Live Life Active

Spring means move more. And every Spring Weight Watchers launches a great challenge to motivate members to make a commitment to move more.Tonight I introduced the challenge in my meeting and got a great response. This is a great movitvator for me becuase I've had a hard time the last few weeks getting on my feet to go. I made a commitment last Thursday that I would find a race to run. I looked and didn't immediately find one that fit in my time frame. So I decided I'm going to make my own 10K. This is my public sign up to run a 10K on May 17.

The activity plan:

1. Run Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday (Maybe Thursday, too).
2. Do 30 minutes strength training Tuesday and Friday. 
3. Consistently use an activity log to record meaningful data.
4. Set a new activity goal in ActiveLink to keep me moving throughout the day, not just when I'm exercizing.  
5. Rest on Sundays, but do take a walk with my family around the neighborhood.
6. Try something new every few weeks (zumba?)

I'm Just One of the Ninty and Nine

 

Sheep show up in the scriptures a lot. Christ describes one parable in particular where a shepherd has 100 sheep and leaves the 99 in search of one that wanders away. We often talk about "the lost sheep" and the very real need to seek them out and rescue them.

But in all honesty, I never have been and hope never to be the One. There is a song I like by an artist named Michael McLean called "Ninty and Nine" where he beautifully describes the life of the imperfect but trying 99. I heard the song years ago and it really resonated with me. I was reminded of it again tonight by a friend. Below I've included some of the lyrics. I just love how attentive Jesus Christ is to me, even one of the ninty and nine and how special I am even when there isn't much that I feel makes me stand out or call attention. My favorite line is "Have you any idea how brightly you shine?" It is easy as a busy stay-at-home mom to feel like I'm just one of the crowd, nothing special. But that line. That line "have you any idea how brightly you shine?" Even if the only people who see me shine are the three little boys who most brighten my world, it is all worth being one of the 99.

I am one of the ninety and nine
I’m not perfect but basically I’m doing fine
I have not lost my way, I have not gone astray
I’m just one of the ninety and nine
I am here in the heart of the fold
I’m not mindless but I try to do as I’m told
I’m not tempted to run and become the lost one
I am here in the heart of the fold

...

I’m just one of the ninety and nine
I have stumbled and fallen, but I’ve kept in line
I’m not one he must seek; I’m not all that unique
I’m just one of the ninety and nine

...
(The Savior speaking)
You are one of the ninety and nine
Have you any idea how brightly you shine?
You are safe in this fold, and it’s time you are told
That I know where you’ve been so I know where you’ll be
Because all of your life you’ve been following me
You are more than just one of the sands of the sea
Or just one of the ninety and nine

You are mine, you are mine, you are mine
You are mine

I am one of the ninety and nine.   

I Can't Wait Until I'm Eight!

(The above picture is my own baptism day, May 1986. I'm the one in front in the green dress with the white pinafore and the puffy sleeves)

Tonight we took our oldest child to his "Baptism Preview." This is a short fireside of sorts where all the children who are turning eight this year are invited with their parents to meet together and learn a little about what to expect on their baptism day, logistics of how to prepare, and fun things to look forward to after turning eight.

I am having a hard time getting it through my head that I have an almost-eight-year-old child. When did that happen? He is mature beyond his years and really looking forward to this special day. I look forward to it for him. There is something really special about a child who is at that transitional age where they move into understanding real accountability. I loved my years of teaching this age group in Primary. They were so anxious to be good. I always want to live my life as happily and enthusiastically as eight year olds.

How to Date a Teenage Girl

 

Teenage boys are beyond me. On Friday I took my early morning seminary class to go rock climbing after they worked on a goal to memorize a certain number of scripture mastery scriptures. There were three carloads of kids, and somehow I ended up with ALL the boys. They are generally nice, polite boys who are also very diverse in interests and tastes. On the way home, one of the boys asked me what dating was like in my ward growing up. That launched into a sort of wild discussion about dances and girls and asking a girl out and a whole host of things I promised I would keep within the confines of my car. However, I thought about what I would want MY three boys to know about dating when the time comes.

First thing, follow the For the Strength of Youth  pamphlet produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It will never steer you wrong. Be committed to waiting to date until you are 16. I read in a human development book that people typically believe they are ready, in their own minds, to marry four years after they begin dating. Spot on. Also, the advise to group date before your mission is sound counsel. It is so much more fun and so much less akward. Besides, if it turns out things aren't going so well with your date, there are plenty of other people you can interact with. Which leads me to the second thing.

Two, be as polite as humanly possible. To every. single.girl. You don't have to marry her, but she is a daughter of God! Royalty. Treat her with that kind of respect. I remember seeing my dad always open the car door for my mom everywhere we went, even just in the garage after we got home from church. My good husband is that kind of guy, too. Open the door on the way into buildings. Offer to let her go first if you are waiting in line for something. And never hesitate to say "please" and "thank you."

Third, speak highly of the girls you know. If there is one who's company you don't care to keep for one reason or another, don't dog on her. I promised the boys in my car last week that for every negative thing they could say (to their credit they didn't really say anything specific), I could say at least ten positive things. If you look for goodness, you will find it. One of my favorite scritpures is from the Doctrine and Covenants about how "light cleaveth unto light."

