tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372521826932686922024-02-08T10:38:05.147-07:00Raising The BahrOne Child At A TimeCrystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-42585473533271369492012-10-15T21:37:00.000-06:002012-10-15T21:45:45.384-06:00Welcome Charles Ray Anderson Bahr! :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Charles Ray Anderson Bahr was welcomed into this world at home by his mother and father and siblings in a family water birth with no assistance. It was quite a remarkable experience, possibly the most perfect birth ever! :)</div>
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Eli woke me up at 5:35 this morning (Sunday, 14 October 2012) wanting Mama Milk. I don't nurse him during the "night," only at sleep times and in the pre-wake up morning time (after 6:00 a.m.). He threw a small fit and really woke me up. I had a few "sensations" that were a bit exciting to me that made me wake up even further. I could feel the difference between these new feelings and the ones I had all the time. Instead of my entire abdomen feeling rock hard, I could feel an actual pulling at my cervix. I wasn't sure if this was real or not. I lay in bed in excited anticipation for a short bit, then I got up to use the bathroom and had a few more. I went to the living room and sat on the couch for a few minutes. I had had about 8 of these feelings when I decided that this was very likely our birthing day.</div>
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I went in to wake Luke up at 6:10 to tell him about my discovery. He was tired and did not want to be up yet, so was not quite believing (in his mind - he behaved appropriately to me, though he did *not* want to be bothered yet) that it was for real. We decided it would be better to be prepared and not have it happen than to have it happen not prepared. We got up and got to work. We tidied up the house and set up and filled the pool. I finally got in around 7:25. It felt wonderful!!! At 7:50 I checked to see if I could feel any progress and thought I felt the bulging membranes. (It wasn't what I thought it was. It turns out it was part of my cervix, but I mistook it at the time based on how it felt - I have no experience with feeling a birthing cervix to compare it to.)</div>
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We turned the video on around 7:52. Things are pretty casual as the kids get up and get ready for the day. Luke tries to help them to get their morning routine done and get them something to eat, while they all play in my tub water. We all have a pretty laid back morning for a while (for about 25 minutes anyway). Around 8:16 I begin some low moans to accompany the sensations I had. Two minutes later the "ahhhs" begin. That translates to a change to more pushy types of feelings than before, or in other words, baby is getting CLOSE! I check myself soon after this and discover a head and ask Luke if he'd like to feel. He does want to, but he's a bit busy trying to get the kids their breakfast before the baby is born (it really was a race!). He finally gets a chance to feel for himself about 7 minutes later. </div>
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At about 8:24 I definitely feel a pushy sensation and my "ahhs" are noticeably louder and deeper. The next minute Luke notices a gush of pink/red and notifies me that my water just broke. Just after that is when he finally gets to feel the baby's head descending. I get even louder at 8:27. At about 8:29, I announce "Baby. Bowel movement. NOW! Crowning." Luke and the kids are all in the other room and come in. Luke is slightly preoccupied with trying to deal with the fecal matter - poor guy, I hate that part! The next thing I know, there's a head emerging. I shift my position to be better able to catch my little person. My next proclamation is, "Head. Shoulders. Baby. Done!" in a matter of seconds.</div>
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Wow! There was a baby in the water! I pulled the remaining membranes from it's head and gently lifted it out of the water. The one thing everyone wanted to know was if it was a boy or a girl, so we didn't wait long to look. IT'S A BOY!!! He cried right away after being born and was a beautiful color right away - he didn't even have that "scary" newly born purplish/blue look at all. He lets out a few good cries. He's breastfeeding withing about five minutes (and stays latched for nearly two hours!). At about 8:37 the kids sing Happy Birthday to him. Luke called my mom just after and Bishop Metcalf called at the same time.</div>
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Eli kept pointing to the baby and calling him John and we couldn't figure out why. I thought maybe we'd better consider that as a valid naming option before insisting on Charles. Luke discovered while I talked to my mom that it's because when the kids are playing make-believe their baby boy is called John. Mystery solved.</div>
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The placenta took a bit longer to come than I had expected. We continued to record after Charles was born for about 20 minutes more and there was still no placenta. In feeling for the presence of the placenta I did discover a small perineal tear. It's very minor and probably happened because that kid took no time in coming out once he decided he was ready. I didn't even help him out by pushing, my body did it all on it's own. It was so amazing. :) So, we quit recording around 8:50 or so and the placenta delivered within the next ten minutes or so. It was probably within a half hour of birth.</div>
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Charles is still nursing quite happily at this point and the pool water got quite murky after the placenta delivered and I was ready to get out. I took him off the breast to his dismay and passed him to Daddy so I could go lie in bed with him to finish our feeding. He protested quite loudly! :) We went to the bedroom and laid down and finished our brunch. We eventually both dozed and slept for a little while. Eli would not leave my side, both during birthing and laying in bed afterward. We had not cut the cord yet, so the placenta was in a bowl next to us on the bed. Eli was rolling around all over the place just being happy and excited about "his" new baby. Eventually his foot landed in the messy bowl and I finally asked Luke to take him out for a while so I could rest. That was when I finally got to nap.</div>
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After our nap, we got up for a little while. We had visitors. Jessica René and her little guys Leander and Augustus, and Elise Wannberg, both neighbors and friends of ours, stopped in to visit and meet the new baby. Luke's brother Jacob and his wife Rebecca called us a while later to congratulate us. Then Bishop Metcalf stopped by to check in on us also. It was a lovely day.</div>
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Charles Ray Anderson Bahr was born at about 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, 14
October 2012. We figured his weight the best we could at about 8 1/2
pounds. He was about 20 3/4 inches long. His head was 36 cm, and
abdomen was 35 cm. I was grateful to not have another whopping 9 pound
baby! Though he's not my smallest either. Three of my other four were
all right at 9 pounds, Kayli was only 7 lb 9 oz and was my littlest so
far. We had our neighbor/friend who is studying midwifery here at the U come
by in the evening to help us do a newborn evaluation to be sure the baby
was indeed sound and healthy as he appeared - this was mostly for my
mom's comfort! :) He is. </div>
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I wanted to include the video here for you, but alas, I can't seem to get it to work. So, find me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/crystal.andersonbahr" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and watch it there in three segments. :)<br /> </div>
<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-30560051432145095932012-05-17T21:08:00.000-06:002012-05-17T22:34:48.584-06:00A Family Update - What's Been Going on the Last Two Months<span style="color: red;">*Updated with photos (5/17/2012 10:34pm).*</span> <br />
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It has been too long since my last post, and I am sorry for that. I've meant to write, really. There were many nights when I lay awake in bed wishing for sleep that wouldn't come, that I wrote some really great blog posts in my head, that never made it to the computer. :( So, I figure a brief (or not) update is in order.<br />
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Topics for this post include: Easter in Enoch, Luke's opera, Jacob & Rebecca's wedding, Denzel's funeral, Ohio Light Opera, Mom Anderson's colon cancer diagnosis, homeschool, and pregnancy.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>We had a lovely Easter Sunday with family in Enoch UT. Raelynn & James (Luke's sister and brother-in-law) were blessing their fifth little baby that day. The kids got to have an Easter egg hunt and had a ball with all their little cousins gathered together. There was lots of good food, and great people! Our brother-in-law, <a href="http://aaronbarkerphotography.com/" target="_blank">Aaron</a> is a fantastic photographer who got some <a href="http://photos.aaronbarkerphotography.com/Family/Frost-Jacob-Bahr-Blessing/22827257_GX9TgG#%21i=1831906000&k=8nZHkbp" target="_blank">great shots of the kids</a> and festivities over the weekend.<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150821946959066.464212.621864065&type=1" target="_blank">Luke performed</a> a lead role (Sam) in the <a href="http://www.utah.edu/" target="_blank">University of Utah</a>'s spring opera production, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susannah" target="_blank">Susannah</a>. It was not a feel-good story. I tend to get emotionally involved in what I see. I found myself very sad and angry throughout this production. I was crying by the end of the first act. I was stunned at the end and found that I did *not* want to clap when it was over. I wanted to throw stones at Reverend Blitch instead! I hope they choose a more "feel good" production for next year. The last two have been too weighty for me. I prefer a nice, tidy, happy ending. At least the stressful rehearsal schedule and tech week are over... for now. ;) Oh, and Luke was phenomenal! I just didn't like the story line much.<br />
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Jacob, one of Luke's little brothers, was married in April to a wonderful girl, Rebecca. It was a very beautiful ceremony held in the <a href="http://www.lds.org/church/temples/provo-utah?lang=eng" target="_blank">Provo Temple</a>. I got some <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.207549842698114.45656.100003293000070&type=3" target="_blank">great snapshots of the little people</a> in the family while Aaron was doing the <a href="http://photos.aaronbarkerphotography.com/Weddings/Jacob-and-Rebecca/All-Photos/22546893_9PnjrF#%21i=1804685392&k=fpjnQst" target="_blank">"real" pictures of the couple</a> and festivities. There's nothing like family! :) With such a special occasion as a wedding, almost the entire family was able to gather together to celebrate. We held a small reunion for Luke's parents and all of their children who were able to come. It was so wonderful to be all together again, even if only for the weekend.<br />
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On a less happy note, we also attended the burial service of Luke's cousin Denzel. He was in the Army, so had a military service to honor him. There is nothing that brings tears easier than walking through a tunnel of fully uniformed, stony-faced soldiers saluting the family as the casket was carried to the grave site. It was quite a windy day, so the many flags surrounding the area were flapping gorgeously in the wind, creating their own rhythm of life. I felt honored just to be there to witness the event. It was very sacred. <a href="http://www.sonlight.com/guarantee.html" target="_blank">Aaron</a> captured some <span style="color: red;">*</span><a href="http://photos.aaronbarkerphotography.com/Family/Denzel-Hunt-Burial/All-Photos/22818083_pnKLjj#%21i=1830904335&k=KJhFbzW" target="_blank">phenomenal photos</a> of the ceremony. They are very inspiring. <br />
