We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice In Christ

Fathers Are People Too

2012-02-03T14:38:00.000-05:00

This week, I had neglected some of my duties at home (in order to blog), and it was starting to show. The dishes piled up obscenely on the counter top for days until my poor husband had to break down and tackle them before work one day. And dinner was less than stellar because I just threw something on the table and ran off to mutual on Wednesday night.

Normally, Steve puts up with my shenanigans without complaint, but I guess he was feeling rather neglected himself (and who could blame him?), and when he left for work the next day, he just looked really displeased, which is not a look that I am used to seeing.

So, I decided to spend my day catching up on my chores yesterday, making the house look nice, and doing extra special things to serve HIM, hoping it would be enough to smooth over the hard feelings that I had caused. I worked really hard. But as the day passed, and his return approached I started to feel annoyed and resented the fact that he would get annoyed with me. (At Moi? How dare he!?)

I thought to myself, "If he says one word about the house being a mess, I'm going to blow up, I swear!"

Realizing, that my spirit was not right, I went to my bedroom and read my scriptures until Steve returned.

I was reading silently to myself in Luke 23 about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but my mind was still swirling with my negative feelings about the situation at home, about my failure to fulfill my duties, and about that look that was on Steve's face when he left the house.

But how to reconcile it? I did not know. I only knew that I should not open my mouth! At all...but just be quiet.

Steve had gotten home late from work, which was probably good, because it gave me extra time to read scriptures and try to change my attitude. We put the kids to bed almost immediately, and then I went back to my room to read scriptures. Steve came in with his Book of Mormon so that we could read aloud to each other from its pages, which is how we try to always start off our 8pm hour (the hour we reserve for each other!)

I did NOT want to read it. I did not want to say those words out loud. I wanted to stay mad! But as soon as I started to read the words of 1 Nephi 11, the rebellious and angry and contentious spirit that was housed inside of me that afternoon immediately vanished. And then the Holy Spirit came instead and so did my tears.

32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was ^ataken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was^bjudged of the world; and I saw and bear record.

33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was ^alifted up upon the cross and^bslain for the sins of the world.

Suddenly, everything was different. I was no longer angry, and suddenly all that mattered was what Nephi saw, not what Steve or I saw. And what Nephi saw was the Savior of the world being slain for our sins.

Now what was different about reading the words of The Book of Mormon that caused me to finally give in and feel peace? Was it the familiarity of those words? What it the juxtaposition of the two books of scripture? Was it reading the verses aloud? Or is it possible that there was just more power in the description given by Nephi? I don't know, but I do know that I felt more peace enter my heart in five minutes of reading The Book of Mormon aloud, than I did in reading for 30 minutes quietly to myself.

And once again, that book changed me.

Now this morning, I wanted to blog about...stuff...and I remembered this book that my Mom had brought to me over Christmas called "Fathers Are People Too." It came from my Grandma's stash of books that my Mom was purging, and she thought I might like it. Steve and I both chuckled about the title when she gave it to us, but put it on the shelf without even opening it.

So today, I finally pulled the book out and opened it. This is what I found:

This inscription was a note from my Grandmother Gladys to my Grandfather Roger on Father's Day 1985. She wrote:

"This Father 'Roger Arthur' is not only a person but the very best in the whole world.

"All his children 'should rise up and call him blessed.' He should be acknowledged every day and especially today.

"I am so grateful for his influence in our lives, and grateful my children love their Dad and grandchildren their 'Bon Papa,' and 'Wild Indian."

"Mizpah, GMO (Gladys Mae Osborne)"

As I read the inscription, I could hear her voice instructing me. She might as well have written, "Jocelyn, one day you will read this, and when you do, I want you to remember that your husband is not only a person but the very best person in the world for you. You would be wise to 'rise up and call him blessed.' You must acknowledge him every day and show him that you care. Every day, not just on special days. You need to be grateful for his influence in your life, because he is a good father to your children and will be beloved by your grandchildren."

It seems like every time I turn around, I am getting a long lost message from my Grandma (who has been gone nearly eight years now!) Who knew that all of her letters, book inscriptions, scripture markings, and personal histories would play such a valuable part in my personal growth, but they have! And I am glad and so lucky to have these timely messages come to me from beyond the grave, as it would seem...from both my relatives and the prophets of old.

The church is true. God lives. The scriptures are power on paper. And I am so thankful for the wisdom that they hold and for the calming influence of the Spirit that they bring into my life. Have a great weekend! And remember that Fathers and Husbands are people too...and they need our love! :)

PS - The girls and I visited Daddy at work today...
and we didn't even say a word about how messy his desk was...ha ha! :)

Fall In Line, Service Boot Campers!

2012-02-02T08:20:00.000-05:00

Just a quick thought today.

As I was embarking on Service Boot Camp yesterday, I had a bunch of false starts. It was a busy day, and I thought any number of my activities could qualify as "my act of service" for the day, but I decided that all of it was just in my regular call of duty, and I wanted to go outside of that.

It was later in the day, and I still hadn't figured out who I was supposed to help.

As I drove to school to pick up Guy, I was thinking about Dana's service for the day "to open doors for people." I thought, ooh, I could do that, but I don't really go through any doors with people. I just go stand in line and pick up my son. Then the thought popped into my head: "You could give your place in line to the person behind you."

Eh? Come again? This was a foreign thought to me, I have to admit.

In the past, I've seen people give up their place in line to others at parent-pick-up, and to be perfectly honest, whenever I see that, I think, "Aw, what a sucker!" I have never let someone go ahead of me, because when I'm in line, I just want to T.C.B. and get out of there!

So, I knew that this idea to let someone go in front of me did not come from me.

But still I pushed it to the back of my mind.

When we arrived at school, I hopped in line. I was about the fourth parent in line.

I stood there quietly reading my book with about three feet and obvious silence between me and the people on each side of me. I sighed to myself and thought, "put your book away, Jocelyn, and be a good neighbor."

So I decided to ask the woman behind me what time she had and we made small-talk about the fact that school seemed to be getting out late over the last few weeks. Then she launched in to how pressed for time she always is after school anyway, because she has to rush her daughter home to change and eat with only ten minutes to get her to the meeting place for the car pool that takes her to swim practice 30 minutes away. If they are delayed, they miss their car pool. She wasn't really complaining, but I could hear the stress in her voice. Just then, I threw my hands up (in my mind)...I turned to her and said, "Since you're in a rush, and I am not, why don't you go ahead of me? Please..."

She protested a little, and I insisted, and off she went, ahead of me in line...as predicted by the Spirit just a half an hour earlier.

Now I don't know that that act made a huge difference in her time crunch, in fact, I'm pretty sure that I still made it out of the parking lot in front of her! :) But I do know that the Lord was aware of this mother and her desire to get her daughter where she needed to go and the stress that she felt in completing this daily duty.

I also know that in Service Boot Camp the size of the service is inconsequential compared to our mission to hone our abilities to follow the promptings of the Spirit. Because of that, Service Boot Camp could just as easily be named "Following-the-Spirit Boot Camp," because THAT'S what it's all about.

PS - And yes, another major purpose of my service mission yesterday was to recognize that I needed an attitude adjustment and to teach me that my purpose in standing in that line every day is NOT to TCB (take care of business) but to TCP (take care of people).
Lesson learned.

If you missed yesterday's post, check it out for some great service prompts and sign the Service Boot Camp contract from Dana Storrs!

Eat your heart out, Pinterest!

2012-02-01T22:27:00.003-05:00

I came home from New Beginnings tonight and this is what I found:

Guy's backpack...jammed full of "Valentines" that he made for his Kindergarten classmates.

He was chomping at the bit to make them, ever since his teacher sent home the list of names and instructed the children to make cards for each other.

I pleaded with him to wait until I could look for some "cute ideas" on Pinterest, but instead, he waited until I left for the evening and he went to town.

(Pretty sweet hearts, huh?)

When I returned home and found this...

...and that...

...and most of all this...

I just smiled to myself and thought..."Eat your heart out, Pinterest!"

This is a true Valentine...no frills, no instructions, no tutorials...

Just straight from the heart...the way that it should be.

Way to show us adults what's up, GUY!

(...Hmmm...I think I need to Pin this!) ;)

Service Boot Camp: Welcome New Recruits

2012-02-01T13:24:00.000-05:00

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I had the most bizarre thought today. I couldn't believe I even thought it.

I caught myself thinking, "Gee, I'm glad it's February. I just love February."

Now, you need to understand that February can be a really wicked month around here: freezing, below zero temps, sometimes for weeks at a time and absolutely no sun.

So what has changed my mind about February this year?

Well, beside the fact that Winter has graciously forgotten to show up in Central PA (it was 60 and sunny here yesterday!), our family is also embarking on our third year of Service Boot Camp in February.

This mandatory, month-long training exercise in serving others has really changed my outlook to the point that I have actually grown to love this time of year and all of the promise that it holds.

And what is even more exciting? We've got some brand-spanking new recruits in Boot Camp this year who are taking this challenge pretty seriously!

ROLL CALL!

First up, we have the Young Women of the Arvada 3rd Ward! Their platoon-leader Dana Storrs has really got them all riled up for a month of service. She created the fiercest little recruitment letter using this post and adding her own flare and the message to "Arise and Shine Forth". She layed it all on the line for her soldiers and even had them sign an enlistment contract!!! Reportedly, as soon as Dana read the words, "Are you IN or are you OUT?!" one of the girls hollered out enthusiastically, "I'M IN!!!"

Next, the girls created a paper-chain (in YW value colors) with service prompts to guide them in their efforts to serve others each day in February. (Click here to download the paper chain/service prompts and here to access the Service Boot Camp Contract! You can download it in Word and change the ward name!) The YW also made journals and cookies to have on hand while they serve.

I am inspired! Dana has done a beautiful job with this, and is allowing me to share her work with you! I am going to make a similar chain to help keep me marching to the service beat as well! Thank you, Squad-leader Dana!

