Random

Sometimes I come up with some pretty random things to blog about.

And then sometimes others come up with pretty random things to blog about for me.

My brother Scott emailed me this picture for no apparent reason at all. Shall I make you guess who it is? It was taken, I believe circa 1986/1987, if that gives you any ideas. ;^)

Seeing Straight

So, I know what you're thinking. AJ needs glasses already?!? (sarcasm)
No, no. As I was pulling my coat on tonight getting ready to head out the door to a friends house for dinner, I turned around and found AJ with Mr. Potato Head's glasses on and Kami laughing and saying, "AJ funny!"

Counting Down

Christmas time is probably one of my most favorite times of the year. I love the atmosphere of almost everywhere I go. The colors, the scents, stores nearly overstocked, Christmas cards, and just the overall feeling of giving and getting. So, I was super excited when I was reading one of the blogs that I "stock" regularly, and checked out her inspirations for a Super Saturday project she did. I loved the idea so much that I did my own version of the project using a kit I purchased from the scrapbook store I used to work for back in St. Louis.

Anyway, I'm super excited about our countdown and the activities that are behind each of these numbers! Fun!

Open House

Our branch held an Open House last week for anyone interested in finding out who we are. So each auxiliary was in charge of decorating a room to tell about that particular organization. Kudos to our Young Women who did a fantastic job with our room!

growing and growing and growing....

I can hardly believe AJ is two months already!!! Where does the time go? I know I still have a few baby years ahead of me with AJ, but already it seems like time is just slipping through my fingers! Each second he grows and each day he's learning something more. You know what I mean? He's awake more often these days, but sleeps pretty well through the night. He's down to waking up once, maybe twice during the night to nurse. He's even starting to smile and chat with us! Drew had him actually laughing the other day! Awe! Melt my heart!

And speaking of growing up.....

We were getting ready to go out and about the other day, so I told Kami to go and get her shoes, while I got AJ in the car seat. She came around the corner with a pair of my heels on! I think she would have actually have worn those shoes out the door, if I would have let her! Honestly. My kids need to stop growing!!

YW Lesson 41 "Being Dependable"

Object Lesson - Display a watch/clock.
Q: How many of you YW depend on a clock like this to get you out of bed in the morning?
Q: What would happen if this clock were to stop working?

A good watch or clock is very valuable when it tells time accurately. But, a watch or clock, no matter how cool it looks is of little use if you cannot depend on it to tell time accurately.

Teacher Presentation
Read: Sleeping Through The Storm
Q: How/Why could the young man sleep through the storm?

-Discuss what it means to be dependable and list the characterstics on the board.

-On a piece of paper, have the girls think back through their day, week, month and/or year and list all of the people who they have depended on. Have them circle one person on that list.

Quotation

“There is a thought from Confucius that touches upon the point of many personal and public problems. ‘A man who lacks reliability is utterly useless,’ he said. In this there is much of what is wrong with the relationships of man to man—not being reliable, not being able to count on people to perform their part, to do what they say they will do when it needs to be done. And so disappointments and disillusionment occur from day to day. Someone says he’ll have something ready at a certain time, and it just isn’t ready. Someone borrows and says he’ll pay back or bring it back at a certain time, and it just isn’t paid back or brought back. Someone signs a contract and agrees to perform certain services, and just doesn’t do it. The list could be endlessly lengthened. Often there are unavoidable reasons, but sometimes it is lack of reliability—and in some situations this could become not only frustrating but frightening. All this could perhaps be compared to a parachute that opens only part of the time, or to brakes on a car that can’t be counted on consistently. … Suppose we couldn’t count on the promises of God. Suppose the astronauts in orbit couldn’t count on the calculations that others have made, or couldn’t count on the universe being run reliably. Suppose we couldn’t count on the tides, or the sun, or the seasons. It isn’t the hit-and-miss performance that makes life possible, but the degree of reliability, dependability, honesty, consistency that can be counted on. ‘A man who lacks reliability is utterly useless’ ” (Richard L. Evans, “Reliable Once in a While,” Ensign, Oct. 1971, p. 9).

Activity

Have the YW think about the person who they circled on their list. What would be the consequence of him/her had they not been dependable?

Quotation
“A man with whom I am associated as a director in a large company and who is also a government official, said to me on one occasion: ‘We asked for applicants who were prepared to accept a certain job in the government. We had many applicants, and we got them down to ten. As we were considering those ten, we noticed that one of them was a member of your church, and we took him just like that.’
“I said, ‘Why did you take him?’
“He said, ‘Because we knew that he wouldn’t be carousing at night; we knew that we could depend upon him, and we knew that he would do the work assigned to him’ ” (“Dependability,” Ensign, Apr. 1974, p. 4).

Q: How do Church members get such a reputation?
Q: WHY is it important to ahve this reputation?

Quotation
“Each day we must stop and ask ourselves: Am I dependable? Am I strong enough and determined to become the kind of person in whom everyone can have confidence? We have examples all around us of people who had every opportunity to make good and had possibilities of promising careers, and of really making a contribution to the world, but failed because they had not made up their minds and were not strong enough to keep themselves above reproach and withstand the temptations placed before them” (N. Eldon Tanner, “Dependability,” p. 4).

Activity
I adapted the story at the end of the lesson into a script form...just my way of trying to get some participation and not have to read another story! ;^)

Days End

At the end of those particularly rough days...

Jacki

About a year ago I posted a blog about a group of Saints from Cameroon who made an incrediably long trip to the Aba Nigeria Temple just two weeks after it's dedication in August 2005. I also mentioned a women in our branch who is from Cameroon. Though it was a couple years after this that Jacki met the missionaries on a subway and joined the church, I still think of Jacki as a pioneer woman of courage, who is forging the way for her family back home in Cameroon, both financially, physically and spiritually. Because of Jacki's efforts and determination for her children to have more of an education that she has, her oldest son is here in Seoul now attending the University and studying Law. Jean Marcel is also being baptized this Sunday.

Jacki is such an inspiration to me in so many ways. I value her friendship and always look forward each week when she comes and helps me out with the house and kids! It makes me smile each Tuesday when the door opens and Kami perks up, runs to the door and says, "Jacki! Jacki!" And Jacki in her thick French accent returns, "Oui! Kami-Kamden!" Here are some pictures of my dear friend and the kids!

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