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Friday, December 16, 2011

I want to read this.

I am posting this because I want to read it but cant seem to find time to sit at the computer and do so. Maybe you might also be interested. :) Hugs and Merry Christmas all.
HOMESCHOOL AND HOUSEWORK!
by Tamara Eaton
Does the combination of homeschool and housework seem like oil and water--they just don't mix? It used to seem like we were either successful in homeschooling or housework but never both in the same day. It's easier now-- our kids are older, we have a good system and most importantly-- lower standards! We would never make the cover of "Better Homes and Gardens" but at times we could qualify for "Cluttered Homes and Jungles"!
Here are some tips that have worked for our family:
SIMPLIFY & DECLUTTER!
  • Make a list of everything that needs to be done then work toward your goal. Don't despair over the things still undone but know you'll get to it eventually. In the meantime, work at maintaining what you've already accomplished so it doesn't get so cluttered again.
  • Be RUTHLESS--get rid of things you don't use or need! Organize into three boxes: Throw away, Give away, and Put away.
  • Invest in inexpensive storage containers for things you must keep. We purchased 19 gallon rectangle storage boxes with lids for $5 each from K-Mart and use them for to store homeschool supplies, library books (we could qualify as a branch of our public library with all the books we check out!), clothes, "treasures", legos, toys, etc.
  • Don't try to do too much all at once. Focus on one area at a time and set reasonable goals. Perhaps one room a week? Or one closet a week? This way the rest of your routine doesn't suffer as much and you're not totally exhausted.
  • Limit "knickknacks" and go for clear spaces to make cleaning easier. We already have plenty of "educational clutter" to "decorate" our homes!
  • Take 15-30 minutes to do some of those "dirty jobs" that you've been putting off for ages. Clean one window, or one drawer. Then stop and get back to the normal routine.
OUR DAILY ROUTINE:
In earlier years when my children were too young to help out much around the house, I neatened up the house before bedtime each evening. That helped us get off to a better start the next morning. After breakfast I would get them started playing while I quickly did the morning chores. Afterwards, my day was free to play with them, teach them, care for them and enjoy them. I loved it! (Although it certainly had its shares of frustrations at times!) I stayed home a lot, which was my main secret for success.
Now that my children are older, they have regular kitchen chores which don't change except two or three times a year so it's easy for everyone to know what is expected. I can also tell at a glance who has done his job--no more confusion about which child is responsible for each chore. Then each child picks a part of the family room to clean up quickly. I neaten up the bathrooms, living room, master bedroom and help the youngest two clean up their room.
We try to have 9 AM as our deadline each morning to have all chores completed and the main living area picked up. Then we schedule several quick pick-ups a day: after lunch, before supper, and before bedtime. Friday mornings are for "deep cleaning"--many hands make light work, then we have "computer school" for the rest of the day or the kids do educational projects.
If the house is a wreck and standards are creeping way too low, we take off from school and other activities and concentrate on getting things in order. Instead of "nagging" the children, we politely and firmly tell them what we need done. (In our home, children who don't follow instructions when asked, get added jobs or responsibilities.)
TRAINING CHILDREN TO HELP:
It's been my experience that young children are the most enthusiastic helpers! It's important not to overwhelm them though because what looks like a small task to us, can seem enormous to them. It's best to have them work along beside us. Even a 2 year old can fold bath cloths, pick up toys and books, etc. with mom close at hand working, too.
I rarely tell younger children (7 and under) to do something without sticking around to see that it's done and working right beside them. This helps create good work habits. As they get older, I give them more responsibility and expect them to be able to complete a task whether I am there or not.
It's easier to be consistent if I require a small amount and make sure it's done. Otherwise, they get into the habit of not obeying right away, or not finishing a job. I use the same principles to train older children who have poor working habits. Many parents don't like the way their kids clean up, but they don't take the time to demonstrate more efficient ways to do it. We want to help our children learn to do a job well.
William and I have also put on "training workshops". We pretended to be a couple of the children and demonstrated poor working habits, contrasting them with good working habits. The children thought it was hilarious! Then we purposely messed up the den and allowed each child to come in and clean it up as fast as he could, timing him. We demonstrated time-saving motions and encouraged them to use them. They all did a very good job, from the oldest down to the youngest. The (at that time) 3 year old won the contest!
Young children are notorious for messing up the house. It helps to keep an eye on their activities during the day as a preventative measure--otherwise they start many different activities and forget to put anything away. Or they scatter their things all over the house! It also helps to create special play areas using a small quilt or child-sized table and chairs in the main homeschooling area. This confines their toys to a specific area and they enjoy being in the center of things. They can be taught to play quietly, or to go to another room if they're distracting the rest of the children.
Be consistent in training children to help with chores. I had years when I'd wonder if my kids would EVER get to the point where they wouldn't need supervision or to be reminded. Eventually consistency paid off. They aren't perfect yet (kids usually don't see all that moms see!), but they generally do their jobs without reminders and can manage the whole house, if necessary. (At least the teens can, the younger two are still "in training"!)
