I drove down I-75 and there was a sign by the side of the freeway encouraging me to drive the speed limit because it saves lives. You know, one of those signs that they have in front of High Schools that have red lights on a black background, and they announce things in sequence, like: "Congratulations to Steven Black" and then on the next light-up, "For winning the Spelling Bee."
The sign on the side of I-75 said:
"I don't speed in your neighborhood."
"Please don't speed in mine."
And I was thinking, "Yeah. That's cause you're a sign. Pretty impossible to speed when you're a sign."
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Reading Dilemma!
There's a book club book that I'm supposed to have read by Feb. 2nd. A novel. I anticipate average reading time.
I have in hand GW Bush's memoir Decision Points. It took me 2 months to get it from the library, and it's not likely that I'll be able to renew it.
I ALSO have in hand Mark Twain's autobiography that I've been waiting for just as long, also isn't renewable, and which I'm super excited about, even though it's forever long and will take me ages to read!
So which do I read? Help!
I have in hand GW Bush's memoir Decision Points. It took me 2 months to get it from the library, and it's not likely that I'll be able to renew it.
I ALSO have in hand Mark Twain's autobiography that I've been waiting for just as long, also isn't renewable, and which I'm super excited about, even though it's forever long and will take me ages to read!
So which do I read? Help!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Reader Count at 0
I don't know why, but it makes me really happy when my Google Reader count is down to 0. I feel like I've accomplished something. (I never really stop to think that what I've "accomplished" is reading blogs and checking out the funny videos and interesting articles that my friends post.)
But then I don't have anything else in Reader and I start feeling kind of ... empty. And I start checking Reader, and then back to my e-mail, then to my other e-mail, then back to Reader, like something is going to magically be there 30 seconds later. And finally, after a few rounds of fruitless checking, I turn the computer off, cause obviously that's just wasting time.
I think I'm going to have to keep my Reader count at 1 or 2. Just so I feel like something's there.
Is this what addicts feel like?
(And now that I posted this, my Reader count will be at 1! Yes, I follow my own blogs.)
But then I don't have anything else in Reader and I start feeling kind of ... empty. And I start checking Reader, and then back to my e-mail, then to my other e-mail, then back to Reader, like something is going to magically be there 30 seconds later. And finally, after a few rounds of fruitless checking, I turn the computer off, cause obviously that's just wasting time.
I think I'm going to have to keep my Reader count at 1 or 2. Just so I feel like something's there.
Is this what addicts feel like?
(And now that I posted this, my Reader count will be at 1! Yes, I follow my own blogs.)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Stolen Quote #28
"I promise you, that if you spend a lot of time learning about how children develop and grow and reading books about development and not about control it will be the single most important thing that you do to promote the growth and success of your children."
-stolen from A. Lynn Scoresby, BYU professor
emphasis my own
-stolen from A. Lynn Scoresby, BYU professor
emphasis my own
Monday, January 17, 2011
Scripture on My Window, 1/17
(parts of) Matthew 21: 41 - 42
"Jesus asked them, Saying,
"Jesus asked them, Saying,
What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?"
The question was to the Pharisees, but it's also to us. Whose son is he? Is he the son of Joseph, a man, or the son of God?
Friday, January 14, 2011
Stolen Quotes #27
I'm taking down my Quote Wall. I should have taken a picture of it, but I didn't, and so you'll never see how cool it was, with the quotes and pictures of the people who said them.
Two of the quotes on my wall came from the same person: Reverend John Rankin (1793 - 1886). Mr. Rankin deserves a little bit of background before I give you his quotes. He lived in Ripley, Ohio, which is a riverside town facing Kentucky. Rankin was a preacher who spent years and years teaching people to come unto Christ and working to abolish slavery. He preached for a while in Kentucky, and then decided, since he was getting nowhere with them, to move to Ohio and do the next best thing (the better thing?): help slaves escape to freedom.
