My Flag, My Flag, My Country's Flag

My dad calls Wal-Mart "the great and spacious building". Still, I shop there because it is close, it is convenient, lower prices and I can always find something I didn't know I needed. This morning, however, I was offended to my very core.

I needed some containers to help in the organization of my office. After I chose them, I headed over to the seasonal aisle to pick up some bunting and other do-dads for decor for this week. There was no seasonal aisle for the 4th of July. Nothing, Nada, Nunca, zippo. I finally located an endcap with a few military flags, small flags on sticks,a music box that played 3 patriot songs and waved a flag when you punched the button, and headbands with light up glittery stars on them.

I asked an employee if that was all of their patriotic merchandise. She stated that they had colored paper plates around the corner. Now, if the pitiful offerings I had just been presented with was not enough what I was confronted with when I turned the corner made me so angry. The "colored plates" had the flag, the American flag, printed all over them. And sitting right next to them were packages full of paper, throw away, napkins emblazoned with the symbol of our rights and liberties. The flag of my country used to wipe the ketchup, mustard and relish off of someone's face!

You may not realize it, but we do have fedral law that regulates the way our flag should be treated. We started out with very little to govern how to treat our standard. In fact, there was a time when it was ok to write on the flag. But we do have a flag code that should be followed:

American Flag Etiquette.
Federal law stipulates many aspects of flag etiquette. The section of law dealing with American Flag etiquette is generally referred to as the Flag Code. Some general guidelines from the Flag Code answer many of the most common questions:

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  *The flag should be lighted at all times, either by sunlight or by an appropriate light source. *The flag should be flown in fair weather, unless the flag is designed for inclement weather use.
  *The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.
  *The flag should not be used for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.
  *The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard.
  *The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations.
  *The flag should never have any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind placed on it, or attached to it.
  *The flag should never be used for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
  *When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously.
  *The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary.
  *When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.

In our lives, we use symbols all the time. A gold ring on the third finger of someone's left hand represents a commitment to love and honor another person, to give your life for theirs if need be. A pole with red, blue and white stripes means a barber works in the building. Big golden arches mean someone is going to ask if you want fries with that. A piece of cloth with 13 alternating red and white stripes, a blue field with 50 white stars means that men and women died so that I have the right to voice my opinion on this matter. Their blood was spilled so that I have the right to choose what kind of life I want, to pursue my dreams or not as I so choose. My boys are willing to die to preserve that freedom for everyone that lives here. Yet this weekend someone will take the symbol of their sacrifice and eat off of it and wipe their dirty hands on it and throw it away and call it patriotism.

When **Amalickiah wanted to be king and hold all the power, and many of the Nephites were flattered by his words and listening to him, Moroni made a standard, a banner, a flag, even a Title of Liberty, that all were to fly from their homes that when they looked upon it they would remember. These are the words he wrote upon it:

"In memory of our God,

Our religion, and freedom,

and our peace, our wives,

and our children"

He also knelt down and prayed to our Heavenly Father "for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long s there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land." In verse 30 of Alma 46 we read how Moroni called his people together to remembrance by saying,

"Behold, whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them."

It is time that we, the American people, opened our eyes and realized that we have allowed so many things to become common place and profane. (Profane- to take something sacred and make it ordinary) We do not even see the flag anymore. Does your heart stir when you see the flag stirring in the breeze? When you hear the national anthem, do you stop and listen? When you attend a parade, do you stand and place your hand over your heart when Old Glory passes by? Do you raise a silent prayer to the heavens in gratitude for those that made this life possible for you? What price freedom? It was purchased dearly for us and we should do no less than to honor the symbol of that price.

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price o chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! Give me liberty, or give me death."

Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775

The title of this post was taken from a song in the Children's hymn book

*Taken from the American Flag Site
**Alma Chapter 46, The Book of Mormon

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Get out and vote

I need a haircut. I know, I just got it cut a week ago for my niece's wedding. And I guess it looks cute, but I don't like it. I am not a hair and make-up person. Don't get me wrong, I like looking nice, but if it takes me longer than 10 minutes, hair and make-up total, then that is way too long. Or else I had better be headed somewhere special. This new cut takes me 20 minutes to make it look half way presentable. I have things to do- like get online and read your blog.

Have you seen those women that look like they just stepped out of a salon or fashion magazine? Even when it is 100* outside and they have been out in it for hours? I don't get it. I get ready, look in the mirror and I look smashing. Then I step outside. Ya, you got it, I start melting and wilting all over the place and within 5 minutes I look like I have been wrung through the wringer. I guess that gene just passed me by.

What I really need is a personal assistant/make-up artist/hair stylist to follow me around and make sure I always look picture perfect.

Here are a couple of styles that I like and am thinking maybe I'll try. In the spirit of the upcoming holiday and the fact that we have the freedom to vote, which of these styles do you think I should get?

1.

2.

3 4

5

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Thy Liberty in Law

As our Sunday School teacher started the lesson this morning, he stated that this time of year, the 4th of July, is probably his most disliked time of the year. What?? I was shocked. This man preaches patriotism and history the way most of us breath. He has written textbooks that make me want to go back to school and study history and become a history teacher. How could he not like this time of year?

He then went on to explain why and as he explained, he echoed a sentiment that I had just had (again) during our closing song in Sacrment meeting. He does not like this time of year because we as a people only pay lip service to it. If we are lucky, we will sing a couple of patriotic songs the Sunday before the 4th, close our hymnals and be done with it until next year. We have our parades, picnics and fireworks, but they have all evolved into a reason to party and are no longer a celebration of God's deliverance of our country from oppression in preparation for the restoration of the gospel here on earth.

Just a couple of day ago, I had told this man's mother-in-law, my visiting teacher, that one thing I miss around this time of year is my daddy bearing his testimony about not only the truthfullness of the gospel, but imploring us to remember and reverence that God that gave us our freedoms. He would also ask us to remember, again with reverence and dignity, those that spilled their blood to gain us these freedoms and allow a 14 year old boy to pray in a grove of trees and receive an answer.

Not only was this boy able to recieve an answer, but because of those many marters, he was able to speak of his experience without being be-headed. He was able to publish the Book of Mormon and later the Doctrine and Covenants because he had freedom of the press. He could organize Christ's true church on the earth once again because he had the freedom of assembly.

