Take A Moment for the Moment

Picture of the Day

2011-06-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

The inside of my fridge in June 2011.

7th Wedding Anniversary Flowers

2011-06-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband got me these flowers for our anniversary. There are 14 yellow and purple roses. He is quite sentimental-our wedding colors were yellow and purple and we were married on the 14th of May. And the main flower in our wedding was a rose-my bouquet was all yellow roses. Yellow roses are my favorite flower.

May 2011

Darren's 30th Birthday Green Velvet Cake

2011-06-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

This recipe was from my Cake Doctor cookbook. I am not a fan of red 40 dye, so I opted for dyeing the batter green. I had seen a picture of a green velvet cake in another cookbook, so I went with it. Darren really liked it, but I only really loved the cream cheese frosting. I didn't think the cake had much flavor. Next time, I will definitely make it 100% homemade.

New Orleans-It's All About the Food

2011-06-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

In April, all 4 of us went to visit Nana and Grandpa John in New Orleans. The first 2 pictures show the delicious lunch buffet food we ate at their company, Sonoco.

Cafe Du Monde was tops on my list of stops to make in the French Quarter. The beignets with powdered sugar, chased down with some milk, were delish!

Pecan Praline French Toast

2011-06-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

This was another guinea pig recipe, made on Sunday morning last April during General Conference. Also, not a keeper recipe. I did make some monster cookies recently that were good. I will post a picture of those the next time I make them.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2011-06-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

I like to try new breakfasts over General Conference weekend, and this is what I made on Saturday morning. It is a Sour Cream Coffee Cake from a Betty Crocker cookbook. It was just okay--not good enough to make again.

Law of the Garbage Truck, author unknown

2010-08-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.' He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, So ... Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! Have a blessed, garbage-free day! If you don't see a light at the end of the tunnel, march down there and turn it on yourself!

Come Alive

2010-02-08T00:32:00.001-08:00

Dr. Howard Thurman, former dean of Theology at Boston University, said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because the world needs . . . people who have come alive.”

Everything Will Be Okay

2010-02-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.

Author Unknown

Make the Best of It!

2009-04-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

--Art Linkletter

Traditional Irish Blessing

2009-04-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

Traditional Irish Blessing

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that stuck by you.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

God's Cake

2009-04-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

God's Cake
Author Unknown

Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?' Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong: she's failing algebra; her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely, Mom, I love your cake.'
'Here, have some cooking oil,' her mother offers. 'Yuck,' says her daughter.
'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!'
'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?' 'Mom, those are all yucky!'
To which the mother replies: 'Yes, all those things seem bad by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!'

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

This is a Home Where Children Live

2009-04-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

This is a Home Where Children Live,
Author Unknown

You may not find things all in place,
Friend, when you enter here.
But, we're a home where children live,
We hold them very dear.
And you may find small fingerprints
And smudges on the wall.
When the kids are gone, we'll clean them up,
Right now we're playing ball.
For there's one thing of which we're sure,
These children are on loan.
One day they're always underfoot,
Next thing you know, they're gone.
That's when we'll have a well kept house,
When they're off on their own.
Right now, this is where children live,
A loved and lived in home.

I Am Thankful

2009-02-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

I really like the message of this bit of prose.

I AM THANKFUL
Author Unknown

FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS ITS HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA
BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME,
NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM EMPLOYED.

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH
WHO SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BE EN
CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

An Interview With Rick Warren

2009-01-22T20:53:00.000-08:00

A friend gave us all a copy of this interview at Book Club last night. I love how Rick Warren puts his thoughts into words about life and The Savior. Good people exist in every religion and Christian denomination! You can access it by the link, or just read the text below. It is just too good not to read and share.

http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/17175.htm

AN INTERVIEW WITH RICK WARREN (AUTHOR OF "A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE")
Interview with Rick Warren , author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California .
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.
God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."
But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal my wife or make it easy for her.
It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better ...
God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD

Powers Equal to Our Tasks

2009-01-19T20:45:00.001-08:00

Please do not pray – I plead with you – for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.

