A weird thing happened to me the other day. As we were coming home from somewhere, I noticed some people of a different ethnicity than myself picking berries or something from the bushes along the street where we live. I don't want to go into too much detail (for risk of embarrassing myself!), but my initial reaction was to have some pretty judgmental thoughts go through my head toward those people, picking their food instead of buying it. Seriously!
Then, several days later, I was out for an invigorating (read awful-I-need-to-get-in-shape) morning run, when I passed the bushes. I was fascinated to see literally hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe millions of blackberries. WOW. Gorgeous, huge, ripe for the plucking, blackberries.
So what did I do? I was at the end of my run, and I filled my palm with some blackberries. I came home and washed them and enjoyed them. They were marvelous.
A couple nights later, I took a huge salad bowl out there and picked dozens more.
A couple days later, I went on a walk with Wesley and made our last stop the blackberry bushes, where I filled another container with the yummiest, most fabulous, free blackberries.
Seriously, I could look at my haul and put a price tag on it... a 1/2 pint of blackberries is at least $2. I have come home with at least $10 worth of blackberries in the last few days. Wesley gobbles them up. They are huge and ripe and very tasty. (They also stain clothes quite badly. So watch out for that.)
But the lesson to me is much more. Man, that was rude of me to point a judgmental finger at those people. What they were was brilliant, even more than they were frugal. They were taking advantage of Mother Nature's bounty. It's rewarding to pick my own food! My cool friend Stacey has raspberries bushes at her very own house, and I can't say how amazing that is. Raspberries? Your very own? I am in awe. I always knew it was possible, but I guess it takes an experience like this to make me feel realize that yes, fruit and vegetables do grow in the ground! They don't just come from grocery stores!
And, of course, I really do need to watch my thoughts. Even if I didn't say anything out loud, it shames me to think about what I thought. Give people the benefit of the doubt. In fact, those people got me on a blackberry kick that will stay with me maybe forever! I have a new reason to love summers at my place of residence. I'm grateful to them for their good example to me.
Happy berry pickin'!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
movie clip from my life
Last night the Young Women had the coolest activity -- a Mystery Movie Night. Everyone in attendance had to pick a scene from a movie that represents them or represents their life. One leader was in charge and knew all the movie scenes and played them all, and then the rest of us guessed what scene belonged to whom.
It was awesome! These girls are hilarious!
One girl, who likes to clean, chose the Happy Little Working Song from Enchanted. As soon as everyone knew it was her, they were like "duh!" They said the only reason their tent or the bathroom got cleaned at girls' camp was because of her. She was a little cleaning worker bee! Awesome! Also, when she uses the bathroom at someone's house, she also likes to fold the toilet paper into a little triangle like a hotel does. It's hilarious! She's super funny.
Another girl did a scene from Disney's Aristocats, where the two little boy kittens are play fighting with the little girl kitten, and the mom cat is like, "that isn't lady like!" And she says, "I'm not a lady!" or whatever. The girl who chose that clip has two brothers who make her crazy. That makes perfect sense!
Another girl did a cute scene from Matilda where the little girl goes to the library every day and reads all sorts of books, and learns she can check out books from the library so she just reads and reads. I guessed right away who it was! It was the girl who let me borrow the Twilight books! She is a superstar and quite the reader.
Other scenes were the campfire scene from The Incredibles, where the mom tells the daughter she's "in charge" (which our young woman liked since she has a younger brother she gets to be in charge of), the dancing scence from Hitch (hahahahaha!), the makeover scene from Miss Congeniality, and the dance off from Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Plus there were some others, too. It was a fun night!
My scene (haha) in case you were wondering, is from Elf... where Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf meets his "brother" Michael after school one day. Buddy is obnoxiously persistent even when Michael is trying to avoid him, and then (this is the part where it's me), Buddy says:
I chose that scene since after we had watched that movie a couple times, my husband turned to me and said, "do you realize that is just like you?" And he's right. It is. I'm nonstop. It's great.
