Sunday

Today was a terrific and inspiring day at church.

Our speakers were a young married couple with 2 kids- 13 and 11. The mom bore her testimony of listening to the Spirit of the Lord and making a life altering decision that turned their family completely inside out. It was a decision that was difficult to follow through on, but one that she knew was coming as a direct influence of the Lord. Her testimony of the effect of following the Spirit and how it improved their lives was astounding and profound. You could feel her struggle and her resulting joy through her tears and words. Not only she and her husband, but more so her children's lives, were made better by difinitive leaps. She taught us to lean to the Lord for His will and to follow His promptings more closely... even when those promptings seem unlikely or we are unsure of how those promptings will finish.

Her husband followed her with his talk, continuing the theme of listening to the Spirit and following the Lord's will in all we do. His emphasis seemed to teach me that practise makes perfect and it is only after acting on promptings will we come to see more clearly the hand of the Lord in our everyday life. He remarked about his personal history; times when he looked back and could clearly decipher those times when he took a leap of faith and those times when because he hesitated, he lost out on experiences that would have benefitted not himself, but those around him.

He also talked a bit about difficult times and two things he said I thought were, not only profound and simple, but are hugely true and as deep as you care to make them:

#1 "Always remember, you are better off than you think you are."
#2 "Hard is normal."

#1 We are better off than we think we are. If only we could remember those words when we begin to think egatively. In almost every aspect of our lives, we are truly better off than we percieve. Water for an example. We in the U.S. use it to swim in, to wash everything in, to play with, to drink, to bathe, even to decorate with! There are many people on this planet who barely have enough to drink, much less to use on their crops, and would never ever think to use it to fill a water balloon to throw at their little brother and his friends. Think of the ways we are better off mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, environmetally, yada yada yada than other people on the planet. We are better off than we think.

#2 Think of all the things in life that are much more meaningful because we had to work for them, or because they have come to us after much effort or trial or sacrifice. Children, jobs, our homes, a new car, education, wisdom, etc. Can anyone gain wisdom without trial and sacrifice? Also, it is a common mean that we must all have experience, and most of our beneficial experiences are due to hard or difficult circumstances. If we can remember that, perhaps we won't become too discouraged when we have new challenges to face. Hard is normal.

Redlands (LDS) Temple during the day!

Redlands (LDS) Temple at night

Welcome to the Fuzzy Borders Ward!

Yup, I admit it. I live in the weird ward in our stake. You know the one, every stake has one.

In days past we were the "Newly Wed - Nearly Dead" ward; an interesting cacophony of crying babies and loud talkers. On any Sunday you could hear a particular sister "whispering" to her husband about her take on the speaker, or wonder just when those parents would finally give in and let that poor infant have a cheerio.

If you live anywhere else in the stake and have lived here for more than five years, chances are you were in our ward before a split or relocation. Most people buy or move to our ward first because of economics. Also, at one time our ward was the hub for the entire stake, as we grew the stake grew, one division after another. This is great, because most of the people in our ward know everyone in the stake.

On the one side of our boundaries we have folks who live in the typical tract home, 2-3 kids, sahm, 1/2 acre, middle income, and a dog or two in the minivan. These are they who show up to every meeting in their Sunday best, teach Primary or another auxiliary and are the first to sign up for the talent show. They do their home teaching and bake bread and their kids give the other kids rides to all the meetings.

On another border you'll find the lower middle income family of 8-10 kids, modest home, two small sedans about the same age as their oldest teen, 1/2 acre, and way too many cats to count. This is the family that show up every Saturday to clean the building, they are the first ones to arrive with funeral potatoes and a home made cake, they sing too quietly but cheer exuberantly for everyone else.

To the south you may find a family who bought a house on the hill overlooking the valley. They moved here from some other city or ward hoping to get lost -only to find out no matter how far out you go the middle of nowhere is still a mile off. Eventually they'll need socialization and they'll set up a rescue fire and we will come.

Heading east are the die hard cow pokes and stubborn mules who live on several acre ranches full of weeds or horses or both. They are the self reliant-s, they keep to themselves mainly, but they come running in the storms and fill their pick up trucks with broken hearts and bones and lend their hammers and muscles in repairs.

In the middle we have struggles and illness and concern. We can't stop smoking, we still have our hair too long and what am I supposed to do with that tattoo now that it's there? We also have eyes that can look away or be blind to weaknesses. We are the ward with little financial resource but keen creativity.We only have one person who can play the piano with any ease. We are lucky, she is a retired concert pianist. However she also is in advanced stages of Alzheimer's Disease, so when she begins to play "Lord, I Will Follow Thee" and in the third verse switches it up for "I Stand All Amazed", we really aren't, we just go with the flow and are grateful she can play so beautifully.

