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12.22.2006

Pulling Down the Wage Payer

By MoMnmb
“You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.” -Abraham Lincoln

Although it is doubtful that the Democratically controlled Congress will heed Lincolns advice, it behooves us to to spread this philosophy among ourselves until we as a people actually believe it. Too often in our greed and jealousy we "wage earners" secretly wish the "wage payer" would be pulled down. Our nation is wallowing in debt, not just nationally but personally. We persistently spend more than we earn, increasing our jealousy of those who earn more than we do. We would like to be taken care of and allowed to live a life of so called luxury- never having to worry about how we will care for ourselves or our families. When we, as a nation of individuals, no longer demand these impossible things from our government we may be able to find the real happiness we all so desperately pursue.

12.01.2006

The Santa Question

By MoMnmb
So what do you tell your kids about Santa? Do you ever fell like you are lying to your kids? I never did until my friend pointed out that we could be destroying our kid’s faith by telling him about a person who lives and operates and then finally admitting that he isn’t really real. Will they wonder at whether Jesus is really real? My friend told me she took a different approach. She felt like Santa was all of us.
So I used that to explain to my kids as they got older that they could be “Santa” too. We look for opportunities to “be Santa” for someone. They know that when they receive a gift from Santa that it is from Mom and Dad but they understand the idea now. And they understand that we can be like Jesus in the same way. We can follow him and do his works. But Jesus is a real being not a role. He is actually our Brother and he loves us with a real love. It is his birth that we celebrate on Christmas. Not Santa Claus at the North Pole bringing greedy kids and adult presents. When we center our celebration on Christ and not popular culture, we get it, and so will our kids.

11.11.2006

Finding hope post election

By MoMnmb
Well, it's time to make a comment on the election despite my heavy feelings. I was shocked to see just how badly Republicans had been trounced. I guess that shows how badly I was out of the loop. My life has been so unstable the last year that I was in a fog. I feel especially bad that many of our local races fell victim to the backlash against the war. These were good people who did not deserve to lose.
I am only cheered by the fact that now Democrats will share in the responsibility for what is happening. Perhaps it will cut down on the rampant demagogary that has been going on. Maybe they will have some good idea's on how to improve Iraq. (vs JUST RUN AWAY!) We must be united or these terrorists will not be held back. I can imagine, like Peggy Noonan, the dilemma this split government now puts terrorist leaders in. Who do they hate now? How do they divide us now? http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110009221
I feel like Republican politicians too often follow the peer pressure in DC and leave their constituents too easily. That is what caused them to lose. We lost our conservatism and fell for the traps of fame, money, and stubbornness. Yes, I love President Bush. Has he disappointed me? YES! Is it his fault? Yes and No. Certainly he doesn't control Congress. They have a mind of their own, but neither did he ever feel strongly enough about spending to veto anything. In fact he stole the Dem's ideas and added more social programs (Medicare Drug benefit). By the way, this program caused a family member to lose his employer provided perscription coverage the moment he qualified for this pathetic program.
So, I'm taking heart that maybe Republicans will once again pick up their conservative torch and run with it. After all, I've heard over and over that it wasn't liberals who won these elections. It was Democrats who are CONSERVATIVE!

11.04.2006

Candidates put to the test

Wow another great site!
This one gives a questionairre to all candididates, among other things, and publishes their answers on a variety of issues. Check out your area!
http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm

In Defense of Families

In defense of our families, our religious liberty and our freedom of speech we must rally to the defense of marriage. Our civilization was founded on families. In learning about the history of our land, I have learned that those places where families were not the central organization the society did not flourish.
Families are necessary for many reasons. Every credible study has shown that human beings flourish in a traditional family. Traditional families are the natural desire of all people. We all want to have a good and noble mother and father. We all want to have sisters and brothers. This is our nature. This is the desires God placed in us.
If we reject traditional marriage we devalue the role that father and mother play. I do not agree with the notion that woman's place is at work. I believe women need and want to be running their home and raising their families. Children need mothers, not strangers trained in child development. The best tool to care for children is the natural bond of family.
There is group dedicated to defending families with information, and love. It’s called Family Leader Network. There is not ignorance and rancor here. We all need to put our natural feelings into words. The times demand that we can defend what we know is right.
I hope you will all check it out and join the fight. All hands, hearts and minds are needed!
http://www.familyleader.net/Home/dispatch?action=mission

11.03.2006

Political ads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJmbomyq0fc

Larry Elders political ad- Best one of the season!

What's up now?

