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Unsung Heroes Living the Dream

I sat down the other night at 9:15 p.m. It was the first time I had sat down all day. I glanced over at the four pair of shoes sitting next to the shoe basket and sighed.

"Why can't the kids put their shoes in the shoe basket. That's what a shoe basket is for!" It felt good to complain even if it was only to myself.

"Tired?" My husband asked as he handed me a red, wooden rocket. "Here. Hold this," he said.

It was my son's Space Derby Rocket for the next night's pack meeting. Surprisingly, it was light as a feather, yet, it took every ounce in me to stay focused and hold it straight while my husband put tape around it. I was really that tired. But why? What I had done with the last twelve hours of my life that brought me to the brink of exhaustion? It certainly wasn't anything worth writing about. Or, was it?

Well, let's see. It started at 6:30 that morning. Breakfast for the three oldest kids. At 6:45 a.m. I made sure my oldest daughter was up and getting ready for school. I then started packing lunches for the two youngest kids. Then I woke up kids #2 and #3. We had family scriptures at 7:00 a.m. followed by a quick run to the bus stop to drop off daughter #1. I then helped my son with his hair and inspected his spelling sentences, signed my daughter's permission slip and helped her find her shoes (which by the way were NOT in the shoe basket). By this time daughter #3 was up and ready to eat her cereal. I poured the cereal and milk in the bowl and then said goodbye to the two older kids, who left out the front door for their carpool. And wall-ah! It was 7:55 a.m. I headed into the laundry room to start a load of whites and the phone rang at 8:01 a.m. Wouldn't you know it, it was daughter #2. She was calling from a friend's cell phone to tell me she had forgotten her glasses.

"I'll get dressed and bring them to school," I told her.

I dressed my youngest daughter . Splashed on some mascara and lip gloss. Pulled my hair back in a pony. Got in the car. Drove to school. Dropped off the glasses. And from there decided to run to two stores to use up some coupons that were about to expire. Hmmmm. Not a life brimming with excitement, right?

The rest of the day was much the same. Housework, laundry, and changing shavings in the hamster cage. I whipped up a quick batch of brownie pops for the PTA's Family Reading night. While they were in the oven, I made a phone call to arrange a play date for my youngest daughter. My husband was working from home that day and needed some cough drops and sandpaper to finish off my son's Space Derby rocket. So, I got back in the car and headed to Wal-mart. While I was there, I picked up a frozen pizza for dinner and a Hershey chocolate bar. (For sanity.)

Once the kids got home from school, it was off to dance lessons for daughter #2 and the store (AGAIN) for daughter #1, who needed something green for St. Patrick's day. We got home just in time to heat up the pizza and head back over to the school for Family Reading Night. For the next hour and half, there I was, dressed up like a witch, reading to the kids from one of my favorite children's storybooks. We returned home at 8:45 p.m—time to get kids ready for bed, which brings us up to speed to where I was sitting on the couch staring at the red, wooden rocket in my hand, wondering why I was so tired.

I looked at my husband. His fingers were stained with red and black paint. His hair had traces of saw dust in it. And it got me thinking. My husband is a bright man. He makes financial decisions everyday that affect a company's bottom line. And, yet, at 9:15 p.m. on a Monday evening, the most important job he has is touching up paint on his son's Space Derby rocket. Not necessarily Nobel Peace Prize material. But had you seen the reaction of our son who, upon seeing the finished rocket, leaped into his father's arms yelling, "Dad! You're the coolest!" you'd have thought otherwise.

That night before bed, I read this quote from Max Lucado's book "Facing Your Giants."

"Quiet heroes dot the landscape of our society. They don't wear ribbons or kiss trophies; they wear spit-up and kiss boo-boos. They don't make the headlines, but they do sew the hemlines and check the outlines and stand on the sidelines. You won't find their names on the Nobel Prize short list, but you will find their names on the homeroom, carpool, and Bible teacher lists.  They are the parents, both by blood and deed, name and calendar. Heroes. News programs don't call them. But that's okay. Because their kids do…They call them Mom. They call them Dad. And these moms and dads, more valuable than all the executives and lawmakers west of the Mississippi, quietly hold the world together. "

"Be numbered among them. Read books to your kids. Play ball while you can and they want you to. Make it your aim to watch every game they play, read every story they write, hear every recital in which they perform."  

"Love the one who wears your ring and cherish the children who share your name. Succeed at home first." 

