I ought to be baking bead but instead I have to kiss boo boos and pretend I am captain hook. Oh, well. at least I got a few things done, and I ought not complain. I am living the doctrine that I believe will cause the best results. Now, I think of a line from Maggie Smith from the Downton Abbey Christmas special where she tells a suitor (pre Matthew) that his profession of never appearing stupid intentionally in font of others will be put to a test.   because, quite often I wonder if I am really and truthfully willing to practice what I preach to others.  Here is my byline for life that seems easy enough, but is had in my line of work (mom): "Never let a thing that needs to be done get in the way of a person who needs to be loved."

I had quick observation as a boy was wandering down the road likely oblivious to me watching him as I was washing windows. I wondered how often we are similarly on display unaware, or what I mean is how often we do not even know of our effect on others, like George Bailey in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life".

Brain dump

Feb. 9 fireside at the stake center.

Our Aaronic priesthood is such a great  example.

Story of out walking and noticed someone by their gait, but he was wrong it was the supposed man's son. To me, this is an incredible example of how we learn by example, and how we are like our father.

Listen to the youth and let them talk, I heard this praised this morning from my friend who's daughter was being allowed to teach in YW.

Calling whiplash. Wonders if it is possible that God makes mistakes. No, he doesn't make mistakes. Even his friend who was a non member knows that calling are from God.

Man is called of God.

*what does that say about how I should act, meaning set my priorities.

"I hope you don't mind if we pray in Catholic."

Sin, even if made legal is a sin. *right or wrong* law vs. morality

Even if we do not vote for someone we must sustain them for we believe in being subject to others.

The youth always have ipod before them. 6 1/2 hours per day for the usual teen. Heavy users 17 hours must sacrifice sleep, they get poor grades and hence poor jobs.

We must seek for praiseworthy things per 13 articles of faith.

Because she was modest all the time she could share her life as an example and never be afraid of anything of which she would be ashamed.

Implore that the things in my heart will be shared.

Comes to our ward not to spy, but to receive revelation. Comments on the stalwartness of the Articles of Faith.

Testimony of Killibrew, 425$ purse story and girl asked, "Is she for real", and reiterated that all good things come from home.

Are you Mormon? Proudly replied in the affirmative.

Articles of faith shared in telling what we believed. Because it was memorized.

But, even though we memorize them, we forget them. It is sad, but it happens. They really need to  focused on.

Maybe focus on one each day, repeat. Probably, it will effect our thoughts for the entire day.

A good thing to have a card with the articles of faith to share our beliefs with others.

Though he could not understand the words spoken as the baby was blessed, we felt the peace and knew that it came through the power of God.

"What does the still small voice sound like?"

Types of why we need to grow up are everywhere, like birds and little stray kittens.

As was known in the original plan a huge sacrifice was made because people would be lost but it was worth it to allow others the chance to have our choice.

If plan was chosen it must have been able to choose.

Satan plan would just have made everyone subject to him instead of God.

I think it is like how some people do not want to grow up or outgrow this life...and maybe those who chose to follow Satan maybe they are where they want to live.

The spirits know us and what will sort of derail us. From our eternal plan so to speak. But the savior was chosen to allow us to return.

What type of War was fought?

Pioneers will admire us for the sacrifices that we must make.

He knew that his daughters needed a mother, so he remarried.

Family is significant eternally, and mortally, so just because one ended does not mean that his life was over.

Called to be a prophet at 94 yrs old.

He sealed the teacher's grandparents.

He talked to Heavenly Father as he did a very close friend in prayers.

*make it a greater effort to speak to and get to know our Father.

What is required to gain blessings needed?
We must know who and why we worship. Do not look to philosopher or great thinker, but instead read our scriptures.

God is unchanging, our creator, all knowing, All powerfull,merciful, and just, all good and perfect.

A sister I related a lot to said that often her favorite things said were words of Elder Callister because she appreciates his way of saying things.

