Lets Discuss - Sacrament Meeting
Sacrament Meeting.
We all go (or should) and if you have kids they may get bored. Unless you're super righteous, then they don't.
My kids seem think they need crayons, paper -- and if I would let them-- scissors and glue to "make it through" Sacrament Meeting. I let them break it out before the Sacrament Hymn and then once again after the Sacrament is over. Once they hear the opening chords of that hymn start, they have to put all their stuff away and sing at the top of their lungs.
It's the rules. At least my rules. What are your rules with regards to activities during sacrament meeting?
Then lets talk food. I don't bring any treats at all to church because it's not Snackrament Meeting its Sacrament Meeting. My friend however brings sandwiches and sippy cups filled with milk for her kids. Other families have bags of cheerios, crackers and I have even seen a candy bar or two.
What do you do?
Is it "Snackrament" meeting for you or no?
What about that bag-o-tricks? When does it come out-- if at all?
And, I'll be totally honest with you-- I may die a little inside if you tell me that your kids sit quietly with their arms folded singing kumbaya in their heads all through church because mine? Not so much.
Ready. Set. Discuss.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 |
0
comments |
Read more...
YouTube Finds
We have a testimony of YouTube and we'd like you to know that WE know it's true. These videos make us feel all sorts of sparkly inside. Enjoy Peeps.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 |
0
comments |
Read more...
A Case of the Mom Frump: Take Two
Well, some months ago, I wrote a piece about being a frumpy mom.
And people had ALL kinds of things to say about it. From, "You and me both!" to "Oh my gosh you basically pulled a bait and switch on your husband!"
Yes, people feel very very strongly about this whole subject.
So, all of the comments really got me thinking and considering.
Since then, I've been making an effort.
I know, shocking, right?
I am attempting, these days, to get dressed in the morning, not just throw on whatever. I am trying to learn more about what looks nice and what goes with what.
I am far from perfect. I still throw on yoga pants some days. But I throw on a skirt on a weekday quite often now too.
My clothes still get covered in goo, it's true. Today my white tunic (why did I buy white?) got smeared with graham cracker. But, I have found that is what stain spray is for.
And the result?
Well, I don't think my husband loves me any more than before.
I don't think anyone has noticed the change at all.
Except me of course.
I do like looking nice. I do like walking around with my four kids and thinking, "Yes, my children are crazy, but at least I look put together!"
I still fail at wearing my wedding ring. Sorry. It's just not my thing. Husband is looking into plain bands for me.
I still don't put on make-up everyday. I don't think I ever will. I am allergic to most, and they make my face hurt!
But my hair is as neat as I can make it. My clothes are clean (as I can manage) and as "outfit-like" as possible.
It's a good thing.
I must MUST place this disclaimer: I have purchased almost nothing to make this switch. The few pieces I have bought were from the thrift store, a blouse here and there and a couple of skirts and even a pair of second-hand skinny jeans (GASP!). I know my budget has no wiggle room, name brands from the mall are NOT an option. If you're interested in making a change, I strongly suggest you start with thrift stores. Because if you buy something that doesn't work for you, you're out four bucks instead of forty.
I guess the moral of the story is: Don't knock it til you've tried it.
Morgan blogs about life. And you know, stuff. Check her out!
So, all of the comments really got me thinking and considering.
Since then, I've been making an effort.
I know, shocking, right?
I am attempting, these days, to get dressed in the morning, not just throw on whatever. I am trying to learn more about what looks nice and what goes with what.
I am far from perfect. I still throw on yoga pants some days. But I throw on a skirt on a weekday quite often now too.
My clothes still get covered in goo, it's true. Today my white tunic (why did I buy white?) got smeared with graham cracker. But, I have found that is what stain spray is for.
And the result?
Well, I don't think my husband loves me any more than before.
I don't think anyone has noticed the change at all.
Except me of course.
I do like looking nice. I do like walking around with my four kids and thinking, "Yes, my children are crazy, but at least I look put together!"
I still fail at wearing my wedding ring. Sorry. It's just not my thing. Husband is looking into plain bands for me.
I still don't put on make-up everyday. I don't think I ever will. I am allergic to most, and they make my face hurt!
But my hair is as neat as I can make it. My clothes are clean (as I can manage) and as "outfit-like" as possible.
It's a good thing.
I must MUST place this disclaimer: I have purchased almost nothing to make this switch. The few pieces I have bought were from the thrift store, a blouse here and there and a couple of skirts and even a pair of second-hand skinny jeans (GASP!). I know my budget has no wiggle room, name brands from the mall are NOT an option. If you're interested in making a change, I strongly suggest you start with thrift stores. Because if you buy something that doesn't work for you, you're out four bucks instead of forty.
I guess the moral of the story is: Don't knock it til you've tried it.
______________________________________________________________________
Morgan blogs about life. And you know, stuff. Check her out!
* * * * * * * *
Get MMB’s newest posts in email or in your blog reader.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 |
0
comments |
Read more...
