I am not "a"mused! *

One Source of Happiness

2011-12-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

I drive to church several times each week for all of the various activities and services. One of the busy intersections on my way always has several homeless people standing on the median begging. Usually these individuals are older gentlemen and if I have spare cash I usually give them something. But lately there has been a young man, probably in his early 20's standing there. I have to be honest and say my first reaction was rather judgmental - "You're young! Why don't you get a job?" But then I reminded myself that I was driving to church after all, and I should be more compassionate ;-).
It's obvious that this young man hasn't had a bath in a VERY long time and more than likely is an addict. The more I thought about it, the more sadness I felt. I wondered where is his family? Does his mother know he is begging on the corner? (It would absolutely break my heart to know one of children was living on the streets.)
That's when I realized once again, how blessed I truly am. I know that there are many people who love me and care about me. And although I have made many poor choices in my life, I have been spared from becoming addicted to something that destroys my ability to think and care for myself. It only takes one bad decision to alter the course of our lives.
We are all searching for love and happiness. But contrary to what the "world" would teach us, it can't be found in drugs, alcohol or sex. Just look at this young man. He is a great example of that lie. Is he happy? Does he feel loved? There is only one true source of happiness - Jesus Christ. If this young man had known he was a child of God, would he have made the same choices? If he had known that he could turn to God with any problem, would his life be different today? I believe that it would be. I hope that he realizes it is not too late. He can change his life and God will be right there with him to help him through everything he faces.
His mother may not know where he is. But This mother will be praying for him every day.

Another blow to our freedom

2011-11-09T12:33:00.002-07:00

For those of you who don't watch the news or "aren't from around these parts" - there has been a huge recall election in Mesa. Arizona has a silly clause in their constitution that allows a recall election to be demanded for ANY reason (and apparently by anyone!). Well a few months ago, an organization from outside the state of Arizona - that's right, NOT the citizens of Mesa - collected enough signatures (mostly through deception from what I have learned - sigh) to get a recall election to remove the president of the Arizona senate from office. (You may have heard of him - Russell Pearce. That's right, the guy that wrote that immigration legislation that put the country in an uproar.) Well, this is BAD! I am all for the recall process to remove someone who has committed a crime, isn't doing his job, or has committed something worthy of being ousted. But ONLY when demanded by the citizens of that district! No one can say what Pearce has done wrong - other than write legislation that this "outside" group didn't like. Then to make matters worse, this group convinced a former Stake President (leader in the LDS church - most of Mesa is LDS by the way), Jerry Lewis, to run.
He's a good man. Everyone likes him. So what's the problem you ask? Let me esplain Lucy... In a regular election you have primaries. Each party has a "run off" to determine the best candidate to represent their party. Then in the election all of the parties run against one another creating a "balance" of ideas (I know I get frustrated with our party system too, but it does serve a good purpose when used correctly.). But in a recall election only one party runs. In this case it was the Republican party. So what did this "outside" organization do? They picked a candidate that was a "Democrat in disguise" - (you know a "liberal" Republican), thus assuring that he would receive all the Democratic votes - stacking the deck so to speak.
So how is that bad? Mr. Lewis is still a "good" guy. This is BAD because it sets a dangerous precedent. A group of people NOT of the state of Arizona have just trumped the vote of the people of Mesa - remember, Pearce won a fair election. Where will this stop? Any group with enough power and money can come into any state (silly enough to have the same clause as Arizona - and there are a lot of them!) and remove any candidate they want. This is BAD because, now our representatives are not accountable to the people in their district, but are now influenced by outside sources who can threaten to remove them from office. This is BAD because a lot of time and money will be wasted trying to stop these outside organizations from negating our votes. This is BAD because it creates a lot of decisiveness within a community (just look at what is happening in Mesa!).
This whole "mess" reminds me of a scripture - "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." This recall is definitely an example of "wickedness in high places."
In one of the "debates" I participated in yesterday, one individual said, "People don't have to be informed voters. People have a right to be as informed or uniformed as they wish and still have their voice counted equally...You only have a moral responsibility to vote your conscience." Yes, that is true. But only when we become a nation of "informed" voters will we maintain our freedom. Sadly, yesterday, we gave up another little piece of that freedom.

Is Satan Intelligent?

2011-08-11T10:15:00.001-07:00

I love to read books that make me think. One of the books I was reading last week (yes, I read more than one at a time!), said something that has really made me ponder. The author claims that God created two things - things to act and things to be acted upon (2 Ne 2:14). He then states that the ability to act of one's own free will is also called intelligence. And things that are acted upon are called inanimate matter. (He further states that only intelligence and matter have existed for all eternity (DC 93:33)). He believes that Satan does not have the power to act, but only the power to react. And because he cannot act of his own accord, he therefore has no intelligence. In DC 93:29 it says that intelligence is the light of truth. Since Satan has no light (he is the prince of darkness) or truth (he is the father of lies), then he cannot have intelligence.
Do I agree??? Hmm... It is interesting, but I'm not sure. First, can Satan really only react? I know that he doesn't have the power to create. For example, when Moses performed the miracles before Pharaoh, Satan only copied the miracles. He didn't perform anything original. If he had the power to create, why wouldn't he have done some stunning new miracle to show his power? When he tempted Eve in the garden, it was only after God had given the commandment not to eat. So is that an action or reaction (Satan reacting in opposition to God's commandment)? The scriptures teach that there must be opposition in all things. So we know that Satan is the opposition to God, but as the opposition does Satan have the power to act of his own accord?
Then there is the question of intelligence itself. What is intelligence? Is it only the ability to act for oneself? According to the dictionary Intelligence = understanding; skill. Intelligence also means a spiritual being. Satan is a spiritual being, so therefore he would be an intelligence. But is he an intelligent intelligence? I think Satan does have understanding and skill. He is able to think and reason. I think he is intelligent.
So according to the author Satan is nothing more than matter. (If there are only two things intelligence and matter and he is not intelligence, then he must be matter.) But matter doesn't have the ability to think or reason. Matter doesn't have understanding or skill.
Therefore I have to say I disagree. If Satan can only react, how could he then be held accountable for his actions? How could God justly punish him in the end? God never forces any of His children to do anything. I do not believe Satan is forced to behave as he does. And if he can act then he would have intelligence.
Now if we only go with the definition of intelligence from D&C, that intelligence is the light of truth. Then I would agree. Satan does not have the light of truth (or the light of Christ) in him and would therefore not be intelligent.
I guess it depends on the definition. What do you think?

Too much excitement

2011-08-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

Well, July was certainly not a dull month! The first two weeks we were on vacation. We spent a few days in Colorado. We had a great time and then went on to Omaha to visit family and attend a wedding. It was so good to see all the family, but sad that I didn't get a chance to see everyone (especially my friends!).
Then at the end of the month we went camping. We went to our favorite spot at the Blue Ridge Reservoir. This was the first time we brought the dog. He wasn't real excited about always being chained up. But at least he wasn't alone in the back yard or running away! We always seem to have some adventure while camping. This time we met a rattle snake - yikes! It was hiding under our cooler. Thank you Heavenly Father for watching over us and not letting it bite anyone!
Then when we got home from camping, I opened the freezer to put the ice packs back and a frozen 2-liter bottle of water fell on my foot - breaking my toe - ouch!!! So after hobbling around for a week on crutches, I am now hobbling around in a wooden shoe. It is highly fashionable - ha!
Why do I freeze a bottle of water you ask? It's all the chickens fault!! It gets really hot here in the summer (I know that's hard to believe!), so to keep my girls cool, I put a frozen bottle in their water each morning. - yes, they are spoiled!
So as you can see there has been just too much excitement in our house for one month!!

