Letter to Santa

So my son is learning to read and write, and I came home from work the other day and found a letter to Santa.
"Dir Santa,
I wont a motrsicl video game."

He asked me for an envelope and then ran to the mailbox. I stopped him and said he needed an address. Then he decided to put it in his stocking and Santa could pick it up when he comes.
This is the same kid who up until about a month ago was telling me that he knew Santa wasn't real. Maybe this is the ultimate test--he knows Mom would never buy him a video game. A couple of days later he told me he wanted a motorcycle video game with 4 controllers so that everyone could play. (My husband's friend brought over his new Kinect and it drove him crazy that only two could play at a time). He used to play a motorcycle video game with my brothers, and he's been missing them, so I talked to him about that and I tried to break it to him gently that he may not get one. He burst into tears.
The next day I found another letter to Santa.
"Dear Santa,
I am sad. I reelly wont a motorcicl video game."

Gone are the days of the little yellow car wish list! So I am thinking that he'll get a letter back from Santa explaining why he didn't get it--? Any suggestions?

Proove me now herewith..

I was driving to work the other day and heard a man talking on the radio about tithing. I am not sure what station it was, and I didn't listen long enough to even find out who was talking, but I've been thinking about some of the things he said. He quoted Malachi 3:10, one of my favorite scriptures,

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a Blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts."

Then he went on to talk about how tithing is something that we give weekly, that we get nothing in return for, we have no control over where it goes, and yet the blessings of paying it can solve our financial problems.
In our travels abroad over the years, it has become very apparent that those who are faithful church members, who regularly pay tithing are those at church that always seem to get by or do well financially--even when the economy and other factors seem stacked against them. At my mother-in-law's home, it has been shocking to see the difference when the "devourer was rebuked" because she was paying tithing, and when it wasn't. One time we returned after having been gone just a few weeks, to find nearly all the dishes, silverware, furniture, etc that had just been purchased on our previous visit needed replaced. On the other hand, two years later, when we returned, almost everything was intact and in good condition after the years she had been paying her tithing. In our home, we have seen food store longer, cars and appliances continue to run long past their "life expectancy," major repairs fixed with minor costs, we've been blessed to have our money stretched longer, our garden produce more, and the weather effects tempered.
I have often told about a time in college when I was running out of money, I wrote out my tithing check which left $0.83 in my checking account. On my way to clean a house (my only source of income at the time), I stopped by my bishop's office and slid the check under the door. When I got to the house I was cleaning, I was offered another house to clean-which would double my income. Then when I got home, the phone was ringing as I opened the door. I answered and the voice on the other end introduced herself to me as my counselor (who I had met only once) She offered me a job as a T.A. for a class that I was currently enrolled in. I explained that there must be some mistake, but she said that she had reviewed my grades, and felt like if I kept ahead of the class, I would be able to do it. (Later I chose that same subject as my major). As I was thinking on the subject, I believe that many of my other blessings are probably tied to the law of tithing. For instance, my earlier posting about blessings pouring in, I remember last winter at one point, feeling that there wasn't room enough to receive the blessings--many of those blessings were probably blessings from paying our tithing.
So here is one even more recent--A few months ago I lost my scriptures. I kept thinking they would turn up somewhere around the house, but they didn't. I checked the lost and found at the church, but not there. So last week after posting about getting Ionut scriptures last year, I thought that this year, I ought to order me a replacement. I got online to order, but just couldn't get myself to pay that much and thought I'll try the D.I. again. Friday I spent some time paying bills, and stressing--of course, but Saturday I made it a priority to make sure that I prioritized my tithing check. That evening at our trunk-or-treat, our old Relief Society president came up to me and asked if I ever found my scriptures. "No," I replied, and then remembered that when I checked the lost-and-found I started talking to the librarian about it. She was there checking out something, and empathized with me--months ago. She asked me if I had been going without all this time, and I said that I had been using the paperback type. She then told me that she had bought a set for a family member and had it engraved, but later found out that they had a set. She said she would like to give it to me. I was surprised, touched, in awe, and didn't know what to say. But, Sunday just after I turned in my tithing check, she came over to me with a brand new set of scriptures still in the original bag. I was humbled and grateful, and He was "proven" once again!

