Monthly Archives: September 2012

The power of purpose

Posted in Divinity by

One of the things that scares me the most about my book is that people are going to read it. It’s such a silly fear that I don’t even know what to say about it, except that I want to scream from the rooftops (because apparently that’s how you get all the right people to hear you): I do not think I’m an expert on motherhood! Come look in my house and you will see I struggle with being the right kind of mom every single day! But I believe everything I wrote about being a mother– I know that it is a divine opportunity, I know that it is infinitely important, and I know that motherhood turns me to Christ and helps me become who I should be. That knowledge gives my mothering purpose.

Purpose is what gives a person hope. It gives you perspective beyond an inglorious moment. And it gives me something to work toward, because we all understand that knowing something and doing it right are two wholly different things.

I saw this video today that explains the basic doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It answers those questions that every human has about the purpose of life: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where will I go when I die? Anyway, it’s a lovely little clip, and something that I think would be great to share with people to help them understand a little bit about what Mormons really believe. I really do believe what this video talks about. I believe in Jesus Christ, and I believe in God’s plan of salvation. This knowledge gives me purpose.

What does purpose mean to you? And how does it make a difference to have one?

 

Countdown the the Family Proclamation Celebration: 3 days!

I’m thinking of changing my blog name to “Temples and Vomit”

Posted in Diapers, Divinity by

It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?  And it seems like a natural progression from “Diapers and Divinity” because it more accurately reflects where my life is today.  Or yesterday, if I’m going to be really specific.

Yesterday, my family went to the Brigham City temple open house. I love temples because they are peaceful and lovely and the only building I know of where the whole entire thing is an emergency exit. When life feels a little frightening or overwhelming, it’s a safe place for my soul. That’s why I wanted to take my children. Don’t tell anybody official, but we went through the open house twice in a row. Grant wanted to go again because “I like the way it feels.”  Me, too, buddy. Me too.

After we left, we stopped for dinner at a Mexican restaurant, trying to turn the whole event into a special Family Home Evening. In retrospect, when Grant said he didn’t feel very well, I shouldn’t have told him to eat his dinner anyway. I found this little journal entry he wrote on the couch this morning. I’ll let him tell you our tale of woe in his own words:

And you know? Such is life. One minute things are glorious and celestial, and another minute you’re spending an hour in a gas station parking lot trying to figure out how to get the smell of horchata and bean burritos out of your brand new car’s upholstery without vomiting yourself. If we’re honest with ourselves, it seems some days are more vomit than temple, or more diapers than divinity, but today I’m trying to look at it like it’s a penny jar. Every time we see a glimpse of heaven in our children or our blessings or ourselves, it’s like dropping a coin in a jar that we’re saving up for something special. I guess what we end up purchasing with it is a “vacation” if you want to look ahead as far as heaven, but I think we’re earning our wings with each penny. We’re investing in who we know we can be. And like a temple under construction, despite the garbage in the world (or day) around us, we can somehow find and be a safe place for the people we love most.

Countdown to Family Proclamation Celebration: 6 days

So much to celebrate.

Posted in Family Proclamation Celebration by

We’ve got something really great to look forward to.  Behold:

(Eventually I’ll have a button over there on the sidebar with a code you can grab –>)

I will be teaming up with these fine folks:

Jocelyn of We Talk of Christ, and
Middle-aged Mormon Man of … well, Middle-aged Mormon Man
to celebrate this:
We will have a Proclamation-related post every day from September 17-30th at all four blogs. I have some fantastic guest bloggers lined up, so you won’t want to miss it. This proclamation was written “to the world,” and we hope to share it with as many as we can. Here are a few ways I would love to have you participate:

There will be three “Blog Hops,” which is simply a cute name for an Internet Block Party. We’re inviting you to write a post on your own blog about a topic we’ll all share that day, and then leave a link in a central place (to be announced) where we can all see what everyone has to share.  The scheduled Blog Hops are as follows:

Wed. September 19 – Share an FHE lesson or craft about The Family Proclamation.
Sun. September 23 – Share your personal thoughts, testimony, or faith-promoting experiences with any aspect of the Proclamation.
Wed. September 26 – Family Proclamation Photo Essay – pair photos of your family with different phrases from the Proclamation (as many as you choose). There are examples of photo essays from past celebrations here and here.
Also, I invite you to give away a copy of Family: A Proclamation to the World to someone who maybe has never seen/read it before. Why? Because it’s awesome. And it’s true. Anytime we can help people to love and honor and promote family, it’s a good thing. I’m hoping that on the last day, Sept. 30, you can come share with us how that experience went.  You can order them in brochure form (perfect for giving away) right here for FREE, even with shipping. So please hurry and order some copies and start giving them away because I want to hear all about it.
Hooray. (And all kinds of other celebratory exclamations.) !!!  You ready for this?

