Surprise Missionary Moment
By Rebecca | July 31, 2008
I had just wrapped two wedding gifts. I sat staring at the the package, contemplating the pressing question of whether a silver bow really looked good on a silver package, when my door bell rang. I tried a green, metallic bow next to the silver one and then went to answer the door.
Standing at my door was a nervous college student. He introduced himself and explained that he was a missionary student trying to put himself through school. He gave me his sales pitch for several religious books and study guides. He asked if I studied the Bible and explained the benefits of each book in helping me to understand and profit from the words of this Holy Book.
At the close of his presentation, I politely declined any of the books. Then he wanted to know if he could leave me with a prayer. He asked my name and if there was any special need or blessing that I would like him to mention in the prayer. I told him I was grateful for my family.
There on my doorstep we folded our arms and bowed our heads in prayer. This young man prayed for me and for my family. Even though he was nervous, his prayer was intense and sincere. While he had talked I had wondered if there was something I could share with him. As he prayed, I remembered a spare issue of the Ensign I had sitting on my shelf. It was the special edition on Jesus Christ put out earlier this year.
When the prayer was finished. I asked him to wait while I got something for him. I snatched the magazine off the shelf and took it to the door. I showed it to the young man, explaining that I was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, otherwise known as Mormons. I told him the issue was about Jesus Christ and that all the articles were about our belief in Christ. I showed him the artwork. I pointed out those articles that answer questions about Mormons and try to explain those of other faiths. I told him that I did not have money to help him in school but that I wanted to share the magazine with him.
He seemed genuinely touched and excited. He told me that he wasn’t really in it for the money, that he wanted to help people. He then offered to leave a Bible study guide with me, free of charge, if I thought that I would read it. I turned the book over in my hands and looked at some of the pages. He told me that it was a non-denominational guide.
After some thought, I returned the book to him. No doubt it was a well meant and insightful publication. But I knew I would never pick it up instead of the Book of Mormon, or other inspired works and manuals that clarify the Bible doctrine. I told him that I already had several study guides and that I would probably use the book little.
He thanked me and promised that he would read the magazine I had given him. He wished me a good day and went on down the road.
I went back to my package. Suddenly the dilemma of the silver bow seemed trivial. I stuck the bows on the gift and thought of the marvelous gift of the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ. And I was grateful for the missionary at my door who, by letting me share that gift with him, had reminded me of how precious it was to me and my family.
Topics: Blessings, Book of Mormon, Christ, Family, Inspirational, Missionary Work, Relief Society, Testimony, Young Women | No Comments »
Decorater Icing
By Rebecca | July 28, 2008
1 1/2 cups shortening
1/2 cup water or milk
2 tsp. clear vanilla
2 tsp. almond extract (opt.)
2 pounds Powdered Sugar
Mix together for white icing that looks wonderful on your cake. Use food coloring paste to create different colors.
Some tips: Using water instead of milk makes the frosting last longer without spoiling.
4 cups of powdered sugar is about 1 pound.
If you are only making a normal size cake, cut the recipe in half–or even in thirds. This recipe makes a lot of frosting. Half is sufficient to decorate most cakes made from a single cake mix.
Topics: Budget, Cooking, Family, Food, Recipe, Relief Society, Young Women | No Comments »
Amazing Cakes
By Rebecca | July 1, 2008
A well decorated cake can turn any occasion into a special occasion. I always like to stroll by the bakery counter in the grocery store and look at the creative designs on cakes of all sizes and shapes. The problem is, I don’t like to pay the bakery prices for beautifully decorated cakes. I also have never learned the secrets of decorating like a pro.
Then my mother-in-law gave me a book: “Family Fun Birthday Cakes” by Deanna Cook. It shows you how to cut and decorate cakes for just about any theme using ordinary baking pans and various types of cookies, candy and, of course, icing.
Using it as a guide, my husband and I have made cakes for each of my kids’ 
birthdays, as well as for a church activity and an Arrow of Light ceremony.
Pictured here are the cakes we made for my son’s first, third and fourth birthdays. The frog was made using a round cake pan, 2 cupcakes, some fruit by the foot for the tongue and raisins for the eyeballs. The Dukes of Hazzard cars were modeled after the Safari Jeep in the book with the color scheme changed to resemble cars from my son’s favorite TV show. We used jelly beans for the lights on the police car. The hot dog and hamburger cupcakes were made following the directions in the book and then displayed in a picnic basket. (We had his party at the park that year.)
The real fun comes when you begin to combine ideas and mix in a little creativity of your own. For instance, cookie or cracker crumbs make good dirt–Oreos for dark, muddy dirt or graham cracker crumbs for beach sand. Blue icing is water, green icing can be grass. Pretzels make great logs, licorice and be used to outline designs. By combining these and other elements, I was able to make a cake with a trail through a grassy meadow that led to a bridge. (I used Kit-Kats to make the bridge, placing them upside down over a broken sandwich cookie covered in blue icing to create the look.) Along the trail I placed various Cub Scout emblems ending with the Arrow of Light closest to the bride. A Lego person of my son’s represented the Scout walking along the trail. This was the highlight of an Arrow of Light ceremony for our Pack. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a camera to take a picture.
