There once was a girl...

There once was a girl who struggled in making a decision. This wasn't new. She often struggled making decisions. She has learned that the Lord will help her make a lot of decisions. She has also learned there are some decisions that are meant for her to make on her own.

Some decisions are easy to make. There is an obvious wrong or right. Some decisions are between two right things. Sometimes it just isn't time to make a decision. She needed to wait for things to fall into place.

This particular girl has tried to think more about others than herself. Years ago a college professor told her class that members of the service profession need to take care of themselves. She believed him. "You have to take care of yourself in order to be able to take care of others."

She tries to be a good girl. She goes to church each Sunday to worship her God, and tries to serve his children. She is currently at the age where she can choose to go to church with the young and single group or with the families. During the last decade or so she has spent time attending church in both settings.

She is currently feeling the strain of being a "tweener", as one of her coworkers called her. While at work she fills the role of a stable adult in the lives of many teenagers. She is responsible for creating and implementing programs. She is involved in the processes of making decisions that will effect the lives of many students and their families.

When she goes to church she often feels like she is expected to act as she did 10 years ago, ready to do anything, at anytime. She also recognizes she isn't experienced enough to be one of the sage and solemn adults. Although she is not married, she recognizes she is in the middle of her life, and is ready to move on to participate with families and people of all ages.

The decision to make this move has been hard for her. She was with the family ward and felt she needed to go be with the singles. She has recently come to an understanding of a part of the reason she was there. She feels guilty about wanting to go back to the family ward. She wants to go back, just because she wants to. She doesn't feel she needs to. She doesn't feel like to she needs to stay with the singles. She likes the people in both groups. She has learned she really likes the family wards and being with people of all ages.

She hopes the people in the singles group will remember and use her phone number. She hopes they will feel welcome to come visit her for movies, games, and good conversation.

TurtleBug visit...day 3

Yesterday was all snowy. Today they sun is out. TurtleBug (TB) and I spent a good part of the day getting ready for the Young Single Adults to come over for Family Home Evening. After doing the dishes and cleaning what I call the "flat surfaces" it was time to vacuum. This was the first time Toby was in the house while the vacuum cleaner was on. I usually leave him outside.

Another item on our "to do" list was for TB to see in the attic.

After running our errand for pizza TB wanted pictures my ice sickles out front. And Swiss Cheese thought I didn't have any decorations:-).

We then worked on figuring out how to make a granny square and then had just one more thing to do before the gathering.

Making the carmel corn...the candy making tradition moves down to another generation...

TurtleBug visit

I have the week off from work. Since I was in Boise on Friday and Saturday I decided to bring a child back with mee. My second niece has been my TurtleBug since her first couple of months of life.

She will be spending a couple of days with mee. So far she is helping to keep Toby entertained, joining us on walks, and this morning she made mee Wonderland Pancakes for breakfast.

Warm enough...

I was trying to decided it this would be better fitted for my quote wall. However, the comment is common enough if this area so I decided to leave it here. On Thursday I was in a meeting in Declo. The external temperature at the time we arrived was 16 degrees Fahrenheit. While we were wrapping up a comment was made that we did want snow during the 2 hour return home. One of the people who was in their hometown said he would like it to be warm enough to snow. To some that may be an odd comment. Having personally made the that or similar comments I was able to quickly concurred with the statement. I remember thinking that afternoon as I arrived home and was gathering things out of my car that it was warmer. (26 degrees is warmer that 16 degrees) There are not a lot of people who would call 26 degrees warm. When my father reported this morning that it was 16 degrees, with no new snow, my comment was that it was too cold for new snow. I decided I wanted to see if that was really a valid statement. Can it really bee to cold to snow? http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/222/ Hope you enjoy the information. I don't think it will keep mee from saying it is too cold to snow.

Parting is such sweet sorrow...

In my brain I have stored the memory of telling a friend that when I grew up I wanted to be a foster parent. I remember her concern about the heart ache of letting children into my home and heart, and then letting them go again. At the time I shrugged it off. During the last decade, plus, I have had a large variety of people come through my life. Some of them I still have means to contact them. Thanks to Facebook, and blogs I have tabs on a lot of people I may not have kept in contact with.

While teaching in Meridian I worked with a small number of students, most of the day. A number of them I had in my classroom the whole time I was at Meridian. The largest cohort graduated just before I made the move to Mt. Home. It was hard to seem them leave. However, I felt that we had done pretty well helping them prepare for life after high school. And, most of them had some set of support system. It was time for all of us to move on.

This morning as I was heading to my first class I was contemplating the students in my class and trying to decide if there were any accommodations I needed to make to allow all of them participate in the activity. As I was running down the list it came back to mee that one of them had left on Wednesday...moving on to better things.

So, as I watch students come and go, friends get married, family members departing this mortal existence, and follow my own life's adventures I pray our paths will cross again. I hope to hear of success, peace, and happiness. I pray each will some how know they have a place in my heart, and are in my prayers.

