Shake and Quake

Although I was fully awake,
I didn't feel the small quake.
Said Lance, "I might be mistaken,
But I'm feeling some shakin'!"
It was very real, not fake!

"Tagged" by Sweet Nikki

My adorable niece Nikki "tagged" me. The challenge is to list 10 things I'm grateful for. By no means is the list all-inclusive or in order of importance.

*My handsome, kind, understanding, patient, amazing husband, Lance
*The Atonement of Jesus Christ
*The blessings I receive from reading the scriptures
*My precious children and son-in-law
*Lance's job!
*My unique and loving family (including parents, siblings, in-laws and all others)
*Patient, compassionate, understanding friends
*Shampoo
*Tasty gluten-free food
*My "sanity" (although some would question that I have any)

Spelling Word

Each student in Mark's sixth-grade class chooses his or her own spelling words to study during the week and does different exercises with those words. One exercise is to write each word, write the definition, and then rewrite the word checking for correct spelling. As one of Mark's words this week, he chose "sugar." His definition: "A sweet material that brings joy to my life in times of darkness." I couldn't have said it better.

The Magic Touch?

I pride myself in being able to soothe almost any crying baby and get just about any tired baby to fall asleep. (I've had years of practice with my own colicky, fussy babies.) This afternoon I employed my "magic baby touch" again and got another baby to sleep. At dinner I bragged about my talent to my family and said, "I have a magic touch with babies. Today I got Addie to sleep."

Sara piped up and said, "Yes, Mom, you can bore anyone."

Mark's "Wisdom"

Tonight Mark asked, "Wouldn't you agree that our church involves a lot of philosophy?" When I asked him to elaborate, his response was, "You're having a bad day because you choose to."

Poor Baby!

Mark's 6th grade class, in teams of 3, researches current news topics. They choose 2 or 3 topics, prepare a presentation and present it to the class every other week. Thursday is the day for Mark's team to present. After school today I asked him what topics he presented. He explained that one was about a baby who's life was saved because it received the donated heart of another baby. Then Mark said, "Those parents had to make a very tough decision." I agreed, but I didn't know then what I was agreeing to until I asked Mark why the baby heart donor died. He replied, "Because the parents donated its heart."

I didn't think he understood my question so I tried to clarify by asking, "I know its heart was donated, but why did it die? Was it sick or in an accident?"

Mark repeated, "It died because its parents donated its heart." Then it dawned on me that Mark really thought that the heart donor parents sacrificed their own baby to save another baby's life. If that were the case, the parents really would have "had to make a very tough decision" indeed!

I set the record straight and explained the whole organ donation process. I told him that if we knew that another 11-year-old boy would die unless he received a different heart, we would NEVER sacrifice Mark to give the boy his heart. He sighed and said, "Wow, that's a relief!"

Abraham, Isaac and Mark

This evening we watched an old movie called THE BIBLE. One of the stories it depicted was Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac. As we watched, I asked Mark, "What if your dad put you on an altar and tied you up, and you knew that you would be the sacrifice?" Without missing a beat, he replied, "I'd tell him to go for the head, the temple or the throat. Actually, I'd tell him to go for the temple since that's quicker."

Do It Now

Recent events and the start of a new year have caused me to reflect (always a good thing), and I remembered this very timely poem by Berton Braley.

DO IT NOW

If with pleasure you are viewing any work a man is doing,
If you like him or you love him, tell him now;
Don't withhold your approbation till the parson makes oration
And he lies with snowy lilies on his brow;
No matter how you shout it he won't really care about it;
He won't know how many teardrops you have shed;
If you think some praise is due him now's the time to slip it to him,
For he cannot read his tombstone when he's dead.

More than fame and more than money is the comment kind and sunny
And the hearty, warm approval of a friend.
For it gives to life a savor, and it makes you stronger, braver,
And it gives you heart and spirit to the end;
If he earns your praise--bestow it; if you like him let him know it;
Let the words of true encouragement be said;
Do not wait till life is over and he's underneath the clover,
For he cannot read his tombstone when he's dead.