tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22802169961430318012024-03-12T17:21:31.257-07:00Out of the Best Books"seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith." —D&C 88:118Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-46384672209735459212011-07-06T15:18:00.000-07:002011-07-06T15:57:06.568-07:00Dipping Your Toes into Family History Work<div>We should all be doing our family history and temple work, right? </div><div><br /></div><div>The thought makes many of us choke—isn’t the process convoluted, intimidating, and complicated? </div><div><br /></div><div>Not anymore!</div><div><br /></div><div>A decade ago, the process of completing one name, from doing the research to clearing a name with Temple Ready to doing the ordinance work, to confirming the final recording, took two dozen (or so) steps, depending on how you counted them. Completing those steps included several trips to family-history centers, file conversions between programs like PAF and Gedcom, and a lot more.</div><div><br /></div><div>One problem with the old system was that patrons had to check Temple Ready CDs to see if temple work had already been done. Duplication became a huge problem because the CDs were updated only every few years, so people were regularly duplicating work that had been done since the last edition of CDs.</div><div><br /></div><div>The face of family history and temple work has—and continues to—change. Thanks to the Internet and the new Family Search (new.familysearch.org), you can do family history work at home. All you need is a computer, an Internet connection, and a printer.</div><div><br /></div><div>To start, register at new.FamilySearch.org. If you already have an LDS account, use that to log in. If you don’t, you’ll be prompted to create one with your membership record number and confirmation date (you can get those from your ward clerk). Choose a username and password. You'll use the same ID and password on all Church sites.</div><div><br /></div><div>One logged in, search for ancestors you know. You can’t see information about anyone living—parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, etc. So to view your full tree, you’ll need to create placeholders, faux records of relatives who are still living that you'll then connect to dead relatives. This allows you to view your full family tree.</div><div><br /></div><div>To do so, log in and go to the "Me and My Ancestors" page. With your name in the primary position on a pedigree (it'll be colored beige), you can add individual names, such as a parent. Follow the steps to search for an actual deceased ancestor the person you added is related to and create a relationship there. For example, create a placeholder for your living mother and then connect her as a daughter to her real, deceased, mother. Create as many placeholders as necessary to allow you to see your full tree. </div><div><br /></div><div>Rest assured that placeholders only show up on<i> your view</i>; you are <i>not</i> altering information on the main site. Once you’ve created placeholders, your family tree will shoot backwards for generations, and you can get to work. This process is called bridging the "living horizon."</div><div><br /></div><div>Now that you can see your pedigree, you'll see a variety of icons next to names. Using them, you can tell if temple work has been completed (a green check), has work to be done (a yellow arrow), or if there are possible issues (a yield sign with an exclamation mark). </div><div><br /></div><div>But beware: even with the check mark, don’t assume all is well. Go through each name and line to verify all the information. You might find mistakes and additional work.</div><div><br /></div><div>The new, user-friendly site will help you. For example, if you find a “duplicate spouses” icon, choose the names to look at, and you’ll get a side-by-side comparison. Any information that's the same between the spouses lights up on both sides of the split screen when you hover over it, such as identical birth or marriage dates. If there is enough to clearly show that these two spouse records are actually the same individual, you can combine the two records.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do take caution when combining—or splitting—records. That does affect the site itself, not just on your view, although it can be undone later. Before taking such action, be sure the people listed really are (or are not) the same person.</div><div><br /></div><div>A common duplication error you may find is when a second record is only a temple ordinance record rather than a birth certificate or other event. The temple record will have no other dates, locations, or any other identifying information. If it’s just an ordinance record, chances are pretty good that the work was done for the person whose real record you’re comparing it with, and you can combine them.</div><div><br /></div><div>In other cases, you’ll need to play detective. For example, in my line, we found two women with the same name who married the same man. Based on birthdates, they appeared to be mother and daughter, which was possible; a woman with a child could have remarried, and after her death, her daughter from a previous marriage perhaps then married her former step-father. </div><div><br /></div><div>But that wasn't the case. Significant digging—looking at maps, other dates, and other records—unearthed a mistake: on one record, a date was recorded incorrectly. Turns out the two were actually one woman; someone had simply mis-recorded her marriage date as her birth date.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Cleaning up” your tree this way is your job. Discover who is missing, whose work has yet to be done, whose work has been done multiple times, who is listed several times as different people.</div><div>When resolving duplicates, use any information you’ve encountered and add it using the notes feature, giving as many details as you have (census, land, or court records; birth certificates; etc). The more detailed your records, the better—and the more useful for other researchers. Include your e-mail address in your profile so others can contact you.</div><div><br /></div><div>The new Family Search has so many exciting things happening, and resolving duplicates is just the tip. Dive in and click around; the interface is surprisingly user-friendly. Experiment with the different views, like moving your great-grandmother to the primary position to see her tree, how to reserve names for temple work, and how to print off the PDF with the names for the temple.</div><div><br /></div><div>The most amazing part is that the temple-ready process has been simplified from several dozen steps to just a handful: a few computer clicks, printing out a paper, and taking it to the temple to get the cards. By the time you get home, there’s a good chance the work you just performed will already be recorded online.</div><div><br /></div><div>The old site, familysearch.org (without the "new") is undergoing a face lift, and will be merged with the new site in the future. In the meantime, the old site is still a great resource for finding records, such as books in the Family History Library in Salt Lake, city records, and much more.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Church’s family history student manual tells us that doing this work is both our “privilege and responsibility” (p 2). It can be overwhelming, so start with a few small steps: get your toes wet by familiarizing yourself with the website. Next thing you know, you’ll be discovering your roots and having blessing pouring in from the other side of the veil.</div>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-76043304342904206192011-07-06T08:38:00.000-07:002011-07-06T15:56:07.169-07:0021st Century Literacy: Why Kids Gotta Read<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; "><div style="font-size: medium; ">I've had a lot of people ask how I managed to get my kids to be good readers. My experience won't be the same as any other parent's, because every child is different. Each of my four children had a different path toward reading, and we lucked out in that we don't have anyone with dyslexia or similar learning challenge. (Not that we didn't have our challenges, but that's a topic for another time.)</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">Before sharing parts of our family's literacy journey, I want to establish why reading is so important to begin with, why I did a jig in the hall the first time I caught my son sneaking a book under his covers past bedtime.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><div><br /></div><div>I'm an avid reader, so of course as soon as I became a mom, I wanted to pass along my love of books to my children. That desire increased as I studied literacy statistics and learned just how important those skills are<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">—</span>far more important than they were even one generation ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back then, the majority of jobs didn't even require a high school diploma and many jobs required little, if any, skills related to reading and writing. (Common sense, a solid work ethic, and a bit of brawn did the trick.)<div><br /></div><div>In the 1950s, 60% of jobs were unskilled labor.* Today, unskilled labor accounts for only 20% of jobs. But there's a caveat: today, even blue-collar jobs require some level of literacy, and when the workers don't have it, entire industries suffer.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a survey of the National Association of Manufacturers, 40% said they couldn't implement productivity improvements because their work force didn't have the reading, math, or communication skills the upgrades would require.</div><div><br /></div><div>The modern world requires that we know how to read and write. Those aren't just a nice skills to have; they're <i>vital</i> for success. Consider that just about every job requires some kind of written communication, whether it's e-mail, reading a memo taped to a wall, or (more likely) something far more involved.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have several friends (and this includes my husband) who, at times, do more writing at work than their job description implies. This includes stuff like writing reports, proposals, memos, team messages, e-mails (to superiors as well as team members), preparing presentations, and more. Two of my friends who are lawyers spend 12-hour work days, yep, <i>writing.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><i></i>(Side note: one of those lawyers is such a good writer that he's now the go-to guy at his firm for writing briefs and reports. Pain in the neck on the one hand, but it also means his mortgage will be paid off just before his 40th birthday.)</div></div></div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">Aside from benefits like getting, oh, a <i>job,</i> literacy has huge effects on individuals and society.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">It's not a surprise that children of mothers with poor literacy skills are likely to have poor literacy skills themselves. We know that parental involvement is big for students.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">What we don't always realize is that when such support is lacking at home, it leads to a vicious cycle of poverty: an illiterate teen, possibly living in poverty herself, gets involved in drugs and other risky behavior, drops out of school, has a teen pregnancy, raises the child in poverty . . .</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">And the cycle continues with the next generation.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; ">But get this: literacy skills even affect things like children's <i>health.</i> Studies have shown that kids with illiterate mothers tend to have poor nutrition, don't get to the doctor when they need to, and don't always get the care they need when they are at the doctor (hard to know what to ask when you don't understand basic health issues). These same children are less likely to ride in car seats or even have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in the home.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">At first some of that didn't make sense to me, until I realized that literacy has fingers in just about every pie of life. How did I learn about toddler nutrition, when to take my kidlets to the doctor, or how to install a car seat?</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">Oh, yeah. I read about those things. Even knowing what questions to ask of a doctor or pharmacist (or even being able to read a medicine label) is something those with poor literacy skills can't do.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">A lot of problems go away when the <i>mother</i> in the home is educated: kids' grades go up, their chances for at-risk behavior drops, their health improves, and more.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">Yes, I'm aiming this at moms, because we really do have so much power. (No pressure, right? Oy.) This means that yes, educating a woman is critical, even if she's "just" going to be a stay-at-home mom.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">Aside from family-level issues, illiteracy has a huge price tag on the community. Consider a few numbers from 2003:</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">47% of adult welfare recipients have not graduated from high school.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">70% of adult welfare recipients are not literate.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">High-school drop-outs are 3X more likely to need public assistance than high-school graduates.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">Illiterate adults are 6X times more likely to be hospitalized and are more likely to have heart disease, prostate cancer, and diabetes. (Again, if you can read, you're more likely to know about preventative care, treatments, and more.)</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">Prison inmates are often illiterate, and after release, they often return to prison. In one study, inmates who receive literacy training had a return rate of 20% instead of the 49% of their fellow inmates who did not receive similar training.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">The conclusion of the study was that every dollar spent on education in prison is worth at least <i>two dollars</i> in the future reduction of crime. (You'd think that education would be a no-brainer, but only about 9% of inmates get literacy training.)</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; ">You could say I'm a tiny bit passionate about the topic, which is why I got somewhat panicky when my children didn't take to reading like fish to water. I did a lot of asking for advice, digging around, and I put on my detective cap to find some solutions. So far, the efforts have paid off.</div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; "><br /></div><div style="font-size: medium; "><i>*Literacy stats in this post are from the ProLiteracy America Report, 2003</i></div></span>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-70568697003064717162011-05-31T16:16:00.000-07:002011-06-20T08:37:57.502-07:00Getting Kids Psyched About Books<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; "><div>I got lucky with my first child. When he started reading aloud billboards as we drove along the freeway, I had no idea that doing such things at age three wasn't <i>normal</i>. I'd like to take credit for his insane reading skillz (and I <i>can</i> take credit for the things I did to expose him to reading and words and books), but truly, he just came wired ready to soak it up.</div><div><br /></div><div>He didn't learn much in kindergarten, as he was already reading at a fourth-grade level. Comprehension, inference, and some other accompanying reading skills weren't quite that high, but he could decode like a pro.</div><div><br /></div><div>While I was pregnant with him, I was finishing my English degree, and I spent literally hours reading aloud as I paced our apartment so I could finish the assignments and<i>not </i>fall asleep from pregnancy fatigue. He literally heard volumes of classic literature in utero. I can't help but wonder if that helped form some brain connections or something.</div><div><br /></div><div>(The other kids heard plenty of books read aloud in utero, but those were Dr. Seuss and other kids books. Link? We'll never know.)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Some things we did to expose him (and his siblings) to reading early:</b></div><div><ul style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">Read aloud. A lot. He got several books read to him before every nap, before bed, and at lots of other times.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(119, 119, 119); border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">Point out easy words and have him learn them. I started with the classic sight words, although I didn't know that's what they were called. As a toddler, he knew to expect Mom to point to about one word per page for him to read, whether a simple <i>the, you, </i>or <i>car,</i> or something a bit more complicated.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(119, 119, 119); border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">Let them help with shopping. Kids love finding "apples" on the list and crossing it out.They enjoy searching for words on labels. Even little kids can learn to identify the signs for the bakery and deli and eventually figure out what the sounds in the letters mean. (The store is another great spot for practicing numbers and easy math.)</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(119, 119, 119); border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">Cook together and point out ingredients, labels, and instructions.</li></ul></div><div>I had a couple of challenges getting him to actually read. One was that most books on his age level were too easy for him. The first books he really took to, thanks to their humor, were the Captain Underpants books. I know some parents cringe at those (potty humor, intentional misspellings, etc.), but to me, hey, he was reading. Those books hooked him. He read them all so much they fell apart. I got a few comb-bound, but eventually, we had to buy a new set.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which led to my second challenge with him: He didn't like trying new books. Around 4th or 5th grade, he had two series he loved . . . and read them over and over. And read nothing else. Boys are particularly hard to find books for at that age; it seems like there are far more girl titles for the in-between reading ages than for boys.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finding new books that sparked his interest took time and effort (including asking just about every mom of boys I could find what their kids liked and spending hours trolling the Internet for ideas), but it was worth it; eventually we broke through the block, and he discovered a bunch of other writers and books.</div><div><br /></div><div>Child #2 learned to read well, and pretty early, if not as fast as her brother. She was always ahead of her grade on decoding, comprehension, and fluency.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>But she hated reading.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Which about killed me. Getting the required 15 or 20 minutes of reading per day for school was pure torture (for both us), especially as she got older. By fourth grade, I could get her to read a stack of picture books, but she refused to try a novel, even an easy chapter book.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was terrified that she'd never enjoy reading. Aside from the joy that reading can be, I was afraid she'd lose out on the skills literacy provides.</div><div><br /></div><div>Two things finally solved the problem:</div><div><ul style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">We used audio books along with the hard-copy book. So she read the text as she listened to the book. I got this idea from my teacher-writer friend (and critique group member) <a href="http://luannslibrary.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(204, 51, 0); ">Lu Ann Staheli</a>. This technique helped take away some of the intimidation factor. After reading a few books this way, she was no longer afraid of chapter books.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(119, 119, 119); border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">I noticed that she complained of headaches in her forehead after reading. I remembered that when my dad was young, reading always felt like work because of eye issues. When reading is physically painful, of course you don't enjoy it. A trip to the eye doctor with her confirmed it: while she had 20/20 vision for distance, she had significant astigmatism, which made her eye muscles work extra hard to keep the text in focus. That led to headaches from eye-muscle fatigue, right on her forehead, where her pain was centered. She got reading glasses, and a few days later, I found her curled up on her bed with a novel. I walked away with tears in my eyes.</li></ul><div>Child #3 is a perfectionist. When she first started reading, if she couldn't sound out a word the first time around, she fell apart. "I'll never get it! Waaah!" Tears and meltdown.</div><div><br /></div><div>No amount of explaining that everyone makes mistakes made any difference. We had to back up, go to easier levels that she'd already mastered, and let her have lots of success with those easier books. Then, when she felt ready, we worked up to harder ones.</div><div><br /></div><div>She didn't like doing that, because she's also an over achiever, and she wanted to be on the higher levels, faster. She eventually managed to jump ahead, but I think it was because of the confidence she developed early on.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>When she struggled with the transition to chapter books, I spent time reading aloud with her. I read one page, and she read the next. This helped her get through harder books with support at her side (and reading only half the text). But it also helped me hear what words and concepts she struggled with, so I could help her over some of those hurdles.</div><div><br /></div><div>This year, her sixth-grade teacher required the students to read 35 books each, in a variety of genres. My daughter's goal is to double that number. I checked with her when there was about 6 weeks left in the school year, and figured she'd make it pretty easily. (And these aren't small books; most are quite thick, in the 300-page range.