Pyles of Clutter

In the shady spot...

Here's a funny story.  It's about Tess, but just so you know, it's not Tuesday.  It's still Thursday.  I just don't want you to be confused at all. 

Ahem.

So. Tessa came home the other day and said, "Today, I started teaching ____ the gospel."  Um, this startled me a little because, really, it's Tess.  Who knows what she's 'teaching'.  And it gets better. 

So I ask, "What were you teaching her?"  Tess says, "Well, I started with two stories, Noah and the Resurrection."  Noah and the resurrection?  What is the correlation there?  Anyway, Tess goes on to say, "____ was  a little worried about the resurrection, thinking that she might have to die too, but I told her, we don't all have to die that way. "  Oh good.  "And then we talked about prayer and I was teaching her the position."  The position??  "Yea, like bow your head and stuff."  So where were you teaching all this great stuff?  "We were on the playground, at recess, in the shady spot."  Well, that's great.  Interesting. 

Oh, Tessa.  Way to go!  Way to be a great missionary!

Too bad she didn't get that from me.  I'm the worst ever at sharing the gospel.  I love the gospel!  I love the scriptures!  I know that living by God's laws will only bring happiness and peace in your life!  And yet.....  I have the hardest time expressing that.  It's definitely something I need to work on and pray for the strength to do.  Unlike, my uninhibited 9 year old, that just says, let's talk about the gospel today!  So humbling.  So amazing.  I really have some work to do. 

Confidence

Well, here I sit, waiting for the new drill team list to be posted.  It was tryouts today, and Zoey tried out for her very last time. 

It's a funny thing about dance.  It's a team sport, and an individual sport.  Wrestling, is completely an individual sport.  There's no one else on the mat to help you.  You've got to do it on your own.  Other sports, like football, give you the chance to lean on the other players, to give them a chance to take over and make the big play.  Dance is one of those weird places where you aren't on the floor by yourself, but if you aren't with it, 100%, everyone will see and it's a deterrent to the team.

The tryout routine was challenging this year.  Both right and left splits, a triple, fast arm movements, two different kinds of leaps.  Very technical.  Zoey can do all of those, except that triple.  She struggles with her turns.  One time, I was discussing turns with Danielle, who is excellent at them.  She told me that most of the time, it's about confidence.  If the dancer has the confidence that she can do it, than she will.  Zoey doesn't have that confidence yet, I guess.  We'll have to work on that this summer.

That thought brings me to something I had to teach about in YW on Sunday.  I was talking about what gives us confidence.  What gives us the confidence we need to try new things, or to speak up when it's needed, or to strive to be a better person?  Where does that confidence come from?

Elder Holland gave a great talk about that, quoting the scripture in D&C 121:45  “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth”.   

So if we are always striving to do what's right, to always have the Holy Ghost with us, to keep on the side of righteousness and truth, then we can be confident in all we do, because we know that 1) we will always be doing what's right, therefore having the right to ask for the Lord for help, and knowing that whatever we do is a righteous desire and 2) even if we fail, we will have the strength that comes from God, and the comfort that comes from His Holy Spirit. 

Such a great lesson for all of us. 

And Zoey made it back on the team. 

Stop It.

Do you sometimes hear something, and wonder, "Why do people have to be so mean?" 

Well, that is me today.  Recently, we have had some really mean things said to and about my family.  It is hurtful, and unnecessary. 

It just so happens that I was reading (listening to) the talk given by Pres. Uchtdorf from the last general conference.  You know the one, the "Stop It" one. 

At first, I was all, Yea!  So and so needs to be nice and not say such rude and disrespectful things, and hold a grudge about something we don't have any control over, and...... so on, and so on.  You get the picture. 

But as I went along in my read/listening, I realized, this was about me.  This was about the fact that I was being offended.  This was about the fact that I wasn't forgiving. 

And so here is my quote for the day.  Please read it.  Please feel it.  Please use it.  Let's make the world a better place to be.

"Because we all depend on the mercy of God, how can we deny to others any measure of the grace we so desperately desire for ourselves? My beloved brothers and sisters, should we not forgive as we wish to be forgiven?"

