Pause To Think

My niece told me yesterday that I needed to update because she was running out of things to do at work. Let's hope her boss doesn't read my blog!

I had two "thinking" moments this weekend. One while reading the "Oprah" magazine at the hairdressers, the other in church today. Actually, that just gave me a third "thinking moment"!

Oprah's "A-ha" moment this month was written by Angela Bassett. It was the last paragraph that caught my attention. Her basic idea is that if you are doing what you love, what you are passionate about, you won't be able to do it in an average way. It really made me think about the effort and passion I put into every part of my life.

A sister in our Relief Society made a comment today that I never want to forget. She said that it is the "Seekers" in life who will be the happiest in the next life. The ones who seek the Spirit the most, the ones who are constantly seeking opportunities for learning and service. She said you can almost predict how they will act in any situation because they are a Seeker. Later someone else made a comment about being doers of the word and not hearers only. The phrase "Seekers and Doers" has been ringing in my ears all day.

Think of how we would act if we were all Passionate Seekers and Doers! I think we might even get this political system of ours straightened out!

Happy week!

Will the Best Candidate Please Stand?!

Beej and I have been following the presidential election very closely and I have to say, the whole thing is really starting to give me a monstrous headache! Here's why:


-- We live in the absolutely, hands down, no doubt about it, most wonderful country on earth. I truly believe our Heavenly Father guided the establishment of our nation. Read David McCullough's "1776" if you don't believe me. BUT, most of our politicians (notice I didn't say leaders) are doing their best to mess that up by making us a nation of sides: culture v. culture, man v. woman, party v. party, religion v. religion, rich v. poor, etc. When has that ever really solved any problem? I guess it keeps all of us wondering, the debaters screaming, and their paychecks coming.


-- I would love to make a completely educated vote in two months (I absolutely refuse to vote straight party-line, sorry Mom), but I don't know that I will ever be able to do it. The truth is buried under about five thousand layers of spin, hidden somewere between sound bytes, rallies of party die-hards, celebrity endorsements, and media bias.


-- We seem to have come to believe as a nation that all you need to run this most fabulous nation on earth is the ability to give a fabulous speech. I'm pointing an accusing finger at both sides here, people.


-- There are still many true patriots left in our great nation. They must be even more frustrated than I am, having the desire and ambition to work for all of us but being hog-tied by a system that only rewards and promotes those who follow the party-line. I'm sure some of them have simply thrown their hands in the air and left the life of public service.

-- On a very self-critical note, it also seems everyone in this blessed nation of ours is an expert, knowing exactly what should be done to solve all of our ills, how each of us should live our lives, and what each of us should think, but being totally unwilling to do anything about it. We have too many people clucking their tongues about "how broken the system is" but who are more than willing to let someone else do the dirty work, whether they do it right or not. I'm one of those apathetic voters, I admit. But being a more educated voter is a start, right? Right?!

So I'll climb down off of soapbox now and continue my quiet life of raising three kids in the 'burbs. I'll keep trying to do my best to sort through the information being chucked at me at the speed of light and try to find a patriot to lead our nation.

Will someone hand me an Excedrin, please?

Whoops!

So, DH calls me this afternoon and starts quoting my last post to me, telling me I've made promises to my blogging public and I didn't follow through. Bad me, bad! It always takes me a week or two to adust to the school-year routine! But we're now safely into our routine, getting up before dawn, packing backpacks, doing homework . . . all those fun school-year to-do's.

So, here's some 1st day pics. It went really well and I didn't even cry! Well, not much. I just miss my kids when they're at school! Belle had no problems adjusting. She kept asking me, "Mom, do you really have to be here?!"

Cutest 3rd Grader. Ever!

Bug's more nervous than her sister! Go figure!

"OK, Mom. You can go home now." (Sigh.)