Spiritual Preperation

I've been studying about Captain Moroni and the Nephites in the book of Alma.  In Alma chapter 43 the Nephites are fighting the Zoramites and Amalekites.  These Nephite dissenters were fighting for monarchy and power and Nephite bondage, but the Nephites were "inspired by a better cause" (vs 45).  The Nephites were "fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church" (vs 45).  How does this physical battle compare to the spiritual battles that we will have to fight.  What is our spiritual inspiration?  What can we learn from how the Nephites prepared and defended?   

Our inspiration comes from asking the question why?  Why are we fighting?  Why are we preparing? I think the answer is so that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father.  Knowing our goals helps us overcome our obstacles.  The Nephites were fighting to protect their families and their liberties.  We are also fighting for the same reason.  As we defend our families from Satan we are free from captivity. 

As I read chapter 43 I made a list of things that helped the Nephites beat the Lamanites.  I then took each of these physical things and found a spiritual counterpart.  The Nephites had body armor--breastplates, helmets and shields.  We also have a spiritual armor.  In D&C 27 verses 15-17 we learn what the armor of God is and how we should wear it.  They had a plan and knew where the enemy would attack. Captain Moroni sent spies to see where the enemy would attack and he also asked Alma to pray and tell him where he should put his men.  The plan of Salvation is our plan and through guidance and council from our prophets we know where Satan is going to attack.  One are of attack is the family.  It is so important for us to strengthen our families.  The Nephites had good leaders and obeyed their council. Captain Moroni and Alma were their leaders then and today our leaders are the prophets and apostles, our teachers and ward leaders and our parents.  They had a good cause and they had God on their side.  Knowing that we are on the side of good and that we will win is inspiration enough for me. 

Later, in Alma chapter 48, Moroni is preparing the people for another battle.  He first prepared their minds to be faithful, then he built walls and erected forts.  He also placed the greatest number of people in the weakest areas.  We can prepare our minds by increased study.  We can build walls and forts in our home by making it a place of refuge and safety--a place where the spirit can reside.  And make our weak areas our strengths through prayer and hard work. 

I know that there is a possibility of having to fight physical battles like the Nephites, but it is a surety that we will have to fight spiritual battles.  Will we be prepared?  Will we understand the reason we have to fight?  I find courage in the words found in D&C 38:30: "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

Light and Darkness

My mentor recently asked me to read the Allegory of the Cave found in Plato's Republic. She hoped that it would guide me on my path to find my mission.

I struggled a little bit with this story, but I think I got the basic idea that my mentor was hoping I would get out of it. I began by doing a little bit of research on the allegory. I read about the themes and the plot. Jonathan suggested that I read 2 different translations and I did. I got a little way into one version and was having a hard time staying focused. I found an audio and listened a read simultaneously. That was a big help. Then I read a second translation. What would it be like to actually read Plato in the original?

The story is a discussion between Plato's teacher Socrates and Plato's brother Glaucon. Socrates tells of people who are living in a cave. The only direction they can look is forward and all they see are shadows. The people in the cave think the shadows are real. Then one of the people is forced to leave the cave and go into the light. Adjusting to the light is difficult and painful. He sees shadows, then reflections, then the real objects. He comes to realize that the shadows he thought were real are not and he must go back into the darkness of the cave and tell the others what he has learned.

Socrates and Glaucon compare this journey from the cave to education. Socrates says there are four stages of education: imagination, belief, thought, and understanding. Someone in the first 2 stages can only give examples. In the 3rd stage they can understand all the parts of the definition and in the 4th stage they can defend what they know based on principle. They go on to discuss different types of education and what type of education a leader needs. Socrates believes that math and science are the only ways to get the right type of education. But, to me, all that was beside the point. The point I got out of the allegory was our duty to help others see the light.

For the next few days I studied light and darkness in my scriptures. I came the conclusion that light gives understanding; removes people from ignorance; is a knowledge of right and wrong; and changes wickedness to righteous. Darkness is symbolic of spiritual blindness or ignorance; of death; and of separation from God. It is also temporal ignorance. I also found several scriptures that said to me that when I have learned I need to go and teach others; that I need to "give light to those that sit in darkness" (Luke 1:79).

The question now is how do I share what I've learned? How do I help others? How do I bring them to the light?

Sailing By Ash Breeze

Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham is a wonderful story about a self-educated young mathematician named Nat. At the age of 12, Nat receives indenture papers and has to work as a bookkeeper for 9 years.  His hopes of a Harvard education are dashed.  He quickly learns, though, that he must "sail by ash breeze" or be "becalmed" and stuck in chandlery forever. 

Nat comes from a family of sailors and lives in the port town of Boston.  He learns the sailing analogy of sailing by ash breeze the first day of his service.  A friend explains, "When a ship is becalmed--the wind died down--she can't move--sometimes the sailors break out their oars.  They'll row a boat ahead of the ship and tow her.  Or they'll carry out anchors and heave them over, and the crew will lean on the captain bars and drag the ship up to where the anchors are heaved over.  Oars are made of ash--white ash.  So--when you get ahead by your own get-up-and-get--that's when you sail by ash breeze" (pg 48).  Nat could have easily  chosen to be "becalmed"--depressed because of his situation and now unreachable dreams--but he took a different path. 