The song we sang today was "America the Beautiful" by Katherine Lee Bates, and I don't know if it is because it is an election year, or because my two boys are getting ready to be deployed, or what, but the words to this song struck a chord in my heart, more deeply than ever before today.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet, who's stern impassioned stress, A thoroughfare for freedom beat, across the wilderness

Pilgrims-Those who were first to do something, they came before making the way. This could be those that first settled in Jamestown, or those that declared our freedom from England, those that settled in the west

Stern means: hard,severe,pressure or strain

Impassioned means: filled with passion,fervant

Stress ,in this case means to subject to stress, pressure, or strain

Thoroughfare -means. A main road or public highway. A place of passage from one location to another

Beat = To make progress against

So we have those that in hardship and severe conditions, gave up what they had to fervantly give their posterity, us, something better.

America, America God mend thine every flaw.

I am guessing that we all know that a flaw is something that is wrong or not where the maker intended it to be. As I watch the parade of people wanting to represent us in our government, it seems that they believe that they as humans can take what God created and improve on it or make it better. But how can that be when allowing God back into our country is the only way our flaws can be mended?

Thy Liberty in law

Where does our freedom and liberty come from? Only from obedience to the law. And I believe that it is obedience to God's laws not man's.

O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life

Strife-bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension.
The wars that were fought, that are still being fought, for our freedoms are no walk in the park. Men died, are dying. Men fought with no coats or shoes in the dead of bitter cold winter, their footsteps easily traceable by the blood left in the snow. Men fight in the heat of deserts where full combat gear brings their body tempurature up by 20-30 degrees and the weapons used can melt your undergarments onto your skin. Mothers watched their sons march into the fray and are left behind to carry on with life. Children grow up and have birthdays that daddies are not there for. Wives leave their husbands to try to comb hair and tie ribbons. Why? Because the love of the freedoms that God has given us, the knowledge that we can have mercy-judgement given in love- is more important than one individual. And they all, those that go and those that stay, are heroes.

America, America may God thy gold refine

Now the refining process is long and ardous and filled with heat and fire to bake out all the impurities and the more refined the gold, the more it is worth. In fact, the more pure the gold, the more maliable it is. If we are the gold that God is refining, the more pure we are, the more able we will be to bend to God's will and not our own vain selfishness.

Till all success be nobelness and ev'ry gain divine

Nobelness- as in priestly? Kingly? or even Godly perhaps? And every gain be one that is granted us by our Lord and Savior. Because all that we have came from above. The United States should never have won the Revelutionary War. The English were the best of the best trained military in the world and we defeated them. Why? Because the Lord needed a place of refuge for his chosen people as well as a place to restore his gospel. Still to this day, every thing, every once of wisdom and knowledge and progression that we gain is given to us by the Divine Father. Are we using it to build up His kingdom here on earth or for our own will and pleasure?

O beautiful for patriot dream, that sees beyond the years

A patriot is one who feels support for their country

Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears

Alabaster is a mineral that is pretty maliable and soft. It also comes in brown or white. A city made of alabaster could be described as one that bends to the will of the Lord, or also one that is white and pure. (as a side note, alabaster is mentioned in the bible in the story of the woman that came and poured the expensive perfumed ointment on Jesus' head)

The original 4th verse ended differently than we now sing it:

O 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

Till nobler men keep once again

Thy whiter jubilee!

A jubilee is a time of rejoicing and happiness. T

Here is one explanation of jubilee that I found helpful (and amazing in that I read this post Friday and needed it today)

Like the Jubilee, where the words spoken are recorded in Leviticus (and are just like what Benjamin says). The Jubilee, for those that don't know, is the celebration of seven periods of seven years (with some debate over whether it was actually celebrated in the 49th or 50th year).

So, wanna know what's interesting about that?The people of Central America kept two calendars. One calendar was based off of 20-day months. The other was our 365 day calendar. Every 52 years the two calendars would coincide. As you can imagine, this was not only the cause of some concern, as the world might end or a god would wreak havoc on them (part of the reason Cortez wasn't killed - he arrived in the end of that 52-year cycle and since they were expecting an otherworldly type visitor, he fit the bill and didn't get cut down on sight), but it was also a time of great celebration. When the night passed and they hadn't all died (the gods had seen fit to give them another 52 years), they partied like it was 1999 (or 99 or 999 as the case may be).

The celebration was even more grand based on the fact that most people would only expect to see the culmination of the 52-year cycle once in their lives. (And as a side note, if you've heard of the Maya prediction that the world will end in 2012, guess what happens then? Yep, another end to a 52-year cycle.)

Here is another explination of jubilee, this one by L. Tom Perry.

So, what I would like for us all to do, is to listen to the words of the songs we sing. Understand them and delve into their deeper meaning and then take them to heart. And maybe, just maybe someday we will not relegate these songs to one Sunday a year to be lip synched through and kill time until we can get out of the chaple. I hope that someday, these patriotic songs will fill our hearts with love, reverence and gratitude for the sacrifices that have allowed us to be free. And then, may we do all in our power to remain such so that their offering will not be in vain.

America the Beautiful

Lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates; music composed by Samuel A. Ward

O 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 thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet

Whose stern impassion'd stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness.

America! America!God mend thine ev'ry flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov'dIn 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 ev'ry gain divine.

O 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 thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea.

*oh, I did want to mention one of my biggest pet peeves regarding patriot songs. Why is it that when we sing the national anthem in public, we only sing one verse, the question verse? What is the point if we don't answer the question? Really, people, sing the 3 that are in the hymnal, we could be singing all 10 original verses.

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Stalemate

Iris Johansen

An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller

From the front flap:

Eve Duncan has turned down the job twice already. Her skill and devotion in identifying murder victims and helping bring their killers to justice may be world-renowned. But Eve works exclusively for law enforcement and the families ofthe innocent, and theman on the other end of the phone is many things--none of them law-abiding or innocent.

One of the world's most wanted men, little is really known about Luis Montalvo except that he is extraordinarilydangerous and that he never takes no for an answer. Now he wants Eve's help in the wost way. fr he believes they have something in common-and he's about to prove it with a grisly warning.

Eve will leave everything and everyone behind, even the man she trusts and loves the most, Atlanta detective Joe Quinn, to travel to Montalvo's luxurious armed compound in the Colombian jungle to identify th sull h has recovered. She has agreed to this devil's bargain to save an innocent family, but also for a reason she can't admit to Joe, to the CIA, to anyone. For the man in the jungle has promised to be ableto give Eve what she wants most of all-- the key to unlocking the darkest and most painful mystery of her past.

