Jolly Holidays
I like to celebrate holidays. I like to celebrate the way I like to celebrate which may not be the way you like to celebrate. Many of our celebrations are deeply rooted in tradition. Other celebrations are pretty sporadic depending on my mood that year.
We don't do pretend or magic. I know some people think that's terrible. I never believed in Santa as a child, and I carried that on with my own kids. We don't believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Cupid, Leprechauns, Yankee Doodle Dandy, the Labor Day Elf, or Pilgrims and Indians. I don't think it hurts our celebrations. It's been helpful for our kids to understand that their Christmas gifts aren't dependent on their behavior, but on our budget. They know that the gifts we get are representative of the love Chris and I have for them. I don't begrudge or question families who celebrate with all kinds of magic. It just doesn't fit my personality.
Like I said before, I do like our holidays to be meaningful. We are more likely to learn about St. Patrick's use of the clover to teach the Catholic belief in the holy Trinity (and compare it to the doctrine on the Godhead) than we are to dye our milk green. This last January, we were really busy on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but my oldest son reminded us to sit down together to watch "I Have a Dream." When we lived in Utah, we spent Memorial Day weekend visiting cemeteries and retelling stories of family members who have passed away. I love the patriotic tradition of watching a parade on the 4th of July.
Christmas and Easter are sacred holidays for us. I enjoy the fun of stuffing stockings and dying eggs, but we spend the majority of our efforts remembering our Savior. To me, Thanksgiving is also a sacred holiday as it is a day set aside to express gratitude to God for all He has given us. I thoroughly enjoy hosting parties, going to any kind of celebration, having an excuse to decorate, and even cooking. I don't enjoy cooking regularly, but I like the traditions of holiday food.
Some years, depending on how much energy I have that week, we celebrate some obscure holidays with gusto. Dr. Seuss' birthday, for example, is a lot of fun. I love to take little opportunities for a party. I don't feel pressured by the way other people celebrate. I don't even have a Pinterest account, so that frees me from a lot of holiday stress. (I'm kidding.)
This is my deep thought for today: I like to celebrate holidays. I choose to celebrate simply and frugally, but hopefully meaningfully. It's fun. And fun is good. (That's what Dr. Seuss said.)
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Mid-Life Philosophy--27
To Everything There is a Season
For my 16th birthday, I received a card in the mail. It was from my grandma, who lived about forty-five minutes away from us. She was getting older and couldn't drive as far alone. On the card, she wrote, "I miss coming up for all the birthdays, but to everything there is a season." I love that card. My grandma was wonderful and I knew she loved me, but she wasn't particularly sentimental and mushy. Her brief birthday message spoke volumes.
I know the phrase is from the Bible and has inspired music, art, and probably literature, but to me, it's a message from my grandma. I think of it as personal advice. Life goes through stages. Whatever stage I am currently in won't last forever. It's important to love the stage I'm in and accept that I'm not in a different stage. There are so many things I would like to do that I can't do while my children are young. That's okay. To everything there is a season. I'll have time.
Grandma was a great example of this. I believe she learned to play the piano after she retired. When I knew her, she was an accomplished musician. I'm working on my mid-life philosophies, which means I have plenty of time to continue to learn and accomplish things. There is no need to feel stress, regret, envy, or disappointment that I can't do everything right now.
There are some things from the past that I enjoyed so much and miss, like teaching at the MTC and living close to my family. I choose not to wallow in despair because those parts of my life are gone. Instead, I cherish the memories and the relationships and lessons learned while I enjoy my present.
The fun part of this philosophy is that my life is constantly changing. What I didn't have time for a few years ago, I can do now. When the children were very young, I found it difficult to read for my own enjoyment. I have that time now and I enjoy it.
Life is constantly changing. There are many seasons of life and each season holds different opportunities.
For my 16th birthday, I received a card in the mail. It was from my grandma, who lived about forty-five minutes away from us. She was getting older and couldn't drive as far alone. On the card, she wrote, "I miss coming up for all the birthdays, but to everything there is a season." I love that card. My grandma was wonderful and I knew she loved me, but she wasn't particularly sentimental and mushy. Her brief birthday message spoke volumes.
