed to be taking that goat, but not yet, she came back while I was getting the bucket to say that the goat was gone, I went to do a double take, and the goat was there!!
Miracle Music is a miracle you never saw so many little feet run to make their bed!
I'm so tired I can't remember any more funny sayings right now-- but they are plentiful. We laugh all the time. The twins are especially cute. #6 tries to push his brothers off my lap, and they both fold their arms and they want to get certain things themselves.
#4, 5 are really cute too. I watched a lot of jumping and rolling on couch cushions today. They built a huge fort out of them. "watch Mom", "watch again!!" very fun, very good kids!
I took #1 to milk the goat this morning, someone is supposed to be taking that goat, but not yet, she came back while I was getting the bucket to say that the goat was gone, I went to do a double take, and the goat was there!!
Miracle Music is a miracle you never saw so many little feet run to make their bed!
I'm so tired I can't remember any more funny sayings right now-- but they are plentiful. We laugh all the time. The twins are especially cute. #6 tries to push his brothers off my lap, and they both fold their arms and they want to get certain things themselves.
#4, 5 are really cute too. I watched a lot of jumping and rolling on couch cushions today. They built a huge fort out of them. "watch Mom", "watch again!!" very fun, very good kids!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
2 Ne. 8, Isaiah 51
I read this chapter yesterday morning and got nothing out of it-- as I slammed the book shut, I remembered our Relief Society lesson and how important it is to meditate and listen for answers as we read, so this morning I decided to pay attention and look at these beautiful gems I found!!!!
7- Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
12-- I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you. Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son man, who shall be made like unto grass?
22- Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people; behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again.
I just need to do what I know is right regardless of how strange I may seem and what other people think. It is what the Lord thinks of me that I need to worry about. Man really can do nothing-- only the Lord!
7- Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
12-- I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you. Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son man, who shall be made like unto grass?
22- Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people; behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again.
I just need to do what I know is right regardless of how strange I may seem and what other people think. It is what the Lord thinks of me that I need to worry about. Man really can do nothing-- only the Lord!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Another Great Conference Talk-- Boyd K. Packer -- following the Spirit
I'm kind of behind in the whole conference discussion, because I really don't pay that close attention during conference mostly because of all the excitement that is constantly around me when all 7 kids are awake. But then afterwards as a I read or listen to the talks, I find these great nuggets of inspiration. This whole talk is great. Every sentence contains great wisdom. I'll just blog about these couple quotes:
http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/counsel-to-youth?lang=eng
This quote is very comforting to me:
As I get older, I am better at recognizing the promptings I receive. Especially as I look back on my life, I can see times where I should have recognized promptings better and other times where I am so thankful that I did follow promptings. There have been a couple times where I feel so bad about something, that even though there is no logical explanation for my feeling- I can't do the said thing.
The big one that comes to mind is from my BYU years. It was summer and I had gone down to the Y to finish setting things up and I stopped by my apartment for the year. While I was there looking at it, one of the girls who was living there for summer term asked me if I would trade apartments with her for the fall, her fall apartment was just upstairs. I said sure, because the only roommate I would know was the one I was sharing my room with, and I figured she wouldn't care. On my drive home, I just had a terrible strong feeling that I should not live in the apartment upstairs. It was so strong that I knew that I should either live in the apartment I signed up for, or find a different place to live. I called the girl and told her I wouldn't trade and when it came time to move in, I was very nervous because I had not met any of the other girls yet and I was afraid they really liked that girl and would be sorry that I had taken her place.
It turned out that we all 6 of us got along great. We still get together periodically and keep in touch. My room roommate especially bonded with the other girls in our apartment and that just wouldn't have happened for either of us had we lived with the girls upstairs. That was also the year I met my husband. He came to our apartment because he heard it was the fun place to be and it was. He never ventured to that other apartment. The Lord really was watching out for me and now that I can look back, when I get that bad feeling I know it is the Holy Ghost warning me about something. Sometimes it takes me a while to figure out what it is, depending on how strong it is, but the Holy Ghost truly acts in my life guiding me and helping me as I go along. I definitely get answers to my questions and prayers. It is such a profound blessing in my life.
I also loved this quote:
We have a tendency to get down on ourselves when we are not perfect and I know people who feel they are too far gone to even try to take advantage of the atonement. I wish everybody knew what I know-- that God loves us and wants us back no matter what. His time was spent among sinners when He was on the earth, and it is never too late to come unto Him. He loves us and He will help us no matter how good or bad we are as long as we let him. He will take us from wherever we are and help us get better little by little- He won't make us do more than we can. He is perfect and He loves us.
http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/counsel-to-youth?lang=eng
This quote is very comforting to me:
The gift of the Holy Ghost, if you consent, will guide and protect you and even correct your actions. It is a spiritual voice that comes into the mind as a thought or a feeling put into your heart. The prophet Enos said, “The voice of the Lord came into my mind.” And the Lord told Oliver Cowdery, “Behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you.”
It is not expected that you go through life without making mistakes, but you will not make a major mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Spirit. This promise applies to all members of the Church.
As I get older, I am better at recognizing the promptings I receive. Especially as I look back on my life, I can see times where I should have recognized promptings better and other times where I am so thankful that I did follow promptings. There have been a couple times where I feel so bad about something, that even though there is no logical explanation for my feeling- I can't do the said thing.
The big one that comes to mind is from my BYU years. It was summer and I had gone down to the Y to finish setting things up and I stopped by my apartment for the year. While I was there looking at it, one of the girls who was living there for summer term asked me if I would trade apartments with her for the fall, her fall apartment was just upstairs. I said sure, because the only roommate I would know was the one I was sharing my room with, and I figured she wouldn't care. On my drive home, I just had a terrible strong feeling that I should not live in the apartment upstairs. It was so strong that I knew that I should either live in the apartment I signed up for, or find a different place to live. I called the girl and told her I wouldn't trade and when it came time to move in, I was very nervous because I had not met any of the other girls yet and I was afraid they really liked that girl and would be sorry that I had taken her place.
It turned out that we all 6 of us got along great. We still get together periodically and keep in touch. My room roommate especially bonded with the other girls in our apartment and that just wouldn't have happened for either of us had we lived with the girls upstairs. That was also the year I met my husband. He came to our apartment because he heard it was the fun place to be and it was. He never ventured to that other apartment. The Lord really was watching out for me and now that I can look back, when I get that bad feeling I know it is the Holy Ghost warning me about something. Sometimes it takes me a while to figure out what it is, depending on how strong it is, but the Holy Ghost truly acts in my life guiding me and helping me as I go along. I definitely get answers to my questions and prayers. It is such a profound blessing in my life.
