Are we not all beggars?

Here is a talk by Elder Jeffery R Holland, I taught it today in Relief Society, but the lesson took an interesting tangent.

It didn't take too much to talk about giving to have to recognize that we all have more things then we ever need or use (my apologies if this statement does not apply to your life, but being that you have internet and time to search it, it most likely does). But pretty soon it was about how much more we have then we need, and in America poverty is not marked by owning nothing or just a few things, it is marked by not knowing how to manage your resources (like time, money, education, and of course stuff).

So in America is it very little to give your things. Most of us could half our closet loads and barely notice at all. So our challenge is not to give of our stuff (of course we still should, and I even consider it a blessing to unload my substance upon others), but the real challenge is to give of our time, energy and knowledge to others. That is what is in short supply and is what is needed to help others (little steps at at time) to learn what they need to lift themselves up, to build their own industries and thrift and in turn help others do the same.

And I guess that is what I want from the Lord, not his things, but his knowledge and understanding, the ability to become like him.

I find, that even when I give enough to pinch my own circumstances, that it always comes back. What I need is always available some way by the time I am ready to use it.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/are-we-not-all-beggars?lang=eng&media=audio#listen=audio

Nauvoo Temple

Absolutely My favorite. The most beautiful temple I have been in. Breath taking, astounding, amazing heritage and restoration. Hallelujah to God for bringing this Temple forth again!

I have now been to Nauvoo 3 times, The first time I was 13 and with our youth group. The second time I spent a semester with BYU travel study, studying church history, we were based in Nauvoo.  At that time, I just knew that it had to be rebuilt. I even asked the missionaries on the temple site what would it take to do so. He told me that the catholic school would have to be razed down (it was blocking the hill in front of the temple) and that someone would probably have to donate most of the cost, because there wouldn't be enough Mormons in the area to make building a temple there worth it on it's own.

But sure enough, all those things came to pass. There was a private donation that covered the cost, which included nice, new facilities for the Catholic school just a block over. (I am guessing on this detail, but it makes sense to me that it would be part of the deal struck with them) Amazing! and to think that the Lord helped some person get rich so he could donate that money (of course his/her name will not divulged, nor will they be given any special privileges, because that's just the way it's done)

Anyways, in it you feel the sacrifice and hope the early pioneers put into it. You feel the dedication and strength it gave them to cross those plains and forge those rives and push through those mud holes. It feels complete, like the circle has made a round back to wear it belongs. It almost feels like Zion has come again.

It is the essence of beautiful. Nauvoo- city beautiful.

But I will not forget thee

It must hard being the 7th child.
Once in a while, while juggling the needs of her six older siblings she has been forgotten. Once I got her all ready to go, put her in her car seat and then went to the parent teacher conferences without her. I didn't even remember I'd forgotten her until one if the teachers asked how she was doing. (She was safe at home with daddy and slept the whole time.) but it surprised me. Since when do nursing mothers forget their baby? I mean, seriously, our boobs ache when we go too long without them.

Tonight is forgotten her again. She was asleep downstairs and I went to go to bed, forgetting to bring her up to bed until after I saw her bed empty.

This is an amazing, happy, awesome baby that I have waited 7 kids to get- to forget her would be to ignore all my motherly longings since I started naming my future children when I was 12.

Ah, how thankful I am that I have someone in my life who will never forget me.

Isaiah 48:15
Shall a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yeah, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee; on the palms of my hands....

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on Current Events (and the death of Michael C Ruppert)

Since 2006,  

I have been a fan of Michael C Ruppert’s work.

I appreciate those who can see through the BS of corporate media and have the guts to tell the truth, especially when it could put them at personal risk.

I had the realization that our society/ economy was unsustainable (even in the organic field), and that it would collapse upon itself, I looked for like minded and became riveted by the daily headline collections from all over the world detailing the struggles of climate change, corrupt governments and economic challenges. And then when some scientists last year finally called it “near term human extinction (By 2030)” I felt the blow to our collective psyche. I knew some people would take it personally, and feel the weight of man’s inhumanity to man, and to earth, heavier than ever as the end draweth nigh.

As tempted as I was to feel that way, I couldn't. I understood that all the pollution and secret combinations and desires to put personal gain above all else was nothing more the fulfilling of revelation, much of being the negative side of the coin of the great technology we have been given as we rush towards the end of the world.

As scientists were publishing the paper near term human extinction, other people who could see through the BS of the modern world, began proclaiming that we need to be “Hastening the work.” What work? the work of proclaiming the gospel, the work of salvation, the work to prepare the world for the Savior’s second coming.