Rewind the calendar twenty years. I was a hopeful soon-to-be college graduate; the recipient of a Poynter Institute Fellowship for journalists, one of 12 graduating seniors nationwide. I was lucky enough to rub shoulders with some of the finest journalists in the country, dreaming of a career that would take me to far off places. Fast forward 20 years, and, well, some days the farthest I go is the elementary school. One could look at my life and say, "She gave up on the dream." Or, one could say, "She just traded in one dream for another."

Instead of covering news in war-torn countries, I'm teaching my four children how wars start and how we can avoid them. Rather than covering a story about the growing homeless population in a downtown park, my kids and I tie fleece blankets and deliver them to the shelter. It's not what headlines are made of on the nightly news, but maybe our world would be nicer, kinder, and happier if the stories we saw were about mom's making cookies for the PTA bake sale and father's building space rockets for pack meetings.

(Side note:  Just now my two youngest children ran through the living room with underwear on the heads screaming and laughing. I guess you can count that as a commercial break.)

Hat's off to moms and dads, the unsung heroes living the dream. Oh, and to Mrs. Jensen—a grandmother whom I met at my kids' school. She's "doing it all over again" meaning she's raising her grandchildren. You, dear lady, are the true heroine!

"Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for good or ill in human life. The mother's image is the first that stamps itself on the unwritten page of the young child's mind. It is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss, the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world."  
--David O. McKay

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What do you love about being a mom?

Going GREEN for St. Patrick's Day--What's for DINNER?

GO GREEN for dinner tonight! 

Give your family a GREEN feast.

Here's what we're doing in honor of
St. Patrick’s Day.  Here's our menu and the links you can go to for easy and delicious recipes.

Start off with sliced green peppers and dip.  Easy enough! 

Next is avacado and pear salad. 

Recipe for the Pear and Avacado Salad

For dessert we've prepared these ahead of time.

Oreo Mint Truffles.

Recipe for Oreo Mint Truffles.

To drink we're having Lime Sherbet punch. 

Lime Sherbet Punch

(Simple version is Sprite mixed with lime green sherbert.) 

How I'm decorating my table. 

Green Apple and Candle Centerpiece 

For the Main Dish it's Buttermilk Chicken with Spinach served over rice.    

Here's the link for the recipe:  Buttermilk Chicken

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Resources for Hard Topics--Drug Addiction and Pornography

Drug Addiction and Pornography—Books that can help

 My cell phone rang at 6:14 p.m. last night. It was a friend I hadn't heard from in a while. Her voice was tense.  "My nephew. He's addicted to prescription drugs. What can I do to help?"

 A few months ago, it was another friend whose brother is addicted to heroin. "What can we do as a family to help him get better? We don't want him to die."

 Don't be fooled. In both cases these are strong, religious families. Addiction has no boundaries. It affects families from all walks of life—religious and non-religious, rich and poor, functional and dysfunctional.  Addiction affects the whole family—not just the addict.  Over the years, I have received many of these same kinds of calls asking, "How can I help a loved one who is addicted?" I'm not a licensed therapist or professional counselor. I'm a resource of information for friends, families, church members, who need to know where to turn to get help for a loved one caught in the treacherous cycle of addiction. Teaching motivational classes at a drug treatment center for the last nine years has taught me a lot about addiction. Some of my best friends are recovering addicts who are willing teachers who dedicate their lives helping others find hope. They are god-sends to many who struggle.

The good news is there is help for anyone caught in addiction. YOU can help a loved one overcome their addiction! And in the mean time, you can become a better a person a long the way. Addiction, to most people who don't understand it, is scary. But knowledge is power. Knowledge brings peace. The more you learn about addiction, the more you understand the healing power of the Atonement and the closer you come to Christ.
For any individual or family affected by addiction, there is hope. There is always hope. For this post, I'm simply going to highlight a few resources that no family should be without.

1. The Utah Department of Human Services: Division of Substance Abuse. http://www.dsamh.utah.gov
   This website is a free service that can answer basic questions and gives you a phone number to call to ask questions. It's a start. If you're not in Utah, your state should have a number as well. Call and talk with the hotline. Ask questions. Get help.