Two years ago, I was very sick and for several months my older four children did all the housework and most of the cooking and helped take care of the younger two children. It made all the difference in the world, and was good training for them, too. They practiced teamwork and since then, have viewed our home as our joint responsibility--often they tell me to go do something else and let them take care of the cleaning up. Hang in there, it is worth it!
BAD ATTITUDES:
If anyone whines or complains about working, I give them a little extra work. If they keep on, I add some more. It nips it in the bud! Bad attitudes are catching, so I try to keep a positive attitude myself about work. We put on peppy music and get it done as fast as we can. Teamwork is great!
If someone is purposely dragging his chores out and not cooperating, a little extra work solves this problem, too. We always seem to have an area beneath a couch that needs cleaning or a porch to sweep!
CHILDREN'S BEDROOMS:
I have organized the younger children's room so that it is easier to keep neat. We use large rubbermaid tubs with lids to organize their toys. Their favorite toys stay out, but everything else is stored in their closet which is off limits to them. Occasionally we rotate toys.
They have legos in one container, little cars and trucks in another container, and dolls and accessories in another. They each have a "treasure drawer" where they keep their very special treasures (bird feathers, pretty rocks, letters, drawings, pogs, etc.). Each morning I help them straighten their room, and check it several times a day, too. It stays neat this way and they enjoy playing there so much more! If I weren't involved, it would be a mess constantly.
Older children sometimes need encouragement, too. They look at their disorderly bedrooms and don't know where to begin! It helps for them to have some steps to follow. This is what we do:
  1. Make beds.
  2. Pick up all clothes.
  3. Pick up all books.
  4. Pick up any toys.
  5. Pick up any paper or trash.
By this time the room should be presentable and they have room to vacuum and dust, etc. What was once a insurmountable task becomes possible!
QUICK PICK-UP GAMES:
  • "Around the World" - Usually we divide the family room into parts and each child has a part to clean, but sometimes we play "Around the World". Each person works his way around the room clockwise until everything is neat and clean.
  • "The Age Game" - Everyone picks up the same number of items as his own age, then if there are items left over, they do it again. Only problem is when they want the parents to pick up the same number of items as their age--whew!
  • "Mr. Jones is Coming!" - We clean up the house as fast as we can, pretending that Mr. Jones is coming over at a specific time. If we finish in time, we celebrate with a tea party. If we need more time--well sometimes "Mr. Jones" gives us a call and says he has been delayed for a bit! Sometimes Dad dresses up as "Mr. Jones" and comes around to the front door and rings the bell. Inspection time follows!
KEEP YOUR PERSPECTIVE!
I find that I go in cycles --there are times we're caught up in other projects and we let the housework go, only doing the basics. Other times, I get in the mood (or force myself!) to make our standards higher and in the process, usually move some furniture around and make it cosier, redecorate, etc. I do the same thing with extra baking and elaborate cooking.
William has told me many times that although he appreciates us having the house extra neat and clean and cooking extra special meals, he also appreciates all the time and effort that is going into our homeschooling and discipling our children. He also encourages me to write, work on the computer, keep up with my reading, and do other things. I appreciate his balanced view because sometimes I feel guilty over the simple meals or how the laundry is never totally done. But we are enjoying our family so much and we know we won't have that many years left before they will no longer be under our roof!
Elisabeth Elliot shared the following essay written many years ago by an unknown mother in one of her newsletters ( Elisabeth Elliot Newsletter, P.O. Box 7711, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107-7711 -$7 yr.) She says while not too many women iron sheets these days, it is still possible to let many other things take precedence over the primary task.
"I am sadly concerned that thousands of mothers are so over-burdened that the actual demands of life from day to day consume all their time and strength. But of two evils, choose the lesser: which would you call the lesser--an unpolished stove or an untaught boy? Dirty windows, or a child whose confidence you have failed to gain? Cobwebs in the corner, or a son over whose soul a crust has formed, so strong that you despair of melting it with your hot tears and fervent prayers?
I have seen a woman who was absolutely ignorant of her children's habits of thought, who never felt that she could spare a half-hour to read or talk with them--I have seen this woman spend ten minutes in ironing a sheet, or forty minutes icing a cake for tea, because company was expected.
When the mother, a good orthodox Christian, shall appear before the Great White Throne to be judged for the "deeds done in the body," and to give her report of the master's treasures placed in her care, there will be questions and answers like these:
"Where are the boys and girls I gave thee?"
"Lord, I was busy keeping my house clean and in order, and my children wandered away."
"Where wert thou while thy sons and thy daughters were learning lessons of dishonesty, malice and impurity?"
"Lord, I was polishing furniture and making beautiful rugs."
"What hast thou to show for thy life's work?"
"The tidiest house, Lord, and the best starching and ironing in all our neighborhood!"
Oh these children, these children! The restless eager boys and girls whom we love more than our lives! Shall we devote our time and strength to that which perishes while the rich garden of our child's soul lies neglected, with foul weeds choking out all worthy and beautiful growths? Fleeting indeed, O mother, are the days of childhood, and speckless windows, snowy linen, the consciousness that everything about the house is faultlessly bright and clean will be poor comfort in that day wherein we shall discover that our poor boy's feet have chosen the path that shall take him out of the way to all eternity."--Author Unknown

