Self-Worth

I think that one of the hardest things for a human being is the art of having faith in ourselves. It seems to me that most us seem to want to hold on to the negative all the time. When someone hurts us, we call every other person we know to call and complain about it. (Yes I am guilty as charged...)We say how awful that person is, and how much you hate them and that they should die, yada yada.... If you think about it, does anyone ever call every person they know to tell them that so-and-so gave you a compliment?

As mortals, we are constantly bombarded by negative. I admit that I am guilty of falling into theses traps and getting down about myself when I see someone or something that I'm told I should be, I am getting better, but it is a slow process. We constantly see images telling us that we just aren't pretty enough so we need to shop at this store, or were not a good wife if we use a 10-year old washer set instead of the brand-new-front-loading-high-efficiency-comes-in-25-different-colors set that will REALLY clean your family's clothes and therefore make you life complete. We just don't seem to be good enough for anything, do we? Not according to the world...

Well, I figure, if I cant be good enough for the world, I at least take solace in knowing that God made me in His image and that I am perfect in his eyes. Luke 16:15 - He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight." When we have Faith in ourselves, our faith in God grows stronger. We no longer complain about o-why-me-God? We come to accept things as His will. For Him, I don't need things, just to love Him back as much as He loves me. God destroyed the world the first time in Noah's day to get rid of all this negativity that seems to keep coming back stronger and stronger. I don't blame Him. I would have too. After that flood though, He made a covenant with Noah that He would never destroy His people again which gave quite a doorway to Satan to come on back with his wicked ways that have been going on for centuries up until even now. However, we all can have peace of mind knowing that when the resurrection comes, that the people and things fueling this your-just-not-good-enough state of mind will not be able to follow and we will be rid of it.

It is important however that up until then we keep in the front of our minds that we are good enough for our Father who made us and that His kingdom is the only thing we should be worried about. Ive found that with that as my focus, all the world wilts as petals off a rose.Isaiah 40:29 - He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak

Fiddlestix.

God is with me, and us, and them. His will be done how he sees fit. Im just hoping I like the outcome.

Little 'bout moi

Got this emailed to me by a good friend... figured I'd share.

1. Do you like cheese? Bring it on.
2. Have you ever been arrested? Thankfully no.
3. Have you ever shot a gun? Yes, they are fun up until you lose your shoulder
4. Your favorite song? At the moment “Anyone else but you” by The Moldy Peaches
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Gyno, yes. Everything else, no.
6. What do you think of when you eat hot dogs? I wish this was a Costco hotdog…
7. What's your favorite Christmas song? The Christmas Song by the Carpenters
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Caffeine. I don’t care what.
9. Can you do push ups? 20! Take that!
10. Is your bathroom clean? Ha ha ha.
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding ring
12. Favorite Hobby? Losing at chess with my husband.
13. What are you listening to right now? Trisha Yearwood – X’s & O’s
14. What is the last thing you ate? Some kind of hamburger casserole with fat free cheese. (blech.)
15. Whats one trait do you hate about yourself? My brain wont shut off when I want it to.
16. Middle Name? The name of the 80’s - Marie
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? I hope my kid doesn’t talk this much, shouldn’t have eaten that, im in a shopping mood dangit.
18. Name the last 3 things you have bought. A gargantuan burrito, Myst/Riven/Myst3 all in 1, Port of Subs pastrami & swiss
19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink. Tea, water and sprite if I can get my hands on it.
20. Current worry right now? That we may move to Nampa
21. Current hate? That food prices went up again
22. Favorite place to be? Sitka, McCall...anywhere but here.
23. How did you bring in the New Year? The Richin’s annual new years party.
24. What is your quirkiest habit? I must have our blinds facing downwards and pulled tight. Facing up just bothers me.
25. Name three people who will complete this and return? Linda and my sis maybe… otherwise no clue
26. How many siblings do you have? 1
27. Do you own slippers? Id have to shoot myself if I didnt
28. What shirt are you wearing? Im not wearing a shirt. (lol Im wearing a dress)
29. What shampoo do you use? Bed Head or my husbands Paul Mitchell
30. Favorite colors? I really like white. And greens, and browns and fall reds
31. Would you like to be a pirate? Was once a dream of mine…
32. What songs do you sing in the shower? So far its been that dang one line from The Moldy Peaches. “were sure cute for two ugly people…”
33. Favorite girl name? Evelyn Mary
34. Favorite male name? Roman Lee
35. What's in your pockets right now? I dont own pockets today, ask me whats in my purse…
36. Last thing that made you laugh? My husband playing chess
37. Best bed sheets as a child? MOOSE!!! Oh man, flannel with mooses and trees and ahhhhh…
38. Worst injury you've ever had? Hernia, surgery is fun.
39. When's your birthday? The best day in the world – Sept 5
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? 1 and we dont hardly use it.
41. Who is your loudest friend? My sister
42. There is no such thing as: too much chocolate especially when it comes to Cecelias Chocolate Decadence.
43. Does someone have a crush on you? My hubby
44. Do you wish on shooting stars? When I get to see them. I seem to miss entire meteor showers, so far Im not doing to well…
45.What is your favorite book ? Toss up between “The First King” and “Catherine called Birdy”
46.What is your favorite age? 4
47. What song do/did you want played at your wedding? Pachabel Canon
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? Funeral? Goonies never say die!!
49. What were you doing at 12 am this morning? Being attacked in my sleep by a furball with teeth
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Waaaaahhh… its 6:30 already.

