The Stolen Bra

When this happened, I posted it on Facebook, but I just realized that I never did post it here. It is most definitely a story worth remembering....
For Christmas this past year, the only thing I really asked for was a new computer bag. I had a few requirements.... black and lots of pockets.
When I opened a package on Christmas morning, I was surprised to see it.... but then again I wasn't. My sweet hubs goes out of his way to give me the things that I ask for. It was awesome... Just what I wanted... black, relaxed straps (I hate stiff straps on things that I carry on my shoulder), lots of pockets...inside and out! I love, love, love it!!!
Then I opened it up to look inside (because sometimes he surprises me with other gifts inside of gifts). There was a plastic grocery sack inside. I looked at him and smiled sweetly and kind of flirtatiously, thinking he had bought me some jewelry or something like that...
... He smiled back with a puzzled and confused look on his face.
I pulled out the bag and opened it up to find a rather LARGE sports bra and a beaded chain for granny glasses.....
Totally NOT what I was expecting!!!
He looked at me and said, "What is that?"....
I replied, "I don't know YOU tell ME".....
Apparently when he AND the clerk at the store looked in the bag, they thought that was just the paper packing that sometimes comes in a hand bag and neither of them bothered to look inside.
I could NOT pass up the opportunity to return the bra and the granny glasses chain the next day and inform them that my husband accidently gave me a stolen bra for Christmas.
The clerks could not believe that I wanted to just return it and not ask for a gift card or something in return.
It was one of those moments when doing the right thing made for an awesome story!!!

Stop Shoulding on Yourself

You may remember my blog entry about the two witnesses... Well recently, on two different occasions in totally different ways, I have seen someone question if they are enough. Since it has happened twice in just a few days, it caught my attention and I have started wondering... Am I Enough?

As I have reflected on this I have questioned and thought, If I were to die suddenly:

Am I ENOUGH of a teacher for my Sunday school class? Do I give my preparation ENOUGH of my time and energy to do the topic any justice?
Am I ENOUGH of a daughter? Do I appreciate my mom ENOUGH? Do I show my appreciation ENOUGH?
Am I ENOUGH of a mother? Do I give my kids ENOUGH love? Do I let them know ENOUGH how much I love them or do I take it for granted that they already know?
Am I ENOUGH of a wife? Do I take my husband's love for granted? Am I deserving ENOUGH of all the things he does for me and our family?
Am I ENOUGH of a visiting teacher? Do I give it ENOUGH effort or do I do just ENOUGH to count it?
Am I ENOUGH of a friend? Do I take advantage of people without giving back more than what I get from the relationship?
Am I ENOUGH of an example of what my beliefs are? Do people see ENOUGH of the light of Christ in me to know without a doubt where I stand?
Am I Charitable ENOUGH? Do I give from the heart ENOUGH or do I hold back out of selfishness or fear?
The list could go on and on and on....

We need to be doing enough of the right things to be moving in the right direction and if we do, the Savior will make up the difference.
Some people do enough, but not of the right things OR for the right reasons. For example, if we are doing our visiting teaching, but only for the credit, then we are doing enough, but not of the right thing.
Some people do the right things, but they don't do them enough. Example...if we read our scriptures now and then, but not consistently, we are doing the right thing, just not enough.
We each have to find a balance of what is right and what is enough. It's not a magic formula that applies to everyone. One person's list of the right things may be different than someone else's and your right things may be different at different times of your life. One person's ENOUGH will certainly be different than everyone else's.

I see women I admire doing things that I just am not capable of doing at the same time in my life or at the same level and I frequently find myself "shoulding" on myself.
"I should do more of this or that"
"I should go to more meetings"
"I should be more charitable"
"I should be more like so and so"
"I should be a better wife/ mother/ daughter"
"I should read and study more"

Admit it... you totally know what I'm talking about!
My advice to myself and to you...

WE NEED TO STOP SHOULDING ON OURSELVES!!!!!!!


We have to stop comparing ourselves to what others are doing and stop measuring our ENOUGH against everyone else. It is deeply personal and God knows what the time and season is for us and He knows how much is ENOUGH. We need to spend ENOUGH time on our knees counseling with HIM to discover just what our ENOUGH is.

Pepper and Prostate

Cancer is no laughing matter. That is why I am always trying to avoid things that the committee of "they" say increases your chances of getting it.

With that said....

A few years back, we were on vacation and stopped at a fast food place... I know... kind of hypocritical for a person who is trying to be aware of healthy choices, but when you are on a 14 hour road trip, you do what you have to to get back on the road quickly!

