Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Saturday, September 27, 2014
How to Be a Good Parent -aka- Yelling Doesn't Work
"Kids! Come set the table for dinner!" My voice rang out across the house. Two of the four came quickly and got to work while I turned to switch the clothes in the nearby laundry room.
A moment later a loud "CRASH!" grabbed my attention back to the kitchen. Primus had one Corelle plate in her hand and one shattered at her feet and spread all around the room. Corelle is supposed to be durable, but not when it's dropped on its edge onto tile.
My focus instantly moved from Primus' statue-still pose to Secundus' scared face and to her shifting feet. "STOP!" I yelled. She continued to inch away from the mess and towards the door, unknowingly right by several small shards.
"STOP MOVING! STOP! STOP! DON'T MOVE YOUR FEET!"
Not matter how many times I yelled or how loud, I could not overpower her natural fight-or-flight reaction. The yelling probably even made it worse. I thank God that she did eventually stop and that she managed to miss all the dangerous glass fragments all around her.
Sadly, I yell too much. I sometimes feel like if I could just yell louder, what I want to happen will happen. I imagine my words exiting my mouth like spreading hands, grabbing the child, and making her obey.
Surely doing this with my voice is better than doing it with my physical hands, right? Nope.
Coercion is still coercion, whether by force or other means. Taking away someone's agency is not in God's plan. Making someone obey is not the way to inspire independence and a love of righteousness.
In Doctrine and Covenants section 121 Heavenly Father gives us a great, concise manual of sorts for how to be a good parent:
41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
A moment later a loud "CRASH!" grabbed my attention back to the kitchen. Primus had one Corelle plate in her hand and one shattered at her feet and spread all around the room. Corelle is supposed to be durable, but not when it's dropped on its edge onto tile.
My focus instantly moved from Primus' statue-still pose to Secundus' scared face and to her shifting feet. "STOP!" I yelled. She continued to inch away from the mess and towards the door, unknowingly right by several small shards.
"STOP MOVING! STOP! STOP! DON'T MOVE YOUR FEET!"
Not matter how many times I yelled or how loud, I could not overpower her natural fight-or-flight reaction. The yelling probably even made it worse. I thank God that she did eventually stop and that she managed to miss all the dangerous glass fragments all around her.
Sadly, I yell too much. I sometimes feel like if I could just yell louder, what I want to happen will happen. I imagine my words exiting my mouth like spreading hands, grabbing the child, and making her obey.
Surely doing this with my voice is better than doing it with my physical hands, right? Nope.
Coercion is still coercion, whether by force or other means. Taking away someone's agency is not in God's plan. Making someone obey is not the way to inspire independence and a love of righteousness.
In Doctrine and Covenants section 121 Heavenly Father gives us a great, concise manual of sorts for how to be a good parent:
41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
Gentleness and meekness? Gotta work on those ones for sure!
Verse 43-44 describe the best way to discipline:
43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
I've definitely got the "with sharpness" part down. It's that pesky little "increase of love afterwards" part that needs some work.
I don't want to yell at my kids anymore. I want to be more kind. I want to be more loving. I want to be more patient. I want to teach my children how to do things, make good choices, and be safe instead of forcing them.
Maybe I'll have this parenting-thing perfected by the time I have grandkids!
I don't want to yell at my kids anymore. I want to be more kind. I want to be more loving. I want to be more patient. I want to teach my children how to do things, make good choices, and be safe instead of forcing them.
Maybe I'll have this parenting-thing perfected by the time I have grandkids!
Friday, September 26, 2014
Puberty Book
I'm finally getting around to sharing this project I was excited about at the end of last school year: Primus' Puberty Book. I mentioned that we were working on it here and here.
I bought the blank hardcover book from Lakeshore Learning. Together we decided as we went where we wanted to break up sections of text and where to add illustrations.
I wanted her study of Sex-Ed to be very scientific and clinical. Just the facts. None of the fluff found in conventional resources for kids.
The text was copied from Wikipedia. We read it together and I explained some things to her. The idea is that she'll read and re-read this book in the future and understand more each time.
The illustrations were a combination of her drawings, photographs, diagrams printed from online, and diagrams found in a book and traced by her.
Not every concept necessitated, or lent itself easily to, an illustration.