Whats up in my life today?
Well I am homeschooling my three kids. We are having a good time. We are trying all kinds of new things. They are re-learning to be curious and follow their own interests again.
I am a student at Columbia and a I am now taking American History 1877- present and (early) American Literature. These classes are right up my alley. I love reading the original documents that were written by the actually person, like William Bradford (Pilgrim on Mayflower) and Benjamin Franklin etc. I am writing a paper about my ancestor who was a member of the Martin Handcart Company that was stranded in a winter storm on their way to Utah.
I am a strong Republican too. Yes, I am one of those scary right wing religious nuts. I vote according to what I believe is best for us a nation, and that includes moral issues. I was the Secretary for my county party for a year until my life became so crazy last year. I wanted to do it well and couldn’t so I had to resign. My life is much calmer now although still busy. I am on the nominating committee and now need to find people to recommend for our executive committee. I love it. I love people!

Where are we headed?

Some thoughts on where we are headed and what to do.......
Help!
Great article and call for signatures on petition to support the Federal Marriage Amendment. They are so close to getting the swing votes, including Harry Reid! They need more signatures from Nevada and several other states. Please get as many others as possible to sign! This is the issue of our times. If marriage is defeated we are going to feel the effects in very personal ways. You can bet that the opposition is fired up and working hard. Will we work as hard?
http://www.ldsmag.com/familyleadernetwork/060531boston.html
http://www.familyleader.info/petitions/petition_1.php
Here is a good article summarizing the need for the MPA and the states battling this issue.
http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0040688.cfm
Another thing to be aware of, in many states initiatives laws, and amendments are underway to combat the homosexual agenda. If these items fail, we will see courts interpreting that failure as carte blanc to legalize homosexual marriages, and homosexual curriculum in our schools. It has already happened in many large cities. How long before it comes to our own schools? How entrenched will the practice become before we become aware of the danger? It is widely known in Washington state that our State Supreme court is waiting for the right moment to legalize gay marriages. Our legislature recently added homosexuals to our list of protected classes. We in Washington have an initiative underway (65 I believe) to repeal this addition. If this fails it will give more power to the Court, and activists who want gay adoption and education.
Just a thought. What do you think?

Washington State Republican Convention 2006

Washington State Republican Convention
I went to the Washington State Republican Convention in Yakima this weekend. I got to meet candidates and office holders and ask many questions about issues that were important to me. I was also able to participate in the formation of the State's platform. The platform is what the party supports and what our candidates are supposed to agree to uphold. Not all of our members do so. Candidates to public office need to hear from us as much as current office holders do. We need to pressure them to put their intentions in writing. We need to let them know what we expect from them.
I wish more people would take the time to get involved in the political process. One thing I have learned through the last two + years as a member and volunteer in the Party is that we do have power. They need us to help them get elected. When we are willing to support a candidate with our time and our feet they are more willing to listen to us. This Federal Marriage Amendment is vital to the protection of marriage and we need to get all our representatives to give us a position on the Amendment as well as what they would be able to do about activist judges who too often turn the will of the people on its head.
I also got to hear speeches and meet candidates for State Judges. Two of the candidates for Supreme Court Judge, Groen and Johnson, are going to be excellent defenders and protectors of the sovereignty of the people. It is well known the Washington State Supreme Court is simply waiting for the opportunity to do what was done in Massachusetts.
If we are to answer God that we tried to keep this nation free and pure we must make our voices heard. Take the time to email, fax, call, and whatever it takes to make our desires known. We must make more noise that the professional agitators will make. Our passion must be well mannered and well informed. Take the time to read up on the issue. Don't stick your head in the sand and hope that you can make it through the coming changes and your children will not be effected. They are- we are, already being affected. Look around you.

Congress gone crazy

Congress gone crazy
I heard Tim Iman (Washington's citizen initiative King) on the radio this morning talking about his Initiative to undo the recent legislatures vote to add homosexuals and others to the list of protected people, aka Civil rights bill. I wholeheartedly support the marriage protection movement. However, after reading headlines again the last few weeks, I'm totally cynical about our government on any level responding to the desires of it's citizens. The Fed's can't decide what message to send about illegal immigration, and state governments are routinely railroading right over the votes of the citizens regarding homosexual issue's (among other things), and if that fails, the courts have shown their willingness to disregard any rule of the people and have gone on a spree against the people (see rulings about partial birth abortion). I really feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. We have become so driven by fear-mongers on everything from the national language to global warming to civil rights, that no one has the courage to stop the mad spin and yell, "HEY! STOP!". I'm getting simply disgusted at the way our governments are ramming headlong into tyranny of the politically correct. We seem to have lost all common sense! We cannot even demand the enforcement of our laws without being branded as horribly evil! Where are the people who are courageous enough to stop the mad spin! Are there any out there? Is anyone seeing what I see?

Government Health Scare!

