"When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side." Matthew 13:19.
"For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little," Isaiah 28:10.
"Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise," John 5:19.
This week I studied It’s Never Too Early and It’s Never Too Late By Bradley D. Foster which was both devastating and hopeful. With my oldest children, I failed although I worked and tried. However, I didn't understand that I chose the adversary's method of force along with all the time, teaching, and sacrifice I gave them. Jesus is ever gentle, charitable, and inviting. I guess my words and testimony went in one ear and out the other of a couple of my dear children. It's as if the yelling chased the time, teaching, loving, and sacrifice right out of their memories.
Here is the hope I find from this talk. "I know I can’t turn back time, but this I now know—that it’s never too early and it’s never too late to lead, guide, and walk beside our children, because families are forever. I can't be like Pablo's father in Brother Foster's anecdote, but I can continue a little activity I started years ago. I imagine myself at the age of a child or grandchild. Then I write fun, newsy letters with a bit of gospel advice attached to a reminiscence or recent experience. AND I pray and pray and pray for the one who gets my letter that week. Of course I pray for each one of them every day, but I make a strong focus of the child or grandchild during their week. God will hear and answer my prayers. Maybe He will intervene and undo the damage I did during my misguided parenting tenure.
Showing posts with label General Conference Book Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Conference Book Club. Show all posts
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Sunday, December 27, 2015
six generations of fiber artists
Praying For...Cole, our half-grown man-child...that he will stand aloof from examples of contention and rebellion that get as thick as flies between 12 and 18ish...that he will hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ and the love of his family...that he will be safe from ravening wolves and designing men...that he will continue to love personal daily devotionals and grow in his dependence upon the Spirit...that other youngsters around the world will know the peace and joy he knows from a testimony of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Bibliophilia...sending Cole Scripture Power! Book of Mormon Journal for Children by Elizabeth Dorathy and Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson both of which I found worth the time and effort.
Talk of the Week...Blessed and Happy Are Those Who Keep the Commandments of God by Von G. Keech...“'Don’t be too critical of the barrier,” he said. “It’s the only thing that’s keeping you from being devoured.'...With our new understanding of the danger that lurked just below the surface, the barrier now offered protection, safety, and peace...God’s commands and standards—like the barrier—can sometimes be difficult to understand. They may appear rigid and unyielding, blocking a path that looks fun and exciting and that is being followed by so many others." I've learned that commandments are not for the benefit of God; he gave them to us to protect us from physical and spiritual death. Though the sins of immorality, drunkenness and other chemical addictions, gluttony which the world now calls obesity, theft, idol/idleness, ect. seem so much easier or more fun than the straight/strait and narrow way, God commands us to follow the course He charted. Why? To save us from misery during life and damnation afterward. It shows us how to be happy.
Ponderizations..."For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known," 1 Corinthians 13:12. Following the commandments of God sometimes doesn't make sense, because we don't know and see all the God sees and knows. I'll trust Him. After over 5 decades of life on this earth, some of the sins that used to look fun to me are now repugnant. I've seen loved ones ruin their lives and die from sins of excess. I can have just as much fun as the drunk or druggie without ruining my body or chaining my spirit to the devil. I can enjoy health giving foods in moderation without giving in to gluttony and the diseases that follow it. I don't need as much stuff to be happy as I once thought; envy and greed only make one discontent. Going to church and helping others is ever so much more gratifying than modern idolatry aka known as the entertainment and shopping industries. The next pasture is not greener; no sir.
Thimble News...Nine-Year-Old Sammy loved our sewing activities last summer, when we made lavender strawberries. For Christmas she got a sewing kit, lesson book, several craft project kits, and a fabric stash. She loves it so much, she's been at it constantly only stopping to sleep last night and attend church this morning. She falls right in with her maternal line of at least six generations of fiber artists. If she keeps going, I'll send Sew What! Skirts, a book that teaches the rudiments of design. All the excitement reminds me of a skirt I've been designing in my mind. Maybe I'll work on it for next spring.
Movement...my frozen shoulder seems to be helped some with the hole digging. Digging is pretty slow going for me, but I enjoy it very much. Love essntrics, too.
Doctor Ginger, Medicine Woman..I'm not a medical professional of any type but a novice student of natural healing and nutrition. Every time it works; I'm amazed. Elderberry syrup stopped my recent stuffy, congested, froggy, raw throat before it even got started. I ran out of elderberry juice and forgot all about taking it until the other day. I got that tingly, clear-your-throat constantly feeling something was coming on, so I bought a new bottle. Dosing myself every two hours, I felt fine by the end of the day. J didn't tell me soon enough but his cruddy ick is pretty mild compared to how hard it hit. I don't know how it works, but I'll take it.
Cucina Fresca...After looking at red lentil marinara sauces with carrots and sweeteners and mushroom ragus that were too, too strong, I knew I had to develop my own stick to your ribs sauce. Although I'm not Italian, my best friend in second grade was. Whenever I was around during mealtime, I was invited (aka ordered) to stay and partake. Every meal there was savory, spicy, and delicious without a hint of sweetness---but not overpoweringly strong either. That's how I expect Italian food to taste, so here's my attempt to vegefy, legumify, and shroomify red sauce into nutrient dense, flavor heaven.
Best Ever Plant Ragu (vegan, no-oil, high nutrient/calorie ratio)
Serves 4-8 depending on appetite and sides
Shamburger:
3 medium white or brown mushrooms
2-3 cauliflower florets
1/2 small yellow onion, pureed
1 garlic clove
1 t tamari (South River is soy and wheat free)
1 T tomato paste
Sauce:
1/2 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 medium red bell pepper
1 celery top, the leafy part
small pinch red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 t Italian herb blend
salt and black pepper to taste
1 package Pomi strained tomatoes or 28 oz canned (fire-roasted) tomatoes, pureed
can minus 1 T tomato paste
1-2 c water
2 c store-bought mushroom or homemade veg broth (onion, leek, celery, mushrooms, spinach, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme (sing as you add these), peppercorns, and green beans--store bought is too sweet)
1/2 cup red lentils
1/4 t smoked paprika
1/2 c fresh moringa leaves or minced spinach
1-2 T fresh basil (in season)
2-4 T fresh parsley (in season)
1 T white miso (South River is soy and wheat free)
1 T nutritional yeast (miso and nutritional yeast combo add a parmesan/romano type flavor without all the detriments of dairy products-cancer, digestive issues, diabetes, acne, and heart disease aren't worth a little flavor punch)
Puree onions and garlic; set aside. Pulse mushrooms and cauliflower in the food processor or blender until you get small mince /ground meat sized bits. Put mushroom and onion mixtures in a pan. Turn heat to high. When it begins to sizzle, turn down to medium. Stir constantly until all moisture is reduced and mixture is crispy and browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, put a pot of water on to boil; then puree onion, garlic, celery, red bell pepper, and a sprinkle of salt in a bit of water. Cook over high until it begins to bubble hard, then turn it down and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Add pomi, water, paprika, broth, paste, dried herbs, and lentils. Simmer for 25-30 minutes until lentils are tender. Boil pasta to desired tenderness. When lentils are tender, stir in meatless bits, moringa, fresh herbs, yeast, and miso. Adjust salt and pepper. Ladle some on top of your favorite pasta or spaghetti squash or spiralized zucchini. This meal is especially company worth when started with a green salad, paired with green beans or asparagus, and ended with cherry pineapple yonana sorbet (or even a simple fruit platter).
Bibliophilia...sending Cole Scripture Power! Book of Mormon Journal for Children by Elizabeth Dorathy and Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson both of which I found worth the time and effort.
Talk of the Week...Blessed and Happy Are Those Who Keep the Commandments of God by Von G. Keech...“'Don’t be too critical of the barrier,” he said. “It’s the only thing that’s keeping you from being devoured.'...With our new understanding of the danger that lurked just below the surface, the barrier now offered protection, safety, and peace...God’s commands and standards—like the barrier—can sometimes be difficult to understand. They may appear rigid and unyielding, blocking a path that looks fun and exciting and that is being followed by so many others." I've learned that commandments are not for the benefit of God; he gave them to us to protect us from physical and spiritual death. Though the sins of immorality, drunkenness and other chemical addictions, gluttony which the world now calls obesity, theft, idol/idleness, ect. seem so much easier or more fun than the straight/strait and narrow way, God commands us to follow the course He charted. Why? To save us from misery during life and damnation afterward. It shows us how to be happy.
Ponderizations..."For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known," 1 Corinthians 13:12. Following the commandments of God sometimes doesn't make sense, because we don't know and see all the God sees and knows. I'll trust Him. After over 5 decades of life on this earth, some of the sins that used to look fun to me are now repugnant. I've seen loved ones ruin their lives and die from sins of excess. I can have just as much fun as the drunk or druggie without ruining my body or chaining my spirit to the devil. I can enjoy health giving foods in moderation without giving in to gluttony and the diseases that follow it. I don't need as much stuff to be happy as I once thought; envy and greed only make one discontent. Going to church and helping others is ever so much more gratifying than modern idolatry aka known as the entertainment and shopping industries. The next pasture is not greener; no sir.
Thimble News...Nine-Year-Old Sammy loved our sewing activities last summer, when we made lavender strawberries. For Christmas she got a sewing kit, lesson book, several craft project kits, and a fabric stash. She loves it so much, she's been at it constantly only stopping to sleep last night and attend church this morning. She falls right in with her maternal line of at least six generations of fiber artists. If she keeps going, I'll send Sew What! Skirts, a book that teaches the rudiments of design. All the excitement reminds me of a skirt I've been designing in my mind. Maybe I'll work on it for next spring.
Movement...my frozen shoulder seems to be helped some with the hole digging. Digging is pretty slow going for me, but I enjoy it very much. Love essntrics, too.
Doctor Ginger, Medicine Woman..I'm not a medical professional of any type but a novice student of natural healing and nutrition. Every time it works; I'm amazed. Elderberry syrup stopped my recent stuffy, congested, froggy, raw throat before it even got started. I ran out of elderberry juice and forgot all about taking it until the other day. I got that tingly, clear-your-throat constantly feeling something was coming on, so I bought a new bottle. Dosing myself every two hours, I felt fine by the end of the day. J didn't tell me soon enough but his cruddy ick is pretty mild compared to how hard it hit. I don't know how it works, but I'll take it.
Cucina Fresca...After looking at red lentil marinara sauces with carrots and sweeteners and mushroom ragus that were too, too strong, I knew I had to develop my own stick to your ribs sauce. Although I'm not Italian, my best friend in second grade was. Whenever I was around during mealtime, I was invited (aka ordered) to stay and partake. Every meal there was savory, spicy, and delicious without a hint of sweetness---but not overpoweringly strong either. That's how I expect Italian food to taste, so here's my attempt to vegefy, legumify, and shroomify red sauce into nutrient dense, flavor heaven.
Best Ever Plant Ragu (vegan, no-oil, high nutrient/calorie ratio)
Serves 4-8 depending on appetite and sides
Shamburger:
3 medium white or brown mushrooms
2-3 cauliflower florets
1/2 small yellow onion, pureed
1 garlic clove
1 t tamari (South River is soy and wheat free)
1 T tomato paste
Sauce:
1/2 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 medium red bell pepper
1 celery top, the leafy part
small pinch red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 t Italian herb blend
salt and black pepper to taste
1 package Pomi strained tomatoes or 28 oz canned (fire-roasted) tomatoes, pureed
can minus 1 T tomato paste
1-2 c water
2 c store-bought mushroom or homemade veg broth (onion, leek, celery, mushrooms, spinach, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme (sing as you add these), peppercorns, and green beans--store bought is too sweet)
1/2 cup red lentils
1/4 t smoked paprika
1/2 c fresh moringa leaves or minced spinach
1-2 T fresh basil (in season)
2-4 T fresh parsley (in season)
1 T white miso (South River is soy and wheat free)
1 T nutritional yeast (miso and nutritional yeast combo add a parmesan/romano type flavor without all the detriments of dairy products-cancer, digestive issues, diabetes, acne, and heart disease aren't worth a little flavor punch)
Puree onions and garlic; set aside. Pulse mushrooms and cauliflower in the food processor or blender until you get small mince /ground meat sized bits. Put mushroom and onion mixtures in a pan. Turn heat to high. When it begins to sizzle, turn down to medium. Stir constantly until all moisture is reduced and mixture is crispy and browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, put a pot of water on to boil; then puree onion, garlic, celery, red bell pepper, and a sprinkle of salt in a bit of water. Cook over high until it begins to bubble hard, then turn it down and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Add pomi, water, paprika, broth, paste, dried herbs, and lentils. Simmer for 25-30 minutes until lentils are tender. Boil pasta to desired tenderness. When lentils are tender, stir in meatless bits, moringa, fresh herbs, yeast, and miso. Adjust salt and pepper. Ladle some on top of your favorite pasta or spaghetti squash or spiralized zucchini. This meal is especially company worth when started with a green salad, paired with green beans or asparagus, and ended with cherry pineapple yonana sorbet (or even a simple fruit platter).