My Garden

2011-06-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

My garden this year has done fabulous!! It only took three years ;-).

My beets and cucumbers

(I can't keep up with that nasty Bermuda grass!)

The "chicken garden" in the front - all the veggies the chickens like to eat,

but I don't -ha! (kale, swiss chard, and green beans)

Onions in the middle (the carrots have been picked already)

and corn in the back

the lime tree in front

tomatoes in back

there are peppers there too

but hard to distinguish in front of the tomatoes

strawberries

they are my experiment in the desert

the leaves are a bit yellow - iron deficiency

but they should look better in a couple weeks

if they survive the heat!

my citrus trees

grapefruit (2), orange, and clementine

peach (the "half" tree), apple, plum and apricot

the yellow one way in the back is a pomegranate

(it has iron deficiency too - but should look better soon)

the apple tree before I picked it this week

my grapes

sweet potatoes and garlic

(all the "green" you see in between is dill!

I let the last batch go to seed to collect the seeds

for herbal remedies and boy did it go to seed!)

my pumpkins, butternut squash and broccoli

(also going to seed - I use non-hybrid seeds and

then collect them for next year)

There is a watermelon too, but forgot to get a picture of that - oops!

So far my garden has produced:

5 qts apple sauce

(+1 apple pie ;-)

15 qts tomatoes

4 qts grape juice

7 qts pickles

4 qts tomato salsa

6 batches green salsa (I freeze that)

10 pints carrots

10 pints beets

5 pumpkins

2 butternut squash

YUM!!!

Let us labor to enter into His rest

2011-06-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

I believe that God created the world on which we live and it is a BEAUTIFUL place. But I've never really pondered much about HOW he did it. Maybe I've been influenced too much by the stories of the Greek and Roman Gods, but I've always kind of pictured God resting on a lounge chair and just casually waving his hands and commanding the elements and "voila" the earth was created. (I told you I've never really thought about it!)

But this morning as I was reading Hebrews 4 it suddenly dawned on me that creating the world must have been A LOT of work. After all, when God was finished He needed to "rest". That doesn't sound like He was just casually waving a hand or two. It sounds like he worked for 6 LONG days and didn't stop until everything was finished and pronounced "good".

I believe that He wants me to do the same. My time here on earth is in reality VERY short (only 2 1/2 hours in God's time!). I need to work diligently and tirelessly until my mission is finished and "pronounced good". And to remind me of His infinite mercy He allows me to follow his pattern: I work six LONG days and then rest - not "lounging" on the couch" but spending the seventh day totally focused on Him; renewing my spirit and strengthening my soul.

As Paul reminds us..."Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest..." Heb 4:11.

It's Finished! (well almost)

2011-06-15T12:21:00.004-07:00

The chickens (and rabbits) have a home! My wonderful hubby has finished the chicken coop (well except for the nesting boxes - but we don't need those yet anyway).

Here's the second batch of chickens (after the cat ate 2 of the first batch)

- they are a few days old here

The fluffy yellow one (Angel) didn't survive my active children or the dog

- who decided to "unbury" it and use it as a toy for a few hours before eating it

- can you say GROSS!

Framing the coop

the (almost) finished coop

I had more pics of the stages in between,

but my kids deleted them off the camera (grrr!)

Here are the "ladies" now. The speckled and light brown are the

survivors from first batch, the dark ones are from the second batch

(there's another hiding behind Georgina on the block)

And here's our latest addition to the "farm" - two rabbits George and Lily

(I can't tell them apart!)

I wasn't sure about puting them with the chickens,

but they seem to get along great

(well at least I think so, but since the rabbits are trying to

dig their way out, maybe they would say otherwise :-)

The inside of the coop

A picture from a distance - and to show off my corn

(and tomatoes on the left)

(ignore the weeds in the onion patch - I'm still trying to catch up

from 2 weeks of no weeding - and its HOT!!)

And here's Chester (acting all innocent and cute!)

AHHHHH - I need another day!

2011-06-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well...things have NOT gone as planned this week. I leave for Girl's camp on Saturday, t-minus 1 day!!! And I have nothing ready -do you hear me nothing!! Why you ask? Because someone (and boy are you lucky I don't know who you are!) shared a NASTY virus with me. I have been in bed for 2 days - count them - 2 WHOLE days! I didn't have time to be in bed for 2 days. Now how am I going to get 3 days worth of - shopping, packing, shopping, finding the gazillion items stored SOMEWHERE in the garage that we just HAVE to have (you know hammer, nails, tape, string), more shopping, and then preparing food for my wonderful hubby who went to college but can't read a recipe - all so that my other beautiful children don't starve while I'm gone - done in ONE day??? (deep breath)
But on the plus side, I have lost 8 pounds!! Who knew - just stop eating, spend every other hour in the bathroom and voila - easy (not painless) weight loss! (NOT highly recommended!)
So now that I can actually lift my head off the pillow, I better figure out what I need to pack...

a need for "constructions"

2011-05-24T22:34:00.003-07:00

A little over a year ago, I was called as the Young Women's president in my ward (for my non-mormon friends - that means I get to work with the amazing youth (ages 12-18) in my church). One of my favorite parts of Young Women is Personal Progress (PP). PP helps the girls develop talents, skills and abilities that will help them become great moms, wives and leaders. The program is based on the 8 values that help the girls understand their divine identity and ultimately lead them closer to their saviour, Jesus Christ. It is an amazing program. I want each of my girls to achieve their Personal Progress award, so that means I need to complete the program too.
So for the past month I have been working on my "good works" project. It all started with my desire to teach my children how to cook. (That was something I was not taught in my youth - which made the first couple years of marriage VERY stressful!) At first I started with just showing them how to prepare a couple simple meals. I thought it went well. But then when I asked them to try to do it on their own, they were really frustrated and couldn't do it. That was when I realized that they needed the "constructions" (my son's word for instructions ;-) - they needed the recipes! duh!!
Oh, but therein was the problem. I don't have recipes for most of the foods I make. Well, what could I do? I could just have them make the dish over and over until they have it memorized. But that would take a long time and quite frankly I don't want to eat the same food that many times in a row! Rats! That meant that I had to actually make recipes for my "creations". (Maybe that's why my Mom never taught me to cook!)
It has been quite the project. But I now have a "recipe" for everything on my menu - woohoo!! My kids love it and I do too. And the best part is they will each have their own recipe book to take with them when they leave home.

Once a farm girl...

2011-05-02T21:54:00.001-07:00

As I have mentioned before, I spent about half of my childhood living on a farm. We had all kinds of animals: dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, turkeys, horses, etc. Needless to say I have a love for those critters and a yearning to return to the "farm". My wonderful husband on the other hand is a "city-boy". He has ALWAYS lived in the city and has absolutely NO desire for anything farm related - including animals.