Next up, we have Lieutenant Lexie, who along with her children, kicked off their month of Service Boot Camp by throwing a "Feel the Love" party. They even invited their entire ward to participate! I am looking forward to hearing updates from Lexie, Dana, and the brave YW of the Arvada 3rd Ward as the month progresses.

So what do you say? Are you ready to serve your cares away in Service Boot Camp this month? Well what are you waiting for??? Grab a button and sign on the dotted line...or just leave a comment and remember to report back every once in a while to let us all know how its going! We're all in this together!

Service Letter & Contract

Oh, oh, it's Magic.

2012-02-01T08:55:00.002-05:00

I was pleasantly surprised during GCBC yesterday to discover this little bar code at the end of one of the General Conference talks!

Guy is always on the look out for these. At restaurants he is always asking me to scan the ones on the back of ketchup. My response is always that I don't need to learn how to use ketchup. I'm so old, huh?

But a bar code on the pages of the General Conference edition of the Ensign...I can get into that. So here's how it works, if you don't already know or have never tried it. (I'm sure many of you have but for those who haven't...)

Click on the app on your smartphone that looks like a bar code.

Then the camera function will start looking for the code. Hold your phone over the little square until it registers. Then your phone will look like this...with a link to the talk online.

The three buttons across the bottom allow you to open it in a browser (so you can watch the talk immediately), share it via email, or share it via SMS (text, Twitter, etc).

And since I've got this song stuck in my head now, I've just gotta say: I had no idea that they installed a pool in the Great and Spacious Building! Did you?

Secret Service FHE

2012-01-31T08:23:00.000-05:00

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Shhhhh...

We have a secret.

We are going under-cover during the month of February as part of "The Secret Service!"

During a multi-family FHE last night, we held our annual "Bring Back Summer" Party, ate cool & crunchy tacos, and discussed King Benjamin's sermon in which he taught that "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God."

Then we enlisted the children in "The Secret Service." (An idea that I found in a past issue of the Friend!)

We gave each child a notebook (like the ones pictured above), and instructed them to identify someone to serve. They are to write down that person's name and what they'd like to do to serve them in their notebook. They'll keep track of their own efforts to serve others during the month of February, as they fulfill their top secret service missions!

I had been chatting with my friend Wendy a few weeks ago about what I'd like our family to do for Service Boot Camp this February, and she suggested that a focus on serving family members could be a worthy goal.

So, this morning, I instructed the children that our Secret Service mission didn't just extend to friends, but that we would need to also serve people in our home. We each drew the name of one person in our family to serve each day in February. Here's the name that I drew:

Shhhh! She doesn't know!

But I have been doing some recognizance of my own...and I think that she has me too.

(Plus, she "served" me a tray full of gum this morning!)

If you'd like to make similar notebooks and enlist your children in the "Secret Service," I have included a download of the image I used. Just print it off, and glue it to the front of any notebook. (There are two sizes provided here.)

Secret Service Notebook Graphic

Please check out That Good Part for her recap of FHE too today!

You can also read the rest of the FHE Chonicles here...and our other FHE ideas here.

(Perhaps I need to merge the two!?)

REKINDLE Your LOVE of the Scriptures

2012-01-30T06:53:00.000-05:00

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I received a question on my FB page from reader Deanna last night. She says this:

"Hi! I came across your blog last night and I'm so glad I did. My husband was born and raised in the Church and I am a convert. We had fallen away for about a year, and are just now starting to bring ourselves back to the Church in hopes to be sealed together [in the temple], etc. I have a difficult time studying/reading the Book of Mormon. Do you have any tips that may help me? I would greatly appreciate it, and I really enjoy reading your blog."

First of all, I want to say, "Good for you, Deanna!" There is no nobler goal than that of being sealed in the temple to your spouse and forming an eternal family. (I can see that your family will soon be growing too! Congratulations!)

I have to confess that I am not the fastest reader in the galaxy. I would much rather listen to someone lecture than read the exact same things, because I enjoy hearing their inflection, and I guess I'm just a people person. Reading, to me, is sort of a lonely sport. For instance, I can't hold a conversation with someone and read at the same time, so I suppose that might be my issue! :)

Anyway, just off the top of my head. This is what I would suggest to you, and to anyone else who wants to grow spiritually, but is having a hard time developing a love for scripture study.

First: PRAY for guidance. Ask the Lord to tell you through the Holy Ghost what method will bring YOU the most success in your desire to gain a love for the scriptures. (I'm assuming you've already done this.)

Also pray every time you read. Before. During. After. And remember that The Book of Mormon has a built in promise that if you pray about it, you will know of its truthfulness. You can do this more than once! :) (And there are many more promises that you can read about in the link above.)

Second: If you are finding it hard to read your scriptures, my first suggestion is to READ THE WORDS OF MODERN DAY PROPHETS. Look up talks from recent General Conferences which talk about scriptures...and in your case, talk about temples, families, sealing, testimony, and returning to activity. (Click here to study by topic.)

Read one talk a day and then scroll down to the bottom and look up EVERY scripture referenced in the talk. Keep a journal and record your thoughts about what you read every day. It might help to write out your favorite verses in your journal or to READ ALOUD to keep you focused.

Third: I love the Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual. You can access it online, but get yourself a hard copy if you can and start studying it. I firmly believe that everyone needs to GAIN A TESTIMONY OF THE BASICS. If I were you, I'd start by studying every concept taught in this manual. Again, read EVERY scripture referenced in each lesson.

3.5: Select scriptures to MEMORIZE - Click here for a manageable list of Book of Mormon verses from A-Z. Your daily study could consist of just memorizing a scripture. Post your favorite verses in places you can see them (and ponder them) throughout the day. But don't just read them off the paper, look them up in your scriptures!

Fourth: I never really became passionate about reading my scriptures until I read it because I REALLY wanted to know and understand its message...like my life depended on it.

When I was in college, I read The Book of Mormon at the beginning of each study session, and I would often find myself studying my scriptures well into the time I should have been studying Portuguese (can you blame me?).

What had changed? My desire. Make sure that you are hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Perhaps if you trained yourself to read a few verses of scripture EVERY time you wanted to watch TV, you'd start to RETRAIN YOUR DESIRES.

Fifth: READ IT LIKE A NOVEL. When I challenged myself to read the Book of Mormon in 30 Days, I found myself having to read 20-30 pages a day (depending on how far behind I got!) Instead of getting bogged down in the "And it came to passes," I blew through stories rather quickly. I might not have caught every intricate piece of doctrine, but I started to get a better feel for the storylines and personalities in that book, which I didn't internalize as easily when I was reading only a few verses at a time.

Sixth: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY. We live during a time when reading is not your only option for obtaining the word of the Lord.

I listen to the scriptures sometimes in the car, and almost always have General Conference playing while I clean the kitchen. We aren't like Tangled...living in a tower, with hours a day at our disposal to read, and bake, and play puzzles...but you can do yourself and your family a favor by choosing uplifting music and listening to scriptures and making those the permanent soundtrack for your home!

Technology can help us to absorb good messages all the time if we use it correctly. (Click here for links to different scripture formats.) And if you do read your scriptures online, it makes reading footnotes and cross-references much easier.

Seventh: USE A SCRIPTURE-MARKING TUTORIAL like the ones at The Red Headed Hostess to bring a fresh perspective to the way that you study.

Ultimately, what will relight the fire of your testimony is the influence of the Holy Ghost, which you will be most open to as you spend time in the scriptures every day! Even if you only read a few scriptures each time, open your book and JUST DO IT! :)

So those are the suggestions that immediately came to mind, that have helped me to gain a love of the scriptures. Now, I'm going to go take a dose of my own medicine.

Do you have any suggestions to add to this list? Please speak up and add your thoughts below. I am sure that we will all appreciate it!

Planning FHE

2012-01-29T14:00:00.000-05:00

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I have two pieces of exciting news to share with you today:

First, I am happy to announce that I am now writing for the Friend's new blog of "Weekly Thoughts and Tips". On my allotted week, I will be offering up a new tip to help you teach your children the Gospel of Jesus Christ...using resources from the Friend. Click on over there right now to find out about our simple method for planning tons of great Family Home Evening lessons...quick and easy! You know...like I like it!

Second, I have a beautiful new blog layout, thanks to my very generous and talented friend Courtney of My Ordinary, Every Day, Happily Ever After! She dedicated many hours to updating my blog, and I love it! The purpose of the redesign was to make it easier for everyone to navigate and find content on my site. It is also easier to Pin and share stuff that you like! Check it out, but pardon the dust as I make a few more renovations! Let me know what you think, and please give Courtney a big THANK YOU for her hard work! Thank you, so much, Courtney!!

Two Weapons in this War

2012-01-28T21:32:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday, during General Conference Book Club, we discussed Elder Holland's talk "We Are All Enlisted".

In his simple, yet powerful way, Elder Holland declared that we are at war--a war between good and evil. He said that in this "war" the Lord needs people who will "take as their weapons 'every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.'"

He then quotes Elder Packer when he says that Satan's "effort to stop the work will be reasonably well served if he can just bind the tongue of the faithful."

I too believe that we are living in the middle of a struggle between good and evil. I do what I can each day to prevent my friends from becoming casualties of that war and to bring them to a safe place where they can enjoy the peace and love of the Savior.

So, let's review:

Our weapon: "every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God."

Satan's weapon: "to bind the tongue of the faithful"

Sounds pretty straight-forward, right? I wondered, "How can we unbind our tongues here in Central PA?"

Later in the week, I was given an opportunity to "unbind my tongue".

After reading 8 different articles in mainstream media that day suggesting that many people are not sure what Mormons believe, I decided to let my friends on Facebook know that I would gladly answer any questions they might have about the Mormon faith.

Sixty-nine comments later, we had ourselves a pretty good discussion. Among other things, my friends learned that, yes, Mormons like tacos, celebrate birthdays, worship God in the name of Christ, perform baptisms for our loved ones, and wear garments as a sign of temple covenants. It was a good exercise in answering questions about our faith.