I was a dead giveaway at the Mystery Movie Night since I started LAUGHING and LAUGHING and I couldn't stop. That scene is just so funny. So they knew it was me pretty easy.
So your turn! If you had to pick one movie scene to represent you, what would it be???
It was awesome! These girls are hilarious!
One girl, who likes to clean, chose the Happy Little Working Song from Enchanted. As soon as everyone knew it was her, they were like "duh!" They said the only reason their tent or the bathroom got cleaned at girls' camp was because of her. She was a little cleaning worker bee! Awesome! Also, when she uses the bathroom at someone's house, she also likes to fold the toilet paper into a little triangle like a hotel does. It's hilarious! She's super funny.
Another girl did a scene from Disney's Aristocats, where the two little boy kittens are play fighting with the little girl kitten, and the mom cat is like, "that isn't lady like!" And she says, "I'm not a lady!" or whatever. The girl who chose that clip has two brothers who make her crazy. That makes perfect sense!
Another girl did a cute scene from Matilda where the little girl goes to the library every day and reads all sorts of books, and learns she can check out books from the library so she just reads and reads. I guessed right away who it was! It was the girl who let me borrow the Twilight books! She is a superstar and quite the reader.
Other scenes were the campfire scene from The Incredibles, where the mom tells the daughter she's "in charge" (which our young woman liked since she has a younger brother she gets to be in charge of), the dancing scence from Hitch (hahahahaha!), the makeover scene from Miss Congeniality, and the dance off from Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Plus there were some others, too. It was a fun night!
My scene (haha) in case you were wondering, is from Elf... where Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf meets his "brother" Michael after school one day. Buddy is obnoxiously persistent even when Michael is trying to avoid him, and then (this is the part where it's me), Buddy says:
Wow, you're fast. I'm glad I caught up to you. I waited five hours for you. Why is your coat so big? So, good news -- I saw a dog today. Have you seen a dog? You probably have. How was school? Was it fun? Did you get a lot of homework? Huh? Do you have any friends? Do you have a best friend? Does he have a big coat, too?
I chose that scene since after we had watched that movie a couple times, my husband turned to me and said, "do you realize that is just like you?" And he's right. It is. I'm nonstop. It's great.
I was a dead giveaway at the Mystery Movie Night since I started LAUGHING and LAUGHING and I couldn't stop. That scene is just so funny. So they knew it was me pretty easy.
So your turn! If you had to pick one movie scene to represent you, what would it be???
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
way to go voters of Seattle!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
is it worth it?
Since I've been a wife, I've been really enthusiastic about cooking. It's pretty fun to cook for an audience. I've made it my responsibility to have dinner on the table every night, and judging by the increase in my sweet husband's pant size, I feel like I'm doing a good job.
So cooks and/or moms, please consider this scenario:
Last night, I made beef stroganoff. I browned the meat. I cooked egg noodles in another pot. I chopped onion and mushrooms and added it to the meat. I made a sauce of sour cream, flour, nutmeg, salt, pepper, etc. I put it all together. I boiled some asparagus, too. And, as if that wasn't enough multi-tasking, I made rice krispie treats at the same time for later. At one point, every stove top surface was covered.
As I served dinner, I was sure to mention to Shane that the meal was "from scratch," and "not from a box," to which he replied a sort of "humm," which I interpreted as surprise even though he probably was ambivalent.
And it got me thinking. Was it really worth it? I mean, I feel better that it wasn't from a box. But I dirtied every pan we owned and gave myself a huge headache with all the preparation. And basically it tasted the same as Hamburger Helper.
What do you guys think? Is it super important to cook from scratch? What do you always do from scratch? What do you never do from scratch?
I am a fan of:
Anyway, please chime in, I'd love to know your thoughts.
So cooks and/or moms, please consider this scenario:
Last night, I made beef stroganoff. I browned the meat. I cooked egg noodles in another pot. I chopped onion and mushrooms and added it to the meat. I made a sauce of sour cream, flour, nutmeg, salt, pepper, etc. I put it all together. I boiled some asparagus, too. And, as if that wasn't enough multi-tasking, I made rice krispie treats at the same time for later. At one point, every stove top surface was covered.