Nat started reading and writing.  He filled many notebooks with notes, copied the Almanac, taught himself Latin and French and Spanish all while he was indentured.  After completing his service, Nat becomes a sailor and teaches the other sailors about navigation.  He figures out different ways to explain things and writes down what works.  He discovers different ways to navigate.  Nat decides to write a book that will be understandable by every able seaman full of correct tables and charts.  He is often told by his captain to "Carry on, Mr. Bowditch." 

Nat is a fantastic example of someone who isn't dependent on another person to get ahead.  He decides what he wants and works to meet that goal.  How often are we like Nat Bowditch?  Do we stick to a goal, even when obstacles pop up?  I would like to have the opportunity to study like Nat and to have his same desire for knowledge.  I try to study every day, but unfortunately I often let things get in my way.  Making the time to study is hard work, being becalmed is easier, but being stagnant means no growth.  Growth is important, so I will strive to "sail by ash breeze."

Surviving Winter

The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe is a history book that talks about the cycles of history.  The authors believe there are 4 cycles, or turnings, that have repeated themselves throughout all of recorded history. 

• The first turning is a High, an upbeat era of strengthening institutions and weakening individualism, when a new civic order implants and the old values regime decays.
•  The second turning is an Awakening, a passionate era of spiritual upheaval, when the civic order comes under attack from a new values regime.
• The third turning is an Unraveling, a downcast era of strengthening individualism and weakening institutions, when the old civic order decays and the new values regime implants.
• The fourth turning is a Crisis, a decisive era of secular upheaval, when the values regime propels the replacement of the old civic order with a new one.  (page 3)
 

The authors compare these turnings to the seasons, the first turning being spring and the fourth being winter.  According to the patterns they have seen in history, America is about to head into the 4th turning--winter.  They predict that "real hardship will beset the land."  There is a possibility of war and a ruined nation.  Reading these paragraphs scared me, but then I read this: "Yes, winter is coming, but our path through that winter is up to us."

 

That line made me think of The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder in which Laura and her family survive a 7 month blizzard.  How were they able to survive?  Can I use those principals to help my family and myself survive the future winter? 

 

One of the first things I notice about Laura's family is that they remained positive and grateful.  Pa started his morning singing, the older kids didn't complain for the sake of the the younger kids, and they were grateful for the little mercies like fresh butter or plenty of potatoes.  It is so hard to be positive when life is difficult, but the Ingalls family made a choice to be happy.

 

Laura's family also had ingenuity.  When they ran out of fuel, Pa and Laura braided hay to use in the stove.  Ma made a new lamp for light and sourdough instead of yeast for bread.  They lived on 2 meals and went to bed when it was dark to save food and light.  They found different ways to do things.  Ma commented that they had gotten dependant on new inventions.  I love having technology and modern conveniences, but I'm trying to become more self-reliant. 

When the Ingall's family learned that it was going to be a hard winter, they moved from their shanty to town.  They thought being closer to people would help.  Pa was able to hear news from the train, buy grain, share ideas and help others.  The girls were also able to attend school for a short amount of time.  But, most of the time they were stuck in their house, not even able to see past their front window.  They had to rely on each other.  They showed how having a strong family can help you survive difficult times. 

Another way they survived the winter was through hard work.  They stayed busy.  Pa did his outside chores and, on days with good weather, he hauled hay.  Ma and the girls did the inside chores.  The girls worked on school assignments, they read and recited, played games and did what they could to keep their minds off the terrible storm.  I think, if given the opportunity, they would have served the other members of their community.  I have been taught the importance of work and am grateful to parents and grandparents who have shown that example. 

Though I'm not looking forward to the difficult times I believe are ahead, I hope that with a positive attitude, some ingenuity, family and friends, and a little hard work I will be able to survive. 

 

The Atonement is Powerful

So few people understand the power of the atonement.  At least I didn't, until I read The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox.  I grew up a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I was taught about the atonement and how to use it to repent, but I don't think I really understood how far reaching it was until recently. 

"Christ makes all the difference.  He requires us to repent, but not as part of paying justice--only as part of helping us to change."  Repentance is changing who we are.  It is the process of becoming better--more like Christ.  Repentance needs to be a daily pattern in our lives. 

Brad Wilcox says that knowledge of the atonement is "the difference between merely existing and truly living, between stagnating and progressing." He writes about our ultimate goal in life. If it is just to return to live with God, then why did we leave in the first place? Our goal needs not to be with God, but to be like God. The atonement does more than just erase our sins, it makes us better than before.  "The atonement is not just to cleanse, but to complete; not just to comfort, but to compensate; not just to liberate, but to lift."  I love the idea of change.  It is something we learn from reading classics.  As we read and discuss great literature, we notice how the characters have changed and start to apply how we, too, can change.  Repentance is the process of change.