And I realized how easy it can be to "voluntarily bind our own tongues," if we do not seize every opportunity to "sign on and speak up." What will you do this week to voluntarily UN-bind your tongue and to take as your weapon "every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God?"

PS - If you'd like to read the entire discussion, you can access it on my personal FB page.

Little Eyes Are Watching You

2012-01-27T16:32:00.000-05:00

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Little eyes are upon you

and they're watching night and day.

There are little ears that quickly

take in every word you say.

There are little hands all eager

to do the things you do.

And a little girl who's dreaming

of the day she'll be like you."

-Little Eyes Upon You

LDS Lacing Cards

2012-01-27T08:07:00.000-05:00

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I pinned this super cute idea for LDS lacing cards on my General Conference Idea board.

And I was all pumped up about it, until I realized there wasn't a nice neat download associated with this pin! (Booo...)

But that's OK! I scavenged around to find these cute bits of clip art to make into lacing cards for my kids. Sunday morning is a long time when church starts at 11am.

I found the images at the following sites:

http://www.freeldsart.com/book-of-mormon.htm

http://www.sugardoodle.net/Temple/index.shtml

http://melonheadsldsillustrating.blogspot.com/2011/05/missionaries.html

If you use images from these sites, please use them for your personal use only, or according to their usage terms.

(And please let the rest of us know if you have found other cute free LDS clip art that could be used for lacing cards!)

The kids were pretty intrigued to find these waiting for them at the breakfast table on Sunday morning. Sunday is a special day. I like to make it feel special in whatever way I can!

Thanks everyone for linking up in The Book of Mormon Blog Hop this week!

The winner of the Customized Family Tree from Shabby Ladybug is:

Karmen of Karmen's Kreations!

Thanks for linking up and commenting on other's posts, Karmen!
Please email me, Karmen, and special thanks to Shabby Ladybug for supporting our efforts!

To Know, Know, Know Me...

2012-01-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

A couple of you pointed out that I didn't say what I like about myself in my FHE post earlier this week. And Darlene said I don't share enough about myself on here, which makes me laugh because I think, hello, I'm sharing my raw feelings with you guys every day (sometimes twice a day). Is it not enough for you people?! :) Kidding. Anyway, DeAnn from The SIP Project tapped me for a little Q&A session on her blog, so here are my answers for your reading pleasure. I mean, if you have absolutely nothing better to do...

If you have any other burning questions for me, feel free to drop me a line and I'll do my best to answer them! (jocelyn.christensen@gmail.com)

1. If you could live anywhere, where would you live?

In Central Pennsylvania where I live now, except maybe on a property with a lot more trees. It's THE SUN that I would move and my family to be closer to me! I'd also like to live closer to a temple.

2. What keeps you going back to a blog time and again?

Jealousy. I'm kidding. Um, a unique voice and sincerity.

3. What are your top 3 favorite places to shop?

Any place with good make-up and well-made suits.

I also love needlework stores and Amish/Mennonite stores.

And discount outlets.

That's a very weird mix, I know.

4. What gadget are you drooling over at the moment?

No gadget, just my new BIG print scriptures. We are slowly getting to know each other.

I like them better than reading on any device, that's for sure!

5. What do you hate about blogging, if anything?

That I can't do it 24 hours a day. I wish I could clone myself so I could be living my real life while simultaneously documenting my thoughts about it on my blog. I also wish I could blog while running on the treadmill. I fear that I'm getting "blogger's tush."

6. What tech skill do you wish you were better at?

Website design/HTML, so I wouldn't have to bug friends to help me!

7. What makes your heart smile?

My children.

8. What is your dream job?

I am doing it. Motherhood has always been my dream job, but I also wanted to be President of the United States, CEO of a major corporation, a lawyer, a teacher, a country singer, and the next big name in TV news. All of those occupations seemed enticing to me until I experienced the love of a child. Nothing else compares to that.

9. What is your biggest pet peeve?

People who have pet peeves.

10. What is the post on your blog you're most proud of?

That's a toughy...Maybe Osama, No Longa, or A Note from My 80-Year-Old Self, or The Real Lesson of September 11th or Too Beautiful to Bake or the article that I wrote about Doing My Dream Job, but definitely ALL of my Family Proclamation Lesson posts!

(I just asked my husband. He says, "That is an impossible question.")

Basically out of 880-some posts, I absolutely love at least 860 of them. So take your pick. To me each post represents an important experience that has helped shape who I am...I love them as life lessons more than as "posts".

11. Best piece of advice for new bloggers?

Take it slow. Be true to your inner voice. Do it because you love it and for no other reason.

The Abundant Life by DeAnn

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, I am DeAnn from The SIP project (Service Is Painless).

I started my blog a few months ago as a way to hopefully reach out and inspire anyone who comes across my blog. I wanted to find a way to use my talent (photography) to serve others and was not completely happy with anything I saw out there. While there are many worthy causes, they are all very narrow in their reach, which is fine, don't get me wrong, it just doesn't fit me. So I started the SIP project.

Here's how it works: I pair up with someone and take their photos and in return they do a service project of their choosing. Then I post some of their photos and service project experience is on my blog. I offer this service in hopes of inspiring others to use their time, talents, and hobbies to serve others. Being a wife and a mom are my first priorities. My life would be empty without them. A big motivating factor in starting The SIP project was my kids; I want them to know how to serve. I want it to be a very natural part of who they are.

I am excited to be here today! I was so excited when my sister sent me a link to Jocelyn's blog. It's so refreshing to have someone like Jocelyn, (an intelligent and wonderful Mom), have her blog totally focused on sharing and encouraging us to live the Gospel. When I saw her service page I was stoked and knew I had to talk to her. Come on, leave her a comment and tell her how much you appreciate her hard work. It will make her day, I promise :)

I love that in the First Presidency message in the Ensign this month, President Monson breaks down "The Abundant Life" in three simple steps. That's how I like it...tell me exactly HOW you get from point A to point B.

He Breaks it down into what he call's the ABC's of an Abundant Life.

President Monson, well he is just remarkable, isn't he? Have you read his biography To The Rescue? If you haven't, you should. He is intelligent and and he follows the spirit. I imagine he is much like our Savior; he doesn't yell at us or get mad at us...even if sometimes we feel like we deserve it. President Monson points us to our Savior because he KNOWS it is through the Atonement and living the gospel that we can return again to live with our Father in Heaven.

As I think about the above message, this story from Elder Carl B. Cook in the last General Conference comes to mind. I feel this is what he is ALWAYS saying to US; it exemplifies Pres. Monson's character and his desire to have us look to our Savior.

Elder Cook shares this story in his talk, "It is Better to Look Up". During his first week as a general authority, in the elevator as he was leaving the office of the seventy he was pondering, "How can I possibly do this?" As he stared blankly at the floor, someone came in the elevator. The person asked, "What are you looking at down there?" He recognized the voice to be that of Pres. Monson. "Oh nothing," he responded. Of course Pres. Monson could see that he was having a hard time and said, "It is better to look up!"

Pres. Monson could have said many things at this point like, "oh..it will be okay," or "don't worry you'll figure things out." How many times do we hear ourselves and others saying stuff like that to others? I do. But what we need to do is do as Pres. Monson did - point people to the Savior.

It is in Him we will find our comfort and not in food or blogging, or TV, etc. If we seek to be comforted by anyone or thing but Him it is wrong.

Why don't we look to Him more? Because praying is work! And the natural man is LAZY. It's EASY to shove something in your mouth or go shopping, but will we find our solace there?

President Monson is the prophet after all, don't you think he could have shared some grand advice? He simply said, "it's better to look up." We could all learn from that. People don't need those kinds of empty words no matter how good our intentions. We need to keep it simple, say what we feel inspired to say and let the spirit work on them and bring them comfort. This will turn them to our Savior.

Elder Cook continues, "As we parted, the words of a scripture came to my mind: 'Believe in God; believe that he is...; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth.' As I thought of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's power, my heart found the comfort I had sought in vain from the floor [or cookie, or home goods] of that descending elevator." The spirit spoke to him. All because of Pres. Monson's simple words, "It's better to look up."

Thanks for letting me take over your blog for today Jocelyn :)

Thank YOU, DeAnn! As you guys may or may not know:

FEBRUARY is always Service Boot Camp around here.

You can participate in a number of ways, which I am talking about today over on

DeAnn's blog The S.I.P. Project.

Please come on over and say hi!

Secret Service Handshake FHE

2012-01-24T10:18:00.000-05:00

I love this girl. She loves to wear dresses and suck her thumb...and wear the nightgown that I made for her for Christmas and snuggle. Makes me so happy. She also loves drawing pictures of our family and jumping off of high places while saying "I'm flying!" on the way down.

And this girl. I love her too, lots and lots. She is is precocious and silly and spunky and loves to be the "little mama". She is learning to cook and loves to care for others. Last night she baked cookies for our FHE treat in her Easy Bake oven. We all enjoyed it while taking tiny bites. They were the size of a quarter! :)

And this one...what a character. The other night he read the entire book "The Best Nest" to us. After each page he jumped up and down with excitement. His goal is to earn money to buy more Legos this year. During quiet time at school he drew a poster of Angry Birds and informed me that he plans on selling them to his classmates to earn extra cash, but that I need to contact the company that makes Angry Birds and get their permission to do so. Wise and enterprising.

Oh and can't forget this one. The Renaissance Man: bikes, bakes, fishes, fixes, reads, travels. The glue that holds us all together.

Together, we are...the ThunderCats! NO not really, I just felt like saying that. But when I look at each member of our family and recognize them for their amazing super powers, it inspires me to find more effective ways to help each one of them "fly" in their respective areas of interest and talent. (When was the last time that you sat down and spelled out in detail the special talents and contributions of each member of your family?)

During Family Home Evening last night, we talked about Captain Moroni and how he wrote down the things that were important on a banner so that others would remember what they were working toward/fighting for.