As I served dinner, I was sure to mention to Shane that the meal was "from scratch," and "not from a box," to which he replied a sort of "humm," which I interpreted as surprise even though he probably was ambivalent.
And it got me thinking. Was it really worth it? I mean, I feel better that it wasn't from a box. But I dirtied every pan we owned and gave myself a huge headache with all the preparation. And basically it tasted the same as Hamburger Helper.
What do you guys think? Is it super important to cook from scratch? What do you always do from scratch? What do you never do from scratch?
I am a fan of:
- Cake and brownie mixes. From scratch never taste right to me. Maybe they're just not oily and fattening enough.
- Pasta Roni. There's just no substitute. How would one make Pasta Roni from scratch?
- Canned beans. I like dry beans, but I am never prepared enough to wash and soak them in enough time for a meal.
- Fresh vegetables to canned ones. Boy howdy by far. Frozen vegetables are a close second, but I prefer fresh any day. The trick is to remember to eat them before they go bad. I actually have a whiteboard on the fridge where I keep track of what is in the veggie drawers.
- Cookies from scratch. No cookie mixes or prepared Nestle doughs for me. Those are lame. I don't buy a lot of cookies from the store, either. In fact, to keep my sanity, I avoid the snack food aisle altogether.
- Avoiding Bisquick. Sometimes it's convenient, but in general I don't really like it. I like other biscuit mixes, but Bisquick just doesn't do it for me.
I am on the fence about:
- Processed cheese and Velveeta. I just think the plastic-wrapped slices of cheese are best in grilled cheese sandwiches. And what could substitute for Velveeta? But I'm sure they're not healthy... right?
- Canned soup. Something tells me they are loaded with sodium, msg, etc., but they are just so convenient. Making homemade soup, although rewarding, is exhausting. Very involved. Cut lots of veggies. Cook the chicken. Add the bouillon (and is that the healthiest option? that's got plenty of sodium in it, too). Let it simmer and on and on.
- Goldfish, Ritz crackers, Nilla wafers, graham crackers. These are staples of Wesley's diet these days. Am I a bad mom? Are these all bad for my son? They're just convenient and they seem like normal enough food. I have a friend whose daughter eats these Trader Joe's plain (aka bland) rice cakes. And that's her snack food. Blah. I wouldn't even eat that stuff.
I guess I'm to the point in my life where I'm actually wondering: are my habits healthy? What could I be doing better to aid in weight loss and/or overall health? I have my son to worry about now. But is the reward worth the hassle?
As I write this, I currently am experimenting with making my own croutons for a Caesar salad for a potluck tonight... sounds dangerous...Anyway, please chime in, I'd love to know your thoughts.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
more potpourri
I thought of some more noteworthy things. As if that last post wasn't long enough!
Flicks
Despite my better judgment and several opinions telling me not to, I borrowed Moulin Rouge from the library and watched it. There's no denying it's a very popular film, however several years ago Shane could only stomach one hour of it, and my mom told me all through the movie she was chanting at the screen, "Nicole Kidman, just die! Just die so I can go home!"
So my opinion: It was definitely weird. I won't watch it again. Shane said it was just too "busy," and he's right. Lots of colors and lots of motion and lots of goofy quick dialogue. I guess it's best for people with ADD. Anyway, it was alright in the end, I mean it was a nice love story, blah blah, but yeah it was weird. What did you guys think, for those of you who have seen it? I recall it being wildly popular but in the end I thought it was a little too much.
We also borrowed The Illusionist from the library and I must say: I saw it coming! I knew the whole time! I told Shane my predictions and he said, "really?" And then I was right! Booooo-ya! However, in the end I prefer the other period-piece-magician film of a couple years ago, The Prestige with hottie Christian Bale.