The atonement shows mercy.  When Adam and Eve took the fruit, God put a sword in front of the tree of life.  The sword was His mercy.  God wanted them to repent of their sins, not live forever in their sins.  He wanted them to have immortality AND eternal life not just immortality.  Immortality and eternal life together are better than immortality alone because those who receive it will be spending eternity with those they love and those who just get immortality will spend eternity alone.  The atonement allows for mercy to overpower justice.  But it isn't automatic.  We need to do the work.  We need to pray, humble ourselves, be charitable, have patience, repent and bear our afflictions.  (Alma 42)

The atonement is more than just for repentance.  President Packer says "the atonement is an ever-present power to call upon in everyday life."  It covers us when we feel worthless and inadequate, when we feel lost and discouraged, when we feel abused and hurt, and when we feel defenseless and abandoned.  This is the part of the book that resonated most with me.  When I'm feeling angry, I can turn to Christ and ask Him to take those feelings from me.  When I'm feeling inadequate, I can pray and ask Christ to lift me.  When I'm sad or alone, Christ will be there as long as I ask.  So many times I have forgotten this and suffered alone.  Now I pray to remember and can be found on my knees many time during a day.  The atonement is a precious gift that Christ has given to everyone.  Don't let it be a waste.  Remember to use it.

8 Minute Meditation--Weeks 7 and 8

this picture doesn't have much to do with my post,
but I thought it was funny

Week 7--Loving Kindness
This week was a little weird, but the idea was nice.  It was a technique to "nurture a richer and more accepting relationship between you and your heart."  It included a chant  that was to be repeated over and over for the entire 8 minutes:  May I be happy.  May I have ease of being.  My all beings be happy.  May all beings have ease of being. 

8/7 I love that I can lay down for this one.  Saying something really helps me focus, except that by the end it is really boring and I start to wander. 
8/9 I feel so silly with this one.  It makes me laugh.  I find it's easier for me to focus when i say it out loud, but that probably isn't what he had in mind--he wants me to practice releasing my thoughts, not avoiding them. 

Week 8--Combination Platter
This technique combined several other techniques.  It is supposed to be a more advanced technique, but I think it was my favorite.  Anytime a thought, body sensation, sound or visual image in came into my mind, I was to label it and move on. 

8/13  I changed my  labels from just "talk" to "thought" and "sound".  It was easier for me to separate them that way.

Sunday was the last day of my 8 week meditation series.  Should I continue?  For a majority of the nights, I felt negative about the experience.  I rarely felt like I was getting anything out of meditation.  I couldn't wait until I was finished with what I committed to do.  Monday night I didn't meditate and felt a little guilty about it.  Today I finished reading the book and have decided to continue.  The first line of the last chapter reads, "The ultimate goal of 8 Minute Mediation is to empower you with a way of being--not for just 8 minutes a day sitting on a chair, but the millions of other minutes that comprise your life." 

My goal at the beginning was to find peace and to enjoy the moment.  I find that I never focus on what I'm doing, but think about all the other stuff that needs to be done.  I need to be present.  I think what sold me, though, was the Loving Kindness extension.  Meditating and chanting for other people to help me feel differently toward them.  Something that I could use right now.  I'll keep you posted on my experiences. 

The 5000 Year Leap

I recently finished reading one of my first brushes with politics.  I've read a few things by Bastiat and had many conversations with Jonathan, but have mostly avoided this area.  I finally buckled down and read The 5000 Year Leap by Cleon Skousen.  My knowledge of politics and the founding father's has grown a little, but I'm a long way from becoming well-read. 

The book lists 28 of the Founders' principles that changed the world; 28 ideas that made our nation.  I struggled to understand all the principles, but I hope with more exposure and study I can gain a better understanding of these ideas.  For now I'd like to list a few things that stood out to me. 

• Natural Law is universal and eternal.  According to Skousen natural law "cannot altered.  It cannot be repealed.  It cannot be abandoned by legislators or the people themselves."  All laws must be measured by God's law.  Our unalienable rights are examples of natural law, as is no taxation without representation and the right to bear arms.  We should be governed by law, not by the whims of men. 
• We will only remain free if we are virtuous and morally strong and elect virtuous and moral leaders.  Benjamin Franklin says "only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.  As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."  Virtue must be continually taught in the home and in the church.  The founders also believed that public office should be a position of honor not of high pay in order to attract people of virtue.
• God is important.  "All things were created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible."  
• All men are created equal and the job of the government is to protect equal rights not provide equal things.  We had a great discussion on this principle today while listening to A Little Princess.  After learning that her father had died leaving Sara with no money the school mistress removed Sara from the school and had her earn her board and act as a servant.  She treated her poorly.  After 2  years Sara and her school mates learn that Sara is still rich and that it was all a mistake.  One little girl expresses her dismay at how poorly Sara was treated even though she was really rich.  I asked if it was OK to treat people different just because of how much money they have or how they look.  I said I thought it was right for Sara to work for her board now that she could no longer pay for it, but it wasn't right for the people at the school to treat her any different just because she was now a servant.  Everyone has the right to be treated fairly and kindly, but that doesn't mean that we all should get the same things. 
• We have the unalienable, natural right to life, liberty and property.  Bastiat says "Life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws.  On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused me to make laws [for the protection of them] in the first place."  The right to life and liberty is secure only if the right to property is secure. 
• "The right to rule is actually in the people and therefore no person can rightfully rule the people with out their consent."  That was said by Algernon Sidney in 1663 before he was beheaded by King Charles II. 
• The United States should be a republic not a democracy.
• Freedom to try, freedom to buy, freedom to sell, freedom to fail. 
• "To the greatest possible extent, problems should be solved on the local level." 
• Thomas Jefferson said in his inaugural address that he wanted "friendship with all. . .alliances with none." 
• The government should protect the role of the family.  I recently listened to a speech by Oliver Demille.  At the beginning he talked about how people have a focus.  In the past it has been the belief that kings have to divine right to rule.  I can't remember what he said our focus is now, but he talked about the current debate for out next focus: individualism vs families.  I believe in the importance of the role of families and want to fight on that side. 

