Time is ticking!

Well tonight Mike and I went to our Bi-annual Stake High Priests and their wives meeting with President Stoddard, President Jenkins and President Bowen, whom are simply great men who love the Lord! There talks were very plain. This is a very difficult& scary time to live. They counseled us ALL to talk to our children about sex education, that we do a good job on the don'ts but a very poor job on the do's. Elder Holland talk on Souls, Symbols and Sacraments is a priority to teach your children about physical intimacy. We would all do well to study that talk in depth to truly understand the sacredness of intimacy in and only in marriage between a man and a woman. There are reasons for the Lord's permission in these matters. READ IT!

Also, the next topic was use of our words. I have to tell you that words are used very loosely these days. Not just cursing, but in asking questions to those around you that is absolutely none of your business, speaking unkindly of others. Grossly misinterpreting others thoughts and feelings. It's called jumping to conclusions, making assumptions, or taking things personally. I think I have an earlier blog on these things. It is hugely disconcerting the amount of things that are taken as an afront when the other did not have any thought or intent of doing so. This is why there is so much war in the world. They counseled us to be forgiving, be kind, and think the best of others. Be encouraging, be positive!


Just for your gee whiz collection, the protesters at BYU are terribly confused,( as stated by an apostle in private to one of our ward members, whom I will not repeat their name) this was not an action of freedom of speech per se, this was more of an action of not sustaining the prophet as he and the first presidency invited Vice President Cheney to BYU's campus to speak. And by the way, it was outstanding!! Anyone who was there will tell you it was the best commencement they have been to and appreciated all of his words of advice for the future, without any political agenda whatsoever, along with the other speakers (two students).
Well talk about a rant or a babbling, this was one. But the truth is we have a lot to be busy doing, and that is to teach our children and families correct principles and be actively engaged in the building up of the kingdom of God, and to honor agency, no matter what age. Time is ticking!!

America, the Beautiful!

So today was BYU's commencement ceremonies, which, by the way, Nate should have walked in, but he chose not to. I was a little disappointed but I'll live. Anyhow, the special guest speaker was Vice President Dick Cheney! I really have quite liked the man over these last 7 years in office. He is very grounded and doesn't let things bother him, even when the storms are swirling around everywhere. In his speech he shared the things that might help these graduates that might help them face the world better and more fully. One was that there will be people who will look after them, who will help them excel and see the potential in them that they themselves will not see. Those will be their best assets and friends. Listen to them. The other thing I heard him make mention of there will be times in their lives which will not go the way they expected or planned for, the tough times! Learn from those times and keep moving forward. I am so impressed with this man. Even when there are things in our administration that is not the best decision, they still bring honor and integrity to the offices themselves. That alone deserves my respect.
I am actually appalled at all those who protest and do alternate commencements, I think it is quite immature myself. But we do live in a free country that promotes thinking and disagreement so that there will be balance. For that I am eternally grateful. However, it would behoove us all to just respect, even in disagreement of policy or whatever, the reality is Vice President Cheney has given his life for public service, and has tried to give us a value-based agenda, has any one of us done that for our country? I love America! And I love what good men try to accomplish good things in our country!

Go the the Beach!!!

Well, now, the Sun is out and it's warming up! I am so glad! It is so critical to happiness, isn't it? Now I know that isn't exactly all true, but partially it is. Maybe we need artificial sunshine somewhere in our house, naw, that doesn't work we know that, oh, I know, we need the beach! I think that being a Southern California gal has some advantages to it. I notice how living here in Utah where there is a huge perfectionistic attitude it has influenced me somewhat over the years. I suppose some would call it "pressure", but the reality is it is within us. Something we need to control. But.......here is the deal, when you come from Southern Cal where there is a "beach", if things get too intense or too much traffic, too much work, too much whatever, GO TO THE BEACH!!! We have a much more laid back attitude there, where everything WILL be okay. Really!! If it's not at the moment GO TO THE BEACH and in a few hours it will be! We learned growing up to look at others and accept them for who they were, if you didn't want to be around them, then you weren't, but one thing is for sure they didn't bother you. Nowadays there is so much racial this and racial that, come on people stop pointing fingers and learn to get along, so maybe YOU need to GO TO THE BEACH and see what I mean. The sound of that ocean is so mesmorizing and calming. It's beautiful, it's soothing. Just take plenty of sunscreen and whatever for fun and leave feeling rejuvenated. So if there isn't a beach nearby you, may I suggest YOGA!!! So let's all try to make life a BEACH when things get tough!!! (Do I sound like a commercial for San Diego?)

