And now a few words from my little smarty pants drama king...
*"I had so many hopes and now they're all gone. Just gone!"
-on having to leave the house for a little while when he didn't want to.
*"We should get a pet snake, because, y'know, well ... think about it - they're so cute."
-yesterday, on something that is NEVER going to happen in this house.
*Adam: "Where do you get snake food?"
Mommy: "Snakes eat live mice. Isn't that gross? Would you really feed a snake a cute little mouse that's still alive?"
Adam: "Well, we'll only feed him the ones that aren't cute. The cute ones will have to get their own house."
Mommy: "Never gonna happen, my friend."
Adam: (distressed) "Not even when I'm grown up?"
Mommy: "When you are grown up and have your own house you can get a pet snake, but you have to keep it where I can never see it."
Adam: "Okay, I'll keep it in the garage and put a sign up that says WARNING DO NOT COME IN HERE MOMMY."
P.S. Bella (who Adam would do ANYTHING for, including giving her six gumballs out of his twelve pack) came over yesterday. With great hope in my heart, I said "Bella, would you ever get a pet snake?" Bella's a feminine girl, soI truly hoped and basically expected she would say no. "Sure," she said, "because I love animals."
*My friend, Cara, has this little refrigerator set that allows kids to spell three-letter words. Then, when you press a button the magnet will "say" the word out loud. Recently, Adam spelled the word 'foe.' "Adam," said Cara, "do you know what a foe is?" "Yes," he said, "it's like a nemesis."
*Lastly, just to see who is reading this - baby Hooten is due December 22nd. Still in a state of shock. We did want one more, just not quite this soon. Yes, I do know how it happens, but that doesn't mean I thought it actually would. I'm not supposed to be able to do this without medical intervention. Leave me a comment and let me know you're reading this!
Until next time...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Spring Has Sprung?
Well, it must have sprung elsewhere, because we're expecting yet another big snow storm tonight. Good thing I always have my Easter Egg hunt inside! I realize it's a week until Easter, but I don't want a wet muddy egg hunt!
So in other news, we got a dog.
Meet Scooter:
Scooter is a Miniature Schnauzer. We found him via in an online classified ad. The funny thing is that when we went to meet him (at a home about a half hour from ours), he turned out to belong to our neighbor's twin brother. How bizarre is that? The story is that his wife just needed to not be responsible for a dog (especially since she has five kids to raise and wasn't the one who wanted a dog in the first place - who can blame her?). They are the cutest family, and we were very happy to take Scooter home. He's a great dog - very bright, playful, affectionate. He minds well, and has a couple of minor puppy habits to learn his way out of, but we feel very fortunate to have him. He's not clipped to look like a Schnauzer, and I'm glad. I think he's perfect as is. The top of his head comes to my knee.
In other news, we have (sorry MK) decided to pull Adam out of school and start homeschooling him. He's a whole grade level above his class in Language Arts, and the transition he's dealt with from going from "only kid sort of" to one of three has been tough for him. I never thought I would end up homeschooling any of my kids (ever). Now that I've started planning his curriculum though, I'm so excited! I feel like a kid in a candy store - there's so much I can't wait to teach him about! Ideas keep popping into my head and I find myself just so thrilled at the idea of customizing his lesson plans.
For the remainder of this school year, we have a schedule that includes Math (units of measurement, currency, telling time, early multiplication, and beginning fractions), Language Arts (Second grade comprehension, manuscript handwriting, Spelling, Vocabulary, Types of words - nouns, adverbs, etc., Story writing, and poetry), Creative Arts, Science, and Social Studies (map your community, meet community helpers, and learn about Utah, New York, and Texas).
I'm setting up a home classroom, and we'll meet with other homeschooling families 1-2 days per week for social activities and field trips. He'll still have play dates with the friends he made in kindergarten and first grade, as well as peer interaction at church on Sundays and during other church activities. Also, his best friend's mom is homeschooling her children now, so we'll be able to work together quite a bit.
For second grade, I enrolled him in an online virtual academy (it's free) that will provide all of my second grade curriculum, as well as free access to Rosetta Stone Spanish. The home program includes work books, online programs and learning games, as well as a teacher who I will report to weekly. She'll be available to offer guidance, as well as serve as a sounding board for any ideas and/or bumps that come up.
It's funny how one's perspective can change. I truly never (did I mention ever?) thought I would be one of those homeschooling moms. I thought they were brave (and in some cases possibly foolish) to take on so much time with their kids. I get it now though. I so value my time with my son and these incredible opportunities to nurture him. I can't wait to get started.
Snow, Scooter, School - If only Spring would arrive, my "S" collection would be complete!
Until next time...
So in other news, we got a dog.