There was so much more information and I hope that the more I get exposed to these ideas, the more I'll be able to understand them. 

8 Minute Meditation--Weeks 5 and 6

Week 5--Gracious Declining
This week's technique gave me more practice in "refraining from engaging unwanted, frivolous, and negative thoughts."  I pretended that each thought was a door-to-door salesman that kept trying to get my attention.  My job was to first focus on my breath, then open the door, look at each thought, and then decline to let it in. 

7/23  For the past 3 weeks I have been wanting to focus on my breath again and now that I am, I don't like it.  I'm just not "getting" it.  I know he was that the only bad meditation is no mediation.  I'm not sure that is true.  I started out doing this because it was part of the class with a slight hope that it would do something, but now I'm just doing it because I said I would do it for 8 weeks.  I grudgingly set my alarm and get into position.  I thought that my attitude would change over time.  I am trying and I will keep trying and hoping for 4 more weeks.

7/24  better. . .for a little in the middle. . .gotta remember to return to the anchor point

7/26  how am I supposed to "get" anything out of meditation if I keep turning away my thoughts?  I can't have an "a-ha" moment.  I think I need to go back and read the beginning about the benefits and reason for meditation. 

Week 6 Private Screening
During this week, I brought my attention to my "mind screen"--the place in my thoughts where my visual images seem to be projected.  When thoughts arose, I would notice them and then return to my "mind screen". 

7/30  Oooh!  I might like this one.  :)  But almost every image provoked a thought and vise-versa.

8/1  No images today--only thoughts.  I kept trying to go back to the screen, but was blank. 

8/4  I changed my mind--I don't like this one--thoughts and images are too closely related.  Plus I saw a scary image tonight.  It caused me to stop, open my eyes, pray and hum a hymn. 

8 Minute Meditation--Weeks 3 and 4

Week 3--Noting Body Sensations
The anchor point for this week was the constant motion throughout my body.  I didn't need to find or name the exact location of the main body sensation, just note it and direct my awareness to it. 

7/9 I "ping-ponged" to different aches and pains in my body.

7/10 At lease with breathing I had something "solid" to anchor to.  I'm not sure if I'm noting my body right--I bounce from one ache to another.  Nothing "lights" up.  Maybe I'm just noticing the different sensations and focusing too early and not giving anything a chance to "light up".

7/13  I tried something different t for a few  minutes--I tried to "find" each body part.  It was the best part of my 8 minutes but it didn't last very long and doing it twice didn't work.  I'll have to try slower next time. 

7/14 Noting body sensations has made me aware of how achy and stiff my bod is--this isn't a favorite.  :)

(Side note--In the next chapter I learned about a monk who had the inability to accept his discomforts.  That was my problem during week 3--I made judgement about my sensations.)

Week 4--This Magic Moment
This week's technique was about being present in the moment.  It was about being here now instead of elsewhere or elsewhen.  I was supposed to label my thoughts "past" or "future", release it and notice the space around it.  That space is the present. 

7/16 My type 2 nature wants more details, but I hear my husband say "don't make it harder."  I want to know how to surrender, how not to resist thoughts, how to allow things.

7/18  There are about 2 minutes when I might be feeling "present".  I am able to release my thought and I feel like I'm swinging in the space between past and future.  I have to label the thought--think "past" or "future", then think "release" then say to myself "enjoy the space left behind".  That helps.

The Bronze Bow

"--God is my strong refuge,

and has made my way safe.

He made my feet like hinds' feet,

and set me secure on the heights.

He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze."

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare is a story of revenge, of fear, of forgiveness, of love.  It's a story of overcoming.  Daniel and his sister Leah live in Roman-ruled Jerusalem at the time when Jesus lived and taught there.  They witness the crucifixion of their father and subsequent death of their mother.  The story is their reaction to this terrible event and how they grow and change because of the people they meet afterward.

Daniel's reaction is to hate and seek revenge.  He joins a rebel group in hopes of overthrowing the Roman soldiers, but eventually learns from Jesus that hate isn't the way.  During one teaching moment, Jesus tells about a rich man who came and wanted to follow him.  When Jesus told the man to give up his wealth the man went away.  Daniel replies that he would give away everything he has, to which Jesus responds, "Riches are not keep you from the kingdom. . .You must give up your hate." 

