The Smiling Allens

Valentine's Day

2012-02-15T13:42:00.002-07:00

So one of my friends wrote on facebook about overhearing a conversation at the store where basically 2 women decided that the men in their lives were the ones responsible for Valentine's Day and their obligation was 0. So since reading about that I've been thinking a lot about Valentine's Day. I love Valentine's Day and I have for a long time!!!:) Instead of celebrating the romantic side of Valentine's Day yesterday (we decided to postpone that until August, since we have a new little baby:) we celebrated the love side. We made valentine cards with our 3 yr. old daughter and valentine cookies and gave them to our neighbors.

So that got me to thinking...why is Valentine's Day all about romantic love? I have a lot of single friends who celebrate it as SAD (Single's Awareness Day) and that really makes me sad for them. Instead of focusing on romance why can't Valentine's Day be about celebrating love, the people that you love and that love you!!!:) Everyone has someone they love and that loves them...after all we were put into families. I wish that SAD could go away and that instead people could celebrate love and show their love on Valentine's Day (and throughout the rest of the year!!:)

What if everyone was a thinker?

2011-11-07T15:11:00.004-07:00

I know that I have posted on thinkers before. I guess that it is something that I really believe in and I wish that I could instill a love of thinking in all those around me. I'm not exactly sure how I became a thinker (and by no means am I perfect at it), but I know that it is now a vital part of who I am. I am using the word thinker as someone who questions, researches and decides the best answer for them.

A couple of weeks ago we were visiting my sister-in-law and her family. I posed the thought that I wished everyone would become a thinker. My brother-in-law responded that there would be no followers if everyone thought for themselves. After much thought, I came to the conclusion that I disagree. And here is why...I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and we are taught to not follow in blind belief. I have been taught to question and ponder and pray for myself about everything that I am taught. Millions of people belong to my church and are taught the same principle, and yet we all follow living prophets -granted we are all on different spectrums of our following, but we are all followers and thinkers (well at least a lot of us are thinkers with regards to the church:) So if everyone were thinkers I think that we could still have followers, they would just be informed followers and I think that would make an incredible change in our world!!! If everyone questioned and researched what they were taught and then came to the best conclusion for them and their family I think it would make a big difference in the world and I think that different and better options would always be coming out. Things like health care, food, and education are very often politically run. And I believe that they have their place, but not for everyone. I believe that if you know your options you can make the best decisions for you and your family and when you make those decisions you will have the knowledge and belief to back up your decisions and feel good about them!!!:) So I encourage you to question what you are taught and see if you really believe it!!! Become a thinker and make your life richer by your beliefs!!:)

Ramblings from a chat with a neighbor!

2011-09-14T13:14:00.000-06:00

So last night I was talking with my neighbor and she brought up that someone she knew had 7 children and wanted another one. At first I thought her concern was for the mother, but as the conversation unfolded it turned out she was really worried about population control. Of course she doesn't know that I plan on having a large family, but it really got me thinking. I decided my freshman year in college that I was going to have a big family...I was in a sociology class and I left feeling super disturbed. I couldn't believe the evil in the world and I thought as I walked home, there is no way that I want to bring children into this world. And then the Spirit spoke to me and said, those spirits would be better off in my home then in a home dominated by evil, where the spirits really don't have a chance. That was a defining moment for me. I don't know what a large family is, but I do know that I have trust in Heavenly Father and I have an idea how many children I want...

Then I started thinking about faith -- it all comes down to faith. I don't believe that the world could ever become overpopulated because I have faith in Heavenly Father. He knows what He is doing and He has a perfect plan. And I felt so grateful for that knowledge that gives me such security!!:)

After this conversation my 3 year old said she saw a man in the sky last night. I immediately said, "she is really imaginative right now." And my neighbor totally went with it asking her questions about the man. While they were having this conversation I reflected on what I had said...why did I feel the need to explain my 3 year old's imagination? Shouldn't it be typical for a 3 year old to have an imagination (shouldn't we all?)? I am not sure why I felt the need to justify her statement and I feel really frustrated with myself for doing it. I felt like if I continued on this path, that my daughter would soon see imagination as a bad thing, which I don't want at all. So I guess for now, those people who can appreciate her imagination will get to benefit from it, and those who don't will just be left hanging in the dark.

God truly loves us All!!:)

2011-08-04T20:04:00.002-06:00

Recently I was reading in 3 Nephi -- just after the destruction, but before Christ comes. I read this verse: Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen! (9:2) It hit me. Some of the people who died were very very wicked. (For example, King Jacob - the leader of the Gadiaton robbers.) And yet Christ still calls them his "fair sons and daughters." As I read that I felt the love that our Savior has for all people, even those who choose to live wickedly. He really has such love for us!!

