Student of the Month

Boaz was nominated for student of the month by his Science teacher. Each teacher was able to nominate one student. So for a school that has 1,200 students there were about 25-30 students.

The schools in Idaho are much smaller. Each child is able to cycle through and be  chosen at least once in the year. The schools here are too big. When they called me I didn't realize the difference and didn't really understand the honor.

His science teacher told me Boaz is the top in his class. That is a happy thing.

Standing with the group, or part of the group.

With his certificate.

With his teacher.

One of the good things about California.

scripture

This week's scripture. D&C 127:11

I feel like the enemy is on the alert. I need to be on alert to avoid him and see his distractions for what they are. I need to reach out and be active in this place where I don't know very many people.

Yesterday I went to the Family History Library. I am looking for Sarah Moore. She was born in 1809. I have no record of her birth or her parents. She is a brick wall. A very kind man decided that he would help me and proceeded to look at various people in my line. He was distracting, but did give a good idea.

I am looking into volunteering every Tuesday at the Library. I just need things to keep me busy while the kids are at school. Something outside of the house. I need to up my game. I need to be anxiously engaged in reaching out to others.

A Walk Through Ancient History

Boaz had a really cool expereince on Friday. For the last two and half hours of school they learned about Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. His core class was split into three teams, Egypt, Greece and Rome and they each got to "play" a character and be an expert. During the presentation they would read or recite what they learned, earn points, give a team cheer when points were earned, and generally have fun - not even realizing they were learning. So fun.

Boaz was Alexander the Great. I looked him up in Google images. Not really a lot to go on. Mostly his head on ancient coins. Then I looked up Alexander the Great costums. That got me an idea and I went shopping.

Boaz reciting his lines in front of the map of the Ancient World. He was excited about his gauntlets and greeves. I really liked his cape and he concented to the ribbon in his hair. I think he looked fabulous. It was super fun for me to attend, because it was what I had studied in college - Humanities. There were just a few things that were new to me.

One fun new fact was China invented ice cream at about the time Stonehenge was built. Just a random Far East factoid on a Western History presentation.

Being Alexander the Great, Boaz of course was on team Greece. As Alexander the Great, he won the most points, full points for memorization, costume and extra points for acting out his speech. He conqured Egypt and told team Egypt they were all conquered. He cried when there was nothing left to conqur - hung his head, wiped his eyes, and said "So sad." When he said he died in Babylon, he did an impressive and dramatic death scene and actually got a bit of a rug burn on his knee.

They talked about major Gods, kings, wars, and events. The three kingdoms of Egypt and the pyramids, Moses and the Israelites and Ptolemy.

Athens and Sparta, Greek drama and Sophocles, the Parthanon, Socrates and of course Alexander the Great.

The mythical founding of Rome - Romulus and Remus, the seven kings, the Republic and how it effected the Founding Fathers of the US, the Civil War, Julius Ceasar, Octavian, Cleopatra, Jesus and Paul.

I was super impressed with the presenter and the kids. They had fun and learned some awesome history.

Victory!

The stars of the show.

This week's scripture

D&C 111:10

The Lord was talking about Boston. Some of the bretheren had gone looking for treasure to pay off their debt. 

Later in section 117 He says, "for what is property unto me?" (vs 4) "Let them go" (vs 5) and one of my favorite verses that I had forgotten for a bit, "Is there not room enough on the mountains . . . that you should covet that which is but the drop and neglect the more weighty matters." (vs 8)

A reminder to focus on the real treasures. Seek the lost sheep. Follow the Master.

Growing up

Josh had a talk this Sunday. He had been thinking about it all week. On Monday during Family Home Evening we discussed what he could do and then we read our scriptures - Ether 3. That chapter fit perfectly with his topic. Tender Mercy

We got through the week. School is still very hard and he lives for cross country, it makes life bearable for him. Saturday he had a meet. Craig had to dash off to see his grandma and I stayed with the boys. I asked Josh about his talk. He said it was done and kept playing his video game. After a bit I told him to go get it and practice his talk with me as an audience. He felt weird, but he got out his computer and couldn't find his notes. PANIC!

He spent the next hour or so recreating what he had lost. He never did end up practicing with me, but at least I knew he was working on it. We hooked up his laptop (CA school provided) to the printer and got it to print out.