– Thomas S. Monson, BYU Commencement, April 25, 1991; Church News , May 4, 1991

Christmas in Heaven

2008-12-27T18:52:00.000-08:00

My dad talked to my brother on Christmas morning after he finished being on call as a pediatric resident. C.J. told my dad that he had an infant patient die. I began to quietly sob as I let this information sink in. As a fairly new mother, I can only imagine how the parents must have felt as they let their first child pass from this Earth on Christmas Eve. I talked to C.J. later that day after he had slept for awhile, and he said that the parents were given this poem. I found it on the internet at http://www.crossroad.to/Victory/poems/Christmas-3.htm and thought I would post it.

Christmas in Heaven
by Wanda Bencke

I see the countless Christmas trees
Around the world below,
With tiny lights like heaven's stars
Reflecting in the snow.

The sight is so spectacular
please wipe away that tear
for I am spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs
that people hold so dear
but the sound of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you
of the joy their voices bring
for it is beyond description
to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart
for I am spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.

I can't tell you of the splendor
or the peace here in this place
Can you just imagine Christmas
with our Savior face to face

I'll ask him to lift your spirit
as I tell him of your love
so then pray for one another
as you lift your eyes above.

Please let your hearts be joyful
and let your spirit sing
for I am spending Christmas in Heaven
and I’m walking with the King.

Families Can Be Together Forever

2008-12-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, I saw on the local news about a fatal car accident in Provo Canyon. Two teenage boys were killed. One of the boys was from Mapleton and his name was Neal Harlan. I didn't know him but the last name, thought not common, was familiar to me and I immediately wondered if he was the son of Dave Harlan. Dave at one time was the Technology Specialist in the Nebo School District when I worked there. I remember going to a workshop taught by him, and I recall that he was a nice man. He is now an administrator at Spanish Fork Junior High School. I found this out today by doing some searching on the Nebo website.

I checked all week, and Neal's obituary came out on Christmas Day. I was very moved by the faith Neal's family expressed in his obituary. They bore their testimony of eternal life and eternal families, a testimony that I personally share. I only go to the obituary section of local news websites after someone I know has died, but this was the first obituary I have ever read that expressed so eloquently a faith filled testimony of eternal life. I thought I would share it. I hope his family will be comforted by the Holy Ghost during these days after his funeral and throughout the rest of their mortal lives.

Neal Douglas Harlan
September 23,1990 -December 22, 2008

Our beloved, tender-hearted son, brother, nephew, grandson, and friend passed away in a tragic car accident on December 22, 2008. He was traveling up Provo Canyon to Snowboard with his buddies. Neal was born September 23, 1990; the third child of David and Katrina Harlan and only boy surrounded by five girls. Neal recently earned his Eagle Scout award and was looking forward to graduating from SHS in 2009. Although Neal is no longer with us in this life, his family takes comfort in the knowledge that his spirit lives on and he is in a better place. Neal loved snowboarding, hunting, X-box, and being with his friends and family. Neal enjoyed traveling, abalone diving, water sports and his dog Gimli. Neal recently got his first buck and dropped his first engine with the help of his Grandpa. He loved to tease and scare his mom and sisters and was quite successful. He liked good food and was a hard worker. Neal liked to go golfing with his Dad and Douger and when he was young being read to every night. His sense of humor, and loving heart will be dearly missed. Neal is survived by his parents, five sisters; Briana, Camille, Hailey, Chloe, and Emma, Grandparents; Neal and Nita Thomsen and Doug Harlan, and many loving extended family members. His family mourns his absence but they are comforted by the knowledge of knowing they will see him again. Friends and family may call from 12-1:30 pm at the Mapleton Stake Center (970 N 400 E. Mapleton) on Friday December 26, 2008. Funeral services will be held at the same center at 2 pm. "Harlan's are a Forever Family!!!" We love you Nealster Buddy!

