I hear LDS people say things like "I can't watch rated-"R" movies," and then leave the reason to be that the "church" doesn't let us. Or, I've had non-member friends comment in a similar manner. I'd just like first, to correct this misnomer. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints doesn't BAN anything. The whole concept of being a LDS revolves around being given good and sound counsel and then CHOOSING what to do with that counsel. The actual advice as given by the leadership of the Church is "Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable." (For the Strength of Youth)
I think over the course of my lifetime, it has become easier to classify what is acceptable and what is not as an adult. However, I have found that there are movies that I thought were okay and later found that my memory of that movie appears greatly different from the perspective as "mother". So, I am currently sorting and classifying our "G" and "PG" films so I can teach my children by example that there are things that are not suitable to watch even when the rating appears "appropriate".
There are websites out there to assist parents in this discussion, such as Common Sense Media. However, I think that simply borrowing someone else's views and opinions can be just as damaging as relying solely on the ratings marked on the box. I encourage parents to view and come to their own conclusions before allowing their children to watch movies. Children are such sponges!
12 November 2009
08 November 2009
Substitution, Please!
I volunteered to make cookies for a church activity that was held tonight. Part of the yumminess of cookies is for them to be fresh baked, so I set myself an alarm to start baking with enough time to get cooled cookies to church. Things were going well, especially since both of my girls were napping. After mixing most of the ingredients together, I realized that I was an egg short of the recipe requirements. Uh-oh! It's Sunday, so there is no going to the store to purchase more eggs. I quickly call a couple of neighbors, but don't reach anyone. So, what would any desperate girl do?
Call Mom. Sure enough, Mom had all the answers! She gave me a couple of choices, but the one I went with was flax seed. Seriously? Flax seed can replace an egg? Doesn't that seem unlikely? Well, it did and it was beautiful! No one would even know my substitution story, but I just had to rave about this new discovery, BECAUSE, you can actually store flax seed whereas eventually, eggs DO go bad and there aren't many things that are worse than the smell of a bad egg.
So, tonight, I pay tribute to my Mom who knows everything and to the power of flax seed.
Call Mom. Sure enough, Mom had all the answers! She gave me a couple of choices, but the one I went with was flax seed. Seriously? Flax seed can replace an egg? Doesn't that seem unlikely? Well, it did and it was beautiful! No one would even know my substitution story, but I just had to rave about this new discovery, BECAUSE, you can actually store flax seed whereas eventually, eggs DO go bad and there aren't many things that are worse than the smell of a bad egg.
So, tonight, I pay tribute to my Mom who knows everything and to the power of flax seed.
06 November 2009
Stares in the Grocery Store
No, my kids weren't misbehaving. No, I didn't go in my pajamas. I just experienced great amounts of incredulity from the cashier and the two bagger boys assisting me today at Kroger. It was pretty funny from my standpoint.
I don't like shopping. It's one of my least favorite things to do, but it must be done. So, I try to do as much at one time as possible. This means that when I go grocery shopping, I am NEVER thinking about the week. I am ALWAYS thinking long-term and "in bulk" (not necessarily bulk items but bulk in quantity).
Today, I just couldn't pass up the sales on canned goods. I've been paying attention to prices and they FINALLY had cans of veggies for fifty cents a piece. As I pull the annoying uncooperative "car" cart up to the conveyor belt, I begin unloading and not thinking anything more than, "Man, glad I came shopping today!" A bagger boy approached me and asked if I'd like help. SURE! Let your young manly back bend over and pull them out for me! Of course, after about 10 cans, I noticed he shot the cashier a look and she raised her eyes back at him. I know they were thinking, "Man, this lady is CRAZY! What does she need all these cans for?" To prove my point, when the poor boy completed his task, he turned to me and said, "Looks like you'll be good for a year." Smiling at him, I replied, "That's the idea!"
Now, there is no way that what I bought truly would last us a year, but it did bring our food storage back up to where it should be. It was a good thing to have the supply when money was short awhile back. It's even better now that we can replace it all. Isn't modern revelation wonderful!