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Child #4 falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. She's been surrounded by reading all her life, so it was a natural thing to pick up and strive for. I admit that as the youngest, she got read to<i> least</i> of all the siblings (she got maybe one book at nap time instead of four like her brother), but she got something else: instead of only picture books for bedtime, she heard a lot of novels, since I began reading to everyone at night, and her siblings were past the picture-book stage.</div><div><br /></div><div>So while I'd still read her picture books, at a pretty young age, she was also listening to much longer, more complex books. She didn't always follow the stories or understand them (and often spent that time on the floor next to us, doodling with paper and crayons), but I really think it's helped in her comprehension, vocabulary, prediction skills, and more.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, I have friends who crack up at her vocabulary because it's so advanced for her age. I think her ability to think, speak, and process at a high level is a direct result of being the youngest and being surrounded by bigger words at a younger age.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Other things we've done:</b></div><div>Participate in library story times for toddlers and preschoolers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Participate in library summer reading programs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have family reading parties.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nearly always buy something from book orders and the school book fairs. The only rule is that it must be a BOOK, not a toy or game. (This rule is getting harder to keep as book orders veer <i>away</i> from books more and more. Drives me batty.)</div><div><br /></div><div>The kids are guaranteed to get at least 3 books as gifts during the year: at Christmas, birthdays, and in their Easter baskets. One year, when #3 was a toddler, on seeing her Easter basket, she cried out, "Oh, cool! A book!" Not, "Oh, cool! Candy!" I cheered inside. They save their gift books and treasure them.</div><div><br /></div><div>They see Mom reading and know that Dad listens to lots of books.</div><div><br /></div><div>We often talk about books: what we like; what we don't like. Ideas. Recommendations. Predictions. And so much more.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes we read the same books (like last summer, with the Hunger Games series), which allows for great discussion.</div><div><br /></div><div>I let them borrow my Kindle. I make this into a very big deal, so they know it's a treat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every child is different, and every child will have his or her own challenges (and I'm not touching the category of learning disabilities).</div><div><br /></div><div>Bottom line:</div><div><ul style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">Never, ever give up.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(119, 119, 119); border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">Find out what the underlying reason might be for not liking books.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(119, 119, 119); border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">Search out the right book (because boredom might be the problem).</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(119, 119, 119); border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">Make reading FUN and something to look forward to.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(119, 119, 119); border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; ">Make books and reading valuable, something kids can own.</li></ul></div></span>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-43205893207564381212011-03-01T12:14:00.000-08:002011-03-01T13:19:09.742-08:00Reading: Who Can Find the Time?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size: medium; ">I tend to be a slow reader, and while readi</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-size: medium; ">ng <a href="http://whitneyawards.com/" style="text-decoration: none; ">Whitney nominees</a> and fina</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size: medium; ">lists has forced me to speed up, I'm still on the slow side.<div><br /></div><div>I <i>enjoy </i>reading slowly. I like to savor the story, words, images, not rush through them. Even so, I somehow manage to read several dozen books a year. I average 50-60 books, although this year I topped 70, a record.</div><div><br /></div><div>Two claims I hear from people annoy the bajeebers out of me:</div><div>"I don't have time to write," comes in at #1, but a close #2 would be, "I don't have time to read."</div><div><br /></div><div>First off, you already find time for what's important to you. If exercise is a priority, you make it happen. If it's photography or quilting or even your favorite TV show, you do it (even if it that means setting the TiVo).</div><div><br /></div><div>No, you can't do <i>everything</i> in life. We all must make choices, even between good things.</div><div><br /></div><div>For me, reading is part of the job description of a writer. If I don't read, my writing will grow stale.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I'm also a busy mom of four very active kids.</div><div><br /></div><div>Catch-22? Not quite.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Here are a few ways I sneak in reading time that you can use too:</b></div><div>1) Read in Snatches.</div><div>Reading isn't like exercising, where you really need a good 30 minutes to do any good.</div><div><br /></div><div>If I get to read for several hours, awesome sauce. It's a luxury I seek out and grab when I can, but if I don't have hours and hours (wait for it . . .), <i>I can still read.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>As an English major, I often had enormous reading loads. I chipped away at the mountain by reading at times others might not think to, like walking between classes across campus. (If I read 8 pages here, 5 there, 10 there, and 2 here, that's 35 pages further than I was that morning.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I finished <i>entire books</i> this way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today my snatches look different, but they still exist. I always, always have a book with me (often two). I have a car book for when I'm, say, waiting for kids to come out of piano lessons or when I'm the passenger. My purse book comes out in waiting rooms, in lines like at the post office or pharmacy, and so on. A few pages here and there add up to entire books read.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also read while I eat. That's supposed to be a big no-no, because supposedly you'll eat more. I usually have a set meal with portions before I sit down to read, so I think I'm okay. Or just blame this one on my mom. I have umpteen memories of her eating (cherries from our tree, grapes from the garden, raisins, whatever) while reading.</div><div><br /></div><div>(Note: I don't eat at the dinner table. That's a no-no. TV is off, toys and books are put aside. It's family time.)</div><div><br /></div><div>2) Read Everywhere.</div><div>I also learned this from Mom, who might as well have been born with a book in her hand. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of her stirring sauce on the stove while it thickened, wooden spoon in one hand and a book in the other.</div><div><br /></div><div>She even put books (and please, no grossing out here) in the bathroom, usually ones that are hard to read in long stretches, like complex non-fiction and histories. She'd read a page here and there, and--tada!--eventually, one more book is read, even if it took awhile.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our previous treadmill had a book holder on it, and I can't tell you how many books I read while exercising. I got a ton of research done that way. Books don't bounce too much as long as you don't go much faster than 4 mph.</div><div><br /></div><div>3) Read with the Family.</div><div>My 70+ books last year included novels I read aloud to the kids and others I read to my husband before bed, something we picked up during Harry Potter and still do some nights. Counting family books, I'm always reading several books at a time.</div><div><br /></div><div>This last year the kids' schedules got really crazy, so we didn't get through many, but, say, even three books over a year with the kids and that number again many with my husband, is another half dozen books read total for the whole year. That's nothing to sneeze at.</div><div><br /></div><div>4) Listen to Audio Books.</div><div>I have an iPod that has music on it . . . but I almost never listen to anything but books (and the occasional <a href="http://www.writingexcuses.com/" style="color: rgb(27, 112, 58); text-decoration: none; ">Writing Excuses</a> podcast). I listen to it on longer drives (like to and from critique group or book signings), on the treadmill (my current one doesn't have a book holder), and sometimes while doing household chores. I don't get through tons of books this way, largely because I often pick books that are exceedingly long (Hello, Wheel of Time series . . .), and listening to a book always takes longer than actually reading it does.</div><div><br /></div><div>But listening to books fills up otherwise empty time when I couldn't be reading anyway. Then I can add a few more titles to my yearly list. <a href="http://audible.com/" style="color: rgb(27, 112, 58); text-decoration: none; ">Audible</a> is a great place to start.</div><div><br /></div><div>5) Kindle, Baby!</div><div>My Kindle 3 is <i>awesome</i>. It's lightweight and small enough to fit nicely into my purse. I can carry a ton of books on it, so the second I'm done with one, I can begin another. The new one has a faster and clearer page turn, and the e-ink is better than ever. I think both are the reason I read faster with a Kindle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other benefits to the Kindle: No need to prop open a book, so you can read hands-free. So I can even read while blow drying my hair--something totally impossible before unless I set up an elaborate page-holding system, but then I'd have to turn off the drier, free a hand, undo the stuff holding the book down, turn a page, and set it back up. Not with the Kindle. Now I can read pretty much anywhere: while chopping vegetables, emptying the dishwasher, walking down the hall at night to check on the kids. (Easy especially with my handy Kindle cover with a built-in night light.)</div><div><br /></div><div>6) Track Books Read and To Read.</div><div>There's something motivating about a check-list. Since my current list is a computer file, it easily serves as both a <i>have read</i> and a <i>to read</i> list. Books I plan to read or am currently reading are all there, but in parentheses. As soon as I've finished a book, it moves to the bottom of the <i>have read </i>section and loses the parentheses.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just for fun, I also add <i>with the kids</i> or <i>with Rob</i> (that would be the husband). I also make a note if it's a reread. Throughout the year, I keep a running tally, such as "32 books read as of 5/27." Seeing that number go up is a definite motivator.</div><div><br /></div><div>7) Make It a Party.</div><div>Several times a year, I throw a "reading party." My kids love them and don't realize they're a sneaky way for Mom to make them do something good for them. I read aloud from our current novel, maybe a bit from a library book or two for the youngest, and then we have silent reading time. Oh, and the treats in the center of the circle don't hurt.</div><div><br /></div><div>(For a full explanation of our reading parties, see <a href="http://bestbooksldsneighborhood.blogspot.com/2009/05/shhh-its-good-for-them.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">THIS </span><span class="Apple-style-span">POST</span></a>.)</div><div><br /></div><div>We live in a world where it's increasingly important to have good literacy skills. As far as I'm concerned, writers aren't the only ones who should be reading. <i>Everyone </i>should be reading, whether it's novels, non-fiction, or news.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Read and read regularly, even if you aren't reading dozens of books a year. READ SOMETHING.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>My grandmother-in-law died at 92. She was sharp as a tack until her last day, and she read almost as long. She stopped reading literally a couple of days before her death, and only because of weakness. I remember her holding a magnifying glass as she read the newspaper or a novel. She read every day, and I'm convinced that her clear mind and memory are a direct result of the fact that she never, ever stopped feeding her brain.</div><div><br /></div><div>Children who see their parents read are far more likely to be readers, and literacy is a huge indicator as to who will become successful as an adult. Do it for them at the very least.</div><div><br /></div><div>As far as I'm concerned, not enjoying reading is like not enjoying chocolate: you're really missing out on a great joy of life!</div></span>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-1614405738867858822010-11-29T11:10:00.000-08:002010-11-29T16:08:02.809-08:00Gifts for the SaviorFor years, Oprah has had her Angel Network, which she uses to benefit literally thousands of disadvantaged people around the world. Brad Pitt and wife give more money toward charity than almost any other Hollywood stars. And Bono, arguably the coolest rocker alive, has done more for dying Africans than almost anyone.<br /><br />Then, well, then there are the rest of us. We live in our houses, scraping butter on our kids’ toast for breakfast, packing school lunches, hoping we didn’t forget anyone’s homework, and goodness, kids, would you <i>please</i> stop fighting?<br /><br />When the dust clears each school morning, we sit on the couch, our hair a mess, and watch news reports of the rich and famous making real differences in the world.<br /><br />Realistically, what kind of difference can <i>I</i> make? Can <i>you</i> make? Most of us aren’t swimming in loaded bank accounts. We don’t own three homes, have chauffeurs, or have a few million dollars to throw around to build an orphanage, a well for clean water, a new school for African children. What difference can my measly offering make?<br /><br />As Christmas draws near, our hearts naturally turn to the Great Shepherd, to the One who gave us the Resurrection as the ultimate free gift, the One who gave us the opportunity to repent through the Atonement and thus gave us the possibility of returning to Him with the gift of Eternal Life. We celebrate those gifts as we celebrate His humble birth, often by giving gifts to one another.<br /><br />Usually those gifts are of the worldly variety. They’re wrapped in shiny paper and topped with pretty bows, ready for the recipient to tear open and enjoy.<br /><br />We all know that Christmas is more than that, and most of us strive to find a way to give in other ways. The problem is, too often it's easy to give up before we start, because we don't think we can do anything that matters. We <i>aren’t</i> as rich as Brad Pitt or Oprah. And we certainly aren’t as cool as Bono.<br /><br />But that’s not the real problem. At times, I've forgotten that <i>Christ</i> wasn’t rich or cool or famous, either. He was a humble, poor servant.<br /><br /><i>Christ spent time with small children. </i><br />I can do that—I have four of my own who yearn for any additional time Mom will give them, especially when I’m running around like a crazed chicken without a head each December. Maybe one of my gifts this year will be to slow down and spend time with them. To hold them. Read to them more. Have a quiet evening playing card games. Talk with them more. Laugh with them.<br /><br /><i>Christ fed those who had no food.</i><br />I have food storage in my basement. It’s not fancy, and if I'm being honest, it's not up to the year supply (yet!), but we do have cans of tuna, soup, vegetables, beans, and many other items. We can spare some, especially for the less-fortunate during this tough economic climate. I can load up a box of food and take it to the food bank. Maybe even with my children.<br /><br />For that matter, with what little money I do have, I can make a difference in places around the world by donating any amount, no matter how small, on my tithing slip to the Humanitarian Aid fund, the Perpetual Education Fund, or the Temple Patron Fund. Any money I donate will be used to benefit someone, somewhere, who needs it. I will make a difference.<br /><br /><i>Christ knew when it was time to stop worrying about the minutiae.</i><br />Housework, food and all the fancy fixings—all the party stuff we get caught up in during the holiday—are so easy to get pulled into, just like Mary did when Christ visited her and her sister. This December, maybe I’ll skip the vacuuming or sweeping or let the dishes lie in the sink a little longer than normal, and instead sit down with my Book of Mormon for a few extra minutes. That will be a gift to myself— partaking of “that good part,” as Martha did.<br /><br /><i>Christ knew that any time we serve another, it is the same as serving Him.</i><br />“Ye have done it unto me.” So when I’m shopping and everyone around me is tense, a kind smile, a polite word that diffuses tension . . . any of that is really a gift to my Savior. I can give genuine compliments to lift someone’s day. Instead of just thinking that my neighbor’s sweater is beautiful, I can <i>say</i> so to her. I can mail a card to a friend I’m thinking about, drop off a treat to the bishop’s home in acknowledgment of all he does and the sacrifices his family makes for the benefit of the ward. Make a phone call to someone who's been on my mind.<br /><br />Even doing my visiting teaching—truly doing it by listening and being in tune with the Spirit to know if my sisters need something from me—is a gift to my Savior.<br /><br />None of these gifts are wrapped in shiny paper or have big, impressive bows. None cost gobs of money. All the same, they impact lives. They can make a difference. They are gifts.<br /><br />Somehow I think that iPods, DVDs, and fancy clothes aren’t the kinds of things our Savior would have in mind for the best way to celebrate his birth.<br /><br />Simple gifts of service would be—anything that brings another person’s heart closer to Him. The Savior once asked something: “Feed my sheep.”<br /><br />That will be my gift.Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-59198934016667315822010-11-01T11:42:00.000-07:002010-11-02T14:55:33.603-07:00Forgiveness & Gratitude<div>Grudges are painfully easy to hold onto and are hard to let go. It’s not until you put down the burden and walk away that you realize just how heavy it was to begin with—and that the person you’ve been so angry with wasn’t being affected by the bitterness you clung to. A cloud descends, blocking out the spirit and making other things—like feeling genuine gratitude during the Thanksgiving season—almost impossible.</div><div><br /></div><div>I remember all too well a difficult time in high school when a person wounded me deeply. It happened in the spring, and I felt the hurt—and the resulting anger—for the rest of the school year, all of the summer, and into the next school year. For a full six months, every time I thought about the person involved or saw them, even just passing by in the hall, I got a nauseating pit in my stomach. My heart raced, and I had a hard time breathing. I quickly looked away, clenching my books as I escaped down the hall.</div><div><br /></div><div>Beyond noticing my dirty looks, the other person was likely unaffected by my visceral reaction, but the burden for me was constant. It was like proverbial drinking poison but hoping the other person gets sick. I spent half a year poisoning my spirit. I couldn’t go to school without a sinking pit in my middle. I could think of little else. Eventually, I knew that I couldn’t go on that way; something had to change.</div><div><br /></div><div>One morning, through intense prayer and sheer willpower, I arrived in the school’s main hall, determined to do something different. When I saw the other person near a staircase, I forced myself to smile pleasantly and say hello.</div><div><br /></div><div>The shock and confusion on their face was priceless.</div><div><br /></div><div>But more than that, as I walked away, I felt as if heavy lead scales slipped off my body and clattered to the floor. My shoulders literally felt lighter. Instead of a pit in my stomach, it had butterflies. I took a deep breath. It felt good. My heart raced as it often did after a confrontation, but this time it was the pitter-patter of nerves, not the heavy drum beat of anger and resentment.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the nearly two decades since that experience, I’ve faced situations far more complex and difficult to handle than a simple high-school peer issue. And if I’m paying attention, whenever I allow anger to take root, I can sense a change, starting on a physical level. My heart rate and breathing are altered. Muscles tensing up. A throbbing headache begins at the base of my neck.</div><div><br /></div><div>But most importantly, the Spirit withdraws. I lose my compass, my connection with the Lord. I get depressed, anxious, unable to hear answers to prayers.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><br /></span></div><div>Learning to forgive has been a gradual lesson, one I’m still learning on a day-by-day basis. I have to continually remind myself not to drink the poison. Not to hurt myself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead, we are taught to turn over the situation to the Lord, for He has borne our burdens already. Forgiving doesn’t excuse the actions of the other person. Instead, forgiveness is a gift that allows the Lord be the one to take care of it, to let us set down the burden, knowing that it’s in good hands.</div><div><br /></div><div>For me, the most powerful way of letting things go is to find a quiet place, close my eyes, and—as silly as I may feel—verbalize my forgiveness. It’s important for me to hear my own voice saying the words. “I forgive [person] for [action].” The more specific I am, the better—even if I’m forgiving myself for not living up to the level I know I should. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I forgive and let go of the anger or bitterness, a peace descends over my body almost immediately. The tension in my muscles and my stomach loosens, and I can breathe easier. Forgiveness is healing. I think it is no coincidence that most of the Savior’s physical healings were also accompanied by spiritual one: He stated that the person’s sins were forgiven, and then he healed their infirmity.</div><div><br /></div><div>To be whole in every way, to feel gratitude and hope and faith—elements that should be our focus in November as well as the rest of the year—we must have the Spirit with us as a constant companion, and harboring anger makes that difficult.</div><div><br /></div><div>The more I’ve learned about forgiveness, the more I see how critical it is for each of us in working out our salvation. No wonder the Lord commanded us to forgive “seventy times seven.” </div><div>I’m still very much a work in progress with this principle, but the more regularly I apply it, the lighter and more vibrant I feel. It’s easier for me to experience joy and peace, to feel the promptings of the Spirit, and to progress as a daughter of God.</div><div><br /></div><div>We can all tap in to the benefit of this principle by remembering a single concept taught by Nephi with such simplicity: “I did frankly forgive them all that they had done” (1 Nephi 7:21).</div><div><br /></div>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-57183619539632734492010-08-21T20:33:00.000-07:002010-08-24T07:40:34.767-07:00Feasting on the Word<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In one of the final scenes of </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Last Battle,</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> the last book in C. S. Lewis’s </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Chronicles of Narnia series,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> some dwarfs sit near Aslan, who provides a “glorious feast” for them. The dwarfs, however, firmly believe they’re in a stable. They see and taste only the kinds of things they imagine would </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">be</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> in a stable: hay, water from a donkey’s trough, raw cabbage leaves, a piece of turnip. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the scriptures, we have a glorious feast provided for us. Do we see and taste little more than damp hay and turnips?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">We’ve been commanded to “feast upon the words of Christ” (2 Nephi 32:3), but often we see that commandment as a chore. It’s one more—boring—thing on our never-ending to-do list, perhaps even a burden. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">It doesn’t have to be that way. The beginning of a new school year provides a change in pace for the entire family, so it's a great time to also change up how you’ve been reading the scriptures.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">Pick one of the ideas below to make your personal scripture reading fresh and new. You’ll feast on more than fancy steak or salmon; and you’ll find gratitude for new treasures found in your very own summer scriptural feast.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Forget Chapter Breaks</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The scriptures weren’t originally transcribed with formal verses and chapters. We often forget that, but chapter-by-chapter is usually how we read. While verse and chapter breaks are convenient, sometimes they can get in the way of understanding. One year I read the Book of Mormon differently: each day, I read two pages. After turning a page, I finished the verse or sentence I was on and stopped. When I came to a chapter break mid-page, I kept going, often skipping the chapter headings (which weren't originally part of the scripture text but added for the "new" edition in 1979).</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This method brought the events and storyline of the Book of Mormon into sharper focus. I was more aware of how events and feelings connected to one another, doctrine and events that had previously been mentally separated for me by a big chapter break. I found new insights and understanding.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Study a Word or Theme</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I learned this one from my mother. Select a doctrine or topic you want to learn more about. Start underlining words relating to it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how often the theme comes up, in what ways, and how much you learn about it </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">while</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> you’re looking for it. It'll continue to show up later (perhaps even years later), after you've already marked up your scriptures.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">During a BYU religion class, my teacher got me fascinated with how the scriptures are filled with covenants, temples, and teachings about them. I took that as my topic. With a green marking pen, I underlined every word that, to me, related to covenants or temples. The list began with the obvious </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">covenant, oath, promise, temple,</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> priesthood. </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Soon more words jumped out at me, like </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">house, mountain, anoint, tabernacle, ordinance, </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">and</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> cleanse. </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I paid closer attention to times the Lord makes promises, marking moments when He made promises to his people or when others promised things to the Lord or to one another. I marked key words such as </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">if . . . shall</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, <i>I </i></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">raise my hand, witness, </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">etc.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I'd watched Mom study her scriptures in similar ways with long lists of words. The longer I personally went on this journey, the more words relating to the temple that I found to mark. Seventeen years (and several times through the scriptures) later, I’m </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">still</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> finding new words to add, and I’m continually learning more about this important topic. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Granted, you don’t need to commit to one theme for a decade or two, but picking one or two words to focus on for even a month or more can provide you with a deeper knowledge than you would have had otherwise.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A Footnote Journey</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A single footnote can take a single study session to a new level—and into every standard work. Find an interesting word and look up all the references to it. Then look up the references in </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">those </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">verses, and so on. Eventually, you’ll circle back to the same verse you started with, and by that time, you’ll have a greater understanding of the topic.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Once when reading the account in 3 Nephi where the people hear the Father’s voice and it “pierces” them to the very center, I looked up the footnotes by “pierce.” The scripture trail led me to instances where people are impacted powerfully by the Spirit.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I noticed that whenever the people were righteous, the word used was </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">pierce</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> or something similar, indicating that the message went straight to the center of their hearts. But when the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">wicked</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> felt the Spirit strongly, more painful, violent words associated with it, such as being “cut to the heart” (for example, Mosiah 13:7). In both types of cases, the Spirit is doing the same thing—reaching the heart. But the recipient experienced something different. While the righteous feel the Spirit to their core, the wicked may feel wounded and hurt, for as Nephi said, the wicked “take the truth to be hard” (1 Nephi 16:2). Without reading all of those instances back-to-back in a twenty-minute period, I never would have had that insight.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>Mark Those Footnotes</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As I mentioned (and explained how to do) in <a href="http://bestbooksldsneighborhood.blogspot.com/search/label/%22new%22%20edition">THIS POST</a>, marking the footnotes in the "new" 1979 version of the King James Bible is well worth the time and effort. As I read my scriptures with relevant footnotes already marked for me, I'll catch alternate meanings of words, Joseph Smith Translations that are critical to understanding the text, and more. Read that post for more.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;">It’s time to partake and be filled with the glorious feast of the scriptures. Don’t let them be merely turnips and dirty water that you nibble on while making a face. Instead, fill up on the delicacies and fine wine found within the pages sitting on your night stand.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:medium;"><br /></span></p>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-41342203781643682032010-06-08T18:57:00.000-07:002010-06-08T19:08:50.159-07:0010 Easy Ways Kids Can Go Green<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kids can’t buy energy-saving appliances, wrap their water heater in an insulating blanket, or change the furnace filters. So how can they too be part of the efforts to “go green”?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">They can. Even small children can take steps to save resources; it's worth a try to incorporate some simple ways of teaching children to respect their world. Before you know it, these things will be simply part of your family’s lifestyle. Your children may well rise to the “green” challenge—and even pass off some Cub Scout or Activity Day requirements along the way.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#1: Light Up</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b>Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. The new bulbs cost more, so changing all of lights in your house at once can be intimidating. We've made the change gradually as the old bulbs burn out. It’s been worth it: the newer bulbs last four times longer than regular bulbs but use only a quarter of the energy. Let kids be part of the switch, both in buying them and putting them in the sockets (with parental supervision).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#2: Unplug</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b>Take note of items that are routinely plugged when they aren't actually being used, like a televisions, phone chargers, or electronic games. (In our house, the shredder somehow manages to get turned on at the oddest times.) </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">If a plug is in a socket, it’s draining small amounts of energy even when appliance is turned off. Kids have a knack for noticing small things (and many outlets are closer to their eye level than adults’ anyway), so turn this one into a game: Who can find the most things to unplug every day? Obviously you’ll need some things to stay plugged in (the fridge, clocks, etc.), but you might be surprised at how many chords can be pulled out of the wall, saving nickels and dimes that really add up.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#3: Lights off</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b>Remind kids that power is still being drained (and paid for) when they’ve left the room and left the light on (even if it's a new, energy-saving bulb!). Help kids make a habit of turning off lights as they walk through the house—even if they weren’t the one that turned a light on in the first place.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#4: Close that Door</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b>A lot of energy is wasted through simple actions—or non-actions. Leaving an outside door open a crack lets cold air in during the winter that then has to be heated up again. In the summer, the reverse is true: hot air coming in must use additional energy to be cooled off.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Similarly, warm air inside the fridge ends up using more energy as it's cooled again to keep food fresh. Kids can learn to close the fridge and freezer doors quickly, not spending time deciding what to eat or keeping the door open while they pour a glass of milk.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#5: Turn off the Tap</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b>Here's a fun one: show kids just how much water they waste when letting the faucet run doing something simple. Using a bowl, catch water from the tap while the kids brush their teeth. They may be surprised how much water is literally going down the drain during that short period. Teach them to turn off the tap. This includes taking shorter showers and not filling the bath to the rim.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#6: Recycle</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b>If recycling is available in your area, participate as much as your family can, whether that’s dropping off newspapers and phone books at a collection bin or whether you have curbside recycling. Even a preschooler can learn which can the banana peel goes into and which one is for the empty, cardboard fruit-snacks box.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#7: Use It Up</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b>A generation ago, people made a point of making things last. Today, we’re such a disposable society that it’s easy to throw something away and buy another one without much thought. Encourage your children to take care of their belongings so they’ll last longer.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This applies to all areas, from clothing (avoiding holes and other wear, not washing every item, like jeans, after every single wear—which saves detergent, water, and power) to school supplies (buying backpacks every </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">other</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> year, making sure all the pages in a notebook are used before getting a new one), not losing pencils or pens or constantly breaking crayons.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; ">In addition, older children can learn to sew on buttons, patch holes, make shorts out of holey jeans, and otherwise make their clothing last longer.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#8: Donate</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b>When children have outgrown clothes, toys, and other items, sort through them together. When you explain that those less fortunate can benefit from their old stuff, children are often amazingly generous with their belongings. Recycling goods results in less clutter and less waste in landfills.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#9: Buy Used</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b>You’ll likely need to buy some new items for your children (shoes, socks, etc), but try visiting thrift shops periodically as well. Some thrift stores have a surprisingly good-quality selection at low prices. You spend less money, and your children get to recycle all at the same time.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">One family promised their children brand new clothing if they couldn’t find anything they liked at their local Deseret Industries, but for a couple of years, the kids have opted to get their school clothes second-hand. They’re thrilled at the bigger variety because they're less likely to end up matching someone at school. They've also figured out that because the clothing costs so much less there, each child can get more items for the same money.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">#10: Take a Walk</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b>Children love to be helpers and see what they do as making a visible difference. Take them on a walk around your community, bringing along gloves and garbage sacks, then pick up trash as you go.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Encourage children to keep their world clean and to save resources. You may well benefit financially, but “Going Green” is also a way of thinking we can all learn from as we take care of the home our Heavenly Father created for us.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><br /></p>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-39457548952723002922010-05-05T11:16:00.000-07:002010-05-05T12:14:30.519-07:00A Letter to the Almost Man in My Life<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 17px; font-family:Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;"><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Dear Son,</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You’re my firstborn, my only son, and the only brother your little sisters will ever know.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You entered my life when I was twenty-one—barely a woman myself. As I held you for the first time, I was equal parts terrified and excited to be a mother.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You were three and a half when I first had a glimpse of the man you might become one day. We sat in sacrament meeting as a family of four, with another baby coming soon. I was exhausted, discouraged, and sure that I was muffing up this motherhood thing—what was I thinking having a third child?</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A woman gave a talk about her brother who had left the Church because he no longer believed in God. She repeatedly used her brother’s phrases describing his disbelief. I didn’t think my little Sunbeam was hearing anything of it, but you looked up from your crayon scribbles, leaned in to me, and said with a shake of your head, “Mom, we know there’s a God.”</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Yes, we do,” I said, and pressed my lips together as tears welled in my eyes.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Nearly three years ago, shortly before your ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood, you and I sat on the couch and went over some of the Faith in God goals to prepare you. We discussed what the priesthood is, what it can do, and why a man should be worthy to hold it. Suddenly, you got a somber look on your face, and you said, “This is a big thing I’m doing, isn’t it?”</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It was. And is. But you’ve carried the duty well. During the time you were a deacon, I sat in awe watching you serve, at how seriously you take your responsibilities and your worthiness, your eagerness to do what is right whenever you can. You've been a teacher for nearly a year now, and have kept up your duties well. You strive to become a better person and to grow closer to the Spirit, even if that means going to do baptisms at the temple before school—and waking up at quarter to five in the morning to make it possible. </span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">No one told you to. You just signed up when you had the opportunity.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A little over a year ago, you literally got close to being run over trying to serve. We were driving home on a snow-packed street, and Sister S was stuck in a snow bank one house over. A few young men were helping to push her out. In your eagerness to help, you threw the door open and nearly jumped out of the moving car. I had to call you back so the wheels wouldn’t roll over you. When it was safe to exit, you hurried to help. Five minutes later, you came into the house with rosy cheeks and a grin. You’d helped get Sister S on her way. That is the kind of man I always hoped my son would be.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But the one moment that made it clear to me the kind of man you already are—and the amazing person you will one day surely become—was over Christmas break a year and a half ago. We were visiting grandparents about an hour away from home. While you and Grandpa went to a game, we received word that your aunt was in the hospital for emergency surgery. You and Grandpa left the game to give her a blessing at a hospital in our home town. Then you stayed at our house overnight to avoid driving back on slippery roads so late.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The next day, Sunday, while packing up our things at Grandma’s house, I was unsure whether you’d taken a Christmas gift with you to the game with Grandpa or if I should keep looking for it. I called home to find out, and Grandpa answered. “I think he brought it here with him,” he said.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I asked to talk with you just to be sure.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Oh, he’s not here right now,” Grandpa informed me. “He went to church.”</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I stood there with the phone to my ear, not sure what I’d just heard. “He what?”</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">At the time, we had church at nine o’clock. Like most growing teenagers, if left to your own devices, you’d sleep until ten or eleven.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The ward knew our family was traveling that weekend. No one expected any of us to attend. But you were home, and you knew it was right to go if you could. Grandpa had no Sunday clothes with him, but you did. You got up, put on a white shirt and tie, and passed the sacrament with the other deacons. Then you sat alone in the back of the chapel.