I also loved this quote:
You may in time of trouble think that you are not worth saving because you have made mistakes, big or little, and you think you are now lost. That is never true! Only repentance can heal what hurts. But repentance can heal what hurts, no matter what it is.
We have a tendency to get down on ourselves when we are not perfect and I know people who feel they are too far gone to even try to take advantage of the atonement. I wish everybody knew what I know-- that God loves us and wants us back no matter what. His time was spent among sinners when He was on the earth, and it is never too late to come unto Him. He loves us and He will help us no matter how good or bad we are as long as we let him. He will take us from wherever we are and help us get better little by little- He won't make us do more than we can. He is perfect and He loves us.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Funny and Cute Kid Things
My twins are almost 21 months. Their first words: #6 "uh-uh", "eis", #7 "uh-oh", "bal"
#7 has been crawling out of his crib and I have found him in his brother's crib a couple times- time to take the sides off I'm afraid. He also likes to twirl and get dizzy and fall down. They both understand so much and look for their shoes when it's time to go bye-bye. #6 will say "bye" after people have already left. They both fold their arms for family prayer and blessings on the food. They are way cute.
#5 prays to watch Thomas the Train and Team GeoTrax every night and every time he prays which he likes to do a lot. He is also incredibly stubborn and if he doesn't want to do something like move out of the way so somebody else can walk past him, he won't do it which usually ends him up in his room on time out 'til he's ready to be happy and nice. He has been following behind his soccer team in the back I think because he sees no reason to exert himself further than that. He can play for hours by himself though and he's very sweet and likes to make the twins laugh and watches out for them. They are starting to follow him around and I think he likes having a little entourage.
#4 won't read any words that have any reference to girls like "she", "her", "mermaid", "girl", "dress", etc. when I'm reading with him. He just skips those words and keeps reading.
#3 throws amazing tantrums when he thinks his math is too long and hard. Once he gets into it, he moves through great. I always point out to him how easy it actually was, and hopefully we'll get over this hump. He really has a lot of common sense and is very good to watch out for his brothers when he's not poking them.
#2 definitely has personality. As a baby just walking she would hop down the halls at church and say "ribbit". Up until last year, she was horse most of the time galloping around the house on hands and feet. Unfortunately she would often hurt somebody in her way- she' is getting better and watching out for people. She is also very dramatic and everyone knows when she has the tiniest little bump or hurt spot, but when she crashed on her scooter a few weeks ago and got some major scrapes, she hardly cried.
#1 is very mature and doesn't often do the funny stuff, although she had her share of it when she was younger. She does have her funny moments and I'm glad we can all laugh at ourselves!!
#7 has been crawling out of his crib and I have found him in his brother's crib a couple times- time to take the sides off I'm afraid. He also likes to twirl and get dizzy and fall down. They both understand so much and look for their shoes when it's time to go bye-bye. #6 will say "bye" after people have already left. They both fold their arms for family prayer and blessings on the food. They are way cute.
#5 prays to watch Thomas the Train and Team GeoTrax every night and every time he prays which he likes to do a lot. He is also incredibly stubborn and if he doesn't want to do something like move out of the way so somebody else can walk past him, he won't do it which usually ends him up in his room on time out 'til he's ready to be happy and nice. He has been following behind his soccer team in the back I think because he sees no reason to exert himself further than that. He can play for hours by himself though and he's very sweet and likes to make the twins laugh and watches out for them. They are starting to follow him around and I think he likes having a little entourage.
#4 won't read any words that have any reference to girls like "she", "her", "mermaid", "girl", "dress", etc. when I'm reading with him. He just skips those words and keeps reading.
#3 throws amazing tantrums when he thinks his math is too long and hard. Once he gets into it, he moves through great. I always point out to him how easy it actually was, and hopefully we'll get over this hump. He really has a lot of common sense and is very good to watch out for his brothers when he's not poking them.
#2 definitely has personality. As a baby just walking she would hop down the halls at church and say "ribbit". Up until last year, she was horse most of the time galloping around the house on hands and feet. Unfortunately she would often hurt somebody in her way- she' is getting better and watching out for people. She is also very dramatic and everyone knows when she has the tiniest little bump or hurt spot, but when she crashed on her scooter a few weeks ago and got some major scrapes, she hardly cried.
#1 is very mature and doesn't often do the funny stuff, although she had her share of it when she was younger. She does have her funny moments and I'm glad we can all laugh at ourselves!!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
A poem by Mother Teresa
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
By Mother Teresa
Words to live by, I especially love the last 2 lines.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
By Mother Teresa
Words to live by, I especially love the last 2 lines.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The Amazing Joseph Smith Story
Not too long ago I had a Christian friend tell me that she could accept many of the doctrines of my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but not the story of Joseph Smith. I have run across blogs where other people kind of say the same thing-- they like the teachings of the church, but they just cannot accept Joseph Smith. And then there are those who leave the church because they feel that Joseph Smith must have been a fallen prophet because of polygamy mainly.
In case any of you don't know the story, you can read it here in Joseph's own words. Basically as a 14 yr. old boy, Joseph Smith wanted to know which church was true, so after reading in James 1:5 of the Bible, he decided to ask God for himself to know which church to join. He prayed in a secluded area, a grove of trees, and God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ actually appeared to Him and gave him instructions that he was not to join any of them. A few years later, a Heavenly messenger appeared to him and a few years after that, Joseph began translating a book similar to the Bible in that it was an ancient record of a people and God's dealings with them, The Book of Mormon. Soon after that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized with Joseph Smith as Prophet and President of the church in these latter days.
