MTC protocol changes!

For any of you who has been on a mission and had the ritual send-off experience ("Families, go through that door, missionaries through this door), this story might be of interest to you. Because of swine flu infection at the MTC, they have changed protocol...now it's just going to be a curbside dropoff. And it sounds like it will stay like that.

I wonder if that means parents will dread the MTC experience less or more now. I found it all rather intense to have all that buildup before the final separation. Might be better to just get in and be done with it and let the missionary get on with the exciting journey.

Hm.

GIVEAWAY! Integrated LDS News for iPhone and iPod Touch

My friend has a brand new product for sale in the iTunes store, and has given me a few freebies to give away. Soooooo...the first five commenters with valid email addresses will get this awesome new product (I will email you a redemption code that will enable you to access your free copy of this application). The quick summary from the info website says:

"LDS News is an RSS news reader supporting feeds from multiple sources plus provides easy access to the three Church YouTube Channels as well as integrated YouTube support for LDS.org Home Page video releases."

The application enables you to choose from 17 different feeds (various news feeds, YouTube updates, daily gems....) The application caches the items you have chosen so they load quickly, and keeps track of what you have already read/watched. You can arrange selected services in the order you prefer. You can also easily email content to others.

More details -- including a list of the 17 feeds available, more screen shots, and the technical features of the application -- can be found here.

Ready, set, GO!

Even if you aren't a Dr. Laura fan....

(yes, I'm in a blog spurt mode today)

Whether or not you like Dr. Laura, I think good principles are worth sharing, and this post to me is worth sharing.

The power of truth is real. It's what is my quest in my personal life right now. I wish I had understood more of the principles she talks about years ago.

Better late than never, though.

Amazing post

This post, by my dear friend, Michelle, is worth the time. Read when you have a few minutes to ponder. (And have a tissue handy; you might need it.)

Truman Madsen passes away

Just in case you hadn't heard....

Whoa -- it's no wonder prophets talk about the importance of education

We live in a world that is mind-boggling. Check this out.

With apologies to Victor Hugo

My children came home from school with hands behind their backs, and light bouncing in their eyes.

"My teacher said I could choose whether to give you your present now or wait until Sunday. Can I give it to you now?"

I settled down to receive these precious presents...a homemade card, complete with an original poem (he honestly used a word I have never used before -- I didn't even know what it meant) and a priceless personal message; a book of quotes and a 'bouquet' of flowers with love notes and coupons written on them; a beautiful, glazed tile with a big, pink heart in the center, all wrapped up in a decorated bag (#3 decided she wanted to rewrap it all and give it to me again on The Day, so I have been instructed to forget that I ever saw anything from her).

The thought I had tonight, at the end of a hard day, is this:

To be loved by a child is to feel the love of God. (And yes, now I have Les Mes songs ringing through my head....)

Mother's Day Program

I didn't realize how stressed I would be about doing the Mother's Day program (I create them each week) until it was on top of me. The bishop had asked me to include some quotes about Mother's Day, and, well, you know, being on the bloggernacle has helped me appreciate all the more what a sensitive topic it is.

After a lot of mulling and reading and praying, I chose the following quotes:

[W]hen we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind. (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Ministry of Angels,” October 2008 General Conference)

The theme was on charity, especially as it relates to mothers, and that was one of the talks that the bishopric had assigned. I loved that talk.

Every girl and woman who makes and keeps sacred covenants can have a mother heart. There is no limit to what a woman with a mother heart can accomplish. Righteous women have changed the course of history and will continue to do so, and their influence will spread and grow exponentially throughout the eternities. (Sister Julie B. Beck, “A Mother Heart”)

I love Sister Beck. She has such a firm grasp on the doctrine, and a powerful testimony of it. Sister Beck has such a clarity in her teaching, and a powerful testimony of doctrine. As I read her talk, and the classic talk from which I quoted from Sister Dew (see below), I felt the Spirit so strongly. The doctrine surrounding our importance as women (not just those with children, but ALL women) is so powerful.

