Signifigant Sunday: Hyperventilation and Keeping Covenants

So today was a lesson early on for me. I woke up to the realization that the Spirit was trying to tell me last night to plug in my lappy so I would realize that I forgot my laptop cord at the lovely VineArts Open Studio that I attend sometimes with my daughter. (To find out more about them click the name.)
Needless to say I didn't heed that prompting and so this morning when I got up and found that my precious lappy was not only dead but I had no cord to charge it with a small panic attack occurred.

Now most people would say just go buy one or just go get it from where ever you left it. Here's the problem. I made a covenant when I joined my church not to purchase things on Sunday unless absolutely necessary. Kind of like the ox in the mire saying. Meaning that back in the days of pioneers that if an ox got stuck in the mud on Sunday you didn't just leave it there to die cause it's Sunday but then if you could live without it until the next day hold off.

Then there is the respect I have for the friends that are the only ones that can get me into the center. They have worship in the morning then they are having a wonderful event afterwards at the same time my worship service is. Then they are pretty much off all week to celebrate the resurrection of Christ because Easter is next Sunday. So many factors to respect and keep. Like I said panic attack. I work from my laptop.

So anyway long story short I contacted my friends and one was able to help me out without being too put out (I think) then another gave me a laptop cord on a temp basis. Lesson Learned from all this I feel bad that I never took the time to ask in prayer what to do but inside me I was screaming for help and my prayers were answered and like so often they are in the form of friends.

Signifigant Sunday: Love Thy Neighbor

I have this friend and they needed a house and the people that owned the house needed the house sold. But before the owners could purchase a home where they moved out of state they needed to have tenants in the house that hadn't sold yet. A deal was struck and things progressed forward. Conditions were set that the house would show after an allotted amount of time. If if didn't sale in that time then a longer agreement would come to pass and the tenants would stay.


To say that this set of friends has dueling interests would be putting it mildly. But what the common goal is in this relationship was a desire for the other's family to succeed. For example...the Real Estate agent the owners used previously had a family he wanted to show the house to. The deal was the house would not be marketed for 6 months while the tenants were in there. They struggled with even asking the tenants. Finally they decided to let them decide. The tenants agreed to show it. They asked for time to make it presentable because they wanted to put the best face forward on the beautiful home. While in every legality they had the right to refuse. But they didn't.

The owners were very grateful and assured them they had not solicited the showing and that if it did sale they would take care of the family. The tenants knew that they could not only trust in their landlords/friends they could trust in the repercussions of unselfish acts of kindness. Call it karma, call it blessings or call it fate the trust between the two friends is what will outlast brick and mortar, wood and drywall.

Signifigant Sunday: Crap I'm 29

So I have reached 29. What's so significant about that? Well if you would have been around when I was 15 you'd have heard me say I probably wouldn't live that long and I was serious. I was wild. Hung out with drug dealers, gang bangers and wanna be thugs. Let me tell you a wanna be is a whole lot more dangerous than a real one.

In birthdays past/teen years I have usually been the designated driver because the excuse to party was my birthday only I was never a big drinker. If you asked me what my favorite birthday was I wouldn't tell ya. Frankly I can't remember them.

Signifigant Sunday: Bri The Charity Case

I have two photographs in my office...the rest are paintings or prints. One is of my husband and I in 2007 and I'm like 30 lb's smaller. I believe it's the first time he outweighed me. Anyways the other is the one you see to the left. It's of me and 5 other women who went away for a conference one year ago this April.  It's also one of the most significant experiences of my life. Therefore as the one year anniversary looms it needed to go up on Significant Sunday.






Boy what a difference a year can make! In this picture everything I am wearing was either bought for me by someone or was a hand me down. We were so broke that I didn't even have money to buy clothes at the thrift store. My family and I had just moved into a small two bedroom apartment, our oldest son had just got sent away for personal problems, my husband didn't have a steady job and life was pretty bleak. Although I put on a brave face, well more like a joking facade, I spent a lot of time on my knees. So how did I afford to go on a trip to a conference in another state? This is where the charity case part comes up.

I'm approached by two of the women who say do you want to go to The BYU Women's Conference in Provo UT? ( yeah I know I thought BYU was in SLC too) I was elated. It was one of the things I had hoped I could one day do now that I lived closer in ID. Alas I told her I had no money to attend. Her response was there's been a scholarship awarded and your lodging, travel and ticket expenses have been paid.

