Yep, It's Us

Over Thanksgiving, while the whole fam damily was here, I had Dear Friend Amy come over and take a few family photos for us.  Here is what they came out like:

Not a tiny bit of Photoshop here.  It is really us.  I know.  A little Photoshop might be a good idea.

Change of Attitude?

Today my Primary teaching partner and I will meet and "pow-wow" about our first lesson with our new class.  I sent the 6 little girls an "invitation" to join our class on Sunday and a message that we look forward to learning together with them.  I have created a "getting to know you" sheet for each of them to take home and fill out so we know their favorite treats, talents, goals, and struggles and with that knowledge help them understand and know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The lesson itself isn't a difficult one.  We are teaching about Joseph Smith's first vision and what he learned about our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus.  Since the whole theme of Primary this year is "I am a Child of God" this is a pretty good starting point.

I remember learning about the First Vision in my seminary class.  I must have been a junior or senior in high school and, while I knew the story and it's importance before, I never had the Spirit confirm it's reality to me like it did that day.  I vividly remember sitting in the classroom, have just re-read the verses in the Joseph Smith history section of the Pearl of Great Price and listening to our wonderful teacher--I believe it was Brother Dickson at the time--bear a sweet simple testimony that he knew what Joseph said was true.  Someone had prayed that morning to begin class that we'd have the Spirit of the Lord there with us to teach us and testify to us.  Like a huge wave of warm water, the Spirit washed over me as Brother Dickson testified to our class.  I knew it too.  I had always known it, but now the Spirit confirmed that belief and made it knowledge.  It was a powerful class period.  And that feeling has stayed with me as I've grown up.  That piece of testimony is the foundational block of the the rest of my faith, belief and knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I admit that when this new calling came, I wasn't thrilled with it.  I really didn't like that first assignment in Primary I had with Genius Golfer the first year we were married.  It was devastatingly distracting and, besides the birth-control factor, did little for my attitude about Primary.  The class was full of a bunch of cute-when-silent-and-still hoodlum-monkeys who were never still not silent.  I don't remember much from that year except the feeling of disliking my time there.

The other 25+ years of adulthood--if you can call it that--I have spent either in Relief Society or Young Women, both places I feel I have some acumen and talent.  I love to teach but prefer to lead discussions and involve the women--old and young--that I teach.  I feel I have been blessed with some leadership skills and have been able to develop those talents in presidencies in both other auxiliaries.  Primary children don't learn the same way as adults--both older and younger sets.  And I feel I have no natural skill set to pull out of my spiritual toolbox with this new assignment.  And maybe that is why I have been so hesitant.

But my feeling is shifting, ever so much, as I inch nearer to our first day of "our" new class.  My teaching partner, Cassie, and I are developing a personal relationship, to which I am really looking forward.  The lesson this week has reminded me of my own testimony development all those years ago in seminary.  And I feel more excited about our little group of junior-aged young women.

From my YW experience, I know that God has saved His most valiant and faithful children to come to earth at this time--to prepare for Christ's second coming.  It can't be long now,considering the messed up world we live in, but these kids have spend their premortal lives learning spiritually all that they will need.  We have the challenge of teaching them, and then keeping up with them.  This year I will just get  moved up in the line of teaching and guiding a little earlier than the 12-18 year old spot.  When I think of it like that, I feel more excited about it overall.

Change isn't easy for me, as it isn't for many people.  But I know this is Christ's church on the earth today and this Gospel is TRUE.  I know it,I live it and I love it.  But wish me luck, just the same.

Smart Parent!

I just read this this morning...and I wish I would have done this when the kids first got phones.  I may STILL do this as a Family Home Evening lesson.  It is THAT good:

Greg Hoffman is a kid who just got an iPhone from his parents. His mom, Janell Hoffman, wrote these [slightly edited] rules for its use:

1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren't I the greatest?
2. I will always know the password.
3. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads "Mom" or "Dad". Not ever.
4. Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30pm every school night & every weekend night at 9:00pm. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30am. If you would not make a call to someone's land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.
5. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It's a life skill.
6. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs.
7. Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay the hell out of the crossfire.
8-9. Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.
10. No porn.
11. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.
12. Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else's private parts. Don't laugh. Someday you will be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you. And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear -- including a bad reputation.
13. Don't take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory for eternity.
14. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO -- fear of missing out.
15. Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.
16. Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then.
17. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder, without googling.
18. You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You & I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.

Really?!

I have unplugged this weekend, as I mentioned yesterday.  But this morning I perked up a bit when I heard the "Fiscal Cliff" legislation was voted on and passed.  Of course, this wasn't the end-all-be-all compromise that was really needed to solve anything.  It was just an effort to kick the problem a little further into the future.

And the really upsetting thing for me, at least, is that the entire delegation from my state voted against it--except the one guy that isn't going to be running for re-election.  REALLY?!  Are we really that partisan?  Apparently that is the typical case for politicians around here.  That is unfortunate.

Whatever happened to the statesmen or stateswomen who serve in Washington to do their civil duty and serve The People?  Apparently they have gone the way of Muscle Cars and dinosaurs.  Too bad.  We, The People, could really use those folks right about now.

Happy New Year!

2012 has come and gone...and 2013 is upon us.  I unplugged this weekend and wasn't on the computer so there was no update yesterday.  But I can tell you I was supposed to chaperone a 9-stake dance last night, but as 9 o'clock came--when the dance was supposed to start--there were 24 adults milling about and only about 8 kids there, I volunteered to go home.  I hope it picked up for those that stayed.

I came home to find Genius Golfer in bed watching a movie, asleep.  So I restarted the movie to try to watch with him, and after an hour he growled that it was too loud.  So the movie when off and I went to bed about 10:30.  We are party animals.  NOT.

The Girl went with her friends to two different dances--including the one I was supposed to work.  They must have had enough of a good time to be a little loopy.  The Boy watched TV and played video games home by himself, after a full day of snowboarding.

Here's hoping your NYE was more exciting than ours, and that 2013 will bring happiness and success as you do what is right!

Sunday Video