And I was moved to tears by this from Elder Holland:

Moved by [your] devotion and determination, may I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well....

Yours is the grand tradition of Sarah and Rebekah and Rachel, without whom there could not have been those magnificent patriarchal promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob which bless us all. Yours is the grand tradition of Eve, the mother of all the human family, the one who understood that she and Adam had to fall in order that “men [and women] might be” and that there would be joy. Yours is the grand tradition of Lois and Eunice and the mothers of the 2,000 stripling warriors. Yours is the grand tradition of Mary, chosen and foreordained from before this world was, to conceive, carry, and bear the Son of God Himself. We thank all of you, including our own mothers....

When you have come to the Lord in meekness and lowliness of heart and, as one mother said, “pounded on the doors of heaven to ask for, to plead for, to demand guidance and wisdom and help for this wondrous task,” that door is thrown open to provide you the influence and the help of all eternity. Claim the promises of the Savior of the world. Ask for the healing balm of the Atonement for whatever may be troubling you or your children. Know that in faith things will be made right in spite of you, or more correctly, because of you.

You can’t possibly do this alone, but you do have help. The Master of Heaven and Earth is there to bless you—He who resolutely goes after the lost sheep, sweeps thoroughly to find the lost coin, waits everlastingly for the return of the prodigal son. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are and better than you have ever been as you try to make honest effort, however feeble you may sometimes feel that to be.

Remember, remember all the days of your motherhood: “Ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.”

Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.” You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even — no, especially — when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master’s garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” And it will make your children whole as well. (Elder Holland, “Because She is a Mother”)

One of the things I loved about this talk from Elder Holland is that he acknowledges how difficult motherhood is. He reminds us that we cannot do it alone, nor should we try. The guilt that we often feel when we fall short can be swallowed up in the hope of the message of the Atonement. That is what moved me the most -- the reminder that we were never supposed to be able to figure this out alone, and we shouldn't expect that we can just do it and never make mistakes. Motherhood is something that can help us learn to lean on the Lord.

(I sure needed that tonite, myself, actually! It's hard to be so imperfect with something that matters so much.)

I wanted to be sure to include some quotes that capture the importance of all women in God's plan. My heart goes out to women who want to be mothers but do not have that opportunity right now. I know that sometimes even the promises of blessings in the next life don't seem to really compensate for the blessings missed now. I don't know what to say, except that I feel the Spirit when I study that doctrine, and I hope someday it can bring you peace.

I also hope that we can all as women understand that no matter our current situation, we can be instruments in God's hands for the good of His children. We all have the stewardship to be "mother[s] of all living."

When we understand the magnitude of motherhood, it becomes clear why prophets have been so protective of woman’s most sacred role. While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord’s language, the word mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve “the mother of all living” —and they did so before she ever bore a child....Every one of us can show by word and by deed that the work of women in the Lord’s kingdom is magnificent and holy....[O]ur calling is to love and help lead the rising generation through the dangerous streets of mortality. (Sister Sheri L. Dew, "Are We Not All Mothers?")

Fear vs. Faith

I try not to worry, but I do. I worry about a lot. I have basically been a worrier all my life. It's kind of wired in me to worry.

There are lots of things weighing on me right now, and I'll admit that the flu thing is one of them. The potential of what could happen freaks me out. It could just pass, but it could be big. It could not affect me personally, or it could.

We are told that if we are prepared, we don't need to fear. When it comes to natural disasters and things like a possible pandemic, there are things we can do. Right now, I'm seeing people discussing disease prevention and hunker-down prep, and that's good. There is much that we can do to prepare physically - have food and supplies on hand, wash hands often, etc. (The church even has fact sheets on pandemic prep and illness prevention.)

But you know, if this turns into a pandemic, even the healthiest, best-prepared people might get sick. And some even might die. In fact, of course, some people already have gotten sick and even died, and some of them were probably really good people. The rain falls on the just and the unjust, and so does illness. Sometimes I wonder if we sometimes think that we have more control over life than we really do. God is still in charge. That doesn't mean we should stop temporal preparedness efforts, but I think there's more.

