Monday, November 30, 2009
Fasting
After teaching the CTR 6 class a lesson on fasting, I was compelled to fast. I considered fasting on Sunday, but then remember NEXT Sunday is fast Sunday... I probably should have fasted on Sunday, but decided to do it today instead. I've only ever fasted for 2 meals once before, though I've fasted for one meal a few times. I've always given a hearty fast offering, but since I've been nursing Leah forever, I don't usually fast. So, today was the day. There was more praying than usual, because, well that's the whole point, right? I do have something specific that I'm fasting for and I will probably continue to fast once a week until *something* happens. I feel like I did pretty well until I was cooking dinner. Then I absent-mindedly tasted something and all the willpower came tumbling down, lol. I did drink a little water during the day, but I feel that is fine for a nursing mom...
Sunday, November 15, 2009
My First Talk!
Last week as I was wrestling my 2 year old, Leah, trying to get her to SIT during Sacrament Meeting, I wondered how much longer I could get away with NOT giving a talk. Doesn’t it always seem to work like that? Last Sunday evening, the phone rang; I asked my husband what the Caller ID said. “Matthew Highwood” was his response. I picked it up expecting to hear Kadarah’s voice… but it really was Brother Highwood, asking me to give a talk. So, here I am.
I know many of you, but not everyone. My name is Brooke Rosen, and my children are Hannah, she turned 7 a few weeks ago, Elijah, who is 4, and Leah is 2. I’ve been a member of the church for a little over 18 months, but I attended regularly for more than 6 months before that. My husband, Peter, is not a member, but maybe someday.
The Apostle Paul talks to us in Ephesians 6 about putting on the whole armor of God:
Ephesians 6
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
When I was in elementary school, I went to a VERY small, private, Christian school. There were about 100 kids from kindergarten to 12th grade. All the classes had three grades per classroom. So, when I was in kindergarten, my class consisted of 5 kindergarteners (all girls), 5 first graders, and 3 second graders (all boys!). As a kindergartener, I was taught to recite all the books of the Bible. By first grade we were expected to participate in ‘sword drills’. A Sword Drill is where the teacher calls out a book, chapter, and verse from the Bible. The first student to find it would stand up and read the verse.
I certainly didn’t understand at the time why the teacher was calling the Bible a sword. That didn’t make any sense. How could a book be a sword? Somewhere along the way, someone explained that the Word of God was part of our defense against evil.
The allegory of the armor of God makes for great song lyrics! We used to sing one called “I’m in the Lord’s Army”
I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly over the enemy
But I’m in the Lord’s army (YES SIR!)
That was an all time favorite in my class!
Another that I always love to sing is “Onward Christian Soldier”
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!
I was happy to find that one in the hymn book here and wondered if it would be one of the hymns for today.
One of the songs the Primary children sang in the Primary Program a few weeks ago is called “Scripture Power” I know my kids enjoy this song a lot, and Leah often requests “picture power” when we are in the car listening to CDs
I’ll find the sword of truth in each scripture that I learn.
I’ll take the shield of faith from these pages that I turn.
I’ll wear each vital part of the armor of the Lord,
I’ll fight my daily battles and win a great reward.
Arming our children with the Word of God has got to be one of the most important jobs a parent can have. I know I need to do a better job of it, and that’s probably why I got to give this talk! Learning how to use the Scriptures, getting into the habit of reading them every day, and memorizing key verses will go a long way in fighting against evil.
We are surrounded by so much evil today. There is an unbelievable amount of filth on TV, the internet, and even the radio. We have to make sure to turn away from offensive things so we can remain sensitive to the Spirit. We have been counseled many times by the General Authorities to “unplug” ourselves, find a quiet time to read and meditate on the Word of God.
How else can we equip our children with the armor of God? The shield of FAITH stands out. How can we teach our children to have faith? We can start by bearing our own testimony to them… often. I have never stood up here and born my testimony. I use my children as an excuse NOT to come up here every month. So, today, I would like to bear my testimony. I know this Church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet who saw God the Father and Jesus Christ his son. I know that the Gospel has been restored. I believe in the power of the Priesthood. I know that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet, seer, and revelator on Earth today.
I knew for a long time that I was supposed to be a part of this Church, long before I had a testimony. Even when I was baptized I was still waffling on certain issues. It’s only been recently that I realized that I TRULY have a testimony of everything about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I took the words in Alma 32 to heart, I tried believing it, and it was good and it grew and grew.