If I'm tempted to be discouraged over the state of my house, I remember the scripture I prayed many years ago when I was unable to conceive: "He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord!" (Psalm 113:9) I am filled with thankfulness that the Lord so abundantly answered our prayers with six precious children! ( Note: March 2002 we were blessed with our seventh, a precious little "mid-life bonus blessing" from the Lord!) They are MORE than worth ALL the work involved in keeping house for them! Give your children a hug and offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for them and don't forget to greet your dear husband with a hug and kiss and a cheerful hello when he gets home from work-- chances are, he won't even *notice* how the house looks!
© Copyright Tamara Eaton 1994-2005, all rights reserved.
Permission is given to reprint any of Tamara's articles in non-profit publications as long as the article is reprinted in full and contains the copyright information and website address. Please send a copy of the publication to :Deeper Life Family Ministries, P.O. Box 909, Killen, AL 35645.
We have always homeschooled our seven children (elementary through high school and beyond!) and enjoy encouraging other families in their homeschooling, parenting and in the Lord! For more help and information, please join us on the Christian Homeschool Fellowship Message Board.
[ Please don't forget to include your email address within the body of your message--we've had some of our responses returned due to insufficient email addresses! ]

"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord;
and great shall be the peace of thy children."

Isaiah 54:13

Monday, December 5, 2011

Worth reading!!!

             

 Your Refined Heavenly Home            

 DOUGLAS L. CALLISTER





Half a century ago Elder Adam S. Bennion of the Quorum of the Twelve was the assigned speaker at this devotional. His address was preceded by a stirring passage from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni, performed by one of the university’s fine choral groups. Elder Bennion was so touched that he began his message with these words: “I will shorten my remarks today so that this musical masterpiece may be performed for us a second time at the close of this assembly.”
The nearer we get to God, the more easily our spirits are touched by refined and beautiful things. If we could part the veil and observe our heavenly home, we would be impressed with the cultivated minds and hearts of those who so happily live there. I imagine that our heavenly parents are exquisitely refined. In this great gospel of emulation, one of the purposes of our earthly probation is to become like them in every conceivable way so that we may be comfortable in the presence of heavenly parentage and, in the language of Enos, see their faces “with pleasure.”1
Brigham Young said: “We are trying to be the image of those who live in heaven; we are trying to pattern after them, to look like them, to walk and talk like them.”2 To prepare us to do this, the 13th article of faith encourages: “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”3 Refinement is a companion to developed spirituality. Refinement and spirituality are two strings drawn by the same bow.
Today I would like to peek behind the veil that temporarily separates us from our heavenly home and paint a word picture of the virtuous, lovely, and refined circumstances that exist there. I will speak of the language, literature, music, and art of heaven, as well as the immaculate appearance of heavenly beings, for I believe that in heaven we will find each of these in pure and perfected form.
God speaks all languages, and He speaks them properly. He is restrained and modest of speech. When God described the grand creational process of this earth, He said in measured tones that “it was good.”4 We would be disappointed if God had to use “awesome” or other exaggerated phrases in every paragraph.
Britain’s Ben Jonson said: “Language most shows a man: Speak, that I may see thee.”5 Our language reveals our thoughts, our virtues, our insecurities, our doubts, even the homes from which we come. We will feel more comfortable in Heavenly Father’s presence if we have developed proper habits of speech. We not only wish to see God’s face “with pleasure,” we want to open our mouths with confidence that our speech harmonizes with the refinement of heaven.
We will thrill to hear exalted beings express their sublime thoughts in perfectly chosen words. I suppose that the language of heaven, properly spoken, may approach a form of music. Did C. S. Lewis have this in mind when he wrote: “Isn’t it funny the way some combinations of words can give you—almost apart from their meaning—a thrill like music?”6 At Jesus’ birth the angels appeared and spoke, not sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”7 We now try to capture that beauty in song, but the original angelic utterance was in spoken words, which thrilled like music.
Van Wyck Brooks, in his biography The Life of Emerson, told us that Ralph Waldo Emerson was invited to speak at the commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. After proper introduction Emerson presented himself at the pulpit and then sat down. He had forgotten his notes. He preferred to say nothing rather than words not well measured. For some, it was Emerson in one of his most eloquent hours.8
A few years ago I overheard a Church leader lament the fact that he never had time for anything except to read the scriptures and other works of literature and to prepare talks. His wife admiringly responded, “I know, dear. We all know. We know every time you stand up to speak.” As he spoke, listeners saw. The unremitting preparation through a lifetime of reading great literature naturally produced messages eloquent in both phrase and substance.
Refinement in speech is more than polished elocution. It results from purity of thought and sincerity of expression. A child’s prayer on occasion may reflect the language of heaven more nearly than a Shakespearean soliloquy.
Refinement in speech is reflected not only in our choice of words but also in the things we talk about. There are those who always speak of themselves, and they are either insecure or proud. There are those who always speak of others. They are usually very boring. There are those who speak of stirring ideas, compelling books, and inspiring doctrine. These are the few who make their mark in this world. The subjects discussed in heaven are not trifling or mundane. They are sublime beyond our most extended imagination. We will feel at home there if we are rehearsed on this earth in conversing about the refined and noble, clothing our expressions in well-measured words.
I grew up in a home in which the Sunday afternoon meal was an institution. We remained in our church attire. My parents almost always invited a special guest to join us at the dinner table. Several times it was the then president of this university. We were expected to remain at the table and converse about worthwhile things. In later years, as a student at this school, we attempted to do the same, often gathering in one of the Heritage Halls’ kitchens on a Sabbath afternoon for a reverie of uplifting conversation.
Is there a generation today that needs to be superficially entertained? What is the prospect of a young man sitting in a dorm on Friday evening to read a great book and be thrilled by the music of the masters? Is Friday evening a frenetic flight to see where the entertainment and action will be? Could our society produce a Newton or a Mozart? Can 85 channels and uncountable DVDs ever fill our insatiable appetite to be entertained? Do any unwisely become addicted to computer games or Internet surfing, thereby missing the richer experiences of great reading, conversations, and music enjoyment?
One wrote: “We need the slower and more lasting stimulus of solitary reading as a relief from the pressure on eye, ear and nerves of the torrent of information and entertainment pouring from ever-open electronic jaws.”9 This solitary reading should evidence our spiritual and refined taste in selection of the reading materials.
Another said: “[Education] has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading.”10 This happy chapter of your lives at Brigham Young University will help you focus on reading materials of greatest worth.
I don’t know whether our heavenly home has a television set or a DVD machine, but in my mind’s imagery it surely has a grand piano and a magnificent library. There was a fine library in the home of President Hinckley’s youth. It was not an ostentatious home, but the library contained about 1,000 volumes of the rich literature of the world, and President Hinckley spent his early years immersed in these books. When President Hinckley once came to my home, he spent time perusing the library. He observed the 50-volume collection of the Harvard Classics, commented that he has the same collection in his home, and said he had read much of it. To be well read, however, it is not necessary to possess expensive collections of literature, for they are available to rich and poor alike in the libraries of the world.
President David O. McKay was inclined to awaken at 4:00 a.m., skim read up to two books each day, and then commence his labors at 6:00 a.m. He could quote 1,000 poems from memory. We knew that whenever he stood at the pulpit. He referred to the grand masters of literature as the “minor prophets.” He was a living embodiment of the scriptural admonition to “seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom.”11
My wife and I recently spent four years on Church assignment in Eastern Europe, residing in Moscow, Russia. We often traveled on the Moscow underground subway called the Metro. We noticed the bowed heads of the Russian passengers, for they were reading Tolstoy, Chekhov, Dostoyevsky, or Pushkin—and, sometimes, Mark Twain. The people were poor, but they were not obsessed with their poverty. They possessed the rich tradition of Russian literature, art, and music.
Elder James E. Talmage, before his call to the Twelve, was a mining geologist. He once spoke of the features of certain geology he had observed during a field trip more than a year before. He explained that he could not with certainty recall the terrain until after he developed a photograph he had made of the location. The photographic plate had been laid away in darkness for an extended time. It had only been exposed to the light for one-fiftieth of a second—but the image was indelibly impressed on the negative, awaiting a future date to reveal its message.12
The lesson does not escape us. The images to which our minds are exposed are held in store, seemingly forgotten, even for years. But at the crucial moment they re-present themselves to influence our thoughts and lives. And so it is with the music, literature, art, media, and other images to which we are exposed. The pamphlet For the Strength of Youth states: “Whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Therefore, choose only entertainment and media that uplift you.”13
These are the words of President McKay:

As with companions so with books. We may choose those which will make us better, more intelligent, more appreciative of the good and the beautiful in the world, or we may choose the trashy, the vulgar, the obscene, which will make us feel as though we’ve been “wallowing in the mire.”14

If we know the books located at the bedside, we know much about the man.
A good book, such as the scriptures, becomes a lifelong companion. A thoughtful man wrote:

An unliterary man may be defined as one who reads books once only.15

I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.16

Clearly one must read every good book at least once every ten years.17

The sure mark of an unliterary man is that he considers “I’ve read it already” to be a conclusive argument against reading a work. . . . Those who read great works, on the other hand, will read the same work ten, twenty or thirty times during the course of their life.18

Of all the works worthy of repetitive reading, the scriptures stand paramount, for they are not founded in the opinions of men. Over the years I have oft remembered the counsel of the late Hugh Nibley: “If you pray for an angel to visit you, you know what he’ll do if he comes. He’ll just quote the scriptures to you—so you’re wasting your time waiting for what we already have.”19
Many years ago, while living in another part of the country, I became acquainted with a fine Latter-day Saint young man. He was a superior athlete, but he had never attended a cultural event. Living in the same community was a lovely young LDS sister. She spoke French as well as English. She played the violin. She presented herself as a refined daughter of God. One day the American Ballet Theatre came to our town. A group of us decided to attend, including this young man and young woman.
Now and then I glanced at the young man during the ballet. His eyes were riveted on the stage. Windows of new appreciation were opened. After the performance he approached me privately and said, in reference to the refined young sister, “Where have I been all of my life? This is what I want in my home. This is what I want as the mother of my children. Until now I thought only physical appearance mattered.” I gently reminded him that she would likely be drawn to one of refined nature, like herself, and it was time for him to look within.
Dear daughters of God, you are the crown jewels of all of His creations. There has never been a sunset, symphony, or work of art as lovely as you. May you catch the vision that you are destined to be a refined and regal queen, honored by an uncountable posterity, worlds without end.
If we could peek behind the heavenly veil we would likely be inspired by the music of heaven, perhaps more glorious than any music we have heard on this earth.
When some music has passed the tests of time and been cherished by the noble and refined, our failure to appreciate it is not an indictment of grand music. The omission is within. If a young person grows up on a steady diet of hamburgers and french fries, he is not likely to become a gourmet. But the fault is not with fine food. He just grew up on something less. Some have grown up on a steady diet of musical french fries.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said:

We . . . live in a world that is too prone to the tasteless, and we need to provide an opportunity to cultivate a taste for the finest music. And, likewise, we’re in a world that’s so attuned to the now that we need to permit people to be more attuned to the best music of all the ages.20

