So, here are my basic thoughts on having a personal mission. Keep in mind that sometimes I do tend to over-grandize some things and this may be one of them. :-)
In each of the articles listed, somewhere it says that there is a mission only YOU came here to perform. I do believe that sometimes we (I) get caught up in thinking this is something bigger than where our life is currently leading in regards to our sphere of influence, no matter how small. The story about President Eyring from when he was younger and the Spirit told him something like, "If you knew who you really were, you would be sad you didn't try harder." I wonder in my life if I'm not trying hard enough to accomplish and fulfill the promises made before coming to earth. Am I too selfish? Am I making choices to be places I don't need to be? Are my desires righteous?
Which leads to my second thought which is that we can't only go on our desires and interests. Let's say I have an interest in cooking but I'm a horrible cook. Well, I can practice and practice but it may not be where I need to be putting my time. That is a minimal example, and I dont' necessarily agree with it but take it anyway. :-) As a grander example, let's take President Lincoln. How many times did he fail before he was elected? How do we know if the failures are simply distractions from our ultimate goal (being elected) or if it's not something we're supposed to be pursuing and it is thus a distraction from what we should be focussing on? That's why simply going on wants and desires, talents and gifts can be a little bit confusing for me to understand. I have to desire to read and study all day! But if I did that I would definitely be distracted from my #1 mission of being a wife and mother. :-)
With that said, I think I, for one, need to be grateful for the places the Lord has led me in my life. I need to sometimes refocus and realize my mission is in the home, raising & teaching my children. Sometimes we don't appreciate our smaller sphere of influences. I have at times felt like Alma, "O, that I were an angel, crying repentance on the housetops." Maybe we all have those moments, maybe not. But, I do think that sometimes when we talk about "our personal mission" in church, we do need to think more about what we are doing and ask the Lord if it be right. Are we truly fulfilling our missions or simply muddling through life?
Random ramblings, but there you have it! :-)
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
KIM WINS
Okay, I know Kelly hasn't voted but I voted for Kim and so did Kami (I talked to her on the phone today) and Julia said either. So, we have a general enough consensus. Happy reading.
More on Books
Hi again!
I'm going to post more about the "mission" stuff soon, but for now I'll stay focussed on books.
I just saw the 1491 book at the library and thought it looksed quite fascinating as well. AND I have on my list The Federalist Papers. So those look great for me!
As for 1st - I'll read either Kim or Crusoe. LesMis seems a bit much for me right now . . . that might be great for a long summer read or something?? Still very much want to read it however. :-)
It's fun to have more activity on this group again!
JULIA
I'm going to post more about the "mission" stuff soon, but for now I'll stay focussed on books.
I just saw the 1491 book at the library and thought it looksed quite fascinating as well. AND I have on my list The Federalist Papers. So those look great for me!
As for 1st - I'll read either Kim or Crusoe. LesMis seems a bit much for me right now . . . that might be great for a long summer read or something?? Still very much want to read it however. :-)
It's fun to have more activity on this group again!
JULIA
Ju,
I haven't gotten to those articles, but I hope to get around to them eventually.
How Capitalism Saved America might be hard to find. Josh had been on paperbackswap waiting list for quite awhile. BUT - he actually has 2 copies. The first one he got was all marked up, and he really hates to have his books pre-marked, so that one is available as a loner. If you guys want to pass it around I can mail it off. With media mail it would be fairly cheap - $2 or so, right?
I've got to get back to my family. I'm at my in-laws right now and poor Grandma might be feeling overwhelmed with all the kids trying to "help" her.
I haven't gotten to those articles, but I hope to get around to them eventually.
How Capitalism Saved America might be hard to find. Josh had been on paperbackswap waiting list for quite awhile. BUT - he actually has 2 copies. The first one he got was all marked up, and he really hates to have his books pre-marked, so that one is available as a loner. If you guys want to pass it around I can mail it off. With media mail it would be fairly cheap - $2 or so, right?
I've got to get back to my family. I'm at my in-laws right now and poor Grandma might be feeling overwhelmed with all the kids trying to "help" her.
books
Okay--I checked my library for How Capitalism Saved America and they don't have it, and I checked for Guns, Germs, Steel and they don't have it, and I checked for the Hawkins one and they don't have it. I put Eve and the Choice Made in Eden on hold but it might be awhile.
My point: we're taking a vote on the first book we'll be reading from the books I have in my house. Vote for your #1 choice and your #2 choice.
A) Les Mis
B) Kim
C) Robinson Crusoe
My choice #1 is Kim and my choice #2 is Robinson Crusoe. (I don't want to start Les Mis until after March when I get the next Megan Whalen Turner--I'm weird like that. But, if that is the vote, I'm okay with it!)
Our second book choice will be Eve and the Choice Made in Eden. Hopefully that will give everyone a chance obtain a copy. After that--Guns, Germs, and Steel. I'll have to get my sister to get it from Weber State or something. I'm making it third so we all have ample time to track down a copy.
