IAT = I am thankful
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
What do YOU want? Or what my hacked up cat taught me
IAT = I am thankful
For lessons I learn when I am open.
For friends who care.
For things in common with others.
For healing.
For family.
Once upon a time, there was a realtor, a cat, and an engine. Yeah, that doesn't usually end up well. At least when 2 of the 3 are combined. But in this case, it really did. I'm telling you that so you don't have to read the whole thing with anxiety. Dang! I just spoiled it. But it's a pretty good story, if you want to keep reading.
I wish I could find the picture, and I may just have the kids go through all my files and find it for me, because I LOVE THIS STORY. I'm kind of surprised checking my blog, email, and computer, that I've never written this story up. Until we find the real pircture, here is a sleeping kitty.
If you picture her with a swollen face and a cut on her head, you'll imagine it just right.
Our story takes place about five years ago. I was in a big hurry to drive to Safford for some real estate appointments. I jumped in the van and cranked it, when to my horror, I heard that awful sound. The sound of the fan engaging an object and I knew immediately that it was our half grown kitty. Not only did I hear, and immediately turn off the key, I could smell. Unfortunately, that led me to believe some things that brought anxiety and grief. I just killed our cat. And worse, I had no time to deal with it. I did look under the hood to see what I could find. And what I heard was our moaning cat. I was so sad! I felt horrible and I did NOT know what to do. I really needed to make my appointments. It was Summer and it was hot and I had to go.
So, I called out my wonderful, oldest teenage son, and explained the situation. I told him not to tell the little ones, and I apologized for leaving him the task, but I asked that he would remove the dying cat from the vehicle. I felt terrible! But sometimes there are many pressing events happening at once.
So, I left the kitty in very capable hands, grieving that we would lose our little cat and it was my fault. As I got on the road, I began praying for the cat: praying it wouldn't suffer, praying for it to get better? Hmm, what should I really be praying for here. "Heavenly Father I want what's best for the cat, but I'm really not sure what I should pray for?" And I felt distinctly that I heard these words in my head. "What do YOU want?" Me: "What do *I* want??? I want the cat to live!" Voice: "Well then, pray for that." Ok. "Heavenly Father, I feel awful about our kitty, and someone just told me I ought to pray for what I want, so what I want is for the cat to live. Will you please bless that our kitty will recover and live?" And then I heard, "Call the children and have them pray." So, I finished my prayer and called my children. I asked the teen how the cat was. He told me to my great relief that the cat was not hacked in pieces as I imagined, but had a very swollen face, some cuts on the head and would not come out from under the tool chest.
Ok, now we are getting somewhere. I told him I felt it was very important to gather the children, tell them what happened, and pray for our kitty specifically to get better and live. He did that. What happened? I came home after my busy day and brought kitty inside. She slept for 24 hours. When she woke up, she was a little careful, but within another day, she was her happy little self. Hooray! End of story? NO!!!
I really pondered on the whole "what do YOU want" experience. And I began thinking about MY will vs Heavenly Father's will. Please understand, these are my own conclusions. This is the gospel according to me and my understanding of gospel truths, combined with my own logic. So, there is your warning.
God has declared (in LDS doctrine) that His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Our scriptures further teach us that one of our purposes on earth, is to have joy. Elder Bednar taught in an excellent conference talk, that OUR work is to keep the commandments with all our might, mind, and strength. For ME, this is our Heavenly Father's will for us on a day to day basis. He wants us to keep His commandments. That's basically it.
He also wants us to learn and grow. He has given us agency so that we can make choices and learn from our experiences. Yes, we do and will have challenges and trials in life, but for the most part, He wants us to find joy in those experiences. And so, I believe, there is a lingering question for each of us, that helps guide us. "What do you want?" I mean no disrespect to the many hundreds of situations in which I have heard people say they are praying to know God's will for them. Some of them are understandably situations where we would want to seek His will. But sometimes, I'm a little surprised by the things I hear people seeking Father's will for? I won't list them. But I have often thought, "I would never even think of praying about that!" Makes me wonder if I'm just plain dumb as a pile of rocks, or whether I simply feel confident enough to make certain decisions and know that if I'm wrong, I'll find out.