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You could have stayed home. Not a soul expected you to do anything different. No one in the ward would have known differently.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But you knew. And you knew God knew. So you lived up to your duty.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thus far, you’ve been a dream of a son to raise. I just know that one day, you’ll be a dream of a husband and a great father. Your wife will know that no matter where the bar is, you’ll be a step or two above it—not because anyone will be watching and judging, although they probably will, but because that’s what you do. It’s who you are. You strive to reach your God-given potential, to fulfill your duty to best of your ability.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You’re not quite fifteen, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re a true man already in the ways that matter most.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Happy Father's Day.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Love, </span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Mom</span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;color:#000000;"></span><p></p>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-19334158501627926382010-04-27T07:15:00.000-07:002010-04-27T14:29:23.553-07:00Learning to Celebrate ME on Mother's Day<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 17px; font-family:Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;"><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As a young girl, I dreaded Mother’s Day.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">At the time, I couldn’t have put why into words. </span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My mother was the sun and the moon to me. Yet each year on Mother’s Day, she sat in the chapel listening to talks about amazing, angel, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">perfect</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> mothers. She inevitably teared up and was miserable.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I spent my time in Primary thinking of ways to make the rest of her day happy. Maybe on the way home from church, I could pick a pretty bouquet of wild flowers. I’d clean up all the dinner dishes. I’d draw her pretty pictures. That would do it, right?</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Now that I’m a mother, I get it. My mom didn’t think she measured up to the mythical idea of the Ideal Mother—the mother that does not and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">has never</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> existed. I’ve spent too many Mother’s Days thinking the same thing.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In his book </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">All Moms Go to Heaven</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, Dean Hughes declares that instead of giving mothers flowers in sacrament meeting, we should give out solid chocolate statues of the mythical Ideal Mother so we can all bite her head off. When I read that, I wanted to fill a stadium with moms and cheer our lungs out. But while I understood the whole “Ideal Mother is a myth” thing in a logical sort of way, it took something else for me to understand it in my heart.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Several years ago for my birthday, my husband and I had plans to get a babysitter and go to a restaurant, maybe even catch a movie—a rare treat. Since the day landed on a Saturday, I planned to spend most of the day resting and having “me” time.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It didn’t turn out as planned.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My youngest, then age two, woke up with croup. The poor thing, usually so energetic, lay on the couch without moving, staring off into the distance. She wanted to be held, didn’t want to eat, and didn’t talk.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I took her to the doctor, where, due to a clerical mix-up, we waited for hours and were the last to leave the off-hours clinic. From there I brought her home, picked up my seven-year-old, and the two of us went to the store for a gift to take to a birthday party, where I dropped her off.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Then I raced to the grocery store for my baby's prescriptions so we could give them to her before her nap, which was already overdue. While waiting for them to be filled, I did last minute Christmas shopping for the kids. Finally, with medications in hand, I hurried home to my little girl, who looked worse than ever.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I gave her doses of three separate medications and tried to coax some food or fluid down. I changed a messy diaper, got the cool mist humidifier set up in her room, held her close, and finally got her down for a much-needed nap.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Clearly, date night wouldn’t be happening.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">At the end of the day—after reading a Christmas story to the three older children and babying my sick little toddler who simply didn’t want to leave our bed—my husband and I settled down.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I collapsed on my pillow—wearing my new birthday pajamas—and my husband said, “Sorry your birthday wasn’t a very good one.”</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But in a sudden moment of clarity, I knew he was wrong. As I reviewed the day, I realized that this birthday held more meaning to me than any other. Birthdays are usually a selfish twenty-four hour fun fest.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This one was different. I had moments when my little girl wanted no one but </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">me</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> because only </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> could make her feel better.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> took care of her in ways she didn’t fully understand, like giving her medicine and running the humidifier, but which made a difference nonetheless.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> spent time one-on-one with my oldest daughter, who thrives on individual attention. The time wasn’t long—maybe only half an hour—but we had fun walking through the store aisles hand in hand, choosing the perfect birthday present for her friend.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Even something as simple as shopping for stocking stuffers brought me joy as </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> selected items I knew would be meaningful for each of my four children.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For bedtime, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> read special Christmas stories for my kids and tucked them into bed with hugs and kisses. Each of my children knew I loved them and cared for them unlike anyone else in the world.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After family prayer that night, they'd all given me huge hugs, nearly bowling me over. And I held onto them tight, knowing that they are my greatest treasures, and that in some way, I really was making a difference in their young lives.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So at the end of that ragged day, I had the realization that my life mattered—and that because I was born on that day many years ago, four little people were now benefiting from my life. My birth really was something to celebrate.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It wasn’t as if I was making huge waves in the world, creating social change or solving world hunger. But under my roof, under my watchful eye, my children had a mother who loved them dearly and who loved caring for them every day.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ever since then, whether it’s a birthday or Mother’s Day, I make a conscious decision to make the day special.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Of course I am not even almost the mythical Ideal Mother. I usually have dirty dishes in the sink. More than once we’ve run out of clean underwear.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But I am worth the celebration. My children love me. I love them. I am their mother. I’m doing my very best to raise them in the Gospel.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And on Mother’s Day, I make a point to let my children celebrate that fact, finding happiness right along with me.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Only one rule: No tears allowed, unless they’re tears of joy.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 11px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 11px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p></span>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-53515642160711908212010-03-29T21:26:00.000-07:002010-03-30T08:13:39.421-07:00Book of Mormon MarathonOur family visited grandparents the first weekend of January.<div><br /></div><div>That's my excuse for not knowing about our bishop's "Book of Mormon Iron Man" earlier. By the time I learned that he'd challenged every ward member to read the entire Book of Mormon before spring general conference, I figured we'd lost too much daylight to make it happen.<div><br /></div><div>Oh, maybe<i> I</i> could swing it as an adult if I buckled down and hurried. But my four kids (ranging in age from 7 - 14)? No way. Did I start my personal Book of Mormon Iron Man? Hate to say it, but, um, no.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mid-February, my husband had an idea that was both shocking and totally amazing:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What if the family had a Book of Mormon read-a-thon over President's Day weekend?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>My gut reaction was, <i>Wow. Neat idea,</i> followed quickly by a mental snort, <i>Yeah, right</i>,<i> </i> and finally, <i>Hey, why not? We should totally try it!</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>So we did.</div><div><br /></div><div>The kids jumped on board right away. The only person in the family who wouldn't read the entire 531 pages would be our first grader. She'd get to read the illustrated version and count that.</div><div><br /></div><div>We sat around the dinner table and discussed what food to have around the house . . . because Mom wouldn't be stopping to cook regular meals . . . and fun snack food is, well, <i>fun</i> for something like this.</div><div><br /></div><div>We went shopping for the big weekend. We bought a take-home pizza to bake for Sunday dinner. We cleared our schedules as best we could.</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday night after dinner, we began. That would be just a brief taste of what was to come: about two hours of straight reading before bed. </div><div><br /></div><div>The next day, Saturday, we started bright and early after an easy breakfast. You could find the six of us scattered throughout the house: my son draped across this couch, a daughter curled on a bed, my husband in his home office. All of us reading sacred scripture. A few scheduling things we couldn't clear got in the way of making a solid day of it, but we made good progress.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday, aside from going to church, we did pretty much nothing but read. (I think the older kids might have even sneaked in some chapters during sacrament meeting). By the end of the day, we weren't quite as far as we needed to be, but we'd made a lot of progress. </div><div><br /></div><div>Monday was the last day of our long weekend. All of us (except for the first grader, who was beating us with her illustrated version) had almost half of the book left.</div><div><br /></div><div>Could we all finish in just one more day?</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know that most of us even bothered getting dressed; we read and read and read. But somewhere around 9:00 pm, everyone was DONE.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheering and celebration followed. The sense of accomplishment on each of my children's faces was priceless. </div><div><br /></div><div>I personally learned a lot through the experience, finding connections and having themes jump out at me in a way they never had before, because I was reading the entire thing so quickly and could make the connection between what I read yesterday to what I was reading now. </div><div><br /></div><div>We discussed the marathon with the entire family. My husband expressed a similar experience to mine: he noticed many things he hadn't before, largely because he covered so much material in such a short space.</div><div><br /></div><div>The kids obtained a fantastic overview of the people and history of the Book of Mormon. One said that reading it so fast was almost like reading a novel; she finally "got" the story and understood often-quoted scriptures better because now she had a context they fit into.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every Sunday between the marathon and general conference, the bishopric member conducting sacrament meeting reminded the ward where they should be in the Book of Mormon if they were to finish the "Iron Man" in time. Every week, my kids grinned because they were already <i>done.</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>A few tips for doing your own Book of Mormon marathon:</div><div><ul><li>Carve out a large chunk of time. Three days plus two hours on Friday was cutting it close. If we could have started even a couple of extra hours earlier (have an entire half day Friday), we wouldn't have been squeezed for time at the end.</li><li>Meals and snacks. It was amazing how much more we could get done when food was at our fingertips. Blood sugar drops, and sometimes all we needed just a bowl of grapes or a cookie to keep going.</li><li>Schedule a few breaks. Time them so you can get back to work, and decide in advance what you'll do during them. For example, one break on Saturday consisted of the family playing Dance, Dance Revolution together, which got our blood pumping, took our minds off tiny text, and was additional bonding time. Sunday we took a break to eat dinner (pizza baked in the oven). We ate that meal together and talked about our reading.</li><li>To help keep your mind from wandering, consider listening to the Book of Mormon <i>while</i> you read. This does take longer, because most people can read quite a bit faster than a book is read aloud, but it's a great way to keep your mind connected to what you're reading for hours and hours.</li><li>An additional benefit to listening <i>and </i>reading: Two family members said that this method helped them retain more as well. Hearing <i>and </i>reading simultaneously cemented the passages in their mind better than either alone. </li><li>Note that you can speed up the MP3 recording. At one point, we had some family members listening to it at nearly 2X speed. That sounds fast at first, but you get used to it. It's still quite a bit slower than you can read silently but speeding it up makes for a quicker read than the regular voice, and it's still understandable.</li><li>To make the event feel more like a family activity, do what we did: read 1 Nephi 1 and Moroni 10 aloud together, making sure every single person gets a chance to read a few verses. That let us officially start <i>and </i>end the Book of Mormon as a family. </li></ul><div><br /></div><div>Our Book of Mormon marathon was an amazing, bonding, and testimony-building experience for our entire family.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>And get this: </b></div><div><b>The kids loved our Book of Mormon marathon so much that <i>they want to make the marathon an annual event.</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>Just a sneaking suspicion, but I'm thinking we just landed on a new family tradition.</div><div><br /></div></div></div>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-29654320534693962482010-03-01T07:17:00.000-08:002010-03-25T12:20:40.460-07:00The Real Message of Easter<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I stood inside a huge cathedral in </span></span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Jerusalem</span></span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> that, by a large number of Christians, is revered to be built over the burial place of the Savior of the world. The wing I stood in felt like a vast, empty cavern with arched ceilings. It was built of cold, gray stone. The light was dim, and the room felt cool, making goosebumps stand up on my arms.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Before me was what looked like a small, elaborate building, covered with gilded decorations. A low arch marked the opening, where a line of people waited for their turn to go inside and see the stone slab where so many believed the body of Jesus Christ had been placed after His death. A somber priest with a tall, black hat and robe and black beard to match, manned the traffic going into the shrine.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When my turn came, I quietly ducked under the low entryway and stepped inside the tiny room. In front of me, an elderly woman, fingers gnarled with age, knelt beside the stone slab. She wept as she prayed to the hunk of limestone, above which were hung icons representing Christ. She kissed her fingers and touched the tips to the tomb.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And I stood there, feeling . . . nothing.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I could not fault the woman for her genuine devotion, but I couldn’t feel the same thing. The light, the peace and warmth, I knew from the Spirit and from my experiences in the temple weren’t here. Instead, the tight space felt almost claustrophobic.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I left the small enclosure feeling heavy and dark, wanting to warm up in the bright summer sun waiting outside the doors.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It wasn’t until my visit a few days later to a different place dubbed “The Garden Tomb,” that I realized why I had felt so heavy and empty before. We walked along the meandering path that led to the tomb. Sunlight filtered through tree branches, casting dancing shadows across the beautifully landscaped grounds.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">When we reached the carved-out cave, we were allowed to step inside. It had similar slabs for the dead as the other, gaudy, tomb had. This time, no one knelt or kissed the stone. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As before, I didn’t feel an overwhelming sense of peace or confirmation that this was, in fact, the correct burial place of the Redeemer.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After everyone had taken their turn inside, we gathered in a semicircle nearby, and our tour guide pointed to a sign hanging on the door of the Garden Tomb: “He is not here: for he is risen” (Matthew 28:6)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And suddenly, I understood.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The strange sensation of heaviness had come before because the woman was praying to a place where her god didn't belong. He wasn't there.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Whether either of the tombs I visited is the “real” one doesn’t matter. The entire point of Christ’s life, death, and the Resurrection is that wherever His original tomb resides, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">it’s empty now.</span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></i></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is the glorious message of Easter, of the Resurrection. This is the joy and the triumph.</span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></i></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">He is not here: for He is risen.</span></span></span></b></i></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><br /></i></span></i></p>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-46702543826479991582010-02-03T14:18:00.000-08:002010-02-19T08:47:01.264-08:00Beyond the Wedding: What about the Marriage?<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I planned for my wedding day with the utmost care to every detail. After all, like many young girls, I’d dreamt of that day for years. I was all of ten when I began designing my wedding dress—a gown my mother sewed with silk-covered buttons, a lace bodice, and a skirt Cinderella herself would have envied. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The cake was gorgeous, with shiny, ribbon-like bows of hard taffy encircling each layer. Even my husband-to-be approved of the cake, since it was chocolate inside (although convincing me to pick that flavor didn’t take much on his part). The deep red I chose as the main wedding color proved to be elegant next to the white of my gown and the black tuxedos. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Like so many brides with stars in their eyes, I was young and naïve. While my husband and I are now preparing to celebrate sixteen years since the day we knelt across the altar, I think back and wonder if we could have gotten a better start if we had prepared for our </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">marriage</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> as much as we prepared for the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">wedding—</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">because while the wedding day is certainly important and memorable, it’s just the first day of the rest of a bride and groom’s journey together.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">What really matters is the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">time and all</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">eternity</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> that follows. Any time two people join together to form a new unit, there will be some level of change, compromise, and even, at times, unease. If there is </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">never</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> any kind disagreement (not necessarily a fight, but if there’s never a difference of opinion, then one party is dominating the other, and that, too, is unhealthy).