Christiansen family 2015

2015 was a great year for our little family. Enjoy this video as we share the highlights of our year with you all.
May 2016 be just as fun!

John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Matthew 2:13-23

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
¶Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
¶But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.
And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:9-12

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
¶And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Matthew 2:7-8

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

Matthew 2:3-6

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet,
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Matthew 2:1-2

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Luke 2:19-20

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:15-18

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

Luke 2:13-14

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:8-12

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe

Luke 2:1-7

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn

Micah 5:2-5

But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

¶And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

Luke 1:46-56

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

Luke 1:39-45

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Do the research

With all the stuff going on with what Trump said, I decided to my own research and see if any other president has ever done what Trump is suggesting and what groups of people are currently prevented from entering the US as of now. I'm putting this on here because I'm so tired of people not doing their own research, listening to biased news media outlets, and following the masses and their feelings instead of looking at the facts.

Groups of people prevented from entering the US:
Belarus: Certain persons the US government believes to be undermining democratic processes or institutions in Belarus (including President Alexander Lukashenko and other officials)

Ivory Coast: Certain persons the US government believes are contributing to the conflict in Ivory Coast

Democratic Republic  of Congo: Certain persons the US government believes are contributing to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Iraq: Specific individuals and entities associated with the former Saddam Hussein regime, as well as parties the US government believes have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing acts of violence that threaten the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq or undermine efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or make it more difficult for humanitarian workers to operate in Iraq.

Lebanon: Persons the US government believes undermine the sovereignty of Lebanon or its democratic processes and institutions

Liberia: The former Charles Taylor administration in Liberia

Russia: Persons believed to be responsible for the detention, abuse, and death of Sergei Magnitsky and other reported violations of human rights in Russia (see Magnitsky Act)

Former Yugoslavia: Persons who the US government believes is threatening the international stabilization of the western Baltic states. 

 

Yemen: Persons who the US government claims threaten peace, security, or stability in Yemen

Ukraine: Persons the US government believes undermine the peace, security, stability, territorial integrity and the democratic processes and institutions of Ukraine. Also persons administering areas of Ukraine without central government consent, also a number of senior Russian Officials close to President Vladimir Putin.

Zimbabwe: Persons the US government believes undermine democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe, including a number of Government Officials

Central African Republic: Persons the US government believes contribute to the conflict in the Central African Republic

South Sudan: Persons the US government alleges have contributed to the conflict in South Sudan or committed human rights abuses

Libya: Persons associated with Muammar Gadafi's regime

Venezuela:  Government officials linked to the 2014–15 Venezuelan protests and those who the US government alleges have committed human rights violations

Presidents who have prevented specific groups for entering the US:

Chester A. Arthur: Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

William McKinley: Anarchist Exclusion act of 1903

Theodore Roosevelt: Expatriation Act of 1907

Woodrow Wilson: Immigration Act of 1917

Supreme Court: 1923 United States vs. Bhagat Singh Thind (not a president, but read about it)

Calvin Coolidge: Johnson-Reed Immigration Act of 1924

FDR: Executive order 9066 (Japanese Internment Camps)...sad part of US History, but I feel it should be added because it was against a certain group of people. This order was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1943-1944

Jimmy Carter: All Iranians, 1980...he also sent back around 50,000 Iranian students

As you can tell it has been done before, admittedly not since 1980. So, if everyone is boohooing about Donald Trumps idea, why aren't they condemning these ones also?

Matthew 1:22-25

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Matthew 1:18-21

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to puther away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call hisname JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Luke 1:26-38

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:18-25

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well strickenin years.

And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Luke 1:11-17

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
And when Zachariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said unto him, Fear nit, Zacharias: for thy prayer us heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall gear thee a son, and thought shalt call his name John.
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,  and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Luke 1:5-10

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and both were now well stricken in years.
And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before in order of his course,
According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the lord.
And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

4th grade stories

Every year that I've done 4th grade I have the kids read this book titled
"The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales" by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
The kids have a fun time reading this book because it is so silly and the way the authors have twisted classic fairy tales is great.
When we are finished with the book I have my students write their own "Fairly Stupid Tale" and I also have them illustrate their story. The following posts are their story and illustrations.

Just to note...
 I have not altered the stories in the slightest. How I typed them in is exactly how they wrote them, so if they don't make sense that is why.

The Very Ugly Lady by Kayla

Once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl, her name was Anna. She was a maid and when she grew up everybody was colder then Anna because she accidentally wore her pajamas to work. She turned ugly when she got mad and a man asked her why are you so ugly. And she said I'm just mad and he said what is my name. And she said I don't know. And he said now come on at least try one please. And she said ok is your name Hate? No is your your Stefe. And he said no ugly lady it is Jeff.

