Mormon.org profile

A couple of months ago, okay like 8 months ago, our bishop challenged everyone to have their Mormon.org profile completed.

I had forgotten that I have never received an email saying that my profile had been approved, but this last Sunday he reminded us again to get our profiles done. So I went to Mormon.org and searched for the criteria that might pull up my name.


Jennie, 26-34, female, white

and there I was...a cute little picture of me!!

Here's the link, if you want to check me out! And if you have any questions, I'll answer any that you may have!

p.s. I know there are some spelling errors, guess I should have re-read it before I sent it off for approval...just ignore them, please! :)

On Vacation

  

We spent the 4th of July in Florida with Oswald's mom and dad. We had a blast, but the trip did not start off too well.

that's right, the above picture is of our trip down...we had to call a tow truck.

I was happily driving down the road chatting with my mom on the phone while Oswald was working. I had the cruise control set at a comfortable 75 miles per hour. 

When in a flash the speedometer starts to drop rapidly. I push the gas pedal to the floor and nothing happens. Luckily, there was no traffic, so I was able to move to the side of the road. All of our electrical components were still working, the lights turned on and off, and the a/c was working. But we had no oomph to get our truck going again. 

We called our auto insurance (state farm) and in no time, we had numbers for tow trucks and hope that we would be able to get this truck fixed. 

Just about 30 minutes after we stop moving, we are hooked to a tow truck and on our way to a hotel for the night. Luckily, we were already prepared with a hotel for the night because of Oswald's work or we would have been stuck in the auto repair shop until we could find something else.

Because we were in po-dunk-ville, Georgia somewhere on I-75, we had to go with whatever repair shop we could find. 

Come to find out our fuel pump went out. We bought an extended warranty on our new-to-us vehicle, but it did not cover this repair work. So 24 hours, one hotel stay, and $550 in repairs, we were back on the road. 

Good thing I had the foresight to make sure we're stocking money away, or we would have been in real trouble. Good thing we get reimbursed for our road side assistance with State Farm (if your shopping for insurance, check them out!). Good thing we had a hotel room already booked and a pleasant place to lay our heads for the night. 

Blessings come in different ways and a lot of times in ways you don't expect. And I am pleased to say that my truck is working great!

How does your garden grow?

As a child, we had a huge garden in our backyard. We planted all kinds of veggies: tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, bell peppers, spinach, ect. The garden was placed on the side of our backyard and was the bane of my existence. I hated to pull weeds.

Now, years later, I have fond memories of the beautiful plants that grew in my childhood backyard. And this year, even though I live in an apartment, I have a garden. Thanks to a friend we have a common garden. Granted she does most of the work, but it's both of our families garden.

We have tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. Our plants are on the small side and some of the leaves are yellow, but that is not preventing them from blossoming.

We have plants that have more flowers on them than they have leaves. We have tomatoes that have green "balls" on them. And what's even more exciting, we have actually picked a tomato...and it was yummy!

I can't wait to have more veggies than our two families can eat! I can't wait to let my kids pick the veggies and teach them about how they got on those plants. I can't wait to bite into fresh grown veggies. They're always WAY better than store bought.

And what's best is that these little veggie plants have taught me a lesson: you don't have to be big and beautiful to make big and beautiful things (in this case veggies.)

Temple Tour

This past week the Atlanta Temple has been open to the public, LDS and non-LDS. This is an opportunity to see the inside of a Temple of our church before it is dedicated to the sacred work that is done there.

Oswald and I decided to take our kids on a tour. It's the only time they'll go inside until they are 12 when they can do baptisms.

Because the Temple is such a sacred place to us and the members of our church, it is very important to us that our children understand it's importance and that they love the Temple.

First we started by watching a movie. We learned about the Atlanta Temple and how it has impacted the area around it. We learned how the Atlanta Temple serviced the entire south east for several years, but now there is a Temple in every state surrounding Georgia.

Absolutely. Amazing.

After the video, we walked up to the front doors. On each of the Temples are inscribed in gold, "Holiness to the Lord, House of the Lord." That sums it all up. This building is holy. This building is His house. This building is special and sacred.

