I was reminded today of an experience I had when Scott and I had first moved to St. George. In order to get to my school to teach each day, I had a fifteen minute drive from my house. I was lucky enough to be driving directly into the sun going both to and from school. I remember hating the longer days because as I'd be driving to the school, the sun would be JUST on the horizon, making it so that no matter how I turned my head or sun visor in the car, the sun was still powerfully in my eyes the entire drive.
Scott's parents were more familiar with the area, as they'd lived down here for quite a number of years before Scott and I moved down. Because of this, we often talked with them about routes to different places. One time when one of these discussions came up, I mentioned how I hated the sun's position on the way to school.
Scott's dad misunderstood a part of what I said. When he found out what time I left for the school, his comment was something to the effect that the sun wasn't high enough in the sky at that time of morning to be a problem.
I remember thinking it was so funny he had said that. I knew it was because he either hadn't heard all of what I said or had misunderstood part of it. But still. Of course the sun wasn't high enough in the sky- that was exactly my problem. Any higher in the sky and I'd at least be able to block it with the visor... Every morning as I squinted into the direct sunlight I would giggle to myself about the sun not being high enough...
I'm not proud of it, but it was a full year before I realized what he had REALLY been saying. They live farther away, and at their house, that time of morning the sun wasn't high enough to be a problem. Meaning it was still below the horizon, and therefore not in your eyes...
I remember the morning that finally hit me. I laughed so hard at myself. It was a stupid little epiphany (the English teacher in me wants to make sure you know that an epiphany is an ah-hah! moment...), but it was powerful to me for several reasons. When I think about it now, I realize that the things I learned from this also have spiritual applications.
The first thing I learned was that we can all take the same incident or event and have a completely different experience. Same time of morning, same direction of driving. For me the sun was unbearably annoying. For my father-in-law it was just below the horizon and perfect lighting. All it took was a shift of about twenty miles. That can happen in life. I can be sitting listening to a lesson in church and be extremely irritated with the teacher or extremely uplifted- while the person next to me is having the opposite experience. I think it's mostly attitude with any experience. The car breaks down. One person may see it as an opportunity to be blessed that things fell into place to fix the problem. Someone else may see it as an inconvenience with no upside. We ought to watch our attitudes to make sure we make life happy for ourselves and those around us. It's all attitude...
The second thing I learned is that people can take the exact same words and get completely different meanings out of them. Our interpretation will most likely be influenced most by our past experiences. My past experience said the sun wasn't high enough and therefore causing a problem. My father-in-law's past experience said the sun wasn't high enough and therefore would never cause a problem. We can interpret many things differently than those around us. (Lesson in communication here is make sure everyone knows what you mean whenever possible....) Look at the scriptures. I can read a verse and get an answer to a prayer. Someone else can read the exact same verse and get the answer to their prayer about a completely different situation. Isn't it amazing that Heavenly Father can talk to us in the way we need at any given moment? We just have to look.
The last thing I learned is that life is full of epiphanies. Suddenly understanding what Scott's dad was saying about the sun. Finally realizing how to make the budget work. Suddenly understanding a gospel principle. In the spiritual sense, the little epiphanies are how we build our testimonies. You pay your tithing, and you get a blessing that you see. Something clicks and you understand the law of tithing. The prophet tells a story to illustrate a point he is making and you are able to relate. Something clicks and you realize that what he is saying is true. I believe that if we all have these epiphanies, eventually one of our epiphanies will be that all epiphanies are actually the spirit of God speaking to us, teaching us. Then our testimonies grow and we are that much closer to where we need to be.
Pray for epiphanies. Treasure them when they come. Write them down so you don't forget. It's the epiphanies in life that build the stair case to our Father in Heaven.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Jesus Loves Me
I was thinking about a funny story my aunt Ilene told us a few years ago. She teaches high school and junior high in Idaho. She teaches computers and business, and so has a wide variety of ages and abilities.
She had one student who did something that was against the rules. Ilene told us that she was about to reprimand the student when he piped up with, "Jesus loves me." Then instead of being mad, she laughed. I can't remember if he ended up getting punished or not.