Meet Scooter:
Scooter is a Miniature Schnauzer. We found him via in an online classified ad. The funny thing is that when we went to meet him (at a home about a half hour from ours), he turned out to belong to our neighbor's twin brother. How bizarre is that? The story is that his wife just needed to not be responsible for a dog (especially since she has five kids to raise and wasn't the one who wanted a dog in the first place - who can blame her?). They are the cutest family, and we were very happy to take Scooter home. He's a great dog - very bright, playful, affectionate. He minds well, and has a couple of minor puppy habits to learn his way out of, but we feel very fortunate to have him. He's not clipped to look like a Schnauzer, and I'm glad. I think he's perfect as is. The top of his head comes to my knee.In other news, we have (sorry MK) decided to pull Adam out of school and start homeschooling him. He's a whole grade level above his class in Language Arts, and the transition he's dealt with from going from "only kid sort of" to one of three has been tough for him. I never thought I would end up homeschooling any of my kids (ever). Now that I've started planning his curriculum though, I'm so excited! I feel like a kid in a candy store - there's so much I can't wait to teach him about! Ideas keep popping into my head and I find myself just so thrilled at the idea of customizing his lesson plans.
For the remainder of this school year, we have a schedule that includes Math (units of measurement, currency, telling time, early multiplication, and beginning fractions), Language Arts (Second grade comprehension, manuscript handwriting, Spelling, Vocabulary, Types of words - nouns, adverbs, etc., Story writing, and poetry), Creative Arts, Science, and Social Studies (map your community, meet community helpers, and learn about Utah, New York, and Texas).
I'm setting up a home classroom, and we'll meet with other homeschooling families 1-2 days per week for social activities and field trips. He'll still have play dates with the friends he made in kindergarten and first grade, as well as peer interaction at church on Sundays and during other church activities. Also, his best friend's mom is homeschooling her children now, so we'll be able to work together quite a bit.
For second grade, I enrolled him in an online virtual academy (it's free) that will provide all of my second grade curriculum, as well as free access to Rosetta Stone Spanish. The home program includes work books, online programs and learning games, as well as a teacher who I will report to weekly. She'll be available to offer guidance, as well as serve as a sounding board for any ideas and/or bumps that come up.
It's funny how one's perspective can change. I truly never (did I mention ever?) thought I would be one of those homeschooling moms. I thought they were brave (and in some cases possibly foolish) to take on so much time with their kids. I get it now though. I so value my time with my son and these incredible opportunities to nurture him. I can't wait to get started.
Snow, Scooter, School - If only Spring would arrive, my "S" collection would be complete!
Until next time...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Return of the Mummy...
So, tonight's family home evening lesson was about the importance of faith (why is it important, how do we grow it). We were in the middle of the lesson, getting ready to watch the story of St. Patrick (a man of great faith), and I asked the children how we can increase our faith.
Ideas that were thrown out there were pretty standard - reading scriptures, saying prayers, attending church, holding Family Home Evening. Then Adam piped up with "We can grow our faith by watching movies." "Yes," I replied, "we can increase our faith by watching movies about Jesus Christ." "Like the one with the mummy?" he asked. "Umm," I said, not sure whether he was talking about Scooby Doo vs. the Mummy or something else. "Y'know," he said "Like the one who gets on all these bandages and waits for Jesus." "Ohhhh, I said - do you mean Lazarus?"
Thankfully, he did.
Speaking of faith, please feel free to read the post below this one. I know it's lengthy but it's not often I expound on my own faith, and it felt really good to do so.
Ideas that were thrown out there were pretty standard - reading scriptures, saying prayers, attending church, holding Family Home Evening. Then Adam piped up with "We can grow our faith by watching movies." "Yes," I replied, "we can increase our faith by watching movies about Jesus Christ." "Like the one with the mummy?" he asked. "Umm," I said, not sure whether he was talking about Scooby Doo vs. the Mummy or something else. "Y'know," he said "Like the one who gets on all these bandages and waits for Jesus." "Ohhhh, I said - do you mean Lazarus?"
Thankfully, he did.
Speaking of faith, please feel free to read the post below this one. I know it's lengthy but it's not often I expound on my own faith, and it felt really good to do so.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!!
Really. I know the song is assigned to Christmas, but...
I so love this time of year. I truly prefer it over Christmas. Not to diminish the celebration of the birth of our Savior - that was it's own amazing miracle. But Easter - to me, this is the most sacred and holy day of all. I know it's still a month away, but I get so excited for this holiday.
But that's not the only reason that it's the most wonderful time of the year. First, the weather starts to change. Autumn is my very favorite season because it's so cozy, but spring is so verdant. It's like hope is renewed when crocuses show their purple petals. I know it won't be long before my Forsythia starts to bud and bring its sunshiny yellow flowers into view. Daffodils (one of my favorite flowers) start to appear in the grocery store. The cold starts to dissipate, and even though the warm days tease us by showing up and then running away, the renewal of the earth begins.
