FAMILY HOME EVENING

My son has a full-ride scholarship in college…Ha Ha!



Each student is assigned a family-home-evening group…



Years ago, the church set aside Monday evenings for family night…Its purpose is to strengthen the family…

"Family home evenings should be scheduled once a week as a time for discussions of gospel principles, recreation, work projects, skits, songs around the piano, games, special refreshments, and family prayers. Like iron links in a chain, this practice will bind a family together, in love, pride, tradition, strength, and loyalty."

(President Ezra Taft Benson, July 1992)

TOOLS ALONG THE WAY

I was just visiting www.lds.org and found some new sites (some of the pages have been available previously, as well) that they have announced…Though I have not yet checked them out, they appear to be very helpful.

The church is so good at helping us, along life’s path, with the sometimes ugly trials and temptations that we face.

PORNOGRAPHY

I have heard it said more than once or twice that “You wouldn’t believe how many women in the church suffer because of the addictions of their husbands to pornography.”

Combating Pornography

EMPLOYMENT

While we have always had a church employment agency, it is now on the web making it more accessible...

This site is called LDS Jobs

SELF-RELIANCE

Another great need, especially with the more trying times that we face in our world, is self-reliance…

According to LDS.org, “This page provides video and written resources to help you understand and develop self-reliance that will strengthen you and bless others.”

Self-Reliance

STRONG FAMILES

We so believe in the power of the family. It is the most sacred unit that there is. This Proclamation to the Family came out several years ago and is a wonderful declaration as to the importance of family. We have it displayed in our home.

I invite you to read it.

FAITH IN CHRIST

Finally, under Faith in Christ, “…prophets and apostles teach and testify of the sacred nature of the family.”

MORE

There is much more on LDS.org, including scriptures, radio, and family history.

It is a great tool for strength and growth in a sometimes-troubling world.

A GOSPEL-ONLY MEDIA DAY

Tomorrow, Wednesday, DH and I are going to have a gospel-only media day. So, no TV other than the BYU channel, no CDs other than those preaching the Gospel, and no magazines or books other than the scriptures or the Ensign, etc. I think that this will help us spiritually as individuals, as well as a couple. It is also a lesson in self-denial.



It’s funny, because I am not a big TV watcher and generally only spend my fun online time (am on for work as well) in various wholesome blogs that I visit. But…I am having a little anxiety attack already! Ha! Is that pathetic, or what?! Well, that’s okay; I need to grow, but more than that, I WANT my Heavenly Father’s guidance in my life, and the more I turn to Him, the more I will be able to feel and hear that still small voice.



So, blessings to you this Wednesday; may you find peace in your day as you seek Him who gives it.

BE IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF IT

Romans: 12:2 (King James Version)

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We are taught to be in the world but not of it. To me, this is a very difficult thing to do. When we arrived home from the spiritual environment which we were in and came back to jobs, which we had been able to put aside for a few days, it became very difficult for me to not want to bury my head in the sand. It had felt so could being clothed in the spirit that I wanted to continue that.

So, today, I stayed at home and relished a bit more in the spirit before exposing myself to the world once again. I read some Ensign talks and watched some stories of interest on the BYU channel. Tonight, I read from Abraham 3, and I prayed. DH went back to work—back to the normal grind.

I now have additional goals to add to my list, as I NEED my Heavenly Father to help me in my feeble attempts at this crazy thing we call life. I have prayed; I have studied; I now go forward in faith.

I pray that you may find some inspiration for yourselves to also go forward, even in hard times, having faith that our Heavenly Father will guide you through.

Have a blessed and organized Tuesday, All!

THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIKE A FIRE IS BURNING

Today was orientation day for students and parents at BYU-I. The spirit was so strong; it was amazing. I have never been to an orientation of any sort where I felt the spirit, let alone how physically palpable it was today. The Lord was and is certainly on that campus. WE FELT IT. Families from all over the country came to partake.



What a wonderful blessing it is to have a son who has chosen a worthy goal such as he has. It is such a different environment than anything that I am used to. The kids there are all striving to live right—the whole campus and all the students in the apartment buildings around town. What a difference that is from what I see day to day! DS’s apartment building is for men only, and the girls have their own buildings. Pictures of the Savior are in each apartment, along with other scriptural paintings. Everyone is friendly. My husband remarked that it was more like family than just strangers. It was really amazing.

The dress code is modest, and I have not seen one immodestly-dressed person in the day and a half that we have been here. That is 180 degrees from what is normal, as I generally don’t go but a few minutes without seeing some sort of vulgarity or another, whether it be dress or the magazines on the racks at the convenience store.

The dress and grooming of BYU-Idaho students should always be modest, neat, and clean consistent with representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Taken from "BYU-Idaho Student Baseline Campus Dress and Grooming Standards", BYU-Idaho.



I don’t want to leave; it just feels good here.



DB is rooming with other guys, at least two of whom are returned missionaries. It is just so remarkable to me to see people of this age dress and act with respect. I don’t know what more a parent could ask for than to have their own child in such an environment.