In April, we celebrated 17 wonderful years together and I think he is finally starting to soften - hee-hee. A couple months ago I talked him into letting me get chickens. I suggested we just buy a chicken coop, but he has decided to build one instead. (This is where his perfectionism comes in.) You see, we can't have just "any" chicken coop, we have to have a coop that will be the envy of chicken owners everywhere! (He reminds me so much of my dad ;-) Well, needless to say, it takes a LONG time to build a "castle" instead of a coop - :-). So far we have a foundation (this coop will probably outlast the house in a storm!) and piles of wood. Meanwhile the chickens are growing and it is getting harder to keep them in a box! But he promises me that it will be done soon - after all the foundation is the hardest part.

As the saying goes, once you get your foot in the door...well, we couldn't just stop at chickens now could we? Of course not! So today we also got a dog. Some friends were looking for a home for their Lab/German-shorthair puppy (well, he's 2, but that's still a puppy to me!) and I saw my opportunity. We brought him home (after much coaxing and pushing to get him in the car - he is a STRONG puppy!) and the adventures have begun. He has terrorized the chickens - I think he just wants to play, but the poor chickens don't believe him; jumped into the pool at least a dozen times; staked his territory - he has already growled at the neighbors peaking over the fence; and coaxed my children into throwing a tennis ball a couple of gazillion times!

And so my "little farm" has begun. Sorry honey...once a farm girl, always a farm girl :-)

Another great year

2011-04-27T18:06:00.002-07:00

I am grateful for the opportunity I have had this past year to teach two classes at our Commonwealth School. I can't believe they are already finished. Time truly does fly when one is having fun!

In the fall I taught a class entitled Sword of Freedom. It is a continuation of the class I taught last year (Key of Liberty). Last year the kids studied the founding of our wonderful country and development of our amazing Constitution. In Sword of Freedom we focused on the Civil War: the first great test of our nation and the constitution. I was amazed to learn that the Civil War was not about slavery, at least not in the beginning. It was a fight about States' rights (why wasn't I taught that in school?). The southern states did not want the Federal Government telling them what to do (hmm...sound familiar...history really does repeat itself). I have to say that I am glad that our country was able to stay united, but I can really appreciate the sentiments of those southern states and their desire to remain free from so much governmental control.

This spring I taught Pyramid Project. This is the coolest math and science class ever! During this class we learned the seven habits of a scientist and how to use our scriptures as our main math and science text. It is amazing how much math is in the scriptures. My favorite is Rev. 16:21- "And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent..." Can you imagine a hail stone weighing a talent? No...what is a talent you ask? Well it was a unit of measurement weighing 75 pounds! - OUCH! (puts a whole different picture in your head, doesn't it!) It is so much fun to read the original works of great scientists and mathematicians. And the coolest thing - it really isn't that hard. After reading Einstein's theories in his own words, who would ever want to read a boring textbook again?

It has been a great year! As usual I have learned way more than my students. Although, I do have amazing students and with all this knowledge at their age, I can't wait to see what they will accomplish - watch out world!

I just have to say NO

2011-04-19T13:40:00.002-07:00

I had the most wonderful roommate in college. She led me to the gospel, was patient with all my short comings and was truly a great friend. She however, had one weakness. She could never say no (to good things of course!). Whenever anyone needed help she would be there; she volunteered to help with everything and basically tried to do it all. While on the outside, everything seemed fine, in reality, she was an emotional wreck. While it is good to help others, it is important to remember that we cannot do everything and there is a time and a place to say no.
In homeschooling my kids, I follow the principles of Leadership Education. One of the important concepts in this method is the "6 Month No". Every six months you are encouraged to make a list of all your responsibilities and tasks. Then after careful evaluation and prayer you need to remove some (if not most) of those items from your list. In doing this you free your schedule to do those things that are not just "good", but the Best.
Well...it is time for confessions. I have not done a "6 Month No" in a couple of years - **gasp** I have had many responsibilities added to my "plate" in the last year, but I have not made room for them by getting rid of the "good". And I have realized I have become my roommate. On the outside, things look great, but I am an emotional wreck! I constantly feel stressed and discouraged. I find myself overeating (cuz we all know chocolate makes us feel better!), snapping at my kids, and just generally not behaving as I would like.
So...this afternoon, I will create my list and with a great big, fat marker I am going to hash away at it. This may effect some of you, so consider this a warning :-). I still love you all, but I have to say NO!

The Grass is Greener on the Other Side of the Chicken Wire

2011-03-31T19:09:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been an interesting week. Tuesday we came home to chicks running all over the yard. After rounding them up, it was discovered that Minnie was missing. We searched everywhere and then found a pile of feathers behind the fence. Today when arriving home we saw that Bubbles had managed to squeaze beneath the fence. Unfortunately, she too became kitty food.
It has been a sad couple of days at our house. However, it did lead to a great discussion. I asked the kids why they thought the chicks kept trying to escape. They suggested that maybe they wanted to eat the grass on the outside of the pen. Maybe they thought there was something more interesting or fun on the other side of the chicken wire.
Chickens aren't so different from us. We too are always looking at what we can't have or wishing we were somewhere else. We put the chicks in a pen to protect them from the mean kitty. Heavenly Father has done the same for us. We aren't in a pen, but He has lovingly set up boundaries (commandments) for us in order to protect us. When we are obedient (stay within the boundaries), we are blessed and safe. Heavenly Father provides for us and protects us. When we escape (disobey the commandments) we become vulnerable to the dangers around us; we open ourselves up to be eaten by the mean kitty (Satan).
My kids decided that maybe "staying in the pen" isn't so bad after all ;-).

Not of a "frenzied" mind

2011-03-09T12:55:00.001-07:00

In preparing for mutual this week I have been reading about Korihor. Korihor is one of only a handful of people in the scriptures that is actually called the "anti-christ." It has been enlightening to study his teachings. He is very skillful at taking the truth and just twisting it a tiny bit. The things he preaches all sound "good." As he says, they are "pleasing to the carnal mind." And he is very successful; the people love his message.
What amazed me as I read this passage, was that the arguments Korihor used to deny or attack the Gospel are the very SAME ones used today. (Korihor lived around 74 BC.) Satan is totally unoriginal!! My favorite is when he says that only those with a "frenzied" mind can believe in God. In other words he is saying that for someone to believe in God they must be insane. How many of us have heard that on our college campuses?
This passage was a great reminder to me of the importance of studying the scriptures. Satan knows the scriptures very well too. He knows exactly how to twist the truth to lead people away from Christ. If I want to remain faithful, I need to know the truth so well, that I cannot be fooled by his "pleasing" words. And that will require a lot of study!