My hubs and my youngest son are obsessed with putting LOTS of pepper on their food. Actually, to say they are obsessed is an understatement... they are addicted... as in needing-an-intervention addicted!!!

This meal was no different... they loaded up their fries with an obscene amount of pepper (I think Wayne started putting pepper on his fries, only because I don't care for that and by peppering his fries, it keeps me from eating them!!!!)

Anyway,  I had recently heard that eating a lot of pepper has been linked to developing prostate cancer. Not sure if that is actually true or not, but why take the chance, right? So I decided to take the opportunity to "scare" them into using pepper a little more sparingly. I announced to our little group, specifically calling out B and Wayne and telling them that they should be more conscious of the potential consequences and not eat so much pepper... moderation in all things, right?

Then S announced (in her not so quiet voice) that that is EXACTLY why SHE doesn't eat pepper.....hahahahaha!

E, the resident anatomy expert in our family, asked her if she even knew what a prostate was...

Pretty sure the people in the booth behind us, spewed their drinks out their noses when they heard this convo...:)

S, I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about getting prostate cancer, but I applaud your decision to use pepper more sparingly...LOL!!!

Two Witnesses

I have been thinking a lot this month about the idea of the validity of something when there are two witnesses to it. This is not a new concept, but I have sort of had a heightened awareness of it after watching this video in preparation for a Sunday School class I was teaching. It is narrated by a scientist talking about how the science version of the creation acts as a second witness to the religious version of the creation and how they each offer a different perspective, which when you combine the two perspectives you get a bigger picture, much like the way our eyes see things differently if you look with only one eye and then the other, but if you combine the perspective of both eyes together, you get a three dimensional perspective of what you are examining. The video does it way more justice than I ever could!!!

We Lived With God

Then again today while preparing for another lesson, I was studying about William Tyndale, a Catholic priest, in 1536, who sacrificed his life to translate the Bible so that all people could have access to it and be able to personally study it's teachings, as opposed to only being able to be taught by religious clergy, who at the time, were the only ones who had access to sacred scripture.
Here is a link to a short video about his story.

William Tyndale

There is much more to the story if you care to study it.

Then I thought about a similar story about Joseph Smith and how he ultimately sacrificed his life to translate the book of Mormon and once again establish Christ's church on the earth. Both men were a witness, each to a separate book of scripture, that independently testifies of Christ and his teachings. Two men, two books, two witnesses, two perspectives!

I am now more curious about this concept of two witnesses. So this year, I am going to make it a point to be more actively seeking instances where there are two witnesses to different concepts. I will update this blog as I have new discoveries. If you have examples, I would love to hear your stories!

The Intruder and the Martinelli's

A few nights ago, S was home alone with a friend after dropping her brother off at the high school to attend a ball game. They were upstairs in her bedroom when it occurred to them that they could hear the TV on in the room downstairs. Since they didn't remember it being on before, they thought someone had broken into the house (because if there was an intruder, the first thing he would think to do is sit down and watch TV)

They decided they needed to defend the fort so they were rummaging through the bedroom to find something to use as a weapon in case they needed to whack the intruder. The first thing S grabs is a stand alone oscillating fan... Can you just picture her swinging an oscillating fan as big as she is, at an intruder? Ya... me neither...LOL!!!

Keep in mind these are two very loud, very giggly girls upstairs in a home where you can hear EVERYTHING in the room below... but of course, the intruder wouldn't be paying attention to all their noise above, since he was intent on robbing us of our TV time!!!!

She quickly came to the same conclusion, so they went back in the room to find a more practical weapon.....

A full bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider (I didn't ask why this was in her bedroom... some things a mother just doesn't need to know!!!).... Much better option... I mean they use a bottle in the movies all the time to whack someone on the back of the head... especially if it's an intruder... sitting in dad's chair... watching TV!!!

So they creep part way down the stairs... Did I mention we have a yappy little dog... that doesn't like it when people SNEAK? He heard them "sneaking" and started barking, which scared them so they turned around and scrambled back up the stairs and lunged into the safety of the bedroom... tripping and falling onto the bed.... The neck of the bottle was in S's hand and hit the bed, bounced from the force and smacked her in the forehead, nearly rendering her unconscious....HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I guess there is some truth to knocking someone out by hitting them in the head with the bottle....!!!

I suppose you are wondering about the intruder, right? As it turns out, her brother left the TV on before he went to the ball game. The girls had just been being to loud and silly to hear it. When they finally quieted down for a moment, they finally noticed the noise....LOL!