But Eve is in more danger than she can imagine. As she gets closer to identifying the skull, she finds herself caught between two ruthless killers with no way out. Now, with everything on the line, Eve Duncan must make the most chilling choice of all. And if she's wrong....she's dead.

I had never read an iris Johansen book, so of course I was had not been introduced to Eve Duncan. One thing I liked about this book, even though the characters have appeared in other books, this book can stand alone. Back stories were explained in such a way that you never feel as if you are reading books out of order.

Dialog is the main reason that I have never written a novel. I am terrible when it comes to dialog. It always feel stilted and unnatural. Ms. Johansen, on the other hand, has no problem at all with dialog. Everything that came out of her character's mouths felt true and real to me. Even the dialog Eve has with herself felt real to me. In fact, I would like to know Eve and Joe and have dinner with them sometime.

My one problem with the book is this, the bad guy undergoes a transformation that I am not sure is one that would be real. The reason he gives for becoming a bad guy to start with make me wonder if he would be so successful at it if he were truly not an evil guy. And why is his profession ignored all over the place? I'm not sure I buy that, and if it is true to life, then we should be a little more worried than we are.

I will be checking more Eve Duncan books out of the library. Books that happened before this one as well as after, because I want to understand the character a bit more as well as what happenes with Eve's painful mystery.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes quick action thrillers. It is not too scary that you will want to sleep with the light on, but scary enough that you do hold you breath in spots.

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Summer Reading Thing 2008

(the text for this post is stolen from Karlene. I was too tired/lazy to do it all myself).

It's time once again for our annual Summer Reading Thing. Here are the basic details.

Who: The Summer Reading Thing 2008 (or SRT 08) is for anyone who’s up for a reading challenge. All age groups are welcome.

What: A summer reading challenge for everyone. Set your goals and track your progress. No goal is too small; no ambition too great. Feeling overwhelmed? Make your list small or use the same list from any other reading challenge (like this one).Make changes to your list as needed as desired. Finish early? Add more books (or not). Change your mind on a title? Drop it. No pressure, no minimums. Post a short review on your blog of at least one of the books you read during the challenge. If you like to do reviews, you can post one for each of the books you read. Please keep the reviews family friendly. Karlene will set up a Mr. Linky where you can link to your reviews. (Don't have a blog? Keep reading.)

When: Friday, June 2oth through Sunday, September 21st, 2008.

Where: The blogosphere.

Join up using this Mr. Linky. Post your summer reading list on your blog and backlink here. If you don't have a blog, you can use the one she created last year for this very purpose. Simply e-mail your list and reviews to her and she'll post and link you up, making you eligible for prizes.

Why: To promote literacy around the world. Yeh, right. Because we need a reason not to feel guilty when we choose to read instead of mop the floor.

How: Make your list and post it on your blog. Then link to your post using the sign-up Mr. Linky. As you read your books, post a review on your blog and link to the review post using the review Mr. Linky. At the end of the challenge, post a wrap-up and link to the wrap-up Mr. Linky (coming in September).

Prizes: Prizes will be books (new or gently read) or book related items. (If you're an author or publisher and you want to provide a prize, send me an e-mail.) I'll give away one prize each week. To be eligible for prizes, you must have signed up on the Mr. Linky here. Beginning July 20th, you must also have posted one review using the Mr. Linky here. Due to shipping costs, you must live in the U.S. or Canada to win a prize. (Sorry.)

Spread the word: Let your blog readers know about SRT 08 so they can join the fun with you! Grab the button and use it on your blog. The larger image (top of post) is 400 px. The smaller image (below) is 220 px and will fit the standard Blogger sidebar. The image in my sidebar is 185px, for smaller sidebars, like mine. Please link your button back to this post.Note: You can join Summer Reading Thing 2008 at any time.Okay, that’s it. Go post your list and let’s get reading!Click here to join Summer Reading Thing 2008.

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Wedding Pictures

Saturday we attended my niece's wedding reception in Tremonton. It was very nice. The bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome and there was family all over the place. My grandmother came with my parents from New Mexico. She had never been to Idaho, so it was great that she got to go for the wedding there as well.

Here is a slide show with some of the pictures that I took.

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Turn out the lights, the party's over

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On the Journey of Life

When I opened my mail this morning, one of the first things I see is a short one line note from my brother. It brought tears to my eyes. It was nice to be greeted by a loved one remembering me first thing in the morning. Thanks.

I have been thinking a lot lately about family and life and hopes and dreams. I had a brief blog comment discussion yesterday with a blog aquaintance about motivation and our hopes and dreams. Why is it that some of us have dissapointment in achieving our dreams, but still we forge ahead and make course adjustments and revisions and work harder until we meet the desired goal. Others, on the other hand, just give up and stop trying. Why is it that some of us get so mired down in what is wrong that we get stuck, while others keep going?

About a month ago, graduation preparations were beginning to take place along the Valley Front. One morning as I was driving in to work, the dj's on the radio station were asking for callers to call in and tell what their hopes and dreams had been on the day they graduated and then to tell what their reality was. Maybe that is what started my introspection. When I graduated some 27 years ago I was full of plans and dreams. I was going to college. I was going to be a teacher. Spend some time as a professional dancer. Write some children's books. I would get married and have a happy home filled with kids and love and laughter. And I just hoped that I could be half as good as my mom was.

I look back and I see several points where the plans and dreams became sidetracked and changed. There have been times that I have said, "If I could go back and change this decision, that choice, I would". But I when I say that I always qualify it with, "but only if I could have the knowledge that I have now". Then I realize that that is the crux of the whole thing, if I could go back and change those decisions, I wouldn't have the knowledge that I have now. I would have different experiences and learn different lessons. Or if I did learn the lessons I have learned, perhaps the journey would have been something that I really don't want to take.

I look at the lessons I have learned and realize that they have shaped me into the woman I am today. Given me the strengths that I now possess. I see how they have served me in my chosen work. I am able to understand things that no amount of book learning could have ever prepared me for. I am better able to empethize with those that seek my help. And my help and guiding words are better understood because I get it.

I sometimes get mired in the why me's, why this, why not that. I sometimes forget to look at the trees because the forest seems so large before me. But in those moments of clarity, I am thankful for the things that have shaped me and allowed me this journey.