While I think a lot about physical preparedness, I am also working to increase my stores of faith, and to teach my children about that principle. In the end, all the food and supplies and masks alone won't help me truly be at peace, not at the core. Being prepared to the point of not being afraid for me takes more than food storage and hand washing and 72-hour kits in my closet, as important as these things can be.

It takes faith.

Most of us have thought about how to prepare for storms. We have seen and felt the suffering of women, men, and children, and of the aged and the weak, caught in hurricanes, tsunamis, wars, and droughts. One reaction is to ask, “How can I be prepared?” And there is a rush to buy and put away whatever people think they might need for the day they might face such calamities.

But there is another even more important preparation we must make for tests that are certain to come to each of us. That preparation must be started far in advance because it takes time. What we will need then can’t be bought. It can’t be borrowed. It doesn’t store well. And it has to have been used regularly and recently.

What we will need in our day of testing is a spiritual preparation. It is to have developed faith in Jesus Christ so powerful that we can pass the test of life upon which everything for us in eternity depends. That test is part of the purpose God had for us in the Creation. - then-Elder Eyring

At one level, I have always known this, but I'm feeling my faith being stretched in new ways, different ways, many ways -- at the personal level, and also as I consider the challenges we face at the global level.

Below, I review some of the talks from conference as I ponder fear vs. faith.

Pres. Monson:

It would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future—or even fearful of what might come—if we allowed ourselves to dwell only on that which is wrong in the world and in our lives....The Apostle Paul declared, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

None of us makes it through this life without problems and challenges—and sometimes tragedies and misfortunes. After all, in large part we are here to learn and grow from such events in our lives. We know that there are times when we will suffer, when we will grieve, and when we will be saddened. However, we are told, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”

How might we have joy in our lives, despite all that we may face? Again from the scriptures: “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”

...My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.

I am reviewing conference talks to help fill my stores of faith. From Elder Andersen's "You Know Enough" talk:

Fear and faith cannot coexist in our hearts at the same time.

I'm going through a hard time personally right now, and it makes it all the harder to have things globally feel so uncertain, so frightening. My mind plays out what-if scenarios (worst case, usually). I find no peace alone. And so I cling to words of truth, and hope they will wash over me, bring me peace.

And yet, I know that it's all a process, too. Just as we can't build up a year's supply in an instant, our spiritual reserves are built upon gradually, over a lifetime. But I feel the urgent need to be doing all I can to keep letting the Spirit guide me, rather than to let fear dominate me.

Pres Uchtdorf: Brothers and sisters, we have to stay with it. We don’t acquire eternal life in a sprint—this is a race of endurance. We have to apply and reapply the divine gospel principles. Day after day we need to make them part of our normal life.

Too often we approach the gospel like a farmer who places a seed in the ground in the morning and expects corn on the cob by the afternoon. When Alma compared the word of God to a seed, he explained that the seed grows into a fruit-bearing tree gradually, as a result of our “faith, and [our] diligence, and patience, and long-suffering.” It’s true that some blessings come right away: soon after we plant the seed in our hearts, it begins to swell and sprout and grow, and by this we know that the seed is good. From the very moment we set foot upon the pathway of discipleship, seen and unseen blessings from God begin to attend us.

But we cannot receive the fulness of those blessings if we “neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment.”7

Knowing that the seed is good is not enough. We must “nourish it with great care, that it may get root.”8 Only then can we partake of the fruit that is “sweet above all that is sweet, and . . . pure above all that is pure” and “feast upon this fruit even until [we] are filled, that [we] hunger not, neither shall [we] thirst.”

It's sobering to realize that I cannot rely on others for my supply. I can and must rely on the Lord.

When the winds blow and the rains pour, they blow and pour on all. Those who have built their foundations on bedrock rather than sand survive the storms.1 There is a way to build on bedrock by developing a deep personal conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ and knowing how to receive inspiration. We must know—and know that we know. We must stand spiritually and temporally independent of all worldly creatures. Elder Allan Packer

I KNOW that the Church is true, the scriptures are true, that this work we are about is real. But I'm feeling the need to deepen my roots of faith.