At the very end, I had her trace a diagram of male anatomy. Then orally we discussed "where babies come from." There are several empty pages left at the back of the book so I anticipate we will have this discussion again and add text explaining it in years to come.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Read-Aloud
I read picture books to my kids a lot. But it's been hard for me to get into reading them chapter books. I'm just not good at keeping to new habits and routines. So I guess I was afraid that I would start a novel with them and then forget to read it for the next few days, and by the time we got back to it they would have forgotten what was going on.
But now we're ready for a change. We're going to be reading more chapter books together from now on! Here's what we've read so far:
Stuart Little by E.B. White- Primus picked this up on a whim last year but then it just sat on a shelf for a while. So I finally gathered the kids around and started reading it. They loved it! When we went to Solvang, we took it with us to read before bed because the kids just couldn't wait to hear what happened next. This was the beginning of giving me confidence to do long books with the kids.
Heidi by Johanna Spyrie- Secundus was given an abridged version of this one and we finished it a couple days ago. We liked it just because we already loved the movie. But I've read the original novel so I was very disappointed with how much was left out or simplified.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien- This is one of Hubby's all-time favorite books. He tends to pick a movie and then watch it for weeks on end just on repeat for background noise. Lately the one he's been watching in his man-cave is The Fellowship of the Ring. The kids have seen clips and were interested so he decided to try out The Hobbit on them. The kids were so enthralled! It helped that Hubby is good at doing voices.
This turned into a really great family time because we decided to read it until the kids fell asleep each night. We had been needing to get Quartus used to going to sleep in his own bed, too (instead of in Mommy's arms and then being transferred.) So this way, I would snuggle Quartus in his bed while Hubby did the reading with a flashlight.
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll- Now that we're done with The Hobbit, we needed a new go-to-sleep book. The girls picked this one and are really looking forward to it.
But now we're ready for a change. We're going to be reading more chapter books together from now on! Here's what we've read so far:
Stuart Little by E.B. White- Primus picked this up on a whim last year but then it just sat on a shelf for a while. So I finally gathered the kids around and started reading it. They loved it! When we went to Solvang, we took it with us to read before bed because the kids just couldn't wait to hear what happened next. This was the beginning of giving me confidence to do long books with the kids.
Horse Diaries #1: Elska by Catherine Hapka- Secundus chose
this one as her prize for completing Barnes and Noble's summer
reading program. I thought it was funny that it was set in
Iceland (close enough to Norway) and the main character was named
Elska (close enough to Elsa).
Escape from the
Carnivale: A Never Land Book by Ridley Pearson-This one was
recommended to Primus by a librarian when she was looking for a new
book. She checked it out, but also grabbed some of her
fall-backs (Magic Tree House) and didn't seem interested in reading
it. But it looked interesting to me so I made the kids listen
to it. They quickly fell in love with the characters and were
gripped by the adventure. I may have to check out more from the
series.
Peter Pan by J. M.
Barrie- We started reading this one because of our
planned literature
study and because we enjoyed the Neverland book so much. We
finished it a couple weeks ago. The kids were not excited about
this one because they were really craving pictures.
Heidi by Johanna Spyrie- Secundus was given an abridged version of this one and we finished it a couple days ago. We liked it just because we already loved the movie. But I've read the original novel so I was very disappointed with how much was left out or simplified.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien- This is one of Hubby's all-time favorite books. He tends to pick a movie and then watch it for weeks on end just on repeat for background noise. Lately the one he's been watching in his man-cave is The Fellowship of the Ring. The kids have seen clips and were interested so he decided to try out The Hobbit on them. The kids were so enthralled! It helped that Hubby is good at doing voices.
This turned into a really great family time because we decided to read it until the kids fell asleep each night. We had been needing to get Quartus used to going to sleep in his own bed, too (instead of in Mommy's arms and then being transferred.) So this way, I would snuggle Quartus in his bed while Hubby did the reading with a flashlight.
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll- Now that we're done with The Hobbit, we needed a new go-to-sleep book. The girls picked this one and are really looking forward to it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Black Thumb
So far we have been to two "science classes" at her house. She had the kids start a bean sprout in a plastic bag, started 3 herbs (parsley, basil, sage) in make-shift green houses, started 3 flowers in those same greenhouses, and set up our Root Vue.
I was so nervous when she sent everything home with us to wait for them to sprout! But we're having success! Two of the three bean bags sprouted, all the basil and sage sprouted, the carrots and radishes in the root vue sprouted, and two of the three flowers are doing excellently!
