Call It What It Is

There has been a lot in the "news" and "social media" recently about people and the use of the phrase "having courage".  I find I largely disagree with how courage is being portrayed in our society.
Courage, by definition, is to face something without fear.  Okay, so by that simplistic definition, sure, perhaps these people can qualify as having courage.  However, I think there is a deeper underlying concept that is implied with courage.  This is a difference of being literal versus having contextual understanding of the word.  I believe we are confusing the idea of doing what one wants with doing something for a greater cause and purpose.
Courage, to me, means that a person must face and do something they would prefer NOT to do, but in the interests of others, sacrifices the self for the betterment of the many.  I believe this is illustrated by the duties of a soldier as well as Esther's actions in the Bible.
A soldier demonstrates courage when he must face the enemy and go into active battle.  It isn't that he WANTS to kill the other person/people.  It is that he is defending his country, beliefs, or freedoms of others.  If he WANTED to do this, we would call him a killer, a murderer, and use the law to stop his ability to hurt others.
Esther is an incredible example of courage.  She was married to the king and could have convinced herself that she would survive the extermination of the Jews by remaining silent.  She could have justified her silence, especially as going to the king in the first place could have meant she would be killed before even being given the chance to petition the king.  In the end, her courage led her to do things that would not only protect herself, but protect an entire nation.
Both of these examples show how courage is more than just doing something without fear.  I belief fear is actually overcome, not that it isn't present, when one is exemplifying the attribute of courage.  Courage implies doing something beyond being self-gratifying.  Rather, it demands a greater purpose in those actions.

A Suggestion for Schools and Fundraising

Anyone who knows us knows we like to find good deals. Ok? So what does that have to do with school fundraising? EVERYTHING!! I don't know who the genius was behind getting schools to get kids to sell their astronomically priced wares, but it is a bit ridiculous. The fact that these things come out not just once or twice a year, but over and over again makes me think: these are educators, right? They can see the silliness of all these companies who are PREYING on schools (aka: CHILDREN) to do their marketing for them, right? I mean, there is a plethora of businesses who cater to the schools' needs to raise extra funds (I have a whole other rant about proper use of funds, but that is not the concern here). My message is thus: stop sending the wrapping paper and cookie dough and overpriced bags of candies for the parents to try to help their children sell in order to make a marginal income for the school. Let's get serious. This is NOT the way to do things. There are significantly greater and more meaningful ways for schools to raise funds. I'll list a few examples and explain. Last night we attended my daughter's Open Mic Night where her grade level presented actual student work to the audience. The read poems written by themselves during school in their studies of poetry: something they were already doing anyway! Then they created a night where the parents could come and enjoy seeing their children read their poetry to an audience. Guess what this does? Builds more skills applicable in the world for our children: public speaking and the ability to create and present a project/idea. Next, they provided a simple refreshment of a cookie and a drink. The kids brought around a tip box and collected money. There were tip boxes at the door where it was easy to slip in an untold amount of cash...or even a check if you so desired! It made it fun. It made it real. It made it so we could celebrate the successes the school is accomplishing. I won't disclose the amount of money they made, but I can only imagine it was a larger profit line (dare I use such language in referring to fundraising?) than the aforementioned catalog sales. In discussing this with a friend, she told me about an event another school utilized to raise money for a particular program. The kids all worked to have two works of art to display at an Art Night. Each was fitted with an inexpensive black paper "frame" and displayed. Parents and the community were invited to come to the art show and were allowed to purchase the art. Can you imagine how great this is? Exposure to cultural arts, displaying of accomplishments of the children's work, and the materials were already a part of the school budget, meaning little to no extra cost! Again, the sum of money they were able to raise with this fundraiser was incredible. And, again, it has to be a larger profit line than the catalog sales we have become rooted in. Now, sure, maybe you can overkill it with these kinds of activities, too, but reward the community for being a little more intelligent than blindly sending out those catalogs! And please, stop trying to get the kids to buy into the incentive mind-set. When they are fundraising, they should be rewarded with satisfaction that they accomplished something, not that we are now going to dip into the funds that we just raised to give the kids some silly toy or t-shirt. Teach them that when you raise money for a cause, it is the cause you should be focused on, not the prize that Sally-Jo won because she sold more than Tommy. So, please, schools, take a moment and rethink what you are really teaching children with the fundraising. Be more creative! Let them help! They are way more creative than the rest of us adults, anyway!!

