Unwilling

I truly believe that Heavenly Father views not being grateful and being unwilling to be kind/help others as the WORST things you can be next to murder and adultery. Boy, being a Parent has taught me a TON about Him. I view a lack of gratitude and kindness, and abuse of any kind between my children as ABHORANT. So His view on those things is easy to understand. I have encountered several cases of these first 2 mentioned "crimes" lately, and it really gets under my skin. Remember the scripture "Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall obtain Mercy."? Yup! Pretty much. What you refuse to others, be it Mercy, Forgiveness, etc. Will be likely refused to you when the time of reckoning comes.

Happy Father's Day

Sorry for my presentational errors.... oh wait, they're NOT mine!

I am realatively frustrated with Blogger. If anyone can help me with this, I'd love it. It doesn't matter how often I hit "Enter" to separate sentences, paragraphs, etc., when the post is published, everything just runs together. When I am typing, my presentation is WAY more sophisticated. Sorry for the Ignorance it presents. I'm really NOT that bad at it.

Free Lunch Summer Program in Granite District (Utah)

FREE meals available for all children 18 and younger when school is out. No application or registration required. Information(800) 453-FOOD or Visit www.uah.org and click the Summer Food image on the left to view a searchable map of summer food sites in Utah. *Catherine C. Hoskins Head Start 6447 W 4100 S, West Valley City Supper, 5:00pm-6:30pm M-F Open June 4 to August 17 *Centennial Park 5405 W 3100 S, West Valley City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Centennial Park 5405 W 3100 S, West Valley City Supper, 4:00pm-5:30pm M-Th Open June 4 to August 17 *City Park 4500 W 3500 S, West Valley City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *David Gourley Park 5015 S 4300 W, Kearns Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Granite Park Junior High 3031 S 200 E, Salt Lake City Lunch, 11:00am-12:00pm M-Th Open June 6 to July 12 *Harmony Park 3700 S Main St, Salt Lake City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Hillsdale Park 3275 S 3200 W, West Valley City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Hunter Park 3600 S 6000 W, West Valley City Lunch, 11:15am-12:45pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Kearns Oquirrh Park 5670 S 4800 W, Kearns Lunch, 11:00am-1:00pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Kings Point Park 1330 W Rothchild Dr, West Valley City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Magna Fitness Center 3270 S 8400 W, Magna Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Magna Head Start 8575 W 3500 S, Magna Supper, 5:00pm-6:30pm M-F Open June 4 to August 17 *Magna Park 8900 W 2600 S, Magna Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Monroe Elementary 4450 W 3100 S, West Valley City Lunch, 12:00pm-12:30pm M-Th Open June 11 to June 28 *Parkway Park 3405 W Parkway Blvd, West Valley City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Peachwood Park 3510 W 3965 S, West Valley City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Pioneer Elementary 3860 S 3380 W, West Valley City Lunch, 12:30pm-1:00pm M-Th Open June 11 to June 28 *Redwood Elementary 2650 S Redwood Rd, West Valley City Lunch, 12:00pm-1:00pm M-Th Open June 11 to June 29 *Redwood Multipurpose Center 3060 S Redwood Rd, West Valley City Lunch, 12:00pm-1:00pm M-F Open June 11 to August 17 *Robert Fitts Park 3050 S 500 E, Salt Lake City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Rolling Meadows Elementary 2950 Whitehall Dr, West Valley City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 11 to June 28 *Roosevelt Elementary 3225 S 800 E, Salt Lake City Lunch, 12:30pm-1:00pm M-F Open June 11 to June 29 *Southridge Park 5051 S 4015 W, Kearns Lunch, 11:30am-1:00pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Taylorsville Millrace Park 1150 W 5400 S, Taylorsville Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Taylorsville Park 4721 S Redwood Road, Taylorsville Lunch, 11:30am-1:00pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Vista Park 4950 S 1950 W, Taylorsville Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *West Kearns Elementary 4900 S 4620 W, Kearns Lunch, 11:45am-12:30pm M-Th Open June 11 to June 28 *West View Park 4100 S 6000 W, West Valley City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17 *Western Hills Elementary 5190 S Heath Ave, Kearns Lunch, 11:30am-12:00pm M-F Open June 11 to June 22 *Westlake Junior High 3400 S 3450 W, West Valley City Lunch, 12:15pm-12:45pm M-Th Open June 5 to July 12 *Woodledge Park 5210 W 4310 S, West Valley City Lunch, 11:30am-12:30pm M-F Open June 18 to August 17

Where you do the cleaning, you can make the mess.

