Posted by Molly | Under Family | Thursday Nov 27, 2008
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I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all of you are able to spend time with your families and friends. I also will be praying for our missionaries and soldiers to be safe & happy!
I thought I would share this proclamation with you:
Proclamation of Thanksgiving
Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation
Abraham LincolnThe year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.
Posted by Molly | Under Family | Wednesday Nov 26, 2008
I thought it would be fun to interview other LDS blogs and websites on a regular basis, so if you have a blog or website and would like a review, send your info along!
Making Molly is a great place to look for quick and fun Family Home Evening ideas. It’s one of those really great places to look for something when we haven’t planned ahead, and we need something really quick to slap together, yet be worthwhile!
This site has plenty of great talks and ideas, oh, and I must not forget the recipes!
Posted by Molly | Under Religion | Tuesday Nov 25, 2008
I was doing some searching online, (I have found that there are many phrases in the search engines that still have more non LDS or worse websites and blogs attached to them than positive and truthful ones) and thinking about different keywords and tags that I want to use to move some of the negative blogs down in search rankings, and I came across a post about Elder Ballard’s message about spreading the gospel. One of my favorite bloggers commented at the end of the post. I think both the post and the comment are worth your time to read them.
Humanitarian Services is just one department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints served by LDS Philanthropies. The Church throughout its history has always provided for those in need, but the first permanent humanitarian organization of the Church was created in 1955 at Brigham Young University. The Presiding Bishop of the Church, H. David Burton, who has the responsibility of overseeing LDS Philanthropies said,
Present priorities include care of the world’s poor and a greatly expanded employment support to elevate men and women from circumstances of need to the blessings of self-reliance. Gifts, bequests, and endowments for these initiatives extend personal reach around the globe to help victims of disasters, homelessness, hunger, and disease. Teachers receive needed training, facilities, textbooks, and supplies, weapons in their war against ignorance, poverty, and hopelessness. Orphans and street children find relief from the daily struggle to survive. Job training opens doors of opportunity. Micro-enterprise turns ingenuity into prosperity. Jobs appear where there were no jobs before. The unemployed find stability; the underemployed begin to realize their greater potential and create the surpluses that transform them from receivers to givers. These are effective opportunities, those that build lives. In caring for the world’s poor and assisting with employment needs, we focus on actions that are both effective and cost effective. These two criteria ensure opportunities to give with confidence (H. David Burton, “Presiding Bishop’s Report,” 2005).
Within Humanitarian Services there are specific organizations to which individuals can donate time, money, or supplies:
* Emergency Response
* Wheelchair Distribution
* Clean Water
* Neonatal Resuscitation Training
* Vision Treatment Training.
Money and items can also be donated to the Humanitarian General Fund where the money or supplies are then given to an area that is in need.
Emergency Response is the part of the Church’s humanitarian efforts that most people are aware of. Funds and supplies in this area are used to help victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, tornados, and hurricanes, as well as other disasters due to wars or political unrest. Supplies in this area are gathered and stored before a crisis so that supplies can be sent within literally hours of an emergency. Volunteers are also on call so that if they are needed they can be reached and organized within a few hours.
Wheelchair Distribution is also crucial to helping those in need. Studies estimate that only one percent of people in the world who are physically disabled have a wheelchair. For the rest, being without a wheelchair means that adults cannot provide for themselves or their families, and children are often unable to attend school. By providing wheelchairs to those in need, the Church is able to give the lifelong gifts of self-reliance, education, and even self-respect.
The Clean Water service provides clean water and wells to people who otherwise would most likely contract deadly diseases because of polluted water. Studies estimate that nearly 3 million people, mostly children, die each year from diseases related to unsanitary water.
The Neonatal Resuscitation program sends doctors and volunteers to areas where infant mortality rates are high. They are able to teach people in the area how to resuscitate newborns as well as provide simple medical equipment. This service is greatly needed as it is estimated that 120 million newborns each year suffer from asphyxia during birth. Nearly 90,000 of these infants die because those who care for them have not been trained how to resuscitate them.
The Vision Treatment Training program teaches facilities and medical personal in developing countries how to treat preventable or reversible blindness. There are 45 million people in the world who are blind, and in developing countries being blind often means poverty. Saving a person’s sight may very well save them and their families.
