I SURF!!!!

this wasn't my board. Mine was huge but it was awesome!!

Today was one of the best days of my life!!  It all started yesterday when my friends and I were talking about how we wanted to finish the trip.  We spoke about taking surfing lessons but were a bit trepidations about how we’d do and it was expensive.  As I mentioned in my post ‘Too Fat For List’ learning to surf is something I’ve always wanted to do.  Its like walking on water which who doesn’t want to do that?

I have also always felt like I wasn’t in shape enough to do it because of the upper body strength required. Even now after all the training of the last year and a half I was was nervous.  It is scary to attempt to complete such a big goal. After all, what if I fail?  There is something devastating about such a notion.

Anyway, we decided to go ahead and give it a try.  (This makes 3 new experiences I had this trip- I saw dolphins, hiked through the Waimea state forest and swam in the waterfall, and went surfing! So great!).  We arrived at Surf N’ Sea at 10 am and got put with our instructor, Karen.

My instructor Karen. She was so great.

We are so lucky to have gotten her.  She was patient, kind and an experienced teacher.  When we first got to the beach my surf board was too small to hold my body up.  This was very discouraging and made me feel fat.  I had told Karen about my weight loss and my surfing goal and she seemed personally invested in making everything right.

In fact, she told me that I ‘would ride the waves today’ and that she wouldn’t let herself see me fail.  (I must admit that I got a little emotional when I failed.  It was pretty discouraging).  She told me to show up at 2:00 pm and she would have a bigger board for me to try.  She even insisted saying she’d track me down if I didn’t show up!

After my roommates surfed for a 2+ hours we went to lunch and I came back at 2. The new board was huge (really a paddle board) and it made all the difference.  I immediately dove in and paddled my way to the waves (with the help of my teacher!). I was able to catch 4 or 5 sets of waves.  I never stood up completely but I got pretty close.  It was so exciting!!

 

you can't really tell but I am the first dot to the left!

I held on to the wave for  while and just being able to get back up on the board again was a huge accomplishment.  There is no way I could have done that the last time I came to Hawaii, let alone doing it 4 or 5 times!  I couldn’t believe how much fun it was.  It is a great sport because you don’t have to be perfect to have a good time.

I really can’t believe I actually did it!  It made me feel like all the hard work of the last year and half has been worth it.  I am so grateful to Karen for giving me over 2 hours of her time just for me.  She didn’t have to do that but she joined the ranks of people who believe in me more than I believe in myself.  I think it is remarkable that she gave so much to someone she doesn’t know- and she did it so willingly.  I hope I am that free with my time and willing to serve others.

I am also grateful to my roommates for pushing me to surf.  It was so great!  I can’t wait until my next trip to Hawaii when I can get out on the waves again- anyone want to come with.  Taking applications now? What a glorious trip it has been.  There will definitely be a tear or two on my face tomorrow as I board my flight.  The trips always go too fast but what a memorable one it is.

More Hawaii

Hi friends!  I’ve been having a great experience here in Hawaii.  I can tell you one thing is for sure I have been pushing myself each day to get as much as out of the experience as possible.  The interesting thing is with all the swimming, hiking, and walking I’ve done my blood sugars have been super low- even with eating fairly poorly.  My average for the week is 106.

What have I learned from this experience?  Evidently I need to work out like 6 hours a day to keep my sugars very low!  Olympic training here I come!  I’m just kidding but it does seem that exercise and possibly reduced stress have a larger impact on sugars than what I eat.  I also started the onglyza just before I left so that may be a factor as well. Anyway, my body never fails to be interesting!

Like I said we’ve been packing it in with tons of fun things with some of the highlights being Pearl Harbor, Aloha Swap Meet, Ko Olina lagoons, Waimea State Park and Waterfall, Sunset Beach, Sharks Cove, Dole Plantation and the Polynesian Cultural Center.  My body is so sore but in a good way. My hair is also great here.  So curly!

I’ve been doing a lot of cooking here which has been fun.  It is kind of a challenge because the kitchen, and our budgets, are very limited.  Yesterday I made french toast with whole wheat bread and sautéed pineapple instead of syrup.  It was great.  I like experimenting in the kitchen with limited resources.  It makes you creative.

I also find I can eat all day here.  I’m constantly hungry. (The other day I polished off with no problem a barnyard burrito, which is just as big and delicious as you might guess). I think the hunger is because I am boiling hot but also because I am exercising so much.  It is also nearly impossible to keep hydrated.

Anyway, here are some photos of the trip.  Enjoy!

At the Aloha Swap Meet

USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

All 3 of us at the Polynesian Cultural Center

Me at the center

ko olina lagoons

Lilly pads on the trail to the falls

the lush greenery at the falls

I thought this was a pretty good photo of a flower

love this photo of me

that's me with the life vest. I wore one because the rapids were quite strong and I thought it would be more fun to be able to float

You can see me waiving.