That is a super summarized version of how Christ's true church was organized after being taken from the earth when the early apostles died. It is also just the beginning of the many marvelous works and teachings that Joseph Smith performed up until his early death as a martyr in Carthage Jail. I am amazed by all the things he was able to accomplish. I know it is because he was called of God and given the power and ability to do what he did. So to answer the concern that his story of actually seeing the Father and Son when he prayed in the Sacred Grove is too surreal or amazing or that that kind of hting doesn't happen anymore:
I say -- why not? Has God ceased to be a God of miracles? The Bible is full of miraculous stories and events and of prophets communing with God. Why should it be any different today? And on top of that, the Lord has actually given us proof that we can read for ourselves-- The Book of Mormon. If you read the Book of Mormon with real intent and ask the Lord if it is true, then He will give you an answer, and if that answer is yes-- which it will be if you are sincere-- then Joseph Smith must be a modern day prophet because he's the one who translated it and he must also be telling the truth about how he got it and that he saw the father and the Son in Sacred Grove. There is nothing out of place about it. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Then there are those who read a bunch of anti-Mormon literature and lose their testimonies. I wonder if they spent as much time studying the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, the History of the Church and conference talks as they do reading anti- stuff, if they wouldn't be so swayed. I have a learned a few things about Joseph Smith that don't put him in a very good light especially with regards to polygamy and the secrecy that surrounded it. But I wasn't there, and I know I don't know the mind of God or the overall purpose of the whole thing, and maybe Joseph Smith was wrong about some things-- but this I do know-- that he did a lot of good and he was definitely right about a lot of very important things. He restored Christ's true church to the earth. He translated the Book of Mormon so we would have something tangible that we could search and know the truth for ourselves. He restored the keys or authority of priesthood so that baptisms and sealings and blessings could be done by the power and authority of God. He received countless revelations recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. He translated the Pearl of Great Price. He built the first temples in the Latter days. There is more, but those are the big ones. He sacrificed so much in order to do what God commanded him. I am very grateful to him for his sacrifice.
I am very grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know there are many good people out there of other faiths. I respect that, but I hope that they will be open-minded enough to really look into my church and learn for themselves that God wants to give us even more than just the knowledge that He is there. He loves us so much. He wants us to be happy and to return home to Him with our families. There is an added benefit to having the priesthood in your home, to being sealed to your spouse, parents and children, to having the words of modern day prophets and apostles to guide us in the last days before the 2nd coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
This is my testimony. I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves us. I know that Joseph was a true prophet and that he restored Christ's true church to the earth. I know the Book of Mormon is true and was written for our day-- it helps me still on the 20th time reading it. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet and the one chosen to direct the work of the Lord and His true church today. I hope writing this will help somebody someday. You don't have to believe me-- read the Book of Mormon and find out for yourself!! God is still a God of miracles and He is as involved today with man and prophets and apostles as He was in Bible days.
Find out more at mormon.org.
In case any of you don't know the story, you can read it here in Joseph's own words. Basically as a 14 yr. old boy, Joseph Smith wanted to know which church was true, so after reading in James 1:5 of the Bible, he decided to ask God for himself to know which church to join. He prayed in a secluded area, a grove of trees, and God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ actually appeared to Him and gave him instructions that he was not to join any of them. A few years later, a Heavenly messenger appeared to him and a few years after that, Joseph began translating a book similar to the Bible in that it was an ancient record of a people and God's dealings with them, The Book of Mormon. Soon after that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized with Joseph Smith as Prophet and President of the church in these latter days.
That is a super summarized version of how Christ's true church was organized after being taken from the earth when the early apostles died. It is also just the beginning of the many marvelous works and teachings that Joseph Smith performed up until his early death as a martyr in Carthage Jail. I am amazed by all the things he was able to accomplish. I know it is because he was called of God and given the power and ability to do what he did. So to answer the concern that his story of actually seeing the Father and Son when he prayed in the Sacred Grove is too surreal or amazing or that that kind of hting doesn't happen anymore:
I say -- why not? Has God ceased to be a God of miracles? The Bible is full of miraculous stories and events and of prophets communing with God. Why should it be any different today? And on top of that, the Lord has actually given us proof that we can read for ourselves-- The Book of Mormon. If you read the Book of Mormon with real intent and ask the Lord if it is true, then He will give you an answer, and if that answer is yes-- which it will be if you are sincere-- then Joseph Smith must be a modern day prophet because he's the one who translated it and he must also be telling the truth about how he got it and that he saw the father and the Son in Sacred Grove. There is nothing out of place about it. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Then there are those who read a bunch of anti-Mormon literature and lose their testimonies. I wonder if they spent as much time studying the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, the History of the Church and conference talks as they do reading anti- stuff, if they wouldn't be so swayed. I have a learned a few things about Joseph Smith that don't put him in a very good light especially with regards to polygamy and the secrecy that surrounded it. But I wasn't there, and I know I don't know the mind of God or the overall purpose of the whole thing, and maybe Joseph Smith was wrong about some things-- but this I do know-- that he did a lot of good and he was definitely right about a lot of very important things. He restored Christ's true church to the earth. He translated the Book of Mormon so we would have something tangible that we could search and know the truth for ourselves. He restored the keys or authority of priesthood so that baptisms and sealings and blessings could be done by the power and authority of God. He received countless revelations recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. He translated the Pearl of Great Price. He built the first temples in the Latter days. There is more, but those are the big ones. He sacrificed so much in order to do what God commanded him. I am very grateful to him for his sacrifice.
I am very grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know there are many good people out there of other faiths. I respect that, but I hope that they will be open-minded enough to really look into my church and learn for themselves that God wants to give us even more than just the knowledge that He is there. He loves us so much. He wants us to be happy and to return home to Him with our families. There is an added benefit to having the priesthood in your home, to being sealed to your spouse, parents and children, to having the words of modern day prophets and apostles to guide us in the last days before the 2nd coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
This is my testimony. I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves us. I know that Joseph was a true prophet and that he restored Christ's true church to the earth. I know the Book of Mormon is true and was written for our day-- it helps me still on the 20th time reading it. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet and the one chosen to direct the work of the Lord and His true church today. I hope writing this will help somebody someday. You don't have to believe me-- read the Book of Mormon and find out for yourself!! God is still a God of miracles and He is as involved today with man and prophets and apostles as He was in Bible days.
Find out more at mormon.org.
Monday, November 2, 2009
What to do with Halloween Candy?
We have a bucket where the kids can put candy and treats throughout the year and when it's full, we leave it outside for the "Toothless Fairy" who takes the candy and leaves books, toys or movies in its place. We usually let the kids have one small piece of whatever they got and put the rest in the bucket. That way we don't have to make anyone feel bad for giving us candy, we just say thank- you and then put it in the bucket when we get home. We always leave the bucket out on Halloween and this year the fairy left a coupon to go to the skating rink and to the children's museum. I felt guilty throwing the candy away because there were some whole candy bars in there, but I think I will donate it to the food bank or a Christmas stocking project this year. I know some people who can't have any candy at all will have their own party or go out to dinner or to a movie to avoid the whole trick or treat thing. Around here it is a neighborhood thing and lots of people wanted us to be sure to come to their house, and it is fun for the kids, so I'm glad to have a plan of goodwill for the candy. Some houses gave out toys or pretzels instead of candy. I think most parents don't like all the candy. It's just too much for anybody especially our little kids. There also seem to be more and more diabetics and allergies and autism, that maybe eventually the candy will be replaced by something healthier!! Maybe it is wishful thinking!!!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Our First Week of Homeschool for the New Year!!