He built a house on top of the hill (and it's a HUGE hill), and a staircase leading up to it. Every night he would place a lantern in the window that served as a beacon. Slaves from miles up and down the river were directed to Rankin's house. They had heard that at the top of the hill in Ripley was a man who would help them. So they went to his house. Thousands of them came through, mostly one at a time, and he and his family helped them find safe passage on the first leg of their journey to Canada and freedom.
He did this, night after sleepless night, at great risk to himself and his family. They fed, clothed, and hid the slaves. Then he repeatedly sent his boys as runners, either carrying messages or with a wagon containing hidden slaves, bearing them to the next stopping point on the Underground Railroad. Once, when Rankin was away, his wife and their 10-year-old son kept an angry mob at bay by standing up to them, shotguns in hand. I have a hard time imagining the bravery and solidarity the entire family had. The amount of selflessness they possessed. These are people who knew what principle and honor and freedom meant. They risked their lives for it every night.
Really, Rankin's whole life should be a quote. Certainly it's an amazing legacy. Here's the two quotes that I put on my wall:
I imagine that John Rankin could also give a reason for the hope that was within him.
Two of the quotes on my wall came from the same person: Reverend John Rankin (1793 - 1886). Mr. Rankin deserves a little bit of background before I give you his quotes. He lived in Ripley, Ohio, which is a riverside town facing Kentucky. Rankin was a preacher who spent years and years teaching people to come unto Christ and working to abolish slavery. He preached for a while in Kentucky, and then decided, since he was getting nowhere with them, to move to Ohio and do the next best thing (the better thing?): help slaves escape to freedom.
He built a house on top of the hill (and it's a HUGE hill), and a staircase leading up to it. Every night he would place a lantern in the window that served as a beacon. Slaves from miles up and down the river were directed to Rankin's house. They had heard that at the top of the hill in Ripley was a man who would help them. So they went to his house. Thousands of them came through, mostly one at a time, and he and his family helped them find safe passage on the first leg of their journey to Canada and freedom.
 |
| Rob, about to escape to freedom |
He did this, night after sleepless night, at great risk to himself and his family. They fed, clothed, and hid the slaves. Then he repeatedly sent his boys as runners, either carrying messages or with a wagon containing hidden slaves, bearing them to the next stopping point on the Underground Railroad. Once, when Rankin was away, his wife and their 10-year-old son kept an angry mob at bay by standing up to them, shotguns in hand. I have a hard time imagining the bravery and solidarity the entire family had. The amount of selflessness they possessed. These are people who knew what principle and honor and freedom meant. They risked their lives for it every night.
Really, Rankin's whole life should be a quote. Certainly it's an amazing legacy. Here's the two quotes that I put on my wall:
"It is as much a duty to shoot the midnight assassin in his attacks as it is to pray."
"My mother was a woman of strong mental capacity, well able to give a reason for the hope that was within her."
I imagine that John Rankin could also give a reason for the hope that was within him.
Stolen Quote #26
An enlightening quote for your Friday.
"Today in the lab I tooted and about killed myself. I'm glad no one else was around. Seriously, I stood up and waved my shirt around."
-stolen from Rob. He said it years ago and it's still a gem.
"Today in the lab I tooted and about killed myself. I'm glad no one else was around. Seriously, I stood up and waved my shirt around."
-stolen from Rob. He said it years ago and it's still a gem.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Stolen Quote #25
It's been a while. I've got a string of stolen quotes lined up. I'll release them slowly, to make it seem like I'm reading engaging material on a daily basis.
From a Gospel Doctrine class, years back, when it was taught by a teacher who was exceptionally brilliant:
"We all live by the milk of human kindness."
-stolen from Jen Chappel
From a Gospel Doctrine class, years back, when it was taught by a teacher who was exceptionally brilliant:
"We all live by the milk of human kindness."