Somewhere somehow we grab everyone and anyone we can. We love that you are here because we want your company and help. Sometimes you stay, sometimes you feel the need to move up or out and we miss you when you go. Sometimes you move in, and we rejoice because we have literally prayed you into the ward. We need you. We want you. Although we may forget to visit you on a scheduled basis, say hello in the hallway as you walk by with your brood of children, or offer to help, but we will grab our coats as we head out at 2:30 a.m. when you call.

Our leadership is goofy (read: actual humans) but they try hard to lead with the Spirit. Our scout program could be better, and our activity, well, if everyone came we would have to make another two wards!

Friends are immediate when you live in the Fuzzy Borders Ward. Our acreage is as expansive as our love and need for you. Our numbers are small, but we do mighty work.

We are the ward with more people on assistance, the one with the crazy lady and the nutso family. We are the very definition of eclectic and diverse. Swing a cat and you will not hit two people who think, act, or live the same. We have loud Democrats and even louder Republicans... don't get me started on the Independents! We have home school-ers, tax dodgers, gardeners, old hippies, a tech specialist, a district attorney, teachers, bikers, a mortician, a union business agent, hot rod enthusiasts, (SERIOUS)base ball and BYU football fans, small business owners, dancers, singers and someone who throws and annual Faery Party each summer solstice. Artists, athletes, homestead-ers, nurses, rail road workers, septic tank service-rs, police and firemen, and a school lunch lady. Retirees and singles of every age bracket. Home builders, home wreckers, and a homeless person who hangs out at our building. Managers and delivery boys, one suspected millionaire and too many poor. We have long time marrieds, newly weds, divorcees, remarries, single parents, large families, blended families, and childless couples. We have White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Nordic, Native American, and probably a few other races/places/countries represented well.

Hey wait. Isn't that the same as your ward?

FHE (or whatever you need) Peg Chart

During Relief Society last month we had an Enrichment Nighta focusing on clever ways to spruce up your Family Home Eveningb. One of the gals went to the local lumber shop, bought a plank of pine, and had the Bishop's wife saw it into small 2 foot boards for us. (that Bishop's wife is pretty crafty!) So we came up with a cute way to paint the Family Home Evening jobs.

I was busy helping the ladies paint so I just paid for my boards and came home. I just got around to painting mine and this is what I came up with. I have a little family that I do work for from time to time and I thought they might like a job chart. I know she is very young and likes trendy things. Her home is decorated with burgundy and forest green. I thought she might like the Bohemian look. I was going to paint it burgundy (it has hearts and all, figured burgundy was appropriate) however my bottle of burgundy paint was dried out. Sadness and gloom.

Not to worry I just went with the green. I started out with the creamy coloured board they had at the church, then took a few rubber stamps and stamped a brocade background using a light tan. I added metallic gold swirls and blended the dark green with the gold and scrolled out some swirls and green vines, added a few medallions and there you go.

I painted the hearts green, added some stamped filigree to the edges, painted the drawer pull knobs gold and went to work embellishing. I had black wire and some beads in gold and green, a few copper, black and pewter swirl paper clips,and used that for the hangers. I painted names and jobs and then gave everything a coat of acrylic spray to protect it. They dangle and sparkle just a bit.

I think this is a great project, fairly easy and adaptable for any family. It would look adorable as a chore or helper chart, or a place to hang keys, whatever!

I hope they enjoy it as much as I did making it for them!

a. Enrichment Night (or Home, Family and Enrichment Activities) The Relief Society women get together and have all kinds of organized fun! There are few requirements; at least three ladies interested, an activity that enriches the lives of those who participate, and regularly scheduled. Some of the activities we have in our ward/stake are the "Alleluia! Breakfast" (held the first Monday after the kids go back to school at a specific restaurant!), Whine and Dine (1st Tuesday night each month), knitting, crochet, scrapbookers, "Hens without chicks" (any gal, kids stay home, and we go do something fun), cake decorating, book club, community calendar, humanitarian aide (a monthly project to help out where needed), self reliance, etc. It just goes anywhere!

b. Family Home Evening. Members of the church have, since the mid century, been setting aside Monday evening as "family night". NO meetings, a special time when the phone isn't answered, the focus is mainly on the family and being together. Many families use this time to teach various principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, sing songs, pray, play games, generally take care of family business and have a great time together. Charts are a fun way to keep track of who gets to do what job on FHE! It's an awesome program!

vocab explanation

I sometimes forget that anyone besides my family actually reads this blog! A lot of that is because most of you who comment feel like family! Anywho, Hobbit had a great question:

What does "stake" mean? It's actually a church term. I belong to "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (um, no, not the Fundamentalist LDS...they're a whole different group.) Unfortunately we seem to have a different language! So, to help define a bit about "stakes", I offer the following. I also offer the above links for even more answers.