The Pro's and Con's of "More"

We live in a society focused on "more". It's become a dirty word in some people's minds, but is it necessarily evil? This is a concept I've been pondering since a wonderful Sunday School Teacher posed a question in class a few weeks ago. More is neither good nor evil. It is the intention behind the pursuit that is better or more clearly defined this way, not "more" in and of itself. "More" in pursuit of bigger cars, houses and boats when you already have something that fits the necessity of your circumstances. For me, I don't need a boat. I have no use for one, so to have one just because someone else has one is a definition of poor intent. It would be wasteful and selfish. However, let's say that I supplement my family's food by fishing. Perhaps a boat DOES have a necessity for my circumstances and, therefore, makes sense to own one. In similar manner, purchasing a home that is above my need and necessity would be a wasteful use of resources. I have a small family and don't need thousands of square feet. On top of that, neither my husband nor myself have a job that requires entertaining of large groups of people nor any other circumstance wherewith I can conceive the need for a large home. It is also ridiculous for people to brag over how MUCH they paid for a home. That isn't worthy...but, if you were able to get a good deal, that is something interesting to share...we all expect expensive things to be expensive, so putting it out there that you paid the norm is more of shouting to the world that you have more money than you know what to do with. And, I think everyone is fairly familiar with this sense of more not being a good thing. On the other hand, there are many things where the pursuit of more IS good. For instance, wanting to know more about a subject and learning as much as you can concerning it is worthwhile pursuit of "more". Serving others more and doing more good in the world are also good uses of "more". Stretching yourself to more fully follow the Savior Jesus Christ is also an excellent "more" pursuit. Of course, this comes with the sensibility that you don't completely sacrifice good things while pursuing this path. For instance, raising a family is a good thing and you can balance all of that with the pursuit of other worthy causes and desires. You just have to put things in the proper perspective. The best way to do this is to make a list of reasons you think the "more" is beneficial not just to yourself, but to your family, your friends, and your community. Thinking about others is the way we get beyond the selfish "mores" that have plagued our generation and puts things back into perspective. Just think about it: when we are not selfish, we not only improve our communities and our families, but it also knocks out things like debt, clutter, and the like. So, wanting "more" isn't necessarily bad in and of itself. Take time to think about the reasons you do something and make more of the world around you by doing so.

General Conference is My Witness

With General Conference soon approaching, I just had to share the way it saved my iPod. Today has not gone as planned. Too much to do and too little time to get it all accomplished. We started out the day trying to get our oldest off to school as soon as possible. She's a great girl and gets herself up, so that was pretty easy. We walked her to school and then loaded up in the car to drive to pick up our new flooring (yea!!). When we got in, I noticed that there were papers from my console sitting on the passenger seat. I didn't think anything of it because I figured Eric was looking for something and didn't put them back. We went to enter the address into the GPS and couldn't find it. We kept going thinking it had perhaps popped off the window and gotten slid under one of the seats and we just couldn't see it. On with out trip! We picked up our flooring and then realized we didn't bring tarps for them to be wrapped in and it is raining today (okay, it wasn't raining in Wilson when we left, it started raining when we were almost there). No problem, they helped us out with that but we still got a bit of moisture on them We hurried home since we would have to unload 41 boxes of floor before Eric left for work. When I got up to the front door, I noticed a card sticking in it. The police were apparently at the house while we were gone. Now we are wondering what happened, especially since when we called, we got sent to voicemail. So, on with the unloading of the floor. We were nearly done when Eric had to rush to get ready for work. I pulled the last few in and set them up and am hoping they will all get dried out. Wiping them down, blowing a fan on them, turning on the heat: you get the picture. I start the first load of laundry, as this is my major cleaning day. I have a lot to do because we've torn up the house getting different parts going (like the beautiful new floor in the bathroom!) so there are tools laying around, things shoved out of the walkway, sawdust from here to there...a lot. I start organizing things. I hate this part of the renovation: there is no where to keep the tools because we don't have another place. I'm really hoping for a garage this year! My phone rings. Guess who it is? A detective from the local police. They have recovered some property of ours: the GPS. I arrange to go down and claim it but take the time to go through the car to verify if there are any other things missing. YEP! My iPod is gone as well. I don't use it a lot except on long trips. I go down to the police station (which I have never ever done before) and get signed in a wait. Just so you know, the police station is NOTHING like it is portrayed on TV. Nothing. Finally, the detective comes to get me and I go back with her. She shows me the GPS, which they identified as ours due to the "HOME" being set for our address. YEA!! I then ask if there was an iPod also recovered. They say yes but tell me there are no contacts in it. Yep, sounding like mine. I describe the fact that the only music loaded on it is actually General Conference talks. It's a pretty unique identifier. I open the music and sure enough, President Monson's face is smiling back with a talk ready to play. I sign for everything and get to go home with property I probably shouldn't have been able to recover. I didn't have to place a police report because they called me. I am so happy and so grateful. And, the best part is, General Conference was the way I got to retrieve my iPod. I think that's pretty great. Who knew the Lord's warning voice would also be a way to reclaim property?