Facts regarding the LDS Humanitarian Program
Once a month, faithful members of the Church fast, typically skipping two meals. The cost of the meals (or more if the individual can afford it) is given to care for the poor. Because of this practice, the Utah government welfare spending is very low. Members of other faiths also benefit through LDS charity work.
The Church owns 400 welfare farms and 220 canneries/welfare storehouses to care for the poor. Members volunteer their time to staff these facilities. In 2003, over half a million man-hours were donated. One Church farm in Florida, the world’s largest beef ranch, is over 312,000 acres.
The Church also has an extensive program to help the unemployed. In 2003, Church employment centers helped 85,000 people in the United States and Canada find employment. About the same number of jobs were found for members of the Church in foreign countries.
LDS Family Services, a Church organization, has 64 offices to provide adoption, foster care, and counseling services.
46 Church-operated thrift stores function in part to provide employment for the disadvantaged/disabled.
The LDS Church has sponsored Boy Scout troops since 1913. About 23% of all Scout troops in the U.S. are LDS-sponsored.
The Church has sent relief to victims of over 150 disasters since 1986 alone. Aid is provided regardless of any consideration, including religion, ethnicity, and nationality, and is valued in the tens of millions of dollars annually. In the last 20 years, 200 million pounds of food, clothing, and medicine were donated in 147 countries, almost all to members of other faiths. Aid is often made to countries where Mormon missionaries are banned by law. The LDS Church is able to send relief quickly because there is no need to wait for donations or purchase supplies. Church members donate regularly, and supplies are stored at Salt Lake and elsewhere, ready for distribution. The LDS Church also works with and donates extensively to other, non-LDS charities. While the Church’s specific humanitarian programs are too numerous to list here, here are a few highlights:
* In 2001 the Church established what it calls the “Perpetual Education Fund.” Low-rate college loans are made to impoverished students in the developing world, students that could not otherwise obtain a good education. Over 10,000 loans have been made to date, and the project is expanding.
* The Church played an important role in the 2004 Asian-tsunami relief efforts. After working to address the population’s immediate needs, the Church began working towards long-term progress, including livelihood restoration, health-care improvement (including operating-room construction, medical-equipment supply, and trauma counseling), and the reconstruction of community buildings (including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques). In all, millions of dollars have been invested in this type of long-term aid.
* The Church has an extensive vision program in the developing world, where local health-care professionals are provided with the necessary training and equipment to treat vision problems. Under this program, 20,000 individuals have received eye treatment at a cost of one million dollars.
* Because world-wide only one percent of all who need wheelchairs have access to one, the Church has distributed over 100,000 chairs to the disabled in developing nations at a cost of $6.8 million.
* The Church has helped 1.8 million people in over 1,000 communities gain access to clean water at an average cost of only $2.50 per person. This service has included digging wells, providing water storage and delivery systems, and installing water purification systems. Mostly local labor was used, and local community leaders were trained in how to maintain the new facilities.
* At a cost of $3.5 million, the Church has sent doctors to developing nations to train local health-care professionals in neonatal resuscitation. Neonatal deaths due to breathing problems cost one million infant lives a year.
* Working with international partners (the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Nations Children’s Fund, World Health Organization, and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), the Church donated $3 million to work towards providing measles vaccinations for 200 million children in 40 African countries.
* Church members donated 10,000 days of labor to assist Hurricane Katrina victims.
* The Church offers small-business loans to the impoverished in developing countries.
* So what’s a typical year like? Take 2004…“In 2004, the Church provided $31.1 million (USD) in cash and materials in response to the hurricanes in Florida and the Caribbean, tsunamis in South Asia, war in Iraq, flooding in Colombia, and 110 other disasters.”
The Church has over 5,000 service missionaries (another site said 3,000) who work without pay to aid the poor.
Aside from providing service missionaries, the Church also has 61,000 proselytizing missionaries in over 300 missions in 165 countries, distinct from those mentioned above, who also work without pay. Trained in 17 missionary training centers scattered across the globe, these proselytizing missionaries provide those who are seeking God with more information about our beliefs. Roughly 93% of LDS missionaries are college-age, and 22% are female. Proselytizing missionaries are instructed to donate half a day each week doing non-proselytizing community service.