Sunday, December 20, 2015
good better best
Praying For...love and joy for children all over the world...also received an answer to a private prayer that was different than I wanted; it changes everything. I must choose best over good and better...although it is sometimes hard, it is vital to listen to Heavenly counsel and follow the will of God. Years ago I rationalized away inspired counsel with devastating results, so have learned the hard way to always listen, go, and do the things which the Lord commands.
Ponderization..."The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him," Psalm 28:7.
Sermon of the Week...Behold Thy Mother by Jeffrey R. Holland, is a inspiring comparison between the love of the Savior and the love of a mother. Maybe if I had come to this world perfect like my dear Savior, I could have been a better mother. But I am not perfect; my failures had disastrous consequences. With my experiences in mind, I wish I could open the eyes of young parents. We have such a short time with them and no second chances. We simply must put aside selfish pursuits and selfish reactions in favor of devotion and charity if we are to build a strong family and lead children into the arms of Jesus Christ.
Cucina Fresca...I think I inherited my Dad's noodle addiction. At my favorite Thai restaurant, I always order steamed vegetables, steamed noodles, chili sauce, and peanut sauce. I found it extremely easy to duplicate with Annie Chun's Brown Rice Pad Thai noodles and plenty of yummy veg. Peanut sauce recipes abound so I won't post one here. It's also a good meal with brown/red rice.
Garden Gate...because of the three nighttime freezes this week, I had to cover my mango trees. I plan to get the big mango in the ground during the coming weeks, because I almost fell off the ladder covering that potted monster.
Doctor Ginger, Medicine Woman...nope not a real doc but a student of natural and nutritional healing. After decades of obsessing with food and weight, I am throwing out my scale. Eating plant foods all these years, I've learned a great lesson. The scale is not a true measure of one's fatness or lack thereof, but it can exacerbate eating disorders. When I exercise and drink plenty of water, I gain muscle weight in proper places and the wrinkles on my face fill out...but belly fat melts away. When I eat fatty foods, I gain chub and belly weight. When I count calories, a deprivation mindset for sure, I lose muscle mass and water well before any fat comes off...so I look wrinkly, old, stooped, and pudgy before the skeletal look kicks in. Excluding added fats and animal products in favor of beans, grains, starchy veggies, greens, other veggies, and fruits, weight is distributed correctly. So....the conclusion of my one person study is this...Eat a diet of totally satisfying starches such as grains, beans, and starchy veggies with plenty of greens, other veggies, and fruits but devoid of added oils and animal products. Drink lots of water and exercise gently 30-60 minutes six days a week. Oh wait! Didn't Dr. John McDougall say the same thing? “The list of health problems I think it would very hard to live with is SO much longer than the list of foods I previously thought I couldn’t live without” Merrill Alley.
This week I read Dr. Gregor's new book, How Not to Die. While I think the title is silly, the material inside is interesting, important, and backed up by scientific studies. One little tidbit that is helping my family is the use of ginger root for migraines. One family member suffers constantly. According the the research he found, ginger root powder in water works as well as expensive migraine medications. Even though I only had fresh ginger root, I made a concoction with a bit of honey and water in the magic bullet. My guinea pig skeptically sucked it down. Within 15 minutes or so, he felt a marked reduction of the pain. I gave him a second dose, which ended the headache for a time with zero side effects. We repeated this procedure again and again over the last week with similar results. Dry powder didn't work as well for him. At first he didn't like it much, because it is a pretty strong concoction. After the a couple doses, he now loves it. While this doesn't address the cause, it allows him to function better; the cause is being addressed, too.
Teaching Little Children...this week I presented Language Works independent phonogram work to 12 of my readers at school (three are either not past the first pink work or were on vacation). Amazed at their excitement and success, I watched them patiently wait for a turn to do another set (there is only one set of each work in a Montessori classroom to teach the children patience). In effect, I took myself out of their learning picture, as they only need to show the booklet to any teacher or aid to discover the sound of the phonogram. With that information in place, the self-teaching materials give them plenty of practice reading and writing words with the particular phonogram. One little boy didn't do so well, because he didn't pay attention during initial instruction. After a reminder lesson, he accomplished the work with accuracy and joy. They are especially proud of the little booklets they make for each phonogram but a little frustrated that they must leave the learning journal at school. These kindergarteners can complete the whole program by the end of the year if they complete three phonograms per week. If this happens, reading will be solidly in place before look-say, pseudo-phonics can stifle their reading abilities. What this program accomplishes used to be the first semester of first grade, I know because I have my old first-grade, 100% phonetic reading program on my library shelf. Today, this is considered third-grade level. Isn't that horrendous! Plus, 4 and 5 year olds have been using this work in some American Montessori schools for 27 years. Anyway, our next group of four-year-olds, will be ready to begin this work in a couple weeks but at a much slower pace. If they attend the school during their kindergarten year, they will leave with a complete phonetic toolbelt.
I had a serendipitous teaching moment during cubs this week. The outgoing leader took the us to a gingerbread house display, which was enjoyed by all. In the car on the way home, we all talked about our various Christmas traditions. One little boy grew from quiet to sullen until he finally said. 'I hate it when people talk about things I don't know about. I get so jealous.' I explained the jealousy was a form of the sin envy, which Heavenly Father commanded us against. Further I pointed out that everyone has some cool stuff in their lives, and we shouldn't get angry and jealous because others have different cool stuff from us. 'Be happy for them, and be happy for yourself.' After this brief soapbox, I asked him to tell us the cool stuff his family did at Christmas. Visibly happier, he told us of traveling to snow country each year to play and pajamas on Christmas Eve and several other things.
Puppy Prattle...our favorite game to play with Dash is hide and seek. One of us runs off to hides in a part of the house, while the other one keeps her attention. Then the hider whistles. She looks and looks until she finds us. Usually it's within seconds, but sometimes she has a little trouble. Anyway, we all love this.
Ponderization..."The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him," Psalm 28:7.
Sermon of the Week...Behold Thy Mother by Jeffrey R. Holland, is a inspiring comparison between the love of the Savior and the love of a mother. Maybe if I had come to this world perfect like my dear Savior, I could have been a better mother. But I am not perfect; my failures had disastrous consequences. With my experiences in mind, I wish I could open the eyes of young parents. We have such a short time with them and no second chances. We simply must put aside selfish pursuits and selfish reactions in favor of devotion and charity if we are to build a strong family and lead children into the arms of Jesus Christ.
Cucina Fresca...I think I inherited my Dad's noodle addiction. At my favorite Thai restaurant, I always order steamed vegetables, steamed noodles, chili sauce, and peanut sauce. I found it extremely easy to duplicate with Annie Chun's Brown Rice Pad Thai noodles and plenty of yummy veg. Peanut sauce recipes abound so I won't post one here. It's also a good meal with brown/red rice.
Garden Gate...because of the three nighttime freezes this week, I had to cover my mango trees. I plan to get the big mango in the ground during the coming weeks, because I almost fell off the ladder covering that potted monster.
Doctor Ginger, Medicine Woman...nope not a real doc but a student of natural and nutritional healing. After decades of obsessing with food and weight, I am throwing out my scale. Eating plant foods all these years, I've learned a great lesson. The scale is not a true measure of one's fatness or lack thereof, but it can exacerbate eating disorders. When I exercise and drink plenty of water, I gain muscle weight in proper places and the wrinkles on my face fill out...but belly fat melts away. When I eat fatty foods, I gain chub and belly weight. When I count calories, a deprivation mindset for sure, I lose muscle mass and water well before any fat comes off...so I look wrinkly, old, stooped, and pudgy before the skeletal look kicks in. Excluding added fats and animal products in favor of beans, grains, starchy veggies, greens, other veggies, and fruits, weight is distributed correctly. So....the conclusion of my one person study is this...Eat a diet of totally satisfying starches such as grains, beans, and starchy veggies with plenty of greens, other veggies, and fruits but devoid of added oils and animal products. Drink lots of water and exercise gently 30-60 minutes six days a week. Oh wait! Didn't Dr. John McDougall say the same thing? “The list of health problems I think it would very hard to live with is SO much longer than the list of foods I previously thought I couldn’t live without” Merrill Alley.
This week I read Dr. Gregor's new book, How Not to Die. While I think the title is silly, the material inside is interesting, important, and backed up by scientific studies. One little tidbit that is helping my family is the use of ginger root for migraines. One family member suffers constantly. According the the research he found, ginger root powder in water works as well as expensive migraine medications. Even though I only had fresh ginger root, I made a concoction with a bit of honey and water in the magic bullet. My guinea pig skeptically sucked it down. Within 15 minutes or so, he felt a marked reduction of the pain. I gave him a second dose, which ended the headache for a time with zero side effects. We repeated this procedure again and again over the last week with similar results. Dry powder didn't work as well for him. At first he didn't like it much, because it is a pretty strong concoction. After the a couple doses, he now loves it. While this doesn't address the cause, it allows him to function better; the cause is being addressed, too.
Teaching Little Children...this week I presented Language Works independent phonogram work to 12 of my readers at school (three are either not past the first pink work or were on vacation). Amazed at their excitement and success, I watched them patiently wait for a turn to do another set (there is only one set of each work in a Montessori classroom to teach the children patience). In effect, I took myself out of their learning picture, as they only need to show the booklet to any teacher or aid to discover the sound of the phonogram. With that information in place, the self-teaching materials give them plenty of practice reading and writing words with the particular phonogram. One little boy didn't do so well, because he didn't pay attention during initial instruction. After a reminder lesson, he accomplished the work with accuracy and joy. They are especially proud of the little booklets they make for each phonogram but a little frustrated that they must leave the learning journal at school. These kindergarteners can complete the whole program by the end of the year if they complete three phonograms per week. If this happens, reading will be solidly in place before look-say, pseudo-phonics can stifle their reading abilities. What this program accomplishes used to be the first semester of first grade, I know because I have my old first-grade, 100% phonetic reading program on my library shelf. Today, this is considered third-grade level. Isn't that horrendous! Plus, 4 and 5 year olds have been using this work in some American Montessori schools for 27 years. Anyway, our next group of four-year-olds, will be ready to begin this work in a couple weeks but at a much slower pace. If they attend the school during their kindergarten year, they will leave with a complete phonetic toolbelt.
I had a serendipitous teaching moment during cubs this week. The outgoing leader took the us to a gingerbread house display, which was enjoyed by all. In the car on the way home, we all talked about our various Christmas traditions. One little boy grew from quiet to sullen until he finally said. 'I hate it when people talk about things I don't know about. I get so jealous.' I explained the jealousy was a form of the sin envy, which Heavenly Father commanded us against. Further I pointed out that everyone has some cool stuff in their lives, and we shouldn't get angry and jealous because others have different cool stuff from us. 'Be happy for them, and be happy for yourself.' After this brief soapbox, I asked him to tell us the cool stuff his family did at Christmas. Visibly happier, he told us of traveling to snow country each year to play and pajamas on Christmas Eve and several other things.
Puppy Prattle...our favorite game to play with Dash is hide and seek. One of us runs off to hides in a part of the house, while the other one keeps her attention. Then the hider whistles. She looks and looks until she finds us. Usually it's within seconds, but sometimes she has a little trouble. Anyway, we all love this.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
let it begin with me
Praying For...peace on Earth...I know this will never be while Satan can tempt the hearts of men. However, I can choose to be more charitable, meek, and peaceful towards others. At the school where I teach, the children are learning a variety of Christmas carols as well as Let There Be Peace On Earth. It's my new Christmas favorite and lifetime mantra.
Ponderization..."Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men," Luke 2:15. "In the scriptures, peace can mean either freedom from conflict and turmoil or the inner calm and comfort born of the Spirit that God gives to his faithful Saints." I want both for me and all mankind.