I continued to read and then came across this: And behold, that great city Moronihah have I covered with earth, and the inhabitants thereof, to hide their iniquities and their abominations from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come any more unto me against them. (verse 5) I know that I have realized this before, but Christ really allowed the wicked people to die to save them from themselves. Christ did not want them to suffer any more than they absolutely had to. And he said this right after he had finished suffering for all mankind. I know that there are many different visions of how Christ is, but I know that he is the most loving, merciful god there is. He truly loves us, no matter what we do and he always provides a way for us to receive the least amount of punishment possible and to come back to him!!!

Nephi and the Plates

2011-07-03T14:49:00.002-06:00

Recently my husband and I were reading Elder Bednar's talk in the recent Ensign. And something he said really struck me. "This pattern of revelation tends to be more common than rare and is evident in the experiences of Nephi as he tried several different approaches before successfully obtaining the plates of brass from Laban (see 1 Nephi 3–4). Ultimately, he was led by the Spirit to Jerusalem, “not knowing beforehand the things which [he] should do” (1 Nephi 4:6). And he did not learn how to build a ship of curious workmanship all at one time; rather, Nephi was shown by the Lord “from time to time after what manner [he] should work the timbers of the ship” (1 Nephi 18:1)." All of a sudden it hit me. If the Lord had told Nephi to go into the city and kill Laban the first time, there is no way that he would have done it. He HAD to have the prior experience to realize that it was really the only way. Ultimately this makes me feel better...so often I am doing something because it feels right, and it blows up in my face, and I wonder, did I understand wrong, what is going on, but sometimes we have to have experiences and trials to get us onto the right path. Especially raising my children, I feel like this is such a relief. Sometimes I do make mistakes, but if I can learn from them and eventually end up doing the right thing, then I am being successful!!:)

Funerals

2011-06-07T10:10:00.003-06:00

So in the past few months I've been to two funerals, both for family. The first one was unexpected and very sad (she was only in her 50s) and at that point I decided that I did not ever want to speak at a funeral. Then my Grandpa died; it was expected he had been sick for about 7 months or so. Because I am his oldest grandchild I got the 'privilege' of speaking at his funeral. I did not want to do it, and add to that the fact that my uncle said I was representing all the grandchildren (ugh.) But I said yes anyway. They figured that I knew my Grandpa the best because I used to go visit all the time (however, most of that time was spent talking to my Grandma). But the good thing in all this is I actually enjoyed preparing for a talk. It forced me to remember things that I probably wouldn't have just remembered. And I tried to be mostly general in my memories so that my cousins would be able to remember similar things. I think it turned out nice and although my talk was the shortest (I've never been longwinded -ever) I think I did exactly what I needed to and I learned from it as well!!:) So if you ever want to really remember someone, plan a talk for their funeral:)

Trusting in the Lord

2011-04-27T09:00:00.003-06:00

“After all that has been said and done, after he has led this people so long, do you not perceive that there is a lack of confidence in our God? Can you perceive it in yourselves? You may ask, ‘[Brother] Brigham, do you perceive it in yourself?’ I do, I can see that I yet lack confidence, to some extent, in him whom I trust.—Why? Because I have not the power, in consequence of that which the fall has brought upon me. …

“… Something rises up within me, at times[,] that measurably draws a dividing line between my interest and the interest of my Father in heaven; something that makes my interest and the interest of my Father in heaven not precisely one.

“I know that we should feel and understand, as far as possible, as far as fallen nature will let us, as far as we can get faith and knowledge to understand ourselves, that the interest of that God whom we serve is our interest, and that we have no other, neither in time nor in eternity.” (as quoted by D. Todd Christofferson, Ensign, April 2011)

I feel that in some areas of my life I am so willing to leave everything in God's hands and completely trust Him, but in other areas, it seems my faith and trust seem to always be lacking. For example my budget. Even though God has proven that we will make it through I find myself constantly doubting and worrying. 3 years ago I had no idea how we were going to financially live the last year of Chad's schooling. For the first year I knew we would be okay because of our savings, but I had no idea how we would make it the second year. However, Chad was able to make enough money working part time for us to not only survive, but thrive. We did so well that we were able to put 10% down on a house -for us quite the accomplishment. Yet here I am again, wondering how we are going to make it the next few years and put a lawn in and a fence and...

"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin;

And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith."

Mostly, I've just decided that I really need to work on my trust in God, trusting Him in all things. Knowing that He knows me better than I know me and He knows my needs better than I do.

