talk on baptism

I was given the opportunity to speak at the baptism of a young boy yesterday.  I had it in my mind to use post it notes and show how they don't stick when the surface is dirty, or dusty.  Then I just went a little wild and used a big 24x20 framed glass.  I put rice on the glass to represent the sins we commit before we are accountable.  They just brush away.  And baptism cleans us so the Holy Ghost can really stick to us.  But then there are sins we commit after baptism and they can be washed away through repentance and taking the sacrament.  I used different condiments and put labels on them like "fighting", "lying", "anger" and sprayed them liberally on the glass.  I showed how it's best if we clean these things up quickly instead of letting them stay.  And I used a cleaning spray to represent getting help from our bishop or parents when we needed help repenting.

Adventures in getting home

We made it safely to J when P accidentally got off the interstate in a place where construction signage was a little vague.  Then within 10 minutes of navigating back to the interstate a spark plug blew up in the engine and was making a poping sound.  So we pulled over and were able to get to a service station.  We decided to take a cab home so the girls could do their activities in the afternoon.  Then 2 miles from our exit, the taxi van had to go off the road with a smoking engine.  2 small cabs came and got our family home, the last 5 miles.  What an adventure!  I'm so glad that didn't happen further from home, on the highway, or in the middle of the night. 

bread

Tonight I made flat bread and doughnuts with the YW.  I brought some dough that had been rising since 4pm.  We got our hands a little greasy then patted the dough into the shapes.  Then we cooked it and the girls took turns putting it on the griddle and flipping it.  I told them that it's not like pancakes, but you can still watch for signs that it is ready to flip. 

Then we cooked the doughnuts second and A had some cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle on them.  After that we went outside and made some dough for them to take home.  I used twist tie gallon bags to give each girl about 1-2 cups of dough.  Then they could knead it in the bag.  They can take them home and put it in the fridge to make something yummy tomorrow.

I told the girls that the most important thing about the dough was giving it time to rise.  It's interesting to me that women seem the most beautiful from age 14-16 and then go through a rough patch until about age 21-30+.  It's so tempting to try and attract attention in that early phase of rosebud beauty.  But your real beauty sets in when you're older.  I married at 21 and I just keep getting more beautiful each year!  That's what my husband says and I believe it.

patriarchy

Tonight at dinner G talked about how in the olden days things were really bad for women.  "They had to do whatever their husbands wanted them to do."  The kids marveled at that idea.  Then I further blew their minds by saying that I do do whatever dad wants me to do.  The trick is to marry something that wants you to be happy.  When you marry someone whose priority is your happiness, it's pretty easy to do what they want you to do.

I'm so grateful for the strong and good leadership P provides in our family.  He's so supportive of my role as a mother.  He appreciates everything I do and many things I don't do.  He even tells me that he appreciates me.

So this goes both ways because if P had married a frivolous woman (not saying I'm not...) his devotion to her happiness could lead the family into ruin.  Many families have been torn apart because pursuit of things over people.

This is heavy, but we live in a time where people get pregnant with people they don't like enough to marry.  You really shouldn't have children with someone you don't want to spend the rest of your life with.  There is so much in a child's personality that comes from their parents biology.  If your girlfriend is whiny and self centered, chances are, her baby will be too.  If the boyfriend is short tempered and can't follow up on commitments, that disposition will manifest in tantrum prone children that avoid consequences.  Actually all children are like this, that's why this is called childish behavior.  But if you're dating someone who still hasn't grown out of these behaviors, watch out!

dressing appropriately

We were getting ready for a baptism and the children were glued to the TV.  M went and put a dress over her t-shirt and shorts.  When she came out G and lP were still in play clothes.  So M went and took off the dress, at the same time G and lP were putting on their nicer clothes.  Then it was time to go and Dad said get in the car.  So M got in the car wearing gym shorts and a t-shirt.  When we got to the baptism G had decided that if M wasn't going to be dressed up, he wasn't going to the baptism, so he didn't.  Afterward he asked if there were any brownies left.  I told him "None for you."

It can be hard to know how to behave when the people around us are doing something different than our standards.  But we have the standards in "For the Strength of Youth" and we have parents to tell us what to do.  We cannot just do what the other young people are doing.  Then we are like crabs in a bucket always pulling one another down and unable to get out.

True lies

A little girl I know was boasting about her friend who "could have been in the olympics but she didn't want to."  I told my girls that the Olympics is something that nobody does who doesn't want it more than anything else in their life.  And I told them that many people who want it that bad still don't make it.

I'm also thinking lately about what is important for us to learn and do to live Christ centered lives.  The scriptures tell us to have a contrite spirit and broken heart.  They tell us to keep the commandments and always remember Jesus Christ. 

Can we keep the commandments if we're putting harmful things into or on our bodies? Can we claim to always remember Jesus Christ if we are unkind and judgemental of others?

Going to the temple is a great goal.  Will we find ourselves saying "I could have gone to the temple but I didn't want to..."  This is a lie because if you didn't want to go to the temple, you wouldn't make the sacrifices or be able to affirm the truths that are required.  But it is also true that you could have gone if you had wanted to.  If we want to accomplish something we have to pay the price and be what we want to be.

phone

P got a new phone a few months ago and I got his old phone as an ipod.  Today P got phone service for the old phone and it is so strange to me that I'm going to have a phone that I will use semi-regularly.  With my flip phone, I always left it in the car or the battery was dead...  But smart phones are pretty nice for being a phone, calendar, camera, etc...  Now I just have to try and keep my dignity by not being on the phone while my kids are wreaking havoc in public...

my boots

So I got to day 100 and to celebrate I'm going to get the boots.  The boots I really want are only online and I wish I could find a store to go try them on.  I need the boots to remind me that I did actually accomplish something and that I don't want to go back to such a crazy life of eating sugar.  I need to eat more healthy rather than just avoiding something.  Time to grow up.   And time for some boots!

Intended results

I'm nearing the 100 mark of strict sugar avoidance.  And I've been walking a morning mile for more than a month.  I wanted to have better energy and emotional resilience from avoiding sugar.  And walking was aimed at getting me moving, maybe even having some time to think.  I must say that I'm achieving all of the intended results. 

That part of me that listens to worldly cares wishes these lifestyle changes would result in weight loss.  Thankfully that wasn't my real goal.  But I do feel great.  My legs don't ache.  I can run around with the kids.  I don't yell so much.  This is good.