-stolen from Jen Chappel
Scripture on My Window, 1/10
1 Nephi 10:19
"For he that diligently seeketh shall find;
and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them,
by the power of the Holy Ghost,
as well in these times as in times of old,
and as well in times of old as in times to come;
wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round."
and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them,
by the power of the Holy Ghost,
as well in these times as in times of old,
and as well in times of old as in times to come;
wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round."
I love this promise. The Lord isn't trying to keep information from us. He's just waiting for us to come seeking for it.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
BYU re-visited
On my speed trip to Utah I was able to go with my brother to BYU campus. It's always interesting to walk across campus, because I feel differently about it every time.
For a while BYU stood for hope and change and the rest of my life.
Then, after I was done with school (well, not DONE. I don't have my degree), and I was married and had a kid, I'd walk across campus and think about how it would be fun to be a college kid again. The energy. The atmosphere. I thought about how I could still pass as a college kid, holding a notebook and a pen and looking smart. I ate it up.
And then we moved away from Utah and campus became a magical place lost in time. It was like I freeze-framed my BYU experience, and every time I went back, it was those same college-age memories all over again. Some positive, some negative. My time at BYU wasn't all roses. But it was a good feeling.
I guess I've been gone too long, though, because this time I went back and felt ... nothing. I've read about my friends going back to campus and loving it. They were re-discovering campus, feeling the positive flood of emotions, checking out the new buildings, and eating up the energy and college campus vibe. I expected, then, to feel something like that myself.
I walked across campus, near the library, and searched around inside myself for that section set apart for BYU emotions and found the place empty. We walked into the Administration building and it was just a building. It wasn't the "remember when" place. It was just an old building.
We walked back to the Wilk and went through the Bookstore and I found some emotions! Positive ones among the religion books, and negative ones everywhere else. I stood in one particular area, watched all the people walking around, and wanted to scream. All I could think was, "I hate this place." I don't know why I hate that place. It's not like I broke up with a boyfriend at that spot. It wasn't where I was forced to spend hundreds of dollars on text books (we didn't go into that section). I just hated it for no reason.
To counter the intense negative that was the Bookstore, I got a chocolate milkshake. BYU Creamery's milkshakes are still the best I've found. We walked back to the car and I ate my milkshake. The whole thing, even though I wasn't even hungry. And as we drove away I thought, "If I never come to campus again, that would be just fine."
BYU chapter closed.
For a while BYU stood for hope and change and the rest of my life.
Then, after I was done with school (well, not DONE. I don't have my degree), and I was married and had a kid, I'd walk across campus and think about how it would be fun to be a college kid again. The energy. The atmosphere. I thought about how I could still pass as a college kid, holding a notebook and a pen and looking smart. I ate it up.
And then we moved away from Utah and campus became a magical place lost in time. It was like I freeze-framed my BYU experience, and every time I went back, it was those same college-age memories all over again. Some positive, some negative. My time at BYU wasn't all roses. But it was a good feeling.
I guess I've been gone too long, though, because this time I went back and felt ... nothing. I've read about my friends going back to campus and loving it. They were re-discovering campus, feeling the positive flood of emotions, checking out the new buildings, and eating up the energy and college campus vibe. I expected, then, to feel something like that myself.
I walked across campus, near the library, and searched around inside myself for that section set apart for BYU emotions and found the place empty. We walked into the Administration building and it was just a building. It wasn't the "remember when" place. It was just an old building.
We walked back to the Wilk and went through the Bookstore and I found some emotions! Positive ones among the religion books, and negative ones everywhere else. I stood in one particular area, watched all the people walking around, and wanted to scream. All I could think was, "I hate this place." I don't know why I hate that place. It's not like I broke up with a boyfriend at that spot. It wasn't where I was forced to spend hundreds of dollars on text books (we didn't go into that section). I just hated it for no reason.
To counter the intense negative that was the Bookstore, I got a chocolate milkshake. BYU Creamery's milkshakes are still the best I've found. We walked back to the car and I ate my milkshake. The whole thing, even though I wasn't even hungry. And as we drove away I thought, "If I never come to campus again, that would be just fine."