The last month has been terrible with all the moving, layoffs, classes, and computer breakdowns we have been dealing with. By far the worst day was the day we went to Madigan expecting that they were going to do Pat's nerve biopsy and finally figure out what could be causing this nerve numbness. We were first ushered in by the Neurosurgeon's sidekick (don't know if he was an actual doctor although he called himself Doctor) and when he couldn't even guess why we were there we told him the whole history again and why were were there that day. He quickly went scampering off to find the chief clown. The chief clown recognized Pat and proceeded to look thru the three pages in his medical record, and then asked Pat to tell him the whole history again. After which the clown lifts Pats leg until it hurts and then asks him where it hurts. From this thorough exam he disagreed with the nerve doctors three days of painful and varied tests and decided that the nerve problem was indeed part of the back problem and that a nerve biopsy was not recommended. This was the same doctor who two years ago told Pat he was going to have to live with the pain and he would not recommend the necessary surgery because Pat was "too young". So he proceeds to tell Pat to tell the nerve doctor (right across the hallway) this and that message and they were too busy with brain and spine surgeries to do a nerve biopsy. He would have to go somewhere else. Why he couldn't pick up the phone, find out who the other doctor was (he asked us twice who he was) and tell him these things himself is beyond me. So he informed Pat that he needed ANOTHER MRI (just had one in August) and then to come back and discuss the situation. We also informed this clown that the medical board had suspended the medical board specificaly for this biopsy. Didn't matter to him. He was the chief clown at the circus and if he couldn't perform his miracle surgery it just couldn't be fixed (or diagnosed apparently) by anyone. So we hike over to another building and make the appointment for the MRI and then hoof it back to the chief clowns desk to make another appointment with him, knowing all the time what we were facing as long as we got to see him or his Junior clowns. Nothing and no hope. We found the nerve doctor and explained what had just happened and he agreed to send the request to another department to be done. We had to make another appointment for that. So Last Monday Pat drove 6 painful hours to have a 20 minute MRI done that could have been performed on our island. And he will have to make two more trips in about a week to attend this circus.
I'm so sick of being strung along by the Navy I could scream. These doctors have absolutely no interest in a diagnosis or solution. When one does finally take any interest he is blocked at every turn by the head clowns trying to feed thier massive egos. If anyone wants to advocate government run health care please talk to me I have real experience in the circus.
But in the meantime we are selling our house and have moved in to our 30 foot trailer at Cliffside RV park to wait and see what the Navy finally does with us. If I had my way we would run as fast as we can away from this system and base. Oh yea, everyone says the benefits are worth fighting for but I don't agree. The "benefits" are driving us into despair. Despair of ever having a stable life, despair of ever solving the health problems plagueing Pat and despair that our government can do anything right!

Spring and Family

Spring is almost here!
Driving through Idaho last week in the sunshine I realized how much I really love the sunshine. Nothing like going without something to make you grateful for it!
I had such nice vist with almost all of my brothers and sisters in Idaho. All of my Gottula siblings were there. My Humphries siblings were there (Melinda came later), but I didn't get to see Melinda since my car was acting up at the time and I didn't have a ride. Maybe this summer I'll get to see her. There is just nothing like brothers and sisters. I'm so grateful for families. What a divine design God had for this phase of our eternity!

What are your kids learning?

I thought you might be interested to know just what wonderful things 7th graders are learning in our schools. They watched a Twilight Zone episode called “Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”, a story about a mob’s paranoia threatening it’s neighbors and ultimately murdering on of them. The kids then planned and acted out this little story adding, at the teachers bidding, the murder of everyone involved and the suicide of the last remaining survivor. The purpose of this little exercise was to teach the kids about human’s tendency to blame others. Except these professionally trained and exclusively qualified folks in our schools, didn’t realize that the kids would not intuitively pick up on this concept. Rather they learned to take murder and suicide lightly and repeatedly act it out and plan the actions. It took a session of coaching by the teacher, after I expressed concern, for my son to be able to parrot this lesson. The teacher was rather surprised at my concern. She tried to comfort me by telling me my son had done well and earned an A on the project! It was such a comfort to think that my son was so good at acting murder suicide! It seemed that the teacher was not only surprised at my concern, but also surprised at the reality that the supposed lesson of the movie and play were not the main topic of conversation at the dinner table. Instead it was the violence of the story that caught my son’s attention. Anyone with a teenage boy should not be surprised at this. Due to hormonal changes and rapid growth, kids this age are in a fog, not fully realizing many of the things that are going on around them, certainly not what we might call intuitive. No matter what virtuous lesson the teacher was trying to impart, what really matters is what the kids got from the exercise. I think the possibility that they retain any lesson on a human tendency to blame others is remote, while they will undoubtedly remember the violent storyline they acted out. Another option in the textbook included “A Christmas Carol,” which would have been far more appropriate and uplifting, not to mention timely. I find it extremely foolish and dangerous for the schools to offer this movie and play to such immature kids. Are we not seeing murder suicide tragically played out in our nation’s schools from time to time? Is our school district really paying attention to what is in their approved textbooks? Are our teachers really the only ones qualified to teach our children? I find that many of them are young and single or without children. Yet they are supposedly the best to know what is appropriate for our children to be exposed to!? One of the most frequent arguments I hear from people opposed to home schooling is that parents are not qualified to teach their own children. Frankly, I am beginning to believe that teachers are the worst ones, second only to administrators, for this task. Certainly there are good teachers out there and we have found a few, but when some show such poor judgment it is difficult to trust the schools. Others say we should try to reform the schools from within. Well judging from the reaction I’ve gotten from the schools here, they are not interested in what I think is appropriate for my kids as long as it is “approved”. Gone are the days that we could trust our community to share our standards. Now we have to baby sit our schools and review with suspicion their entire curriculum. When we can no longer trust our schools judgment, what options are left to us?