Word to your Mother
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 |
0
comments |
Read more...
Time to get Mad
"When things look bad, and it looks like you're not gonna make, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb mad dog mean." ~Clint Eastwood
Recently, I faced a few setbacks at work. Things did not pan out the way I wanted them to, and I was incredibly frustrated.
When I was a kid, and something went wrong or turned out differently then I expected, I would hold onto the negative feelings; 2 weeks later, I would still be stewing over the incident. What I didn't realize was that moping never solved my problem. As I held onto certain issues, I kept myself from being able to move on to take advantage of new opportunities.
My wise mom taught me a great trick for dealing with setbacks. She said that when something goes wrong you need to determine a set period of time you're going to allow yourself to be mad, and once that time has passed, you need to drop the issue and begin looking forward.
So here's my current method for handling life's disappointments: The moment something doesn't go my way, I tell myself - "Ok Kyle, you've got 24 hours to be as angry, sad, frustrated, upset, emotional, negative as you want. But, once that 24 hours is over, you've got to let go and move on."
Then I've got 24 hours to let my emotions go CRAZY!
"Sad Kyle" usually mopes around the house, watches a sad movie, and eats a lot of candy. (more candy than I usually eat)
"Angry Kyle" puts Eminem, Limp Bizkit, and Jay-Z on, then goes into RAGE mode.
No matter what the situation has been, it has been incredibly helpful for me to follow this pattern for learning to let go of anger, disappointment, frustration. I t has allowed me to really let the emotion go crazy for a short period of time before I'm able to let go and then embrace new opportunities.
What do you guys like to do when things go wrong? How do you let go of the negativity?
Kyle is Marketing Director at Blickenstaff's Vintage Toy & Candy store. He is also a competitive bboy!
"Sad Kyle" usually mopes around the house, watches a sad movie, and eats a lot of candy. (more candy than I usually eat)
"Angry Kyle" puts Eminem, Limp Bizkit, and Jay-Z on, then goes into RAGE mode.
No matter what the situation has been, it has been incredibly helpful for me to follow this pattern for learning to let go of anger, disappointment, frustration. I t has allowed me to really let the emotion go crazy for a short period of time before I'm able to let go and then embrace new opportunities.
What do you guys like to do when things go wrong? How do you let go of the negativity?
______________________________________________________________________
Kyle is Marketing Director at Blickenstaff's Vintage Toy & Candy store. He is also a competitive bboy!
* * * * * * * *
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 |
0
comments |
Read more...
Just Like Her
I love this picture of my middle daughter. Out of our three kids, she is hands down the happiest. She lives in her own little world, set to her own sound track, and thinks life is not complete unless she's wearing a skirt.
She's also a joy to give gifts to. Each gift, from a box of cereal to a pony, is greeted with an enthusiastic gasp of air and squeal of delight. She can honest to goodness play with a string for an hour at a time happily.
I want to be like her when I grow up.
______________________________________________________________________
Myrnie blogs about life over at I, Wonder Woman and talks about her latest gardening, home school, and homesteading projects at DIY Mama.
* * * * * * * *
Get MMB’s newest posts in email or in your blog reader.
Monday, January 16, 2012 |
0
comments |
Read more...
Snow and Ice
For the past couple of weeks, we have had snow.
All the roads have been covered, the roofs covered in white, the driveways are slick and icy, and the trees wear a shimmering crown high up in the boughs. I love the way that snow changes the landscape, the way it glistens, and the way it changes my perspective.
I love and appreciate seeing all the different seasons throughout the year. (Something that I never had when we lived in the desert). But, along with all the beautiful white stuff, comes the cold, the ice, the fog, and even more of that bone chilling, windy cold air.
It has seemed to me like I just can not get warm enough this year. We have the fireplace, heaters, and blankets, but somehow, I am still cold.
One of the things that I have really had to learn with this winter season is that, if I can change my focus to something else, (and wear a sweater or a sweatshirt), I can forget about the cold and find the beauty in each day. I can forget about my longing for spring and color blooming everywhere, and instead appreciate the here and now.
I have learned that it is easy to get complacent in our own lives. We see the same things day in and day out. We have the same family living under our roof, the same child who listens and picks up, the same husband who fixes lunch (or maybe doesn't fix lunch), the same house to live in, clothes to wear, and food to eat. Sadly, the same old things cease to look like blessings in our eyes, and instead start being something we expect to have instead of a blessing to have.
Take the snow for example. When it is fresh and new, it looks magical. It makes everything around us look like a wonderland. I love to see the faces on my girls when we all go play in the snow together. It brings joy to my heart and to their eyes. What a blessing for us to spend time having fun together, instead of doing our normal, everyday, living together things. However, that same snowfall, also means that we have to make several trips to the woodpile each day, we have to shovel the driveway, and sometimes even walk to work because of the ice in the road. It can take away the magic that I found earlier in the morning if I do not keep my focus on the good instead of on the perceived bad that comes from snow. The snow has not changed, instead the way that I am looking at it has changed.
