park fun

Today we had a great time hanging out with our friends the C family.  We've been out of touch for a few years and in the past year have gotten back in touch.  It's so cool having kids that enjoy one another.  Life comes full circle like that.

woodbadge

So fun.  Now time to work my ticket.  My goals are:
1-Sign language class three 12 week sessions.
2-12 hymns I can play
3-cheer box for the cub scout pack
4-list of merit badge counselors for our area
5-become merit badge counselor for required merit badge and present merit badge to local troops.

Nice moments

 My mom is visiting and while it has been unseasonably cold for our state, it's been nice compared to up north.  We had dinner on the back porch because the back yard that you can't see in this picture was so gloriously beautiful.

 We went to Walmart.  I was so pleased with my children for looking and not touching everything in the check out aisle, that I took a picture of this magical moment.  Look at them.  All 5 of them in the picture, not touching things!

 We took a trip on the Black Raven with my mom.  It was very exciting to go out on the water and enjoy the show.  The chase scene and pirate drama was intense!

I'm glad I've had this chance to visit with my mom and share experiences as the kids grow up.  We also have been binge watching Relative Relay with my mom.  That has been fun.  The kids are bewildered by the suspension of usual rules for media hours.  But we're making memories!

Time Out! part 1

I went to time out for Women and had a really nice time with my friend JO.  She drove us down and we shared a room at the Days Inn.  We walked to and from the convention each day and save $30 in parking.  We brought our own food and had time to enjoy breaks instead of rushing off to buy food.

There were so many good messages including songs with great messages.

Sheri Dew:  You never know when your time on earth is done.  Have you said everything you were meant to say?  We are placed in an exact orbit to influence and be influenced.
-Aspire to be in the Hall of Fame of Great Repenters.
-Compete not against other people but against death, disease and ignorance.
-Forgiveness is for you.
-Commandments are for all of us.  You never know what good you can do when you follow the prophet.  President Nelson was serving as the Sunday School President when President Mckay said they should learn Mandarin.  So he did.  And because he knew a little bit of Mandarin, he was able to chat a little with a Chinese colleague and that opened doors to his serving the people of China and being named a Friend of China.
-Develop a testimony that Russel M. Nelson is a prophet of God.

Mercy River:  Why sit around and wait for a miracle to come, when you can be one?

Mercy River:  Darkness seems safer than light.  Bring your brokenness and I'll bring mine.

Mercy River:  Do you feel the angels bearing you up?  You are the result of the love of thousands.

Sistas in Zion - Tamu and Zandra:  Our actions as women lay the seeds of future greatness.  One day I heard someone say "I get along better with boys than girls."  I said that in front of my mom.  I said the wrong thing in front of the right person.  She let me know that I should look to the word instead of to the world for how to get along with other women.  Consider the story of Ruth and Naomi.
   Don't choose comfort.  Go out of your way.  Serve.  Pay the price to be a friend and become a family.
Zandra:  What if Love were your only motivation?  Think of Mosiah 18:8-10

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

    Hearing this I thought we should feed those that stand in need of food.  We should celebrate with those that stand in need of celebration.  Give people what they need.

     Zandra told a story about a friend who was pregnant as a teenager.  Zandra connected this friend with lots of resources so she would not have to drop out of high school  Then the friend lost the pregnancy.  Zandra felt sad that she had only thought of this baby as a problem and hadn't taken the time to celebrate the life and joy a baby bring, even at hard times.  So she said "Take trials out of your head and put them in your heart."

  Jane Manning was an amazing woman who joined the church as a free black person in Connecticut.  She lived and worked with Emma Smith and was invited to be sealed to Emma and Joseph Smith.  Zandra talked about how sometimes it seems like covenants are hard to keep.  But "Covenants contain both the promise and the power to keep them."  You will be strengthened in keeping your covenants because you make them.

  Sometimes people quote Shakespeare "To be or not to be, that is the question."  Zandra gives this a twist saying "To be or to become."  If you are just being, where is the progress in that?

  This spoken word poem "I am she, she is me" is beautiful.  It expresses that as sisters we have a connection that means if one is hurting, the other cannot rejoice.  If one is in bondage, the other cannot be free.

I talked to Julia Orellana about how to be a better, more patient mom.  She said to take a sacred pause to put things in perspective, then speak.

Mercy River:  God gave me your heat.  He told me to keep it safe.  Oh my favorite part of the puzzle is this, He [Christ] is the missing piece that makes us fit.

Mercy River:  It doesn't matter how far apart you are.  God's love will always feel like home.

psychic sisters

Tonight I was talking to my sister L and we discovered that we both have very vivid dreams wherein we discover previously unknown rooms in our homes.  It was so funny. 

I'm grateful for my family of origin, my family of marriage and my little P family.  It's so fun.

The shed that P built

P has been working on this shed for the water equipment.  It's really amazing how he's taken on this very ambitious project and he's involved the children in a lot of the work.  They got to screw down the siding and paint.  The roof was done half way by the Young Men's presidency.  They gave P some instructions to finish the other half and he did it!  It looks so nice and it's such a huge improvement over the previous shed that was dark and not tall enough to get in and fix the water equipment.  P just has to put on the trim and doors.  It's been really great watching, helping and being involved in this shed that we, but mostly P, built!

Woah!

Tonight at a presidency meeting I had an epiphany about my role as a presidency member.  I'll admit that the conversation often goes like this: "How do we get the teachers to get the kids to behave so sharing time isn't such a mess?!"  And it should be "Sharing time is an opportunity to model positive reinforcement and class management.  Sharing time is the time to set an expectation of reverence so that the teachers don't have to do this heavy lifting."

Just like the stake leaders come and inspire us and listen to our concerns, we need to do that for the teachers, so they can do that for their kids/families...

Woodbadge has ruined me for expecting others to make my job easier... I hope.

Testimony

1.  The witness of the Holy Ghost,
   As borne by those who know,
   Has lifted me again to thee,
   O Father of my soul.
2.  I know that thou art in the heav’n.
   I know the Savior reigns.
   I know a prophet speaks to us
   For our eternal gain.
3.  My eyes are wet; my heart is full.
   The Spirit speaks today.
   O Lord, wilt thou my life renew
   And in my bosom stay.
4.  As testimony fills my heart,
   It dulls the pain of days.
   For one brief moment, heaven’s view
   Appears before my gaze.
    
   Today I was thinking about how important the Fast and Testimony meeting is.  Whenever we have a conference or other event that falls on the first Sunday of the month the Fast and Testimony meeting is changed.  That shows me that the Testimony meeting is really important.  It's  good for us to Fast and it is good for us to stand as witnesses in a literal way and share our testimony of Christ and the plan of Salvation with one another.  I'm grateful for Fast and Testimony meeting.  

Walk away

I'd read "The ones who walk away from Omelas" years ago and it now seems so timely.  It would be crazy to have a utopian society that relied upon the suffering of a child to maintain their prosperity. 

With the #Metoo movement there are people who who have been living in Omelas being revealed.  Women do not need to tolerate abuse.  Children do not need to tolerate abuse because the citizens of Omelas are walking away.