Especially for Who? (and a giveaway, too)

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Some of you may be familiar with the Especially for Youth program. It’s a week-long LDS youth conference where teens can socialize, learn, interact, and set goals, all in a “For the Strength of Youth”-focused setting. I’m kind of a fan (except I wish it were free). I was a youth counselor for 5 years in the 90s (shut up), and I’ve been teaching at EFY sessions since 2006.  Each year the program theme focuses on the theme scripture that the young men and young women’s programs have selected.  So for 2012, the theme is:

“Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations” –Doctrine and Covenants 115:5

I have a confession to make. I was kind of a super-cheesy Mormon teen. Every day after school, I would drop my backpack on my bed, pop in my Janice Kapp Perry (or similar goopy inspirational) cassette tape into my boom box (again, shut up), and study to lyrics like, “Walk Tall, You’re a Daughter of God.” Once I grew into adulthood, I found that my appetite for that kind of music had been pretty much saturated.  Even now, I can’t really listen to it without feeling a tad bit nauseous.  BUT. The new music, like what they put on the EFY CDs nowadays, is much more modern and palatable. I actually quite like it, and it’s not just for Sabbath music. Some tracks are upbeat, and different songs have different vibes. Did you know you can buy the EFY CDs at your local LDS bookstore?  They’re not just for youth, and I’m suggesting you might like them. I’m all for playing music in the car that my kids can like and it’s totally SAFE.

You can listen to samples of all the tracks here. So, Do you WANT ONE? I have two, yes TWO copies to give away . . . if you don’t mind that my curious children actually opened up one of them.

I will tell you that I particularly like to put on track one, “Arise and Shine,” to wake my kids up in the morning.  They just love it when I belt out the words ARISE AND SHINE while lifting them out of their beds and shaking their sleepy selves. Truly.

How to win a copy? Just tell me you want to. And I’d love to hear confessions of the cheesy LDS music you used to listen to.  I promise this newer stuff is SO much better. I’ll announce winners next Monday.

(small print: These copies were given to me by myldsradio.com for a giveaway promotion that I volunteered to do. CDs can be purchased at http://www.yourldsmusicstore.com/)

Preparing to be fed.

Posted in Divinity, General Conference Book Club by

It’s Fast Sunday, so it’s gonna be about food analogies today.

General Conference is only a month away. If you have any knowledge of this blog’s history, you probably know how much I love General Conference.  Becca has faithfully been nursing my General Conference Book Club over at her blog, and I’m so thankful to her for doing that. I recently saw that Mormon Soprano is hosting a 37/37 challenge at her blog. The idea is to (start like 3 days ago and) read one conference talk a day from the last General Conference as a way to get read for this upcoming conference.  I think it’s a great idea, and I’m going to try to do that.

Also, Michelle, who blogs at Mormon Women, recently suggested that it would be a great idea to read Daughters in My Kingdom as a way to prepare for our upcoming General Relief Society broadcast. We have a new general RS president, and, frankly, she’s got big shoes to fill. I feel for her, but know she has been called to meet a specific need that surely the Lord has prepared her for. Maybe studying Daughters in My Kingdom can help us to approach that meeting with a focus on our divine role as women and the Lord’s vision for the Relief Society.

What does this have to do with food? I think the more we prepare ourselves for the feast that General Conference really is, the more we will be fed spiritually. We will prepare our minds and hearts for God’s voice through His servants. So whether you want to try one of the ideas I mentioned above, or whether you want to start thinking through some of your own questions and concerns and start praying about them with a mind to receive answers at conference, or whether you have your own great ideas, the point is: people, get ready.

I looked up scriptures about preparing our minds, and this is what I found:

  • Alma 39:16

    16 And now, my son, this was the ministry unto which ye were called, to declare these glad tidings unto this people, to prepare their minds; or rather that salvation might come unto them, that they may prepare the minds of their children to hear the word at the time of his coming.

  • Alma 16:16

    16 And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming—

  • 3 Nephi 17:3

    3 Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again.

  • Alma 34:3

    3 And as ye have desired of my beloved brother that he should make known unto you what ye should do, because of your afflictions; and he hath spoken somewhat unto you to prepare your minds; yea, and he hath exhorted you unto faith and to patience—

Many of these scriptures refer to preparing for Christ’s coming, which is referred to in the Bible as the wedding feast, and those who are prepared are able to celebrate with Him. It seems that while General Conference is not the same as His coming, it is a chance to hear His voice and feast on His words.

I was surprised today, even though I shouldn’t have been, how quickly the Lord will answer our prayers when we seek Him. I had something on my mind that has been bothering me. I knew it was a matter of my own attitude, and I needed some help to change my perspective and focus on things “as they really are.” It became the purpose of my fasting. As I sat in Relief Society today, as soon as I heard the title of the lesson, I knew I was being fed the answer I was hungry for. And so it is.

“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?” Luke 11:11

Heavenly Father is so quick to feed us when we prepare ourselves to be fed. And I love Him for it.