So me and 5 dear women loaded up in a white Toyata Sienna and headed to Utah. Each of our situations were very different. Economic, financial, social and even familial were all very different. The binding fiber that grounded each of us was a desire to please God, a love for one another and an anthem learned within the doors of many a Relief Society meeting that "Charity Never Faileth."



Going to that conference was like a healing balm to a decaying soul. I'll forever be thankful to those women and that week that taught me to be a Lioness at the Gate. 

Bri

Signifigant Sunday...Last Day of Big Bri

This is not me. But where I was heading. Scary?!

After going all day (with a sickly child I might add) missing church, snuggling with her, doing laundry, cleaning, reading and napping I finally figured out what I could post. Tomorrow will be my first day at Meridian Adventure Boot Camp for women. Thanks to citysmart.com I got a 4 week boot camp for a ridiculously low price. So excited. Yes I'm totally stoked to get up at 5:30am for 5 days a week for 4 weeks. I am giddy happy to be required to not say the words hoho, donut, ding dong or candy bar on pain of 20 push ups. I am motivated to keep a food journal that I have to turn in every Wednesday that is a recording of every minute thing that I have ate.

 I have gained 5 extra pounds this week because I knew this day was coming and I have pigged out royally. I'm just ready for a change. Some of you may ask what are my weight loss goals. Honestly the goal is to establish a weekly workout routine at a set time and stick to it while being aware of the food I put in my body in order to feel better. The plan is to blog about the progress every Tuesday.  Until then....

To Care or Condemn....How do we move past flowery words?

This beautiful painting is by Liz Lemon Swindle.  The story behind the art from Liz's website is such...The leaders of the Jews brought an adulterous woman before the Lord asking if she should be stoned. Christ simply said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

Convicted by their own conscience, the crowd disappeared leaving only Christ and the accused. “Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?” he said, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

How do we move past flowery insincere words to meaningful heartfelt love for those in our lives that sin? While I may sound like I have the answer for this. I learned from anothers example: Jesus. Such as in the story of the Jews and the adulteress his life was the example that we should learn from. So taking that into account I will put up some points to think about when you find your self quick to judge

• Pray: When you are made aware of someone who needs help ponder, pray and ask whatever deity or guiding light you call to first how you should proceed.
• Don't ask: When someone asks you for help or needs someone to listen and you know it's a direct reaction to perhaps a separation, divorce or bad decisions made on their part. You are not entitled to their information in payment for your empathy. (keep in mind if this person was to be in your home or is in need of things that could pose a threat to your family, yourself or possessions. Then proceed accordingly. Use common sense.)
• Don't imagine: As an author I know the power of imagination. From personal experience do not try and figure out what happened to this person. I can personally testify most often your conclusions are much worse than the truth. So don't do it!
• Like them: Try to find something to admire about them. Even if it's that they have great feet or bathe regularly. There is always something that you can find to hang on to to try and appreciate them. Attempt to look at them as a parent would a child or perhaps even as God would his child. 
• Be Prepared: Often times you will be met with social or public disdain by those who know some of the person's past indiscretions or who were offended by them. Another consequence to this type of care is the reaction of one who you have come to care about. They may feel confident enough to persevere, to become the person they could be and when that happens you will find a loyalty from them that lasts longer than any public or social disdain.

In conclusion this is no easy process and the farther away personally the person is from you the easier it is. However, I've had experience with this more often now than before (reference this post) and I can confidently say that I have gained some truly amazing friendships and understanding about people that have made me a better person and writer.


Have you ever been in this situation? If so how did you react?

Signifigant Sunday...The Single Mother/Woman at church...Jezebel or Modern Day Widow?

I know .... I know you guys are thinking Not Jezebel!!! Hear me out. As I was deciding what to write this Sunday I was transported back to a time when I was the daughter of a single mother attending a small church. One instance among many was when we moved. When I say we I mean my mother, eight year old brother and I. The only help we received was from my aunt and some neighbors who took pity on us. My aunt Sis is stout as a bull and was great, but imagine two women a teen girl and an eight year old string bean (sorry little brother) are trying to move a couch with a bed in it. Would you stop and help or would you ignore them? If you knew they would need help in advance would you go help them?

In my new church I know that help would be called organized and put to action. The women would be there to help pack, clean, move, and unpack. The men would be there to do all the lifting and moving. Now don't get me wrong the women of that church did have a small house warming party after the move. I'm sure it was spawned from the guilt they felt telling their husband, "I don't want you helping that woman. She's single!" (I got it from a source that was what happened. I'm not speculating.)