The End

The Once Upon a....STOP by Sieli

Once upon a time there lived a little girl here name was Little Red Ridding Hood.
"Really! What? That's not my name! It's the Joker."
"AHHHH! are you serious?"
'Yes (whispers) eww! I heard that!"
"Heard what?"
"Liar! no, anywho, wanna hear a joke?"
"No please no! awwk"
"So knock-knock?"
"Who's th-th-there?"
"The interrupting cow! The intru-moo"
"Ha, you didn't let, Moo!! Hahahahaha!"
"Thats not funny!"
"Sorry it's so so so funny."
"No it's not. hahahah" sigh
"Anywho, what's you name?"
"I'm your narrator."
"So? So!"
"I own you!"
Aww, humph. "You should be int eh interrupting once upon a-stop"
"Ooo, I want to be in that funny story!"
"You can."
"Huh! How?"
"By cleaning up, massaging my feet, and last but not least clean the dogs droppings."
"Huh? Why me"
"Do you want to go?"
"Yes!"
"Fine" (sheesh)
One hour later...."Ok! I'm don can I go now?"
"Yes, but one more thing. Massage my feet!"
"But, you don't have any feet."
"Oh yeah. Fine you're free to go"
"Yaa!!! So long narrator! "So long (whispers) Hahahah"
"What's so funny?"
"Oh----nothing, mmmmm Bye-hi Joker."
"NOOO!!"

The End

The Girl Hen Helps the Boy Little Hen by Emily

Once upon a time there was a little stupid hen and he wanted to be smart but he try and try and he was not good at math, reading or any subject and he wanted to play sports. He tried soccer but he kept screaming and screaming. so everybody was laughing at the little stupid hen and he said, "I wish I wasn't a little stupid hen. I was running and everyone was laughing." And they said, "you twizzler " and danced around and singing an an an. So he danced and people were laughing. It was not kind at all. It's ok to be different.

The End

Ginger Red Riding Hood and the Wolf by Gaige

Once upon a time Ginger Red Riding Hood was walking in the forest to her Grandmas house. She heard a growl in the bush so she threw a piece of turkey and she screamed "It was a wolf!" And the Grandma heard and she came and tackled the wolf into a river and Ginger Red Riding Hood never her Grandma again. But the wolf saw her again and ate her. so that was the end of Ginger Red Riding Hood.

The End

The Ugly Cinderella by Itzel

Once upon a time there was a girl named Cinderella. She was the maid. She cleaned the bathroom and did the chores. Then the mail came and they were invited to the party. The two pretty step sisters were excited but they couldn't go they needed to do their chores, but they made Cinderella do it. When the chores were done, they got ready and made Cinderella helped them so they looked pretty. Then when they went to the ball Cinderella was crying. But the Cinderella's Fairy godmother came and said, "Don't cry.I will let you go to the ball."
"Really" said Cinderella.
So, the fairy God Mother helped Cinderella. But when they were don she did a beautiful wagon and when Cinderella got to the ball she looked so so so ugly that no none wanted to dance with her. But the two sisters were so pretty that the Prince wanted to dance with them.

The End

The Ugly Owl Guy by Naomi

Once upon a time there was a little old man and a little old lady. They were very lonely, so the little old lady decided to make an ugly huge owl out of trash. When the ugly owl was done cooking he flew out of the pot and landed on the table. He told his new parents he wanted some eyes and a nose, but they did not want to touch him because he was made out of trash. So they told him to get on the spoon and they would take him to their garden. when they got tot the garden they gave him eyes and a nose. When they were finished he flew off, but they did not care and went inside to make another child.

The End

Ian's story

Once upon a time there was a farmer an mom and dad and their son. This is in the future. It is in the 21st century. The farmer said, "This is just like old times." And the mom said, "Except this is new times." They were in space. They were really enjoying it until a meteor shower striked. They said, "What is happening?" An astronaut said, "a meteor shower is happening." An odd thing was happening. It was getting the earth pretty good. It turned all the rain forests into deserts and the the desert into rain forests. They said, "Oh my gosh." The meteor shower also turned the tundras to deserts,too. When the meteor shower was over, the earth was a disastrous place. Everyone was really disappointed. Half of the earth is dry. There are less tropical areas. The earth is not cold.Everything was ruined. "Great," the astronaut said. "Everything is ruined we are homeless. We have no water. We also have not enough food to survive." This was the end of the world.

