The Spiritual part of Christmas

So maybe it is just my imagination, but it seems to me like Christmas has become a holiday for getting instead of giving. I know kids makes lists pages long and have really expensive toys on their lists, such as video game systems, TVs, Ipods, etc. and I hate that part of Christmas. It always makes me so sad when I hear of moms who buy their own gifts because their husbands don't pick out what they want or need. To me Christmas is a holiday for giving. Probably about 10-15 years ago my family changed the way that we do Christmas, because we wanted it to be more Christ centered, over the years it has evolved somewhat, but the gist is still the same. We pick names for one person in our family, we set a limit of how much money that everyone can spend and then we have to think about what our person really would want. Something that they probably wouldn't go and buy for themselves but something they would really like. It has been so much fun and it has made Christmas so much more meaningful. For me (and the rest of my family) we have really enjoyed what we got for someone else, more than we enjoy what we got, but at the same time we enjoy what we got more than we would have, because we know that the person that got it for us put a lot of time and thought into what they gave us. We now do lists on our birthday, after all, birthdays are the days to celebrate your birth. Then my husband and I go to a marriage seminar class once a month and our teacher (a marriage counselor) told us about a tradition they started in their family...a tradition of giving a gift to Christ (since after all it is His birthday). Just one sin, or something that is hard for you to do...just to completely give it up. So my husband and I did that this year too, and we decided to help us to remember our gifts that we would keep the box with our gifts in it in a prominent place. I love the Spirit of giving...people are so much more inclined to give at Christmas time; if the world was this giving all year long the world would be a much better and happier place!!! But it is this season when we remember and acknowledge the birth of our Savior and His humble beginnings that His spirit is felt throughout our hearts, communities, and the world! I got this from the online gospel art book found here: http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,8555-1-4779-4,00.html

The Holy Ghost

So I recently had a friend ask me what the difference between the gift of the Holy Ghost and the influence of the Holy Ghost is. That's an easy question right? The Holy Ghost becomes our constant companion, but what does that mean? Well, He gives us answers...but I know people that haven't received that gift and receive answers...well He warns us when we are in dangerous situations...but I know people that haven't received that gift and are warned too. In fact every situation I could possibly think of applied to the influence of the Holy Ghost, except one - He sanctifies us. So what does it mean to be sanctified? I learned that too. To be sanctified means that our sins are purged from our souls.

When we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost I believe that we are accepting sanctification. The Gift is so important that we perform by proxy the ordinance in the temple. And I find it significant that right after baptism - when we receive a remission of past sins - we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost - the power to have all forthcoming sins purged.

Goals

So I'm not very traditional in my goal setting...basically I seem to set goals all year long, just not at New Year's. I love making new goals, and I love keeping them, although I am not very good at that (that's why they are goals, right?). Anyway, I just made some new goals and Chad made some too and I thought it was a lot of fun!!! I found that the best way for me to keep goals is if I actually make a checklist and check it off when I do it (or before I go to bed). My favorite thing is I try to keep a good balance of goals, so when I create goals I try to have at least one of each of the following: a spiritual goal, a physical goal, and a mental goal (and sometimes a social goal). Then when I've successfully done the goal for several months (it's supposed to take 3 months to create a habit -- 3 weeks to break one) I pick new goals!!!

Black Friday

For the first time ever I shopped on Black Friday (before noon) and it was awesome!!! My husband and I looked through the ads the night before and saw some things that we wanted, so we decided to go. Granted it wasn't 5 in the morning that we went. No, I got up ate breakfast played with my husband and daughter for a bit and then we went!!! We didn't get to the stores until about 9:30 and it was great!!! And everything we wanted was there, although we didn't have our hearts set on anything. I felt really bad for employees who had to clean up after all the customers, though. Overall it was a great experience and I might do it again (although I doubt I will ever want something so bad as to get up at 5 in the morning and brave all those crazy shoppers).

Gratitude

So tis the season to be grateful!!! I've been so busy this week that I haven't had a chance to sit down and type what I am thankful for, but I am so blessed that I would be truly ungrateful if I didn't.

First and foremost I am most grateful to my Savior, Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father, because without them happiness would be impossible to achieve. Because of them and the sacrifices that they made I have the chance at eternal exaltation. Because of the sacrifices that they made I always have someone I can depend on and someone who knows exactly what I feel and what I have gone through. What extraordinary blessings that I am eternally indebted and grateful for!!!!