The Dolphins that we saw at Waimea Bay! So exciting!

Waiting on the boat at Pearl Harbor. Such a spiritual place

I know it is kind of lame to look at other people’s vacation photos but I hope you enjoyed them.  I’ve been working to take better photographs on this trip.

Hawaii Photos

Well friends I am having a great time here on Oahu!  Today was the best day so far.  In the morning my roommates went to hike Diamondhead which is a giant crater and a bit beyond my exercise stamina, so instead I went to the beach close to the house.  It was fantastic!  (And yes I went by myself which I have no problem doing at all.  I live alone for goodness sakes so why would I have issues going to the beach alone yet some people seem shocked by this behavior?)

The waves were the perfect strength and I swam until my arms ached and then I read and soaked up sun.  (One of the many great things about swimming in the ocean is you can swim forever and hardly move a meter!  Its like a giant endless swimming pool!) When the girls got home we went to the Hawaii temple and did a session which was peaceful and thought-provoking as usual.  When we got home we ate a delicious healthy dinner and had ice cream while watching 500 Days of Summer- one of my favorites.

It really might be the best day of my life.  Aside from getting caught in a dozy of a rain storm it was practically perfect in every way.  (The rain and clouds actually kept it cooler than normal and so it had its positive side!).

I think  my body likes Hawaii.  Since I got here my blood sugar levels have been better than ever.  Today it was down to 75 and I felt great!  That is the lowest it has ever been since I started testing in February.  Amazing.

It all makes me wonder if I will ever have the guts to really move here.  If it wasn’t so far away from family and my job I’d move here in a second but those are big factors…I would love it though.  I know people say ‘Its not the same to live where you vacation’ and I get that but I am convinced I would love it.  Just the continual sun would do me good.  Hmmm…I can fantasize and maybe someday I will do it?  Maybe once I get healthy I’ll be ready to conquer new challenges and places?  We will see.

Anyway, I am having a great trip and am very happy.  Here are a few photos of the vacation so far!  Enjoy! (I know its tedious to look at other people’s vacation photos but if people can post a million photos of their kids on blogs, I can post a few of my vacation!

I will keep updating throughout the trip.  Take care! (Btw I did go with people!  All these photos just happen to be of only me!)

Love this photo

In front of the Dole plantation

Today at the beach

There were 8 sea turtles at the beach by the house. The most I've ever seen!

pretty sailboat picture I took today. I am trying to learn more about photography bc everyone else in my family is great.

the Hawaii temple

A rainbow connection

Aloha!

For me its balmy airs are always blowing, its summer seas flashing in the sun; the pulsing of its surf is in my ear; I can see its garlanded crags, its leaping cascades, its plumy palms drowsing by the shore, its remote summits floating like islands above the cloud-rack; I can feel the spirit of its woody solitudes, I hear the plashing of the brooks; in my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers that perished twenty years ago.
- Mark Twain, a Biography

The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient.

One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh- Gift from the Sea

The clouds almost look like halo but don't worry I'm not in heaven- just hawaii.

This morning I am sitting in the lanai at the cottage and soaking in the space that surrounds me.  I wish I was more of a poet and could put into words how I feel but suffice it to say- the ocean is everything.  Somehow just the sound of it is all problems, all victories, all moments of tedium, and all gleeful exclamations.  It makes me happy in a way nothing else does.  It might seem like a cliche but just the sound makes me want to be a better person.  I can’t explain it but knowing there is something that beautiful makes me want to live a more beautiful life.

I just love it so much!  I am a very soft sleeper but last night I just had to leave one window open (with screens of course).  I had to hear the swoosh, swoosh, bang of the waves.  It made 21 hours of travel well worth it.  Anything is worth it.

I’ve had a very tough year and it means so much to me to be here.  I feel like I can throw all my problems into the water and it will take it away for  a time, only to bring it back with the tide.  In the meantime, I have 12 days to absorb life without all the burdens and struggles.  I can be perfectly happy and that is the magic of Hawaii for me- perfect happiness.

Mormon Feminism

Today as I drove home from my work in Syracuse and I started listening to some old podcasts.  One of them was from Radio West an episode called Mormon Feminism.   It was a pretty good, well-rounded discussion and it started me thinking about my own unique viewpoint on the topic.

As everyone knows I have always had a strong sense of self and fierce independent nature.  (My first word was STOP if that tells you anything).  If I wasn’t leading I’d rather not play, if it wasn’t my idea it was never as satisfying.  Still to this day I would rather fail on my own account than succeed hanging on to the coat tails of someone else.

With this nature it is perhaps surprising that I found an acceptance of my Mormon faith so easily.  I have always believed.  Recently I read through my old journals and I could not find a period of my life where I doubted- sure I’d have a day here or a day there, a few questions, but never a real stage of doubt.   The scriptures talk about gifts of the spirit and I believe an accepting, faithful nature, coupled with my stubbornness, is my gift.