As for missions--I think it is a bogus idea completely. Our mission is pretty clearly delineated in the scriptures. We came to work out our salvation and help as many people as we can work out their salvation. If we're living like we're supposed to, then we are instruments in God's hands to do whatever he wants us to do. It is no suprise that people pursue various interests and have a desire to pursue a variety of interests. Magnifying our talents is part of what God wants us to do. TJEd's lame-o focus on "personal missions" is just another way they've complicated what was originally a simple and straightforward education philosophy while muddling up doctrine at the same time.
Essentially what Kami said--I'm just super grumpy this morning so I said it straight out. Don't worry, she'll reprimand me and give me a lecture on tact.
I still plan on reading those sources you sent us, though, Ju.
I really love this blog and all you people. Just so you know.
My point: we're taking a vote on the first book we'll be reading from the books I have in my house. Vote for your #1 choice and your #2 choice.
A) Les Mis
B) Kim
C) Robinson Crusoe
My choice #1 is Kim and my choice #2 is Robinson Crusoe. (I don't want to start Les Mis until after March when I get the next Megan Whalen Turner--I'm weird like that. But, if that is the vote, I'm okay with it!)
Our second book choice will be Eve and the Choice Made in Eden. Hopefully that will give everyone a chance obtain a copy. After that--Guns, Germs, and Steel. I'll have to get my sister to get it from Weber State or something. I'm making it third so we all have ample time to track down a copy.
As for missions--I think it is a bogus idea completely. Our mission is pretty clearly delineated in the scriptures. We came to work out our salvation and help as many people as we can work out their salvation. If we're living like we're supposed to, then we are instruments in God's hands to do whatever he wants us to do. It is no suprise that people pursue various interests and have a desire to pursue a variety of interests. Magnifying our talents is part of what God wants us to do. TJEd's lame-o focus on "personal missions" is just another way they've complicated what was originally a simple and straightforward education philosophy while muddling up doctrine at the same time.
Essentially what Kami said--I'm just super grumpy this morning so I said it straight out. Don't worry, she'll reprimand me and give me a lecture on tact.
I still plan on reading those sources you sent us, though, Ju.
I really love this blog and all you people. Just so you know.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Other books
So I went looking, and I'm really craving some nonficiton. Here's a few others that looked appealing.
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbusby Charles C. Mann
Bones: Discovering the First Americansby Elaine Dewar
The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton
Umm, yeah, I like history and archaeology. Hee. Hee.
Now I must at least get the laundry done.
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbusby Charles C. Mann
Bones: Discovering the First Americansby Elaine Dewar
The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton
Umm, yeah, I like history and archaeology. Hee. Hee.
Now I must at least get the laundry done.
My scattered thoughts
Leo said I should take a break...so I am, although pruning my rose bush was pretty therapeutic, I have to say. So here's my thoughts that I managed to gather, in brief.
I regards to the Mountain Meadow Massacre and polygamy, etc. I think you're doing your children a disservice if you don't at least give them some rudimentary knowledge of it. Things come up in weird ways--I first read about the Mountain Meadow Massacre in a Jack London book. It was not a favorable telling of it. Even now, I have a hard time understanding some things, and I just have to keep reminding myself after reading something disturbing of my own personal experiences that keep me grounded in the gospel. Leo's aunt went off on him when he was going to get baptized, and being Leo, he kind of shrugged them all aside, but he did ask me about polygamy, and so I wrote him this long LONG email explaining all this stuff, and in the end he didn't really care that much anyway, and was kind of overwhelmed by my response. So there's definitely a danger of going overboard in explanations too. So this wasn't so brief. But to sum up: It's always better to be informed than ignorant. And I do agree with Andrea on how to teach kids about it.
Secondly, I might not be reading anything for a while, but when I do again, I'll be up for anything you guys mentioned. But I still would like to read these three especially from our old list:
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies / Jared Diamond
**The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe / Stephen Hawking
Man's Search for Meaning / Viktor E. Frankl
I think that would fall in line with Julia's desire to read five different books on different subjects. Guns, Germs and Steel is history/sociology/anthropology. The Theory of Everything is science. And Man's Search for Meaning, philosophy. Right?
Other than that, I'm up for anything. Although once Megan Whalen Turner's new book is out, all others will be pushed to the side.
Oh, and as far as us having a mission, I have a complicated view on that. I don't really feel any pressure to complete any particular "thing" simply because it may or may not be my mission. I feel really strongly that when we are at least wanting to do right (having the desire to believe like in the seed parable) whether we are succeeding or not, that the Lord will guide us more than we ever expect. However, I think if we are "succeeding" in being righteous, even a little bit (as in the basics that always kill me: praying, personal scripture study), we'll be in an even better position to be led by the Lord to do what he wants, and thus fulfilling our mission even more fully. My patriarchal blessing does fit in well with what I like to persue already, albeit not always with equal success or as high of priority as they should be, so it's not a big deal--basically my husband, kids, family history and temple work, and study the scriptures and remember to pray. And frankly, all your guys' ideas to be better are, I think, the main thing--that means you have the desire and if you keep trying you'll end up where you should be. Anyway, I just read Pres. Uchdorf's talk, The Love of God, and that's pretty much what it said. It gave me a lot of hope anyway, which is the foundation right? Faith, hope...I've still got a long ways to go before charity, but I hope someday I get there. Hee. Hee.