I know the phrase is from the Bible and has inspired music, art, and probably literature, but to me, it's a message from my grandma. I think of it as personal advice. Life goes through stages. Whatever stage I am currently in won't last forever. It's important to love the stage I'm in and accept that I'm not in a different stage. There are so many things I would like to do that I can't do while my children are young. That's okay. To everything there is a season. I'll have time.
Grandma was a great example of this. I believe she learned to play the piano after she retired. When I knew her, she was an accomplished musician. I'm working on my mid-life philosophies, which means I have plenty of time to continue to learn and accomplish things. There is no need to feel stress, regret, envy, or disappointment that I can't do everything right now.
There are some things from the past that I enjoyed so much and miss, like teaching at the MTC and living close to my family. I choose not to wallow in despair because those parts of my life are gone. Instead, I cherish the memories and the relationships and lessons learned while I enjoy my present.
The fun part of this philosophy is that my life is constantly changing. What I didn't have time for a few years ago, I can do now. When the children were very young, I found it difficult to read for my own enjoyment. I have that time now and I enjoy it.
Life is constantly changing. There are many seasons of life and each season holds different opportunities.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Mid-Life Philosophy--28
Finding a Balance
As a teenager, I had a teacher who talked about truth and balance. He said there are extremes to any position, but the truth found in the gospel of Jesus Christ is usually a balance in the middle. The example he gave that I remember was of chauvinism on one side, feminism on the other side, and true equality in the middle.
I have used this idea for greater understanding on a number of issues. Today I was thinking about it because my daughter was watching the movie The Lorax. It is based on a story by Dr. Seuss, but there was some artistic license taken in order to get a children's book into a feature-length film. I started thinking about environmentalism and exploitation, extremes and balance. I majored in natural resource management. I considered it a green degree before anyone had coined the phrase green degree. I was green before it was cool. (I was like a hippie hipster.)
My reason for choosing this degree is found in the Doctrine and Covenants. After listing some of the many ways we can use the earth God created for us, it says, "And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion."
I know I said at the beginning of my philosophies that I wasn't going to be quoting a lot. I made an exception. This scripture is a pretty big deal to me because I used it to choose a major. I felt like, at that time, there were extremists in the environmental movement--those who would place the worth of a small insect or bird above the needs of human beings. And of course, there are extremists in development and exploitation of the earth's natural resources. I feel like the best way is a balance: to use the earth, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion. We need to accept that some development is necessary for human life but it's best to develop in a way that is least disruptive to the natural ecosystems.
That is just one example of the ways that I try to find balance between extremes. It's my way of seeking wisdom.
As a teenager, I had a teacher who talked about truth and balance. He said there are extremes to any position, but the truth found in the gospel of Jesus Christ is usually a balance in the middle. The example he gave that I remember was of chauvinism on one side, feminism on the other side, and true equality in the middle.
I have used this idea for greater understanding on a number of issues. Today I was thinking about it because my daughter was watching the movie The Lorax. It is based on a story by Dr. Seuss, but there was some artistic license taken in order to get a children's book into a feature-length film. I started thinking about environmentalism and exploitation, extremes and balance. I majored in natural resource management. I considered it a green degree before anyone had coined the phrase green degree. I was green before it was cool. (I was like a hippie hipster.)
My reason for choosing this degree is found in the Doctrine and Covenants. After listing some of the many ways we can use the earth God created for us, it says, "And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion."
I know I said at the beginning of my philosophies that I wasn't going to be quoting a lot. I made an exception. This scripture is a pretty big deal to me because I used it to choose a major. I felt like, at that time, there were extremists in the environmental movement--those who would place the worth of a small insect or bird above the needs of human beings. And of course, there are extremists in development and exploitation of the earth's natural resources. I feel like the best way is a balance: to use the earth, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion. We need to accept that some development is necessary for human life but it's best to develop in a way that is least disruptive to the natural ecosystems.
That is just one example of the ways that I try to find balance between extremes. It's my way of seeking wisdom.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Mid-Life Philosophy--29
Discovering What I Believe
When I have something on my mind, I write about it. I have files of my own opinion papers. Sometimes I'm spurred to write because I read something that bugged me. Sometimes I am asked a question and don't know quite how to answer it. Sometimes I just want to record my own thoughts because I like my thoughts.
