Hope

"Hope is a gift of the Spirit. It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power or His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior. This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment, and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope... Hope is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God's laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future. It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverence." - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I have been reading conference talks and I read this one today. I actually read it right before I watched the political shows I like to watch. It was a great prelude because President Uchtdorf's words put everything back into the right perspective. Despite all that is going on in our world, we can still have hope - hope in Christ, His promises, and the blessings waiting for us. Above all, because of Christ and His gospel, we can always find peace, happiness, and hope because we know that there is so much more than the troubles of this world. I feel so truly peaceful when I read over this quote because I know that the most important thing I can do right now is actively maintain my hope in Christ, and that everything will be okay. And that makes me very happy.

The itch...

I know I can't claim Maine as home, having only lived there for four years, but it has always stayed with me and I often find myself thinking about it, daydreaming about being there. My parents bought a book about Maine while we were there, and I always remember the quotes inside that spoke about carrying Maine with you even when you leave and longing to return. That is me. I love everything about Maine.

So, as I said, I think about Maine often. Eventually, that thinking leads to a full-on itch - a definite need to get back. That's where I am at. I have the itch. It has been five years since I was there last, and I cannot wait to get back. I am so excited to show Mike my favorite places; to watch my boys run on the beach; to find a farm and pick some strawberries; and to feel that happy, simple lifestyle that is Maine. So, we'll see how long I can hold out. If any of you are lucky enough to take a great vacation this summer, might I recommend Maine? One warning though - once you go, you'll have get back. You won't forget it, I promise you that.

Ah, yes

"In righteousness there is great simplicity. In every case that confronts us in life there is either a right way or a wrong way to proceed. If we choose the right way, we are sustained in our actions by the principles of righteousness, in the which there is power from the heavens." - Elder William R. Bradford, Nov. 1999 Ensign, quoted by Elder L. Tom Perry, Nov. 2008 Ensign

I love this quote (not a surprise for those who know me...). Maybe it is because I see things, important doctrinal things, as very black and white. But, in making many decisions I think it is a great blessing to know that there is a right and wrong and we just need to align ourselves with the right. And, I think it is an even bigger blessing to know what the right is - to have prophets, apostles, scriptures and personal prayer as guides in doing so.

A happy medium...

So, I have been getting into politics more and more. What I mean, I guess, is that I have been watching the news, political programs, and the like a whole lot. I really feel passionately about what I believe politically, and I feel like my ideas have become better defined. The downfall is that, because I do feel so strongly about it all, it tends to all get more negative than I want it to.

As I was watching one of my favorite political shows, Glenn Beck, I flipped to the history channel to see what was on. There was a show on about the Book of Revelation and what I felt was completely different. What I feel even more passionately about is my spiritual beliefs. There is nothing stronger for me, especially because it encompasses my family. I wondered if I should just focus on the spiritual.

But then I realized that that is not what we are supposed to do. We are to be involved in our communities, governments, and societies. The trick is figuring out how to do it in a non-combative, effective, positive way. So that is what I need to do, find the happy medium between standing up for something I strongly believe in, but doing it calmly. Any suggestions?

A Loving God

"May I declare to you and all others who will hear me that one of the tragedies of our day is that the true God is not known. Tragically, contemporary Christianity has inherited the view of a capricious, imperious, and especially angry God whose primary duty is to frighten little children and add suffering to the lives of already staggering adults. May I unequivocally and unilaterally cry out against that sacrilegious and demeaning view of a loving and compassionate Father in Heaven. I wonder if the Savior may not have known, even in His mortal years, that this would happen, thus His plea for the world to know the true God, the fatherly God, the forgiving and redeeming and benevolent God. To bring that understanding was one of the reasons Christ came to the earth.

"So feeding the hungry, healing the sick, rebuking cruelty, pleading for faith—and hope and charity—this was Christ showing us the way of the Father, He who is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, long-suffering and full of goodness.” In His life and especially in His death, Christ was declaring, “This is God’s compassion I am showing you, as well as my own.” It is the perfect Son’s manifestation of the perfect Father’s care. In Their mutual suffering and shared sorrow for the sins and heartaches of the rest of us, we see ultimate meaning in the declaration: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16–17).

"I bear personal witness this day of a living, loving God, who knows our names, hears and answers prayers, and cherishes us eternally as His children. I testify that there is no spiteful or malicious motive in Him. I testify that all He does (He who never sleeps nor slumbers) is to seek for ways to bless us, to help us, and to save us. I pray that you will believe that and embrace it. I pray that you will strive to see the wonder and majesty of heaven’s concern and compassion for us."