Talk of the Week...In his sermon, Meeting the Challenges of Today’s World, Robert D. Hales reminds us that our choices shape our eternal destiny. I like the idea of personal councils and hope to incorporate it into my life.
Cucina Fresca...After J saw me using two dinner plates to press corn tortillas, he sent away for the most beautiful tortilla press. Now making this favorite bread will be easy again. I haven't had a tortilla press for ages.
Teaching Little Children...I didn't know there was a whole story curriculum for teaching handwriting. A few weeks ago, I came up with a cute story to teach a, d, and g after a few of the children couldn't get the proper formation. The round part of 'a' is our nice huggable mommy. The downward motion is her little boy (or girl) who hugs her tightly. He doesn't run away, because he loves to hug his mommy. He also has a tall, tall brother that loves to hug mommy (d). They have a lazy brother that likes to drag his feet below the line before swooping off (g). Anyway, I plan to incorporate all these cute stories, because the children love the 'a' family stories so much. AND when I found this I also discovered the same company's integrated curriculum for science, handwriting, and language. It's so beautiful and peaceful.
Yorkie Yarns...For awhile I fed Dash vegan kibble. The other day J and I ate lentil soup for dinner, and Dash nearly went wild sniffing the air. After we were through eating, I gave her soup instead of kibble. She's never eaten with such gusto. Since I prefer a diet of lentils, rice, vegetables, and greens for dogs, I saved the leftovers for her. I used to feed Lentil soup to Gucci all the time, who also thought it was the best stuff ever. When I must crate this sweet little creature, I fill her Kong with a teaspoon of peanut butter mixed with a pinch of diatomaceous earth, flaxseed meal, dried moringa, and vegedog vitamins. I'm glad to have this cuddly little companion.
Garden Gate...frost is expected M-W, so J and I erected a mini greenhouse around our mangos. We'll keep it in place until all danger of frost has past. Everything else should do fine. I don't feel a need to put up a Christmas tree anymore, because my backyard decorates itself for christmas. We have yellow and orange balls hanging from trees, as well as quail, finches, and hummingbirds flitting or running about.
Movement...we did it! We finally got our bikes out for an early morning ride. Dash nearly froze, so I'll leave her home next time. Although I enjoyed the ride, I was horrified at my steeply declined fitness level. I peddled as hard as I could but barely moved at all. After nearly two miles, I decided it must be the bike. Yup! The tires were nearly devoid of air. Whew! I'm not as weak as all that after all. At school, the children can choose to get out the yoga mat and exercise. Sometimes I want to get right down there with one or another of them and stretch. Yoga (like Essentrics) is so delightful and peaceful as an exercise form.
Doctor Ginger, Medicine Woman...I'm not a medical doctor at all but a student of natural and nutritional healing. Got a killer headache to match my killer shoulder. I've tried massage for this, which helps tremendously. This time, however, I chose chiropractic. I saw a woman chiro, whom I've never met before. She released the headache with accu-pressure as well as got my shoulder to move six inches further than before. She's probably the best chiro I've ever seen. I'll go back until this issue is resolved. Grandma told me getting old isn't for sissies, and she was right. Really though, I don't think my shoulder thing is age related, I hurt it lifting dumbbells and dropping a can of beans on it. What? Yes, I'm under five feet tall. Reaching to get a can of organic black beans from the top shelf at Walmart, I caused a few cans to fall. One of them hit me squarely on my shoulder.
Ponderization..."Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men," Luke 2:15. "In the scriptures, peace can mean either freedom from conflict and turmoil or the inner calm and comfort born of the Spirit that God gives to his faithful Saints." I want both for me and all mankind.
Talk of the Week...In his sermon, Meeting the Challenges of Today’s World, Robert D. Hales reminds us that our choices shape our eternal destiny. I like the idea of personal councils and hope to incorporate it into my life.
Cucina Fresca...After J saw me using two dinner plates to press corn tortillas, he sent away for the most beautiful tortilla press. Now making this favorite bread will be easy again. I haven't had a tortilla press for ages.
Teaching Little Children...I didn't know there was a whole story curriculum for teaching handwriting. A few weeks ago, I came up with a cute story to teach a, d, and g after a few of the children couldn't get the proper formation. The round part of 'a' is our nice huggable mommy. The downward motion is her little boy (or girl) who hugs her tightly. He doesn't run away, because he loves to hug his mommy. He also has a tall, tall brother that loves to hug mommy (d). They have a lazy brother that likes to drag his feet below the line before swooping off (g). Anyway, I plan to incorporate all these cute stories, because the children love the 'a' family stories so much. AND when I found this I also discovered the same company's integrated curriculum for science, handwriting, and language. It's so beautiful and peaceful.
Yorkie Yarns...For awhile I fed Dash vegan kibble. The other day J and I ate lentil soup for dinner, and Dash nearly went wild sniffing the air. After we were through eating, I gave her soup instead of kibble. She's never eaten with such gusto. Since I prefer a diet of lentils, rice, vegetables, and greens for dogs, I saved the leftovers for her. I used to feed Lentil soup to Gucci all the time, who also thought it was the best stuff ever. When I must crate this sweet little creature, I fill her Kong with a teaspoon of peanut butter mixed with a pinch of diatomaceous earth, flaxseed meal, dried moringa, and vegedog vitamins. I'm glad to have this cuddly little companion.
Garden Gate...frost is expected M-W, so J and I erected a mini greenhouse around our mangos. We'll keep it in place until all danger of frost has past. Everything else should do fine. I don't feel a need to put up a Christmas tree anymore, because my backyard decorates itself for christmas. We have yellow and orange balls hanging from trees, as well as quail, finches, and hummingbirds flitting or running about.
Movement...we did it! We finally got our bikes out for an early morning ride. Dash nearly froze, so I'll leave her home next time. Although I enjoyed the ride, I was horrified at my steeply declined fitness level. I peddled as hard as I could but barely moved at all. After nearly two miles, I decided it must be the bike. Yup! The tires were nearly devoid of air. Whew! I'm not as weak as all that after all. At school, the children can choose to get out the yoga mat and exercise. Sometimes I want to get right down there with one or another of them and stretch. Yoga (like Essentrics) is so delightful and peaceful as an exercise form.
Doctor Ginger, Medicine Woman...I'm not a medical doctor at all but a student of natural and nutritional healing. Got a killer headache to match my killer shoulder. I've tried massage for this, which helps tremendously. This time, however, I chose chiropractic. I saw a woman chiro, whom I've never met before. She released the headache with accu-pressure as well as got my shoulder to move six inches further than before. She's probably the best chiro I've ever seen. I'll go back until this issue is resolved. Grandma told me getting old isn't for sissies, and she was right. Really though, I don't think my shoulder thing is age related, I hurt it lifting dumbbells and dropping a can of beans on it. What? Yes, I'm under five feet tall. Reaching to get a can of organic black beans from the top shelf at Walmart, I caused a few cans to fall. One of them hit me squarely on my shoulder.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
old but still remarkable
Praying For...Tyson and children all over the world to find peace, plenty, safety, security, knowledge, wisdom, faith, joy, hope, and love...
Ponderization..."...we did take courage with our small force...and were fixed with a determination to...to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty," Alma 58:12. I don't endorse war, but do think it is ok to defend one's loved ones, neighbors, freedom, and home. How do we know what is right, when our government officials keep lying to us? Pray for inspiration.
Talk of the Week...“If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments” By Carole M. Stephens, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. This is a most enjoyable talk with an old but still remarkable lesson. It's also a lovely illustration in dealing with others especially children.
Teaching Little Children...as I teach reading and writing to little children, I receive great rewards. Once in awhile, the other teachers express gratitude for my volunteer work. Although I appreciate accolades, I spilled the beans. Acknowledging their appreciation, I admitted serving these children for purely selfish reasons. Satisfaction and meaningful activity reward me greatly. Just ten weeks ago, most of the 46 children knew some to no sounds with two readers in the bunch. Now fifteen children have emerged into the reader category. While most progress slowly through the decoding stage, several of the newbies are moving into the fluent group. Every time I witness progression on the written language path, it invigorates and inspires me. Its a true miracle. Most have also progressed from chicken scratch to quite legible letters. The youngest ones have begun to retain sounds and write with chalk. Tooo fun! but I wish there were three of me.
Garden Gate...next to go in the ground will be asparagus, elderberry, more garlic, and more bocking 14 comfrey--maybe some strawberries, tree collards, turmeric, and ginger in Feb, too. So far the cottontail rabbits steer clear of all garlic; it's a great rabbit repellant. I want to move the curry tree from the backyard to it's permanent location in the front. I got some great tree wraps to keep rabbits from eating tree trunks; chicken wire blows off during storms. With garlic and tree wraps, we should be safe. We never got that bucket garden built last spring, so we plan to get it finished before December. I really want to plant in February for delicious tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, beans, peas, spinach, and cucumbers. We'll put the buckets on the sunny south garden until things heat up in May. Then we'll move it to the cooler east court yard, which is protected from afternoon sun. Even though the east court yard sounds posh, it's just front entrance patio.
Doggy Days...I simply love having a little Yorkie dog. She dances and talks to us. Like all Yorkies she is quite bossy, but...in a sweeter way than other Yorkies I've known. She's quite endearing. Now if we can just get that covered dog run built so she can run off some of her energy and relieve herself without being attached to a leash.
Ponderization..."...we did take courage with our small force...and were fixed with a determination to...to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty," Alma 58:12. I don't endorse war, but do think it is ok to defend one's loved ones, neighbors, freedom, and home. How do we know what is right, when our government officials keep lying to us? Pray for inspiration.
Talk of the Week...“If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments” By Carole M. Stephens, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. This is a most enjoyable talk with an old but still remarkable lesson. It's also a lovely illustration in dealing with others especially children.
Teaching Little Children...as I teach reading and writing to little children, I receive great rewards. Once in awhile, the other teachers express gratitude for my volunteer work. Although I appreciate accolades, I spilled the beans. Acknowledging their appreciation, I admitted serving these children for purely selfish reasons. Satisfaction and meaningful activity reward me greatly. Just ten weeks ago, most of the 46 children knew some to no sounds with two readers in the bunch. Now fifteen children have emerged into the reader category. While most progress slowly through the decoding stage, several of the newbies are moving into the fluent group. Every time I witness progression on the written language path, it invigorates and inspires me. Its a true miracle. Most have also progressed from chicken scratch to quite legible letters. The youngest ones have begun to retain sounds and write with chalk. Tooo fun! but I wish there were three of me.
Garden Gate...next to go in the ground will be asparagus, elderberry, more garlic, and more bocking 14 comfrey--maybe some strawberries, tree collards, turmeric, and ginger in Feb, too. So far the cottontail rabbits steer clear of all garlic; it's a great rabbit repellant. I want to move the curry tree from the backyard to it's permanent location in the front. I got some great tree wraps to keep rabbits from eating tree trunks; chicken wire blows off during storms. With garlic and tree wraps, we should be safe. We never got that bucket garden built last spring, so we plan to get it finished before December. I really want to plant in February for delicious tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, beans, peas, spinach, and cucumbers. We'll put the buckets on the sunny south garden until things heat up in May. Then we'll move it to the cooler east court yard, which is protected from afternoon sun. Even though the east court yard sounds posh, it's just front entrance patio.
Doggy Days...I simply love having a little Yorkie dog. She dances and talks to us. Like all Yorkies she is quite bossy, but...in a sweeter way than other Yorkies I've known. She's quite endearing. Now if we can just get that covered dog run built so she can run off some of her energy and relieve herself without being attached to a leash.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
a long way to go
General Conference last week moved me in a wonderful way. All the sermons held gems, but the last two especially spoke to my heart as answers to prayer. In his sermon Hold on Thy Way, Koichi Aoyagi speaks of trials.
"even though the kind of healing I sought was not granted, I strove to be faithful in keeping God’s commandments. I continued to pray that I would be able to resolve the questions I had about my trials...purpose for being on this earth to experience trial...accept all the trials of this life for what they are and then leave the rest up to the Lord... [some] problems will be resolved when we are resurrected...God who created the heavens and the earth knows the grand design of this earth, that He has dominion over all things in the heavens and the earth, and that in order to bring to pass the plan of salvation, He provides us with many different experiences—including some trials—while we are on this earth...The test a loving God has set before us is not to see if we can endure difficulty. It is to see if we can endure it well. We pass the test by showing that we remembered Him and the commandments He gave us...my sufferings were for my learning and for my growth. Heavenly Father schooled me to temper my impatience, to develop empathy, and to comfort those who are suffering. When I realized this, my heart was filled with feelings of thankfulness toward my Heavenly Father for this trial."