You can also search the web to find fun candles or cake toppers to give your little one the perfect cake. Sites like www.birthdaydirect.com carry all types of themed toppers, many of them just like the cakes displayed in the grocery store and some of them better.
This year my daughter wants a princess cake and I was able to purchase a topper shaped like Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Using tips from the book, I am confident I will be able to bake the cake for her dress and the topper will make the cake a dream come true for a bunch of little girls. While looking for the perfect topper, I found Strawberry Shortcake toppers, other Disney princess toppers, Spider-man toppers, Dinosaur toppers, and dozens of others for all different shaped cakes. Plus, you can get decorations, favors and gift wrapping to match your theme if you want. (This is the first time that I’ve purchased decorations and dishes to match the theme. My daughter is having a combined party this year, with her best friend who happens to share her birth date.)
A creative cake can make any occasion special and fun. Cook’s book has changed the way I see making a dessert–especially for children. Pictures in cooking magazines add to my store of ideas. (I sometimes leaf through them while I wait at the check out stand. If they have cakes inside and if my kids are behaving themselves.) And I was thrilled to see a 3-D dragon cake featured in a Wiki-How-To. (It was made by cutting up two 8 or 9″ round layer cakes.) Once you begin to realize the possibilites, you are limited only by your own imagination–and how much cake you are willing to eat.
Topics: Budget, Cooking, Food, Relief Society, Traditions, Uncategorized, Young Women | 1 Comment »
A Little Archery goes a Long Way
By Rebecca | July 1, 2008
Two weeks ago, I spent five days at Cub Scout Day Camp teaching archery to seven, eight, and nine year old boys. My own archery experience began last year at Day Camp where I was a “walking leader.” As a walking leader, I was responsible for escorting a group of boys from activity to activity throughout the day. One hour each day was spent at the Archery range. One day there was some extra time and the Ranger asked if the walking leaders wanted to shoot. So I shot and had a great time doing it.
Later I was called to be a den leader. Then I got word that “Ranger” training was being held on a Sunday morning in March. So I went. I sat through three hours or so of instruction on how to set up BB and Archery ranges. How to keep the ranges safe and how to engage the boys so that they learned the basics of shooting.
I then sat through several meetings of day camp staff where I found that I understood every word spoken but still had no idea what was going on. I listened as they discussed supplies, locations, and set up.
Then I got to camp early Monday morning. A couple of canopies were set up with foam targets about 10 or 11 yards away. There were no bows, no arrows, no posters and no experienced ranger to take the lead. (The gentleman working with me on the range had taken the training, like myself, but had never actually run a range before.) While I was still trying to figure out how to run a range without bows, about 25 eager little boys showed up.
I began to talk to them about range safety. I asked them to think of rules and tell them to me. Since I did not have a list of our “official” rules of the range, I tried to use common sense. Things like, don’t point your arrow at your neighbor’s eye and always listen to the ranger. We finally scraped up the posters with rules and parts of the bow on it. Then we got some bows and arrows for the boys.
The first day was spent mainly talking with the boys about rules and safety. The boys didn’t want to hear it. They wanted to shoot. By the time we tried to talk about stance and shooting technique they had tuned us out completely. So we let them step up to the line, in turn, and shoot their arrows a the targets. Most of those first arrows made it less than three feet. Arrows littered the ground between the firing line and the targets. A precious few actually stuck in the targets, most of them shot by older boys who had been to camp once before. Almost none went beyond the targets.
The boys had various explanations for their inability to hit the targets. Many of them insisted that they needed a different bow–one that worked better. One boy told me, with an expression of sincere worry, ”My arrow is broken. It won’t hit the target.”
The next day went a little smoother. The boys were a little more attentive when we spoke about proper stance and aiming techniques. They were more willing to let us work with them on the firing line to improve their posture and firing. The arrows went a little farther and few more stuck in the target.
With each passing day we were able to spend less time discussing safety, although we reviewed the rules daily, and more time focusing on the shooting itself. Sometimes, after working with a boy for several minutes–making sure his arrow was nocked properly, pointing his feet the right direction, correcting his hold on the bow and the bowstring, and coaching him to pull the string back and back and back and back just a little more–he would beam with pride as his arrow sailed neatly to the row of targets. Afterward, I would notice the same boy working hard to correct his posture and shooting technique so that his arrow would continue to hit the target.
By the end of the week, three or four arrows lay on the ground between the firing line and the targets. Many were in the targets themselves, some in the large black circle we called a bulls-eye. (In fact, of over 100 boys, we had less than 20 who failed to hit the bulls-eye at least once during the course of the week.) A great number of arrows were stuck in the grass beyond the targets. I wish that I had taken a before and after picture to let the boys see the progress they had made in a single week.