A few years ago I made my way to the bedroom of one of my sons to say good night. He was a junior in high school. As I approached his room, I heard the strains of Tchaikovsky’s sixth symphony. I was surprised. I knew the boy loved sports, but I didn’t know he loved Tchaikovsky. Months later, as my wife and I were listening to a videotape of three tenors singing, our son came in and sat down. He listened and saw, and a new appreciation developed. He said: “You never told me about opera.” He took the videotape to his room, and I never saw it again. Appreciation of the finest in music does not depend upon your age.
President J. Reuben Clark of the First Presidency, one of our greatest Christ scholars, used to listen to inspirational music in the evening before he began his insightful writings concerning the life of the Savior. The music opened his spiritual pores, as it does for all of us.
Recognizing the penetrating influence of great music, Oscar Wilde had one of his characters say: “After playing Chopin, I feel as if I had been weeping over sins that I had never committed, and mourning over tragedies that were not my own.”21 After the first performance of Messiah, Handel said: “My lord, I should be sorry if I only entertained them; I wish to make them better.”22 Haydn “dressed in his best clothes to compose because he said he was going before his maker.”23
There are events of life so sublime that they cannot be imagined without the companionship of beautiful music. We could not have a Christmas without carols or a general conference without sacred anthems. And there could not be a heaven without music of surpassing beauty. Brigham Young said: “There is no music in hell, for all good music belongs to heaven.”24 It would be punishment enough to go to hell and not hear a note of music for all eternity.
This would be a good time to sift through your music library and choose primarily that which uplifts and inspires. It is part of the maturing process of your eternal journey. This would also be a fine time to learn a musical instrument or improve musical skills now partially possessed.
On the eve of his release, one of my fine missionaries during my tenure as a mission president spoke of a girl at home with whom he intended to renew association.
He inquired, “How will I know if she is the right one?”
I suggested, among other things, that he invite her to a cultural event. If she responded that this would be of no interest to her, then maybe he should pursue other alternatives. But if she had compelling spiritual qualities and could be enthralled by culture on Friday and love the athletic contest on Saturday, she might be the type of young lady he could choose as the mother for his children. It might be balanced and rewarding to be paired with her for eternity.
That which has been said about bringing great language, music, and literature into the home may be said with equal truth of great art—perhaps tastefully displayed in our heavenly home. It may also be said of our physical appearance and manners, as well as the order of the place in which we live, the way we offer our prayers, and the way we read God’s word.
I once had opportunity to visit briefly with Audrey Hepburn, the great actress of days gone by, at the time she was making the movie My Fair Lady. She spoke of the opening scene in the movie in which she depicted a modest, unpolished flower girl. Her face had been besmirched with charcoal to make her seem part of her surroundings. “But,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye, “I was wearing my Chanel perfume. Inside I still knew I was a lady.” It doesn’t take expensive perfume to make a lady, but it does require cleanliness, modesty, self-respect, and pride in one’s appearance.
Many years ago an associate of mine decided he would please his wife by sharing with her a very specific compliment each night as he arrived home. One night he praised her cooking. A second night he thanked her for excellence in housekeeping. A third night he acknowledged her fine influence on the children. The fourth night, before he could speak, she said: “I know what you are doing. I thank you for it. But don’t say any of those things. Just tell me you think I am beautiful.”
She expressed an important need that she had. Women ought to be praised for all the gifts they possess that so unselfishly add to the richness of our lives, including their attentiveness to their personal appearance. We must not “let ourselves go” and become so casual—even sloppy—in our appearance that we distance ourselves from the beauty heaven has given us. Every man has the right to be married to a woman who makes herself as beautiful as she can be and who looks in the mirror to tidy herself up before he comes home. Every woman has a right to be married to a man who keeps himself clean, physically as well as morally, and takes pride in his appearance. A husband should hurry home because of the angel who awaits him, and that angel should be watching the clock awaiting his arrival.
Occasionally a young man comes home from his mission and hastens to distance himself in appearance from everything associated with missionary service. He becomes slovenly. Heaven blushes. The young man who wants an exemplary spouse needs to look in the mirror and ask why she would want him. Then he should shave and press his clothes.
Years ago I attended a stake conference in California at which the wife of the stake president shared this story: She had been born considerably after the other children in the family, and her father was unusually protective of her. When a suitor would stop by to pick her up for a date, the father would look him over very carefully and then say: “Do you want to date my princess? Go home and wash your car and shine your shoes. Then I will give my permission.” I sometimes wonder if our Heavenly Father whispers the same when we date His precious daughters. The Book of Mormon speaks of a people who “did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely.”25
There are those who flippantly say: “How I look has nothing to do with how God feels about me.” But it is possible for both earthly and heavenly parents to have unspoken disappointment in their offspring without diminished love. I say it again: Sometimes heaven blushes but loves on.
President Joseph F. Smith, the sixth president of the Church, owned few things, but he took care of them. He was fastidious in his appearance. He pressed his dollar bills to remove the wrinkles. He allowed none but himself to pack his overnight bag. He knew where every article, nut, and bolt of the household was, and each had its place.
Would this be true of the environment in which you live? Is it a house of order? Need you dust, clean, and rearrange before you invite the Spirit of the Lord into your apartment? President Lorenzo Snow said: “The Lord does not intend that the Saints shall live always in dens and caves of the earth, but that they shall build fine houses. When the Lord comes he will not expect to meet a dirty people, but a people of refinement.”26
David Starr Jordan, a former president of Stanford University, wrote:

To be vulgar is to do that which is not the best of its kind. It is to do poor things in poor ways, and to be satisfied with that. . . . It is vulgar to wear dirty linen when one is not engaged in dirty work. It is vulgar to like poor music, to read weak books, to feed on sensational newspapers, . . . to find amusement in trashy novels, to enjoy vulgar theatres, to find pleasure in cheap jokes.27

