Welcome to Cooleyville: September 2011

So I have a new love while I am here by myself during the day. A friend of mine, cough Amber cough, told me about The Mormon Channel. I can listen to it on my phone if I am out, or on the computer while I am puttering around the house, or like yesterday while I was quilting all day. I love to listen to all the uplifting things on there while I go about my day.

Well yesterday there was a talk about enduring our trials well and it had a woman who was a breast cancer survivor and her husband talking about their trial and their family. The host asked her, looking back on her trial if she wished she had done anything different? She said that she wished she had written her thoughts and fears as well as her victories down more so her children would have them if and when she is gone. I thought to myself, Hmm, I really need to do that more.

The next podcast after that was about the LDS blogging world. I thought to myself, "Hey, that's me." It caused me to really think about this blog and why it started in the first place. Mostly it was so that our relatives far away could see a glimpse into our lives. But over the years it has become more of a journal/family history of sorts. But I am ashamed that it doesn't take more of a priority for me to record our history. I want to leave a legacy for my children to know about me, and our family long after I am gone. It is amazing the vast resources we have before us now to accomplish this. We just have to use them.

So with that in mind I wanted to share what was on my mind today. I am the Relief Society Monthly Meeting Coordinator, or RSMMC. :) Tonight we have asked a sister to come and teach us all about apple sauce. How to make it and store it and a whole plethora of things in between.

Each month I have given myself the assignment to give the spiritual message that goes along with the meeting. So this morning I have been looking up provident living and I have found a great deal of great information on the LDS Provident Living website.

Today I wanted to share a little bit from a great talk I found that was given by Bishop Keith B. McMullin from the presiding bishopric at the April 2007 general conference.

He started his talk by sharing a story,

A young man, full of ambition and energy, enrolled in a fine university. At the time, he was a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. His goal was lofty—he wanted to become a doctor. His aim was ambitious—he wanted to be rich. He wanted to play football, so he sought out the coaches and eventually made the team. Now he could have the recognition and bragging rights unique in the world of university sports. Such were the notions in his head.
But he had given little thought to something that would ultimately dismantle his lofty and vain ambitions—he had failed to lay up in store. He had overlooked the importance of adequate preparation, the requirements of regular attendance and disciplined study, and the college chemistry class. The consequence was swift and merciless. It took less than 90 days. It happened this way:
The day he found his 5-foot 8-inch, 170-pound body on the line of scrimmage opposite a mammoth lineman from the varsity squad, he knew he was in the wrong sport.
Unaccustomed to rigorous study, his eyes and mind refused to function after a brief time in the books.
The capstone of defeat was the final chemistry exam. Suffice it to say that his random answers to multiple-choice questions did not even approximate the law of averages. He failed miserably.
Hard work, a mission that awakened in him a correct vision of life’s purposes, and unrelenting preparation eventually overcame the consequence of this brief period of foolishness. Even today, however, I still have nightmares about that chemistry class.
Fortunately, the Lord has shown us how to avoid similar foolishness. He said:
“Hearken, O ye people of my church. … Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together. …
“Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh.”

Later in his talk he shared this,

A cardinal principle of the gospel is to prepare for the day of scarcity. Work, industry, frugality are part of the royal order of life. Remember these words from Paul: “If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
Seated before us are the three presiding high priests who constitute the First Presidency of the Church.
From President James E. Faust, Second Counselor, we hear: “Every father and mother are the family’s storekeepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency … [and] God will sustain us through our trials.”
From President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor, we hear: “Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year’s supply of food … and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year’s supply of debt and are food-free.
From President Gordon B. Hinckley, the Lord’s prophet, we hear:
“The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes. …
“We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week’s food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. … I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.
“Begin in a small way, … and gradually build toward a reasonable objective.”

I am so thankful to my parents who showed by example why it is important to have food storage. I am also thankful for my inspired leaders who teach us and give us opportunities to learn with each other and to share our talents with each other.