The only things we are still waiting on is the green onions in the root vue, one flower, and the parsley.
I even transplanted everything (except the carrots and radishes) into bigger containers, as you can see. And they still haven't died!
Time to get real pots and transplant again. Let's see how long this lasts!
Monday, September 22, 2014
A Bad Morning, But Not Wasted
Friday morning was rough. Thursday night I stayed up late, as usual, for no good reason. And then my limited sleep time was interrupted by a teething toddler who likes to soothe himself by rubbing and pinching my skin instead of a stuffy or blanket.
I woke up Friday in a really bad mood and not much motivation to do school. And this is why I'm glad we're doing weekly assignment sheets this year!
The girls' all day class Thursday was cancelled and they were motivated to use their extra time wisely. They were proud of themselves and excited to complete most of their list so they would have an easier, lighter load Friday. It worked out perfectly!
All Secundus had to do Friday was read for 25 minutes, one math page, one small writing assignment, and math facts practice. All Primus had to do was piano practice, math facts practice, one spelling page, spelling test, and one small writing assignment.
So we got started late (about 8:30) and they were done by 10am. They would have been done sooner if I had the energy to be more hands-on and push them along from task to task a little faster.
Literature was simply skipped and for History I taught the girls how to play Defeat the Romans and then they did that independently. They also watched more Liberty's Kids during lunch. The rest of the afternoon I thought I would nap while the kids entertained themselves, but instead I hid in my room reading a magazine and watching TV.
The day could have gone a lot worse. I could have yelled more. We could have accomplished less than we "needed" to and felt guilty or stressed about it. But everything worked out well!
I woke up Friday in a really bad mood and not much motivation to do school. And this is why I'm glad we're doing weekly assignment sheets this year!
The girls' all day class Thursday was cancelled and they were motivated to use their extra time wisely. They were proud of themselves and excited to complete most of their list so they would have an easier, lighter load Friday. It worked out perfectly!
All Secundus had to do Friday was read for 25 minutes, one math page, one small writing assignment, and math facts practice. All Primus had to do was piano practice, math facts practice, one spelling page, spelling test, and one small writing assignment.
So we got started late (about 8:30) and they were done by 10am. They would have been done sooner if I had the energy to be more hands-on and push them along from task to task a little faster.
Literature was simply skipped and for History I taught the girls how to play Defeat the Romans and then they did that independently. They also watched more Liberty's Kids during lunch. The rest of the afternoon I thought I would nap while the kids entertained themselves, but instead I hid in my room reading a magazine and watching TV.
The day could have gone a lot worse. I could have yelled more. We could have accomplished less than we "needed" to and felt guilty or stressed about it. But everything worked out well!
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Story of the World: Defeat the Romans Game
Chapter 2 The Early Days of Britain
The girls love this game and have been playing it non stop for at least 45 minutes. As you can see, the little red and blue papers that were suggested in the book were abandoned early on in favor of these little colored gems we had. One sneeze on the board, and the game had to be started all over!
The girls love this game and have been playing it non stop for at least 45 minutes. As you can see, the little red and blue papers that were suggested in the book were abandoned early on in favor of these little colored gems we had. One sneeze on the board, and the game had to be started all over!
Friday, September 19, 2014
Missionary Songs
As ward organist, it's my responsibility to pick the songs each week. Gotta admit, not my favorite part of the calling.
I thought this last Sunday the speakers were going to be a couple that recently returned home from their mission. So I selected two great missionary hymns. But then it turned out that the speakers were the couple that lead the Family Support Group that I used to facilitate. Darn it!
But it worked out perfectly because Brother and Sister Lunkley are officially serving a part-time service mission by leading this group. They've got the missionary badges/name tags and everything. So they talked about that a bit in addition to talking about the program and the 12 Steps. (It was such a privilege, honor, and joy to be able to serve with them in that group for about two years. I really enjoyed their talks!)
Plus, what is the purpose of missionary work? To invite others to come unto Christ. And what is the purpose of the Family Support Group? To help those that are dealing with the addiction of a loved one to come unto Christ for hope and healing.
Below are the two songs we sang, along with some of the lyrics that struck me as most applicable, and my own brief commentary.
Go Forth With Faith
That all may gain eternal life
Thru Jesus Christ, the Lord. (Your addicted loved one can gain eternal life through Christ's Atonement. You can gain eternal life through Christ's Atonement.)