I don't like shopping. It's one of my least favorite things to do, but it must be done. So, I try to do as much at one time as possible. This means that when I go grocery shopping, I am NEVER thinking about the week. I am ALWAYS thinking long-term and "in bulk" (not necessarily bulk items but bulk in quantity).
Today, I just couldn't pass up the sales on canned goods. I've been paying attention to prices and they FINALLY had cans of veggies for fifty cents a piece. As I pull the annoying uncooperative "car" cart up to the conveyor belt, I begin unloading and not thinking anything more than, "Man, glad I came shopping today!" A bagger boy approached me and asked if I'd like help. SURE! Let your young manly back bend over and pull them out for me! Of course, after about 10 cans, I noticed he shot the cashier a look and she raised her eyes back at him. I know they were thinking, "Man, this lady is CRAZY! What does she need all these cans for?" To prove my point, when the poor boy completed his task, he turned to me and said, "Looks like you'll be good for a year." Smiling at him, I replied, "That's the idea!"
Now, there is no way that what I bought truly would last us a year, but it did bring our food storage back up to where it should be. It was a good thing to have the supply when money was short awhile back. It's even better now that we can replace it all. Isn't modern revelation wonderful!
05 November 2009
White Towel
We aren't rich and fancy. We aren't melodramatic (at least, I don't think we are). Yet there is something almost "uppity" in Emily's requests for a "white towel" to clean up messes. All items used to clean messes are referred to as such: a napkin, a tissue, toilet paper, bath towel, hand towel, whatever. It is always called a "white towel". For some reason the image evokes the same illusion of prosperity defined by the white telephone movies of yesteryear. And, that's all it would be: an illusion! haha
03 November 2009
What Do You Get....
What do you get when you combine 2 empty diaper boxes, 4 toilet paper rolls, some elastic, 6 old CD's, packing tape, sewing needle and thread, a couple cans of spray paint and Eric's brain?
A Wall-E costume made out of recycled items!!
This was so fun to watch Eric make and to see Emily trick-or-treating in it (although, she couldn't maneuver steps very easily)! It was a blast...even if I didn't take pictures to immortalize the event. The whole costume only cost about $4...what we had to pay for spray paint. Not too shabby for four bucks!
A Wall-E costume made out of recycled items!!
This was so fun to watch Eric make and to see Emily trick-or-treating in it (although, she couldn't maneuver steps very easily)! It was a blast...even if I didn't take pictures to immortalize the event. The whole costume only cost about $4...what we had to pay for spray paint. Not too shabby for four bucks!
His Image
On my mission, I encountered a woman in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, who shared her conversion story with us. She said that when she opened the door to the missionaries, one of the elders was different. She said that his countenance glowed and that she truly felt he was a messenger from God. I have tried to have that same image in my countenance since that day. It is a constant struggle because it means that my actions need to be the same as if Christ were performing these tasks and daily works. It also means that it cannot just come from actions. It must begin in the heart. If I forget my goal, I can get upset and frustrated. When I truly am trying to be like Jesus, I must have a pure heart focused on doing what is right and for the correct reason.
I reflect upon this again as I am reading Uncle Tom's Cabin. There is a lot to ponder religiously as you read this novel of Harriet Beecher Stowe. In the section I am currently reading, St. Clare, a Southern slave owner, is pontificating on the evils embodied in slavery, and also in himself. He comments upon his twin brother and mentions that this brother is exactly like their father, not just in appearance, but also in personality. In fact, he states, "My brother was begotten in his image." I had never considered the scripture "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:27) in this way. Of course, I have always been of the opinion and understanding that man is in the appearance of God. I just never applied "image" to pertaining to our personalities, desires, actions, and hearts...those things that truly account for who we are.
This understanding brings greater light and understanding to the reason we are taught to discipline ourselves and become master over our will and desires. We know we are to follow the commandments and "be good" because God has commanded this of us. I just never thought about us actually changing that nature from the pureness we began with. This gives me more appreciation for the true gospel of Jesus Christ, as there is no "original sin" and that children ARE born innocent and completely sinless. We are born into mortality to gain a body, and we remain alive in Christ until we become accountable for our actions and can actually commit sin (see Moroni 8). Committing sin is not possible for infants and young children, which is why they feel so pure and innocent: they are still in possession of the image of God.