Sunday morning we head to Church early - Craig is a get to places early kind of guy. I have learned the blessings of such a habit.

Josh turned to look at me with panic in his eyes. He didn't have the talk. His dad was parking the car and I sent him out to see if it was in the car. No. Craig headed home to retreave the talk with a list of three places that it might be. Josh sat on the stand nervously watching the door. Boaz and I warmed the bench. Craig came in with the precious piece of paper just as we starting singing the opeining song. (Blessings of arriving early - time to return home and get back again before the Sacrament.)

I just snooped in Josh's scriptures and found his notes. 

He stood up, his nervousness obvious to his father and I, and delivered a well thought out talk. He didn't umm and ahh through it. His voice was a bit altered by nerves, but he spoke clearly. I was so proud of him.

His topic was Developing a testimony of Jesus Christ. He looked up a talk given by President Uchtdorf who listed four steps to gaining a personal testimony.

1. Have a desire to believe.

2. Search the scriptures.

3. Find the will of God and then help further the work by acting on His wishes.

4. Ponder, fast and pray for knowledge we need to form our testimony.

"A testimony is a most precious possession because it is not acquired by logic or reason alone, it cannot be purchased with earthly possessions, and it cannot be given as a present or inherited from our ancestors. We cannot depend on the testimonies of other people. We need to know for ourselves." Deiter F. Uchtdorf

Josh then related the four steps to the brother of Jared taking the stones up the mountain and seeing the finger of the Lord.

His end notes:

We are not given knowledge or spiritual wisdom, only opportunity to find those ourselves.

      Trials are given to us so we can become better.

      The Lord never forces us, only presents us with an opportunity.

      The lessons we learn from experiences are completely determined by our attitude towards the experience itself.

The people around us smiled and told us de did a good job. I said thank you like it was all me. Later I tried to say thank you I will tell him. I feel a bit bad I was kind of taking credit for his talk.

He is growing up. That was listening to his father during Family Home Evening and then running with it. 

Just one more note on Josh. It was a missionary farewell Sunday. The missionary did a fabulous job on his talk. He had just finished his Eagle. He is leaving for the MTC on Wednesday and didn't have time for an Eagle Court of Honor, so they presented his award during Opening Excersizes for Priesthood. They invited the Eagle's Nest to assemble and stand up front. Josh was the only kid to stand with the men in the Nest. As he is struggling with the more demanding work load in school this year, yesterday he had two concrete examples that he can do hard things.

Ponderizing scripture

The scripture for this week:

D&C 101

I tend to fuss - a lot. I need to trust more and walk with more faith.

What's for dinner?

According to Josh, the entire rain forest. This is what an entire rain forest on your plate looks like.

Later he had the potatoes and roast.

Timely lessons

Yesterday we read as a family from Mormon 9. 

Josh has been struggling with his math class.  I am frustrated by his math teacher. I have decided that she presents, she grades, and she records. She doesn't teach. If someone has a problem the answer is it wouldn't be fair to the other kids, so she can't make any kind of exception or provide extra help for one. I think she is aweful.

I addressed it yesterday to Josh by saying he should work at the class and pass just to spite her. So that she can't or doesn't have the power to stop him. Not too inspirational.

This is the scripture that we read that keyed Craig's pitch.

Because Jesus is the Creator, He understands math and science. He uses math and science to do his bidding. Josh can ask for help and adopt the Holy Ghost as his math teacher.

So the new formula: attend class and participate. What ever homework or school work is assigned do double. Pray before class to understand. Pray before a test to perform well. Pray every night to have his mind opened that he will understand the concepts. Pray that he will gain the speed to perform during the timed quizzes and tests.

A much better option than the one I threw out. One that actually has power behind it and can be done with love and faith.

An example of the miracles that can happen during scripture study.

Ponderize scripture

I am currently reading in the D&C. I wanted to find a scripture from my reading toay.

D&C 93:1

The prerequisites for Heaven. We have been told that to love His is to keep his commandments. I think all of these requirements indicate love for Him.

Sometimes I wonder how I will stand when I see Him. I think I will just puddle up and loose any degree of strength to stand, strength to speak, strength for anything.

I think of the tears running from my face and nose and think I will be a bit gross and unable to communicate. I worry about dignity, but what is dignity when you are in front of diety.