Womanhood

President Hinckley said this ,"You women, be good women,
be good mothers.
Be kind and gracious and generous. Strengthen your children with
your faith and your testimony. Lift them up. Help them to
walk throught he troubled ways of the world as they
grow in this very difficult age.
Support, sustain, uphold, and bless your
husbands with your love and your encouragement; and the Lord
will bless you. Even if they are not members of the Church,
bless them with kindness and reach out to them
every good way that you can.
The chances are that they will become members of the Church
before they reach the time they die.
It may be a long time and you may have a lot to put up with, but if that
happens, you will think it is all worth it."

I feel this is true.  I am so grateful for Pres. Hinckley to lift us
as well, to give us the broader perspective
on our roles as wives, mothers, sisters, women and friend.

So let's look for the good in all of our men,
not just the ones who are are easy!

Weirdo is the word!

Okay, I've been tagged by Lalakme to write down ten weird things that others may not know about me. So here it goes just for her!

1. I was raised on boom-booms as a word instead of f*** for passing gas.

2. I used to vacuum 4 times a day when the children were being raised as I had a ton of energy. but now forget it, I don't do it at all, Mike does it on Saturdays only for me.

3. I was born and raised in Southern California on the beach and do not like seafood much!

4. I don't care if I ever have cake, ice cream, pastries and various other goodies. But if I do any thing sweet it will be chocolate. Don't care otherwise.

5. I now shave a little on my cheek. Never had to do that before, but you know, menopause.

6. I love to sing right along with the choir on CD. Loud and full, so I shut the windows.

7. I am not a computer junkie, but when classes are filling at the beginning of the semester, I have to constantly check it through out the day. Drives me nuts!

8. When I go anywhere and have a zillion errands, I am really fast, so I walk fast, usually leaving Dad in the dust. And he is a UPS man!

9. When the kids were growing up they had a lot of papers they would bring home, and they were adamant about keeping ALL of them. So when they were in school, I would non-chalantly go in and discard a few at at time. They never noticed, because they always brought back more. ( I saved the very best of them though for their books!) Don't worry!

10. I go to teach class in the morning, usually two as a matter of fact, come home and lay down for an hour then go teach another one and come home and lay down again. Think I might be too old to keep this up, if I have to lay down so much afterwards. But I put on an act anyway!!! HeeHee.

So there you go, I'm not that weird. But maybe you think so!

Be Still

So this week has been totally busy and I haven't been able to write anything, plus I haven't written my fitness articles either, but I thought I would sit down for a moment and write some thoughts down BEFORE I forget. IF there is one thing I have been contemplating over about a year now amidst all the busy schedules of school, teaching, my calling, my role as a wife, mother and grandmother and of course, sister. It is to "Be Still" and then "know that I am God!" As you have seen in some of my blogs that I do some personal study every day, whether it be Ensign, books or scriptures and I have been pondering them. I truly have to do it in a quiet space, or a space where my music from the MoTab is playing that takes me right up to meet The Spirit, and I truly mean it. It truly does! Oftentimes as well, I am studying some type of thought for my yoga classes that helps the students focus more on their practice in productive ways, which helps me as well ponder the things of God. But the real theme of this blog is "Be Still and Know That I am God!" That is the key through all of it. That we have to be still to hear the voice of the Spirit. There can't be anything interfering with this such as T.V., Internet, or noise of those distractive (new word) sorts. This is when my heart is open, this is when I am alone with my thoughts and can Tune in, so to speak. But I have to tell you, it is hard work. When I read the scriptures I understand how the Lord speaks and thus will recognize better His voice when I am still.
This morning I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and felt to go downstairs to pray. I felt nothing come, or felt my words were hitting the ceiling, or maybe it was just my words weren't coming, maybe a stupor? I don't know. But, I stayed there for 45 minutes hoping I would "Be Still to know" .
Sometimes those don't come though, because I already know. But, I do appreciate those quiet times that bring me great comfort. Whether or not things come is another story. But I am just grateful that WHEN I am still, I can really feel the communication from the Lord, whereas when there is noise, it is just impossible. So when I get it or don't it is the only way to hear and that is when being still.