Second, General Conference comes around again. For my friends and family who aren't members of our church, we have two sessions of General Conference each year. This is an opportunity for every member of our church WORLDWIDE to come together either in person or via various media sources, and hear our church leaders address various topics. These topics run the gamut from raising children to the importance of trials to modern day concerns. The love that our leaders have for us is so evident, and the counsel given is always timely - whether it's time-sensitive or timeless!
I love conference. Before we had children, we used to grab a few friends and bring a picnic down to the lawn on Temple Square and listen to Saturday morning session. In between sessions (there are two on Saturday and two on Sunday plus one for men on Saturday night), there was always great FREE entertainment at Deseret Book (still is). We'd go back to the lawn for the afternoon session. It is an amazing thing for me to see so many people who feel the way I do about the Lord convened in one place. They're from every area of the world, and all are grateful to have the opportunity to attend conference. After the afternoon session, we'd have dinner and the men would go off to the priesthood overflow sessions. The women would go to Ladies' night at Deseret Book for more free entertainment and drawings to win great merchandise. I never won, but winning something would have only been the decoration on the frosting of the cake. The cake alone was well worth the time and travel.
Now that we have one bored by everything teenager, one attention span challenged (no different than any other six year old boy) boy, and one getting ready to crawl baby, we've changed our tradition. Truthfully, we changed the tradition after Adam turned one because he was just too rambunctious to have at Ladies' Night.
Saturday is fun because we TiVo conference during chore time. We keep it on and listen while we work, and then we get to watch it again more closely later that night or later that week. Sometimes we even listen to it in the car. This is one of the times that we feel VERY blessed to live in a place with this many church resources.
Sunday, we have a breakfast tradition (eggs, sausage, home fries, and either orange rolls or Cinnabon rolls depending on the season) and we watch conference in our pajamas. It's so relaxing, and such a great opportunity to be able to pause and discuss topics with our children. It's a rare time to be able to give our children detailed counsel and guidance on important life topics as those topics are being addressed by our church leaders.
Third, it becomes time to get ready for Easter. I know St. Patrick's day is in there too, but I'm not Irish and I don't drink. So, we have our corned beef and cabbage, watch the story of faithful Maewen Succat (St. Patrick), and call it good.
A few years ago (shortly after Easter), I bought a book at Deseret Book -
A Christ-Centered Easter: Day-by-Day Activities to Celebrate Easter Week
and promptly lost it. I found it again last year, only to discover that it was too late to start the whole week's worth of activities. Not this year though --- I know where it is, I'm starting to review it, and I'm so excited to teach our children all about WHY this is the most important time of year. Not that we haven't gone over the story before, but a) two out of three are old enough to understand it and b) this book brings the lessons forth in a more kid friendly manner.
Easter signifies so many important things - hope, faith, renewal, God's promises to us, love, devotion, protection, and tremendous (beyond my capacity to understand) sacrifice.
I rarely expound on topics of religion on my blog, out of respect for my many friends and family members who follow our blog, but I feel very strongly about the significance of this holiday. I don't hold any one's religious beliefs against them, and I hope you will afford me the same courtesy. Please know that I do not in any way mean to alienate anyone. I firmly believe that we all have the right to believe as we see fit. As long as we don't hurt anyone, all is well. If you don't believe as I do, I love you and agree to disagree. :-) I also don't want anyone to feel that I am stuffing my feelings about God down their throat(s), because I can think of no greater way to turn my friends away from religion and a relationship with God than to try to "give them" religion. I hope you know that is not my intention.
This I know - I know how much I love my children. I know that I would give my life without hesitation to protect them. I know that my love for my children is only a fraction of the love our Father in Heaven feels for us. And that principle applies to EVERY one of us - from the most devoted and faithful, to those who question His very existence, and even to those who firmly deny Him. Knowing how I feel about my children, I cannot imagine the agony He felt as His son endured incomprehensible pain for all of us. I cannot imagine the mercy and tenderness Christ felt as he suffered every feeling (physical, spiritual, and emotional) that ever has been and ever would be known to man. I know some of you believe this is a fairy-tale spun by man. I don't. I have personally seen and known too much to ever doubt this particular story.
Yes, Christ being born was a great day - a day of promise, hope, and prophesy fulfilled. This is nothing small. But Christ suffering in Gethsemane and sacrificing his very life for us - fulfilling his promise to his Father and siblings - that to me is the single greatest miracle that ever was. That is what I am most thankful for every day of my life. It is so satisfying to my soul to write and proclaim these feelings. I often leave these feelings inside - I keep them from my blog because I don't wish to put others off.
So, since this is something I rarely write about I do want to answer a couple of often asked questions. These answers are only my opinion. Take them, leave them - it is completely your choice.
