Right Wing Sightings, Beware!

Have you heard the new that our beloved Homeland Security Ex-Governor had to apologize about a memo that she apparently didn't read that came from her office that was a warning that veterans are at risk of becoming right-wing extremists? (that was a long sentence, sorry.) Anyway, she apologized to veteran groups and they seem to think all is well. But, there are a few other things about this entire episode that bother me. Here they are: (you knew I'd tell you.)

• Why is it that if people are conservative and disagree with the liberals in power right now, they are being labeled as "right-wing extremists"? Why was there an memo about this at all? This is America where it is supposed to be alright to have differing opinions. We don't all have to think alike or vote alike.
• Why was Ex-Governor, big budget deficit Napolitano, unaware of what was being sent out from her office? Isn't that her job or is she going to do it as badly as she did her job here in AZ?

Wow! Is it time for another election yet?

A Mother's Musings

I love my children so much and I am so proud of them. Sometimes, when I think about that, I will romanticize what they are like and unless I am with them for any length of time, I forget that like myself and everyone else, they have shortcomings and we don't always get along and they hurt my feelings or one another's feelings. I know that those things happen in all families, but it always makes me feel bad when I see it happen in mine.

Each of my children has very different personalities from the next. Yet, they also all have some similar qualities, most of which are very good. Of course, they also have annoying qualities and I fear that in a family setting we tend to focus too often on the negative instead of the positive. Sometimes we are less forgiving than we should be. Sometimes we are too judgemental. Sometimes we take one another for granted a little too much. Sometimes we forget to speak kindly and to express our gratitude for one another.

I want to list some of the really good things about my kids, and I hope if they are reading this, they will try to remember these good things about one another as well, and think of some of the good things you know about each other and experiences you have had as siblings that remind you how grateful you are to have the family that you have.

• It makes my heart glad to know that my kids will be there for one another when they need each other. When Lindsey needed something when Aaron was in Provo, he was there to help her. She introduced him to women.:)


• When Alicia was deathly ill, Lindsey took off work and took her to the doctor and got her meds and checked on her almost daily.


• Alicia's employers always love her because she is such a hard worker, with integrity. I have notice that about all of my children. I am really proud that they all have great work ethics.


• All of my children have testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Aaron and Tyler served honorable missions and are temple worthy. Lindsey goes to the temple to do baptisms as often as she can. Alicia loves to see the temple, too. Now Maddy has begun to be able to go to the temple to do baptisms.


• Jacob wants to stand up in testimony meeting and give his testimony, he just hasn't overcome his shyness yet.


• I have watched all of them do acts of service for others without being prodded by me.


• It does my heart good to see the glow Tyler gets about him when he is filled with the Spirit.


• Aaron, for all of his tough bravado, can be so kind and sensitive.


• Lindsey and Alicia can be very introspective. They work on their spiritual qualities in order to improve themselves.


• Madalynn has a generous spirit and loves us all so much.


• Like his dad, Jacob is meticulous and careful about his work.

It is funny how great this exercise is because as I think and list these qualities, I am filled with gratitude for each member of my family and more and more good feelings fill my heart for them and it is easier and easier to think of all of the things that make them each so special to me, their dad and to our family as a whole. I challenge you to try it. Especially if someone is bugging you, try making a list of all of their great qualities and see if your attitude doesn't change towards them. Then, when you forgive the annoying qualities, your relationship with them will improve at an amazing rate. I am not saying that they have been bugging me! (ha ha), But, sometimes I have seen them feeling bugged by one another. I know that college and working can be stressful and not always bring out the best in people, but as I said earlier, I know that the truth is that we are all here for each other. I love it when one of the boys tells me that they called and talked to Alicia or Lindsey that day, "just because." And, they almost always end those calls with, "bye, I love you!" And I know that they mean it.

The link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc

"Lord, I believe. Help Thou My Unbelief..."

The other night I was watching a movie on the Hallmark channel. I don't remember the name of the movie, but it had a Christian theme. I learned a very good way to describe the reason why bad things happen to good people. The man on the film had lost his wife and his barn had burned down. He was helping a young widow who had lost her husband and who was having a baby. He mentioned that the Lord was with him and she got angry and asked how he could believe that after all of the bad things that had happened. He used the analogy of him as a father to his young daughter. He said that even when he held his daughters hand when they were walking, she could still fall and hurt herself. She could skin her knee and be in pain. He would be there to pick her up and comfort her, but she would still have to go through the pain. He said that God had been there with him through all of his pain and helped him bear the burden and comforted him. I thought that was a beautiful analogy.

As I listened to the General Conference today and heard the beautiful talks giving testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ, I recalled that analogy and Elder Holland so eloquently reminded us that we are never alone because He went through that loneliness for us on the cross. As soon as it is available on line, I will post the link to the audio broadcast of that talk. It will move you to tears. It will move you to be a better follower of Christ.

Facebook

Last week I finally got a facebook account. It is a pretty shallow and time consuming thing. I enjoy my blog much more because here I can express my true thoughts without feeling like everyone is looking at them and judging me. Of course, I realize that people can judge me here as well, but mostly only people I love and respect come to this blog, so I know that they will like me anyway, even if they disagree with me.

The main reason I got a facebook account was so that I could get on line and see my kids pictures that they post. Also, you can chat and message them faster than on email. But, you have to be lucky enough to be on at the same time that they are, and you can't really write very much. So, I often feel frustrated because comments and ideas expressed are often not interesting to me, people always want me to do quizzes and games, and the things that I really want to see don't change quick enough for me. Sometimes people make cryptic comments that I don't understand, but I do not feel like I should just comment on everything like this, "what do you mean by that?" over and over again.

Yet, even with all of my complaining, I still find myself drawn to my account whenever I have a free moment, in the hopes that there will be new pictures or info to gladden my heart. I should really be doing other more productive things. Alicia says she thinks I am an Internet stalker. I don't mean to be, but I do like to see what is going on with everyone.

I think about when I was the age that my grown-up kids are now. I communicated with my mom by writing letters and the occasional telephone call. I was a very good letter writer back then. I also wrote to my siblings and Glen's family as well, after we were married. Now I am terrible about writing, yet I love it when I receive a letter, personally hand written by my mother or someone else. It is a thing to be treasured. Someday my mom will be gone and those pieces of her handwriting written with sore arthritic fingers will be dear to me, even more than they are now, because she held the pen and scrawled the words. I can see more of her in those words than in a printed off email or message. I need to try to get back to writing letters. Handwritten letters seem to have a piece of the writer in them. Emotions and meanings are easier to see between the lines. Letter writing seems to be a dying art. When you watch the History Channel, much of the color of the stories and the details come from the letters that have been preserved over the years.

Well, I got off on a tangent about letter writing, but I guess my point is that facebook isn't a great way to communicate. There are better ways and there are more constructive things to be doing. So, while I will still keep my account, I am going to make an effort to look less often and not to let it become an obsession. Since I am already addicted to Mario Cart on the Wii, I can't afford anymore addictions. Maybe facebook is the reason I haven't touched the Wii all day today. Well, that and my garden.

I'm not sure how to end these ramblings, so I will do what 2nd grade students often do and just say, The End.