Gee, that changes the perspective of it. Now all of the book of Revelations and other scriptures relating to the last days sounds like our news headlines (only in Middle/Early Modern  English).  All of a sudden instead of heralds of destruction and Human Extinction, these events becomes heralds of the Lord’s coming and the approaching Millennial era of peace. And we also see that everything is playing out according to the great design that God laid out for us before the foundations of the earth.

Yeah, it’s painful, it may hurt. There is nothing but our own prayers (and our own preparations) to keep us safe. But it is meant to be a challenging and amazing time. We have work to do. Aren’t you glad that you can see it all too?

Faith Like a Little Child

I don't know about you, but when I hear things like "become like a little child to come unto Christ." I cringe.

From my experience with children they are stubborn, impatient, unrelenting, quick to anger, demanding, and unforgiving. I have 7 children. They only kind of angels I would describe them as are the angels of the appolcylse.

Now, that is not completely fair. There are times when they are sweet, cuddly and kind to others.

Today I wish to speak about my 14 year old with autism. He is bright and does the school work for his age group, but socially he much more like a 10 or 8 year old. He still plays with toys and will work for time to play video games.

However, like Nephi he is large of stature and at 6 foot 3, 200 pounds, most people would easily take him for a full fledge adult.

Now Galen, my 14 year old has a way for asking for things with complete faith. I realized that today when he brought me his quilt and showed me it's holes and asked that I fix it. I told him I would do it in a while when my hands weren't so full of babies. So he quietly watched and a few hours later brought the quilt back to me.

There was no question in him that I would do it for him. There was no question about whether I had any interest in sewing right now. He just trusted that I would and acted accordingly. So I went and got the needle, thread and patching material and fixed it. I choose a soft fuzzy material that I thought would enhance rather then detract from the quilt.

 I guess that being a parent makes me enough that our Heavenly Father that upon seeing that faith I was moved into acting and full filling it for him.

I have seen that faith in my children often enough, and seen how it compels us adults to fill their requests. I have seen it work with grandmas and grandpas and on me as a parent.

Now we need to remember that and act accordingly.

Although She is but little, she is Ferious

Truer words were never spoken of my little girls. Do not mess with them unless you are prepared to bring down the powers of heaven upon you.

They kind of make my strong stripling warrior boys seem unfocused and lacking strength and determination. (which of course they have lots of each, just the girls have so much more).

Of course, in the world they are living in, they will need every ounce of their determination, focus and strength to survive the onslot of challenges that are facing their gender.  I don't know if it has every been easy being a girl/woman, but today it is especially not so. It seems that everywhere we turn our very nature is challenged by the establishment that pushes sex, skinniness and medical interventions.

It is easy to see the pitfalls of sex and skinniness (or obsession with food) there are mountains of research and evidence that make it easy to research and learn about, but when one enters in to the medical end of things the research becomes sparse and the actions and advice come from this or that association's best guess of what the little research that is done on any particular topic actually concludes. And naturally, because of the very nature of associations, it is their job to limit what research they will even take conclusions from because it is the best interest of their funding sources.

Yes, I am critical. I have learned to question everything, research everything, draw some tentative conclusions, research again and then feel out the proper course of action for myself/my family.

The main problem I have is when the professionals do not understand that the research is as (if not more) valid as the predrawn conclusions that they were sent by some association when they have not questioned it themselves or studied the issues from several angles. It is also amazing how much of the medical visit is spent with the professional justifying their actions.

It is also very frustrating when they draw a false conclusion from a test, tell you it's bad news, only for you to be able to find a good explanation for it that they say couldn't possibly be, only to be sent to a specialist who draws the same conclusion you did after more testing and lots more time and worry. Seriously? Did we really have to go through all that just to get you to believe the dates were wrong?

If you can not tell, I am having a few issues with my prenatal care provider. So much so, that I may just stay away and listen to my baby girl, just like I listened to my Shannon girl. "Just say NO!" and ignore everybody else's opinions and thoughts about how I should be having a baby. After all, this is my 9th pregnancy, I do have a clue what I am doing, have done it before, know it feels when my body is working well and know how it feels when it doesn't. Spending time arguing about what constitutes evidence-based care and why you can't believe me (even though I have done the research and am inside my own body) is just not constructive to my well being.

This means something to me today

Isaiah 8:18
Behold, I and the children The Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from The Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

Ps- happy Mother's Day!

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