I reflect upon this again as I am reading Uncle Tom's Cabin. There is a lot to ponder religiously as you read this novel of Harriet Beecher Stowe. In the section I am currently reading, St. Clare, a Southern slave owner, is pontificating on the evils embodied in slavery, and also in himself. He comments upon his twin brother and mentions that this brother is exactly like their father, not just in appearance, but also in personality. In fact, he states, "My brother was begotten in his image." I had never considered the scripture "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:27) in this way. Of course, I have always been of the opinion and understanding that man is in the appearance of God. I just never applied "image" to pertaining to our personalities, desires, actions, and hearts...those things that truly account for who we are.
This understanding brings greater light and understanding to the reason we are taught to discipline ourselves and become master over our will and desires. We know we are to follow the commandments and "be good" because God has commanded this of us. I just never thought about us actually changing that nature from the pureness we began with. This gives me more appreciation for the true gospel of Jesus Christ, as there is no "original sin" and that children ARE born innocent and completely sinless. We are born into mortality to gain a body, and we remain alive in Christ until we become accountable for our actions and can actually commit sin (see Moroni 8). Committing sin is not possible for infants and young children, which is why they feel so pure and innocent: they are still in possession of the image of God.
01 November 2009
Talents and Responsibility
For the past few months, the concept of "talents" has been on my mind and I have definitely been pondering talents and the reason God's gives an individual such gifts. After conversing with my husband over different matters, an epiphany came to me concerning The Parable of the Talents. I shared similar thoughts with my church congregation today and felt that I should also share with you, my friends.
God gives us all of our gifts and abilities. One of the greatest spiritual gifts we are given is the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift is only given after an individual promises God to obey and follow Him by entering the waters of baptism. This gift is God's part of the baptismal covenant. In like manner, the parable references a man "calling his own servants". Thus, the Lord has called his servants and those who have heard and covenanted are then given gifts. Even the "lowest" servant is given a "talent" which we will refer to as the gift of the Holy Ghost. This lowest of servants hid away this gift by not sharing his knowledge, understanding and experiences of the Gospel and eventually, even that was taken from him as he truly did not love the Lord.
As we develop our relationship with the Lord through the gift of the Holy Ghost, we gain the ability to stand before him and have our "confidence wax strong in the presence of the Lord." As our confidence grows, so does our willingness to gain skills and talents; to do better and help those around us. At no point in time are we allowed to hid away our talents. They are only given to us to build the kingdom of God; not to glorify ourselves, but to glorify Him who gave the gift.
Each one of us has a responsibility to God and toward our fellow man to seek out the gifts God desires to give us and find the way to develop the gifts and build the kingdom of God upon the earth.
God gives us all of our gifts and abilities. One of the greatest spiritual gifts we are given is the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift is only given after an individual promises God to obey and follow Him by entering the waters of baptism. This gift is God's part of the baptismal covenant. In like manner, the parable references a man "calling his own servants". Thus, the Lord has called his servants and those who have heard and covenanted are then given gifts. Even the "lowest" servant is given a "talent" which we will refer to as the gift of the Holy Ghost. This lowest of servants hid away this gift by not sharing his knowledge, understanding and experiences of the Gospel and eventually, even that was taken from him as he truly did not love the Lord.
As we develop our relationship with the Lord through the gift of the Holy Ghost, we gain the ability to stand before him and have our "confidence wax strong in the presence of the Lord." As our confidence grows, so does our willingness to gain skills and talents; to do better and help those around us. At no point in time are we allowed to hid away our talents. They are only given to us to build the kingdom of God; not to glorify ourselves, but to glorify Him who gave the gift.
Each one of us has a responsibility to God and toward our fellow man to seek out the gifts God desires to give us and find the way to develop the gifts and build the kingdom of God upon the earth.
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