Why Molly is Good

I grew up with a certain negative connotation to the phrase "Molly Mormon". I, admittedly, thought that to be a Molly Mormon was to be some relapse into the 1950's and without a brain of your own. Fast forward through my teens and twenties and you find me here in the glorious 30's loving all things Molly. For those who don't know, being a "Molly Mormon" is a female in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who applies as many of the Church teachings in her life...not just on Sundays, but in everyday life. People confuse the true devotion to Jesus Christ with being mindless and never thinking for herself. She is tightly wound around these ideals and wants to make sure she fits the stereotype. She would never be caught wearing something outside the fashion of the 1950's, or even perhaps like a prairie girl. ATTENTION WORLD! This is not the true classification of a Molly Mormon. In my view and in my experience, a Molly Mormon is someone who has come to know her Savior, Jesus Christ, in such a way that she would not stray from HIM, not from some worldly definition. She is someone who has struggled through persecution in various forms and decided that the praise of man is beneath the approval of God the Father. She seeks to be the woman she was divinely appointed to become and not the one the world would have her settle to be "satisfied" with. I can see how I am classified as a Molly Mormon. What people don't understand are all the things that are hidden behind the exterior that have influenced me to be who I am. I haven't had a perfect life, although it has been easier than some. Strangely enough, those who have really gone through serious trials are never the ones to nay-say this approach to life. It is always those who have had similar trials to mine. I think this happens because we tend to compare ourselves to one another: a way that we have been taught to view and understand the world. Guess what, world? We don't have to compare ourselves with anyone else! The greatest thing is to work on ourselves UNRELATED to how others view us. We should only be concerned with how God views us. Gaining that self-confidence is the key indicator for self-satisfaction and enjoyment of life. How do you gain that self-confidence? Well, it surely does not come easily. There will be tests and trials, in God's words, we will be "proven herewith" to see what we will choose. It is each moment that carries us either closer to God or further from Him. Those who denounce others for their dedication to the most important being will find heartache and never be completely fulfilled. I proudly wear the title of being Molly Mormon. I strive to improve myself and to put myself in line with the teachings, all of the teachings, of Jesus Christ. The further instruction given through His Prophet today enables me to be better fortified from the adversary. I will "be still and know" God because I'm practicing it daily. I'm not perfect, but I'm trying to improve. The road to perfecting is much more important to this life than being, so I try not to convey the false idea that I think I am perfect, because I am not. However, I will repent and keep trying to be better because I have had the experience of joy and the removal of pain in my life through the process of repentance and utilizing the Lord's Atonement in my behalf. It is okay. No, it is good to choose a side and be safely found therein. In fact, John records in Revelations, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." This scripture clearly states that we HAVE to choose a side. We can't walk in the middle. As the great Mr. Miyagi said, "Walk right side, safe. Walk left side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later [makes squish gesture] get squish just like grape." If a karate master can explain it so simply, why can't we get it. There is no gray in the gospel. There is the pathway to Christ which will have us falling and scraping our knees, but as long as we are trying, we are not in the gray area. We only fool ourselves when we think we can be of the world and of God. You cannot serve two masters. You must choose. Only one tries to suggest that you can do both and he is NOT the one you should believe. He is the great deceiver and will leave you alone in the end. Follow Christ. Choose Him alone and you will have more joy and happiness and an eternity of such.

Count Your Blessings

"Count your many blessings name them one by one...and it will surprise you what the Lord has done..." I had to write this tonight because I have been blessed with amazing friends and new "non-blood" family that I just kind of get overwhelmed with love...a LOT! We love getting to spend time with friends and love sharing meals, but it has been even more meaningful as we renovate this house. Any time we could possibly, maybe even a little bit need something, someone is inviting us over or helping us fix some "little" thing that has huge benefits. So, last Saturday one of these sweet families invited us over for breakfast and we ended up invading them all day...including 3 hours of basketball (heaven!) and a special trip for Emily to go big-girl shopping (I'll have to post about that separately). Other dinners and invites have helped us get through these cold days (we don't have central heating...it's a room by room situation currently). Then, the cold got the best of us. Our pipes froze. Another one of these family-friends to the rescue! I figured we might be without water for a few days but no biggie...people have to endure more than that. Not even 30 minutes after I mentioned offhandedly our situation and we had an offer for help. He got the pipes thawed out and good to go in less than four hours! AMAZING! And then, there are these amazing youth I get to associate with and we get to teach and play basketball (one of my former loves). I just can't believe how much the Lord gives me in ways that are perhaps seen as "small" or "insignificant" or even not the most important thing, but the Lord knows I love it or we would benefit and He shares through these kind people. I just can't even keep up on all the many blessings the Lord gives us, but I am counting my many blessings yet again, tonight. Thank you all who have always been by my side in all the various ways. We love you!!

Southern Snow

We were the recipients of some snow this week. We were all excited and happy to see it falling, but even more excited that we got enough to actually play in!! Of course, this also revealed that my children have not had the experience frequently enough to remember what to do in it. As you can see from the pictures, the idea was there but the execution was a bit off. hahahah. We laughed and had a good time. Snow is much more fun with children around.