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We are now preparing for Luke to leave to Ohio for the summer. He will be performing with the <a href="http://www.ohiolightopera.org/" target="_blank">Ohio Light Opera</a> in Wooster, Ohio. It sounds like a lovely little town. He will be gone from May 21 through August 13 (2012). To save my sanity, the kids and I will be staying most of that time in Enoch UT with James and Raelynn and their family. We are really excited for this opportunity, though we are both a bit nervous about being separated for so long. The five week program in <a href="http://www.lamusicalirica.com/" target="_blank">Novafeltria Italy</a> last year was really hard, especially for Luke. I was home with my mom and dad, so it wasn't *as* bad for me. Other than Novafeltria, we've never been apart for more than two days at a time and those were extremely rare occurrences. So, yeah, we're a bit nervous about three whole months. The kids and I are looking forward to some really fun times with our family in Enoch though.<br />
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We recently learned that my beloved mother has been diagnosed with colon cancer. She doesn't want it to be a subject of much discussion until we know more about it. At this point we know almost nothing. We don't know how advanced it is or what her treatment will be like. We are all very optimistic that the outcome will be good though. She had a CT scan today to learn more about how much/where the cancer is. It was originally discovered last week through a series of three surgeries to remove a rather large polyp from her colon. The first two removals tested negative for cancer. The last/third removal was positive. This leads us to be very hopeful that it is not very far advanced and it has been caught early enough to remove it all and for Mom to have a normal, long, healthy, happy life. She doesn't have any answers for anyone right now, so would rather not discuss it much until she knows more about it, so please respect her wishes for privacy regarding this. She just feels uncomfortable and awkward not having any answers and would like to know more about it before talking about it a lot. She is just trying to learn all she can and process the information for now. I'm sure she'll be more open to sharing more about it as she adjusts to the news. I'll do my best to keep everyone informed (within her wishes) of her health status as we learn more. In the meantime, I'm certain your prayers would be more beneficial than anything else - please pray for her and her health (and for my dad to be able to support her as best as he is able - I'm sure this news is quite taxing to him as well).<br />
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We are really excited for our upcoming school year this year. Emma is turning five in a few weeks and will be an "official" student this year, though she's already been "doing school" for two years with her big brother and sister. She technically doesn't even have to start this year; Utah's minimum compulsory age of attendance is six, but she is so ready. We use an online charter partner, <a href="http://harmonyed.com/" target="_blank">Harmony Educational Services</a>, to "enroll" our children in an independent study course through a "local" charter school. My kids are "enrolled" in the <a href="http://208.131.131.170/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=21" target="_blank">DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts</a> based in Ogden UT, which is really funny because the actual school is only for High School (9th-12th grades) and my oldest is only in third grade! Gotta love virtual attendance. :)<br />
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Registering with a public charter school allows us to receive state funding that assists me with the cost of educational materials and books. We have full freedom to choose whatever curriculum suits our family best and either "check it out" from the teacher textbook lending library through Harmony or buy it ourselves and receive reimbursement of up to $300 per student per school year. Third grade and up participates in the annual state testing. Our only requirements are the annual state test and we are required to keep track of our attendance on Harmony's website. I love this blend of public/charter/home school. It's a perfect blend. I am in control of what we use for curriculum, we receive help to obtain these chosen materials (and help with teaching if it's needed), and we are able to participate in state testing to gauge our progress and asses any weak areas. It's such a perfect blend. I love it. Not to mention, I don't have to file an Intent to Homeschool Affidavit (UT law) every year this way, because my kids are still technically enrolled in a public charter school.<br />
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Since this will be Emma's first year, we are still waiting to hear if she "gets in" this year or not. There is a wait-list every year for Harmony. We had to wait for one year to get Lukey and Kayli in. They will be on their second year this fall. Harmony gives priority to siblings of current students over first-time students, so our fingers are crossed. We should find out within the week. I'm excited to get them registered and have it done so we can purchase our curriculum materials and get familiar with them over the summer. I want to be completely prepared well-before the school year this time - especially with a baby on the way shortly after school begins.<br />
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This year we are making some changes to how we do our schooling. I've tried to follow closely to the recommendations in <a href="http://www.welltrainedmind.com/" target="_blank">The Well-Trained Mind</a> by <a href="http://www.susanwisebauer.com/" target="_blank">Susan Wise Bauer</a> and <a href="http://www.welltrainedmind.com/jessie-wise-bio/" target="_blank">Jessie Wise</a>. I love that book and the suggested style of a <a href="http://www.welltrainedmind.com/classical-education/" target="_blank">Classical Education</a>. I've been drawn to a classical approach ever since I read <a href="http://www.tjed.org/" target="_blank">A Thomas Jefferson Education</a> by <a href="http://oliverdemille.com/" target="_blank">Oliver DeMille</a>. There are many ways to obtain a classical education, the most important being that the focus be more on classical literature than on textbooks. Living books for living people is how I remember that rule. :)<br />
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Anyway, the changes... Before, I had a difficult time scheduling everything out and actually sticking to our schedules. I found I put way too much time into our actual textbooks/workbooks than in the literature. (I'm not fond of going places, so the library trips didn't happen often enough.) We'd spend so long on our workbooks and things, that I just didn't want to ready out loud after we were done with "all the other stuff." My personality requires lots of structure and even more detail. Some classical models have very, very little of that.<br />
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I *need* more structure to our schedule this year. So we've been looking into <a href="http://www.sonlight.com/" target="_blank">Sonlight</a> curriculum. It is a Christian literature based curriculum. It is extremely structured (yet, you can change it up however you'd like if structure and following someone else's plans are not your cup of tea) and organized. It is literature-based, so there is a whole lot of storybook reading happening, both on the child's own and as family read-alouds. The best part is, you can buy absolutely everything you will need for the school year in one simple kit - no trips to the library (except for the ones that are just for fun). No more titles being unavailable when you need them, or the inability to renew a book you've not finished because someone else has it on hold. It is pricy, but it is complete!!! And it is detailed. I don't have to figure out which books go with what time period/lesson/science/etc. All the work has been done. There's a large reading library already assembled with the lessons all lined up to work together to incorporate all subjects (particularly in the older grades; not all of the younger few grades reading books match up with history, or science, etc.) Three passes are made through history throughout the course of study (1-12) in a semi-chronological order. There is a <a href="http://www.sonlight.com/guarantee.html" target="_blank">one year 100% satisfaction money back guarantee</a> too. If we don't love using Sonlight, me as the teacher, the kids as the students, we return everything - used (up to 18 weeks worth or half a school year)/unused and get a complete refund. If we don't love it, I think I would be done with trying any form of classical learning and it would be K12 for us ever after. I hear K12 is really great, but it's not a classical education. Sonlight seems to me to be the best of both worlds, a complete detailed set of lesson plans with all your resources chosen and set out for you, yet full of literature and language arts and learning fun. <br />
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My pregnancy has been going fantastic. I've been feeling flutters and flips for a few weeks now. It is always exciting to feel "proof" of being pregnant and not to just feel like you're getting huge for no reason! :) Due to a variety of circumstances I haven't been able to see my midwife, <a href="http://papavermidwifery.web.officelive.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">Reta Starseed</a>, just yet. Hopefully, we'll be able to meet sometime before I leave for Enoch! She is scheduled for surgery next week and hopefully her recovery will be a smooth road. She is fantastic and I love her though we've only communicated through electronic messages and telephone so far. I'm not at all concerned that I haven't had an "actual" appointment. I opt out of pretty much all prenatal testing and that only leaves weighing, measuring, listening to heartbeats, and peeing in a cup. I don't put a lot of stock into numbers on the scale or the measuring tape (though they may be useful), so I'm not concerned with that. I feel the baby move regularly. I have no signs of preeclampsia or GD or any other possible protein in the urine problems. I got over the phase of feeling narcoleptic all the time (first trimester exhaustion) and feel great now.<br />
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So, that's what's going on around here lately - the good, the bad and the ugly. :) I think it's safe to say that your prayers would be most welcomed and appreciated for our family right now - especially for Luke and my mom.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-18779730430490746302012-03-25T19:02:00.000-06:002012-03-25T19:02:41.899-06:00Easter Breakfast RollsI want to share a recipe from the book A Christ-Centered Easter: Day-By-Day Activities to Celebrate Easter Week by Janet and Joe Hales. I haven't actually made this recipe yet, but it sounds like a lot of fun to make so we'll be trying it this year! :O)<br />
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<i>"Prepare these rolls the night before Easter for part of a delicious Easter-morning breakfast.</i></div>
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<i>Ingredients:</i></div>
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<i>1 package frozen bread or roll dough, thawed (or use the dough for your favorite homemade rolls)</i></div>
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<i>6 tablespoons sugar</i></div>
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<i>1 teaspoon cinnamon</i></div>
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<i>1 bag large marshmallows</i></div>
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<i>1/4 cup butter, melted </i></div>
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<i>Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Divide the dough into individual roll-sized portions. Press each portion into a flat circle. Place 1 large marshmallow in the center of each roll. Pinch roll dough very firmly around the marshmallow. Roll each into a seamless, or nearly seamless, ball with your hands. Brush rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle sugar mixture over rolls.</i></div>
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<i>Cover rolls with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight.</i></div>
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<i>On Sunday morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.</i></div>
