One of my favorite Christmas traditions is seeing all the Christmas lights. When my son was young we went to Temple Square often to see the incredible display of lights they always put on. It’s awe-inspiring! One year we found a new thing called Giving Machines at Temple Square. My son was really into goats at the time, and we got a kick out of gifting someone a baby goat. Well, guess what?! Those Giving Machines that were a hit... Read more
All of us have been distracted from time to time. And there is nothing wrong with periodic distraction. But recently I have discovered I’ve been sucked into distraction with a capital D. The kind that becomes your whole reality and takes over your time, and you wake up wondering where all your day has gone and you’ve gotten nothing done. Several sources can be blamed for my distractions. YouTube Shorts is a big one. I will check it out while... Read more
Before we came to Ireland I’d heard that a lot of folks here have celiacs. When people show up at the ER with stomach pain, that is the first test they run. So I wasn’t worried about trying to visit and be Gluten-Free. Ireland is amazing at labeling everything with 14 different allergens. Every restaurant has a book listing ingredients for everything they serve and labels the allergens clearly. In these ways, they are ahead of the US in food... Read more
Our family vacations have always looked different than most. Our sweet autistic son highly influences what we do. I remember when we were in Hawaii when my son was 5, that we had to go swimming every day, or he was beside himself. We didn’t see much beyond the hotel property. Even though that could have been disappointing, my son was so entranced by small things that when I slowed down and saw things through his eyes, I didn’t care... Read more
We are enjoying a vacation in Ireland before my husband speaks at a conference in Dublin for work. It seemed the perfect time to see an amazing place with personal family significance. My mother’s family is from Ireland, and I have always wanted to come. But there were a few things I wish I had known before traveling to Ireland. I did extensive searches online before our trip, so this is not an uneducated list. But as most everyone missed... Read more
This October 10 is World Mental Health Day. As I reflected on this news, I remembered a time when I truly struggled with my life and the changes in it. God was my strength at that time. And He has been my support ever since. My faith truly helps my mental health. And I’d like to share how I found God as a teenager. Though it’s never too late to start your journey with God, I am grateful mine started... Read more
Every year before school starts, my husband gives both my son and me a priesthood blessing. For my son, we have done this since kindergarten. It is to give him comfort and guidance for the coming school year. And now that we home school, I get a blessing too so that God can guide me as a teacher. A Surprise Blessing This year the blessing I got from the Lord was different than I expected. Along with the comfort and... Read more
When my son was young, my husband traveled weekly for work. I was frazzled and stressed and a single parent 5 days a week. It was exhausting! Honestly, the only way I kept the sweet voice and patience I needed for a small child, was with daily scripture study. I found that on days I forgot to read, or slept in, I was more short-tempered. I felt more emotionally stretched, the days were longer, and problems loomed larger. With the... Read more
I have been a member of the LDS church my whole life. I often wondered why our church buildings have a spire on them and not a cross. But when I asked my Mom about it, as a young child, she told me that it is because we celebrate a living Christ, and not just His death. But now that I am older I see the cross a little differently. The Cross is everywhere in Christianity For many religions, the... Read more
I’ve heard many say that the LDS church doesn’t allow women to be leaders. But on this International Women’s Day, I want to set the record straight. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does have women leaders. And I’d like to tell you about my favorite three; Jean Bingham, Sheri Dew, and Emma Smith. In the LDS church, the Prophet and First Presidency are men. But the LDS church has equally heavy callings (AKA church jobs) for women... Read more
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