What helps you love your father?
Our children, our prompting, or ideas.

The times that we feel insignificant are the ones that bring us closer to God. And sort of shake us into a remembrance of who we are.

*It was significant because we never could have expected to ever by chance grow up without making any mistakes.

Explanation

I just needed to explain why I use *. It is not a footnote, but rather to signify or draw my attention as these were significant thoughts that I had.

Not necessarily said by the speaker.

More than a fork

It has been in my mind long enough, this idea of options sort of being extra dimensional or something. It comes over and again as a 4 tyned fork in the road, but upon careful consideration there are only two choices that when the extra dimension is removed they seem to interact or overlap. Kind of like gravity and magnetism or the bonds that hold atoms together. In the right perspective they seem to be the same thing.

Yesterday, I thought about my options that seemed to be two wrong options, but it could not be so because a fully accepted truth is that everything has it's opposite. Each wrong choice must then have a corresponding right choice.

I realized that with the proper vantage point it was a right and wrong fork in the road, but it seemed that from another point what was right seemed wrong, and there was a right option to compliment that one.

But, it boiled down to a matter of perspective. Regardless which path I chose I would be very hard pressed to have chosen correctly in the eyes of one who did not travel this road. The other thought was that no matter how confusing I seemed to think my situation appeared with it's several choices or various shades of grey, it was black or white and I could not stump God with any difficulty/trial. If I just asked he would see clearly a solution. And the thing that makes things right or wrong ultimately is Wether or not it was His choice.

Points to consider from RS

Ultimate career title of book where alot of ideas come from.

Went from attitude of "why me"? To trusting in the Lord.

D&C 108 our house should be in order. Having an organized home can give us a place to turn for peace

Time management-
Time must be balanced (how many hours do we spend looking for things)

Object lesson with a jar representing the constant amount of time.

Not important at all is flour.
Somewhat important is beans.
Very important essential things represented by golfballs.

If you put golfballs in first more will fit, and if something must be left out, it will be things that just wasted our time anyway.

Myself first. Like flight attendant says to take care of yourself first.

Calendars are needful in organizing time.

Calendars that have slots for each family member.

Calendars are great tool for prioritize.

Allow time to put away, and be flexible, plan for delays just like you do finacially, in budgeting.

Everyday do something that will not need to be done again.

Prayer and scripture study should be prioritize and capitalized.

If you do those things that are needed, then you can trust that other things will fall in to place.

We may go to extremes in trying to do what is good though.

Meal planning-

Eat together as a family!

Eating together is a better measurement than even going to church.

Good idea to plan menu around coupons.

Smiths does price matching.

Plannedtoeat.com.

Make your own premade little bags of ingredients or hamburger helper.

Cook the meat beforehand.

Kents has good meat.

Write the items down for foods needed. Like the upc deal at Walmart.

Taco night or mystery night.

Buy meat and precook it.

Get together with someone else and specialize and swap.

People are better at doing a thing if they know what is expected.

A secret to finding a thing is always putting it in the same place.

Find a person to be a clutter buddy because they are not emotionally attached.

Hanger clothes so you know what you wear. When you have  when it hang it the other way.

If you haven't used it for a year get rid of it.

Choose a thing to take care of per day so it is not such a large task.

Assign a home for everything!

Book of personal papers.

The typical woman walks about 5 miles in her house each day.

Use stickers to mark so it can be changed.

A lot of services can be negotiated cost.

Your home is your corner of the world.

Clear table cloth can be used to sew bags to hold small parts for kid's toys.

Car is a good indication used to judge if a person is neat.

Role of women

I was listening to the video on youtube that had my children so engrossed. And a man was explaining how he just kept such things around in case he needed them. They were edible decorations for a cake. I laughed and thought something profound.

Women are always talking about how they are just as good at doing manly things, or things usually considered a man's job.