I am afraid to ask what lack I yet, and yet I know I need to. That has been running around in my head since Saturday. Although we are promised line upon line and not the whole thing all at once, I shouldn't be overwhelmed. But I am overwhelmed. I try and think of things to offer up during the sacrament. This is just the next level. What would He have me offer up. His choice not necessarily mine.

The promised reward is what I want. I then must be brave and take the step into the darkness - my darkness. The darkness I hide within myself and refuse to acknowledge or rather hope to ignore.

Weekend

This weekend we had to get the second car in the garage. We had a pass to park the second car out on the street, but it was only temporary and we were running out of time. We knew that it would be towed, our friends who live here have said that they have been towed before. Not a happy thought.

So we have a stack of plastic bins outside under a tarp. Craig has to park both cars because they have to be perfectly straight and super close to the wall. I get a bit freaked out by that. So that is his nightly chore.

So we have to decide what we are going to do when Josh is old enough to drive. The way things are here in Cali, there are no school busses. So I am needed to drive Boaz to and from school. Josh has early morning seminary so Josh gets a ride with a friend to seminary and Craig picks him them up and takes them to school. On non-seminary days, like today, we do both ways. Josh is in cross country and so after school I pick him up when they are done, notified by a phone call. It will be wonderful when Josh can take himself to and from school, but we will have no place for him to park. We have a year to figure that out. That is enough time. So for now we are trying to fit everything in.

I also started the process to get my CA drivers licence. While I was there I took the proof of insurance and registration to get the car registered. The lady told me at first that we owed over $3000.00 to register. I was schocked. She then said, "Oh, I didn't put in the tax." Then she said thirteen something. Totally confused I asked if it was thirteen dollars. She said no, One thousand three hundred something. I was totally not expecting a number that high. Maybe $200.00. We bought a new car in April. Our old cars were too big and wouldn't pass emitions for CA. Anyway California has a law that if you buy a car within a year of moving here, you have to pay the difference between the state taxes. So they deducted the taxes we paid in Idaho and charged us the remaining 3.5 %. I am still reeling from that. I drove to Craig's work and told him our new bill. I also told him that I knew God had picked us up and moved us here, but that I hated California. Even days later, I am still feeling resentment. I still have to get a smog check because the car was purchased outside of CA. I am worried about the cost of that. This is an expensive place to live. New expenses just seem to pop up unexpectedly.

Saturday and Sunday we watched General Conference. I love General Conference weekend. Years ago in an effort to encourage my boys to love General Conference weekend too, I began making cinnamon rolls. I felt ready to try out my kitchen. I wanted to make extra and give some to our lovely neighbor who took Boaz to school for me while Craig and I were in Hawaii. I tried a new recipe. The air here is warm and humid, really condusive to yeast rising. I got distracted.

My dough popped the lid and dripped onto the tile counter top. I haven't had yeast respond like that ever. Anyway a little clean up and I was on my way. I delivered the finished rolls to my neighbor and still have plenty for the family. A good deal. Because of the tile, I had to roll the dough out on a mat. That is interesting. I will get better at it I'm sure. And I ran out of flour, so I pulled out some home ground wheat flour. They are not as smooth as pure white flour, but still delicious.

General Conference was wonderful. I am calmer and have found some perspective. Craig has picked his scripture to ponderize. I still need to pick mine. I think this new way to look at scriptures will bless our family. Some points that I remember are the three new apostles. I am so looking forward to getting to know about them and adding to the love that I have been feeling for them, even before they were called. 

I have been remembering President Nelson's talk. Thinking about him crying on the living room floor after the third child died from the heart condition that he could not correct. That story is so raw and honest. And then how he lead into the importance of women.

I loved Elder Bednar's talk. His tribute to the men that I love too, although not in the same way. I obviously didn't get to work with them. To hear him remember those lovely men was touching and I cried through the whole talk. I am looking forward to studying it when it becomes available. Elder Bednar speaks to my soul.

President Monson touched my heart. He looked so strong at the start of his remarks. I remember him from when I was a child coloring in my coloring books still in elementary school. His stories and his voice have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I feel - I am not sure what I feel. I have noticed he is getting weaker. I don't want to mourn what has not happened yet, but my heart feels sadness and loss. 

Just a few impressions from an inspiring weekend. I am fed. I need to be better. I can go forward and try again.