Go forth to preach his glorious truths
Of peace, of joy, and love, (No matter what our trials are in life, we can have peace and joy.)
Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd
I thought this last Sunday the speakers were going to be a couple that recently returned home from their mission. So I selected two great missionary hymns. But then it turned out that the speakers were the couple that lead the Family Support Group that I used to facilitate. Darn it!
But it worked out perfectly because Brother and Sister Lunkley are officially serving a part-time service mission by leading this group. They've got the missionary badges/name tags and everything. So they talked about that a bit in addition to talking about the program and the 12 Steps. (It was such a privilege, honor, and joy to be able to serve with them in that group for about two years. I really enjoyed their talks!)
Plus, what is the purpose of missionary work? To invite others to come unto Christ. And what is the purpose of the Family Support Group? To help those that are dealing with the addiction of a loved one to come unto Christ for hope and healing.
Below are the two songs we sang, along with some of the lyrics that struck me as most applicable, and my own brief commentary.
Go Forth With Faith
Go forth with hope and courage strong
To spread the word abroad
That people of all nations
Are children of our God. (Because we are His children, He loves us infinitely.)
Go forth with love to tell the world
The joy of families--
That we may be with those we love
Thru all eternity. (The doctrine of eternal families can give us so much hope. But if your family member is not keeping their covenants, it can also be a point of anxiety. "Will my family member really be with me in the Celestial Kingdom?" Even so, we can't drag them to Heaven with us. They get to make their own choices. We just have to have faith that all will work out the way it should.)
That all may gain eternal life
Thru Jesus Christ, the Lord. (Your addicted loved one can gain eternal life through Christ's Atonement. You can gain eternal life through Christ's Atonement.)
Go forth to preach his glorious truths
Of peace, of joy, and love, (No matter what our trials are in life, we can have peace and joy.)
Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd
Dear to the heart of the Shepherd,
Dear are the sheep of his fold;
Dear to the heart of the Shepherd,
Dear are his "other" lost sheep; (We are all dear to him, no matter our shortcomings or life circumstances.)
Out in the desert they wander,
Hungry and helpless and cold;
Off to the rescue he hastens,
Bringing them back to the fold. (There was a time in my life when I felt like I was wandering all alone in a barren desert. Life seemed very bleak. But once I started studying and applying the 12 Steps and turned my life over to my Shepherd and Savior, He rescued me.)
See, the Good Shepherd is seeking,
Seeking the lambs that are lost,
Bringing them in with rejoicing, (The "lambs that are lost" could be referencing our loved ones that wander in the desolation of addiction. We can't bring them back to the fold, no matter how much we cry/nag/yell/plead. Only the Shepherd can do that.)
Dear
are the "ninety and nine"; (The "ninety and nine" could be referencing us. We generally consider ourselves firmly in the fold. But we still need the Shepherd.)
Dear are the sheep that have wandered
Out in the desert to pine.
Hark! he is earnestly calling, (He earnestly calls to us all because he loves us all and wants us all to have joy. But until we step towards Him and seek His help, calling and reaching out his hand is all He can do. He cannot and will not force us or our loved ones to make different choices.)
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Handshake Hilarity
I asked the following sincere question on my Facebook:
"Handshakes. I've heard people say that they prefer when someone offers them a firm, strong handshake. I've never heard anyone say, 'I love it when I get a handshake that is mostly all fingers and very limp.'
"Question to people who give handshakes like the second scenario: I'm curious, what is your thought process?"
Here are the hilarious responses my friends had. Enjoy!
"Here, hold these"
I go for a solid handshake, but am careful in case it is a softie... I don't want to have my kryptonian strength crush their bones...
"Do you like noodles? I like noodles....."
Maybe they never really had a solid handshake role model.
"Do you like noodles? I like noodles....."
"Wanna feel a dead fish? I just washed my hands."
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to feel awkward for the duration of this handshake!"
"I keep my hand in a glove full of lotion just for moments like this..... Just the one hand."
"I'm going to make you question whether I'm weak or if you really are that strong."
"Now kiss the ring you peasant!"
For some reason, the last one is my favorite. I have such witty friends. Thanks, guys!
"Handshakes. I've heard people say that they prefer when someone offers them a firm, strong handshake. I've never heard anyone say, 'I love it when I get a handshake that is mostly all fingers and very limp.'
"Question to people who give handshakes like the second scenario: I'm curious, what is your thought process?"