And as I even do a simple glance at the conference talk titles, it's clear that we are being reminded of the need for real, deep faith. It is that faith that brings lasting, real peace.

[W]hen adversity arrives in our lives, the only true source of comfort is God. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27) - Elder Rafael E. Pino

.

Just saw this from Pres. Uchtdorf as well:

When we hear the transcendent truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, hope and faith begin to blossom inside of us.5 The more we fill our hearts and minds with the message of the risen Christ, the greater our desire is to follow Him and live His teachings. This, in turn, causes our faith to grow and allows the light of Christ to illuminate our hearts. As it does, we recognize the imperfections in our lives, and we desire to be cleansed of the depressing burdens of sin. We yearn for freedom from guilt, and this inspires us to repent.

I have to say that that cycle of realizing weakness and imperfection is a hard one for me. But it is good to be reminded that that is part of the journey of faith.

That's all for now, but it's good for me to reflect on these wise words of counsel, encouragement, and truth.

"Let it wash over you"

OK.

Life is very interesting, and quite challenging for me right now. I have already written much about my health struggles. They are my resistance training, which is why I write so often about them. (When we build muscles, we have to break them down to build them. I feel like I'm in the spiritual gym a lot these days!)

Recently, things have been worse, as I have had migraines that keep coming (or maybe A migraine that has never left). I have already written a little about that, too.

This last weekend, I got another one. I wasn't as angry as I was before, but I was deeply discouraged. And afraid. And feeling lost as to what to do. I was trying not to feel hopeless, but I did.

Once again, as the week before, I found myself in my bed, crying and praying. I needed help and guidance. I didn't even know where to start. I wasn't even sure what to ask (a favorite scripture comes to mind). I shared all of this with Heavenly Father.

My dear husband came up and listened for a while. He counseled with me, and I with him.

"I feel like everything I do is wrong!" (Migraines had hit after doing good things...like going to a family Easter dinner, serving my family. One even hit after lying in bed reading my scriptures, even before I had done anything else.)

"Is that really what you are feeling?" hubby asked.

No. I knew that the Spirit wasn't saying I was doing everything wrong. But I felt within myself that I was. (Hence, my hopeless feelings.)

But my husband kept listening while I sorted things out, out loud. (I am a very verbal sorter-outer, as those who know me know.)

After a while, I started to talk about things I could do to make some changes. A peace settled over the conversation, and my husband identified it. He could sense the change in my demeanor, my voice, my emotion level.

And he helped me realize I was getting answers. I was getting answers!

I called a friend, and the conversation I had solidified that I was heading in the right direction. I cannot thank my friend enough, and I cannot possibly capture it all here, but I will say this:

God heard, and answered. Again. I was in the dark, and He gave me some light.

I recalled a conversation I had last week with a friend. I had shared my many mini miracles experience, where I received a clear message about God's love.

She wisely noted, "But you don't fully believe it, do you?"

And then she said something that has stuck with me.

"Let it wash over you, Michelle."

I know intellectually that God loves me, loves us, loves His children. But for so much of my life, when things have gone wrong, when I have goofed, I have gone to a place in my mind, a dark place of shame and personal criticism. I am coming to recognize more fully and quickly that this isn't truth, but I know I need the Lord's help to change my mind and heart, to let the truth of His love and mercy wash over me.

Of course, the truth of His love and mercy doesn't absolve me of responsibility, doesn't give me permission to slack off and sin. But I think I am at the extreme end, trying still to earn my salvation alone, on my own merits, with my own spiritual résumé (which, of course, is pretty thin -- after all, I am mortal!)

The scripture that has come to mind today is Alma 42:30:

Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God [after all, I shouldn't justify sins; that said, I'm still mulling over the difference between sins and mistakes]; but do you let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart; and let it bring you down to the dust in humility.

