DIY Moving Tips: Loading and Unloading the Truck

This is the fifth installment of my DIY Moving Tips! I asked my amazing husband, Greg, for his advice on this post because he's the one who loaded all of our moving trucks—except for our move to Colorado. Besides paid movers, I have no doubt that Greg is the best moving truck loader/packer on the planet! :)

So you've packed your house or apartment, and you're ready to load the truck! Besides finding out you're moving, loading the moving truck is the most exciting part because it makes your move absolutely real. There's no going back now! Ha ha.

Loading the Truck

• If you're loading the moving truck by yourself, make sure you leave two-and-a-half days to get the job done.
• If possible, use a hand truck (a.k.a., moving dolly).
• Call or text your scheduled movers to make sure they will show up on time.
• Get yummy food ready for your movers—if they are volunteer movers. If you have paid movers, there's no need to feed them.
• Load all of the heavy items into the front of the truck first. For example: fridge/freezer, piano, couches, desks, dressers, etc.
• Wrap your furniture that you don't want scratched or dented/dinged, in blankets or moving pads.
• Your goal is to create flat spaces, from bottom to top, so you can continue to stack things all the way to the top of the moving truck. *Think of this as the largest game of Tetris that you've ever played! :)
• Load like boxes/items together as tightly as possible.
• Pack each area of the truck with the heavy boxes on the bottom first, then add the lighter boxes on top.
• Don't leave any dead-space in the truck. Realistically, you'll have a little dead-space at the top of the truck, but that should be the only place.
• Pack odd-shaped items at the top of the truck—things like bicycles and plastic storage bins.
• Pack mattresses on the top or side of the truck. Try not to squish them too much. Make sure your mattresses are covered in mattress bags!
• Practice makes perfect! My husband says that you sometimes have to re-pack areas of the truck to make everything fit. Don't feel badly if that happens to you. :)

Unloading the Truck

• Use a hand truck to take multiple boxes off the truck at the same time. The hand truck also helps with heavy/large items. It will definitely increase your unloading speed! :)
• Move boxes to a central place in your new home. That way, you'll be able to unload the truck quickly and return it to the moving-truck company.
• Move furniture directly into each room they belong in. Don't let furniture pile up, or it will congest your house and make it hard to unload everything else.
• Move each box to the room it belongs to—refer to the box's label.
• Resist the temptation to start opening and unpacking boxes before all of the boxes are moved into their correct rooms. If you start unpacking too soon, you'll only become more frustrated!

You're now ready for my next post, "DIY Moving Tips: Unpacking Your New Home"!

DIY Moving Tips: Unpacking Your New Home

This is my sixth and final installment of my DIY Moving Tips!

Wow! You've made it through your big move, and now you're ready to unpack your new home! I truly believe that establishing a new life in a new home is one of the most exciting events we get to experience!

After completing 11 moves, I believe you should unpack your house in the following order, below. *Remember, you should still have your suitcase packed with supplies to sustain you for two weeks. And I understand that every home has a different number of rooms, so my advice might not apply to everyone—but the general ideas are the same.

• Put your mattresses in your bedrooms. It doesn't matter if the mattresses are on their frames yet, just make sure you have a comfortable place to sleep that first night.
• Organize a media area, i.e., television and couch or chairs, so everyone can take a break once in a while. *Don't spend a lot of time on this—you should be spending the majority of your time unpacking the rest of your home now.
• Unpack your entire kitchen. This will help you feel normal (What's normal anyway?! Ha ha.) because then mealtimes will be easier, not frustrating. When people are nourished, life goes much more smoothly!
• Laundry room. This is essential to keep everyone going. It's no fun feeling like you have no clean clothes to wear!
• Bathrooms. Everyone loves to relax with showers or baths, and a clean, organized bathroom is essential to this feeling of relaxation. Plus, bathrooms are easy and fast to unpack. It will make you feel like you've accomplished something great! :)
• Bedrooms will help you feel that you are home!
• Family room. This can take the place of your media area. Then your family will have a central gathering place to spend time together.
• Closets
• Living room
• Dining room
• Basement/storage room
• Hang pictures on the walls. I usually do this last because, at this point, you should have all of your belongings where you want them.
• List your unpacked boxes online for free, or give them to someone who could use them. Try not to recycle them unless there is truly no other option!
• Above all else, make sure you finish unpacking all of your boxes. You'll definitely be exhausted, but don't give up! There is nothing worse than having a move drag on for months. Get enough sleep, and don't quit unpacking until your last box is empty! :)
• Create a lovely atmosphere in your home. This means something different to everyone, but do what's necessary to help your home feel happy and peaceful to you and yours. I promise, the effort is totally worth it!

*To conclude my series, I have two final thoughts. The first thought is from me, the second thought is from my husband.

1. Give yourself about one year to completely adjust to life in your new home. We've usually started to feel better at six months post move, but we don't feel fully at home until about one year has passed. It's a lovely feeling to finally feel settled! :)
2. Greg said his most important moving tip is this: Don't move. Ha ha!

Good luck with your move! I wish you the best!

Catching Words

I love finding verses of scripture that surprise and excite me! 1 Samuel 3:19 is precisely one of those exciting verses of scripture that I just discovered yesterday. Even though I know I've read it before, this was the first time it inspired me to write a blog post! :) It reads,

¶And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

I was instantly thrilled when I read the words, "...and did let none of His words fall to the ground." (To show respect, I changed the "h" to "H".) I thought, "What a great challenge that sentence is for each of us! If everyone could daily make a conscious effort not to let any of the Lord's words fall to the ground, we would be much happier!"

I'm guessing that every single one of us lets too many of the Lord's wonderful words fall to the ground every day. Yet we all have the opportunity to catch, to hold tight, to cherish, to listen to, and follow the words we have been given by the Lord—just like the prophet Samuel did.