Here are the hilarious responses my friends had. Enjoy!
"Here, hold these"
I go for a solid handshake, but am careful in case it is a softie... I don't want to have my kryptonian strength crush their bones...
"Do you like noodles? I like noodles....."
Maybe they never really had a solid handshake role model.
"Do you like noodles? I like noodles....."
"Wanna feel a dead fish? I just washed my hands."
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to feel awkward for the duration of this handshake!"
"I keep my hand in a glove full of lotion just for moments like this..... Just the one hand."
"I'm going to make you question whether I'm weak or if you really are that strong."
"Now kiss the ring you peasant!"
For some reason, the last one is my favorite. I have such witty friends. Thanks, guys!
Homeschool Student ID Card
I stumbled on these cool free homeschool ID card. Get them here.
I printed mine out on photo paper and then decided that I still wanted them to be thicker. So I glued them to some cardboard and quickly laminated them with packing tape. This also made it possible for me to punch a hole through the cardboard so the kids could hang their IDs on lanyards.
I can't really think of a good reason why they will NEED their ID cards, but they sure look cool and they are really excited to have them!
I printed mine out on photo paper and then decided that I still wanted them to be thicker. So I glued them to some cardboard and quickly laminated them with packing tape. This also made it possible for me to punch a hole through the cardboard so the kids could hang their IDs on lanyards.
I can't really think of a good reason why they will NEED their ID cards, but they sure look cool and they are really excited to have them!
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Halloween Party Snacks
Severed Fingers and Giant Frog Eggs
I cut hotdogs in half, trim a little off the tip for the fingernail, and cut a few little slits for the knuckles. Boil until hot and then dip the cut end in ketchup. The "eggs" are canned black olives just because I needed something in the middle of the plate to make it look good.
Only a few hotdogs were eaten when I picked them up. Partly that is because there was so much food brought. And it's also partly because apparently kids were freaked out.
Monster Barf (I didn't get a picture.)
I just mixed up a yummy, easy fruit salad with canned fruit cocktail, cool whip, and a package of Jello (just the dry powder.) But then I put it in an empty gallon ice cream bucket and wrote "Barf Bucket" on the side.
It didn't get eaten at all! I guess kids were a little too nervous about that one. I thought it was delicious.
Pumpkin Jack-o-Lantern Cookies
These are just these cookies but instead of mixing the chocolate chips in, we stuck them in after scooping to make it look like a pumpkin face.
The stem is a piece of pretzel stick. I may have to figure out a better way to do these, though, because the pretzel ended up soft and kind of weird texture.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Tri-fold Foam Board Puppet Theater
It's impossible to see the pencil marks in this picture, but I used a 12X18 piece of paper as a template to cut the hole.
(Pardon the mess in these photos. We live here.)
Secundus chose pink for her curtain color. We just used construction paper, but I will have to replace it with fabric soon for more durability. I really like how the accordion-folded paper along the top looks, though.
We added a fabric curtain in the back to give her puppet shows a nice backdrop.
Why, yes, I did use staples to make a casing for the string. I just punched a hole on each side of the board to tie the string to. So if she doesn't want a background, the curtain can be pushed to one side.
Done!
Folds nice and (almost completely) flat.
I predict we'll be getting a lot of use out of this this year, especially as we learn and retell nursery rhymes and fairytales for our literature unit.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Story of the World: Roman Signum
Roman Signum
Chapter 1 The Glory That Was Rome
Monday, September 1, 2014
A Little Motivation
I'm such a mean mommy.
I made the kids do school on Labor Day. Then I threatened Secundus with missing her first day of ballet class tonight if she continued with her ugly attitude and kept refusing to do her work.
Good news is that we will be able to take a holiday when we need to later and Secundus really didn't want to miss ballet so she straightened up and ended the day on a really good note!
I made the kids do school on Labor Day. Then I threatened Secundus with missing her first day of ballet class tonight if she continued with her ugly attitude and kept refusing to do her work.
Good news is that we will be able to take a holiday when we need to later and Secundus really didn't want to miss ballet so she straightened up and ended the day on a really good note!
Hymns That Have Special Meaning to Me
Music is powerful. It can touch hearts and spirits and enlighten minds. D&C 25:12 says, "For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads."
There are a few LDS Hymns and Primary songs that hold special meaning for me.