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">When preparing for marriage, an engaged couple might do well to consider sitting down together and going over some basic questions regarding expectations. Use the list below as a jumping off point. Know that it’s not an exhaustive list, just a place to kick-start the process and give you ideas of the types of things that might be important to you and might need discussing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Remember: what one person sees as the “obvious” or “normal” way of doing things maybe totally foreign to the other. You’re both coming from different worlds, both of which seem perfectly natural . . . to </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">you. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">One of you may assume that a certain spouse will take care of the finances, another childcare. That household duties will be split a certain way. That holiday traditions will go like </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">this</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> or be spent at specific in-laws’ houses, and so on. Meanwhile, the other person will have completely different ideas. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Discussing such issues </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">before</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> marriage will prevent many surprises and help both sides work out compromises beforehand, instead of ending up with argument and hurt feelings when expectations are suddenly dashed months—or even years—into the marriage. Granted, there will be surprises and compromise; you can’t anticipate every possible unknown going in. But trying to be prepared for the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">marriage</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> as well as the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">wedding</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> can help.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Consider:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in"></p><ul><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Who will be responsible for housework? Will it be split up? If so, how?</span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">How will we budget? Who will pay the bills and balance the checkbook (or will we do them together)? When?</span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What is each of our philosophies about debt? Will either partner be bringing previous debt into the marriage? What do we think is okay to go into debt for? What is each of our strategies for paying off debt versus putting aside money into savings?</span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Will Mom stay home from work after we have children? What about after the children go to school? How involved will Dad be when he is home? (Define “involved” as best as you can. Does it mean changing diapers? Coaching soccer? Reading books? Singing lullabies?)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">How often will we have “dates”? What will we do on them and how much will they cost?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What about travel as a couple? Travel as a family? How often? What kinds of trips and how expensive is okay? How do we pay for them?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What can we spend on gifts for one another for special occasions? Do some occasions warrant bigger gifts than others (birthdays and Christmas versus Valentines, for example)? What is our budget for each?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">How many children will we have? How close together/far apart? Is this something we can negotiate?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">How will we split the holidays between our families? Will we reach a point of having some holidays with just our family? How will we make that transition?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Where will we live? Are there places either of us refuse to live? Are there places one of us is eager to stay or move to?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What educational plans does each of us have? Does either of us want to get more education now or later? How will it be paid for? What are our goals?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">How often will we plan to attend the temple? (This may largely depend on where you live.)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">How important to us and how regularly will we have things like individual/personal/family scripture study and prayer? When we have older children, will we have early morning scripture study?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">How will we discipline our children?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What are our expectations for our children? (Grades, Scouting, Young Women Recognition, employment, driver’s licenses, missions, college, extra-curricular, etc.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ul><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 32px; font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 32px; font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The list could go on and on, and some of the answers may even change over time as the marriage progresses. As engaged couples discuss these types of issues, not every point needs to be brought up in one sitting, and many questions may not have clear answers yet. That’s fine; at least the list can get you thinking about the topics and establish a pattern for communication. For that matter, discussing one at a time might be wise so you can really get into the other’s way of seeing things, try to understand them, and find ways to blend two worldviews into one new—united—life.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">While I’d never tell a bride to ignore her bouquet, the bridesmaids’ dresses, or any other part of the big day, I’d also remind her that while yes, the day circled on the calendar is an end—it's just the end of her life walking the path alone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But it also marks the</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> beginning</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> of a brand new journey—one she’ll take in tandem with her eternal companion.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-7323143515280862482010-01-05T17:21:00.000-08:002010-01-05T18:20:17.129-08:00Building a Great Book ClubHow can you make sure your book club is a great one? I've been part of groups that were nothing more than chat sessions. Others have chosen books that don't lend themselves well to discussion or have a narrow appeal. And others have been fantastic experiences.<br /><br />Below are ten tips for giving your book club the best chance it's got for being great, as well as a list of possible titles to get you started.<br /><br /><strong>1. Have a regular meeting time.</strong><br />For example, always meet on the third Wednesday of each month. This way members can schedule ahead and put it into their calendars, and there aren't any surprises. You'll have better attendance this way.<br /><br /><strong>2. Stay Connected with E-mail.</strong><br />Compile your group members' e-mail addresses. Have your group leader send out reminders and updates to everyone. You can also set up a Yahoo!-type group where book club members can ask one another questions about the reading, ask for copies of the book to borrow, and so on.<br /><br />E-mail also allows members to RSVP, which is very helpful for the hostess in knowing how many to prepare for. And of course, in the event of a cancellation or meeting time change, everyone can be informed with a mouse click.<br /><br /><strong>3. Avoid the Holiday Rush.</strong><br />To avoid the craziness that Thanksgiving and Christmas time bring, instead of a regular meeting in December, hold a Saturday brunch early in the month. And instead of expecting everyone to get a book read (again, something hard to do sometimes with the rush), have members bring a book to give away in the classic "White Elephant" game.<br /><br />My book group has done this for years, and this last December, the leader added a twist: bring two or three books you already own but are willing to give away. It was a great way to recycle, save money, and still have fun.<br /><br /><strong>4. Plan ahead.</strong><br />Making sure you have a title and host home for each month well in advance. Some book clubs enjoy pre-selecting titles for the full year. Others make selections a month or two in advance.<br /><br />You could even hold an annual meeting to select the year's titles, with all members coming with several titles to suggest, with a vote at the end of the night.<br /><br /><strong>5. Assign a Hostess and Discussion Leader Each Month.</strong><br />While they can be the same person, sometimes it's easier to break up the responsibilities and not burden one person too much.<br /><br /><strong>6. Choose What Someone Has Read</strong><br />First and foremost, be sure that any book suggested for the group is one that the person recommending it has <em>already </em>read. Many times readers will hear great things about a book, only to read it later and discover it wasn't what they expected. Book groups read only a few titles every year; they don't have the luxury of reading bad books.<br /><br />This is particularly important if the title is from a national press and the contents may or may not be questionable. It's easy to get halfway into a book and realize it's not appropriate for the book club. Other times, the book just isn't as good as you expected.<br /><br /><strong>6. The Discussion Leader's Job</strong><br />This job shouldn't be scary. The discussion leader simply brings information about the author and the book to share with the group. She also provides questions to pose if the discussion needs a kick start or mid-meeting boost.<br /><br />The discussion leader can also help keep everyone on track so you actually discuss the book—it's easy sometimes to get into chitchat and forget why you're there.<br /><br /><strong>7. Serve Food.</strong><br />While refreshments are certainly not necessary, simple treats are a fun way to end the evening, especially if they're tied to the book or author in some way.<br /><br /><strong>8. Ask the Author.</strong><br />Many authors are very willing to answer book club questions in advance, call a book club and participate over the phone or via web cam, or even attend a book club in person. Check their website to see if it's a possibility for the book you chose. You might even find discussion questions on their website.<br /><br /><strong>9. Go for Variety.</strong><br />Instead of reading just one type of book, such as doctrinal works, non-fiction, romances, or whatever your group tends to gravitate toward, try something new. Throw in a classic, a young adult novel, a fantasy, a mystery, or a self-help book. Some groups refuse to read LDS fiction or refuse to read anything <em>but </em>LDS fiction. Both ways of going about book clubs tend to run the group <span id="google-navclient-highlight">into</span> a rut. Find fresh territory by breathing some life into your group with a new kind of book.<br /><br />On the other hand, finding variety can be a challenge when a book group is sponsored by a ward Relief Society, because in that case the books need to stay closer to gospel standards than in a book group that doesn't have church-approved stamp on it and can't risk offending anyone. (A tall order, since each reader's level of tolerance is totally different.)<br /><br />If your group is interested in LDS fiction, a good place to look for quality LDS novels is the finalists and winners pages for the Whitney Awards, which recognize the best fiction written by LDS writers each year. Find the finalists from 2007 <a href="http://www.whitneyawards.com/finalists.html">here</a> and the 2008 finalists <a href="http://www.whitneyawards.com/2008finalists.html">here</a>. The 2009 finalists will be announced early February 2010, and the winners will be awarded in April.<br /><br /><strong>Below is a list of newer novels by LDS writers that provide great fodder for book group discussions:</strong><br /><ul><li><em>Bound on Earth,</em> by Angela Hallstrom. A group of connected short stories about an LDS family, complete with individual imperfections as they strive to live the gospel. (2008 Whitney winner for Best Novel by a New Author.)</li><li><em>Her Good Name,</em> by Josi S. Kilpack, 2007 Whitney Award winner. A gripping story about identity theft. Particularly timely in today's world.</li><li><em>Abinadi</em> and <i>Alma, </i>by 2-time Whitney Award winner, H. B. Moore. The author takes the Book of Mormon stories we all know and brings them to life in a fresh way. In the former, she asks: What if Abinadi wasn't the old man we're used to seeing in Frieberg's painting? What if he was a young husband with child? In the latter, we see Alma growing into his role as a prophet and leader of his people.</li><li><em>In a Dry Land, </em>by Elizabeth Petty Bentley. Another book with themes and challenges that are real and yet true to the gospel. There are no easy answers here. Fascinating story.</li><li><em>Master,</em> by Toni Sorensen. A beautiful fictional look at the Savior's life, told through the eyes of a fictional childhood friend of Christ. (2008 Whitney finalist for Best Historical.)</li><li><em>My Not-So-Fairy-Tale Life,</em> by Julie Wright. A great launching point for discussing sin, repentance, and the power of Atonement along with the issues surrounding adoption.</li><li><em>Waiting for the Light to Change, </em>by Annette Haws. Great for discussing the complexities of family relationships, the angst of high school, and how every person's actions can affect the future in ways you cannot predict. (2008 Whitney Award winner for Best General Novel.)</li><li><em>Traitor, </em>by Sandra Gray. A different look at World War II with fascinating characters and an intriguing premise: What if a German fell in love with an American spy. More importantly, can you be both Nazi and a faithful Mormon? This novel took the Whitney for Best Novel in 2008.</li><li><i>The Reckoning,</i> by Tanya Parker Mills. This self-published book was a 2008 Whitney Award finalist in several categories, and it definitely deserved the honor. The novel is a fascinating look inside the life of an American woman who lived in Iraq as a child . . . and taken prisoner as an adult. This one is full of book club discussion fodder.</li><li><i>All the Stars in Heaven,</i> by 2007 Whitney winner in the Romance category, Michele Paige Holmes.<i> </i>This is a refreshing LDS novel in that while it has some LDS characters, they are minor ones, and the main characters are not LDS and don't convert. It's a suspenseful romance that centers on real issues that have real-life application and that should be discussed, primarily the dangers of drug use. </li><li><i>Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,</i> by Jaime Ford. This New York <i>Times</i> best-selling novel is written by an LDS American man of Chinese descent. The story is seamlessly told between World War II and the 1980s, two time lines that impact Harry, a Chinese American whose best friend, a Japanese American girl, Keiko, was taken away with her family and relocated in an interment camp. A fascinating, poignant, and heartbreaking read. Lots of great themes and topics to discuss here.</li><li><i>When Hearts Conjoin,</i> by Erin Herrin and Lu Ann Brobst Staheli. This memoir is about the famous conjoined Herrin twins and their amazing separation surgery. But it's about more than that; the book also goes into the mother's story: how she met and married their father, their marital troubles, their decision to keep the babies after they learned that they were conjoined, and so much more. This is a relatively short book, and once you open it, chances are, you won't put it down until you're done.</li></ul><p>Handled well, book groups can be great literary experiences where long-time friends are made.</p><p>Good luck! </p><p>Return to the <a href="http://ldsneighborhood.com/">Neighborhood</a>.</p>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-57029283560006982312009-11-16T09:56:00.000-08:002009-11-16T11:54:24.179-08:00Great Christmas Reads<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It's that time of year: the snow is falling, the air is crisp, and the temptation increases to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and a great book. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As the years have gone by, our family has collected several Christmas picture books that we have made it a tradition to read the days leading up to Christmas. A novel or two has managed to sneak into the pile, as well as a few others, and this year, I'm adding yet more books to the stack.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It's no secret that books play a big role in my life and that I try to instill that love into my children any way I can. Reasons abound, but some of them include that how important not only reading and writing will be to them as they grow up, but so will understanding the world around them, expanding their imaginations, learning to be compassionate individuals, and so much more, all of which can be learned through reading.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Trying to make them great readers hasn't been easy all the time, but gradually, they've all come to love books. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">One thing we've done is develop a tradition in our home for Christmas, one our children look forward to each year. On Christmas Eve, each child gets two gifts from Mom and Dad: a new pair of pajamas </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">and a book.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(I must say, books are getting cheaper as they age; paperback novels cost so much less than hardback picture books!) Some years the kids get surprised by their Christmas books, while other years, they beg and plead for a specific book for Christmas.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I love that they care as much about </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">a book</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> as they do about anything they ask Santa for, that Christmas morning, they're just as likely to be hanging out in their new pajamas curled up with that new book as they are to be playing with their new toys.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Score one for literacy.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This holiday season, whether you're trying to find just the right gift for a friend or family </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">member (a book, a book!), trying to find another good novel to read to the kids, or something that the little ones will enjoy by the light of the twinkling lights of the tree, give some of the holiday titles below a shot.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">They all have my stamp of approval.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Crippled Lamb</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, by Max Lucado</span></span><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51p7KzuMvFL._SL160_AA115_.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 115px;" border="0" alt="" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This sweet story is about a lamb who can't go on a trip with the rest of the flock because of his deformed leg. His best friend, a cow, has always said that God knew him and that he was special, but on that night, the lamb is particularly sad because he's left behind. And then a man and woman arrive, and a baby is born and is cold because it has no clothing. While the man goes to find something to wrap the child in, the lamb has the honor of warming the Savior of the world. It's a sweet, touching story, and a reminder that while we're all weak and crippled in our own</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">way, God can still find a powerful use for us all.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Mooseltoe, </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">by Margie Palatini, illustrated by Henry Cole</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A silly Christmas story about a father moose with a giant mustache who does everything to make the holiday </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">perfect </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> . . . but in the process, forgets to buy a tree. When he finally goes to get</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">one, they're all sold out. In the end, the children decorate </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">him.</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Tale of T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">hree Trees,</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Angela Elwell Hunt and Tim Jonke</span></span></span></i></span><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51aZk7bUrOL._SL160_AA115_.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 115px;" border="0" alt="" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Here's one story that's just as appropriate for Easter as it is for Christmas, because it focuses not just on the birth of Christ, but on His entire life and mission. The three trees each get to </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">be a present and part of his life at significant locations and moments: the manger, the boat, the cross.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Gift of the Magi,</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> by O. Henry</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A classic tale of selflessness told by the master, one that's been retold dozens of times. Find one that has good illustrations to do the story justice.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Best Christmas Pageant Ever</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, by Barbara Robinson</span></span><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Kk33Kim9L._SL160_AA115_.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 115px;" border="0" alt="" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I loved, loved, loved reading this classic to my kids again when they were finally old enough to sit still and listen. We read a chapter or two a night to get through it so they wouldn't squirm. I laughed. I cried. I hope they understood it. If they didn't last time, they'll get another chance this year.