I have learned that blessings are a lot like snow. When they are new and fresh in our eyes, we see them and recognize the Lord's hand in them. We know He has answered our prayers to bring us to this point. But when the blessings become a common, everyday occurrence, we start to forget the magic. The blessing is still there, but we are focusing our attention on the perceived negative, instead of being grateful for that which we really do have.
I have discovered that changing my heart to one of gratitude, profoundly affects the world around me.
When I approach my life as something to be truly thankful for, I find more and more things that really are blessings in my life. I have found God's hand in the world around me in so many more ways than I ever thought possible.
So today, my challenge to you is to simply look around you. List the things in your heart and mind that you are grateful for. Write them in your journal, or even on a notebook page and hang them where you can see them often. When you start to doubt that you are blessed, go back and look at your list. In my life, I have found that some of my greatest trials are responsible for bringing me some of my richest blessings.
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~Melodie Beattie
______________________________________________________________________
Patty Ann is a busy mother, grandmother, and wife. She lives her life in the woods she loves up on the top of a beautiful mountain. She loves music, photography and writing. Most of all she loves her Heavenly Father and enjoys writing about his influence in her life. You can find her on her blog at Pitterle Postings
********
Get MMB’s newest posts in email or in your blog reader.
Friday, January 13, 2012 |
0
comments |
Read more...
I Am a Child of God Printable
Thursday, January 12, 2012 |
0
comments |
Read more...
Walking on Stormy Seas: On Serving in the Church
Can I be really honest? I'm going to write from my heart here, in the hopes that it might help someone else. I'm not digging for compliments or looking for someone from my stake to say, "Oh, but you do such a good job."
Here's my secret: I really struggle in my calling. It's very difficult for me on a multitude of levels.
Two years ago, I was called to the stake presidency. This meant my release as a bishop--a calling that had been a challenge, but that was deeply rewarding on a variety of levels.
At first, the calling was accompanied by a spiritual high. Being interviewed, called, and taught by a General Authority was invigorating and nourishing to my soul--beyond my ability to express.
But before long, the high faded and reality set in. I love the men I serve with. They are some of the best men I've ever known. But I am younger than they are, and much different in many ways. I frequently felt like the odd man out--not because of anything they did, just because of who I am.
I found myself in new situations that stretched me and worked spiritual and emotional muscles that had grown weak. I won't bore you with details, but the calling became very, very difficult for me. Periods of bleak depression set in, punctuated with positive things as well.
Why am I saying this? Well, because I think it's important for us to understand that callings are meant to be difficult in that they are given to us to help us grow, to refine us--and that is inherently going to be difficult.
I also think that many people assume that someone who is serving as a bishop or in a stake presidency somehow has it made--that they don't struggle with doubts and weakness and so on. I have come to believe that this view is as pervasive as it is false.
I once extended a calling of great responsibility to a man. He accepted, but confided in me some of his doubts and fears. He seemed surprised when I empathized with these fears and explained some of my own struggles, and those of others I knew.
But more than that, I tell this story because I want to share the resolution, hoping it might help someone else.
As I went through my period of darkness and depression, I cast about, searching urgently for something--for peace or guidance--something to help me. I knew I had years ahead in this calling and was desperate for a scrap of light to help me.
I finally found that scrap as I read in Matthew. One night, as the disciples were tossed about in a boat, Jesus walked out on the water to meet them.
Filled with what I assume was exuberance and energy, Peter asked the Savior to bid him come out on the water. The Savior agreed, and Peter jumped out of the boat and walked on the water.
And then Peter saw the waves and felt the wind--he noticed all that was going on, all the reasons he couldn't walk on the water and he began to sink and called out for help. The scriptures record that Jesus immediately stretched forth his hand and caught him.
The next verse says this: "When they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." (Matthew 14:31). To me, that implies that Peter and Jesus--together--walked back at least a few steps to the ship.
Peter's experience, it seems to me, provides a pattern. Jumping out of the boat and running across the waves to the Savior must have been exhilarating--a physical and spiritual high. But then, realty set in and Peter was surrounded by a storm. As he sunk, he cried out for help--which came. And then, together, the Lord and Peter finished the task.
The darkness of my depression felt like going under the waves, causing me to call out. And, as with Peter, I found the Savior's warm rescue. Now, I'm trying to walk with Him as I do my best in my calling. I am convinced that most of us feel, from time to time, that we are walking (or sinking) in stormy seas. The trick is to reach out for that hand that will always be there.
Photo credit: Stained Glass Window--First Baptist Church (Hamburg, Arkansas)
______________________________________________________________________
Braden Bell is a husband, father, teacher, director and author. He blogs about all of these things at bradenbell.com.
********
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 |
0
comments |
Read more...
Word to your Mother
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 |
0
comments |
Read more...
