The world in which we live

Wow!! What an amazing world full of technology in which we live!! I just spent some time listening to/watching Mormon Messages on www.lds.org: AMAZING!!! I have also strengthened my testimony by reading the testimonies of others on www.mormon.org.

This morning before church, I read an article from the Ensign titled "Dating and Virtue" by Elanine S Dalton and David L Beck. The following are quotes from that amazing article.
"If we could see each other for who we really are -- children of our Father in Heaven -- we would treat each other with the reverence, respect, and dignity theat our spiritual heritage demands. When we understand our divine destiny, it will define all of our relationships with each other." That is SOOO powerful and applies to adults as well as teenagers!!

"When we cross the line and engage in immoral behavior, we offend the Spirit, and when we lose that influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives, all those wonderful things that the Spirit provides to us are lost. Immoral behavior destroys faith...we must be pure in heart to have the guidance of the Holy Ghost. That means we need to live so that we are worthy to enter the temple -- now!"

"One of the most important things parents can do is set the example by the respect they show each other and the joy they have in their relationship -- seeing that it really is a wonderful thing. I don't know that we could overstate what a motivator that is. Parents should try to model what a marriage can and should be...Parents need to teach, but they also need to listen and invite their children to express their feelings about what is going on... we need to spend time with our children and do things with them that they like to do -- not just the things we want to do. This builds confidence and trust."

"We need to encourage them (our children) to do hard things and sometimes to take the path that stretches them. When each of us individuals confronts our fears, we discover who we are. We discover God in our lives and we develop confidence . Go forward in faith, knowing that the Lord will support you. His grace is sufficient to help us through challenging situations."

"They (our children) want to be validated for who they REALLY are. They come with such nobility inside. We need to provide opportunities that foster authentic relationships and help them develop the feeling and knowledge of their own identity."

What a blessing in these latter days, to have such inspiration: to know what to do. There are so many things we can do: but those are some of the things we should do. This week, Michelle was off of work, and we got to have some nice long conversations on the phone. I told her I am amazed at the quickness of email and texts. This week, I texted my brother in law and within 5 minutes, he texted me back!! Amazing!! And as Michelle and I talked on the phone, I was able to email her a photo she was helping me with for a missionary profile I was working on. Thanks, amazing woman!!

As incredible as our media is, I pray that I will never get too busy to do the things that are truly important: seeing my children smile, hugging each of my family members, playing a board game with my family, reading stories together...in a "story book" as GB would say!!

Love you all, Happy Sabbath, Katie

Beautiful Life

Yesterday, Don, M and I went the temple. While Don performed temple work, M and I went to the bookstore. Then we came back to the temple and walked around with Don looking at the beautiful flowers and feeling the Spirit so strong. We sat and talked and watched M's adorable face as he collected leaves and rose petals and talked with us. The only thing that could have made those moments more perfect would have been D's presence.

I am really striving to live TODAY. I have always had a way of living too much in the past and trying to figure out the future. A friend recently told me to live more in the moment. Sometimes that is hard for me becuause I do not want to forget the past and I want to plan for the future. I feel that setting and reaching goals, both short term and long term is really important. But somehow there is a fine line between setting goals for the future and living in the future. Living TODAY helps me to enjoy more today and to be grateful for each minute that makes TODAY special.

Totally off the subject, here is a quote from www.myoneword.org "Rather than a quick fix on outward appearance, He'll transform our heart and motives for (or from) the inside."

Bye for now, Katie

Gratitude

So did anybody hear Music and the Spoken Word this morning? It was about change...I think I am being prepared for just that, change. Change I often fear.

In response to that, the following was on the homework assignment from My One Word this week, "How do we get to the point where thankfulness is the initial response for whatever life throws our way? (I would like to change that to "whatever Heavenly Father places in our path") We must rejoice at every opportunity we are given. This includes during a difficult time, in the midst of chaos or when our life completely falls apart. OUR RESPONSE IS GREATLY SHAPED BY OUR PERSPECTIVE!"

I am very grateful for the positive words and teachings that bless my life. I hope to share all the good that I can, thus the purpose of this blog.

Love to all, particularly on this day to our East Coast Family, I LOVE YOU
Katie

Talents

Today at the church (I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) (see www.mormon.org), we had a really neat event: a harvest festival. There was "vegetable art" : D, M, and MD made a person out of a potato and yellow pear tomatoes as well as a dog out of toothpicks and pear tomatoes. Don displayed items depicting his music project, and I displayed our anniversary scrapbook, my temple journal and a book that I am going to cover as part of my business "Recovered Classics." I will write more about that another time. Anyway, the event displayed people's talents, and everything was so beautiful and amazing. I was so glad that MD and SD got to come with us and enjoy the day and the other children that were there. The food was fun: corn dogs, mini hamburgers, chili (why does that word look so weird?), corn on the cob (served in melted butter so we didn't have to butter it ourselves), popcorn, and the best surprise: COTTON CANDY!!! What a nice event that our activities committee organized, and it was such a fun time for all of the families.