I once heard a story about an imaginary king whose wife gave birth to a baby boy. The parents knew that the lad would someday inherit the kingdom. Desiring that their son be a wise king, fully familiar with the needs of the people over whom he would reign, the king and queen took the infant into the country to be raised as part of a peasant family. He was to be told nothing of his secret destiny until he became a man.
At the appropriate time the king and queen returned to the country to confer on their son the kingdom. They were greatly disappointed. Having been told nothing of his appointed destiny, he was exactly that which life had prepared him to be. He understood the proper care of animals and the gathering of crops, but he knew nothing of armies and palaces and courtyards and presiding. He had lost his vision.
It should not be difficult for you to glean the truth in this story. Another King, your Father in Heaven, has sent you away from His presence to have experiences you would not have had in your heavenly home—all in preparation for the conferral of a kingdom. He doesn’t want you to lose your vision. You are children of an exalted being. You are foreordained to preside as kings and queens. You will live in a home and environment of infinite refinement and beauty, as reflected in the language, literature, art, music, and order of heaven.
I close with the words of President Brigham Young: “Let us . . . show to the world that we have talent and taste, and prove to the heavens that our minds are set on beauty and true excellence, so that we can become worthy to enjoy the society of angels.”28 Even more, that we may enjoy the refined society of heavenly parentage, for we are of the race of the gods, being children of the Most High.
This is my testimony and my humble supplication for you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
1. Enos 1:27.
2. JD 9:170.
3. Articles of Faith 1:13.
4. Genesis 1:4.
5. Ben Jonson, Timber; or, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter (1640).
6. C. S. Lewis, letter of 21 March 1916, paragraph 3, in The Letters of C. S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves (New York: Collier Books, 1986), 96.
7. Luke 2:14.
8. See Van Wyck Brooks, The Life of Emerson (New York: The Literary Guild, 1932), 297.
9. Storm Jameson, Parthian Words (New York: Harper and Row, 1970), 123.
10. George Macaulay Trevelyan, English Social History: A Survey of Six Centuries, Chaucer to Queen Victoria (London: Longmans, Green and Company, 1942), 582.
11. D&C 88:118.
12. See James E. Talmage, “The Parable of the Photographic Plate: An Episode in Field Work,” Improvement Era, April 1914, 503–505.
13. For the Strength of Youth: Fulfilling Our Duty to God (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2001), 17.
14. David O. McKay, Pathways to Happiness (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1957), 15.
15. C. S. Lewis, paragraph 24 of “On Stories,” in On Stories: and Other Essays on Literature (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982), 16.
16. C. S. Lewis, letter of February 1932, in Letters to Greeves, 439.
17. Lewis, letter of 17 August 1933, in Letters to Greeves, 458.
18. C. S. Lewis, chapter 1, paragraph 4, in An Experiment in Criticism (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982), 2.
19. Hugh Nibley, “Gifts,” BYU lecture, 13 March 1979, in Approaching Zion, vol. 9 of The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley (Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Company and Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1989), 87.
20. Neal A. Maxwell, remarks at the inauguration of KRIC-FM, Ricks College, May 1984.
21. In Oscar Wilde, “The Critic as Artist,” part 1 (1891).
22. In George Hogarth, Musical History, Biography, and Criticism (New York: J. S. Redfield, 1848), 67; see “A Tribute to Handel,” Improvement Era, May 1929, 574.
23. Reid Nibley, in Hal Williams, “Dr. Reid Nibley on Acquiring a Taste for Classical Music,” BYU Today, April 1980, 14.
24. JD 9:244.
25. Alma 1:27.
26. Lorenzo Snow, in Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: History of His Life and Labors as Recorded in His Daily Journals, prep. Matthias F. Cowley (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1964), 468.
27. David Starr Jordan, The Strength of Being Clean: A Study of the Quest for Unearned Happiness (New York: H. M. Caldwell Co., 1900), 25.
28. JD 11:305.

Friday, October 21, 2011

A blog worth my post.

So a friend of mine told me about a blog that I have fallen in love with and I have to share. It is www.theredheadedhostess.com I in recent years have kept a scripture journal but I love the way that she does hers. So go and take a look. She is also on my blogs I follow list.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Faith


I am getting ready to go to my mothers retreat and I have these writing assignments that I have to do. One that I worked on tonight is on faith and as I started writing this is what I came up with.
The things that we do or act upon, weather hard or not will tell us what we have faith in.
For example: If we pay tithing then we have the the faith that God will do as He has promised that the "windows of heaven will pour you out a blessing that you will not have room enough to receive it." Mal. chapter 3:10
If you attend the temple on a regular basis and you have the faith that making, keeping, and renewing those covenants will bless your lives.
So how do we increase our faith? I believe then acting upon those promptings and commandments even when it is hard will help our faith to grow.
To have our faith grow we have to let go of what we think we know and rely on what the Lord tells us we should do. Even if the world or your knowledge tells you other wise. We have to know that the Lord will not lead us down paths that will make our lives harder. He wants us to grow closer to Him and He will lead us to Him if we can just start acting on our promptings and His commandments.
I hope that this makes sense as it is almost midnight.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

marthas cut.

Martha's hair was growing out and I really like it short so I cut it also. Here are her pics.




New hair cuts









I got tired of looking at Corlies hair the way that it was so I cut it. I like it I think it turned out really cute. I also did Daniels. : ) Cor said that she REALLY likes it. Also here is her Quilt that I finally got done.