The only real confusion I remember having was understanding my role in the world and church as a woman.  As I have mentioned before on this blog the idea of motherhood was not innately appealing to me.  My mother had very difficult pregnancies and I had to sacrifice a lot for my siblings to come into the world.  As far as I was concerned babies were nothing but an overwhelming, confining trial.  I certainly wasn’t and never have been an ooey-gooey baby person.

I have also never felt I fit the Mormon definition of the ideal woman.  Often in young women or in some talks I’d hear phrases like this:

femininity “is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your … capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each … possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty. (President Faust)

I’m sorry but I never felt like I was delicate, charming, gracious, gentle or quietly strong.   How could we all be the same and what did that mean for little independent me?  I also wanted to know, if women were so special, why?  It almost seemed unfair to the men to make us more innately worthy so that men had to be given value?

It took me years to answer these questions (not that I have a perfect answer now but I’ve come a long way).  Again, I remind you that my faith in the gospel never wavered.  I just had questions and that’s OK.   In fact, it is encouraged by the church.  Elder Angel Abrea of the Seventy said it well:

“I’m sure that many questions have come to your mind. The truth is that you will not be condemned for wondering or questioning if you make a sincere effort to find the answer. Our mental powers have been given to us to use. Faith based on personal prayer, study, and obedience is more lasting than blind faith; it is more rewarding, and for sure it is better grounded.”

So how did I go through this questioning process?  Well, it started with formulating the questions when I was young and then at BYU  I started getting answers.  I read everything I could on the topic- both Mormon and traditional feminist authors (even read the Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan and found it very insightful).    In those college years I studied polygamy, read female pioneer journals, wrote a heated paper on the women of the Mormon Battalion (I remember my Book of Mormon teacher was shocked! Oh well!) and asked questions of everyone I came in contact with.

I also studied much on the reality of self and what makes a human being, whether male or female, interact successfully with others. But by far my most impactful experience was taking a class called the Political Economy of Women.  At the time it was taught by two dynamite professors named Valarie Hudson and Donna Lee Bowen (to read more about Valarie’s remarkable life check out her Wikipedia page).  They are both inspirational, amazing women.

In the class, we read a huge assortment of articles and books on every issue you could  imagine facing women.  Sometimes it was brutal such as the class on female circumcision where I literally left the classroom and threw up.   While painful, it was also eye-opening.

After such an awakening, we learned about a variety of the world’s solutions including everything from small micro-loans to domestic violence laws.  Through this class I gained a deep appreciation for the work being done to help all women live full, healthy, happy lives.

Finally, we discussed the gospel and its view of womanhood in great detail.  While difficult to summarize here I learned a lot about the eternal equality of men and women, the great need both genders had for each other, the value of Eve’s role in the Garden story, and the importance of stewardship in creating Zion.

Human beings are weak and find Zion-living very difficult.  This is why God gives us jobs to do while here and some of those jobs (or stewardships) can be carved along gender lines.  As anyone knows who has been, in the temple the differences between male and female roles are much fuzzier- because in the temple we are that much closer to equality or Zion.

While I found this knowledge comforting I was still left with a question about my own capabilities as an eternal woman.  I did not feel like a steward of all things womanly.  This thought nagged in the back of my head for many years.  On my mission I felt empowered by the sheer good I could do and how my nature was needed by individuals I taught.  It was the beginning of my understanding of my unique worth.

Then one day when I returned I read Acts 10:34-35

“God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him”

This scripture really hit home.  God and Jesus Christ accepted me.  Me, with all my idiosyncrasies and stubborn ways.  If I tried my best to follow His teachings, then He accepted me.

I made this discovery when I was going through a rough period.  I hated my job. For a time I felt worthless, like there was a black cloud over my life that I couldn’t remove.  With these sad feelings; however, also came an understanding that God had a plan for my life- that my life mattered.  When I quit my job it was not just a change of career but an acknowledgment of divine potential.  It was one of the best days of my life.

Over the years I have come to my own definition of Mormon feminism.  Feminism, to me, means being free, as a woman, to live whatever life you want.  If that means having babies, have babies.  If it means working, work.  Whatever you want to do as a woman, you should be allowed to do.  It is your choice.  Certain choices lead to different levels of joy,  just like the choice of leaving my job drastically affected my happiness; however, in the end it was my choice.  It is my choice to be faithful, my choice to embrace the gospel, and everyone should have that right.  Our national, state and local laws should support a women’s ability to make these choices; as well as protect her from individuals who seek to limit the freedom of women through abuse, unfair treatment or any other unjust action .  I am a Mormon Feminist!

Hey maybe my independent spirit isn’t so different from God’s plan after all and just maybe God loves me because of my unique nature not in spite of it?

Here are three women who made different choices for their life.