To Torment and Afflict "Man"

2011-01-28T19:37:00.003-07:00

Half of my childhood was spent living on my grandparent's farm. There were a total of 6 families living there at the time. I think it was probably hard for the adults, but as kids we LOVED it. There was always someone to play with and so many places to explore. Then after a fued between some of the family, everyone moved (except my grandparents and great aunt and uncle - my grandpa's brother and my grandma's sister who happened to marry each other - don't ya just love small towns!)
Growing up on a farm helped me learn to work hard. My first paying job (around 10 or 11 yrs old) was "walking beans." For you non-farm folks, that means walking up and down each row and pulling the weeds (this was obviously before Round-Up-Ready beans were developed!) It involved getting up before the sun (around 4 am), riding my bike out to the farm (sometimes as far as 15 miles), and then walking and pulling weeds till it was too hot to move (around 1-2 pm). It was hard work, but the pay was good. I made $5.00 an hour (gasp! - but that was about 3 dollars more than minimum wage at that time - okay now I am feeling old!)
I worked that job every summer until I was old enough to get a "real" job. I have to say that I completely understand the punishment God gave Adam (and the rest of us) - "and the earth shall bring forth thistles, briars, and noxious weeds to torment and afflict man..." Weeds are definately an affliction, but I am thankful for the opportunity I had to learn to work hard and for the wonderful satisfaction you feel when you look back on a field and see no more weeds. As usual, Heavenly Father knew exactly what He was doing.

Oh Poor Cinderelli

2011-01-27T14:02:00.005-07:00

Once Upon a Time...so begins a story you know will have a happy ending...or will it. Fairy tales are stories that have been passed down from generation to generation. These stories were meant to teach a moral or specific value to the listeners. (It is interesting to note that all cultures and languages share the same basic stories.) The stories had heroes who fought against evil and villians who tried to stop the heroes. They were powerful stories that helped shape many generations and most did not have happy endings.
So why have our modern fairy tales changed? We still have heroes and villians, but now all the hereos live happily ever after. Don't get me wrong, I love it when Cinderella marries Prince Charming, but have we lost something in changing these stories? The Little Mermaid is a great example. In the original version, the little mermaid dies. She sacrifices herself to save her sisters. It is an amazing and powerful story that is symbolic on many different levels; much different from the cute Disney version most of us are familiar with.
The original fairy tales made the readers/listeners think. Our modern stories are meant for entertainment only; for amusement (see my post for what that really means.) that leaves us "feeling" good, but not deeply moved. Perhaps these stories have changed, because our world has changed. We are constantly bombarded with bad news. Perhaps we need these "happy ever afters" to escape from the evil all around us. Perhaps..., but I hope that as a society we retain the original versions of these wonderful stories too, because sometimes we also need to think.

Christmas memories

2010-12-10T17:13:00.002-07:00

I guess since it is December, everyone seems to be focused on Christmas for the blog challenge. And since I haven't responded to any I'll try to answer them all in one post (is that something like killing two birds with one stone?!) I think my favorite Christmas movie was How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I say I think, because I honestly haven't watched it in over 20 years. I'm not a big movie person - I would really rather read a book.
Christmas is a wonderful time of year. It brings back memories of Christmas Eve at my Grandma's house and waiting at the top of the stairs with all of my cousins for Santa to come. We weren't supposed to peak around the corner, but how could we resist?! We each had a pile of presents waiting for us as we came screaming and laughing down the stairs. Then on Christmas day we would have a big feast and then spend the day playing in the snow. We would sled down the big hill and ride on my uncle's snow mobiles. It's funny but I don't ever remember being cold (now I freeze and it's only 50!). They were great memories of my family, but it wasn't until I was much older that I realized Christmas was about the birth of Christ and not about Santa.
I want things to be different for my children. I want them to have wonderful memories, but I want them to also know their Savior. During December we talk about what Santa represents and how we as a family can show the love of Christ by being "Santa" to another family. It is fun to think of ways to serve the other family and surprise them with special gifts We still spend Christmas Eve with family, but now we read the story of the birth of Christ and all the kids act it out. They have a great time dressing in costumes and trying to get the "newest" baby in the family to stay in the "manger" (some years are easier than others, depending on the age of the "baby"!). I hope that my kids are learning that Christmas is really about giving and sharing the love of Christ with others, but I know they still can't wait to see what Santa has brought them as well.

I was blind but now I see

2010-12-03T13:28:00.001-07:00

Don't you just hate it when you are complaining about something someone is doing and then suddenly realize - "Hey wait a minute, that's exactly what I am doing now." OUCH!! *sigh* ~ I am guilty as charged. Those "beams in my eye" sure are blinding! I've been rather harsh and judgemental lately, and realized yesterday that in doing so, I am not forgiving others of their mistakes and weaknesses. I am so grateful for the gift of repentance and the ability to be forgiven; how can I deny that to others? It isn't my place to judge them; it is my place to love them. If they are doing something that bothers me, complaining about it doesn't change anything. Focusing all of my energy and emotion on what I don't want, just gets me more of what I don't want. I need to follow the advice of Ghandi ~ "be the change that you want to see..." I need to spend my energy and emotion focusing on their good qualities and let God worry about their faults and weaknesses. Pulling out those "beams" leaves a big, gaping hole that hurts and sometimes takes a long time to heal (just like getting those HUGE wisdom teeth pulled!), but in the end I will be able to see more clearly. It is hard, but definitely worth it.

My favorite day is "today"

2010-11-22T12:12:00.002-07:00

My favorite day of the week? - hmmm...I have been pondering this for a few days and wonder how I should answer. My problem is that I am wondering if I should have a favorite. I love Mondays for family night, Tuesdays for the joy Liberty Belles brings to my girls, Wednesdays for mutual and the wonderful opportunity I have to spend with the awesome youth in our ward (they are truly amazing!), Thursdays for the insights and knowledge gained by teaching at ARC (my students teach me so much and force me grow in ways I never thought possible), Fridays for date night and spending time with the love of my life, Saturday for a day of work and fun with the whole family, and Sundays for spiritual renewal and strengthening of my soul. So, how can I pick one? Everyday is such a blessing. "Today is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" So I guess I could say, my favorite day of the week is today.

Books I recommend - but be careful they may change your life!

2010-11-12T14:53:00.002-07:00

How perfect is this for the first topic – my favorite book and why – Oh, I am in heaven!! Well maybe not…how do I pick just one??? So in keeping with my nature, I will be a rebel and choose two – mwahahaa.

My favorite childhood book is Laddie by Gene Stratton Porter. I just love this book. I can totally identify with Little Sister. She loves running around outside, exploring nature and enjoying every minute of every day. She is always getting into trouble for saying what she thinks (not that that ever happens to me – ha!). I have read this book several times and love it even more as an adult. I love the family dynamics in the Stanton family. The whole family works together to solve whatever life throws at them. It has great lessons in relating with your siblings, being a better parent, and most of all the power of forgiveness. I think it is time to read this one again!

My favorite adulthood (is that a word?!) book is A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Van DeMille. (I have no idea why the book has this title; it isn’t about Thomas Jefferson at all.) The book teaches about how to be a life long learner and how to inspire others to want to be too. It has literally changed by life. I spent 16 years in school, but never really “learned” much despite my good grades. I did just what needed to be done to pass the next test and then quickly forgot it to move on to the next topic assigned. I had no idea how much fun learning could be! (Actually I did – every child does – but it got lost in the requirements of “schoolwork.”) I had bought into the idea that to learn anything I needed an “expert” to teach me. This book challenged me to get an education – not a certificate or other piece of paper – but a true education: to study whatever interested me and to really “learn” it. I didn’t need textbooks; instead I needed to read original documents (like the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, Euclid, Aristotle, etc.) and classics, books that teach something new every time you read it – like Shakespeare, and Laddie! It reminded me that no one else can “educate” me; I have to do it for myself. It is hard work sometimes, but God has given me (and you) the ability to learn anything we want to learn. Now it’s your turn to read the book. Are you up to the challenge?