This will be the 7th time Ive moved in 4 years

Sigh. Were moving again. I think. Not for sure yet, but theres a 98% chance. Its only the next town over and we will be closer to both our parents and both my jobs... but that means that I have to sort through 2 years of clutter and junk and get a storage shed. Not to mention the cleaning that comes when moving out of a rental. Thats the part Im dreading.

When I'm in the mood I am a Suze-on-top-of-it. Things are boxed and labled and color coded and positioned just so... but lately, its been cold (our basement where all things are stored, is freezing), and time? Whats time? Im about ready to throw myself down our basement stairs of death.

I know it will be good to do it now than later, but still. I hate moving. I cant wait until we can stop renting and get settled into a house where nothing moves.

This is how I feel today. Sums it up quite nicely.

The Crusades are Over People...

Im not hurting anyone. Im not using the name of the Lord in vain. Im not slandering those who oppose my views. Im not taking the law in to my own hands. Im just living my life that just so happens to be a prayerful and reverent one, a spiritual one, loving and peaceful one, and who can say Im a bad person for going to my weekly church services?

I think that you could post the above on any persons website and gain some amount of respect, no matter what denomination. Im all for people being happy in their lives and thier beliefs, and Im not going to push what I believe on someone unless they decide to ask. I believe whether you are Mainstream Christian, Fundamentalist Christian, Mormon(yes beleive it or not we believe and love Christ), Pentecostal, Anglican, what have you... that if you are quite happy in your belief system and it is making you a better you, and that the 1st paragraph applys to you, then I hold the utmost respect for you because you do believe wholeheartedly in your religion. And I see any sort of religion being a good thing.

Unless everything applies to you and you forget that being a Christian means loving thy neighbor. When you get to a point where you will not talk to someone or exclude because they dont believe the same thing you do, that is not being a Christian. God says obviously to love His word, and to follow it. But he doesnt say anything about going on a mini-crusade against people that you disagree with. You dont have to accept the others beliefs let alone understand them, and you may not even like them, but if that other is not in your face telling you all about their religion, then just learn to respect them as people who are doing no harm and that it is a part of THEIR life, not yours. If they are not making a point to make you hear them, if they dont believe in Your God, then at least they are praying and still trying to make the world a better place.

2 years!!

Yesterday was my husband and my 2 year wedding anniversary. We have technically been together for 8 years, but we count the marriage years. We stayed in and had a wonderful candlelight dinner prepared by moi, and then spent the rest of the night cuddling and and reading scriptures and other things I wont disclose. It was a wonderfully romantic night!!!

I love my husband more than anything in the world and last night reminded me (yet again) of just how lucky I am that God put him in my life as my soul mate. I am so thankful for just having him as my loving, caring, supporting husband that it is really hard to express just how I feel. I truly, truly praise the Lord for giving me such a blessing!!!