PS- this was a hard post to write and feel satisfied in my phrasing.  I hope you get an idea for the questions I’ve asked and the peace I’ve discovered in my life. Love Rachel

Thumbs Down to Summer Movies

This week the big summer release is Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds in the lead.  So far the studio has only allowed one critic to review it on Rotten Tomatoes.com- Karina Long from the Village Voice. Usually when critics are not allowed to screen a film it is not a good sign- typically indicating their desire to milk it for opening weekend profits before it fizzles with bad reviews.

I obviously have not seen the film but Karina’s review points out what I see as a major flaw in most summer movies (or blockbusters in general).  She says:

“Campbell’s (the director) ADD style privileges spectacle over story — so much so that the film never rewards the viewer for even trying to keep track of what is going on.”

“It’s 10 minutes before a human character appears on-screen in Green Lantern, a personality-free franchise-launcher that builds toward a quaint, if explosive, argument in favor of the nebulous quality of “humanity.”

i did like Walle but this was the best graphic I could find.

Don’t you think this describes most of the big name movies that have come out in the last several years?  Whether it is the buzz of new special effects or the lameness of nearly all 3D, most movies are more about creating an audience hook  than developing good stories or interesting characters.

Part of the blame is moviegoers.  The market speaks loudly and when sequels and special effects bonanzas make a fortune Hollywood will keep pumping them out. Of the top 25 summer movies of all time over half are either prequels or sequels- all but 7 are super hero/science fiction movies.

The especially sad news is that these movies are incredibly expensive to make.  The Green Lantern cost $300 million!  (Of course romantic comedies can be terrible drains of money such as the horrible How Do You Know? with Reese Witherspoon costing $120 million and making only $30 million. I’d hate to be an investor in that film…It was awful)

Here’s another review of Green Lantern

It’s at this point I must make a confession- I don’t like super hero movies.   It’s hard to explain why but I have never liked them. With the exception of Harry Potter, I can’t think of a super hero/fantasy franchise I’m  a fan of (I’m a marginal fan of Lord of the Rings).  I also like the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but they have been sullied by mediocre follow-ups in recent years.

Despite all the special effects I find most super hero movies boring and I don’t like 3D.  It gives me a headache.   One of the things I liked about Inception is it was different.  It had all the panache of a blockbuster with a good story.  I like that 30 people could see it and all leave with different ideas on the plot (and ending).  I wish most Hollywood movies had as much thought put into them and took as many risks.

I didn’t even like The Dark Knight. I know shocking, but it freaked me out, gave me nightmares.  I recognize it is a well-made and acted movie, but I did not find it a pleasant viewing experience.  Everyone else in the whole world seems to like it but not me.  Sorry!

The only other summer movies I can think of that I have enjoyed in recent years are the Harry Potter films (although I found the last one to be  a little slow) and the Pixar movies.  I also liked Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.

Why do I like these movies?  I like them because the stories are good.  I like the Harry Potter movies because the story is good and the characters are interesting.  Is that too much to ask?

This year I have only seen one new movie in the theater- Jane Eyre. (It wasn’t my favorite version but I enjoyed it).  Granted I had many other things on my mind; however, when I look at this summer only two movies even look interesting- Midnight in Paris and The Help (aside from the last Harry Potter which I want to see). I’m even skeptical of my usually reliable Pixar’s summer offering- Cars 2.  I think it could be their first dud.  We will see…

I have no interest in the 5th Fast and the Furious,  4th Pirates movie, 3rd Transformers, 4th Twilight,  or 4th Xmen (I think its at 4?).  I might see Kung fu Panda 2, but I’ve got a feeling the studio is going to milk that franchise until it is dead like they did with the Shrek movies (which I never liked much anyway.  I hate all the double entendres.) I wanted to see Source Code but never made it to the theater.

Also do we really need another Hulk movie (that’s what we have to look forward to next year)?  Mark Ruffalo will be playing the Hulk and he had the nerve to compare the green giant to Hamlet and Romeo.  Really?  Isn’t that kind of sad- the 2011 version of Hamlet is the Hulk? Wow.

I also think I will lose it if one more lame television show from the past is made into an equally bad movie (Yogi Bear, GI Joe, Charlie’s Angels, A Team, Chipmunks, Scooby Doo, I could go on and on…).   Hello Hollywood- just because something made money in the 70′s or 80′s does not mean it should be made into a movie.  Now we have the Smurfs movie coming in August.  What’s next- Rainbow Bright, Punky Brewster, Saved by the Bell?  Please NO.

Is it too much to ask for an original idea?  Let’s have more Inception and less Transformers. More 500 Days of Summer and less Back Up Plan (a truly awful Jennifer Lopez movie).   More Finding Nemo and less Shark Tale.