Short answer: It's like a church congregation, only several congregations put together.

Longer, more detailed information and answer:

When I first heard this term it was like: "We're having a meeting Thursday down at the stake house." I heard steak house and thought, "Wow! This is a church I can get used to!" I was surprised to find out it was just a bigger building!

The church is very organized. The Head of the Church is of course Jesus Christ. Then come the First Presidency, General Authorities, Area Authorities, "Stakes", and "Wards". The first three are pretty self explanatory, then we get to "stakes and wards"! First a "ward".

Ward is to congregation as potato is to potahto! They are the same, just in LDS-speak. Usually there are about 400 to 900 or so families in each "ward". Each "ward" has it's own leadership and authority for the people who live within the "ward boundaries" or geographic area. In the LDS church, folks go to a specific building and time according to where they live, not according to which chapel, Bishop/leadership/whatever they prefer. So if you live here, you go here. If you live there, you go there. Easy peasy! Every ward in the entire church worldwide studies the exact same lessons at the same time, so really it doesn't matter if you're here or there, you'll pretty much hear the same message, just delivered by a different person and their delivery of the subject matter. This works out great if you travel, you never miss a Sunday School lesson, they're on the same schedule your home ward is!

A "Stake" is another geographic area, comprised of and having authority and stewardship for/over a certain group of "wards" in a region. Usually there are about 9 to 14 "wards" in each "stake. The "Stake" is there to sustain, train, and support those within the wards, and provide opportunities for Spiritual growth. Each Stake has a 3 member presidency and high counselors that preside over wards when necessary. Conferences, leadership meetings and other events and activities are held throughout the year to provide opportunities to serve, train, fellowship, and generally have fun getting to know each other in the wards as we all build our testimonies of Christ and grow Spiritually.

The term "stake" came from the Old Testament, in reference to the temple. The temple in the Old Testament was a tent that was able to move from locale to locale. When set up, the "stakes" were driven into the ground to help support and secure the temple, so the members of the church could worship and grow Spiritually. Essentially our "stakes" are there to do the same thing, support the members of the church as they worship, serve, and grow.

I, because I am a woman, belong to the world's largest womens' organization! The Relief Society. Originally organized to teach, train, and provide relief for the families in the early church, this world wide organization continues to provide service and support, training and Spiritual opportunities not only in the church but throughout our communities and the world. Each ward has a Relief Society Presidency, and each stake also has a Relief Society Presidency. I am the Education Counselor in our Stake Relief Society Presidency. I have many duties and opportunities to serve, which I LOVE!

No one in the church is compensated monetarily for their service, it's all volunteer! From the top to the bottom, everyone serves willingly because they want to. I cannot tell you how much I have learned from all the church "callings" I have had. Which leads me to "callings".

In the church no one aspires to nor rejects a "calling". (Yes, sometimes people do both, but the general idea is that we don't! People are people after all!) We believe a person is called of God by and through proper Priesthood Authority to specific positions in the church, a Sunday School Teacher, a Music Chorister, a Counselor in any of the many auxiliaries, even passing out the programs for the Sunday Meetings! Usually the person feels inadequate to fulfill their responsibilities or duties, but that is the blessing of being called by God instead of seeking a certain job...The Lord builds you up to the call and you learn so much by serving!

So there you go. A really long explanation and then some! If anyone has any other questions regarding my vocabulary or about the church in general, I don't claim to know everything, but hey, I'll sure try to answer the best I can!

Thanks so much!!!

and also, if I have misrepresented or given out goofed up info, hey -someone send me up a flag!

Apostasy Comes Stealthily

I remember when I was young our mother taught us many useful things. One particular lesson was to "Bloom where you were planted". Something s in our life will never be in our control, so we need to control our reactions to those unsettling events and make the best of them. After all, we never know how life will turn out until the end.

I took it to heart, as did my siblings. Sure, we get bummed when we have things planned out and then life throws you a curve, but for the most part we have tried to live by those lessons learned long ago.

I recently met with an older couple for an afternoon and during the visit listened as the wife rehearsed her dissatisfaction at being "displaced" from one house of worship to another. The religion hasn't changed. Her location has; and it is actually more convenient for them. This is something that she should have understood would happen(being a member for over fourty years), this is the way of things in the church. Growth causes change and change is always growth.