The best granola recipe in the world. (That I have found)


In big microwave safe bowl mix together
2 C Brown Sugar
1 C Honey
1/3 C water
Microwave sugar mixture on high for five minutes. It will become liquid caramel. Watch carefully, it will bubble up. Remove from microwave and put in
3 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

While the sugar mix is microwaving combine in an extreamly large bowl
10 C rolled oats
6 C nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, millit, etc.)
2 C grains ( I like to use a 7 or 10 grain mix that I get at Winco. You can also use wheat germ or oat germ or any other grain, Quinoa, millet, ect.)
4 C unsweetened shredded coconut. (You can also pick this up at Winco or any health food store should have it.)

Poor hot sugar mixture over oats and mix to coat. Spread granola in a single layer in 4 ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 275 in upper and lower oven racks for 45 minutes and up to one hour, rotating pans halfwat through cooking to produce iven browning.
When cooled, scrape granols into a large bowl with metal spatula, add dried fruit if disired: rasens, currants, sultania, apricot, purne, fig, date, mango, pineapple, babana, ear, apple cherry, etc.)
My fav. it dried cranberries.
Store in airtight container in fridge to keep nuts and seeds fresh. Unless you are like my family who runs through this stuff in less then a week. : ) Then it is just fine it the pantry.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Another great recipe that I want to try.


Healthy and Thrifty – “Instant” Oatmeal

The latest report on America’s obesity rates and trends paints a gloomy picture for what’s to come if we don’t make positive changes. One finding on the report was that lower income households were more obese mainly because they choose cheaper, packaged food rather than more expensive fresh items. Packaged foods might seem cheap at first, but they will cost you in the long run. Although there are numerous packaged items we could easily make at home, I will start with the popular instant oatmeal packets. Do you enjoy the selection of flavors in the personal packets of instant oatmeal? Check the nutrition facts and you’re sure to find an unhealthy dose of added sugar, salt, and various starches or gums to create that thick consistency.

I am against the packaged convenience items like “100 Calorie” packets and instant oatmeal packs. You usually get less and pay more when just for a little time saved. The packets also seem to be lower quality ingredients too, so they’ll cost you in the long run. So what if you were to make your own “instant package” by assembling ingredients you buy in bulk? Buying rolled oats from a bulk department or a big canister of store-brand or Quaker rolled oats is the base to creating your own packages. I opt for the bulk department oats as they are the least expensive way to go. If you’re partial to a certain “healthy” brand of instant oatmeal, then buy organic rolled oats in bulk; problem solved.

Making your own of something is great because it allows you to actually know what’s in it and adjust to your personal tastes. To create a basic instant oatmeal package, you only need a few items; from there you can add extras for more flavor and nutrition.


Basic Instant Oatmeal Recipe
- 3 Cups Quick-Cooking or Rolled Oats*
- Non-fat Powdered Milk – If you’re lactose intolerant or vegan, it’s ok to leave this out
- Salt – Optional
- Small zip-up baggies

*Quick-cooking oats are more processed to allow for quicker cooking times; I find rolled oats still cook just fine and contain more of the “whole” oat. It’s up to you on which to use, but you will have a little extra fiber from the less processed rolled oats.
Put 1 cup of oats in a blender or food processor and blend on high until powdery. The powdered oats help create a thick oatmeal for that comforting, creamy oatmeal. Set the powdered oats aside in a small bowl. Put the following ingredients into each zip baggie: 1/4 cup un-powdered oats, 2 Tbsp. powdered oats, 1/2 Tbsp. non-fat powdered milk, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Fill each bag until you run out of ingredients. The powdered milk is a great addition for extra protein, but can be omitted if you desire.



To cook: Empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes. For thicker oatmeal use less water, for thinner oatmeal use more water. You can also mix the packet contents with water and microwave for 1 minute, stir, and then microwave another 20 to 30 seconds.
Now you have a basic recipe to make your own oatmeal packets that can be kept at home, stored in your desk at work, or packed to take with you on the road. If you like plain things, you can stop here and be on your way with this recipe, but for extra flavor, I like to add a few things.


Variations – add listed ingredients to each packet


Apple-Cinnamon - 1 tsp. stevia granules, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp. chopped dried apples
Plain and Sweet - 1 tsp. stevia granules or 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
Brown Sugar and Cinnamon - 1 Tbsp. brown sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Cinnamon Raisin - 1 tsp. stevia, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 Tbsp. raisins
Health Nut - 2 Tbsp. of raw or toasted wheat germ, 1 Tbsp. of your favorite nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, etc.), 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 tsp. stevia granules
S'Mores - 6 mini marshmallows and 1 Tbsp. dark chocolate chips to each packet
Cocoa - 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tsp. stevia granules
Pumpkin Pie - 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, dash of allspice, 1 tsp. stevia granules
Pumped Up Protein "PrOats" - 1/2 scoop of your favorite flavored protein powder and 1 tsp. stevia granules; I use an all natural whey protein sweetened with stevia. My favorite brands are Energy First and Dymatize.


There are many combinations to use that will make flavorful and nutritious oatmeal. The variations above are not set in stone; try taking something from one and adding it to another as you see fit. I always stress that you should have fun with your creations in the kitchen and include family when applicable. Enjoying your time creating meals is a great way to ensure you make more food in the home than going out to eat. This translates to a healthier and happier life for you and your family.