What a good reminder for her, though. No matter how upset she may have been with him- and no matter how much he may have needed the punishment that was coming- Jesus does love him.
I would love to live in a world where we all think that about everyone around us- including ourselves. I bet road rage would disappear if our first thought was, "Jesus loves that driver" instead of whatever the anger pushes us to think. I bet wars would dissolve. I bet conflicts in government would disappear.
Think of what our HOMES would be like. Instead of thinking how upset we are that our child just used his little sister to make a hole in the wall, remembering that Jesus loves him. We would discipline our children with pure love rather than reacting in anger. Our spouses wouldn't be the objects of anger anymore- at least not severe anger. I bet we'd call our parents more often as well.
Just a thought.
She had one student who did something that was against the rules. Ilene told us that she was about to reprimand the student when he piped up with, "Jesus loves me." Then instead of being mad, she laughed. I can't remember if he ended up getting punished or not.
What a good reminder for her, though. No matter how upset she may have been with him- and no matter how much he may have needed the punishment that was coming- Jesus does love him.
I would love to live in a world where we all think that about everyone around us- including ourselves. I bet road rage would disappear if our first thought was, "Jesus loves that driver" instead of whatever the anger pushes us to think. I bet wars would dissolve. I bet conflicts in government would disappear.
Think of what our HOMES would be like. Instead of thinking how upset we are that our child just used his little sister to make a hole in the wall, remembering that Jesus loves him. We would discipline our children with pure love rather than reacting in anger. Our spouses wouldn't be the objects of anger anymore- at least not severe anger. I bet we'd call our parents more often as well.
Just a thought.
How Do You Know if You Are Real?
When I was in high school, I worked at the Deseret Book Distribution Center. I loved that job. I would spend most of my time doing what we called picking and packing. Picking was taking an invoice and going around to the locations of the books and putting the books the customer (usually a big store, so orders were often very large) had ordered on a cart. Packing was taking the cart someone had picked and packing the books into boxes and sending them over the conveyor belt to the shippers. (That was back in the dark ages. I've been there since and they have a totally automated system that takes all the fun out of it....)
On the invoices, they had a limited amount of room. Most book titles fit just fine on the line. But some of the books with longer titles would get the title cut off. When the data entry people realized it wouldn't all fit, they would leave a space between the last letter they were including and the edge of the invoice. That was standard procedure.
One day, I was picking an order and found a book on the invoice that I was DYING to see. The title read, "How Do You Know if You Are Real." The last letter was the 'l' of real and it went right up to the edge of the invoice- no space. I could not get to the location for that book fast enough. I kept thinking, "What is this book about?" I mean honestly, how much can you say about that? You are real if you are breathing? You are real if you are reading this? I brainstormed all the possible chapter titles, determined to buy the book and read it just to figure out how someone had gotten an entire book on this topic AND managed to get it published.
I was so disappointed. The full title of the book was How Do You Know if You Are Really in Love? It hadn't followed the standard procedure of leaving a space at the end before the invoice ended. (And no, I didn't buy the book in the end. I was too disappointed... :D)
But the rest of the night (and quite a few times since then, actually) I brainstormed. What would I write if I were to write a book titled How Do You Know if You Are Real? For awhile I was determined to do it. (I didn't.) I thought I'd include some thoughts I had come up with about how to know if you are a real person. :)
First, if you are real (being used the same way as the word genuine...) it means you are not fake. (Yes, I understand how stupid that sounds.) You act who you really are. You do not change your behavior to match what you think someone wants. In other words, you show integrity. You are who you really are. How much happier we would all be if we could do this 100% of the time. I know for me personally, it would me far fewer 'Flight of the Bumblebee' cleanings (you know, the running around panicked trying to straighten up because you found out someone was coming over in two minutes). If I could just be who I really am at all times, it would mean I wouldn't be mortified that my house is usually cluttered- just because my friends seem to keep their houses spotless...