We officially started school this year last Friday for our first Friday Fun Day. The plan is to cover all the core subjects (Reading, Writing, Math, Greek, Science, History, Literature, Spelling) from Monday to Thursday. Then Friday will be an enrichment day where we'll study art, artists, music, composers and play games and do activities. Friday turned out great. The kids loved it, (except for the 1st grader for the first part --he didn't want to play the recorder, but did later after being in time-out for awhile). We set up the desks like a real school and basically played school. We also learned a song in Spanish and a song in French. I decided to go ahead and do both languages this year. The Europeans learn a bunch of languages, so why can't we? We'll see how it goes.
Unfortunately, the rest of the week didn't go so smoothly, starting with Monday. We ended up getting new carpet that day and having a mold clean-up crew come on Tuesday and Wednesday because of a leak in the shower we didn't know about. We were without air conditioning on Thursday, and it was hot, but at least we could use the bathrooms. Also, my kids are so out of the habit of doing anything difficult because of my laxness this summer, that it was a real struggle to actually do any work at all. The 5th and 3rd grade girls basically just did math, a little bit of journaling and one composition this week. The preschooler and 1st grader fulfilled their requirements of handwriting, math and reading each day, because it doesn't take them long at all. But I really missed doing the fun part of homeschool which is reading stories and great literature to the kids, learning history and science, singing songs together, memorizing scriptures and learning languages and grammar. That's the fun part we missed this first week.
The girls took an average of 2 hours working on their math assignments because they are so out of the habit of concentrating. I've decided though, that that math has to be done first thing when their little brains are the most fresh, and we'll keep the fun and interesting stuff for after lunch. Had I had my house together and not under construction, I think we would have done better, but overall I think it was pretty good given the circumstances. I really hope the girls will move along better in math next week, so that we can do the fun stuff, but it may take them another week to acclimate to that math concentrating part of their brains. I just about have to sit with each of them individually to remind them to look at their book and write down the answers to the problems. They have gotten a little better each day though, and it is very rewarding to see the sense of satisfaction they feel when they are finally done!!
I can't wait to get my house and life back together. I feel like we went on another long vacation. Hopefully I can get a lot done this weekend so that we can do all the things I hope to do this week!! By the way, the twins are boys and look good so far-- that will be 5 boys in a row-- I'm a little nervous. I am really going to have to find ways to keep them out of trouble!! My 3 boys seem to get wilder everyday, they really need the fun stuff. They love listening to stories and learning songs. Once we get the house organized, I hope they will calm down a little bit. At least I can send them outside!!!
Unfortunately, the rest of the week didn't go so smoothly, starting with Monday. We ended up getting new carpet that day and having a mold clean-up crew come on Tuesday and Wednesday because of a leak in the shower we didn't know about. We were without air conditioning on Thursday, and it was hot, but at least we could use the bathrooms. Also, my kids are so out of the habit of doing anything difficult because of my laxness this summer, that it was a real struggle to actually do any work at all. The 5th and 3rd grade girls basically just did math, a little bit of journaling and one composition this week. The preschooler and 1st grader fulfilled their requirements of handwriting, math and reading each day, because it doesn't take them long at all. But I really missed doing the fun part of homeschool which is reading stories and great literature to the kids, learning history and science, singing songs together, memorizing scriptures and learning languages and grammar. That's the fun part we missed this first week.
The girls took an average of 2 hours working on their math assignments because they are so out of the habit of concentrating. I've decided though, that that math has to be done first thing when their little brains are the most fresh, and we'll keep the fun and interesting stuff for after lunch. Had I had my house together and not under construction, I think we would have done better, but overall I think it was pretty good given the circumstances. I really hope the girls will move along better in math next week, so that we can do the fun stuff, but it may take them another week to acclimate to that math concentrating part of their brains. I just about have to sit with each of them individually to remind them to look at their book and write down the answers to the problems. They have gotten a little better each day though, and it is very rewarding to see the sense of satisfaction they feel when they are finally done!!
I can't wait to get my house and life back together. I feel like we went on another long vacation. Hopefully I can get a lot done this weekend so that we can do all the things I hope to do this week!! By the way, the twins are boys and look good so far-- that will be 5 boys in a row-- I'm a little nervous. I am really going to have to find ways to keep them out of trouble!! My 3 boys seem to get wilder everyday, they really need the fun stuff. They love listening to stories and learning songs. Once we get the house organized, I hope they will calm down a little bit. At least I can send them outside!!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Out of the Mouth of Babes -- Alma 32:23
This is a lovely scripture from The Book of Mormon, you can read the whole chapter here, this chapter is mostly known for its beautiful explanation of faith being like a little seed, but verse 23 is the one I want to share today:
23 And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, anot only men but women also. Now this is not all; little bchildren do have words given unto them many times, which cconfound the wise and the learned.
I had the privilege of experiencing words of truth from my little 4 yr. old boy. He is so sweet, I think all 4 yr. olds are. Anyway, we had just found out that I was pregnant with baby #6 (yes it was planned), but we hadn't told the kids yet. I was in the kitchen and my little boy came up to me out of the blue and said,"Mommy, there's 2 babies in your tummy." I was a little surprised, but it got me wondering and thinking about the possibility. I didn't want to get too excited, but I was anxious to get that first ultra-sound nevertheless, and sure enough -- we're having TWINS!!
We are very happy and excited about it. Our families are excited, and our ward is excited. I'm so grateful to have so many people who care about us and support us. I am also grateful for this privilege. I feel so blessed. I don't think I will even mind being cooped up for a few months while we wait for the cold season to pass after they're born. Anyway, it has also caused me to sit and think about how precious our little ones really are, and what do they remember and know and see about heavenly things that we have grown out of. Truly we must "become as a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven" (3 Nephi 11:37-38).
23 And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, anot only men but women also. Now this is not all; little bchildren do have words given unto them many times, which cconfound the wise and the learned.