The Blog "Challenge"

2010-11-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am not the best at keeping up with my blog. I just never seem to have the time to sit down and type what I am thinking. So to give me a little motivation, I have joined a few of my friends (and some new ones!) in a blog challenge. We will be given a topic each week and then will be free to write (or not). Perhaps it will be the motivation I need to do better. We shall see…

"Uncommon" Sense

2010-07-30T12:09:00.003-07:00

I’ve heard several different people commenting on common sense in the last few days. Usually their comments focus on the lack of this important skill, particularly in those in leadership positions. So it has got me thinking…why do so many people lack common sense?
Common sense is defined as sound judgment or the ability to make sensible decisions. Why would this be a problem in our society? In order to make sound judgments, one must have logic skills; one must know "how" to think. One must understand that for every action there is a consequence. That is where I think the problem lies.
In our society we have done a pretty good job of removing consequences. In our schools no child is “left behind” regardless of their efforts. If a child fails to study, they are given a passing grade anyway, so as not to damage their “self-esteem.” If a person refuses to work, the government steps in and provides, food, clothing and shelter for them (I’m not talking about disabled people here.). If a person misuses a given product and is hurt in the process, the manufacturer is blamed for making a “faulty” product. We even have “safe” sex.
Consequences are important. They help us measure the “soundness” of our decisions. But when they are constantly removed from the equation, people become lazy. Instead of thinking through situations and identifying the possible outcomes, they just jump right in; after all nothing “bad” has ever happened before.
If I want my children to have common sense then I need to allow them to experience the consequences for their actions. I need to teach them “how” to think for themselves. I need to let them experience the “pain” to gain the wisdom they need to make sensible decisions.

Be Still My Soul

2010-07-08T11:17:00.002-07:00

When I go to the mountains, I love to sit and ponder under the pine trees and listen as the wind whispers through the needles. It is peaceful and calming to my soul. Modern life doesn’t allow us many moments of quiet reflection. It takes conscious effort and determination to slow down and allow the Spirit to whisper to us.
I am learning that the more I choose to take those moments of quiet reflection the better my life becomes. I do not always have the opportunity to sit under the pines, but I can find time each day to be still. When I take that time every day, Heavenly Father is able to guide me and direct me on His path. He is able to show me the things I need to change to become the best I can be. He shows me the things I can do to lighten the burden of others. He fills me with His love until it overflows to all those around me.
I believe that every individual on this earth has a mission that is unique to them. We are not placed on this earth by accident. We are here at this time and this place for a specific purpose that only we can accomplish. To discover that mission I must take the time for quiet reflection. I must learn to “be still” and listen. It seems like such a simple thing, yet it isn’t always easy to do.
God has great things in store for me and I know he has great things in store for you. And it all starts with learning to “be still.”

Free to Choose

2010-02-25T17:38:00.001-07:00

I have been having an interesting discussion with some friends on Facebook this week. We started debating the healthcare issue and of course then it turned into the whole debate about what the responsibilities of the federal government really are. I am a proponent of limited federal government. Of course, whenever I say that others always jump to the conclusion that I don’t want any government control. That is not the case at all. Government does serve a very important role, but I believe that when we talk about programs that are focused on the individual it should be the Local government that services that need, not the federal.

I have also noticed a rather disturbing trend. I see people complain or bemoan about the state that they are in. They seem to do a lot of hand wringing and “woe is me-ing” and then tend to turn to the government to solve their problems. So I asked myself, why. Why would Americans who are so hard working want someone else to solve their problems instead of taking on the responsibility for themselves? I think it boils down to our public education system. We have done an absolutely fabulous job of “dumbing down” our society. What I mean is that our system of education focuses almost exclusively on job training. Which don’t get me wrong that isn’t a bad thing, but it has lost site of what education is really about. Instead of teaching people “how” to think, we focus almost exclusively on “what” to think. We have taken the “fun” out of learning. We have created a system where people are taught to be mediocre. They are no longer encouraged to find the genius within themselves (and yes, we are ALL geniuses in some way!). Instead they are “indoctrinated” to believe that it takes an “expert” to solve a problem. They are taught that they can’t possibly learn something unless there is a “certified” teacher to teach them. Job training is necessary, but it doesn’t have to be at the expense of learning how to think; it doesn’t have to be at the expense of a love of learning.

It doesn’t take an expert, the government, to solve our problems. We can create our own solutions. I look at public education for example. I’ve already made my point that I think it is lacking. So I have a choice, I can whine about it and wring my hands hoping that someday the government will step in and “fix” it, or I can do something about it now. I choose to take responsibility and find my own solutions. I have become an active supporter and champion for a parent’s right to educate their own children, or to create private or charter schools if they so desire. I have spent the last two years educating and recruiting people in my area to start our own Commonwealth School, which we are ready to do in the fall. I am not waiting for the government to fix my problem. I am creating my own solution (and at a significantly lower cost I might add!)
And that isn’t limited to public school. It can be any issue facing our community. If there are homeless in my community then I need to band together with my fellow citizens and come up with a solution. If health insurance companies are corrupt, then what can we do about it? It isn’t the government’s responsibility to fix society it is mine. Now does that mean that I can’t involve the government, absolutely not! But I prefer to use the government as an absolute last resort, not the primary fix-all of society’s ills.

We have all been placed on this earth to fulfill a mission. Maybe that mission is helping the homeless, maybe it is educating the ignorant, maybe it is freeing the captive or maybe it is fixing the insurance industry. Think about the kind of world we would have if everyone understood their unique mission and actually fulfilled it! That’s the kind of freedom I want for my children. And I believe the only way to achieve that is to keep government in its proper place.

To Be Perfect

2010-02-18T08:47:00.003-07:00

What does it mean to have integrity? The dictionary defines integrity as “wholeness; incorruptness; honesty; uprightness; moral soundness or purity.”[1] In the scriptures the Greek word meaning whole or complete is often translated as “perfect”: as in Matthew 5:48 - “be ye therefore, perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven in perfect.” In Genesis, we are told that “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations…”[2] The Hebrew word translated as “perfect” in this case also meant whole, complete, or having integrity. Noah, therefore, was a man of integrity. The founders warned us that to maintain our freedoms we would need to elect men of virtue and integrity. But how does one have integrity?

As I have been pondering this question for quite some time, God gave me the answer by challenging my own integrity. Last spring my husband and I were reviewing our financial situation and came to the realization that we needed to make some drastic changes. We could not “afford” to stay in our “big, fancy house” and provide for our retirement or our children’s futures. We were house poor and knew we needed to downsize. We decided to take out our retirement fund and purchase a house in cash. We knew that in doing so we would have to pay penalties and taxes on the money we withdrew, but over the long run, this would be a better option for our family. Well…little did we know that in the end the government would end up taking over half of our money! I have to say that it has been quite tempting to just “not report” our withdrawal. After all, we probably would never be audited and we could keep our hard-earned money.