Food

2011-03-22T14:23:00.002-06:00

So what food is the best to eat? Is eating organic the best? Why can't I afford to eat healthy? I recently read in the Ensign this quote from President Kimball: "grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food in pots and planters. Study the best methods of providing your own foods. Make your garden … neat and attractive as well as productive.” Then it dawned on me, God knew what would we would need and 45 years ago he told a prophet to counsel us to grow our own food, because that would be healthiest. There is so much processed food and food that is just no good for our bodies. If we all heeded this prophet's counsel and grew our own gardens we would be able to eat more healthy for a lot less. I'm still not sure what "healthy foods" look like. I have pretty much eliminated hydrogenated oils from our diets (but I don't enforce it when we go eat at someone else's house and I do occasionally splurge and don't read the ingredients list). And I am trying to eat healthier, but it seems like everywhere I look there is a different idea of what healthy means. I believe that part of this is because we are all made different and so our bodies need different things. I've seen diets that are tied to blood type, and that intrigues me, but I still am just not sure what to do for my family. A while ago I seriously considered trying to go all organic, but that just didn't seem right for my family, so I decided to just try to do what I thought was best for my family. I am really excited to be able to grow a garden, and part of that vision includes as many fruit trees as I can fit in my garden area. I've decided that it is only worth it to can fruit if you grow the fruit yourself, otherwise it is much more expensive. So I want an apple tree, a cherry tree, an apricot tree, a plum tree, a peach tree (maybe two, because I really love fresh peaches), and a pear tree...I'm excited to be able to grow fresh vegetables and use them, and freeze them. I'm excited to learn how to garden, because I really enjoy it!!! I'm also toying with the idea of creating a greenhouse, but we'll see how that goes. Most of all, I am excited to be able to eat as healthy as possible!!!:)

Updates

2011-02-07T15:46:00.002-07:00

Well they are still not finished with my basement, but we are surviving! I am reading this awesome book by Lawrence Cohen called Playful Parenting and that has helped. Basically it encouraged me to spend time playing with my daughter every day and that would help her have the desire to do quiet time. It has helped immensely. I highly recommend that book to anyone and everyone, it is an amazing parenting book and has some really neat concepts. The other thing that has helped is that I researched how to do quiet time (we decided nap time is over:) and decided that I need to build up to an hour (today we did 35 minutes) and I also started some quiet time boxes. Basically I put special activities that are only for quiet time in a box and I have one for each day of the week. I get it out about lunch time and put it on the fridge so she can see it and be excited for it. Then I put her down about 2. It has worked wonderfully every day except Wed. (I don't think he activities I put in for Wed. were that cool). I am so grateful that my mom suggested to me to research quiet time online and that I found this amazing idea!!!

Frustration

2011-01-25T11:27:00.002-07:00

So while I was having my baby at the hospital, our basement flooded. I had everything worked out perfectly, but all my plans had to change, because our basement is now uninhabitable. Luckily it wasn't a fire, and none of our stuff got damaged, but we have been living upstairs with my in-laws for the last 2 1/2 weeks and still have 2-3 weeks to go. The most frustrating parts were bringing home a new baby and having to move that weekend, and my 2 year old. She is doing wonderfully for all the changes that have been thrown into her life, but she is struggling. She recently discovered how to open doors and that she can reach the light switches, so putting her to bed is a nightmare. She will not stay in bed (she is currently in my in-laws tv room) and plays -- last night we put her to bed about 9:00 and she didn't go to sleep until after 11:30. If we were in our own environment, then I know a lot of the problem would be solved, but she wants to explore this new room and it is driving me crazy. I wonder if really need to worry about it or not, because we will be going back to our basement soon enough, and in a few months we will be moving into our new house, so is it a big deal and do I teach her now, or do I wait for a while until she and I am more settled? I'm just not sure, but I know that I am really struggling with this trial right now.

ramblings on childbirth

2010-12-18T16:51:00.004-07:00

So, I am about to have a baby and my husband and I decided that we wanted to go natural. I have a friend who used hypnobabies (I used hypnobirthing for my first, but ended up with pitocin and an epidural). I have learned so much about birth from this program, and from my own research in the last few years, that I thought I would share some of it. Some background on me: I try not to take medicine, but I occasionally do. I believe that eating healthy is the best way to get nutrients into your body, but I do take prenatals. I don't eat organically, probably because I can't afford it, but I do try to eat fresh fruits/veggies and cook more than eating from a box or eating out. I have tried to eliminate hydrogenated oils from my diet, but I am not perfect at it, basically I try to live healthily, but I'm not perfect at it. I also plan to have my babies at a hospital. My daughter was born on her due date, from an induction because of low amniotic fluid and an old placenta. I am glad that I used pitocin -- because I believe that she would have been stillborn if we hadn't intervened. I am also glad that I got an epidural because I couldn't relax without it and once I was able to relax my body accepted the pitocin and I was able to have her (I labored 14 hours with pitocin before I got an epidural - 7 after). However, I know so much more about natural inductions now then I did then and if I were to ever be in a similar situation I would try to do natural inductions first. So I don't know why pregnancy in America is so risky. Partly I think it is because doctors and moms are on schedules and babies need to fit into their schedules. And I think that part of it is hospitals run a business and the more patients they can get in and out the more money that they make. My aunt was under the impression that her body didn't know how to go into labor on its own (really?). She had 7 children using pitocin and chose several of their birth days when it was convenient for her. Child number 8 decides to come on the convenient birth day that my aunt had chosen, without any help -- all natural. So that tells me that her body can go into labor on its own. So she gets pregnant with child number 9 and still picks her baby's birth date (this baby decided to come 5 days early). I just don't understand. Anyway, I guess I just wish that people would have more knowledge about childbirth. You don't have to get a c-section, in fact it is more risky and the more that you have the riskier it is. Childbirth is natural, and sometimes a woman is pregnant for 41 or 42 weeks and that's okay - as long as the baby is okay. Sometimes labors last for a long time and that is okay too. Everyone is different, and instead of having a factory for child birth, we really should be allowed to birth in the way that is best for us!