When I was a counselor in the Relief Society Presidency, I attended more than one welfare training meeting. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that when considering the facts of families in need, we were not only to consider what that family NEEDED, but also what they wanted. I loved it! Why should someone in need be made to feel as if there was anything wrong with wanting?
I had been pondering this my will vs His will thing for some time, when I thought I would ask the opinion of a wise friend. My friend was fading from cancer, and every week or so, I would go visit her, and paint her toenails, or bring her some lotion, and offer any relief I could with EFT for what she was experiencing that day. We had some beautiful visits together. I wondered how she would feel about my question and the answer I was coming to. Which was, we had been given agency to use and our Heavenly Fathers' will for us generally is to keep His commandments. In order for us to become more like Him, we need to learn not only how to be obedient, but to use our agency wisely and learn to create as He does. And so, I believe, most of the time, as we pray for direction, He is standing there saying, "What do you want?" And when we ask, believing that He will give, asking not amiss, He will bless us with out desires. I believe the more we come to know Him, the less likely we are to ask amiss.
So, I asked my friend what she thought about it. And through our discussion, she told me that she knew she had a choice whether to stay or go home. She was choosing to go, because she felt she would be more influential on her family from the other side. That felt right to me.
I now believe whether we want to overcome trials, be a blessing to someone, make more money, have a nicer home, meet a sales goal, achieve a dream; I think generally the Lord is happy to bless us with what we ask when we have that faith in Him and when there is no contrary will. Which I think is most of the time. Will there ever be times, when asking for what we want is NOT His will? Of course. And in those times, our prayers will not be answered, and we can know it was not right for us or that there is something better He wants for us.
I hear that question all the time now, (What do you want?) never taking for granted that I am capable of wanting things that are NOT good for me or NOT Heavenly Father's will. It's a fine line. And that's what my hacked up kitty taught me.
Update: 9/24/15
I never did any scriptural research on this idea, but my scripture buddy just sent me the following verse and it supports my theory.
Alma 29: 4,
"I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction."
For lessons I learn when I am open.
For friends who care.
For things in common with others.
For healing.
For family.
Once upon a time, there was a realtor, a cat, and an engine. Yeah, that doesn't usually end up well. At least when 2 of the 3 are combined. But in this case, it really did. I'm telling you that so you don't have to read the whole thing with anxiety. Dang! I just spoiled it. But it's a pretty good story, if you want to keep reading.
I wish I could find the picture, and I may just have the kids go through all my files and find it for me, because I LOVE THIS STORY. I'm kind of surprised checking my blog, email, and computer, that I've never written this story up. Until we find the real pircture, here is a sleeping kitty.
Our story takes place about five years ago. I was in a big hurry to drive to Safford for some real estate appointments. I jumped in the van and cranked it, when to my horror, I heard that awful sound. The sound of the fan engaging an object and I knew immediately that it was our half grown kitty. Not only did I hear, and immediately turn off the key, I could smell. Unfortunately, that led me to believe some things that brought anxiety and grief. I just killed our cat. And worse, I had no time to deal with it. I did look under the hood to see what I could find. And what I heard was our moaning cat. I was so sad! I felt horrible and I did NOT know what to do. I really needed to make my appointments. It was Summer and it was hot and I had to go.
So, I called out my wonderful, oldest teenage son, and explained the situation. I told him not to tell the little ones, and I apologized for leaving him the task, but I asked that he would remove the dying cat from the vehicle. I felt terrible! But sometimes there are many pressing events happening at once.