Leah responds with fear and avoidance.  She hides in her house and doesn't come out or see anyone.  Toward the beginning of the story Daniel is forced to return home and care for Leah.  The only person, besides Daniel, she allows in her home is Thacia, the sister of Daniel's rebel friend.  Thacia's kindness is one of the things that helps Leah change.  After Thacia's first visit Daniel notices the change in his sister's face.  She is smiling.

Daniel and Leah are the main characters in the book, but there are others who change and grow.  My favorite change is found in the last chapter, but I'd like to leave that for you to discover in your own reading of the book.  

8 Minute Meditation--Weeks 1 and 2

So, I started meditating.  It's part of a class I'm taking.  I've never meditated before.  In fact, I've kind of avoided it.  When I do yoga, I skip the meditation section.  Any time it comes up in a cool down from a work out video, I fast forward.  I've never understood it.  I still don't understand it, but I'm giving it a try.

The book for the class is 8 Minute Meditation by Victor Davich.  His idea is to slowly introduce you to meditation.  He says everyone should be able to find 8 minutes a day to meditate.  He helps prepare you for the process and gives all the right instructions.  Too bad his writing style is a little choppy.  He teaches a different technique every week for eight weeks and by the end you should be ready to pick the one that works best for you and move on to longer, deeper meditations. 

I've been journal-ing my experience.

Week 1--Just 1 Breath
During this week my anchor point was my breathing.  Any time I had a thought I noticed it and returned to my anchor point--at least that was supposed to happen. 

Ignore my messy meditating space.  I try to find someplace
quiet.  While on vacation I meditated in the bathroom.

6/25 First time.  Funny--I felt like I was still watching my breathing while my thoughts wondered--two thoughts at once.  My thoughts didn't wander as much as I thought, but that catch and release was great--I was able to quickly return to my breathing.  I did have several thoughts about when it would be over and I wasn't very comfortable--stiff.

6/29  I feel like I'm getting worse--but that's not really fair--roving mind will always be there, but I've been forgetting to release the thought.  One of the hardest things is that I can be aware of my breathing and a thought at the same time. I'm probably equally aware, but as soon as I try to focus on just breathing I get another thought--usually about breathing.  Today I wasn't even wanting to meditate, but I committed to do it every day for 8 minutes for 8 weeks.

Week 2--Naked Sound
My anchor point for this week was sounds, but just hearing the sound--not identifying or judging the sound.

7/2 Camping provides a lot of sounds.  It is hard for me to not identify the sounds--what Pooh character is that?  I found it easier to control my thoughts--focusing on sounds is easier than focusing on breath, but is it calmer?

7/4  It's hard when the only sound is the hum of my ceiling fan and an occasional ac  blowing.   There is no rise, fall with a constant sound.  I like when new sounds come, but I also like to identify them.

7/7 Not all sounds have a rise and fall!  There's got to be another way to focus on the sounds.  I also find it hard not to name the sounds--they are all so familiar that it is automatic.  I thought I would like this one better because I liked the "result" of it.  I can't wait until the next type!

My Winnie-the-Pooh Experience

I've never liked Winnie-the-Pooh.  I always thought he was boring and dumb.  But a new book caused me to see him in a different light.  In The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff compares characters from  AA Milne's books to explain Taoism.  Here are some things I learned. . .

Simple-minded does not equal stupid. 
The Tao principle of the Uncarved Block means that things in their original simplicity contain natural power, natural beauty, and natural function.  Pooh is the uncarved block.   He is simple-minded (not stupid), he enjoys the simple things in life and he can do things spontaneously.  The concept of the uncarved block brings me back to my questions about peace. Pooh seems to be at peace. Enjoying the simple things and doing things impulsively are what make him that way.

Everything has its own place and function.
Understanding your Inner Nature helps you know where you belong, what you are good at, and your limitations.  It starts with "recognizing who we are, what we've got to work with, and what works best for us."  Pooh shares a rhyme to help explain the principle.

How can you get very far,

If you don't know Who You Are?

How can you do what you ought,

If you don't know What You've Got?

And if you don't know Which To Do

Of all the things in front of you,

Then what you'll have when you are through

Is just a mess without a clue

Of all the best that can come true

If you know What and Which and Who.

Understanding my Inner Nature is difficult for me.  I usually rely on others to tell me who I am.  I've recently had some opportunities that have forced me to do my own looking and I'm learning a lot.  I know who I am, a little about what I've got to work with, and more about what works best for me. 

Not only do I have my Inner Nature, but so does everything else.  "When we learn to work with our own Inner Nature, and with the natural laws operating around us. . .we work with the natural order of things and operate on the principle of minimal effort. . .Tao doesn't force or interfere with things, but lets them work in their own way, to produce results naturally.  Then whatever needs to be done is done."  Sometimes I can do this and sometimes I can't.  I know that there are certain things around the house that need to be done and if I don't do them they don't get done.  But, there are things that I can let "happen."  Like letting the kids fix meals or not stressing about other's responsibilities.  I think there is a fine line, but understanding what things can "happen" can bring peace. 