I felt like I was face-down in the dust for a while there on Sunday, gritty teeth and all, struggling for breath. That's not it, though. He doesn't want me choking on the dust! I realized that as I started to feel the power of humility as answers and TRUTH started distilling about why I need to be humble: because God loves me and wants to help me. And I need to let those truths wash over me. I need to figure out better how to let Him. To make space for Him and His love in my life. To not be afraid of not being able to do it all on my own, because that isn't the plan. Or that isn't how to access the power of God's perfect justice and mercy -- the power of the plan.

Lots to mull over. Will probably post more as I continue to sort through it all....

Twitter Feed with Technical Jobs

Saw this on Twitter, FWIW.

When Innocence and Tax Season Collide

#3 is a bundle of wonder, energy, love, compassion, and faith. Lately, she has been praying in a tender and precious way -- thanking Heavenly Father individually for each member of the family. "I'm thankful for brother because...." Her prayers are actually long. They are heartfelt. They nearly take my breath away.

(The fact that her siblings listen intently and patiently, and melt afterwards with hugs and love takes my breath away, too.) [Yeah, can you tell I'm in love with my kids?]

This past week, she thanked Father for her dad. It went something like this:

"Thank thee for Dad, that he works so hard for us so we can have a house, and a life that is easy --"

[I am thinking, "What a blessing that even with the challenges of our life, with Mom having health stuff and all, that she feels her life is easy....]

In the same breath, she finishes her thought with this:

"-- except for taxes, cuz they are hard."

Ah, the wisdom of little ones. :)

When it Rains it Pours

We really, really like the rain. We were loving the pounding against our roof yesterday. We loved watching the big drops splash in the street.

We loved it, that is, until the rain decided to enter our entry way.

I am so grateful I heard something before I went to bed (although disappointed that my efforts to go to bed early were thwarted...trying to get these headaches under control). The antique buffet, still moved away from the wall from our earlier leak problems (we've had workers come out three times to fix the problem -- but if anything, things are worse), was getting dripped on. I caught it before it really became disastrous (the water had not yet entered the drawer or cabinet where pictures are stored, and was still on the surface enough to be quickly dried off, and it hadn't taken over the floor yet).

Hubby was already in bed. I got a big bucket for the new leak, and arranged some more towels around the other bucket to trap the water streaming rapidly down the wall.

I jumped online to see what time it was in Australia; the only people I knew with a ladder I could use at that time of night were in Australia vacationing! I got their permission to use their spare key that we happen to have to get their ladder. (Yeah, well, what do you do at midnight?)

I reluctantly woke my husband. We managed to get some holes punched in our vaulted entryway ceiling so the water doesn't pool behind the paint and do more hidden damage.

I woke up this morning to a LOT of water in that big bucket. And the realization that we are going to have to replace our roof. But with the realization that things could have been a lot worse had this happened while we were sleeping.

Whew.

Life stays interesting.

BTW, my good husband's first action was to pray. He prayed that a miracle might come about, that the rain might stop over our house.

It is now snowing.

[p.s. That IS a blessing, because it slows the direct flow of water. Right now, there is no dripping, and no stream of water down our wall. So the blessing came in a different form, but I'm still gonna count it as a blessing.]

From Migraine, to Mad-ness, to Many Mini-Miracles

I haven't been in blogging mode much lately for a couple of reasons. One is that I am trying to do less on the 'puter when my almost-edible chillens are home and awake, and another is that I have had some monster headaches the past few weeks. But most of the time, I sorta just do my best to do what I have to do. Unless I get the classic migraine aura thing going on, then I stop.

I had grand plans of spending some good time with my aforementioned precious ones this week, since it's spring break. I was up for a whole two minutes when I got an aura today. And I was mad. Hopping mad. Like the kind of mad-that-is-bad-for-your-spirit mad. I had even just prayed specifically to avoid *that* kind of migraine so I could take my kids to see their out-of-town cousins, whom we didn't get to see Saturday because of their dad's headache (yeah, we are quite a pair, I know).

I got my meds in me and went promptly to my bed, where I pouted, and vented (I really am trying to do less of this -- it's often that same kind of not-good-for-my-spirit kind of thing), and prayed, and sobbed until perhaps I could sob no more. (That probably isn't the best thing to do with a migraine, but it did provide its own kind of relief.)