After reviewing our personal and family goals for the year which we keep recorded in a family goals journal, I asked the kids to come up with a phrase that would help us to remember our family's goal for the year: "Serve Others" is the oh-so clever phrase they came up with! :)

Then the kids decided to invent a secret family handshake that coincides with our goal to "serve others." That way we can have a cool little secret service "club" that is just for our family. ;) It's fun to have things as a family that are all our own!

FHE ended with about an hour until bedtime. Since Steve is out of town, we decided to chill out together in the living room just doing whatever we felt like doing. Autumn colored. Scarlett played computer games on the Friend website. Guy worked on his Angry Birds poster. And I practiced playing the new Primary song on the piano. It was real nice and down-homey feeling to just hang out together like that. Very relaxing.

As you might be starting to realize...I don't try to get too fancy during FHE. Having fun together, making memories, reading some scriptures, and leaving with a good feeling in our hearts for one another is one of my main goals for our time together in FHE. And we certainly did that last night.

Please check out my pal Catania's Family's experience in FHE too today...
they discussed the sacredness of homes and temples!

Family Tree Giveaway & Link-up

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here's some GOOD NEWS for a Monday morning! :)

One of you faithful readers WILL WIN this custom family tree in digital format from

Shabby Ladybug on Etsy!

As you know, I'm hosting a link-up for The Book of Mormon Forum this week.

Everyone who links-up a post or comments on a post in the link-up this week will be entered to win. Also, all followers of this blog will be entered to win.

To ENTER: Simply leave a comment on this post telling me if you:

a. FOLLOW my blog on Google Friend Connect (see sidebar)

b. LINKED-UP a post about The Book of Mormon below

c. COMMENTED on any of the Book of Mormon posts in the link-up
(You can enter on this one multiple times...)

Please leave a comment on THIS POST for each entry.

I've copied the link-up below to make it easier for you to link-up and comment!

(Or you can GO HERE TO LINK-UP.)

Have a great Monday!

Bad Guys of The Book of Mormon

2012-01-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

This book is dangerous, I tell you!

When my Mom told me about this book, I ordered it immediately. When it arrived in the mail, I opened the box and lifted the book out backward.

This is what I read: "Your enemy is smart. You can be smarter."

(I like it already...continue...)

"Warning! This book contains information about a deadly enemy's top secret plans of world domination and total destruction. Your mission--should you choose to accept it--is to learn what the enemy is planning as well as what his weaknesses are so that you will be prepared to defeat him."

Seriously, sign me UP!

Admittedly, I am a slow reader, and I get distracted EASILY in my home.

HOWEVER: I am loving this book.

It's full of thrilling tales from The Book of Mormon and words of wisdom from our prophets.

Now last week, MMM asked us to find the moral in his story about a blind man who directed his seeing cab driver through the streets of San Francisco, safely back to his home.

In the second chapter of Bad Guys of The Book of Mormon, in discussing the "great and spacious building" in Lehi's Dream, the author quotes Elder Packer as saying:

"At your baptism and confirmation, you took hold of the iron rod. But you are never safe. It is after you have partaken of the fruit that your test will come...

"The mist of darkness will cover you at times so much that you will not be able to see your way even a short distance ahead. You will not be able to see clearly. But with the gift of the Holy Ghost, you can feel your way ahead through life. Grasp the iron rod, and do not let go."

How does this relate to a blind man finding his way home through the busy and winding streets of San Fran? Each one of us walks this life with uncertainties. There are things that happen in our lives that cast a mist of darkness to cloud up the way, making it difficult for us to see the way home or to see anything at all very clearly.

Instead of groping around in the darkness, if we receive the Holy Ghost, he will help us to "see" through the mists that blind us, so that we can return home safely.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is the "iron rod" to which we must grasp and never let go. It teaches us about the "good guys" in life and the "bad guys." But most importantly, it teaches us about Jesus Christ and about the tactics that Satan uses to separate us from the Lord and from his love, which is manifest to us in the Atonement of his Only Begotten Son. By reading The Book of Mormon and abiding by its teachings, we can see past the cares of this world and find the path back to our heavenly home.

Saturday Night Pop Quiz

2012-01-21T21:23:00.001-05:00

I know, it's not fair to spring a pop quiz on you on a Saturday night, but it just might do you some good. So be brave, put in your thinking caps, and begin:

Name the following priesthood officers who serve you:

The President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: ____________________

__________________, ________________ (bonus points for naming the other two Presidency members)

Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles ________________, _______________, ______________, __________________, ________________, ________________, ________________, __________________, _________________, _____________, __________________, ________________

Your stake president ______________________

_____________________, ___________________ (bonus points for naming his counselors)

Your bishop or branch president _______________________

Your home teachers ________________________, ______________________

Who is your immediate priesthood leader? ____________________

Now, next to each name that you have listed, write down a principle that that person has taught you in the last year.

This questionnaire is part of the Young Women lesson #13 that I am teaching tomorrow.

In preparation for the lesson, I decided to take the quiz myself, curious to see how I'd do. The lesson just asks you to name the priesthood officers, I added the bit about writing down their teachings just for fun! I have to admit though, I had to really strain my brain to come up with all of the names.

But don't worry if you have blanks on your test...It's pretty much open book!

General Conference will be coming around again soon...in 69 days actually.

Yep, I'm counting...

Family Proclamation Images

2012-01-20T00:02:00.000-05:00

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The Family: A Proclamation to the World spells out simple, universal truths that make up God's plan of happiness for all of his children.

Lines such as "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ." and "All human beings--male and female--are created in the image of God," are just a few of the profound truths found in this inspired document.

I believe that knowledge of these simple ideas could bring a lot of happiness to families that I know. That is why I want to make sure that anyone who is looking for these basic truths can find them easily.

To that end, here is a small collection of images that I have created using both my own (humble) original photos and royalty-free images.

Feel free to use these images in blog posts about The Family Proclamation or

to Pin the Family Proclamation from the church's website.
(In fact, I've made it easy for you...All of the "Pin it" buttons on this post link directly to the church's Family Proclamation page. So Pin-away!)

If after looking at these images, you want to know more about what we believe about families, please read The Family Proclamation here.

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PS - If you have created similar images,

i'd love to see or share them here!

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The Messy Process of Progress

2012-01-19T09:55:00.000-05:00

I asked my good gal pal Misha to come hang out with me in blogland today. So glad I did.

Read this, and you'll see why I like having Misha around...as a real-life, flesh and blood friend! (And not just because she always comes bearing gifts!) Here's Misha:

It's all about decision making. Life. It's becoming more and more evident to me. Decisions. Hard ones, easy ones, complicated ones, necessary ones, you name it.

The other day, a friend of mine was over and she was talking about the changes in her house after the death of her grandmother. See, they lived in the same house but on separate sides. She was able to pass through to her grandma's side on her way to her parent's house. Yeah, they all lived right there with each other. In a perfect world, that would be my living arrangement too. Family unity, is one of the keys to a happy life and longevity. Of this, I am a firm believer. Anyway, she and her family are in the process of moving grandma's stuff out, cleaning the rooms, finding which items they want to keep and which they don't mind giving away or selling. "Our house is such a wreck, it doesn't look like we're making any progress!" I smiled. She had just given me my blog post. HAH.

Please, don't tell me I'm the only one who has made serious decisions in an effort to move their family forward (well, my husband and I). It's almost like "cleaning up". You sift through all your options, categorize them, weigh the pros and cons, sometimes you let them sit there a while, while you munch on your lower lip and poke it with your toe. But eventually, that moment comes when it (those options or choices) becomes either: a keeper or a tosser. But in the mean time, everything seems like such a mess! Recently, our family had to make one of the toughest decisions to date. I cried, and cried and wept the night through, but I knew it had to be done. It was time. The situation we were leaving wasn't horrible, we were not being mistreated, in fact, we were loved, but our time there was done. For our family, the path had moved a little to the right, taking us away...and we needed to stay on course.

That's the thing about progress. It's perpetual. It's a forward motion, albeit slow, that can not be stopped. So, either go with it or be dragged along kicking and screaming. Usually, the kicking and screaming would indicate poor decisions are being made. But even if you're making the right choices, sometimes things can get messy. People don't understand, they take it personal, they don't agree...stuff like that. Relationships are either ruined, or not quite ruined but changed just enough to make it uncomfortable to be in close proximity :( Not everyone is moving along the same path, what is best for one family may not be what is best for your family. And, do I have to say it? Family, FIRST. At all costs, at the cost of frowns and judgmental stares, at the cost of relationships...the progress, the choices, the outcome of your family -- it rests on your shoulders. Not everyone will agree, but that's ok.

Progress is a process, and it's messy. No doubt about it.

But if it involves the well-being of my children, I can handle the messes. It's worth it to me.

Misha shares these and other wonderful insights at Mommy Hobbies.

Go check her out and give her a Follow for me, won't you?

Little hands are...

2012-01-18T14:28:00.000-05:00

...the reason why I have to be quick in the morning.

How the Holy Ghost Makes Us Feel

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Of all of the things that Family Home Evening is good for (i.e. togetherness, building memories, having fun, teaching, solving problems, creating family bonds) I am gaining an understanding that the most important reason for family home evening is that, as a family, we experience the spirit together.

Last night's FHE was a beautiful example of this.

First let me back up to earlier in the day.

As a Mama, I take my role of "Lioness at the Gate" quite seriously. I don't like to let unvirtuous influences invade the peace of my home.

So you can imagine how perturbed I was early in the day when I sat down with my kids to watch a show that came highly recommended to me, only to be caught completely off-guard by a brazenly smutty interaction between two characters in the show. And I mean, completely caught off guard. Boy was this Mama lion roaring. (Internally, of course.)

It wouldn't be until much later in the day, during FHE, that I would recognize the role that the Spirit played in somehow making sure that my children decided to run off and play just moments before the offending scene flashed onto the screen.

I immediately turned off the show. I felt spiritually drained by this unexpected attack on my quiet day at home with the children.

