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Today I had the IMMENSE pleasure of getting my promised hug from CW in person! (It was great, by the way.)

As she, her sister (who came over from Coeur d’ Alene, ID) and I sat under the Space Needle on the lush, green grass, enjoying the 70 degree loveliness, we pondered on all sorts of life oddities. One particular subject was that of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy (and how everybody has their interpretation of that commandment; some more strict than others).

This reminded me of a change I’m making in my family this week.

See, we’re used to not shopping, going to restaurants or participating in rigorous outdoor activities (sports and yard work) on Sundays. Instead we attend church, use our talents for the Lord (sing in the choir or teach Sunday School, for example), spend time with family and friends, write letters to family (Ben’s brothers are serving two year missions for the church out of the country and really enjoy hearing news from back home), journal (would blogging count?) and rest from our labors (don’t work).

But we still watch TV, play video games and spend time on the computer/internet. Those are the things that have been bothering me lately, because I’m thinking that we can eliminate them for ONE DAY out of the week and find other wholesome things to take their place. I’m not saying that anyone that does those things is sinning or not Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy (don’t take this post as some high-and-mighty soapbox, this is a personal reflection and not a judgement), I’m just thinking that our family would feel more of the Spirit in our home without those distractions. If anything, wouldn’t it be worth a try? Couldn’t hurt, right?

Here’s an article I found about the subject by Earl C. Tingey…
The Lord counseled the Church more than 165 years ago that we can keep ourselves “unspotted from the world” by properly observing the Sabbath day. While others may watch how we observe the Sabbath day, we should not be self-righteous or attempt to elevate ourselves in the eyes of others (see Matt. 6:1–6, 16–18). We should simply keep the Sabbath day holy because it is what the Lord would have us do. Then we will receive joy and strength from doing so.

The Lord teaches us in Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–13 that Sunday is a day to:
• Rest.
• Worship.
• Offer up vows in righteousness.
• Confess our sins.
• Partake of the sacrament.
• Prepare food with singleness of heart.
• Perfect our fasting.

Additionally, President Spencer W. Kimball said the Sabbath can be used for:
• Reading good books.
• Contemplating.
• Studying the scriptures and preparing talks.
• Visiting the sick.
• Preaching the gospel.
• Doing good.
• Visiting quietly with family members.
• Seeking forgiveness of sin.
• Journal writing.
• Fellowshipping members and nonmembers.
• Enjoying uplifting music.
• Resting.

President Ezra Taft Benson said the Sabbath should not be used for:
• Gardening and housework.
• Taking trips to recreational areas or resorts.
• Wasting time.
• Making up for sleep lost on Saturday.
• Refueling the car.
• Being so busy there is no time for prayer or meditation.
• Engaging in sports or hunting.
• Reading material that does not spiritually uplift us.
• Shopping.

So tomorrow, I’ve vowed to have our family NOT watch TV, play mindless video games or get on the internet. Instead we’ll have breakfast without the TV being on, do a craft with the kids (make magnets for their bulletin boards), get ready and go to church then go to our friends house for dinner. At bedtime, I’ll ask the kids what they thought of the day sans TV and video games. Hopefully their answer will be positive and hearts will be filled with the Spirit confirming to them of their obedience.

Exodus 20:8-11 (all these scripture references are KJV)
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.


Exodus 31:16-17
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.


Deuteronomy 5:12-15
12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.

13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.


15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Q: Do you have any uplifting stories to share about Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy? How about your family teachings on what to do or not to do on the Sabbath? I’d love some ideas of alternative activities that kids could do in keeping with this doctrine.

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Tonight, I was, as were others, shocked to hear that Michael Johns was voted off American Idol. Not that I thought he’d win in the end, but I certainly didn’t think he’d go before Sayesha. SHE should’ve gone before MJ. KLC should’ve gone before MJ. He’ll be fine, I know, but it’s like a slap in the face that the annoying baby crier slash failed Whitney Houston and Fantasia copier got to stick around.
I’m LOVIN’ David Cook… he’s REALLY got talent (wait, isn’t that another show?). I think he might need to NOT win like Chris Daughtry did last year so he can do his thing instead of having to wait a year while he does the expected red tape as the winner. Simon is right (as he usually is) in that David has some kind of arrogant, cocky, pride thing going on when he performs (although he tries to seem humble when he’s not singing; but I guess that’s what should happen when you’re singing… you should show confidence). But his voice is awesome and I dig how he reworks the songs so they’re his.

Q: What’d YOU think about Michael Johns getting voted off tonight (granted that you actually LIKE American Idol, of course… no haters on the Lucky Red Hen blog)?

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I’ve been book tagged by my sister-in-law, Britanny.

The rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (at least 123 pages)
2. Turn to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the 5th sentence on your blog
5. Tag 5 people

Britanny has been reading Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens:
I am slowly making it through–not much time to read these days.
Here’s the line: “We’ll cure you of that, my young master.”

Mine is from the latest Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine:
“There are movies that are very well done and some that are execrably done.”

I tag: Jenny, CJane, Dalene, Brenda, Lauriann

P.S. If you’re anything like me, you looked at the word “execrably” and tried figuring out what it meant…
ex·e·cra·ble /ˈɛksɪkrəbəl/ [ek-si-kruh-buhl]
–adjective
1. utterly detestable; abominable; abhorrent.
2. very bad: an execrable stage performance.

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-Excerpt from Echoes of the Maggid, by Rabbi Paysach Krohn-

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: “When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. “I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled, comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?”

I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, “We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.”

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, “Shay, run to first! Run to first!”

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball … the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, “Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay”

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, “Run to third! Shay, run to third!”

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, “Shay, run home! Run home!” Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

“That day”, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world”.

Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

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Ben came home from the movies the other night sicker than a dog. He was sweating, pale, and said his stomach was churning. Said it started up about 1/2 way through the film. When he left for the movie, he was just fine.

I got worried that we’d both be horizontal for a while, until hearing about this on the TV the next morning.

Apparently, people are getting quite motion sick during the latest scary movie, Cloverfield. I guess it’s similar to The Blair Witch Project that involves the characters in the movie hand-holding the video camera, making the scenes very unstable. Your brain might get vertigo if it can’t separate the movie from your stationary surroundings. I’m sure it didn’t help that the premise of these movies is scary, bloody, and horrific (I am not a fan of scary movies; they’re scary).

I had to leave I Am Sam in the first 30 minutes from the wiggly, jiggly perspective. Barf. I get motion sick even THINKING about it :o)

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First time since we’ve moved that my back has been “out” so bad that I can’t walk without supporting myself along the furniture, walls, and children. Got off the couch and fell to the floor it hurt so bad. Not in the mood for this (especially since I don’t have a chiropractor up here yet). So, if you’re the kind that prays for someone else to get better, then please throw my name in there because I’d like to function tomorrow when I wake up (at least by the end of the day tomorrow). I’ve done my part with staying off of it, ibuprofen, and about to go ice before I fall asleep. Thanks :o)

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