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
It doesn’t matter what the world throws at us, if we have faith we’ll be able to shield ourselves from it. That’s some pretty vivid imagery. All the ugly, wicked things that you might hear or see just bounce off the shield of faith.
President N. Eldon Tanner (1898–1982), First Counselor in the First Presidency said this back in 1979
Are we studying the scriptures so that we can increase our knowledge and faith and testimony regarding the gospel? Do we keep the commandments? Are we honest and truthful in our dealings? Do we keep the Sabbath day holy? Do we observe the Word of Wisdom? Do we pay an honest tithing? Do we attend our meetings and respond to the calls made of us by our authorities? Are we virtuous and clean and pure in heart and mind and deed?
Do we fight against the evils around us—pornography, abortion, tobacco, alcohol, drugs? Do we have the courage to stand up for our convictions? Can we truly say we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ? Do we live peaceably with our neighbors and avoid gossip and backbiting and spreading unfounded rumors? Do we truly love our neighbors as ourselves?
If we can answer yes to these questions, then we will have on the whole armor of God, which will protect us from harm and preserve us from our enemies. If we must answer no to these questions, then our armor is weak, there is an unshielded place which can be found, a vulnerable area for attack, and we will be subject to injury or destruction by Satan, who will search until he finds our weaknesses, if we have them.
Examine your armor. Is there an unguarded or unprotected place? Determine now to add whatever part is missing. No matter how antiquated or lacking in parts your armor may be, always remember that it is within your power to make the necessary adjustments to complete your armor.
Through the great principle of repentance you can turn your life about and begin now clothing yourself with the armor of God through study, prayer, and a determination to serve God and keep his commandments.
The times when I’ve thought “I just don’t want to go to church this week” are always when I’ve failed to read my scriptures for a few days. I always come, and it revitalizes me. I’m always glad I came! Even when I spend the entire Sacrament meeting wrangling kids who don’t want to sit quietly and I end up missing most of the talks. Somehow, I still take away something positive and uplifting.
Preparing this talk has challenged me to think about how I’m arming my children against evil. So far, I’m not doing a very good job! I have lots of room for improvement, and I’m thinking of ways that I can remedy the situation.
I challenge you to re-evaluate what you are doing to arm you own children, future children or grandchildren.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!
I know many of you, but not everyone. My name is Brooke Rosen, and my children are Hannah, she turned 7 a few weeks ago, Elijah, who is 4, and Leah is 2. I’ve been a member of the church for a little over 18 months, but I attended regularly for more than 6 months before that. My husband, Peter, is not a member, but maybe someday.
The Apostle Paul talks to us in Ephesians 6 about putting on the whole armor of God:
Ephesians 6
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
When I was in elementary school, I went to a VERY small, private, Christian school. There were about 100 kids from kindergarten to 12th grade. All the classes had three grades per classroom. So, when I was in kindergarten, my class consisted of 5 kindergarteners (all girls), 5 first graders, and 3 second graders (all boys!). As a kindergartener, I was taught to recite all the books of the Bible. By first grade we were expected to participate in ‘sword drills’. A Sword Drill is where the teacher calls out a book, chapter, and verse from the Bible. The first student to find it would stand up and read the verse.
I certainly didn’t understand at the time why the teacher was calling the Bible a sword. That didn’t make any sense. How could a book be a sword? Somewhere along the way, someone explained that the Word of God was part of our defense against evil.
The allegory of the armor of God makes for great song lyrics! We used to sing one called “I’m in the Lord’s Army”
I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly over the enemy
But I’m in the Lord’s army (YES SIR!)
That was an all time favorite in my class!
Another that I always love to sing is “Onward Christian Soldier”
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!
I was happy to find that one in the hymn book here and wondered if it would be one of the hymns for today.
One of the songs the Primary children sang in the Primary Program a few weeks ago is called “Scripture Power” I know my kids enjoy this song a lot, and Leah often requests “picture power” when we are in the car listening to CDs
I’ll find the sword of truth in each scripture that I learn.
I’ll take the shield of faith from these pages that I turn.
I’ll wear each vital part of the armor of the Lord,
I’ll fight my daily battles and win a great reward.
Arming our children with the Word of God has got to be one of the most important jobs a parent can have. I know I need to do a better job of it, and that’s probably why I got to give this talk! Learning how to use the Scriptures, getting into the habit of reading them every day, and memorizing key verses will go a long way in fighting against evil.
We are surrounded by so much evil today. There is an unbelievable amount of filth on TV, the internet, and even the radio. We have to make sure to turn away from offensive things so we can remain sensitive to the Spirit. We have been counseled many times by the General Authorities to “unplug” ourselves, find a quiet time to read and meditate on the Word of God.
How else can we equip our children with the armor of God? The shield of FAITH stands out. How can we teach our children to have faith? We can start by bearing our own testimony to them… often. I have never stood up here and born my testimony. I use my children as an excuse NOT to come up here every month. So, today, I would like to bear my testimony. I know this Church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet who saw God the Father and Jesus Christ his son. I know that the Gospel has been restored. I believe in the power of the Priesthood. I know that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet, seer, and revelator on Earth today.
I knew for a long time that I was supposed to be a part of this Church, long before I had a testimony. Even when I was baptized I was still waffling on certain issues. It’s only been recently that I realized that I TRULY have a testimony of everything about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I took the words in Alma 32 to heart, I tried believing it, and it was good and it grew and grew.
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
It doesn’t matter what the world throws at us, if we have faith we’ll be able to shield ourselves from it. That’s some pretty vivid imagery. All the ugly, wicked things that you might hear or see just bounce off the shield of faith.
President N. Eldon Tanner (1898–1982), First Counselor in the First Presidency said this back in 1979
Are we studying the scriptures so that we can increase our knowledge and faith and testimony regarding the gospel? Do we keep the commandments? Are we honest and truthful in our dealings? Do we keep the Sabbath day holy? Do we observe the Word of Wisdom? Do we pay an honest tithing? Do we attend our meetings and respond to the calls made of us by our authorities? Are we virtuous and clean and pure in heart and mind and deed?
Do we fight against the evils around us—pornography, abortion, tobacco, alcohol, drugs? Do we have the courage to stand up for our convictions? Can we truly say we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ? Do we live peaceably with our neighbors and avoid gossip and backbiting and spreading unfounded rumors? Do we truly love our neighbors as ourselves?
If we can answer yes to these questions, then we will have on the whole armor of God, which will protect us from harm and preserve us from our enemies. If we must answer no to these questions, then our armor is weak, there is an unshielded place which can be found, a vulnerable area for attack, and we will be subject to injury or destruction by Satan, who will search until he finds our weaknesses, if we have them.
Examine your armor. Is there an unguarded or unprotected place? Determine now to add whatever part is missing. No matter how antiquated or lacking in parts your armor may be, always remember that it is within your power to make the necessary adjustments to complete your armor.
Through the great principle of repentance you can turn your life about and begin now clothing yourself with the armor of God through study, prayer, and a determination to serve God and keep his commandments.
The times when I’ve thought “I just don’t want to go to church this week” are always when I’ve failed to read my scriptures for a few days. I always come, and it revitalizes me. I’m always glad I came! Even when I spend the entire Sacrament meeting wrangling kids who don’t want to sit quietly and I end up missing most of the talks. Somehow, I still take away something positive and uplifting.
Preparing this talk has challenged me to think about how I’m arming my children against evil. So far, I’m not doing a very good job! I have lots of room for improvement, and I’m thinking of ways that I can remedy the situation.
I challenge you to re-evaluate what you are doing to arm you own children, future children or grandchildren.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
I Love to see the Temple!
Yesterday I went to the temple for the first time! On Wednesday I had my interview with the bishop to get my limited use temple recommend. However, it is good for a year, which I didn't know. So, if I want to go do baptisms again I can.
I was baptized and confirmed for my great-grandmothers, Molly Corbin, Evelyn Foster, and Ollie Loudenschlager, and also for my great-great grandmother, Artie Lockwood. Samuel Bailey and William Duty, my great-grandfathers were also baptized and confirmed by one of the youth. I was also baptized and confirmed for about 20 other women on the other side of the veil. The confirmations, especially for my grandmothers, were very spiritual. I think the baptisms are too physical to feel too much spiritually... especially when you are being dunked for the 20th time in a row!
The confirmations for my grandmothers happend immediately after I walk out of the font which was very special. The other confirmations I did happend before I was dunked and were for different people than I was baptized for. The tears streamed down my face during the prayers for my grandmothers.
I am excited to one day get their endowments done as well. I have been okayed by the bishop to take the next installment of temple preparation classes. After that, I will be planning a trip to Nauvoo for my own endowment. I feel a very strong desire to go to the Nauvoo temple and I feel a special connection with it.
Oh! The bishop announced today that we baptized and confirmed 500 people yesterday!! How amazing. He said we created a ward :)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Miscommunication
Here is an email I got from my husband's aunt last night.
"Hi Brooke,
Hope you and the family are well.
Barry just informed me that in order for you to be converted to the Mormon Church, it is a requirement to give the names of the dead and living relatives so that all the relatives be converted as well.
This was Barry's understanding from Ira's conversation.
Just in case there is a misunderstanding I would like to ask you since you are the source.
Did you or did you not give my name, Barry's and Caroline's to the Mormon Church?
Did the Mormon Church convert us or not?.
Please advise.
Thank you
Rachel"
***
When I read it, I got sick to my stomach. This implied that my father in-law is saying things that are simply NOT TRUE. I wanted to respond quickly without any emotion attached. Here's my first response.
"No, it's not a requirement. I have not given your names to anyone, nor do I plan to in the future."
***
I thought about it some more, and I decided that my first answer wasn't enough. I had to explain what the church believes, and make it easy to understand since my in-laws are all Jewish and not terribly familiar with many terms used in Christianity. I decided that since Aunt Rachel had copied her husband and my father in-law in the original email, I would do the same.
"Dear R*** family,
I was very taken aback by this email, and I would like to clarify a few things for you.
First and foremost, the LDS church believes in each persons agency. Agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and to act for ourselves. http://tinyurl.com/bzs5tt
Baptisms for the dead are performed in LDS temples, but that individual must accept or reject that ordinance in the afterlife. http://tinyurl.com/c7vw6x
While I have done a tiny bit of research on your family, I have not submitted any names to the church's database.
You can not be converted without your consent."
***
My phone rang about 5 minutes after I sent the email, and the caller ID showed it was my father in-law. I didn't want to answer it... but did finally pick up the phone. He wanted to tell me the whole story on how the conversation came up with his brother in the first place. Basically, it was all a big misunderstanding! Ira made a bit of a joke and Barry took it seriously and took the meaning a step farther... Let's just say it didn't go over well with him and his wife! My father in-law said he felt badly about what had happened, and wanted me to know that when he dies if I want to put his name "on the list" that's fine with him, lol.
"Hi Brooke,
Hope you and the family are well.
Barry just informed me that in order for you to be converted to the Mormon Church, it is a requirement to give the names of the dead and living relatives so that all the relatives be converted as well.
This was Barry's understanding from Ira's conversation.
Just in case there is a misunderstanding I would like to ask you since you are the source.
Did you or did you not give my name, Barry's and Caroline's to the Mormon Church?
Did the Mormon Church convert us or not?.
Please advise.
Thank you
Rachel"
***
When I read it, I got sick to my stomach. This implied that my father in-law is saying things that are simply NOT TRUE. I wanted to respond quickly without any emotion attached. Here's my first response.
"No, it's not a requirement. I have not given your names to anyone, nor do I plan to in the future."
***
I thought about it some more, and I decided that my first answer wasn't enough. I had to explain what the church believes, and make it easy to understand since my in-laws are all Jewish and not terribly familiar with many terms used in Christianity. I decided that since Aunt Rachel had copied her husband and my father in-law in the original email, I would do the same.
"Dear R*** family,
I was very taken aback by this email, and I would like to clarify a few things for you.
First and foremost, the LDS church believes in each persons agency. Agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and to act for ourselves. http://tinyurl.com/bzs5tt
Baptisms for the dead are performed in LDS temples, but that individual must accept or reject that ordinance in the afterlife. http://tinyurl.com/c7vw6x
While I have done a tiny bit of research on your family, I have not submitted any names to the church's database.
You can not be converted without your consent."
***
My phone rang about 5 minutes after I sent the email, and the caller ID showed it was my father in-law. I didn't want to answer it... but did finally pick up the phone. He wanted to tell me the whole story on how the conversation came up with his brother in the first place. Basically, it was all a big misunderstanding! Ira made a bit of a joke and Barry took it seriously and took the meaning a step farther... Let's just say it didn't go over well with him and his wife! My father in-law said he felt badly about what had happened, and wanted me to know that when he dies if I want to put his name "on the list" that's fine with him, lol.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Bad Dream
Last night I had a bad dream. I was living in a "haunted" house, or something similar, and I knew that at 3am something supernatural (bad) was going to happen. At 2:18am I was on the computer and it started acting funny, so I ran and jumped in bed and started praying. I felt the need to pray out loud and very suddenly I couldn't. The evil presence was very strong. I began praying very fervently silently, and everything STOPPED... and I woke up pretty freaked out. I rolled over to see the clock fully expecting it to be about 3am, but thankfully it was 5:30. A little while later Hannah came in to snuggle with me, and we all got up around 6:30.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Emergency Preparedness
Last month I finished up our 72 hour kits, though I think you can probably always think of things to add. Today I worked on some addendum stuff, extra clothes!! Each kid now has a cold weather outfit and a warm weather outfit plus socks and underwear. As I was going through some hand-me-downs we acquired over Christmas vacation, I was able to pull out a few things for each of the bigger kids, and I even found two jackets to add! Both are mostly Elijah sized, but I'm pretty sure Hannah could fit into one in a pinch, and once she gets to big Leah will be able to wear one. I'd like to get one more jacket, or maybe two, and some inexpensive shoes... I'm thinking the thrift store might be a good place for those. I also need to get some clothes in there for Pete and myself. After that, I want to stock up on batteries, get diapers and wipes in the kit, and get some puzzle books.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Blender Wheat Pancakes
I made these pancakes for lunch yesterday, and they were SO good! In the past, I've had trouble making pancakes, but I bought an electric griddle (only $17!) and that made all the difference in the world. These blender wheat pancakes are EASY, and I used powdered milk, powdered eggs, and wheat straight from the #10 can. I think I'll be able to rotate through my food storage without any problems now. I even froze the leftover pancakes, and the kids ate them for breakfast just like normal (with storebought frozen pancakes). I plan on making another batch for Saturday breakfast, and a batch to freeze!
Potato Pearls directions
Since the directions on the bag of Potato Pearls is for making the entire bag at once, I needed to figure out the ratio of water to potato pearls. The amount I figured was for one serving: 1/4 cup of PP to 1/2 cup hot H2O.
Serv - Pearls - Water
1 - 1/4 c - 1/2 c
2 - 1/2 c- 1 c
4 - 1 c - 2 c
6 - 1 1/2 c - 3 c
8 - 2 c - 4 c
Serv - Pearls - Water
1 - 1/4 c - 1/2 c
2 - 1/2 c- 1 c
4 - 1 c - 2 c
6 - 1 1/2 c - 3 c
8 - 2 c - 4 c
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Blessing for Tonsilectomy
Tomorrow Elijah is having his tonsils and adenoids removed because of his sleep apnea. I've gone through periods of major worry about the procedure during the last month, but I finally have some peace. One of our Home Teachers and the missionaries came over and annointed Elijah and gave him a blessing. Brother Peachee also mentioned in the blessing that as Elijah grew he would "stand for Christ". That was a nice thing to hear!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Food Storage
There are a few really cool food storage websites that I read, and they are doing some cool stuff for the new year. In fact two of the blogs I already read have teamed up with a third I didn't know about and created Fun With Food Storage. I know I must be getting old because I'm actually excited about the whole thing ;)
Resolutions for 2009
I've kept up with my regular blog, but not this one... Here are some of the things I want to do better this year.
- scripture reading; I did really well for quite a while, but then I slacked off a lot. So, my goal is to read some everyday. I better get too it already, because I'm already behind!
- emergency preparedness; I've done a pretty good job in this department so far. I have our 72 hour kits ready to go, and they include food, water, and a binder of important documents. I have the food in milk jugs, but I think as those need to be replaced I will get ration bars instead so they will fit into the backpacks
- food storage; I've just started to really USE food storage, and I need to figure out how much to buy from the cannery, etc.
-visiting teaching; I want to do better with my two inactive sisters
-budget; spend less, save more!!
- computer; spend less time on the computer, and more time doing productive things
-food; eat healthier and *ahem* lose the rest of the baby weight
- scripture reading; I did really well for quite a while, but then I slacked off a lot. So, my goal is to read some everyday. I better get too it already, because I'm already behind!
- emergency preparedness; I've done a pretty good job in this department so far. I have our 72 hour kits ready to go, and they include food, water, and a binder of important documents. I have the food in milk jugs, but I think as those need to be replaced I will get ration bars instead so they will fit into the backpacks
- food storage; I've just started to really USE food storage, and I need to figure out how much to buy from the cannery, etc.
-visiting teaching; I want to do better with my two inactive sisters
-budget; spend less, save more!!
- computer; spend less time on the computer, and more time doing productive things
-food; eat healthier and *ahem* lose the rest of the baby weight
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