But, herein, lies the test of integrity. Will I be honest even if it costs me thousands of dollars? Will I do what is right, no matter what? It isn’t fair that I have to work long, hard hours to pay for someone else who chooses not to work. It isn’t fair that I have to give my money to pay for things that are against my morals and beliefs. It is unjust that “the rich” have to pay a higher percentage of tax than "the poor." It is unjust that some pay no taxes at all. Our tax system is unfair and unjust, but it is the law. If I am to be a person of integrity, then I will have to pay. And to be perfect I will have to pay without complaining…I guess I still have a long way to go!

[1] Webster, Noah, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828
[2] Genesis 6:9

The Land of the Free

2010-01-20T14:38:00.003-07:00

I am teaching a class this semester on the Constitution of the United States. Each week my students (12-15 year olds) are asked to write a paper on a given topic. This week they were to write on - What Makes America Different? To be an effective mentor, one must have traveled the road before. Therefore, if I ask my students to write, I must write too. So here is my paper...

America, the land of the free. Have you ever stopped to wonder why it is called this? Why is no other nation in the world referred to in this way? What makes America special?

The founding fathers studied all forms of government prior to the Revolutionary War. They noted that throughout history an alarming cycle had been established; a violent swing between tyranny and anarchy. Whenever a people revolted against a tyrant, the people would rejoice in their new freedom for only a brief time. Then anarchy would set in as the people rejected any form of government. Then another tyrant would rise to power as he promised to reestablish peace to the people. The people would live under tyranny for a time and then revolt again. This occurred over and over and was the greatest fear of the founding fathers as the Revolutionary War drew to a close. How could they keep their new found freedom and avoid repeating this awful cycle?

As the founding fathers studied the governments of the past, they came to realize that there were certain principles that if established would ensure the freedom and prosperity of the people. They knew that to stop this cycle of tyranny and anarchy they would need to write a constitution. This constitution would provide a system of checks and balances to ensure peace. The powers of the government would be well defined and limited. There would be a separation of these powers between different branches assuring that no one branch could gain complete control. They recognized that governments were established for the benefit of the people, not to control the people. Their new constitution would ensure the rights of the people and allow them to retain their sovereignty. The new government would encourage the free market system, allowing people to own property and establish businesses for themselves. The constitution outlined how officials were to be elected, when and by whom. This assured the peaceful transfer of power from one leader to the next. These were just a few of the principles the founding fathers included in the constitution.

The constitution of the United States is one of the greatest documents that has ever been written. It is based on sound principles that when followed ensures the freedom of the people. As a nation we have enjoyed these freedoms for over 200 years. However, in the last few decades, the constitution has slowly been eroded away. Government officials are usurping power from others, refusing to keep in check those who abuse their power and ignoring many of the principles outlined in the Constitution. This is leading to the erosion of our rights and freedoms. If our nation is to continue for another 200 years, those who say our constitution is outdated and “old-fashioned” need to be removed from office. We must elect only individuals of integrity that will honor and uphold the constitution. We must re-establish the principles that have been removed and begin again to educate the people. People need to understand their responsibility in maintaining a free nation. They need to understand that it is our Constitution that ensures these freedoms. It is the Constitution that makes America the land of the free.

A Return to Greatness

2009-10-05T12:25:00.001-07:00

“America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”[1]

When the founding fathers wrote the Constitution, America was a society based on strong Christian customs, traditions and moral values. People exercised moral discipline; they chose the right because it was right. People served one another and took responsibility for their own actions. They followed God and obeyed the Ten Commandments in all that they did. With these strong customs and adherence to God’s laws, America grew and became the greatest nation on earth.

The founding fathers wrote the constitution to protect the inalienable rights of the people and to insure their freedom. God gave us the Ten Commandments for the same reason. These laws protect, promote and preserve our freedoms and rights. But the constitution and laws only protect our freedoms if we as individuals exercise self-discipline. If we adhere to God’s laws, God blesses us and we become prosperous as individuals and as a nation.

Over the last one hundred years or so, America has slowly pulled away from God. We as a society no longer adhere to the strong customs, traditions and values of early America. We no longer obey the Ten Commandments. We worship celebrities and athletes instead of God. We surround ourselves with the “idols” of our devotion – large homes, luxury cars, costly apparel, and accessorize it all with “bling.” We are no longer a people of our word. Contracts and oaths are just pieces of paper and empty promises. Sundays are just another day of the week for us to play and work. Children no longer honor their parents, but instead are encouraged to leave the family home as soon as possible, often moving far away. We kill unborn babies because it is convenient and remove the elderly from our society to “condemn” them to die lonely deaths in some institution. Marriage covenants are seldom honored if entered into at all. We “take” from the rich who have earned their wealth to “give” to the poor who have not. We surround our homes with tall “privacy” fences and then spread gossip about our neighbors behind them. We go into massive debt trying to “keep up with the Jones’s.” As you can see, not a single commandment is being followed.

“Policemen and laws can never replace customs, traditions, and moral values as a means for regulating human behavior.”[2] If we desire to return to a nation of greatness, we must, as a society, return to God. We must return to the customs, traditions and moral values that encourage self-discipline. This will insure our freedom.

I hope that as a nation, we will wake up to our awful situation. I hope that people will stand with me, to bring our nation back to its former greatness. I hope that we will learn from history. I hope that it will never be said of our society, “We would not accept the yoke of Christ so now we must tremble at the yoke of Caesar.”[3]

[1] Ezra Taft Benson as quoted in The 5000 Year Leap (Cleon Skousen), p 84.
[2] D. Todd Christofferson
[3] Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, as quoted by D. Todd Christofferson, October 4, 2009.

Stepping in it

2009-09-09T07:51:00.006-07:00

I have a very strong personality. I am rarely offended by the things people say and I hardly ever take things personally. This may sound great, but it is actually my greatest weakness. Because I don't take things personally, I forget that most people do. I tend to say what I am thinking without "thinking" and I end up saying something that wouldn't bother me at all, but really hurts the person I am speaking to. I seem to have done a lot of that this week. Oh the wisdom of hindsight -if only I could gain it before hand!!

Failure Is the Lesson

2009-08-27T20:29:00.005-07:00

Giving my children the freedom to fail has to be the most difficult and scary part of parenting. But how else do we really learn? I think about babies learning to walk. How many times do they fall down before they succeed. Every time they fall they learn something about gravity and balance. Every time they fall their muscles are strengthened and their coordination improves. It is the failure that prepares them for the success. The reality is, if I never let my child fall, he will never learn to walk.

As parents we tend to know this intuitively and we allow our babies to fall. We even encourage them by laughing and cheering them on. Yet, somehow, as our children get older we become more reluctant to let them fail. Sometimes we are concerned about the consequences they will face, but I think most of the time it is because of our own pride. What will others think of us, if our child fails? Will they think we are "bad" parents? Will they think we don't care? This even carries over into our school systems. Teachers don't allow students to fail, because it makes the teacher or school "look bad."

By robbing our children of the opportunities to fail, we are robbing them of opportunities to learn. When a child fails and has to try again and again, until he succeeds, he learns that he has the power to overcome obstacles. He learns that hard work eventually pays off. He learns that "he" controls his destiny.

Failure isn't a bad thing. Failure is a necessary part of learning. I don't know about you, but I have learned much more from the times I've failed, than from the times I've succeeded. Will that make it any easier for me to let my children fail? Probably not, but I'll try to learn from my failures and allow my children to do the same.