Second, if you are real, it means you believe in something. How can you be a real person and not believe in anything? For me it's my religion. I would hope that everyone believes in God. But even if that isn't what you believe in, you need to believe in something. We all need that guiding force in our lives to direct us and give us purpose. (Hopefully something good...) Otherwise what kind of mundane existence do we lead? I need the focus of knowing God lives and that He loves me and wants me to live with Him again. If I don't have that, I would just flounder around. Life would have no purpose, and as a result, there would be no point living it. It would be just as well to die immediately as it would to go on living it.
Third, if you are real, it means you serve. How many of us have seen a very selfish, self-serving person and wondered how they could live with themselves? I know in my life, it's always been characters in movies. I've never actually met a person in real life (thank heavens!) that I've thought this about. But think of a person (whether real or fictional) who only cares about himself? Who spends all day and all night doing things to make only HIM happy. Who has money but only spends it on himself. Who ignores anyone else's feelings? Does this person seem real? No. Now think of a person who spends his time servings others, making others happy. That person gives of himself. Now that is a REAL person.
Fourth, which is actually a continuation of third, if you are real it means you leave a positive stamp on others you interact with. We are only real people if we can lift those around us. The scriptures say it this way, "Lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen feeble knees." (Paraphrased, of course.) We have a perfect example of a real person in Jesus Christ. Everything He did in His life was to leave a positive stamp on others. He fed the hungry, comforted the sad, visited the sick, and spread the good word of the gospel to all who would listen. That is the definition of a real person.
So those are my thoughts about what it means to be a real person. How much better would it be if everyone in the world did their best to be real? How much happier could we all be? But even if the dream of utopia never arises, how much happier can we be if we do our best to be real and surround ourselves with real people? Just a thought.
On the invoices, they had a limited amount of room. Most book titles fit just fine on the line. But some of the books with longer titles would get the title cut off. When the data entry people realized it wouldn't all fit, they would leave a space between the last letter they were including and the edge of the invoice. That was standard procedure.
One day, I was picking an order and found a book on the invoice that I was DYING to see. The title read, "How Do You Know if You Are Real." The last letter was the 'l' of real and it went right up to the edge of the invoice- no space. I could not get to the location for that book fast enough. I kept thinking, "What is this book about?" I mean honestly, how much can you say about that? You are real if you are breathing? You are real if you are reading this? I brainstormed all the possible chapter titles, determined to buy the book and read it just to figure out how someone had gotten an entire book on this topic AND managed to get it published.
I was so disappointed. The full title of the book was How Do You Know if You Are Really in Love? It hadn't followed the standard procedure of leaving a space at the end before the invoice ended. (And no, I didn't buy the book in the end. I was too disappointed... :D)
But the rest of the night (and quite a few times since then, actually) I brainstormed. What would I write if I were to write a book titled How Do You Know if You Are Real? For awhile I was determined to do it. (I didn't.) I thought I'd include some thoughts I had come up with about how to know if you are a real person. :)
First, if you are real (being used the same way as the word genuine...) it means you are not fake. (Yes, I understand how stupid that sounds.) You act who you really are. You do not change your behavior to match what you think someone wants. In other words, you show integrity. You are who you really are. How much happier we would all be if we could do this 100% of the time. I know for me personally, it would me far fewer 'Flight of the Bumblebee' cleanings (you know, the running around panicked trying to straighten up because you found out someone was coming over in two minutes). If I could just be who I really am at all times, it would mean I wouldn't be mortified that my house is usually cluttered- just because my friends seem to keep their houses spotless...
Second, if you are real, it means you believe in something. How can you be a real person and not believe in anything? For me it's my religion. I would hope that everyone believes in God. But even if that isn't what you believe in, you need to believe in something. We all need that guiding force in our lives to direct us and give us purpose. (Hopefully something good...) Otherwise what kind of mundane existence do we lead? I need the focus of knowing God lives and that He loves me and wants me to live with Him again. If I don't have that, I would just flounder around. Life would have no purpose, and as a result, there would be no point living it. It would be just as well to die immediately as it would to go on living it.
Third, if you are real, it means you serve. How many of us have seen a very selfish, self-serving person and wondered how they could live with themselves? I know in my life, it's always been characters in movies. I've never actually met a person in real life (thank heavens!) that I've thought this about. But think of a person (whether real or fictional) who only cares about himself? Who spends all day and all night doing things to make only HIM happy. Who has money but only spends it on himself. Who ignores anyone else's feelings? Does this person seem real? No. Now think of a person who spends his time servings others, making others happy. That person gives of himself. Now that is a REAL person.
Fourth, which is actually a continuation of third, if you are real it means you leave a positive stamp on others you interact with. We are only real people if we can lift those around us. The scriptures say it this way, "Lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen feeble knees." (Paraphrased, of course.) We have a perfect example of a real person in Jesus Christ. Everything He did in His life was to leave a positive stamp on others. He fed the hungry, comforted the sad, visited the sick, and spread the good word of the gospel to all who would listen. That is the definition of a real person.
So those are my thoughts about what it means to be a real person. How much better would it be if everyone in the world did their best to be real? How much happier could we all be? But even if the dream of utopia never arises, how much happier can we be if we do our best to be real and surround ourselves with real people? Just a thought.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Example
I thought about an experience yesterday that I haven't really thought about in years. It happened a long time ago, and I don't really know the full impact it had. I guess that's really how most of our experiences are, though. We quite often don't know the trickle effect our actions or words have.
Anyway, this happened to my sister and me when we were in junior high and high school. I don't remember exactly how old we were, but I'm guessing I was 12 and she was 15. A family in our ward that we were really good friends with had a wedding. Their youngest son was getting married. In order for all the brothers and sisters to attend, they needed a babysitter. All of the older brothers and sisters were married and had children of their own.
So they asked my sister and me if we'd go to temple square with them and watch the kids while the adults were all in the wedding ceremony. I can't remember how many kids we had, but I'd guess it was just shy of ten kids. They ranged in ages. The oldest were probably 8 or 9. The youngest was a cute little toddler.
We all decided to do one of the tours of temple square that the missionaries give. When we started, it was just our group. Heidi and I let the little kids answer all the questions the missionaries asked and made sure they all stayed together. About halfway through the tour, a gentleman joined the group. He went the rest of the way through the tour with us.
The tour ended about the time the wedding ceremony was over. The missionaries pulled all the parents aside as they were coming to get their kids. My own parents must have also gone to the ceremony because it was my mom who told me what the missionaries had said to all the parents.
The gentleman who had joined our group was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He must have gone to temple square as a tourist. He was so impressed with the little kids- how they knew all the answers to all the questions the missionaries asked- that he filled out a referral card and wanted the missionaries to come talk to him.
I wish I could take credit for any part of that experience. But I didn't teach the kids, I didn't answer the questions, and I didn't talk to the man. I don't know what happened to him. I don't know if he took the missionary lessons or not.
But it makes me think. What am I teaching my children? Would my daughter be able to answer the questions of a friend who wants to know what her religion teaches? Do I act in a way that would make someone feel positively or negatively towards the church? Just something to think about.
Anyway, this happened to my sister and me when we were in junior high and high school. I don't remember exactly how old we were, but I'm guessing I was 12 and she was 15. A family in our ward that we were really good friends with had a wedding. Their youngest son was getting married. In order for all the brothers and sisters to attend, they needed a babysitter. All of the older brothers and sisters were married and had children of their own.
So they asked my sister and me if we'd go to temple square with them and watch the kids while the adults were all in the wedding ceremony. I can't remember how many kids we had, but I'd guess it was just shy of ten kids. They ranged in ages. The oldest were probably 8 or 9. The youngest was a cute little toddler.
We all decided to do one of the tours of temple square that the missionaries give. When we started, it was just our group. Heidi and I let the little kids answer all the questions the missionaries asked and made sure they all stayed together. About halfway through the tour, a gentleman joined the group. He went the rest of the way through the tour with us.