The End

Untitled by Uvia

Once upon a time there was a gingerbread man. Daisy Duck was baking and mixing the dough for the gingerbread man. Two cherries for eyes, a raisin for the nose, frosting for the mouth, and chocolate chips for the shirt buttons. Daisy put him in the over to cook. She opened the oven to check on him to see if he was finished cooking, but he hopped out of the oven! Daisy chased him around the house and finally caught him. She put the gingerbread back in the over. When he was don cooking, Daisy put him on the windowsill to cool off. The gingerbread man hopped out of the window and ran down the street. Daisy chased after him but couldn't catch him. Along the way the gingerbread man turned to Daisy and said, "run, run, as fast as you----ooomph!" He ran into a tree! Then Mickey Mouse saw Daisy chasing the gingerbread man and helped her in the chase. Again the gingerbread turned to say his chant and again he ran into a tree. Then Minnie Mouse joined the chase. Again then gingerbread man turned to say his chant and again  eh ran into a tree. This happened five more times, So, the finally caught him at the river bank and named him the clumsy bread man.

The End

The Beast and Beauty by Cruz

Once upon a time!
Really why do you have to start out with that dumb starting?!
Just let me explain! Once upon a time there was a Beast and a Beauty that lived happily ever after. Not!
Wait just a minute, isn't it suppose to be the Beauty and the Beast?
Just shut up! Ok now can I tell my story? Once upon a time there was a Beast and a Beauty. The Beast was a nice person while Beauty was bad.
Wait isn't it supposed to be the other wary around?
SHHHH! So were was I? Ahhh! While Beauty was bad, Beast lived in a village where everything was going great. Where it was peace and quite until Beauty came. She scared all the people away.
The End.
That not how the story goes.
I said Shut up!!

The Dumb Red Hen by Holden

Once upon a time there was a dumb red hen that was just doing dumb stuff. Then she found a tire, "I'm going to grow a car.", said the dumb red her. So, the hen stuffed the tjire in the ground and watered it. IT was a year since the hen put the tire in the ground. Then the hen realized that you can't grow a car. Then the hen started experementing. The expermented different flavors of bread. First she tired dirt, ti tasted horrible! Next she tried grass, it tasted kid of bad. Then she tried what."It tastes wonderful!", said the Hen. The hen made 1,000 loaves of bread."I think I made to much.", said the Hen. The hen's coop was completly full. All the toher animals saw and saide, "It's going to blow!" And the anilmals took cover except the hen, "It's wonderful!" said the hen. Thenthe coop exploded and the hen went flying! Bread was flying everywhere! "It's raining bread!", said the Hen. Then all the bread fell on her. Then the hen decided she was done with bread. THen the hen went fishing. A fish bit the fishing pole and brought it down with him. The hen didn't care. So, she jumpedin the water and got eatn by a shark.

The End

Snowwheat by Jazlin

Once upon a time there was stinky Snowwheat and she had three stepsister that looked very ugly and one step mother and she never took a bath. Snowheat saw a very ugly person outside, that came and told her eat this ugly apple and Snowwheat said no it looks ugly. Then the stepmother came and heard them she said I will eat that ugly, delicious apple and she ate it and a giant came and toke the ugly lad y to take a bath. And then she came back and she was playing with Snowwheat. Her ugly stepsister were watching a video and when they put it on they were sneezing on each other. Then they smelled it and said there is a stinky cheeseman watching from outside and the the stinky cheese man left. And the girls screamed and left. Then the ugly ladys saw the stinky cheese man and he said "run run as fast as you can you can't catch me I'm the stinky cheese man. They stopped chasing him and they got on bikes and they were riding a lot faster and they got distracted and fell into a pool and when they got out of the water they looked even uglier

.

The End

Seven Dumb Dwarfs by Jordan

One day there were
Once upon a time    seven dumb dwarfs. Their names were Slobber, Sleepy, Dummy, Silly, Grumpy, Doc, and Oger. Doc was the smart one, I think, I can't remember.
 "Doc are you the smart one."
 "No, I can't remember."
"Oh wait why can't you remember? You're telling the story."
 "Oh, then in that case, Oger you're the smart on."
"Agggh."
"Nevermind. Slobber, you're the smart one."
"Oothk."
"Nooo, never mind. Sleep are you smart?"
"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ."
"Ahh! the story is almost over! Dummy, what is two plus two?"
"Twenty-one?"
"Incorrect. Silly don't tighten that bomb!"
Booooooom!
And all the seven dumb dwarfs die happily, not so ever after.

The Three Little Wrestlers by Henry

Once upon a time there were three little wrestlers, they lived with nobody. One of them is Randy Orton, the other one is The Rock, the last one is Jone Cena. One day they decided to live on their own. Randy Orton build his house out of hay, The Rock build his house out of sticks, and John Cena builded his house out of bricks and worked hard, before dawn they are safe. One morning a beast appeared he said, "Little wrestler, little wrestler let me in!" Randy Orton said, "If I do then I'll wrestle you!" The Beast said, "Then I'll huff and I'll blow your house in!" The Beast did and then Randy Orton ran to The Rock's house. He said, "There is a beast outside!" The rock, said, "No Worries!" The Beast came he said, "I'm not going to say it again so let me in! The little wrestlers said "No, No, No!" The Beast blowed their house in. The little wrestlers ran to John Cena's house they said, "There is a Beast outside!" John Cena said,"No worried!" The Beast cam he said, "I'm going to blow in your house!" He tried a dozen of times he didn't do it. The little wrestler were happy. The Beast climbed up the chimney and came in. The little wrestlers wrestled him and they won. The Beast ran away and never came back, so the little wrestlers lived happily ever after.
The End...Forever!