So, I left the kitty in very capable hands, grieving that we would lose our little cat and it was my fault. As I got on the road, I began praying for the cat: praying it wouldn't suffer, praying for it to get better? Hmm, what should I really be praying for here. "Heavenly Father I want what's best for the cat, but I'm really not sure what I should pray for?" And I felt distinctly that I heard these words in my head. "What do YOU want?" Me: "What do *I* want??? I want the cat to live!" Voice: "Well then, pray for that." Ok. "Heavenly Father, I feel awful about our kitty, and someone just told me I ought to pray for what I want, so what I want is for the cat to live. Will you please bless that our kitty will recover and live?" And then I heard, "Call the children and have them pray." So, I finished my prayer and called my children. I asked the teen how the cat was. He told me to my great relief that the cat was not hacked in pieces as I imagined, but had a very swollen face, some cuts on the head and would not come out from under the tool chest.
Ok, now we are getting somewhere. I told him I felt it was very important to gather the children, tell them what happened, and pray for our kitty specifically to get better and live. He did that. What happened? I came home after my busy day and brought kitty inside. She slept for 24 hours. When she woke up, she was a little careful, but within another day, she was her happy little self. Hooray! End of story? NO!!!
I really pondered on the whole "what do YOU want" experience. And I began thinking about MY will vs Heavenly Father's will. Please understand, these are my own conclusions. This is the gospel according to me and my understanding of gospel truths, combined with my own logic. So, there is your warning.
God has declared (in LDS doctrine) that His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Our scriptures further teach us that one of our purposes on earth, is to have joy. Elder Bednar taught in an excellent conference talk, that OUR work is to keep the commandments with all our might, mind, and strength. For ME, this is our Heavenly Father's will for us on a day to day basis. He wants us to keep His commandments. That's basically it.
He also wants us to learn and grow. He has given us agency so that we can make choices and learn from our experiences. Yes, we do and will have challenges and trials in life, but for the most part, He wants us to find joy in those experiences. And so, I believe, there is a lingering question for each of us, that helps guide us. "What do you want?" I mean no disrespect to the many hundreds of situations in which I have heard people say they are praying to know God's will for them. Some of them are understandably situations where we would want to seek His will. But sometimes, I'm a little surprised by the things I hear people seeking Father's will for? I won't list them. But I have often thought, "I would never even think of praying about that!" Makes me wonder if I'm just plain dumb as a pile of rocks, or whether I simply feel confident enough to make certain decisions and know that if I'm wrong, I'll find out.
When I was a counselor in the Relief Society Presidency, I attended more than one welfare training meeting. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that when considering the facts of families in need, we were not only to consider what that family NEEDED, but also what they wanted. I loved it! Why should someone in need be made to feel as if there was anything wrong with wanting?
I had been pondering this my will vs His will thing for some time, when I thought I would ask the opinion of a wise friend. My friend was fading from cancer, and every week or so, I would go visit her, and paint her toenails, or bring her some lotion, and offer any relief I could with EFT for what she was experiencing that day. We had some beautiful visits together. I wondered how she would feel about my question and the answer I was coming to. Which was, we had been given agency to use and our Heavenly Fathers' will for us generally is to keep His commandments. In order for us to become more like Him, we need to learn not only how to be obedient, but to use our agency wisely and learn to create as He does. And so, I believe, most of the time, as we pray for direction, He is standing there saying, "What do you want?" And when we ask, believing that He will give, asking not amiss, He will bless us with out desires. I believe the more we come to know Him, the less likely we are to ask amiss.
So, I asked my friend what she thought about it. And through our discussion, she told me that she knew she had a choice whether to stay or go home. She was choosing to go, because she felt she would be more influential on her family from the other side. That felt right to me.
I now believe whether we want to overcome trials, be a blessing to someone, make more money, have a nicer home, meet a sales goal, achieve a dream; I think generally the Lord is happy to bless us with what we ask when we have that faith in Him and when there is no contrary will. Which I think is most of the time. Will there ever be times, when asking for what we want is NOT His will? Of course. And in those times, our prayers will not be answered, and we can know it was not right for us or that there is something better He wants for us.
I hear that question all the time now, (What do you want?) never taking for granted that I am capable of wanting things that are NOT good for me or NOT Heavenly Father's will. It's a fine line. And that's what my hacked up kitty taught me.
