Personal Interview with the Savior

In June 1965, President David O. McKay, while conversing with some brethren, admonished:

Let me assure you, brethren that some day you will have a personal Priesthood Interview with the Savior, Himself. If you are interested, I will tell you the order in which he will ask you to account for your earthly responsibilities.

First, He will request an accountability report about your relationship with your wife. Have you actively been engaged in making her happy and ensuring that her needs have been met as an individual?

Second, He will want an accountability report about each of your children individually. . .

Third, He will want to know what you personally have done with the talents you were given in the pre-existence.

Fourth, He will want a summary of your activity in your church assignment. . .

Fifth, He will have no interest in how you earned your living, but if you were honest in all your dealings.

Sixth, He will ask for an accountability on what you have done to contribute in a positive manner to your community.

****Taken from the book, Strengthening Our Families: An In-depth Look at the Proclamation on the Family. Edited by David C. Dollahite. Pg. 98. ****


I post this quote not to incriminate any of our husbands, but to only address the accountability that we will undoubtedly share. This quote began as one of my favorites when I was younger because of what the 'guys' were responsible for, but now my attention is drawn to what I am responsible for. It's a reminder of my need to address my priorities and make sure that I am keeping them in order.

I thought you would enjoy it. Have a wonderful Sabbath day

Blueberry Applessauce Muffins

These muffins are good for Breakfast (which I used them for today) or for a nutritious snack.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. light brown sugar
1/2 C. whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cinnnamon
1 1/4 C. low-fat buttermilk
1 1/4 C. unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 C. fresh blueberries

The Mixing:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly coat a 16-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

Mix together 1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour, sugar, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, applesauce, egg, oil and vanilla.

Toss the Blueberries in 1/4 C. all-purpose flour to lightly coat the berries. (I chose not to use blueberries this time because I didn't have any)

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until the batter is just moistened.



Fold in the Blueberries.

Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups. (I also do not own one of those larger 16-muffin tins, so I didn't use those. I used paper cups too.) Bake the muffins for 20 minutes.



Cool the muffins in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.




Because I didn't use the larger muffin tin, I got twenty-four muffins, didn't have to cook them as long, and the Calories for each of my muffins are probably under or around 100.

~I wouldn't recommend using the paper cups unless you spray them with cooking spray. I don't really know what that would do, but my muffins really stuck to the paper bad. I wouldn't use anything next time.~

16 Servings
**Be sure to use fresh berries. Frozen may make the batter too watery.
**Calories 125, Energy Density 1.6, Carbs 25 g., Fat 1 g., Protein 3 g., Fiber 1g.

***Recipe from: The Volumetrics Eating Plan by Barbara Rolls, Ph. D.***

10 Things You DON'T Have to Do to Get to Heaven in October

1- Get dressed for General Conference. (unless you are headed for the Stake Center)

2- Put up the "Fall" Relief Society craft in your front room

3- Take your kids to the ward "trunk or treat"

4- Win 1st place at the ward chili cook off

5- Dress up as Samuel the Lamanite for Halloween

6- Get the flu shot. (although this one is probably a good one to do anyway)

7- Give all the kids in the ward a "King Size" chocolate bar on Halloween

8- Feel bad about scaring the three year old with the huge bat flying over your door.

9- Pay $30 to go to a Haunted House (really. 30 bucks! I can't believe prices are that high now. I remember when it was 5! that makes me sound old doesn't it?)

10- Cut up the pumpkins that haven't gone bad and freeze them so you can do your baking next month.

Unusual But WONDERFUL Fast Sunday

I know it's Wednesday and I am soo slacking. I just haven't been able to catch up on all the things I need to since I was sick last week. BUT I WILL.

I have to tell you about Sunday. It was Fast Sunday in our Stake because of General Conference the week before. Now, as you can imagine, Fast Sunday is one of my dreaded Sundays. You know, just praying there are no visitors in the congregation when someone gets up and says something completely ridiculous.