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.

Isaiah 11:1-12

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt,and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Isaiah 9:2-7

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Thou hast multiplied the nations, and not increased the joy; they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden,and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise,and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given;and the government shall be upon his shoulder;and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the lord of hosts will perform this.

Christmas advent

I saw this idea on Pinterest and I fell in love with it. It is a Christmas Advent scripture reading plan. During the month of December, leading up to Christmas, I am going to post the scriptures for this. Please feel free to follow along and "ponderize" their meaning as we get closer to celebrating the birth of our beloved Savior.

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with god, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 

Ponderizing November

It was so neat to see what the family came up with for November  ponderizes. Enjoy the scriptures we pondered and memorized, and the reasons they were chosen.
Melanie...Psalm 18:2
"The Lord is my rock,  and my firtress, and my deliverer; my Gid, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."
I wanted my family to remember who their rock is.

Nick...Alma 46:12-13
And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it-In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children-and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
And he fastened on his head-plate, and his shields,  and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself  to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren,  so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land-
Nick picked this one to honor all the soldiers who have  fought for our nation.

Andy...Ezekiel 20:20
And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that year may know that I am the Lord your God.
Andy wanted to remember  why we focus  on the sabbath being a holy day.

Neil...Isaiah  29-14
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among thus people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Neil wanted us to remember  that the gospel is a marvelous  work and a wonder.

Day 30...It's the last day

On this last day of gratitude postings I want to give my thanks and my testimony to the one who made this all possible...Christ

He is the one who was born, who bled to save me, and who died so that I may live again! Everything that I have I owe to Him! All of this is because of His sacrifice, His Atonement, and His love for me! There is nothing I can do to repay him, but I can share my testimony of Him. And when I go back to Heaven I can "praise and adore" Him. 

 

Nothing says it better then the beautiful hymn

I Believe in Christ" by Bruce R. McConkie

"I believe in Christ; he is my King!

With all my heart to him I'll sing;
I'll raise my voice in praise and joy,
In grand amens my tongue employ.
I believe in Christ; he is God's Son.
On earth to dwell his soul did come.
He healed the sick; the dead he raised.
Good works were his; his name be praised."

"I believe in Christ; oh blessed name!
As Mary's Son he came to reign
'Mid mortal men, his earthly kin,
To save them from the woes of sin.
I believe in Christ, who marked the path,
Who did gain all his Father hath,
Who said to men: "Come, follow me,
That ye, my friends, with God may be."

"I believe in Christ--my Lord, my God!
My feet he plants on gospel sod.
I'll worship him with all my might;
He is the source of truth and light.
I believe in Christ; he ransoms me.
From Satan's grasp he sets me free,
And I shall live with joy and love
In his eternal courts above."

"I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!
From him I'll gain my fondest dream;
And while I strive through grief and pain,
His voice is heard: "Ye shall obtain."
I believe in Christ; so come what may,
With him I'll stand in that great day
When on this earth he comes again
To rule among the sons of men"

Day 29, almost to the finish line

Today I'm so grateful for ym and yw who are talented and who work so hard to learn a song. They did a great job at practice today!

28th day of thankfulness

I'm so grateful for my ancestors. They gave so much so that I may live. They are wonderful examples of faith, courage, and strength.

Day 27

4 of the things that I'm most grateful for are in the livingroom watching TV. I love my family and I can't imagine my life without them!

Day 26

It's thanksgiving! I'm so grateful for my friends and family. They mean so much to me."

25th day

I'm grateful for the simple things like heat and power. There are so many out there that don't have that and who have to deal with cold, dark homes. They are two amazing inventions that we truly take for granted.

Day 24

I'm so grateful the Felicia made it home safely and is able to spend Thanksgiving with us!

Day 23

I am so grateful for the beautiful weather we had today! It was gorgeous out there and the sunset was amazing! What a wonderful gift from our Heavenly Father.

On to 22

What day wonderful Sunday! There were beautiful talks in Sacrament from the Primary Presidency and a great Sunday School lesson. But, the icing on the cake was YM/YW. We combined to practice a song for our wards Christmas program. As we're getting ready to start three boys come walking in (those who work with me will know the boys I'm referring to). To see them there, watch them take everything in (since this was their first time ever in church), I was in awe. I left church with a full heart and in tears with gratitude to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to witness this small and simple miracle.
I am so grateful that I am a Mormon. "I know it, I live it, I LOVE IT!"

