Familial Research and Development

Yeah, I think I do. I have recently heard a beautiful young lady say that 'stuff' she 'learned' in other classes makes more sense since she took her last class to complete her Bachelor Degree. I believe we 'learn' things in life as we go along. Some things we accept in hope and some in faith. One of those 'things' for me is that I started my family at an early age. I was 19 when child #1 was born and 29 when the last or caboose aka child #6 (9th pregnancy) was born. There were many, many times I felt a little cheated or maybe short-changed as I watched others-my peers-in life have some of 'that' which I thought I wanted. I wanted a college education. I wanted a house (before I had a family to fill it up). Things didn't happen that way. What came to me was the family first, then finally a house, and then finally an education. I believe that before we were born we had mortality guidance specialist counselors that helped us evaluate our mortal ...

You know you're getting older when the Arby's order taker processes your order, you pay, he hands you your receipt and you in your sharp mind KNOW he hasn't charged you right. You look at your receipt to add it up and see where the error is. He has given you a 'Seniors Discount' even though you don't 'qualify' for another SEVEN YEARS! That's a whole life time to a little kid! You know you're getting older when you see something off the side of a road under road construction and have a flashback memory to things you used to see on the road under construction. Flare pots. But then you don't remember what they're called! So you have to Google it! Well, evidently you're not getting too old-you have Google and you know how to use it!

I want to share some baptism experiences I’ve had. I was six months old when I was first baptized. My parents were Episcopalians. It is a common practice to baptize infants and babies. I’m not sure I felt much except wet with the sprinkle baptism. I may have felt some depth of appreciation that my parents were at least trying and reaching for Christianity. Notice I said I was baptized-I did not say I received baptism. Although I was not baptized in the Bible Church, I did attend Vacation Bible School at least two summers that I remember, and I went to Church on Sunday’s, though I don’t remember who gave me rides there. Maybe my parents went a few times. Some of my childhood summer highlights were when the Jehovah’s Witnesses would come and teach my mother and I their Gospel truths. I read the Watch Tower; Awake!; From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained; and The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. These were things hard to grasp at my very young age (8-11 years), but they wer...

I heard this comment twice today. A dress-discount bought of course-that to my eyes is an okay green, but more sickly than not-the price and size was right and I've shrunk out of enough clothes I didn't have a lot of choice but to find something I could wear. So I wore 'that' dress today. Then while walking home from Church I pondered that repeated comment and realized that what they were saying and what I was hearing was really something different than what was going on. 'That color' looks good on me under this circumstance, when my skin has the summer tan and only then. When I have the winter 'sun-starved' skin color, 'that color' looks sickly on me. Good thing I've been using astazanthin-my skin is a healthy summer-color now! Without the summer sunburns! Hence 'that color' looks great on me or realistically, my skin color can now comfortably wear 'that color'!

Some people like the idea of having a picture perfect post stamp yard. Not only that, they expect their neighbors to have one too. 'Keeping up with the neighbors' is a thing of the past-you all have to have it perfectly equally perfect, aka the new status quo. When I first heard about 'gated-communities' and then later about HOA (Home Owner Association neighborhoods) I had to think about it, pretty long and pretty hard. Right off I didn't like the concept. Largely because it sounds 'snootish' to me. Back to that kindergarten, 'You can join my club but he can't.' It also sounds clickish. True, true, birds of a feather do flock together (and they deserve each other-pot stirrers and finger pointers)-that's clickish enough, yes, yes. However, an HOA or gated-community appears to be an elite level of clicks and snoots. Today as I pondered it deeper, two things happened. One I was reminded of a Montgomery Gentry song, "What Do You Think About ...

Picture of a Nativity statue in front of the Provo, UT Temple. Small factions of society say, "You cannot post the 10 Commandments in public places." "You cannot put up Nativity scenes during the holidays in or on government owned properties." "You cannot raise white crosses along the Interstate road system designating the demise of public servants." When will the rest of us who are god-fearing Christians stand up and say, "ENOUGH!" "SILENCE." Okay, so if we-the majority are going to be soooo tolerant as to let others kick us around, then can we at the very least, every church put up Nativity scenes? Can we, at the very least, post a billboard on Church property with at least one of the Ten Commandments and change it out every month or so? We are a Christian nation, i.e. a nation founded by Christian believing and practicing individuals. Really people, it's okay. Let's put our $ where our hearts are and get the ball moving on t...

I have always, as long as I remember, reached heavenward, pondered on my existence and its purpose and wanted to know-truly know God/Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ/His Son/Our Elder Brother and more recently, the Holy Ghost. As a child and young free-to-think and wage-earning teen, I wanted a crucifix. I didn't want a Christopher-I wanted a crucifix. Strange, I know. But when I had seen them and asked others about them the only parts of speech I heard and understood was: obedience to Christ; Love of Christ; Worship of the living Christ; sacrificial gift of Christ. So I bought one and wore it-relatively religiously. (Sacrifice) + (in obedience) = blessings (temporal, spiritual, and eternal) There was a returned missionary speaking in Sacrament meeting and had mentioned what some investigators would question having to 'give up' in Brazil where they start drinking coffee when they're just little tikes. This set me to pondering and reflecting, hence this blog post. It may be...