BYU chapter closed.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Scripture on My Window, 1/3
D&C 11:20
"Behold, this is your work, to keep my commandments,
yea, with all your might, mind and strength."
Rob found this scripture and thought that it fit what we were trying to do this year: Live our religion more fully. We've already been keeping the commandments, but not with all our might, mind and strength, perhaps. We've been "doing everything right," but we haven't had our hearts full of worship. Let us try a little harder.
Additionally, the Lord has stated that his work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. OUR work is to keep his commandments with everything we have. Sounds like a good trade. We keep his commandments and He gives us immortality and eternal life. Sign me up, please!
Scriptures on My Window
The Sunday before Christmas I went to church with Grandma Thacker. I wore jeans and only stayed for sacrament meeting, which was right and good on so many levels. And I'm sure that everyone's Christmas program was delightful, but I think it was providence that I went to church with Grandma that day, because I was deeply touched.
tangenting paragraphs - First off, her ward is the musical genius ward of the world. The Jacobs live in that ward, and even though you've never heard of them, they're amazing. If you get BYU Magazine, LaDawn Jacobs was highlighted as a great mother in one of the recent issues. Granted, the author of the article was LaDawn's daughter, but still, it's not just LaDawn's daughter that thinks she's amazing. LaDawn Jacobs was Young Mother of the Year back in the time when she was young, because she makes all of us look like slackers. I mean, not just people like me who are slackers in reality. You think you're doing a lot with your kids? Do you teach them geography, philosophy, and politics over dinner, complete with world maps? Do each of the 10 of your children practice both of their instruments for half an hour every day? Are they also graduating at the top of their class and participating in sports, drama, church, and service clubs? On top of all that, are you also the nicest, spirtualist, down-to-earth-est person in the world? No? Then you're no LaDawn. (It's okay. Like I said, neither am I.)
LaDawn played the piano for most of the songs performed. Half of her grown kids were in the choir. And one of her daughters played the violin perfectly. I couldn't stop staring at that violin. The music coming out of it was so beautiful. Truly, it felt like the music was her gift to me. - end of tangent
Their program had 2 speakers who actually gave talks, which is different for a Christmas program. The first talk was like most talks: nice and fine and forgettable. The second talk, though, inspired me. It was given by a young mother of 4 whose husband had to come down off the stand to sit with the kids so she could go up there. The talk was amazing. It was real and nice and warm, but challenging and thoughtful.
She started by talking about how much thought and effort they had put into a gift for an extended family member. They thought about what this family member liked, about the constraints of finances and shipping, about what would be the most fitting for her age and interests. They imagined how excited she would be to receive the gift that their family had put so much time and effort and caring into.
And then she talked about a gift we can give the Savior. I've heard this talk before, as I'm sure you have. But this time it really struck me. She said that every year she puts effort into giving gifts to family members, and she asked herself, and by implication all of us, if she put that much time into thinking of a great gift for the Savior.
She wanted it to be something she could do all year, but she didn't want to clutter up her life with one more thing to do. There are lots of things on her to-do list, she said, and one more thing would not only be frustrating, but very possibly it would be something that she couldn't keep going all year. So she thought of ways she could improve things she was already doing.
* She does dishes every day, and usually she looks out the window, which faces her neighbor's house, and "watches their comings and goings." Instead of doing that, why not post a scripture on the window and ponder that scripture while doing the dishes? She could try to memorize it, or just think about it and how she could apply it to her life. And while listening to the talk I thought, "A way to add Gospel study into my normal day-to-day life without a huge to-do? Genius!"
* She sits through the sacrament every week, and she has pictures for her kids to look at, but why not create something for herself? It could be the size of a bookmark, and she could include a picture or two, and then some scriptures that focus her attention on the Savior and his attributes. She already had in mind 4 scriptures that were meaningful to her. As time went on, she could add to that list, or switch some of the scriptures out, so her sacrament experience wouldn't get stale. She also thought they could make it a family activity. Why not have a Family Home Evening about the sacrament and get the family's input on which scriptures they should add to the list. For the younger kids, they could go over the verses and explain to them what they meant with a fun family activity. And again, while listening I thought, "This all sounds so do-able."