The amazing thing about writing out my thoughts is that sometimes I surprise myself. As I go through my reasoning and try to put words on paper, I discover my own beliefs. I usually know what I believe, but sometimes I have been surprised. When I write it out, I might find that my reasoning is weak and I need to put more thought into a subject. I might find that my priorities are slightly different than I thought.
I think I'm making this sound like I'm fickle and don't know where I stand on anything. That's not what I mean. Often, when I write out my thoughts, my opinions are solidified and I understand them better. It's a great way to organize the many ideas and thoughts I have in my head. I can see how things fit together and what is relevant. I think it's a great exercise.
I know that the majority of my blog readers are my family. I imagine many of my family members do this same thing. Writing is a great way to express myself, even if no one ever reads what I write.
When I have something on my mind, I write about it. I have files of my own opinion papers. Sometimes I'm spurred to write because I read something that bugged me. Sometimes I am asked a question and don't know quite how to answer it. Sometimes I just want to record my own thoughts because I like my thoughts.
The amazing thing about writing out my thoughts is that sometimes I surprise myself. As I go through my reasoning and try to put words on paper, I discover my own beliefs. I usually know what I believe, but sometimes I have been surprised. When I write it out, I might find that my reasoning is weak and I need to put more thought into a subject. I might find that my priorities are slightly different than I thought.
I think I'm making this sound like I'm fickle and don't know where I stand on anything. That's not what I mean. Often, when I write out my thoughts, my opinions are solidified and I understand them better. It's a great way to organize the many ideas and thoughts I have in my head. I can see how things fit together and what is relevant. I think it's a great exercise.
I know that the majority of my blog readers are my family. I imagine many of my family members do this same thing. Writing is a great way to express myself, even if no one ever reads what I write.
Mid-Life Philosophy--30
Follow the Prophet
We just finished a delightful day being instructed by the leaders of our church. Last week, my daughter and I invited some friends to attend the General Women's Meeting with us. They couldn't come, but my friend responded, "I'm very curious what will be said at a denomination wide event." I have been thinking about that all week. We have denomination wide events every six months. I don't think I take it for granted. I am one who sits still and takes notes while I listen to General Conference. I try to read the talks and familiarize myself with the teachings. I make goals based on what I hear. Even so, because of the frequency of our worldwide events, I forget exactly how special they are. Ours is possibly the only church in the world that regularly holds global meetings. What a blessing it is for me to hear and follow a living prophet.
And now I get to my life philosophy. This one is most definitely religious. I follow the living prophet. I am grateful to have apostles on the earth who testify boldly of the Savior and His mission. I am grateful that the prophets can clearly and plainly see the challenges I face, the questions I have, and then teach the perspective of eternity. I know that it is because Jesus Christ leads the church through revelation that the teachings of the prophets are so relevant, bold, and powerful.
I gained a solid testimony of a living prophet during my freshman year at college. I chose at that time to always stay close to the teachings of the prophets. I have kept this goal to the best of my ability. It's not always easy, but it is always right.
There is safety and peace in following the prophet.
We just finished a delightful day being instructed by the leaders of our church. Last week, my daughter and I invited some friends to attend the General Women's Meeting with us. They couldn't come, but my friend responded, "I'm very curious what will be said at a denomination wide event." I have been thinking about that all week. We have denomination wide events every six months. I don't think I take it for granted. I am one who sits still and takes notes while I listen to General Conference. I try to read the talks and familiarize myself with the teachings. I make goals based on what I hear. Even so, because of the frequency of our worldwide events, I forget exactly how special they are. Ours is possibly the only church in the world that regularly holds global meetings. What a blessing it is for me to hear and follow a living prophet.
And now I get to my life philosophy. This one is most definitely religious. I follow the living prophet. I am grateful to have apostles on the earth who testify boldly of the Savior and His mission. I am grateful that the prophets can clearly and plainly see the challenges I face, the questions I have, and then teach the perspective of eternity. I know that it is because Jesus Christ leads the church through revelation that the teachings of the prophets are so relevant, bold, and powerful.
I gained a solid testimony of a living prophet during my freshman year at college. I chose at that time to always stay close to the teachings of the prophets. I have kept this goal to the best of my ability. It's not always easy, but it is always right.
There is safety and peace in following the prophet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)