Hair Vaccuum Consequences

 Elder Quentin L. Cook shared this on his social media pages yesterday:
 

The challenge for you young friends of mine is to find the time for spiritual growth while acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a very competitive world. My counsel to you is to first prioritize your faith in Jesus Christ as you make important life choices.

Faith and acquiring skills and knowledge require equal effort and commitment. We cannot expect to have faith at the center of our lives if all of our efforts are expended on skills, knowledge, making money, sports, hobbies, or other pursuits.

My mission president, Elder Marion D. Hanks, taught me that it is the small, daily choices that are important. He introduced me to some wonderful advice by Harry Emerson Fosdick, the famous Protestant pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City.

He taught: “Ah, my soul, look to the road you are walking on! He who picks up one end of a stick picks up the other. He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determines the end.”

The choices you will make are the key to your future and your happiness. Remember, you are the sum total of every decision you make. I want you to know, and I testify to you, that you will receive guidance from the Lord if you walk in His paths and live His commandments.

It was a perfect day to post it as the lesson for YW and Aaronic Priesthood was why do the choices I make matter.  And there are consequences for each choice we make.

It brought to mind a memory of when I was a child.  I remember that I had to vacuum.  It seems like several times when I was supposed to vacuum my sisters would be playing or would be in my way and wouldn't really cooperate with me to clean up their toys/move out of my way.  One day, I told my sister (I think it was Suzy, but I honestly can't remember for sure) to move or I would vacuum up her hair.  She was on the floor, lying down, and she wouldn't move.  I asked a couple of times and then got closer...really meaning to scare her and get her to move.  Except that I got too close and I really did catch the corner of her hair and it got sucked into the vacuum.  She cried.  I felt terrible.  I think we both learned a lesson that day.  

LESSONS LEARNED:   Our choices have consequences.  Even if we don't realize it, when we make a choice, we are choosing the connected consequence also.  She chose not to move off the floor and got the painful consequence of having some of her hair sucked into the vacuum.  I chose to get frustrated and angry and do something foolish and it led to hurting my sister and feeling guilty about what I had done.

Peace Election Division

 Tuesday was a presidential election and people's emotions were high.  There is so much division in our country right now.  And I felt sick about the election because I don't think either person is fit to run our country.   Last Sunday I felt so worried.  I still hadn't decided for sure who to vote for.  I felt physically ill about either candidate winning.  So I fasted.  And I had the most beautiful Sabbath.  Sara bore her testimony and talked about how there are lots of things she doesn't know but when she gets worried or overwhelmed she comes back to what she does know...that God is good, that He loves His children, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, that we have a living prophet, that God hears and answers our prayers.  That brought a lot of peace.  And then I felt the spirit so strong during the sacrament and felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude that these priesthood holders serve me by performing the sacrament ordinance for me, for each of us.  And each week I choose a new name of the Savior to study and ponder.  Sometimes I feel really led to know which one to choose and other times I don't.  But last Sunday, Prince of Peace came forcefully.  And I knew both that I needed that name this week..but also that my Heavenly Father really wanted me to share peace.  And all week that is what I felt.  Peace.  Peace when I heard we wouldn't be going back to school until at least January even though I desperately wanted to go back now.  Peace as we waited days for the election results.  Peace as I looked at happy, sad, despairing and celebratory posts.  I told Jackie, Laurel and Sara that I was probably in the eye of a storm...and the other side of the storm would hit soon...but it was a feeling of complete calm even though I knew a storm was raging.  Biden won and I have genuine concerns...but I  still feel peace.  My life is in the hands of the Prince of Peace, our founder of peace (Mosiah 15:18) and I will be okay.

Also, I absolutely LOVE being able to attend Relief Society and Young Women's.  As much as I wish we could just be back at church like normal, one beautiful blessing of this time is that I can attend Relief Society via Zoom at 1:30 and then Young Women's via Zoom at 2:30.  We have such remarkable women in our ward and I'm so grateful to be able to learn from them and feel of our shared love for the Savior.

 It was a really good week.  A truly good week!  One of the best weeks I have had this school year.

Months ago I set a goal to index 150 records by Nov. 15 in celebration of the 150th anniversary of YW.  But I really wasn't sure once school started if that was going to happen.  But I officially met my goal today.  

Also, I am more than halfway through planning through November 18 and that's the farthest I've ever been on a Friday since remote teaching started. And it's a dumb little thing but I figured out how to embed a video on Canvas today. I've gotten to the point where I can do things pretty well on Canvas and on Zoom. Not perfectly but I am so pleased with how much I have learned and accomplished in the past 8 months. I'd still really, really rather be in my classroom with my students but I'm so happy and pleased that teaching is going okay even over Zoom and Canvas.

And I was observed by my principal today and his notes were all positive except one tiny suggestion. And one of my students' parents wrote an op ed piece for the Salt Lake Tribune about how well remote learning is working for their family and how much their daughter is learning. My principal shared the link in faculty meeting and said this family has called him to sing my praises which was embarrassing but also nice. I KNOW remote learning isn't working for all of my students and I know there are still a million things I could do better at.  But it's been a very satisfying day/week and so I am just going to rejoice in that for today.  

LESSONS LEARNED: I can learn to do hard things.

Reaching goals brings satisfaction and joy.

I love teaching even in virtual environments though I definitely don't want this online thing to be permanent.

Prison Fear YW

 I loved YW as a teenager.  Loved it.  I almost never missed an activity, despite having a busy school/extracurricular schedule.  YW was a priority for me.  Despite that, I don't remember most of the activities we did.  But there are a few that stand out.