She went over a few other ideas and then said, "Pick one, or come up with one of your own, and do that this year." And with a little bit of shame I thought to myself, "Why am I not already doing things like this?"
It's not like it's hard, you know? I just don't take the time to do it. How easy is it to post a scripture on my window? I've done things like that before, I just haven't consistently done so over the years.
Well, it's time again to do it. It occurred to me that I'm at the point where if I'm not going to start more actively DOING what my religion calls for, then I just need to stop going. I go to church every week, and I think, "That's a good idea," and then I go home and do nothing about it. This has always bothered me (are we all hypocrites from time to time?), but it's easy to do nothing and just get involved with the busyness of the week, and then it's Sunday again and you start the whole process over: Inspired by Church, Intend to Do Something About it, Get Busy with the Week, Repeat.
Well, I'm done. I might not be ready to start doing everything perfectly today, but I CAN start doing some things better today. I'm not going to beat myself up about what I haven't been doing, because I'm not a bad person or anything, I'm just a slacker. And beating myself up doesn't do any good anyway.
So here's to the New Year. To slacking a little less and efforting a little more. Here's to scriptures on my window.
tangenting paragraphs - First off, her ward is the musical genius ward of the world. The Jacobs live in that ward, and even though you've never heard of them, they're amazing. If you get BYU Magazine, LaDawn Jacobs was highlighted as a great mother in one of the recent issues. Granted, the author of the article was LaDawn's daughter, but still, it's not just LaDawn's daughter that thinks she's amazing. LaDawn Jacobs was Young Mother of the Year back in the time when she was young, because she makes all of us look like slackers. I mean, not just people like me who are slackers in reality. You think you're doing a lot with your kids? Do you teach them geography, philosophy, and politics over dinner, complete with world maps? Do each of the 10 of your children practice both of their instruments for half an hour every day? Are they also graduating at the top of their class and participating in sports, drama, church, and service clubs? On top of all that, are you also the nicest, spirtualist, down-to-earth-est person in the world? No? Then you're no LaDawn. (It's okay. Like I said, neither am I.)
LaDawn played the piano for most of the songs performed. Half of her grown kids were in the choir. And one of her daughters played the violin perfectly. I couldn't stop staring at that violin. The music coming out of it was so beautiful. Truly, it felt like the music was her gift to me. - end of tangent
Their program had 2 speakers who actually gave talks, which is different for a Christmas program. The first talk was like most talks: nice and fine and forgettable. The second talk, though, inspired me. It was given by a young mother of 4 whose husband had to come down off the stand to sit with the kids so she could go up there. The talk was amazing. It was real and nice and warm, but challenging and thoughtful.
She started by talking about how much thought and effort they had put into a gift for an extended family member. They thought about what this family member liked, about the constraints of finances and shipping, about what would be the most fitting for her age and interests. They imagined how excited she would be to receive the gift that their family had put so much time and effort and caring into.
And then she talked about a gift we can give the Savior. I've heard this talk before, as I'm sure you have. But this time it really struck me. She said that every year she puts effort into giving gifts to family members, and she asked herself, and by implication all of us, if she put that much time into thinking of a great gift for the Savior.
She wanted it to be something she could do all year, but she didn't want to clutter up her life with one more thing to do. There are lots of things on her to-do list, she said, and one more thing would not only be frustrating, but very possibly it would be something that she couldn't keep going all year. So she thought of ways she could improve things she was already doing.
* She does dishes every day, and usually she looks out the window, which faces her neighbor's house, and "watches their comings and goings." Instead of doing that, why not post a scripture on the window and ponder that scripture while doing the dishes? She could try to memorize it, or just think about it and how she could apply it to her life. And while listening to the talk I thought, "A way to add Gospel study into my normal day-to-day life without a huge to-do? Genius!"