1) If there's a God, why do bad things happen, especially to innocent people?
This question plagues so many people. My answers are simplistic, but that doesn't make them any less valid.
Some bad things happen because some people choose to make poor choices (i.e. crime, drug use, oppression). God gave us free will. Were He to interfere with the bad choices of people, He would also have to influence the good that happens as well.
Some bad things happen because we need the lessons they offer (adversity, humility, gratitude, compassion). Were we only to smell the sweetest of flowers, we would gradually lose appreciation for what is sweet. We wouldn't know the difference.
Some bad things appear to be bad, when in fact they offer opportunities that couldn't be found any other way. Death is one of the single greatest examples of this principle. Saying goodbye to someone we love (especially before what we would believe to be their time) is one of the most terrible things we endure in this life. It causes people to curse God, be angry with Him, even feel tremendous bitterness and hatred for Him. However, it can also cause people to turn to Him, depend on Him, and lean on Him.
Cancer makes me angry. I hate that amazing people succumb to this horrible disease. It literally makes me nauseated that young mothers leave small children behind, and that children leave parents with holes that do not seem fixable. My heart feels every ounce of that hurt every time I long for my own mother to see my children - every time I realize how she would have been the most amazing grandmother. Yet - I would not be the woman I am today were she still alive. I would not have learned how to become who I am today. I cannot honestly say whether or not I would trade it all to have her alive, but that is not my choice and I am grateful that it isn't. Death is always hardest on those who are left behind. I try to remember always that those who move on, whether young or old, move on to a far better place.
That being said, when tragedy strikes, we all have choices. We can choose to curse the world, or we can choose to mourn, remember, and be mindful of the gift of being alive. And that is why we have choices - because good, bad, or indifferent, we get to choose how we face each day. How we face each day directly affects our entire attitude toward life. Those that choose bitterness often feel that they are forever victimized by the world. It's a handy way to absolve one's self of personal responsibility. It's a great way to escape facing one's own demons. I'm not saying that it's not okay to have a few tough days. Of course it is! The important thing is that you limit the time that you allow yourself to wallow.
This ability to have those choices is our free will - and that free will in turn, is part of why bad things sometimes happen to good people. Without it though, we might as well be automated.
2) Isn't religion a form of oppression? How can you stand to have people tell you how to live and what to do or not do (and why can't everyone go inside the Mormon temples)?
I guess it depends on how you look at it. Yes, my religion has a code of conduct. Nobody makes me obey it though. I choose to live as I see fit. I choose not to drink or smoke. I choose not to have intimate relationships outside of marriage. I find peace in these choices. Modern science has proven that these are safe choices to make. Would I be excommunicated if I chose not to live this way? Possibly yes, possibly no - it depends on the severity of the issue and whether or not I will want to continue those behaviors. The best way to answer this question is with another question - shouldn't I ask to have my name removed from the membership of any church whose tenets I do not wish to abide by? I chose to become a member of my church. I knew all the rules when I joined. I wasn't tricked. If you don't want to follow those rules, that's totally okay. All kinds of places have rules for membership, and if you don't want to abide by those rules, it's perfectly appropriate not to align yourself with those places. It doesn't make them oppressive, and it doesn't make you wrong.
It's true that if you don't believe what I believe and obey the rules of my church that you can't enter the temples my church has built. If I don't obey the rules of my church, I can't enter the temples either.
If you are wanting to learn what a temple looks like inside, go buy a book with pictures of our temples in it. You'll find a book full of historical facts and pictures of very pretty rooms. Also, if you happen to live in an area where a new temple is being built, there are opportunities for the public to view the interior. This is called a temple open house, and they are open to all.
Perhaps you want to share in the experience of seeing a loved one enter into marriage. I can understand that. It happens that in our faith, marriage is a most sacred ordinance - a partnership between husband, wife, and God. Because of the sanctity of this ordinance, it is appropriate to us that it should be performed in the most sacred place possible.
We consider our temples to be sacred and apart from the influence of the world. They are the only places we can go in to and be assured that we do not need to debate our belief system with anyone. Although each of you may firmly believe that you could and would be respectful and mindful of the sanctity of this building, not everyone shares those intentions. There is no way for us to discern this "at the door" so to speak. While we do believe we are led by a prophet, and that we have the ability to receive personal revelation from the Lord, we do not believe in any way, shape, or form that we have psychic abilities! ;-)
We reserve the right to have a quiet place to worship and believe as we choose to. The temple is a place of instruction and quiet worship, and the lessons being taught there are based on principles that are taught every week in our meeting houses. Our weekly meetings are open to any and every person.
Just to clarify, we actually believe that every person (LDS or not) is entitled to receive personal revelation from the Lord (which is to say insight and guidance regarding their own lives and the lives of their direct family members).