One activity that I remember well was visiting the prison in Phoenix.  I'm not sure why we took a tour of the prison but at some point my friend and I must have been talking or something and got a bit behind the rest of the group.  We took a wrong turn and ended up maybe in an area we weren't supposed to go to.  I remember seeing a man, locked alone, who had tattoos all over his face and who scowled and growled at us.  He looked terrifying.  We hurried to find the rest of our group and felt relieved to catch up with them.

LESSONS LEARNED:

I think at the time the lesson I learned was that there are people in the world that are dangerous and scary.  And I never wanted to end up in prison.

Looking back, I see other lessons.  First, perhaps I should not have been so quick to judge.  Being strong and having tattoos doesn't necessarily make you scary or dangerous.  (Though the fact that he was in prison makes it more likely that he was, but even then it doesn't guarantee it.)

Second, be in the right places.  I was a bit careless and ended up in an area that I wasn't supervised and was not where I was meant to be.  

Third, choices have consequences.  When we make a choice (good or bad), we are also choosing the consequences (good or bad). 

Mike Always Winner

 My mom and Mike came for dinner today.  We had such a nice visit.  It had been over a month since we had seen them.  

We talked a bit about the virus and how much I wish I could go back to school and that I mostly don't dare share my opinion because it is such an unpopular opinion.  I explained that I am trying to be careful but I also can't just sit in my home and do nothing when I know so many people are lonely and struggling.  I just can't.  I know they are trying to be quite cautious but they also reassured me that they think that it's good for my kids to be back in school and that they don't think I'm being selfish or irresponsible.

Also, Mike shared that when he was younger he was very competitive.  He hated to lose.  He wasn't always pleasant to be around if he lost.  But when he married my mom, we liked to play games--especially Boggle.  He said that in 30 years of marriage, he has never won a game of Boggle.  And yet, he said, that he was a winner in every single game.  Because he decided his purpose/goal was to build relationships and have fun.  And so no matter how the game went, he could consider himself a winner if he was enjoying that time with those he loved.  Sometimes I can get competitive and even be a bit of a sore loser, so I appreciate this reminder.  It's more important to enjoy the game and build relationships than to win.

Lesson Learned:  It's more important to enjoy the game and build relationships than to win.

Change your purpose and you can change your feelings about the outcome.

Echo Hawk Marine BofM

 In a talk given in October 2012 entitled "Come Unto Me, O Ye House of Israel", Elder Larry Echo Hawk of the Seventy shared this story:

I volunteered for service in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Soon after my arrival in Quantico, Virginia, for basic training, I found myself standing at attention in front of my barrack’s bunk along with 54 other Marine Corps recruits. I met my drill instructor, a battle-hardened veteran, when he kicked open the door to the barracks and entered while screaming words laced with profanity.

After this terrifying introduction, he started at one end of the barracks and confronted each recruit with questions. Without exception, the drill instructor methodically found something about each recruit to ridicule with loud, vulgar language. Down the row he came, with each marine shouting back his answer as commanded: “Yes” or “No, Sergeant Instructor.” I could not see exactly what he was doing, because we had been ordered to stand at attention with our eyes looking straight ahead. When it was my turn, I could tell he grabbed my duffel bag and emptied the contents onto my mattress behind me. He looked through my belongings, then walked back to face me. I braced myself for his attack. In his hand was my Book of Mormon. I expected that he would yell at me; instead, he moved close to me and whispered, “Are you a Mormon?”

As commanded, I yelled, “Yes, Sergeant Instructor.”

Again I expected the worst. Instead, he paused and raised his hand that held my Book of Mormon and in a very quiet voice said, “Do you believe in this book?”

Again I shouted, “Yes, Sergeant Instructor.”

At this point I was sure he would scream disparaging words about Mormons and the Book of Mormon, but he just stood there in silence. After a moment he walked back to my bunk and carefully laid down my Book of Mormon. He then proceeded to walk by me without stopping and went on to ridicule and disparage with profane language all remaining recruits.

I have often wondered why that tough Marine Corps sergeant spared me that day. But I am grateful I was able to say without hesitation, “Yes, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” and “Yes, I know the Book of Mormon is true.”

I love that he had the courage to boldly proclaim that he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a "Mormon" as the sergeant called him) and that he believed the Book of Mormon was true.  That would take courage and faith but it's also so comforting and strengthening to have that testimony, regardless of how others react.

LESSONS LEARNED:  Boldly declare what I know to be true.

I, too, have a knowledge and testimony that the Book of Mormon is true.  I'm grateful every day to have that knowledge and to be a member of the Church.

Christian or Catholic?

 On Sunday (over Zoom) we had a beautiful lesson by Susan Gustafson about the correct name of the Church.  It truly was so beautiful.  While she was teaching, a memory from when I was a young child came to mind.  

I was probably in about 1st or 2nd grade.  A classmate was talking about church and asked me, "Are you a Christian or a Catholic?"  Honestly, I had never heard either of these words before...or at least I didn't think I had.  I said I didn't know, but that I was a Mormon.  I think my friend was unimpressed or even troubled that I wasn't Christian or Catholic (though I think my Catholic friends would be troubled that they were separated out from being Christian!)

I went home and told my parents about it.  I think they were a bit embarrassed that I hadn't known what it meant to be a Christian and explained that a Christian is someone who believes in and follows Christ.  We are Christian, they assured me.

Now I know that some Christians will differentiate members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and say that we aren't Christian, but I think that at least ONE important reason to refer to the Church by its full name is that it helps us to be more fully cognizant of the fact that we are Christian.  And hopefully it makes that more clear to those not of our faith.  

LESSONS LEARNED:  A name is important, including nicknames.  Our names for the church should reflect the fact that we are disciples of Christ.  We are Christian.