Our baby chickens are getting their adorable little wing and tail feathers: sooo cute!! This week I have been very grateful for my friendships with other women: they each have such a part in my life. My Mom and my sisters are the BEST (Michelle, you are a sister). And my new Amy is such a blessing to me: she is really good at making me laugh, and she likes to fix things like I do. The other day, we fixed a part of her truck with purple duck tape.

So in thinking about talents, how would one display the talent of being a good friend, a good listener, having a compassionate heart? How can those things be reflected in all that I do and say and am? Those things are all parts of my becoming more fully a disciple of Christ.

Love to all, Katie

Beauty in Change

I usually struggle with change. Sometimes change is good. Like the new school year: a new school building, a slightly different schedule for the children and even a new teacher are all positive things so far. D's teacher last year was so great for him, I knew it would take me some time to adjust, but I know that each year, he has the teacher right for him in that particular year. I typically share a significant amount of time in the classroom, and this year I feel the need for something different. I am going to do more take home work and focus on some projects for myself such as working with dogs at an animal shelter. A couple of years ago, I tried the horse thing and still love horses, but dogs can pretty much go anywhere. Like in my home and in my car and to hotels and on the road with me. Besides, I think I speak dog better than I speak horse. For a long time, I grieved about not speaking horse as well as I would like to, but maybe I need the dogs more...and they need me. Anyway, those are some of my recent beautiful changes. I am also becoming convinced that I can be a Mother of a daughter in addition to being a Mother of our wonderful sons. For so long, I have been convinced that most girls were too dramatic, but experience throughout the summer has taught me that girls are really wonderful too and they think about things in a completely different way. They are beautiful and loving and kind in their uniquely girl way.
May each of you be blessed as you cultivate beautiful change in you lives,
Love, Katie

Blessed By Children

I am so very blessed by the children in my life, and I am very grateful for them. In the past two months, I have had the opportunity to be with many children, in addition to my own children, on a regular basis. My life would not be the same without these children who I adore. To any of you who do not have children or children at home, take some time out this week and spend time with a child: watch him laugh, watch her be creative, participate in a sport even for just a few moments, watch her dance to her own music, enjoy his ideas, color a picture or roll in the grass like a dog!!

D's best friend and his sister shared the day with us on Saturday, and between the three of them, I laugh almost the whole time at the amazingly funny things they say. We were driving in the car past a clump of oleanders and some old railroad tracks , and D's best friend said, "Hobos live in those bushes." Trying not to laugh outloud, I asked him if he saw a "hobo." He said "No, but I hear there is a Hobo House in there." WOW: the things children think of!!!

Each face has a special story, gifts, blessings to share. Thank you to all of the children in my life, to their amazing parents and to Heavenly Father for blessing me so fully with each of them, and in particular, our own two sons.

Best blessings to each of you this Sabbath day, Love, K

Baby Chicks!!

On Monday, my friend that gave me our other chickens (Thanks SB) called and asked if we wanted a Mommy with babies, and we said, "yes!!!" They are so cute: two light colored ones with some dark markings on their heads and three dark colored ones with darker markings. The mama is a reddish buff color with a funny puffy head. OK, so I officially recind all previous negative comments about dumb chickens. Watching these babies and their Mommy communicate has been amazing: they are obedient to her every instruction, she counts them after we have picked up one or two to make sure they have all returned, and she has different voice pitches that mean all sorts of different things. I love them!!

I wanted to record some funny things M has recently said. Today I asked him to go to bed twice before he got into bed, and apparently at the third asking, I made an unkind face because he stated, "Mommy, that is a bad guy face!!!" A couple of days ago, we were making pancakes and some of the mix spilled out of the bowl and he said excitedly, "Mommy, it's snowing!" And then later he was asking me why Lilly was squaking, and I told him that she smelled the pancakes. M asked, "She has a nose, Mommy?" M calls campfires "pampfires." When Don, D, and M are playing hide and seek, if someone does not find him right away, he shouts, "R2PO" (which is his way of saying C3PO from Star Wars), so that the person counting can find him easier. Why he chose C3PO as his code word is a mystery to me!

Blessings to all, K