This thought reminds me of another set of my favorite scripture verses found in Amos 8:11-12:

It might seem funny that I love those verses, but I love them because they illustrate just how privileged and blessed we are to have His words! Those of us who choose to seek the words of the Lord can find them anytime we want! We literally have unlimited access to His words through the scriptures, and our modern-day prophets. Oh, how I love the scriptures! They fill my soul with a light that I can't describe (even though I know that wonderful feeling is the Holy Ghost testifying to me that the words I'm reading are true).

I've had numerous experiences where I've received direct answers to my prayers through reading the scriptures. Each and every time I've received an answer via the scriptures, I've initially been shocked beyond belief, but then I've cried tears of joy as I've realized that my prayers are heard.

By the way, my church's scriptures include:

The Holy Bible (including the The Old Testament and The New Testament)

The Book of Mormon

The Doctrine & Covenants

The Pearl of Great Price

There are some other aspects of "letting words fall to the ground" that I would like to discuss.

We should do our best to listen to, or read (letters, notes, emails, texts), the words of the people in our lives, for everyone has the right to express themselves. And I'm talking about people we actually know, have a relationship with, or have revolving face-to-face contact. I'm not trying to be rude to the people we don't know, I'm just saying that there are simply too many billions of people in the world for us to try and listen to everyone! Ha ha.

That said, how many times have we experienced word trash? (Yeah, I just invented that phrase! I'm hoping it will catch on! Seriously, share it with your people!) I'm talking about when someone has purposely or cluelessly spoken unkind words to us. It's during those hard/sad/frustrating times when we should try our very best not to be offended. As hard as it is to do, we can't let mean words negatively affect us. We should be like ducks and let those unhelpful words roll off our backs and splash into the water! :)

*I'm still working on that idea, for I have a very tender heart. Try as I might, I often struggle when other people's words aren't as kind as they should be. Yes, I need to not let word trash make me feel yucky!

I would absolutely love it if everyone would speak good words all the time. I believe we should not speak words that would be worthy of "falling to the ground." Every word we speak should be worth catching and holding on to! :)

Not to mention, we must be aware that whatever words we speak or write will be there forever. We can't take our words back! Even when we apologize profusely, we can't guarantee that everyone involved in our words will forgive us, and chances are they will never forget either. Therefore, we need to be careful with the words we speak or write. We must live authentically and own our words, for they will be attached to us no matter what. *Um, yeah, I've learned that lesson the hard way. Please learn from me, and don't make the same mistake!

Also, we need to teach our children to use quality words at all times. For whatever words they learn while they are young, will most likely stay with them throughout their lives. *I know it's nearly impossible to have children who speak well all of the time. I'm simply saying that it's worth us being vigilant in our efforts to teach our children the value of using top-notch words.

All of that said, I know there are times when it's necessary for us to speak the truth—even though sometimes the truth hurts. If we try our best to share the truth with love and kindness, hopefully our words will be well received. If our words are not received well, and we know we've done our best to be kind, then the problem most likely lies with the recipient of our words. This idea reminds me of another one of my favorite scriptures found in 1 Nephi 16:2!

I hope we will all seek out and use the best words...words that inspire us to do good continually! (Mosiah 5:2) :) Let's catch all the words that benefit us, and put them in a beautiful "chest" for safe keeping. Then, when we are feeling down in the word-trash dumps, we can go to our lovely word chest, open it up, and relish in the delightful and satisfying words we've gathered to make our souls feel light and happy. :)

Above all else, let's actively study the words of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and keep them at the forefront of our lives. Let's continually guard Their words and never let them fall to the ground!

Contributing to Society

I recently read an article on the Huffington Post that got under my skin. Yet I read it on the anniversary of my little sister's death (you can read about her in my post, Mackenzie Day), so I didn't feel like blogging about it then. Yes, death is tough.

While reading the first section of the article, A Letter From a Working Mother to a Stay-at-Home Mother (and Vice Versa), I thought, "This is great! I love that she's recognizing stay-at-home moms for all that they are and all that they do for their families!" But then I became annoyed at the second part of the article.

*Before I get to my annoyance, please let me say that I absolutely agree with the phrase the author wrote about work-outside-the-home moms, "I know you love your children just as much as any other mother."—I know it's true.

I also want to clarify that I totally understand that there are some situations in which a mother has no choice but to work outside the home. I have such empathy and compassion for mothers who struggle financially. I know how a mother's heart breaks when there is seemingly no answer in sight to the financial difficulties she is facing, for I have faced that same situation so many times in my life.

Yet my husband and I have always been blessed to find solutions that have allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom, and still meet our family's financial obligations. Those solutions have always involved sacrifice, but those sacrifices were absolutely worth it for me to be able to stay home and care for every one of my children's needs! And my husband completely agrees. :)

All of that said, here's the paragraph from the article that riled me:

"I know that sometimes you feel guilty about not being there all the time. But WM [working mom], I know this. You are setting a wonderful example to your children. You are showing them that a woman can have a career, contribute in some way outside the home, and still be a loving mother. You are showing your daughters that they can do anything they want to do in life. You are displaying strength, endurance, dedication, tenacity, and you do it with so much joy and love."

Even now, as I read through that paragraph again, I can feel my insides clenching. My fight-or-flight response has kicked into high gear!

You see, I believe that motherhood is the ultimate career. Raising the next generation is the greatest contribution to society that a woman will ever have the wonderful opportunity to be a part of. What continually frustrates me is to see, time and again, that women somehow feel that raising children isn't enough. I truly can't fathom that train of thought!

This sentence, "You are showing your daughters that they can do anything they want in life.", made me want to shout to the world: Yes, women can do anything they want in life. Women are strong, capable and smart! But who will raise the children of those work-outside-the-home mothers to become their best selves? Who will spend the quality time and extra energy on those children in exactly the same way as their mothers would? No other caregiver will love a child as completely as her/his mother does, and anyone that thinks otherwise is deluding themselves. No one could ever fully fill the void in a child's life when their mother isn't there on a consistent basis.