Second I am deeply grateful to and for my husband. He is the man that dreams are made of!!! He is so supportive of me and he listens to me and my crazy suggestions and he tries to do them!!!! He is so helpful around the house and with our daughter, and he is always so willing to watch her even when he has a lot of homework or research that he needs to get done!!! He loves to just be with me; he doesn't even care what we are doing as long as he gets to be with me and I both admire that and love him for that!!! I am also so grateful that we were led to each other and that we both followed the promptings of the Spirit that allowed us to be a forever family!!!

Next, I am grateful for my daughter, she is such an energy ball, but I love it and I love her so much!!! I'm grateful that she is a self entertainer and that she loves books!!! I'm grateful that she is healthy and that she is so curious!!! I'm grateful for her love and the joy that she brings into our family!!!!

I'm grateful for my parents; for giving me life and giving me a good life!!!! I'm grateful for the sacrifices that they made to raise me and to teach me correct principles!!! I'm grateful that they are always willing to give me (and Chad now) advice, but also to let us make our own decisions and not criticize us for making them!!!

I'm grateful for my in-laws; for allowing us to stay in their basement rent-free so that we can save for a house. I'm grateful for the opportunity that I've had to get to know them better and for the help and advice that they have given me. And I am especially grateful to them for raising such a wonderful son!!!

I'm grateful to my best friend, for our friendship and all the long talks that we have!!! I'm grateful that she trusts my opinion and that she knows me well enough to give me really good advice!!!

I'm grateful for my life, for my health, for my brothers, sisters and my husband's family. I'm grateful for my religion and my beliefs and my scriptures. I'm grateful for a living prophet and for my knowledge of that living prophet. I'm grateful to live in a free country where I am not jailed for my beliefs and where I get to help choose the leaders!! I'm grateful for my faith, for the roof over my head and the food that we have. I'm grateful for a running car and for music and for the fun I get to have. I'm grateful for new adventures and new experiences and good books and for good friends!!! I'm grateful that I get to go to the temple at least once a month and feel an outpouring of the spirit there!! And I'm grateful to all my sitters who watch my daughter for me!! I'm grateful for institute and for the beautiful world that we get to live in and enjoy!!! And I am grateful to have a family that is sealed forever!!!:) I have so much to be grateful for!!!

Revelations

So I have always thought this scripture from Helaman 11 was so neat: "But it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi, and many of their brethren who knew concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations daily, therefore they did preach unto the people, insomuch that they did put an end to their strife in that same year." It always amazed me that they could receive many revelations daily isn't that so neat!!! Well I understand that now. I receive so many revelations daily...simple silly things that many people could chalk up to their own ideas...but I know that they are little pieces of information from my Father in Heaven. For example, recently Andrea has started to scream whenever she wants something...the screaming drives me bonkers, so I had this flash of inspiration to teach her to sign and say please...it didn't take her very long to figure out that if she said please I would be more than happy to help her!! What a blessing that has been to me!!!

And then today I was really frustrated with a work problem and I was able to evaluate it and why I was frustrated and then I was able to calmly (when the problem first came up I was really mad) respond to the problem and come up with solutions!! What a blessing it is to know and trust in Heavenly Father and daily revelations!!!

Understanding mysteries

So I was recently reading in my scriptures Alma 12 and I came across verse 10 which says,"And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full." It hit me that this verse is talking to members of the church too...sometimes I think that we harden our hearts to certain principles and thus we can not receive the greater portions of the word to that principle. On the flip side there are principles that we accept 100% and we learn mysteries (here is a definition of mystery that I really like: it isn't "something forever beyond your knowing," but "something to be explored." -- from Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge) some of which are so great that we can't share them with others because they are not ready to understand...and you know that some people might understand, but you aren't sure who would be able to understand.

I wonder how much I limit myself and my learning just because I am unwilling to open my heart to an idea or a concept. I do try to keep an open mind and I love to learn...I am fascinated with other people's beliefs and other religions...and I love learning more about my own religion. I just hope that I can keep my mind and heart open when I am commanded/asked to do something that just doesn't ring true or feel right at first so that I can find out for myself if it is really called of God.

Temples

So today was our ward primary program and I thought this quote was so neat, “Every Temple … lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness, moves the heavens in mighty power in our behalf, invokes and calls down upon us the blessings of the Eternal Gods” (Millennial Star, Nov. 12, 1877, 743). He said this when there was only one operating temple on the earth at the time. As this quote was being read the primary children would randomly hold up pictures of the temples throughout the world. It was really incredible and the Spirit bore such powerful testimony of its truth.

Temples are amazing!!! I remember when I was in college before I received my own endownment that I was making an effort to go to the St. George temple regularly and do baptisms for the dead, but I sometimes felt it wasn't enough and that I wished that I could be doing more...then one day a sister in my ward stood up and bore her testimony about temples...she had received her endownments and she basically said it doesn't matter what you do in the temple as long as you go. The same Spirit is felt throughout the whole temple. That helped me so much.

