Another favorite quote from the lesson- “There is a line of demarcation well defined between the Lord’s territory and the devil’s territory. If you will stay on the Lord’s side of the line you will be under his influence and will have no desire to do wrong; but if you cross to the devil’s side of that line one inch you are in the tempter’s power and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly because you will have lost the Spirit of the Lord.”
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Lord's Side of the Line
I get to go to Relief Society again! And the primary program was Sunday and I got to sit in the congregation and watch my first born sing and say his part so well! It was great. I even cried. He is getting so big so fast. But back to Relief Society, the lesson was on staying on the Lord's side of the line. They showed this video. I remember Jack telling me about Holland's talk and I think this is great on so many levels-
Thursday, March 22, 2012
"Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions"
In the last month we've had a series of unfortunate events dealing with our finances.
It started with a notice from a credit card company saying our payment was late. ... We don't use that credit card and keep it for emergencies, so I was confused and to my complete shock I saw a charge posted I was sure I put on another card. I believed (and would have been 100% sure) I placed the online order on a card from our local credit union. We usually just use Jack's card and I had never used the one with my name before until this purchase. Shortly after the purchase I received a letter in the mail saying, "We've had unexpected charges to your card." Something like that anyway and I thought that was why the charge was not posted to the account yet. I had to call and clear it or something. I still have no idea why I received that letter since I obviously still have never used that card. Anyway, it was a simple $20 charge and now I was stuck paying a $10 late fee. For such a little purchase, $10 seemed like a lot and I was pretty upset about it.
A few days later we were walking home from the library and my little boy insisted on carrying a VHS he had picked out (Barney mind you, because it had a castle on the cover) :) Well while we were walking home we stopped for a minute by the skateboard park because he likes to run up and down the ramps. When we got home and he asked to watch the movie I realized, he must have set the movie down at the skate park and left it. We went back to get it, but it was gone. I had to pay $20 to replace a dirty, old, dumb VHS. I was even more disappointed.
Not a few days later we found out more disturbing news. Our taxes went up about $800 last year; we knew that. Because of the increase, our monthly payments were going to be going up to make up for the $800 we owed for last year, and appropriate it so this year we would be paying the correct amount, $1600 total. Well, we have never owned a house before and didn't realize this was not normal. But after talking to some people we came to find out the huge jump in our taxes was because they listed our house as a non-primary residence and we missed the deadline to dispute it.
As far as we were concerned, we filled out all the appropriate paperwork to have it listed as our primary residence. They never told us that the application was denied because the address on Jack's license did not match our house address (but when you look online at DMV's website it does have the right address?) and that they would need my drivers license number as well. We were basically told, tough luck. It's too late, budgets are closed so you can't change the fact that you owe $800 now for last year (for it being a non-primary residence when clearly it is our primary residence). And if we don't get the appropriate information to them in the next couple weeks we will have to pay the $800 this year too.
Then there was a book I sold on ebay. It was supposed to ship media mail for about $3, instead the note to ship it media was left off and it shipped for $13.
Yesterday Jack drove up to Cedar City (costing mileage on our car, his time, and of course, gas money) to take a test. When he arrived, he found out the testing center closed 3 hours earlier that day. Now he needs to drive up again today, and our car started making awful noises... So luckily we have another car, our van. It obviously uses more gas, and our allotted budget for gas is gone this month, but he will have to fill up the van to drive it up.
So he felt really bad. We've already had all these excess, unexpected costs so we're trying extra hard to save money any way we can, and now he's having to drive to Cedar two days in a row and take the van on one of those trips.
I feel comforted though. Normally I would stress out and get really depressed or angry at either my own stupidity or the frustration of dealing with other people. I'm leaving out a couple other ridiculous hoops we've had to jump through on behalf of other people not doing their jobs in the last couple weeks. And probably a handful of other costs I'm choosing to block out :) Anyway, I just feel like it's not a big deal. It's money. But we're not struggling to survive; we have good health, and plenty of other blessings. These costs come at a time when we just received a tax return, so though we would've liked the money to go to savings and other things of worth, it isn't hurting us. And that's nice.
It's nice I feel a sense of accomplishment too. Like I am beating this trial. Those first expenses (which are so little yet seemed huge) got me upset in the beginning. But after I've seen one thing after another I've finally decided I am not going to let it get me down. I am in charge of my attitude and feelings. I want to remain happy and positive for my family. Lately I just keep having come to my mind Nephi's psalm 2 Nephi chapter 4-
Why would I let these things block my peace and happiness making me weak? I need to Awake and rejoice in the Lord. It's all around a better place to be. :)
It started with a notice from a credit card company saying our payment was late. ... We don't use that credit card and keep it for emergencies, so I was confused and to my complete shock I saw a charge posted I was sure I put on another card. I believed (and would have been 100% sure) I placed the online order on a card from our local credit union. We usually just use Jack's card and I had never used the one with my name before until this purchase. Shortly after the purchase I received a letter in the mail saying, "We've had unexpected charges to your card." Something like that anyway and I thought that was why the charge was not posted to the account yet. I had to call and clear it or something. I still have no idea why I received that letter since I obviously still have never used that card. Anyway, it was a simple $20 charge and now I was stuck paying a $10 late fee. For such a little purchase, $10 seemed like a lot and I was pretty upset about it.