There was a time I was helping my friend Jim move and he told me that I was being manly, and his TV did seem very large and heavy, but I just assumed that I was best suited to cary it. Ok, maybe not, but I wanted to do it so that he would not have to and I figured it would earn me some recognition for performing such a feat. Cause women can do "manly things".

Where I heard the complaint most was in the workplace, others complained that I only got the job because I was a girl and likewise girls always felt slighted as computer technicians because they were woman. It was often commented that who was best qualified should do it. And the women felt that they were better qualified to do the task.

After marriage, I realized that men and women are suited for particular tasks. In a class someone said, "stay at home mothers are fortunate and lucky to find a man willing to provide, etc." It does work well.

Back to the video, this guy made such a great homemaker. I often thought that of my first husband, how he is an incredible mother. Probably, I would have been a better provider. My conclusion was that either sex may be uniquely, naturally better at a specific task, that guy's comment seemed like an incredible thing for a woman to say but it was coming from the mouth of a man, it really makes you consider the things you thought were rock solid, but ultimately, it doesn't matter who is best, it is like callings at church, you might not be the best qualified yet. :)

Fell asleep studying

I fell asleep studying again, but it did not produce thoughts in my sleep along such lines. I was studying  the obvious Biblical doctrine of a prexistence wondering why it is a foreign concept to most, and instead I woke with a solution to understanding (knowing and living) the ten commandments.

Back story time. As a teen, I read the ten commandments and thought about how they were given directly to all men, and I should think they would be used to judge my faithfulness. If I believed in a Heavenly Father then I ought to know what,he said and do it. But, beyond not killing and stealing, I really didn't know much and the more I evaluated myself honestly, the more I came up short.

So, I decided that if my father in Heaven had thought those commandments were important then such thing ought to be important to teach his children who were given to me to raise. I thought maybe I will post on the refrigerator each month a commandment, and focus on keeping it. Often large things seem too daunting, so working on each bit at a time will change it into a surmountable task.

Maybe this along with my other thought does Infact answer my questioning as I fell asleep. The importance of keeping and teaching the commandments is based on a belief in my own preexistance, and that I believe that I am a child of God, and a sibling of Christ. Maybe that is why Joseph Smith felt inclined to say that admitting who he really was would earn him death for heresy.

My second thought, worked out in my sleep, obviously is that no one said that Sabbath day observance was a measure of a person's convictions. When God clearly uses it to measure where our hearts lie, and he wants us to know that.

My answer is that even though things are right before us, only those who have eyes to see will do so. We had an entire class, the same class that later asked "how do you tell a person's convictions?", on how the Sabbath day is most important in determining a person's level of commitment. That is like how the world has revelations that seem obvious about their own preexistence and yet they do not see it.

Yesterday, we were reminded, too that at times the Holy Ghost brings things UNTO our mind but it is still up to us to bring it INTO our minds.

So, maybe that is why I wake up instantly aware of things, but unsure why. It is up to me to figure out how my thought solves my trouble. This is exactly how our blessings work. They will be given, but sometimes go unnoticed, as they are not expected in that way. But God's ways are definately not our ways, as  our children's ways are not usually our way.

Brain dump (ward conference)

February 9 - meeting

9 members on full time missionaries

"...by man least understood." Same song as has, "with no apparent beauty that man should him desire."

It is our humility and doing the little everyday things that will strength our faith and help us understand and know what we should.

Coming to meetings regularly, and look for the good in others.

Part of standing strong and being enabled to help others lies in our ability to be prepared and sustain and follow the prophet.

Our bishop is an obedient man.

When a man speaks by the power of the Holy Ghost..UNTO not INTO.

Agency is given to us to get what is intended by God, not what we want ourselves

Story from Mosiah where future generations did not benefit from the words of King Benjamin and they were not taught by families so the same people who believed.

Do not murmur or sustain those who were anointed, including those who have been to the temple.

We must defend the divinity of Christ.

The world shows us what it sees in the news, whereas the prophets seem happy, opposed to the news.
So we can learn from that.

