September Writing Challenge - Prompt #7:
Text
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Friday, September 6, 2019
The Art of Falling Back in Love
September Writing Challenge - Prompt #5:
Over the past several years as I've grown my family and made drastic life changes like going back to school, I've experienced a side effect that can best be described as "falling out of love" with the temple.
It really got bad when our district temple, Jordan River, closed for renovations a few years ago. I consciously decided to not renew my recommend for a while. I didn't participate in the dedication when our temple reopened, and I didn't even experience FOMO for having missed it.
There was nothing specific that took my heart to this place. I can't look back and pinpoint a "thing." It was likely a combination of my phase of life, the time commitment of school, some worthiness concerns, and spiritual fatigue. I became weary from the rhetoric of "We are so blessed to have so many temples nearby. We have no excuse for not attending the temple regularly!"
I admit, I've had fantasies of living nowhere near a temple.
Oh, to be free of that pressure!
I didn't used to be that way. I used to love the temple. Before I had kids, I went every week. I remember what it felt like to love the temple, and I would like to have that back. I'm all for fixing damaged relationships. Sometimes I just don't want to do the work, especially if it means being uncomfortable for a while.
Through some genuine effort, I got myself to a place where I felt like I could have a temple recommend again. Then when Nicky got his temple recommend allowing him to do baptisms for the dead, I felt like it was really important to set an example of temple attendance for my son. Slowly but surely, I've started going to the temple again.
For one of my Personal Progress value projects, I focused on temple work. I've done a lot of reading and personal study as I've tried to learn to love the temple again. Someday I hope to find a book about the temple that really speaks to my spirit. I've read some books about the temple, and while I always find a gem or two in each one, none of them are the book for me. I'm sure it's out there somewhere, though. Perhaps an unfinished manuscript on someone's desk.
I wanted to share this struggle because I like to keep it real, and I know there's someone reading this who can relate - someone who's in that place. I want that person to know she's not alone. The wrestle is part of the growth. I feel like I'm going to experience greater learning as I move forward. I just had to step back for a while. And you know what? I'm okay!
Struggle
Over the past several years as I've grown my family and made drastic life changes like going back to school, I've experienced a side effect that can best be described as "falling out of love" with the temple.
It really got bad when our district temple, Jordan River, closed for renovations a few years ago. I consciously decided to not renew my recommend for a while. I didn't participate in the dedication when our temple reopened, and I didn't even experience FOMO for having missed it.
There was nothing specific that took my heart to this place. I can't look back and pinpoint a "thing." It was likely a combination of my phase of life, the time commitment of school, some worthiness concerns, and spiritual fatigue. I became weary from the rhetoric of "We are so blessed to have so many temples nearby. We have no excuse for not attending the temple regularly!"
I admit, I've had fantasies of living nowhere near a temple.
Oh, to be free of that pressure!
I didn't used to be that way. I used to love the temple. Before I had kids, I went every week. I remember what it felt like to love the temple, and I would like to have that back. I'm all for fixing damaged relationships. Sometimes I just don't want to do the work, especially if it means being uncomfortable for a while.
Through some genuine effort, I got myself to a place where I felt like I could have a temple recommend again. Then when Nicky got his temple recommend allowing him to do baptisms for the dead, I felt like it was really important to set an example of temple attendance for my son. Slowly but surely, I've started going to the temple again.
For one of my Personal Progress value projects, I focused on temple work. I've done a lot of reading and personal study as I've tried to learn to love the temple again. Someday I hope to find a book about the temple that really speaks to my spirit. I've read some books about the temple, and while I always find a gem or two in each one, none of them are the book for me. I'm sure it's out there somewhere, though. Perhaps an unfinished manuscript on someone's desk.
I wanted to share this struggle because I like to keep it real, and I know there's someone reading this who can relate - someone who's in that place. I want that person to know she's not alone. The wrestle is part of the growth. I feel like I'm going to experience greater learning as I move forward. I just had to step back for a while. And you know what? I'm okay!
Me.
Yesterday.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
The Other Brit and Her Many Gifts
September Writing Challenge - Prompt #19:
Recently, the lesson in the Come Follow Me curriculum discussed spiritual gifts.
Now let me just be honest... I pretty much never do Come Follow Me lessons with my kids, so don't let this post make you think that I'm on top of that stuff. I am so slow jumping on that bandwagon. I'm pretty much just being dragged down the parade route by my shoelace.
The asphalt! Its burns!
But...
This one time, I tried a lesson, and we talked about spiritual gifts.
I had a really hard time explaining "spiritual gifts" to Daisy.
I told her that "spiritual" gifts are like talents we have that help accomplish Heavenly Father's work on earth. I gave the examples of being a good teacher or being able to know when someone needs help even when they aren't showing it or being able to understand the scriptures.
Daisy thought about this for a minute and then said, "Oh, I get it! Like Britney Spears."
I stuttered, "Um, uh, w-w-what do you mean by that?"
And she said, "Like how Britney Spears has a lot of spiritual gifts."
Now I don't want to assume that Britney Spears doesn't have any spiritual gifts available to her... but um... she's not really a prime example for the discussion at hand. I can assume that the lesson was lost on Daisy. As most of my lessons are.
Despite the disconnect in teaching my soon-to-be ten-year-old child about spiritual gifts, it's a topic I have always loved exploring (it's also a topic addressed in Seekers Wanted, the book I recently posted about). I hope I can help Daisy develop an understanding at some point in her life. I guess in the meantime, we'll work on lip syncing "Hit Me Baby One More Time."
Gifts
Recently, the lesson in the Come Follow Me curriculum discussed spiritual gifts.
Now let me just be honest... I pretty much never do Come Follow Me lessons with my kids, so don't let this post make you think that I'm on top of that stuff. I am so slow jumping on that bandwagon. I'm pretty much just being dragged down the parade route by my shoelace.
The asphalt! Its burns!
But...
This one time, I tried a lesson, and we talked about spiritual gifts.
I had a really hard time explaining "spiritual gifts" to Daisy.
I told her that "spiritual" gifts are like talents we have that help accomplish Heavenly Father's work on earth. I gave the examples of being a good teacher or being able to know when someone needs help even when they aren't showing it or being able to understand the scriptures.
Daisy thought about this for a minute and then said, "Oh, I get it! Like Britney Spears."
I stuttered, "Um, uh, w-w-what do you mean by that?"
And she said, "Like how Britney Spears has a lot of spiritual gifts."
Now I don't want to assume that Britney Spears doesn't have any spiritual gifts available to her... but um... she's not really a prime example for the discussion at hand. I can assume that the lesson was lost on Daisy. As most of my lessons are.
Despite the disconnect in teaching my soon-to-be ten-year-old child about spiritual gifts, it's a topic I have always loved exploring (it's also a topic addressed in Seekers Wanted, the book I recently posted about). I hope I can help Daisy develop an understanding at some point in her life. I guess in the meantime, we'll work on lip syncing "Hit Me Baby One More Time."
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
The Piece of Furniture You Didn't Know You Were Missing
September Writing Challenge - Prompt #25:
Shortly before Daisy was born, I asked Scotty if he would find me some sort of comfy rocking chair to put in our bedroom. When Nicky was born, I wanted everything to be cute and trendy, but we couldn't afford a cute and trendy rocking chair, so we didn't get one. With Daisy, I didn't care about cute and trendy. I wanted something comfy and cheap.
Scotty found a La-Z-Boy in the classifieds for $20 and brought it home. It was old and ugly, and there wasn't space for it in our room. It was the perfect addition to our home, though, because it served a great purpose: providing a place to rock and feed my baby in the middle of the night. We could only fit it in our room if we put it parallel to the wall with the back facing the bedroom door. Very bad feng shui! I named the chair Old Stinky. It didn't stink, luckily, but it looked like it should.
The chair moved between our living room and bedroom for the next nine years depending on what phases our babies were in.
In July when we inherited a "new" couch, I decided it was time to get rid of Old Stinky. Our bulk pick up day for garbage was that week, so I took the back off the chair and started moving the bottom piece to the curb. I made it down the stairs and into the driveway, and then I decided I'd just leave it for Scotty to take care of after work.
Later that night, I went outside to watch Eva ride her bike (our nightly routine). I usually grab a camp chair out of the garage to sit on, but I saw Old Stinky sitting in the driveway and decided to put it back together and sit in it.
It was glorious! A driveway recliner!
I still had one more day until garbage day, so I ended up moving the chair into the garage so I could sit on it again the next day. By the time garbage day rolled around, I couldn't bring myself to part with Old Stinky as I'd discovered a new purpose for its existence!
I didn't know I needed a driveway recliner in my life, but now that I have one, there's no going back. I keep it in the garage. Sometimes I open the garage door and sit in it, and other times, I pull it out into the driveway (this is better placement on hot days since there's more airflow).
In fact, if you're looking for me...
Furniture
Shortly before Daisy was born, I asked Scotty if he would find me some sort of comfy rocking chair to put in our bedroom. When Nicky was born, I wanted everything to be cute and trendy, but we couldn't afford a cute and trendy rocking chair, so we didn't get one. With Daisy, I didn't care about cute and trendy. I wanted something comfy and cheap.
Scotty found a La-Z-Boy in the classifieds for $20 and brought it home. It was old and ugly, and there wasn't space for it in our room. It was the perfect addition to our home, though, because it served a great purpose: providing a place to rock and feed my baby in the middle of the night. We could only fit it in our room if we put it parallel to the wall with the back facing the bedroom door. Very bad feng shui! I named the chair Old Stinky. It didn't stink, luckily, but it looked like it should.
The chair moved between our living room and bedroom for the next nine years depending on what phases our babies were in.
In July when we inherited a "new" couch, I decided it was time to get rid of Old Stinky. Our bulk pick up day for garbage was that week, so I took the back off the chair and started moving the bottom piece to the curb. I made it down the stairs and into the driveway, and then I decided I'd just leave it for Scotty to take care of after work.
Later that night, I went outside to watch Eva ride her bike (our nightly routine). I usually grab a camp chair out of the garage to sit on, but I saw Old Stinky sitting in the driveway and decided to put it back together and sit in it.
It was glorious! A driveway recliner!
I still had one more day until garbage day, so I ended up moving the chair into the garage so I could sit on it again the next day. By the time garbage day rolled around, I couldn't bring myself to part with Old Stinky as I'd discovered a new purpose for its existence!
I didn't know I needed a driveway recliner in my life, but now that I have one, there's no going back. I keep it in the garage. Sometimes I open the garage door and sit in it, and other times, I pull it out into the driveway (this is better placement on hot days since there's more airflow).
In fact, if you're looking for me...
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
One Book. Just One.
September Writing Challenge - Prompt #22:
A confession: I almost went back to my original September Writing Challenge post and edited it to say "books" instead of "book." I don't have to follow any rules for the use of "book," but as I started considering the singular word versus the plural word, I got really nitpicky. There are far more writing options for books, but who cares if I write about a book or books when the prompt is "book?"
(Ruminating over things that don't matter is one of my favorite past-times).
In the end, it's all good because I found the book. Singular. And I'm here to write about it. One book: Seekers Wanted by Anthony Sweat.
Book
A confession: I almost went back to my original September Writing Challenge post and edited it to say "books" instead of "book." I don't have to follow any rules for the use of "book," but as I started considering the singular word versus the plural word, I got really nitpicky. There are far more writing options for books, but who cares if I write about a book or books when the prompt is "book?"
(Ruminating over things that don't matter is one of my favorite past-times).
In the end, it's all good because I found the book. Singular. And I'm here to write about it. One book: Seekers Wanted by Anthony Sweat.
I became acquainted with this book by complete accident. It was a random pick - I didn't know anything about it aside from the little blurb on the cover: "The skills you need for the faith you want." I'm familiar with Anthony Sweat as a popular speaker for youth (I really enjoyed his presentation 10 Reasons Why Joseph Smith is a Prophet), so I assumed that this was written for a teenage audience, and that it would be a nice, quick read... if I even started it (it was just meant to be a filler book - an "if I get bored" selection, if you will).
What I didn't know (and what Mister/Brother/Professor/Doctor Sweat doesn't know) is that this book was written for me. I did end up starting it, and it was an immediate page-turner (okay, so technically I listened to the audiobook, so there was never a page turned. What's the audiobook version of "I couldn't put this book down?" "I couldn't turn this book off?"). Never have I read (er... listened to) a religious/faith-based book that was so perfectly attuned to my learning style, my concerns, my questions, and the topics I want and need to study. This book stimulated my intellect and fed my soul.
I've written before that I think Research Methods is a class everyone should take. Seekers Wanted is like Research Methods for Mormons. Brother Sweat addresses some of the more scholarly approaches to evaluating sources of Church history and doctrine. This book was refreshing and healing for me. I became weepy several times because so many of the messages in this book are things I needed to hear (and also because I read it during a certain hormone-laden time of the month). Of particular interest to me were Anthony Sweat's perspectives on ambiguity in the gospel, sustaining Church leaders, and living the law of consecration.
I gained some great insights to help me with some issues I have with Church leaders (because yes, I have them), some reassurance that I'm doing just fine in areas of living the gospel where I thought I was failing, and a sense of overall peace with issues that I haven't known how to address for myself or for others.
After I listened to the book, I went out and bought a copy. You win, Deseret Book! You win!
Now, would I recommend this book to others? Of course! But I also know that just because a book is so right for me doesn't mean that it will mean anything at all to someone else.
One of my favorite quotes is from C.S. Lewis and expresses how books affect us all differently:
“You may have noticed that the books you really love are bound together by a secret thread. You know very well what is the common quality that makes you love them, though you cannot put it into words: but most of your friends do not see it at all, and often wonder why, liking this, you should also like that. Again, you have stood before some landscape, which seems to embody what you have been looking for all your life; and then turned to the friend at your side who appears to be seeing what you saw -- but at the first words a gulf yawns between you, and you realise that this landscape means something totally different to him, that he is pursuing an alien vision and cares nothing for the ineffable suggestion by which you are transported."
This quote comes to mind whenever I feel strongly about a book. My books will not necessarily be your books. But don't let that stop you from giving it a try! Just make sure you get in touch with me if you love it! We will have much to discuss!
Semi-Outdoorsy: It's a Thing
September Writing Challenge - Prompt #12:
Outside
I don't really consider myself to be "outdoorsy." Instead, I think I'd describe myself as "semi-outdoorsy."
Yeah. Semi-outdoorsy.
I go outside sometimes.
There are things I love about being outside: fresh air, mountain views, plants and greenery, open spaces, and colorful skies - to name a few. There are also some things I hate about being outside: hot temperatures, wind, allergies, and creatures trying to steal my food.
Here are some of the things we've done over the past few weeks as part of our semi-outdoorsy lifestyle:
Hung out at Willard Bay with our friends
Countless bike rides
including our first successful outing with all four kids on bikes where no one crashed, and we made it over two miles
(I got a flat tire, but no big deal)
Enjoyed the piers of San Francisco
Explored Muir Woods
Enjoyed the beauty of Muir Beach
(sand in the shoes and all)
Ate S'mores
Endured skinned knees at the splash pad
Hiked around Provo River Falls
Went fishing in the Unitas
(I don't support fish kissing)
Ate ice cream
(ice cream was devoured immediately prior to the taking of this photo and therefore, is not pictured, but it was rocky road from Summit Inn Pizza, which is one of our favorite places)
(And yes, pizza was also devoured, but we did that inside).
Did a campground service project
and spent some time topless
Sunday, September 1, 2019
The Totally Awesome Movie Survey
So it begins! The month of September. I'm ready for Fall! With the new month comes the start of my September Writing Challenge. I already have writer's block, and it's only the first day!
The prompt I'm using today is #3:
I thought I could find a fun questionnaire about movies that I could use for an easy out. Turns out, I couldn't find anything of the sort. So I made one up! (If you're participating in the writing challenge, feel free to steal and/or modify).
Three actors I really like:
Three actresses I really like:
Three Musicals I love:
Five Disney movies I love:
The prompt I'm using today is #3:
Movies
I thought I could find a fun questionnaire about movies that I could use for an easy out. Turns out, I couldn't find anything of the sort. So I made one up! (If you're participating in the writing challenge, feel free to steal and/or modify).
----------
Britt's Totally Awesome Movie Survey
Three actors I really like:
- Hugh Jackman
- Matt Damon
- Tom Hanks*
*Remember that time he was in a Carly Rae Jepson music video?
Three actors I don't care for:
- Bill Murray*
- Christopher Walken
- Matthew McConaughey
*But I still love Space Jam
Three actresses I really like:
- Emma Thompson
- Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Emily Blunt
Three actresses I don't care for:
- Meg Ryan
- Megan Fox
- Mandy Moore
Three Musicals I love:
- Hairspray
- Enchanted
- The Greatest Showman (though I haven't watched it since April 2018 because I needed a really long break. I still listen to the music sometimes)
Five Disney movies I love:
- The Lion King
- Aladdin
- Princess and the Frog
- Robin Hood
- Monsters, Inc
Three movies that were pleasant surprises:
- Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
- The LEGO Movie
- Penelope
Three movies everyone loves, but I don't:
- The Princess Bride
- What About Bob
- Star Wars
Five Movies I Quote Often:
- Billy Madison*
- Austin Powers (all three)*
- Disney's Robin Hood
- So I Married an Axe Murderer
- Goodburger
* I know... It's residual from my teens and early 20's.
Three favorite movies with a common theme:*
- The Green Mile
- The Count of Monte Cristo
- The Shawskank Redemption
*Care to guess the common theme?
Favorite theater snacks: popcorn and Sprite (this is the only situation in which I prefer Sprite over any other drink)
Movie character I would most like to play: Tracy Turnblad or Professor Trelawney
Most recent movie seen in theater: The Lion King
Three movies I'm looking forward to:
Most recent movie seen in theater: The Lion King
Three movies I'm looking forward to:
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Bill & Ted Face the Music*
- West Side Story
- A Quiet Place II**
*I went through a Keanu Reeves phase
**Yeah... that's four. So what?
**Yeah... that's four. So what?
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