Discernment New Years 2006 Talk (very long)

Talk Jan 1st 2006
Subject Defining the Gospel
Sources: Brigham Young: Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, Lesson #2
May 2005 BYU Speech "Quick To Observe" Elder Bednar

This Gospel is about truth. We live in a day when Satan and his servants are doing all in their power to obscure the truth. We see it in all the news programs when “both sides are presented”. We see the doctrine of relativism everywhere. The truth has become basically whatever ones opinion is, never mind any facts to the contrary. Brigham Young defined the Gospel in part as the truth in any field. "We embrace every principle pertaining to life and salvation, for time and eternity. No matter who has it. The truth and sound doctrine possessed by the sectarian world, and they have a great deal, all belong to this Church. As for their morality, many of them are, morally, just as good as we are. All that is good, lovely, and praiseworthy belongs to this Church and Kingdom. Our doctrine includes all truth. There is no truth but what belongs to the Gospel. It is the fulness of all things. He also said: It is our duty and calling, to gather every item of truth and reject every error. Whether a truth be found with the Universalists, or the Church of Rome, or the Methodists, the Church of England, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Quakers, the Shakers, or any other of the various and numerous different sects and parties, all of whom have more or less truth, it is the business of the Elders of this Church to gather up all the truths in the world pertaining to life and salvation, to the Gospel we preach, … to the sciences, and to philosophy, wherever it may be found in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and bring it to Zion. God has revealed all the truth that is now in the possession of the world, whether it be scientific or religious. The whole world are under obligation to him for what they know and enjoy; they are indebted to him for it all."
Are we willing to receive truth? Will we tolerate sound doctrine? Or do we have itching ears, trying to find our own facts to support our own version of the truth. Do we seek truth? Do we believe truth when it is presented to us? Do we live by the truths we know now, so we will be ready for more light and truth when God reveals it to us? Brigham Young said:
"Be willing to receive the truth, let it come from whom it may;. Just as soon receive the Gospel from Joseph Smith as from Peter, who lived in the days of Jesus. Receive it from one man as soon as another. If God has called an individual and sent him to preach the Gospel that is enough for me to know; it is no matter who it is, all I want is to know the truth. Truth will abide when error passes away. Life will remain when they who have rejected the words of eternal life are swallowed up in death. I like the truth because it is true, because it is lovely and delightful. I delight in this, because truth is calculated to sustain itself; it is based upon eternal facts and will endure, while all else will, sooner or later, perish."
So in this day of murkiness how are we to know the truth when we find it? Did God plan for this twist in our lives? He did and Brigham Young says this about knowing the truth when we see it. Every individual that lives according to the laws that the Lord has given to his people, and has received the blessings that he has in store for the faithful, should be able to know the things of God from the things which are not of God, the light from the darkness, that which comes from heaven and that which comes from somewhere else. This is known as DISCERNMENT.
In May 2005 New Apostle Elder Bednar gave a talk called “Quick to Observe”. In it he made some very good points about being quick to observe, which is an important element of the gift of discernment: He refers to Mormon 1:1-
"And now I, Mormon, make a record of the things which I have both seen and heard, and call it the Book of Mormon."
"And about the time that Ammaron hid up the records unto the Lord, he came unto me, (I being about ten years of age . . . ) and
"Ammaron said unto me: I perceive that thou art a sober child, and art quick to observe; therefore, when ye are about twenty and four years old I would that ye should remember the things that ye have observed concerning this people. And behold, ye shall . . . engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that ye have observed concerning this people. And I, Mormon … remembered the things which Ammaron commanded me. "
"Please note that the root word observe is used three times in these verses. And Mormon, even in his youth, is described as being “quick to observe” (Mormon 1:2). Your future success and happiness will in large measure be determined by this spiritual capacity. Please consider the significance of this important spiritual gift. He speaks of two definitions of the word observe: As used in the scriptures, the word “observe” has two primary uses. One use denotes “to look” or “to see” or “to notice”—as we learn in Isaiah 42:20: “Seeing many things, but thou not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.” The second use of the word suggests “to obey” or “to keep”—as is evident in the Doctrine and Covenants: “But blessed are they who have kept the covenant and the commandment, for they shall obtain mercy” (D&C 54:6). Thus when we are quick to observe, we promptly look or notice and obey. Both of these fundamental elements—looking and obeying—are essential to being quick to observe. And the prophet Mormon is an impressive example of this gift in action."
What is the significance of this gift in our world today? Does our obedience to the whisperings of the Spirit have the capacity to affect our lives? The Holy Ghost is a still small voice. It does not shout at us or whack us with a 2X4. Elder Bednar tells us that it is a gift for us today, because it precedes the gift of discernment.
"Simply stated, being quick to observe is an antecedent to and is linked with the spiritual gift of discernment. And for you and for me, discernment is a light of protection and direction in a world that grows increasingly dark. Much like faith precedes the miracle, much like baptism by water comes before the baptism by fire, much like gospel milk should be digested before gospel meat, much like clean hands can lead to a pure heart, and much like the ordinances of the Aaronic Priesthood are necessary before a person can receive the higher ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood, so being quick to observe is a prerequisite to and a preparation for the gift of discernment. We can only hope to obtain that supernal gift of discernment and its light of protection and direction if we are quick to observe—if we both look and obey."
So, what is the gift of discernment?
President George Q. Cannon:
" One of the gifts of the Gospel which the Lord has promised to those who enter into covenant with Him is the gift of discerning of spirits—a gift which is not much thought of by many and probably seldom prayed for; yet it is a gift that is of exceeding value and one that should be enjoyed by every Latter-day Saint. Now, the gift of discerning of spirits not only gives men and women who have it the power to discern the spirit with which others may be possessed or influenced, but it gives them the power to discern the spirit which influences themselves. They are able to detect a false spirit and also to know when the Spirit of God reigns within them. In private life this gift is of great importance to the Latter-day Saints. Possessing and exercising this gift they will not allow any evil influence to enter into their hearts or to prompt them in their thoughts, their words or their acts. They will repel it; and if perchance such a spirit should get possession of them, as soon as they witness its effects they will expel it or, in other words, refuse to be led or prompted by it." (Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, comp. Jerreld L. Newquist (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1974),
Steven Richards:
"First, I mention the gift of discernment,embodying the power to discriminate . . . between right and wrong. I believe that this gift when highly developed arises largely out of an acute sensitivity to impressions—spiritual impressions, if you will—to read under the surface as it were, to detect hidden evil, and more importantly to find the good that may be concealed. The highest type of discernment is that which perceives in others and uncovers for them their better natures, the good inherent within them.Every member in the restored Church of Christ could have this gift if he willed to do so. He could not be deceived with the sophistries of the world. He could not be led astray by pseudo-prophets and subversive cults. Even the inexperienced would recognize false teachings, in a measure at least. . . . We ought to be grateful every day of our lives for this sense which keeps alive a conscience which constantly alerts us to the dangers inherent in wrongdoers and sin.CR,April 1950,] Elder Bednar summarizes these statements by selecting four ways that this spiritual gift works:"
Elder Bednar discusses, "As we integrate the teachings of Presidents Cannon and Richards, we learn that the gift of discernment operates basically in four major ways. First, as we “read under the surface,” discernment helps us detect hidden error and evil in others. Second, and more important, it helps us detect hidden errors and evil in ourselves. Thus the spiritual gift of discernment is not exclusively about discerning other people and situations, it is also about discerning things as they really are within us. Third, it helps us find and bring forth the good that may be concealed in others. And fourth, it helps us find and bring forth the good that may be concealed in us. Oh, what a blessing and a source of protection and direction is the spiritual gift of discernment!"
Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life foreshadows the fog we find ourselves in today.
"In the vision various groups of individuals were pressing forward that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree of life. The strait and narrow path came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree.. The mists of darkness described in the vision represent the temptations of the devil which blind the eyes of the children of men and lead them into broad roads so that they are lost. Now please pay particular attention to verse 23 in 1 Nephi 8, and let us liken this scripture to our day and the challenges we face in an increasingly wicked world: And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost. (1 Nephi 8:23)Discernment is so much more than recognizing right from wrong. It helps us to distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant, the important from the unimportant, and the necessary from that which is merely nice. The gift of discernment opens to us vistas that stretch far beyond what can be seen with natural eyes or heard with natural ears. Discerning is seeing with spiritual eyes feeling with the heart—seeing and feeling the falsehood of an idea or the goodness in another person. Discerning is hearing with spiritual ears feeling with the heart—hearing and feeling the unspoken concern in a statement or the truthfulness of a testimony or doctrine.
Sister Bednar and I are acquainted with a returned missionary who had dated a special young woman for a period of time. This young man cared for the young woman very much, and he was desirous of making his relationship with her more serious. He was considering and hoping for engagement and marriage. Now this relationship was developing during the time that President Hinckley counseled the Relief Society sisters and young women of the Church to wear only one earring in each ear. The young man waited patiently over a period of time for the young woman to remove her extra earrings, but she did not take them out. This was a valuable piece of information for this young man, and he felt unsettled about her nonresponsiveness to a prophet’s pleading. For this and other reasons, he ultimately stopped dating the young woman, because he was looking for an eternal companion who had the courage to promptly and quietly obey the counsel of the prophet in all things and at all times. The young man was quick to observe that the young woman was not quick to observe.
I have a dear friend who served as a stake president. The patriarch in the stake over which he presided had experienced some health challenges and was unable to perform in his calling. The ailing patriarch had difficulty moving about and dressing and caring for himself, and his strength was limited. One Sabbath afternoon this good stake president visited the home of the patriarch to encourage him and check on his well-being. As the stake president entered the home, he found the patriarch dressed in his suit and white shirt and tie, sitting in a recliner in the front room. The stake president greeted the dear patriarch and, knowing how hard it must have been to dress himself, graciously suggested to the patriarch that it was not necessary for him to get dressed up on the Sabbath or to meet visitors. In a kind but firm voice, the patriarch reproved the stake president and said, “Don’t you know that this is the only way I have left to show the Lord how much I love Him?” The stake president was quick to observe. He both heard and felt the lesson.
I frequently have heard President Boyd K. Packer counsel members and priesthood leaders: “If all you know is what you see with your natural eyes and hear with your natural ears, then you will not know very much.”
I think this is especially true in today’s deceptive atmosphere. I close with this statement from Brigham Young. "How easy it is to live by the truth. In every circumstance of life, truth is always the surest guide and the easiest to square our lives by. Our religion is simply the truth. It is all said in this one expression—it embraces all truth, wherever found, in all the works of God and man that are visible or invisible to mortal eye." The question becomes how will we recognize the truth and how will we react to learning it? The gift of discernment has been very valuable in my life. It is a gift we will be blessed with if we sincerely ask the Lord to bless us with it. He did it for me and continues to bless me with discernment if I am mindful and ask Him for it.