I had the privilege of experiencing words of truth from my little 4 yr. old boy. He is so sweet, I think all 4 yr. olds are. Anyway, we had just found out that I was pregnant with baby #6 (yes it was planned), but we hadn't told the kids yet. I was in the kitchen and my little boy came up to me out of the blue and said,"Mommy, there's 2 babies in your tummy." I was a little surprised, but it got me wondering and thinking about the possibility. I didn't want to get too excited, but I was anxious to get that first ultra-sound nevertheless, and sure enough -- we're having TWINS!!
We are very happy and excited about it. Our families are excited, and our ward is excited. I'm so grateful to have so many people who care about us and support us. I am also grateful for this privilege. I feel so blessed. I don't think I will even mind being cooped up for a few months while we wait for the cold season to pass after they're born. Anyway, it has also caused me to sit and think about how precious our little ones really are, and what do they remember and know and see about heavenly things that we have grown out of. Truly we must "become as a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven" (3 Nephi 11:37-38).
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Simple Baked Lentils -- and Gardening
In an oven safe pot or casserole dish that you can cover well combine:
2 1/2 c. lentils
4-5 1/2 cups of water
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
3 chopped carrots
2 onions
5 cloves of garlic
1 t. Real salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 bay leaves
about a half cups worth of fresh sage, oregano and thyme mixed and chopped
Cover the dish and put it in the oven at 375 F for about 1 1/2 hours or until the lentils are soft and cooked through. Take out the bay leaves before serving. That's it!! Even my picky eaters ate it. It had such a good flavor, it's kind of like a stew.
I got the fresh herbs from my garden and believe me, if I can grow herbs, you can too, it's totally worth it. Herbs are so incredibly forgiving and easy to grow. I have killed everything else imaginable and grown really sad tomato plants that produce like one tomato and I have even ruined zucchini, but my herbs are wonderful, so that tells you how easy herbs must be to grow. They don't need much room or sun or even water. Of course, if you actually take care of them they'll grow better, but you don't need that much of them to make a big difference in your cooking. So I just thought I send that tip.
By the way, I'm hoping for a decent garden this year, I'm being more proactive than I've ever been with it and I am being a conscientious waterer which I think will help. The sad thing is that I love plants and nature and I even have a degree in horticulture, but I have had the worst time growing vegetables, but I will not give up. I love vegetables, and I will learn how to grow them well. My garden is looking O.K. now, and now that the sun is finally coming out, we'll see!! Any advice is appreciated!! I hope to have a good report at the end of the summer!!
2 1/2 c. lentils
4-5 1/2 cups of water
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
3 chopped carrots
2 onions
5 cloves of garlic
1 t. Real salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 bay leaves
about a half cups worth of fresh sage, oregano and thyme mixed and chopped
Cover the dish and put it in the oven at 375 F for about 1 1/2 hours or until the lentils are soft and cooked through. Take out the bay leaves before serving. That's it!! Even my picky eaters ate it. It had such a good flavor, it's kind of like a stew.
I got the fresh herbs from my garden and believe me, if I can grow herbs, you can too, it's totally worth it. Herbs are so incredibly forgiving and easy to grow. I have killed everything else imaginable and grown really sad tomato plants that produce like one tomato and I have even ruined zucchini, but my herbs are wonderful, so that tells you how easy herbs must be to grow. They don't need much room or sun or even water. Of course, if you actually take care of them they'll grow better, but you don't need that much of them to make a big difference in your cooking. So I just thought I send that tip.
By the way, I'm hoping for a decent garden this year, I'm being more proactive than I've ever been with it and I am being a conscientious waterer which I think will help. The sad thing is that I love plants and nature and I even have a degree in horticulture, but I have had the worst time growing vegetables, but I will not give up. I love vegetables, and I will learn how to grow them well. My garden is looking O.K. now, and now that the sun is finally coming out, we'll see!! Any advice is appreciated!! I hope to have a good report at the end of the summer!!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Utah Homeschool Education Association Convention 2009
Susan Wise Bauer was the keynote speaker and made the whole convention completely worth it. Her keynote speech was very similar to the one she gave at the conference 5 years ago, and I realized that I have incorporated a lot of her suggestions into my homeschool without really realizing where they came from. Here are some of my notes:
Things her mother did right in homeschooling her:
1-Make learning a regular part of life instead of something to be gotten over in order to do something fun. Learning is fun.
2-Make books central to your homeschool-- give them as gifts to show that they are something to be valued.
3-Get control of the screens in your house -- T.V., computer, video games, etc.
4-Set times where you are off duty-- her mother was off-duty before 8 a.m., between 1-3 p.m. (they spent it quietly, alone in their rooms, so they could all have a break from each other) and after 8-9 p.m.
5- Cover the basics-- and then allow the kids focus in on what is exciting and interesting to them. This way they learned how to learn and when they realized they had never studied goegraphy, it was O.K. because Susan knew how to find and gain that info. There is no way to learn everything, so cover the basics and then follow your interests.
6-Don't be afraid to be hard-hearted about a social life. They lived on a farm and would have to drive for social activities, so they were very limited and as a teenager, Susan felt deprived. But her mother would tell her she would make friends in college, and she did and married and has a nice family of her own even without a teenage social life.
7-When a child has an emotional meltdown -- first offer them a sandwich, if that doesn't work, then a shower and if that doesn't work, then a nap. Most of the emotions are physical changes and happenings going on. Don't take it personal, they just may be hungry.
8-Don't encourage your child to go to an expensive college and get wrapped up with debt. There are plenty of affordable colleges that will give them a comprable education without debt.
The Things she would Change:
1-Don't worry so much, try to have an outside family member or friend let you know your kids really are doing fine so that worry can be eased. Smile!
2- Be careful about joining Co-ops, your time may be better spent using that time on your own kids.
3-Praise the kids
4-If you have family difficulties, get professional help and learn what your responsibilities are and are not.
5-Don't ignore your gut instincts or rely on your child to tell you if something is wrong. If something doesn't sit right with you, trust that and find out what is going on.
6-College at age 16 is too early, cannot rush emotional maturity
7-Sing more around the house, singing seems to indicate that everything is O.K.
The things I have found to be the most helpful for me is to tell my kids they have to get their own of whatever it is before 8 a.m. or go back to bed. We have pretty good control of the screens, my kids love listening to music. Covering the basics and not worrying so much about everything else has been good too. Also, using and enjoying a wide variety of books and thinking of library fines as a contribution to the arts has been beneficial to us as well. I hope I'll never need counseling, but I guess you never know what may come!!