Whew, what an eyeful. I know I have a lot of energy on this subject. Again, I do not mean to offend.
I saved what I consider to be the toughest for last -
1) If your church believes that people have the right to live according to their belief system, why did you donate money to help pass Prop. 8?
First, I personally did not donate money to this cause. I never would have. I recognize and do not deny in any way that members of my church in California were encouraged to support this particular action. Were the same action to be proposed in Utah, I still would not donate money to this cause. I do reluctantly see both sides of this story.
Please let me go on record that you can be any race, believe whatever you want, prefer men, prefer women, prefer celibacy, be promiscuous - that does not change whether or not you are my friend. Unless you directly try to sabotage what I teach my family, or you hurt me or my family, all is well.
Homo or hetero, black or white, Jewish or Catholic, in this country there are certain rights all should have: (again, these are my personal opinions)
1) The right to adequate medical care at affordable rates
2) The right to free and public appropriate education
3) The right to live a decent and humane life should you be genuinely incapable of providing this for yourself (that being said, I also believe that if you're accepting government aid to pay your most basic expenses because you aren't in a position to take care of yourself, you probably shouldn't be adding children to your household).
4) The right to commit to a life partner, and to have the government recognize that commitment for all legal, medical, financial, and taxation purposes.
These are not all of the rights I feel people are entitled to, but they are some of the most important ones.
Historically speaking, marriage is a term that traditionally applies to male-female relationships. This is a tricky subject. If I say that marriage is for men and women only and that a female couple or a male couple must find another term, I can easily and rightfully be called out for not having experienced what it's like not to be able to call myself married. If I say that it should be open for all to be "married" then traditional families could easily and rightfully say that I am a traitor to the traditions that God has set forth.
This is what I personally say - the word "marriage" is just a matter of semantics. If you want to say that you are married, and I am married, and he is married and she is married, so be it. I recognize that my beliefs are not totally aligned with that which my church leaders have declared. I am not trying to be willful, and this does not change my level of deep respect for them. For me though, the word in and of itself isn't as important as what it represents: a solid and firm commitment between two people who love each other and have pledged to spend their lives (or eternity) together. The semantic definition of the word is not for me to fight against. The word is much less important (in my mind) than the rights that go with it.
My concern is that the government recognize the choice of life partnership by affording the same legal, medical, financial, and taxation rights to all people. Whether someone is attracted to men or women is of no consequence to me. I do want my children to grow up in as fair of a world as possible. I do want my homosexual friends who love each other and choose to be together in a long term committed relationship to have the same ability to make medical decisions (etc.) as I do.
I do not believe it is the wish of our church's leaders to prohibit anyone from gaining civil rights. It is their wish to protect a belief system of traditional values - simply put that the word marriage defines a union between a man and a woman.
I know exactly what's written in the scriptures about homosexuality. This is the one and only trial I don't even begin to understand in life. And I say trial for this reason:
Not a single one of my friends who are gay ever embraced their sexual preferences from the get go. They were taught they were bad, wrong, different, strange, damaged, less worthy, confused. I have yet to meet anyone who is gay who didn't fight those feelings at some point - who didn't wish to be attracted to the "appropriate" sex. That doesn't mean that there are people out there who haven't been able to accept this aspect of their lives from their first awareness, but they are the exception.
I do know this though - when I stand before the Lord at the end of my life, I will ask him about this issue. Right now, I do not know the answer. I know only that it is my job to be loving, kind, and serve others as best I can. It is my job to accept others, warts and all. It is not my job to blindly trust, and that is why I can choose who to associate with, as well as who not to. I do my best. I am far from perfect.
Speaking of perfection, I have a final thought to those of you who've (a endured to the end of this lengthy post and b) are parents who find themselves questioning why their children go astray and make wrong choices despite the parents' best efforts. It is this:
Of all the people that ever lived, and all the people that ever will live, each and every one of us is a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father. He has children beyond number. He is the most perfect parent that could ever be.
Out of all those children, how many came out perfect?
One.
So give yourself a break. We still have free will, and I'm so grateful we do. And despite our worst mistakes that we make with that free will, we still have a way to return to our Father in Heaven. And that is all because of what Christ did that Easter morn.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
I so love this time of year. I truly prefer it over Christmas. Not to diminish the celebration of the birth of our Savior - that was it's own amazing miracle. But Easter - to me, this is the most sacred and holy day of all. I know it's still a month away, but I get so excited for this holiday.
But that's not the only reason that it's the most wonderful time of the year. First, the weather starts to change. Autumn is my very favorite season because it's so cozy, but spring is so verdant. It's like hope is renewed when crocuses show their purple petals. I know it won't be long before my Forsythia starts to bud and bring its sunshiny yellow flowers into view. Daffodils (one of my favorite flowers) start to appear in the grocery store. The cold starts to dissipate, and even though the warm days tease us by showing up and then running away, the renewal of the earth begins.