Testimony story of a boy who wAnted to bear his testimony but said that he did not have a story.

Read directly from the scriptures to our children that they might feel that spirit, though we might at times need to expound, share those words often, not just the story.

Heavenly Father is always one step ahead.

"I know that we will be reunited... That keeps me going." We are inclined to wonder why me? When our axioms are tested.

SS - Our Heavenly Family

We existed prior to being born.
Jeremiah 1:5

We are literal spirit children of God.

Our mortal children are possessing the attributes that our spirit children will. The things we will teach will be of more consequence because the children on this life will be God's actual children.

On mirror it said, "If you could see yourself the way I see you".

Jesus was an example of someone who knew who they were and when we know who we are, it has greater effect.

I know that I chose my parents because they helped,me understand in a unique way.

My sister's story of her choice of friends...

Story bishop shared patriarch was landlord. He got it but did not understand things at that point at 20. Called as a Scout Master, and always with the youth. And that was a blessing given to him. An opportunity to live well and deserve the blessingsthat we are promised.

Joyfully accept a call to be a missionary and he used the word for word what he was told. He knows it was true.

A girl got a blessing from someone who just barely got call.

A man who served and it was over and over again it is said to serve others. Helped him to  realize his own Christlike attributes.

Joseph Smith said if you knew who I was you would kill me for blasphemy.

If you knew who you were, it would scare you.

Elder McKay told him that he was inaccurate they were generals, not captains.

It is significant that we are alive at this time. This era is more important than any other time, including than coming of Book of Mormon or first vision.

Pioneers lost physical kids, but we loose spiritual.

If your self esteem is based on anything but that you are a child of God you are in trouble.

Youth is those born up to the elderly, in comparison to all ages, these are the latter days.

It was necessary to leave God for a while.

Faith and the youth seem to be so terribly significant.

Elder quorum president warned jokingly that he was stuck for 9 years.

Told how he came to be, that he actually did grow up. He works at IBM.

Always use Ensign and keep in with you, that is the example the general authorities set.

Specifically, the conference edition should be reviewed and used often as important as scriptures.

When the choice between what is true or what was easier or seemingly good. At 17 his grand father was facing death or what he believed was right.

Youth? What age group is that.

His grandfather was a band director.

How we act when faced with a choice, shows their conviction.

"It is not time to be a mediocre saint."

Middle ground is drying up.

Who do we turn to when things are difficult.

You never know what will effect a person, so you just have to teach what is truly important, must be mechanical to know and do what the Lord would do.

Often the answer to our prayers when we turn to god might be not a situation, but a feeling of contentment.

Testimony is a muscle, use it or loose it.

The key to conviction is keeping the Sabbath holy.

Until we speak of things it is not solidified. Offering a prayer in our hearts vs. Speaking out loud.

You do not actually have a testimony until it is said. How do you prove a thing that you believe.

Story of if you are called then I will quit.

Utah

This morning I was thinking about the Proclamation to the world on the family. Through it, I realized two points worth dwelling on.
1). I am very fortunate to be living and learning here. And, 2). If I were a young single man, I think that living here would be the wisest thing. I fully intend to further explain these two points at a more opportune time. It boils down to trying to put my finger on what exactly is different about these people.

Tonight's baking lesson

I make things over and over using the same recipe altering a bit so that I can see what changes, ok. I need to restate that. My purpose for making alterations is usually need, and I observe changes in the resultant product and because nothing else was changed I draw a direct relationship between that substituted ingredient and the result. So gradually, I have familiarize myself with the function of each ingredient.

Tonight as I was baking a recipe believed was the most perfect cookie ever although I rarely get it to turn out just like the ones,my mother made a fortune selling at a bake sale once. I noticed that that paralleled my life. I have, a number of times, commented on how I am still me and accordingly, the differences in my life can be observed through the choices, and almost all of them are the same. I had a chance to start my life over completely, but I still did roughly the same things and the subtle differences can be used to determine, through scientific method, what exactly caused each change.