We left the house seeking more wholesome adventures together and were justly rewarded for our efforts. We played on a playground for four hours, made friends, and had a wonderful day.

Then on the way home, we followed through with part A of FHE which was to visit some residents at an assisted living community near our home. We had spent a great deal of time there last Christmas season, and I was pleased to see that some of the residents remembered us.

While we were there, we listened to a Russian church's children's choir that was performing, (coincidentally, we knew many members of the choir!) It was very sweet. They sang Christmas carols in both English and Russian (Yes, it's MLK, Jr. Day today, but whatever!) Most of them knew only as many English words as made up the lyrics for Silent Night. When they sang, I could really feel the Spirit returning to my heart.

When we finally returned home, Steve was back from work. We ate dinner and commenced with part B of FHE, which was for Steve to give each of us a Father's blessing for the new year. Steve explained or rather reminded us that because he holds the priesthood, he holds the power to give us special blessings, admonishments, and words of comfort as he places his hands on our heads and receives promptings and words from the Holy Spirit.

Before he started we sang, I Am a Child of God. Then I prayed. Then Steve asked us to pay special attention to see if we can tell when the spirit enters the room.

I felt it. And I think that the children did too.

As Steve pronounced blessings upon each of us, naming our specific needs, and assuring us of God's love for each one of us individually, we felt a spirit of peace rest upon our family as a whole.

The feeling was in complete contrast to the evil spirit that had invaded our home earlier. That spirit made me angry and upset, and left me feeling violated and helpless and frustrated.

The feeling that entered our home while we prayed and sang and were blessed together during family home evening, caused us to feel calm and whole and empowered and loved and unified and strong.

I am so thankful for the priesthood, for a husband who is able to bless our family, and for a home where the Spirit can dwell. And I am thankful for opportunities to learn about the Spirit and to help my children understand how to recognize and appreciate the power and the influence of the Holy Ghost.

PS - Check out another great FHE Chronicle at That Good Part.

He Knows You

2012-01-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

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Some people are not sure that God exists. The term these people typically identify themselves with is "agnostic".

It's hard not knowing things. And by nature, in this life, there are many things of which we are unsure. But we do not have to be ignorant of the existence of a Heavenly Father. If we want to know that He exists, all we have to do is ask.

In 2003, I was jobless, living in Washington, DC. I was trudging through my second excrutiating month of being unemployed. My tiny stash of savings was depleted, and the bills were piling up. One particular day, I was on my way to what would surely be yet another painful job interview--ending in rejection.

Dressed up, but feeling very down, I sat in the metro station waiting for my train.

The world was moving so quickly around me. It seemed like everything that could go wrong in a young life pretty much had--and in a very short period of time. With no job and no money, I was starting to wonder if one day I might just simply disappear. Would anyone even notice that I no longer existed? I was beginning to wonder.

As my train approached, I said a quick silent prayer, "Please, Heavenly Father, I need to know that you know I am here...please help me to share the gospel with someone today..."

My prayer was suddenly interrupted by the sound of my train's doors opening.

I quickly boarded my train, and since it wasn't very crowded, I sat in one of the roomy seats usually reserved for the elderly. I had made a habit of reading my church institute manual during my commute, so I started reading where I left off in a chapter about the nature of God.

At the very next stop, a woman boarded and sat to the right of me. After a while, I noticed that she was reading over my shoulder! She then asked me what I was reading. I told her that it was a church book about the basic beliefs of my religion. Before she left the train, I gave her my book, and she gave me a religious book she had been reading. It was a nice exchange.

As she walked away, I was stunned by how quickly and completely the Lord had answered my prayer. I was filled with the realization that he was aware of me and cared about my concerns enough to answer a simple prayer whispered in the corners of my mind in a dark lonely subway station. He let two of his children know that He was aware of them that day.

Some people might rationalize away that little story, but for me, it was no small miracle. It's something that I try never to forget.

The Lord takes all of us through difficult times in order to demonstrate to us that he is aware of us and that he loves us.

Just last night, I was reading scriptures with my children. Before I began reading, I said a prayer that I would feel his love for me. As I read a certain passage I gained even more understanding about why I went through that particularly difficult time in my life.

This is what I read, "...I will also be your ^alight in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the ^bpromised land; and ye shall ^cknow that it is by me that ye are led.

Yea, and the Lord said also that: After ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall ^aknow that I, the Lord, am^bGod; and that I, the Lord, did ^cdeliver you from destruction..."

The words "I, the Lord, am God", "it is by me that ye are led," and "I, the Lord, did deliver you" really stood out. They were no longer just words on a page, but a message from the Lord spoken directly to me. I knew then that the Lord lead me through difficult times so that I would know that He is God.

The Lord, God, Our Heavenly Father does exist. Not only is he aware of us, but he is deeply interested in our lives. You don't have to just take my word for it...You can ask him yourself.

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Suit Up for the Savior

2012-01-14T22:14:00.001-05:00

This "one-man recruiting station" has got me eager to enlist.

You Made My Week...

2012-01-14T11:07:00.000-05:00

Here are some posts that made my week:

Family Love Note Jars

Judgmental Monkeys...and George Clooney Wannabees

Funny (fake) MormonAds

How to Make a Homemade Bouncy Ball (It's so easy!)

Leap into Personal Progress

17 Years and 23 Days! (Holy smokes, Batman!)

Have a great weekend everybody!

Three Ways to Connect with Others Who Talk of Christ...

2012-01-13T11:32:00.001-05:00

Like what you see here on my blog?

Then will you please be a friend and share my new blog button somewhere on your site?

Just copy and paste the html code in the box above into your sidebar and you're good to go.

Also, if you're looking for more ways to stay connected try clicking on the buttons above to access my Facebook page, to Email me, to follow on Pinterest, to subscribe by Email or RSS feed, to access more of my buttons, or to become my friend on Twitter.

Go ahead and click on the buttons above...

(I promise they won't bite!)

Also, I am interested in reading more of your blogs. I'm always changing who shows up in my sidebar. So, if you would like to appear there this month, please leave me a comment with your blog address and tell me a little bit about yourself!

And stay tuned for more ways that you can connect with other people who want to "talk of Christ and rejoice in Christ."

For instance: While you are on Twitter, please share your GOOD STUFF on the hashtag:

#talkofchrist

All of the other people who read my site and follow that hashtag will be able to access your thoughts and posts! Sharing=good.

OK, maybe that was more than three...

Thank you to the talented and generous Jen at Twiddler House

for designing these pretty buttons for us all to enjoy!

(See, I really do get by with a little help from my friends...)

Have a great Friday!

Three-horns Never Play with Long-necks...

2012-01-12T12:52:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've been reading the book "Life's Lessons Learned" by Dallin H.Oaks.

I just read one or two brief chapters right before bed each night and mark my favorite passages with blue post-it notes.

I need more post-it notes.

Here is something from the chapter called "Sins vs. Mistakes" that I felt was important to share given the political circumstances that we members of the church will face in the coming year.

Speaking at BYU in 1994 about "Sins vs. Mistakes," Elder Oaks says,

"Both sins and mistakes can hurt us and both require attention, but the scriptures direct a different treatment [for each]."

"Chewing on a live electrical cord or diving headfirst into water of uncertain depth are mistakes that should be made known so that they can be avoided.

"Violations of the commandments of God are sins that require chastening and repentance...we should not require repentance for mistakes, but we are commanded to preach the necessity of repentance for sins..."

"The distinction between sins and mistakes is important to our actions in the realm of politics and public policy debates. We have seen some very bitter finger-pointing among Latter-day Saints who disagree with one another on the policies a government should follow, the political parties they should support, or the persons they should elect as public servants. Such disagreements are inevitable in representative government. But it is not inevitable that they should result in the personal denunciations and bitter feelings described in the press or encountered in personal conversations."

"We put political disagreements in the appropriate context when we remember that even if our political adversaries are making the wrong choice (as we suppose), that is generally a matter of error (mistake) rather than transgression (sin). (Of course, there are some public policies so intertwined with moral issues that there may be only one morally right position, but that is rare)..."

Now this is me talking: To become a more "Zion-like people," we need to be respectful of one another, even during an election year.

Mormon Mash-up: Coldplay Replay & The Priesthood

2012-01-11T14:29:00.000-05:00

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So, am I the only person who thinks that these two videos need to be mashed-up together???

Try it out and let me know: Just hit play on both at the same time, but turn the volume on the second one up.

Why Mormons Smile So Much.

2012-01-10T22:38:00.000-05:00

I recently had a conversation with an old high school friend.

This is part of what I shared with him, and since I have read elsewhere that people wonder why their Mormon friends "seem so happy all the time" I thought I'd share here what I said to my friend the other day:

I feel pain and sorrow when I sin...and that teaches me what Jesus Christ took on for me in the Garden.

I didn't know PERSONALLY in high school as much as I do now.

Now I can say beyond any doubt that I KNOW JESUS CHRIST is real.

It took going through hard times to know that.

Like, I know that the person Jesus is real.  I have felt his presence in my darkest hour.  He has never made me walk alone.

Being a Latter-day Saint and following its strict rules kept me from making major mistakes in my early life.

Because I wasn't bogged down by addiction, heartache, or poor choices, I was free to feel the Spirit teaching me about eternal truths.

I was free to be me.  Free to feel happy.

Even when going through regular life-stuff.

These are the blessings that LDS people enjoy.

They enjoy light, truth, knowledge, an understanding [to a degree] of the mysteries of God, an understanding of who we really are, and peace.

How about you?

What is it about being a Mormon that makes you smile?

Sibling Appreciation Night

2012-01-10T15:23:00.001-05:00

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The girls and I were excited to spend the evening showing our love for Guy during "Sibling Appreciation Night" at Family Home Evening.

Scarlett helped me earlier in the day by drawing pictures for/of Guy...

...and helping me create a list of the things that we like about Guy.

When we picked Guy up from school, we told him that we had a surprise for him.

He liked the anticipation of a special surprise just for him...and the fact that he was allowed to pick out FIVE of his favorite candies for the evening's treat.