God has given me very specific instructions through personal revelation how to best endure and overcome [to a point] my health issues. While the issues are tremendously improved, they will not be eliminated during this lifetime. However, they will be arrested enough for me to fulfill the callings God gives me. Other issues with dear ones hold a similar test of patience and sorrow. He has promised that if I heed His counsel to me and endure joyfully to the end, I will be blessed with peace. While I don't know how well I fulfill my end of the bargain, Heavenly Father continues to bless me with peace. Any time agitation or anxiety enters my mind over these trials, I remind myself of the promise and feel His peace wash over me. Additionally, my trials have helped me temper impatience, develop empathy, and love the sinner with less judgement. I still have a long way to go, though.
"even though the kind of healing I sought was not granted, I strove to be faithful in keeping God’s commandments. I continued to pray that I would be able to resolve the questions I had about my trials...purpose for being on this earth to experience trial...accept all the trials of this life for what they are and then leave the rest up to the Lord... [some] problems will be resolved when we are resurrected...God who created the heavens and the earth knows the grand design of this earth, that He has dominion over all things in the heavens and the earth, and that in order to bring to pass the plan of salvation, He provides us with many different experiences—including some trials—while we are on this earth...The test a loving God has set before us is not to see if we can endure difficulty. It is to see if we can endure it well. We pass the test by showing that we remembered Him and the commandments He gave us...my sufferings were for my learning and for my growth. Heavenly Father schooled me to temper my impatience, to develop empathy, and to comfort those who are suffering. When I realized this, my heart was filled with feelings of thankfulness toward my Heavenly Father for this trial."
God has given me very specific instructions through personal revelation how to best endure and overcome [to a point] my health issues. While the issues are tremendously improved, they will not be eliminated during this lifetime. However, they will be arrested enough for me to fulfill the callings God gives me. Other issues with dear ones hold a similar test of patience and sorrow. He has promised that if I heed His counsel to me and endure joyfully to the end, I will be blessed with peace. While I don't know how well I fulfill my end of the bargain, Heavenly Father continues to bless me with peace. Any time agitation or anxiety enters my mind over these trials, I remind myself of the promise and feel His peace wash over me. Additionally, my trials have helped me temper impatience, develop empathy, and love the sinner with less judgement. I still have a long way to go, though.
Friday, May 29, 2015
rich path
Trying to get back on track with my General Conference studying and reporting. It's been a really rough six weeks for me with personal illness and the final hospitalization death, and funeral of my dear, little grandma. I've listened to the sermons, but have been lax at recording my thoughts and impressions of said sermons. So...otra vez...The Parable of the Sower by Dallin H. Oaks. All quotes will be taken from this sermon unless otherwise noted. The text for this parable is found in Matthew 14, Mark 4, and Luke 8.
"different soils on which the seeds fell represent different ways in which mortals receive and follow...the teachings of the Master and His servants..." Brother Oaks sermon didn't focus on the hard hearted, wayside crowd. Instead he warned "us of circumstances and attitudes that can keep anyone who has received the seed of the gospel message from bringing forth a goodly harvest...If we are not rooted in the teachings of the gospel and regular in its practices, any one of us can develop a stony heart, which is stony ground for spiritual seeds...Spiritual food is necessary for spiritual survival, especially in a world that is moving away from belief in God and the absolutes of right and wrong...The most subtle thorns to choke out the effect of the gospel word in our lives are the worldly forces that Jesus called the “cares and riches and pleasures of this life"x...addicted...beguiled by trivial distractions...entitlement mentality...paralyzed by fear of the future...The Savior’s warning against having the cares of this world choke out the word of God in our lives surely challenges us to keep our priorities fixed—our hearts set—on the commandments of God...We have the seed of the gospel word. It is up to each of us to set the priorities and to do the things that make our soil good and our harvest plentiful. We must seek to be firmly rooted and converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ"
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving," Colossians 2:6-7.
The gospel message is so simple. All throughout the scriptures and in most sermons, we are taught the same thing over and again. Keep the commandments. Develop a habit of constant prayer, service to God's children, and at least daily scripture study. Focus on eternal goals: repent, be baptized, be good, be happy. Develop hope/faith in God. Like anything worth pursuing, it's easier said than done. Nevertheless, a life so devoted is a meaningful and rich path to eternal life with God.
"different soils on which the seeds fell represent different ways in which mortals receive and follow...the teachings of the Master and His servants..." Brother Oaks sermon didn't focus on the hard hearted, wayside crowd. Instead he warned "us of circumstances and attitudes that can keep anyone who has received the seed of the gospel message from bringing forth a goodly harvest...If we are not rooted in the teachings of the gospel and regular in its practices, any one of us can develop a stony heart, which is stony ground for spiritual seeds...Spiritual food is necessary for spiritual survival, especially in a world that is moving away from belief in God and the absolutes of right and wrong...The most subtle thorns to choke out the effect of the gospel word in our lives are the worldly forces that Jesus called the “cares and riches and pleasures of this life"x...addicted...beguiled by trivial distractions...entitlement mentality...paralyzed by fear of the future...The Savior’s warning against having the cares of this world choke out the word of God in our lives surely challenges us to keep our priorities fixed—our hearts set—on the commandments of God...We have the seed of the gospel word. It is up to each of us to set the priorities and to do the things that make our soil good and our harvest plentiful. We must seek to be firmly rooted and converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ"
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving," Colossians 2:6-7.
The gospel message is so simple. All throughout the scriptures and in most sermons, we are taught the same thing over and again. Keep the commandments. Develop a habit of constant prayer, service to God's children, and at least daily scripture study. Focus on eternal goals: repent, be baptized, be good, be happy. Develop hope/faith in God. Like anything worth pursuing, it's easier said than done. Nevertheless, a life so devoted is a meaningful and rich path to eternal life with God.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
a new stepford
Praying For...Tyson, our nearly eight-year-old lego maniac...that he will know Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and strive to be like Him...that those in authority over him will encourage his talents, spirituality, scholarship, and so forth with gentleness and pure love...that the hearts of leaders of nations and worldwide neighbors will soften and their ears be open to the whisperings of gentle, godly inspiration...that more people will seek God and His beautiful plan.
General Conference Sermon of the Week...This week I studied We’ll Ascend Together By Linda K. Burton. I appreciated her timely instruction that we women stop deriding men in our lives and refuse to accept the new culture that wishes to eliminate fathers from families. I also accept her challenge to speak words of kindness more often to my cherished companion and about him, to lift the men in my family and express gratitude for the ways they fulfill their divine and complementary roles and seek the help of the Holy Ghost to teach us how we can better lift them. "I invite each of us to heed Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s heartfelt plea: 'Brothers and sisters, in this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be ‘perfect’ men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels.' "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel," 2 Nephi 31:13.
Cucina Fresca...Grandma passed a few weeks ago. In the past, family events with food were an open door to mock me. This time my dear uncle made some beautiful salads for any vegans in the group. I thought I would be the only one. BUT!!!! four other people fought over (well vied for) the other three salads. I'm not the only one now AND some are now thoughtful enough to think of herbivores...Cooking in the rice cooker is lots of fun. Probably the most exciting thing is the ease of cooking polenta in it. For dinner on Saturday, we ate herbed polenta with marinara and baby greens. Strangely, even though neither of us was raised with polenta, we both consider it to be a delightful, comfort food. This week I'm going to try Vegan Rice Cooker Frittata.
2/3 c chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour)
3/4 c water
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 c mushrooms, chopped
1/4 c kale, chopped
1/4 c artichoke hearts, chopped
2-3 sun dried tomatoes (not in oil), minced
1 T nutritional yeast
1/4-1/2 t dried herbs of choice
black salt
black pepper
Mix the chickpea flour with the water, scallion, and a couple twists of black pepper. Cook the mushrooms and a pinch of black salt, covered, over medium low heat for about 5-10 minutes.
Mix the veggies and chickpea batter. Pour into the rice cooker. Cook on white rice setting. Enjoy!
Doctor Ginger, Medicine Woman...Yup, just a student of herbal and nutritional alternative healing--not a doctor at all. I'm so grateful for herbs. Although recovery from this flu/cold is slow, herbs have made it more bearable. Sometimes, I just cannot breathe. This morning during and after our bike ride, I coughed and wheezed. Dr. Christopher's Lung and Bronchial got me breathing in a manner of minutes. Also, my eyes are pretty weak from the fever and such. Dr. Christopher's Herbal Eye Bright formula with cayenne wakes them up in a hurry. When he was living, he testified his preparations were divinely inspired. I believe it.
Bibliophilia...sent Tyson Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch by Sobol, Runaway Ralph by Cleary, and LEGO Chain Reactions by Pat Murphy.
Movement...biking the extensive trails around my home six days a week with J. We are up to 8 miles a day, which takes about an hour. This is a pretty slow pace, but we're getting stronger and faster by the day. Usually, we stop about half way through our ride for a rest. Because I get bored sitting around, I do essentrics stretches to loosen up my lower body. Even so, all this riding sort of put essentrics on the back shelf, which was not really ok with me. After this flu/cold thing dissipates, I'll have enough energy to finish my morning ride with 30 minutes of essentrics. I also found a before bed, stress reducing, essentrics workout that is fantastic. The statement 'I love movement' emanating from my lips has me wondering if I'm really a new Stepford wife.
Garden Gate...I've also discovered that gardening is very meditative for me. This week has been so fun, as I watch all the baby herbs emerge from the soil. It's funny though. I planted those seeds, when I was deliriously ill. Therefore, I don't know what any of them are and won't until they begin to put on true leaves. One gogi bush has been struggling to get over transplant shock. It seems the drainage in that spot isn't optimal. Since I don't want to kill the new plant, I dug a trench around it and filled it with a lava sand and wood chips to encourage better drainage. Plus, I gave it more shade like I did with the other gogis. I hope it works...I'm so much happier with so many meaningful things to do.
Needle News...still making lavender strawberries for my closet. Gotta love lavender. Brought Grandma's sewing machine home the other day. It's sitting in my breakfast nook.
Family History...I got a whole box of pictures and documents from Grandma that I will scan and upload to family search and ancestry. My great grandmother's hand written death certificate is likely in the lot. I sure hope it made it into the box. Thanks to mom and Uncle Paul for allowing me the privilege of keeping these precious documents and mementoes.
General Conference Sermon of the Week...This week I studied We’ll Ascend Together By Linda K. Burton. I appreciated her timely instruction that we women stop deriding men in our lives and refuse to accept the new culture that wishes to eliminate fathers from families. I also accept her challenge to speak words of kindness more often to my cherished companion and about him, to lift the men in my family and express gratitude for the ways they fulfill their divine and complementary roles and seek the help of the Holy Ghost to teach us how we can better lift them. "I invite each of us to heed Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s heartfelt plea: 'Brothers and sisters, in this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be ‘perfect’ men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels.' "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel," 2 Nephi 31:13.
Cucina Fresca...Grandma passed a few weeks ago. In the past, family events with food were an open door to mock me. This time my dear uncle made some beautiful salads for any vegans in the group. I thought I would be the only one. BUT!!!! four other people fought over (well vied for) the other three salads. I'm not the only one now AND some are now thoughtful enough to think of herbivores...Cooking in the rice cooker is lots of fun. Probably the most exciting thing is the ease of cooking polenta in it. For dinner on Saturday, we ate herbed polenta with marinara and baby greens. Strangely, even though neither of us was raised with polenta, we both consider it to be a delightful, comfort food. This week I'm going to try Vegan Rice Cooker Frittata.
2/3 c chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour)
3/4 c water
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 c mushrooms, chopped
1/4 c kale, chopped
1/4 c artichoke hearts, chopped
2-3 sun dried tomatoes (not in oil), minced
1 T nutritional yeast
1/4-1/2 t dried herbs of choice
black salt
black pepper
Mix the chickpea flour with the water, scallion, and a couple twists of black pepper. Cook the mushrooms and a pinch of black salt, covered, over medium low heat for about 5-10 minutes.
Mix the veggies and chickpea batter. Pour into the rice cooker. Cook on white rice setting. Enjoy!