Choose your words carefully

2010-11-01T19:14:00.001-06:00

Every word that we speak has meaning and origin. Nevertheless, a word may mean something different to me than it does to another person. We use words to record thoughts to preserve our memories and express the ideas from our minds to other people. (Locke 2: 12) Consequently, words are very personal; each person selects words that describe what he is thinking and then shares it with others hoping to convey his ideas to that person. Yet people come from different experiences and therefore create different meanings and ideas for those words and use different words to share the same ideas. To truly understand one another we must first seek to understand the words and ideas of each other.

The first step in seeking to understand one another is to not dispute words and ideas that we do not clearly understand. (Locke 1:28-29) It is better to listen fully and ask questions than to argue. Even when we clearly understand one another disputations will still happen. We should keep our friendships and peace, though, since we cannot expect our friends to suddenly quit their opinions and adopt our own. (Locke 2:254) When we choose to listen instead of argue our understanding will be enlightened and our friendships will remain strong.

Second we need to choose our words carefully. Often we use words for which we cannot give a clear definition. (Locke 2:90) A simple solution to fix these problems is to have a dictionary close by all the time; however, it isn’t practical to carry around a dictionary and constantly look up words. Instead, if someone questions the meaning of a word that we use and we cannot define it, then we should choose a different word.

“There are not words enough in any language to answer all the variety of ideas that enter into men’s discourses and reasonings.” (Locke, 1:23) Because the English language has thousands of words to choose from, Locke’s statement may be surprising. However, it makes more sense if we think about how many words mean more than one thing. Locke defines two words: “spirit, in its primary signification, is breath; angel, a messenger.” (2:10) Today those words have many more meanings; in Oxford’s online dictionary the word spirit has eight distinct definitions and angel has five. With so many definitions it is difficult to always know if what we are saying is the same as what is being understood. “A definition is nothing else but the showing the meaning of one word by several other not synonymous terms. The meaning of words being only the ideas they are made to stand for by him that uses them, the meaning of any term is then shown or the word is defined when, by other words, the idea it is made the sign of and annexed to, in the mind of the speaker, is as it were represented or set before the view of another, and thus its signification ascertained….” (Locke 2:27) Good speakers will establish their words and the intended meanings so that they are understood by their audience. Thus both can benefit from the conversation.

Words are powerful. Great men (and not so great men) have coined phrases and words that live on. When we speak we must choose our words carefully and if someone questions our diction we must analyze our words and make sure that the meaning is clear. “I shall imagine I have done some service to truth, peace, and learning if, by any enlargement on this subject, I can make men reflect on their own use of language and give them reason to suspect that, since it is frequent for others, it may also be possible for them to have sometimes very good and approved words in their mouths and writings, with very uncertain, little, or no signification. And therefore it is not unreasonable for them to be wary herein themselves, and not to be unwilling to have them examined by others.” (Locke 2:42)

“angel.” Oxford Online Dictionary. 2010. Oxford Dictionaries. 8 Oct. 2010

John Locke. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Vol. 1. New York: Dover Publications Inc., 2003

John Locke. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Vol. 2. New York: Everyman’s Library, 1974

“spirit.” Oxford Online Dictionary. 2010. Oxford Dictionaries. 8 Oct. 2010

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Teaching Primary

2010-09-12T20:09:00.002-06:00

So about a month ago I received a new calling to be a primary worker. I teach the girls in our ward that are 8-12, which in itself is a little intimidating since they are all on such different levels. But I love teaching them. The first week after I was called I taught on David and Bathsheba, which was a tough lesson. But the next two have been better. This week I taught on Elijah and the priests of Baal. I love this story in the Old Testament. It is probably one of my favorite stories!!! I just love the faith of Elijah, and I find it really amusing when he mocks the priests and says, maybe your god is sleeping and needs to be awoken, or maybe he is busy or on a journey. It just cracks me up!!! But I wonder how much faith the people really had. Before the whole competition, Elijah asks them who is God and the people say nothing (this is after a famine had been in the land for 3 years). Then after God sends down the fire, then the people believe in him. I wonder how often I am like that - I'll wait and see and if god proves himself then I will follow Him, but if not then I will remain undecided. It takes faith and courage to stand for something even when no one else is. I hope that I can have that faith and courage, because I know there have been times in my life when I haven't. I was so impressed with my girls today though. The lesson suggested starting the lesson by asking who we pray to when we have problems, then asking them if they would pray to a rock. All of the girls vehemently said they would not pray to a rock, and gave most of the reasons that the lesson book gave for why they would not. I was pretty impressed. I love being in primary!!! I get to learn things and teach at the same time!!!