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<i>Take rolls out of the refrigerator and bake for 15 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Just like Christ's tomb on Easter Sunday, these rolls will be empty!</i></div>
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<i style="color: #674ea7;">Serving size depends on amount of dough used."</i><br />
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Let me know if you try these and what you think of them. What are your favorite Easter traditions?Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-31723505315365230492012-03-18T12:32:00.000-06:002012-03-18T12:32:00.477-06:00A Christ-Centered EasterCan you believe Easter is just around the corner? Spring seems to have sneaked up on me. (Private rant here: I hate the word "to sneak!" I swear it *should* be 'Spring seems to have *snuck* up on me.' But, alas, it's not; and it bugs me to no end!!!) :O) As the Easter decorations line the shelves of the stores my thoughts have been turned to the beauty of spring and the sacred holiday that comes with the opening of the new season - Easter. Spring brings new life and renewal. While baby bunnies and chicks are darling, they are NOT what Easter is about - at all. Easter is as sacred as Christmas, or it <i>should</i> be anyway. During Christmastime we celebrate the <i>birth</i> of our Savior Jesus Christ and at Easter we celebrate his <i>triumph over death</i> - His Resurrection! What a glorious day!<br />
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We found last year, on recommendation of some dear friends of ours, a wonderful resource for families to keep the sacred perspective of this glorious day of celebration. It is a small book entitled "<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1518503928" style="color: #6fa8dc;" target="_blank">A Christ-Centered Easter</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christ-Centered-Easter-Day-By-Day-Activities-Celebrate/dp/1570087792/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332094801&sr=8-1" style="color: #6fa8dc;" target="_blank">: Day-By-Day Activities to Celebrate Easter Week</a>" by Janet and Joe Hales. It's just as it sounds: a book that takes you day by day through the week of Easter with simple activities, games, stories, and scriptures to complete each day for the week.<br />
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I always read the table of contents before a book to get a good feel for what it contains. So here is what the table of contents looks like:<br />
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<i>Acknowledgments</i></div>
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<i>Preface</i></div>
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<i>Introduction: How to Use This Book</i></div>
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<i><b>Part 1: Easter Week, Day by Day</b></i></div>
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<i>Day 1--Palm Sunday</i></div>
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<i>Jesus' Triumphal Entry</i></div>
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<i>Day 2--Monday</i></div>
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<i>Cleansing the Temple</i></div>
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<i>Day 3--Tuesday</i></div>
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<i>Parables and Teachings</i></div>
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<i>Day 4--Wednesday</i></div>
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<i>Rest in Bethany</i></div>
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<i>Day 5--Thursday</i></div>
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<i>The Last Supper and Jesus' Prayer and Agony in Gethsemane</i></div>
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<i>Day 6--Friday</i></div>
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<i>Jesus' Trial and Crucifixion</i></div>
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<i></i></div>
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<i>Day 7--Saturday</i></div>
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<i>The Jewish Sabbath</i></div>
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<i>Day 8--Easter Sunday</i></div>
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<i>Jesus' Resurrection and Appearances</i></div>
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<i><b>Part 2: Supplementary Material and Activity Helps</b></i></div>
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<i>Sacred Music and Hymns</i></div>
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<i>Stories with a Message</i></div>
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<i>The Jewish Sabbath</i></div>
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<i>Easter Activities and Plays<b> </b></i> </div>
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<i>A Passover Celebration and Jerusalem Dinner</i></div>
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<i>A Parallel Account of the Gospels</i></div>
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<i>Useful Reference Materials for Children, Youth, and Adults</i></div>
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I wish to share with you one of my favorite activities of the book. From pg. 26-28:<br />
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<i><u><b>The Easter Story in Eggs</b></u></i></div>
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<i><b>Preparatory Work</b></i></div>
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<i>1. Obtain twelve plastic eggs and number them with a permanent marker from one to twelve. (Put the eggs in an empty egg carton for easy storage.)</i></div>
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<i>2. Photocopy and cut out the scripture passages that follow.</i></div>
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<i>3. Gather the indicated visual aids.</i></div>
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<i>4. Place each scripture strip and its corresponding visual aid into the numbered eggs.</i></div>
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<i><b>Instructions</b></i></div>
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<i>Your family can do this activity in several ways:</i></div>
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<li><i>"Serve" the eggs with dinner at each place setting and open the eggs in sequential order during the meal.</i></li>
<li><i>Play "scrambled eggs." Throw the scriptures, visual aids, and eggs in a bag. As each is drawn out, separately match the visual aids with the scriptures in sequence, or match the scriptures with the visual aids and eggs. End the activity by reading each scripture in order.</i></li>
<li><i>Take turns opening each egg in sequence and reading the enclosed scripture.</i></li>
<li><i>(This one is not listed in the book, but is my favorite way to "play" this game. We hide the eggs and hunt for them. This can be in combination with a regular egg-hunt with real hard-boiled colored eggs and/or candy-/toy-filled plastic eggs or a special "Sunday Hunt" with only this particular dozen eggs. Once they've all been found, take turns reading/discussing the scriptures in order. Whoever has egg one goes first, and so on. If you do this in conjunction with "regular" Easter eggs, be sure to instruct the children to be on the look-out for the "special" eggs with numbers on them. Also be sure they don't just begin opening and dumping the contents of their eggs on the floor at the end of the hunt. Have the wait until the "special" eggs have all been read, then they can see what their other treasures are. If you choose to do a special "Sunday Hunt" it will eliminate the candy distraction from the sacred story you are trying to tell. It will depend on your family how this will work best for you.)</i></li>
</ul>
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<i><b>Scriptures</b></i></div>
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<i>1. "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him" (Matthew 26:14-16).</i></div>
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<i>2. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:26-28).</i></div>
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<i>3. "Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. ... And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. ... He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. ... And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words" (Matthew 26:36-37, 39, 42, 44).<b> </b></i> </div>
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<i>4. "When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor" (Matthew 27:1-2).</i></div>
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<i>5. "Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it" (Matthew 27:22-24).</i></div>
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<i>6. "And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, and began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him" (Mark 15:16-19).</i></div>
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<i>7. "And as they led him away, the laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. ... And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left" (Luke 23:26-27, 33).</i></div>
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<i>8. "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots" (Luke 23:34).</i></div>
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<i>9. "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. ... Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:50-51, 54).</i></div>
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<i>10. "And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid." "And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed" (Luke 23:50-53; Matthew 27:60).</i></div>
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<i>11. "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? (Mark 16:1-4).</i></div>
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<i>12. "And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: his is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him" (Mark 16:5-6).</i></div>
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<i><b>Visual Aids</b></i></div>
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<i>1. Three dimes</i></div>
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<i>2. A small cracker or piece of bread</i></div>
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<i>3. A sacrament cup</i></div>
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<i>4. A length of twine</i></div>
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<i>5. A piece of soap</i></div>
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<i>6. A swatch of purple cloth</i></div>
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<i>7. A nail</i></div>
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<i>8. Two toothpicks (to represent casting lots)</i></div>
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<i>9. A bag of crushed rocks and potting soil</i></div>
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<i>10. Strips of white cloth</i></div>
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<i>11. Spices tied in a small piece of cloth</i></div>
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<i>12. Leave this egg empty</i></div>
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Now, I sometimes change the scriptures used in the eggs slightly. I use the Bible Dictionary at the end of my Bible. In it is listed a Harmony of the Gospels, where the books of the Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are laid out side-by-side, verse-by-verse. I find the verses used in the original list and find which ones I like best. Some versions (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) have different details than others. I simply choose the ones I feel best tell the story and supplement those for the ones listed.<br />
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These pre-made Easter Story in Eggs sets make wonderful Easter gifts for friends, family, Primary class kids, Relief Society sisters, Visiting Teaching sisters or Home Teaching families, etc. Last year we even gave one to our Muslim landlord with a special <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://messengerandadvocate.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/christresurrected.jpg%3Fw%3D510&imgrefurl=http://messengerandadvocate.wordpress.com/2009/04/10/lds-first-presidency-easter-message/&h=500&w=323&sz=44&tbnid=6EHsog49IVQqiM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=61&zoom=1&docid=DgAJ2TtnTeFwXM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SCNmT-PQC4OZ2QWajIXNCA&sqi=2&ved=0CEwQ9QEwBw&dur=2823" style="color: #6fa8dc;" target="_blank">picture of Jesus</a> emerging from the empty tomb and a copy of <a href="http://www.lds.org/study/living-christ?lang=eng" style="color: #6fa8dc;" target="_blank">The Living Christ</a>.<br />