Another option for those hot summer days is to make a no-cook oatmeal. This is not very transportable as refrigeration is needed, but is a nice change when something hot just doesn’t sound appealing when it’s 100+ outside. To make this version, just mix any of the combinations above into 3/4 cups of water or milk; or 1/2 cup of non-fat yogurt (I use plain, but vanilla or another flavor is a great treat) in an airtight container. Mixing pumpkin puree, applesauce, or peanut butter also makes for a great tasting breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. Place the mixture in the fridge and let sit over night or 8 hours. This will be ready to eat right out of the fridge in the morning; you can even grab it and go if running late. Add fresh or frozen fruit when mixing if you want; blueberries, strawberries, banana, or papaya are some of my favorite fruits to add.



This is a simple way to choose a healthier option and maybe enjoy your food more. I always go back and forth with my boss at work as he thinks he “needs” some of these convenience items. S.P., if you’re reading this, hope you give it a try before buying your gourmet instant packs! More healthy and thrifty tips will come in the near future, please continue to follow and share my blog with friend and family!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Essential Oils part 2


Part 2 of my oils webinar.
Synergy
Is the combining of oils. The reason that we combine the oils?
-Is so that they can work together in the right combination and they will have more frequency.
-The ability to reach various layers and aspects is enhanced.

Fun Fact: All oils are...
a)Anti-Bacterial
b)Anti-fungal
c)Anti-viral
d)Anti-parasitic
e)Anti-septic
Some are more then others but all of the essential oils have some of these and so if you are out and about and you get cut or burned or what ever need to sanitize use what you have until you can get what you need.
Essential oils have been shown in laboratory studies and clinical trials to destroy or seriously inhibit the growth of all bacterial tested.
A few oils and what they are good for
Cinnamon-Huge anti-viral
Candila- Best oil for yeast infections and is an anti-fungal
Fennel- Good to dilate a women when ready to have a baby. (PLEASE do NOT use oils on pregnant ladies unless you know what you are doing!!!)
Sandlewood, Myrrh, Meditation(Frankincense, myrrh, myrtle, rosewood. sandlewood, spruce)is good for MS, and Alzheimer's and other brain related problems. I will explain this a little later probably in part 3
External application: Oils penetrates even the hardened cell walls
When applied to the skin it seeps into your blood system and then can go to any and all parts of the body. Muscles, Nerves, Organs, Joints
It is good to apply oils as close to the problem as possible. So if you are having kidney problems then you will want to rub your oil on your lower back etc.
The beautiful part of oils is that there are no side effects and they cant really hurt you unless you are pregnant.
That is all for this section. I will write again soon

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Essential Oils webinar part 1


Hi all, I just got done listening to a great oils webinar. It gave me a lot of info that I wanted to share. So here is part 1
First they talked about the history of oils
Ayurveda- Oldest Aromatics
Egyptians- Hieroglyphics
Biblical- 188 references
Renaissance- Those who were exposed to the rats which carried the black plague by ship were resistant to the plague because they were also carrying and handling cinnamon and one other spice which I have forgotten. Which gave them a boost in their immune system.
Modern day- 2 ways
*Therapeutic- the use of pure essential oils
*Perfumery- Chemically stabilizing note some people will say that they are allergic to oils because they have broken out or had a bad reaction to them in perfume it is not the oil that they are having a problem with it is the stabilizer that they use in the perfume.
There have been astonishing results in both physically and emotional well-being in those who use oils.
Why?
Because of frequency.
Frequency is the rate or energy of how fast something vibrates. The faster it vibrates or the higher the frequency in our bodies the better we feel and the healthier the body is. Some ways that we loose this frequency is by stress, depression, sugar, white flour, yelling, any negative emotion and unhealthy food.
We can help the frequency on our body by the use of oils.
Oils help stabilize and nurture specific organs and systems.
Oils can be combined into blends that work together to help and compliment each other and their functions.
Frequency is specific for each individual plant
Essential oils are really concentration of plant material
Blossom oils are the most powerful and have the highest frequency that is why they are more expensive.
They can be used topically and aromatically.
Ways that you can use topically
*Massage
*Roller Bottle
*Shampoo and lotions
*Bath
*Spray bottle with water and oil
Aromatically
*On a cotton ball
*On your collar
*In the carpet
*In a defuser
*On your pillow
*Any way that it can get into the air
Other ways to use the oils
*Brush your teeth
*Cooking
*Cleaning
*Any ways that you can imagine
You should not ingest it or take them internally
A few reason you should not ingest them.
*When ingested your stomach acid destroys the molecules and when combine with food becomes impure
*If it was able to get through all of your digestive system unharmed by a jell capsule and made it into the small intestine and into the blood stream it would take 30-45 minutes. Topically and aromatically it takes only moments to absorb into the skin and them only up to 10 minutes to get to the part of the body that it is needed for.
*Ingesting some oils can cause sickness and/or death.

Dilution of oils
Teens and Adults 10-12 drops of carrier oil with 4-5 drops of essential oil
Babies 15-20 drops of carrier oil with 1-2 drops of essential oil
Children 12-15 drops of carrier oil with 2-3 drops of essential oil
Do not mix your carrier oils with your essential oils before hand. The carrier oil will over time break down your essential oil and they will not work as well if at all
When sick or need of your oils for whatever reason use every 4-6 hours
As a preventative use about once a week to twice a day.
Sorry this is so random these are just my notes and so there you go. This is the first part of my lesson in oils. : )
If you are interested in what some of my favorate oils are and what I use them for just hit me with a message and I will contact you when I get some time. : )



Friday, August 5, 2011

I really wish that my camera would have been able to get this rainbow but here is the best it did.



Here is my childrens bathroom I changed from frogs to this. I love it and so do the kids.