Stake Conference

2010-08-15T20:08:00.001-06:00

So, I love stake conference, but it is much harder to pay attention when you have an active 2 year old. One thing that really stood out to me though was that my stake president said, that when you are an example, you are not only an example to those people who are not members, but you are also an example to those who are faithful and as active members as you. That really rang true to me and I reflected in my life how many good members of the church really have taught me how to be a good wife and a mother just by being examples to me!!

Creating Thinkers

2010-08-12T21:39:00.001-06:00

‘Thinking means shuffling, relating, selecting the contents of one’s mind so as to assimilate novelty, digest it and create order.’ (Jacques Barzun pg. 47)

It is important to be a thinker and passing on that legacy to our children is just as important. Public education seems to pull more and more away from creating thinkers because many careers do not require thinking. The job of public schools is to create workers by teaching students how to work hard at anything (Robert Maynard Hutchins pg. 55); then, those students who are successful at school will be successful in their careers. In my own experience as a student and as a teacher, I have seen many teachers base their students’ grades upon the busy work they give in class. Busy work doesn’t require the students to think for their class work, homework, and tests, but causes them to work in order to get a good grade. Society accepts this and has changed many of its standards to say if you work hard than you are a good employee; I can think of very few jobs that require thinking skills. Often, only the very top people in a business know how to think and any person who wants to make it that far will learn how to think on the way or when they are thrown into the job.

To make matters worse, many teachers in public education have not been taught how to think. I taught in a public school for two years. During that time I had mentors who knew how to think and passed that skill on to me. However, many teachers do not have that opportunity and they end up never learning to think. Universities do not include thinking in the curriculum of the classes they teach and Praxis tests (the current test that all teachers of K-12 must pass to become licensed teachers) do not establish whether a prospective teacher will be able to think. So a lot of teachers teach the way they have been taught using what I like to call the regurgitation method – learning facts and giving them back.

A few students have learned how to think before entering public education or in the process of attending public education. When teachers who do not know how to think encounter these students they are scared and do not know what to do; after all, their lesson manuals don’t tell them how to teach a student who already knows what is being taught. Thus “the more limited mind will try to compress and head off the richer,” (Jacques Barzun pg. 46) simply because they can’t teach what they don’t know. A quick example: many fourth grade teachers do not know how to do algebra, but if they have a student who is ready for algebra they simply cannot teach it to him. No wonder so many intelligent students flounder in a public school environment. “For most people, thinking is dreary uphill work.” (Jacques Barzun pg. 47) As I wrote this paper, I had an epiphany: “I don’t like to write papers because it requires me to think. It requires me to use my brain to create something new, develop opinions, and write about them.” Thinking does require a lot of piecing together and producing coherent ideas. Furthermore, a thinker must tune himself to the deep and unknown inside and to God as well. Public schools are forcing God (or any higher power) out creating another difficulty with producing thinkers. Without acknowledging and allowing God’s influence and power in our lives we lose a real beacon to our knowledge. God is the Creator of all things, so if we want to understand them, then we must seek for His inspiration and guidance.

The last problem with teaching thinkers is that it takes time to develop thinking skills. If I want to develop thinking skills then I must study all sorts of ideas. I must study nature, literature, great thinkers, history, math and the list could go on and on. I must associate myself with thinkers and learn from them. It takes practice and work to develop thinking skills. Once I become a thinker then I can pass that legacy on to my children and other children whom I associate with. But I must be careful how I do it. Thinking skills have to be developed and it is best that they are developed at the hands of thinkers. I have known many people in my life that did not just give me the answers, but made me search my heart for what I thought was best. They encouraged me, they asked me questions that helped me to develop my thinking skills, but they never gave me the answers. Teaching should include this philosophy of making people work for their answers and come to conclusions with the support and help of their mentors. A thinking education must include classics, because classics are books that require thinking to understand. Books inspire greatness. (Ralph Waldo Emerson par. 15) It also must include math – math that necessitates logical reasoning and proof. As a math major, I can definitely see the difference between math that is taught in schools and pure thinking math. Math is so much more than just solving problems; it is learning to think logically and rationally.

Finally, a thinker must be called to action. It is not good enough for a person to know how to think without using it. Thus, it is important to give a child opportunity to practice using their thinking skills in a controlled environment. “Character is higher than intellect. Thinking is the function. Living is the functionary…a great soul will be strong to live, as well as strong to think.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson par. 28) In order to build a society of character and morality we must first return to teaching thinking skills, and then we need to call those thinking skills to action. Public schools do not create thinkers. If I want my children to know how to think then I must first learn how to think myself and then pass that skill onto my children. It is important to know that it will take time and it must include God, classics, math, and a call to action. However, the sacrifice that is necessary for the building of thinkers will be worth it and it will create a stronger nation. Works Cited Jacques Barzun. Teacher in America. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1981. Ralph Waldo Emerson. The American Scholar. Nature: Addresses and Lectures.1849. http://www.emersoncentral.com/amscholar.htm (6/8/2010). Robert Maynard Hutchins. The Higher Learning in America. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 2009.