A little Break

So I decided to take a little break and answer a few questions for my cousin Jenny...

1. Why were you given your particular name?--My parents combined their names.
   
2. what is the strangest food you ever ate?--squid soup
   
3. who is the one t.v. character that you simply adore?--Mr. Rogers
   
4. where is your ideal vacation spot and why?--anywhere with big trees and a hammock-I love to hear the wind rush through the trees--you know the kind that you swear is a river nearby.
   
5. Have you ever had a bad experience with a professor or boss? what's the story? The teacher from my Parenting class lost my portfolio and didn't give me credit for it. I ended up with a C+ . It is the one time I was so angry I literally had to run it off!
   
6. McDonalds or Wendys? Is there a question? Definitely Wendy's--unless my kids need a Playland.
7. If you were an ice cream flavor what flavor would you be?-you got me stumped.
   
8. one of your most embarrassing stories...(we all have more than one to tell) I accidentally spit my gum out on the face of my CPR instructor.
   

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

I have been blessed with a lot of things in recent years and have learned to pray for things that I need or even want, and I am amazed that Heavenly Father listens and helps me to get those things. The first one that comes to mind was when I was pregnant and working full time building fences. We had a cheap mattress, and my body ached every morning. We looked at some mattresses, but they were expensive. I prayed that we would be able to find a good mattress that wouldn't cost us too much. The next day my mom called me at work and said she saw a new posting in the newspaper for a king sized mattress set. We called on it and it turned out to be a very expensive set that had been a floor model, and was half the price of the ones that we had been looking at.
A few years later I was wedding dress shopping with a friend who was frustrated with the cost of the dresses. We had been to several shops, but she was getting increasingly stressed by the price tags. We stopped at one last store. As we parked the car I told her that maybe we should pray and ask for a beautiful dress, but one that doesn't cost too much. I said a silent prayer as we walked to the entrance. As we entered, my cell phone rang. It was my brother, he asked what I was doing, and I told him we were wedding dress shopping. He invited me to his sister-in-law's birthday party and we hung up. A couple of minutes later he called back and offered his wife's wedding dress for my friend to borrow. We rushed over to their house and she tried it on. It fit perfectly and she looked beautiful, and she only had to pay the cost of the cleaning!

When it rains, it pours...blessings

Last year was a hard one for us financially as work was scarce, food storage and savings were running out, and we worried about our future and providing for the needs of our family. I found some old school papers, and in them was a paper that I had written from interviewing my great grand-mothers about their experiences during the Great Depression. As I re-read them, they felt unusually familiar to me, and I feared what the future would bring for our little family. I found myself mending my rags one day and didn't know whether to laugh or cry....Yet, as Christmas drew near, I couldn't help but think of all of the many ways we were blessed, consistently throughout our struggles. I kept thinking the phrase, "When it rains it pours"...but I couldn't help finishing the phrase "...with blessings!" To keep this post shorter I decided to leave out many of the details and just list briefly some of the things that I could think of:

• On three different occasions I helped neighbors move and came home with boxes of food and/or other household items they didn't want to move, but that our family could use.
• A neighbor paid me to help her clean her home, and sent me home with a box of expired food from the closet we had cleaned out.
• Another friend brought a gift for each of my children and one for our family(some thing they were able to open on Christmas)
• A cousin gave us his BMX bike to give to my son for his birthday.
• Some renters were throwing out a barbie doll house that we were able to clean up and give to my daughter for Christmas.
• A dear friend's son gave us his power wheels car that he had outgrown--It was such a wonderful surprise for our children on Christmas morning; something we never would have been able to buy for them.
• My husband came home from work with another box of food someone had received, but didn't want.
  