The boys knew the rules of safety by heart. They had also learned the basics of how to stand and hold the bow properly. They had also learned that following our instructions made a difference. Obeying the safety rules kept them safe and allowed them to participate on the archery range. Following the tips on stance, aiming and drawing the bow made their arrows fly farther and straighter and allowed them to hit the target.
That Sunday our lesson was Elder Holland’s General Conference address titled, “My Words Never Cease.” As I read the talk, I couldn’t help but think about my aspiring archers. Like them, I am also aiming for a target. I am trying to live my life the way the Lord would have me live. I am trying to be worthy to return to his presence. And I too have an instructor, a ranger, who can help me to hit my target.
The Lord speaks to prophets. The prophets teach me things that will keep me safe, both spiritually and physically, and they teach principles that can bring me closer to the Lord and nearer to my target. Each time I follow the counsel of the prophet, my aim improves and I come a little closer to hitting the bulls-eye. But, like the scouts, I need practice. Only by continually applying the principles taught, over and over and over again, can I become the type of person that the Lord intends for me to be.
Topics: Christ, Inspirational, Life, Relief Society, Uncategorized, Young Women | 1 Comment »
Revelation and Washing Socks
By Rebecca | June 15, 2008
A friend of mine just gave birth to her third child about 3 months ago. She has a 4 year old, a 2 year old and a newborn. This is a common enough scenario and, as is also common, she is struggling to tend to her children and keep up with housework. As we were discussing this the other day she shared a cleaning tip with me, as well as some thoughts about how the Lord helps us in our daily lives.
She recently tied a loop onto a mesh lingerie bag and hung it above her laundry basket. Then she taught the family to put their dirty socks into the bag. When it’s time to do laundry, she zips the bag closed and tosses it into the washing machine. This way, she doesn’t loose socks in the wash and it is easier to sort and fold the socks once they are clean.
She then told me that with each child, she seems to find new tricks that make coping with housework easier. Each time she encounters a problem, she is able to find handy little solutions that help things go a little more smoothly.
An institute instructor I had once said that there are important things to know and then there essential and eternal things to know. Knowing how to keep house is important. Knowing that “children are an heritage of the Lord” is eternal and essential. When we act in faith to live the Lord’s commandments, he will fill in the gaps with the important knowledge.
My friend and her family are faithfully striving to obey the Lord’s commandments. As she exercises her faith in rearing her family, the Lord is able to reveal to her details that make her job easier. Things like how to keep the socks together in the wash.
Topics: Blessings, Family, Friends, Life, Parenting, Relief Society, Young Women | 3 Comments »
Classic Movies: It Happened One Night
By Rebecca | June 3, 2008
I love old movies. I love the corny love stories and zany humor. I often find them more witty and clever than modern films. Plus, there tends to be less offensive material in older films than in current movies. A lot of my friends would also like old movies, but they aren’t sure which ones are worthwhile and which ones aren’t.
So, every so often I will recommend a classic film here on my site. These films are available on DVD and can usually be purchased online or rented from Netflix or Blockbuster online. (Netflix seems to have a larger collection of classic cinema than Blockbuster, though.
To start with, I’d recommend “It Happened One Night.” This film, starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert was released in 1934. Directed by Frank Capara (same guy who did “It’s a Wonderful Life”), it was the first film to win all 5 major Oscars: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Writing.
The film begins with wealthy Ellie Andrews (Colbert) rebelling against her father. She jumps off the yacht and sneaks onto an all night bus headed for New York and freedom. However, her seat on the bus is next to a charming but ambitious newspaper man. He offers to assist her flight in exchange for the exclusive story.
The dialogue is witty and the romance is superb. The characters are fun and their troubles believable. It’s the kind of movie that you just can’t help quoting. (Something that will drive everyone around you nuts but it’s lots of fun anyway.)
Even though it’s a romance, it isn’t a “chick flick.” Clark Gable’s antics are sure to keep the guys in the family entertained as well as the gals. Trust me, it’s a lot of fun. And combined with a big bowl of popcorn and some lemonade it makes a perfect date night. (Or family activity if you must include the kids.)
Topics: Relief Society, Young Women | No Comments »
Technology and Temple Work
By Rebecca | June 1, 2008
The Church has developed a new family search website with the aim of reducing the number of duplicate ordinances and to allow members working on the same genealogical lines a more effective way to share information. 
The website, new.familysearch.org, requires members to register using their membership number and confirmation date. (This information can be obtained from your Ward Clerk.)
Once registered, members can then use the site to look up ancestors, verify that ordinance work has been completed for them and to collaborate with others working on the same family genealogy lines. All existing Church records have been entered into the site. You should be able to find yourself and all members of your family. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Blessings, Family, Relief Society, Young Women | 1 Comment »
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