We're back from...Northern Mexico...er LA #swineflu

We did a spur of the moment trip. Sat evening my hubby told me he wanted to go to the SJ Sharks game in Anaheim. We decided we could do it. So Sunday after church we left for LA. Luckily they had the Twofer deal for SoCal residents. His friend got us tickets (SoCal residents can purchase up to 8tix). We had a great time. Exhausted - but fantastic.

More posting later.

A Purpose

I just finished teaching a Morningside message today at seminary.

I am back in my pajamas too. See. I am never up this early in the morning.


I'm on day three of a stiff neck (I think it was stress or sleeping funny - stress from watching Fringe right before bed. Maybe I am now part of the patter?) although it's more mobile than day one and day two. I don't know if it's allergies or a cold, but my voice is hoarser and I am tired.

Wanna know what I was talking about today? I addressed adversity, and knowing how powerful each of is, and knowing beforehand what we stand for.

I taught my husband's Sunday School class for kids in 7/8 grade. The lesson was about President John Taylor, third president/prophet of the Church. I used the questions I was was asked when I took a TMA class at BYU. "Do you know how powerful you are?" and "What do you stand for?"

President John Taylor was known for being a "defender of the faith" and a "champion of liberty". I love that. I love his experiences - his living boldly with faith.

That afternoon I received a call from Bonnie, our seminary principal. I've taught seminary before - when I first finished college and was working. I taught my sister the Old Testament. I am a crazy tired grumpy woman without sleep. I think I scared those kids sometimes. So when I heard her tell me she was the seminary principal, I mentally prepared the word NO in my head.

But then she had to pull the "President Norman suggested I contact you since our original speaker will not be in town". First, I love Pres Norman. He is one of the kindest men. Second, he is in our stake presidency, so I am a rules girl - I will go and do what is asked of me.

I don't remember having Morningside when I was in seminary. Apparently it's a fireside in the morning. They do it every month on the last Friday of seminary. After the original speaker, they tried getting President Norman and our Bishop to speak. So I was totally a back-back-back... picking at straws back-up. No pressure.

I was grateful my husband had been sick and needed me to sub for him on Sunday - it was like a run through for Friday. I added a lot of new things, but essentially the message was the same... try to inspire these amazing teens with the knowledge that they have a purpose, that they can overcome adversity and that they are extremely powerful.

I was also grateful that a couple days ago the BYU Magazine came. In it was an Q&A with Randy Bott, and old professor of mine...and anyone that took "Sharing the Gospel" at BYU. I had forgotten his four elements of a sacrament meeting talk. So this was perfect in organizing all my thoughts I hadn't yet nailed down on paper.

Yesterday my girls who never go down for a nap without a fight, were quiet in their rooms long enough for me to finish writing all my thoughts down. They didn't nap, but they were quiet. What a blessing.


Also I wanted bean bags. I called a few stores, none of which carried any. So I called the crafter queen Angela. She said she'd whip some up in 20 min. She did. It was awesome.

Then I realized I needed someone to watch my girls since my hubby goes to work when I was to start teaching. My wonderful friend Brooke had time, and was willing to cut her morning swim short.

My little business card handouts came out great too.



Funny how things work out.

Last night Bonnie called to ask me how I was. She then asked how to introduce me. I told her just my name and ward is fine. I'm a nobody...I like it like that. She suggested that she could mention I was recommended by Pres Norman... I said NO WAY. No pressure. I don't want to puff myself up...don't need it, don't want it. Let the kids learn about me from me.

I think it went okay. I hope the messages came across. I prayed before I went to teach. I am always nervous when I teach. Why? Because I hope that I am a good tool for my Savior. I want the kids to hear what He wants them to, what they need through me. I like to imagine I'm a hollow tube to let His messages flow through me. So I'm nervous because I hope I don't clog up along the way. (har)

It was a good experience for me. I remember how hard school was. How scary it could be. How it felt to be picked on, insecure and feeling alone. But I know how it is to overcome, to let it pass (har)... to look back and be grateful because adversity makes us stronger.

We have great teens in our stake. They are dealing with much more than I ever had to. I"m grateful for the gospel. I'm grateful for the chance to spend a whole week preoccupied with preparing a lesson. It was a nice spiritual place to be. I think the Lord knew I needed a concentrated dose. All my silly challenges this week served in reminding me about adversity. I felt like this week, was very purposeful. Things fell into place.

I apologize if this is at all jumpy... I am never up this early. I so need a nap. Also, how cool is MormonWiki?

Happy Thursday

Saw this first video "How To Make A Baby" on Design Mom's site... totally cracked me up.




This second one I remembered when I heard Torn on the radio last night. I used to listen to it over and over and over again... blasted as loud as possible in my car when I was at BYU. And yes, the windows were wide open. I like to think I was scaring all those folks when the word "naked" is used in the song. I was always trying to mess with prudes.