Please remove your shoes. Who knew how much that little phrase can mean... or do. I have a sign on my front door. Before you even get into my home that says "Please Remove Shoes." And again, when you walk through the door, before you get past the entry way, is another sign... bigger, and a little "cuter" making that request. That doesn't mean "Please remove your shoes IF you feel like it." Or "Please remove your shoes unless you only walk on the lanoleum." YES, as I have stated before, walking on my carpet with your shoes on is the MAIN concern. It is the MAIN purpose for removing your shoes. It is also the MAIN purpose for these signs. I figure if I post them early enough, then your shoes are off by the time you get to the carpet. HOWEVER. I do not want shoes worn in my home. Period. The End. I will make an allowance for ONE person. My Father in Law. For him, I have purchased disposable booties. I love him. I want him to be able to come into my home. The End. If you come into my home, and walk around my kitchen or dining room with your shoes on, it means I have to mop the floor in order to keep my home in the condition I want it. I get that having people in a home creates messes. It means things regularly need to be cleaned. I am a very logical person. I get this. I get that a home is meant to be lived in. HOWEVER, cleaning the floors is a chore I have decided to minimize. And ask any who come into my home to cooporate. To make for a more pleasant environment all around. I LOVE people. I LOVE to socialize. I want the healthy atmosphere that comes with having people in my life and home. But it's NOT contradictive to ask that people remove their shoes. And for some reason, that seems to be exactly what people make it. And it's made into such a big thing that it doesn't need to be. These days, it is NOT unusual to be asked to leave your shoes outside when you enter someone's home. Our Home is our Temple. Our place of safety. Our place of worship. Even the General Authorities have pointed out the sacredness of the Home. And when we go to the Temple, we leave the world outside. To add to the sacred and peaceful atmosphere. And when we are asked at the Temple to leave our shoes and change our clothes, I have never heard of a complaint. People acknowledge that it is part of the requirement to be there. It is "private property" and people respect that in order to be there, there are rules that are to be followed. I think as Mortals, we forget that we are just as entitled to the respect given to Diety as God is. But isn't that what Jesus' ministry was all about. Teaching us our divine heritage, and to treat ourselves and others as Kings and Queens in the making. SERIOUSLY! If you looked at a person and really grasped that they are a Prince or Princess and the child of the God of Heaven and Earth, how would you treat them? Would you be as respectful in their "Temple" as Their Father's? My Temple may be WAY more humble than any OFFICIAL Temple. But you can't get much more humble than a stable. And The Redeemer of the World was born in one. It was just as much a Temple as King Solomon's the second He entered it and called it home. SO, I feel that I have every right to set a standard to establish respect and reverence. I am not perfect. There should be other regulations in place. And I work on those. But you have to start somewhere. And with that purpose in mind. I do not allow shoes in my home. Now, we have a large amount of space that is lanoleum before you get to the carpet. And this makes it significantly easier to take shoes off, and sometimes allows for shoes to be left on when running children or groceries in to the home without affecting the carpets cleanliness. But that does not mean the request is conditional. With that, let me point out that the point of removing shoes is to keep the grime that exists in the parking lot, on the side walk, on the indoor/outdoor carpeting outside our door, etc. OUTSIDE. Therefore, if you didn't wear shoes, and wore socks instead, they need to be removed just like shoes do. So taking your shoes off outside my door, or not wearing shoes in an attempt to get on top of things, defeats the purpose. ;-) SO, feel free to make the rules in YOUR home where you set the standard, and do the cleaning. But in my home; where I have been given the charge to set the standard, and do the cleaning ~ You need to remove your shoes... and socks if you wore them outside.

What do I want to be today?