Democrats should worship Bush?

Another letter I wrote to our local paper responding to this letter:
I have been totally disgusted by the looting that is going on in the south, but even more repulsed by people like Mary Fiddler who are engaging in political looting. These people are so poisoned with hate for President Bush that they can't wait to attack and blame him for not having the knowledge of a God. Here's a news flash: Bush is not God! Even the most rabid Republican's don't allot President Bush the power to foresee the future. He could not have held back the waters, nor could he have sent troops into the city without the permission of the state. The first responders to any emergency are always local and state officials. They were most familiar with the details of the area and the situation. This city was run by Democrats for a very long time. It's so insulting for these people to assume that no one in America can possibly take care of themselves, and we must have a "Big Daddy" in Washington DC to wipe our noses!
Even if Bush were a prophet he could not have done a thing to stop it. That's why we call natural disasters, "acts of God". Had he tried to storm into New Orleans and force people out before the storm, we would have seen mass fainting and hysteria from the left and immediate impeachment proceedings. These ridiculous ignorant people, who can't wait for an opportunity to attack Bush, need to get a life! Bad things do happen and we can't always stop them. Levies are no guarantee of safety.Mrs. Fiddler and the political looters like her need to stop praying to Big Government and find a real God. Bush certainly isn't a God, nor does he ascribe himself the divine powers that the left seems to think he ought to have. It is revealing to see the powers the left thinks our government ought to have.

LTE RE: adding Homosexuals to listed minorites

My response to a letter in our newspaper after our legislature (thankfully) defeated a bill adding homosexuals to the list of protected minorities. Her letter can be read here.

I was struck by Jane Doe's letter attacking those of us who oppose adding homosexuals to the list of protected minorities. Last year, after researching this bill, I found a number of things that concerned me such as requiring the state to become advocates for these protected groups. This leads to schools becoming advocates for homosexuality such as we saw in a Washington D.C. court recently.
She asserts that homosexuals will be banished from public places, schools, and refused medical services. How does this bills defeat cause this to happen? We are not trying to banish them, refuse services, kill them, beat them or eliminate them in any sinister ways. The fact is we don’t even know who they are unless they make it known. We simply don’t believe that these practices are normal or acceptable.
It’s amazing to see how liberals think that religious people ought to be outcasts, having no input in their own societies. She seems to feel like homosexuals are entitled to more rights than religious people. Once again we see how irrational and intolerant liberals are. She says she is ashamed to live here, where we “advocate discrimination”. How about the discrimination she displays? She wants religious people to shut up when it comes to public policy. We work, pay taxes, and bleed too. Yet we are attacked and dismissed as simply “religious fanatics” trying to “exert influence over government decisions.” Last time I checked, religious beliefs were not a reason to deny these rights she clams for herself.
Over and over we find that those who hate religion are never concerned with their fellowman, only their special interests. Her fantastic assertions show her for the fanatic she is. She is certainly no “sensible majority”.