Letter from the President

2008-12-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

I really loved the counsel in this Christmas letter from my mission president. It applies to all Latter-day Saints.

Christmas, 2008

Dear Elders & Sisters –

We know this is a rather impersonal way to wish you a wonderful Christmas and a delightful New Year, but perhaps it’s better than not doing it at all. Sister Hill and I talk about you a lot and miss the wonderful days we spent with you in the sunny (snowy!) climes of Las Vegas. Those were challenging times for all of us, and yet as we have watched you in the ensuing years, we are aware that the Lord does keep His great promise that if you are obedient to the commandments, He will prosper you in the land. As we receive pictures and notes of your engagements, marriages and growing families, we thrill that we were a small part of your lives. Even as Helaman of old, we delight in calling you our sons and daughters!
Sister Hill and I are doing wonderfully well in all respects. The Lord, in His infinite goodness, has blessed us with good health and strength, both in body and mind. We are living in the cabin on Placid Lake and thoroughly enjoying the glorious handiwork of the Lord. I am still doing research (vicariously) at the University of Montana, where my lab now consists of four, soon to be five, people. We are having lots of fun pursuing the mysteries of the ribosome. Sister Hill is very involved in crafts of all kinds, knitting, crocheting hats and afghans, candy making projects and teaching craft classes at JoAnn’s. She is still working with the Primary in our little branch (twig) here in Seeley Lake. I am still wandering around the region training wards and stakes in welfare services. By the way, all of you should take the time to take a short course found in the Provident Living site on the Church Web Site entitled “Peace in Your Hearts.” It can be found at http://providentliving.org/media/training/peaceheart/main.html. It will help all of us to use our resources wisely!
We hope and pray that all of you are doing well. We are made aware, from time to time. of some of the difficulties and challenges that you are facing. There is little doubt that all of us must pass through such trials to refine us, for that is the purpose of this life. Our only counsel is to be steadfast and obedient to the commandments of God. Follow the counsel of our leaders and pursue the course of eternal life. This includes daily prayers, both as individuals and as families, daily study of the scriptures, faithful attendance at your meetings, magnifying the callings to which you are called, and being Temple worthy at all times. Fast and pray often, for your own needs (including your flocks and herds), and for the needs of others. Be conscious of the poor and the needy and do all you can to lift their burdens, especially during this hallowed season.
We love you and are grateful for all that you are. Please write from time to time, and keep us posted of your situations. And do come and visit us if it is ever possible. We love to have guests here at the lake. Our reunion will be October 2nd, 2009 in Provo.
May the Lord bless and keep you. Have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Love
President & Sister Hill

The 7 Ups

2008-12-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

My cousin sent this to me awhile back, and I really like it. The Bible verses have been paraphrased (I am not used to reading them that way) but I thought the whole thing gave 7 great messages.

1. Wake Up!! Decide to have a good day. "This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up!! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up!! . . . for what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up!! . . . to the Lord. "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up!! . . . for something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up!! . . . your Prayers. "Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." Philippians 4:6

A POSITIVE THOUGHT

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring, and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen.

We Pray for Children

2008-12-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

I came across this a long time ago. Probably before college. Although I might have gotten it in one of my education classes. Lines of it started going through my head yesterday when I realized that even though it is tough and so much work to keep up with a toddler (keep the house somewhat in order and keep some level of sanity for myself) IT IS SO WORTH IT! And I am given the blessing of raising my daughter in some of the best of times and circumstances. We are so spoiled and sometimes I forget that not every parent is so fortunate.