Back in the day I was always taught that God places you in certain paths until you no longer are needed there, or until you have learned what you can from the experience. "Bad" things, tests, trials and the like are not negative in reality, but opportunities for growth and development.

This woman earned a great reputation as a teacher. She could pick up a manual or topic assignment and then give a great application to her students. She found creative ways to motivate and enrich. Then one day she was released from her duty.

Instead of thinking of it as a great opportunity -as she had taught us to- she became embittered towards her leadership and towards the poor innocent person who was chosen to take her position. She looked at it as a "replacement" as a "undeserved demotion" as and adversary who had come"unworthily and unqualified" to "ruin" the position and all who would be involved. Her reaction to this change was to run away. She convinced herself and her husband that she was "sick" and stayed home that first week. That first week led to a second and then a third and she has been "sick" every weekend for almost two years. Now that she has discovered that their boundaries will place them in a new building, she is outraged. Now, instead of feigning illness on the week end, she is "protesting" and refuses to attend.

My question to her was "Will your lack of attendance change the situation?" She didn't answer with words but with a face of indignation; she knew the she had no power to change the situation, but still she is bucking the system.

Instead of accepting that she had served well, and that a younger, non experienced teacher was now learning to become a gifted teacher, she quit the team, she took her toys and went home. This woman, who could have been a great mentor to the new teacher, instead became selfish. Did it change the situation? No. It just took her down the road to apostasy as subtly as that alligator in the swamp waiting for the perfect moment to snap down an antelope at the water's edge.

If you asked she or her husband if she were inactive she would reply "No, I am just sick on the weekend." If you proposed the idea that she were apostate, she would be shocked to be classified as such. But in reality, she doesn't accept the authority that has changed the situations in her life, she feels she knows more than those who have been called to represent God, and feels she knows better than God and His will for her. She is defiant and when asked about whether these in authority are called of God, she mocks them and breaks sacred covenants in the process. It's sad.

I try to have some introspection within my own life to see the areas that I choose to put on that road to apostasy. Where do I dig in? Who do I mock? Who do I see as unfit for the Kingdom? Do I pick and choose whom has authority and who does not according to my preferences? Do I feign illness or create situations that cause me to withdraw myself from certain activities that I don't care for? Do I become hurt or offended because I have been released or called to a position I don't really want?

I am struggling with these issues. Wanting to help the woman I write about, yet turning to the mirror and hoping I can more effectively change that woman. I pray I can have influence on both.

Latest Project

O.k. So I'm writing this after a long day, 9:30 and I am just walking in the door.

Here's the gig: We're expecting approximately 700+ women for a inspirational musical presentation, 2 90-minute performances, Friday night and Saturday morning. We have a professional trio of women who sing, dance and perform who are willing to come on their dime and do this for us FOR FREE!

WE are very excited to say the least. So for the last year or so we have planned and prepped and tomorrow is the first big day.

This morning I went shopping with an other gal for the dinners and lunches we are providing. We're making crescents filled with home made chicken salad with grapes, celery, craisins, and poppy seeds. A side dish of "frog eye" salad, chips, celery and carrot sticks, a bottle of water and a double chocolate brownie. All home made from scratch. I prepped the celery today, and the other gal prepped the grapes.

Tonight we met down at the building. We put up a false ceiling and wall drapes of chiffon, a platform stage, and 400 chairs covered with chair drapes that go to the floor, and came home to collapse until tomorrow.

Tomorrow (which, when you read this will be today) we'll meet and begin cooking. Broil chicken, chop, blend, mix, fill... and feed 400 women! Once the performance begins I will be taking photos of the event.

On Saturday we'll do it all over again, then tear down, and drive our performers to the airport.

Sunday, if all goes well and I am still alive, I'll post photos.

I got a problem.

Alrighty then. Perhaps we should just read this in the Church Lady voice and be done with it.

Today's subject: Sex.

(now, evidently,soon to be former) New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and US Girls.

First, the Governor. It's not surprise that a career politician, one who builds that career on "moral" standards, has been caught with a prostitute. It's not a surprise that our tax dollars were paying for all this $1000.00 per hour service. It's not a surprise that the spouse stands beside this politician and says they will work on the marriage. I understand there are marriages where this has happened and that, yes, it can be repaired, my point is that this man's act was for recreation, not an emotional outburst or momentary madness.

