Good Advice for my Kids

This morning while I was getting ready for the day I asked myself this question (I do this sometimes...I have great conversations with myself while I do my hair, oh, and when I bake, that is also prime pondering time):  What is the best advice that you have ever been given? 
Now, while I am not sure that this is the BEST advice, or that it applies to this audience, I will share it anyway.  It will apply to my kids and I want it preserved for their future. 
It may be a little known fact that I was once a teacher (in a formal setting).  I taught for 4 years before I married Jared, and then 1 year before I had Ally.  The first 4 years I taught at the COOLEST little Elementary school in Bear River, UT, called Century Elementary.  My name was "Miss Foster!" and I loved it there!  The community was great, the principal gave me all kinds of great opportunities, and the staff was the BEST.  Looking back at it now, it was a priceless experience for me.  I taught 4th grade and the other 4th grade teacher was Mrs. Joy Haws. 
As it all came to an end, I started packing up my classroom because we were headed to Rexburg, ID to finish Jared's schooling.  Mrs. Haws came in and I could tell that she had something she wanted to say.  It started with small talk and then she came to the "Best Advice" part. 
"Kathryn, do you always plan on teaching?"  No, I want to have kids soon, and I want to stay at home when that happens.  "Well, then let me give you this advice.  Once you are at that point, DON'T EVER START TEACHING.  Once you are making 2 salaries, you will never be able to make it on 1.  If you start by making it work with 1 salary, you will always be able to make it on 1." 
It is funny how Jared's check seems to be JUST ENOUGH to get us through.  I bet it would be even funnier that if I were working, both of our checks would be JUST ENOUGH to get us through. 
These are my thoughts for the day!  I love being able to stay at home!  I love my FULL TIME job!

From the Inside Out

Last night I was involved in Reader's Theatre.  I quite enjoyed it!  The script was based on Joseph Smith's life and written by S. Dillworth Young, a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for 36 years, starting in 1945.   ElderYoung was a gifted author and poet.  (By the way, I LOVE that President Packer carves wood and Elder Scott paints, it does my heart good!  Like I have heard my friend Annie say several times, "when culture goes by the wayside, so do so many other things."  I am paraphrasing Annie :)  I think in many instances, art in it's truest form, is a spiritual gift...those are my deep thoughts).

Back to the Reader's Theatre.  It was comprised of poems describing personal details from the life of Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Church.  I had an instant attachment to the following verse that describes what happened to the 6 men who met in Fayette, New York on April 6, 1830 to organize our Church: 

Evening

All days must end;

This day of marvels

As all others do.

The darkening landscape

Has not changed.

Here and there

A candle twinkles forth,

Its tiny light a beacon

To home-coming men.

The new Church members

Look the same

As yesterday, when

Ordinary things were taking place.

They wend

Their slow way home,

Sobered, it is true,

And filled with awe

And wonderment,

Marveling at the

Things which have been

Said.

The stars come out,

The night birds call.

The early peppers

Trill in nearby ponds.

And tired men,

Their hunger satisfied,

Retire to rest

On corn shuck beds

To sleep the night away.

And morning comes and

Yet another day.

The land must still be plowed,

And planted too,

The livestock sheltered, fed,

The cows milled, clearing done,

Then

More land readied

For the planting

Things don't change.

But these few men-

Their lives would

Never be the same

Again.

It is interesting for me that the Lord took ordinary Men and CHANGED THEIR HEARTS.  He did not change their circumstances, he lit a fire of testimony inside, that would change millions of people (14,131,467  living today).  I have found in my own life that this principle is true.  THE LORD DOES NOT CHANGE MY CIRCUMSTANCES, HE CHANGES MY HEART, THEN I CHANGE MY CIRCUMSTANCES.  This poem instantly reminded me of a quote from President Benson, one of my personal favorites:

“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.”

I recently read an article about a man who won a 2 million dollars from a lottery ticket, yet still remains on food stamps.....As grave as the situation in our country appears, I think it might be time to start looking at HEARTS instead of CIRCUMSTANCES.