A few days later we were walking home from the library and my little boy insisted on carrying a VHS he had picked out (Barney mind you, because it had a castle on the cover) :) Well while we were walking home we stopped for a minute by the skateboard park because he likes to run up and down the ramps. When we got home and he asked to watch the movie I realized, he must have set the movie down at the skate park and left it. We went back to get it, but it was gone. I had to pay $20 to replace a dirty, old, dumb VHS. I was even more disappointed.
Not a few days later we found out more disturbing news. Our taxes went up about $800 last year; we knew that. Because of the increase, our monthly payments were going to be going up to make up for the $800 we owed for last year, and appropriate it so this year we would be paying the correct amount, $1600 total. Well, we have never owned a house before and didn't realize this was not normal. But after talking to some people we came to find out the huge jump in our taxes was because they listed our house as a non-primary residence and we missed the deadline to dispute it.
As far as we were concerned, we filled out all the appropriate paperwork to have it listed as our primary residence. They never told us that the application was denied because the address on Jack's license did not match our house address (but when you look online at DMV's website it does have the right address?) and that they would need my drivers license number as well. We were basically told, tough luck. It's too late, budgets are closed so you can't change the fact that you owe $800 now for last year (for it being a non-primary residence when clearly it is our primary residence). And if we don't get the appropriate information to them in the next couple weeks we will have to pay the $800 this year too.
Then there was a book I sold on ebay. It was supposed to ship media mail for about $3, instead the note to ship it media was left off and it shipped for $13.
Yesterday Jack drove up to Cedar City (costing mileage on our car, his time, and of course, gas money) to take a test. When he arrived, he found out the testing center closed 3 hours earlier that day. Now he needs to drive up again today, and our car started making awful noises... So luckily we have another car, our van. It obviously uses more gas, and our allotted budget for gas is gone this month, but he will have to fill up the van to drive it up.
So he felt really bad. We've already had all these excess, unexpected costs so we're trying extra hard to save money any way we can, and now he's having to drive to Cedar two days in a row and take the van on one of those trips.
I feel comforted though. Normally I would stress out and get really depressed or angry at either my own stupidity or the frustration of dealing with other people. I'm leaving out a couple other ridiculous hoops we've had to jump through on behalf of other people not doing their jobs in the last couple weeks. And probably a handful of other costs I'm choosing to block out :) Anyway, I just feel like it's not a big deal. It's money. But we're not struggling to survive; we have good health, and plenty of other blessings. These costs come at a time when we just received a tax return, so though we would've liked the money to go to savings and other things of worth, it isn't hurting us. And that's nice.
It's nice I feel a sense of accomplishment too. Like I am beating this trial. Those first expenses (which are so little yet seemed huge) got me upset in the beginning. But after I've seen one thing after another I've finally decided I am not going to let it get me down. I am in charge of my attitude and feelings. I want to remain happy and positive for my family. Lately I just keep having come to my mind Nephi's psalm 2 Nephi chapter 4-
26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath avisited men in so much bmercy, cwhy should my dheart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?
27 And why should I ayield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to btemptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my cpeace and afflict my soul? Why am I dangrybecause of mine enemy?
28 Awake, my soul! No longer adroop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the benemy of my soul.
29 Do not aanger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
30 Rejoice, O my aheart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the brock of my salvation.
Why would I let these things block my peace and happiness making me weak? I need to Awake and rejoice in the Lord. It's all around a better place to be. :)
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Family Home Evening
I've been absent for a little while as I've tried to write in my journal with more personal things. But I don't want to give up on posting experiences I've had, lessons I've learned or things of importance to me. Today it is on Family Home Evening. The church encourages designating Monday night as a time to spend as a family with song, prayer, lesson, and building relationships which usually includes a game and treat! :)
Our family has done Family Home Evening every Monday since Jack and I got married (for the most part) and as our kids started getting older we tried to include them more and teach lessons applicable to them. Unfortunately our almost four year old has put up a bit of a struggle recently. It had us confused since we've always done it and he usually loves it. Last Monday we let him go to bed and had it without him. Discouraged I planned a special one for the next night and he was happy to participate. Yesterday we were able to do it again and as our family sat together on the couch watching a video portraying a true story from the prophet Heber J. Grant, I felt a great love for them and for Family Home Evenings.
There is something special about teaching your children how Jesus loves us and wants us to love others. We pay tithing and fast offerings to help other people and it makes us happy to be able to give to others who do not have what we have. It is nice to be able to feel the spirit as a family and watch your children learning to recognize that spirit by getting a feeling of happiness. Ezra sat calm and quietly, focused on the little child (which is very rare for that ball of energy) and smiled in a sweet voice saying, "He's happy!" at the end. When we help others we are happy and we can help others be happy as well.
Our family has done Family Home Evening every Monday since Jack and I got married (for the most part) and as our kids started getting older we tried to include them more and teach lessons applicable to them. Unfortunately our almost four year old has put up a bit of a struggle recently. It had us confused since we've always done it and he usually loves it. Last Monday we let him go to bed and had it without him. Discouraged I planned a special one for the next night and he was happy to participate. Yesterday we were able to do it again and as our family sat together on the couch watching a video portraying a true story from the prophet Heber J. Grant, I felt a great love for them and for Family Home Evenings.
There is something special about teaching your children how Jesus loves us and wants us to love others. We pay tithing and fast offerings to help other people and it makes us happy to be able to give to others who do not have what we have. It is nice to be able to feel the spirit as a family and watch your children learning to recognize that spirit by getting a feeling of happiness. Ezra sat calm and quietly, focused on the little child (which is very rare for that ball of energy) and smiled in a sweet voice saying, "He's happy!" at the end. When we help others we are happy and we can help others be happy as well.
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