Update: 9/24/15
I never did any scriptural research on this idea, but my scripture buddy just sent me the following verse and it supports my theory.
Alma 29: 4,
"I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction."
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Don't "darn" jack it
One version of the D&*# Jack story
A salesman was driving along a country road very late one night. There was a loud “bang” followed by the familiar sounds of a flat tire. He reluctantly rolled up his sleeves and pulled the spare tire from the trunk. To his surprise, there was no jack to be found! Awwww, that's just great!”, he yelled.
As he was wondering what he could do he noticed a farm house porch light, in the distance,and set out to find a jack. The walk was a long one. He tore his coat and as he stumbled along he began to imagine waking a farmer up from his sleep and finding him unfriendly about the intrusion. After an hour of stumbling, getting caught in a sticker bush, and losing a shoe in a mud hole, he could finally see the front steps.
But, he thought, "What if the farmer has a gun? What if he sicks a dog on me? What if the farmer doesn't want to help?" The man became so angry about the whole situation that he just knew the farmer was going to have a fit about a stranger at his door!
So he stomps up the steps and pounds on the door! An upstairs light comes on and while waiting for the door to open, the stranded man imagines a red faced, bug eyed farmer yanking open that door!
Footsteps…The door cracks and a voice says,”Can I help you?”
The stranded furious man, looks the farmer in the face and raging shouts,”Oh, you can keep your #%*^ jack!” and storms away.
Moral of the story: don't darn jack it!
A salesman was driving along a country road very late one night. There was a loud “bang” followed by the familiar sounds of a flat tire. He reluctantly rolled up his sleeves and pulled the spare tire from the trunk. To his surprise, there was no jack to be found! Awwww, that's just great!”, he yelled.
As he was wondering what he could do he noticed a farm house porch light, in the distance,and set out to find a jack. The walk was a long one. He tore his coat and as he stumbled along he began to imagine waking a farmer up from his sleep and finding him unfriendly about the intrusion. After an hour of stumbling, getting caught in a sticker bush, and losing a shoe in a mud hole, he could finally see the front steps.
But, he thought, "What if the farmer has a gun? What if he sicks a dog on me? What if the farmer doesn't want to help?" The man became so angry about the whole situation that he just knew the farmer was going to have a fit about a stranger at his door!
So he stomps up the steps and pounds on the door! An upstairs light comes on and while waiting for the door to open, the stranded man imagines a red faced, bug eyed farmer yanking open that door!
Footsteps…The door cracks and a voice says,”Can I help you?”
The stranded furious man, looks the farmer in the face and raging shouts,”Oh, you can keep your #%*^ jack!” and storms away.
Moral of the story: don't darn jack it!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Of Airplanes, Failed Cruises, and Brats
IAT = I am thankful
1. For Valentine's Day
2. For my sweetheart.
3. For my other sweethearts.
4. For good friends.
5. For dreams.
I believe in gratitude, see above. I saw this video a year or two ago and loved it. At about 2.5 minutes into it, it talks about airplanes and how amazing they really are.
Everything is Amazing and Nobody is Happy
In the news this week, was a story about a cruise ship whose engines had caught on fire, and they were dead in the water for something like 5 days. Food was having to be taken to them. They had no "flushing" capacity, so things were getting bad that way on the ship. The news was reporting the horrible and horrific conditions on the ship and one got the feeling that these people were living as if they had survived a war and were refugees.
I don't mean to make light of a very stressful experience, but in response to what the passengers had experienced, Carnival Cruise Lines decided to refund all the passengers money from the cruise, pay any lodging and travel back to each of their homes, and give them another free cruise any time they wanted in the future. Granted, most of them will likely not want another cruise. But, I was taught growing up, you do what you can to make right your wrongs. It appears Carnival is attempting to do that.