What do you think of summer movies?  Why do you think these clunkers make money?  I have a theory that people go because they want something to do with their friends more than they want to see the particular movie.   I certainly have seen my share of bad movies because my friends wanted to see them.  Peer pressure!  Every so often I’m pleasantly surprised but most of the time I leave thinking ‘why did I waste my $9 and more importantly my 2 hours plus?)

None of these look good to me....

Longing for Wholesome Broadway Musicals

Any loyal blog reader knows I am huge fan of musical theater and Broadway.  I have been to New York on 6 different trips throughout my life and one of the highlights is always the Broadway musical.  I love live performance in any fashion and the electricity of the stage- the lyrics, voices, story and scores fill me with excitement.  In my life I have been lucky enough to have seen Les Miserables twice (still my favorite show), Phantom of the Opera, King and I, Music Man, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee (a show that I found shocking at the time but now it seems like nothing…), Drowsy Chaperone, and Wicked all on Broadway.

So it is with sadness that I state publicly of my choice to not support tonight’s airing of the Tony Awards.  With the almost guaranteed winner, the Book of Mormon musical, the Broadway community has chosen to commend a show that is not only personally offensive but disgustingly profane and vulgar.

Now I have not seen the show but have listened to the soundtrack and I was repulsed.  People can disagree with me all they want- claim I should be more open minded- but what I heard was a tirade of the F word (among other profanities), an entire song about Joseph Smith being a sex maniac and pedophile, and songs about how unaware and closed-minded Mormons are to the problems of the world such as AIDS in Africa.   Never mind the millions of dollars in aid and the countless good our missionaries do in disaster regions and in Africa, we are all naive bigots who hate anyone who is different.

It would be one thing if they were just making fun of our idiosyncrasies or making us look silly but to make the entire religion appear unaware, crazy, manipulative and even perverse, is unkind, offensive and unfair.  It honestly makes me very upset- especially because I’ve had such a love for Broadway since I was a little girl.

I like what a Jewish commenter on the New York times review said:

“What this show displays as ridiculous is the Mormon faith and those who practice it. If this show were attacking Jews or Muslims, there would be international outcry. People would be fired, there would be lawsuits, boycotts, etc. It would be all over the news (in a bad way). This sort of thing happens to those of my faith in countries elsewhere in the world. But I cannot believe that New York, MY New York, where I was born and raised, would ever do such a thing. Shame on you, New York Times, shame on Broadway, and shame on all of us who stand idly by and do nothing while the faith of others is mocked. Religious and cultural Jews need not support such bigotry”

Amen to that.  So, this year I will not be watching the Tony’s and will not be visiting New York anytime soon.  I encourage others to do the same, or at least not support this particular show.  (although, it is sold out anyway but I have to speak out regardless)

To close I would like to point out a few shows that are worth seeing.  Unfortunately it is tough to come up with many modern shows that I can confidently recommend without first viewing them.  Even Les Mis has a few scenes that I wish were toned down a bit.  I have heard good things of the revival versions of Anything Goes by Cole Porter and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying  by Frank Loesser .

There are also the long running productions of Mary Poppins, Lion King and Wicked.  All are enjoyable and inoffensive.

I would also like to send a shout-out to Stephen Schwartz who consistently puts out material that is either faith promoting (Godspell, Children of Eden, Prince of Egypt) or whimsically entertaining (Wicked, Enchanted).  Some claim Schwartz is too pop-infused or not edgy enough.  If the recent offerings from Broadway are considered edgy give me the Schwartz-style of show any day!  He has two others (the Baker’s Wife and Pippen) which I have never seen but heard are good.  If you get a chance to see any of his shows, I highly recommend it.  Especially Children of Eden, which is special in so many ways.

Here are 2 of my favorite songs:

Of course, there are always the old school musicals that made Broadway what it is today.  You can’t go wrong with Rogers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Irving Berlin, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Leonard Bernstein and some Stephen Sondheim.  Even Andrew Lloyd Webber has an over-the-top fun to his shows.  (while usually weak musically at least they were not very  offensive and are entertaining.)

I’ve often wondered why in the deluge of musical film adaptations why nobody has attempted to recreate one of these old fashioned shows?  Is it because they were so iconically made into films in their era? Perhaps.  I think it is because filmmakers don’t want to admit that there is a huge section of us that wants such traditionally moral movies and music.  They want edgy and different.  Well, not me!

That’s my view and the purpose of a blog is to speak one’s viewpoint.  Feel free to disagree.

For a good article on this topic please read Why I won’t be seeing the Book of Mormon musical – On Faith – The Washington Post

Lesson on Second Coming

So I’ve been working on my lesson for Sunday and I am very happy with how it has turned out.  It is on a very challenging topic- signs of the second coming.  It is probably my least favorite gospel topic.   Here are my notes for the lesson.  If anyone has any insight into the topic let me know.  JS Matt is the Joseph Smith translation of Matthew 24.  They are similar so if you have any thoughts on Matt 24 that would be great.  Hopefully everything will turn out well on Sunday.  Somehow Heavenly Father always helps me out if I make a good effort.