I taught Elementary Academics twice at the conference. I was disappointed in the number of people in the first set, but had a decent number of people in the last class. I think it was helpful and informative, and I'm glad it's over!! There were 1 or 2 other classes I would have liked to have attended, but for the most part, I had already attended many of them in past conferences. I missed Deborah Recksiek this year, her classes were always awesome and she has been an inspiration in homeschooling to me ( she has raised and homeschooled 7 successful kids of her own and is now finishing raising 8 lovely adopted children). I really like hearing from people who have done it successfully. I hope she'll present next year. There were a few others I missed who have presented at past conferences, but that's just how it goes I guess. Susan Wise Bauer really made the whole thing worthwhile this year.
Thanks to all the UHEA people for putting it together. It was a huge ordeal.
sidenote: I saw Tony Robbins in person on stage at the Salt Palace on my way to my car to get the materials for my presentation!! He was presenting for some company called zrii. It made having to walk the length of the Salt Palace not so bad!!!
Things her mother did right in homeschooling her:
1-Make learning a regular part of life instead of something to be gotten over in order to do something fun. Learning is fun.
2-Make books central to your homeschool-- give them as gifts to show that they are something to be valued.
3-Get control of the screens in your house -- T.V., computer, video games, etc.
4-Set times where you are off duty-- her mother was off-duty before 8 a.m., between 1-3 p.m. (they spent it quietly, alone in their rooms, so they could all have a break from each other) and after 8-9 p.m.
5- Cover the basics-- and then allow the kids focus in on what is exciting and interesting to them. This way they learned how to learn and when they realized they had never studied goegraphy, it was O.K. because Susan knew how to find and gain that info. There is no way to learn everything, so cover the basics and then follow your interests.
6-Don't be afraid to be hard-hearted about a social life. They lived on a farm and would have to drive for social activities, so they were very limited and as a teenager, Susan felt deprived. But her mother would tell her she would make friends in college, and she did and married and has a nice family of her own even without a teenage social life.
7-When a child has an emotional meltdown -- first offer them a sandwich, if that doesn't work, then a shower and if that doesn't work, then a nap. Most of the emotions are physical changes and happenings going on. Don't take it personal, they just may be hungry.
8-Don't encourage your child to go to an expensive college and get wrapped up with debt. There are plenty of affordable colleges that will give them a comprable education without debt.
The Things she would Change:
1-Don't worry so much, try to have an outside family member or friend let you know your kids really are doing fine so that worry can be eased. Smile!
2- Be careful about joining Co-ops, your time may be better spent using that time on your own kids.
3-Praise the kids
4-If you have family difficulties, get professional help and learn what your responsibilities are and are not.
5-Don't ignore your gut instincts or rely on your child to tell you if something is wrong. If something doesn't sit right with you, trust that and find out what is going on.
6-College at age 16 is too early, cannot rush emotional maturity
7-Sing more around the house, singing seems to indicate that everything is O.K.
The things I have found to be the most helpful for me is to tell my kids they have to get their own of whatever it is before 8 a.m. or go back to bed. We have pretty good control of the screens, my kids love listening to music. Covering the basics and not worrying so much about everything else has been good too. Also, using and enjoying a wide variety of books and thinking of library fines as a contribution to the arts has been beneficial to us as well. I hope I'll never need counseling, but I guess you never know what may come!!
I taught Elementary Academics twice at the conference. I was disappointed in the number of people in the first set, but had a decent number of people in the last class. I think it was helpful and informative, and I'm glad it's over!! There were 1 or 2 other classes I would have liked to have attended, but for the most part, I had already attended many of them in past conferences. I missed Deborah Recksiek this year, her classes were always awesome and she has been an inspiration in homeschooling to me ( she has raised and homeschooled 7 successful kids of her own and is now finishing raising 8 lovely adopted children). I really like hearing from people who have done it successfully. I hope she'll present next year. There were a few others I missed who have presented at past conferences, but that's just how it goes I guess. Susan Wise Bauer really made the whole thing worthwhile this year.
Thanks to all the UHEA people for putting it together. It was a huge ordeal.
sidenote: I saw Tony Robbins in person on stage at the Salt Palace on my way to my car to get the materials for my presentation!! He was presenting for some company called zrii. It made having to walk the length of the Salt Palace not so bad!!!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
My Life Progression -- Marriage, Homemaking, Health
Life has been very interesting to me. Some things in my life have turned out way better than I could have ever imagined and some things have not turned out how I thought they would at all. I turned 34 years old last Monday, so I'll try not to make this a memoir since I hope I won't be dying anytime soon. But I do want to recognize how far I've come in my life and how grateful I am for progression and learning and improvement, and especially for the love and mercy of God in being patient with me and blessing me tremendously and many times through other people.
Marriage
My most treasured blessing is my darling family, my husband and children. I had some attitudes as a teenager that could have easily interfered this blessing that I now treasure and enjoy so much. There was a lot I had to overcome personally in order to be ready to receive this blessing. Getting married was probably the hardest thing I have ever done. I had zero desire to marry after watching the sad problems of my parents who divorced a year after I married. But I will be eternally grateful to my Father in Heaven for guiding me and placing me with people and in situations that would help me change my attitude and perspective on marriage. The bottom line when I met my husband though, was that there was no other way to be with him than to marry him, so although I didn't like the idea of being married, I really liked the idea of being with him now and forever. This blessing is the one that has turned out to be way better than anything I could have imagined on my own. I thank the Lord everyday, because I know how close I was to missing it. And I know how sad and lonely it is to not have confidence in your family. I will post more on this subject in the future for the few out there who may be a little like I was. Getting married to the right person at the right time in the right place is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo worth it!!
Homemaking
The reason I originally started writing this post was for the cleaning part, but I had to put that plug in for marriage first -- so anyway--- .. My life has been a huge progression. I have learned a ton every year. Most recently, I have rediscovered FLYLADY. She has taught me how to get control of my house and my life and be able to accomplish all my lofty goals.