*Disclaimer: I know there are some women who are not fit to be mothers. I'm referring to women who don't fall into that sad category. Also, stay-at-home dads are a wonderful option when the mom isn't available, and I wholeheartedly prefer them to day care, or nannies, or babysitters, every time! But I still believe the mother is the best option for her child, day-in and day-out. Also, I completely understand that no mother can be with her child 100% of his/her life. I'm referring to when a mother consciously and continually chooses to have a career (or other interests) outside of the home full-time, when she could find an alternative and make the sacrifices necessary to be a stay-at-home mom.

What I wish work-outside-the-home moms would think long and hard about is this:

What message are you sending your child when you leave to go to work? Are your actions showing your child that you love her/him more than anything? Or, are you silently and unknowingly saying, "I love you, but I love my job more because I leave you every day to go to work." Have you thought about what your child honestly thinks of your decision to work outside of your home? Because no child will willingly say something to their beloved mama that might hurt her feelings.

Yes, please think about your child first...not about your career and where it will take you in the future. (Again, this is not directed to women who have absolutely no choice other than to be employed outside the home.)

To continue, I cringed when the author praised work-outside-the-home mothers by writing, "You are displaying strength, endurance, dedication, tenacity, and you do it with so much joy and love." For I believe every mother should give her strength, endurance, dedication and tenacity to her children...she should not give precedence to her career. Every child deserves to have 100% of their mother's very best qualities on a daily basis!

Instead, I fear many of our world's children receive their mothers' leftovers (I'm not talking about food!), because no one has endless energy or time. Every person has a set amount of give that they can share with the world. If mothers are continually giving the best parts of themselves to the outside world, there isn't much left to give to their children.

In his talk, Of Regrets and Resolutions, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has beautifully taught us the importance of cherishing our loved ones every day of our lives. He said,

"Perhaps the most universal regret dying patients expressed was that they wished they had spent more time with the people they love. 

"Men in particular sang this universal lament: they “deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the [daily] treadmill of … work.”3 Many had lost out on choice memories that come from spending time with family and friends. They missed developing a deep connection with those who meant the most to them." (He took quote 3 from from Bronnie Ware, in Steiner, “Top Five Regrets of the Dying.”)

I think President Uchtdorf's example need not apply only to men, as it can absolutely apply to women with children who work unnecessarily outside the home on a regular basis.

I simply feel that if all women could actively internalize the immeasurable importance of stay-at-home motherhood, not only would they feel better about their decision not to work outside the home, but the children of our world would be happier, healthier, emotionally content, more intelligent, and feel secure in their lives. That might seem like a lofty list, but I believe it's entirely achievable.

Yesterday morning, I took a break from writing this post to get ready for lunch with my friend. I was stunned to hear the news story of a 15-year-old boy who hopped a flight to Hawaii inside of one of the rear wheel wells of the airplane, and he miraculously survived! My first thought was, "Why on earth did he do that?! He could have been killed!!" Yet, I wasn't surprised when I heard the suspected reason for his trip. It turns out, the young man was simply trying to get to his mother in Somalia. Wow. It pulls at my heartstrings to think of how much he must have missed his mother...enough that he would risk his very life to be with her again! That stowaway's sad story is the perfect illustration of just how much children need their mothers—no matter how old they are!

In the end, children grow up and move-on in their lives. When compared to overall lifespans, mothers have the opportunity to raise their children for a relatively short period of time. And if a child dies while still on the younger side, a mother has even less time with her baby. (I say baby even though I know children grow up and are no longer technically babies. Every mother's child will always be her baby, no matter how much time passes.)

If only all mothers would remember that they have the rest of their lives to work in their chosen career, I feel they would be able to make it through the long and tiring child-rearing days at home—with a happier spring in their step! :)

After speaking with so many elderly adults, I'm convinced that our numerous employment years will seem much l o n g e r than the time we spent raising our children. Also, depending on how long we live, please ponder the fact that retirement can roughly be the same length of time we spend raising a child to young adulthood! Seriously, wow.

We would do well to remember President Thomas S. Monson's sage advice (emphasis added):

"If you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn't appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future. 

"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly." (Finding Joy in the Journey, General Conference, October 2008.)

Yes, fellow mothers, let's dearly appreciate the fact that we have been given the greatest opportunity to be employed in the most extraordinary (albeit unpaid) profession there is! Let's enjoy every moment we have with our children, for we have merely 6,570 days (i.e., 18 years)—give or take a few—with our beloved babies in our homes. Remember, there is no turning back the clock of childhood. Thus, let's not hesitate to daily give all of our very best bits to our children!

Let's Not Be Sissies!

On December 22nd, 2013, I sat in my ward's Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Class enjoying the discussion. At precisely 12:43 p.m., I heard this most wonderful phrase,

"Mortality is not for sissies."

I know the date and time of this event because I promptly wrote it down in my smarty phone's note app. I chuckled a little inside as I rolled his words over in my mind. Then I thought, "He's totally right! Mortality is very hard!"

*Oh, and just to clarify, my church's definition of mortality is: The time from birth until physical death. This is sometimes called the second estate.

Some days mortality is fairly easy, but there are many days when we have to have a lot of courage and gumption just to make it to bedtime! No, friends, mortality is most definitely not for sissies! :)

Several weeks later, I asked the brother who said it if I could quote him. He said, "Yes." Yay! So, thank you, Mike Kaminske, for your wonderfully insightful words, I have truly enjoyed pondering them!

Since that day, I have seen so many crazy events happen in our world. Some happenings are truly unbelievable. I never could have predicted where our global society has ended up in a little less than four months! And as I've written before (see my blog post "Paramount Parents"), I truly believe that many of our society's problems come from a lack of good, strong, righteous parenting.

And even though I am one of the strongest advocates and supporters of the family—and all that goes into it—I understand that parenting is a tough job. Parenting might just be the toughest job ever!

Well, might I add, Mike Rowe's Dirty Job episodes—that show him working as a sludge cleaner and a sewer inspector—might take the grand prize in terms of the toughest jobs. To me, parenting looks like a walk in the park compared to those disgusting jobs! Eww, gross! But I digress...

Thus, I decided to create a new typographic design that blends Brother Kaminske's ideas with my own. By the way, I was very deliberate in choosing a brick wall as the back drop...

As parents, we must always stand strong and firm in our beliefs, and absolutely do what is right. We must look for, and highlight, the wonderful... the lovely... the happy!... the kind, and the good in the world. We must not agree with, nor condone, behavior or beliefs that are contrary to what is best for our children. We must continually try our very best...not only for our benefit, but especially for our precious babies' benefit! :)

Each day, we parents have an amazing opportunity to choose and lay the "bricks" that will build the "walls" of our children's childhoods. In turn, those initial brick walls will provide the basic structure that "house" our children for the rest of their lives. (Metaphorically speaking, of course!) Each of our children's subsequent life events become the "additions" to their "houses".

Before we can lay those essential bricks, we must be sure that the "foundations" we've created for our children are level, thick, stable, and waterproof. For it doesn't matter how carefully a brick wall is crafted if the foundation isn't built properly.

Once we're sure the foundation is built correctly, we must choose expertly-crafted bricks to protect our children from life's dangerous storms. We must pay close attention to each and every brick, and smoothly connect them with the proper amounts of accurately-mixed mortar. Yes, friends, our glorious task is to build our children's brick walls solidly enough to withstand the sorrows and disappointments they will inevitably experience.

But we also want to create walls that will bring feelings of joy, satisfaction, success and love to their houses! For there is nothing worse than a perfectly-built, cold, sterile house! Yes, we also need to create beautiful walls of warmth for our children!

As we work, we would do well to ask ourselves, "Have I chosen the best bricks for my child's house? Have I laid my child's bricks precisely and solidly enough to last his/her entire life? Have I taken the necessary time to properly mix and smooth the mortar, so there will be no gaps or holes in my child's walls? Is the mortar I've chosen strong enough to hold everything together? Will these walls sustain the warmth that's necessary to create a loving and happy life for my child?"

Or, after we've already built several walls, will we discover that our children's foundations are cracking, leaking or crumbling? Will we find that we've chosen improperly made bricks? Will we be careless in the way we lay those bricks and mortar? Will the endlessly harsh, worldly elements—that continually beat on our children's souls—seep through the mortar? Will the walls we've built suck the warmth out of our children's rooms and make their houses feel stark and empty?

I want to build my children's walls with excellent care. I want to be able to look back with fondness on my children's childhoods and see that I paid the utmost attention to how their walls were constructed. I want to be a present parent! I don't want to entrust the building of my children's walls to an apprentice or a subcontractor!

Yes, there will be extended family members, friends, teachers and church members who contribute to the building of my children's walls, and I am grateful for their good influence, but I want the majority of the construction work to be done by my husband and me.

Thus, let's be the valiantly strong parents that our children need and deserve! Let's not be sissies! :)

An Inspiring Pick-Me-Up

Last Thursday morning (March 27th, 2014), as I was getting ready to do our dishes and clean our kitchen/living area, I decided to turn something on to keep my mind entertained. Surprisingly, I wasn't in the mood for "Frasier" which has been my go-to show for the past several weeks. (I love that I'm only 80 episodes into the series! That means I still have 184 hilarious episodes left to watch! Yippee!) Instead, I felt spiritually impressed to turn on one of my top-three favorite Roku channels, the Mormon Channel.

I randomly chose the section, "Conversations," and selected the interviewee, Gary Ceran. I didn't know anything about his story, but the Mormon Channel's description sounded totally intriguing. Here's the link to "Gary Ceran—Episode 13," and the description of the show:

"Early in the morning of one Christmas Eve, Gary Ceran's life was drastically and forever altered. On this day, a terrible traffic accident took the lives of his wife and two of his children. Learn how Gary Ceran dealt with this tragedy on a personal level."

I was enthralled as I listened to Mr. Ceran's story. There were times during the program that I was stunned, saddened, and even cried a few tiny tears. But in those same moments I felt sadness for his situation, I absolutely felt the Spirit (Holy Ghost), too! I was continually inspired during the 84-minute episode, and by its end, I felt a spiritual rejuvenation that I hadn't experienced in several days.

After the program ended, I pondered what I heard. I decided to listen to the entire program again, so I could really internalize what Mr. Ceran is trying to teach the world. I got a lot of work done in my house that day! Yay!

Thus, I decided to share the Ceran family's story with whoever reads my blog. :) I won't divulge the amazing and nearly unbelievable twists and turns that Mr. Ceran has endured in his life, but I will share some of his amazing quotes with you. I imagine these quotes will be handy for those of you who don't have time to hear the entire episode—you'll still be able to be positively influenced by a few nuggets of his wisdom. :)

*Oh, and I listened to sections of the program over and over so I could write down each one of these quotes, so you'd better enjoy them! Ha ha. Just kidding! Ultimately, I'm just grateful to have these for my own personal reference. (I edited them just the smallest smidgen of a bit for readability's sake.)

36:02:

Gary Ceran: "...Some people would expect you to ask, 'Why?' The thing is, most people—when they ask why—they ask why rhetorically, with a clenched fist. It's why with an exclamation point, and not why with a question mark. When you really ask why, the Lord tells you why."

39:02:

Gary Ceran: "You start to say, 'Heavenly Father, you've seen what I will do in this experience, and you know that I will be faithful. You know that I will trust you. Why do I need to go through it again? Is there something that I haven't done? Is there some way I haven't proven myself?'"

 Ruth Todd: "Or didn't learn the last time?"

Gary Ceran: "It's like sooner or later you think, 'Heavenly Father, please help me to get a clue, so that I don't have to do this anymore!'" (On a personal note, I can SO relate to this set of quotes!)

41:48:

Gary Ceran: "Part of what you realize as you go through those experiences, and as you feel that incredible peace 'that surpasses all understanding,' when the Lord comforts you—and you feel encircled about in the arms of love of 10,000 people on each side of the veil—you come to realize how incredibly ridiculous it is to shake your fist at heaven. Because all you can say is, 'Why are you trying to make me more like you?' And it's the reason why we're here!"—to become more like our Father in Heaven! (That last phrase is mine.)

45:48:

Gary Ceran: "It's only if you know the mighty grief that you can know the mighty rapture. Every bit of sorrow stretches out places in the soul for joy. You come to have a depth of feeling that's SO incredible in everything. It's not just that you know sadness that other people may not know, or the same type—or whatever, but you come to feel gratitude..."

 50:06:

Gary Ceran: "Part of it is just trusting in the Lord—just knowing that He loves you, and that every problem will ultimately end."

59:40:

Gary Ceran: "It's been an extraordinary experience when you understand how the Lord shapes you, and molds you through those experiences and teaches you a depth of joy that you couldn't know without them."

Now, if those wonderful quotes haven't convinced you to listen to the program, I'd like to list the subjects I feel this interview covered, or at least touched on (these are in no particular order):

forgiveness
love
marriage
faith
loss of a spouse
loss of a child
mercy
priesthood blessings
prayer
fasting
church
answers
charity
becoming a better person
overcoming adversity
having a righteous influence on others
enduring to the end

Again, here's the link to the "Conversations" program, "Gary Ceran—Episode 13." Enjoy!

Three Excellent Videos on the Importance of Religious Freedom

I don't have much time to write today, so you're getting the "ESPN" version of what's on my mind! :) *I frequently have to condense my thoughts for my dear, sweet husband, and I always refer to my presentations as "The ESPN Version"! Ha ha.

I have many thoughts about the importance of religious freedom, but until I have the time to write them down, I highly recommend watching these three excellent videos. :)

Also, thank you for taking the time to watch! Please feel free to share these videos with as many people as you'd like. I've included the direct links to the videos in their titles. Enjoy!

1. Religious Freedom is our First Freedom


2. What is Religious Freedom?


3. Preserving Religious Freedom

My Take on Women Seeking Ordination to the Priesthood

Please note that I am not an official representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but I am a lifelong (and very happy!) member of it. This blog, Enthusiastic Fantastic, is all mine. I don't have outside contributors. I don't have brainstorming sessions with others, although I'll occasionally run an idea past my husband. No one has ever asked me to write anything. No one has paid me to write anything. Even though I've signed up with AdSense, I've only "virtually" made $0.26* for the entire time I've been posting on this blog—which makes me chuckle! (*That amount was current as of the original date of this post.) Besides the advertisement boxes, I own every bit of content you find on this blog—minus the quotes I've shared. :)

For a long time I've put off publicly writing my feelings about this whole "women should be ordained to the priesthood" protesting saga that has been happening between some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The main reason for my silence is the fact that I've seen what mean and hurtful things have been written on other people's blogs who speak out about any particular social topic. People can be so rude and downright mean to anyone who doesn't share the same opinion as they do. I have a very hard time with unkindness! Also, I think the online meanness that any one of us can experience on a daily basis, has escalated to the point where people are afraid to share their opinion at all. It's a very sad state of our society.

The other reason I've been hesitant to speak out is due to the advice given in Proverbs 21:23. It's another one of my favorite scriptures! :)

{I was pretty excited to use buttons in my typographic design this time! You know the idiom, "Button it!" Yeah, I couldn't resist!}

That said, the ordain women movement has been a great annoyance to me for the past year. So, after reading two articles this past Friday, I decided to finally be brave and add my thoughts.

One article I read discusses the power of telling the truth, and the other one was the letter from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that was addressed to the Ordain Women group leaders. Side note: I'm still stunned that Ordain Women is planning a protest at General Conference, April, 2014! Seriously, what the what?! Anyway...

*Oh, and before I continue, I'd like to express my sincere love and deep gratitude for the multitude of blessings that have come to me through the priesthood blessings I've received throughout my life. I am immensely happy to be married to a worthy priesthood holder. My priesthood-holding husband has blessed me, and our children, more than I ever could have imagined! :)

First off, I'd like to share what my church defines priesthood as:

"The word priesthood has two meanings. First, priesthood is the power and authority of God. It has always existed and will continue to exist without end (see Alma 13:7–8; D&C 84:17–18). Through the priesthood, God created and governs the heavens and the earth. Through this power, He exalts His obedient children, bringing to pass “the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39; see also D&C 84:35–38). 

Second, in mortality, priesthood is the power and authority that God gives to man to act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children. The blessings of the priesthood are available to all who receive the gospel. (“Priesthood Authority” Handbook 2, Administering the Church)"

Good, I'm glad we're clear on what the priesthood means to me and my church. :)

Several months ago, I wrote and posted a poem on my private blog. (Do I still call it a poem even though it doesn't rhyme?! Ha ha.) I'll share it here, but without the current pictures of my children. (I may seem silly, but I still have major privacy concerns. I know, I know, then why am I still publicly displaying my life online? Well, it's because I feel like I am supposed to share my thoughts/views with the world. So, I share!) I also want to discuss a little more deeply as to why I don't believe women should be—or need to be—ordained to the priesthood.

Creation, Sustenance and Influence

by Adrie Peterson

I am a woman...like the magnificent Eve, who—during the creation period—was the very last being created on Earth.

I have been given a body that does whatever I wish.

I have been given the gift of creation.

In this supreme body, I have been given the opportunity to create pure and holy vessels for God's children to come to earth and live.

I choose to honor my Father in Heaven.

I marry a righteous man for eternity who blesses our lives with the priesthood. Our tremendous love for each other allows us to become parents.

This splendid body of mine produces the sustenance needed for those perfect little bodies to grow in health...they become strong because of me. A baby's cells multiply and divide millions of times as a direct result of my never-ending sacrifice and bodily efforts.

As a mother, I am selfless love's highest form.