Doctor Ginger, Medicine Woman...Yup, just a student of herbal and nutritional alternative healing--not a doctor at all. I'm so grateful for herbs. Although recovery from this flu/cold is slow, herbs have made it more bearable. Sometimes, I just cannot breathe. This morning during and after our bike ride, I coughed and wheezed. Dr. Christopher's Lung and Bronchial got me breathing in a manner of minutes. Also, my eyes are pretty weak from the fever and such. Dr. Christopher's Herbal Eye Bright formula with cayenne wakes them up in a hurry. When he was living, he testified his preparations were divinely inspired. I believe it.
Bibliophilia...sent Tyson Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch by Sobol, Runaway Ralph by Cleary, and LEGO Chain Reactions by Pat Murphy.
Movement...biking the extensive trails around my home six days a week with J. We are up to 8 miles a day, which takes about an hour. This is a pretty slow pace, but we're getting stronger and faster by the day. Usually, we stop about half way through our ride for a rest. Because I get bored sitting around, I do essentrics stretches to loosen up my lower body. Even so, all this riding sort of put essentrics on the back shelf, which was not really ok with me. After this flu/cold thing dissipates, I'll have enough energy to finish my morning ride with 30 minutes of essentrics. I also found a before bed, stress reducing, essentrics workout that is fantastic. The statement 'I love movement' emanating from my lips has me wondering if I'm really a new Stepford wife.
Garden Gate...I've also discovered that gardening is very meditative for me. This week has been so fun, as I watch all the baby herbs emerge from the soil. It's funny though. I planted those seeds, when I was deliriously ill. Therefore, I don't know what any of them are and won't until they begin to put on true leaves. One gogi bush has been struggling to get over transplant shock. It seems the drainage in that spot isn't optimal. Since I don't want to kill the new plant, I dug a trench around it and filled it with a lava sand and wood chips to encourage better drainage. Plus, I gave it more shade like I did with the other gogis. I hope it works...I'm so much happier with so many meaningful things to do.
Needle News...still making lavender strawberries for my closet. Gotta love lavender. Brought Grandma's sewing machine home the other day. It's sitting in my breakfast nook.
Family History...I got a whole box of pictures and documents from Grandma that I will scan and upload to family search and ancestry. My great grandmother's hand written death certificate is likely in the lot. I sure hope it made it into the box. Thanks to mom and Uncle Paul for allowing me the privilege of keeping these precious documents and mementoes.
Friday, April 24, 2015
comfort
This week I focused on The Comforter, a sermon by Henry B. Eyring. As always his words comforted me and increased my desire to serve others for Christ's sake.
"...you can and must be an important part of His giving comfort to those who need comfort. You can play your part best if you know more of how He answers those prayers for help. Many are praying to Heavenly Father for relief, for help in carrying their burdens of grief, loneliness, and fear. Heavenly Father hears those prayers and understands their needs. He and His Beloved Son, the resurrected Jesus Christ, have promised help...[At baptism] you promised that you would help the Lord make their burdens light and be comforted. You were given the power to help lighten those loads when you received the gift of the Holy Ghost...the Lord has asked each of us, His disciples, to help bear one another’s burdens. We have promised to do it...the living Christ sends the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, to those we are pledged to help Him comfort."
"...you can and must be an important part of His giving comfort to those who need comfort. You can play your part best if you know more of how He answers those prayers for help. Many are praying to Heavenly Father for relief, for help in carrying their burdens of grief, loneliness, and fear. Heavenly Father hears those prayers and understands their needs. He and His Beloved Son, the resurrected Jesus Christ, have promised help...[At baptism] you promised that you would help the Lord make their burdens light and be comforted. You were given the power to help lighten those loads when you received the gift of the Holy Ghost...the Lord has asked each of us, His disciples, to help bear one another’s burdens. We have promised to do it...the living Christ sends the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, to those we are pledged to help Him comfort."
Today, I go to visit teach, where I'll share this message.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
tremendous blessings
God's modern day prophet, Thomas S. Monson, spoke twice during the April 2015 general conference.
His theme seemed to be the joy found in serving the Lord. Although the main purpose of temple attendance is sealing families together for eternity, He outlined some of the personal blessings as well.
“As we go to the temple, as we remember the covenants we make there, we will be better able to overcome those temptations and to bear our trials,” he said. “In the temple we can find peace...May our Heavenly Father bless us that we may have the spirit of temple worship, that we may be obedient to His commandments, and that we may follow carefully the steps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Because He spoke on Easter, he expressed gratitude for Jesus Christ's gifts. As we celebrate Easter, “may we offer prayers of gratitude for His great and marvelous gifts to us...”
He reminded us of our responsibilities to serve, learn of Jesus, and follow in the ways of the Lord, Jesus Christ. “Let us consider our callings...Let us reflect on our responsibilities; let us determine our duty; and let us follow Jesus Christ, our Lord...We are engaged in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us learn of Him. Let us follow in His footsteps. Let us live by His precepts.”
At 87, the prophet looks old for the first time in his ministry. It leads me to wonder how long he will be with us on earth. Although we love him, it's more like we love the Savior and the Father who send him to teach, lead, and guide us. I'm grateful that his messages were simple and powerful. Reflecting on his long life of service, I'm encouraged that I can serve God, too. The blessings are tremendous.
His theme seemed to be the joy found in serving the Lord. Although the main purpose of temple attendance is sealing families together for eternity, He outlined some of the personal blessings as well.
“As we go to the temple, as we remember the covenants we make there, we will be better able to overcome those temptations and to bear our trials,” he said. “In the temple we can find peace...May our Heavenly Father bless us that we may have the spirit of temple worship, that we may be obedient to His commandments, and that we may follow carefully the steps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Because He spoke on Easter, he expressed gratitude for Jesus Christ's gifts. As we celebrate Easter, “may we offer prayers of gratitude for His great and marvelous gifts to us...”
He reminded us of our responsibilities to serve, learn of Jesus, and follow in the ways of the Lord, Jesus Christ. “Let us consider our callings...Let us reflect on our responsibilities; let us determine our duty; and let us follow Jesus Christ, our Lord...We are engaged in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us learn of Him. Let us follow in His footsteps. Let us live by His precepts.”
At 87, the prophet looks old for the first time in his ministry. It leads me to wonder how long he will be with us on earth. Although we love him, it's more like we love the Savior and the Father who send him to teach, lead, and guide us. I'm grateful that his messages were simple and powerful. Reflecting on his long life of service, I'm encouraged that I can serve God, too. The blessings are tremendous.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
a new general conference talk for a renewed effort at posting my studies
I am so grateful for the semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This week I studied a talk from the general women's meeting Filling Our Homes with Light and Truth By Cheryl A. Esplin.
"When filled with the Spirit and with gospel truth, we have the power to withstand the outside forces of the world that surround and push against us. However, if we are not filled spiritually, we don’t have the inner strength to resist the outside pressures and can collapse when forces push against us. Satan knows that in order for us and our families to withstand the pressures of the world, we must be filled with light and gospel truth. So he does everything in his power to dilute, distort, and destroy the truth of the gospel and to keep us separated from that truth...Strong eternal families and Spirit-filled homes do not just happen. They take great effort, they take time, and they take each member of the family doing his or her part. Every home is different, but every home where even one individual seeks for truth can make a difference. We are continually counseled to increase our spiritual knowledge through prayer and through studying and pondering the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. In his general conference talk about receiving a testimony of light and truth...we live in a world of many doubters and critics who ridicule and oppose the truths we hold dear. We may hear confusing stories and conflicting messages...we will have to do our best to hold on to whatever light and truth we currently have, especially in difficult circumstances. The answers to our prayers may not come dramatically, but we must find quiet moments to seek greater light and truth. And when we receive it, it is our responsibility to live it, to share it, and to defend it...I know as we fill our hearts and homes with the Savior’s light and truth, we will have the inner strength to withstand in every circumstance."
I echo Sister Esplin's testimony. Life is easier to experience with whatever light and truth we have. As we seek more light and truth through scripture study, prayer, and gospel living, we receive more strength to withstand the crushing pressures of the world and the adversary. We cannot fail or fall if we are buoyed up by the Spirit.
Friday, November 14, 2014
not my symphony
This week's General Conference focus sermon is Loving Others and Living With Differences by Dallin H. Oaks. All quotes are taken from this talk unless otherwise noted. I wanted to simply copy the whole thing and be done. This man is so wise and a devoted apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Many times I've learned at his feet. Even so I don't internalize the principles well enough. In his talk, he talks about the greatest challenge of this crazy time in history.
"Why is it so difficult to have Christlike love for one another? It is difficult because we must live among those who do not share our beliefs and values and covenant obligations...The gospel has many teachings about keeping the commandments while living among people with different beliefs and practices. The teachings about contention are central...The Savior...forbade contention by anyone...The Savior taught that contention is a tool of the devil...Even those who keep the commandments must not stir up the hearts of men to contend with anger...Even as we seek to be meek and to avoid contention, we must not compromise or dilute our commitment to the truths we understand. We must not surrender our positions or our values. The gospel of Jesus Christ and the covenants we have made inevitably cast us as combatants in the eternal contest between truth and error. There is no middle ground in that contest...Like the Savior, His followers are sometimes confronted by sinful behavior, and today when they hold out for right and wrong as they understand it, they are sometimes called “bigots” or “fanatics.” Many worldly values and practices pose such challenges...In so many relationships and circumstances in life, we must live with differences. Where vital, our side of these differences should not be denied or abandoned, but as followers of Christ we should live peacefully with others who do not share our values or accept the teachings upon which they are based. The Father’s plan of salvation...places us in a mortal circumstance where we are to keep His commandments. That includes loving our neighbors of different cultures and beliefs as He has loved us...As difficult as it is to live in the turmoil surrounding us, our Savior’s command to love one another as He loves us is probably our greatest challenge."
I can love people with whom I don't agree. I have a certain relative with a lifestyle in opposition to my beliefs. However, I continue to love him and others involved with him. How can I do otherwise, since I'm commanded not to judge. Nevertheless, I accept them as loved ones but don't condone their behavior. Because I have my own sins in need of repentance and my own problems in need of fixing, I leave their issues between them and God. No, I'm not holier than thou but simply want to give them respect and room to work out their own salvation without my symphony playing in the background.
"Why is it so difficult to have Christlike love for one another? It is difficult because we must live among those who do not share our beliefs and values and covenant obligations...The gospel has many teachings about keeping the commandments while living among people with different beliefs and practices. The teachings about contention are central...The Savior...forbade contention by anyone...The Savior taught that contention is a tool of the devil...Even those who keep the commandments must not stir up the hearts of men to contend with anger...Even as we seek to be meek and to avoid contention, we must not compromise or dilute our commitment to the truths we understand. We must not surrender our positions or our values. The gospel of Jesus Christ and the covenants we have made inevitably cast us as combatants in the eternal contest between truth and error. There is no middle ground in that contest...Like the Savior, His followers are sometimes confronted by sinful behavior, and today when they hold out for right and wrong as they understand it, they are sometimes called “bigots” or “fanatics.” Many worldly values and practices pose such challenges...In so many relationships and circumstances in life, we must live with differences. Where vital, our side of these differences should not be denied or abandoned, but as followers of Christ we should live peacefully with others who do not share our values or accept the teachings upon which they are based. The Father’s plan of salvation...places us in a mortal circumstance where we are to keep His commandments. That includes loving our neighbors of different cultures and beliefs as He has loved us...As difficult as it is to live in the turmoil surrounding us, our Savior’s command to love one another as He loves us is probably our greatest challenge."
I can love people with whom I don't agree. I have a certain relative with a lifestyle in opposition to my beliefs. However, I continue to love him and others involved with him. How can I do otherwise, since I'm commanded not to judge. Nevertheless, I accept them as loved ones but don't condone their behavior. Because I have my own sins in need of repentance and my own problems in need of fixing, I leave their issues between them and God. No, I'm not holier than thou but simply want to give them respect and room to work out their own salvation without my symphony playing in the background.
Friday, November 7, 2014
my treasure
Finally, I feel back on track or at least headed that way.
This week I studied The Reason for Our Hope a sermon by Boyd K. Packer. All quotes are taken from this talk unless otherwise noted.
I find it puzzling that some claim, those of my faith are not Christians. How strange. Who is to judge besides Jesus Christ himself if one's worship and devotion is sufficient? “We preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins,” (2 Nephi 25:26). "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven," (Luke 6:27).