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Forged In the Refiner's Fire

We all have trials. We all have hills to climb and conquer. Through all of this, we have lessons to learn to help make us stronger. Forged in the Refiner's Fire, by Candace Salima and Elizabeth Cheever, is a book filled with stories of people that have had their share of trials and become stronger for them.



As I read this book, I was reminded of some of my past struggles and how they have made me stronger. I was also able to see that some of my current struggles were also making me a stronger person and realized that I do not always meet them with grace, so that was a lesson to me as well. If you know Candace, you will know that she is the picture of grace and gratitude. She always has a smile on her face and a kind word and is more concerned about others than herself. Even when life is crazy for her and she is climbing uphill, she will stop to make sure that those around her are not falling behind. I am glad to be able to call her friend.

Here are some questions I had for Candace Salima when I finished reading.



Tell us a bit about you and your background.

I am descended of a long line of authors, artisans and musicians, and as such, carry a rich heritage and tradition in my veins. My mother, a voracious reader, instilled a deep love of the written words in our hearts, beginning with the mishaps of a veterinarian in the British countryside. I began writing original stories as a child and have never looked back.

I went to college to study criminal justice, desiring to be a prosecutor. That career path was waylaid in my sophomore year where I turned to creative writing and have stayed on that course since then. I was deeply influenced by a Professor Dorla Jenkins who honed my very rough skills in the writing Heavenly Father intended me to have.

The daughter of a father who survived the invasion of Hitler’s war machine in his homeland and a mother who was often a controversial conservative columnist, I spent my childhood on the back of a horse or trudging through the mountains and valleys of the American west.

I met my sweetheart, Alvin, at Brigham Young University in 1983. You can read more about that story here. Just scroll past the official bio to get to the good stuff. I appeared on the Phil Donahue Show when Deborah Laake wrote the anti-Mormon book “Secret Ceremonies: Diary of a Mormon Wife.” I stood in defense of the Church and the Priesthood and enjoyed one of the most intensely spiritual experiences of my life. Alvin saw me on that show and called me. Two years later, almost to the day, he called April 23, 1993 and we married May 4, 1995, we were sealed in the Bountiful Temple. He has remained the great and wonderful man I married and I love him more than life itself.

When I was younger, and no, I’m not that old, I did a lot of things just so I could say I did them. I rafted down the Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon and into Lake Mead. I hiked the Colorado Rockies, or rode horses in the Grand Teton Mountains of Wyoming. It makes me sound much more adventurous than I really am. But I have to admit, all those things were a blast. But when it boils down to the basics, I love BYU football, Orem High basketball, swimming, movies, plays, musicals and hanging out with family and friends. All of these things I still prefer to be curled on the couch with a good book.

I am a fierce defender of Jesus Christ and of America. All of these things, meshed together, define the woman I am today. I currently write for http://ldsblogs.com/ and http://yourldsneighborhood.com/. I am the author of three books and two health booklets with more books on the way. I am always, first and foremost, a wife and then a devoted daughter and sister.

Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

Each of goes through difficult times in life, although, thank goodness, I have not had to go through what Job or Joseph Smith went through. But each of us goes through ugly times and so many ask: Why, why is this happening to me. Some things happen because they are consequences of decisions and actions, others happen because we were obedient to the promptings of the Spirit. Either way, they are rough times. Forged in the Refiner’s Fire is about going through these times of trial and tragedy and learning how others have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and drawn closer to the Lord in the process. This is was inspired this book. People, from every walk of life, who simply kept putting one foot in from of the other, even through their darkest moments of despair.

Elizabeth Cheever, my co-author, is one who has suffered greatly in her life. Initially, she came to me to ask if I would write this book with her. I couldn’t say no, even though I was very busy. There was something about the concept that I couldn’t walk away from, and I’m glad I didn’t.

Was it hard to write your stories? To relive them? Or had you already written them and worked through the emotions that sometimes come when we relive hard memories.

No. Well, okay, I cried when I wrote them. They were extremely painful and difficult times in my life. But in all honesty, I had come to terms with both situations long before I wrote them down. And no, I hadn’t written them before. They seemed to scream to be included in the book because they taught particular points of the gospel that I had to learn the hard way. I thought perhaps others could see the light at the end of the tunnel a little sooner than I had and their spirits would be uplifted.

Which story, other than your own, touched you the most?

Hazel Jensen’s. When her horse reared up and fell backward on her, crushing her pelvis my heart literally fell. I could not believe the suffering and pain that woman went through. And yet, I had met her after this happened and she was a cheerful, peaceful, absolutely delightful woman who, unbeknownst to me, was in great pain because of her crushing injuries. She’s had multiple back surgeries, as late as last year and yet continues to paint, write and serve her Savior, Jesus Christ.

If readers of this book could take only one message from it, what would you hope for it to be?

Hope. There is always hope. We were never meant to walk this mortal path alone and each of has only to look to Jesus Christ for the strength to continue on. We belong to a great brotherhood of mankind with a common ancestry and a possible common divine goal. None of us are truly alone. Between heaven and earth, there are untold numbers of good people who will step forward and lift you up until you can walk on your own.

What do we have to look forward to from you?

“Standing on the Fifth: The Long Road” is almost finished. I am co-writing that with Merrill Osmond and we are having so much fun bringing this action suspense to life.

“Dreams Die Hard” is the sequel to “Out of the Shadows . . . Into the Light.” I’ll probably have to end up self-publishing that one because no publisher will pick up a series mid way through.

“The Heart of a Woman” is a nonfiction book which address the issues facing women today and the strength/answers we can draw from the brethren and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Again, we were not meant to walk this thorny path alone and it is my hope that this book will give the women of the Church the strength they need to keep moving forward.

“The Tale of Two Fathers” is a nonfiction book covering the lives of the two men who shaped me. My biological father and the father of my heart. One suffered terribly as a child and then, as an adult, chose women and booze over the eternal family he’d been creating with my mother. The second had an even more horrific childhood and chose God, remaining faithful until the day he passed away. The book will delve into the lives of this men and show how small choices can lead to the ultimate destruction or salvation of a man’s soul. It will show the ripple effects on the wife and children of these men and how their actions cause scars which can take decades to overcome, and the opposite, which is the healing balm of a righteous father.

If you get the chance, pick up a copy of "Forged In the Refiner's Fire", it is well worth your time.