Nobody died, the ship didn't capsize or sink, and everyone came home safely. Nobody even starved, as there were boats bringing food to the ship. So, it struck me a little strangely when a Fox news journalist interviewed a passenger and asked if what Carnival was offering the passengers was "enough?" I was so incredulous with the question that I didn't even hear the answer. Maybe incredulous is too strong. But I thought it interesting that here this company was bending over backwards to correct the issues experienced by the passengers, and probably avoid lawsuits, but there inevitably will be hundreds of them seeking reparations in the form of money "owed them" because of their emotional "pain and suffering."
Here's my thought. You have/had enough money to take a cruise. You were a part of a CITY on the water that provides every need and much more. There is inherent risk in everything we do, including going on vacation. Barring gross negligence, stuff happens. Somewhere in the story it was mentioned that most people were simply making the best of it.
But the news treats this situation as if these people have just suffered the gravest privations and may never recover! Are you kidding me? There are people who live their entire lives on this planet and never have it as good as every passenger had it on that ship while they were "suffering." Yes they had to put up with toilet conditions in inappropriate places (I think I could have solved that problem, but that's another post), but they were on a CRUISE LINE for cryin' out loud!!! I just don't get it.
We've become a nation and world of whining, bratty cream puffs. And I have no idea what to do about it, except to be grateful for all I have in all I do and experience. Likely, I'll never be perfect at it, but I can try.
1. For Valentine's Day
2. For my sweetheart.
3. For my other sweethearts.
4. For good friends.
5. For dreams.
I believe in gratitude, see above. I saw this video a year or two ago and loved it. At about 2.5 minutes into it, it talks about airplanes and how amazing they really are.
Everything is Amazing and Nobody is Happy
In the news this week, was a story about a cruise ship whose engines had caught on fire, and they were dead in the water for something like 5 days. Food was having to be taken to them. They had no "flushing" capacity, so things were getting bad that way on the ship. The news was reporting the horrible and horrific conditions on the ship and one got the feeling that these people were living as if they had survived a war and were refugees.
I don't mean to make light of a very stressful experience, but in response to what the passengers had experienced, Carnival Cruise Lines decided to refund all the passengers money from the cruise, pay any lodging and travel back to each of their homes, and give them another free cruise any time they wanted in the future. Granted, most of them will likely not want another cruise. But, I was taught growing up, you do what you can to make right your wrongs. It appears Carnival is attempting to do that.
Nobody died, the ship didn't capsize or sink, and everyone came home safely. Nobody even starved, as there were boats bringing food to the ship. So, it struck me a little strangely when a Fox news journalist interviewed a passenger and asked if what Carnival was offering the passengers was "enough?" I was so incredulous with the question that I didn't even hear the answer. Maybe incredulous is too strong. But I thought it interesting that here this company was bending over backwards to correct the issues experienced by the passengers, and probably avoid lawsuits, but there inevitably will be hundreds of them seeking reparations in the form of money "owed them" because of their emotional "pain and suffering."
Here's my thought. You have/had enough money to take a cruise. You were a part of a CITY on the water that provides every need and much more. There is inherent risk in everything we do, including going on vacation. Barring gross negligence, stuff happens. Somewhere in the story it was mentioned that most people were simply making the best of it.
But the news treats this situation as if these people have just suffered the gravest privations and may never recover! Are you kidding me? There are people who live their entire lives on this planet and never have it as good as every passenger had it on that ship while they were "suffering." Yes they had to put up with toilet conditions in inappropriate places (I think I could have solved that problem, but that's another post), but they were on a CRUISE LINE for cryin' out loud!!! I just don't get it.
We've become a nation and world of whining, bratty cream puffs. And I have no idea what to do about it, except to be grateful for all I have in all I do and experience. Likely, I'll never be perfect at it, but I can try.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Death to the ANT
IAT = I am thankful
1. That I can choose.
2. That I can be like the ant.
3. That my future is bright no matter what the grasshopper does.
4. That we are employed.
5. That I'm so blessed.
THE NEW ANT and the Grasshopper,
OLD VERSION
The ant works
hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper
thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the ant is warm
and well fed.
The grasshopper has
no food or shelter, so he
dies out in the cold.
MORAL OF THE OLD STORY:
Be responsible for yourself!