Second Coming- JS Matthew 1 or Matthew 24

Today we are going to talk about a tough topic- the second coming.

JS Matt 1:4- What questions did the disciples ask

1.  When will Jerusalem be destroyed
2. What are the signs of His coming?

For this lesson we are going to dive into this chapter.  Tricky chapter because it changes focuses between the 2 questions

JS Matt 1:6, 9, 22- Many saying “I am Christ”.  False prophets. 

1. How do we see false prophets in our society?

JS  Matt 1:7- Hated of all nations,

1. How are the faithful hated? Prop 8.  We are accused of hate.

JS Matt 1:8- Many shall be offended

1. What does that mean that many shall be offended by the gospel?

JS Matt 1:10- Love of many shall wax cold. 

1. The word “wax” means to “become.”
2.  How are people becoming cold?  There are so many things that people used to be horrified by that don’t phase people.   I’m even surprised by the number of shows about murderers like Snapped.
   1. Elder Oaks Preparation for Second Coming

Evil that used to be localized and covered like a boil is now legalized and paraded like a banner. The most fundamental roots and bulwarks of civilization are questioned or attacked. Nations disavow their religious heritage. Marriage and family responsibilities are discarded as impediments to personal indulgence. The movies and magazines and television that shape our attitudes are filled with stories or images that portray the children of God as predatory beasts or, at best, as trivial creations pursuing little more than personal pleasure. And too many of us accept this as entertainment.

The men and women who made epic sacrifices to combat evil regimes in the past were shaped by values that are disappearing from our public teaching. The good, the true, and the beautiful are being replaced by the no-good, the “whatever,” and the valueless fodder of personal whim. Not surprisingly, many of our youth and adults are caught up in pornography, pagan piercing of body parts, self-serving pleasure pursuits, dishonest behavior, revealing attire, foul language, and degrading sexual indulgence.

JS Matt 1:11- He who remaineth steadfast shall be saved.

1.  Elder Oaks Preparation for Second Coming

Are we following the Lord’s command, “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly”? (D&C 87:8). What are those “holy places”? Surely they include the temple and its covenants faithfully kept. Surely they include a home where children are treasured and parents are respected. Surely the holy places include our posts of duty assigned by priesthood authority, including missions and callings faithfully fulfilled in branches, wards, and stakes.

As the Savior taught in His prophecy of the Second Coming, blessed is the “faithful and wise servant” who is attending to his duty when the Lord comes (see Matt. 24:45–46). As the prophet Nephi taught of that day, “The righteous need not fear” (1 Ne. 22:17; see also 1 Ne. 14:14; D&C 133:44). And modern revelation promises that “the Lord shall have power over his saints”

JS  Matt 1:12-17, 34- Jesus predicts the destruction of Jerusalem

the Lord’s prophecies were fulfilled in A.D. 70. Believing that the Messiah would come and help them in battle, the Jews revolted against the Romans in A.D. 66. Four years later the Romans had destroyed the entire city.

JS Matt 1:18-19– Trials of Jews. What ways has this been fulfilled? Persecution of jews?

JS Matt 1:23- Wars and rumors of wars.  What is a rumor of war?

JS Matt 1:26- 2^nd coming like light from East

JS  Matt 1:29- Famines, pestilence, earth quakes .

            2010 Natural Disasters

182 flood

83 storms

29 extreme temperature events

25 landslides

14 droughts

7 wildfires

6 volcanic eruptions

23 earthquakes including tsunamis

4 avalanches

208 million were affected

222 billion costs

296,800 deaths (Haiti was a  huge portion of this)

JS Matt 1:31- Gospel preached to all nations

1.  Why is missionary work so important to the 2^nd coming?
2. Helps explain why missionary work is so hard.

JS Matt 1:33- Sun will be darkened

1. 1.      Shall the sun be darkened-

The images used here are not to be taken literally. They are often employed by the sacred writers to denote “any great calamities.” As the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars, would be an inexpressible calamity, so any great catastrophe – any overturning of kingdoms or cities, or dethroning of kings and princes is represented by the darkening of the sun and moon, and by some terrible convulsion in the elements.

JS  Matt 1:34- This generation shall not pass until signs foretold

1. This discusses the destruction of Jerusalem

JS Matt 1:36- Heavens shake, tribes morn

1.  By the tribes he means the children of Israel or covenant people- How will we mourn last days?

JS Matt 1:37- Whoso treasureth up word will not be deceived

JS Matt 1:38-39- Allegory of fig tree.  What do you think he means by this allegory?

Elder Oaks Prepartion for the 2^nd coming

1. 1.      The Savior taught this in the parable of the fig tree whose tender new branches give a sign of the coming of summer. “So likewise,” when the elect shall see the signs of His coming “they shall know that he is near, even at the doors”

JS Matt 1:40- Day and Hour No Man Knoweth.  I kept thinking this with the recent predictions. 