We Pray for Children
by Ina J. Hughs

We pray for children
who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in math workbooks,
who can never find their shoes.
And we pray, for those
who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
who never "counted potatoes,"
who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus,
who live in an X-rated world.
We pray for children
who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money.
And we pray for those
who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who can't find any bread to steal,
who don't have any rooms to clean up,
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
whose monsters are real.
We pray for children
who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed,
and never rinse out the tub,
who get visits from the tooth fairy,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone,
whose tears we sometimes laugh at
and whose smiles can make us cry.
And we pray for those
whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything,
who have never seen a dentist,
who aren't spoiled by anybody,
who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move, but have no being.
We pray for children
who want to be carried and for those who must,
for those we never give up on
and for those who don't get a second chance.
For those we smother . . .
and for those who will grab the hand of anybody
kind enough to offer it.

In the Moment

2008-11-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

Life is a succession of moments,
To live each one is to succeed.

-Corita Kent

Invisible Mom

2008-11-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

Author Unknown

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.

Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously, not.

No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude - but no w they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England ..

Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.

I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself.

I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .

I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:
'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.' In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.

It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.' At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.' As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right.

And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. Great Job, MOM!

Hope this encourages you when the going gets tough as it sometimes does.We never know what our finished products will turn out to be because of our perseverance.

Flour Girls and Dough Boys

2008-11-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

If you love baked goods and you live in the Wasatch Front of Utah, you HAVE to get your hands on some of these goodies at Flour Girls and Dough Boys in American Fork. Everything is made from scratch. The sandwich bread is the softest and most delicious. And the raspberry danish my husband and I shared is one of the best things I have ever tasted. http://flourgirlsdoughboys.com/ They are local and only have one location and I really want to keep them in business FOREVER!

Our Words Are Powerful

2008-11-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

There is an old proverb that goes: A six inch tongue can kill a six foot man.

Follow the Prophet

2008-10-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this quote!

"If you'll just follow the prophet, you'll arrive at where he's going."

--Dale LeBaron, retired professor of church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University

quoted in "Traditions add to conference experience", Mormon Times, By Aaron Shill
Wednesday, Oct. 01, 2008
http://mormontimes.com/around_church/worldwide_church/?id=3938

Hug Them, Love Them, Laugh Often, and Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

2008-10-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

by Renee Spieth, Indiana Young Mother 2008

Some days with our children pass as smoothly as a Hallmark commercial. On these picture-perfect days, hugging, loving, and laughing with our family are easy. When everyone listens the first time, or climbs into your lap to snuggle with Mommy, parenting is a breeze. However, life with children doesn't always go as we plan. Motherhood is a constant learning experience. I have had to learn to laugh at the many antics that my children have discovered and invented. Yes, right from wrong must be taught, but sometimes, a mom just has to smile, shake her head, and laugh. I often grab my camera to catch the mud monsters in action. Although mud is messy, it cleans up. So does the corn starch, flour, or whatever happens to be the mess-maker's object of destruction. This messy time will pass. I know that when the teenage years come, I will wish that my biggest issue was getting grass stains and mud stains out of jeans and carpeting. So moms, keep teaching those mud-monsters right from wrong. However, remember to hug and love them often. Laugh as you tell the stories to your friends or as you flip through the photo albums years from now. Most of all, don't sweat the small stuff! This is just a stage that will all too soon be a memory. God will give you wisdom and patience to get through this crazy life that He has blessed you with when giving you the title, Mother.

Motherhood Brings Out the Divinity Within Us!

2008-10-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

by Ingrid Sorensen, Utah Young Mother of the Year 2008

Motherhood brings out the divinity within us. How can a mother NOT learn the divine qualities that God has? How can a mother not learn patience, not learn hope, not learn the principle of order, not learn love? Motherhood is not only a divine classroom, but a lab, if you will. My husband's mother taught me that we read and study in the scriptures how to be more God-like, but it is in a FAMILY that we put it into practice. Just as a student learns basic principles in a classroom (for example, a chemistry classroom), and then goes to the laboratory to put the principles into practice, we read and learn the principles through study and talking with other mothers, mentors, leaders, relatives. Then we come home and practice what we have been taught. It is in the divine lab of the home that we DO what we have been taught to do, and in the process, we become more like our loving Father in heaven. And as we struggle and grow, and rely on and trust in Him, He grants us more grace that we might teach and raise and love these, His children, entrusted to our care. With His help, all things are possible.