Why am I not surprised that this is being played out in t.v. and radio as a common "mistake". Last evening there was an L.A. radio host who said all this could be avoided if prostitution were legal. Really? This is the problem? Evidently. According to this host, men are men, and men need variety and will cheat if they don't get permission to do so. He states that no man should even think about marriage until he is well into his 30s, and then only if he has been with many many women. He even went so far as to suggest those women be from different cultures, countries, etc.... juuuuust to try all he can. Hmm.

It's true that this host felt sorry for the wife, the kids, but in reality they should have seen it coming and this, he explained, is why women always forgive the men who go off to prostitutes. It has nothing to do with intimacy, it's just sex. This, according to his program, was excuse enough. The whole "Boys will be boys!" rule.

Interesting. I married a man; not an animal. I am offended to think that people are just blithely sitting by without protesting this statement that all men are beasts, and will and should conduct themselves without control or self discipline.

The entire program, from I can tell by going back this morning and listening to sound bites, has to do with his agenda at getting prostitution legalized, after all Nevada has figured it out. Legalize it, monitor it, and everyone can be safe while breaking their vows.

One of his guests was a former Hollywood madam and she agreed with all he had to promote. Lovely.

Essentially, because it was with a prostitute, everyone should be o.k. with this. I'm not even talking about the tax money, the laws, the dignity that was destroyed because of this. Heck why should we bother with that? Why is no one bothered that a "leader" has once again broken the trust of the American people? Because we have come to expect it.

Then we have the new report that 1 in 4 girls aged 14 - 19 are infected with an STD. Is this alarming, or is this too, normal human behaviour? "We can't stop people from having sex, teens are gonna have sex!" That's the thinking, right? I have a lot of problems with this study.

I find the timing amazing. Consider all the controversy lately about vaccines. Darn those moms anyway! Now, just when we have a handle on another vaccine, all these moms are wiggin' out and wondering if they should just blindly go forth as we have been trained to do. Or, maybe we need to stop and think a minute about it. So out comes a scare tactic to reinforce the need for a vaccine.

Doesn't anyone wonder if this is another Thalidomide ? Does it concern anyone else that we are vaccinating girls during puberty? Does it occur to anyone that we don't have any concrete long term studies on how this will affect their reproductive health later? Back in the day "the pill" was a new thing, a "hope", for women every where because heck, we were gonna have sex anyway, right? It was a band aide that was supposed to put everyone at ease.

The problem is that it is just that, birth control, not pregnancy prevention. We still get pregnant, it's just the birth that has become controlled. Back in the day no one knew personally of a women who was actually considered "barren". It almost seemed biblical. No one heard of anyone going to get help with fertilization; that was rare. Now, swing a cat and hit a couple who have fertility issues. Could the fact that we all have succumbed to the chemical cures that we are forgetting to connect the dots?

It's easier to just take a pill, to get a vaccine, than to do what it takes to avoid things we are not ready for. So let's all march our young girls down and get them vaccinated against a preventable disease. Yes, preventable.

Another problem I have with this report is the "girls only" angle. Are these girls born with STD? No, and the study implies (rightly so) that they have had sex. But with other girls or were there boys involved as well? If so, then how many boys have STD? Why aren't we concerned about warning them? The answer they are giving us is, that with the boys, there is rarely physical evidence or signs, with girls there is. O.k., but still, shouldn't there be something said about both genders? Shouldn't we be worried about the boys too?

How about that "black girl" stat? I tell you, I'm not black and I am furious over this. Where were these studies taken? In large cities. Were there 50 white girls and 50 black girls studied and they found these stats from that data? Were the girls completely honest? There are too many variables. Maybe it's not even 1 out of 4 girls. Did they test girls from all kinds of families, neighborhoods, classes, races, religions, regions, etc. etc. etc? Or perhaps the control group they chose could bend the outcome. Anyone who has taken a high school math class can see how stats can be bent.

On a hot day, give every teen in a crowd their choice of Pepsi or Water. Count how many teens are wearing black shirts. Count how many kids in that crowd wearing black shirts choose the Pepsi. Chances are the conclusion can be drawn that teens who drink Pepsi have a tendency to wear black shirts. Black can be a sign of Goth or depressed behaviour, i.e. Pepsi causes depression in teens. Forget the fact that 99% of the teens in the high school across the street wear black as a "cool" colour choice and that most teens enjoy a soda on a hot day. Stats can be skewed.

I'm a little ticked here. Tell the world that 1/4th of all your girls are sleeping around and spreading disease. Scare the crap out of everyone. Don't worry about the future outcome, that's why we have lawyers. Assume your children are idiots and without self control. Have them punched up with chemicals to avoid a disease that can be avoided completely. Make some pharmaceutical companies some cold hard cash. What other choice do you have?