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I hope this will give you some ideas for having a Christ-centered Easter. :O) Find the book "A Christ-Centered Easter" at your local library or purchase a copy from Amazon.com or your local Deseret Book (if you live in Utah) and share what your favorite Easter activity is. What special Easter traditions do you already celebrate with your family?Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-46623773027571866902012-03-13T22:32:00.000-06:002012-03-14T09:34:36.183-06:00It's Been a Long Month... Lots to Share :O)<div style="color: blue;">
<span style="color: black;">Three major topics for this post:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">1. I feel great! :O)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">2. We're expecting (at least - haha) number five! :O)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">3. My oldest "baby" just grew up! He was baptized. :O) </span> </div>
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Wow, I can't believe it's already been an entire month since my last post. I have so much to tell you all about. First of all, I want to let you all know that I am feeling so incredible compared to how I felt last month when I last wrote. :O) I honestly think that just calling out and naming the elephant in my living room has helped me incredibly. I'm sure it's not the end, but it's a great beginning. :O) Long story made short: I feel great!</div>
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Our super surprise happened on Monday, February 20, 2012. I had been "wondering" if I needed to get a pregnancy test or not. ;o) So I finally drove all over town trying to find one that didn't cost $15 or even $10. I finally found a Dollar Tree and bought one for exactly $1. I got home and used it and got the fastest positive I've ever had! We were pretty tickled. (Well, Luke had a bit more of a shock to overcome than I did, but he came 'round pretty quick. ;o) ) I am totally fine and excited about having "another baby," but when I count them all up and realize that I will have FIVE children, I get a little nervous!!! :O) Some of you may think I'm nuts - some for having so many, some for being nervous with so few to tend! You're both probably right. ;O) I probably am nuts for having FIVE KIDS. I mean, who does that nowadays anyway? (I do and many of my friends do! Haha.) And I am nuts for freaking out over JUST five kids. After all, there are only five of them. My point is, WE are so VERY HAPPY for this great blessing and gift from God. My husband and I decided before we married that we would be willing to take as many spirits as the Lord saw fit to send to us. We are grateful for a rest between pregnancies/babies but still hope to have more in the future. We both have always wanted a large family and I think we've got a good start. :O)</div>
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Oh, and for those of you who may be wondering about details: the baby will be born before Thanksgiving. :O) I am choosing to not give my "due date" this time around to see if it makes a difference in difficult-to-endure comments at the very tiring end of pregnancy. ;o) A woman who has been pregnant for a very long nine months does NOT want to hear, "Oh, you're still pregnant? You look like you're about to burst!" SHE KNOWS THIS!!! It's is very difficult sometimes to gracefully handle well-meaning, all be it super annoying people's ignorant comments late in pregnancy. So, I've chosen to not disclose my due date to anyone. If the baby is not born by Thanksgiving, you can all express your deep concern for me and the baby's health. :O) We are planning a home delivery just like the last two. I'll be meeting with a possible midwife later this week or next. (I'll have to see about getting some pictures taken to document my "progress" throughout the pregnancy.)</div>
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<span style="color: orange;">The other major event that happened this last month is my oldest "baby" turned eight years old. In my faith, we believe that eight years of age is a wondrous time. A time of leaving infancy behind forever and entering a new phase of maturity: the <a href="http://www.lds.org/search?lang=eng&query=age+of+accountability" target="_blank">age of accountability</a>. We believe that by the time a child has reached the age of eight, he knows well enough the difference between right and wrong and can begin to make decisions for himself. Children who are at least eight years old can make the choice to be <a href="http://www.lds.org/study/topics/baptism?lang=eng&query=baptism" target="_blank">baptized</a> into the kingdom of God and be a follower of Jesus Christ. My beautiful baby boy decided to follow this path. We are so pleased by his decision. His baptism was Sunday, February 26, 2012. </span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;">I was so unprepared for the deluge of emotions and memories that overcame me that beautiful day! I had visions of my own baptism as a young teen. I had memories of gospel conversations with my Grandma Thorp. I thought about my own mother's recent decision to be baptized just last spring (May 2012). I thought about my wedding day and the covenants I made in the <a href="http://www.lds.org/manual/preparing-to-enter-the-holy-temple/preparing-to-enter-the-holy-temple?lang=eng&query=temple+covenants" target="_blank">temple</a> to my husband and my Lord. I thought about how terribly I miss my grandparents now that they are no longer here on earth. I FELT the actual presence of my grandparents there celebrating with us that special day. I like to think my Grandpa Anderson was there too, but I was quite young when he passed away and consequently, I don't feel that I knew him well enough in life to recognize him.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;">It was such a happy occasion. As soon as it began, the tears began and didn't stop. :O) Lukey's Uncle Jacob gave a really fun talk about baptism with a neat visual using water, food coloring, and bleach. It illustrated the purity we have before sin enters our life, the harmful effects of sin, and the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was wonderful. Then, as a family, we stood together and recited <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/18.10?lang=eng#9" target="_blank">Mosiah 18:10</a> then sang "<a href="http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=103&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=103&searchsubseqend=ZZZ" target="_blank">When I Am Baptized</a>." Lukey was baptized after that by his daddy. While Luke and Lukey were changing into dry clothes family members came up and shared their testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When the boys rejoined us Grandpa Bahr gave a brief talk about the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then Lukey was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and given the <a href="http://www.lds.org/liahona/2006/08/the-gift-of-the-holy-ghost-what-every-member-should-know?lang=eng&query=baptism" target="_blank">gift of the Holy Ghost</a>. Sister Thacker gave Lukey a picture of the Savior to hang on his bedroom wall and welcomed him on behalf of the Primary. Then Bishop Metcalf shared a few words.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;">It was so lovely to have so many family members and friends there for such a special event for us. Luke's mom and dad and youngest sister, Jean were all able to travel from Louisiana to be here for Lukey's special day. Kaylene & Aaron Barker and their boys Dallin and Daniel were able to come from Springville. Shersti and her two boys, Thane and Kirstian came from West Jordan (her husband, Jason was sick and wasn't able to make it). Tom & Michelle and darling Josie came from Orem. Jacob and his new fiancee, Rebecca were there from Provo. My dear friend Joy Zuniga and her beautiful three girls, Camila, Alondra, and baby Andrea came up from Provo also. Another great friend, Heather & Keri Dillingham and their cute-as-can-be kids, Abigail and Kyle came all the way up from Payson. Brother & Sister Christensen and Sister Thacker from Primary were there, as well as, Bishop & Sister Metcalf and their adorable crew. It was such a treat to have so many beloved people here with us. </span><span style="color: orange;">Uncle Aaron got some great pictures of the festivities. They can be seen <a href="http://photos.aaronbarkerphotography.com/Family/Lukeys-Baptism/21685156_C3jJ4k#%21i=1729909251&k=Pdk5nRV" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;">Nearly half of Luke's siblings were gathered together that beautiful day. We can't wait until Jacob & Rebecca's wedding in April when, hopefully, the whole family will be able to be together. :o) </span>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-56021585737510144712012-02-08T02:23:00.000-07:002012-02-08T02:23:12.705-07:00Depression<br />
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WARNING: This is an extremely sensitive and personal topic to me, but I feel compelled to share it anyway. Please be judicious with your comments.</div>
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I struggle with depression. Some days are better than others; some weeks are better than others; some months are better than others; some years are better than others. I think you get the point. Most of the time my depression doesn't bother me too much. It certainly almost never affects my daytime life. (Who can let it with four little ones to take care of?) For whatever reason quite recently it has become very difficult to bear, particularly in the evening/nighttime hours. I find myself wasting hours on end on the computer just so I don't have to face the dark and cold loneliness. (Lest any of you jump to the wrong conclusions: my relationship with my husband is wonderful. This is just my perspective of my spirit/soul.)<br />
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I've had depression to some degree or another my entire memorable life with a pretty severe peak my last couple of years in high school and on through the first few of my adult life, when I said, "To Hell with the world!" and didn't care what I did or who I hurt and I lived the wild life. It was miserable and did nothing to alleviate the emptiness I felt. There was even a time at the end of my high school career that I was actually somewhat suicidal. Meaning I had thoughts often of death, but never enough to make any attempts, lest I fail and be crippled or something worse. I'm way too much of a coward to ever actually attempt to take my own life. I would NEVER do that. At the time I just employed minor self-mutilation to distract me from the emotional pain I felt. I've matured from that too, believe me. I have so much more self-control now over my depression as an adult than I did as a teen.<br />
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This most recent bout of depression seemed to strike around July of last
year (2011). And has gone through some pretty fantastic ups and downs
since setting in, as can be expected with depression. I finished last year and started this year (2012) with quite an upswing and it felt so good! Alas, it was extremely short-lived, as I'd fallen to the deepest level since this new bout began. It is a constant struggle. Most days are fine, sort of. I've found that the computer lately has really become a vice for me. It is so much easier to lose myself in the online world than to deal with my own real world some days. Some days are completely wasted and nothing productive happens. Considering I home educate our children, this weighs heavily on my conscience when these days happen. (Which really doesn't help matters at all!)<br />
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I am not a bad person. I have struggles. Mine may not look like yours. Yours may not look like mine. I am weak. I am fallible. I am not perfect, much as I'd like to convince everyone otherwise. So, there you have it. I am struggling through it right now. I'm feeling much better than I was a week ago (hence the post), but I know I need to come higher still. I'm still pretty low. I have begun to question some things deeply - more so than I've ever done in my life. And that frightens me a little (a lot!) too.<br />