Making a Difference As a Mom

2008-10-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Ingrid Sorensen, who I met through American Mothers of Utah County, is a cheerleader for all moms. She is the 2008 Utah Young Mother of the Year. I love this quote of hers that was included in a local newspaper article about her and her accomplishment:

"[Mothers] don't need to go out and be someone in the eyes of the world," "If you've chosen to be a mom, it's the most important place to make a difference."

Interior Educating

2008-10-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

This is a recent post from the American Mothers of Utah Valley blog, written by Tamara Gilliland, who teaches at BYU. She came to our monthly meeting on Thursday night and spoke on the topic of:

Interior Educating
Hey all! Good to be with you and thanks for all who shared lovely insights on designing and maintaining our homes (and the many other great topics of the evening!) Here is the quote: “What good does it do to have a home in which children are unhappy hostages and adults are anxious spies?

What good does it do to plan a house to fit lots of cultural expectations, but not our family?” (from H. Wallace Goddard in “Celebrating Family Life: Adding Glory to Your Family’s Story” (manuscript))

And the mantra: The Purpose of the Task is to Strengthen the Relationship! (similar to The Point of the Project is the People!)

There was one other little thing I might have shared had we more time–a way of looking at the work of maintining home at three levels (which map well with degrees of glory!). I actually love to look at just about anything at these levels. The lowest level is the negative/destructive/take-energy-from-the-system way of thinking about and doing things. All about “me”. The middle is a neutral/status quo approach, where we keep careful track and balance of who has done how much, I give/you give transactions, etc. The highest is positive/proactive/creating-energy-for-the-system, fully self-less. Perspectives and approaches to “housework” might look like this:

+ A Sacred Duty/Blessing: Unite And Commune
0 A Necessary Evil: Divide And Conquer
- The Bane Of Life: Avoid At All Costs

So at the lower level, we contribute to home chaos without helping. At a step up, we see the need to take care of the chaos, but only as much as is neccisary and it’s only about chaos managment. We so efficiently get it “out of the way” that we miss all the good things it’s the way to. Higher is seeing the process as ritualistic and powerful, using it as a way to serve and express love, an experience that bonds us to family members (especially the more we do it side by side!), and a unique and symbolic training for our souls (maybe kind of a Karate Kid way of preparing us for things we may not fully understand just yet…?)

Finally, for those that said they’d love to dive deeper on the topic, a good starting place might be this article from BYU magazine: http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=151 (co-authored by Kathleen Bahr, one of the original developers of the BYU class I mentioned.) And, maybe you could even look into auditing that course (Home and Family Living, HFL 371) or any other great ones they offer (like HFL 100, which does use a textbook you might be able to get, too, called “Creating Home as a Sacred Center”). Happy “interior educating”! Tamara Gilliland

Fighting for our Families

2008-10-09T23:03:00.000-07:00

Each one of us will have to go to unique testing grounds of faith. For… you busy young mothers or fathers, your appointment with destiny is within the walls of your home. Your enemy is neither hot sands of the desert, nor smoking guns of foes in pursuit, but heated efforts of the adversary to undermine your marriage and/or the sanctity of your family unit.

Russell M. Nelson, I'll Go, I'll Do, I'll Be: Three Steps Toward A Monumental Life, BYU Devotional, Aug. 19th, 1986

Elder LeGrand Richards' Ten Commandments for Wives

2008-10-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

I love this!