• My grandma said she got a great deal on some food and that she was cleaning out her food storage and sent us home with food and household items.
• Every few months we received a small bag of clothing from two different neighbors for my children.
• After receiving a bag of clothing, we still needed a warm dress for our daughter, but hadn't told anyone. A woman from our ward, that I never actually had a conversation with, knocked on my door. She just said, "Here are some dresses I made for your daughter. I didn't know what size she was so there is a size 3, 4, and 5. " The were warm, festive, and two fit just right. We still have one for this winter.
  
• A little before Christmas, a dear friend sent a card with cash she said that she received for her birthday, but never spent. I had been saving to get my husband a set of English scriptures for Christmas, but when Thanksgiving sales came, I used the cash to get groceries while they were marked down for the holiday. I said a prayer, took the cash from my friend, and went to Deseret Industries hoping to find a nice used set I could give him. There were none on the shelf, but I spoke with someone who brought a pair out from the back room that was nearly new, and I was able to get it engraved at a book store. I had just enough money left over to buy a couple of books for my children, and a few small gifts for family and friends that I felt could use some holiday cheer.
• My husband came home from work one night with a large turkey. He said that the man where he was working had a problem with his freezer and gave both he and my dad a turkey that was going to thaw. We quickly made invitations and sent them around the neighborhood and were able to have a great pot-luck neighborhood Christmas party.
• Our family vehicle died and we were left with our truck that our family couldn't fit in together. A woman from our ward heard about and told us her parents were selling their car. She contacted them, and they gave us a great deal and we were able to purchase their vehicle.
• I was offered a part time job at minimum wage, after working for a few months, I was offered a full-time job with benefits, just as my husband didn't have any more work.

I am sure there are many more things, but these are some that come to mind right now. I am so grateful for loved ones who bless our lives, for the blessings that seem to flow unceasingly, and for the struggles that help me to realize those blessings.

Inspired words

A few years ago I was feeling weighed down by life, but mostly just trying to kick a feeling of depression. A friend took me to a women's conference where I heard a talk about "the fourth watch." In the Bible we read about Jesus's disciples out on the sea in a storm...

"And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea..."
The speaker talked about why the Lord delayed his coming, why he allowed them to "toil" until the fourth watch (which would have meant they had been rowing against the storm for many many hours) He proposed that perhaps it was because they were strengthened by the "toiling".
At the time it gave meaning to my struggles and gave me hope and strength to keep going.

I feel that I was also allowed to "toil" before getting married. There are two conversations that I remember toward the end of that fourth watch that helped me through. One with my aunt Sheila who asked me after listening to my discouragement about no prospects for marriage, "Would you change anything?" It stopped me and made me think.
"No," I replied. I then realized that being single for a while gave me time to do many things before I married. I was able to finish my college education, serve a mission, do an internship, learn a lot about myself, live with roommates, learn to live with strangers, budget, fix cars, cook, serve, travel, etc.
The other conversation was with my great grandmother. I was saying how I hated feeling and being treated like I was "broken" for not being married-- and then I stopped short. I realized the woman I was talking to herself had only been married a few years in comparison to the years of being single and widowed. She never had the joy of childbearing, but rather loved another's children as her own. I felt silly, but she just smiled and said "Oh, you know... once you are married, all that loneliness and heartache go away and it doesn't matter anymore."

The quote I have at the top of this blog was from a general conference address a few years ago. At the time I was very frustrated and discouraged and feeling at my wits end. I was married and had two very small children. I was feeling frazzled and inadequate. I had done all I could to make conference a good experience for my family. We set up a tent in our little basement kitchen with the door facing the computer.(I had read about someone doing that to make conference fun for children like King Benjamin's people) The house was a mess the tent was full of toys, papers and crayons. Money was tight, so I was coloring pictures for flannel board stories for Christmas gifts. My back hurt and my lower half was tingly from sitting on the hard tile. The kids were getting loud and rambunctious and I struggled to hear conference over the noise. Then, Elder Ballard began speaking words of encouragement to young mothers. I broke down and cried as I listened to these words:

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be “full-time moms,” at least during the most formative years of their children’s lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work... and divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else. I am impressed by countless mothers who have learned how important it is to focus on the things that can only be done in a particular season of life. If a child lives with parents for 18 or 19 years, that span is only one-fourth of a parent’s life. And the most formative time of all, the early years in a child’s life, represents less than one-tenth of a parent’s normal life. It is crucial to focus on our children for the short time we have them with us and to seek, with the help of the Lord, to teach them all we can before they leave our homes."
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=9694558fcc599110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

The words hit me like a sweet message from my Father in Heaven, "Keep going, don't give up. It will all be worth it--enjoy every moment."

This past weekend was General Conference. I really look forward to the uplift. This time we went to the lake and listened while the kids played, it was pretty ideal. The council President Uchtdorf gave about slowing down really hit me this time.

My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most. Let us be mindful of the foundational precepts our Heavenly Father has given to His children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness. They will teach us to do “all these things . . . in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [we] should run faster than [we have] strength. [But] it is expedient that [we] should be diligent, [and] thereby . . . win the prize.”

Brothers and sisters, diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior of the world. That is why “we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, . . . that [we] may know to what source [we] may look for a remission of [our] sins.” In the complexity, confusion, and rush of modern living, this is the “more excellent way.” http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1298-7,00.html

What inspired words have meant a lot to you?

Watched over and Protected

The words, "watched over and protected" seem to roll off my tongue in prayer almost without thought sometimes. Yet, very many times in my life, I have been protected--and I am sure there are many times I don't even know about.

A few years ago, I was lying in bed late at night. My dad was on his way back with a trailer load of material. My thoughts turned to him and I said a quick prayer for him to be kept safe. Then went to sleep. A little while later my mom got a call that my dad had a tire blow out. He was safe, but would be delayed a bit in his return. A simple prayer heard.

Just over a year ago a good friend of mine lost her grandmother. I wanted to go to the funeral to support her. I decided to take our truck because it was cheaper in gas and more reliable. There was room for me and my two small children. My dad needed some material picked up and offered to have a towing package installed on our truck if I would save him a trip and haul his trailer. I agreed and the truck was ready to go in a couple of hours. As I got the car seats to put in the truck I grabbed an older 5 pt harness car seat for my son, instead of his new booster seat; it just seemed safer. While loading up getting ready to go, I had phone calls from my dad, my husband, and my mom all asking me to be careful. I said that I would. We headed out on our way. It was quite windy on the drive and a couple of hours into our trip I stopped for gas. As I was getting the kids out my grandma called. The wind was blowing so hard I could hardly hear her. She said she had just spoken with someone who had driven that stretch and they said that the wind was terrible and to be extra careful. She made me promise to say an extra prayer for protection. I did. Soon we were back on our way. Within 20 minutes, in an 80 mile an hour test zone, I tried started to pass a vehicle pulling a horse trailer. As I got along side the trailer, he steadily came into my lane. I moved to the left until I saw his trailer centered over the dotted line. By then one set of my tires was off the pavement and started kicking up dust and rocks. The driver of the horse trailer jerked as he realized what was happening and started to swerve. All of a sudden it was like someone stopped time and showed me a glimpse of what would happen if our two trailers clipped each other. I saw a break in the reflectors and I went down into the median. "This is it" I thought feeling helpless in my situation. I thought a hundred things and then nothing, as I cried aloud my desperate plea, "Help me, Help me!"
I tried to steer to straighten myself and the trailer as we slid sideways one way and then the other. Then the thought came to me, "You're going to over correct." At that point, I let go of the wheel and we eventually came to a stop with the nose of our truck in the oncoming traffic on the opposite side of the median. I was shocked that we didn't roll, and grateful that it was daylight and the oncoming traffic was able to change lanes to avoid hitting us. I backed up and was able to drive my little ones to safety. Although our truck and the trailer had some serious damage, I am still so grateful we were all "watched over and protected".