Day 21

I love being able to serve, even when its something simple like bringing a few pies to the linger-longer my ward is doing tomorrow. I'm so glad the the Lord has given me the capability of bringing able to things like that.

Day 20

I'm grateful that Heavenly Father and Christ never give up on me. Even when my faith wavers, they are still there no matter what. It amazes me the amount of love that they have for little, old, imperfect me.

Day 19...post on miracles

So some may not see the miracle in this, but I see them everywhere. Neil received a call from our wards first counselor in the bishopric this afternoon. It was regarding helping some people to move a few tables and chairs back into the gym (and by few I mean 7 tables and 50 chairs). Of course Neil has a class tonight so it falls to me to help.
So, at 7pm Andy and I head over to help and unbeknownst to us the Spanish branch is in the gym setting up for their ward Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night. I go let them know what's going on and they are so understanding about the whole thing. Andy, I and the two people who were delivering the stuff back start to move everything back in and the next thing we know there are about 3 members from the branch helping us with the tables and chairs and more inside rearranging their stuff so we can get around. I'm so grateful for their sweet act of service. Without their help it would've taken us a bit longer to get everything unloaded. Just little miracles were everywhere in our ward house tonight.
Mosiah 2:17
And behold I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Day 18

I'm so grateful for wonderful young women leaders who make it so fun for the girls. I'm truly blessed to have Natalie and Brianna!

Here's 17

I'm so glad that there are plenty of scholarship opportunities and grants out there to help me pay for this crazy decision of mine!

Sweet 16 :)

I'm so grateful that Neil gave me to courage to apply to go back to school. He's been on me about it for a while and I've made every excuse known to mankind to not do it. But, something just snapped and his encouragement helped. Thanks so much Neil!!!

#15

Today I'm so glad for wonderful speakers in church that help to bring in the spirit.

And here's 14

I'm grateful that I can run away every once in a while, even if its to help Neil with a class.

Day 13

I"m glad that I was able to have a date night with Neil and go to a hockey game. We rarely get to do things like that, so it was nice to spend time with him.

Day 12

I'm so glad that its Friday eve :)

Happy Veterans Day

Kind of cliché  but since day 11 falls on Veterans Day I would take this time to say how grateful I am for all my friends and family who have/had served in our armed forces.
I am also grateful and proud to come from a family that has a wonderful military heritage.

Day 10

I'm so glad I have a working heater! Its been a pretty chilly day.

Made it to Day 9

I'm grateful for my dishwasher...I couldn't imagine washing all of the dirty dishes I just created by hand!

Day 8... a bit of a longer post

There's a story behind this one so bear with me...
I'm so grateful for the little things the young women have taught since I started my calling as YW president...especially today.
Part of lesson today was a movie clip that the girls had to watch. The clip happened to be in Spanish with English subtitles. One of my girls struggles with dyslexia and was struggling to read the subtitles. So the YW sitting next to this girl just starts reading (whispering) them to her. I was moved to tears while witnessing this tender, kind act of service. 
There is so much we all can learn from our youth if we'd just slow down, observe them, and listen.

It's Day 7

Today I'm grateful that I was able to get my to do list done and still have plenty of time to relax and cross-stitch.

Day 6

So grateful for Fridays!!!

Onto Day 5

I'm so glad that the Lord has given me the energy I need to make it through days like today!

Day 4...still grateful

Cookies, cookies and more cookies! I'm so glad that my Mom and Grandma Asmus taught me how to make really yummy cookies!!!

On to Day 3

I'm so grateful that the wind didn't do any serious damage to my house or yard. I saw some of the photos on the news about the damage done in some areas. So, I'm thankful that Heavenly Father was watching over us!

Thankful... Day 2

This thankful post is a bit on the funny side today.
I'm grateful for mio. I've never liked plain water and I'm so glad that someone got the brilliant idea for mio. It helps water haters like me drink more of it.

Having an Attitude of Gratitude

It's November!!! I love this time of year, the fall leaves, the crisp air, the smell, and above all the Holidays that come with it...Thanksgiving and then Christmas.
What a perfect time to remember to be grateful, even though I probably should do this all year through.
So, I have a goal to share one thing every day that I'm grateful for. Now this is a huge challenge for me. I tried it a few years ago and made it to day 10 I believe. But I really want to accomplish it this time.

So for the very first grateful post to start this off...
I'm grateful for the testimonies that we heard in Sacrament today. They reminded me of all that I had to be grateful for and inspired me to do this. Some things happened last week that have caused me to question a few things and those inspired testimonies reminded me that it is Gods will that will be done, not mine.
So, to all those who bore their beautiful testimonies, I thank you!