He who does not love has not become acquainted with God, for God is love. 1 John 4: 8

The gopher wasnt kidding..

Its snowing. Again. 6 more weeks of winter apparently. We just got done with 13 inches of snow in 2 days about 3 weeks ago and have since been enjoying sunshine and warmth (42 degrees!) and I walk out on my front porch to go to work this morning only to find that my cat is a snowball and my car is covered with white stuff. After my initial shock and grumbling over slow commute traffic, I sat at my desk at work and looked out the window and a sense of calm came over me. The flakes are HUGE white puffs and it is so thick, but coming down as if in slow motion. Its the kind where you just want to be wrapped up in a blanket by a fireplace with a good book and a comfortable husband. Snow is truly one of God's serene, graceful, peaceful wonders. The photo is the view from my office at 9am this morning. Doesn't even do it justice!

Fellow Christians, Jesuits, Fundamentalists, etc...

I absolutly love to sit with a cup of tea (Irish breakfast preferably...) in my pyjamas and slippers at my computer and catch up on the recent writings of fellow faithful bloggers. To me, it doesnt matter what belief system you have, when your writing comes from the heart with God at the head of it, it is a beautiful piece and I can definatly respect that even though its not from my particular belief, that they are written in complete earnesty. I am learning so much from reading others blogs regarding God and their culture and what it means to them! One in particular, Domestic Felicity (I have linked over to the side of the page) I am learning more and more about the Jewish religion and not from any media source. I think it is a great deal better, not to mention honest when you hear things from the mouth of fellow worshippers who actually live the life they write about.

I used to live in France and I've got a wonderful friend who is a Muslim from Morocco. At the time the Iraq war was (and still is) going on, and I took the opportunity to ask her if what we all hear on TV or the radio about Islam and their religion was true. It turned out to be a wonderful conversation about the ins and outs of Islam and that what we hear in the media is most of the time just all propaganda or the media focusing on the horrible negative aspects of things and I realized that everything I thought I knew wasnt correct at all!

So I just want to say thanks to all the great God-loving bloggers I have discovered, for opening my eyes to different cultures and for letting me be able to respect them through beautiful writings! God Bless!

Going to the Temple!!!!

I am so excited and I'll tell you why: my husband and I are eligible to go to the Temple!!

So how does this work since my husband and I are already considered married?? Here's an explanation that may make more sense:


Our church views our marriage as a civil union, appointed under the federal government, not God. By being worthy to enter the Temple, our church sees it as being officially married in the name of the Lord.


The things that go on in the Temple are sacred, and therefore before we go in, we know nothing other than what they tell us in the prepratory classes (which is nothing), and then after we go through the ceremony, we rarely if ever speak of it to anyone but our spouse. It is a sacred thing to go through the ceremony with your spouse and it is also something that is important between just the two of you. It is considered the strongest foundation you can have within a marriage, and I wholeheartedly believe it.


To be worthy and elegible for a Temple Reccomend (a pass), in our case meaning after being civilly married, means having:

a belief in God the Father, Jesus as the Savior and redeemer of mankind, and the Holy Spirit;
belief in the role of Jesus as the Savior;
belief in the Restoration;
support for the President of the Church and other general authorities and local church leaders;
obedience to the "Law of Chastity" (ie: sex/flirting/relations between husband and wife only no ifs, ands or butts);
refraining from the abuse of family members;
ABSOLUTLEY NO AFFILIATION OR AGREEMENT with polygamists or other people whom the church considers apostates;
making a good faith effort to attend church meetings and obey other church rules;
honesty in dealings with others;
payment of tithing;
following the church's interpretation of the Word of Wisdom;
payment of child support (if applicable);
keeping the solemn oaths one has previously made in the temple;
wearing the temple garment "night and day"; and
confession of all serious sins to Church leaders.
we both had to be members for 1 year, have a testimony, attend church regularly, my husband must have all the proper Priesthood ordinances and we must be in general, decent people in the eyes of the church. So technically we are shoe-ins. Right now we are just waiting for my husband to get his last Priesthood ordinance and then we will be ready to receive our Temple reccomends.

I am excited to go through this and excited to be able to share it with the most wonderful man in the world.