Since reading is his newly discovered talent, Guy had to read/decipher the things we had written about him. After he read them he hugged the person who said those things about him...and we all got a piece of his favorite candy. Steve had to work late unexpectedly, but he made it home near the end.

Everyone got candy. And everyone got loved.

Voila, FHE night #2.

(Want to check out another FHE from last night...click here.)

365 Days of Kindness

2012-01-09T10:25:00.002-05:00

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Get THIS Free printable by Twiddler House

The Savior's life was completely centered in serving and caring for others. To become like him, we must also develop a love for and a desire to serve others. We've done 30 Days of Service in Service Boot Camp, and now as a family, we are ready to focus on doing an act of kindness or service every day in 2012...a good turn daily, as they say.

To help us to remember our goal, I've compiled quotes about charity, compassion, serving others, and kindness to read together each morning. I thought about following the example I've heard of having the family report back at the end of the day, but right now that feels a little checklisty to me, so for now we'll just work on making service a way of life in other ways.

You can download the list of quotes about service here.

I've compiled quotes through April and will publish a new list around the time that this list expires! Happy serving!

PS - If you haven't already weighed in on The Mormon Moment, please go comment...right now!
PPS - Thanks to Stephanie at DD for the motto that inspired the image above...
we are adopting that family motto too!

The Mormon Moment

2012-01-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

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It's been a "big" year for Mormons, in the eyes of media organizations in our country.

Now as they gear up to cover the 2012 Presidential election, a race that includes not one but two members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reporters everywhere are scrambling.

They want to know: What do Mormons want to get out of "The Mormon Moment?"

I've been thinking about this question for the last few days, and it's a question that I've found sort of circular in nature. However, I finally settled on an answer, or so I thought.

I thought, all we want is what every member of any religion, nationality, or group wants: a fair shake.

We want to be seen and heard and understood for who we really are. We want to hear from other Mormons who walk the walk, not just talking heads on TV. We want to be known as women (and men) who are educated, talented, sophisticated, and who choose their own path, who know that the Savior, Jesus Christ loves and leads them.

And then I was sitting in our Sacrament meeting in church today, as these thoughts were rolling around in my head. I just kept returning to the words "Mormon Moment."

And then I realized that the label itself is what I find so absurd. But that's how a lot of labels are in the news biz. You've got to be able to give a name to the thing you are covering.

The "Mormon Moment" that they are describing is just a passing infatuation that the world has right now with a peculiar people whose time has come to be in the spotlight.

But, as Latter-day Saints, we know that the Mormon Moment didn't happen in 2011 or 2012. And there isn't just one of them.

The Mormon Moment happened in 1820, when a 14 year-old boy dared to defy the religious clerics of his day by seeking out a testimony of his own.

Instead of taking their word about which church was true, he went straight to God and asked Him which church he should join. As a result, he was visited by God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ and was told to join none of them.

That was the real Mormon Moment.

That was the moment that true religion and great truths about God were restored to the earth.

And every moment since then, when someone has decided to take the questions that they have in their heart directly to God Himself, and received their own personal answers, those were also Mormon Moments.

These Mormon moments continue to happen quietly each day in homes around the world: every time that someone prays for answers, reads scriptures, nurtures a child, strengthens a marriage, decides to follow God, enters the waters of baptism, or serves their neighbor.

Those are all Mormon Moments.

No newspaper will ever cover those Mormon Moments, but these are the real moments that matter to Mormons.

(If you are reading this right now, please comment. YOU are an important part of these Mormon Moments too!)

New Friend Website

2012-01-06T15:00:00.004-05:00

Today is a day that I have been waiting for...the much-anticipated, albeit semi-secret launch of the new Friend Magazine page. This new page which can be accessed through the regular Friend site offers resources for Primary teachers and parents, features a searchable Gospel Topic guide, and weekly tips, thoughts, and lesson helps.

I believe that this page will prove to be a very valuable resource for anyone who is invested in teaching children about Jesus Christ. Anyone. Even those who are not members of our church.

I love the explanation of the purpose of this new site that says the following:

"It’s here! A new resource for parents, teachers, and leaders of children! Beginning this month, the Friend is publishing an online resource of additional helps for teaching children. Included here are stories, activities, and media that support the Primary lessons being taught in 2012. You will also find an index of ideas for different gospel topics. You can use these at home and in a variety of church settings. These ideas are all approved resources and can be used with full confidence that they are endorsed by the Church and meet the standard of teaching true doctrine.

It is a sacred responsibility to teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ and help them learn to live it. You are doing much more than teaching a lesson—you are teaching children to know and love the Savior, and helping them to be lifelong followers of Jesus Christ."

I absolutely love this description. It IS a sacred responsibility that we have to teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is sacred, and wonderful, and fun! And the leaders of the church want to help us in our efforts to teach the rising generation to be "lifelong followers of Jesus Christ." Can I get an Amen?

So, now you know the "secret," so please bookmark it and spread the news that now all of the coloring pages, games, and lesson helps are now available and much more easily searchable.

In addition to that, there will be tips and lesson helps posted weekly on the Weekly Thoughts and Tips blog that will only appear on this new Friend site. This section will feature fresh ways to use the Friend Magazine, as well as crafts and lessons to help you teach children. You'll definitely want to check back each week, so you won't miss a thing! (Come to think of it, why not link to it on your blog? I'm going to do that right now...)

Happy Friday, everyone!

In other wonderful news...I am guest posting today at my girl Carrie's blog:

All That is Sweet in Life

Go learn about my personal method for accomplishing goals...can you guess?

Death, Where is Thy Sting?

2012-01-06T00:06:00.000-05:00

I am going to a funeral tomorrow for a woman in our ward named Louis Lessner.

The majority of what I know about this woman and her husband, Brother Ed Lessner, I learned as I secretly observed them in line buying groceries at Walmart one day, shortly after we moved here.

Brother Lessner didn't know me, or rather didn't recognize me from church, but I'd recognize his smile anywhere. I was with my kids as usual, and he was with his wife, who I only that day realized was suffering from some sort of Alzheimer's disease or dementia that is common in old age.

She appeared more childlike than frail as he lead her around the store gathering only the most necessary items on their list. Her innocent, timid, almost obliviously joyful nature bore a stark contrast to his alertness, his keen awareness, his humor and his vigor.

The care and tenderness with which he escorted her through the store was remarkable and lovely. His demeanor, all the while, was completely cheerful. To look at them, you'd think you were watching two love-struck teenagers on some sort of first date.

The way that he watched over her with such a rare mixture of strength and gentleness, and yet, he made it look effortless. I was touched and inspired.

I wondered: What kind of man was I honored enough to witness, in the middle of Walmart, teaching me just what real love is?

I only saw Brother Lessner at church a handful of times since that day, but I know that he comes whenever he can, and he is always just as generous and giving to everyone else in church.

I return to my original question: What kind of man is Brother Lessner?

He is the kind of man who understands that the woman that he fell in love with, the woman who traveled around the country and the world helping people with The Red Cross, the woman who made their home, who helped raise their children, who loved genealogy, and loved being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--still exists.

He is the kind of man who knows that God's divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. And that sacred ordinances available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to God and for families to be united eternally.

He is the kind of man who knows that the sting of death is swallowed up in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And because he knows this he is "stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," and I am so lucky to know him and to learn from his example.

And this is why I am going to a funeral tomorrow, to honor two amazing people who brought much beauty into my world.

General Conference Reading Schedule

2012-01-05T19:38:00.000-05:00

(Source: I love all of this guy's photos of Conference!)

One of the biggest blessings that I enjoyed during 2011 was the privilege of meeting weekly with my friends during General Conference Book Club.

I want to thank Stephanie at Diapers and Divinity for creating the online General Conference Book Club after which our local "in-person" chapter is patterned. (You can read about how ours works here.)

If you are looking for a way to incorporate good friendships and words of the prophets into your life in 2012, I encourage you to either form a GCBC of your own by inviting ladies from your ward to study conference talks with you or follow along online at Stephanie's blog, where she posts a new conference talk each week.

Here is the study schedule that our local book club will be following from now until the April 2012 Conference:

January 10 - "Personal Revelation and Testimony" by Barbara Thompson, pg. 9

January 17 - "It is Better to Look Up" by Elder Carl B. Cook, pg. 33

January 24 - "We Are All Enlisted" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, pg. 33

January 31 - "Waiting Upon the Lord" by Elder Robert D. Hales, pg. 71

February 7 - "A Witness" by President Henry B. Eyring, pg. 68

February 14 - "The Privilege of Prayer" by J. Devn Cornish, pg. 101

February 21 - "The Songs They Could Not Sing" by Elder Quentin L. Cook, pg 104

February 28 - "You Matter to Him" by President Deiter F. Uchtdorf, pg. 19

March 6 - "The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn" by Elder Bednar, pg. 24

March 13 - "Children" by Elder Andersen, pg.28

March 20 - "The Importance of a Name" by Elder M. Russell Ballard, pg. 79

March 27 - "The Book of Mormon - A Book from God" by Elder Ted R. Callister, pg 74

You can read, watch or listen to any of the talks listed here, by clicking on the links above.

Thanks again, Stephanie and my friends who shared so much of their time, love, and wisdom with me during 2011!

What Mormons Do on Monday Nights...

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Normally, what happens at Family Home Evening stays at Family Home Evening...

...but not anymore.

I thought it would be fun to give my friends of all faiths a peek into what Monday nights are like at our house by showing you what we do during Family Home Evening over the course of one year.

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family Home Evening is a special time set aside each week that brings family members together and strengthens their love for each other. It is an opportunity for parents to instruct children in matters of faith, for games to be played, treats to be eaten, and memories to be made!

Setting aside time for the family to be together each week sends a strong message, to children especially, that family is what matters most. In our faith, we truly believe that when it comes to family relationships, love is really spelled "T-I-M-E."