Fourth, while you don't have to marry this particular girl you are taking out, you will eventually marry the girl you are taking out. Please try to use good judgement when making friends and asking girls out. People of high standards will respect other people with high standards. But do have fun and don't worry early on so much about whether or not this girl is the one when you don't even have a driver's licence.

Fifth. have fun and try new things. You'll get to learn so much about you and your friends. My brother-in-law, Josh, and I call this high efficency dating. Do some sort of extreme things and that quickly weeds out those that aren't interested. This can be things like rock climbing, or hiking or offering to babysit your rowdy siblings or cook something.

Last, don't feel obligated to date and date and date, especially before your mission. Make friends. Learn to enjoy a good conversation.  It's okay to feel shy. It's okay to have lots of friends, both girls and guys. After you return from your mission, you'll have the chance to date for friendship and to eventually find an eternal companion. But, heck, have fun and don't rush it.

Did I say "have fun" enough? Those are my first off the top of my brain thoughts of dating. Dating can be a blast and a bust. But either way, learn from it and enjoy it and great things will happen. I'll look for the old LDS film called the Phone Call and that will really get your palms sweating.  

I need books like I need air. I'd rather read than just about anything else. I have a pretty strong stomach and like variety and read all sorts of things. Some things are more worth while than others. Some keep you thinking and wondering and considering. Mrs. Bybee, my 10th grade honors Enlish teacher would always say the mark of a good book was how long it kept you thinking after you'd finished the last page.

I'm just finishing a series of books that are young adult classics of American literature. It's the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. With each one I read, I feel like I've just enjoyed a rich journey through the history of settling the American West as well as through the values, faith, fortitude, hard work and joy so readily cherished then and, hopefully, now. I feel like a better person for having read every chapter of each book. I see the imperfections of good people trying to do their best. I see the moments of poverty and lack. I see the incredible gratitude for even the smallest things. I see the pleasure of working the land and feeling the wind in your face. I see the gentle parents and vivacious children and the typical dilemmas of family and community life. I was touched by the traditions of courtship and felt all the more grateful for my good husband.

Most of all, I long to be a better person now after having read the books. Can you say that about all the books you read? Sometimes yes; sometimes, no. If I could be half as diligent as these remarkable settlers, great things would come of my life. They were smart and witty, as well as well educated in both book learning and land learning. The books are full of reference to specific passages of scripture and how they wove them into the fabric of their lives, from their patch work quilts to their patchwork fields.

My Patriarchal Blessing admonishes me to always read from the best of books. This great series undoubtedly fits that criteria. I'm {almost} ready to pick up and move West!

Seek the Good

Last weekend I did something I've never done before: I went out of town, overnight, without my husband or my children. That may seem silly. But, in the ten and a half years of marriage and almost seven years of motherhood, I've never gone away by myself. And it was great. I was glad to be home when it was time to go home. But what I did while I was away was unbelievable. I had the chance to go to Springfield Massachusetts for a women's conference called Time Out For Women, sponsored by the Deseret Book Company. It was geared toward women of faith, particularly LDS women. Deseret Book brings several of their authors and a couple of the musicians on their music label to speak and sing/perform for two wonderful days. The theme for this year's tour was "Seek the Good." And boy was there much good to be seen over that weekend.

The very last speaker, Emily Freeman, had some especially poignant words for me personally about really seeing the goodness of God. Afterwards I had a chance to visit with her. I wanted to tell her how much I appreciated her ability to seamlessly weave scripture stories and real life experience together. I wanted to pick her brain and ask her how she does it. She's written 10 books and does these TOFW tours and I also found out she teaches early morning seminary just like me! So I asked her about her writing--when she does it, how, etc. The one thing that feels like it was just branded into my brain was this comment: "My audience is my children. I write exclusively for my children." What? Wow! For all those popular books and speaking engagements, every single thing she writes is written expressly for her children. She told me that many years ago she had a friend who had cancer and she wanted her children to know certain things about her. That left an impression on Emily and she decided to follow that lead. Everything she writes is with the intent to share her thoughts, ideas, feelings, testimony, advice, experiences, growth, joy with her children. Her children are mostly grown now. But she has followed this pattern for many years.

That experience feels like it has changed me. I have so many things that float around in my head and my heart. My husband sometimes teases me that my brain is just always racing and never shuts down. I've thought over and over in the last many years that a long time ago, God gave me gift for words and if I'm not going to use it, I'm going to loose it. I've already started making lists of the things I want my children to know and feel and understand. I hope over the next long while I'll be able to commit those things to paper (or computer!) and use that same energy I saw in Emily to write for my audience of one: my family. Everyone else may enjoy the read as well.

I had tons of great experiences at TOFW and I think that might be where I start. So check back now and again if you'd like, and see what I'm writing for my children. Also on the agenda is a request from my friend Sarah to write about how I got into running. Since this has become such a big hobby for all of us, my three boys included, that seems absolutely a great idea to write about my journey to becoming a runner.

So, to my children: I love you. You make me giggle and tare out my hair, sometimes simultaneously  But I wouldn't trade you three busy boys for anything. Thanks for letting your mom go hang out with a bunch of ladies for a long weekend. I think the things I learned will make me a better mom, a better wife, a better friend, and most importantly a better disciple of Jesus Christ.

Seminary Ideas

So I've been playing around with this cool website Wordle.net to make word clouds from scripture mastery scriptures for my New Testament seminary class. What do you think of this one?