1. 1.      How can we be ready if we don’t know when it will happen?

JS Matt 1:41-43- End will be like days of Noah

JS Matt 1:44-45- 2 in field/ 1 taken, 1 left (10 virgins)

JS Matt 1:46- Watch Therefore

1. Elder Oaks Preparation for Second Coming- While we are powerless to alter the fact of the Second Coming and unable to know its exact time, we can accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us.

JS  Matt 1:47-48, 50- If man knows thief coming won’t he be ready?

1. 1.      At first it seems like a contradiction to have a thief in the night and yet we have to be prepared for the thief.  Nevertheless, that is what is asked of us.

JS Matt 1:51-54- Man who gives up waiting on the Lord to Sins will be Punished-

1. 1.      Elder Eyrring has a talk about the increasing law of returns.  Meaning the more we sacrifice the more we are blessed.  With the world it is the decreasing law of returns- longer you keep something the lower it is valued.  Often we give up too soon.

Waiting for a harvest takes more judgment in life than it does in gardening. In your garden, you can tell if the seed sprouts. And even an amateur can tell when the corn or carrots are ready. But I remember a story told to me long ago, far from here, by a sad voice. I remember it not because it was unique but because I have heard the same story told, again and again, about waiting or failing to wait. The details vary, but not the feeling of drama.

She said it happened on a summer Saturday afternoon. She was tired. Tired of being single. Tired of trying to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Not so much tired of being kind and virtuous as tired of nothing good seeming to come of it. She’d not had a date in months.

She saw no prospect of even becoming friends with, let alone marrying, a man who shared her faith and ideals. In frustration she found herself deciding something. She decided that afternoon, consciously, that years of good works and restraint had produced too little and promised no more. She said to herself almost aloud, “Oh, what’s the use?”

The phone rang. It was a man’s voice, a man she knew. He lived in the same apartment building. He’d asked her out before. She’d refused because she was sure he’d expect her to compromise her standards she’d preserved at great effort. But, almost as if directed by a scriptwriter, he called at that instant.

She didn’t say, “Yes.” She said, “I’ll think about it.” She thought about it. He called again. And finally, she repeated to herself, “Oh, what’s the use?” She went. She found she had been right about his intentions. And in a choice about time and about waiting or not waiting, her life changed. So, she will never know what might have been ahead on the path she decided wasn’t worth the price; she knew quickly the other one was uphill, and a hard climb.

All of us make decisions every day, almost every hour, about whether it’s worth it to wait. The hardest ones are where the waiting includes working. Does it make sense to keep working, to keep sacrificing, when nothing seems to be coming from the effort?”

Teaching Low GI

Today I had a fun experience.  I was asked by my ward to do an activity explaining all I’ve learned about low glycemic cooking.  It is something I was excited to do because I have learned so much in recent months that I have wanted to share with others.  Teaching all of you on this blog is fun but it is nice to gab on with others in person also.  Part of it is I wish others had shared the information with me much sooner- hopefully I can enlighten someone else much sooner than me.

To help with the lesson I prepared a packet of information explaining how the cell membrane works, what insulin is, and how the glycemic index was developed.

Here are links to the packet info I used.  I hope you find them helpful:

http://www.glycemicindex.ca/glycemicindexfoods.pdf

http://www.diabetes.ca/Files/diabetes_gl_final2_cpg03.pdf

http://www.iristrial.org/teleforms/documents/insulin_resistance.pdf

Aside from explaining the biology of the glycemic index, I also focused on making little choices that have a big impact on our sugars  For example, you can use agave instead of sugar or alternative flours (brown rice, quinoa, or other flour)  instead of regular refined flour.  I showed them many of the different flours and sugars I have and gave examples of healthier choices:

1.  I showed ketchup, steak and bbq sauce and asked which one had the most sugar?  If you don’t know, its bbq sauce (6 gr per tbsp), then ketchup (4 gr per tbsp), finally steak sauce (2 gr per tbsp).  So, by choosing the steak sauce over the bbq saue we are significantly cutting our sugar on that item.   By making a thousand little choices like that we become healthier.  (of course no sauce would be even better but I love a little sauce!)

2. I showed two cans of soup- Chicken and Stars vs.  Split Pea and Ham.  While both have a lot of sodium, if I want a can of soup the split pea is a much better choice with 10 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber compared to chicken and stars with 3 and 1 respectively.  I then explained that by reading labels we can make better choices.

3. I introduced them to quinoa.  One of the problems I noticed as I went low glycemic is my need to have a starch with my meals.  It didn’t seem enough to have a piece of chicken or steak on its own.  I needed rice or potatoes or some kind of starchy side.  This is something I have had to ween myself off  of but I have found that brown rice and quinoa are good alternatives.  Particularly quinoa because it is a complete protein.   Most of the girls had never experienced quinoa so it was fun to see their reaction!