An Ideal Christmas

My first year as a teacher,considering the separation of church and state, I asked what I was allowed to do for Christmas. The response I got was, "Just as long as it is not religious." What, it's CHRISTmas. What made it worse was when I commented about students "winter tree" having a star and realized she really didn't know why there was a star on the top of Christmas Trees. And I couldn't tell her.
I use to look forward to the Christmas season. It is a time of music and lights, candies and parties. I an not sure when I started to realized that all of this holiday magic was supposedly to be contained between the day after Thanksgiving and December 25th at about noon, if you were lucky.
That was something that really bothered mee. Why can't I sing my favorite hymns all year long? Some of the best feel good movies involve Christmas (i.e., Seasons of the Heart, White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life) who says they can only be watched in December? Santa Clause is a discussion for another day.
There were to many children last year who informed mee of all sorts of things I should get them for Christmas. When did Christmas become all about presents? It was about mid-October I decided I was done. What is the sense in the practice of obligatory gift giving? Either you know or don't need what you are getting. Who decided gifts must be given in order to show affection? Do we need to keep up with the Jones' in this area too?

Last year the only thing I did for Christmas was go the the Creche (you missed it, it was last weekend) and spend time with friends and family. I also had a friend over to help mee make mice. (I'm hoping to do that this weekend)
This year I am still okay without the stress of spending money I don't really have to buy things for everyone I do or should talk to at least once a week. My concern is that I should be doing something to help the world remember the real meaning of Christmas. Traditions can be used to teach and add depth to life's experiences. They can also give us something to look forward to.
So here I sit looking for what I want Christmas to be in my home and with my family. How will we mark a day or season as a celebration of a life we live all year round? I guess it is a good thing I don't have to have that figured out for this year.

Puppy Dog tails....

I wish I had a hidden video camera to preserve some Toby moments. The first one would show the hallway. Toby is not allowed in the hallway, and therefore none of the rooms off the hallway. He knows this. He knows it so well that when I walk out of one of those rooms he runs to get out of the hallway.

That's right, whether I am in the bathroom, or working briefly in another room Toby will sneak down the hallway. I think I was changing clothes the other day. Stepping out of the bedroom to find him laying on the floor in the hallway.

I have decided the Toby-ism of dumping his food all over everywhere prior to eating it is he attempt at killing his food prior to eating it.

The hypothetical hidden camera in the front room would show him following mee around with his blanket in an attempt to get mee to play with him. It is his back up toy for when he has left all his other toys outside.

My newest source of entertainment is the fly. Now some people my have issues with having a fly in the house. Toby does. If you didn't know there was a fly you might just think Toby had issues. Imagine this...Toby peacefully sleeping. I am sure it was a happy dog dream. I am working away at my computer...then, all of a sudden he jumps. He turns. He points. But what is he pointing at? He is in pursuit. Nipping at the air.

While I stay seating on the couch laughing, as I watch my dog who has seemingly gone mad. Yet. I had noticed the fly just before he woke Toby. And I in full knowledge take delight in watching my dog seek revenge on the creature who disturbed his slumber.

I'll claim them...

Well, not all of them, I only know two. Yes, I will admit I know a least acouple of the crazy people who arein this video clip. The college life...a time of random funness.

The pressure is on...

I was a little taken about when I noticed a friend of mine had a blog entry sharing the title of my blog. Reading his blog entry I was pleasantly surprised at his interpretation of my blog title. "Live Life Deliberately" was not something I came up with for the purpose of having a blog title. I believe my original blog title was "all about Mee" In the fall of 2001, while working on a Master’s in Public Administration I took a class on the administration and supervision of learning programs. In that class we are assigned to read an article from the Sept-Oct 1996 issue of the Harvard Business Review entitled “Building Your Company’s Vision”. In the article James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras stated: “…it is more important to know who you are than where you are going, for where you are going will change as the world around you changes."

I have read and heard about the importance of having a vision or mission statement for life. I am not sure how much of this processes was recorded in my journals. It was during the time frame I lived in Boise (2005-2007) when I read a couple of books which had been recommended to mee by friends, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach and If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard: And Other Reassuring Truths by Sheri L. Dew. Reading both of these books helped mee realize that I have more control over my life then previously wanting to claim and that I was not, am not living according to the fullness of my professed beliefs.

My friend who charged mee to read Illusions then informed mee that Richard Bach had also written a set of books called the ferret chronicles. I was amazed at the simple and profound truths found within these books. I also read a number of other Richard Bach books at various times from which I gleaned truths. If you decide to take the opportunities to read some of his works I would recommend you keep in mind the words of the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. concerning the Apocrypha; "Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth; And whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom;" D&C 91:4-5. Mr. Bach does an amazing job shading new light on eternal truths. He also goes a little further than I believe, with a sometimes interesting twist.

Some how in this process of reading books and living life I gained an understanding of taking more accountability for and participating in my own life. I have also learned, as evidenced by a new job and other accompanying blessings needed in taking a new road, how willing the Lord is to bless us materially as well as spiritually. What do we really need beyond peace of mind and a safe (physical / spiritual) place to lay our heads?

I didn't write down which quotes was from which book, but here of some of them:

"We don't become beautiful as we grow. We realize that we've been beautiful all along."

"Our highest sense of right it to express the most possible love in this world, and to help others do so..."

"If I say yes...will I enrich lives or disappoint them? If I say no, will I be dashing hopes or shifting them toward a better path? How is it that I can meet there needs and mine too?"

"So easy it is to mistake task for purpose."

"... if we are afraid to choose anything but what we have got, what good is choice?"

a couple from Illusions:

"If your happiness depends on what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem."

"The original sin is to limit the IS. Don't"