2. One book I'm going to refer you to is the LDS Family Services Addiction Recovery Program. It's only about $5.00. Every household should have a copy. You can order it on-line through Deseret Book or the Church Distribution Center. The book is based on the 12 Step Program. It's easy to read and easy to understand. Whether you're LDS or not, this book is an excellent resource. It's beautifully written. It's inspiring. Really, every adult should read it. There are other books out there as well, but this is a good start. Book
3. Of course, there are AA meetings and Al-Anon meetings. They take place every day all around the city. There is no shame in attending. These resources are here to help. And help, they do. Don't put off getting help, if you or a family member need it. This is the first day of the rest of your life. How are you going to spend it?

Getting Help with Pornography Addiction

Many families suffer from the affects of a pornography addiction. Sadly, many who are affected choose to suffer in silence. We should be able to talk about this; we have to talk about this. The good news here is there is also hope and healing. Just talk with author, Diony George, author of the book Torn Apart, and you'll find a Christian woman who has rebuilt her family after the devastating effects of pornography destroyed her first marriage. Diony's book is "an honest and riveting true story about how pornography addiction can devastate and destroy the very threads of a marriage and family." Diony is a friend of mine. When you first meet her, you love her instantly for her warm and friendly demeanor. But then, you love her for her honesty and bravery in telling her story in hopes it will help others. "Unbeknownst to [Diony]-she marries a man right after her 18th birthday and discovers a few years and two children later that he is addicted to pornography." Torn Apart is her story. Diony also offers help to families on her website and blog. http://www.tornapartbyporn.com/

 Here are two excellent resources that can help educate families about pornography.

1. 
   
   Clean Hands, Pure Heart: Overcoming Addiction to Pornography Through the Redeeming Power of Jesus Christ. Book
2. 
   
   When I was a Relief Society President, I was introduced to a book called Confronting Pornography. This book is comprehensive and provides insight about why pornography is so addiction and offers resources and help to overcome addiction to pornography. It's help for the addict and non-addict. Book

Remember…nothing…NOTHING is out of reach of forgiveness. God's hand is outstretched still. (2 Ne 19:12)

To all my wonderful ladies at House of Hope in Salt Lake City--YOU ARE MY HEROS.  You teach me how to be a better person.  You've changed me for the better.  And I love you.  ALL OF YOU. 

Raising Kids is Like Raising Chickens--Love Unstoppable

So, my kids and I are the proud parents of five adorable, tweeting, fluff balls! My oldest daughter and her friend talked me into buying two baby chicks on Tuesday. We started out with two. But we found out that you need more than two chicks for them to be healthy grown-up chickens. So, by Wednesday, we had five baby chicks.

The chicks are so cute that we have spent all our time obsessing over them. We haven't cared that they tweet through the night and that they're up at dawn, tweeting some more. Yesterday, the little black one, named Scarlet/Oreo, put its wing around the yellow chicky named Jacq. They cuddled in the corner of their box and we were beside ourselves!

 

Okay, so, the crazy thing is...we know these cute, adorable chicks are going to grow up and someday be BIG chickens. We know they aren't going to be cute and adorable forever. But right now, we don't care because we're in the honeymoon phase of raising chicks. We're caught up in the slow motion movie in our head where we're frolicking through the meadow with baby chicks running behind us. Can you see it, too?

Sadly, these babies are not going to be irresistible, tweeting fluff balls forever. In fact, I've never thought of big chickens as cute or adorable, or really anything. So, when does this "honeymoon so in love with baby chicks phase" wear off?

 

Raising chicks is just like raising kids. First, God gives you the "honeymoon phase." You fall in love with these helpless, adorable, fuzzy-headed, precious babies, whose burps are even cute. You love them so much your heart hurts. But then, when they're two, they paint your wall with blue nail polish (daughter #3). And when they're eight they play soccer in the house and break your favorite glass candy jar (son #1). Then when they're 16 they drive into a parked car at the grocery store (hasn't happened, yet, but probably will). Then when they're 21, they call you and say, "Mom, I've just eloped." (This happened recently to a friend of mine and part of her was beside herself and the other part was okay. She told me, "All I said was, 'I'm here for you when you need me.'" Yikes! Cute or adorable "chicks" do grow up to do not so cute things!

 

So, why do we have "chicks" in the first place? Why doesn't God warn us that raising "baby chicks" can be hazardous to our well being? And why doesn't he warn us that we're only going to hold them long enough to turn around and let them go? Because...God made the love we have for our children. He made it strong enough to withstand earthquakes, tornadoes, and tsunamis. He knows, with His love, we can see our children through anything. That love we felt for them as "baby chicks" is unstoppable.