And, did I mention that I prayed? A lot...in that kind of way where I am stumped and feeling stuck and feeling hopeless and afraid and wanting to quit.

And as my day comes to a close, I look back and I can see the miracles.

-Hubby was home, and was well enough to help a little. He also did a lot of listening while I vented. Even though my venting probably gives him a headache.

-So did a dear, dear friend, who not only listened, but sobbed with me, and told me she wished she could take it away, and wished she could fix it, but knew she couldn't, and because she knew that, she was a great sounding board in thinking through what I might need to be learning through all of this. (If you are reading, thank you. I love you, friend. So much. You are such a blessing in my life.)

-My kids, as usual, were amazing and kind and compassionate and caring. But they also had friends to play with all day. So mom being in bed all day wasn't so bad.

-And then I got a message from a friend from whom I haven't heard for quite a while. And her love and concern, even without knowing what kind of day (month) I was (am) having, was so evident, and so needed today.

-And then my sis called, and we talked for quite a while in a way-that-is-really-good-for-my-spirit kind of way, and she reminded me why I don't quit, and why I never will -- because the Savior is there, and because I want to be there with Him.

-And then I found a message from a Relief Society president who said she just kept thinking about me today. And I haven't seen her for weeks.

-And to finish the day, another friend posted one of my fave quotes ever:

"Each of us will have our own Fridays - those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

"But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death - Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

"No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or in the next, Sunday will come." (Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Sunday Will Come," Ensign, Nov. 2006, page 30 )

And then, as I mulled over all of this, the thought came loud and clear: God wasn't mad at me, even though I got mad, and even though I pouted, and even though I doubted, and even though I vented. He sent many miracles today, through the love and simple efforts of numerous people, and by so doing, reminded me of this pure and perfect and powerful truth: He loves me.

As Elder Holland and Pres. Eyring recently testified, I realized that I was not alone, even though I felt alone.

I know answers to prayers sent to heaven from our times of deep pain are not always answered as quickly as mine were today. I have many, many of those prayers, too. They also aren't always answered as we want them to be (my head still really hurts, and probably will for days, even weeks to come, and that is hard). But I have had enough experiences like this, where I have cried out in my extremity, and I have seen His loving hand enter my life in ways that continue to amaze me. In His own way and time, He lets me know time and time again that He Is There.

I go to bed still with a headache, but with a full and grateful heart.

Stats on Online Activity Around General Conference Time

Thought this was interesting.... (I love LDS Media Talk's blog!)

Companies hiring right now plus other employment links

There is much to reflect on after Conference, but I was moved to hear about Bishop Edgley's talk and the responsibility we have to help people who need to find work, I wanted to post this link that I saw when I opened one of my rarely-used browsers.

Apparently, there are several big-name companies who are hiring right now. I figured it might be worth posting.

Also, here are some other links aimed toward LDS Employment, networking, etc. Please share links and resources of which you are aware.

The Church's employment site, which includes job postings, job search hints and tips, resources for those serving in LDS Employment Resources callings, and more.

Networking tips from LDS Employment services

A Facebook group for Stake and Ward LDS Employment Specialists

And for someone who might be interested in a service internship with LDS Employment services, I found this

Mommy Moments

Sunday, for over an hour, #3 turned all of her communication into song. (she is nothing if not a determined little soul, and if you know her, you can picture this, I'm sure). My favorite part of the experience, though, was when she sang about how much she loved everyone in the family, and included herself on the list. Then she sang about how everyone was her best friend, including herself. What more could a mom ask for, really?

-----

#2 was having a hard time with fasting. I thought I would try giving something to look forward to when she broke her fast, so I made bread Saturday night. I killed the yeast, even though I hoped up until the end that it would eventually work. It was too late (even by the standards of my crazy schedule) to make more.

I had to laugh, because she had just learned about making bread at Activity Days, so I could explain what I did wrong, and she understood. (Good teaching moment, right? Riiiiiight.)