And Nothing Shall Offend Them!

Oh I think all of us have a problem with taking things personally, or getting our feelings hurt. It is the nature of this mortal experience. However there are several concepts that I have been contemplating, simply because it has been helpful to me. Especially when I am around so many young adults, young women and women in general. The first one is found in Elder Bednar's talk in October 2006 conference. I would highly encourage all of you to read this talk. "And Nothing Shall Offend Them!" He says "when we believe or say we have been offended, we usually mean we feel insulted, mistreat, snubbed, or disrespected. And certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me. Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false. To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else." I simply love this . Because he says to believe that someone or something can make us feel offended, angry, hurt or bitter diminishes our moral agency and transforms us into objects to be acted upon. As agents, however, you and I have the power to act and to choose how we will respond to an offensive or hurtful situation. This is great counsel!

Now on the other hand, let's be more tactful. That is the other side of the coin, to be aware of others feelings and sensitivities that if we would choose our words carefully and remember to bless others lives through them, we would be far better off as well. This generation has taken a big blow in the sarcasm and disrepect in the media. And believe me when I say the j/k line or the "whatever" line is hurtful to all! We would do well to alleviate those words from our conversations. Those words diminish people. Invalidates or puts down. I just hate what I see on those shows or when in passing by students hearing them speak that way.

Now to finish what Elder Bednar points out is his first invitation is to 1) refuse to take offense. I actually added one thing for me and that was "It mattereth not how I'm received, I'm okay with myself and I know I am a kind person"
2) Go to them and communicate privately, honestly and directly so misperceptions can be clarified and true intent understood.

Excellent advice and loving advice. So I choose not to take offense, until the next time when I'm caught in a moment of weakness and have to work all over again with help from the Man upstairs to overcome the hurt. We all do!

Oh, what a nice day!

So just like all mothers, after your children are grown and out of the house, it's really wonderful to have them come back and share the family table and have a meal together. So it goes like this:
They gather and start eating everything in sight that is in the cupboard, even though dinner will be served in a few minutes. They go to each cupboard front, side and back and always find something, oh and then the fridge! So I am always glad we go grocery shopping on Saturday, even though I have vowed never to go on Saturday again. I absolutely dislike Saturday grocery store shopping! Anyhow, then of course they look in the candy drawer that has become a family joke. Dad has to have his m and m's around. And let me tell you , if that is all dad has a problem with is m and m's I am so grateful. But what I observe is the boys eat right out of that drawer as well, mindlessly! They think it's us!!! Ha! That's all I say to that. (However, one must take control of their ownselves! You know, the agency thing? ) Anyhow, then we seat for dinner and have a family prayer, which now, it's the last one to sit down has to say the prayer. So Jon always makes sure he is seated. Funny guy. Butttt, when Daxton and Brayden were here awhile ago, Daxton wanted to say the prayer and Jon helped him. It was awesome!
So yesterday, Nate was asked to say the prayer and of course, being his darling self, he said all the many grateful things and then at the end he proceeds to say, "and please help Jon to eat his vegetables and be healthy, and please help Jon to want to pray......." and of course, Jon justed started to crack up! Soooooo of course, it has added some humor to our table. Then we have our converstations about Politics, understanding gospel things, etc etc. It is interesting to watch each and everyone of us have our own views. I think it is very healthy to think and desire to know how everyone sees things. So yesterday it was on Mitt Romney, whom we love!!! And of course, Hillary Clinton. In my own opinion, which isn't worth much, watch out for Mitt Romney, he is Reaganesq and he is right on concerning government policy. Just for your own gee whiz collection, I was raised in a political family and we all have our views, even to this day. Mom and Dad would have us follow the Presidential candidates, the Congressman and Senators in our area. It was full of energy, and often we would big parties thrown in our back yard for the candidates, including my father who ran for Congress in California years ago.
So back to dinner yesterday, then Jon got the eggs out and filled them with dollar bills for his boys. He was excited to hide them. The weather changed for the worst, so we did it in the house, in obvious places. Then the children came over and we were all so excited to see them!! Brayden had grown a foot since Saturday and Daxton was his giggly self, talking up a storm. We built the train up again, we read the Easter story, or attempted it anyway, and then they got their Easter basket form Gramma and Grandpa. I think their favorite part was the car toothbrushes. Daxton wanted to go brush his teeth right away! Also the PJ's, they wanted to put those on immediately too. BUt of course they were going home to have a bath first. They were so fun!! It was a joyful day.
Then Tychon called me back, and talked my ear off for 20 minutes. He is a character and a half and told me all about the Batman stuff he had gotten from us. Dave and Sundy were hosting a party there for Easter and Tychon told me about his friends who were there too. Estee is walking now, for about 5 weeks Sundy said, can't believe it!! She will be talking big soon too!
Lara and her family were with Matt and Ashley and gone all night, BUT Saturday they got their package and were so thrilled with their Easter they called and told me. However, one side funny note...Lara and Chloe were having a conversation and Chloe told her about them having 3 cars and her mom said, No Chloe I think we only have two cars , mine and daddy's. Chloe adamantly said no we have 3 cars and after a few back and forths, she said Mamah shares her car with us and that is 3 Mom!!!!! Isn't that awesome??? I am so blessed with the most darling grandchildren. They make me smile, when I'm down, smile when I don't feel good, and just plain smile. But my family is the most important thing to me. I ONLY want their success, I only want their happiness, all the while being careful not to be over-bearing.