One thing that I love about the temple (especially the endownment session) is that Satan is cast from our lives...at least for a moment. So no wonder that quote rings so true...every temple built means that more people are able to regularly cast Satan out of their lives for a moment and reflect on the things of God. How grateful I am that I live close to so many temples and am lucky enough to attend regularly!!!

Open Minds

So yesterday my uncle joined this anti-LDS group on facebook. (I didn't realize what it was until I checked it out)I started reading some of the updates that they had put and the comments about them and I felt really discouraged. I feel frustrated because 1)they totally took things out of context 2)they read LDS literature just to find things wrong with it. And then I wondered how often do I do the same thing. If we could all read other people's ideas with open minds and with the intent to understand and get all you can out of it, how better the world would be. I just finished this book by Christian authors that was awesome. I loved it and it has changed my life because I allowed it to. I didn't agree with everything that was in the book, but there was a lot of good in the book! And I guess that I just wish that other people would give me that same courtesy.

Now I realize why most people don't have open minds when they read LDS literature, mostly because if they open their hearts then they will have to act on it. And acting on it is way harder than just criticizing it. Living a life where you are "saved by grace" and all you have to do is "believe in Christ" is a lot easier than having to work your hardest everyday to become better and still realize that it is not enough and trusting Christ will make up the rest.

Last of all (now this part might not seem connected...) I believe that missionary work is good and important, but I believe that loving people and creating relationships with people is more important. When you have a relationship with a person and know where they are coming from then you can share the gospel with them...but maybe that is more difficult because rejection is far more scary at that point. If we really saught to understand people though then maybe they would be more open to what we have.

Religious Tolerance

So I have some friends who aren't members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and some friends who used to be and no longer are and I get so sick of all the friends that they lose or all the preaching that they receive. I was reading in the Joseph Smith manual today (lesson 29 --I'm trying to catch up:) and I loved how he emphasized that we need to love other religions. I really enjoyed this quote: "We ought always to be aware of those prejudices which sometimes so strangely present themselves, and are so congenial to human nature, against our friends, neighbors, and brethren of the world, who choose to differ from us in opinion and in matters of faith. Our religion is between us and our God. Their religion is between them and their God.”

I think members of the LDS church get too caught up in trying to preach the gospel to everyone that they forget a few main principles. First of all they forget to love, President Uchtdorf send recently in conference "Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk." And the second principle we forget is agency. "All persons are entitled to their agency, for God has so ordained it. He has constituted mankind moral agents, and given them power to choose good or evil; to seek after that which is good, by pursuing the pathway of holiness in this life, which brings peace of mind, and joy in the Holy Ghost here, and a fulness of joy and happiness at His right hand hereafter; or to pursue an evil course, going on in sin and rebellion against God, thereby bringing condemnation to their souls in this world, and an eternal loss in the world to come. Since the God of heaven has left these things optional with every individual, we do not wish to deprive them of it." (Joseph Smith Lesson) If we all truly loved our neighbors and friends then when we invited them and they chose to not accept our invitation we would still love them we would still be their friends. I've known so many people who have been outcasts because they weren't interested in the LDS church and it frustrates me so much. I wish that people would learn the principles of true friendship and love.

We all have our agency, but just because our children have friends that aren't members doesn't mean that they are going to be persuaded to do evil things...friends can be good influences too. We are taught to respect and love people of all faiths.

And most of all when we choose to reject people of other faiths we are really hurting ourselves and what we can be taught from them. I believe that everyone has good qualities in them and believes some truth. If we diligently seek to find that truth and find those qualities than we can become enlightened and better for it!!!

Chad's music

So my husband composes music (or at least he used to before school took over:) and these are a few of the songs that he wrote. I love his music, so feel free to enjoy it as well!!! You do have to push play. Number 15 he wrote for me when we were dating/engaged.

Opposition in All things

So my husband and I were reading about the Tree of Life vision in 1 Nephi and I realized that there is opposites all throughout the dream. (I didn't realize this until Nephi sees it in 1 Nephi 11.) Anyway, so you have the Tree of Life and the Great and Spacious Building...you have the fountain of Living Water (first found in chapter 11) and the river...you have the iron rod and the mists of darkness. I thought that this was so interesting that I would share it on my blog. It truly brings light to the scripture, "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility." (2 Nephi 2:11)

Medicine

I am a strong believer in natural healing...now I know that medicine has it's place, but I think that it is way overused. If people just tried to live more healthily than they wouldn't get sick so much. One of my favorite natural healing treatments is accutherapy. For me it really works, but I wonder if part of it is because of my belief in it.