Here is a short video of an interview that Candace did for "Forged In the Refiner's Fire"

Fool Me Twice

Today The Dance is 1 year old. Happy Birthday! A year ago I started this blog so that I would have a place to post reviews of books that I had read for Karlene's Summer Reading Thing. So I think to celebrate my bloggy birthday, I will do a book review.

Fool Me Twice

Stephanie Black

When it comes to pleasing her twin sister, Megan O'Connor is an easy touch. She'll do just about anything to gain Kristen's approval, including trading places with her. After all, Kristen's plan promises to get Megan out of a dead-end job and make them both rich. It will be a nice reward for a little genealogical investigation--something that couldn't have happened without the help of Kristen's new LDS acquaintances. And who could blame the twins for using a tiny bit of deceit to manipulate an inheritance out of someone as demanding as their estranged Aunt Evelyn?

All Megan has to do is pretend to be Kristen, move into Evelyn's house, and take care of the wealthy old woman until her failing health kills her. It shouldn't take too long. It shouldn't be too difficult. Megan's the nice one. Except for the lie, the task is a natural fit. Everything would be perfect if she could just ignore the guilt--a feeling that only grows stronger as she spends more time with the new friends Kristen arranged for her.

But soon Megan discovers that there is more to worry about. She's living in a house of illusions where she isn't the only one playing a part. Someone has developed a new plotline that ends with a death scene--and in this version, the victim won't die of natural causes.

Beneath the surface of the sleepy New England town of Britteridge, deceit weaves a deadly web where turnabout is anything but fair play.

This is Stephanie Black's second novel. I really enjoyed this book. The story is well written and the characters are very well defined. I enjoyed the way Stephanie allowed us into Megan's thought process without interrupting the story. The action was constant and kept me guessing and wondering throughout. Even when I knew who the bad guys were, and there were more than meets the eye at the beginning of the book, I was wondering how Megan was ever going to get out of this mess.

Even though it is an LDS book and the Book Of Mormon is mentioned, the religion is not pushy. Everyone does not get baptised in the end and I found this aspect to be true to life.

I also liked that even though there is the potential for romance, it doesn't happen. No one falls in love after knowing each other for a couple weeks. No one reforms their life to make another happy. No one rushes off to the temple at the end.

Overall, I would recommend this book.

Happy Father's Day

My Daddy is my hero. He is not faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, or even able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. But he is my hero and those are not the kinds of things I need done anyway.

One of my earliest memories of my daddy is him with a horse. You see, he grew up on a ranch, and you can't do ranch work without a horse. Daddy got us all on a horse when we were quit young. However, I am not fond of riding horses. When I was eight years old, Daddy took my younger brother and I with him when he went to do some branding. I don't remember much about the day except it was hot and smelly. I did't like the bawling of the calves as they were worked, but I did understand the reason.

Everett, my brother, and I were taking turns sitting on Dad's horse as the calves were being worked. It was my turn to sit on the horse. Grandpa, my uncles and my dad had a calf down when something spooked the horse. I had no clue what to do with an out of control, bucking horse. I was slipping off of the saddle, pulling the reins tight, scaring the horse even more. The horse started going in circles around and around the branding fire. I was slipping more and more and any minute I would fall and hit the fire. Terror filled me, I knew I was going to die. Then all at once, was free from the horse and my daddy had me in his arms, saving me, protecting me and calming me down, telling me everything was alright. My hero. (but I never did go with him to brand again and I am not so fond of riding hores anymore even though Daddy made me get back on a horse later that day)

I had a black cat. His name was Sambo. Not politically correct, but it is what it is. I loved this cat and he loved me. He would lay draped on my shoulders as I played outside, or sat and read a book. We were together almost as much as if he were my faithful sidekick, dog. Sambo was not a small cat. No, he was one of those big, full bodied, long haired cat. But he was also a cat that went outside to do his business and roam around, as cats do.

By this time, my dad worked in a copper mine. He carpooled to work. One member of the carpool was his brother, Steven. On the day I am thinking about, Daddy had just been dropped off from work by Uncle Steven. I remember hearing tires squealing and Daddy going back outside to see what had happened. I also remember Daddy not letting me outside to see. When Uncle Steven backed out of our driveway that day, he hit Sambo. It was not pretty and Daddy didn't want me to see. Sambo didn't die right then, he ran off but came back a couple of days later, then ran off and died. But, my daddy tried to spare me the trauma of seeing my beloved pet as he died. My hero.

My daddy played basketball when he was younger. One of my earliest memories is of traveling to the stake center in Mt. Grahm to play in the stake tournaments. Of course I remember my daddy being the best player on the floor. It was through my daddy's love of the game that I grew to love basketball as well. He would often drive me to the highschool games. I am sure, now, that that is not how he would have liked to spend his Friday nights- in town, at the basketball games, watching kids that he didn't know, play basketball. But he did it because I wanted to go. Sometimes I would even be in the student council concession stand working, and he would sit through the game by himself. Other times I would sit with him. I remember one time he cheered a play by the opposing team. When I asked him about it, he said to me "You should always applaud a good play no matter who makes it. The other team works just as hard as yours and a good move is a good move no matter what jersey they are wearing." Always true in all aspects of life, don't you think. My hero.

Also, during this time, my mom was not feeling well and driving us to early morning seminary became too difficult for her. Since my dad works shift work, he was not always able to be there to do it- probably only 2 weeks out of every 6 would that be possible. I was very sad about the prospect of not being able to finish my senior year of seminary. But that didn't happen. Why, because my hero found out that we could do home study seminary with him as our teacher. So besides everything else he had to do, he took on guiding us through our lessons and correcting them so that we could continue with seminary.

My daddy is a hard worker. In late '86 or early '87 the doctors found that my daddy had a rare kidney disease. By the late '90s, he was on dialisis and put on a transplant list. Did that stop my daddy? No it did not. I remember on summer day, he and my mom were up visiting. We were having a family get together and we all gathered at my brother's house. My brother's garage needed a new roof and I bet you can guess who was up there nailing shingles on. Yep, my hero.