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Forgotten Carols, by Michael McClean</span></i></span><img src="http://deseretbook.com/images/product-images/59/295/Forgotten_Carols_CD_Original-small_res.jpg?1254344621" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 175px; height: 174px;" border="0" alt="" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The year my husband and I got engaged, we spent a night reading this book and listening to each carol and we came to it. As our kids came along, we kept the tradition going, but eventually it would take a good week to get it, since little people have a hard time sitting that long. While it was a great experience, we finally broke down one year and decided to get the DVD to watch for Family Home Evening. The kids </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">loved</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> it. I still recommend the book and CD way of doing it, but for families, the DVD is a great shortcut. Michael McClean performs the main role of John himself, and his two sons are also major parts of the show.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Santa Maybe,</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> by Aubrey Mace</span></span><img src="http://cedarfort.com/images/username/product/santa-maybe_2x3[2].jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 162px; height: 230px;" border="0" alt="" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">New this year (and newly read by me!), this novel is a sweet, funny read for any hopeless romantic out there. Abbie is 30, single, and insists she's happy being that way. But one Christmas Eve she admits to herself that she is lonely, that she'd like more to her life than what she had. In a private (and, to herself, rather silly) moment writes a little letter and leave it by the tree for Santa asking for a husband. "I'll take good care of him," she promises. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the middle of the night, she's woken up by a thump coming from her living room, where she finds a man lying under her tree with pajamas, some money . . . and no memory.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">All Is Bright</span></i></span><img src="http://deseretbook.com/images/product-images/82/71028/All_Is_Bright_product.jpg?1254154314" border="0" alt="" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 283px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This brand new collection of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">true</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Christmas stories was recently published by Covenant in time for the 2009 Christmas season. It features stories by Anita Stansfield, Annette Lyon (that's me!), H. B. Moore, Gregg Luke, Kristen McKendry, Lynn Jaynes, Matthew Buckley, and Julie Wright. Many of the stories are downright heart-warming. It's only $4.95 at </span><a href="http://deseretbook.com/item/5030489/All_Is_Bright_A_Collection_of_True_Christmas_Stories"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Deseret Book</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Stolen Christmas: Stories of the Season</span></i></span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This book features the winners of a Christmas short story contest. The book is titled after the winning entry, which was written by one of my favorite writers. "Stolen Christmas" is by </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/sarahmeden.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Sarah M. Eden</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, who was a </span><a href="http://www.whitneyawards.com/2008finalists.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Whitney Award finalist</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> in the Romance category in 2008 and whose next book will be out with Covenant next summer. Many other great writers' stories are featured in the book, which costs only $7.99 plus shipping. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://ww12.aitsafe.com/cf/add.cfm?userid=E4134873&product=Stolen%20Christmas%20MEDIA%20MAIL&price=10.99&return=http://ldspublisher.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Buy it HERE</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">.</span></span></span></span></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyI0G_MGaNZSJK60K4MUU4sTgFGCovqdyeUNGlyDuuiuXnMr8VlRcstXHep1ywI6MmmbYKer-YSL1rputWQOJuPjDHZOUhm6ed5yjfrz7qbbRCY03DHVLXCTQuGI9UJXRSvFvVKewoUB8/s1600/StolenChristmas_250.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 374px;" border="0" alt="" /></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><br /></i></span></div>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-9846895932825933882009-07-28T12:25:00.001-07:002009-07-28T13:18:26.015-07:00Kids and Chores: The Constant BattleAs parents, we know it’s important to teach our children the value of work. But even after teaching them to do the job, there’s the tricky bit of getting them to actually do it—without the nagging, without the whining, and without the punishments or anything else negative attached. It's exhausting and enough to make a parent want to give up.<br /><br />Don't give up. Instead, give some the tips below a try. No method will work all the time for all children, but that’s okay. I’ve found that shaking things up a bit from time to time can keep them willing to work, or at least be more willing to get it down <i>now</i> rather than put it off.<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Even Little Ones Can Work</b><br />When my youngest was a preschooler, she certainly couldn't mop a floor or mow the lawn like her older siblings. But she was still part of the family, and as such, I needed to find chores for her to do. While it was awfully tempting to do them myself—I knew I can do just about anything better and faster than she could—it was important that she, too, contributed to the family and felt part of the dynamic.<br /><br />So instead of lumping entire rooms into a single chore, I split them up by difficulty. In the bathroom, a toddler can change towels, empty the trash, and maybe even clean the mirror, while an older sibling can scrub the shower, the toilet, and the floor. When all the kids are older, I'll probably lump the rooms together, but until their skill levels are equal, we'll keep it this way.<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Daily Chores</b><br />In addition to having big Saturday chores lists, each child has an assigned a daily chore. These vary by age and ability, and they rotate every six months. Daily chores could include things like taking out the garbage and recycling, emptying the dishwasher, picking up the family room or living room, or sweeping the kitchen. The littlest one gets a daily chore as well, even if it’s a small one. No one is allowed to play with friends unless they've done their daily chore.<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Checklists </b><br />Children often need a way to visibly see their progress so they can keep going without getting discouraged. To help, I create checklists for each child on Saturday morning, complete with a box next to each chore they get to mark when it’s done. When our children were too young to read, we’d draw a picture representing each job, such as a rectangle and a rag to represent washing a mirror.<br /><br />My kids love toting their lists around the house and making nice, big red X’s in each box as they go. It keeps them motivated and on track.<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">The Mystery Chore Method</b><br />During summers, when chores seem more boring than watching grass grow—and the kids are itching to get outside and play in that grass—we sometimes do things the “mystery” chore way. On slips of paper (or even better, on card stock), write down all the chores that need to be done to get the house clean over a 1- or 2-week period. Label two envelopes, one as “To Do” and the other, “Done.”<br /><br />Each weekday, the children draw out a certain number of slips. As each chore is complete, the slips go into the “Done” envelope. By the time the “To Do” envelope is empty, the house has gotten one thorough cleaning. Dump the slips back into the “To Do” envelope and start over.<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">A Little Guidance</b><br />When one of my girls was quite young, I sent her off to clean her room. Half an hour later, it didn’t look any better. Near tears, she said, “Mom, it’s too hard. I can’t do it.”<br /><br />She was fully capable of making her bed, cleaning up her toys, and putting her dirty clothes away. But the scope of the job intimidated her; she couldn’t figure out where to start. Instead of cleaning for her, I went to her room and gave directions. “Put those four books on the shelf. Good. Now pick up those Barbies and put them away.” When I broke the job down into manageable bits, she kept on track and got the job done—and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">I</i> didn’t do it for her.<br /><br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Games</b><br />Younger children especially need motivation, and that’s where getting creative can help. A few ideas we’ve tried:<br /><ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in">Give each child a small plastic cup. You keep the cups—plus a bag of chocolate chips or other small treat—nearby. When given a signal, the kids race around the dirty room, picking up messes, including garbage and small toys. Each time they reach 10 items cleaned (or another predetermined number), they get a chocolate chip into their cup. It's amazing how fast they move just to see their cup fill. (The next time, up the number required to earn the treat!)<br /></li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in">Identify one area that needs cleaning. Set a timer for five or ten minutes, promising that after it goes off, they can be done. Then see how much everyone can do in that short period. Knowing the end is near can be liberating for children. Clean yourself during the countdown; kids work faster when you’re at their side.</li><br /><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in">Using sticky notes, write down all the chores that need to be done today, one note per chore. Then stick them all over a door or wall. Each child must to do a certain number of chores (say 4 or 5), but gets to pick only one at a time. As soon as they complete one, they can claim their second by choosing another off the wall. Kids are motivated by knowing that if they hurry, they’ll get the chores they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">want</i> to do.</li> </ul><br />Combining chores and kids sometimes feel like oil and water, but for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">their</i> sake, it’s important that you keep at it and teach them to work. Use some of these ideas—and then come up with more of your own.<br /><br /><br />One day, they just might thank you.Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-66159982881514816442009-07-01T08:37:00.000-07:002009-07-01T08:43:35.039-07:00Toddler Testimony<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in;line-height:normal">I was what felt like fifteen months pregnant with my third child. I also had a toddler of about three and a half, plus a two-year-old. Hormones raged through my bloodstream, my back hurt, I could hardly walk, and I had a pregnancy-induced migraine.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in;line-height:normal">But even without all that, the day would have been ugly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in;line-height:normal">My husband was gone all that Sunday morning at church meetings. The kids fought and screamed and threw tantrums. My cute little two-year-old decided she was mad at me—likely for something along the lines of not letting her beat up her older brother again—and in retaliation, smugly left puddles of pee all over the house.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in;line-height:normal">She was potty trained by this point but knew exactly how to push Mommy’s buttons.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in;line-height:normal"><o:p>The house was a wreck, the kids wouldn’t listen to me, and I was holding down the fort alone. How in the world could I be expected to get the crew ready for church? Why should I bother getting them ready for church, when I was such an obvious failure as a mother?</o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in;line-height:normal">I collapsed on one of the bottom stairs next to the kitchen and burst into tears. I had two kids I was already failing at raising, and a third ready to pop out. What was I thinking?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in;line-height:normal">The future looked bleak. From here on out, things could only get worse.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 0in;line-height:normal">I needed some sign that the choices I had made were good and right, and that I wasn’t crazy for wanting to be a mother. That I wasn’t a total failure of a mother. That these little people I had been given charge of wouldn’t regret having me to be the one to nurture them. I was teary-eyed as I cleaned up the messes on the carpet and wrestled with the kids and my abundant self to get us ready for church.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><o:p>When we arrived, the family filed into a pew and sat down. I’ll never forget the opening hymn: “Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth.”</o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><i>Someone is mocking me,</i> I thought, unable to sing as my throat constricted and tears blurred the words in the hymnal. "Home" and "heaven" didn’t belong in the same breath, as far as I was concerned.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal">As the meeting went on, I gave my almost four-year-old son some crayons and paper to doodle on to keep him happy and quiet—a Herculean expectation for a rambunctious little person.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal">Near the end of the meeting, a woman spoke. I don’t remember much about her talk besides how she bemoaned that her brother had lost his faith in God and now challenged hers. She quoted him repeatedly saying, “How can there be a God if . . .”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal">After she said this phrase several times, my little guy popped his head up from his artwork and leaned toward me. With a shake of his head, he let out a scoff, then whispered, “Mom, <i>we </i>know there’s a God.” With another sad little shake of his head, he returned to his crayons.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal">I sat there, an unexpected joy shooting through me that was so strong it was almost painful.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal">Who cared if he never put his breakfast dishes away as he’d been taught to for months?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal">Who cared if his sister kept making puddles out of revenge?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal">The most important thing I could possibly pass on to my children was a belief in a loving God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal">Somehow, I’d given that to my little boy.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal">A single thought came to mind, and this time I believed it: </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><i>You’re doing fine.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal">I wrapped my arm around his little shoulders and kissed the top of his head. “That’s right,” I whispered back. “We know there’s a God.”</p>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-68767371303846966802009-06-16T08:00:00.000-07:002009-06-22T17:22:40.344-07:00Supporting Our Soldiers' FamiliesAs the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, more and more of us know someone who has been deployed or is currently deployed. <div><br /></div><div>It can be hard to know how best to support and offer help to a family in your ward or neighborhood who are facing a deployment. What kind of service is appropriate to offer? What if they want to be left alone? What kinds of things would the family at home even <i>want</i> offered? What should you say? What should you <i>not</i> say?</div><div><br /></div><div>When a close friend of mine had her husband deployed, I got a backseat view of the struggle she went through. I spoke with four of her friends whose husbands were deployed with the same group, and they shared many of their burdens with me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Via e-mail, these five women sent me literally pages and pages of thoughts, feelings, and events, pouring out their souls. Reading through their experiences, I wept.</div><div><br /></div><div>Before this, I'd thought I'd had some clue about how hard deployment was for my friend. I'd thought I had an inkling of what she was going through. </div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't. Not even close. Reading through those e-mails was so powerful for me that I decided to write a novel about deployment and the families at home. It won't be out until spring 2010.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the meantime, during the time of year that we celebrate the independence of our country and think about our freedoms, I felt it would be appropriate to list some ways you can help support a soldier's family at home . . . which can only help support that soldier in the field, wherever he or she may be.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Simply Keep an Eye Out.</b> </div><div>Spouses of deployed soldiers don't want to become burdens on those around them, so they might not ask for help when they need it. Keep an eye out for things you can offer to do. If you notice the lawn getting a bit long, mow it (or send your teen over to do it). In the winter, shovel their driveway. </div><div><br /></div><div>One wife said that even small gestures were very much appreciated, things that you might think are too small to bother with, like bringing the empty garbage can back from the curb.</div><div><br /></div><div>Church meetings are a particular challenge for deployed families, because with the Church focus on families, they attend three hours with the hole in their hearts pointed out to them. Remember that small children especially tend to act up under stress. Since deployment is a huge stressor, small kids often misbehave during sacrament meetings, overwhelming the lone parent. Going over to help play with a child or take the baby out of their hands can be a huge help.</div><div><br /></div><div>Try to notice those small moments where you can jump in and fill a need. One wife told me that those acts of service were the most appreciated.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Babysit</b></div><div>The parent left at home has extra burdens placed on their shoulders. Offer to take the kids for an afternoon or evening so the parent can have time to themselves, especially to attend the temple. All five of the wives I spoke to said that temple attendance became a big foundation for their strength and ability to keep going.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Fill in for the Spouse</b></div><div>If the husband is the one deployed, look for things he used to do and find a way to get them done, whether you can do them yourself, your spouse can, or you can find a home teacher or someone else who has the skills. This can include things like fixing a garbage disposal, a hole in the fence, or a clogged toilet. If the wife is the one deployed, offer to bring in meals, do laundry, or fix children's clothing.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Ask</i> what you can do to help, but also be sure to make <i>specific</i> offers. For example, if you're running to the grocery store, call to see if there's something you can pick up for the family while you're there.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Pray</b></div><div>When you don't know what you can do, or don't feel you have much of anything to offer for a family, pray for them and for their soldier. One army wife insisted that hearing about others praying for her family brought strength in ways nothing else could. She said that if you can do nothing else but pray, "you've done enough!"</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What <i>Not </i>to Do</b></div><div>Every wife I spoke with insisted that any act of service, no matter how small, was received with large amounts of gratitude. </div><div><br /></div><div>The one hard thing was when a specific service was offered . . . but then forgotten and never given. If you say you're going to do something for the family, do it. Don't make a promise if you can't fulfill it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The kinds of service that fall through the cracks easiest are the ones where something has been promised on a regular basis, such as weekly. If you think you can't keep up that kind of service for the entire deployment (likely a year or more), don't offer it. Give what you can when you can, but don't set up an expectation and then disappoint the family; they're already going through enough stress.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Direct Support</b></div><div>Don't forget the soldiers themselves. You can send fun care packages to them, including personal favorite items (just ask the family what those are!). Some of the most welcome types of items in care packages are things you might not normally consider: inflatable pillows, granola bars, batteries, simple games (card games, dominoes, and dice), and other snack foods. Music CDs, disposable cameras, and long distance calling cards are also welcome. For more ideas, visit <a href="http://thefuntimesguide.com/2005/09/soldierpackages.php">this site</a> and others.</div><div><br /></div><div>Many units also have newsletters you can subscribe to get updates on the soldiers and what they're up to, including promotions and <i>good </i>news that you can celebrate with the family at home.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>What <i>Not</i> to Say</b></div><div>While having conversations with the spouse of a deployed solider is a good thing, there are definitely things to avoid. All of the wives I spoke with agreed that having someone who has never been through a deployment say they "understand" makes them frustrated. The other person <i>can't </i>understand unless they've been through it.