Second, General Conference comes around again. For my friends and family who aren't members of our church, we have two sessions of General Conference each year. This is an opportunity for every member of our church WORLDWIDE to come together either in person or via various media sources, and hear our church leaders address various topics. These topics run the gamut from raising children to the importance of trials to modern day concerns. The love that our leaders have for us is so evident, and the counsel given is always timely - whether it's time-sensitive or timeless!
I love conference. Before we had children, we used to grab a few friends and bring a picnic down to the lawn on Temple Square and listen to Saturday morning session. In between sessions (there are two on Saturday and two on Sunday plus one for men on Saturday night), there was always great FREE entertainment at Deseret Book (still is). We'd go back to the lawn for the afternoon session. It is an amazing thing for me to see so many people who feel the way I do about the Lord convened in one place. They're from every area of the world, and all are grateful to have the opportunity to attend conference. After the afternoon session, we'd have dinner and the men would go off to the priesthood overflow sessions. The women would go to Ladies' night at Deseret Book for more free entertainment and drawings to win great merchandise. I never won, but winning something would have only been the decoration on the frosting of the cake. The cake alone was well worth the time and travel.
Now that we have one bored by everything teenager, one attention span challenged (no different than any other six year old boy) boy, and one getting ready to crawl baby, we've changed our tradition. Truthfully, we changed the tradition after Adam turned one because he was just too rambunctious to have at Ladies' Night.
Saturday is fun because we TiVo conference during chore time. We keep it on and listen while we work, and then we get to watch it again more closely later that night or later that week. Sometimes we even listen to it in the car. This is one of the times that we feel VERY blessed to live in a place with this many church resources.
Sunday, we have a breakfast tradition (eggs, sausage, home fries, and either orange rolls or Cinnabon rolls depending on the season) and we watch conference in our pajamas. It's so relaxing, and such a great opportunity to be able to pause and discuss topics with our children. It's a rare time to be able to give our children detailed counsel and guidance on important life topics as those topics are being addressed by our church leaders.
Third, it becomes time to get ready for Easter. I know St. Patrick's day is in there too, but I'm not Irish and I don't drink. So, we have our corned beef and cabbage, watch the story of faithful Maewen Succat (St. Patrick), and call it good.
A few years ago (shortly after Easter), I bought a book at Deseret Book -
A Christ-Centered Easter: Day-by-Day Activities to Celebrate Easter Week
and promptly lost it. I found it again last year, only to discover that it was too late to start the whole week's worth of activities. Not this year though --- I know where it is, I'm starting to review it, and I'm so excited to teach our children all about WHY this is the most important time of year. Not that we haven't gone over the story before, but a) two out of three are old enough to understand it and b) this book brings the lessons forth in a more kid friendly manner.
Easter signifies so many important things - hope, faith, renewal, God's promises to us, love, devotion, protection, and tremendous (beyond my capacity to understand) sacrifice.
I rarely expound on topics of religion on my blog, out of respect for my many friends and family members who follow our blog, but I feel very strongly about the significance of this holiday. I don't hold any one's religious beliefs against them, and I hope you will afford me the same courtesy. Please know that I do not in any way mean to alienate anyone. I firmly believe that we all have the right to believe as we see fit. As long as we don't hurt anyone, all is well. If you don't believe as I do, I love you and agree to disagree. :-) I also don't want anyone to feel that I am stuffing my feelings about God down their throat(s), because I can think of no greater way to turn my friends away from religion and a relationship with God than to try to "give them" religion. I hope you know that is not my intention.
This I know - I know how much I love my children. I know that I would give my life without hesitation to protect them. I know that my love for my children is only a fraction of the love our Father in Heaven feels for us. And that principle applies to EVERY one of us - from the most devoted and faithful, to those who question His very existence, and even to those who firmly deny Him. Knowing how I feel about my children, I cannot imagine the agony He felt as His son endured incomprehensible pain for all of us. I cannot imagine the mercy and tenderness Christ felt as he suffered every feeling (physical, spiritual, and emotional) that ever has been and ever would be known to man. I know some of you believe this is a fairy-tale spun by man. I don't. I have personally seen and known too much to ever doubt this particular story.
Yes, Christ being born was a great day - a day of promise, hope, and prophesy fulfilled. This is nothing small. But Christ suffering in Gethsemane and sacrificing his very life for us - fulfilling his promise to his Father and siblings - that to me is the single greatest miracle that ever was. That is what I am most thankful for every day of my life. It is so satisfying to my soul to write and proclaim these feelings. I often leave these feelings inside - I keep them from my blog because I don't wish to put others off.