Ponderizing

During the October session of LDS General Conference Elder Durrant, the First Counsler in the Sunday School Presidency gave a wonderful talk titled "My Heart Pondereth Them Continually". It was a wonderful talk about not only reading the scriptures and memorizing them, but also taking them into your heart and making them a part of you. He challenged us to ponder and memorize a scripture each week so that those ones that we chose may become a part of us.
I wanted to share our families scriptures that we "Ponderized" for the month of October. For our family we decided to take turns, each of us choosing one per week.

Melanie's Ponderize
Job 19:25
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

Nick's Ponderize
Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the lord thy God giveth thee.

Andrew's Ponderize
Moses 1:39
For behold, this is my work and my glory-to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Neil's Ponderize
Now as I said concerning faith-that it was not a perfect knowledge-even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.

These say a lot about our family and what we are working on and thinking about:
I've been focusing on Christ and how I know for a surety that he lives.
Nick wanted us all to remember how important our parents are.
Andy has been taking mission prep classes and this was one of their scriptures and he wanted us to learn it.
Neil wanted us to remember that even if our faith is not perfect that as long as we have it, even in the smallest amount, that that is good enough for Heavenly Father.

Regret

As many people know my sister law passed away a few weeks ago. It hit me rather hard because of the similarities between her death and my Moms.
They were both the same age at the time of their passing.
My sister in law has two daughters age 17 and 23...I was 21 at the time my Mom passed.
And seeing my brother in  law brought back memories of watching my what my Dad was going through at the time.
This also made me think about how much regret that I have over my Moms passing. That's probably why I have such a hard time, even now, letting go. There were many things left unsaid and many things that we did not sort out.
I wasn't the most perfect of teenagers and there were things said and done on both of our parts that neither of us ever sat down and worked out. Sure things were forgotten and amends were made, but the root of what caused everything was never really talked about.
I so wish she was still her, so we could talk about it. I would love the opportunity to explain to her how I was feeling, what that whole experience was like for me, and how I felt about the way she treated me at the time.
Again, I know I wasn't an angel and I expect that there were many hurt feelings caused by me on her end. What I wouldn't give to have the opportunity to tell her how truly sorry I am for all that. But, now it is to late.
I urge you all to never wait, if things are not going well with a family member take care of it NOW! The opportunity may never come later on.

The 7th annual school is starting tribute

To be honest I really debated even doing it this year, with Felicia leaving for college and all. But, after much soul searching I decided I would. This has always been more of a fun way to honor my mom then anything else. So, even though this one is a bitter-sweet tribute this year...Mom, this is for you.

Lessons learned

Recently the LDS Church Presidency has been focused on "Keeping the Sabbath a Delight". It has been the discussion in auxiliary meetings, sacrament meeting, and even our stake conference. I just wanted to share what I have learned from this.

During our Saturday, Adult, Stake Conference Elder Ronald A. Rasband (President of the Quorum of the Seventy) spoke about this very subject. He then asked members of the audience to give their thoughts and opinions on how they keep the Sabbath in their homes. Many women in the stake stood up and expressed their concern in keeping the Sabbath, especially during sacrament meeting, with their small children. They expressed their frustration in keeping their children quite during the meeting, trying to get them ready on time, and just being a Mom on the Sabbath in general.
That got me to thinking about how I dealt with Sunday when my children were young.

When they were little my husband was either deployed (while still in the military) or working on Sundays with his new job. I did not want to face sitting in Sacrament by myself with three small children (for those who know my boys you can understand my concern). So, instead of teaching them why we need to be there, I just made the decision to not go to that meeting. We would show up after Sacrament and go to the other meetings. What a dumb decision on my part!

I missed out on so much by making that terrible decision. I missed out on lessons from the speakers that I probably needed to hear and on partaking the Sacrament. I missed out on teaching my children why Sacrament is important, why they need to be reverent, and so many other valuable lessons. I could kick myself for making this decision, which at the time I thought was the only option I had.

To those ladies who are single mothers or whose husbands hold callings that prevent them from sitting with you, I implore you to not make that same decision. The Sacrament is so important to your, and your children's, spiritual welfare. It is an essential part in keeping the Sabbath a delight. Without being at that meeting and partaking in the important ordinance of the Sacrament how can you expect to keep the rest of the day holy?

Yes, keeping the Sabbath a delight is more then just going to Sacrament meeting, but that is an essential part to it, and it is a part that I caused my family to miss out on for many years. I am so grateful that even though I made such a terrible decision that my children have learned the importance of Sacrament meeting and of Sunday. I'm so glad that they know that the Sacrament is so much more then just another meeting they have to sit through and listen to a bunch of people speak. I'm also grateful that they know that Sunday is just more then a day off of school/work. That it is a holy day, set aside to really focus on the Saviour.