4.  Finally I did some cooking!  (You will have to excuse the bad photos.  I still haven’t learned to take good food photos.  I’d love to learn if someone wants to teach me!).

We made individual flavored lemonades with fresh squeezed juice, agave and either ginger or mint (the more flavoring you put in things the less sweetener is required).

flavored lemonades

Then I made homemade cheeze-its!  This is a recipe from Elana Amsterdam’s The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook.  They were very easy and delicious. Here is a link to the recipe:

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2009/09/recipe-for-cheese-crackers-with-almond.html

Serving with it I had ranch spinach dip made with greek yogurt.  The point of this item was to show how snacking can actually be healthy (crackers and yogurt have protein, spinach is loaded with goodness).

gluten free cheese crackers with spinach ranch yogurt dip. It was super good!

Finally for desert we had strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting from Elana’s Gluten Free Cupcake Cookbook.  I think these were mostly a success.  They are made with coconut flour and agave for the sweetener.  They were a little dry so next time I might try cooking them less and I would puree the strawberries because I find their texture when heated to be odd.  Still the frosting is to die for!  It is cream cheese whipped, folded into whip cream sweetened with agave.  Holy cow is it good!

http://t.co/HpJABC0

strawberry cupcake with cream cheese frosting

Any treat should be eaten in moderation but it is so fun to find ways to make things healthier.   If I have learned anything in the last year is that being a healthy person involves a thousand little decisions that cumulatively add up to good health.  I’ve also learned to take ownership of my body.  Only I know how my body reacts to certain foods or medicines and only I can feed it correctly.   With the counsel of my doctor (but mostly my own research) I have learned what it means to truly feed my soul and help make me feel good.  What a blessing that is, and how fun to share it with those around me.

I hope that all of you have fun trying these recipes and enjoy looking at the handouts (if you are close by I can give you one- I have extras).  If you want to learn more call me- I love talking about this stuff!  I would also love to cook with any of you as I am dying to try out more recipes (particularly from Elana’s cookbooks and blog.  They are such good recipes).

Say No to Drugs

Today I want to make an announcement- I have given up my narcotics habit.  Let me explain.  For the past six months I have allowed my physicians to keep piling on the prescriptions to help with my hormone problems, sugar regulations, insomnia and other problems.  It kind of happened without me realizing, one prescription here, another there, until as of yesterday I was taking around 10 pills a day and an injection.

For little spurts I felt improvement from the various treatments but never the large-scale change which was promised.  I seem to have a weak stomach which is upset rather easily (even the anesthesia from the eye surgery made me sick).   As I reported in one of my posts a medicine called victoza made me particularly sick a couple of weeks ago.  I literally couldn’t eat for days and was vomiting non-stop.  It was awful.

With a optimisitic attitude I tried it again and felt good for a couple of weeks but when I stopped taking all my meds for my eye surgery ,and then started them all again, the negative symptoms returned.  From last Thursday to Sunday I could not keep any food down and had terrible nausea, vomiting and other GI problems.  I almost went to the hospital Sunday because I had not eaten in 4 days.  In the end, I went to Instacare and got some anti-nausea meds and an antibiotic for a UTI.

I am sure all of that is an over-share but I wanted to explain how I came to my realization.  On Sunday I had a moment of clarity that said ‘nothing is worth feeling like this.  Nothing’.  At that moment I decided that if it takes me 5 years of grueling diet and exercise  as opposed to the more rapid help from the drugs that’s what I will have to do.  I will have to regulate my sugars and hormones the old-fashioned way.

Armed with this decision, I met with my doctor, and he was very supportive.  We decided to stop the victoza and metformin along with several other meds.  This reduces my meds to about 3 1/2 pills a day.  Pretty good, right?  The doctor is changing me to a different blood sugar med called onglyza that I only have to take 1/2 a pill a day and is better than either the victoza or metformin on the stomach.  I have bcp, lunesta for sleeping and one for my hormones called finasteride.

We may add or take away items as we go, but I feel good about this change.  I am not saying it is the right change for everyone, just for me.  I have felt very connected to the spirit during this whole process (finding my doctors, getting through treatment, trusting the diagnosis etc) and I think this is what it is telling me to do, for my body, at this moment.

The most important thing I have learned from the last 6-12 months is to take ownership of my body.  Only I know how I feel, and as brilliant as my doctors are they can only guide ME to make the decisions which affect ME.   My advice is to be open to try new things and treatments but in the end be brave enough to say ‘enough is enough.  I’m moving on.’

Thank you to all my friends and family for supporting me (and listening to me whine) while trying to figure all of this out.  Some day I hope to make it up to you but until then consider yourself forcibly electronically HUGGED.  I love you all so much!