* Some are offended by this missionary program, likely because they confuse our religion with others that proselytize more aggressively.
* Mormon missionaries are instructed not to aggressively force their beliefs on others but instead to find and teach those interested in our message. While an occasional Mormon missionary many erroneously fail to follow this instruction, most follow it closely.
* Truth be told, this missionary activity is probably the most impressive of the Church’s humanitarian programs. Many individuals who were seeking God have been forever enriched because a Mormon missionary left the comfort of his home to share a message that has brought him great joy.
LDS ecclesiastical leaders also work voluntarily and are not paid by the Church. Much of the janitorial staff is paid, as well as Church auditors and those in other non-ecclesiastical positions.
More Videos
These and other resources can be found on the MormonWiki.
Posted by Molly | Under Just For Fun | Friday Nov 21, 2008
I was converted to Glenn-ism or is it Beck-ism? Oh, I don’t know! All I know is that I love that he doesn’t pull any punches! He says what he means. You know, one thing that I really like about him is that he isn’t afraid to voice his opinion, but, at the same time…he isn’t forcing his opinion on you!
If you haven’t read his conversion to Mormonism story, you really must! Also, his heartfelt tribute to President Gordon B. Hinckley. That was a tear jerker! And, now he has all kinds of political info out there, as he always does, that is really interesting.
Glenn now has a Christmas book entitled, “The Christmas Sweater”. This book is about a young 13 year old boy who discovers that the true meaning of a gift is that it is given with love. It’s a very good book, and one that any one can give as a Christmas gift.
Posted by Molly | Under Fashion | Wednesday Nov 19, 2008
I thought it would be fun to interview other LDS blogs and websites on a regular basis, so if you have a blog or website and would like a review, send your info along!
I recently found The Dress Up Drawer, OH How Adorable!! Kids love capes, boys love capes…girls love them too! What better than a cape for each of them? These capes are so darn cute and they come in such cute fabrics! I will list some details below, but you really need to go and check it out for yourself!
Capes-
Capes can be as simple or as complicated as you want.
* Themed fabrics are also available*
LDS Themes
Birthday
Holiday
Camouflage/John Deer
Favorite animal/cartoon character
Princess
Whatever you think up I will find!
Posted by Molly | Under Just For Fun | Friday Nov 14, 2008
First off, No, I don’t sell Scentsy…But, I am a believer! I have several warmers of my own, and I love that they never get hot enough that my kids are going to get hurt or burned from the wax! Yes, my children and I have tested it! Me, I did it to make sure my kids weren’t going to get burned. My kids…well, they are kids, enough said!
I love the different scents they have too! Now, with any candle company, they have some that I absolutely do not like…but, others love! It’s just my personal taste! Recently, I went to my girlfriends home, for an open house. My friend works with some of the smaller publishers, in LDS media (obviously in other and larger areas, but as we are Utahns…) a few times a year, my friend Michelle will open her house to one or two other friends who want to sell their products, and she brings in books from some of the most well known, and some of the lesser known authors and sells these at her open house. All are invited, but, you really want to be on her open house list. She sends out invites to everyone, serves fantastic treats, and you get to see some of the very best books for women, children and other great products that her friends bring in.
This year, Michelle had her books (which fill almost half of her entire first floor in displays), Scentsy, Jewelry, and a few other miscellaneous items. Wow…it’s hard to get out of there without spending $50 or more. I am plugging Scentsy today, since I have my new favorite Vanilla Walnut in the warmer now!
If you want to know more about Scentsy or order a warmer or better yet, their new Plug-in, visit Jen Carpenter’s Scentsy Shop @ http://www.scentsy.com/spicyjen
If any of you want to share your favorite scents, please share them here!
Posted by Molly | Under Fashion | Wednesday Nov 12, 2008
I thought it would be fun to interview other LDS blogs and websites on a regular basis, so if you have a blog or website and would like a review, send your info along!
Today, I decided to review an adorable baby accessories site. I am so done with little ones, unless I am unkowingly blessed with one, but, I can’t not look at baby stuff, and this stuff is Completely Adorable!!