I am thankful for the great work that the faculty and workers at the school do for our kids. There are uplifting magazines laying on tables by the couches in the commons area. There is a president, who came from Harvard, to serve and guide the students. His experience is great, but his spirit is just as great, and that is what really matters. There are chapels, Family Home Evening groups, and a beautiful temple on the hill, just above the campus.



We were fed by the spirit today, in great abundance, and we were fed good nutritious food as well. A Luau was planned for us complete with a Hawaiian dinner.

I am thankful for this blessing in my life. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me, through my son, to experience just a portion—yet such a great amount to me—of what it will be like when I return to him. Nothing else in life really matters, and today I was reminded of that.

APPROPRIATE DRESS AND APPEARANCE

Today in Relief Society (a women’s Church group), we talked about different aspects of the book for the young people of the church entitled For the Strength of Youth. The part that caught my attention today was the chapterlette on Dress and Appearance.

Below are some excerpts…

“Your body is God’s sacred creation. Respect it as a gift from God, and do not defile it in any way.”

“The way you dress is a reflection of what you are on the inside. Your dress and grooming send messages about you to others and influence the way you and others act.”

I find this very true for myself. If I am dressed in a sloppy manner, I feel the same way. If I am dressed up, I feel much better.

I think that it is important to take some time for ourselves to bathe, fix our hair, and put on a bit of makeup. I know that I feel an almost night-and-day difference in so doing.



50sgal, over at The Apron Revolution, has talked about this for a long time now and has a special time set apart for her grooming routine.

James, from Man of the 50s, is like-wise a tailored dresser and a gentleman to boot! Have you ever noticed nicely-dressed gentlemen holding the door open for a lady? On the contrary, have you ever noticed guys with the waist of their pants below their bottoms holding the door for a lady? Not that the latter doesn’t ever happen, but…

There is something to the way we dress in accordance with how we view ourselves and how we treat others.

One does not need to be a nun for sure but can be tastefully dressed AND beautiful at the same time.

“When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the spirit and can exercise a good influence on those around you.”

“Never lower your dress standards for any occasion.”

Wow; that says volumes to me. “…for any occasion.” It continues…

“Doing so sends the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval and that modesty is important only when it is convenient.”

In today’s world of sex-sells-all, I really wonder how many decently-minded people there are left. I get so very weary of the (I won’t say the name that I’m thinking) ill-dressed women—NOT ladies—on TV. And, who is watching these shows? Your husband? Your son? Young moldable boys? It’s a shame.

“Always be neat and clean and avoid being sloppy or inappropriately casual in dress, grooming, and manners.”

If we could twinkle ourselves back to the Victorian era, these things would all be common sense.



Print by John P. O'Brien

At one point in my life, I desired a tattoo. Then, men were the main population getting them; they were not mainstream as they are now. At the time, I was dating a Marine, and I suppose that had something to do with it...

I cannot count the number of times since then that I have been so happy that I never got that tattoo!

Summertime…

I think that summertime is especially difficult in the area of dress...Or lack thereof. During this season, females all but lose any modesty that they may have once maintained.

I was sitting in my car at the school on Friday and caught, in my review mirror, a young middle-school aged girl...So, that would be 13ish. What got my attention first of all was that she was using crutches. As I started to wonder what the cause of her ailment was, the view became more clear. I could see the bottom of HER bottom sticking out of very short shorts!

I am always amazed at what is allowed not only in public but in places of learning. I’m sure that many males were happy that day, but at what cost?

To sum up these thoughts…

I am very far from perfect in this area and in many others as well, and I do not want to give the impression that I am. I do, however, strive and want to continue to do so, in my own dress and, at the same time, hopefully be an example to others that looking nice and neat and clean does not have to mean dressing like a bar-room girl.

KEEPING THE SABBATH DAY HOLY

Besides my listed goals for the year of being more organized, continuing to improve my health through exercise and nourishment, and to quit whining and just do, I have additional unlisted goals. One of those is to better observe the Sabbath Day.

In Genesis 2:2-3, it says,

“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.”

“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”

We have gotten so far away from any sanctity in the world. There is much that is irreverent and unholy making it that much more important to take this day that the Lord has sanctified and retreat from the world.



Exodus 20:8-10

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord they God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within they gates:”

Exodus 31:17 especially spoke out to me…Italics are mine…

“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”

He said that it was a sign between He and the children of Israel FOREVER…



A current exhortation comes from For the Strength of Youth; Fulfilling Our Duty to God, a booklet put out for the youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints…

Taking reference from Exodus 20:8…Page 32…

The Lord has given the Sabbath day for your benefit and has commanded you to keep it holy. Observing the Sabbath will bring you closer to the Lord and to your family. it will give you needed rest and rejuvenation.

Many uplifting activities are appropriate for the Sabbath. Worship the Lord, attend church, spend quiet time with your family, study the gospel, write letters, write in your journal, do family history work, and visit the sick or homebound. Your dress before, during, and after church meetings should show respect for the Sabbath.