I started in January after my homeschooling sister-in-law raved over what a difference it was making for them. I had read the FLYLADY stuff before, but didn't follow it to the letter, just took the things I thought applied to me and left the rest like dress to your shoes every morning. Now though, I was desperate and in serious need of some help if I was going to be able to eat healthy, grow a garden, homeschool 5 kids and clean the house. I had pretty much given up the idea of ever having a clean house, but I decided to follow everything she said to the letter, and she was right--- I CAN do it!!! She is so encouraging too which was so helpful to me so that I wouldn't give up when I couldn't do everything. It took me a while to get the daily routines down, but over time I got them and was then able to add more. One little Babystep at a time as she calls it. My house looks and feels so much better. It's amazing what getting ready in the morning will do for a person. It's amazing how much better the kitchen looks when I close all the cupboards and take 2 minutes to clear out the hotspots around the house. I feel so much better. I can do a lot of things, but I was definitely failing in this area. I grew up with a maid and I get sidetracked very easily and I was not born organized. It has never seemed appealing to me. But I am overcoming, thanks to Fly Lady and her clear explanations and lists of what to do. To a person who this does not come naturally to, lists are very important even including things like fix your hair, put on your make-up, figure out what you are going to make for dinner, etc. I have a ways to go, but I think I am on the right track. I just love it. Thank you Fly Lady.
Progression
Speaking of tracks, I think that is the important part of life. It's not where you are that is important so much as which direction you are headed. For example, someone could know and be doing a lot more than I am at this time, but if they are letting things slip or not improving and moving forward, then they are not headed in the right direction and eventually things will start to fall apart. My house may not look ordered and cared for, but if I am on the right track and improving each day, then eventually things will all come together and stay that way as I continue to improve and move forward. Maybe that's a little of what we're witnessing in our country today. We have been the greatest country, but we have not been on the right track that made us great, and now we are finally reaping the consequence of not being on the right track. I hope that makes sense, just let me know if you are totally confused.
Health
Lastly I wanted to talk about cleansing the body. For me, changing my diet has been life-saving. Basically what I do is focus on eating lots of dark green leafy salads, at least 2 a day and a green smoothie in the morning especially for the kids, and cutting out most dairy, meat and chemical laden products. I pretty much have to make everything, but it is easy now and we enjoy our meals. I could tell that my body was run down and not functioning properly. So this has been the other blessing I am truly thankful for. My body is not perfect still, but I am so much better off than I was. And I am on the right track. It was an extremely difficult transition and especially hard on extended family who show their love by sharing their food. Unfortunately it was that kind of food that was preventing me from accomplishing my goals and desires because of the undercover damage it caused. I've gone pretty slow, and I had to remember that although I wasn't perfect, I was a lot better than I had been the month before, and I was on the right track. So although it was a tough transition, now that I am benefiting so much from the results, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I'll post more on that also sometime. I have a couple recipes on www.greattimetolive.com which I'll try to update and organize a little better. this also deserves a much longer explanation and post, but that will be for another day.
Thank you to all the all the people who have helped me so much in so many areas. I hope I can reciprocate by sharing and helping others.
DAG!!! (That means hello, good-bye, greetings, in Dutch)
Marriage
My most treasured blessing is my darling family, my husband and children. I had some attitudes as a teenager that could have easily interfered this blessing that I now treasure and enjoy so much. There was a lot I had to overcome personally in order to be ready to receive this blessing. Getting married was probably the hardest thing I have ever done. I had zero desire to marry after watching the sad problems of my parents who divorced a year after I married. But I will be eternally grateful to my Father in Heaven for guiding me and placing me with people and in situations that would help me change my attitude and perspective on marriage. The bottom line when I met my husband though, was that there was no other way to be with him than to marry him, so although I didn't like the idea of being married, I really liked the idea of being with him now and forever. This blessing is the one that has turned out to be way better than anything I could have imagined on my own. I thank the Lord everyday, because I know how close I was to missing it. And I know how sad and lonely it is to not have confidence in your family. I will post more on this subject in the future for the few out there who may be a little like I was. Getting married to the right person at the right time in the right place is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo worth it!!
Homemaking
The reason I originally started writing this post was for the cleaning part, but I had to put that plug in for marriage first -- so anyway--- .. My life has been a huge progression. I have learned a ton every year. Most recently, I have rediscovered FLYLADY. She has taught me how to get control of my house and my life and be able to accomplish all my lofty goals.
I started in January after my homeschooling sister-in-law raved over what a difference it was making for them. I had read the FLYLADY stuff before, but didn't follow it to the letter, just took the things I thought applied to me and left the rest like dress to your shoes every morning. Now though, I was desperate and in serious need of some help if I was going to be able to eat healthy, grow a garden, homeschool 5 kids and clean the house. I had pretty much given up the idea of ever having a clean house, but I decided to follow everything she said to the letter, and she was right--- I CAN do it!!! She is so encouraging too which was so helpful to me so that I wouldn't give up when I couldn't do everything. It took me a while to get the daily routines down, but over time I got them and was then able to add more. One little Babystep at a time as she calls it. My house looks and feels so much better. It's amazing what getting ready in the morning will do for a person. It's amazing how much better the kitchen looks when I close all the cupboards and take 2 minutes to clear out the hotspots around the house. I feel so much better. I can do a lot of things, but I was definitely failing in this area. I grew up with a maid and I get sidetracked very easily and I was not born organized. It has never seemed appealing to me. But I am overcoming, thanks to Fly Lady and her clear explanations and lists of what to do. To a person who this does not come naturally to, lists are very important even including things like fix your hair, put on your make-up, figure out what you are going to make for dinner, etc. I have a ways to go, but I think I am on the right track. I just love it. Thank you Fly Lady.
Progression
Speaking of tracks, I think that is the important part of life. It's not where you are that is important so much as which direction you are headed. For example, someone could know and be doing a lot more than I am at this time, but if they are letting things slip or not improving and moving forward, then they are not headed in the right direction and eventually things will start to fall apart. My house may not look ordered and cared for, but if I am on the right track and improving each day, then eventually things will all come together and stay that way as I continue to improve and move forward. Maybe that's a little of what we're witnessing in our country today. We have been the greatest country, but we have not been on the right track that made us great, and now we are finally reaping the consequence of not being on the right track. I hope that makes sense, just let me know if you are totally confused.
Health
Lastly I wanted to talk about cleansing the body. For me, changing my diet has been life-saving. Basically what I do is focus on eating lots of dark green leafy salads, at least 2 a day and a green smoothie in the morning especially for the kids, and cutting out most dairy, meat and chemical laden products. I pretty much have to make everything, but it is easy now and we enjoy our meals. I could tell that my body was run down and not functioning properly. So this has been the other blessing I am truly thankful for. My body is not perfect still, but I am so much better off than I was. And I am on the right track. It was an extremely difficult transition and especially hard on extended family who show their love by sharing their food. Unfortunately it was that kind of food that was preventing me from accomplishing my goals and desires because of the undercover damage it caused. I've gone pretty slow, and I had to remember that although I wasn't perfect, I was a lot better than I had been the month before, and I was on the right track. So although it was a tough transition, now that I am benefiting so much from the results, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I'll post more on that also sometime. I have a couple recipes on www.greattimetolive.com which I'll try to update and organize a little better. this also deserves a much longer explanation and post, but that will be for another day.