"We may not live perfect lives, and there are penalties for our mistakes, but before we came to earth, we agreed to be subject to His laws and to accept the punishment for violating those laws...Jesus Christ is the resurrected Christ. We worship and recognize Him for the pain He suffered for us collectively and for the pain He endured for each of us individually, both in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross...Those who will repent and forsake sin will find that His merciful arm is outstretched still. Those who listen to and heed His words and the words of His chosen servants will find peace and understanding even in the midst of great heartache and sorrow. The result of His sacrifice is to free us from the effects of sin, that all may have guilt erased and feel hope...The mercy and grace of Jesus Christ are not limited to those who commit sins either of commission or omission, but they encompass the promise of everlasting peace to all who will accept and follow Him and His teachings. His mercy is the mighty healer, even to the wounded innocent...A testimony of the hope of redemption is something which cannot be measured or counted. Jesus Christ is the source of that hope."
I echo the sentiments of Brother Packer. I am not perfect, though I strive to improve, repent, serve others, love my neighbor, and so forth. Jesus is my light, my hope, my peace, my healer, my redeemer...if not for His promises of beautiful eternal life and peace, what would be the point of life's struggles? Even if some want to dismiss my love for my Savior, Jesus Christ, He never will put me aside. He is my treasure. I pray that all may know of this joy and peace that I have been blessed to learn.
I find it puzzling that some claim, those of my faith are not Christians. How strange. Who is to judge besides Jesus Christ himself if one's worship and devotion is sufficient? “We preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins,” (2 Nephi 25:26). "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven," (Luke 6:27).
"We may not live perfect lives, and there are penalties for our mistakes, but before we came to earth, we agreed to be subject to His laws and to accept the punishment for violating those laws...Jesus Christ is the resurrected Christ. We worship and recognize Him for the pain He suffered for us collectively and for the pain He endured for each of us individually, both in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross...Those who will repent and forsake sin will find that His merciful arm is outstretched still. Those who listen to and heed His words and the words of His chosen servants will find peace and understanding even in the midst of great heartache and sorrow. The result of His sacrifice is to free us from the effects of sin, that all may have guilt erased and feel hope...The mercy and grace of Jesus Christ are not limited to those who commit sins either of commission or omission, but they encompass the promise of everlasting peace to all who will accept and follow Him and His teachings. His mercy is the mighty healer, even to the wounded innocent...A testimony of the hope of redemption is something which cannot be measured or counted. Jesus Christ is the source of that hope."
I echo the sentiments of Brother Packer. I am not perfect, though I strive to improve, repent, serve others, love my neighbor, and so forth. Jesus is my light, my hope, my peace, my healer, my redeemer...if not for His promises of beautiful eternal life and peace, what would be the point of life's struggles? Even if some want to dismiss my love for my Savior, Jesus Christ, He never will put me aside. He is my treasure. I pray that all may know of this joy and peace that I have been blessed to learn.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
manner of preparing
Hi Gayle!
Because you are our grandchild of the week, we pray that you are happy, healthy, safe, a good student, and love Jesus. Of course we wish these blessings for your all the time. We wonder what you are doing lately. What things are fun, interesting, and important in your life right now. We are back in AZ enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. I started some seeds for moringa trees, which you see pictured on the front. Morninga is not only lovely and lacy with delicate white flowers, it is a highly delicious and nutritious vegetable. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The green seed pods are a vegetable similar to asparagus used especially in soups. I never knew trees could be vegetables. In cold places, the tree is grown as an annual plant, but warmer places don't need to replant it every year. They can grow very tall, but we intend to keep ours under 10 feet to make harvesting easier.
Did you get to watch the General Women's Meeting with your mother this year? It is wonderful that this meeting now includes girls of eight and up. Girls mature faster than boys and need to be taught with women at a much younger age. When we saw you in September, we were astonished and pleased at how grown up you have become. You are quite a young lady now.
This week I studied Sister Burton's talk from the GWM on being prepared for your future. I liked how she pulled in the story of the Ten Virgins or Ten Young Women. I sure wouldn't want to be one of the foolish ones; would you? It's so true; the five wise young women could not share their oil with the unprepared foolish young women. They (and we) should be like the Nephites, preparing in a manner which never had been known. But how do we do that?
Spiritually we can prepare by following advice from President Spencer W. Kimball and Elder Richard G. Scott. "Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures-each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions -these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps." "Personal worthiness is an essential requirement to enjoy the blessings of the temple. Worthy character is best forged from a life of consistent, correct choices centered in the teachings of the Master." Get into a habit of daily study scripture without fail. You don't have to read for hours and hours. To get into the habit, start by reading for ten minutes daily. If reading is difficult, read along with CDs or MP3, BUT do read. As you develop these habits, notice how they change you.
Preparing for the future needs to include temporal preparation, too. "World-class athletes and university doctoral students spend hours and days and weeks and months and even years of preparation. Daily drops of preparation are required of them to come out on top," Linda K. Burton. Some ideas from Tad Callister's talk I studied last week give some great ideas for temporal preparation. The prophet has counseled girls to prepare for a future career even if they are blessed with the privilege to be stay at home mothers like I was and your mom is. Not only should you learn homemaking skills, which you will need regardless of your future, but you need to develop a love of learning. Read about Ben Carson and the way he went from the stupidest boy in school to a renowned brain surgeon. Also, memory cards capture lost moments for study. I've done this and know its power. Give it a try. Write any math facts, scriptures, poetry, song lyrics, and school stuff that you want to learn on a few cards. Carry them in your pocket. Whenever you find a pause moment, such as sitting in a doctor office or riding in the car or a lull in the day's activities, pull out the cards and go through them. When you have mastered a bit of memory work, put the card in a box to look at once a week. Add new cards. Almost like magic, these things will begin to stick in your mind.
Some people think all this preparing means life won't have fun in it. I tell you they are on the wrong track. Being smart is way fun. Learning new things is invigorating. Becoming a good cook and excellent house keeper brings a lot of satisfaction, protection of belongings, plus some yummy tidbits. Developing talents in music, art, sports, or whatever raises self-satisfaction. Relating to others in a charitable manner (1 Corinthians 13) ensures true friendships and strong family relations. Serving fellow men teaches empathy. Most importantly, increasing faith and strengthening testimony bring incredible joy and peace, which are great blessings in this confusing world. In short, preparations in worthwhile pursuits makes for a happy life and eternity.
I know one thing for sure. A productive life if nothing else is a lot more fun than that of the couch potato. For several years, I was pretty sick and stayed in bed most of the time. It was awful even though I could watch all the movies I wanted. Do you have any idea how boring screen time can be? Uuuugh! No thanks.
When I pray about you and lots of other times, I wonder what you are doing and hope you are joyful. Send a letter, drawing, or school paper if you wish. Since we are so far apart, it is really the only way to keep in touch. If you can't that's OK, too.
Because you are our grandchild of the week, we pray that you are happy, healthy, safe, a good student, and love Jesus. Of course we wish these blessings for your all the time. We wonder what you are doing lately. What things are fun, interesting, and important in your life right now. We are back in AZ enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. I started some seeds for moringa trees, which you see pictured on the front. Morninga is not only lovely and lacy with delicate white flowers, it is a highly delicious and nutritious vegetable. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The green seed pods are a vegetable similar to asparagus used especially in soups. I never knew trees could be vegetables. In cold places, the tree is grown as an annual plant, but warmer places don't need to replant it every year. They can grow very tall, but we intend to keep ours under 10 feet to make harvesting easier.
Did you get to watch the General Women's Meeting with your mother this year? It is wonderful that this meeting now includes girls of eight and up. Girls mature faster than boys and need to be taught with women at a much younger age. When we saw you in September, we were astonished and pleased at how grown up you have become. You are quite a young lady now.
This week I studied Sister Burton's talk from the GWM on being prepared for your future. I liked how she pulled in the story of the Ten Virgins or Ten Young Women. I sure wouldn't want to be one of the foolish ones; would you? It's so true; the five wise young women could not share their oil with the unprepared foolish young women. They (and we) should be like the Nephites, preparing in a manner which never had been known. But how do we do that?
Spiritually we can prepare by following advice from President Spencer W. Kimball and Elder Richard G. Scott. "Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures-each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions -these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps." "Personal worthiness is an essential requirement to enjoy the blessings of the temple. Worthy character is best forged from a life of consistent, correct choices centered in the teachings of the Master." Get into a habit of daily study scripture without fail. You don't have to read for hours and hours. To get into the habit, start by reading for ten minutes daily. If reading is difficult, read along with CDs or MP3, BUT do read. As you develop these habits, notice how they change you.
Preparing for the future needs to include temporal preparation, too. "World-class athletes and university doctoral students spend hours and days and weeks and months and even years of preparation. Daily drops of preparation are required of them to come out on top," Linda K. Burton. Some ideas from Tad Callister's talk I studied last week give some great ideas for temporal preparation. The prophet has counseled girls to prepare for a future career even if they are blessed with the privilege to be stay at home mothers like I was and your mom is. Not only should you learn homemaking skills, which you will need regardless of your future, but you need to develop a love of learning. Read about Ben Carson and the way he went from the stupidest boy in school to a renowned brain surgeon. Also, memory cards capture lost moments for study. I've done this and know its power. Give it a try. Write any math facts, scriptures, poetry, song lyrics, and school stuff that you want to learn on a few cards. Carry them in your pocket. Whenever you find a pause moment, such as sitting in a doctor office or riding in the car or a lull in the day's activities, pull out the cards and go through them. When you have mastered a bit of memory work, put the card in a box to look at once a week. Add new cards. Almost like magic, these things will begin to stick in your mind.
Some people think all this preparing means life won't have fun in it. I tell you they are on the wrong track. Being smart is way fun. Learning new things is invigorating. Becoming a good cook and excellent house keeper brings a lot of satisfaction, protection of belongings, plus some yummy tidbits. Developing talents in music, art, sports, or whatever raises self-satisfaction. Relating to others in a charitable manner (1 Corinthians 13) ensures true friendships and strong family relations. Serving fellow men teaches empathy. Most importantly, increasing faith and strengthening testimony bring incredible joy and peace, which are great blessings in this confusing world. In short, preparations in worthwhile pursuits makes for a happy life and eternity.
I know one thing for sure. A productive life if nothing else is a lot more fun than that of the couch potato. For several years, I was pretty sick and stayed in bed most of the time. It was awful even though I could watch all the movies I wanted. Do you have any idea how boring screen time can be? Uuuugh! No thanks.
When I pray about you and lots of other times, I wonder what you are doing and hope you are joyful. Send a letter, drawing, or school paper if you wish. Since we are so far apart, it is really the only way to keep in touch. If you can't that's OK, too.
Friday, October 10, 2014
no time to waste
This week I studied the sermon Parents: The Prime Gospel Teachers of Their Children by Tad R. Callister. All quotes come from this talk unless otherwise noted. I chose this one, because I was inspired to make it the subject of a letter to my grandson. Not too long ago, I sent Cole an autobiography of Ben Carson, whose life was the anecdotal parable in the sermon.
As a young mother, I dove into teaching my children from the very beginning. I'm not sure how I knew to do this, because my mother didn't read to us or help with homework or anything of the kind. I'm not saying she was a bad mother at all, but that education wasn't a priority in our home. What I got in that department, I grabbed for myself. In fact, I had only three books as a child, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White Rose Red, and a book about animals. From the pages of the animal book, I wrote reports. Strangely, neither my mother or school teacher encouraged it. The teacher rolled her eyes and dismissed them without comment. Needless to say, I hated school but loved learning. Additionally, we didn't belong to a church or discuss religion much, but I found a small Gideon bible and read it often. Maybe it was this deep faith and love of learning that drove me to share education and religion with my children.
Back to the sermon..."do our children receive our best spiritual, intellectual, and creative efforts, or do they receive our leftover time and talents, after we have given our all to [other] pursuits?" Family home evening, family scripture/prayer, personal prayer, supplemental intellectual improvement, wholesome physical recreation, and home arts when taught with gentleness and love bind children to parents and to God. Do we as women spend our time in frivolous pursuits, or do we take our chosen career as mother seriously? Do fathers spend free time in front of a screen, off exploring hobbies, or enjoying family time. Children are in our daily lives for such a short time; there is no time to waste. I think of the parents of Stripling Warriors and Enos, who made their children their priority.
"It was Enos who said, “The words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart” (Enos 1:3). There is no question who Enos’s prime gospel teacher was." '...[the Stripling Warriors] had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it,' Alma 56:47-48. Similarly, these mothers were inspired to train up their children in the way they should go in such a manner that their sons did not depart from their teachings. See Proverbs 22:6.
This idea shouldn't be limited to mother and father though. I've discovered even a distant grandparent or auntie or friend can make a difference in the lives of the children they love with a bit of time. Writing letters, sending books, games, clothes, school supplies, jump ropes, and balls, as well as praying for these distant loved ones can bring them closer to us and to God. A child is worth all our effort. To build on a phrase, minds and spirits are terrible things to waste.
As a young mother, I dove into teaching my children from the very beginning. I'm not sure how I knew to do this, because my mother didn't read to us or help with homework or anything of the kind. I'm not saying she was a bad mother at all, but that education wasn't a priority in our home. What I got in that department, I grabbed for myself. In fact, I had only three books as a child, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White Rose Red, and a book about animals. From the pages of the animal book, I wrote reports. Strangely, neither my mother or school teacher encouraged it. The teacher rolled her eyes and dismissed them without comment. Needless to say, I hated school but loved learning. Additionally, we didn't belong to a church or discuss religion much, but I found a small Gideon bible and read it often. Maybe it was this deep faith and love of learning that drove me to share education and religion with my children.
Back to the sermon..."do our children receive our best spiritual, intellectual, and creative efforts, or do they receive our leftover time and talents, after we have given our all to [other] pursuits?" Family home evening, family scripture/prayer, personal prayer, supplemental intellectual improvement, wholesome physical recreation, and home arts when taught with gentleness and love bind children to parents and to God. Do we as women spend our time in frivolous pursuits, or do we take our chosen career as mother seriously? Do fathers spend free time in front of a screen, off exploring hobbies, or enjoying family time. Children are in our daily lives for such a short time; there is no time to waste. I think of the parents of Stripling Warriors and Enos, who made their children their priority.
"It was Enos who said, “The words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart” (Enos 1:3). There is no question who Enos’s prime gospel teacher was." '...[the Stripling Warriors] had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it,' Alma 56:47-48. Similarly, these mothers were inspired to train up their children in the way they should go in such a manner that their sons did not depart from their teachings. See Proverbs 22:6.
This idea shouldn't be limited to mother and father though. I've discovered even a distant grandparent or auntie or friend can make a difference in the lives of the children they love with a bit of time. Writing letters, sending books, games, clothes, school supplies, jump ropes, and balls, as well as praying for these distant loved ones can bring them closer to us and to God. A child is worth all our effort. To build on a phrase, minds and spirits are terrible things to waste.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
spiritual penicillin
Praying For...Gracie and Anahi that they will be blessed with good health, happiness, safety, a love of learning, and faith in Jesus Christ...that a lovely childhood will be the type they experience...that their neighbors will love them and vise versa...that their parents and the leaders of nations will make wise choices...
Jesus Word..."Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven," Matthew 19:14. Our children are screaming for guidance for a moral compass. Jesus has beautiful things to teach about the proper way to be. It's so sad that designing men have used His gentle name as a tool of control and shame. Jesus is loving and forgiving.
Conference News...This is my favorite time of year. Actually, it comes twice a year. General Conference is a beautiful time of renewal. Yes, each Sunday we renew our covenants with Jesus. However, when we devote these 8 or 10 specific hours in such a short period of time, it's as if we get a dose of spiritual penicillin or a booster against Satan's influences for another 6 months. It also helps to diligently study the words of God's prophets and servants over the next months to keep the feelings fresh hearts and thoughts in our minds. That's why I continue to do my little General Conference Book Club, reporting most Fridays.
Cucina Fresca...Last week I discovered mushroom asada. This week I took the idea a bit further and made a sort of an un-sauced mushroom Fricassee AND get this, BBQ! As soon as I get some soy-free, gluten-free, South River miso tamari, I'm going to give Mushroom Teriyaki a go. Portabello mushrooms are divine any way they are cooked. Plus, they are extremely filling with only 35 calories each. It's amazing how our salad, soup, green smoothie, and mushroom/veggie diet is melting away the pounds we acquired on our mission.
Un-sauced Mushroom Fricassee
3 portabello mushrooms, cut in thin slices
1 clove garlic, pressed
pinch oregano or thyme
2 Japanese eggplants, sliced with skin on OR a cup or two of haricot vert (young green beans) cut in 1 inch pieces
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1-2 c spinach (baby leave whole/ regular slice)
a couple twists of black pepper
Put mushrooms, garlic, and seasonings in a frying pan with a couple tablespoons water. Turn heat on high until mushrooms sizzle. Turn down heat to low and cover. Allow mushrooms to wilt and darken until desired tenderness. I like them very soft. Add eggplant or haricot vert and cook until just tender. Stir in bell peppers and spinach until spinach wilts. Serve plain, with rice, quinoa, or potatoes (mashed, boiled, or roasted without any added fat.) Salad and fruit on the side is nice as well.
Grammy G's Vegan BBQ
3-4 portabello mushrooms, cut in thin slices
Sauce: You can substitute store bought if you don't mind high fructose corn syrup and artificial ingredients.
½ onion, puréed
½ green pepper, puréed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t chipotle powder or smoked paprika
1 c. tomato sauce
1 cup water
¼ c. molasses
1 t apple cider vinegar
tiny dash ginger
tiny dash cinnamon
tiny dash cloves
1 t. ground dried ancho chili
2 t. ground dried mustard
¼ t. cayenne (optional)
¼ t. pepper
¼ t. salt
1 T tapioca starch mixed with 1 T cold water
Sauté onion, salt, garlic, and green pepper 1 T water until slightly browned. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30-35 min. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms in a frying pan with a couple tablespoons water. Turn heat on high until mushrooms sizzle. Turn down heat to low. Cover and cook until soft to your taste. I like them quite soft. Stir about half the sauce into mushrooms, reserving the rest to serve on the side. Serve over brown rice, next to no-fat vegan mashed potatoes, inside a wrap or large lettuce leaf, or whole grain bun. Eat corn on the cob (or frozen cut), salad, and watermelon (or whatever fruit is in season) on the side.
Sound of Music...Music touches my heart so deeply, especially, when that music comes from little children. Last Sunday, the children of the congregation we visited performed their annual program. It was precious. Some could sing beautifully, but there were the two or three obligatory tone deaf boys. It is endearing to see their enthusiasm even if a bit hard on the ears. Some of the littlest children were too adorably shy to say their parts once they got to the microphone.
Movement...daily walks and ginjoga are keeping me free of pain and feeling great...will miss salt water floats and resistance training though...Spencer started using a mini-stepper and loves it. I'm considering this option as well.
My Style...Three years ago, Joseph bought me my first vintage, double-layered, floor-length, silk, wrap sari skirt. I thought I was in heaven. They are cool and comfortable...but I couldn't wear them on my mission the cold and damp. On vacation, I found a vendor selling them for 25% the price of those Joseph bought. So, I bought one that was silk and rayon. Oh, my, it is so filmy and floaty it feels as if I hardly have anything on, compelling me to get a few more. Along with a cotton peasant top, they are my new uniform.
Jesus Word..."Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven," Matthew 19:14. Our children are screaming for guidance for a moral compass. Jesus has beautiful things to teach about the proper way to be. It's so sad that designing men have used His gentle name as a tool of control and shame. Jesus is loving and forgiving.
Conference News...This is my favorite time of year. Actually, it comes twice a year. General Conference is a beautiful time of renewal. Yes, each Sunday we renew our covenants with Jesus. However, when we devote these 8 or 10 specific hours in such a short period of time, it's as if we get a dose of spiritual penicillin or a booster against Satan's influences for another 6 months. It also helps to diligently study the words of God's prophets and servants over the next months to keep the feelings fresh hearts and thoughts in our minds. That's why I continue to do my little General Conference Book Club, reporting most Fridays.
Cucina Fresca...Last week I discovered mushroom asada. This week I took the idea a bit further and made a sort of an un-sauced mushroom Fricassee AND get this, BBQ! As soon as I get some soy-free, gluten-free, South River miso tamari, I'm going to give Mushroom Teriyaki a go. Portabello mushrooms are divine any way they are cooked. Plus, they are extremely filling with only 35 calories each. It's amazing how our salad, soup, green smoothie, and mushroom/veggie diet is melting away the pounds we acquired on our mission.
Un-sauced Mushroom Fricassee
3 portabello mushrooms, cut in thin slices
1 clove garlic, pressed
pinch oregano or thyme
2 Japanese eggplants, sliced with skin on OR a cup or two of haricot vert (young green beans) cut in 1 inch pieces
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1-2 c spinach (baby leave whole/ regular slice)
a couple twists of black pepper
Put mushrooms, garlic, and seasonings in a frying pan with a couple tablespoons water. Turn heat on high until mushrooms sizzle. Turn down heat to low and cover. Allow mushrooms to wilt and darken until desired tenderness. I like them very soft. Add eggplant or haricot vert and cook until just tender. Stir in bell peppers and spinach until spinach wilts. Serve plain, with rice, quinoa, or potatoes (mashed, boiled, or roasted without any added fat.) Salad and fruit on the side is nice as well.
Grammy G's Vegan BBQ
3-4 portabello mushrooms, cut in thin slices
Sauce: You can substitute store bought if you don't mind high fructose corn syrup and artificial ingredients.
½ onion, puréed
½ green pepper, puréed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t chipotle powder or smoked paprika
1 c. tomato sauce
1 cup water
¼ c. molasses
1 t apple cider vinegar
tiny dash ginger
tiny dash cinnamon
tiny dash cloves
1 t. ground dried ancho chili
2 t. ground dried mustard
¼ t. cayenne (optional)
¼ t. pepper
¼ t. salt
1 T tapioca starch mixed with 1 T cold water
Sauté onion, salt, garlic, and green pepper 1 T water until slightly browned. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30-35 min. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms in a frying pan with a couple tablespoons water. Turn heat on high until mushrooms sizzle. Turn down heat to low. Cover and cook until soft to your taste. I like them quite soft. Stir about half the sauce into mushrooms, reserving the rest to serve on the side. Serve over brown rice, next to no-fat vegan mashed potatoes, inside a wrap or large lettuce leaf, or whole grain bun. Eat corn on the cob (or frozen cut), salad, and watermelon (or whatever fruit is in season) on the side.
Sound of Music...Music touches my heart so deeply, especially, when that music comes from little children. Last Sunday, the children of the congregation we visited performed their annual program. It was precious. Some could sing beautifully, but there were the two or three obligatory tone deaf boys. It is endearing to see their enthusiasm even if a bit hard on the ears. Some of the littlest children were too adorably shy to say their parts once they got to the microphone.
Movement...daily walks and ginjoga are keeping me free of pain and feeling great...will miss salt water floats and resistance training though...Spencer started using a mini-stepper and loves it. I'm considering this option as well.
My Style...Three years ago, Joseph bought me my first vintage, double-layered, floor-length, silk, wrap sari skirt. I thought I was in heaven. They are cool and comfortable...but I couldn't wear them on my mission the cold and damp. On vacation, I found a vendor selling them for 25% the price of those Joseph bought. So, I bought one that was silk and rayon. Oh, my, it is so filmy and floaty it feels as if I hardly have anything on, compelling me to get a few more. Along with a cotton peasant top, they are my new uniform.
Friday, September 26, 2014
the vista before me
April Conference had more talks than weeks in six months. Nonetheless, I studied nearly all the talks in this little book club. This weekend the precursor to General Conference occurs with the General Woman's Meeting, which brings me to an end of studying the April sermons. This week I studied the sermon Where Your Treasure Is by Michael John U. Teh. All quotes are from his words unless otherwise noted.
"There is no end to what the world has to offer, so it is critical that we learn to recognize when we have enough. If we are not careful, we will begin to chase after the temporal more than the spiritual."
“Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness,” 2 Nephi 9:51.
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” Matthew 6:19–21.
"...it will be well for us to acquire the Christlike attributes of faith, hope, humility, and charity. We have been counseled repeatedly to put off the natural man and become as a child. The Savior’s admonition is for us to strive to be perfect like Him and our Heavenly Father...we need to put more quality time and effort into strengthening family relationships. After all, the family is ordained of God. It is the most important unit in time and in eternity...serving others is a hallmark of a true follower of Christ...understanding the doctrine of Christ and strengthening our testimony is a labor that will bring real joy and satisfaction. We need to consistently study the words of Christ as found in the scriptures and the words of living prophets.”