When seeking a job, share with your potential employer your desire to attend your Sunday meetings and keep the Sabbath day holy. Many employers value employees with these personal convictions. Whenever possible, choose a job that does not require you to work on Sundays.

Sunday is not a holiday or a day for recreation or athletic events. Do not seek entertainment or spend money on this day. Let your friends know what your standards are so they will not try to persuade you to participate in activities that are not appropriate for the Sabbath.

The new year is a refreshing time to try anew…Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy may indeed be my most important goal.

SMALL BLESSINGS AND GIANT

There are so many little blessings in life...They are there everyday...

Sometimes they’re just more visible...

Or perhaps laid upon our path for us to freely partake…

Small ones...Like a little bouquet of flowers left tucked into a car door from a sweetheart, to make me happy…



Like Hyacinth in bloom…



Or an Easter basket...



Children…



Our Savior Jesus Christ…



Temples upon the Earth…



The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times…



A son who is worthy...And today...

Received the Melchizedek Priesthood...



To bless and carry out the work of the Lord...



And...the most greatest blessing of all...A chance for all of us to RETURN...



WITH...



HONOR



To our Father in Heaven...Blessed be the name of the Lord.

WHY I LOVE BLOG LAND

THE REASONS I LOVE BLOG LAND:


WE JUDGE NOT ON APPEARANCE...

Day to day, the first thing we see when we look at people is their skin and their shape. I have often thought how wonderful it would be if no one had this covering…if we all were the same—bones, muscles, and organs. We could not then judge by appearances or, as they say, first impressions.

In Blog Land, we rarely see fellow bloggers in action. We don’t view their shape or their gait, their mannerisms, or their idiosyncrasies. We see their hearts by the words that they share.

In first Samuel, the Lord says, “…for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Sam. 16:7

What a wonderful scripture to ponder on.



WE GET NOT SO CAUGHT UP IN OUR OWN PROBLEMS BUT ARE EAGER TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER...

Day to day, as we talk to others, it is easy to let minds wander thinking of our own situations and problems.

In Blog Land, minds are resting, the day’s work may be done or just beginning. Nonetheless, we come here for solitude—a step away from outside commotions—and enjoy the unity we have one with another.

The Bible speaks of encouragement:

Deuteronomy says “But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.” Deut. 1:38

And second Chronicles states, “And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the Lord… 2 Chr. 35:2



WE ARE UNITED FOR ONE COMMON PURPOSE

Day to day, we can feel very alone—like no one else in the world must be striving to be more Christ-like…Like all we see and hear are things of murder and rape and carnage. Co-workers talk of weekend parties or the goings on in their lives. But, does anyone including myself profess our love of our Heavenly Father and our yearning for purity in the world and in our own souls?

In Blog Land, at least the ones that I have chosen to follow, there is a common thread of becoming more and more like Christ…



of trying, really trying to live right and to raise our children and grandchildren with a love for the Lord. Oh, how very refreshing this is to my soul at the end of each day.

Taken from www.ldsces.org/inst_manuals/miss/miss-3.htm reads:

“As sons and daughters of God, we have inherited divine qualities. Our premortal experiences prepared us for mortality, where we continue to learn and grow. A mission is a wonderful opportunity to continue developing and magnifying our divine characteristics as we strive to become more like the Savior.”

“Jesus Christ showed us how we should live. “Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you” ( 3 Nephi 18:16).



Living a Christlike life is the ideal we strive for (see Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48). One of the best ways to emulate Christlike attributes is to study the Savior’s life and try to become like Him…If we are faithful, Jesus Christ will continue to magnify our talents and abilities and help us become more like Him.”

These Christlike attributes are then listed:

Faith
Virtue
Knowledge
Temperance
Patience
Brotherly Kindness
Godliness
Charity
Humility
Diligence



These are some of the reasons why I so enjoy Blog Land. Thank you, my friends, for sharing my yearning and for uplifting me to become more like our Savior.

JOB 1

The story of Job is well known and a testament to all. Nonetheless, as I was reading in it, I was absolutely awed by his duty to God. How I could ever be like unto him, I know not. This man revered God more than any other.

Job was greatly blessed with many children and much substance.

“And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.”

“His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.”





Within the space of, I’m thinking, an hour or less, this is what happened to Job.

A band “fell upon them (the oxen) and took them away…and slayed the servants, and said the messenger…” And the servant said, “…and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”

“While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said…”

Fire fell from heaven and “burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them…” And the servant said, “…and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”

“While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said…”

Three bands stole the camels and slayed the servants…“ And the servant said, “…and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”

“While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said…”

That while his “…sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house…” a wind came and blew down the house upon the young men, and they all died…” And the servant said, “…and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”



Now this is the part that absolutely amazes me.

“Then Job arose, and “rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped…”

“And said, ‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” !!!

Job 1: 2-22

I cannot even imagine if I lost my children on top of all my small amount of substance in such a short time period, how I could praise the Lord. I have a long ways to go! What an example he is to all of us in his diligence to the Lord.



BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD