Happy Monday, another weekend gone means one more weekend closer to the start of the school year. Sigh!

I have been thinking a lot about the Holy Ghost, baptism, and truly coming to know what you believe--or in other words, who you are.

G read A WRINKLE IN TIME this last school year with her teacher, so I promised to read it too. I have just finished it. Have you read this 4th grade novel? Many of the book's central messages are contained in the lessons of life that Meg, the central character, must learn in order to successfully complete her quest. First, she must learn to overcome her desire for conformity and appreciate her own uniqueness as an individual. She must secondly learn is that she cannot know everything. And yet another theme of the book and an important lesson for Meg is the inadequacy of words. Aunt Beast tells Meg that "it is not easy at all to put things the way your mind shapes them." Finally, there is the chance to apply the theology of Christianity. Jesus is the first figure cited by Mrs. Whatsit as a fighter against the Dark Thing. Indeed, the whole imagery of light vs. darkness is traced back to the New Testament by Mrs. Who in her fondness for quotation: "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." In addition, Mrs. Whatsit translates the musical dance of the creatures on Uriel into the Biblical words of the prophet Isaiah, and Mrs. Who's second gift to Meg is an excerpt from St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians. It gave me great pause to see the Bible in a science-fiction book for youngsters.

I have been thinking so very much about these lessons: the dangers of seeking conformity (keeping up with the Jones'), relying on words for understanding and seeking to have full understanding or expecting others to have it and how much this in indeed a universal issue for not just teens (as Meg is) but ALL--and how THESE are the very things the BIBLE speaks to--as evidence of how much God knows each of us, and how by design He knew what trials we would have just by the nature of our beings. So, can we say that these things are some of the procreators of our unhappiness:

1. reliance on one form of communication

(the spoken word of man over the unspoken whisperings of the holy ghost)

for understanding

2. conformity

3. desiring full knowledge immediately

????

Certainly the Bible thinks so.

Yesterday at Church I had an ahh-ha moment. I had a confirmation of my own testimony--a reminder that a testimony is something that is built moment by moment, precept by precept. But I also was reminded what a TESTIMONY WAS. Webster (Ren likes to quote Webster) says that a testimony is: " a firsthand authentication of a fact." Did you know that? It's a fact? So when we offer our testimony, we offer an authentication of the FACTS of the plan of God--the existance of GOD. God is a FACT. He is not theory, or supposition or faddish fancy, but a FACT. He IS and I can authenticate that first-hand by listening to the holy spirit and expressing through the holy spirit my knowledge. I know I KNEW that, but it was good to be reminded at Church Sunday. When I feel TRUTH--a reiteration through the spirit of the FACTS of life (the plan and prescence of God) I feel the swell of my own testimony and build-up or authenticate GOD himself. What a gift God has given us to be able to do this! Indeed, GOD IS GOOD, all the time! Ohh, and I also looked up CULT... of which I may or may not have been accused of belonging to. A cult by definition is to mean:

"formal religious veneration (respect or awe inspired by the dignity, wisdom, dedication, or talent of a person)". So sorry to all--I am apparently in a cult afterall.....A Christian (of or for Christ) CULT.

Phew, I feel better all ready--powerful! AND YOU CAN TOO! Wanta join? We have eternal happiness, ABSOLUTE FACTS, and A SURE PLAN on how to have it. And if you sign up today, I'll throw in peace, joy, charity and love...All you have to do is number yourself among the believers, proclaim your place as a child of a God (who wouldn't want to be a child of a GOD?) and follow your brothern into the pure life that is the waters of baptism taking upon you the name of TRUTH. That's all. Yes folks, its that easy....

;)

My stolen List

I have a few updates to make....we are just home from a mini-vacation to Lake Champlain and I promise to post pictures soon....Clay got married two days ago, too! Wow Clay! While I wait for more time to really blog, I stole this list from Moe's blog, and thought I wanted to try it too, with some additions for interest.....Not sure if it's as much fun to read as to write, but here it goes anyhoo!