Education and Teaching

2010-06-07T21:39:00.003-06:00

So I've just finished reading a book by Jacques Barzun written in 1945 entitled Teacher in America. One question it raised for me is what is education? We expect education to teach our children everything..."what the rest of the world leaves undone." He then proceeds to say that "education is a lifelong discipline of the individual by himself" and thus education is a synonym for civilization. I truly believe in lifelong learning. I believe that what we learn on this earth gives us an advantage in the next. I believe that there are good ways to get educations and poor ways, but throughout life's lessons every single one of us becomes more educated. I believe that every person is an educator - we all have responsibilities to teach...to teach our children, to teach fellow employees, to teach our neighbors, but we may never know what we taught someone. I especially believe that it is my responsibility to teach my children. It is not the government's responsibility, it is not my church's responsibility, but it is my responsibility and my right to teach my children. The government, my church, my neighbors and friends, they should and I hope will help me to teach my children, but ultimately it is my responsibility. And so I need to be best prepared to teach my children by being educated myself.

My Purpose

2010-05-02T20:44:00.003-06:00

I believe that we all have a purpose in life and so recently I decided to write mine down and now I feel the need to share it with others, so... My purpose in life is to bring others joy. Both in this life and in the next. I can do that by continuing to develop my gift for charity and always being willing to serve those around me. I also need to be an example. If I have joy then I can share that joy and to some degree it is contagious. I can bring joy to others by living and sharing the gospel. I also feel a solemn responsibility to do temple work for my ancestors so I can bring them happiness. One of my sacred responsibilities is to have children and give those precious spirits the opportunity for joy. I need to teach them how to have joy, but ultimately realize that they have their agency. It was an interesting experience for me to write my purpose in life and to think about it. I know that I have a role and I have understood that for a while, but to actually try to figure out what it is was a very enjoyable experience. I definitely spent some time on my knees and spent time listening. I just find it so amazing and now I feel like I have some definitive direction for my life right now!

Tree of Knowledge

2010-04-22T22:01:00.002-06:00

So as I was reading my scriptures yesterday I had a realization. I realized that if it hadn't been part of the plan for Adam and Eve to partake of the fruit from the tree of knowledge, than Heavenly Father would have prevented them by placing cherubim and a flaming sword to prevent them. He sure didn't hesitate to do so to the tree of life after they partook.

Agency

2010-04-10T21:34:00.003-06:00

One of the rights that we fought for before we came to earth was the right to agency. Sometimes it is so hard to remember that everyone has their agency. Sometimes it is hard for me because I know that my friends are making poor choices and it is hard for me to see them do such, but ultimately it is their agency and they will reap their consequences. I hate calling it 'free agency' because it is not free. Consequences are a result of every choice that we make. I wonder sometimes if 'free agency' became a combination from 'free will' and 'agency.' Anyway, I really like these scriptures from 2 Nephi 2 about agency: "...there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon..Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other." It really makes me think about being proactive vs. reactive. If we are being proactive then we are choosing to act, but when we are reactive then we are being acted upon. Part of the plan is to see how we will act when we have two opposite forces acting upon us. If we choose to act then we are using our agency correctly. Later in 2 Nephi 2 it says, "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." The italicized part informs me that everyone has enough information to make good choices and bad choices. We all have our agency despite our life's circumstances. I know I don't always use my agency as I should, but I am striving to turn my will into the Lord's will, and hopefully every day I get a little closer!!!:)

Finding Happiness

2010-03-31T20:36:00.002-06:00

I don't know that this idea is fully developed, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. It all started with a class in church - someone made the comment that your spouse can't make you happy. At first I disagreed, but as I've thought about it a lot more, I've come to the conclusion that happiness has to come from within. You have to look to God and yourself for true happiness and if you find it there then you will be happy no matter what. However, you should be happy in your marriage too, Being with someone so much allows you the opportunity to get to know your spouse very well. So you can pick out the things that will make them tick or you can focus on the things that make them happy and spend your time serving each other. My husband and I choose the latter; which creates happiness in our home. I know whenever I am sad that my husband can cheer me up and make me feel better. However, sometimes we have to ask God first (usually in those cases he gives me a blessing and it works wonders!!!:) I'm not exactly sure how to become happy, other than I know it is a choice. Several years ago I took an institute class and the teacher talked about Christ and how He chose to be happy. Our countenances our supposed to reflect Christ, which is a sacred responsibility. I know that Christ took time to "mourn with those that mourn" and He angrily cast people out of the temple, but He mostly spent His time in service and love to others and I have to believe that He was happy...filled with joy as we are meant to be. So I guess as we become more like Christ than we can find joy and be happy with our decisions, despite adversity and trials.