* She sits through the sacrament every week, and she has pictures for her kids to look at, but why not create something for herself? It could be the size of a bookmark, and she could include a picture or two, and then some scriptures that focus her attention on the Savior and his attributes. She already had in mind 4 scriptures that were meaningful to her. As time went on, she could add to that list, or switch some of the scriptures out, so her sacrament experience wouldn't get stale. She also thought they could make it a family activity. Why not have a Family Home Evening about the sacrament and get the family's input on which scriptures they should add to the list. For the younger kids, they could go over the verses and explain to them what they meant with a fun family activity. And again, while listening I thought, "This all sounds so do-able."
She went over a few other ideas and then said, "Pick one, or come up with one of your own, and do that this year." And with a little bit of shame I thought to myself, "Why am I not already doing things like this?"
It's not like it's hard, you know? I just don't take the time to do it. How easy is it to post a scripture on my window? I've done things like that before, I just haven't consistently done so over the years.
Well, it's time again to do it. It occurred to me that I'm at the point where if I'm not going to start more actively DOING what my religion calls for, then I just need to stop going. I go to church every week, and I think, "That's a good idea," and then I go home and do nothing about it. This has always bothered me (are we all hypocrites from time to time?), but it's easy to do nothing and just get involved with the busyness of the week, and then it's Sunday again and you start the whole process over: Inspired by Church, Intend to Do Something About it, Get Busy with the Week, Repeat.
Well, I'm done. I might not be ready to start doing everything perfectly today, but I CAN start doing some things better today. I'm not going to beat myself up about what I haven't been doing, because I'm not a bad person or anything, I'm just a slacker. And beating myself up doesn't do any good anyway.
So here's to the New Year. To slacking a little less and efforting a little more. Here's to scriptures on my window.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
It's Time
It's time to cut my hair short, short again. No objections from the peanut gallery. They won't change my mind anyway. Not when I get like this.
I know it's time when I start thinking obsessively about cutting my own hair for weeks on end. I thought it would help that I got a super great $40 haircut (for free!) 2 weeks ago. Nope.
I like my hair short not because I like short hair. I like my hair short because I'm not even sure why hair exists in the first place. I don't like doing my hair. In fact, I no longer even comb it. I don't like worrying about how it's laying or not laying. I don't like how it gets static-y or flies in my face or generally reminds me that it exists.
Another thing that I don't know why exists: Fashion. Hence why I ignore fashion altogether. It turns out that ignoring fashion gets you comments about how "original" you are, or about how great your "style" is. I'll take it.
Another one: Stress. So, if at all possible, I ignore it. And then people say things about how laid back I am, or how well I handle things. When, in reality, I just remove as much stress as I can from my life. I'm a semi-professional stress-avoider. ... I guess stress is supposed to "make us better people" or something. Who wants that? I'd rather just not be stressed, thank you.
Alright. That's all. I'm cutting my hair.
I know it's time when I start thinking obsessively about cutting my own hair for weeks on end. I thought it would help that I got a super great $40 haircut (for free!) 2 weeks ago. Nope.
I like my hair short not because I like short hair. I like my hair short because I'm not even sure why hair exists in the first place. I don't like doing my hair. In fact, I no longer even comb it. I don't like worrying about how it's laying or not laying. I don't like how it gets static-y or flies in my face or generally reminds me that it exists.
Another thing that I don't know why exists: Fashion. Hence why I ignore fashion altogether. It turns out that ignoring fashion gets you comments about how "original" you are, or about how great your "style" is. I'll take it.
Another one: Stress. So, if at all possible, I ignore it. And then people say things about how laid back I am, or how well I handle things. When, in reality, I just remove as much stress as I can from my life. I'm a semi-professional stress-avoider. ... I guess stress is supposed to "make us better people" or something. Who wants that? I'd rather just not be stressed, thank you.
Alright. That's all. I'm cutting my hair.
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