It's easy. Talk to your kids. Both genders. Tell them who they are. Tell them they are worth more. Tell them they deserve more. Tell them how and why to wait. Expect more. Trust them to do just that. Educate them with as much information as you can. Give them some credit for being more than animals.

Kelso, Roy's, & Joshua

So, because it feels like it has been forever since I picked up my camera, Thor indulged me as we drove home from Lost Wages last week.

He had to drive the long way home- and off the beaten path as it were, so lucky me, I got to take some new views in and saw things from what looked like another place and time. They were actually.

Amboy CA. and Roy's. A once working motel and gas station it has become just a speck on a map and a place for travelers to stop, buy expensive gas and soda from a machine, and take in the brightness that is almost too hard to look at in the midday sun. It's advertised as a "movie set" currently and there is a "security guard" who will talk to you if you ask. There is also the Amboy School tucked behind the blinding white rooms of the hotel, some history there, but you'll need to dig for it. (chronologically this was stop #2)

The old Spanish style church is in 29 Palms, just across the street from the entrance and visitors center into Joshua Tree . To me, it looked like I was in a scene from a Mexican movie. I really couldn't stop taking photos of it. The church is open; and Catholic, and sadly that is all the information I have on it. (stop #3)

Kelso (stop #1) has a rich past as a depot stop halfway between nowhere and been there in the Mojave Desert. Literally the only building for hours. It has been restored -or kept in tact, nicely.

As we walked through, the staff busied themselves while asking politely if you required anything, then left you to explore on your own. If asked, they pointed directions, offered antidotes, and always smiled. They also joked with each other in the basement (which is being made into an art museum) as they hung photographs, old and quite modern, of the surrounding area.

There are three floors, many of which are left as they were used in the past. A small gift shop, and plenty of free handouts with pertinent information readily available. The famed "lunch room" is closed for business. You can stroll all around the marble counter and sit in the lacquered swivel chairs all you want, but no tuna sandwiches, no cherry phosphates will be forthcoming from the kitchen.

I took liberties with the photos. Changed them just a bit with the computer. They just didn't seem as nice in true colour. What do you think?

Celebrity Sighting!

Hey! Lookie over there! I see a celebrity! Me! I'm a guest poster (or is the poser???) at Mormon Mommy Wars today! Check me out!

The Hinckley Challenge

To honour the life of President Gordon B. Hinckley, who asked us to read the Book of Mormon, and make it a part of our lives, a web site has been set up to do just that. The challenge is to read the book from cover to cover in 97 days. This is going to be great!

If you'd like to join me just click the green lettering to the right of the screen.

Gordon Bitner Hinckley

For those of you who may not know Gordon B. Hinckley or why he is still so dear to me, these presentations will give a small glimpse of this great man.

Please click this for a Tribute to President Gordon B. Hinckley, presented by BYU, and then enjoy the additional video below, from the Newsroom of the Church.

President Gordon B. Hinckley

President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away this evening. I have been all over the net reading sentiment after sentiment about this great man. The main theme seems to be his devotion to the Lord, his building up of the kingdom, and how bittersweet this passing is on all of us. Bitter for us who will miss his wisdom, enthusiasm, joy, optimism and humour among a thousand other attributes. Sweet, because he will be with his dear Marjorie once more and forever. The official
statement from the church included this:

"President Hinckley was known, even at the age of 97, as a tireless leader who always put in a full day at the office and traveled extensively around the world to mix with Church members, now numbering 13 million in 171 nations.

His quick wit and humor, combined with an eloquent style at the pulpit, made him one of the most loved of modern Church leaders. A profoundly spiritual man, he had a great fondness for history and often peppered his sermons with stories from the Church’s pioneer past.

He was a popular interview subject with journalists, appearing on 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace and on CNN’s Larry King Live, as well as being quoted and featured in hundreds of newspapers and magazines over the years. During the Salt Lake Olympics of 2002, his request that the Church refrain from proselytizing visitors was credited by media with generating much of the goodwill that flowed to the Church from the international event."

and this

"...in April 2001, President Hinckley initiated the Perpetual Education Fund — an ambitious program to help young members of the Church (mainly returning missionaries from developing countries) receive higher education and work-related training that they would otherwise likely never receive."

The Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune also have articles that highlight his hard working and selfless life.

I will miss his positive inspiration and humour. I really love this man, this Prophet of God. I will write more, for now, this is all I can say.

Extreme Makeover...

Wow. Today was great. Church had some really awesome lessons, the best one, I think, in Relief Society. The Extreme Makeover.