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, BYU Women's Conference, 2007

A big pat on the back to you women

Have you ever noticed how acceptable all the follies and foibles of being a man is, but how unacceptable a woman's are. You know, "boys will be boys" followed by a wink and a pat on the back. Or what about, "That's a man" followed by another pat on the back. Why do they always do that anyway? I remember sitting in a fireside for Relief Society in one of my singles wards at BYU talking about this very thing. The speaker, who was a marriage and family counselor, was telling us that men just don't like to talk, so we shouldn't expect much when we got married. Why couldn't he, instead, tell the men that women need to talk and so they should start working on their communication skills? Instead, the world pushes women to become like men. To lay aside their natural ability to be emotional - in a good way, to sympathize, nurture, love. Anyway, my point is that I love being a woman, follies, foibles and all. I know I have written about this before, but I do. We get to be mothers. We nurture, guide and mold our children, and in return become the center or their sweet worlds. I would take that over any high power, high paying job. We get to experience the joy of creating a happy home, a good meal, or a beautiful project. We can multitask!
I firmly believe that men and women were created differently so that we could complement each other in our lives and our families. I am glad that men have the responsibilities and strengths they do because we need them. I think it is important, on the flip side, that the world recognize the power and importance women hold in their responsibilites and strengths too, because it is immense. This is not a "I am woman hear me roar" post, but an "I am woman, watch me live" post. I hope the world learns to find joy in womanhood, to appreciate women for all they do...as women.

All giddy inside.

It is a good thing I have boys. I have learned that there are a couple things that make me all giddy inside that, in general, boys appreciate more than girls.

1. I love hot wheels. I can't get enough of them. Mike keeps joking that I am obsessed, but I think it might be true. I can't pass a display of them and not stop to look at each one. I blame my dad - he has always been into cars, and I guess it rubbed off...

2. I get all giddy inside when I see airplanes flying up close. Seriously, giddy. We live pretty close to the airport here, so most places we go, we see them. My boys love them too. So, we drove out to the airport today to watch them land. It was quite the sight - a row full of middle aged men and then me in my minivan. It was great though. We sat there, snacking on crackers, watching the planes land every five minutes. We are going to do this often.

Oh Saturday...

Observations from today:

1 - I adore playing music in a group. Rehearsal is so great and it always ends too soon. The conductor keeps thanking us for the sacrifice of our time to be there but I always want to stand up and thank her for letting me enjoy something I love again and thereby reclaim a little bit of me.
2 - I must eat lunch. I cannot skip a meal...I'm wondering if I have low blood sugar. I got such a bad headache because I decided to stay out after rehearsal and therefore didn't eat. It is tragic, but I guess I can make the sacrifice of eating a little more... When I took the glucose test when I was pregnant with Evan, they thought I was fasting because my blood sugar was so low. They told me to eat a lot of ice cream. It was the best advice from a doctor's office I had ever received.
3 - I always think at the end of day I wished I had been more patient with the boys. Well, I realized that I can do that today...because I was gone most of the day. That certainly makes it easier to be patient. However, as I was driving to rehearsal this morning, I was already missing them. Pathetic? Perhaps. As Mike says, I couldn't handle not being the stay-at-home parent.
4 - I am really close to having Evan weaned. He is fine when I am not around, so the tricky time is going to be nap time when I am here. But, he is done with his bed time feeding. Woohoo! I think he knows that something is going on, that I am trying to take it away from him. Several times during the day now he comes up to me screaming and pulling on my shirt. He is going through withdrawl...

Quote

"Why did [early pioneer women] do this? They did it because the fire of their faith burned in their souls. These remarkable women were not seeking fine clothing, greater leisure, large earthly mansions, or more possessions. Like you, they had a conviction and a testimony that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ was true and that the Lord needed them to do their part in establishing His kingdom on the earth. Their pursuit of personal righteousness was a daily effort to become more like the Savior through repentance, scripture study, prayer, obedience to commandments, and through seeking after everything ‘virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.’” – Julie B. Beck, November 2008 Ensign

Observations

I did a lot today. My body aches in agreement. But it is a happy feeling, to know that I have accomplished much. And along my day I made a few observations:

1 - Joanns is great for me, not so great for the boys. And, a spool of thread makes for a mighty fine chew toy apparently.
2 - I wish wish wish I could sew. Someday I will learn but for now I'm glad my mom is willing to accept my fabric and project ideas. Oh, so many things I want to make...
3 - There is something very satisfying about pulling weed and root out of the ground. Squatting for an hour while doing that, not so satisfying.
4 - On days when Mike is gone until after the boys go to bed, it is not a good idea to pull weeds while they nap...I'm tired!
5 - The time between dinner and bath goes a lot faster when it is still light outside.
6 - My two year-old is incapable of listening.
7 - I read advice that you should do as many of your household chores while your kids are awake so that you can have you time when they are asleep. I have to say that that is some of the best advice I have seen. I love having the dishes done right after dinner instead of coming down after putting the boys to bed to a messy kitchen.
8 - Evan can eat...a lot. And, he has enough teeth to do so. I realized today that he isn't a baby that gums all his food. I can give him bigger pieces of food and food that requires teeth...my baby is not so much a baby any more!
9 - I need another leash, for Evan. He kept running away from me today. He used to stay right by me because he was attached to me emotionally and therefore physically. I guess he's getting braver. But with two little boys in a store, measures must be taken...
10 - I love being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Okay, I already knew that, but I read this on lds.org today in a press release and it just made me feel all happy:

Latter-day Saints should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness. Not only is this the model that Jesus Christ taught and demonstrated in his own life, but it also reflects the reality of the strength and maturity of Church members today. As someone recently said, “This isn’t 1830, and there aren’t just six of us anymore.” In other words, with a global membership of thirteen and a half million there is no need to feel defensive when the Church is moving forward so rapidly. The Church’s strength is in its faithful members in 170-plus countries, and there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church... If the Church allowed critics and opponents to choose the ground on which its battles are fought, it would risk being distracted from the focus and mission it has pursued successfully for nearly 180 years. Instead, the Church itself will determine its own course as it continues to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

That's it! I am off to put my boys to bed and rest my body!

And I quote...

I don't know if it is my history in debate or just something inherent in me, but I love quotes. Love them, love them, love them. So I thought that on the nights that I don't really have much to say or time to sit down and do a full post I will just post a quote I came across and liked. So, here we go.

“Virtue is a word we don’t hear often in today’s society, but the Latin root word virtus means strength. Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and inner strength. They are confident because they are worthy to receive and be guided by the Holy Ghost. President Monson has counseled: 'You be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness - and what a glorious feeling it is to know that you stand in your appointed place clean and with the confidence that you are worthy to do so.’” – Elaine S. Dalton, November 2008 Ensign

The time has come...

I love breastfeeding. I love the time it gives me to bond with my baby. I love knowing that I am giving my baby what he needs. I love providing for him. That isn't to say that I have loved everything about it...especially the first few weeks. But I have truly loved nursing Evan.
I weaned Jordan fully when he was 13 months old and I now find Evan at that same age. He, however, isn't too interested in weaning those last two feedings, before nap and bed time. And because I really don't mind nursing I have let it go for now. But, last night I realized the time has come to wean him. He said "thanks" after he nursed.

The importance of being full...

One of the best times of the day in our house is right after dinner. The boys, especially Evan, are so much happier when they have had a lot to eat. In fact, if I fed them more during the day maybe they would be less demanding. Oh, they already eat all day as it is! They are just really active I suppose.

But I was thinking as I watched them eat dinner how happy it makes me to see them eat and enjoy a meal I make for them. It is so satisfying to know that I am meeting that need for them... and that they like it.

As an addendum to my post about finding out how to make my days easier, I have recently discovered that eating enough food myself is also very important. I'm eating, don't worry, but I think that I need to eat more throughout the day to keep up with their energy!

Rising to the occasion

You know how I said I was easing myself back into politics? Well I have been watching, reading and thinking a lot about it lately. I am so proud to be a conservative. Here are a few thoughts I have had.
I was watching a speech Rush Limbaugh gave to the Conservative Political Action Committee and he was talking about the fundamental beliefs of conservatives and how they differ from liberals. (I'm not meaning for this to be a contentious post, so bear with me...) One thing he talked about was how instead of tearing down those at the top to make things more equitable, we should bring up those on the bottom. (I have A LOT of thoughts about this, but I'll save them unless anyone wants to know...) One thing I love about conservative beliefs is that I think they are fundamentally true and therefore translate to other aspects of life.
While the boys nap, if they actually nap, I watch Glenn Beck. I really like his ideas and agree with most of his viewpoints. One day on his show he talked about the youth and it relates very well to this idea. First he talked about a survey that was conducted showing that a majority of college freshmen believe they should receive a B in their classes just for showing up. They went on to talk about how awards are given to every one for something now so that the kids don't have to have the feeling of seeing someone else get praised and when they are not themselves. I was thinking about how this distroys a child's motivation to discipline themselves and learn to succeed. Basically, they don't need to because they will be praised either way. I am not saying that we should be hard on our kids. We, of course, should praise them as they try to succeed, whether or not they do and encourage them to keep trying so they will. But taking away the reward for succeeding and making it the same for those who don't will only bring people down instead of lifting others up to succeed.
I think this even applies to spiritual matters. We know that we should try to lift those around us.
I really hope that we as a country, a community and family can try to lift those around us, encourage everyone to do their best and succeed at what they can instead of punishing and discouraging those who do.