 I'm not saying that my family is perfect at it, but we do try every Sunday to focus on Him. Yes, I have to admit that Satan likes to through things in our way sometimes, but we just deal with it and press forward. Heavenly Father knows my family and as long as He knows that we are giving it our very best and trying to keep the Sabbath a delight then we are doing what He has asked.

The Star Spangled Banner

The last of my patriotic posts will end with the most important..."The Star Spangled Banner".
Most people know the story of our National Anthem. It was written by Francis Scott Key during The War of 1812 while he was watching the soldiers was raise the flag over Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Sept 14, 1814. The song was first used by the Navy in 1889, Pres. Woodrow Wilson used in in 1916, and on March 3, 1931 Congress made a resolution signed by Pres. Herbert Hoover to make this song our National Anthem.

On a more personal note, I have had the privilege to see this flag twice. I saw it in 2002 while it was being restored and again in 2010 after the restoration was complete. It is an amazing flag to see!

Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thru the night that our flag was still there.
Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen thru the mists of the deep,
Where the fore's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
"Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the the free and the home of the brave!
Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

God Bless America

Here is the next song in my patriotic installment...

"God Bless America"

This short, but sweet song, was written by Irving Berlin in 1918, he then revised it in 1938. It was written to be like a prayer to God to protect this great nation. Berlin started writing it while serving in the Army at Camp Upton in New York, but then he put it aside. When Hitler started rising to power in 1938, Berlin pulled it back out and revised it. Kate Smith sang it on her radio show on Armistice Day (now Veterans Day) in 1938 and it became her signature song. 

"God bless America, 

Land that I love, 

Stand beside her and guide her 

Thru the night with a light from above; 

From the mountains, to the prairies, 

To the oceans white with foam, 

God bless America, my home sweet home. 

God bless America, my home sweet home."  

My, Country, 'Tis of Thee

This is my next one..."My, Country, 'Tis of Thee" was the unofficial anthem of The United States until it was replaced by the "Star Spangled Banner" in 1931. Written by Samuel F. Smith and set to the tune of Britain's "God Save the Queen", it was first performed on July 4, 1831 by a children's choir in Boston.


My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring!

My native country, thee, land of the noble free, they name I love; I love thy rocks and rills, they wood and templed hills. My heart with rapture thrills like that above.

Let music swell the breeze and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song; let mortal tongues awake; let all that breathe partake; lets rocks their silence breath, the sound prolong.

Our fathers' God, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing; long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light. Protect us by thy might, great God, our King!

America the Beautiful

In light of things that have been happening lately I feel that we all need a little reminder of what made, and still makes, this country great. Our belief in something better, our belief in something greater then ourselves, our pride in this nation even with all its problems...that is what makes us great!
For the next few days I am going to post lyrics to patriotic songs in the hope that the beautiful words will sink into our hearts and help us to once again remember what makes our nation the greatest nation on Earth!

America the Beautiful
Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee, and crown they good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.
Oh, beautiful for pilgrim feet, whose stem impassioned stress a thoroughfare of freedom beat across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, confirm they soul in self control, they liberty in law.
Oh, beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, till all success be nobleness, and every gain divine.
Oh, beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years. Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee, and crown they good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Quote from Robert D. Hales

I found this quote from April 2015 General Conference talk that Robert D. Hales gave. It was in his talk titled "Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom".

"As we walk the path of spiritual liberty in these last days we must understand that the faithful use of our agency depends upon our having religious freedom...

There are four cornerstones of religious freedom that we as Latter-day Saints must rely upon and protect.

The first is freedom to believe. No one should be criticized, persecuted, or attacked by individuals, or governments either, for what he or she believes about God. ...

The second...is the freedom to share our faith and our beliefs with others.

The third...is freedom to form a religious organization, a church, to worship peacefully with others. ...

The fourth...is the freedom to live our faith - free exercise of faith not just in the home and chapel but also in public places."

I think with everything going on lately, from the Supreme Courts decision on gay marriage to the attack on Christian values that is happening, this is very important to remember especially during this 4th of July holiday that is coming up. 

Memorial Day 2015

Many people spend Memorial Day shopping sales, visiting the graves of family members who have dies, and celebrating the “unofficial” beginning of summer with barbecues and a multitude of other fun activities.

Do we also take time to remember why we celebrate Memorial Day in the first place? It started as Decoration Day after the Civil War to honor those, Union and Confederate, who had died. These celebrations were scattered and, because of the divide between the North and South, they were also celebrated differently. It wasn’t until after WWII that the holiday garnered a stronger following. In 1967 it was renamed Memorial day and finally in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Holiday Act designating Memorial Day be celebrated the last Monday in May instead of on May 30.

This holiday is to remember all those who served in died protecting this great nation. These people gave all, they forsake everything “in memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children” (Alma 46:12). They gave their all, so that we might be free. So that we can sleep in safety knowing that someone is standing watch saying that no one can hurt us tonight, not on their watch.  In doing so many lost their lives for our defense and for the defense of this chosen land.