Who will stand up for marriage?

For about three years now, I have been spurred to action by the recent spate of threats to traditional marriage by judges and homosexual groups. When it looked like Massachusetts was going to legalize these pseudo-marriages by judicial fiat, I called my local Republican party and a pro-family group and offered to volunteer. I tried to tell people that this plague would enter our schools and soon be taught to our children in violation of parental desires. Not many believed me.
A recent article at ldsmag.com quoted testimony before the Senate regarding the effects of legalizing same sex marriage in Massachusetts schools. Among the examples cited were:
A parent arrested for persisting in protesting his son's possession of a book discussing the issue
A Superintendent of Schools acknowledging that parents have asked to be notified of any discussions of homosexual ideas and then saying, in effect, never mind
Reporters trying to report on, and parents recording the schools gay pride presentation being kicked out and threatened with arrest if they return
And even a teacher who, in an interview, told how she uses explicit diagrams to teach the kids what gay sex is.
This short article is found here. Contact your favorite group fighting to save marriage and offer your help. Speak up. Educate yourself. Don't react with harshness, but with a thoughtful and complete explanation of the facts about this issue. Can God count on us to defend moral and right behavior and to stand up and fight evil? I will.

Emergency prep

Our leaders are asking us to be more prepared. It's not food storage and 72 hour kits. The threats are far worse. The threats are spiritual. They threaten our families. Do you know anyone who has had their family ripped into pieces by the adversary? Or rather do you know anyone who has not had this happen to a family they are part of whether siblings cousins or children? I know several. My heart aches for the children who suffer the most for the choices made by others.
Our leaders have warned us. The scriptures warn us. Tough times are here. We see it on the news regularly. Calamities are accelerating. Can our children trust us to be in tune with the Holy Ghost? Do we have the kind of relationship with them that will draw them near when Satan strikes their weak spots? Here is a great quote I found on LDS HA's newsletter:
"The Lord fixed families to give parents more influence on children than all other agencies combined. There is safety in this arrangement. It provides parents the privilege, the awesome privilege, of molding the life and character of a child, even though outside agencies have influence... "We have been counseled to become self-reliant and independent temporally. It is as important spiritually! Suppose conditions changed. Suppose you could not receive all the services to which you have become accustomed. Suppose that much more responsibility were placed on your shoulders to care for the spiritual welfare of your family. Surely you cannot study the scriptures without knowing that perilous times are coming. Will you be unaffected? "Prepare now! Take steps now to strengthen your family. Spend time together. Establish and maintain family traditions that build happy memories. Maintain a discipline with fair rules and regulations. Express unconditional love to one another through word and act. Develop within each one self-esteem and self- respect by loving and believing in him and having him belong. Provide security that children need. These are the values of which life is made. Establish these, and then we won't need to worry about the frills." (A. Theodore Tuttle, Ensign, November 1979, 27-28).
Are we spending all our time on frills and neglecting the basics? I know I am guilty. What are the basics? I think they are both personal and family prayers, scripture study, and Family Home evenings. Read the proclamation and we see that families are based on principles of "faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." I have not yet taken the time to evaluate my own life to see if I am incorporating these things in my family life. But I will be doing just that this week.

Schools gone mad!

Have we gone mad?
I asked my kids tonight if they had ever learned anything about Columbus this month. Only the youngest, a second grader thought he had, and he was remembering about the Mayflower. However, all the kids had learned several things about black or African American stories. It seems the schools are bent on teaching my kids as much black history as possible but have ignored any white history.
My seventh grader is also learning all about Islam and Muslim history and doctrine. His textbook talks about how Islam was begun, and the history of the region. Right now he is doing a project which requires him to search online for information about Mecca and create a travel advertisement for the place. His textbook even has quotes from the Koran.
Now how is it that we are fighting to save "under God" in the pledge of Allegiance, but we are teaching Muslim doctrine and scripture? We are not allowed to pray in school or extracurricular activities, but we can learn Muslim religious poetry? The Christian view of creation is banned and mocked as ignorant while the Muslim account of creation is taught. Schools will not sing Christmas songs that have any mention of Christ, while they are teaching about Ramadan.
Does any of this make any sense? Why are the values that founded this country rejected while the religion used to try to destroy American is taught? Is this a culture gone mad?
While I would like the schools to be more open to teaching about religious traditions of the world, I have found that at the college level at least, they do a very poor job. Certainly, rejecting and mocking one while teaching the other is not constitutional in the least.