When babies are no longer physically attached to the marvelous gift that my body is, I am continually able to influence their precious tiny souls as they grow. They look to me for knowledge, direction, comfort, pleasure and peace. Through the years, my influence might be taken for granted. Eventually, those priceless souls feel the pull of their fondest memories and the invisible cord leads them back to me.

I gently guide His children...my children...toward heavenly attitudes and actions.

Our Father in Heaven has entrusted me with assisting Him in His most wondrous work and glory. There is no need to ever ask for more...

He has already given me the greatest responsibility of all: creation.

Before some readers become annoyed at me, please let me explain that I fully understand that some women have not been given the beautiful gift of motherhood, thus, they might feel like they've received the short end of the stick in the terms of Heavenly gifts. For I believe that motherhood is the crowning gift from our Heavenly Father. Yet I feel like I can understand those childless women's pain—to some extent—because I was spiritually shown multiple times that my little family was complete, before I was ready to be done creating children.

I would have loved to have at least one more child—if not two or three more children! To this day, I still fight back tiny tears when I see a newborn baby. And when I'm alone, I'll frequently let some of those tears fill my eyes. How's that for honesty? Thus, I feel like I have a smidgen of understanding for those women who deeply desire to create children, but haven't been able to.

As we all know, sometimes in life we simply don't get to do what we want, or have the righteous desires of our hearts. Sometimes, we are given additional answers as to why our Heavenly Father's answer is "No.", but many times we won't find out the answers until after we return home to heaven. I don't know exactly why this is the case, but I suspect it has everything to do with our mortal challenge of faithfully enduring to the end well.

I know one of the reasons why some people in The Church feel like it's time for women to hold the priesthood, is so women can also bless the lives of others through priesthood blessings. Blessing the lives of others is a totally righteous desire! To them, I say this: Women can absolutely bless the lives of others in countless ways! Those blessings don't have to come only through the priesthood.

It's up to each of us how we choose to spend our time. Even though women don't hold the priesthood, there are so many ways we can contribute to The Church and society as a whole. Women can pray and have magnificent prayer experiences (I've personally witnessed miracles from my prayers), serve and lead in their church callings, serve in the temple, serve everyone around us, participate in fasting and contribute fast offerings monthly, have a career that makes a positive impact, serve as a missionary for The Church, etc.. The possibilities and opportunities are truly endless! :)

Now onto men and the priesthood. I truly believe that men were absolutely given the responsibility of the priesthood, it is meant for them! And I don't mean that in a disrespectful way to women. Again, I simply believe women were given the responsibility to create and grow our Heavenly Father's children. Similarly, that statement is not meant to be disrespectful to men!

Of course, I've heard the argument that fatherhood and motherhood are exactly the same, thus men have one more heavenly blessing—in holding the priesthood—that women don't. Yet, I don't see it that way. Fatherhood is so very important for the benefit of all children. Every child deserves to be raised by their mother and father! But I feel motherhood goes one step beyond fatherhood.

The connection that a mother holds with the child in her womb is quite unique to any other relationship. (Granted, we all know that a baby is conceived because of a woman and a man. Women can't create children alone, and neither can men. Men and women are truly so blessed to have each other!) It's because of the intense womb-time that women and children spend together (and the subsequent early-childhood years) that they have an inseparable connection to each other.

I have happy tears when I remember my three children in my womb—thankfully at separate times! Ha ha. Those 27 combined months were some of the very best in my life, which is saying a lot because I puked at least twice a day, every day, for 21 weeks of those months! (I still double curse morning sickness!) I will always remember my babies moving inside of me. Their individual personalities were clearly evident even before they were born! :) And I'll never forget that glorious moment when I pushed my sweet little babies into this beautiful world and they were laid on my chest. No experience will ever compare to the amazing conception, development and birth of my three children!

But back to worthy priesthood-holding men...they are a glorious blessing to and for our society. It's because of them that stunning and amazing miracles are brought to pass every day.

To those who say, "Women deserve to produce miracles too!", I respond with this: Women create miracles every day with the conception, birth, and raising of their children! Every child is a miracle! Women are already a huge part of the heavenly, miracle-creating process!

Why, then, would Heavenly Father not allow men not be able to produce miracles as well? How would it be fair to men if women were a part of two miracle-creating processes: motherhood and the priesthood? Talk about the potential for inequality! No matter how much a man desires to be the vessel of the miracle of life, he simply can't grow and sustain a baby inside of him like a woman can. Therefore, the priesthood gives men the wonderful opportunity to be vessels for miracles too.

Even though I've presented my feelings as to why women don't need to be ordained to the priesthood, some might still totally disagree with me. To them, I say it all comes down to this:

• Our Heavenly Father created, and has given us, an eternal plan to follow.
• Jesus Christ was chosen to be our Savior, so we can return to our Heavenly Father and live with Them again.
• We agreed to our Heavenly Father's plan, as is evidenced by our actually being on Earth with our precious bodies.
• If we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it means that we believe it is the true and restored church of Jesus Christ.
• If we are members of The Church, it also means that we support what Joseph Smith presented when he founded The Church.
• Our baptism into The Church means that we support and sustain The Church's leadership and the way they run The Church.
• If we don't support or agree with the leaders of The Church, we can calmly and rationally express our opinions, but it's not up to us to change the doctrine of The Church—only the First Presidency of The Church can do that. To further clarify my point, I recommend reading, watching, or listening to, "The Doctrine of Christ," by Elder D. Todd Christofferson.

*Update 03/23/14, 5:11 p.m.: After reading a comment from one of my readers, I realized that I needed to further clarify what I wrote in the previous bullet point about "changing the doctrine of The Church". No, the First presidency can't just up and change the doctrine to be whatever they want it to be. Only the Lord can change the doctrine of His church. I believe in, and fully support, the 9th Article of Faith which states, "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." I also completely agree with Elder Christofferson's quote, "This [the 9th Article of Faith] is to say that while there is much we do not yet know, the truths and doctrine we have received have come and will continue to come by divine revelation." That was indeed the point I was trying to make: The Lord will reveal those truths and doctrines to the prophet/apostles, and they will be presented through the First Presidency. To continue that idea, later in his talk, Elder Christofferson said, "...in the end, just as in the New Testament Church, the objective is not simply consensus among council members but revelation from God. It is a process involving both reason and faith for obtaining the mind and will of the Lord."