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I have no one specific thing that I can say bugs me, but there are lots of things I could certainly complain about (who couldn't?), but no one "cause" for my depression. Yes, some bad things happened to me when I was little. Yes, more bad things happened to me as a teen. Yes, bad things happened to me as a young adult. Yes, I made some terrible choices. But I can't point my finger at any one thing and say it causes my depression. Depression eludes me. I don't understand it at all! I have a fantastic life! I am so richly blessed in every area. Sure, bad things have happened, but every single person who comes to this earth has bad things happen to him.<br />
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So, without going into all the gory details that's where I've been lately, in case you've wondered. I'm naturally a bit reclusive, but if I seem extra hermit-y lately, please don't take offense. I don't do well in the long, dark, cold winter months. Those are the most challenging for me.<br />
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So what am I doing about it? I cry to Luke when I need to. Occasionally I'll cry to one of you too, if you catch me at the right time. :O) I'm trying to not get too wrapped up in the great world of the Internet. I'm trying to set some boundaries. My goals have changed for this particularly low time. They are much more simple than they were at the beginning of the year: Get out of bed every day before noon. Go to bed by three a.m. Do some form of "formal" school with the kids each day. Talk to my children (when I'm withdrawn, I don't want to be bothered) and husband. Acknowledge each feeling as it comes. Don't hide from "bad" feelings; acknowledge them and move on. Look for a reason to smile, then do it - smile. Smiling releases endorphins, you know. Find one thing that I accomplished and celebrate it. Doesn't sound like much, but like all things: "this too shall pass."<br />
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I know that I should have listed prayer and scriptures, especially during my dark days, but sometimes I really truly don't feel like it and I'm very angry with God. I give myself permission to throw a tantrum and stomp my feet at him with my tongue sticking out and my ears plugged. I know it's incredibly juvenile, but sometimes it happens. When I get around to humbling myself again (which usually doesn't take too long) I feel so much better. I repent of my immaturity. The humility helps me to hear Him better. Some of my best moments have been after a literal tantrum, fit-throwing, yelling, crying "prayer" with the Lord. Maybe someday I'll grow up and I'll learn to trust Him better than I do now and I will be able to turn to Him during my darkest days and find the solace, peace and healing I desire. I just have to grow up first.<br />
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So that's where I've been. My amazing husband has been right beside me, holding my hand, falling asleep while I vent of all the injustices in life at 3:00 am. ;o) He's so incredible. I'm so lucky to have him! I love him so much! I promise Honey, this will get better. It always does. Thanks for being patient with me while I work through these rough spots.<br />
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-35968628402471328242012-01-21T23:55:00.000-07:002017-09-13T17:34:52.115-06:00A New "Keeper" - Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (NT)Last week to honor Luke's 33rd birthday I made him a carrot cake at his request and we LOVED it! So I thought I would share it. :o) The recipe I used is from the book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327210507&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats</a>" by Sally Fallon. This cake was not a light fluffy one, but a rich, dense, moist, super delicious cake! This cake serves 16-20, unless you invite me over, and I will do a
good job polishing any leftovers off the next day, almost completely on
my own!!! Beware! :O)<br />
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The recipe as follows is almost word-for-word from page 569 of Nourishing Traditions. My comments are in <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink</span>. <br />
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Ingredients:<br />
2 1/2 c freshly ground <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelt" target="_blank">spelt</a>, <a href="http://www.kamut.com/" target="_blank">kamut</a> or whole wheat flour <span style="color: #ea9999;">(I use wheat - I got a wheat grinder for Christmas a year ago and LOVE it! Thanks Mama!) :o)</span><br />
1 c <a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/how-to-make-piima-cream-recipe" target="_blank">piima cream</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A8me_fraiche" target="_blank">créme fraiche</a> <span style="color: #ea9999;">(I used good ol' fashioned heavy whipping cream - I don't quite have the resources just yet for making my own dairy products - yet!)</span><br />
1 c whole yogurt <span style="color: #ea9999;">(so happy to have finally found a <a href="http://www.nancysyogurt.com/index.php/organic-yogurts/organic-whole-milk-yogurt" target="_blank">brand</a> that is full-fat - hurray!!!)</span><br />
1 c butter, softened<span style="color: #ea9999;"> (this is real, from-the-cow butter - not margarine. <a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/food-wars-butter-vs-margarine/" target="_blank"> Margarine is not a real food and should not be consumed by anyone for any reason.</a> Just sayin'. LOL) :o)</span><br />
1 1/4 c <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapadura" target="_blank">rapadura</a> <span style="color: #ea9999;">(I use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucanat" target="_blank">sucanat</a>, or in a pinch, plain <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_brown_sugar" target="_blank">turbinado</a> sugar. These are less processed forms of sugar, though turbinado is my last choice of them. <a href="http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/raw-honey.html" target="_blank">Raw honey</a> or <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=maple+syrup&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=7750648924639269119&sa=X&ei=WK8bT_a1C4TJiQKdmYiiCA&ved=0CI8BEPMCMAM" target="_blank">grade B pure maple syrup</a> could probably be substituted. I do not use white sugar at all in my house, or "brown" sugar either. They are both completely and absolutely devoid of any nutritional value whatsoever. </span><span style="color: #ea9999;">However, if you only have white sugar it will certainly work, just realize that it changes the "health factor" of this recipe. </span><span style="color: #ea9999;">The same goes for white flours too.)</span><br />
4 eggs<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
2 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp sea salt <span style="color: #ea9999;">(I use <a href="http://www.realsalt.com/" target="_blank">Redmond Real Salt</a> because it is local for me. It is harvested right here in Heber City, Utah not across the globe, so it's carbon footprint is much smaller.)</span><br />
1 8-oz can crushed pineapple, water packed <span style="color: #ea9999;">(I use the kind packed in pineapple juice - no high fructose corn syrup, <a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/?s=high+fructose+corn+syrup" target="_blank">here's a starting point for reading about different sweeteners</a>.)</span><br />
2 c finely grated carrots<br />
1 c dried <a href="http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Coconut-Medium-Unsweet/dp/B0017WE01K" target="_blank">unsweetened coconut meat</a><span style="color: #ea9999;"> (I omitted this because I just can't stand coconut. I know, it's weird, but I do not like it Sam I am! :o) I was going to use raisins instead, but we were out.) :o(</span><br />
1/2 c <a href="http://thenourishingcook.com/crispy-pecans/" target="_blank">crispy pecans</a>, chopped <span style="color: #ea9999;">(I forgot to soak and dry my nuts, so I just used unsoaked ones. I used walnuts instead of pecans; it's what we had on hand.)</span><br />
2 c cream cheese, softened <span style="color: #ea9999;">(YUM! Probably my favorite ingredient!) :O)</span><br />
1/2 c butter, softened<br />
1 Tbsp vanilla extract<br />
1/2 - 3/4 c <a href="http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/raw-honey.html" target="_blank">raw honey</a><br />
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Mix flour with yogurt and cultured cream. Cover and leave for 12 to 24 hours in a warm place. <span style="color: #ea9999;">(This breaks down the phytate content in the grain making more digestible. I actually left mine soaking for two whole days just sitting in my "off" oven. I just didn't have the chance to get to it sooner.)</span> Line a buttered 9" by 13" Pyrex pan with buttered parchment paper and coat pan and parchment paper with flour. <span style="color: #ea9999;">(I used aluminum foil because I didn't have any parchment paper. However I'd really like to get some. <a href="http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/articles/583/general-wellness/aluminum-a-toxic-metal-you-should-avoid-in-your-food-and-kitchen.html" target="_blank">I am not a fan of aluminum cookware in any form.</a> I prefer stainless steel or cast iron cook/bakeware.)</span> Cream butter with Rapadura <span style="color: #ea9999;">(or your substitute)</span>. Beat in eggs, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture. Fold in pineapple with juice, carrots, coconuts and nuts. Pour into pan and bake at 300 degrees for about 2 hours. Let cool slightly and turn onto a platter or tray.<br />
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To make icing, place cream cheese, butter, vanilla and honey in food processor and blend until smooth. Generously ice the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with flowers. <span style="color: #ea9999;">(Lick the beaters and the bowl until it appears that they've been washed - don't forget to actually wash them though. My favorite part!!!!) :O)</span><br />
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Variation: Stars and Stripes Cake<br />
Use blueberries and raspberries to make an American flag on top of the cake.<br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999;">Completely devour your cake in one sitting while watching a movie with your hubby (remember to not complain over his choice of movie because it is, after all, HIS birthday *smirk*). Okay, save a few pieces for the kids to have for breakfast - if you can. If there happen to be any leftovers after that, happily snack away at them every single time you walk into the kitchen! Be sure to make up plenty of reasons to go into the kitchen all day until the cake is completely gone and hubby doesn't get any when he gets home from school... :O) That's about what it looked like here!!! Enjoy!</span>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-67871815925728391182012-01-08T22:10:00.000-07:002012-01-08T22:18:12.615-07:00It's Accountability TimeSo, my major goal to <i>begin</i> this year with was to <a href="http://raisingthebahr-onechildatatime.blogspot.com/2011/12/living-life-on-purpose.html" target="_blank">GO TO BED ON TIME</a>... uh, well, um, I've not done so well this week. Wanna hear my lame excuses? Yeah, I didn't think so. Stinkin' awesome library materials anyway! :o) Since we had dinner guests this evening, I don't have as much time as I was planning, to tell you about some of my awesome experiences this week (because I'm going to go to bed ON TIME tonight!) :o) So, it'll be the abbreviated version (if that's even possible from me! Haha!)<br />
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First: <a href="http://raisingthebahr-onechildatatime.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-years-challenge-journey-through.html" target="_blank">Scripture reading</a> has been happening every single day - yay! Not as much as I'm supposed to though - not yay. My subconscious knows that I gave myself a "head start" so for <i>some</i> reason, I am only a couple of days "ahead" now (instead of the "more than a week" that I had)... Time to pick up the slack and get a full 13 pages a day in.<br />