</div><div><br /></div><div>"I know what it's like; my husband travels a lot on business," is the most frequently quoted line of intended support that caused unintended hurt.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, a husband may travel a lot, but he gets to fly in a safe jet and sleep in a warm, clean hotel room. He's not under enemy fire, sleeping in the desert, and covered with tick bites. The business trip husband may be AWAY a lot, but unlike a deployed soldier, he's not constantly in <b>HARM'S way</b>. There's a huge difference. </div><div><br /></div><div>The wife of a business trip husband doesn't wake up every single day wondering if her doorbell will ring with two soldiers on the other side to tell her that her husband has been killed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, don't compare deployment to being a single mom. While that is somewhat what these women expected, they quickly found out that deployment isn't like that. They had no idea how the worry and stress over communications and knowing if their soldier was okay would drain them, keep them awake at night, and how that stress could rub off on their children.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another line that they don't like to hear is, "I couldn't do what you're doing; you're so strong."</div><div><br /></div><div>But it's not a matter of being strong, one wife insisted. Deployment is a consequence of her husband's choices to serve his country. As a result, she <i>has </i>to get through this time. It's not a matter of how strong or weak she is. The situation just <i>is,</i> and she has to get through it, somehow.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What<i> Should</i> You Say?</b></div><div>Ask how they're doing. Talk about normal things that have nothing to do with deployment. Ask if you can help (even better, offer some specific help). Mention that you're praying for them. Most importantly, talk to them as if they're the same person they've always been, because they are. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Don't expect them to unload all their problems onto you. If they feel the need to share some of their problems, they will.</div><div><br /></div><div>They need to know that they have a friend who genuinely cares, because even on their "good" days, one wife reminded me, "you're really not okay."</div><div><br /></div></div>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-82169655048981542782009-03-09T10:20:00.000-07:002009-03-09T10:27:46.888-07:00Watching out for Our Young WomenIn the months after I graduated high school, my church attendance must have been hard to track. It’s not that I didn’t attend. It was the season of missionary farewells, so sometimes I attended two or three wards—just not my own. Plus, I had to pick a ward—my home ward, the local singles’ ward, or the student ward. No one tracked where I was one week to the next. I remember thinking, “If I wanted to get lost in the shuffle and go inactive, I totally could.”<br /><br />Good thing that I had no intention of doing so. But it took good friends, a welcoming ward, and effort on my part. I shudder to think what my life would have turned out to be like if I hadn’t made that effort or if I hadn’t had the inner drive to know I needed to keep attending. I could have slipped into inactivity all-too easily.<br /><br />And many—far too many—young women are doing just that.<br /><br />In recent years, the First Presidency has stressed their concern of this Church-wide problem. They’ve even sent letters to Relief Society and Young Women presidencies, pleading for them to watch over the young women and make sure they make a successful transition to Relief Society.<br /><br />The fact is, we’re losing way too many young women, and many never return. For some reason, the young men don’t get hit so hard—they don’t get lost in the shuffle quite so easily. That could be because of mission preparation or several other reasons.<br /><br />I personally believe one reason is that the young men get a sense of belonging with the men in the Church from the time they’re ordained a deacon. They have combined opening exercises with all the priesthood holders from age twelve right on up to the oldest high priest. From a tender age, each boy knows he belongs in that brotherhood and that some day he, too, will be a teacher, a priest, an elder, and then a high priest.<br /><br />On the other hand, a Beehive never has a reason to feel connected to the “old ladies” in Relief Society. The sisters of the ward might as well belong to another planet as far as they're concerned. That’s the hurdle we need to overcome: to make the girls recognize that they belong and are needed.<br /><br />Here are a few things we have done in my ward over the years, coordinating between the Relief Society and the Young Women auxiliary presidencies, to help tether the girls and make them feel their membership of the greatest sisterhood on Earth.<br /><br />Before applying any of these ideas in your ward, be sure to talk with your bishop for approval.<br /><ul><li><strong>Opening exercises. </strong>Follow the example of the brethren and have opening exercises together periodically. We don’t do this every week, but we do meet as a complete group for opening exercises once a month. The two presidencies trade off conducting. The Young Women stand and repeat the theme.</li><br /><li><strong>Include the Laurels in some Relief Society lessons. </strong>We chose the fourth week of the month, the lessons taken from General Conference talks, for the second-year Laurels to participate in. Those lessons tend to be a bit less heavy doctrinally than the Teachings of the Prophets lesson and are easier for the instructor to adapt so the young women and their lives. The instructor makes a point of including them and calling on them. </li><br /><li><strong>Weclome them.</strong> If the Young Women participate in Relief Society, encourage sisters to be warm and welcoming to the Young Women, sitting by them and starting up conversations so they feel loved and that they belong.</li><br /><li><strong>Mentors. </strong>A sister in the ward is assigned to each Laurel as a “mentor,” or a friend to turn to. They are there to help the Laurels have at least one sister in Relief Society they can feel comfortable around. Mentors make regular contact with the Laurels outside church, sit next to them during in lessons, invite them to Enrichment activities, and learn about who they are and what they care about.</li><br /><li><strong>Visiting Teaching assignments. </strong>When a Laurel is in her last year of Young Women, assigning her as a Visiting Teacher can be a useful experience. This is especially helpful if her companion is someone she already knows well, such as a current Young Women leader or her mentor.</li><br /><li><strong>Combined activities. </strong>Occasionally, the Enrichment committee and the Young Women leaders can plan an activity together for both organizations to attend.</li><br /><li><strong>Other involvement.</strong> Whether asking a Laurel to fulfill a compassionate service assignment, teach a skill to be taught at an Enrichment activity, or something else entirely, try to find a place where the Laurels can contribute. They’ll experience firsthand how Relief Society works.</li><br /></ul>Only time will tell whether our efforts will yield success. We’re doing our best to keep our young women far, far away from any cracks they could slip through.<br /><br />I believe the key will be making sure they feel a belonging to the sisterhood of the Church and that we as Relief Society sisters <em>need </em>them.<br /><br />That they’ll know that Relief Society isn’t just a room full of women from another generation. That they’ll know they’re loved.<br /><br />That they’ll want to stick around, because they know this is where they belong.<br /><br />And that this is where they want to be.<br /><br />Return to <a href="http://yourldsneighbhorhood.com/">The Neighborhood</a>.Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-39349613947978124512009-01-15T14:29:00.000-08:002009-01-15T15:50:34.246-08:00For Valentine's Day: Safe Romance NovelsThere's a reason romance novels are the best-selling category of any kind of fiction . . . by a mile.<br /><br />The bad news, of course, is that thousands of them don't, well, <em>espouse LDS values.</em> The good news? There are plenty of others to choose from, if<em> </em>you know where to look.<br /><br />Why are romance novels so popular in the first place? I think it boils down to something one of my university professors taught: "All stories are about one of two things: love or death."<br /><br />Think about it for a minute, and you'll realize that he was right. Whether the love is romantic, platonic, parental, or even the love of an object or career, <em>everyone </em>has experienced love in some way or form.<br /><br />You can't say the same about other genres of fiction: not everyone can relate to an alien invasion, a wizarding school, or a detective solving a mystery. But everyone who has ever lived can relate to <em>love, </em>whether it's loving someone else or being loved, whether it's love for family, friends, or a romantic love interest. And we <em>all </em>know how tangled relationships can be.<br /><br />On the other side, life and death (even personal growth and change, a form of death, in a sense, such as rebirth and repentance) is the state of the human condition. If you're alive, you've experienced love and death in some form.<br /><br />It makes sense, then, that stories about love, particularly ones that target the entire point we're on the Earth—marriage and family—would strike a chord. It's logical, in a spiritual sense, that we gravitate toward stories that lead two people toward love, marriage, and commitment.<br /><br />It also follows that Satan would try to warp those stories, turning them from something beautiful and uplifting into something base—essentially, literary pornography. That is exactly what's happening with some novels classified in this genre: they're getting more and more graphic in the bedroom, to the point that even literary agents and publishers debate where the line is between "erotica" (books written with the <em>point </em>to titillate the reader) and simply graphic romances.<br /><br />It's no surprise, then, that the term "romance novel" has developed a negative reputation. On some level, it's deserved, and those books are something Latter-day Saint women need to steer clear of. Many have found themselves inadvertently sucked into (and even addicted to) the pages of books that are no better for them than visual pornography would be for their husbands.<br /><br />BUT . . . the great news is that people who love to read and who enjoy a good love story—without the graphic smut—have more options today than ever.<br /><br />Many publishers have clued in that not all readers are looking for so-called "hot" books, and several have lines devoted specifically to cleaner reads, such as Harlequin's Steeple Hill imprint, which puts out only clean, Christian romances. (As opposed to their Spice line, which you can guess is very different.)<br /><br />Another good place to look is Tyndale House, which publishes books by writers like Dee Henderson, a Christian author who writes adventurous romances like <em>The Negotiator. </em>Another writer to try is Lawanna Blackwell (who publishes with Christian publisher Bethany House). Her books are popular, clean, historical romances.<br /><br />And of course, LDS publishers such as Deseret Book and Covenant regularly print many romance titles, and women can pick them up, knowing that they're reading a "safe" book and don't have to be on edge, ready to skip pages.<br /><br /><strong>Below are some LDS romance titles I recommend:</strong><br /><ul><li><em>Counting Stars,</em> by Michele Paige Holmes. This book won the 2007 Whitney Award for Best Romance, and in my opinion, it deserved the honor. This is a romance that's unpredictable and fresh. You'll both laugh and cry.</li><li><em>To Have or to Hold,</em> by Josi S. Kilpack. A classic story of an arranged marriage gone horribly wrong (or maybe right?).</li><li><em>Desire of Our Hearts,</em> by Sariah S. Wilson. A love story set during the times of the Book of Mormon. </li><li><em>Isabell Webb: Legend of the Jewel</em>, by N. C. Allen. A adventurous (and romantic) trip through late 1800s India. A great yarn with a fun love story mixed in.</li><li><em>The First Year, </em>by Crystal Leichty. A hilarious trip through one couple's first year of marriage, with all the ups and downs.</li><li><em>What the Doctor Ordered, </em>by Sierra St. James. A classic romantic tale that's laugh-out-loud funny. All of St. James's books are fantastic reads. (Also look for <em>Masquerade</em> and <em>Trial of the Heart.)</em></li><li><em>The Counterfeit, </em>by Robison Wells. Part mysterious suspense, part romance, this is a great story that takes the reader all over the world, even into the catacombs beneath Paris. A funny and exciting read.</li><li><em>Spires of Stone, </em>by Annette Lyon. Personal plug here, granted, but my five books, including this 2007 Whitney Award finalist, all have sweet love stories along with fun plots and interesting characters. (If I say so myself!) And my sixth novel, <em>Tower of Strength,</em> will be on shelves in March.</li></ul><p>As you can see, just because a lot of romantic book have smut doesn't mean you have to abandon the genre altogether. Remember, some of the most popular stories of all time had romantic themes.</p><p>This would be a very different (and lacking!) world without all-time classics like <em>Pride and Prejudice</em> and <em>Romeo and Juliet.</em></p><p></p>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-50721993496250806222009-01-12T15:04:00.000-08:002009-01-12T15:29:04.520-08:00Land Yourself Money for SchoolIf you are (or have) a high school student looking toward a college education, you’re probably wondering how tuition will be paid for. Sure, there are academic scholarships for great grades, and you can always cross your fingers that you’ll get one.<br /><br />But academic scholarships don't always cover everything, and not everyone can get one since there are only so many out there. The great news is that you don’t have to rely solely on academic scholarships to pay for college—there are other scholarships to be found.<br /><br />Many corporations, companies, and even individuals sponsor scholarships of all stripes that look for things <em>besides </em>good grades. Bottom line: There really is no excuse to not get the education you need.<br /><br />Many of these groups award a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, so one scholarship alone won't be enough to pay for all of college. What to do? Apply for <em>lots </em>of them!<br /><br />Students who apply for several dozen small scholarships can often receive enough funding to pay for all of their college experience—including tuition, fees, boarding, and books. Sometimes the money is paid directly to the school for whatever it's intended for, and other times a check is cut to student.<br /><br />Amazingly, much of this scholarship money is unclaimed each year, mostly because students don’t even know it exists.<br /><br /><strong>Plan Ahead</strong><br />In a best-case scenario, students should start thinking about the kinds of information they’ll eventually use on scholarship applications around ninth or tenth grade, even though they won’t be applying for another year or two.<br /><br />Be involved in school programs, leadership opportunities, school clubs, extracurricular activities, service organizations, honor societies, and more. Note any awards you’ve received and all of your major accomplishments.<br /><br />Make a list of all of them—they’re the kinds of things scholarship committees look for.<br /><br />Then expound on them: the more specific, the better. “Participated in a Sub-for-Santa event” won’t hold nearly as much weight as details like: “Spent 45 hours coordinating 15 high school students in a Sub-for-Santa drive, raising $2,400.”<br /><br />Note that church callings for youth (such as Teachers quorum president or Mia Maid first counselor) <em>can </em>be included in your list, but they need to be phrased in such a way that a scholarship committee (who likely will not be LDS) will know what it means and what the job involved.<br /><br />Not many scholarship committees will know what a "Mia Maid" is or what a "Teacher" president does. Describe the calling in actions. For example, “For ten months, acted as president of church girls’ group consisting of eight young women ages 14 to 15. Helped plan and carry-out weekly activities that included life skills and community service.”<br /><br />Note anything about you that might be scholarship specific, such as the geographic area you live in, gender or race, and career goals or interests.<br /><br />Most scholarships ask for letters of recommendation. To make each scholarship’s deadline, be sure to ask for letters (from teachers, employers, or other adults who know you well) well advance so they have plenty of time to get them back to you before each application is due.<br /><br /><strong>Create Reusable Materials</strong><br />Many scholarships ask for similar items. You can reuse many of the things you collect and write, including essays. Make lots of copies of your transcripts and test scores. Same goes for letters of recommendation you receive, so you can use them with a number of applications.<br /><br />While you must tailor your application to each specific scholarship, reusing what you can will save you a lot of time, especially if you’re applying for a large number of scholarships.<br /><br /><strong>Personal Themes and Examples</strong><br />You’ll need to describe yourself in various ways on applications. Think back to your academic, work, church, and extracurricular activities. Find patterns there, and then use those patterns to describe yourself.<br /><br />Come up with at least three themes. Possible themes include your interests (athletics, science, music, etc.), service to the community, leadership, your ethnic identity, your unique talents, and so on.<br /><br />After you’ve picked three themes, expand them with powerful specifics. Write three solid examples of your actions and/or accomplishments within each theme, being as specific as possible. Use your list of activities and awards to create the themes and examples.<br /><br /><strong>Find the Scholarships</strong><strong><br /></strong><strong><ul><li></strong>Start local and work your way out. Ask around at local organizations, such as businesses, radio stations, rotary clubs, etc. Spread the word through family and friends; they may be aware of a scholarship offered by an employer or through another little-known avenue.</li><li>Talk to your school counseling office. They may have binders filled with scholarship information, and they can often point you toward other resources.</li><li>Search published scholarship directories. You can find many of them at bookstores and at your local library, such as <em>How to Go to College for Almost Free </em>by Ben Kaplan.</li><li>Search the Internet. Do a search for, “Scholarship Search Engine,” and you’ll find many great sites (such as <a href="http://www.cashforcollege.com/">http://www.cashforcollege.com/</a> and <a href="http://www.findaid.org/">http://www.findaid.org/</a>) where you can search for scholarships using criteria that fit you.</li></ul><p>A word of caution: <em>Never </em>pay a website or a person to hunt down scholarships for you. Reputable businesses don’t do that, and you’ll be out more money than they’ll ever give you, regardless of their promises.<br /><br />This is the time of year students need to be thinking about scholarships and paying for college after graduation. Get ahead of the game and claim some of the money for yourself! It takes time and effort, but the rewards of a college education—one that’s paid for—are priceless.<br /><br />Return to the <a href="http://ldsneighborhood.com/">Neighborhood</a>.<br /></p>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-48574672037280185652008-12-04T13:35:00.000-08:002008-12-29T13:41:52.405-08:00A Classic for the New YearI often get asked for books that are good for older kids and families to read together. Even though I have a teenager now, I still read to my kids at bedtime, and it's a time we look forward to each night. While sometimes we throw in a picture book for the kindergartner's sake, we go through a lot of fun novels as well.<br /><br />Instead of considering bedtime reading a new year's resolution (something you <em>know</em> will flounder around, oh, February, if you're doing really well), simply pick up books at night as a treat for both parent and child.<br /><br />What to pick? In the near future, I'll post a great list of middle grade and young adult titles perfect for reading together as a family.<br /><br />For now, here's one fantastic idea, one that even my teenager (a boy!) enjoyed and laughed over. You've surely heard of this classic, which celebrated its 100th birthday a few months ago:<br /><br />Four months after the novel's 1908 release, Mark Twain wrote to the author and declared that the heroine was “the dearest and most lovable child in fiction since the immortal Alice.”<br /><br />Readers agreed, in droves, and today, they still do.<br /><br />The book went on to be translated into dozens of languages. It spawned seven sequels. Several stage plays and motion pictures and at least one musical have been made of it. A national park in Canada is centered around its heroine. Tourists who love the story enjoy annual events and 3-day tours around beloved Prince Edward Island.<br /><br />2008 marked the one-hundred-year anniversary of the debut of <em>Anne of Green Gables</em> by L. M. Montgomery. Twain was right; a century after he made his statement about Anne, there’s a good chance that worldwide, more readers have read about her—and loved her—than Lewis Carroll’s Alice.<br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 254px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/muze/books/9780399154782.jpg" border="0" /><br />Lucy Maud Montgomery was born on Prince Edward Island in 1874, and she spent most of her growing-up years there, raised by strict grandparents. After attending Prince of Wales College and Dalhousie University, she taught in local schools and worked at two newspapers. During that time, she worked hard on her craft, writing and selling poems and several dozen short stories.