Easter

On the Saturday before Easter, our community held their annual Easter Egg hunt... basically the eggs are laid out all over the green grass and the kids just collect them as they walk. For kids that are young like ours, it's perfect. For the older ones... well...

After the egg hunt we went to lunch. The girls are like me - they love going out. We then went to the park to enjoy the perfect weather.

We took some pictures in our backyard before Church.

Here are the girls walking up the stairs to Church. I love little girls and new Easter dresses. LOVE it.

Flying into the building...

After Church we went to our village green and took a few pictures. The video of them singing is on my private family blog.

The End.

Pondering

I found these quotes from a Religion class I took at BYU. They made me ponder the state of our country, the world... fortunate and unfortunate.

The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.

- President Ezra Taft Benson, A Witness and a Warning, p. 64

"Who are you?" You are all the sons and daughters of God.

You are now born into a family to which you have come, into the nations through which you have come, as a reward for the kind of lives you lived before you came here.

[People] will accept without any question the belief that each one of us will be judged when we leave this earth according to his or her deeds during our lives here in mortality. Isn't it just as reasonable to believe that what we have received here in this earth [life] was given to each of us according to the merits of our conduct before we came here?

- President Harold B. Lee, Conference Report, October 1973, pp. 7-8

God gave his children their free agency even in the spirit world, by which the individual spirits had the privilege, just as men have here, of choosing the good and rejecting the evil, or partaking of the evil to suffer the consequences of their sins. Because of this, some even there were more faithful than others in keeping the commandments of the Lord. Some were of greater intelligence than others, as we find it here, and were honored accordingly...

The spirits of men had their free agency, some were greater than others, and from among them the Father called and foreordained his prophets and rulers. Jeremiah and Abraham were two of them. (Jer. 1:5; Abra 3:23)

...the spirits of men were not equal. They may have had an equal start, (Alma 13:5-7) and we know they were all innocent in the beginning; (D&C 93:38) but the right of free agency which was given to them enabled some of them to outstrip others, and thus, through the eons of immortal existence, to become more intelligent, more faithful, for they were free to act for themselves, to think for themselves, to receive the truth or rebel against it.

- President Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:58-59

Flashback

I've seen a lot of bloggers do FLASHBACK FRIDAYS! (I can't even say it out loud without Jazz hands)

I figure... I finally have some old photos to FLASH you all with... enjoy.


These are a few from my broadcast journalism days at BYU. These are a few of my KBYU/NewsNet crew. I was privileged to be part of the first batch of students to begin and go through the unified newsroom. We had an amazing mentor and friend, Dean Paynter. He always pushed us to be more than a pretty, talking head. It's been wonderful to stay in touch with everyone via facebook.


I remember random things:

Those heavy, black cases that carried those old, wooden tripods for the video camera.


People who wouldn't open the door for you when you were carrying the case and a giant blue, rectangular bag with all the heavy camera equipment. I wish I captured a picture of all that. I think I was barely taller than all that stuff.


Covering the groundbreaking of the LDS conference center.

Mic-ing my interviews.

White balancing.

Doing the KBYU tag. "This is Queen Scarlett, KBYU News."



I totally had a deeper, anchor-gal voice.

Early mornings.

Digging for Truth.

Late, worthwhile, post-mortems.



Editing bay stress, right before air.

Doing the Campus news outside at the HFAC while throngs of other students rush to class.

Skipping other classes to go to downtown Lehi for a news story.


People in the diners totally believe in conspiracy theories.

Wearing shoulder-padded blazers.

The new studio up in the Wilk.


Missing the HFAC tunnel.

Interviewing Chris Cannon and wanting to poke him to see if he'd giggle like the Pillsbury dough boy.


Grilling ...as much as we could, President Bateman in his yearly meeting with us, press kids.

Trying not to use the ellipses (...) when writing for the Daily Universe. I don't try not to use them anymore...I love ellipses.

The awesome music videos Dean would put together for the end of the year graduating seniors.

Putting together audition reels.


Interviewing General Authorities, as the Campus Editor... best thing about that position.

Getting paid to do what I love.

Getting really excited that Elder Eyring at the time, looked me straight in the eye as I was setting up a camera.


Soaking up an education by doing...

Packages, b-roll, script printers, SOT, VOSOT, VO, camera 1, 2... weather.

CCN...those early mornings were cold.

Squirrley teleprompter.

Really bad ad-libbing, anchor banter.

Transitions, lead-in, teasers.

SPJ, NAB trips to Vegas.



Taking that driving course at BYU, so we could take the vans, with our equipment for stories.

Taking TMA....and a make-up course. They used the book by Kevin Aucoin.


Interning at KSL.

Working for Classical 89. I loved radio.

Piper Jaffrey.


Hi-8.

Deadlines.

Frozen yogurt with sliced bananas from the WILK food court.

Having the time of my life.


Do you have a time you love? What do you remember about it?
KBYU/Newsnet Folks - what do you remember?