 

As I hold this tiny, yellow, baby chick up against me, I know it won't be much longer and it will be too big to hold. The day will come, all to quickly, when I will need to let it go. So...I'm going to love these baby chicks into chicken-hood. I'm going to relish in the memories of holding them, watching over them, worrying about them, and tending to their needs. And then I'm going to trust God to help me to let them go.

P.S. Will you remind me I wrote this when my daughters goes off to college? And when my son goes on a mission? And when my youngest daughter goes to kindergarten? And when...

"A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on." -
-Carl Sandburg

Young Women Ideas

Teaching a lesson on VIRTUE? 
Having an activity about VIRTUE? 
Here's some IDEAS for Young Women Handouts. 

Occasionally, I receive emails asking me for ideas regarding handouts and for lessons and activities on VIRTUE.  Here are a few that I share regularly. I'd love to share them with YOU.

When I give my "BEAUTY OF VIRTUE" presentation, I use three symbols:  Gold, a Lily, and a Ruby. You may have some other ideas, so if you do, please post your comments or email me.  I'd love to add to my list!

1. VIRTUE is the color GOLD. I love this quote from Sister Dalton: "The value of virtue has been given a symbolic color, like the other values. The color of virtue is gold because gold is pure. It shines. It is soft, not harsh or brash. It is precious. Gold must be refined. As you live a pure and virtuous life, you will be refined by your life's experiences, and as you "trust in the Lord" (Proverbs 3:5) and draw closer to Him, He will "make [your] hearts as gold" (Roger Hoffman, "Consider the Lilies"). Scrapbooking stores have things that could easily represent gold. I found these gold heart charms that would be perfect hanging from a bookmark with Sister Dalton's quote. Here's the link: http://www.robertscrafts.com/default.aspx?PageID=47&CategoryID=399&ProductID=15246&RootCatCode=07000.  The heart charms say "Made with love." They are $2.99 a package. And 75 come in a pkg. An excellent reminder that God made us out of love so that we could become like him. They are tiny, but just darling.
2. Print a scripture or quote and decoupage' it on a tile. Then tie a gold ribbon around the tile with the heart dangling from it. Have you ever done decoupage' on tiles? You print 4X6 photos but only use 4X4 for the actual printing space. You need to use an imaging program to change the size to 4X4. Mod podge the photo onto a bathroom tile that you buy at Home Depot for about .15 cents. Then you use a clothes pin hot glued on the back to get the tile to stand up. Does that make sense? I've attached a 12X12 tile that I made with a different saying on it. In fact, it has the lily on it. So you can see what I have made. I digitally scrapbook the image in my scrapbooking program. You can see how I tied the ribbon around the tile. So, the little gold heart could hang on the ribbon around the tile. If you are interested in using my lily tile, you're welcome to it. I would need to send you the file in a 4X4 that could be printed on a 4X6 and then cut down to size to fit the tile. I'm happy to share.
3. I love the idea of making a Lily to wear in your hair. Hair clips are inexpensive. You could hot glue a lily on a clip for each girl. "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow..." That beautiful passage of scripture is perfect to help remind us that Heavenly Father clothed the lilies, and if he clothed the lilies and worries about them, and toils over them, then why would he not do that for us, his daughters.
4. Of course having something that represents the ruby would be wonderful. You can use glass floral marbles. Sometimes it's called sea glass. They come in different shapes. Here's a link that might get you started thinking. There is one on the list that is in the shape of a heart. 25 come in a package and they're only $4.99 per pkg. They have circular red marbles as well. A nice handout would be a note card that gives the scripture: "A virtuous woman is more precious than rubies." http://www.megaglass.com/mm5/merchant.mvc? Here's the link for the site I've used.  Red Rubie Floral Marbles
5. Okay, and then another idea would be to find tiny, little glass viles and put red glitter inside and then hang a ribbon from it like a necklace. The glitter, of course, represents the ruby!  The viles have a miniature cork at the top. I have one with fairy dust in it that was given to me as a gift by a dear friend. Here's the link so you can see what I mean as far as the vile goes. Some local bead stores probably carry them. I've never checked Michaels or Roberts. With a ribbon hanging from it, it could be a necklace.  Small Glass Viles for necklance
   
   
   
6. My publisher sells these VIRTUE PENCILS. They are gold pencils with VIRTUE inscribed on them.  They're inexpensive as well.  Here's the link: Virtue Pencils.
7. 
   