Ten Commandments for Wives
Elder LeGrand Richards, Quorum of the Twelve
Ricks College Devotional, 1972

1. Honor thine own womanhood that thy days may be long and happy in the house which thy husband provideth for thee.
2. Expect not thy husband to give thee as many luxuries as thy father hath given thee, after many years of labor and economy.
3. Forget not the virtue of good humor, for verily, all that a man hath will he give for a woman’s smile.
4. Thou shalt not nag.
5. Thou shalt coddle thy husband, for verily every man loveth to be fussed over.
6. Remember that the frank approval of thy husband meaneth more to thy happiness than the side-long glances of many strangers.
7. Forget not the graces of cleanliness and good dressing.
8. Permit no one to assure thee that thou art having a hard time of it, neither thy mother nor thy sister nor thy maiden aunt nor any of thy kinfolk, for the judge will not hold thee guiltless for letting another disparage thy husband.
9. Keep thy home with all diligence, for out of it will come the joys of thine old age.
10. Commit thy ways unto the Lord thy God and thy children shall rise up and call thee blessed.

Enduring to the End

2008-10-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

“Nobody lives up to his ideals, but if we are striving, if we are working, if we are trying, to the best of our ability, to improve day by day, then we are in the line of our duty. If we are seeking to remedy our own defects, if we are so living that we can ask God for light, for knowledge, for intelligence, and above all for His spirit, that we may overcome our weaknesses, then, I can tell you, we are in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal; then we need have no fear.” Heber J. Grant, Conference Report, April 1909, p. 111.

“No matter what the outward appearance is, if I can know of a truth that the hearts of the people are fully set to do the will of their Father in heaven, though they may falter and do a great many things through the weaknesses of human nature, yet, they will be saved.” Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 5:256

“Bless your souls, if you lived here in the flesh a thousand years, as long as Father Adam, and lived and labored all your life in poverty, and when you got through, if, by your acts, you could secure your wives and children in the morning of the first resurrection, to dwell with you in the presence of God, that one thing would amply pay you for the labors of a thousand years.” Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses 21:284

Quote from my Great-Great-Great Grandmother

2008-10-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

“I desire to do right and live my religion that I may enjoy the light to see as I am seen and know as I am known. O my Father, help me to live my religion, this is my greatest desire.”

Patty Sessions
From Elizabeth Willis, A Voice in the Wilderness: The Diaries of Patty Sessions (1998), 45

Patty Sessions was a midwife and delivered many babies between Nauvoo and the Salt Lake Valley. I am so grateful for my pioneer ancestors. Without their testimonies, I would not enjoy the eternal gift of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

For Any Fellow Late Bloomers

2008-10-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

The One Who Waited
Carol Lynn Pearson

I could have
Come to you before.
But the fields in me
Wanted a little greening.
I needed
Just to work on spring
A little more.

Well,
I did.
April blossomed into May
And every early
Bud you glimpsed-
Look:
Each a bouquet.

Favorite Quotes on Motherhood

2008-10-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding. Erma Bombeck

A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years and in your heart till the day you die. Mary Mason

There is an amazed curiosity in every young mother. It is strangely miraculous to see and to hold a living being formed within oneself and issued forth from oneself. Simone de Beauvoir

I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
My baby you’ll be.
Robert Munsch

You are the trip I did not take; You are the pearls I cannot buy; You are my blue Italian lake; You are my piece of foreign sky. (“To My Child,” quoted in Charles L. Wallis, ed., The Treasure Chest [1965], 54)

Making the decision to have a child—it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Elizabeth Stone

Missionary Work Quote by President Lorenzo Snow

2008-10-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

“When the gospel is preached to the spirits in prison, the success attending that preaching will be far greater than that attending the preaching of our elders in this life. I believe there will be very few indeed of those spirits who will not gladly receive the gospel when it is carried to them. The circumstances there will be a thousand times more favorable.”