Thank you to all the all the people who have helped me so much in so many areas. I hope I can reciprocate by sharing and helping others.
DAG!!! (That means hello, good-bye, greetings, in Dutch)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
General Conference
I thoroughly enjoyed general conference today and yesterday, although it can be hard to get everything and hear everything in those 8 hours (10 hours if you're a priesthood holder) over 2 days especially when there are little ones who need attention and it's just a long time to stay focused with everything else going on. But what I heard, I really liked and enjoyed and my cup was filled.
My favorite talk was from Elder Hales Saturday morning on living within our means and accepting that we can't afford everything we might want. He has a good wife to refuse to allow him to spend their money on her when he really wanted to. What a great example.
I enjoyed all the good examples of righteous living and stories of people choosing the right. The gospel really is so simple and good and straightforward. Something I'm learning is that if a teaching, philosophy or idea claims to have higher knowledge or a new view and better of things, it probably doesn't. There is probably a flaw. If it is hard to grasp or understand, it is probably because it's not right and the presenter has to try to take you down another path in order to accept their strange notion. Anyway, the gospel is not like that. It is simple and true and real and open and easy to understand.
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He loves us. He wants us home. He wants us to be happy. He understands our pain and sorrow. Nothing is too much for Him. He loves us so much, He will help us follow His ways and keep His commandments and get and stay on the straight and narrow path. I am so grateful for this gospel. I am so grateful to have the true church on the earth again. I am so grateful for a living prophet and apostles with so much love and wisdom to direct His church with the proper priesthood authority from God. My heart is full of gratitude and love.
You can watch it for yourself at www.lds.org .
Groetens! Tot Ziens!! (til next time, that's Dutch!)
My favorite talk was from Elder Hales Saturday morning on living within our means and accepting that we can't afford everything we might want. He has a good wife to refuse to allow him to spend their money on her when he really wanted to. What a great example.
I enjoyed all the good examples of righteous living and stories of people choosing the right. The gospel really is so simple and good and straightforward. Something I'm learning is that if a teaching, philosophy or idea claims to have higher knowledge or a new view and better of things, it probably doesn't. There is probably a flaw. If it is hard to grasp or understand, it is probably because it's not right and the presenter has to try to take you down another path in order to accept their strange notion. Anyway, the gospel is not like that. It is simple and true and real and open and easy to understand.
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He loves us. He wants us home. He wants us to be happy. He understands our pain and sorrow. Nothing is too much for Him. He loves us so much, He will help us follow His ways and keep His commandments and get and stay on the straight and narrow path. I am so grateful for this gospel. I am so grateful to have the true church on the earth again. I am so grateful for a living prophet and apostles with so much love and wisdom to direct His church with the proper priesthood authority from God. My heart is full of gratitude and love.
You can watch it for yourself at www.lds.org .
Groetens! Tot Ziens!! (til next time, that's Dutch!)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Answer to Life's Problems-- Sunday Verse
After all this energy I have expended on Love and Logic, it is nice to know that there is an answer to the evil. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here are some of the words of King Benjamin:
Mosiah chapter 4:
" 9 Believe in aGod; believe that he is, and that he bcreated all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all cwisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not dcomprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
He continues with how we should act:
"13 And ye will not have a amind to injure one another, but to live bpeaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due."
Here's how we should raise our children and teach them, notice he uses the word teach, not inspire, not make them figure it out and suffer consequences -- TEACH them:
"14 And ye will not suffer your achildren that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye bsuffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and cquarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the devil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
Mosiah chapter 4:
" 9 Believe in aGod; believe that he is, and that he bcreated all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all cwisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not dcomprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have atasted of his love, and have received a bremission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own cnothingness, and his dgoodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of ehumility, fcalling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing gsteadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.
He continues with how we should act:
"13 And ye will not have a amind to injure one another, but to live bpeaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due."
Here's how we should raise our children and teach them, notice he uses the word teach, not inspire, not make them figure it out and suffer consequences -- TEACH them:
"14 And ye will not suffer your achildren that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye bsuffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and cquarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the devil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
15 But ye will ateach them to bwalk in the ways of truth and csoberness; ye will teach them to dlove one another, and to serve one another."
In light of Love and Logic and other strange educational philosophies I have been dealing with, this scripture came to mind:
"29 And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them."
We have to be more careful and more discerning about things we think are good. If it is not simple and strait and narrow, then it is probably not good. If it is not meek and humble and easy, and something that everyone could do if they wanted, then it is probably not good. The gospel is simple. It is the way to happiness. We don't need to know the mysteries to be happy. Enjoy your children, your husbands and wives. Be happy. Stop trying to find hidden meanings and deeper understanding. There are several scriptures that say this:
In light of Love and Logic and other strange educational philosophies I have been dealing with, this scripture came to mind:
"29 And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them."
We have to be more careful and more discerning about things we think are good. If it is not simple and strait and narrow, then it is probably not good. If it is not meek and humble and easy, and something that everyone could do if they wanted, then it is probably not good. The gospel is simple. It is the way to happiness. We don't need to know the mysteries to be happy. Enjoy your children, your husbands and wives. Be happy. Stop trying to find hidden meanings and deeper understanding. There are several scriptures that say this:
- 13 ¶ Enter ye in at the astrait bgate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to cdestruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Sunday, March 8, 2009
A fabulous video link
This is only 1:50 seconds with audio from Pres. Uchtdorf's talk in the General Relief Society meeting on Creating. I loved it and wanted to share. It is on the Relief Society page: www.reliefsociety.lds.org
Sunday Verse - one of my favorites!
One of my favorites sections of scripture, it never ceases to touch me and inspire me to do a little better: Doctrine and Covenants Section 6:33-37
33 aFear not to do bgood, my sons, for whatsoever ye csow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow dgood ye shall also reap good for your ereward.
33 aFear not to do bgood, my sons, for whatsoever ye csow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow dgood ye shall also reap good for your ereward.
35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and asin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.
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