So, since this is something I rarely write about I do want to answer a couple of often asked questions. These answers are only my opinion. Take them, leave them - it is completely your choice.
1) If there's a God, why do bad things happen, especially to innocent people?
This question plagues so many people. My answers are simplistic, but that doesn't make them any less valid.
Some bad things happen because some people choose to make poor choices (i.e. crime, drug use, oppression). God gave us free will. Were He to interfere with the bad choices of people, He would also have to influence the good that happens as well.
Some bad things happen because we need the lessons they offer (adversity, humility, gratitude, compassion). Were we only to smell the sweetest of flowers, we would gradually lose appreciation for what is sweet. We wouldn't know the difference.
Some bad things appear to be bad, when in fact they offer opportunities that couldn't be found any other way. Death is one of the single greatest examples of this principle. Saying goodbye to someone we love (especially before what we would believe to be their time) is one of the most terrible things we endure in this life. It causes people to curse God, be angry with Him, even feel tremendous bitterness and hatred for Him. However, it can also cause people to turn to Him, depend on Him, and lean on Him.
Cancer makes me angry. I hate that amazing people succumb to this horrible disease. It literally makes me nauseated that young mothers leave small children behind, and that children leave parents with holes that do not seem fixable. My heart feels every ounce of that hurt every time I long for my own mother to see my children - every time I realize how she would have been the most amazing grandmother. Yet - I would not be the woman I am today were she still alive. I would not have learned how to become who I am today. I cannot honestly say whether or not I would trade it all to have her alive, but that is not my choice and I am grateful that it isn't. Death is always hardest on those who are left behind. I try to remember always that those who move on, whether young or old, move on to a far better place.
That being said, when tragedy strikes, we all have choices. We can choose to curse the world, or we can choose to mourn, remember, and be mindful of the gift of being alive. And that is why we have choices - because good, bad, or indifferent, we get to choose how we face each day. How we face each day directly affects our entire attitude toward life. Those that choose bitterness often feel that they are forever victimized by the world. It's a handy way to absolve one's self of personal responsibility. It's a great way to escape facing one's own demons. I'm not saying that it's not okay to have a few tough days. Of course it is! The important thing is that you limit the time that you allow yourself to wallow.
This ability to have those choices is our free will - and that free will in turn, is part of why bad things sometimes happen to good people. Without it though, we might as well be automated.
2) Isn't religion a form of oppression? How can you stand to have people tell you how to live and what to do or not do (and why can't everyone go inside the Mormon temples)?
I guess it depends on how you look at it. Yes, my religion has a code of conduct. Nobody makes me obey it though. I choose to live as I see fit. I choose not to drink or smoke. I choose not to have intimate relationships outside of marriage. I find peace in these choices. Modern science has proven that these are safe choices to make. Would I be excommunicated if I chose not to live this way? Possibly yes, possibly no - it depends on the severity of the issue and whether or not I will want to continue those behaviors. The best way to answer this question is with another question - shouldn't I ask to have my name removed from the membership of any church whose tenets I do not wish to abide by? I chose to become a member of my church. I knew all the rules when I joined. I wasn't tricked. If you don't want to follow those rules, that's totally okay. All kinds of places have rules for membership, and if you don't want to abide by those rules, it's perfectly appropriate not to align yourself with those places. It doesn't make them oppressive, and it doesn't make you wrong.
It's true that if you don't believe what I believe and obey the rules of my church that you can't enter the temples my church has built. If I don't obey the rules of my church, I can't enter the temples either.
If you are wanting to learn what a temple looks like inside, go buy a book with pictures of our temples in it. You'll find a book full of historical facts and pictures of very pretty rooms. Also, if you happen to live in an area where a new temple is being built, there are opportunities for the public to view the interior. This is called a temple open house, and they are open to all.
Perhaps you want to share in the experience of seeing a loved one enter into marriage. I can understand that. It happens that in our faith, marriage is a most sacred ordinance - a partnership between husband, wife, and God. Because of the sanctity of this ordinance, it is appropriate to us that it should be performed in the most sacred place possible.
We consider our temples to be sacred and apart from the influence of the world. They are the only places we can go in to and be assured that we do not need to debate our belief system with anyone. Although each of you may firmly believe that you could and would be respectful and mindful of the sanctity of this building, not everyone shares those intentions. There is no way for us to discern this "at the door" so to speak. While we do believe we are led by a prophet, and that we have the ability to receive personal revelation from the Lord, we do not believe in any way, shape, or form that we have psychic abilities! ;-)
We reserve the right to have a quiet place to worship and believe as we choose to. The temple is a place of instruction and quiet worship, and the lessons being taught there are based on principles that are taught every week in our meeting houses. Our weekly meetings are open to any and every person.