Answers within us

2010-03-20T21:25:00.002-06:00

Why is it that when you stop looking for something you find it? It happens to me all the time...I finally decided to go on a mission and I met my husband (I never went on a mission), I give up looking for the remotes and then they show up, I buy a new pair of glasses and find my old ones. It seems that when you stop searching the truth is more easily accessible. Truth always comes out when I'm venting my problems to other people too, not always in their suggestions, but it seems to me that just the act of telling someone else what is going on helps me to figure out the solution. I've noticed the same things with friends who vent to me, not that my suggestions are helpful, but that in venting they come up with the solutions...sometimes it takes a few times to actually relate the details of your problem before the solution comes up, but it usually does. All this has led me to the conclusion that answers are within us. Once we stop searching then we are able to see what is right before us and the more we tell a problem the more we focus on it and then the answers will come. So what does that mean if all the answers are right before us? How is it possible to already know the solutions to our problems? In talking to a friend, she brought the answer clearly to my mind: Many of the prophets have seen our day -- Mormon, Nephi, Isaiah, etc. so if they were able to see our day and our problems and even see specific people (Jesus Christ, Columbus) why wouldn't we have been able to see our lives and what they could be like before we came to earth? And if we did, then somewhere inside of us is that knowledge, it is just blocked by a veil, but if we were able to cross through that veil, then we could find all the answers that we ever needed. However, it is not that simple. God works on a need to know basis. So we can only find the answers within in as it works with God's plan. Recently my husband listened to a talk on BYU and he told me that the person speaking told of his dilemma about grad school. The speaker said he had prayed about and never received a clear answer, and finally researched it out and decided that it was the best decision for him and went to grad school. Years later he looked back and saw how he was being led to the right answer without actually receiving it. We've recently encountered a similar problem, but as I've considered the options and I've talked about them with my husband it seems that the answer has been right before us. So trust in Heavenly Father, trust in your gut and know that as you make your decisions you are being guided by an unknown force...you.

Success and Failure

2010-03-07T19:19:00.002-07:00

So I've recently learned a little about success and failure. I guess that it is human nature (and Satan's influence) to focus on our failures. I know someone who recently told me that they must be evil, because sometimes they do things they know are wrong. It is so easy to focus on all that we are doing wrong and how we are not meeting the goals that we set for ourselves...and pretty soon, why even work on those goals, since we are not having success with them anyway. But if we really want to be successful in our goals and in our lives, we must take time to celebrate our successes. For example if you ate 2 healthy meals this week, that is a success, yes ultimately you probably want to eat healthy meals all the time, but it is success. If you got to bed on time 3 times this week, that is better than you were doing before you made the goal...focus on that. It also helps to visualize what your life will be like when you have successfully met that goal. It is important when we take stock of all that we need to improve in our lives that we also take stock of all that we are doing good in our lives. It is important to have balance so that we are not always negative, or always failing to see negative.

Ward Choirs and Stake Conference

2010-02-26T16:11:00.004-07:00

So a couple weeks ago was our stake conference and Chad and I got to go on Saturday night!!!:) They had a ward choir there and they did not sound good at all...but as I was listening to them sing, I got the distinct impression that they were giving their very best and they were being blessed for their efforts!!! It kind of changed how I viewed that choir. I really do believe that when we put forth efforts to be involved in church activities our efforts do not go unnoticed even though our efforts might not be up to par with other people's efforts, since after all salvation is obtained on an individual basis. So to go along with that I learned a lot from stake conference that night about not judging people. The stake president shared some experiences where people in very difficult situations had received blessings telling them that they had chosen to be in those situations to bless others' lives. So we don't know what God's plans for others are, we don't know their hearts, and we don't know the experiences they have had that shape their lives and help create their behavior and their attitude. It is often so easy to judge others, especially those we are close to like our spouses, siblings, children, parents and close friends, but even these people have experiences that we don't know about that shape them into the people they are. The only person that we know 100% about is ourselves, so I guess I need to focus more on judging myself according to how I should be doing and how I am following the commandments and living up to the expectations that Heavenly Father has for my life!!!

Valentine's Day

2010-02-17T15:53:00.002-07:00

No, I am not going to elaborate on what my husband and I did for Valentine's day, I just had a realization this year that I wanted to share with everyone. Why is their a special day, just once a year to celebrate our love? I think if you are truly in love you should be celebrating that love all year long. Who really needs a special day to remind them to tell their significant other "I love you" and spend lots of money being romantic? Isn't it better to just show your love every day? Anyway, not that I am against valentine's day or anything, I love valentine's day and I think it is fun to be more romantic, but I just thought I would put some food for thought out there. Maybe we should all try to be a little more romantic this year and tell our loved ones we love them a little more often!!!:)