Daddy hates hospitals. Hates even stepping inside the front door of them and doesn't do it unless he absolutely has to. When my sixth child was born, my parents were in Utah for the my sister's wedding. They would be stopping in Provo for the night and then on to Logan for the wedding. I would not be going, I had been sick and in bed for 3 months and the baby was born 6 weeks premature the day before they were to arrive. Mom said she would come by the hospital and see us on the way through. However, when she got there and I looked up, there stood my daddy in the door to my hospital room on the third floor. He said hi, and then he and my brother took a walk, but I didn't care. He came to see me. My hero.

When ever my life is getting complicated or confused or I feel like it is spiraling out of control, he is always there for me, to listen to me, even if I am doing nothing but whining and crying, he is there with a sympathetic ear and words of wisdom to guide me through it.

Dad writes poetry. I was going through the many that he has given me and realizing again how much I love this man. How much he has taught me by his life example as well as his words of wisdom. I hope he will forgive me if I use one of his poems to illustrate the type of life he has lived. (it was hard to choose, so many of them that I love)

The Prescription

It's five A.M. I'm up and dressed

And headed out of doors

The day has started in the country

It's time to start the chores

There's cows to milk and horses to feed

And that just starts the day

After chores and breakfast are done

It's time to cut the hay.

Cause you plow and plant and fertilize

Then you have to irrigate

The crops come up; so do the weeds

So you have to cultivate.

There's corn to chop and grain to thresh

And the dogies food to blend

If you're ever caught up with it all

There's always some fence to mend.

And then the pigs will get out of the pen

And go running to the neighbor's

It seems there never is an end

To a country man's labors.

There's calves to brand and hay to bale

You'd take a break if you could

But about the time you think you can

It's time to haul the winter's wood.

Of course the wife is busy too

Helping with all those chores

There's not a lot of time for her

To be settin about indoors.

But when she's working in the house

You know she's also planning

On the winter coming up, cause

It's time to start the canning.

Then one morning when I got up

I didn't feel very well

So my wife took me to the doc

To see what had caused this spell.

Well, he poked and proded, punched and listened

Said there was nothing wrong,

But he had a prescription he'd give to me

That would help me live quite long.

He said it was something simple

I could do it with my wife

If we'd just follow his advise

We could live a long and happy life.

Then when he gave me the prescription

I nearly punched his eyes

Whe he said what you need most

Is to get some exercise.

Gary L. Hulsey September 1992

My dad and mom on their wedding day

I am the baby

Dad and Mom and their first

great-grandchild (my first grandchild)

Nov. 2007

Love you Daddy!

Friday Fluff

Your Thinking is Concrete and Sequential

You are precise, orderly, and realistic. You tend to get to the point and get things done. Difficult, detailed work is easy for you. You take things step by step. Time limits aren't a problem for you either. You work well with deadlines. What does drive you crazy is any sort of task that isn't precisely laid out. You don't like anything to be ambiguous. You prefer to deal with the facts at hand.

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

Wrongs made right

Remember last fall when I was so upset over my flower bed being desacrated? I need to let you know that the city did try to make it right. They apologized over and over. The mayor contacted me within minutes of me contacting them. The city works department had people calling me to try and make it right. They issued the apology and paid me some money. Everytime I saw the mayor for the next couple of months, he apologized again. Today I went to purchase new flowers to replace the old ones, and I made new friends and have a new place to purchase my flowers from now on.

I purchased some WalMart cheap annuals to give a couple of the flower beds some color to last throughout this year while I am still re-doing my pond area. I was hoping to be able to also replace the other flowers. They didn't have any peonies. So I went down the street to Linden Nursery. I have shopped here before, but it is not my go to nursery. Until today. They had a table full of peonies. Lovely ready to bloom peonies. Small just starting out peonies, and everything inbetween. I was a bit disappointed in the color selection, but it was ok. They had pink, red and one white. I wanted a pink one but I also wanted a white one. I looked at the price. I could get both and have money left over. Yay. So I got a pink one and the white one. The white one, however, was looking kinda sad. But I thought I would give it a chance anyway.

When I got to the front counter, the gal asked me if I wanted to choose a different white one. After I told her that there were no more white ones out there, she told me that since it was looking so sickly, she would give it to me for free! Even after it was pointed out that there was a healthy off shoot growing, she still gave it to me for free! My new nursery of choice. And soon I will have beautiful, full fragrant blossoms growing in my flower garden again.

I do, however, still need suggestions on what to plant where the water connection box is so that I can camoflouge it. Any ideas?

Random Wednesday

Today I really have nothing to post, just a bunch of random things I have been thinking about, but don't really have anything to do with anything else.

*If you make your living using words, shouldn't you know how to use them properly? A couple days after that big earthquake in China a heard a reporter say,
"They are still hopeful that they can find some living survivors."
Excuse me? What other kind would there be?

*I heard Tom Brokaw the other day in an interview. I don't remember exactly what he was talking about because it was on David Letterman, it was late and I was tired and only half paying attention but I do know they were discussing current politics in our nation. This one phrase caught my attention and I had to find a paper and pencil and write it down because I didn't want to lose it.
"It is time for everybody to re-enlist as citizens in our country."

*Another interview, this time with a woman that was living with terminal cancer. She was discussing what the doctor's told her when they told her that there was no treatment or cure for her particular, rare type of cancer. The doctor said, "You will die from this. In fact you may live your whole life with this."
Um, if this is what is going to cause her death, then I think it is pretty clear that she will her whole life with it.

*This same woman, though, was not living as a sick person, no she was living her life and doing things and being happy and eating healthy and doing the best she could to have what was left of her life be a good one. This is her philosophy: "We are all going to die- but how many of us really live?"

*Another terminal cancer patient on hope:
"Hope is not having a good outcome. Hope is learning how to deal with bad situations."

*Advice to your daughters when they start dating
"Ignore what they say and only pay attention to what they do."

*My mom used to always say:
"You may trust the person you are with, but you cannot always trust the situation."

*I was watching the Today show this morning. They were talking about what to wear to all those summer weddings you will be attending. This is one of the comments,
"There may be a spiritual aspect to the wedding."
May??? I was incredulous when I heard that. May? I think that your wedding should be the most spiritual experience you have ever had. I am saddened that it seems to be relegated to a big party and not the spiritual, reverent covenant that it should be. The only thing I can think of that is more spiritual is giving birth.