Confession: My kids love FHE so much that they have asked us to hold it more than just once a week! However, I used to feel badly when my kids had to tell their friends,"Sorry, we can't play, because it's Family Home Evening night." This answer is often difficult for little ones to understand. I'm sure they think initially, "You can't play Sunday...You can't play Monday...what's the deal?"

But then I noticed that one of our best friends started spending Monday nights together just as a family as well. Now, during nicer weather, it's not uncommon for our family to be playing games on a blanket in our front yard, while our friend's family plays tag together in their yard. It's a beautiful, subtle thing, but I noticed. And it makes me feel happy and peaceful inside to see their happiness as they spend time together as a family too.

Hopefully sharing snippets of our Monday nights together will plant in families reading this the desire to designate Monday (or another night each week) as a special Family Night to play games and spend time together in a way that is tailored to your family's interests and needs, and that it will sort of pull back the veil of what your Mormon neighbors are doing together on Monday nights when they say, "Sorry, we can't come over...it's FHE."

A new post chronicling our experiences in FHE will appear here each Tuesday of 2012.

I hope that you will join us!

PS - For our first FHE of the New Year, we talked about one of our family goals, which is to finish reading The Book of Mormon together as a family. We also colored in this reading chart from the Friend Magazine. Then the kids begged us to go have a "dance party" in the basement. (See the video above.) You'll have to excuse Steve's dancing. I swear he was doing way cooler moves before the camera was rolling. Then we watched ourselves on video and the kids laughed their little heads off. Then we finished off a pint of cookie dough ice cream left over from NYE and went to bed. Voila! One FHE down...51 to go!

Personal Jesus

2012-01-02T12:02:00.001-05:00

I always think its interesting to see how different people depict Jesus Christ in art. I appreciate their talent in bringing to life their rendition of the Savior, when it is done with sincerity. Some depictions jive with how I envision the Lord and others don't. Personally, I appreciate my kids' depictions of Jesus, and how freely they express their love for and interest in him.

During scripture study this morning, Guy grabbed a pair of scissors and cut out the figure pictured above. Then he announced quite matter-of-factly, "This is Jesus."

What he reminded me of this morning is something that has been weighing on my heart a lot lately...He reminded me that the Savior comes to and speaks to each of us in a way that is personal and unique. Therefore, our view of the Savior, and how we understand him, tends to be uniquely personal to each one of us, as well.

And that's ok. That's how he means it to be. I am thankful today for a very personal Savior.

A Cup of Kindness

2011-12-30T12:57:00.002-05:00

Should old acquaintance be forgot?

And never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot?

And days of auld lang syne?

Happy New Year to my friends of both yesterday and today.

I love you all.

When Being Mormon Wasn't Cool

2011-12-28T16:00:00.001-05:00

Pin It

It really made me laugh last week, when I received three FB updates within seconds of each other spreading the glad tidings that P. Diddy had quoted L. Tom Perry on Twitter. I just had to laugh. I mean, wow, the world pays members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a little attention and we get all psyched.

But then this afternoon, I opened up (on my phone) to this week's Young Women Lesson that I have been assigned to teach called "The Ability to Succeed," and the first quote was none other than the L. Tom Perry one that P. Diddy quoted,"One of the greatest weaknesses in most of us is our lack of faith in ourselves."

I was taken aback. Has P. Diddy been reading the Young Women manual? Is that where he caught wind of this awesome quote by L. Tom Perry? Does he have LDS.org bookmarked or is P. Diddy stalking me?? ;)

I've been around fame before, and like most of you, I understand how fads and popularity work. As they say on Project Runway, "One day you're in, the next you're out."

So, just for the record: I was Mormon, when being Mormon wasn't cool enough to be quoted by P. Diddy. Before President Monson was named one of the Top Ten Most Admired Men in the World. And before Mormonism was named "Religion of the Year for 2011" by Time Magazine.

And when its not "cool" (in the politically correct sense), once again, to be a Mormon, I still will be.

And that, my friends, is "how to succeed."

PS - Diddy, you asked today on Twitter what I was doing for New Year's Eve, well, I'm going to Jacquie Daniel's house along with the Youth of our ward, and we are going to party like it's 1999, or 1959 depending on which crowd you were running around with in 1999. No really, we are. We're gonna drink some 7up, eat some pigs in a blanket, and watch some G or PG-rated movies! Awesome, I know!

Setting Goals Backwards

2011-12-27T23:41:00.000-05:00

Right about now, many of us are setting goals for the coming year. As this time of year has neared, I have toyed with the idea of beating myself up with the fact that I set ONE goal for myself last year, and I didn't meet it. Technically, I test-drove the goal (of only buying used items) for the first three months of the year, and then discarded it when I realized that it wasn't moving me closer to the real purpose of that goal, which was to simplify and consume less...I realized I was actually consuming more!

I don't count that as a failure. I learned some good lessons through my attempt to accomplish that goal...and by knowing when it was time to give that goal up.

This has got me thinking about what a shame it is that many of us automatically move to setting goals again, without pausing to recognize what we have actually done right during the previous year...whether we planned ahead to do those things...or not.

Wouldn't it be great if we all set goals backwards? Here's how it would work. Instead of listing all of the ways that we failed to accomplish last year's goals, we make a list of all of the things that we actually did right during 2011.

Here is my list. Yours might be too personal to post on your own blog, but I still encourage you to do this for yourself in a journal or something.

Write 12 things that you did right in 2011. (i.e. weakness you overcame, a renegade closet that you cleaned out, a fear that you faced.) Then re-read it and let the good things that you accomplished in 2011 just sink in, before you move on to the great expectations of 2012. So here goes...

In 2011, I:

Accepted the Lord's will for the growth of our family.

Ran for exercise rather sporadically, but at least I did it!

Discovered my favorite book,

(which means that I made time to actually read a book! Yay for me!)

Taught my children about The Family Proclamation using the ABCs.

Got in touch with my Kindergarten teacher,

(...although I did it 10 months later than I had planned. I finally did it!)

Taught my children about Jesus Christ's Atonement during an amazing Easter season.

Was filled with the pure love of Christ on at least one occasion.

(And realized that I really want to feel that love a whole lot more often!)

Discovered a lot about the education that I came here to aquire, thanks to personal experiences and attending weekly General Conference Book Club.

Bought a piano and started practicing again.

Made a conscious effort to allow one-on-one time with my children and husband

to trump other endeavors.

Didn't buy a dog, because I felt that I shouldn't,

although some part of me really, really wanted to.

Realized that I have some really good and true friends

and spent quality time them this year.

Wow!

It's amazing what you can accomplish when you set goals backwards.

~Bring on 2012~

The Post-Christmas Post

2011-12-27T16:44:00.001-05:00

Can you guys believe that Steve sewed this nightgown for me for Christmas?

He stayed up till 4am one night to finish it. It fits so nicely.

Perfection! That man can do anything.

The kids loved the nightgowns that I sewed for them, and they L-O-V-E-D the baby dolls that Santa brought for them.

This video was taken at 1am when our party was still going strong.

One doll swims and one cries and sucks a passy, sounds and looks so real!

I had no idea that a doll like this even existed, but Santa knew!

Steve sewed bow ties for Guy out of his own used up ties.

But he was REALLY excited about the Legos.

Now we are just spending family time together with Granny and Papa

and just enjoying time off from life.

And attempting to take photos with my new camera.

I love the week after Christmas.
Love. Love. Love.

Enjoy!

This has been a test of the Emergency Broadcast System

2011-12-23T20:12:00.004-05:00

If you tried to tune in to my blog earlier today, or at any time previous to this moment...this is probably what you saw and heard...tone and bars. (Ah, the sweet sound of tone and bars! Brings back such good memories of working in television! ;)

No actually, that is what I would have liked for you to find instead of the incredibly disturbing message that made people think that I'd deleted my own blog! Blah!

I remember hearing that ear-piercing noise as a kid watching my favorite cartoon, followed by the intriguing monotone message, "This has been a test of your Emergency Broadcast System." Oh, the Emergency Broadcasters...The good that you do...I can only imagine.

I have so much to say, but no time to say it in.

Tomorrow is our family's annual Holiday Hotcakes breakfast.

And to any friend reading this who lives nearby...Yes, you are invited. Please come!

9a-noon.

Merry Christmas!

Why I Like Hanukkah.

2011-12-22T17:37:00.001-05:00

Growing up my mom and grandmother took a special interest in the people of the Old Testament. So, we always celebrated on the first night of Hanukkah with a special traditional Hanukkah meal.

I remember with fondness, lighting the little menorah that my Mom made out of cardboard and tin foil with Life Saver candies as "candle holders". We ate potato latkes with applesauce and then donuts for dessert! The best part was playing dreidel and using M&Ms as the "gelt". During all of this my parents taught us what Hanukkah commemorates. The word Hanukkah actually means dedication...as in the re-dedication of the temple in ancient Israel.

Yesterday, I pulled out a box of menorahs and dreidels that had belonged to my Grandmother. She absolutely loved Jewish traditions and even made a trek to the Holy Land. Inside the box, which I only recently received from my mom, there were newspaper clippings about Hanukkah, notes about the holiday in her own hand-writing, definitions that she had typed up, and other precious items. I used her beloved collection to teach my children about Hanukkah, and I felt that she must have been pleased.

It's been a rocky December.

And as I type this, I have a raging headache.

Today, my car, full of groceries, broke down and had to be towed.

But even in the daily tremors of life there is a quiet, peaceful stability for people who believe in, look for, and remember the miracles that have been performed by the Lord in their behalf. I hope to always be counted as one of those people.

Celebrating Hanukkah is just one way that I choose to commemorate the miracles that I have experienced in my own life. And there have been many!

HAPPY HANUKKAH!!

PS - I woefully neglected to mention (I blame the headache!) that we also attended a wonderful Hanukkah Party at my neighbor Edye's house that night...It was awesome!

Thanks again, Edye, for including us in your family's celebration! It was very cool.

The Head Angel

2011-12-21T12:29:00.002-05:00

How am I feeling today?