What does that "a" mean?

2009-08-25T21:33:00.004-07:00

This is for Jackie and a few others who asked...

"To muse" means to think, ponder or meditate. When you place an "a" before a word it makes it negative or the opposite of the original meaning.

"A"muse therefore means "to not think, to not ponder, to not meditate"

I chose this title on purpose to emphasize that I am choosing to think. I am choosing to ponder and meditate and gain my own opinions.

I think it is interesting to note (and think about :) the fact that most of our society is focused solely on being "amused." We as a culture spend millions every year on entertainment. We purposefully spend our freetime trying NOT to think. Is it any wonder we are in the state we're in?

Confessions of an Extremist

2009-08-24T16:28:00.011-07:00

In the last few years I have decided to pursue my education again. No, I am not going back to "school," but I am studying, writing and discussing great books and ideas with others. One of the areas that I am pursuing is the study of freedom and the founding of our great country. I am ashamed to admit that until recently I had never read the constitution (Oh, I probably did in 8th grade civics class - but it didn't leave much of an impression!).

I am truly amazed at what an inspired document our constitution is. As I have been studying the federalist papers, the writings of Thomas Paine, the lives of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, I am coming to appreciate the sacrifices that were made in my behalf. I am gaining a vision for the freedom they wanted me to have. And this saddens me greatly, because I am also realizing that most of these freedoms have slowly been stripped away from us. How could we, as Americans, have allowed this to happen? Why have we been sleeping?

I am also seeing that many of us who were asleep are now waking up, and this is scaring those who are in power. Those with "power" don't want us to wake anyone else up. They don't want us to realize what we have lost. They don't want us to bring the constitution back. They tell us that it is "outdated" and shouldn't be honored because it was written by "rich, white, slave owners." They label us as "extremists" and "anti-Americans" to try to discredit us. They try to frighten us into being quiet by telling us they are keeping "a list" of anyone who disagrees.

But anyone who has truly gained a vision of freedom will not give up without a fight. Those who fought the Revolutionary War were called rebels and ruffians. I know that I am willing to take a stand. I want MY children and grandchildren to be free, even if that means I have to suffer or even die. So I guess being an extremist just puts me in good company.

There is a Time for Every Season

2009-04-17T11:39:00.001-07:00

Reading about history fascinates and frustrates me. I am always encouraged by the inspiring stories of those who have come before me. I love to read about the great scientists who worked so hard to prove their theories and share their ideas with the world, to learn about people who overcame great obstacles to succeed, and to come to know ordinary people who made a difference in this world. Yet, I am also frustrated at how often we, as people and societies, repeat the same mistakes over and over. We never seem to learn from the past. It seems that every generation thinks they are smarter and wiser than the previous generation and therefore immune from doing the “foolish” things of their ancestors. Yet, as I was reading about the cycles of history in The Fourth Turning, I couldn’t help wondering, do we really have to keep repeating these cycles? I have no doubt that these cycles occur, but do we really have to have a crisis every eighty to one hundred years?

Are these cycles merely a result of people turning away from God? When people are prosperous, they tend to forget God. They focus on their wealth and prosperity and God becomes less important. It is only with a crisis and the ensuing suffering that people are compelled to remember God and begin again to follow Him. Eventually the crisis and suffering passes; the people become prosperous again and God is once again forgotten. Then another crisis is necessary to bring the people back to God. This cycle repeats over and over.

So how do we overcome these cycles? Or should we? Are these cycles just part of our earthly experience? After all, there must be opposition in all things. Are these cycles just part of that opposition? Can we truly appreciate health if we never have sickness? Can we appreciate joy if we never have pain and sorrow? Can we appreciate prosperity without deprivation?

My inclination is of course to remove these cycles. Wouldn’t the world be a better place without suffering, without greed, and all of the other sins of man? I am not sure. Can I learn not to judge others without first experiencing the pain of having been wrongly judged by another? Can I really appreciate a good meal without first going hungry? Can I have compassion for another if I have never suffered?

I believe these cycles are necessary because they enable us to pass through all of the seasons of life. In each person’s lifetime, he/she will experience a high (spring), an awakening (summer), an unraveling (fall) and a crisis (winter). We may each experience them at different points in our maturity, but we will all pass through each season. Spring and summer are wonderful seasons. They are a time of renewal and rest, but it is the fall and winter that make us who we truly are. It is in the difficult times that we come to understand what is really important. It is through our struggles that we become strong.

I have never liked winter. I don’t like the cold, the naked trees, the barren landscape or the gray skies. But in moving to a place that really doesn’t have a “winter,” I realize that I do not have the same anticipation for “spring” that I used to have. Here it is always green, there are always flowers, and it is always sunny. The days just seem to blend together and suddenly it is hot. Without the cold, barren winter, I really don’t have as great an appreciation for the blossoming of spring.

Would my life really be complete without passing through a time of crisis? I do not think so. I cannot become the person I should be, without passing through all four seasons. I need a winter, a time of suffering and deprivation, to truly appreciate spring, a time of prosperity and blessings. I need a winter to truly understand my need for a Savior. I cannot possibly appreciate the sacrifice He made for me, until I pass through my own suffering and come face to face with my own weakness. I need a winter or time of crisis, so that I do not forget God.

You Are What You Read

2009-02-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

I envy those who grew up reading the classics. What a great way to spend your childhood. To see the example of great men and women and the good choices they make. What an inspiration for a growing mind.

I am seeing more and more how the principles of leadership education are true. I see the importance of reading classics and spending most of my time in whole and healing books. I can see the fruits of the classics in the lives of my children. My oldest daughter reads voraciously, with the majority of her reading being in the classics. I watch her as she is beginning to make choices in her life and can see the influence these good books, especially our core books, are having on her. These books help her understand who she is and are helping her build a solid foundation on which to build her life. She is a great kid and is a positive influence to her friends. What a difference classics make.

I look at my own childhood and can see a great contrast. I too read many books, but hardly any classics. I spent my time in broken and bent books, and unfortunately that describes my childhood as well, broken and bent. As I look back, I can see how having a mentor would have made all the difference. If I had had someone to help me find the classics and who could have inspired me to read them, what a different life I could have had. What pain and sorrow I could have avoided. With the guidance of a mentor I could have learned what is right or good. I could have had the strength to choose the good when faced with temptations and trials. What a difference mentors make.

I can see the importance of having a core book, to have something in your life to use as a measuring rod. How can I decide if a book is a classic without a core book? What standard do I use? How do I decide if anything is right or wrong? Growing up without a core book, I know what it is like not to have one. Life without a core or foundation is awful. You have to learn everything by your own mistakes; a painful and miserable way to live. That is the benefit of the scriptures and classics. You can see the mistakes of others, and realize that you don’t have to make those mistakes in your own life. You can learn the “easy way.” What a difference a core book makes.

These were my thoughts as I was reading Les Misérables. I didn’t grow up reading classics, but I can read them now. I can look at the Bishop and try to follow his example: “the bishop’s day was full to the brim with good thoughts, good words, and good actions.”[1] I can look at Jean Val Jean and have the courage to make the right choice in the most difficult of circumstances. These classics and my Heavenly Father can be my mentors. I can be inspired by them to learn what is right and to then choose it. I don’t need to envy others; I can live it myself!