All I could think about was this phrase from Pres. Uchtdorf's talk: "the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.” Seriously.

I did make honey butter for them to put on store-bought bread, though. Riiiiiight. Ah, well, there is always next month.

-----

#1 was part of an awesome night celebrating our state. They sang a song that brought tears to my eyes. Utah gets a bad rap sometimes, but we really have an awesome heritage, and it was great to see these kids celebrating that. I also got to see him do the Virginia Reel. So cute. I was fascinated by the research the kids had done on different people from Utah history. Makes me want to get a book about the topic. (Any suggestions? *cough* Ardis? *cough*)

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This last thing isn't a mommy moment per se, but I thought I would include it because it was so funny. I went to the story today for a quick run -- milk, juice, fruit, and a few ingredients for things I wanted to make in the next while. French bread was hot and fresh, so I decided tonite we would have stuffed manicotti.

When the checker gave me my total, it was for a ridiculous amount, given what I had in my cart. When I said it was impossible that the total could be that high, the checker said, "Let me look and tell you what ended up costing you so much." I think she thought I was overreacting. She then called the manager over to point out that the box of manicotti rang up at $200 instead of $2.00.

Whew. Glad I caught that one. hehe

How I Love the Temple!

As we walked out of our church meetings, the satellite connection that would provide the Draper temple dedication services was already live. Music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was playing, along with beautiful photos from the inside and outside of temples.

And even that filled my heart with the Spirit.

I was thrilled that two of my three children were old enough to attend the dedication. My "baby" and I had our own special temple day; we went to a local temple, and she got to take pictures with a disposable camera that was all hers. We came home when the weather started to turn, and watched "The Mountain of the Lord" (one of my favorite Church videos) while eating popcorn and sipping hot chocolate.

For scripture study a couple of nights ago, we simply read and discussed these two quotes.

The temple is the house of the Lord. The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant—the heart of the plan of salvation—is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house. Our efforts to proclaim the gospel, perfect the Saints, and redeem the dead all lead to the temple. Each holy temple stands as a symbol of our membership in the Church, as a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a sacred step toward eternal glory for us and our families. (Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” Ensign, May 2001, 32)

Temples are the very center of the spiritual strength of the Church. We should expect that the adversary will try to interfere with us as a church and with us individually as we seek to participate in this sacred and inspired work. Temple work brings so much resistance because it is the source of so much spiritual power to the Latter-day Saints and to the entire Church. ...Pres. George Q. Cannon [said]: “Every foundation stone that is laid for a Temple, and every Temple completed according to the order the Lord has revealed for his holy Priesthood, lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness, moves the heavens in mighty power in our behalf, invokes and calls down upon us the blessings of the Eternal Gods, and those who reside in their presence” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Holy Temple,” Ensign, Feb 1995, 32).

I am so grateful we have another temple to invoke those blessings and increase God's power on the earth.

Another thing that has really affected me this week is something my husband recently heard.

Our forebears had little money, and what did the Lord ask of them? To sacrifice their money (think of what it took to build those early temples).

We often find ourselves strapped for time, and what does the Lord ask of us? To sacrifice our time to go to the temple often.

He asks what is hard to give. I am determined to give more of my time to this marvelous work.

Women on the Internet : Should the Church create a site for women?

This post was really interesting. I wanted to bring it to your attention if you hadn't seen it.

What do you think? Should the Church venture into creating a site focused on helping meet the needs of women online?

Just seeing the numbers for the traffic that go to other sites, and knowing how much women like to connect in this way, I'm thinking it may not be a bad idea to consider...especially given how much our teachings help support women in their roles and responsibilities.

That said, there are many sites that already exist toward this end. But there aren't any of which I am aware that bring the kind of traffic shown on that table.

My vote is that this would be worth looking into. What's your vote?

(Share your thoughts over at LDS Media Talk's blog!)