MODERN
VERSION
The ant works hard
in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant
is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the
President Obama condems the ant and blames
President Bush 43, President Bush 41, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the
Pope
for the grasshopper's
plight..
Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid
exclaim in an interview with Larry
King that the ant has
gotten rich off the back of the
grasshopper,
and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.
Finally, the EEOC drafts
the Economic Equity &
Anti-Grasshopper Act
retroactive to the beginning of
the summer.
The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number
of green bugs and,
having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar
and given to the grasshopper.
The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't maintain it.
The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.
The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken
over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and peaceful, neighborhood.
The entire Nation collapses
bringing the rest
of the free world with it.
MORAL OF THE STORY: ?
Because the grasshoppers out voted the Ants in 2012. This will come to pass.
I've posted this because I believe that you are an ant
not a grasshopper!
Make sure that you pass
this on to other ants. (If you like)
Don't bother sending
it on to any grasshoppers
because they wouldn't
understand it, anyway. Poor dumb grasshoppers.
1. That I can choose.
2. That I can be like the ant.
3. That my future is bright no matter what the grasshopper does.
4. That we are employed.
5. That I'm so blessed.
THE NEW ANT and the Grasshopper,
|
Two
Versions:
|
|
|
The
ANT
AND THE
GRASSHOPPER
This one is a little different....
Two Different Versions ...
Two Different Morals
AND THE
GRASSHOPPER
This one is a little different....
Two Different Versions ...
Two Different Morals
OLD VERSION
The ant works
hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper
thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the ant is warm
and well fed.
The grasshopper has
no food or shelter, so he
dies out in the cold.
MORAL OF THE OLD STORY:
Be responsible for yourself!
MODERN
VERSION
The ant works hard
in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant
is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the
summer away.
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper
calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be
allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving..
CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN,
and ABC show up to
provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper
next to a video of the ant
in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
America is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper
is allowed to suffer so?
Kermit the Frog appears
on Oprah
with the grasshopper
and everybody cries when they sing,'It's Not Easy Being Green...'
Occupy the Anthill stages
a demonstration in front of the ant's
house where the news stations film the SEIU group singing, We shall overcome.
Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright
has the group kneel down to pray for the grasshopper's sake,
Come winter, the shivering grasshopper
calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be
allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving..
CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN,
and ABC show up to
provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper
next to a video of the ant
in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
America is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper
is allowed to suffer so?
Kermit the Frog appears
on Oprah
with the grasshopper
and everybody cries when they sing,'It's Not Easy Being Green...'
Occupy the Anthill stages
a demonstration in front of the ant's
house where the news stations film the SEIU group singing, We shall overcome.
Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright
has the group kneel down to pray for the grasshopper's sake,
while
he damns the ants.
President Obama condems the ant and blames
President Bush 43, President Bush 41, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the
Pope
for the grasshopper's
plight..
Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid
exclaim in an interview with Larry
King that the ant has
gotten rich off the back of the
grasshopper,
and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.
Finally, the EEOC drafts
the Economic Equity &
Anti-Grasshopper Act
retroactive to the beginning of
the summer.
The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number
of green bugs and,
having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar
and given to the grasshopper.
The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't maintain it.
The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.
The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken
over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and peaceful, neighborhood.
The entire Nation collapses
bringing the rest
of the free world with it.
MORAL OF THE STORY: ?
Because the grasshoppers out voted the Ants in 2012. This will come to pass.
I've posted this because I believe that you are an ant
not a grasshopper!
Make sure that you pass
this on to other ants. (If you like)
Don't bother sending
it on to any grasshoppers
because they wouldn't
understand it, anyway. Poor dumb grasshoppers.