[1] Victor Hugo, Les Misérables. (New York: Signet Classics, 1987), p. 54

As for Me and My House

2009-01-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

Laddie is one of my favorite books. I love the strong characters and the good values and principles that are expressed by the author. But, I think the thing that impressed me most in my reading this time, was the contrast between the Stantons and the Pryors.

Mr. Stanton was a loving father. He spent time with each of his children. He helped them study and shared his passions with them. He was a wonderful husband. He loved his wife immensely and treated her with the greatest respect. He was respected by his neighbors and went out of his way to help them. He focused on serving others and making his community better. He valued education and shared his knowledge with his family and the community. He faithfully attended and served in his church. He had strong faith in God and prayed often. He was a great leader and remained calm in the face of conflict and struggles. He focused on beauty and making the world a better place, especially his farm. Mr. Stanton was a great man.

Mr. Pryor was well educated. He had great knowledge, but kept himself at a distance from others. Prestige and having a high place in society were his goals. Having a “title” was more important than “being” a good citizen. He loved children and was kind to Little Sister, but he wasn’t a particularly loving father. He placed the opinions of others above his love for his family. He loved his wife, but did not respect her opinions or treat her well. He was angry and bitter and quick to loose his temper. He believed in God, but abandoned his faith when faced with trials and struggles. Instead of asking God for help, he blamed God and refused to forgive. Mr. Pryor had the potential to be a great man, but he was not.

Mrs. Stanton worked hard to provide for her family. She loved her children and spent many hours teaching them and guiding them. She was a loving wife and completely devoted to her husband. She had great faith in God and often prayed. She truly loved others and would open her home to anyone in need. She helped all of her neighbors, even those who were difficult to love. She shared the knowledge she had with others and encouraged them to improve themselves. She loved beauty and worked hard to make her home a loving place. She was brave and strong and willing to protect her home and family. She stood up for what was right and was a great example to others. Mrs. Stanton was a “good woman.”[1]

Mrs. Pryor was a kind woman. She loved her children. She believed in God, but did not have great faith. She loved her husband, but was not a helpmeet. She was very concerned with appearances. She was weak and full of fear. She did not have the courage to stand up for what was right. She let her emotions dominate her behavior. She hid from her problems and refused the help of others. Mrs. Pryor had grace, but was neither a “lady” nor a “good woman.”[2]

The greatest contrast I see in these families is faith. The Stantons had great faith. They relied on God and made Him a part of their daily lives. When they were faced with trials and tribulations, they prayed. They didn’t try to solve the problem by themselves; they turned to God. The Pryors had weak faith. God was not part of their lives. They did not pray; they blamed God instead.

What a difference God makes! God can take an ordinary man and make him great. He can take a lady and make her a good woman. With God all things are possible. I choose to have faith. As for me and my house, we will serve the lord. (Joshua 24:15)

[1]Gene Stratton Porter, Laddie: A True Blue Story (California: Norilana Books, 2007) p. 292
[2] ibid. p. 290, 292

Breaking Down the Walls - my thoughts on a few books I am reading

2008-10-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

“I found myself growing more and more angry and I felt the anger begin to focus upon Danny Sanders, and suddenly it was not at all difficult for me to hate him.”[1] This is a great example of “being in the box”, or having a heart at war. In The Anatomy of Peace[2] the authors identify how we can have a heart at war or a heart at peace. To have a heart of peace one must act according to one’s own sense of what is right at a particular moment. When we fail to honor that sense we betray ourselves and create a heart at war. When our heart is at war, we begin to justify* our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We stop seeing other individuals as people; instead we view them as objects. With this justification we build a “box” that actually becomes our “new world.” Our very being changes. This is what Rueven was doing. Danny was no longer a person; he was the enemy. Eventually Danny and Rueven become friends, but only after they see each other as a person.
In the Taming of the Shrew[3] it is easy to see that Katherine has a heart at war. She is angry and bitter and treats others horribly. This is part of being in the box. In the “world” she has created, she has justified her behavior. But I believe that her father, Baptista also has a heart at war. He doesn’t view Katherine as a person. She is simply the Shrew. When we are acting from “inside the box” we actually provoke in others the very comments and behaviors we are accusing them of. So in other words, because Baptista sees Katherine as a shrew, she acts like a shrew.
It is easy for me to see the “boxes” of others. As I look at the individuals in the stories I’ve read and the people around me, I can see where they have built these boxes. I can see how they are justifying their behavior. But in myself…it is much harder to see the boxes I have created. I imagine that this is because I am “inside” the box. I can’t see it because it is all around me. It IS my world. This is a scary thought, because in reality when I choose to betray myself, I am choosing evil. We have a choice in all things, to choose that which is right or good or to choose that which is evil. When I don’t follow the promptings or sense that I feel at a given moment, I am in reality choosing evil. When I look at the consequences of this self-betrayal…the anger, frustration, fear, envy, etc., I can see that it is truly evil.
As Steven Covey says, “Each of us tends to think we see things as they are, that we are objective. But this is not the case. We see the world, not as it is, but as we are…we in effect describe ourselves, our perceptions, our paradigms.”[4] When I see others as a “shrew”, I am in essence viewing them from my own paradigm, my “box”. I am actually provoking that response in them by my own actions. Covey goes on to say, “It becomes obvious that if we want to make relatively minor changes in our lives, we can perhaps appropriately focus on our attitudes and behaviors. But if we want to make significant, quantum change, we need to work on our basic paradigms.”[5] I must break down the walls, so that I can see clearly; I must change my paradigms to become the person I want to be. Give me that sledge hammer, I am ready!

*To justify= to straighten that which is crooked – to make something wrong appear right.

[1] Chaim Potak, The Chosen (Random House, 1967) p.24
[2] The Arbinger Institute, The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict (San Francisco, Berrett –Koehler Publishers, 2006)
[3] William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew.
[4] Stephan R Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (New York: Free Press, 1989) p. 28
[5] Ibid p. 31

Characteristics of a great leader

2008-06-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

I decided to do a study of leadership in the scriptures. I wanted to know what were the characteristics of a great leader. Afterall, if I am trying to give my children a "leadership" education, I need to set the example; I need to be a great leader, if I want my children to be great leaders. Here are the characteristics I identified in the great leaders of God's people...

A leader:

Fears God and follows His counsel
Is chosen by God before the foundation of the world
Seeks wisdom and understanding
Is humble and faithful
Treats everyone fairly and justly (no respecter of persons)
Is known by the people
Keeps passions in-line with the purpose
Speaks carefully
Forsakes ALL evil
Cleaves unto all good
Keeps the commandments
Encourages and teaches others to choose what is right
Makes it easier for others to follow God
Serves others - (to serve = voluntarily submit to another)
Does not hide from or avoid responsibility
Knows the people he/she leads - rejoices with them, suffers with them and loves them
Fasts and prays often
Teaches others to be leaders
Never gives up

That is quite a list! How can I gain all of these traits? On first glance it seems overwhelming. But as I studied the list, I realized that all of these traits are gained by doing one thing: following Christ. He exemplified all of these characteristics. As I strive to become more like Him, to follow His example, I will become the leader I desire to be. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."