I used to look at lists like this as more on my to do list, a list that was so long I was forever behind. Finally, I realized my to do list won't be complete until I die. When I instead view my list as a life plan, there is no behind. Instead of fatigue and anxiety, I feel exhilarated at the possiblities spread out on the vista before me. For the most part, I can't wait to get up in the morning and see where the Holy Spirit directs my day.
"There is no end to what the world has to offer, so it is critical that we learn to recognize when we have enough. If we are not careful, we will begin to chase after the temporal more than the spiritual."
“Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness,” 2 Nephi 9:51.
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” Matthew 6:19–21.
"...it will be well for us to acquire the Christlike attributes of faith, hope, humility, and charity. We have been counseled repeatedly to put off the natural man and become as a child. The Savior’s admonition is for us to strive to be perfect like Him and our Heavenly Father...we need to put more quality time and effort into strengthening family relationships. After all, the family is ordained of God. It is the most important unit in time and in eternity...serving others is a hallmark of a true follower of Christ...understanding the doctrine of Christ and strengthening our testimony is a labor that will bring real joy and satisfaction. We need to consistently study the words of Christ as found in the scriptures and the words of living prophets.”
I used to look at lists like this as more on my to do list, a list that was so long I was forever behind. Finally, I realized my to do list won't be complete until I die. When I instead view my list as a life plan, there is no behind. Instead of fatigue and anxiety, I feel exhilarated at the possiblities spread out on the vista before me. For the most part, I can't wait to get up in the morning and see where the Holy Spirit directs my day.
Friday, September 19, 2014
all make it back
The sermon I studied this week is The Witness by Boyd K. Packer. All quotes are taken from this talk unless otherwise noted. I always enjoy the simple, direct language of President Packer's words.
"One eternal truth that I have come to know is that God lives. He is our Father. We are His children...Each of us must come to our own personal testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. We then share that testimony with our family and others. In all of this, let us remember that there is an adversary who personally seeks to disrupt the work of the Lord. We must choose whom to follow. Our protection is as simple as deciding individually to follow the Savior, making certain that we faithfully will remain on His side."
So much on this earth is interesting to learn, because they were created by our Father. However, the most important knowledge is that of the spirit. I love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I'm grateful that the Holy Ghost guides me if I listen. I'm grateful to have a loving family and plead with Father that we will all make it back to Heaven. I also pray that we will be happy and safe on earth. Certainly, there are specific blessings that I pray for, but mainly my hopes are for my family's safety on earth and eternal welfare.
"One eternal truth that I have come to know is that God lives. He is our Father. We are His children...Each of us must come to our own personal testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. We then share that testimony with our family and others. In all of this, let us remember that there is an adversary who personally seeks to disrupt the work of the Lord. We must choose whom to follow. Our protection is as simple as deciding individually to follow the Savior, making certain that we faithfully will remain on His side."
So much on this earth is interesting to learn, because they were created by our Father. However, the most important knowledge is that of the spirit. I love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I'm grateful that the Holy Ghost guides me if I listen. I'm grateful to have a loving family and plead with Father that we will all make it back to Heaven. I also pray that we will be happy and safe on earth. Certainly, there are specific blessings that I pray for, but mainly my hopes are for my family's safety on earth and eternal welfare.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Love—the Essence of the Gospel
I"m way off on my days. I thought yesterday was Thursday.
This week I studied the sermon Love—the Essence of the Gospel by Thomas S. Monson. All quotes are taken from this talk unless otherwise noted. I could have simply copied and pasted the whole thing. President Monson is so wise, his love shining through all he does and says.
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," Matthew 22:36-39.
"We cannot truly love God if we do not love our fellow travelers on this mortal journey. Likewise, we cannot fully love our fellowmen if we do not love God, the Father of us all...We are all spirit children of our Heavenly Father and, as such, are brothers and sisters. As we keep this truth in mind, loving all of God’s children will become easier...There are many attributes which are manifestations of love, such as kindness, patience, selflessness, understanding, and forgiveness."
The man after whom we named our youngest child, Spencer W. Kimball, said. “We must remember that those mortals we meet in parking lots, offices, elevators, and elsewhere are that portion of mankind God has given us to love and to serve. It will do us little good to speak of the general brotherhood of mankind if we cannot regard those who are all around us as our brothers and sisters.”
"Brothers and sisters, some of our greatest opportunities to demonstrate our love will be within the walls of our own homes. Love should be the very heart of family life, and yet sometimes it is not. There can be too much impatience, too much arguing, too many fights, too many tears...I would hope that we would strive always to be considerate and to be sensitive to the thoughts and feelings and circumstances of those around us. Let us not demean or belittle. Rather, let us be compassionate and encouraging. We must be careful that we do not destroy another person’s confidence through careless words or actions...Forgiveness should go hand in hand with love. In our families, as well as with our friends, there can be hurt feelings and disagreements. Again, it doesn’t really matter how small the issue was. It cannot and should not be left to canker, to fester, and ultimately to destroy. Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals."
It's been a goal of mine the past six months to mark my words more carefully, refraining from saying unkind or unnecessary things. Surprisingly, I participated in this behavior more than I realized. After a lifetime of playing in the mud, it has been a difficult journey. Needless to say, I've a ways to go. I try to remember the commandment above and a quote by C. S. Lewis in his book, Weight of Glory.
"It is a serious thing," says Lewis, "to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal…our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner."
This week I studied the sermon Love—the Essence of the Gospel by Thomas S. Monson. All quotes are taken from this talk unless otherwise noted. I could have simply copied and pasted the whole thing. President Monson is so wise, his love shining through all he does and says.
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," Matthew 22:36-39.
"We cannot truly love God if we do not love our fellow travelers on this mortal journey. Likewise, we cannot fully love our fellowmen if we do not love God, the Father of us all...We are all spirit children of our Heavenly Father and, as such, are brothers and sisters. As we keep this truth in mind, loving all of God’s children will become easier...There are many attributes which are manifestations of love, such as kindness, patience, selflessness, understanding, and forgiveness."
The man after whom we named our youngest child, Spencer W. Kimball, said. “We must remember that those mortals we meet in parking lots, offices, elevators, and elsewhere are that portion of mankind God has given us to love and to serve. It will do us little good to speak of the general brotherhood of mankind if we cannot regard those who are all around us as our brothers and sisters.”
"Brothers and sisters, some of our greatest opportunities to demonstrate our love will be within the walls of our own homes. Love should be the very heart of family life, and yet sometimes it is not. There can be too much impatience, too much arguing, too many fights, too many tears...I would hope that we would strive always to be considerate and to be sensitive to the thoughts and feelings and circumstances of those around us. Let us not demean or belittle. Rather, let us be compassionate and encouraging. We must be careful that we do not destroy another person’s confidence through careless words or actions...Forgiveness should go hand in hand with love. In our families, as well as with our friends, there can be hurt feelings and disagreements. Again, it doesn’t really matter how small the issue was. It cannot and should not be left to canker, to fester, and ultimately to destroy. Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals."
It's been a goal of mine the past six months to mark my words more carefully, refraining from saying unkind or unnecessary things. Surprisingly, I participated in this behavior more than I realized. After a lifetime of playing in the mud, it has been a difficult journey. Needless to say, I've a ways to go. I try to remember the commandment above and a quote by C. S. Lewis in his book, Weight of Glory.
"It is a serious thing," says Lewis, "to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal…our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner."
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease
This week was weird and will continue to be weird until we are settled. Still, I was able to study the sermon, Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease by David A. Bednar. All quotes are from this talk unless otherwise noted. I've learned a lot from the wisdom of this man and his ability to synthesize God's word and doctrine. This sermon is no exception.
"Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints....Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness. Because our individual load needs to generate spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that truly matter most."
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” Matthew 11:28–30.
"A yoke places animals side-by-side so they can move together in order to accomplish a task...Making and keeping sacred covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ. In essence, the Savior is beckoning us to rely upon and pull together with Him, even though our best efforts are not equal to and cannot be compared with His. As we trust in and pull our load with Him during the journey of mortality, truly His yoke is easy and His burden is light."
"the Atonement of Jesus Christ overcome the effects of the Fall of Adam and make possible the remission of our individual sins and transgressions, but His Atonement also enables us to do good and become better in ways that stretch far beyond our mortal capacities...It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to the earth to die for us. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to enliven us—not only to guide but also to strengthen and heal us."
"the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power."
"study, pray, ponder, and strive to learn more about the Savior’s Atonement as you assess your individual load...the load provided the traction that enabled my friend to get unstuck, to get back on the road, to press forward, and to return to his family. The unique burdens in each of our lives help us to rely upon the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah."
“And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs,” Mosiah 24:14.
“And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord,” Mosiah 24:15.
When my children were young, I noticed how much happier everyone was with a schedule: meal times, church, FHE, wholesome family recreation, chores, educational responsibilities, etc. If I got lazy and lightened my expectations (their loads), they became contentious and disobedient. Sometimes I too let things go, and chaos ensued. So... most of the time, we worked and planned activities to keep everyone too busy for trouble. I can't say I was perfect or had perfect results, but harmony happened with a stead load. One child brought home the importance of high expectations, a consistent load, and guiding to strengthen and enliven.
S went to play with his friend J. When he got there, he learned he was the reward. J wasn't allowed to play with S until he finished cleaning his room. J was storming and raging about the requirement. After maybe an hour of this silliness, S said he would teach J how to clean his room. Just like I did with him, he directed J to pick up this thing and put those clothes in the hamper. In no time, they were done and playing. S came home and told me how silly he thought it was that J wasted so much time with all the drama. After all it takes so much more time to worry about the work than it does to actually do it. We often made a game of beating the timer. I would put on the timer and let the children race against their best time. I taught the younger ones the Mary Poppins Principle: Find the element of fun, and snap, the job's a game. While a young mother and further during the my mission, I realized that deciding to find the joy or fun in my life's current work was a lot better than murmuring or raging over it. So...I don't hate housework or gardening or teaching or whatever the next thing Heavenly Father directs me to do. It'll be fun.
"Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints....Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness. Because our individual load needs to generate spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that truly matter most."
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” Matthew 11:28–30.
"A yoke places animals side-by-side so they can move together in order to accomplish a task...Making and keeping sacred covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ. In essence, the Savior is beckoning us to rely upon and pull together with Him, even though our best efforts are not equal to and cannot be compared with His. As we trust in and pull our load with Him during the journey of mortality, truly His yoke is easy and His burden is light."
"the Atonement of Jesus Christ overcome the effects of the Fall of Adam and make possible the remission of our individual sins and transgressions, but His Atonement also enables us to do good and become better in ways that stretch far beyond our mortal capacities...It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to the earth to die for us. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to enliven us—not only to guide but also to strengthen and heal us."
"the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power."
"study, pray, ponder, and strive to learn more about the Savior’s Atonement as you assess your individual load...the load provided the traction that enabled my friend to get unstuck, to get back on the road, to press forward, and to return to his family. The unique burdens in each of our lives help us to rely upon the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah."
“And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs,” Mosiah 24:14.
“And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord,” Mosiah 24:15.
When my children were young, I noticed how much happier everyone was with a schedule: meal times, church, FHE, wholesome family recreation, chores, educational responsibilities, etc. If I got lazy and lightened my expectations (their loads), they became contentious and disobedient. Sometimes I too let things go, and chaos ensued. So... most of the time, we worked and planned activities to keep everyone too busy for trouble. I can't say I was perfect or had perfect results, but harmony happened with a stead load. One child brought home the importance of high expectations, a consistent load, and guiding to strengthen and enliven.
S went to play with his friend J. When he got there, he learned he was the reward. J wasn't allowed to play with S until he finished cleaning his room. J was storming and raging about the requirement. After maybe an hour of this silliness, S said he would teach J how to clean his room. Just like I did with him, he directed J to pick up this thing and put those clothes in the hamper. In no time, they were done and playing. S came home and told me how silly he thought it was that J wasted so much time with all the drama. After all it takes so much more time to worry about the work than it does to actually do it. We often made a game of beating the timer. I would put on the timer and let the children race against their best time. I taught the younger ones the Mary Poppins Principle: Find the element of fun, and snap, the job's a game. While a young mother and further during the my mission, I realized that deciding to find the joy or fun in my life's current work was a lot better than murmuring or raging over it. So...I don't hate housework or gardening or teaching or whatever the next thing Heavenly Father directs me to do. It'll be fun.
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