The Dignity of a Child

Stephanie Passing the Sacrament - Kevin Barney (By Common Consent)

One of the Most Moving, Profound Posts I've Ever Read

Ninety-One Words - Wilfried Decoo (Times & Seasons)

May We First Love Others

I knew a girl growing up who was more than slightly overweight and rather plain looking by society's standards. She always felt that judgment and never felt fully accepted by the boys in town - never felt that she was "worth much" as a girl. One day in her late teens, she met a young man who went home and told his mother, "I've just seen the most beautiful girl in the world." About a year later, they were married - and now she glories in her womanhood. 

This woman now is still overweight and rather plain looking. The world still would look at her and say, "She's nothing special," but she knows differently because someone else knows differently. 

"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

May we first love others.

More Than Just an Ordinary Post

The Ordinary - Jim F. (Times & Seasons)

Finding Purpose and Growth in Church Meetings

There is a very specific purpose for each meeting we attend on Sunday (Sac Mtg = communal worship and spiritual renewal; Sun School = doctrinal study; PH/RS/YM/YW = personal and communal growth and service, practical discussion, organizational planning; Primary = too many to list and truly the most challenging, exhilarating, frustrating and exhausting), and even when I'm not learning anything new in a meeting I feel a responsibility to listen intently, observe those around me and try to help them learn from that meeting in whatever way is possible. Sometimes that is by verbal contribution; sometimes it is by smiling at a speaker; sometimes it is by nothing more than a reverential focus.

I have found that I can GROW in almost any meeting I attend, as long as I'm not hung up on having to LEARN intellectually during the meeting - and sometimes I learn amazing things from a meeting or someone in that meeting when I might otherwise think they and it can't teach me anything new.

I have found in my life that my attitude is MUCH more important to what I get out of church meetings than what is said in those meetings. It really isn't even close.

Give Freely; Revile Not

Matthew 5:38-42 says:

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

My resolution for November is taken from these verses. I have translated them for myself as:

Give more freely and do not revile as quickly.

To "revile" means: "to address or abuse with contemptuous language". The clear focus is on the abusive nature of the language being used. I chose this wording to highlight what I see as the central point of "turning the other cheek" - that of not returning abuse when being abused. As I do not anticipate being in a situation to be abused physically, I am focusing on verbal abuse, instead.

These two areas (generosity and being slow to revile) are natural strengths - things that come more naturally to me than many of the other things on which I have focused this year. I learned both of these traits by watching my parents - my father, who would give anything to anyone in need, and my mother, who (we joked) would say, upon seeing our bare house stripped by a gang of thieves, "They must need it more than we do." Furthermore, I don't remember one time in the 19 years I lived at home hearing my father say something abusive or ridiculing to someone else, and I never heard my mother even say anything negative (in any way) about anyone else.

I know how hard that is to believe, but I saw these characteristics modeled to perfection by my parents, and these particular things rubbed off (although not completely) on their oldest son. I am grateful, so very grateful, that, in this way particularly, I am the spitting image of my father and am my mother's son.

This is perhaps the best example of how I want my resolution each month to focus not only on my weaknesses but also on my strengths. Of course, I want to have the Lord turn my weaknesses into strengths, but I also want Him to make my strengths become perfect - whole, complete and fully-developed. Since these characteristics already are strengths, I will look this month for ways to exercise them more regularly - to see opportunities to give more freely (especially of non-monetary resources) and to be even less prone to revile in my conversations with others.

Where There is Frankincense, There is a Cross

Theodicy, the Fall, Forgiveness, and Christmas - Ronan (By Common Consent)

Be Sure to Have the Kleenex Handy

A Dozen Midwives - Cynthia (By Common Consent)

Presiding: An Evolution of Definition

By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In THESE sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. (Emphasis added) Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

In this paragraph, I believe that the Proclamation fundamentally changes the discussion of "presiding" in the home - making that definition of "preside" different than the definition of "preside" that a Bishop does. I am fine with that, since we have multiple meanings for nearly all of our words in English - depending on the context. If we can have multiple meanings of many words, why can't that be valid for this word? When the Proclamation says that a man and wife are to be "equal partners", working together in their primary roles, I take that to mean exactly that - and I see it as an explicit change from the past.

I understand former statements (and even contemporary ones from individual leaders); I just don't give them the same weight as the signed statement of our modern, combined Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency.

I take final responsibility for what my wife and I decide, but I NEVER play the "I preside, so this is how it is" card. It never crosses my mind - mostly because I like breathing and the attendant joys of true marital unity. (*grin*)

For example, when I say I take final responsibility, I simply mean that I am the one who usually says to our children, "Your mother and I have reached this decision, so I don't want to hear you whining about it, anymore, especially to her." They know that when WE reach the decision and I tell it to them (generally with Mama right next to me - and sometimes coming from her if I am not there to be with her), it is final - since we have spoken as one. If either of us has spoken independently, it isn't a final decision - even though they are expected to do what either of us says independently until we talk about it and address it together if they have a concern about what one of us has said. When we speak as one, it is final.

So, I "preside" - but it has no strength or power or efficacy without Mama's equal participation and partnership. It is very much a title of responsibility with little or no practical meaning in isolation. In other words, my presiding is a sub-set and function of our equality - something that is granted freely by my wife's participation and "help" every bit as much as it is a divine investiture - and that is of critical importance to me. We truly are equals, and my presiding doesn't change that one single bit.

Mother, the Queen

Happy Birthday, Mom!

The Other Heavenly Mother Hymn - Kaimi Wegner (Times & Seasons)