Just to clarify, we actually believe that every person (LDS or not) is entitled to receive personal revelation from the Lord (which is to say insight and guidance regarding their own lives and the lives of their direct family members).
Whew, what an eyeful. I know I have a lot of energy on this subject. Again, I do not mean to offend.
I saved what I consider to be the toughest for last -
1) If your church believes that people have the right to live according to their belief system, why did you donate money to help pass Prop. 8?
First, I personally did not donate money to this cause. I never would have. I recognize and do not deny in any way that members of my church in California were encouraged to support this particular action. Were the same action to be proposed in Utah, I still would not donate money to this cause. I do reluctantly see both sides of this story.
Please let me go on record that you can be any race, believe whatever you want, prefer men, prefer women, prefer celibacy, be promiscuous - that does not change whether or not you are my friend. Unless you directly try to sabotage what I teach my family, or you hurt me or my family, all is well.
Homo or hetero, black or white, Jewish or Catholic, in this country there are certain rights all should have: (again, these are my personal opinions)
1) The right to adequate medical care at affordable rates
2) The right to free and public appropriate education
3) The right to live a decent and humane life should you be genuinely incapable of providing this for yourself (that being said, I also believe that if you're accepting government aid to pay your most basic expenses because you aren't in a position to take care of yourself, you probably shouldn't be adding children to your household).
4) The right to commit to a life partner, and to have the government recognize that commitment for all legal, medical, financial, and taxation purposes.
These are not all of the rights I feel people are entitled to, but they are some of the most important ones.
Historically speaking, marriage is a term that traditionally applies to male-female relationships. This is a tricky subject. If I say that marriage is for men and women only and that a female couple or a male couple must find another term, I can easily and rightfully be called out for not having experienced what it's like not to be able to call myself married. If I say that it should be open for all to be "married" then traditional families could easily and rightfully say that I am a traitor to the traditions that God has set forth.
This is what I personally say - the word "marriage" is just a matter of semantics. If you want to say that you are married, and I am married, and he is married and she is married, so be it. I recognize that my beliefs are not totally aligned with that which my church leaders have declared. I am not trying to be willful, and this does not change my level of deep respect for them. For me though, the word in and of itself isn't as important as what it represents: a solid and firm commitment between two people who love each other and have pledged to spend their lives (or eternity) together. The semantic definition of the word is not for me to fight against. The word is much less important (in my mind) than the rights that go with it.
My concern is that the government recognize the choice of life partnership by affording the same legal, medical, financial, and taxation rights to all people. Whether someone is attracted to men or women is of no consequence to me. I do want my children to grow up in as fair of a world as possible. I do want my homosexual friends who love each other and choose to be together in a long term committed relationship to have the same ability to make medical decisions (etc.) as I do.
I do not believe it is the wish of our church's leaders to prohibit anyone from gaining civil rights. It is their wish to protect a belief system of traditional values - simply put that the word marriage defines a union between a man and a woman.
I know exactly what's written in the scriptures about homosexuality. This is the one and only trial I don't even begin to understand in life. And I say trial for this reason:
Not a single one of my friends who are gay ever embraced their sexual preferences from the get go. They were taught they were bad, wrong, different, strange, damaged, less worthy, confused. I have yet to meet anyone who is gay who didn't fight those feelings at some point - who didn't wish to be attracted to the "appropriate" sex. That doesn't mean that there are people out there who haven't been able to accept this aspect of their lives from their first awareness, but they are the exception.
I do know this though - when I stand before the Lord at the end of my life, I will ask him about this issue. Right now, I do not know the answer. I know only that it is my job to be loving, kind, and serve others as best I can. It is my job to accept others, warts and all. It is not my job to blindly trust, and that is why I can choose who to associate with, as well as who not to. I do my best. I am far from perfect.
Speaking of perfection, I have a final thought to those of you who've (a endured to the end of this lengthy post and b) are parents who find themselves questioning why their children go astray and make wrong choices despite the parents' best efforts. It is this:
Of all the people that ever lived, and all the people that ever will live, each and every one of us is a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father. He has children beyond number. He is the most perfect parent that could ever be.
Out of all those children, how many came out perfect?
One.
So give yourself a break. We still have free will, and I'm so grateful we do. And despite our worst mistakes that we make with that free will, we still have a way to return to our Father in Heaven. And that is all because of what Christ did that Easter morn.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
Monday, February 16, 2009
What's for dinner - Feb/March edition
Sorry I wasn't timely in making my February dinner calendar. We kinda "winged" it for the first couple of weeks - defrosting willy nilly and bein' all crazy n stuff. So, for your inspiration, or indigestion, here are our what's left of February and all of March dinner calendars. Enjoy!
Something Special
Lucky you! The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year. (might be a little while)
4- You have no clue what it's going to be. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog.
The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!
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