Ross Brown taught Sunday School today. He is a historian by profession and very interesting. We were talking in first Nephi about the liahona. He talked about the two spindles and asked, "If the liahona worked on faithfulness, if it stopped working, how could you tell? Don't pointers always point?" I hadn't thought of that before. He said that the role of the second spindle was to notify when the liahona was working. If the two pointers coincided, it was working. Otherwise, it wasn't.
He also used the following two quotes that rang true:
Richard G Scott said, “Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more. He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your ever-lasting benefit.”
Boyd K Packer: "I say again that youth today are being raised in enemy territory with a declining standard of morality... It is not expected that you go through life without making mistakes, but you will not make a major mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Spirit. "
Great food for thought.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Cannot possibly
We leave for Portugal within the week. I need to present a paper and Steve is coming with me.
As I was preparing for my talk, I reread the paper that had been accepted and had a few things I just didn't agree with. I went back to earlier versions of the paper to see if I used to understand, but had lost it. No, I had clearly told the student what had to be said. He is a PhD student and he is first author, so I trusted him to fix it. He is Nigerian, but has excellent writing skills.
In two places, he said that you "cannot possibly" find a better solution. The truth is that the solution is approximate, likely a good one, but is not guaranteed to be the best. Come to find out he thought the "possibly" in "cannot possibly" weakened it. ARGGGG!! Wish me luck explaining "cannot possibly". Hopefully, no one will have read the paper before my talk.
As I was preparing for my talk, I reread the paper that had been accepted and had a few things I just didn't agree with. I went back to earlier versions of the paper to see if I used to understand, but had lost it. No, I had clearly told the student what had to be said. He is a PhD student and he is first author, so I trusted him to fix it. He is Nigerian, but has excellent writing skills.
In two places, he said that you "cannot possibly" find a better solution. The truth is that the solution is approximate, likely a good one, but is not guaranteed to be the best. Come to find out he thought the "possibly" in "cannot possibly" weakened it. ARGGGG!! Wish me luck explaining "cannot possibly". Hopefully, no one will have read the paper before my talk.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
In every negative, there is a positive
In reading friends' (Jay and Judy) missionary blog, I learned they had been called to be substitute Sunday School teachers - in case someone doesn't show up. I've heard of wards like that - where you never know if the teachers will show up.
I am 1st counselor in the Relief Society of my home ward - over lessons. Our ward is so amazing. Not only do teachers always show up, they have prepared for months in advance. We have them teaching every other month (to give more people callings) - so they literally prepare for the two months. I have become so complacent in my calling that I don't even always read the lesson ahead of time. Today, as I was sitting in Steve's sacrament meeting, I wondered what the lesson was. I have access to the internet there and had my IPAD, so I pulled up an email I had send about the lesson schedule. I pulled up the three conference talks, and during the sacrament, I started reading the talks.
By the time I can sat through two sacrament meetings, and two versions of the same Sunday School lesson, I had read all the talks. It is so rare for me to do that. I felt impressed I should.
When it was time for RS, I saw the RS teacher heading off in the other direction, but I assumed she was going to the library. She wasn't. She never returned. She evidently was confused by five Sundays in the month. Yours truly got to wing the lesson. While it is NOT the way I like to give a lesson, it turned out fine. My favorite teaching trick with adults is to give them a question and have them "visit with their neighbors". After a few minutes of visiting, they share their insights. For a ward like ours, it works amazingly well.
The lesson was on "Dare to stand alone", "Stand in Holy Places" and "Teaching after the manner of the spirit". A few thoughts that hit me.
Like other Mormons, I have been following the presidential primaries. Some of the comments like "I would rather vote for a serial adulterer than a Mormon" are quite hurtful. This morning on NPR I heard a glimpse of a piece of Mitt's Mexican's relatives (from polygamous ancestry). I have almost thought, "If he loses quickly, at least we won't have to endure such negative press." No matter what your political stand, I think it is time for all of us to dare to stand alone and stand up for what we believe.
Through the YSA ward, I am facebook friends with a number of the young people. In many cases, their private life aligns perfectly with their church image, but in a few notable cases, what I see on their photo album or through their correspondence is not what they profess to be.
Last night I was listening to a BYUI talk from 2009. Originally it was "unreleased" so I hadn't heard it. Going back through the archives, I noticed it had been released. It was a very interesting talk by Ahmad Corbitt. He is a lawyer and (more recently) over public and international affairs for the church in NY. He said, "Any negative has a corresponding opportunity or something that engenders happiness. If you have a mindset to see it and if you are prayerful, the Lord will make it known." He is the stake president in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. One of their buildings had been vandalized. Someone had broken in, spread graffiti everywhere, defaced pictures of Christ, and most disturbingly fired nine rounds into the area behind the choir loft. The police and FBI became involved. Remarkably, there was no media coverage. They did not want any media around it, as who wants to join a church that just got vandalized?
Members were uncomfortable. Knowing that this principle is true, they were prayerful and looked for a positive. They held a re-dedication service and invited the whole community. Community members wanted to reconfirm their desire for religious freedom and respect. It became an amazing interfaith meeting. The members fashioned displays of the various auxiliaries. The community got to feel and experience who we, as members, really are.
In every negative, there is a positive.
I am 1st counselor in the Relief Society of my home ward - over lessons. Our ward is so amazing. Not only do teachers always show up, they have prepared for months in advance. We have them teaching every other month (to give more people callings) - so they literally prepare for the two months. I have become so complacent in my calling that I don't even always read the lesson ahead of time. Today, as I was sitting in Steve's sacrament meeting, I wondered what the lesson was. I have access to the internet there and had my IPAD, so I pulled up an email I had send about the lesson schedule. I pulled up the three conference talks, and during the sacrament, I started reading the talks.
By the time I can sat through two sacrament meetings, and two versions of the same Sunday School lesson, I had read all the talks. It is so rare for me to do that. I felt impressed I should.
When it was time for RS, I saw the RS teacher heading off in the other direction, but I assumed she was going to the library. She wasn't. She never returned. She evidently was confused by five Sundays in the month. Yours truly got to wing the lesson. While it is NOT the way I like to give a lesson, it turned out fine. My favorite teaching trick with adults is to give them a question and have them "visit with their neighbors". After a few minutes of visiting, they share their insights. For a ward like ours, it works amazingly well.
The lesson was on "Dare to stand alone", "Stand in Holy Places" and "Teaching after the manner of the spirit". A few thoughts that hit me.
Like other Mormons, I have been following the presidential primaries. Some of the comments like "I would rather vote for a serial adulterer than a Mormon" are quite hurtful. This morning on NPR I heard a glimpse of a piece of Mitt's Mexican's relatives (from polygamous ancestry). I have almost thought, "If he loses quickly, at least we won't have to endure such negative press." No matter what your political stand, I think it is time for all of us to dare to stand alone and stand up for what we believe.
Through the YSA ward, I am facebook friends with a number of the young people. In many cases, their private life aligns perfectly with their church image, but in a few notable cases, what I see on their photo album or through their correspondence is not what they profess to be.
Last night I was listening to a BYUI talk from 2009. Originally it was "unreleased" so I hadn't heard it. Going back through the archives, I noticed it had been released. It was a very interesting talk by Ahmad Corbitt. He is a lawyer and (more recently) over public and international affairs for the church in NY. He said, "Any negative has a corresponding opportunity or something that engenders happiness. If you have a mindset to see it and if you are prayerful, the Lord will make it known." He is the stake president in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. One of their buildings had been vandalized. Someone had broken in, spread graffiti everywhere, defaced pictures of Christ, and most disturbingly fired nine rounds into the area behind the choir loft. The police and FBI became involved. Remarkably, there was no media coverage. They did not want any media around it, as who wants to join a church that just got vandalized?
Members were uncomfortable. Knowing that this principle is true, they were prayerful and looked for a positive. They held a re-dedication service and invited the whole community. Community members wanted to reconfirm their desire for religious freedom and respect. It became an amazing interfaith meeting. The members fashioned displays of the various auxiliaries. The community got to feel and experience who we, as members, really are.
In every negative, there is a positive.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Loved these thoughts
Sometimes God calms the storm… Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His Child
Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, FAITH looks up.
Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, FAITH looks up.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The twins
I had Chelle send me pictures of the girls. I think I may need an identify check. I think Savannah is in the blue stripped, but every other picture is of Eve. Am I right?
They look so healthy!!!
They look so healthy!!!
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