The tour ended about the time the wedding ceremony was over. The missionaries pulled all the parents aside as they were coming to get their kids. My own parents must have also gone to the ceremony because it was my mom who told me what the missionaries had said to all the parents.
The gentleman who had joined our group was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He must have gone to temple square as a tourist. He was so impressed with the little kids- how they knew all the answers to all the questions the missionaries asked- that he filled out a referral card and wanted the missionaries to come talk to him.
I wish I could take credit for any part of that experience. But I didn't teach the kids, I didn't answer the questions, and I didn't talk to the man. I don't know what happened to him. I don't know if he took the missionary lessons or not.
But it makes me think. What am I teaching my children? Would my daughter be able to answer the questions of a friend who wants to know what her religion teaches? Do I act in a way that would make someone feel positively or negatively towards the church? Just something to think about.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
A Run Through the Sprinklers
Today my little girl ran through the sprinklers for the first time.
It was adorable. She's scared of water, so she has always refused to do
anything more than put her hands at the farthest edge of the water.
Today she actually ran through the sprinkler. Got her hair wet and
everything. In fact, she got so soaked I had to come in and start the
tub for her to clean up afterward.
While watching her run through the sprinkler, I turned to my husband and commented that she NEVER would have run through the sprinkler before we put her in swimming lessons. She has successfully completed her first week (out of two) of swimming lessons. The first day she wouldn't get in the water. After a whole hour of coaxing by Daddy and her teacher, she finally got in the water up to her ankles. The second day she got in and did what her teacher asked, but wouldn't kick or do anything active. By day three she was doing whatever her teacher asked, including putting her face in the water.
It's been amazing to watch her grow this week. We put her in swimming lessons partly because she said it sounded fun, and partly because we hoped it'd help ease her fear of water. Our hopes have been realized. She was put in a situation where she had the opportunity to face her fear, and she did. As a result, she is getting braver and braver in life in general. As parents, we are so happy about her progress. We worried about whether we had done right in putting her in swimming lessons after that first day. But today we knew we'd done right in the lessons when she ran through the sprinklers. What an amazing change in our little girl.
As I thought about all that while watching her run back and forth (still guarding her face but squealing in delight), I thought about how our Heavenly Father must feel. Some of our difficult experiences are consequences of our own actions. Some are the consequences of others' actions. But what about those difficult experiences that our Heavenly Father gives us because he knows we will grow from them and eventually be happier as a result? How happy it must make HIM feel when we grow from something difficult, but then later on use strength we gain to do something amazing? Just a thought. Maybe instead of asking God "Why me?" when we are faced with difficulties, saying "Thank you for the strength?"
While watching her run through the sprinkler, I turned to my husband and commented that she NEVER would have run through the sprinkler before we put her in swimming lessons. She has successfully completed her first week (out of two) of swimming lessons. The first day she wouldn't get in the water. After a whole hour of coaxing by Daddy and her teacher, she finally got in the water up to her ankles. The second day she got in and did what her teacher asked, but wouldn't kick or do anything active. By day three she was doing whatever her teacher asked, including putting her face in the water.
It's been amazing to watch her grow this week. We put her in swimming lessons partly because she said it sounded fun, and partly because we hoped it'd help ease her fear of water. Our hopes have been realized. She was put in a situation where she had the opportunity to face her fear, and she did. As a result, she is getting braver and braver in life in general. As parents, we are so happy about her progress. We worried about whether we had done right in putting her in swimming lessons after that first day. But today we knew we'd done right in the lessons when she ran through the sprinklers. What an amazing change in our little girl.
As I thought about all that while watching her run back and forth (still guarding her face but squealing in delight), I thought about how our Heavenly Father must feel. Some of our difficult experiences are consequences of our own actions. Some are the consequences of others' actions. But what about those difficult experiences that our Heavenly Father gives us because he knows we will grow from them and eventually be happier as a result? How happy it must make HIM feel when we grow from something difficult, but then later on use strength we gain to do something amazing? Just a thought. Maybe instead of asking God "Why me?" when we are faced with difficulties, saying "Thank you for the strength?"