I am so grateful for my life. I know you don't hear that enough from me. You see, the problem is that I am so PASSIONATE that I feel deeply on both sides of the spectrum. So I get frustrated easily. But I also get happy easily. So. Here are the messages I want conveyed: 1)I love you. If you are reading this, I do. I don't need to know you. I love you because you exist. SOMEONE needs this today. If that someone is you, know that you are important. You now have something to live up to. ************************************************************ 2)I LOVE MY CHILDREN. They are KIND. They are SMART. They are IMPORTANT!! (I need to get that on my wall so they see it EVERY day!) They are THE Reason for My Existence and my CONSTANT battle for all that is good and pure! I owe them so very much! There are NO words to truly convey their ABSOLUTE BEAUTY!!!!!! I am so unworthy, yet GRATEFUL beyond imagination, to be Their Mother!!!!! ************************************************************ 3)I LOVE MY HUSBAND. He is AMAZING. He has nurtured me for at LEAST 13 years... I'm sure he's been nurturing me since eternity began! He is, and always will be The Love of My Life. My One and Only. There IS NO ONE but HIM!!!!!! PERIOD. All of those cheezy Love Song lyrics apply to him!!!!! ************************************************************ 4)I LOVE LIFE. Everything about it. I love my mistakes.... for the lessons I have learned. I love the People who have hurt me... for teaching me. I love the People who have loved me.... for nurturing me and giving me wings. I love growth. I love beauty. I just LOVE LIFE! I want to live 1000 years. I need to be better at keeping my weight down, but I love food, and entertainment, and luxury and culture.... so it's hard because YES, I LOVE indulgence. ************************************************************ 5)I LOVE The Being I KNOW and Worship as GOD!!!!!! He is so much more than an unreachable disciplinarian. He is sooooo good to me!!! I KNOW He is My FATHER. I KNOW He is EVERYTHING I want to be as a Parent. And I KNOW he loves me! He does everything I want to do for My Children. He is PERFECT. NOT believing in Him, is NOT an option with what I have been through and learned through my life experiences. ************************************************************ 6)I LOVE Jesus Christ. Cliche? Yep. True? Definitely. I had a conversation today with my neighbor. She pointed out that I can be a bit abrasive with my bluntness. Yep! But I asked her (she was referring to a specific thing I said), "Was there any other way to say it?" My answer to that is "NOPE!" (I do everything in my power when I am about to say something that could have a negative impact.. or any real impact at all, to make sure I review the options for wording and tone before I blurt it out. I know it doesn't always seem that way, And I am NEVER perfect 100% of the time. But I do my DARNDEST to do my best to be sure it's the only way to say it before I just say it ;-) And the same goes for the statement that I Love Jesus Christ. There is no other way to say it. ************************************************************ 7)I Speak the absolute truth 99% of the time. That 1% is based on 2 variables: 1) I don't have 100% of the facts, 2) My Family is endagered by some part of the truth. And I don't mean their feelings could get hurt.... I mean true danger. I learned an important lesson about my pride tonight. And I handled the situation honorably. And it went ok :) It was scary. I had 100% my ego on the line. And I did it! I told the truth. I need to consistently stick by this quote: "Be who you are and say what you mean. Because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind!" ** Dr Seuss (of COURSE ;-) ** "If someone really loves you, they will love you no matter what you say because of who you are . . . a person who they love! Now , you might, on occasion, say things which people who matter to you get upset about. This can be a painful thing to have happen, but it can, and does happen from time to time. Now for a few things to keep in mind. First, you should say what you mean. Being honest is something which has to be a high priority for each of us. However; this doesn't mean you can't be thoughtful and considerate about what you say and how you say it. Colossians 4:6 says, "Your speech should always be gracious and sprinkled with insight so that you may know how to respond to every person.""** ************************************************************ 8)No matter what you may think, my ONE and ONLY goal in this life is to be a genuinely GOOD Person. And to raise My Children to be th at way. I make mistakes. I pick myself up EVERY time. And I do better. :-D Goodnight all.... ~cheezy, but genuine phrase warning~ Blessed Be ♥

If I Bend too far, I Might Break

"Some things I cannot, I will not allow!" Fiddler on the Roof * If you've read my past couple of posts, this is a common theme. I've had it with bending, being walked on, and getting pushed around. "It's not healthy, for me to feel this way."... Alvin and the Chipmunks ;-) * This past week, I have learned more than at any other time about NOT giving up what I want for people who don't matter. There are a couple of Cliche phrases like "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." That are running through my head right now. My Neighbor came over tonight with good intentions, and TRULY sent an already hectic evening into hyper drive. And I realized why I am such a HARD ASS!!!!!!!!!! I have ZERO reason to change. What does it do for me? It's not usually appreciated, and I end up feeling like a door mat. It's not worth it. Almost No ONE wants to be emotionally involved or committed enough to the relationship to stick around for the after math. And that's their choice. But then they don't get the right to shake things up. Period. And I wonder if Heavenly Father agrees on a certain level. I wonder if He has been wanting me to get to this point where I will stand my ground and not be movable on ANYTHING. Because My Children need to learn certain lessons as NON Negotiable. And if I bend on some things, what's to stop me from bending on everything. I need to be firm. I need to be un movable. I need to pick a side and stay there. And so, I am. My word is solid. No means no. Sorry. I may lose even more "friends" over this. I may have more heart ache. But I know it will be temporary heart ache. It always hurts worse and longer when it's the pain from compromising your values. Now I just pray that the people who matter will understand. That my children will somehow see that Mommy is so strict because she loves them and needs to be firm and strong, and not swayed. For ANYTHING or ANYONE.