Note to those wives in today's society most affairs are likely to happen with people in relationships and often times people you are both acquainted with.

Although Christ didn't say single women or mothers he did say "and the widows and orphans shall be provided for, as also the poor." I think it's safe to assume that the single mother/woman is counted as a widow in the Lord's eyes and should be treated as such. Not a Jezebel or a lesser person. 

Are you a single mother who ever felt this way? Have you received kindness and charity when you needed it? Please share your experiences do it anonymously if you want.

What does a dj, mararthon runner, and Lukemia have in common?

Check out my interview with Radio DJ for 103.3 Kiss FM over at the Examiner.com


http://www.examiner.com/local-artists-in-boise/what-does-a-dj-mararthon-runner-and-lukemia-have-common

Signifigant Sunday...Taking A Day Off...But Holy Cow I Have a Deadline

As I look out my big bay window at the piling snow and the beauty it's creating I consider the fact that if we still lived in TN where we had to drive 30 minutes to get to church. It would be canceled. Admittedly it's an inviting thought to stay home. It's warm, the house always needs something done and I'm at least 4 chapters behind on my editing goals. If church was canceled I would most likely be able to catch up everything! Alas we live a block from our church in Idaho where snow is a seasonal thing and therefore they are prepared. 


Taking all those things into perspective I pose the question I know you are thinking. "Why are you blogging about editing when you could be doing it now?" I have decided now that writing is apparently my career or job choice if you will that I will refrain from working on Sunday. You have no idea the amount of panic deciding to do that has created. I'm over it now. For years I have counseled my husband not to work on Sunday...to exercise the faith that God has promised to those who are obedient to this commandment. Wow... boy is it harder to do when you are the one who should be doing it. Now do not think that I am judging or even counseling anyone else to do this. It's easier to make this decision when you are self employed.  And in theory if you work outside the home you would get a couple days off a week right? So I will take at least one.


What I won't do on Sunday...

• No shopping

• Don't participate in commercial activities like sports etc. 

 (By not doing these I won't be making people work for me on Sundays)
OK those you who know me know that I already don't do these things. Still I think I deserve a little credit. 

• Not to post marketing posts on Facebook, Twitter or my Blog

• Not to write, edit or even plot! (OK so I'll plot but I won't write it down till Monday)

The things that I will do on Sunday....

• Attend all my church meetings (Yeah Yeah...I deserve credit anyway!)
• Read leisurely.
• Study my scriptures and delight in the words I read.
• Serve my family and others.
• Plan my week out such as meals, appointments etc so I can use my time wisely.
• Have a night where we as a family will stay in and do something just as a family.
• NAP!!!!
•  Write my Significant Sunday posts
• Try to make at least one made from scratch meal for my family. (This one is last for a reason.)

While I will most likely do laundry, dishes or clean a little and some might count that as work I'll just file that under serving my family. 

Do you have a day or time that is sacred to you and your family? If so when and why?

Signifigant Sunday...The First of Many More....

Waking up this morning surfing Facebook and Twitter (like I do every morning) I saw how great the weather was back home, how great Saturday night was and a few ,as it often happens, that pulled at my heart strings. Yesterday I saw one that shared the turmoil a mother was enduring over the loss of an unborn child.  But it was this one that spawned the beginning of SignificantSunday.
 
"Taking the kids to see my Mom today for the last time! This is hard, however they seem fine."

I offered the customary...thinking of you...praying for you comfort comment. Then I stopped and thought of how many times had I really prayed when I said I would. The outcome is shameful to say the least. My prayers usually consisted of rushed thoughts as I went through my day. Taking that into consideration I decided today would be different and hopefully would spur a change. 




From now on when I say "I'm going to pray" for someone the definition will be different. It will consist of not just thoughts but folded hands, hidden knees and genuine heartfelt concern for those that need my love.  Even if my prayer must come later it's value I feel is more significant than a rushed mumbling of words. Now don't get me wrong a prayer in your heart and rushed mumbled words are heard as clearly as any other prayer. Nevertheless, for me...for my friends...I feel a change is in order...a change is deserved.

Whether your prayers are upon an alter, in a mosque, include candles or elaborate rituals the outcome is still the same. If you have a desire to uplift or comfort the afflictions of another or celebrate and praise in joy the blessings that surround the outcome is still the same.

The positivity through love that you have poured out into the universe is not only important, but powerful.






What will you do that's significant today?