Lorenzo Snow, Millennial Star, October 6, 1893, p. 718

Quotes on Love and Marriage

2008-10-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

Love gives us in a moment what we can hardly attain by effort after years of toil. Goethe

To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it,
Whenever you’re right, shut up.
Ogden Nash

Never above you
Never below you
Always beside you
Walter Winchell

Success in marriage depends on being
able, when you get over being in love,
to really love…You never know anyone
until you marry them. Eleanor Roosevelt

Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a
confusion of the real with the ideal never
goes unpunished. Attributed to Goethe

Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary
life, love gives us a fairy tale. Anonymous

Grief can take care of itself, but To get the full
value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.
Mark Twain

IF YOU LOVE
BE WORTHY OF LOVE
OVID

Heaven will be no heaven to me if I do not meet
my wife there. Andrew Jackson

The sum which two married people owe to one another
defies calculation. It is an infinite debt, which can
only be discharged through all eternity. Goethe

Love enables two people to grow into
their sense of “we”, but not at the
expense of their sense of “I”.
Dwight Small

Love is friendship set on fire. Jeremy Taylor

I love you for what you are, but I love you yet more for
what you are going to be. I love you not so much for your
realities as for your ideals. I pray for your desires that they
may be great, rather than for your satisfactions, which may
be so hazardously little. The most beautiful rose is one hardly
more than a bud wherein the pangs and ecstasies of desire are
working for a larger and finer growth. You are going forward
toward something great. I am on the way with you and therefore
I love you.
Carl Sandberg
Untitled, Selected Poems

Love is looking out in the same direction. It is linking our
strength to pull a common load. It is pushing together towards
the far horizons, hand in hand…Walter Rinder

Eternity is not a lot of time, it’s all time, or more precisely,
it’s right now, where all time lives. To live in this very moment
as if it were forever is not to stop the work of life but to begin
it afresh in celebration. Northrop Frye

This is the true measure of love, when we believe that we alone can love,
that no one could ever have loved before us, and that no one will ever love
in the same way after us. Goethe

All I know of love is that love is all there is. Emily Dickinson

There is only one happiness in life-to love and be loved.
George Sand

We are most alive when we are in love. John Updike

But I can assure you, Anne, that it’s a happy
life, when you’re married to the right man.
Anne’s House of Dreams by LM Montgomery

It is the man and woman united that make the complete
human being. Together they are most likely to succeed
in the world. Benjamin Franklin

When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life
with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as
soon as possible. Nora Ephron

A good marriage is at least eighty percent good luck in finding the right
person at the right time. The rest is trust. Nanette Newman

Love is not a decision your brain makes. It’s a feeling you know
Somewhere else, and your brain catches up. Meg Ryan

To love someone is to see a miracle invisible
to others. Francois Mauriac

Love is a portion of the soul itself, and it is the celestial breathing
of the atmosphere of paradise. Victor Hugo

Alas, that my heart is a lute,
Whereon you have learned to play!
For many years it was mute,
Until one summer’s day.
You took it, and touched it,
And made it thrill.
And it thrills and throbs and quivers still!

Anne Lindsay

Eternal marriage is a daily decision, a daily act
of love. Kathy England

They found the meaning of life in each other’s eyes.
Author Unknown

Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made,
like bread, remade all the time, made new. Ursula K. LeGuin

Love is the subtlest force in the world. Mahatma Gandhi

The first duty of love is to listen. Paul Tillich

To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.
David Viscott

Love is the only gold. Alfred, Lord Tennyson

At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet. Plato

…And stand together yet not too near together: For the
pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the
cypress grow not in each other’s shadow. Khalil Gibran

Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the
ride worthwhile. Franklin P. Jones

The great secret of successful marriage is to treat all
disasters as incidents and none of the incidents as disasters.
Harold Nicholson

The heart that loves is always young. Greek Proverb

Passion may be blind; but to say that love is, is a
libel and a lie. Nothing is more sharp-sighted or
sensitive than true love, in discerning, as by instinct,
the feelings of another. D. H. Davis

A good marriage doesn’t happen when the “perfect couple”
comes together. It happens when an imperfect couple learns
to enjoy their differences. Author Unknown

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking

2008-10-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

(a letter to a parent from a child)

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a
stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind
to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my
favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a
prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always
talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a
meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each
other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of
your time and money to help people who had nothing,
and I learned that those who have something should
give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care
of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have
to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't
feel good, and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come
from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you
cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and
wanted to say,’ Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'

Parents ARE Important!