The teacher opened with three different Top Ten lists on New Year's Resolutions. One from the city of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia. Their top resolution? Spend more time with family; followed by the usual stuff, lose weight, quit smoking, fix the house up, etc. The second list mentioned many of the same items, and the third made me sit up and take notice. It began...

#1. Never again see someone cold, hungry, or without hope. Find a way to help these people before you leave their presence.

Let me tell you, I heard the Spirit very distinctly and I knew before the day was out one person I knew of would not be cold or hungry again this winter.

The teacher pointed out that all of these resolutions were great, some even admirable, and that a lot of them were very predictable. How do I rid myself of having to repeat the same resolution again, or in other words, How can I finally achieve all this, and have it stick?

She brought out a Barbie doll. We'd all like to be like Barbie. Thin, fit, great job, pretty smile, nice house, fast car and liked by everyone. But how do we get there? Dr. Hollywood. Dr. Hollywood comes along and we can pay him thousands of dollars to Nip and Tuck, Make us the Biggest Loser, and/or give us the Extreme Makeover.

First up, Lasik Eye Surgery to see more clearly. She asked us to think in the terms of the Saviour who advised us to pull the beam from our own eye before we set out to pluck the mote from our [sister's] eye. Good advice. Seeing other folks as the Lord sees them would indeed give us an eye lift that would make us feel better about who looks back at us when we look in the mirror. Spiritual clarity when looking at the world would help us in all kinds of ways!

Dr. Hollywood would charge $3,500, The Lord asks us to be obedient to His laws and Commandments, and to donate 10% of our earnings.

Next, Rhinoplasty. The perfect nose! Again, she helped us see that the Lord asks us to keep our nose out of other people's business, into good books, and to the grindstone. This would make anyone's nose more attractive.

Luscious full lips are all the rage right now. The stores are full of chemical enhancers called lip venom that, when applied, will swell the lips into the desired plump kissable mouth we all want. We can pay Dr. Hollywood $20.00 for lip venom, or thousands for collagen implants; or we can do as the Lord has asked and speak kind words, avoid speaking ill of others, never lying or stretching the truth, and finding ways to lift someone else will lift us as well. Again, it costs 10% and obedience.

She went on to talk about saggy necks that could be lifted surgically or doing facial exercises like smiling and keeping our head high as we go through trials. That tummy tuck or perhaps fasting and donating the money spent on two skipped meals to those who have nothing to eat. Gastric By-Pass or perhaps following the Lord's diet of healthy foods that are fresh, and good exercise. Following the Lord's plan adds a bonus of a healthier mind and Spirit too, for no extra cost. Angioplasty to unblock a clogged artery or maybe acts of love to open up our heart? Flabby underarms could be liposucked or perhaps wrapping those same arms around someone alone or frightened or lost would be more beneficial in the long run.

The lesson had many illustrations for a complete head to toe makeover that would be so much better for us in the long run, because it would strengthen our Spirit as well as our body. No money involved, just commitment to the Lord and following His example and commandments.

It was a fun, motivating and Spiritual lesson. I am so glad she taught it. It was really a good day.

The $30.00 Tree:

Both the same tree, same position, just different light trying to get the tree to look like it does in real life. You tell me...which picture do you think looks best? I just finished the tree in the foyer, and then pulled it into a spare room until Saturday night for the toy drive dinner. After Thanksgiving it will probably go in front of the window that is providing the lovely glare in the photo. I'll reposition the furniture so it fits better.

Speaking of furniture. (cue Psycho knife slashing scene music!!!) This building, although very nice and I can say many positive things about it, the furnishings are less than well done. The carpeting is a deep greyish navy blue with emerald specks. The walls are covered in a heavy corded jute/grass cloth that is like a faded forest green. In the foyer the couch and chair are covered in a lovely beige background with deep rose, deep turquoise, and blue-ish hunter green floral designs. If one wanders into the chapel they would find the same carpet and walls and the pews are covered in a bright sea foamy-teal. It makes your eyes bleed. Sweet Mercy! This is why I chose the monochromatic gold theme for the tree. It was either that or go with purple and finish off all the congregates with a mind exploding fusion of death inducing colour. (fyi: This is the new remodel colours! Somebody's niece obviously just graduated from decorating school.)

I'll have a tutorial with all the gory details on Tuesday. The tutorial will be posted as a $40.00 tree. That's how much it would cost if you didn't have as many "freebies" laying around the house as I did. Any who, you get the idea.