Columbus

I was commenting to my husband the other day about what I believed the schools will be teaching our kids about Columbus this Columbus day, namely that he was only out to get rich, kill Indians and rape mother earth. I was being sarcastic, of course, but then when we asked our kids what they learned about Columbus at school we found that he had not even been mentioned! The same day, I read this great quote today on a homeschool newsletter from LDS-NHA (national homeschooling association). Gotta love homeschoolers! Brigham Young: " The Almighty . . . moved upon Columbus to launch forth upon the trackless deep to discover the American Continent; he moved upon the signers of the Declaration of Independence; and he moved upon Washington to fight and conquer, in the same way as he moved upon ancient and modern Prophets, each being inspired to accomplish the particular work he was called to perform in the times, seasons, and dispensations of the Almighty. God's purpose, in raising up these men and inspiring them with daring sufficient to surmount every opposing power, was to prepare the way for the formation of a true Republican government". (Journal of Discourses, 7:13)

In Defense of Families

Meridian magazine has founded a new website in an effort to defend the Family in America. They have set up a weekly email program to keep you up to date on what is happening behind closed doors and what goes unreported in the newspapers with regard to the family. If we are to save the family as a foundation and revered institution, we must let our voices be heard until we drown out the nasty, relentless and evil voices who would drag families through the mud.
The prophet Gordon B. Hinckley and the Twelve Apostles warned us ten years ago that we would see the calamities foretold in the scriptures, if we continued to let the family disintegrate. ( The Family: A Proclamation to the World)We can no longer listen to Satan lull us into carnal security thinking "all is well in Zion, yea Zion prospereth." Those of us who call ourselves Christians believe that we should be like Christ. We often forget that Christ was not popular. We are not here to be popular, but to be obedient. We must be heard. How will we answer our children in the future if we did nothing to clean up the cesspool we see in our culture? More important, how will we answer God?

The Mom Hobby

The Mom Hobby
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Have you ever met one of these women who say (as they are big with another child) "I'm just not the type of women who can stay home all day with kids!" Did you ever want to ask them why they have them if they can't stand them? Is it just a hobby, a novelty, or a check on the life to-do-list? When did it become drudgery to be unemployed and have a man support you, as you cared for the home and kids? After 12 years of being a "stay at home" mom I view employment as slavery and daycare as cattle-herding. My wonderful husband has worked a slave driving pace to let me do it too. Yes, I went without my own car for many years, but when we needed to have that second car we got it, and I was never home for long after that. Women have become so deceived that they think having their lives dictated by an employer is freedom! Amazing!I freely admit that leaving my kids in someone else's hands would have been far easier than trying to do it all myself- if you don't count my conscience, or the fact that I would have unconnected teenagers to try to control later. Those early years, when they needed to make bonds with their mother and father were not disposable to me. Now we have bonded, and I make every effort to keep that bond as they get older and begin to try their wings.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Narnia
I went to see Narnia "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" the Friday, Dec 9th. I had been looking forward to this movie for months. I was not disappointed. I went again on Sat with my kids. They were not disappointed. It was awesome. Of course much of the story from the book had to be left out, (even still it was over 2 hours long- worth every second and more), but for once I found that seeing the story visually helped me understand the symbolism of some of the story much better. Like when Susan and Lucy are the ones who are with Aslan at the stone table. It reminded me of the women who were present when Christ was crucified and resurrected. Also, the naming of the oldest son, Peter, I found symbolic of the Christ's Lead Apostle Peter. There were so many other little things I saw. But the thing I was glad not to see was the gore and blood usually associated with Hollywood. Although the climax is a war, only one wound is shown, yet the war is no less real. Never have I wanted to see a movie over and over like this one. I finally feel like I got my money's worth at the theater! I can't wait to see it again. I don't know how I will bear the wait until I can buy it!

Almost Christmas?
Wow! Time can fly by. I am shocked that it is almost Christmas 2005! This year has gone by very quickly thanks to the busy pace my life has taken on. I find myself longing to slow down and feel more peace and joy in this season. But instead I'm stressing about presents, shipping, and organizing my very crowded house. I wanted to feel the Spirit of Christmas this year - the real Spirit that is- the Spirit of Christ.
It is depressing to find that the real purpose of this holiday, celebrating the birth of the Savior, is being hidden from public view, and is frowned upon. One has to wonder before opening her mouth whether to say Happy Holidays, or Merry Christmas? Which will offend the other person? Are we being tested when we decide what expression we will say?
It seems like the whole end of the year is now geared to spend, spend, spend, and not necessarily for gifts to others. Commercials now intimidate us into buying more and bigger gifts for fear of disappointing someone. Others arrogantly and greedily demand extravagant and binding gifts from those they ought to be thanking. Giving gifts is fun, but only when we give from the heart. Giving from obligation and expectation ruins the whole reason for doing it. In order to give from our heart requires some thought. We don't just peruse the shelves at Walmart and pick something we thing they want. We think about good things we have, that is, the blessings we have, and we feel like we want to share the happiness that we get from those blessings. It's not an easy or light thing to do. It takes time. But, sadly, time is just something no one has anymore...
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