Forgiveness

2010-02-10T20:15:00.003-07:00

I've recently been involved with a personal transformation and one of the projects that I did a couple of weeks ago was I forgave someone. I loved the way that it set it up...I've been trying to forgive this person for many years, because I really love this person, but it has been a real struggle for me. However, it was so easy when I did it the way suggested. The first thing that I did was I wrote my "Big Hurt" Story. I told about what happened and why it hurt me etc. and that was really neat for me because as I was writing it, I was able to see the other person's perspective like I never have before. And that right there helped immensely. Then, I answered some questions, like how does holding this grudge benefit you and what feelings do I have when I think about it. Then it asked some different questions: How would my health and life improve if I were to forgive this person and what feelings would I enjoy. It was very powerful for me and I enjoyed the opportunity I had to finally let my resentment go!!!:)

Cleanliness and Perfection

2010-02-04T11:30:00.002-07:00

So I recently stopped by at my sister-in-law's house and I only gave her like 5 minutes warning (I don't usually do this, but I had mentioned that I would be coming 2 weeks prior). Anyway, my sister-in-law recently had her 3rd baby, and so life is a little crazy for her, and when I called she told me that her house was a mess...and I said no problem (after all I realize that she just had a baby and I remember what my house was like after I had just had my baby). So when I got there, instead of sitting down and visiting, she was running around her house picking up little things (and honestly if she hadn't of said anything I really wouldn't have noticed). It got me thinking though, I do the same thing all the time...I know someone is coming over so I try to make my house spotless and if it isn't by the time they make it over than I am so embarrassed. So I guess my point is why do we try so hard to be perfect even when we are not? I know that our purpose in life is to strive for perfection, but why are we so scared to let our true selves show. I wonder if we were to let our true selves show if people could help us with our weaknesses and we would all become better. I probably will still clean my house every time I know someone is coming over (because let's face it, I just might not get it clean if I didn't), but maybe I will strive to not worry about it if it isn't perfect, because I'm not perfect.

The Doctrine of Marriage

2010-01-17T19:45:00.003-07:00

So my husband and I got to a marriage seminar once a month. This month we had a guest speaker, Doug Brinley, coauthor of "Between Husband and Wife" (a great read about intimacy by the way). We really enjoyed what he talked about, but I especially loved this part: He starts by giving the quote by President Packer, "True doctrine understood, will change behavior [more quickly] than will the study of behavior (psychology) change behavior." (Ensign May 2004,77) Then he tells us that if we understood the true doctrine of marriage then it would improve our marriages. The rest of the night he spent sharing some doctrines of marriage. 1. Our primary reason for coming to earth is to marry and have children (D&C 49:15-17). Which is one reason that Satan tries so hard to destroy the family. 2. We learn how to be a husband or a wife from our spouse and we learn how to be parents from our children. 3. A child is an adult spirit in a newly born body, a body capable of growing and maturing according to the providences of Him whose spirit children we all are. Children are the sons and daughters of God. They lived and dwelt with him for ages and eons before their mortal birth. They are adults before birth; they are adults at death. Christ himself, the Firstborn of the Father, rose to a state of glory and exaltation before he was ever suckled at Mary’s breast.(Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, April 1977,3) 4.Our spirits are immortal becaus our spirits are the offspring of immortal parents. 5. Our highest aspiration is to be like our Heavenly Father (Elder Oaks, Ensign, May 1995, 84) 6. The best and most important way to stay together is to pray together as a couple every morning and night...family prayer does not count as couple prayer. There were 2 reasons for this: 1 - Prayer is a window into the soul of your spouse and 2 - You can't be mad at someone you pray for. I really enjoyed this seminar!!! And I hope that for me understanding the doctrine of marriage will improve my marriage. Brother Brinley mentioned that he is currently writing a book about marriage doctrines, called Doctrinal Therapy.

Creating Families

2010-01-07T20:29:00.003-07:00

So recently I've been thinking a lot about creating families...it is so ironic to me that some women can become pregnant without even thinking about it and other women try and try...some for years without successful results. I know people on both sides of the spectrum...and it has led me to the conclusion that it doesn't just take 2 to create a baby, but 3...God has to be involved...and it doesn't matter how bad you want it if it isn't right for you then it isn't going to happen and on the other hand, it doesn't matter how hard you are trying not to get pregnant, if you are supposed to you will. I think pregnancy and birth are such a miracle and I am so grateful for my little daughter. And I am grateful for a Heavenly Father...that He has a perfect plan for me and that as I choose to follow His plan He guides me and helps me to become better.

The Spiritual part of Christmas

2009-12-26T20:22:00.005-07:00

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

2009-12-13T22:30:00.001-07:00

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

2009-12-09T11:53:00.001-07:00

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

2009-12-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-11-27T20:28:00.001-07:00

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

2009-11-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-11-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-11-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-11-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-11-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-11-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-29T12:28:00.000-06:00

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

2009-10-28T12:36:00.001-06:00

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

2009-10-25T19:57:00.001-06:00

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

2009-10-23T15:31:00.000-06:00

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

2009-10-22T11:33:00.002-06:00

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!!!

2009-10-21T20:38:00.002-06:00

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!!!:)