Tree Update:

I finished the tree! Whoot! I got up with Thor so I could get down to the church before the "cemetery" kids* left for school, which means I was there at 6:15 a.m.! I put the last bulb on the tree at 12:45, so it was a loooong morning!

Then the phone began to ring and ring and ring and ring! Seriously. For 45 minutes I got one call and then another sometimes overlapping! A small emergency with one of the kids, nothing terrible, just an emergency.

After getting that all sorted away I needed to get some shopping done for tomorrow. Shop shop shop, stop to make a 3 more phone calls in the grocery store!, then head home. I just put the groceries away and got on the computer to post for today.

I will try very hard to get photos of the tree up tonight or maybe for tomorrow's post, but I am not making any promises! This day is outta control!

Now I am off to make soup for the masses (potluck dinner at church tamale!) and then dessert for (about 50???) -my daughter in law's baby shower; also tomorrow. So busy afternoon ahead! See ya later! (cross your fingers!)

*seminary is an early morning religion class that all high school students can attend. It begins at 5:45 a.m. each school day and ends at 6:45 so they can go to school. YAWN! (to think that I used to teach seminary...holy yikes!)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Yes it's that time of year again when S'mee gets busy gearing up for Christmas. But it's not even Thanksgiving yet you say? Well here's the deal:

Every year we have a church dinner, potluck this year, where all the congregates gather together and are "required" to set up the tables and decorations, and then pay to eat potluck food they brought in an effort to glean toys for anyone in our area who may need them.

Thor and I have been asked to provide a tree with decorations. We have plenty of trees, but because this is a tree for inside the church it needed to be "better" than my normal theme trees.
Today I am in the process of turning $20.00 worth of Dollar Tree fixins in to an elegant tree worthy of the event and the foyer! Stay tuned! More photos to come. In the meantime I am going back to my golden little orbs. A whole garbage bag of them!

Another short post.

Just went to a church conference this morning and it was pretty great. We presented a power point to the all the women. Thor went to our regular ward and came home with an assignment. I will be putting up the Christmas tree again this year. A few years back I got the assignment and we had a budget for the tree and ornaments.

The tree looked fabulous and was a great addition to the foyer through the season. However over the years a few others wanted the opportunity to dress the tree and who am I to say not to that! However, because I was not involved I didn't have control of where the tree and decorations were store or how. Last year the tree was in shambles and no ornaments were to be had. This is extremely disappointing as they both should have lasted for at least ten more years.

I don't think the church has the funds available this year to repurchase everything they need, so Thor and I decided we should just offer up one of our trees and the decorations to go with. It just seems like the easiest solution this late in the game. We have a toy drive dinner at the end of the week, so this week I will be gathering what I need to get the hall looking Christmas-y.

Each year our congregation collect new toys for the children and families who may need them locally. Ages and names are available also if there is a specific need so that other items may also be purchased. The Bishop collects all the items at the end of the night, distributes what he can to the locals and any left overs are then delivered to Deseret Industries to be given freely to others who may need them.

So that's the report for today! I am off to bed. Yesterday I was exposed to a heavy smoker and ever since I have had a migraine...ick and yeeeowch! So me and some frozen peas have a date!

a good idea, repeated

I am repeating myself in this post to emphasis a great point, one that -again- I can't claim as my own.

A young mom in our ward found herself in the same situation we all do, frustrated and wondering how her child made it through the day in one piece. She confided over the pulpit that she had made the mistake of putting her child to bed in anger. She tucked her little one into bed with a laundry list of his wrong doings and turned out the light in a huff.

Half way down the hall she heard his tiny voice calling, "Mommy, what about the rights?" In confusion she turned back and asked him to explain. "What rights? What are you talking about?" Her little boy replied that she had told him all the things he did wrong, would she tell him the all the things he did right before he went to sleep?

At this point, her eyes filled with tears and she realized she had sent her child to bed without knowing any of the good things he had accomplished that day. He felt like a failure in his mommy's eyes, unsure of his place, unsure that he was loved. I fear that we all have been in that same position some time during our mothering careers.

I was very humbled to hear this story, feeling my own guilt and wanting to be better. Isn't this a grand idea? She repented right then and there and decided that every night he would be tucked into bed, no matter the prior experiences of the day, with a laundry list of things done right. She admits that the list can be difficult to fill some days, "You were the very best at breathing today!" "You kept your shoes on all the way through lunch!" and other such good deeds. The thing is, he went to bed feeling loved by his mommy.

I don't believe we need to coddle our children, to let them win each time, to take them to every event they are invited to or make sure their life is fair in every way. They need to learn and experience life. However, they should always feel safe when they lie down at night. They should always feel love before they go to sleep.