• If we have received an answer to our question/problem/request from The Church (as the Ordain Women group received on March 17th, 2014), we have the option to either listen to and follow what they say, or not. If we completely disagree with the answer we've received from The church, we have the option to leave The Church altogether. I truly don't want anyone to leave The Church, but everyone has their free agency. Everyone can make their own choices.

What I hope is that those protesting church members will see the miracle of motherhood as I do. I hope they will appreciate the great value and beauty of womanhood. Womanhood stands alone, even without motherhood or the priesthood!

Women are so blessed to be women! Men are so blessed to be men! We were created differently on purpose. Men and women were created to compliment each other, especially in marriage. We need each other. We are meant for each other! We can create and participate in miracles together!

I just truly don't believe women need the priesthood as men do.

Even though the responsibilities of men and women are different, those differences do not make us unequal. Every man and woman is equal in the sight of our Heavenly Father. All are alike!

2 Nephi 26:33:
For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

Lastly, I'd like to share this BYU Devotional, "Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet," by Ezra Taft Benson. When he gave the talk, he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I really wanted to just copy and paste the 14-point summary of his talk, but I don't want to infringe on copyright laws. Instead, I will strongly encourage you to read every word of his fabulous talk!

Elder Benson beautifully presented his case that every member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints should absolutely follow the current prophet, for the prophet is the only person on Earth who speaks for the Lord in everything. He also brilliantly stated,

"How we respond to the words of a living prophet when he tells us what we need to know, but would rather not hear, is a test of our faithfulness." 

"If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord, then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His mortal captain."—meaning the current president of The Church.

We would do well to follow his counsel. And now, I rest my case! :)

P.S. I love that I finished my post just in time for me to go get ready for church!

*Update: As I wrote this blog post in 2014 and life is always changing, I want to include this update from the Church. In 2015, the Church published an essay titled, "Joseph Smith’s Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, and Women." It's definitely worth a read! Also, check out their additional resources on the right side of the page. There are many other articles to delve into. :)

Resurrection

No, this post is not referring to the new TV show "Resurrection". ;) I just had to clarify that point, lest people think they were about to read a review of the show!

This afternoon, I happily gave the lesson in my church's Mia Maid class. I was privileged to be able to teach the darling young women of my ward about Jesus Christ's glorious resurrection, and what it means for all of us.

After reading through all of the lesson material earlier this week, I chose to focus on Elder Dallin H. Oaks' talk "Resurrection," from General Conference, April, 2000. Today I had each of the young women read a scripture that Elder Oaks referenced in his talk, and we discussed each one of them as a class.

Here is a list of the scriptures we read: Mosiah 16:7; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Mormon 7:5; Mosiah 15:8; Mosiah 16:7–8; Alma 22:14; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 2 Ne. 9:22; Helaman 14:17; Mormon 9:13; D&C 29:26; D&C 76:39, 42–44; John 14:19.

Additionally, we read aloud and discussed all but the last section of his talk. I was sad we didn't get to finish discussing his talk, but we simply ran out of time. (Actually, I think I went over my class' time limit by a few minutes!) That said, I was greatly pleased with the way the lesson turned out, and I know the Holy Ghost had everything to do with it. :) I dearly hope the Mia Maids in my class enjoyed the lesson as well!

Instead of only linking to Elder Oaks' wonderful talk on our Savior's resurrection, I've chosen to share the video here. I feel his words and personal delivery are that important! I highly recommend watching it. :)

This morning, I created a typographic design of Alma 34:32 (the first half of the scripture) for the young women of my ward to take home. Not only is it one of my all-time favorite scriptures (okay, I have a lot of favorite scriptures), but Elder Oaks also referenced it in his talk. :)

Yes, my design is visually very simple this time. I created it in only black and white because for me, everything in life really is the simple contrast of black and white! Either we're on the Lord's side, or we're not. We're either willing to give our wills (the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action) completely to our Heavenly Father, or we're not. It really is so simple. For one day, all of us really will be taken home to that God who gave [us] life. (Alma 40:11)


Alma 34:32 is the challenge I give myself every single day, and I advised "my" Mia Maids to do the same. I know I've said it so many times, but we really must not have any regrets in life! We must not leave anything undone, or left to chance...because if we really think about it, there is no chance. We will absolutely face the consequences of our actions—or inaction, for that matter! We need to be prepared for the day of our own glorious resurrections, so we will not fear our final judgment—nor debate the final outcome of it! :)

Paramount Parents

It's no secret that I'm a most emphatic supporter of the family. I have always been this way, from day one of my earliest memories. I will be shamelessly and unconditionally devoted to promoting happy families until my very last breath!

So today as I read an article that connected me to the UNICEF webpage, "Convention on the Rights of the Child," I had a mighty strong gut reaction. Here is a snippet of what they are promoting:

"Nearly 25 years ago, the world made a promise to children: that we would do everything in our power to protect and promote their rights to survive and thrive, to learn and grow, to make their voices heard and to reach their full potential...

"In spite of the overall gains, there are many children who have fallen even further behind. Old challenges have combined with new problems to deprive many children of their rights and the benefits of development.

"To meet these challenges, and to reach those children who are hardest to reach, we need new ways of thinking and new ways of doing."

I found it interesting that 192 countries have ratified the treaty, and The United States is not one of them.

Before I continue, please let me clarify that I am so very happy for people trying to help the children of the world! I absolutely high-five! their wonderful life-improving efforts. I want support and love for all of our Heavenly Father's (God's) beautiful babies! Oh, how I love babies! I want all babies/children to be loved, safe, protected, happy, healthy and intelligent. My list could go on and on!