ANYWAY, this Sunday when my Hubby and I sat down in our pew, I noticed a few men that I hadn't seen before. So, I asked my Hubby who they were. He said he hadn't seen them before either. Okay. I'm thinking I will find out after Sacrament. I didn't have to wait until after Sacrament. I found out during testimony time. The first guy got up in his obviously two sizes too big suit and tells all about how he has been in the ward boundaries for a while, but not come to church. And how he is making a change in his life and will be here every Sunday. And that he is so excited to be back. It was wonderful. Genuinely excited to be at church and enjoying the gospel. (I was thinking 'this could be a good fast and testimony meeting after all.')

Then, two people later, one of the other men I didn't recognize got up. (Now you have to picture him.) Jeans, black and white leather jacket, black t-shirt with white lettering on it (I couldn't see what it said), scruffy face, short, fifty-four year old man. (he told us his age)

He gets up and says that his mother told him he needed to share his life story and so he did. He started talking (100 miles/hour) about all the drugs he had done over the years. Listing them by name along with his age when he started using each one. Talking about his getting married when he was really young. Having kids. Getting divorced. (Now you have to also picture my Bishop, being very uncomfortable, on the edge of his seat trying to decide whether to stop him or not) Getting together to hang out with his kids a few months ago. Dirt Biking. How he promised himself he would stop all the drugs, tobacco, and alcohol by his 50th birthday, but he was four years late. He wrapped it all back into him realizing that his family was important and that he was going to straighten up, come back to church. He had been clean for 22 days and was excited! He said he will be there every week from here on out.

Wonderful. It was a great meeting. Real people making real changes. Everyone from a little different situation beginning/continuing their spiritual goals. I thoroughly enjoyed my Fast Sunday.

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark. . . .

ONE: Don't miss the boat.

TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat.

THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

SIX: Build your future on high ground.

SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

NINE: When you're stressed, float a while.

TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

~Anonymous

Knotting Fun with Cinnamon and Sugar

Cinnamon Knots



These little treats are extremely easy to make and kids LOVE them.

Here is what you need:

Frozen Rhodes Dough
White Sugar
Cinnamon
Butter

Here is what you do:

Let the Rhodes Rolls thaw.

While the Rhodes Rolls thaw, mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Melt Butter.

When you are able to manipulate the Rolls, squish and roll out to look like a snake. Then, tie your snake into a knot.

After your snake is all tied up, dip it into the butter and then roll it into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Make sure you really cover your knot well.

Place your knot on a greased (I prefer Pam) cookie sheet. Cover (lightly) with plastic wrap and let rise. They should rise pretty well. DON'T let them over rise, they will fall.

When they have risen for at least an hour, put in the oven at 350 degree F. for 8 to 12 minutes. (this all depends upon the oven)

They are finished when they are browned. Don't be afraid to poke at them.

Enjoy

The Long Awaited Weekend

This weekend was one I was so excited for. A wedding. My Roommate Reunion. General Conference, of course. But my updates had to be interrupted by sickness. The flu us just never appreciated.

I've had the flu twice since being pregnant. I had the flu vaccine in between the two separate spouts of sickness. And I felt sick for a couple of days with the vaccine. Maybe I'm just not supposed to go too long with out feeling sick with this baby? This baby's immune system should be stellar by the time it pops out.

Anyway, I will have to update about the weekend when I get the detox of my apartment finished.

Soothing Rain

I love the sound of the Rain. It's been pouring for like five hours straight. I heard it when it began. The thunder was so loud it shook my little apartment and woke me up. (My grandma would have freaked) I just listened to the showers begin.

Maybe I'll go for a walk in it. (I really like to run in the rain, but since I haven't ran for a while I will just walk)

What do you do in the rain?

The Meeting That Should Ignite My Relief Society Fire

The General Relief Society Meeting 2009

I wanted (before today) to address what I heard in the General Relief Society Meeting this past Saturday, but I just haven't been able to gather my thoughts.

