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!!!:)