Anyway, that's what I thought of tonight as I baked cookies.

Something I would have said on Facebook

The reason the internet works for me is that it manages my personalities. Trouble is when they start to get confused as they are all actually me.

But, in person I do not get to be as admirable. I really like who I seem to be online, you should, too.

Just a thought

Maybe I ought to include more here, great Scott I am full of such, but Something must be saved inside, huh? Or else I might not have anything to offer.

I just felt so many times that I wanted to serve a lady in particular and I even mentioned my desire to my husband and asked for him to help, but nothing was done. I was ever so happy to hear today that someone did help her. Though she never asked for or made it known that she needed help. But. Above all it was obvious to me that it was her father in Heaven who loved her and was giving me an opportunity to help her, but I did not try nearly enough.

Notes from 17 miracles

If she was given a blessing to make it safely with her children, then, she ought never have had a doubt unless it was on her side.

Unaware of his situation Bright Young promised that brother Savage's family would be cared for then again when asked to help the saints. Is this another example where the good that an individual can do for others requires that he not place the love for his family above his love for God. It would be so hard to believe the promise that his son would be prepared for.

It was said that it was not a choice but a commandment, although the point is clear that was a way to express the seriousness of the situation, but there was still a choice but now it was a choice to obey or not. How can that be thought of similarly in our lives?

Maybe it is like how I feel the need to be with my children in Tenn, but have another duty to perform here, though it seems unlikely. His situation was not as plainly seen (as a movie) to him, either. It is unknown if he actually understood the need for him when he chose to help the pioneers instead of how family, but he was a freshmissionary and was probably accustomed to being prayerful.

No. That does not make me crazy, you do. It is new to me to consider how wanting to be sealed to her was more frustrating that being asked to finish a job although it seemed impossible. I bet teens find the sacrifice to really love someone means that you must deserve to do so (be worthy to go to the temple to be sealed). Marriage in the right place is so worthy a goal in his case it cost even his life, but to me the greatest of all miracles that James E. Faust was sealed for them, at long last!

The most essential survival attribute is not the one seen on "Survivor" of being a great frontier person, but being close to God. God can do all things, so trusting him saved souls where in contrast when the Donner party endured such dire circumstances they seemed to degenerate into a based life form... Oh, that sparks a thought that the more base lifestyles were those that survived their task. So, we live today because they were able to survive. The same might be said of the pioneers. Our trials are a blessing to endure because of the foundation they said. It has been often said that our trials are not changed in difficulty but in manner, the solution remains: hold fast to our relationship with God. He can do all things. And it is our great opportunity to chose to serve him "Chose Ye this day whom Ye will serve..."

I understand the whole confrontation with brother Willed, but I cannot help but think that if the situation had,been clearly communicated Brother Savage would have agreed and understood. His oposition was based on a simple misunderstanding. The choice had already placed them on that path, stopping to weather the winter was not an option, and since that was understood it was death for those who could not endure or complete failure, though their lives would be spared. I think most would rather die trying to do what is right than live longer in this life knowing you could have done better.

Is the elephant carving fictional or does it exist, maybe in a grave somewhere. I do not wish to own it, I only wondered at the obvious significance of it.

Can we really be sealed upon death to a fate? It makes sense if the priesthood can seal things on earth to last forever, the only limit would be our imagination.

The great speech should be more deeply talked about when Brother Savage spoke during an assembly of saints and asked for forgiveness.

Petty, maybe, but I am bothered by the use of We as an object. It just alerts my ear as wrong, so I thought on it. The sentence is "a favorite pastime of we, children, is ..." If diagramed the subject is pastime and we is the object. To me. Just the proposition of preceding it dictates the use of the object form of the word or pronoun for we which is us.