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<a href="http://raisingthebahr-onechildatatime.blogspot.com/2011/12/living-life-on-purpose.html" target="_blank">Prayer</a> is going great! I am thrilled at some major progress I've been making at <i>recognizing</i> specific answers to prayer. (Last night was an incredible experience even though it kept me awake way past bedtime - it was time <i>well spent</i>!) I feel so inspired. I even bore my testimony in church today about Heavenly Father not just <i>hearing</i> all of our prayers, but about actually <i>answering</i> those prayers - which is something I've not had a lot of testimony of in the past. I've had experiences here and there where I felt I had received a direct answer to prayer, but not many. I know for a fact though that many, many of my prayers have been answered, but I was probably not "in tune" enough to understand or "hear" the answers. I've asked Father in Heaven to specifically help me to recognize answers to prayer and have begun asking more direct and specific questions, which is a novel idea to me. A scripture that pretty much sums up my (previous) lack of faith in receiving answers from the Lord is found in the Book of Mormon:<br />
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<a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=137252182693268692" name="8"></a><span class="verse"><a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/15.8-11?lang=eng#7" target="_blank">8</a> </span>And I said unto them: Have ye <sup class="studyNoteMarker">a</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2024751018" id="footnote5" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=1-ne&chapterUri=15&noteID=8a&lang=eng">inquired</a> of the Lord?</div>
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<a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2024751018" name="9"></a><span class="verse">9 </span>And they said unto me: <sup class="studyNoteMarker">a</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2024751018" id="footnote6" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=1-ne&chapterUri=15&noteID=9a&lang=eng">We</a> have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.</div>
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<a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2024751018" name="11"></a><span class="verse">11 </span>Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and <sup class="studyNoteMarker">a</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2024751018" id="footnote8" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=1-ne&chapterUri=15&noteID=11a&lang=eng">ask</a> me in <sup class="studyNoteMarker">b</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2024751018" id="footnote9" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=1-ne&chapterUri=15&noteID=11b&lang=eng">faith</a>, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you. </div>
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I can't even count how many times my dear friend Tara has asked me, when I'm whining about some particular problem I'm having, if I've asked the Lord and I've said - no. DUH!!! I was still thinking, even as she asked the question, "Of course not, why would I? He won't tell me something like that." It sounded too familiar. "We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us." I am so tickled at how wrong I was!!!! He <i>does</i> care about the stupid little mundane things we worry over from day to day! He <i>wants</i> us to pour our hearts out to Him and ask for His advice and guidance. We don't have to do this alone! I. Am. So. Stubborn. (Tara you can stop nodding your head and agreeing with me right now.) I am not alone. I have a perfect partner through this journey of life. God wants to guide me through His paths if I'll just allow Him. After all, He really does know better than I do. (I know; shocking isn't it?) Well, I'm just learning to let Him take control and see where we end up. It's terrifying, exhilarating, liberating, awful, and awesome all at once! I am such a control freak that this is probably <i>the single most difficult thing I've ever done in my life.</i> I faced some extremely difficult choices last night in my personal prayer time. I hope releasing this control to a loving Father in Heaven is just the beginning of a remarkable transformation from within. I'm super excited to see where it ends up.<br />
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Since I want to be in bed on time tonight and I am extremely tired from my long and very personal visit with the Lord last night, I'll wrap this up for today. My focus for this coming week (well for the month of January) is to go to bed on time so I can have the focus and energy I need to attempt to make the positive changes in the areas of focus I've chosen for this year, also, my daily walk with the Lord through meaningful prayer and scripture study. School resumes tomorrow too... so there's another one of my goals - to be thorough in my children's educations. Those are my main focal points for January. They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit; so I'm hoping that by next month I can get to the meatier issues. :o) For now, sleep it is. :o) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......<br />
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Are you following along with me through the Old Testament? You should have just finished Exodus Chapter 16 today, if so. How are you doing on your other personal/family goals? What has been easy? What has been difficult so far?Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-2732060261773220022011-12-31T11:17:00.000-07:002012-01-08T21:50:04.041-07:00Living Life ON PURPOSEI would like to thank Erika at <a href="http://largefamiliesonpurpose.com/">LargeFamiliesOnPurpose.com</a> for helping to inspire me to be more conscious of what I do with my time. (I've really enjoyed "getting to know" her family through her blog.) She has helped me to realize that I want to live my life on purpose. Instead of just<i> reacting</i> to what happens every day, I want to <i>make</i> things happen. I want my life to be deliberate. There are so many things I want to do and they just aren't going to happen on their own!<br />
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Now, I've read Stephen Covey's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People/dp/0743269519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325036245&sr=8-1" target="_blank">7 Habits of Highly Effective People</a> before and loved it! It's been a few years and I've forgotten to "keep my saw sharpened." I'm too busy cutting down the forest to stop and sharpen my saw, let alone, step back far enough to make sure I'm still in the right forest. :o) I'm too busy in the thick of it to notice the big picture. I'm taking some time at the close of 2011 to reevaluate where I am and where I want to go. It's time for some new goals and a plan for achieving them.<br />
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As I've pondered this topic over the last several weeks, I've narrowed down a few specific areas that I wish to improve upon this year. 1) Spiritually (God's love): I want to<b> <i>feel</i></b> God's love for me. I <i>know</i> that He loves me, but I want to <i>feel</i> it more. There are times I feel so lonely. I feel that Heavenly Father doesn't care what happens to me in the least. It can be very discouraging. I've determined that sincere PRAYER + earnest SCRIPTURE STUDY = PEACE, LOVE, JOY, and PERSONAL REVELATION. As I <a href="http://raisingthebahr-onechildatatime.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-years-challenge-journey-through.html" target="_blank">journey through the scriptures</a> this year I will be looking for God's love for <i>me</i> manifest in the pages of history. I would like to recognize His hand in my life more often and to notice the promptings I receive from the Holy Ghost. I plan to document His hand in my life either in my personal journal or here on my blog as appropriate.<br />
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2) Personal Relationships (honor my husband): I have realized that I do not honor my husband the way he deserves to be honored. I am so sorry for this Luke! I want to cherish him as my King and treat him as such. I want our marriage and relationship to be THE most important thing in my life next to my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Erika does a great job describing why and how she prioritizes her marriage above all else on her blog <a href="http://www.largefamiliesonpurpose.com/2011/05/marriage-our-high-priority.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Specifically she mentions how to :<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Prioritize our marriage above our children<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Prioritize our marriage above outside activities & friends</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Prioritize our marriage above our parents and in-laws </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Prioritize our marriage above ourselves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">How I make our bedroom our sanctuary</span></li>
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I've also recently read a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fascinating-Womanhood-Helen-Andelin/dp/0553384279/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325039445&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Fascinating Womanhood</a>. It is <i>not</i> an easy book to read, and I don't mean the language or syntax is difficult to understand. I mean I wanted to throw it across the room a few times! Indeed, I did slam the cover closed more than once with an exasperated, "HMPH!" Then I would rant to Luke about one thing or another for a good ten minutes about how incredulous it was. :o) Then I would simmer down and realize that "<a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/16.2?lang=eng#1" target="_blank">the guilty taketh the truth to be hard</a>." I am not saying that I endorse the entire book (yet! ;o) ), but boy! did it get me thinking!!! I'll probably refer to specific principles of this book as the year progresses and I put it "to the test" so to say. I must say, that when I put the book on hold at my local library I was expecting a book about femininity and how to embrace womanhood more fully (something severely lacking in our society). I was not expecting a marriage-fixing manual. But I'm sure glad I brought it home and read it. I plan this year to put the principles into practice in honoring my husband and his roles in our family (and my roles in our family).<br />
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3) Still in Personal Relationships (<i>love</i> my children): Surprise! I want to love my children - <i>On Purpose</i>! :o) Luke and I picked up a book at my mom's garage sale this summer when we were visiting Michigan. I remember my initial response to this book was something resembling extreme apathy and major lack of desire to read it (did I just say the same thing twice? :o) ). It sounded so stupidly cliché. A lot of "parenting" books are so full of... junk, for lack of a better word. I thought this was going to be one of those eye-rolling-I'm-so-glad-I-know-better-than-this books. Boy, was I wrong!!! The book is called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Really-Love-Your-Child/dp/0781439124/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325041069&sr=1-1" target="_blank">How To Really Love Your Child</a>. It sounds so corny, doesn't it? Getting over the gag-reflex, this book was INCREDIBLE!!! It is so spot-on with my new way of thinking about living on purpose. It emphasizes three main facets for showing love to your children (anyone really) - eye contact, physical contact, and focused attention. I want to spend time each day with each child <i>really loving</i> them. Sometimes, sadly, we are all just living in the same house and don't know what each other is doing/feeling. I want to change that!<br />