1. Be Still My Soul
When Hubby and I started dating, he was my first boyfriend. More than that, he had become my best friend. One afternoon, after dating for about 4 months, he unexpectedly broke up with me. He said he had been praying and felt that we needed to break up.
I went to my room and cried and prayed. I was crushed and confused. I could not imagine what it was going to be like without him being an important part of my life. After having a good cry, I picked myself up and drove to the church so I could practice the organ. I wanted to be completely alone so I could think (and cry and pray some more) and also I wanted to do something that could maybe take my mind off of the situation.
After practicing the various things that I wanted to master, I went over to the piano. I opened up the Hymn book and began playing random hymns. One that I found myself singing along to was, "Be Still, My Soul."
As I sang through the verses, I felt the Holy Ghost wash over me. I felt so strongly like I was being enveloped in the arms of my loving Heavenly Father. In that moment, I felt the reassurance that everything would be ok. This hymn was speaking directly to me. The words were written specifically for me. Life is tough. And I know that my Father in Heaven is aware of my struggles. He loves me, and is with me.
2. High on the Mountain Top
When I was in labor with Primus, I didn't have an epidural or anything. Especially near the end when I was in transition and exhausted from being on my feet literally all night, I needed something to think about to focus on instead of being overwhelmed by the pain. So I started singing church songs in my head. For most of the time the song I kept getting stuck on or coming back to was High on the Mountain Top.
3. Where Can I Turn For Peace?
When I was in Young Women (maybe 16 years old), our leaders wanted to put together a small group to sing this for Sacrament Meeting. I think we ended up performing it on two separate occasions. I was selected to be one of the sopranos. The highest note was hard for us to hit but I was able to get it. I don't think I'm the best singer, but my leaders praised me and told me how good I was several times. I really appreciated the confidence and self esteem boost!
4. Master the Tempest is Raging
I think this was one of my piano teacher's favorite songs. When she started teaching me to play the hymns, this was definitely high on her list of ones that she wanted me to learn. She passed on to me her passion for the way the music builds to a frenzy and then ends serenely.
This song details one of the coolest stories from the New Testament. Christ literally has power to make the winds and waves obey him! At times in my life I have felt like I might perish from the storms of trials beating upon me. But when I am in the depths of that panic that the Savior's disciples were feeling, all I have to do is cry out to my God in faith. He can deliver me, calm my storms, and give me peace.
5. I Love to See the Temple
This is my kids' favorite Primary song right now and has been for a while. A recording of them singing it serves as my ringtone. And no matter how many times we sing it, we still can't seem to be able to keep the two verses straight! :)
It's a nice tune with a great message. I truly do love to see the temple! When I hear this song, I am reminded of when Hubby and I were married (or "sealed") for time and all eternity in the temple (meaning for this life and the next). I am so grateful for the Priesthood power in the temple that makes it possible for our marriage and relationship with our children to be permanent. It's not "till death do us part."
6. Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel
In our first ward after being married, the chorister was a wonderful man who liked to direct the congregation as if it were a choir instead of a group of mostly untalented average people who preferred to keep their eyes on their hymnal. We quickly learned, though, that we had to keep our eyes on Bob.
I was called to be a regular substitute accompanist. Typically, congregational hymns are accompanied by an organ. I had learned to play organ but was not very confident. That was just fine in Bob's opinion! He preferred the piano anyway because it was easier to get more expression out of it. He wanted us to crescendo, decrescendo, rest, hold, speed up, and retard in various places so we could really feel the spirit and meaning of the song.
One song in particular that I cannot hear now without missing Bob is Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel. At the chorus he would slow us way down and then slowly build the speed and volume as we went, to give us the feeling of pushing a handcart to get it going from a dead stop.
7. Scripture Power
I remember learning this song in Primary when I was a child. One time, a couple years after we had learned it, we must have had a new pianist that didn't have a copy of the sheet music (since it's not in the regular songbook.) Several of us kids asked if we could sing that song when we were told to choose our favorite to sing. We were very disappointed when we were told that this one wasn't an option.
Many years later Hubby and I were called as Primary teachers in our first ward. Scripture Power was one of the new songs that was taught that year. When I heard it after forgetting about it's existence for so long, it was like meeting an old friend again.
Above all, it's such a fun song with a simple message, "Scripture Power keeps me safe from sin...is the power to win...everyday I need the power that I get each time I read."
What's your favorite religious hymn?
There are a few LDS Hymns and Primary songs that hold special meaning for me.