   If you're looking for rubies to give your girls, you can use floral marbles or plastic jewels.  Here's the link for the site I've used.  Red Rubie Floral Marbles

SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH US! Post your comments.Or, send me an email at jodirobinson2182@hotmail.com. Mark it YOUNG WOMEN IDEAS and I'll include your ideas in my post.

Have a wonderful day!
True beauty is felt more than it is seen.

For more information about my presentation, "The Beauty of Virtue", email me at jodirobinson2182@hotmail.com. 


 "Jodi, what you did for me and my daughter was amazing. 
Thank you."  --Lisa, Utah

LOVE Is In the Air! (Literally)

This past summer, I attended education week classes at a nearby university.  The last class of the day was on increasing the LOVE in your relationships. Sounds like your average marriage class. But it was far from it. The LOVE lesson I learned that day will stick in my mind forever.

 

My friend and I found two open seats near the front of the classroom. We sat down and pulled out our notebooks and pens.  Within minutes, the room filled with eager students ranging from ages 18 to 75. The instructor began an informative discussion about the three Greek words that define the most important word in the English language...L-O-V-E.

The instructor explained that . . .


"Eros is the romantic kind of love."
"Philos is brotherly love. The deep love you have for family members and good friends. "
"Agape love is god-like love. The unconditional, giving, serving, and sacrificing kind of love."


Interestingly enough, as the instructor began describing eros, I spotted a young couple (very young) sitting near the exit door. They couldn't keep their hands off each other. I thought to myself, "Ah, ha! That's eros in action." And believe me, there was action. Fingers through the hair, back rubs, shoulder rubs, and arm tickles. For 50 minutes straight the strawberry blonde and her bronzed counterpart were obviously engaged in eros. I guess you could say they were a very effective visual aid. (Ha!)


Next, the instructor introduced philos. The bonding kind of love you feel for a dear family member or a good friend. This kind of love is deep and has the other person's best interest at heart. I looked around the room. And what do you know? To the right of me, sat a mom and a daughter. They were linked arm in arm. They had to be mother and daughter because the dark haired one looked like a younger version of the gray-haired one. They seemed very close. At one point, the dark-haired one pulled out a granola bar, split it half and gave a piece to the gray-haired one. "Okay," I thought. There's philos in action." Again, another great visual aid.


Well, next, the instructor introduced agape love. Now, keep in mind, I've been in classes all day. My rear end is starting to go numb. My mind is wandering to what I'm going to make for dinner and which children will have what homework. "Okay, back on track. Back to agape." I tried to focus.


So, the instructor then explained that AGAPE is the God-like love—unconditional love that forgives and endures. He talked about how agape love could not be shaken or altered and that it is the heart of God that we as humans would experience if we could experience love in its fullness. I think to myself, "Well, there's no visual aid for that." I got my protein bar out of my bag and took a bite. My eyes wandered. That's when I noticed a couple sitting right in front of me. A gray-haired man and a gray-haired woman. I guessed they were in their late 60s. There was nothing stand-out obvious about this couple except for, at one point, the husband fixed his wife's knitted sweater that had fallen off her shoulder. How sweet.  Then, it happened. A long, loud, bodily sound accompanied by a gassy smell came from the gray-haired woman. Ugghh! Can you imagine a quiet room of 200 people and having that happen to you?  Unfortunately, there was no way to disguise it. She had "tooted" and everyone—at least those of us close by—knew it. I shifted in my chair feeling her pain but at the same time feeling gratitude that it was her and not I. (Does that count as philos?)


Well, right then, this woman's husband, slowly but surely, lifted his right arm, stretched it around her and lovingly patted her on her the shoulder. He even gave her a little pull towards him as if to say, "It's okay. I love you."


"Ah! Agape!" I couldn't resist. I turned to my friend and whispered, "Did you see that? THAT! THAT'S AGAPE!" We giggled silently with hearts full! We had witnessed Agape at its peak. Maybe no one else around thought so. But we sure did. And it was beautiful! (A little smelly, but beautiful.)

 That day, I can honestly say love was in the air!

To the couple who sat in front of me at Education Week 2009, I thank you! In you, I saw AGAPE in action. You know, I can't remember much more about that class—not even the instructor's name. But thanks to those three couples, I will remember the lessons of love never to be forgotten.

To have love is to give love. 

Happy LOVE Day.