The key to wisdom, happiness and truth is Nothing.

"An Empty sort of mind is valuable for finding pearls and tails and things because it can see what's in front of it.  An Overstuffed mind is unable to.  While the Clear mind listens to a bird singing, the Stuffed-Full-of-Knowledge-and-Cleverness mind wonders what kind of bird is singing.  The more Stuffed Up it is, the less it can hear through its own ears and see through its own eyes." 

Sometimes I feel like the Stuffed Up one--I hear a bird and wonder what kind; I spout off useless information, but have nothing to back it up with; I need to always be doing.  Instead I should follow the advise of Lao-tse: "To attain knowledge, add things every day.  To attain wisdom, remove things every day."  I was recently complaining about how busy we are, how we always have so much to do.  Maybe I need to remove some things from our schedule. 

Did I learn anything about Taoism from reading this book?  A little.  I think the best explanation came from the forward.  Benjamin Hoff is talking to a colleague trying to convince him that Pooh is one of the "Great Masters of Wisdom" by reading him a section of AA Milne's books.  The unbeliever argues, "That's not about Taoism. . .It's about this dumpy little bear that wanders around asking silly questions, making up songs, and going through all kinds of adventures, without ever accumulating any amount of intellectual knowledge or losing his simpleminded sort of happiness.  That's what it's about."  To which Benjamin Hoff replies, "Same thing."

How Can I Find Peace?

After a recent discussion of Heidi I was given a challenge to apply something that I learned/felt from the book.  A lot of my comments during the discussion were geared toward peace.  Peace is a theme I have been noticing a lot in books lately.  I have been feeling a lack of peace in my home and have been drawn toward the idea of peace.  I enjoyed the peace that Heidi felt on the mountain and wondered how I could feel that same peace in my home.  So for 2 weeks I committed that I would journal peaceful times and non-peaceful times and compare them. 

It was an interesting 2 weeks.  I asked a lot of questions.  I was able to answer some, but am still searching for answers to others. 

How can I find  peace?  Will finding inner peace help me find outer peace?
Part of my plan was to find inner peace in hopes that it would bring about more peaceful situations within my home.  I wondered if I needed to start my day of different.  I downloaded the last General Conference onto my ipod and began listening to talks every morning while getting ready.  I said my prayers differently.  I reviewed some old conference talks about peace and studied peace in the scriptures.  I was reminded that Christ brings peace and that I need to call upon Him in non-peaceful times.

How can I prepare myself to have more peaceful situations?   Does planning equal peace?
I know what types of situations are hard for me and for my kids.  Knowing this helps me prepare them and prepare myself.  When I'm prepared, I'm better able to handle things that come up.  When they are prepared and know what is expected, they are better behaved.  But, what do I do when situations come up that I'm not prepared for?  How can I maintain a calm and peaceful attitude?

Does relaxing equal peace?  Does simplicity equal peace?    
One afternoon the kids and I went to the park.  I brought my book and was able to get a lot of reading done.  The kids played nicely and I enjoyed watching them.  The weather was nice.  I felt at peace.  Some of my favorite times are when we go camping or fishing and we are playing or working or relaxing. 

Another evening I had a very simple dinner with few rules and expectations.  It was a great evening!  The kids were well behaved and had fun.  How can I simplify things to bring more peace? 

How do I find peace when I'm doing something I don't want to be doing? 
There were a few days when I was grumpy because I was doing something I didn't want to be doing or with someone I didn't want to be with.  I tried to make the best of the situation and look for the good in the event or person.  That helped.  I realized that I can't let outside situations control how I am feeling. 

Does enjoying the moment bring peace? 

One afternoon the boys were fishing and the girls were hanging out with me.  We sang songs and talked and looked at things.  It was great.  This was my favorite part of the trip.  I think that enjoying the moment brings peace and being at peace helps you to enjoy more moments. 




Why are there times when I'm not at peace?  Why are some days better than others? 
This was a questions that I asked a lot and I wasn't able to answer.  It probably goes back to that old song "Mama said there'd be days like this, there'd be days like this my mama said."  Life if full of ups and downs, but I can see that when I prepare and try harder and turn to Christ then there are more days that are up.

Our "Pilgrim's Progress"

I actually don't know why I am posting about this book--it was really hard for me to read and I'm not sure how much I got out of it.  My friend and I decided to read it because the story and lessons were such a big part of the March girls' lives in Little Women and we wanted to see what the big deal was. 

The story is written in two parts.  In the first part we meet Christian and watch him as he makes his journey to the Celestial City.  The second part is the story of his wife, Christiana, and their children making the same journey. 

Along the way they meet people who help them and people who hinder them.  They have many adventures and learn a lot.  I compared their journeys to our lives as we go from birth to death.  Some of us have a plan and some of us are living blindly.  Some of us have a great support system and some of us are struggling along on our own.  Some of us have trials while others appear to be living free of them.  Some of us understand the atonement of our Savior and some of us are still waiting to learn. 

I think there were several reasons that Christian and his wife were successful on their journeys.

1.  They both had a goal of where they wanted to go (the Celestial City).  If we know and understand Christ's plan of salvation then we, too, can know our ending goal.

2.  They both had helpers--Christian first had Evangelist to guide him in the right direction and then other friends/helpers on the way.  Christiana had Christian's success to persuade her to make the journey and she also had many friends and helpers.  I see our helpers as our family, friends, church members, missionaries, mentors, and prophets. 

3.  They both had endurance.  Even though Christian and Christiana struggled and had trials on their journeys, they remembered the joys they experienced and their future goal.  I think that if we focus on the good we will be better able to endure. 

4.  They had an understanding of the Atonement.  When Christian first reaches the cross and tomb, his burden is lifted and he is able to continue more easily on his journey.  If we truly understand and apply the redeeming power of Christ's Atonement, we will also continue more easily on our path.

Even though I couldn't keep the characters straight or remember all the adventures or understand all the analogies, I did understand the joy Christian and Christiana had when they arrived at the Celestial City and I hope that one day I can feel that joy. 

From Bad Comes Good

Have you ever read Heidi by Johanna Spyri?  I just did for the first time and wondered why it has taken me so long.  Actually, I tried reading it aloud to the kids several years ago, but was unsuccessful and was hesitant to pick it up again.  I'm glad that I did.  It was a sweet book.  It reminded me a lot of Pollyanna--innocence and happiness. 

Heidi is a young girl who goes to live with her Grandfather on the Alm in Switzerland after her mother and father die.  She falls in love with the beauty of the mountains, the simple life and the people she befriends.  Sadly, after a short time, her aunt takes her away from the mountains to Frankfurt to be a companion for a crippled girl, Klara.  Heidi tries to make the best of the situation, but is heart broken.     

Heidi lives with this family for a couple of years.  She become friends with Klara, learns how to read and about the power of prayer from Klara's grandmamma, and gains the trust of Klara's father and the doctor.  Even with these good things happening, Heidi is homesick for the Alm.  She begins to loose weight and starts sleepwalking.  Finally the doctor realizes what is happening and encourages the father to send Heidi home. 

Heidi is so excited to return to the mountains.  On her return journey she remembers every detail.  I fear that it won't be as she remembers and she'll be disappointed, but my fear is unfounded, for all is the same. 

Shortly after her return, good things start to happen; all as a result of Heidi's time in Frankfurt.  The people from the local village start to see the Grandfather in a new light due to Heidi's return.  Heidi is able to read to and comfort the grandmother (a neighbor on the Alm).  She is also able to teach Peter the goatherd how to read.  Good things continue to happen.  Heidi's friends from Frankfurt visit and help the grandmother and Peter the goatherd with money and food and a new bed.  The fresh mountain air and goat's milk are a miracle cure for Klara and she regains the ability to walk. Heidi realizes that all these good things are happening becuase of her time in Frankfurt and the people that she knew there. 

How many times to we go through trials (bad things) and recieve blessings (good things) as a result?  It reminds me of the scripture found in Ether 12:27: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."  Often, but not always, the bad things that happen in our lives are becuase of our weaknesses, but, through faith and humility, they can be turned into blessings.  A weakness of mine is that I like to take the easy way out.  If something is too hard, I won't do it or I'll do it as simply as possible.  Recently I've had to step out of that comfort box and force myself to do hard things.  I have yet to see the full blessings from this, but I'm begining to see small changes in myself and in my family.  It's something I need to say everyday--"I CAN DO HARD THINGS!"

Making Changes

The kids and I just finished reading Anne Frank: the Diary of a Young Girl for our homeschool book club.  It wasn't one of my favorite reads, but we certainly learned a lot about what it was like being stuck in a small apartment with another family for 2 years. 

The story (obviously) is told by Anne in journal format.  It begins with her 13th birthday and ends a little over 2 years later.  For most of  the book, Anne, her family and another family are hiding from the Germans in a small annex above an office building.  Throughout the two years, the reader sees a lot of growth in Anne.  Anne starts out as a vain teenager who is only interested in boys, friends, movie stars, and clothing.  By the end of the book, Anne shares deeper feelings of  love, true friendship and hope. 

In one of Anne's last entries, she writes: "I can't imagine how anyone can say: 'I'm weak', and then remain so.  After all, if you know it, why not fight against it, why not try to train your character?"  I thought this was a great question.  Why do people not want to be better?  Why do they think it is OK to remain the same, to remain stagnant?  Anne goes on to write that most people say that it is easier to remain weak.  She disagrees.  She writes that "what appears easy and attractive will drag [one] down into the depths, depths where there is no comfort to be found, no friends and no beauty, depths from which it is almost impossible to raise oneself." 

This made me think of the changes Jonathan and I and several of our friends have made in how we homeschool.  We looked at what we were doing, realized that it was "weak" and have been doing hard work to make the right changes.  We have been pushing ourselves to get a better education, we have changed the learning environment of our home and how we view our kids' education, and we have constantly been striving to be better people.  Has it been easy?  No!  Has it been worth it?  Definitely!  I've already seen growth and I love it.  Thanks to characters like Anne Frank, Pollyanna, Jo March, Bilbo Baggins, Uncle Tom and many others we have learned good values and positive character traits that we try to implement in our own lives. 

Was he a Monster?

Hollywood has taken Dr. Frankenstein’s creation and turned him into a monster.  But is that what he really was?  I think that he was just a person looking for friendship; for someone to look past his physical appearance and see what he was like inside.  Instead he was scorned, and the “mildness of [his] nature had fled, and all with in [him] was turned to gall and bitterness.”

Dr. Frankenstein was fascinated with the “secret of life.”  After discovering this secret, he brings to life an 8 foot monster whom he despises the second it opens its eyes.  Frankenstein runs away and leaves his creation to fend for itself. 

Later in the story we learn from the monster how he, much like a baby, learned to see and distinguish between objects, how he gained knowledge through experience, and how he learned that the way he looked affected how people reacted to him.  He learned how to speak and read by secretly watching a family.  He hoped that he would be able to convince this family to care for him by his acts of service, his ability to communicate and by his admiration of their virtues. 

The monster says that he “was benevolent; [his] soul glowed with love and humanity.”  He enjoyed flowers and birds and summer.  He helped others.  All he wanted was those feelings of kindness to be returned towards him.  Unfortunately no one was able to look past his outside shell. 

The monster starts to have feelings of hatred and revenge and he doesn’t “strive to control them.”  He first takes his anger out on inanimate objects, but that changes after he rescues a young girl from drowning and is shot instead of thanked.  He is “inflamed with pain, [and vows] eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind.”  He decides to take revenge on his creator and one by one kills all who are dear to Frankenstein. 

The monster’s situation makes me think of the unfortunate kids who are bullied all their lives and can take the pain no longer so they bring guns to school and shoot their classmates.  I also think about the black people during the Civil Rights Movement.  They were treated differently because of the way they looked.  Could these events have been prevented if people were more like Christ and looked on the heart instead of the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7)?

At the end of the book, Frankenstein lies dead after chasing his creation to the end of the earth so he could take his own revenge.  He is unsuccessful.  The monster is there and wonders if he is “to be thought the only criminal when all humankind sinned against [him].”  Why does no one hate the family that drove him from their home?  Why do they not loathe the one who sought to destroy his creation?  Instead he, “the miserable, the abandoned, [is] an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.”  He suffered his whole life and thinks that his suffering is the best revenge that Frankenstein could have achieved. 

So, no, Frankenstein’s monster wasn’t really a monster.  He was simply a person who reacted to how others treated him. 

Money and The Roman Government

I've started reading Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? and mentioned it to the kids.  They were interested in the title and I told them what I learned in the first chapter.  Then after reading the second chapter I asked if they wanted to learn more and they excitedly said yes.  So I attempted to explain what I had read.  I thought that I would try to write a summary every couple of chapters to help me with my explanations. 

Chapter 1
Money: Coins and Paper

The book is written in letter format; Uncle Eric writing to his 9th grade nephew, Chris.  Uncle Eric asks Chris to look at a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar and dollar bill.  The dime, quarter, and half-dollar all have grooves on the edges and are made of copper sandwiched between a nickel-zinc metal.  And they are all probably from later than 1965.  The coins are not really coins, but tokens because they contain no precious metals.

Chapter 2
Tanstaafl, the Romans and Us

Governments have public works projects like building roads and buildings.  They also have wars and welfare programs.  Back in the day of the Romans, the Roman government ran into a problem with all their projects.  It is called There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.  They learned that nothing of value is free and they would have to pay for these projects.  The way governments typically fund these endeavours is through taxes.  But people will only take so much of being taxed so the Roman government had to find another way to get money.  They came up with counterfeiting as their solution. 

Because the printing press had not yet been invented and there was only coin money, the government decided that when the money came to the treasury after being collected they would clip it.  Clipping a coin means shaving off the edges.  They used these shavings to mint new coins.  Now they had the old, clipped coin and a new coin, too.  Pretty soon the Roman people realized that their coins were getting smaller and lighter and they refused to take clipped coins or they reduced the value of the clipped coin making people buy their product with 2 clipped coins instead of the usual 1. 

Later, people had notches cut into the edges of coins to prevent the clipping.  When this happened the goverenment had to come up with a new system of counterfieting.  This time when the coins were brought into the treasury they were melted down and some base-metal (non-prescious) was added in.  Now instead of being 94% silver the coins were 84% silver.  Eventually the coins were down to less that 1% silver.  Now more coins could be made and the government had enough money to do what it wanted. 

Gresham's Law (a law of economics) says that bad money drives good money out of circulation.  This is what happened in the time of the Roman's and it is what happened in 1965 here in America.  When the people realized that the coins were losing silver, they would save thier silver coins and spend only the low-silver soins. 

Becuase the governement had to pay for what it wanted, it started counterfeiting instead of raising taxes.  I can't wait to learn what the consequence of this action will mean.