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Blessings of Tithing and Fast Offerings
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we are invited to pay tithing and fast offerings. Tithing is ten percent of any increase. Fast Offerings is a donation made to help those in need within our ward and throughout the church.
My family has seen very big blessings from these two sacrifices. When Scott and I first moved from Salt Lake City to St. George, we had a rough financial time. The move had been expensive and the change of jobs had resulted in two full months with no paycheck. As a result, we'd racked up some credit card bills trying to survive. It took us about six months to get back on our feet again.
When we look back at that time, we think, "How did we make it through?" The math doesn't add up for us surviving that first six months down here in St. George. We should have needed help, but we didn't. We firmly believe that was a blessing from our paying a full tithing.
Even now, I find that when I go grocery shopping on a tight month, most of the sales I see are the things that are on my shopping list- and as a result it is the main reason we have enough grocery money for the month. I firmly believe that is also a blessing from our paying a full tithing.
Fast Offerings comes with blessings as well. When Scott and I were trying to find the solution to me being able to stay home with the kids instead of working full time, we decided to increase the amount of fast offerings we paid. We did that, and Scott was blessed with inspiration on how to pay off a bill. We increased the amount another time and he was blessed with the inspiration on how to lower a bill. That happened several times during that school year, and I was able to quit working full time and stay home with our girls.
This isn't to say that the blessings that come from tithing and fast offerings are always financial. They aren't. In fact, the greatest blessing we receive from the two is probably learning to sacrifice happily. It's impossible to say why we are blessed with certain things. It's also impossible to know the ways we are protected. But I know for a fact that I have been blessed from obeying the law of tithes of and offerings.
If there is anyone that is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that does not have a testimony of tithing or fast offerings, I challenge you to get one. Pay a full tithing. Increase the amount of fast offerings you pay. Then pray to be able to see the blessings you receive from the sacrifice. If there is anyone that is not a member of the church, I challenge you to read the Book of Mormon. These sacrifices are discussed in that book as well as the Doctrine and Covenants. I challenge everyone to get a testimony of these principles. Your lives will be greatly blessed in many ways as a result.
My family has seen very big blessings from these two sacrifices. When Scott and I first moved from Salt Lake City to St. George, we had a rough financial time. The move had been expensive and the change of jobs had resulted in two full months with no paycheck. As a result, we'd racked up some credit card bills trying to survive. It took us about six months to get back on our feet again.
When we look back at that time, we think, "How did we make it through?" The math doesn't add up for us surviving that first six months down here in St. George. We should have needed help, but we didn't. We firmly believe that was a blessing from our paying a full tithing.
Even now, I find that when I go grocery shopping on a tight month, most of the sales I see are the things that are on my shopping list- and as a result it is the main reason we have enough grocery money for the month. I firmly believe that is also a blessing from our paying a full tithing.
Fast Offerings comes with blessings as well. When Scott and I were trying to find the solution to me being able to stay home with the kids instead of working full time, we decided to increase the amount of fast offerings we paid. We did that, and Scott was blessed with inspiration on how to pay off a bill. We increased the amount another time and he was blessed with the inspiration on how to lower a bill. That happened several times during that school year, and I was able to quit working full time and stay home with our girls.
This isn't to say that the blessings that come from tithing and fast offerings are always financial. They aren't. In fact, the greatest blessing we receive from the two is probably learning to sacrifice happily. It's impossible to say why we are blessed with certain things. It's also impossible to know the ways we are protected. But I know for a fact that I have been blessed from obeying the law of tithes of and offerings.
If there is anyone that is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that does not have a testimony of tithing or fast offerings, I challenge you to get one. Pay a full tithing. Increase the amount of fast offerings you pay. Then pray to be able to see the blessings you receive from the sacrifice. If there is anyone that is not a member of the church, I challenge you to read the Book of Mormon. These sacrifices are discussed in that book as well as the Doctrine and Covenants. I challenge everyone to get a testimony of these principles. Your lives will be greatly blessed in many ways as a result.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Holding to Standards is Rewarding
Today I took my three-year-old daughter to buy a swimming suit. She starts swimming lessons in a few days and we didn't have one for her. I took her to a store where I knew we could get cheap suits since we are on a tighter budget at the moment. (Who isn't in this economy?)