Dedication

Some thoughts on what I heard today:

One of the talks I heard today was about dedicating yourself to the gospel.  It wasn't your normal talk about the subject, it was really a call to being obedient, and being repentent.  Bishop Stones talked about if we are unified in our willingness to be obedient, if we all meld our hearts together, then we can take care of one another, because our hearts will all desire the same thing.  But the thing that struck me the most was this scripture from D&C 59:

"But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come."

I loved that promise, that covenant as it is, that if we do works of righteousness, we shall be rewarded with peace.  And not just peace later, but peace now, in this life!  We can have peace during times of trial.  We can have peace in times of success.  We can have peace in all aspects of our lives, even if they are in disarray.  This is a reward I could really use, and because of that, I'm rededicating myself to putting the gospel, my faith, first in my life. 

Thursday thoughts.

So.

I do my best to ignore political backbiting, but yesterday, I was appalled at the quote from Hillary Rosen saying that Ann Romney is out of touch with the working woman because she "has never worked a day in her life." 

Really?

Really.

I think I've worked every day of my life.  I've cleaned this house every day.  I've struggled over having one paycheck to pay all the bills.  I've worked over budgets to make ends meet.  I've worked out schedules and used my time management skills.  People, staying at home with all the kids is work. 

And the economy is a huge part of that work.

I pay close attention to the economy.  I watch gas prices like nobody's business.  I know that milk, eggs and butter prices have climbed considerably in the last four months.  I've figured out how to plan meals around what's on sale.  I don't pay for childcare, but I pay for it in not having any extra money every month. 

Please, Hillary Rosen, don't patronize me in the name of boosting Barack Obama.  I'm a stay at home mom, and I know how the economy works. 

So there.

Seeing more clearly

Today I went to the eye doctor for the very first time. I've never had an eye exam so it was an interesting experience! Except for the part where I realized that I am getting old, and I'll be getting real glasses now. ;)

It was amazing to me, when I would think that I was seeing something clearly, and then the lens would change, and the letters would be crystal clear. I didn't even realize that I wasn't seeing things clearly... until I was.

So amazing.

I feel like that with my scripture reading. I've been doing the 6 week challenge in reading the Book of Mormon. Of course, I'm on week 8, but I'm pretty close! I've been reading about 20 pages a day, sometimes a little more. I've never read the BOM this way and I'm finding it refreshing! Before, I would read a chapter a day, writing down impressions and things, but just hitting a chapter a day. In reading 20 pages, I feel like I can get into the rhythm of the book this time. I finally feel like I am catching the spirit of the Book of Mormon.

I was talking to Christina this morning, and I was telling her that I always knew that the scriptures were true, and that they contain precious truths that can help us guide us back to our Heavenly Father. I've always known that.

But with this new way of reading, I feel like I have a lense put in front of my spiritual eyes, and I can see more clearly the power that comes from reading, and following, such an amazing book! In reading large passages at a time, I feel more keenly, the power that the Lord has in blessing us, according to our faith, and according to what we ask for. I see that each time the people of God used the power of prayer, they were blessed with the strength of the Lord. I know prayers are heard and answered, and I know that the Lord can do anything, but I had never really put the two together.

And now my spiritual eyes are seeing so much clearly.

And soon, my temporal eyes will be too! ;)

A choice

Today, I went to the fabulous Wally World, as I seem to do everyday.  :( 

But that's not what this post is about.  Walmart is getting ready for some kind of inventory audit so the employees are a little tense.  And by a little, I mean a lot.  I had to return a thing of powder, because heaven help me, I bought the wrong kind for Terry and he WAS NOT HAVING IT!!  So there I was, with my 1.66 bottle of the WRONG baby powder.  Don't ask what he uses it for.  The answer will make you blush. 

Ahem.

Back to the story.

Okay, so, tense at the store, me in the return line, grumpy pants guy in front of me.  He goes up to the cashier and proceeds to RAIL on her for about 5 minutes that he got shorted $2.  Yep, two dollars.  The poor cashier was like, I'm really sorry, let me take your name, we really can't do anything until she brings in her drawer, and he just keeps demanding his money back.  All the while, the line gets longer and longer, and the cashier is getting more and more frustrated.  I realize the value of a dollar, and I can understand wanting your money back, but reiterating to the cashier over and over how stupid everyone is that works there is really not the way to do it.  Just saying.