Fish are Friends, Not Food

I am going to admit something here, there is something that I cannot do. Cook fish. Really. I want to, but I just can't do it. I try and try and it never works out. Maybe there is a twelve-step process that I am missing out on regarding fish. I just don't know, but what I do know is I can not cook fish. (opening a can of tuna doesn't count)

I read about all of the health benefits of fish and I want to experience them. I imagine this beautiful filet of something laying on my plate surrounded by other healthy goodness in the form of red and green and yellow fruits and vegitables. I eat it and experience culinary heaven and reap the benefits of all the anti-oxidents and omegas. Then I wake up and taste what is on my plate.

I just ate a filet of Red Snapper. Those omegas better be doing something because the meal was certainly lacking in taste. I bought a couple of frozen filets to try out. I thought if I tried one more time. I didn't buy the pre-breaded/seasoned/packaged whatever. It seems to me that if something is breaded and deep fat fried that no matter how healthy it started out, all of that dressing negates the good parts. So, I got the frozen raw filets. I seasoned it with some garlic (because it's not food unless it has garlic, that's why) and a bit of cornmeal sprinkled to give it just a slight crust. Then I pan fried it- just enough cooking spray to keep it from sticking. Then I sat down to it and a salad. It tasted like-- fish. You know, that no taste fish taste?

Now I know that I do like some fish. I remember eating catfish at Grandma's and liking it. I have gone to restaurants and had fish and like it. (I don't understand lobster, though- tasteless rubber). But everytime I cook fish the response is, "Can I please be excused?" or "Can I have a bowl of Cheerios?"

So unless someone can come to my rescue, fish at my house will be enjoyed in a tank or the pond and not on a plate in the kitchen.

picture courtesy of singapore koi club

Summer Reading

LDS Publisher is doing a Summer Book Trek.

The reading trek that is sponsored by LDS Publisher is one that is for reading books written by LDS authors. In order to be eligable for prizes, you just have to sign up, link to your post about it and read and review one book by an LDS author before the end of Aug.

There are plenty of popular LDS authors out there to pick from, (Stephenie Meyer, Orson Scott Card, Shannon Hale, Jessica Day George to name a few).

Here is my beginning list of what I would like to read this summer. (as if I have nothing else to do)

*Farworld- J. Scott Savage (ARC copy)

*Forged in the Refiner's Fire-Candace Salima

*Fool Me Twice- Stephanie Black

*Promised Land series-David G. Woolley (re read to get ready for Day of Remembrance)

*Dragon Flight- Jessica Day George

*Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow- Jessca Day George

That will do for starters.

How Firm a Foundation

We sang the song "How Firm a Foundation" this morning in Sacrament Meeting. I really love this song- I do not love that we only sing the first three verses. There are some wonderful words of wisdom and healing in the other four verses. I understand that as a whole, we as congregations have very small attention spans and get bored with singing. I am of the opinion, though, that if we would delve more into the meaning of the words that we are singing, instead of day dreaming about the roast and potatoes we are going to consume when we get home, we would be more edified in our meetings. I am also of the opinion that the we would feel more that our prayers are being heard, often the Lord will use the songs of worship as a way for the Spirt to touch our hearts and prepare them for answers.

This is one of those songs for me. It is all about the Lord being there for us when we need Him, being our leaning arm, our source of tranquility, our guidance, our companion and healer.

My favorite word in this hymn would have to be the word Succor.
Succor derives from Latin succurrere, "to run under, to run or hasten to the aid or assistance of someone,"1

Now I don't know about you, but when I am troubled or sad, or tired or whatever my day has brought me and I feel the need of my Savior's help, I don't want Him to come if He has the time or feels like it or if He gets around to it. No, at the very least I want His comfort and I want it now. (demanding mortal that I am) But the fact that the Lord has told us that He will succor us, tells us that He will indeed hasten to come to give us whatever it is that we are in need of at the very moment that we are in need of it.

Behold, and hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, your advocate, who knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted. Doctrine and Covenants 62:1

What about the word Sacntify? From the Latin sanctificare "to make holy," from sanctus "holy"2

So, when again I am having a bit of strife, it is ok because those things that I see as being hard, difficult, unbearable, the Lord will take and sanctify them. In other words, they will be made holy unto the Lord, they can be set apart and be used as a blessing to shape me into the person I was sent here to become.

What about dross in verse 5? . The scum or refuse matter which is thrown off, or falls from, metals in smelting the ore, or in the process of melting; recrement.3
(dad, do you use this term at the mine?)

So it would appear that all those parts of us that are not sanctified, can be taken away and removed from us. I would dare say that it is the day to day process of living and being knocked about with hardship that causes this refinement, but I also believe that the atonement will take care of whatever is left over after refinement by life is done.

How about verse 7 and the word Repose? peace; tranquillity; calm. 4

Here we are being told that there is no way ever that the Lord will abandon us. Not after we have called to Him, He has come quickly to our aid, He has refined us and sanctified us and made us His. Not after He has calmed our troubled hearts and given us peace. No, He is our place of refuge and will ever be if we but make Him the foundation of our life.

How Firm a Foundation
Hymns, no. 85

1. How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!What more can he say than to you he hath said,Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?


2. In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in health,In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,At home or abroad, on the land or the sea—As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.


3. Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.


4. When through the deep waters I call thee to go,The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow,For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee,And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.


5. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.The flame shall not hurt thee; I only designThy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.


6. E’en down to old age, all my people shall proveMy sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,Like lambs shall they still, like lambs shall they still,Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.


7. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for reposeI will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!


Text: Attr. to Robert Keen, ca. 1787. Included in the first LDS hymnbook, 1835.
Music: Attr. to J. Ellis, ca. 1889
Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 43:2–5
Helaman 5:12

A closer look

Sharon tagged me last week. It took me awhile to get the pictures. I was going to have Jessica (click over there and see her new photo blog if you haven't yet. You will be amazed at her skills) photoshop them, but she is busy so, here we go without her help.

1. My kitchen sink

I was going to wash all the dishes and then take the picture, but let's get real here- This is what my sink always looks like. It is always full. Always. And I hate that. No matter if I do dishes right before I go to bed, they jump out of the cupboard, mess themselves up and then arrange themselve in a messy out of order pile in the sink. Matt, what a great son he is, knows how waking up to dishes in the sink makes me grumpy. For my mother's day present, he stayed up, caught the dishes in their nightly romp, cleaned them up, scrubbed the sink and countertops and stove so that I could get up to a sparkling kitchen. Best present I ever got. Love you son.

2.Inside My Fridge

Yesterday the milkman came, but I will probably have to buy at least 1 gallon to get us through to next Wed. I need a cow.