We found two really cute ones, and she had one that she was just in love with. As I started messing with the suit to see how much it cost, I realized we had picked out a bikini. The way it was on the hanger it looked like a one-piece. I was bummed, since it was only $8. I told Anna we couldn't get that one after all because it wasn't modest. She understood and said it was okay to get the other one. As I messed around to find the price tag on the second one (also only $8) I realized that it was ALSO a bikini. I was torn. Do I get the cheaper suit here at this store? This second one would almost look one-piece when she was wearing it because of the way it was designed. I also wondered if we would find a modest one-piece at any other store in this morally declining era we are living in.
In the end, I decided we had to try, at least. So I told Anna we needed to go to another store to try to find a modest swimming suit. She was a little disappointed about not getting the suit she had been happy about, but she was a trooper and understood we needed to find something modest.
So we went to Kmart. Normally I wouldn't plug stores, but we love Kmart at our house. :) We went to their swimming suit section. This time I looked through to check for modesty before I even showed Anna the suits. Right off the bat I found FOUR modest one-piece suits in Anna's size. In fact, in Anna's size there was only ONE two-piece suit for sale. Anna found one she liked (Dora, she was so excited they had a DORA suit. :D) and tried it on. It was the perfect size, and only $15 dollars. That was more than I had wanted to spend, but hey- she was so much happier with the Dora suit and it was a MODEST one.
As we checked out, Anna was telling me how we'd gotten a modest suit. As a mom, I was so happy to hear that she caught on to the concept. Then we heard the price. LESS than $8. The suit was on sale and I hadn't known that.
I held to our standards, and not only did we find a suit Anna loved even more than the first ones we looked at, but I spent less money total than I would have at the cheaper store. If we hold to our standards, we are blessed. The blessings aren't always as immediate as they were for us today, but they still come. Always hold to your standards.
We found two really cute ones, and she had one that she was just in love with. As I started messing with the suit to see how much it cost, I realized we had picked out a bikini. The way it was on the hanger it looked like a one-piece. I was bummed, since it was only $8. I told Anna we couldn't get that one after all because it wasn't modest. She understood and said it was okay to get the other one. As I messed around to find the price tag on the second one (also only $8) I realized that it was ALSO a bikini. I was torn. Do I get the cheaper suit here at this store? This second one would almost look one-piece when she was wearing it because of the way it was designed. I also wondered if we would find a modest one-piece at any other store in this morally declining era we are living in.
In the end, I decided we had to try, at least. So I told Anna we needed to go to another store to try to find a modest swimming suit. She was a little disappointed about not getting the suit she had been happy about, but she was a trooper and understood we needed to find something modest.
So we went to Kmart. Normally I wouldn't plug stores, but we love Kmart at our house. :) We went to their swimming suit section. This time I looked through to check for modesty before I even showed Anna the suits. Right off the bat I found FOUR modest one-piece suits in Anna's size. In fact, in Anna's size there was only ONE two-piece suit for sale. Anna found one she liked (Dora, she was so excited they had a DORA suit. :D) and tried it on. It was the perfect size, and only $15 dollars. That was more than I had wanted to spend, but hey- she was so much happier with the Dora suit and it was a MODEST one.
As we checked out, Anna was telling me how we'd gotten a modest suit. As a mom, I was so happy to hear that she caught on to the concept. Then we heard the price. LESS than $8. The suit was on sale and I hadn't known that.
I held to our standards, and not only did we find a suit Anna loved even more than the first ones we looked at, but I spent less money total than I would have at the cheaper store. If we hold to our standards, we are blessed. The blessings aren't always as immediate as they were for us today, but they still come. Always hold to your standards.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)