Contrast that with something else I saw on my way home from the awesome-ness of Wally World.  There was a van at the stop light, that had it's hood up but was smack dab in the middle of the lanes going in one direction.  Traffic kept moving around the van, but the driver was alone and couldn't do anything to get out of the way.  As I drove closer, and was just trying to work up my nerve to park my car and go see what I could do to help, another car pulled over, and two women got out, and told the driver to get in and steer while they pushed.  One of them went into the middle of the intersection, signaled to the traffic to stop, and then went back to help push.  The two women got the van off to the side, waved goodbye to the driver, hopped back in their car and drove away.  I was amazed. 

It has me thinking about happiness and how it is a choice we make.  Everyday, we pray that we can be of service to someone, that we can be an instrument in the hands of the Lord, but often I think that we pass up opportunities to be of service because it is uncomfortable, or inconvenient.  I'm hoping that isn't me, but I'm pretty sure I'm no Thomas S. Monson.  I know I don't drop things to run to someone else's aid.  I guess I better make a committment to do better.

It just has me thinking. 

This is my opinion.

I have my opinion.  I'm entitled to it.  You have your opinion.  You are entitled to it.  I don't have the right to belittle you, call you names, or endanger your life because of your opinion.  You do not have the right to belittle me, call me names, or endanger my life because of my opinion.  Let's be clear on that.

That being said, this is my opinion.

I believe that marriage is ordained of God to be between a man and a woman.  I believe that I should have the right to express my opinion, albeit in a civil and respectful way.  This does not mean that I "hate" gay people.  It does not mean that I think they are inferior.  It does not mean that I think they are evil.  I do believe that they are not following the commandments of God, as found in the bible. 

I'm ever so tired of people trying to tell me what I can and cannot believe in.  It is my right to believe as my conscience dictates, as it is yours.  Please respect me, and I will respect you.

And today, I'm turning off my comments.  Because I'm keeping this opinion. 

Just thinking...

I don't like to buckle my seat belt. I mean, I really don't like to buckle my seat belt. I hate that tight feeling when you put it on. I hate that someone is telling me I have to wear it. I don't like it and have gotten away without wearing it for years. But Terry asked me to wear it for my safety. So every time I get in the car, I put my seatbelt on. Because I love him and want to please him.

This week, I sat reading the "Church News" as I procrastinated doing my chores, when I read this statement made by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

I've wondered how many other problems we would solve for our missionaries and, therefore, how many other issues we would not have to discuss quite as much if we truly loved God, if we really, truly loved Him with all our might, mind and strength."

Oh my.

That made me think of a scripture I read recently in 2 Nephi 33:6~

I glory in plainness ; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.

When I read these words, the Spirit whispered to me of the conviction Nephi had when saying this. He loves his Heavenly Father! He loves Jesus Christ!

Do my actions show how much I love my Heavenly Father? Do my actions show gratitude for all the blessings I've been given? Do my actions have an effect on those around me? I hope so, but I'm afraid that often I fall short. I'm afraid that I haven't been loving the Lord with all my might, mind and strength.

In our weekly FHE, Terry taught us that we are being admonished to live the principles of the gospel with precision. The definition of precision is "exactness; accuracy; strict conformity to a rule or a standard; definiteness." Terry asked Zoey what she thought precision meant, and she said, exactness. Exactly right. We must live the gospel principles, keeping our standards high, with exactness, in order to show our love for a kind, and gracious, and giving Heavenly Father.

And that's what I've been thinking about.

It's gotta happen.

Just a thought today:

Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity. ~Einstein

When Tyson was working at Anasazi, we talked about the percentage of children that relapse when they leave the trail.  Tyson told us that this is the reason that they hold counseling sessions with the parents also, to try and convince them that the environment the child came from also has to change or their old habits, behaviors, etc, will come back. 

If you are trying to change your life, if you are looking for something different to happen, if you want a new outcome to your perspective, then you have to look for and embrace the change. 

That's it.

Love,

Me.