I cannot say anything beyond that it brings me to tears to see a mother cary a frozen child to his grave after hearing that her husband had collapsed and she had to pull the cart herself, over a mountain probably, in the snow with the added weight of her husband and children.

It is interesting to me that it was noted that a sure sign of death wad the gradual weakening of the mind. How would that appear? Or better yet, be discerned, and why is it noted in one soon to depart this life?

I always wanted a strong body, and through death I will get it. But, still it must be deserved, right? It makes me think about that phrase that through Christ I will gain my fondest dream.

Parting words given to those who remained to struggle. How thoughtful.

The best most honest answer given when a woman asks where is the promised blessing? We have done everything that we have been asked to do. The answer was I do not know. Resisting to give our own man learned counsel would be tempting, but ultimately wrong.

May I see it? He responded Later. Well, when he dies she finds it.

My Two Cents

I wonder how many things I know without anything but a comment or idea to support it. Like, one friend lost a child, one is suffering the despondency of having a former spouse remarry, and another is secretly only my friend because they were told to be...these stories have no real basis, but somehow my mind just put them along side things like Gravity pulls down pants, that's why guys on stilts wear belts and God has a perfect body.

It was a very powerful example of what love can do when Emma Smith broke an heirloom pot and Joseph quietly collected it later her puts it back together. That is what has been weighing heavily on my mind, how when a thing is shattered it may be rectified, through the atonement. Often things are shattered to reveal something better hidden behind. I wrote a short story about how our deceptions can be broken if not protected (they are fragile) but it is not all terrible if not sufficiently proctected,

First Brain dump for 2014

Cold temperature warm hearts. Seen on a sign.

How do you get a testimony? Do what is right and then it is a gift that is given to know.

If everyone in the world was as stalwart as the members of this ward, we would probably be living in the millennium.

When we bear our testimonies we become more astute and strengthen what we know.

It is a gift to know something.

Even though things get hard, there have been miracles.

Scriptures have the answers they are right there, sometimes we just need to open them.

After she gave her talk she heard the best con talk on her subject, but could not share it because her talk was already given. How often does that happen? To me it demonstrates that we are being prepared to receive a great truth.

It is the awesome experiences  when we suffer, but do not make it known to anyone, "The hypocrites appear disfigured...."

Things of any real worth can be made at home.

A young boy said, "I do not know what is done, but I think this is what is done..." It was an eye opener to me that he started telling a story.

It is one of our greatest tests to follow imperfect men. Said in regard to our priesthood leaders who actually hold the keys though others might find fault with them.

The Lord is a great man.

Nature always reminded me whenever I doubted things. The creator must be acknowledged as our father.

Otherwise the odds of things all happening as they did is much less likely than winning the lottery.

Hasn't anyone else asked or been so answered?

"Philosophical meandering of inspired men..."

There are things that you cannot know with your eyes.

What you know does not need to be said it will be demonstrated by everything about you.

Gavin asked me where is God right now.

Because we do not understand the nature of God we fail to see himself.

We can choose where we fit in, we will and are wanted to be happy.

Our parents make us do things that are not desirable right now because we are aiming for a harder better goal.

We have a portion of divinity within us.

Time management meeting in January.

Gratitude is akin to humility. It needs to be strengthened.

Immediate gratitude is important. We might intend to but then we never get around to it.

I was skeptical of the lyric from the hymn Count Your Many Blessings, so I put it to a test, and started a gratitude journal.

It really makes a huge difference to see the things that Brandall makes the kids go to what great lengths they go through to say thank you. With a call or a note. Now, they value that and will always do it.

Maybe eating Jack Rabbit in the dark makes us feel the true feeling of gratitude.

Gratitude journals are a great way to show things to our posterity. Teacher gave us journals and challenged us to write three things each day to write.

My parting thought is how when the kids seem to be ungrateful or oblivious in their behavior I get very upset but it is probably a mirror showing me my own failures.

If gratitude is like humility should we pray for it and be afraid of how we might be answered, too?