So this wasn't short at all and I was supposed to be washing down walls and painting, and now I just want to go to bed. Ruff. I haven't even got the dishes or laundry done yet. Shame on me.
Goodnight.
I regards to the Mountain Meadow Massacre and polygamy, etc. I think you're doing your children a disservice if you don't at least give them some rudimentary knowledge of it. Things come up in weird ways--I first read about the Mountain Meadow Massacre in a Jack London book. It was not a favorable telling of it. Even now, I have a hard time understanding some things, and I just have to keep reminding myself after reading something disturbing of my own personal experiences that keep me grounded in the gospel. Leo's aunt went off on him when he was going to get baptized, and being Leo, he kind of shrugged them all aside, but he did ask me about polygamy, and so I wrote him this long LONG email explaining all this stuff, and in the end he didn't really care that much anyway, and was kind of overwhelmed by my response. So there's definitely a danger of going overboard in explanations too. So this wasn't so brief. But to sum up: It's always better to be informed than ignorant. And I do agree with Andrea on how to teach kids about it.
Secondly, I might not be reading anything for a while, but when I do again, I'll be up for anything you guys mentioned. But I still would like to read these three especially from our old list:
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies / Jared Diamond
**The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe / Stephen Hawking
Man's Search for Meaning / Viktor E. Frankl
I think that would fall in line with Julia's desire to read five different books on different subjects. Guns, Germs and Steel is history/sociology/anthropology. The Theory of Everything is science. And Man's Search for Meaning, philosophy. Right?
Other than that, I'm up for anything. Although once Megan Whalen Turner's new book is out, all others will be pushed to the side.
Oh, and as far as us having a mission, I have a complicated view on that. I don't really feel any pressure to complete any particular "thing" simply because it may or may not be my mission. I feel really strongly that when we are at least wanting to do right (having the desire to believe like in the seed parable) whether we are succeeding or not, that the Lord will guide us more than we ever expect. However, I think if we are "succeeding" in being righteous, even a little bit (as in the basics that always kill me: praying, personal scripture study), we'll be in an even better position to be led by the Lord to do what he wants, and thus fulfilling our mission even more fully. My patriarchal blessing does fit in well with what I like to persue already, albeit not always with equal success or as high of priority as they should be, so it's not a big deal--basically my husband, kids, family history and temple work, and study the scriptures and remember to pray. And frankly, all your guys' ideas to be better are, I think, the main thing--that means you have the desire and if you keep trying you'll end up where you should be. Anyway, I just read Pres. Uchdorf's talk, The Love of God, and that's pretty much what it said. It gave me a lot of hope anyway, which is the foundation right? Faith, hope...I've still got a long ways to go before charity, but I hope someday I get there. Hee. Hee.
So this wasn't short at all and I was supposed to be washing down walls and painting, and now I just want to go to bed. Ruff. I haven't even got the dishes or laundry done yet. Shame on me.
Goodnight.
It's 'cuz you're always right
I thought your opinon was pretty spot on, Andrea (regarding MMM and Polygamy). I think parents avoid talking to their kids about some of these issues because they haven't fully come to grips with it themselves. However, it's our job to talk about the tricky issues.
I got bombarded by all the stereotypical anti-Mormon stuff by one particular kid in high school. Having some idea of appropriate ways to respond, as well as knowing for myself the truth behind his misconceptions, would have helped me immensely. I mean, I knew a lot, but some stuff I was completely clueless about. Oddly enough, I never felt like I could or should talk to my parents about him. Maybe I didn't think my parents would care, or have any useful information. I wish I could remember WHY I didn't talk to them about that kid.
I'd like to have a different kind of relationship with my kids.
On to other topics:
Have you guys read any of David McCullough's books? I liked John Adams (Julia mentioned a biography), but I thought 1776 was fabulous (and easier to read).
I got bombarded by all the stereotypical anti-Mormon stuff by one particular kid in high school. Having some idea of appropriate ways to respond, as well as knowing for myself the truth behind his misconceptions, would have helped me immensely. I mean, I knew a lot, but some stuff I was completely clueless about. Oddly enough, I never felt like I could or should talk to my parents about him. Maybe I didn't think my parents would care, or have any useful information. I wish I could remember WHY I didn't talk to them about that kid.
I'd like to have a different kind of relationship with my kids.
On to other topics:
Have you guys read any of David McCullough's books? I liked John Adams (Julia mentioned a biography), but I thought 1776 was fabulous (and easier to read).
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