PROUD. PROUD. PROUD.

I am proud of my Scarlett who performed beautifully as the Angel Gabriel in her preschool Christmas pageant!

From her pedestal she said loud, clear, and enthusiastically:

"Don't be afraid...Go to the town of Bethlehem!"

Scarlett played head angel very well, and I was surprised to see that she had the only speaking part in the program, aside from Pastor Gregory who did the narration.

Her teachers told me that they pulled names out of a hat to decide parts, and when they pulled Scarlett's name to play Gabriel, they said, "We know she can do it!!" They practiced with her a lot, but never had any doubt that she would perform the part well.

I am so happy for Scarlett!

I know that it will be a special childhood memory for her...

as it was a special memory for me as her mother.

I only wish my camera was in video mode when she delivered her line.

No matter...I'm still proud as proud could be of my little girl...who is not so little anymore!

(tear...)

PS - Thank goodness my friend Kimberly got this video!

The Elves are Busy...

2011-12-19T11:07:00.001-05:00

The elves at our house have been very busy...as I'm sure they've been busy at your house too. Papa Elf (Steve) just finished making a new bed for Guy. We recently rearranged sleeping quarters, and Guy ended up with the short straw, so he needed a new bed! Steve put a lot of love into making that bed for Guy. I am so glad I married such a handy and thoughtful man.

Guy dyed some beautiful silk scarves with kool-aid for the girls' Christmas gifts. (Thanks to my friend Jenn for showing us how!) It was fun and easy!

Autumn made some chocolates for her siblings. I am sewing nightgowns. Scarlett is getting ready for her preschool Christmas pageant. She is going to be an angel and gets to say "Fear not! Go to the town of Bethlehem!!" (*Correction from Scarlett...She is "the Head Angel"...the angel Gabriel...the only angel with a name! A star is born...)

I still have an art apron, a cooking apron, and a puppet show curtain to sew. How many days until Christmas?

Unusual, Unexpected, Unorthodox, but Oh so Right!

2011-12-16T04:02:00.001-05:00

Thanks for all of your kind words of empathy yesterday and your advice. I really appreciated it. I am feeling a little better, just had to ride that emotional rodeo that comes with our calling as women, and I am happy to say that I didn't get bucked off...not just yet! :)

I know God has things all under control and that he knows best. And I know he is right, deep down inside. I am just slow at coming around to his way of thinking sometimes.

I will say that he has given me ample opportunity to accept his perspective. Recently, I had been praying for the knowledge that I am on the right path in life--that I am where I should be at this point.

Within days of asking this question, I was called to a new calling at church. During that weekend, I was approached by no less than four people and told that they had a strong confirmation that I was supposed to be in that calling. And when I was set apart, the person speaking said, "You are in the right place right now in your life and in the lives of these girls."

Does God still speak? Yes He does.

Does he care about the details of our lives? Certainly.

Does the Master of the Universe pause to answer the question of his little child?

Amazingly so.

Just as the Savior of the world came to earth under such humble and unusual circumstances, walking dusty roads, suffering all temptations, trials, and persecutions, so are we here to experience life and to learn to become like Him, sometimes in some of the most unexpected or unorthodox ways. I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity to be alive in mortality, in the thick of all of these unique and important experiences.

As much as I like to say that "this life is not a dress rehearsal," it really is a time given to us to prepare to meet God and to ready ourselves for the blessings and privileges that he has waiting for each of us in his eternal realm.

And this understanding is the beautiful gift that I have been given this Christmas.

+++

Now, THANK YOU, to everyone who linked-up in our

Christmas-themed Book of Mormon Forum this week!

There were many wonderful posts...I have featured some of them here.

Here are the winners of these three wonderful prizes!

(If you won, please email me your mailing info!)

CONGRATULATIONS and thanks to these Etsy Shops!

Nativity Vinyl Set from Carolina Vinyl Arts on Etsy

WINNER: Comment #9: Christy who posted

"Through the Eyes of a Mother"

or a $25 gift card from Amor Decor & More

WINNER: Comment #13: Abby Rawlins who posted

"Children's Nativity Tradition"

or this Simple Wooden Nativity Set by Suzi's Shoppe

WINNER: Comment #21: Tiffany who posted

"What Can I Give Him Poor As I Am?"

What Mommy likes to do?

2011-12-15T11:04:00.000-05:00

Last week, I read a post by my friend Carrie about how she interviewed her children and used their answers for their family's Christmas newsletter. I thought it would be fun to do the same thing! Our interviews weren't nearly as hilarious, but there was one question that I really enjoyed hearing the answers to (even though I was kind of hesitant to ask.)

After asking what each child thought the other children did during their day at school, I asked the question: What does Mommy like to do during the day at home?

Here's what my kids said:

Guy: “Mommy likes to snuggle, tickle, and giggle…bake, and smack our bums!”

Scarlett: “Makegingerbread cookies and houses.”

Autumn: “Like sharingfood.”

Yup...that sounds about right! I'll take a cookie and a good bum to smack any day!

OOh, here comes one now...gotta go!

PS - Also, I know it's not right, but please...someone BUY ME THIS T-SHIRT! (Marissa Trefethen, you know you want to get it for me!)

Behold, the Handmaid of the Lord...

2011-12-15T09:41:00.000-05:00

This was a tough couple of days for me as I struggled internally with the realization that another month has passed, and I am not expecting another baby. I am not pregnant, although I thought maybe I might be...however I think that every month.

And Christmas is the season of babies and children and every conversation seems to remind me that I might not ever have more children. And that is hard for me right now.

My conscious self is constantly battling my emotional self.

I want to prove to myself that I trust God and his plan for me by not feeling sad.

But that is so much easier said than done.

I want to cherish my three beautiful babies and know that they are enough, but I am only human. And my children are so wonderful that they just make me want to have more!

Right now, my reflex is to turn my attention away from Mary and her beautiful baby, but I am forcing myself instead to focus on her and let her example help me in my current situation.

When the angel came to tell Mary that she was expecting, and that the child she would bear would be the Son of God, what was her response?

"Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word,"

I can't imagine that hearing "you're pregnant" would have been completely welcome news to a young woman who was not yet married, just as the news "you're not pregnant" isn't really welcome news for a married woman like me who loves children and would really like to have more.

But my response can still be "be it unto me according to they word," and I can still find joy in being his handmaid and serving him in whatever capacity he deems appropriate for me.

Every day now, I am praying for that peace and for that declaration to be enough to calm my troubled heart. I know that the Lord is aware of how I am feeling, and I know he has his purposes and his plans for me...plans that have never steered me wrong in the past.

Butterfly Cookie Recipe

2011-12-14T16:39:00.002-05:00

This is what I call flaky, sugary, buttery goodness.

They also go by the name "Butterfly Cookies."

Over the years, I've made them often enough to call them my "signature cookie."

I make them every Christmas for exchanges,

because they are so unique and light and pretty.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 pound margarine

1 cup cold water

sugar

Work 3 cups flour with 1/2 pound of margarine.

Add 1 cup of cold water.

Work together using a fork. It will be sticky.

Roll out dough on floured board to about 24 in. by 24 in.

Spread 1 stick of margarine onto dough.

Fold into thirds and jellyroll. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Repeat rolling out and spread with last stick of margarine.

Fold into thirds and jellyroll. Refrigerate overnight.

Cut into three pieces. Roll out thinly on a very generously sugared board.

Fold into quarters and cut into 1/2" strips.

Bake on foil lined pans for 10 minutes on 400.

Turn over and bake for about 1 minute more.

Then cool on waxed paper.

Each batch makes four to five dozen cookies.

(OOOOh, I just caught Guy in the act of sneaking a cookie...naughty-naughty!

But who can resist, really?)

Christmas Around the World

2011-12-12T11:55:00.002-05:00

It should come as no surprise that I love traditions.

In my family growing up, we had many wonderful traditions, thanks to my mom and dad, and my grandma who lived just down the street from us. Their love of tradition and family made my childhood lovely and memorable. For them, love was truly spelled T-I-M-E. Through our traditions, my parents taught us that family and the things that we do together matter more than material possessions. And because of that, we never felt that we lacked...and still don't.

***Today, I am sharing one of my favorite family Christmas traditions
over at Someone In Mind. You'll never guess WHEN we open our Christmas gifts and what we always do BEFORE we open them! It's a tradition that doesn't require you to buy anything extra and takes very little time! So be sure to check it out!***

Here at home today, the girls and I are learning about Christmas traditions from around the world using this coloring book. There a so many wonderful customs in other countries that honor the Christ-child during Christmas.

For instance in the Alsace region of France, a girl representing the Christ Child, or Christkind, wears a long, white dress and a crown of gold paper and lighted candles. In one hand she carries a plate of cookies and in the other a silver bell. She is followed by Hans Trapp, dressed in a bearskin and carrying threatening "rods". He is looking for naughty children, who are only saved by the intercession of the Christkind.

The traditions that we mere mortals come up with the celebrate Christ at Christmas are just delightful and sometimes downright funny. And each one is a little different. I love that too.

Scarlett decided she wanted to cut out the coloring pages and glue them onto popsicle sticks to create puppets. She is going to put on a puppet show for our family at FHE tonight to teach them about the traditions that we learned about today.

Hope you are having a wonderful Monday!

Christmas in the Book of Mormon Link-up

2011-12-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

As a THANK YOU for participating in this special Christmas-themed
Book of Mormon Blog Hop, you will be entered to win one of these three
fabulous prizes!!

To enter, do any of the following:
1. Link-up your posts about Christmas and The Book of Mormon.
2. Share this link-up on your blog or on Facebook.
3. Comment on this post.

You could win this Nativity Vinyl Set from Carolina Vinyl Arts on Etsy

or a $25 gift card from Amor Decor & More

or this Simple Wooden Nativity Set by Suzi's Shoppe

Thank you to these wonderful Etsy shops for donating these beautiful prizes!
Please visit their shops and patronize them!

I will announce the winners on Friday.