Post #1500

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My 1500th post should be worthy, but since this is the state of my mind, well, you get this.

Family Home Evening about Technology Use

Our lesson this week came from the Gospel Library app under the Missionary category, “Safeguards for Using Technology.” I asked each family member to teach one of the safeguards, then we listed three goals we will work on this week.

This guide is awesome! It is so wise and concise. Here are a few of our favorite quotes:


 

Turn on your device only after your intention is clear. Before turning on your mobile device or computer or opening an app, determine … what you will be doing. Consider the amount of time you will take and how these activities will lead to helping people …. (Safeguard 2)

 

Limit the use of technology when you are feeling bored, lonely, angry, anxious, stressed, or tired, or when you feel any other emotion that makes you vulnerable or susceptible. (Safeguard 2)

 

Experience has shown that people are more likely to encounter inappropriate content on the Internet when they are casually surfing the web without a specific purpose in mind. (Safeguard 2)

 

All missionaries experience weaknesses and feelings of vulnerability. Instead of hiding or ignoring these feelings, honestly acknowledge them in order to help yourself choose a better response and overcome temptation. (Safeguard 3)

 

Learn to recognize patterns in your thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that make it difficult for you to use technology righteously. You can avoid temptation by avoiding these patterns. (Safeguard 3)

 

Avoid checking or sending messages during sacrament meetings, ward council, or missionary training meetings (Safeguard 3)

 

Develop the discipline to use your mobile device only when it is appropriate to do so. When you are talking face-to-face with people, do not check messages or answer calls. Take control of how you use these tools. Do not let them control you. (Safeguard 3)

 

“Handheld devices, such as smartphones, are a blessing, but they can also distract us from hearing the ‘still, small voice.’ They need to be our servants, not our masters” -Elder M. Russell Ballard. (Safeguard 3)

 

Never use your device when you are alone. (Safeguard 4)

 

Remember, nearly all challenges associated with the Internet or with pornography happen in isolation. (Safeguard 4)

 

Reminder

I was away from the house yesterday afternoon at a rainy Ultimate Frisbee game in Alpine when this picture showed up on my phone, taken by my neighbor Lindsay. I was glad for an update on our little circle of houses and to see that Daniel was home, as the van he drives was in the shot. I couldn’t believe how similar this rainbow was to the one I was seeing in Alpine.

This was the picture that I had just taken, a mountain apart from our home:

I am taking it as a reminder that God knows where we live and where we spend our days. He knows what I am worried about and has solutions. He knows we are feeling opposition knows that we need reminders now and then that he is with us.

 

A memory

I step into her small apartment, book lined and bright in the late afternoon. I notice the skin on her arms is translucent and tinged with blue. This is the first time I have seen her since her diagnosis of bone cancer. She is just home, exhausted from treatments, and the television is on. It is September 11, 2001, and I have made sloppy joes. I slip into the kitchen and see that her refrigerator is full of food, almost untouched. I see that my food is not needed, and wonder how long my meal will sit in her refrigerator before she throws it away. It is a day of utter waste. In protest, I break a rule and give her a hug when she asks what’s become of the world. I have come to know that when we bring a meal to someone, the food is just a vehicle for connection.

I like this.

My friend recommended this to me and now I am telling you. It’s The Book of Mormon, 2013 edition, organized by events, not chapters. Nothing has been taken out and it is still written in the same order.

I like it because:

  • It is easier to read than normally formatted scripture, as it is written in paragraphs. (Verses and chapters are still visible.)
  • The authors’ and speakers’ names are written in the left margins so it is clear whose voice you are reading.
  • There are large margins for notes.
  • Dates and places are in the right margins, making it easier to place the events.
  • Because the authors are identified, and I think for the most part the editors are accurate, I have been able to see Mormon’s efforts in greater detail. I read more emphasis into the words that are directly from the Lord, and like isolating the doctrines from different prophets. I am coming to know each prophet better.
  • The book has a nice feel; it’s not too light, and opens flat, even though it is a paperback.

Let me know if you give it a try and enjoy it.

Decorations

I don’t think “conflict” is the word that describes my relationship with my kids, but I earned the Broken Heart, Bravery During Driver’s Training, and Legion of Worry just this week. I am not a candidate for Outstanding Restraint this week, and the dishes are not done.

Persona

I read a book about how to write a memoir, and there was a chapter about creating a persona. The authors contrasted their writing personas with their true personalities. Each was very funny in writing, but admitted that in person, she was more complicated. One even shared she was a bit depressive.

I like to think that the overall positive, thoughtful persona I try to nurture here is my truest self, but maybe it is not.

I am a reclusive, sensitive, intense person who is often exhausted after basic interactions with people. I interrupt Richard and try to finish his thoughts as he is speaking. I can be abrupt and I don’t like family reunions. I have a terrible sugar habit and hate to exercise. There is a smell in our house that has been here since we moved in and I can’t stand it. It is endlessly frustrating. I suffer emotionally when one of my family members is sick. I am struggling to find purpose in house work. I wonder if I will ever ice skate again, or make the time to go to a special bookstore. I regret that I don’t enjoy most vacations. I regret that the collagen and elastin in my skin gave out before I ever had a good tan. I don’t regret that I wear hats and got braces as an adult. I don’t regret home schooling. I love the sunlight in the kitchen in the morning and the sound of my violin when I am thinking about something. I sip a mug of warm milk at least once a day. I need to be courageous to be fulfilled. I keep a lot of secrets. I love dill, sourdough bread, and fashion. I wish I had a telephone friend, one who would call me, and I would never have to call her. In exchange, she would never want for a good listener. I wish I had a pen pal. And that is enough of this nonsense.

Gratitude List

Here are a few items from the last two weeks:

Feb 26-March 4

  • No more stitches.
  • The Book of Mormon nourished me.
  • Binding a quilt was therapeutic.
  • The Relief Society council I led went well.
  • An evening with a friend
  • Timothy got his learner’s permit to drive.
  • People showed appreciation for my work.
  • Team 6411 did well.
  • Daniel was accepted to BYU.

Feb19-25

  • Snow
  • Richard finally well after many weeks with the flu
  • Boys are registered for AP exams.
  • I met a neighbor I didn’t know when she helped push the car out of the snow.
  • Several friends brought us dinner.
  • No cell phone for 3 days
  • New phone to replace the broken one
  • The boys helped me shop because my arm was in a splint.
  • Successful Relief Society dinner
  • A neighbor invited me in when I stopped by to visit her.
  • My mom was available to help when Paige had hives.

 

Finished Doll Quilt

Well, I finished it. I really like how it turned out, even if my hand quilting is not great. It makes me appreciate the tiny stitches in one of my heirloom quilts even more. Many of the doll blocks were made by my friends in quilt group about 2 years ago, and this quilt will always remind me of them. My sisters and Mom helped me begin quilting it, and it sat in a storage room for months. I did most of the stitching during the winter Olympics, of course. It is the perfect lap quilt in size and coziness and memories.