Monday, December 31, 2012
I Loved you 2012
IAT = I am thankful
1. For saying goodbye.
2. For embracing the new and new hellos.
3. For every need supplied.
4. For new opportunities.
5. For being able to choose again.
I am so grateful for a few things this year. Our dear eldest son, gave us a new daughter. As in he got married. And we love her. Many more days with my hubby, who I could be looking back and sadly missing him. For a very much missed son serving His Lord and Savior on a mission. Children whose cars were in accidents but they were not. Safe and sound and still mine. For the growth of the oldest one at home, living and working "on his own," and for another year with him. For new opportunities and friends in new places. For loving friends who will always be in our hearts and not far away. For new discoveries about myself, and seeing my dreams appear before my eyes. What a great year! Looking forward to 2013.
1. For saying goodbye.
2. For embracing the new and new hellos.
3. For every need supplied.
4. For new opportunities.
5. For being able to choose again.
I am so grateful for a few things this year. Our dear eldest son, gave us a new daughter. As in he got married. And we love her. Many more days with my hubby, who I could be looking back and sadly missing him. For a very much missed son serving His Lord and Savior on a mission. Children whose cars were in accidents but they were not. Safe and sound and still mine. For the growth of the oldest one at home, living and working "on his own," and for another year with him. For new opportunities and friends in new places. For loving friends who will always be in our hearts and not far away. For new discoveries about myself, and seeing my dreams appear before my eyes. What a great year! Looking forward to 2013.
New Year's Resolutions?
I've decided no more for me. Since relationships are most important to me, I'm focusing my life on that. I want to focus my life on 3 areas. Developing a better relationship with my Lord and Savior. Developing a better relationship and spending better time with my husband and children, and family and friends when I can. And finally, spending my time serving others, professionally and every day opportunities with those in need.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Christmas 2012
IAT = I am thankful
Let's see where this goes. Every year is so busy. What's that song? I'm so dizzy my head is spinnin'. Haha. That sums up our year. I am sure most of you can relate. If you have kids and jobs and life events, you're busy too.
The biggest news in our family is that we have grown by one. You can see in the above picture, that we gained a new daughter. Elizabeth Richins of Animas, NM, married our oldest son (An)Drew on March 16th of this year. The next biggest news happened the very next week. We are very happy with Elizabeth as a part of our family. She's the only one strong enough to put up with Andrew's antics and she is a wonderful, happy balance.
If you look at the picture above closely, you will see that it was taken at the reception a week later. Joseph is not dressed like his brothers because he left midweek in between the wedding and the reception to the Missionary Training Center to be a missionary for our church. It's cardboard Joseph in the picture. He was surprisingly called to serve in the very same mission as his older brother Andrew. So, he has been in Ogden, Utah since March of this year. Actually he ended up spending 3 months at the MTC and call center because he broke his foot the second week there. He really enjoyed being an online missionary while he healed up. Joseph's MTC claim to fame was being in the MTC with David Archuletta. He ate lunch with Elder Archuletta often, but never took a picture with him because he felt Elder A deserved to be respected and treated like a normal missionary. So he ended up in Ogden in late June the day Andrew's mission president left and a new one came in. Joseph is loving using his musical talent singing at firesides and missionary trainings and conferences.
Let's see where this goes. Every year is so busy. What's that song? I'm so dizzy my head is spinnin'. Haha. That sums up our year. I am sure most of you can relate. If you have kids and jobs and life events, you're busy too.
The biggest news in our family is that we have grown by one. You can see in the above picture, that we gained a new daughter. Elizabeth Richins of Animas, NM, married our oldest son (An)Drew on March 16th of this year. The next biggest news happened the very next week. We are very happy with Elizabeth as a part of our family. She's the only one strong enough to put up with Andrew's antics and she is a wonderful, happy balance.
If you look at the picture above closely, you will see that it was taken at the reception a week later. Joseph is not dressed like his brothers because he left midweek in between the wedding and the reception to the Missionary Training Center to be a missionary for our church. It's cardboard Joseph in the picture. He was surprisingly called to serve in the very same mission as his older brother Andrew. So, he has been in Ogden, Utah since March of this year. Actually he ended up spending 3 months at the MTC and call center because he broke his foot the second week there. He really enjoyed being an online missionary while he healed up. Joseph's MTC claim to fame was being in the MTC with David Archuletta. He ate lunch with Elder Archuletta often, but never took a picture with him because he felt Elder A deserved to be respected and treated like a normal missionary. So he ended up in Ogden in late June the day Andrew's mission president left and a new one came in. Joseph is loving using his musical talent singing at firesides and missionary trainings and conferences.
our Mother's Day chat, ain't he cute?