Before we entered, they slipped shoe coverings on our feet so we would not get the carpet dirty. We walked into the foyer. We saw the bridal room, breathtaking. We saw the rooms where we receive instruction. We saw the celestial room. We saw huge chandeliers hanging in each room. We saw the sealing rooms where mirrors are on two side of the room, facing each other, where you can see multiple reflections of the people in the mirror (representing eternal families). We saw the baptistery. My kids were in awe of the baptistery. They wanted to stay in that room and just look at the font.

I told my Buddy that he could come back when he's 12 and do baptisms. His face fell. Then it clicked, he's excited for when he's 8 to get baptized himself. I told him, in the happiest voice I could do, but remain reverent, "But you get to be baptized when you're 8!!!"

A smile crossed his lips and we walked out holding hands.

When we left, they took the shoe coverings and we talked to a little tent for some refreshments. As my kids were sitting there, I asked them their favorite part of the Temple.

My Buddy said, "I like the baptism part."

"Yea, I like the baptism pool." said my Princess.

I hope they remember this experience forever, I know I will.

(My big kids being reverent)

If you are in the Atlanta or surrounding states, the Temple is open for another week. It is an amazing opportunity and well worth the drive. I invite any and all to come visit, you will not be disappointed!

A little piece of heaven...

 

If you're looking for the hairbow giveaway...keep scrolling!!

It had been weeks of dreary, gloomy, cold, rainy days here and I was on the brink of a breakdown. I needed to get out and do something or this gloom would creep itself inside my soul and I don’t want gloominess in my soul.

I packed up my three munchkins (which is no easy task). We got in the car, I set my GPS, and we drove.

“In ¼ mile turn left.” The GPS said while my kids giggled and peppered me with questions.

“Where are we going, mom?”

“How long is it going to take us to get there?”

“In ½ mile turn right.” I turned right as I began answering their questions, but I wanted to leave our destination a surprise. Because surprises are exciting!

“Make a legal U-turn and then proceed for ½ mile” That’s right, the GPS sent me the wrong way, it never sends me the wrong way.

I turn back around and my Buddy asks, “Mom, are we lost?” 

“No we’re not lost, Buddy.” And in the distance, I see the building. The building that will let our imaginations run wild and get us out of the house for an hour, at least.

We walk in the doors, and I can see the excitement in my kids’ eyes. They run through the stacks of books, pulling out books of every shape, size and color. They don’t care what the subject is; they take them off the shelf and look at every picture. 

After they had gotten their substantial stack arranged on the table, it was time for us to read the books. My Princess somehow managed to pick up Christmas books. My Buddy found a book on space. 

My Buddy sat and listed to every word I read. As I read the words scrolled across the pages, a sly grin crossed his lips. We were in his element; we were doing something he loves. My Princess may or may not have been crawling under the table the entire time we were there. For some reason, maybe her age, my Princess has a hard time sitting still and who can blame her when isle upon isle is beckoning her to come explore the books?

It doesn’t matter to me if they listened to every word, even though that’s really nice. What matters is my kids know I love to read. They know words are important to me and that books are special. That because of a book, you can escape reality and live in someone else’s shoes. You can travel the world with Dr. Seuss and turn pink with Pinkalicious. Books open our imagination and let anything become possible.

Each night before we go to bed, we read my favorite book. We open its pages as a family and listen to mom or dad read all about the Savior’s visit to the American Continent after His resurrection. My kids may not understand every word said, but they know that book is special and important to our family.

If you want a copy of the Book of Mormon, I’d love to send you one!

What are some fun traditions in your family? What is something that is important to you that you want your kids to understand it’s value? 

Called to Serve

Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we are called to serve in many different aspects of our life. And we serve willingly, being called to serve is a blessing.

We are called to serve missions. Some are for two years, some for 18 months, and others for 3 years.

We are called to serve in the Primary. (with the children)

We are called to serve in the Relief Society.

We are called to serve in the Young Women and Young Men organizations.

We are called to serve as Bishops, as Home and Visiting Teachers...

the list goes on...

Just recently I was called to serve in a way I have never been asked to serve before.

I was called to be the President of the Young Women. I am the leader of over a dozen girls ranging in age from 12-18. I remember being a girl age 12-18 and life was hard. Hard in different ways than life is hard for me now. Making the right choices was hard. Life was challenging from what grades I got in school to which boy said "Hi" to me in the halls. And now I get to be a leader of girls facing these same challenges.