1. Be Still My Soul
When Hubby and I started dating, he was my first boyfriend. More than that, he had become my best friend. One afternoon, after dating for about 4 months, he unexpectedly broke up with me. He said he had been praying and felt that we needed to break up.
I went to my room and cried and prayed. I was crushed and confused. I could not imagine what it was going to be like without him being an important part of my life. After having a good cry, I picked myself up and drove to the church so I could practice the organ. I wanted to be completely alone so I could think (and cry and pray some more) and also I wanted to do something that could maybe take my mind off of the situation.
After practicing the various things that I wanted to master, I went over to the piano. I opened up the Hymn book and began playing random hymns. One that I found myself singing along to was, "Be Still, My Soul."
As I sang through the verses, I felt the Holy Ghost wash over me. I felt so strongly like I was being enveloped in the arms of my loving Heavenly Father. In that moment, I felt the reassurance that everything would be ok. This hymn was speaking directly to me. The words were written specifically for me. Life is tough. And I know that my Father in Heaven is aware of my struggles. He loves me, and is with me.
2. High on the Mountain Top
When I was in labor with Primus, I didn't have an epidural or anything. Especially near the end when I was in transition and exhausted from being on my feet literally all night, I needed something to think about to focus on instead of being overwhelmed by the pain. So I started singing church songs in my head. For most of the time the song I kept getting stuck on or coming back to was High on the Mountain Top.
3. Where Can I Turn For Peace?
When I was in Young Women (maybe 16 years old), our leaders wanted to put together a small group to sing this for Sacrament Meeting. I think we ended up performing it on two separate occasions. I was selected to be one of the sopranos. The highest note was hard for us to hit but I was able to get it. I don't think I'm the best singer, but my leaders praised me and told me how good I was several times. I really appreciated the confidence and self esteem boost!
4. Master the Tempest is Raging
I think this was one of my piano teacher's favorite songs. When she started teaching me to play the hymns, this was definitely high on her list of ones that she wanted me to learn. She passed on to me her passion for the way the music builds to a frenzy and then ends serenely.
This song details one of the coolest stories from the New Testament. Christ literally has power to make the winds and waves obey him! At times in my life I have felt like I might perish from the storms of trials beating upon me. But when I am in the depths of that panic that the Savior's disciples were feeling, all I have to do is cry out to my God in faith. He can deliver me, calm my storms, and give me peace.
5. I Love to See the Temple
This is my kids' favorite Primary song right now and has been for a while. A recording of them singing it serves as my ringtone. And no matter how many times we sing it, we still can't seem to be able to keep the two verses straight! :)
It's a nice tune with a great message. I truly do love to see the temple! When I hear this song, I am reminded of when Hubby and I were married (or "sealed") for time and all eternity in the temple (meaning for this life and the next). I am so grateful for the Priesthood power in the temple that makes it possible for our marriage and relationship with our children to be permanent. It's not "till death do us part."
6. Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel
In our first ward after being married, the chorister was a wonderful man who liked to direct the congregation as if it were a choir instead of a group of mostly untalented average people who preferred to keep their eyes on their hymnal. We quickly learned, though, that we had to keep our eyes on Bob.
I was called to be a regular substitute accompanist. Typically, congregational hymns are accompanied by an organ. I had learned to play organ but was not very confident. That was just fine in Bob's opinion! He preferred the piano anyway because it was easier to get more expression out of it. He wanted us to crescendo, decrescendo, rest, hold, speed up, and retard in various places so we could really feel the spirit and meaning of the song.
One song in particular that I cannot hear now without missing Bob is Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel. At the chorus he would slow us way down and then slowly build the speed and volume as we went, to give us the feeling of pushing a handcart to get it going from a dead stop.
7. Scripture Power
I remember learning this song in Primary when I was a child. One time, a couple years after we had learned it, we must have had a new pianist that didn't have a copy of the sheet music (since it's not in the regular songbook.) Several of us kids asked if we could sing that song when we were told to choose our favorite to sing. We were very disappointed when we were told that this one wasn't an option.
Many years later Hubby and I were called as Primary teachers in our first ward. Scripture Power was one of the new songs that was taught that year. When I heard it after forgetting about it's existence for so long, it was like meeting an old friend again.
Above all, it's such a fun song with a simple message, "Scripture Power keeps me safe from sin...is the power to win...everyday I need the power that I get each time I read."
What's your favorite religious hymn?
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