Anyway, my family and I have decided not to get the swine flu shots, much to my mother-in-law's disappointment. But I know that most people who get the swine flu do not die and being sick is part of life. And I have strong feelings against putting things in my body that I don't need. I hardly ever take pain medication, because I know that my body will eventually develop antibodies to the medicine, so I basically just take it when there are no other alternatives.

I wish that the world could see the good and the bad in both eastern and western medicines and gleen from both what is best for them. I don't think that just eastern medicines (or natural healing) works for everyone and for sure not everytime, but I think there should be a place for both in everyone's lives.

So there's my synopsis on medicine.

Homeschooling

So for about the last 10 years or so I have debated about whether or not to homeschool my children...as I've grown the reasons have changed, but I have decided for sure my kids are not going to public school. I think the system is so flawed. I hate that all students who are 14 are in 9th grade--even though some are on a 6th grade (or lower) level and some are ready for college material. It is not the teachers in public education, but the parents who don't care to really know how their students are doing, but know that it is the school's/teacher's fault if their child is failing. And thus the system is created of passing students who can't read and students who can't add through each grade.

I could go on about public education, but this isn't about public education (except for how it is connected with my decision). I've known many friends who were homeschooled and I've talked to them about their expereiences. Most of my friends that were homeschooled were not socially inept, but some of them were...I've come to the conclusion that children do need to interact with other children and more than just once a week for 2 hours at church. Many of my homeschooled friends went to public school for 1 or 2 classes and were involved in community activities, which I think is the best way to homeschool.

My best friend and I have talked about having a community homeschool where we each "teach" our specialized topic. And today I talked to a lady in my ward who homeschools and does something kind of similar. She gets together with other homeschool parents/kids and they do a Shakespeare class. I think that is so awesome. She really brought out the point that kids are going to influence each other, whether for good or bad, they are going to have peer pressure, so if we can give them situation to have good peer pressure that is so much better for them!

I'm excited to think about these possibilities and to think about learning with my children and teaching them how to learn, not just teaching them what they need to know to pass the CRTs.

Mothering

So I hear people tell me all the time how being a mother is not fulfilling to them and that makes me feel so sad for them, now granted I know that there are many mothers out there who would give anything to stay home with their children, but they are forced into the workforce to make ends meet. I love being a mother...I feel so fulfilled in being a mom, but maybe it is because I don't feel tied down to my daughter. My husband is really good at letting me get out and do things that I need to do. I get asked all the time (because I still do an after-school program at the school I taught at) if I want to go back to teaching or if I miss it and I don't. Now some people might argue that it is because I taught jr. high, but I would tell them I loved teaching jr. high and if I were to ever go back I would in a heartbeat. But that time in my life is over and I love being a mother. Now don't think that my daughter is perfect (although she's close:), because she isn't and I still have my days where I am really frustrated with her and how I react to her, but I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I have a very caring and understanding husband and I have a very sweet and energetic daughter. I am so happy right now, I definitely have no regrets about the choices that I have made about the sacrifices it has taken to stay home with my daughter...and I hope that one day she will appreciate what I've done to nurture her.

Art

So I am reading this book for a friend who is going into psychology (she wants to know my reactions to it). It is not a book by LDS authors, but the book is by Christians. It is also a book directed to women and becoming a better woman. So I'm reading along and I get to this point where the authors (it is a husband/wife co-author book) talk about going to an art show...then the wife points out that in all the thousands of pictures they saw not one was of a naked man, but they saw hundreds of women. That bothered me so bad, I have found even when I studied in my anatomy class or when I see pictures of different cultures and a woman topless it really bothers me. So I was pondering on why, is it wrong...is it pornographic? I couldn't decide. So I asked my husband is art pornographic? So one of the definitions of pornography on dictioary.com is:"Sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal." We came to the conclusion that most artists do not paint pictures to elixit sexual arousal, but if a viewer was sexually aroused then it was pornographic to that viewer. I have found for me personally that I can't read certain romance novels because for me they are pornographic, and I'm not talking about the cheesy $5 paperback romance novels, I'm talking good LDS romance novels. It is all in our perceptions and beliefs.

My first blog ever!!!

Okay, so I am new to the world of blogging. I have many friends who blog, and I occasionally look at their blogs, but this is my first one!!!!:) I'm not really sure what to write about though. I love sharing my ideas with people and I love learning from people!!! The world is full of so much good and so many good people and in sharing our experiences with each other we can become so much better!!! We are all a product of our experiences, I have learned (especailly recently) that we all think so differently about things...two people could have the exact same experience and respond different to it because of their pasts and their beliefs. Anyway, there will be more philosophizing to come...I hope you enjoy!!!:)