I have wanted to put down my thoughts and feelings for some time now, but always felt like the verse in the scriptures when they said this of Mary, "and she kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."

To me, accepting this calling was similar to that. I wanted to keep all of my feeling bottled up inside, for me to have and feel. 

When I was asked to accept this calling, I was in shock. I listened to every word my Bishop said, but I don't think I really took any of it in or even remember much of what he said. I do know that he started to cry when he was telling me that he was inspired that this is where I need to be.

The entire ride home, I was in such a state of disbelief and very overwhelmed that being so young I would be called to such an important calling. "The youth are important," he said to me. I know the youth are important. They are the ones who will be leading and guiding our church, our country, and our world in the future.

I felt blessed to know that Heavenly Father trusts me enough to help these girls make righteous decisions. He trusts me enough to help them hold to the rod. He trusts me enough to guide them in the path that they should go. And I am amazed at his faith in me.

I have been doing this calling for a couple of weeks now, and after much prayer, I know this is where I am supposed to be. I was born to be working with the youth.

It does not matter what capacity I am in. It does not matter how long I will serve there.

What does matter is that I have a testimony, which I do. What does matter is that the girls know I love them, which I do. What does matter is that I take the time to get to know each one of them, which I will. What does matter is that the Lord trusts me, and I trust him. And everything else will just fall in place.

Arise

We watched Robin Hood last night, not the Disney one, but the newest one with Russell Crowe. It was good, very powerful, and one part was extremely poignant to me.

My husband and I are facing an incredible trial right now. We’re living in another state while we try to sell our first house in North Carolina. It’s hard because we’ve only had about four showings in four months. Rough. 

We just signed a contract to also put the house For Rent. Talk about a HUGE decision, one that Oswald and I didn’t take too lightly. 

“Are you sure this is what you want to do? What if the renters mess up the house we worked so hard to make look nice?” I asked each time we talked about renting it.

The house was in Foreclosure when we purchased it four years ago. We painted every single wall in the house, re-purposed the kitchen cabinets, put in new countertops, and new carpet. We spent hours fixing that house, so it has been very difficult for us to see no one even interested in going in the front door.

This is not the first financial trial Oswald and I have faced. When we first moved to NC, he was working in Real Estate and making peanuts. 

After he finished his bachelor’s degree at UNCG, he was without a job. I don’t know how we survived those months between graduation and his first job. 

I will never forget one experience we had. We were two months behind on our mortgage payment, and had no money left to our name. 

I had been praying and praying that the Lord would see fit to bless us. I had read in the Ensign one month that a sister paid her tithing, but didn’t have enough money to buy the food she needed for her family. She came home from work one evening, and there was a bag of groceries on her doorstep. Inside, was everything that was on her grocery list she was unable to buy herself. Miracle.

That day Oswald had spent the entire day working with his dad. I didn’t know when he would come home and what we would do if we didn’t get any money immediately!

I was coiling the cord around the vacuum when Oswald walked in.

He didn’t say anything to me, but put a check in my hand.

I looked down at it. It was for $900. Enough to pay our mortgage. Miracle.

I looked at him and with tears in my eyes said, “Are you serious? This is for us? How did you get this?” I proceeded to melt into a huge puddle of tears. I couldn’t stop crying. I got down on my knees immediately and said a prayer of thanksgiving.

So here we are now one year later, facing yet another financial trial. You’re probably wondering what this has to do with Robin Hood. Well, I’ll tell ya.

On a sword Robin is given is the quote, “Arise and arise again, until lambs become lions.” 

That’s what I’m trying to do right now. I’m trying to arise and arise again…until I become a lion. There is something Oswald and I need to learn in this trial. The Lord is testing us again to make sure we will arise. He’s making lions out of lambs, and I will never stop rising because in this world we need all the lions we can find.

***updated to add: our house has been rented. We're no longer behind on our mortgage and life has a way of fixing things. The Lord always blesses us when we need it. In his own way. In his own time.***

How have you been made a lion? What have you had to endure more than once in order to become the lion you are today?