We decided to stay close to home for vacation this year and spent a few
days at a resort in North Phoenix and enjoyed swimming and local sites.
We want to see more of Arizona since we live here and all. :-)
Early this year, I took a serious look at our budget and discovered a HUGE
gaping hole in our gas budget. We were spending a house payment on gas
for Bret to commute 45 minutes each day to his work. And often 2 or 3
days a week I was also commuting to the same area. Since we have no
control over the price of gas, it was with great reluctance that we
agreed it was necessary to repair the hole and move our family. So, in
the Fall of this year, we enrolled our children in the new schools, put
our house on the market and crossed our fingers. We commuted, all of us
for 3 months. It was a very long, exhausting three months. At the same
time, I also changed real estate companies, and went back to Long
Realty. In mid November we found renters that are hoping to buy within
the year and we moved to Thatcher, Az.
We moved the day after Thanksgiving and its been chaotic every since. Now
instead of all of us commuting here for work every day, Bret commutes on
Sundays to our church in Duncan as he is still the bishop. He is
finishing out the year so that he can wrap up the details of some of his
responsibilities. We will finally attend church together however
temporarily that might be, and actually sit on a bench together
beginning 2013 for the first time in many, many years.We calculated that
in almost 25 years of marriage, we've traveled in the same car to
church only about 3 of those years, because of his various leadership
positions that required his attending meetings before church. His duties as bishop will be over on Jan 6 and perhaps he will stop graying so fast.
But the chaos is winding down, and we can still claim tremendous blessings in our lives.
Drew, Chris, and Jefferson all spent the summer in Des Moines, Iowa selling
DISH tv. Andrew earned a trip to Hawaii which he and his bride are
enjoying as I write this. The boys are going to repeat the experience,
this time with pest control in Denver, Colorado. When Jefferson returns
from that, he will head out on a mission, the location we don't yet
know. The age of missionary service for boys has been lowered to 18.
Andrew has been attending ASU, through a program at our local Jr College. He
will be very close by (2 blocks) studying business for the next 2 years.
Chris has been attending the local Jr College and playing basketball. (He is also very close by, next room over, same house, haha) He is serious with a beautiful young lady and we may have news on that next year. Jefferson is enjoying his senior year at Safford High School and participating in their show choir. He is thinking about trying track since he is not allowed to play the sports he wants to because of his transfer. He finished his Eagle Scout paperwork hours before the
deadline. Emily and the other children are in Thatcher Schools. They are
all happy with their new situations. And we are grateful for that.
Emily played volleyball and is now playing basketball. Noah is playing
trumpet in the band. Olivia will finally be taking art lessons soon.
Bret
continues as an Institute teacher which is college level religious
classes. And as I said, being released as the bishop of our former ward.
We have been warmly welcomed into our new ward and will enjoy getting
to know new people and having new opportunities. Dawn continues studying
self improvement, nutrition, EFT, and has added essential oils to her
bag of tricks. She enjoys opportunities to help others heal from
physical and emotional stress and has new opportunities opening up to
her that she will be excited to share as well. She has found a Master's program in Functional Nutrition. She will also be taking a training to be a Wellness Educator for Metagenics and hopefully working with patients to help them heal on every level instead of just getting a prescriptions to cover symptoms. (Which means her real estate days will be coming to a close very soon).
Well,
that is nowhere near a nutshell, but that is our year in summary. We
have so much to be grateful for. A family, our faith, employment. We had
November elections disappointment, but we know WHO is in charge. And we know we
can be prepared for whatever comes by following the teachings of a
loving Heavenly Father. We are grateful for the loving grace of His Son and His influence in our family.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and hope that you and yours are well. Love, The Nortons
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