It is nice to have a holiday to celebrate their lives, but we shouldn’t just remember their sacrifice on this one designated day of the year. We need to remember them always. We need to remember those who fought against the tyranny of England and were traitors because they wanted a free nation. Those who fought to keep this nation together and to make sure that all men, no matter their color, were free. Those who left and fought in a war that this nation wasn’t even a part of until the very end. The greatest generation, who went to fight Hitler’s oppression and not only free multiple nations from his madness but a group of people who suffered greatly under his hands. And those on the Pacific front who fought the Japanese and suffered under horrible conditions in their POW camps.  Those who left to fight the communist uprising in Korea and Vietnam.  And, now those who are fighting a war on terror, where the enemy is not only abroad, but also at home.

It is up to us to keep their memory alive and to honor them by making sure that we keep our great nation “the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

To the Man with the Roses

On Friday our ward Young Men and Young Women had the opportunity to go  do baptisms at the SLC Temple. It was a great day and very spiritual. As we were leaving and pulling out of the parking under the conference center Felicia noticed a young man sitting on the corner and holding a bouquet of a dozen, gorgeous, long stem red roses. He looked so nervous and expectant. Every time he heard footsteps he'd look up to see if it was whomever he was expecting. And every time it wasn't that person his face just fell.
I don't know if it was a blind date, if he was going to ask a special someone to marry him, but whatever his story was I was so touched by this sight. I hope that who he was waiting for finally showed up and that it all worked out.
Since this, I have found myself going back to this scene and pondering it, replaying it in my mind. And it occurred how much this is like Jesus and our Heavenly Father. How often do they sit there and are just waiting for me to show up, to open my heart and let them in? How their faces must fall every time I don't take the opportunity to come to them and invite them into my life
It really is so simple for me to let them in. All those simple "primary answers" are all I need to do, but yet as an adult I complicate it so much. Do I really want to leave them standing their waiting?
I know my answer, I just need to make it happen. I just need to show up and they'll be there, with open arms, so glad that I finally made it.

Why do I torture myself?

    I have decided to start running. I thought I was doing an ok job until yesterdays run. I had set some goals for myself, not for speed or distance, but more for how I run and a few other things. I felt so great yesterday, I was so excited for my run, and then I started and it STUNK! I don't know what happened, but I completely crashed and burned and met none of the goals that I was working on. I got home so mad at myself and so frustrated. Even though my speed was better, that didn't matter to me. I was just so irked that I didn't make my goals.
   I decided to have a long conversation with myself as to why I am running. Why am I torturing myself? And I discovered the answer is pretty complicated, but to me it's so simple.
   The first question I asked myself is..Do I like to run? And the answer is a resounding, absolute heck NO!!! I hate it. I hate everything about it, so why on heavens name am I doing it!
   As I thought more on this, I realized some important reasons as to why I made the impulsive decision in the first place.
   Neil has been running for about 4 months now and I have seen how it has helped him mentally, physically, and spiritually. I wanted that also.
   I am 39 years old and completely out of shape. I wanted to do something that would help get me in shape. And running will do that. Now do I want to look like the Victoria Secrets models? I won't lie...Yes. But, I know that is not a realistic goal without some serious surgery on my part and that ain't happening. However, I can run and be in shape. Which will in turn help me to be healthy and happy.
One of my favorite movies is "Legally Blond" and I love the line in which Elle says "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy..." And that's true, I want to be happy and I know that running will help me do that. So, those are good reasons, but were they good enough?
   I also realized that I'm doing this for my family. I want to be around for a while, and I'd like to be healthy while I'm here. If running will help me be around a bit longer, then I have achieved that goal.
   I want to show my kids what happens when you make a difficult goal and stick with it. For me this is not an easy goal. As stated before I like nothing about running and it takes everything I have to just get dressed and out the door. I want my kids to see that Mom set this goal for herself and that she didn't give up. The she had the strengthen of character to see it through and to be a better person for it. That means a lot to me. And if I can show, and teach, my kids something while I'm running then it's worth it.
   After all this, I decided that maybe it is worth it after all. A part of me still had doubts about it, but I figured that comes with the territory and so I just left it alone for a while. And that's when it hit me why I really wanted to do this. I want to prove to myself that I can do this, that I'm not a quitter. I want to satisfaction of being able to say that I finished a run no matter how much it hurt, how much I hate it, and all the other stuff that I feel while doing it. Those reasons are exactly why I am doing this. All the other ones a great, but to me this is the most important.
   Will I ever run a 1/2 marathon or marathon? I highly doubt it, but I never know. What I do know is that even though I felt like quitting yesterday and never running for as long as I live, I will not do that. Because doing that makes me a quitter and I will not quit! I will continue to torture myself until I reach and surpass my goals!