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4) Health and Physical Fitness (sleep): It just wouldn't be a new year without some sort of fitness/weight resolution would it? ;o) One of the very first goals I will be focusing on in earnest is that of my health. I have realized that after four children in 8 years, 8 months of marriage (as of Dec '11), I have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for... ALL OF IT!!! It took about six weeks after our wedding to become pregnant and I have been either pregnant or breastfeeding or both! since then with 14 months of nursing <i>while </i>being pregnant and 10 months nursing <i>two children</i> simultaneously! I. Am. TIRED!!! :o) I have not had my body to myself since our honeymoon (when it wasn't really mine then either ;o) ). Now I'm not complaining about this. I LOVE being a mother and wouldn't change the choice to give complete control to the Lord for when and how many children He sees fit to bless us with. I'm just stating that I am physically exhausted right now (probably why I'm not pregnant yet, though I would love to be) and would like to be proactive about it in stead of reactive (cause that's not pretty!) Beginning by January 1, 2012 I will:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="verse"><a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/88.124?lang=eng#123" target="_blank">124</a> </span><i>Cease to be <sup class="studyNoteMarker">a</sup></i><i><a class="footnote" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=137252182693268692" id="footnote267" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=dc-testament&bookUri=dc&chapterUri=88&noteID=124a&lang=eng">idle</a></i>; cease to be <sup class="studyNoteMarker">b</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_841718282" id="footnote268" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=dc-testament&bookUri=dc&chapterUri=88&noteID=124b&lang=eng">unclean</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_841718282">; cease to <sup class="studyNoteMarker">c</sup></a><a class="footnote" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_841718282" id="footnote269" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=dc-testament&bookUri=dc&chapterUri=88&noteID=124c&lang=eng">find</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_841718282" target="_blank"> fault one with another; <i>cease to <sup class="studyNoteMarker">d</sup></i></a><i><a class="footnote" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=137252182693268692" id="footnote270" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=dc-testament&bookUri=dc&chapterUri=88&noteID=124d&lang=eng">sleep</a> longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be <sup class="studyNoteMarker">e</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=137252182693268692" id="footnote271" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=dc-testament&bookUri=dc&chapterUri=88&noteID=124e&lang=eng">invigorated</a>.</i> (Emphasis mine.)<a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/88.124?lang=eng#123" target="_blank"> </a></blockquote>
I figure if I can just accomplish this one task of going to bed on time so as to get up on time, so many other things will naturally fall into place. I mean, it says, "arise early that your <b>bodies</b> and your <b>minds</b> may be <b>INVIGORATED</b>!" Just getting up in the morning will help tremendously in being able to accomplish all that needs to be done and leave room for the other things in life. It's all about balance. We all have the same amount of time allotted to each of us each day. There are only 24 hours in every day, no more. That leaves 8 hours for sleep/rest, 8 hours for work, and 8 hours for wholesome recreation. I want to find that ideal balance. I'll go into more detail in a future post about how I plan to achieve this balance. For now, this means my bedtime will become no later than 10:00 p.m. If you find me online later than that - remind me of my goal please! :o)<br />
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5) Health and Fitness again (no more sugar): We have a pretty healthy diet for the most part, but I desire to be more diligent about it this year. Luke and I have discussed completely giving up refined sugars and have decided to bite the bullet this year (pun intended - sorry! :o) ). As soon as our Christmas treats are gone we will no longer bring anything into our house that is made with refined sugar. Refined sugar to us means: white sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, agave nectar, artificial chemical sweeteners (Nurtasweet, Splenda, etc.), and so on. (I am eating a chocolate orange as I write this! Haha!) We will only use raw honey, stevia leaf extract, sucanat/Rapadura, or pure Grade B maple syrup as sweeteners. This means if it comes in a box, bag, jar, bottle, etc. we probably won't be buying it. :o) It does mean a little more work on my part. There are almost no breakfast cereals on the market that don't have some amount of sugar in some form added to them. (Not that boxed breakfast cereal is healthy or should be eaten anyway, it's just an example.) I have plans for changing up the way all of our grain products are prepared also, but Luke says only one major dietary change at a time! :o) Sugar is the worst for us here right now (not that we consume that much of it, but it has the highest priority to change - some of us have gained a bit of weight over the years and considering the rest of our diet is fairly decent, we're investigating the effects of cutting the sugar cord altogether).<br />
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6) Health (Emma's teeth): I've been researching how to heal and remineralize teeth. Emma has had problems with her teeth practically since they came through. She got them early on and I don't remember them not having brown spots on them. The decay has worsened. The brown spots have grown and are on more teeth now and she has some "chunks" missing in some. These spots are on the outside of her smile on top. It is not from inadequate hygiene practices. She has been brushed just as much as our other kids who are unaffected like this. I'm currently reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cure-Tooth-Decay-Cavities-Nutrition/dp/1434810607/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325049245&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition</a>. I plan to put into practice the principles outlined in this book to see what we can do to help her with this. She has never complained of any pain at all. I have some major reservations about modern dentistry which is why we've not pursued anything along those lines.<br />
<br />
7) Balance and Prioritization: I've mentioned this a bit already, so I'll be brief here. I want each day to be balanced with priorities taking their proper place in the day. I have consulted Luke as to his idea of what my most important responsibilities should be each day, when I was reading Fascinating Womanhood (she recommends prioritizing your day also). His response was very revealing. His top priority for me then was to be sure that school happened each day for the children (we home educate our children). That was followed by me being happy and looking nice each day (clean clothes, hair combed, makeup if I felt like it, etc.). His last request was for food. :o) As I asked him recently to tell me his top three priorities for me in a day his list was exactly the same with one exception. I had moved to top priority and the kids came in second; food was third. :o)<br />
<br />
8) Education: I want to be sure to do a good job with the kids' schooling. Lukey will be entering third grade next fall and will begin standardized testing. I'm a bit nervous even though I don't put a whole lot of stock into testing. It's not a very accurate portrayal of knowledge at all, but it's the way "we" do it, so it will be done. It can be helpful to find areas of weakness to improve on. My reason for wanting to do well teaching is not because of the testing! :o) But because I want my children to have a great education. I've struggled this first few years just trying to settle into a "way" to do it. I have a really hard time making decisions. I tend to want to know every last detail and option before moving forward and forget that you can have a superb outcome from a huge variety of paths - there is no one perfect way to do it. I struggle with that. I just need to find the path that works for us. If you are planning or even thinking about home educating your own children, please don't wait until they are "school-aged" to do your research!!!!! When Lukey was born, I knew I wanted to teach him at home and I thought I had forever before he turned five! Well, by the time he actually turned five, he had two little sisters for me to care for too. The research didn't happen until it was time to start! Hence, my indecision still in my third year of doing it. :o( I think I'm making major progress though. I've found some resources lately that I think just may help me find exactly what I'm looking for. :o) In the meantime, my goal is to keep moving forward and having a devoted and regular time for formal lessons and enrich our lives to make every day a classroom of life.<br />
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These are not listed in order of importance. It's just a starting point for my new year. I will not tackle every last detail all at once and burn myself out (as I am prone to do - I'm such an "all or nothing" kind of girl!), but will work diligently with each item. Some of them will overlap. <a href="http://lds.org/liahona/2012/01/living-the-abundant-life?lang=eng" target="_blank">Here</a> is a great challenge from <a href="http://lds.org/church/leader/thomas-s-monson?lang=eng" target="_blank">President Thomas S. Monson</a>, the world's current prophet of God.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"At the advent of a new year, I challenge Latter-day Saints everywhere to
undertake a personal, diligent, significant quest for what I call the
abundant life—a life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and
blessings. Just as we learned the ABCs in school, I offer my own ABCs to
help us all gain the abundant life." (Click <a href="http://lds.org/liahona/2012/01/living-the-abundant-life?lang=eng" target="_blank">here</a> to read President Monson's ABCs for the abundant life.)</blockquote>
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What are your New Year's Resolutions/Goals? What will you do to achieve them?Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-41331724405166941732011-12-27T06:00:00.000-07:002012-01-02T11:02:58.617-07:00A New Year's Challenge: Journey through the Holy ScripturesI have never read the entire <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/gs/canon?lang=eng">Standard Works</a> of <a href="http://mormon.org/">The Church</a>
from cover to cover within a year. In fact, certain books of scripture
(ahem, the Old Testament - it's just so difficult to understand
sometimes) have been more neglected than others in the course of my
life. I strive to read something from the scriptures every day. I have
done really well with this in the past at times - and have failed
abominably at other times! :) I am trying to create a life-long habit
of not retiring to bed at night until I've read from God's word. So one
of my goals for this next year is to <a href="http://lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/unto-all-the-world/mark-400th-anniversary-by-studying-bible?lang=eng">read the entire Holy Bible</a>, the <a href="http://mormon.org/book-of-mormon/">Book of Mormon</a>,
the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price - the Standard
Works - within the year. Since the Old Testament is the largest chunk of
scripture and the winter is when we tend to hibernate, at least, I do anyway. I
love to curl up with a good book and nice warm snuggly blankie, maybe
even a cup of hot chocolate! :) Ah, Heaven. :)<br />
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I've divided the year into four natural segments to accomplish this
task. They are called seasons. :) Okay, that wasn't me, but all the
same they are perfect dividers. :) So, my plan is to start with the
heftiest reading material during the time of year I'd be most likely to
be successful with it: winter. I will follow this with the New
Testament during spring, the Book of Mormon through the summer, and
ending the year with the Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great
Price.<br />
<br />
I would like to invite any who desire to join me in this quest for
knowledge, understanding, spiritual strength and enlightenment to please
do so. I will share with you my plans and you can adapt them to meet
your needs as you see fit. I had planned to begin this journey at the
winter solstice and even gave myself a small head start fearing the
inevitable interruptions to life that would make reading many pages per
day difficult and cause me to fall behind schedule. But you can
certainly use my schedule to begin fresh with the new year; after all,
there's only a ten day difference from the solstice to the New Year.