Thou Gracious God, whose mercy lends!

Today my heart is full. Full to the brim with gratitude for my Savior Jesus Christ and my Father, my eternal Heavenly Father who has great parental affection for me and for all of us! I have shed tears of joy in knowing what has been done for me! That my table has been spread and my head anointed with oil and with blessings unmeasured, my cup runneth o'er! Through the gifts and blessings of my loving Father in Heaven. He, who is very aware of me.
His tender mercies that come through those who love me, who are responding to His Spirit to bless me when I need it. Some such mercies are when a little grandchild will count me as special, when one such child of mine will reach out to me in love and confidence. When another will want to be with me and confide in me. When one such child will call from far away lands just to talk. When another will say to me, don't worry, I am really good. I feel a deep gratitude for those small gifts I am given.
I am so grateful for the hymns of Zion, music that brings me nearer to God. Knowing and remembering the embraces of a Loving Heavenly Father before I left Him. That He sent His peace to be with me all the while I'm here in this sphere. That my loving circle will be together again one day. The trials, disappointments, discouragements, mistakes or whatever the trail of earth life will all be justified and made right.
Come, let us anew our journey pursue, Roll round with the year, and never stand still till the Master appear, His adorable will let us gladly fulfill and our talents improve by the patience of hope and the labor of love. Our life as a dream, our time as a stream glide swiftly away, and the fugitive moment refuses to stay; For the arrow is flown and the moments are gone The millennial year presses on to or view, and eternity's here.
On, that each in the day of His coming may say, "I have fought my way thru, I have finished the work Thou didst give me to do." Oh that each from his Lord may receive the glad word. "Well and faithfully done; Enter into my joy and sit down on my throne."
This is where I want to be with all of mine!

Coming Quickly!

Well now everyone, I have the opportunity to speak in Sacrament on Sunday, Easter SUnday mind you, and I just have to say! I have been voraciously studying everything I can get my hands on about the Atonement. But the interesting thing is I have had the hardest time narrowing down this deep doctrine of the kingdom. I am struggling putting anything down on paper to tell you the truth. I have 10-12 minutes. Wow. That short of time when you consider you just start to develop an idea then the time is gone. So I guess I'm answering my own question. I need one idea to focus in on. So what is the one idea that is most important so we all understand or are taught by the Spirit TO understand about this phenomenal doctrine?

If you have any one idea that has touched you profoundly please let me know. Time is of the essence now! Love Love!!