2008-10-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

Early childhood educator Lilian Katz, noted that while children can learn skills and knowledge from any adult, they learn dispositions only from their loved ones.

A Very Delicious Lemonade Recipe

2008-10-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

from Southern Living

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (8 large lemons)
5 cups water

Preparation
Stir together sugar and 1/2 cup boiling water until sugar dissolves. Stir in lemon rind, lemon juice, and 5 cups water. Chill. Serve over ice.

Yield: Makes 8 cups

Life

2008-10-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. [The fact is] most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. ...Life is like an old-time railway journey -- delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

Jenkins Lloyd Jones (as often quoted by Gordon B. Hinckley)

Little Flowers

2008-10-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is a some lyrics from a song called "Little Flowers."

"Little Flowers never worry, when the wind begins to blow for if it never ever rained, they would never ever grow."

Slow Dance

2008-10-09T16:13:00.001-07:00

SLOW DANCE
Poem attributed to a teenager with cancer

Have you ever watched kids
on a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you’re asked, “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,'Hi'

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,

It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Salvation is Not a Cheap Experience

2008-10-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

“I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Ensign, March 2001, “Missionary Work and the Atonement”
(italics and bold added by blog author)

Tough Times Are To Be Expected

2008-10-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

If you can smile when things go wrong
And say it doesn't matter,
If you can laugh off cares and woe
And trouble makes you fatter,
If you can keep a cheerful face
When all around are blue,
Then have your head examined, bud,
There's something wrong with you.
For one thing I've arrived at:
There are no ands and buts,
A guy that's grinning all the time
Must be completely nuts.

Quoted by Jeffrey R. Holland, BYU Devotional, 1989

Being Enough

2008-10-09T16:07:00.001-07:00

In her book, “Being Enough” Sister Chieko Okazaki says: “We’ve considered having enough power and enough love, and each of us has exactly the same amount of time in every day: rich or poor, married or not, sick or well, we each have a steady succession of minutes and hours making up each day of our life. And the worst thing we can do is to give away the time by living in either the past or the future because there’s not one blessed thing we can do to alter the past or to make the future arrive any faster. The way to have the most possible time is to live each moment as fully as we can, being completely present. If we are talking to someone, let’s listen with our full attention, not with half of our mind planning what we’re going to cook for dinner. If we’re giving someone a hug, let’s rejoice in the embrace. If we are to enjoy life, now is the time – not tomorrow, nor next year. The best preparation for a better life next year is a full, complete, harmonious, joyous life this year. Today should be our most wonderful day!”

Family

2008-10-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

FAMILY
author unknown

Are you aware that if you died tomorrow, the company
that you are working for could easily replace you in
a matter of days.
But the family you leave behind will feel the loss
for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more
into work than into our own family,
an unwise investment indeed,
don't you think? So what is behind the story?

Inaugural Post

2008-10-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

I have been playing around with the idea of a personal blog that is separate from my family blog for awhile now. I thought it would be nice to have a forum where I can post some of my favorite quotes and thoughts. I have named my blog "Take A Moment for the Moment" because that is one of the biggest goals in my life. As a wife and mother, I really want to squeeze every precious moment out of our life and time together. I truly desire to live each moment of my life.

Lately I have felt like I get distracted way too much. When it comes to the choices of "Good, Better, and Best," I find myself settling for the good. Life is too short, time is way too limited, and mortality too important to let the non essential things slide in my life.

My thoughts and quotes in this blog will reflect the passions of my life. Being a wife, mother, homemaker, woman, friend, writer, thinker, reader, quote junkie, and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.