:)<br />
<br />
So, here's how it will work: WINTER - OLD TESTAMENT: I use the <a href="http://lds.org/ensign/1992/08/news-of-the-church/first-presidency-statement-on-the-king-james-version-of-the-bible?lang=eng&query=lds+king+james+version">LDS King James Version of the Bible</a>
(scroll almost all the way to the bottom of the link to read the First
Presidency's statement on the KJV). This version has 1184 pages of text
in the OT. Get ready, we're going to do some math! :) There are 90
days in each quarter year or season, so we will divide the number of
pages in our OT (1184 for me) by the number of days we want to read it
in (90): 1184/90=13.15. To simplify, I will need to read about 13 pages
per day to finish by the spring equinox. If you are only reading the
Bible in 2012, then you have three months more (another 90 days) to get
through the OT. If this is you, your equation looks like this: 1184 (or
however many pages are in your Old Testament) /180=6.57 or 6 and a half
pages a day.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">***ETA (Edited To Add): I totally forgot to mention <i>how</i> I plan to read 13 pages per day! I try to start every day with some amount of dedicated time to the Lord. This varies from day to day as I've not had a regular sleep/wake time, which I'm hoping to change this year. It's not enough time (yet) to get 13 pages in, that's for sure! ;O) However, I now keep my scriptures in a drawer in the bathroom and every time I need the facilities, I take advantage of the quiet! I close the door and grab my scriptures and get to business. I read at least three or four pages at a time. It's a great break from the chaos of life. I usually manage to finish the day's reading <i>if</i> I've been left alone long enough during my bathroom breaks (hah!). :O) If not, then I simply finish during quiet time before bed.***</span><br />
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SPRING - NEW TESTAMENT: My NT has 406 pages, so 406/90=4.51 or 4 and a
half pages per day, not so hard after accomplishing 13 pages per day
through the winter! :) This is a nice break for the busy spring time
planting/cleaning/renewing that tends to happen in the spring. If you
are only reading the Bible, again, you'll have twice as long to
accomplish this. Yours will look like this: 406/180=2.25 or just over
two pages a day. AN ALTERNATIVE for just reading the Bible: since the
OT is so much huger *grin* (I know this isn't a real word; but I like it!) than the NT, you could spend three seasons with the
Old and one with the New. You would read about 4 and a half pages per
day all year this way (4.38 OT and 4.51 NT).<br />
<br />
SUMMER - BOOK OF MORMON: My BOM has 531 pages: 531/90=5.9 or six pages
per day. This is a nice incremental increase in reading for the more
leisurely days of summer sun bathing. :)<br />
<br />
AUTUMN - DOCTRINE & COVENANTS and PEARL OF GREAT PRICE: Combined, the
D&C and POGP have 355 pages: 355/90=3.94 or 4 pages per day. This
brings us back to a managable amount for the busy harvest/back to
school/holiday time.<br />
<br />
You can follow the true seasons, with equinoxes and solstices determining when you begin and end each book or you can use the calendar
months (Jan-Mar for winter, Apr-Jun for spring, Jul-Sept for summer,
Oct-Dec for autumn), either way works the same, just a few days off from
each other.<br />
I would like to encourage you, even if you are not of the same faith
as me, to read all four of the books of scripture mentioned. There is
a promise given in the Book of Mormon, found near the end, in the book
of <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10.3-5?lang=eng#2">Moroni, chapter 10 verses 3-5</a>:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a class="dontHighlight bookmark-anchor" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10.3-5?lang=eng#2" name="3"></a><span class="verse">3 </span>Behold,
I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be
wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how <sup class="studyNoteMarker">a</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote4" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=3a&lang=eng">merciful</a>
the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam
even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and <sup class="studyNoteMarker">b</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote5" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=3b&lang=eng">ponder</a> it in your <sup class="studyNoteMarker">c</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote6" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=3c&lang=eng">hearts</a>.<br />
<a class="dontHighlight bookmark-anchor" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=137252182693268692" name="4"></a><span class="verse">4 </span>And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would <sup class="studyNoteMarker">a</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote7" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=4a&lang=eng">ask</a> God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not <sup class="studyNoteMarker">b</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote8" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=4b&lang=eng">true</a>; and if ye shall ask with a <sup class="studyNoteMarker">c</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote9" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=4c&lang=eng">sincere</a> heart, with <sup class="studyNoteMarker">d</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote10" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=4d&lang=eng">real</a> intent, having <sup class="studyNoteMarker">e</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote11" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=4e&lang=eng">faith</a> in Christ, he will <sup class="studyNoteMarker">f</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote12" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=4f&lang=eng">manifest</a> the <sup class="studyNoteMarker">g</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote13" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=4g&lang=eng">truth</a> of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.<br />
<a class="dontHighlight bookmark-anchor" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=137252182693268692" name="5"></a><span class="verse">5 </span>And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may <sup class="studyNoteMarker">a</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote14" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=5a&lang=eng">know</a> the <sup class="studyNoteMarker">b</sup><a class="footnote" href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#" id="footnote15" rel="/scriptures/chapter/footnote/default.xqy?volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=moro&chapterUri=10&noteID=5b&lang=eng">truth</a> of all things.</blockquote>
<br />
Heavenly Father will always answer our sincere prayers. He always
answers with truth and understanding. You can know for yourself if they
are works of God or otherwise, by simply reading them and praying and
asking if they are true. I have applied this principle in my own life
and I have learned that they are indeed true. They are beautiful. I
can't wait to study all of them together this coming year and pray over
them daily and learn more truths along the way. :) Join me! It'll be a
grand adventure.<br />
<br />
Each book of scripture can be found online here (<a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/ot?lang=eng">Old Testament</a>, <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/nt?lang=eng">New Testament</a>, <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng">Book of Mormon</a>, <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament?lang=eng">Doctrine & Covenants</a>, <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/pgp?lang=eng">Pearl of Great Price</a>) if you'd like to read along that way. If you'd like to follow along online, there are no page numbers so I created a spreadsheet that says where you should be at the end of each day. I cannot figure out how to add the image, so email me or leave a comment with your email address and I will send you a link to it if you'd like it. (If you know how I can upload the image directly to this post, please tell! ;) ) May God bless us
with a deepened understanding of His love and word through this
adventure of studying His Holy Scriptures.<br />
<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com2Salt Lake City, UT, USA40.7607793 -111.891047440.6645613 -112.0489759 40.8569973 -111.73311890000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137252182693268692.post-36594590049910327902011-12-26T15:56:00.000-07:002012-01-02T11:02:40.604-07:00Why "Raising The Bahr?"<div class="body">
I chose the name "Raising The Bahr" for my blog (and homeschool) based on a message from <a href="http://lds.org/church/leader/m-russell-ballard?lang=eng">Elder M. Russell Ballard</a> given during the <a href="http://lds.org/study/topics/priesthood?lang=eng&query=priesthood">priesthood</a> session of the <a href="http://lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2002/10?lang=eng">October 2002 General Conference</a> of <a href="http://mormon.org/">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints</a>, "in which he challenged the young men of the Church to become the greatest generation of missionaries. He announced that the bar for the minimum standard of missionary service had been raised. He instructed the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood to prepare themselves more vigorously to reach this new and higher minimum standard. He also gave instructions to fathers, bishops, and stake presidents about helping young men prepare to serve full-time missions. (See “<a href="http://lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/the-greatest-generation-of-missionaries?lang=eng">The Greatest Generation of Missionaries</a>,” <i>Liahona</i> and <i>Ensign,</i> Nov. 2002, 46–49.)<br />
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"In his concluding remarks at that same priesthood session, <a href="http://lds.org/churchhistory/presidents/controllers/potcController.jsp?leader=15&topic=facts">President Hinckley</a> commented on Elder Ballard’s talk. He said: 'Elder Ballard has spoken to you concerning missionaries. I wish to endorse what he said. I hope that our young men, and our young women, will rise to the challenge he has set forth. We must raise the bar on the worthiness and qualifications of those who go into the world as ambassadors of the Lord <a class="no-link-style" href="http://mormon.org/jesus-christ">Jesus Christ</a>' (“<a href="http://lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/to-men-of-the-priesthood?lang=eng">To Men of the Priesthood</a>,” <i>Liahona</i> and <i>Ensign,</i> Nov. 2002, 57).<br />
<br />
"Soon afterward, in a letter dated December 11, 2002, the <a href="http://lds.org/church/leaders/first-presidency?lang=eng">First Presidency</a> instructed Church leaders about the principles of eligibility for full-time missionary service. The instructions stated: 'Full-time missionary service is a privilege for those who are called through inspiration by the President of the Church. Bishops and stake presidents have the serious responsibility to identify worthy, qualified members who are spiritually, physically, and emotionally prepared for this sacred service and who can be recommended without reservation. Those individuals not able to meet the physical, mental, and emotional demands of full-time missionary work are honorably excused and should not be recommended. They may be called to serve in other rewarding capacities.'<br />
<br />
"The bar was raised by the leaders of the Church, and now the minimum standard for participating in missionary work is <i>absolute moral worthiness</i>; physical health and strength; intellectual, social, and emotional development. In every high-jumping competition there is a minimum height at which the competition starts. The high jumper cannot ask to start at a lower height. In the same way, you should not expect the standards to be lowered to allow you to serve a mission. If you want to be a missionary, you must be able to clear the minimum standards.<br />
<br />
"But once you reach those minimum standards, shouldn’t you try to keep raising the bar? I ask you the same question I asked my son many years ago: 'If you don’t raise the bar, how will you ever know your potential?' My challenge to you is to recognize that a minimum standard exists—and you must reach it to serve as a full-time missionary—but don’t stop there. The greatest generation of missionaries will not reach its full potential unless it keeps raising the bar ("<a href="http://lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/raising-the-bar?lang=eng&query=raising+bar">Raising The Bar</a>," <a href="http://lds.org/church/leader/l-tom-perry?lang=eng">Elder L. Tom Perry</a>, emphasis mine)."<br />
<br />
Our last name is Bahr (pronounced "bar"), so it seemed a very fitting name/title, considering that I am choosing to home educate our children in order to "raise the bar" of their education (among myriad other reasons - look for a post in the future about why we homeschool) as well as raise God loving, righteous, compassionate, ambassadors of the truth. It reminds me daily of the responsibility the Lord has placed directly onto my shoulders as a mother in <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/gs/zion?lang=eng&letter=z">Zion</a> to continue each day trying to improve and to do a little bit better than I did yesterday. It encourages me to look to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for constant help in bettering myself. I need constant help, courage, inspiration, energy. :)<br />
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The purpose of this blog is to help me in the perpetual learning process of <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/5.48?lang=eng#47">becoming perfect</a>. It will hopefully serve me in the form of accountability as I share, <i>out loud</i>, the changes I feel compelled to seek in my life. I hope it will be a springboard of new inspiration, encouragement, and support, for you and me alike. I wish to create a safe place for us to gather to uplift and inspire and encourage each other. There will be no place for putting each other (or ourselves) down. I am sharing this blog for my own personal growth, so realize that I will be sharing from my own personal perspective just what I am doing in my own life and why. This is not a place for you to <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/7.1?lang=eng#primary">judge</a> me or each other. We all have our own journey to forge in this life. I will share my own experiences and what works (and probably what does not work, as I'm sure we will encounter difficulties along the way! ;) ) for me and my family. You are welcome to take from it what works for you and yours and leave the rest. :) You are the steward for your family. Don't ever do anything without consulting first, your Father in Heaven. He has a <a href="http://mormon.org/plan-of-happiness/">plan</a> for you and will help you to figure it out piece by piece, step by step, <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/ot/isa/28.10?lang=eng#9">here a little, there a little</a>. He loves you and wants to help you on your journey. My God bless us all on this journey of life.</div>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05123072025258683697noreply@blogger.com8