Thoughts on Gender Roles as Taught in the Proclamation

I just wrote a too-long comment on another blog, and decided I wanted to share my thoughts here as well. (Actually, it was two comments, so that's not so bad, right? hehe)

The conversation was about traditional roles as taught in the Proclamation to the World on the Family. Some argue that teaching the ideals of husband as provider and presider and wife as primary nurturer really aren't necessary, since the Proclamation leaves room for individual adaptation. And we all know that our leaders have talked about how family decisions are ultimately their to make.

Someone asks:

"But if it really is all about individual adaptation and nuance (which I wholeheartedly wish it would be), why bother delineating it?"

And someone else said, "It's all about individual circumstances."

And here are my thoughts in response:

IMO, these two statements to me illustrate perfectly why we have the Proclamation. It *isn’t* all about individual circumstances. Those only come once we know the doctrine and teachings and ideals. If our leaders did was say, “do whatever you want,” we *would* lose sight of the ideal, the pattern.

Elder Holland’s talk last year in the WW leadership broadcast, in my view, is one of the best I have ever heard on this topic.

The gospel (and the Church’s role) is first about doctrine, standards, and principles that don’t change (even if and when exceptions clearly exist). Those ideals need to be clearly articulated for people to truly make their choices. We can’t fully exercise agency without knowledge and understanding of truth.

BTW, I know too many women, too, whose husbands are not fulfilling those basic roles. IMO, every woman deserves to have her husband at least be willing and prepared to do what he can to provide the possibility for her to be home with her children. If individual circumstances vary from that ideal, then that's between a couple and heaven. But if those standards don't continue to be taught, I fear that more women will be forced to work when they don't want to. That's beyond individual adaptation. That's just plain wrong in my view. And it actually removes agency from the woman, and perhaps could mean that incorrect principles are perpetuated for generations to come.

BTW, I'm not men-bashing here. I know there are a lot of good men out there who know what it means to preside and provide, and take caring for their family seriously. But, imo, in the end, a family can't fully function, and a woman can't fully develop and fly, unless the man is willing and prepared to do all he can to fulfill those basic roles.

On another note, as a woman who is more "naturally" suited in many ways to my career that I had before marriage and children, I am also extremely grateful for the teachings of prophets, because it was only in actually taking that leap of faith in choosing SAHMhood that I discovered that that really was something I could do. And something that I have grown to love doing. It's the hardest thing I have ever done. I still have found ways to keep my pre-Mom self alive, and I am a fan of that. But because of the ideals that are taught, I have discovered more about who I am.

I listened to an interview with Kathy Soper yesterday. She said something that I found profound. The thought was something along these lines: When women discover the mother within them (and that *is* a process for most women...it *doesn't* just happen or come naturally for many of us), they discover the divinity within them.

I have found this to be true. And so, again, I say thank heaven for prophets who teach us true and lasting principles. And then who also recognize the importance of agency *after* teaching those principles.

As the saying goes, all things must be done in order....

p.s. IMO, I can't help but think that one reason these teachings are sometimes misunderstood is that sometimes people think they describe what we should all be born with. But if that doesn't apply for any other gospel ideal (minus those few situations where someone may truly have a gift they don't have to work and pray and sweat to obtain), why should these ideals be any different?

Ten years into motherhood, I feel like I am becoming more of a nurturer. This is not about a checklist of tasks, but about what choosing to fulfill this role, with faith even though it didn't come naturally, is doing to my heart and spirit.

These ideals, imo, are about becoming, but we too often want to reduce them to just about doing.

[I should add that that this whole notion of finding divinity within through growing into motherhood doesn't mean there aren't other ways to discover that divinity as well...through creation and compassion, for example.) But I think sometimes women think, "Well, nurturing doesn't come naturally for me, therefore, I must not be destined to do it." And I think this is often something that causes women to miss opportunities to find that divinity within by taking a leap of faith on this issue. Again, ultimately, God can and will guide with individual lives, but let's not dismiss the principle and ideal just because it may not all come naturally or easily to some of us, or because maybe not all lives fit the ideal.

I will always love this scripture: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine...." Having chosen motherhood in faith, I can testify to this principle. Don't assume that because it doesn't come naturally that you can't or shouldn't do it.]