<br /><br />She returned home to PEI in 1902 to care for her ailing grandmother, still writing and publishing her short stories, and decided to try her hand at a full-length novel for the first time. First she looked over a notebook where she kept story ideas, and she came across an entry about an elderly couple wanting to adopt a boy but who were mistakenly sent a girl.<br /><br />Thus <em>Anne of Green Gables </em>was born. The book flew off shelves when it was released June of 1908. Montgomery continued writing books for decades, following her first success with <em>Anne of Avonlea, Kilmeny of the Orchard </em>(a rework of a previously published short story as a novella), and <em>The Story Girl. </em><br /><br />Shortly after her grandmother’s death in 1911, she married a minister, Ewan Macdonald, and moved with him to Canada's mainland, where she lived for the rest of her life, returning to PEI only for visits.<br /><br />If you’re looking for an excuse to gather around and enjoy literature this winter, use Anne’s recent centennial as a way to bring your family together. There’s something in the book—and in all of L. M. Montgomery’s work—for everyone.<br /><br />Young girls love Anne’s imagination and feel for her when she gets into scrape after scrape.<br /><br />Older children—including boys (remember mine?)—laugh at the wry humor from Marilla and Mrs. Lynde.<br /><br />And adults appreciate the deeper themes and wit.<br /><br />Already read <em>Anne of Green Gables? </em>Try some of Montgomery's other work. Read one of the following Montgomery books aloud as a family or enjoy alone with a cup of hot chocolate on a cool winter day next to a roaring fire:<br /><br /><em><strong>The Blue Castle </strong></em>is one of only a few her books that focus on an adult protagonist rather than a child, and the only one that does not feature Prince Edward Island. Valancy is an old maid living with her oppressive mother and aunt. She wishes desperately to live her own life but lacks the courage until she sees a heart specialist who tells her she has only a year to live. She keeps her diagnosis a secret and determines that her last year will be meaningful. For the first time in her life, she stands up for herself—leading her strait-laced family to believe she’s lost her mind. Poignant, moving, and laugh-out-loud funny, <em>The Blue Castle </em>is one of Montgomery’s best.<br /><br /><em><strong>Rilla of Ingleside,</strong> </em>although part of the Anne series, is actually about Anne’s daughter. Rilla (named after Marilla from Green Gables) is the youngest in her family. The Great War (World War I) breaks out in Europe, and the reader experiences the challenges and worries families on the home front endured when the world’s future was unsure and frightening. Rilla grows up fast as she sends her beau to war, becomes an adoptive mother, and watches her dearest brother, Walter, enlist as well. Some of the description and angst over the war come from Montgomery’s own journals. <em>Rilla</em> is arguably the best of the Anne series.<br /><br /><em><strong>Emily of New Moon </strong></em>and its two sequels, <em>Emily Climbs </em>and <em>Emily’s Quest, </em>while less-known, are just as delightful as the Anne books. The story is fictional, but certain elements make these books the most autobiographical of any of Montgomery’s work. Emily’s mother dies when she is only a toddler, just as Montgomery’s did, and Emily’s one memory of her mother comes almost verbatim from Montgomery’s journal remembering her mother’s funeral when she herself was just twenty-one months old. Other autobiographical elements include Emily’s creative “flash” and her ambitions of becoming a writer.<br /><br /><br />If you enjoy these books, you might want to look into Montgomery’s other works, such as <em>Jane of Lantern Hill,</em> the 2-book <em>Pat </em>series, <em>A Tangled Web,</em> and <em>Magic for Marigold,</em> not to mention some ten volumes of collected short stories, which are also great for bedtime reading.<br /><br />Lucy Maud Montgomery exploded on the world’s literary scene with Anne in 1908, leaving a legacy to last for generations to come. The one hundredth anniversary is an event definitely worth celebrating.<br /><br />So gather the family around the fireplace, pull up a chair, and begin with Chapter One: “Rachel Lynde Is Surprised.”<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br />Return to the <a href="http://yourldsneighborhood.com/">Neighborhood</a>.Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-83967174984001349032008-01-24T08:53:00.000-08:002008-02-08T16:39:08.248-08:00How Five Colors Can open a New Level of Scriptural UnderstandingRight up there with "I'm going to lose weight" (which nearly everyone on the planet resolves each year) is another New Year's resolution, one that's almost as common among Latter-day Saints as shedding those pounds:<br /><br /><strong>I'm going to study—no really, <em>study—</em>my scriptures this year.<br /></strong><br />Feeling like you're failing already? Try approaching your scriptures from a new angle. It's one that has brought me an almost startling amount of understanding to literally hundreds of Biblical passages.<br /><br />Like the time when I learned that the Lord didn't harden Pharaoh's heart, that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.<br /><br />Or the time when I read the parable of the Ten Virgins and gained more insight when I realized that instead of the bridegroom telling the foolish ones, "I know you not," he actually said, "<em>Ye</em> know <em>me</em> not." (Emphasis added.)<br /><br />These are just a couple of examples of literally hundreds of times I've had an “aha” moment from a passage in the Bible—<em>after </em>reading a clarifying footnote.<br /><br />Had I not marked my Bible footnotes ahead of time, I would never have noticed these gems that added to my understanding.<br /><br />In the summer of 1979, a new edition of the Standard Works rolled off the printer. This new set included literally thousands of additions that could, in Elder Packer’s <a href="http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=b0368949f2f6b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1">words</a>, open up the scriptures to "anyone who can read."<br /><br />Among the resources we now have in Standard Works:<br /><br /><ul><li>Thorough footnotes in all the standard works but especially the Bible</li><li>Topical Guide</li><li>Bible Dictionary</li><li>Joseph Smith Translation appendix</li><li>Gazetteer</li><li>Maps</li><li>Enhanced chapter headings</li><li>and the Triple Combination Index. </li></ul><p>The “new” version of the scriptures has been out for nearly thirty years, but how many of us take advantage of all that these amazing resources can bring us in our personal and family scripture study? Do we use them in such a way that the scriptures can be “opened” to us as Elder Packer promised?<br /><br />In future posts, I’ll discuss some of the other elements included in the “new” version and how we can use them to increase our gospel and scriptural understanding, but today we’ll focus on the one that has had the most profound effect for me personally in enhancing my understanding of the sacred words of the Bible.</p><p>If you take the time to really use your footnotes, your scripture study in 2008—and beyond—will never be the same.</p><p>The footnotes, which provide an amazing amount of clarity to the scriptures, were painstakingly created over many years by scholars under the direction of Church leaders. Some of the added understanding they provide is from alternate Hebrew and Greek translations. Other elements include insight to culture, geography, or other conditions from scriptural times. And of course we have some of the most important Joseph Smith Translation (JST) passages as well.<br /><br />There’s just one problem: Actually recognizing that the footnotes are there as you read along.</p><p>How likely is it that you’ll glance down after every verse to make sure you didn’t miss a Greek translation, a clarification, or a JST citation—especially when the majority of footnotes are simply cross references and Topical Guide notations, which you aren't likely to need right now?<br /><br />The chances are pretty slim, which means a wealth of understanding is quite possibly being passed over by millions of Latter-day Saints every day.</p><p>The solution is simple: Take time to mark the relevant footnotes in your Bible. If you do that, then as you read along, you’ll know immediately whether any given verse has something below that can open up your understanding.<br /><br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Color Coding</strong><br />I chose five colors to identify the different types of footnotes. This makes it easier to know at a glance which ones are connected to which verses and what kind of information each footnote contains.</p><p>You can use whatever colors you like, but here were my choices, along with explanations for each type of footnote.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">RED</span> = Joseph Smith Translation (I used this color because to me the JSTs are the most important footnotes.)<br /><br />Shorter JST footnotes are included right on the page where the relevant passage is. Longer ones direct the reader to JST appendix. Note that text in italics are words <em>added</em> by the Prophet Joseph Smith to the King James text.<br /><br />You may notice that the verse numbering in the JST citations don’t always line up with the chapter they belong to. This is because the full JST has many additions, which changes the verse numbering. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not own the JST transcript (which still belongs to the former RLDS church), so our printing of the Bible cannot include them all. Those deemed most important to include were selected by a Church scholar.<br /><br />Readers interested in reading the entire JST can purchase it at LDS bookstores in a separate volume that compares the King James Version (KJV) with the JST side by side.<br /><br /><span style="color:#6600cc;">PURPLE </span>= Hebrew translations. Since the KJV Old Testament was translated into English primarily from Hebrew manuscripts, you’ll find the majority of “HEB” footnotes there.<br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;">GREEN </span>= Greek translations (easy to remember, as both <em>gr</em>een and <em>Gr</em>eek start with the same letters). These footnotes will be mostly found in the New Testament, as it was translated primarily from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint">Septuagint</a> text, which was in Greek.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">ORANGE</span> = OR (Alternate wordings: A word could mean this OR this. Again, the spelling is a cue: ORange)<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">BLUE</span> = Other miscellaneous clarifying footnotes, including cultural notes and those noted as “ie”<br /><br />After underlining the actual footnote, don’t forget to color the superscript letter in the corresponding verse. Those letters will be your signals as you read to look down for the relevant footnote in the same color.</p><p>Going through all of the footnotes can take a long time (the Bible is big!), so do a little bit here and there over the course of several weeks.<br /><br />It’s easy if you take a little time, going through a book or two each Sabbath, until it’s done.<br /><br />Marking your footnotes is well worth the effort. Just wait; the first time you read the Bible after marking the footnotes, you’ll be amazed at all of the things you missed before.</p><p>And when December 31, 2008 rolls around, you'll be able to say—Yes! <em>This </em>year you really did study your scriptures.</p><p></p>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-67235329776552696412008-01-12T09:45:00.000-08:002008-01-12T09:50:10.163-08:00Mission Possible: Family Scripture StudyWe’ve all been there—we’ve heard the weeping, the wailing, the gnashing of teeth. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with the War in Heaven. It’s daily family scripture study.<br /><br />Trying to get the family together to study scriptures—and have it become something other than a verbal wrestling match—sometimes feels like an Olympic event, surpassed in difficulty perhaps only by weekly Family Home Evening.<br /><br />While there are no perfect solutions, below are ten tips you can use to make family scripture time a more uniting, positive experience.<br /><br /><strong>1-Adapt the time and place according to the changing needs of your family. </strong><br />It’s easy to get into a rut, thinking that 6:30 am is the only time to get in the scripture reading. (Granted, it might be.) But try to find other opportunities as well. It’s not uncommon for a family’s schedule to change from year to year, so be flexible and adapt.<br /><br />If early mornings used to work but don't anymore, try dinner time (even if you’re not all gathered together 7 nights a week—even 3 or 4 nights counts). What about right after nighttime family prayer? For years I read scriptures to the kids immediately before cracking open the nightly storybook.<br /><br /><strong>2-Listen to audio scriptures together.<br /></strong>In today’s high-tech society, we have more options for immersing ourselves in the scriptures than ever before. You can now download the scriptures from the Church website onto you MP3 player and listen to them in the car as you drive the kids around to their activities. You can also purchase audio scriptures on CD, but that can is much more expensive.<br /><br /><strong>3-Pause for questions and discussions.<br /></strong>Beware of the “we’ve got to finish the chapter” trap, or you might miss out on poignant questions and the opportunity for sacred discussions. It’s helpful even with older children to take a break mid-chapter and recap what is happening, who is speaking, or what doctrinal concept is being taught and what it means.<br /><br />Reading this way does use more time. But it’s all right if reading the entire Book of Mormon takes you three years, verse by verse. The point isn’t how quickly you get through it, but that your family learns, grows, and feels the Spirit along the way.<br /><br /><strong>4-Use the Gospel Art Picture Kit<br /></strong>Young children especially are visual learners, and they thrive of seeing images of scripture stories they’ve heard. Help them to learn better by pulling out selections from the picture kit and reading the condensed story written on the back. For slightly older children, have everyone look up the scripture references listed and read them aloud.<br /><br />This is particularly helpful in learning scripture stories from parts of the Standard Works that aren’t read quite as often and therefore aren’t as familiar to children, such as those from the Old Testament.<br /><br /><strong>5-Take advantage of Seminary and Institute materials.<br /></strong>These lesson manuals created by the Church are excellent, with lots of background and clarifying information, commentary, and glimpses into cultural and other contextual details that help students of all ages understand the scriptures.<br /><br />Going through one of these manuals as a family can be a great support for current or future seminary students, and provide wonderful Family Home Evening material as well.<br /><br /><strong>6-Take turns reading.<br /></strong>It’s easy for one parent to do all the reading aloud. It’s quicker that way, right? But it’s important for all family members to be connected to the scriptures, to feel as if they are also part of the experience. Even small children can sensed the Spirit as they “read” with help.<br /><br />Some families rotate around a circle reading one verse at a time, while others do a set number of verses before trading readers. In this case, a preschooler may still do only verse or so while someone else prompts them with the words.<br /><br /><strong>7-Make connections.<br /></strong>To help family members have a big-picture view of the scriptures, it’s helpful to map out time lines, major historical figures, and events as you read and connect them to other scriptures you’ve already covered. For example, finding the places where the Book of Mormon intersects with the Bible, or track the battles in Alma, the relationships between prophets, or major groups of people within the Book of Mormon, like Zeniff’s people and the Ammonites and how they connect with the Nephites and Lamanites.<br /><br /><strong>8-Use in-scripture resources.<br /></strong>Remember all the resources located in the back of the scriptures, such as pictures, maps, the Bible Dictionary, Joseph Smith Translation, and Topical Guide.<br /><br />For example, the maps can help you keep track of Christ’s travels through the Holy Land during his lifetime, putting the Gospels into context. Using the Bible Dictionary and triple combination Index can refresh your memory and clarify people, events, and principles, including obscure cultural references that you might be unsure of, like various Jewish feats listed in the Bible, that make more sense when they’re explained.<br /><br /><strong>9-Get everyone their own set of scriptures.<br /></strong>Even if your family has a tradition of buying a nice set of scriptures on a special day such as a baptism, it’s worth getting an inexpensive set that younger children can hold and consider their own, even if they can’t read yet. Personal ownership creates a feeling of responsibility and specialness associated with scripture study.<br /><br /><strong>10-Don’t force it.<br /></strong>When contention breaks out (and it will at times), don’t panic. Let everyone cool off. Forcing the family to finish a chapter tonight—or else—will only breed further unrest. Instead, pause for the day. But most importantly, always be sure to come back tomorrow. Make regular scripture reading a family habit, and you’ll all reap the rewards.<br /><br /><br /><br />When counseling the Saints the read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year in August of 2005, President Hinckley made a promise that applies as much to family scripture study as it did to his challenge:<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">“regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.” (“A Testimony Vibrant and True,” <em>Ensign</em>, Aug 2005, 2–6.) </span>Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2280216996143031801.post-47083788294649599732008-01-03T10:28:00.000-08:002008-03-10T10:54:52.119-07:00Top Reads for Families from 2007Finding good reading material appropriate for the family gets harder every year. Fortunately, the LDS literary market is now producing more books and higher-quality literature than ever before, and the national market has more LDS authors writing for it than ever.<br /><br />Below are my top picks, in no particular order, for books published in 2007 that are great for the whole family to read together.<br /><br /><strong><em>Sheep's Clothing</em>, by Josi S. Kilpack </strong><br />This book has not only an exciting, gripping story, but vital information for parents and children alike. Kilpack does an extraordinary job of showing the dangers of Internet predators as well as how parents can protect their children in a world that is increasingly cyber-savvy. Read this one with your youth. It'll open up a great conversation between you.<br /><br /><strong><em>Land of Inheritance,</em> by H. B. Moore </strong><br />This is the fourth and final volume of the <em>Out of Jerusalem</em> series, a fictional account of Lehi and Nephi's families as they journey from Jerusalem to the Promised Land. Expertly researched and beautifully written, the books bring to life not only spiritual giants of scripture, but what the culture was like, what the women might have experienced, and much more. Now that the entire series is out, you can read the whole thing as a family from start to finish. Begin with <em>Of Goodly Parents,</em> the first volume.<br /><br /><strong><em>Presidents and Prophets</em>, by Michael K. Winder </strong><br />How has the top position in the U. S. government been impacted by latter-day prophets? You might be surprised at the connections the author finds between the men who have held both positions since 1830. You'll also uncover fun sometimes surprising trivia, such as which United States President checked the Book of Mormon out of the Library of Congress. (Abraham Lincoln.)<br /><br /><em><strong>Book of Mormon Who's Who </strong></em><br />Perfect for the Sunday School curriculum in 2008, this book has entries on all the people found in the Book of Mormon, complete with explanations and connections. Can't remember who Pahoran was? Look him up and refresh your memory. A great tool for family scripture study and Family Home Evenings.<br /><br /><strong><em>Bullies in the Headlights,</em> by Matthew Buckley </strong><br />A fun (and funny!) trip down memory lane, this is a terrific book that all ages will enjoy and laugh along with as they followed the adventures (and misadventures) of the Buckleys and Hagbarts.<br /><br /><strong><em>How to Take the Ex out of Ex-boyfriend,</em> by Janette Rallison </strong><br />Rallison is one of the top Young Adult writers in the country, and she's LDS as well. Her writing style will have you rolling on the floor. Best of all, parents won't have to worry about their teen reading anything inappropriate. All of Rallison's books provide a great romp through high school without venturing into the "dark" side that so much of teen fiction tends to gravitate toward.<br /><br /><strong><em>Santa's First Flight,</em> by Sam Beeson </strong><br />This is a delightful picture book the family will enjoy together as they read what Santa's first flight might have been like. Using penguins instead of reindeer is just one of the silly problems Santa runs into. Buy it now and hang onto it for next Christmas.<br /><br /><strong><em>The Wednesday Letters,</em> by Jason F. Wright </strong><br />From <em>New York Times</em> best-selling author of <em>Christmas Jars,</em> this book helps families remember the importance of telling your loves ones you care. It can ignite a love of writing down those important things on paper and not waiting to share them.<br /><br /><strong>The <em>Fablehaven </em>series, by Brandon Mull </strong><br />The third installment, <em>The Candyshop Wars,</em> was released this last fall. Families of all ages have had fun reading about Kendra and Seth's magical adventures together.Annette Lyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12493583432919249814noreply@blogger.com1