3.My favorite shoes

These look a little worse for the wear and well they should. They were my Grandma Swapp's shoes and she gave them to me when I was in high school. I wore them all the time during high school and college and after for about 3-4 years. They are starting to fall apart. The shoe laying down has a split down the side and I need to take them to a cobbler to be fixed. I keep looking for another pair, but can't find exactly what I want. Just a side note- in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, Karen Allen's character wears a white pair just like this in the scene where she and Indie are thrown into the tomb by the Nazis.

4.My Closet

notice Trevor's uniforms hanging from the door.

5. My Laundry pile- the scariest pictures of the whole post

The laundry room is a couple of bi-fold doors in front of the machines and is part of the family room. I have tried many different ways to help with the never ending supply of dirty clothes, here is the latest. They were empty 2 days ago, I promise.

And I have no idea why the clothes that are in there are not sorted properly. JAKE, you need to do your chore so I can do mine!!

I have moved the bookcases to make a "wall" between the laundry and the family room. Here is where I would like some shelves to hold the baskets.

6. What my kids are doing right now
Jake playing the PSP

Brandi headed to clean her room- yet again (still? finally?)

Jess filling out college financial aid/scholarship applications.

In all truth though, since I started this post, things have changed. My house is never quiet for long and now is no exception. Ethan is in the front room playing the piano, Jake is downstairs playing the drum set. I guess I should just be glad that the tuba is still in it's case!

7. My favorite room

Ok, so that porch is really not mine, but someday I will have a house with a porch like that and it will be my favorite room, I promise. I love sitting on the porch.

I really don't like my house at all. It is poorly designed and laid out an doesn't flow well at all. And it has too much stuff in it that need constant cleaning. But, if I have to choose a room in this house that is my favorite, it would be my front room. Thanks, Sharon for helping me make it liveable.

8.My most recent purchase

A dress for my niece's wedding. But, since it is white and I don't want to upstage the bride the jacket I find to go with it needs to be a color. I am thinking red to go with my new shoes.

9. My fantasy vacation.

I would go somewhere that the buildings are old. Like Ireland. I want to feel the oldness and experience the history.

Or somewhere with a beach where I can relax and have nothing to do and all day to not do it.

10. My Self Portrait

I need a haircut. And maybe a body perm. Or a hat.

I am going to tag Gaynell (and I will get to the tag that you just tagged me with), and Josi and I agree with my sister, Tawnya, if we tag Mom and Loretta will they get their blogs up and running?

Research question

I have been tagged twice in the last week. I'll get to those posts later this week, but today I have a question for all of you. Here is the background info whether you want it or not. I told you that I have RA and Ankylosing Spodalitis. Some days you would not even know and some days I can barely move. Lately I have been having a problem with my hands and my knees- they just quit working. Which really stinks if I have something breakable in my hands when the joints fail, or if I am walking when the knee gives out. I see the dr. in 2 weeks so I will ask him about that.

My question is about sweeping and mopping products. I have been thinking about getting something like these

I am thinking that they might make it easier to keep the kitchen swept and mopped if I don't have to try and use a dustpan or carry the vaccuum upstairs or carry a mop bucket. Do any of you have any experience with any of these types of products and if so, how well do they work and are they worth my money? Is there something that works better? What do you think?

Living a life of service

Last week I was channel surfing trying to find some mindless entertainment that was not too crass or offensive. I landed on the local PBS station. The program was part way over and I had no idea what it was about, starving kids in Africa it looked like. The man that was talking was talking about adopting children from this place. What caught my attention was when he said, "We decided that if we could take 2, we could take 3. And if we could take 3, we could take 4." Turns out that in the end if he could take 4 he could take 6. Wow, talk about instant family.

This peaked my attention, having an adopted child myself I am always interested in others' adoption stories. As the program went on, it turns out it was not just any old adoption story. The man went on to help the village where he adopted his children. He then knew he wanted to do more than just take a load of one time supplies, but give them something that would continue. He started a program called Village of Hope. Turns out that if he can help 1 village, he can help 2. If he can help 2, he can help 3..........

Then he told of another volunteer that came to teach the men how to make cement huts so that they would have more permanent shelters to live in. This was a great thing. But there was even more to that story. The man had just gotten married and he and his wife came to the village to give service as their honeymoon. I think that there can be no better way to begin a new life together than by giving to others. What a wonderful, selfless thing to do. It would have been so much easier to take a cruise or vacation in Niagra Falls, but instead they went to the hot deserts of Africa with the sand and the sun and the bugs and no modern convienences and slept in the dirt to help someone else obtain a home to live in. A home smaller than my living room and kitchen combined.

Then a couple of days later I was browsing through the blogs I like to peruse and on David Woolley's blog was the posting of his trip to Guatamala as a chaperone to a 10th grade student helping with a Choice Humanitarian project. Zip over there and read it, you will be impressed.
Later in the week, David posted about Dianne Odell and this one sentece stuck out to me:

"Dianne gave them the chance to care, the opportunity to give, and the hope of being found with a charity-filled soul."

That started me thinking again about the PBS Village of Hope program. I then started thinking about my own life and how often I don't take the opportunities that are presented to me to give to others. I sit in my climate controlled house with my abundance of clothes and food and stuff and vegitate in front of the t.v. or computer and shut the outside world away. Too often I fixate on my lack of (take your pick, insert whatever my latest whine was).

Today in Sunday School it was Mosiah 25, Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah and the pride cycle. What was it about the generation that were too young to understand King Benjamin's words so they did not follow the prophet and live Christlike lives. No, they wanted and took and flattered others into the paths of sin. Now, I think I am a pretty good person, but am I letting my comort level lull me into a life of complacency? Do I give when I have the opportunity? Do I wait and hope someone else will do it instead?

Now I may not be able to fly off to Africa or Guatamala, but I can walk across the street and visit with my neighbor, whom I know is lonely and just needs a listening ear. I can put a few extra cookies on a plate and take them to the new family down the block. I can even introduce myself to the neighbors that I have never spoken to because I don't see them at church. I can go to the temple once a month and do the work for someone. I do have 3 temples within 20 miles of me and 2 more almost completed in that same area- no excuse other than complacency.

My challenge to me this next month and to each of you is this: Find one way of giving of yourself in an act of service. Then go to your journal and record what you did and how you felt. Then start over and do it again.