Four random things I like about my Joe:
1. When he laughs (really laughs) he scrunches up his face and shoulders and covers his mouth and is simply adorable...!
2. He plays guitar as good as I can sing
3. He feeds me
4. He shares his too little time with G and A, with me

Four jobs I’ve had:
1. Pepperidge Farm outlet
2. Timberland Outlet
3. Stocker at a toy store when I was 16 and got my first real boyfriend who worked two isles over!
4. Daycare for 15 years, wow!

Four movies I have watched more than once:
1. The Breakfast Club
3. Nearly every kid's/Disney movie
2. Harry Potter 1-5
4. My Life

Four TV shows I watch:
1. The Today Show
2. A baby Story
3. TLC
4. What the kids are watching, though most is stupid

Four things that drive me crazy:
1. Living with animals.....phew! STINKY! Anyone want 2 dogs and 2 cats....no, really!
2. Dirty Dishes left on the furniture or floor
3. Dirt, sand on my sheets when I get in
4. That I can't touch my pinky to my thumb on my right hand....tied with, my fear of heights or maybe, entering a room that smells like wet towels and not dryer sheets. Mmm-mm, I just love dryer sheet smell!

Four people who e-mail me regularly:
1. JUNK MAIL
2. JUNK MAIL
3. JUNK MAIL
4. JUNK MAIL
(pssst, please email me!)

Four things I am looking forward to in the coming year:
1. Learning how to juggle 5 children's schedules once school starts
2. Hearing Drew play a song with Joe on guitar, a duet!
3. Buying a bedroom set??? (Or maybe in the next 48 months anyway?)
4. Seeing Ren get her licence and someone else buying her a car!

Four People I can't go a month without hearing from:
(Family doesn't count, cause I cant go a day!)

1. My FM friends (Mel, Moe, Clay, Gus....all you RMs!!!)
2. My P-ward friends
3. The Rileys
4. Erica and the PA S's

MY GRATITUDE

I wanted to write today about how very much I love my life. It seemed necessary in light of all the things I have said that makes my life seem very difficult or trying, or depressing even. As some of you know, I like to use facebook to stay in touch. On there, I have seen some of my friends who have HUNDREDS of facebook friends in their accounts. I don't. I am in the twenty-something range, and I have been thinking about the blessings of my life, and how truly wonderful I feel about what I do have. Any of those friends would have my back in a minute--all of them make me laugh. All give me "air hugs" with their messages and encouragements and every one of my friends (my true friends!) makes this life easier, and better and more connected for me. I have a very blessed life, no matter how it compares to anyone else's.

Dating has been an interesting road. I took a long time (it felt like a long time?) to wait to look for marriage-material after my divorce. I needed to focus on the children, and on my heart and on my priorities. I needed to think I was bringing the best me to the table, and I wanted to find what I thought made me better--the tools and motivations that would indeed bring me to my best. I focused on the spirit, and on charity work and on just finding out what makes me happy and sad and motivated and angry-all on my own, with no other "other" to blame any of those things on. Joe, is amazing. He is balanced and so so thoughtful and patient and asks me to be emotionally invested in my every day. He encourages the parts of me that love God and he makes me thankful for my family, just by reminding me how wonderful they are. I have only seen him mad, and maybe not even THAT mad once. What a godsend. I was tired of fighting. Of feeling small. He's never made me feel small--and never given me grief about getting large, hee hee.

My friends are wonderful, and I feel safer on this earthly journey because I have them! But to have love...now that's heavenly. I just wanted to take a moment to share with Joe and with you, how thankful I am. My daily prayer is to always find one thing to improve on, and every chance to give back for what I have.

Thank you God for my life, my children, my friends, and my Joe. May I serve them as they serve me--may I feed them as they have fed me. May I take their blessings beside my hands as I work in service--they make me better, as I work to be the best me....

(hugs!)