Yet, in that same child-adoring breath, I'm frustrated with the seemingly lack of good parents. As a society, we need to find a better way to prepare the young people of our world to become paramount parents! (I'm not talking about the movie company, but the definition of paramount, which is supreme or very important!) Truly selfless, honest, kind, thoughtful, caring, loving, good parents are THE answer to all of the problems that UNICEF is trying to solve!

It's so important to raise children well, but what happens when those children are raised—what then? They've been taught many things, like how to take care of themselves, how to learn, how to work, how to be financially responsible, and hopefully how to serve others, but have those "saved" children been taught how to become good parents? It's worth serious consideration because those babies turn into the children who become the adults that are the parents who might end up neglecting the very babies they've created!

Parents need to be thinking of their children's best interests at all times—yes, it's an actual need for all children.

Before anyone gets all "Oh, what does she know?!", please let me state that I understand the need for self-care. I understand the value of making sure a mother or father is well-nourished—in every sense of the word. Whether spiritually, physically, mentally or emotionally, parents absolutely need to be well-cared for—just like the airlines clearly state in their flight-prep speeches they give before take-off. We parents must put on our own oxygen masks first, so we can attend to our children's oxygen-masks and other needs. If we're unconscious, we can't help at all!

That said, I've seen way too many parents more interested in promoting their own life agendas, than in taking good care of their children and it absolutely breaks my heart.

I admit, I've had my moments of "just a minute, honey," or "I'm almost done, just wait one more second," when I should have responded much more quickly. Does that mean we should spoil our children? Well, in terms of love, I don't think we can ever fully spoil our children!

*Seriously, we need to do everything within our power to help our children unequivocally understand that they are loved by their parents! There should be no room for doubt in this area.*

If we're talking about too much permissiveness, or things we give to our children, then, yes, we can absolutely spoil our children. Parents must learn to make the distinction between unconditional love and spoilage.

I could go on and on about this topic for hours. But I guess what it really comes down to is this:

Parents need to be the paramount figures in their child's life.

Parents need to constantly evaluate their lives and ask themselves, "Am I doing what is truly best for my child?"

And I fully understand that parents aren't perfect—we absolutely have our limitations! But we parents need to look very seriously at our souls and make sure that we are doing our utmost best for our children on a daily—and sometimes minute by minute—basis! If we don't do what is best for our children, who will?

Are we going to depend on some world government organization to parent our children for us?

Parents need to remember that childhood lasts such a brief period of time. When our babies are grown, there is no going back—there is no do-over in parenting!

I know many people lament the fact that they have regrets in their lives, but I wonder how many of us think about the consequences of our parenting? Will we endlessly replay the moments of our children's lives and say, "Oh, how I wish I would have done/said ______________, instead of ______________!"

There is no debate that every child was created through the egg of a woman and the sperm of a man, and grown inside the womb of its mother. Think about that amazing fact! There is literally no other way for a child to be born—except through a woman and a man. Because of that fact, each baby born is the "perfect" combination of two people. (Yes, I fully know that no one is perfect, but you know what I mean.) Thus, each and every baby deserves to be loved unconditionally by their mother and father until their dying day!

By the way, I continually wish, hope, and pray that every child is born out of love, but sadly, I know that that is not always the case. Thankfully, that scenario is the exception rather than the rule. Hopefully those "unwanted" children will be adopted by wonderful new parents who will love them as their own.

It's absolutely magical for me to see that my children resemble their father and me in so many ways. I believe strongly that this "Hey! You look like me!" situation we parents find ourselves in was our Heavenly Father's way to endear our children to us. I'm similarly fascinated to see parts of myself in my parents!

Again, my physical characteristics endear me to my parents. I look at my parents and know that it's literally because of them that I'm here and have this wonderful body. Even though I'm a grown woman, the love I have for my parents grows each and every time I think about how I actually came from them. Every child deserves to feel that way! :)

I truly believe if every parent actively chose to spend the necessary and quality time with their child, we would not see as many problems in our world. Yet, I have complete compassion and empathy for those parents who were mistreated during their formative years, as they might not know how to parent their own children. It's a vicious cycle that must be stopped. We can do better...we can be better parents! :)

So, yes, UNICEF has the right idea of helping all of the children in this world, but we parents must step up! No matter how much money we make, or how much time we have, or where we live, or what talents/disabilities we have, or what we believe, we parents need to do for our children what no other organization can do!

Yes, I typed other organization because I truly believe the family is the greatest organization! And parents are the presidents of that organization! :)

In a child's life, there is no adequate substitute for the love, care, concern and precious time of his or her parents. Of course many other people can love and help a child when there's no option of biological parental involvement, and I'm so grateful for those wonderful, caring, selfless souls, but I believe a child's ideal growing-up situation is to be nurtured by their own flesh and blood. It's those invisible DNA threads that secure children to their parents. We parents must never stop working to keep our invisible threads tightly connected to our babies until they are grown and ready to move-on in their lives. Then, we must do our best to help our children understand what needs to be done to raise their own children well! :)

This is my beloved family, circa 2006. They mean more to me than anything!

*Followup disclaimer: I understand that there are certain life situations that some parents find themselves in that are less than ideal. I understand that adoption is a wonderful option for parents who truly can't raise their precious children. I understand that adoption is a huge blessing to couples facing infertility. My post in no way diminishes what those parents—birth or adoptive—go through. I truly can't imagine the heartache involved on either side.

I also understand that there are some parents who are a danger to their children. Obviously, the safety of the child is of utmost importance.

I've simply written what I feel is the best option for children when parents are capable of raising their children. That said, I know there are always exceptions to the rule. Thankfully, children are resilient!

I'm not trying to make anyone feel badly. I'm just expressing my opinion as I see it, from my 14+ years of experience as a stay-at-home-mother, volunteering in countless school and church classrooms, and after nannying for four separate families—two full-time positions before marriage and two very part-time positions after my children were in school full-time. (Actually, in my last two part-time positions, I think I was more of a sitter than a nanny.)

Yet at the same time, if my words can help someone in this vast world choose to be a better parent, then that makes me super happy! :)