I'll be honest, I don't usually go. I don't really like to listen to many women speak. (they are way more fluffy than I like- too much beating around the bush) But the enticement of free dinner from the stake and my mom making sure I was going got my butt placed securely in a pew at the stake center.

This meeting was a miracle because it was the first one in a LONG time that I didn't drift off to sleep. I heard it all. I even took notes! (something I haven't done since my brief interlude at BYU-Idaho)

The talks were the same for me as they always are. Always about Relief Society. (People, I know what meeting I was attending. You don't have to remind me. Just not my favorite topic)

There was a hallelujah moment for me when the title of Family, Home and Personal Enrichment lallalala was discarded and we are now just attending "Relief Society Meetings." A SIMPLE NAME. YES!!

I really do like to hear that the "ideal" Relief Society is the focus. All the speakers talked about the way I picture Relief Society being done. Like it being done as described in the handbook and not the traditions of each ward or stake. There should always be a focus on the people not percentages. Our reports for Visiting Teaching should focus on the spiritual and temporal well-being of the sisters and not whether we gave a lesson or not. We are supposed to seek out and help those in need not just the ones we are particularly fond of.

These are all wonderful and I'm sure if I was anyone else I would have rejoiced at the topics addressed, but I am left wanting.

Sister Barbara Thompson, the second counselor in the general presidency, talked a lot about "GAPS." This really made sense to me. I feel as though in Relief Society we talk about the "ideal" all the time. We should do this, we should do that. We need to improve, we need to strengthen. But there is a "gap" between what we 'should' be doing and what is done.

I'm a realist. I know. I also know that realism can be seen as pessimism. I know that if you spend too much time on the pessimistic side of things there will never be anything positive that you see. So, I don't mean to dwell on the fact that where Relief Society should be is FAR from where it really is. What I do mean to focus on is the "gap."

I would like to go to a Relief Society meeting and hear A PLAN. A plan of action. Not what we should be doing, but what we are going to do. Thompson talked about three different situations that women of the church need to work on. Not once did she address how to get over the gap. Only that there was a gap and don't fall into it.

I understand goals. I'm an athlete, my life has revolved around them for years. But you can't have a final destination without a plan of how to get there. Even Lehi understood this in his vision of the tree of life.

The Goal= get to the tree

The Plan= hold onto the rod that leads to the tree.

He had a plan and it was laid out for him. If we don't have a plan we drift off into darkness, fall down into the dirty river, or let another building distract us from our original goal.

When it comes to Relief Society I feel the same way. If we don't have a plan to get to our ideals we will never arrive. Just once I would like to hear a woman tell it how it is without fluffing the actual situation and give us a plan. Things that will be changed and this is how. Just once.

Homemade Salsa

It's a beautiful time of season. Tomato time. Don't know what to do with your tomato's. Here is what I did.

I spent a couple of hours chopping up veggies with my mom to make homemade salsa. It's a great way to use the tomato's. Although, if your family is anything like mine, your salsa wont last very long.

Ingredients:

Onion
Tomato's
1 can of green chile's
jalapeno's
1/4 c. of apple cider vinegar
cilantro
dash of salt

You add the veggies to your liking. If you want it hotter add more jalapeno's. If you want it less hot you can add jalapeno's without their seeds. This was fun to make because it's all about tasting throughout the mixing. Your taste is the best one.



Make sure you have a large bowl to put everything in. Chop veggies. Mix. Make sure you add the vinegar. (while making the first batch we weren't really paying attention and added red wine vinegar. It works, just a little sweeter flavor.)

We wanted chunky salsa, so we chopped all of the veggies by hand. You can put everything in a blender to make it more smooth if you like.

The salsa is great immediately, but WONDERFUL if you let it sit for a while.



Sit Down with your favorite tortilla chips and ENJOY!