These girls have so many adorable things, from barrettes, wipe boxes, baby toys, diaper bags, and all kinds of other great stuff. Go check out these girls unique and adorable baby gifts. To visit their site, go to Creatively Inclined Moms. Their products make great gifts for friends and family who are expecting new little ones!
Posted by Molly | Under Family | Sunday Nov 9, 2008
I was visiting some blogs that I normally would have never seen or known about, but because of a little research, I found some great new reading material. You should also check out this great site, A Tale of Magical Memories. In this reading I found the above graphic and loved it. I figured if I was going to use it, I had better use it in the way it was intended. So, here goes…
Six Things I am Thankful for…
#1 - My Parents, Grandparents, and ancestors. Without the examples of those who came before, I would not be who I am today.
#2 -I am thankful for a loving husband who is my best friend, and the only person I think to tell all my joys and sorrows to.
#3 - I am thankful for 3 loving children who bring me such joy. Its quite an amazing thing to watch them grow up and know that they are at least a small product of what we have tried to teach them.
#4 - I am thankful for my knowledge of the Lord and his eternal plan of salvation. I am so thankful to have been baptized and to have been married in the temple for all eternity.
#5 - I am thankful for good friends, who inspire and teach.
#6 - I am thankful for traditions and memories of those traditions. I am excited to be able to share those memories with my children, and why they were so important to me.
Posted by Molly | Under Short Stories | Friday Nov 7, 2008
I have recently read the book Hearts of Courage by John Tippets. This book is a story about actual events, and really a great piece of family history for anyone related to the Tippets. If after reading the synopsis below, you would like more information you should visit John’s website at: http://johntippets.com.
They were in The Hands of God…
On a cold January day in 1943, Joseph Tippets was flying home to his beloved wife Alta and their son John. Leaving the Seattle airport along with four other passengers and the pilot, Joe was glad he had been able to say good-bye to his mother in Ogden, Utah one last time and spend time with family over this Christmas holiday. Being president of the small branch in Anchorage, Joe also spent time with some of the LDS General Authorities in Salt Lake City. Overall, it had been a meaningful two weeks.
At home Alta had done her best to make the birth of the Savior a special and spiritual time. Two young soldiers in Anchorage and a friend helped put up a small spruce tree and decorate it. With a sprinkling of gifts and a toy car for John and later, several friends came by bringing something to share for a potluck dinner. “It would have been a dreary Christmas if it hadn’t been for the soldier boys and our friends from Church,” Alta said.
Air travel was always risky, but especially now during winter conditions. Now, several hours into the flight Joe felt a sudden jolt as the left engine of the Lockheed 10-B shut down. With the weight of frozen ice on the wings, the right engine couldn’t maintain altitude and suddenly the plane was spiraling towards earth and a bleak, cold Alaskan mountainside. Pilot Harold Gillam made one last desperate radio call and then focused all his energy on the crash, hoping to keep all alive. At 1,800 feet the snow cleared briefly to reveal an open spot on a mountainside so he switched off the right engine and held the aircraft’s nose high, hoping to stall just before impact.
Hearts of Courage is the account of the survival of four passengers and the harrowing journey made by Brother Tippets and another passenger through Alaskan snow and ice, hoping to find civilization and prompt a rescue. Told in Joe’s own words by son John Tippets, the tenacity and courage of the two men is a story of real heroism against impossible odds… the stuff legend is made of. The miraculous events of those two weeks—the ordeal of survival, the ultimate rescue—are told with boldness and honesty. Alta refused to believe her husband was dead, long after the search had been abandoned, praying to a merciful Heavenly Father and still feeling connected to her eternal companion. Her devotion and Joe’s stalwart bravery are the soul and spirit of Hearts of Courage.
Ultimately, everyone involved will learn that prayer is powerful, God loves his children, and a man can push on through impossible odds as long as he has faith. It is Hearts of Courage that brings a remarkable conclusion to the Gillam crash of ’43.
And you will believe a man or woman can overcome anything if their heart is true and their faith is strong, and that the Lord will provide, even in the frozen tundra of the north.
“ . . . a source of inspiration to every Latter-Day Saint and to many otherswho believe in a God who hears and answers the prayers of the faithful.”