Isn't it funny how there are always two of the same kind of movie that come out at the same time? Armageddon vs. Deep Impact (both end-of-the-world-meteor movies), The Illusionist vs. The Prestige (both olden-days-magician movies), Paul Blart: Mall Cop vs. Observe and Report (both mall-security-guard movies). Yeah, very strange. I haven't seen the latter pair.
Edmonds Marina Beach
Last week's Church playgroup was at Marina Beach in Edmonds. Several of my other mom & baby playgroup friends live in Edmonds (I have two playgroups), so I sent them all an email saying to come join us. When I showed up I instantly saw one of my buds, so we chatted for about an hour. Then she had to go and I went to find the playgroup... and no one was there! Did no one else go? Or was I in the wrong place? Wesley and I had a nice time toddling around (well, he toddled), playing the sand, looking at the sailboats, oogling at the seagulls, that kinda stuff.
Every single time...
I set a doctor's appointment last month for September, since my doc is seriously booked way way way out. Then last week I got a call that she'd be out of the office on that day, and they needed to reschedule me for a couple weeks later, and could I call and confirm that was OK.
I've tried to call no less than a half-dozen times and EVERY TIME I call the office is closed. What darn luck! I call at 8:20 am, and they don't open until 8:30. I call at 4:02 pm, and they close at 4. I call at 12:15 pm, and they have a lunch hour from 12-1. It's just insanity.
So there you have it, more musings from my corner of the world. Hope you're all well. Maybe next time I'll have something more profound to say.
Flicks
Despite my better judgment and several opinions telling me not to, I borrowed Moulin Rouge from the library and watched it. There's no denying it's a very popular film, however several years ago Shane could only stomach one hour of it, and my mom told me all through the movie she was chanting at the screen, "Nicole Kidman, just die! Just die so I can go home!"
So my opinion: It was definitely weird. I won't watch it again. Shane said it was just too "busy," and he's right. Lots of colors and lots of motion and lots of goofy quick dialogue. I guess it's best for people with ADD. Anyway, it was alright in the end, I mean it was a nice love story, blah blah, but yeah it was weird. What did you guys think, for those of you who have seen it? I recall it being wildly popular but in the end I thought it was a little too much.
We also borrowed The Illusionist from the library and I must say: I saw it coming! I knew the whole time! I told Shane my predictions and he said, "really?" And then I was right! Booooo-ya! However, in the end I prefer the other period-piece-magician film of a couple years ago, The Prestige with hottie Christian Bale.
Isn't it funny how there are always two of the same kind of movie that come out at the same time? Armageddon vs. Deep Impact (both end-of-the-world-meteor movies), The Illusionist vs. The Prestige (both olden-days-magician movies), Paul Blart: Mall Cop vs. Observe and Report (both mall-security-guard movies). Yeah, very strange. I haven't seen the latter pair.
Edmonds Marina Beach
Last week's Church playgroup was at Marina Beach in Edmonds. Several of my other mom & baby playgroup friends live in Edmonds (I have two playgroups), so I sent them all an email saying to come join us. When I showed up I instantly saw one of my buds, so we chatted for about an hour. Then she had to go and I went to find the playgroup... and no one was there! Did no one else go? Or was I in the wrong place? Wesley and I had a nice time toddling around (well, he toddled), playing the sand, looking at the sailboats, oogling at the seagulls, that kinda stuff.
Every single time...
I set a doctor's appointment last month for September, since my doc is seriously booked way way way out. Then last week I got a call that she'd be out of the office on that day, and they needed to reschedule me for a couple weeks later, and could I call and confirm that was OK.
I've tried to call no less than a half-dozen times and EVERY TIME I call the office is closed. What darn luck! I call at 8:20 am, and they don't open until 8:30. I call at 4:02 pm, and they close at 4. I call at 12:15 pm, and they have a lunch hour from 12-1. It's just insanity.
So there you have it, more musings from my corner of the world. Hope you're all well. Maybe next time I'll have something more profound to say.
Monday, August 10, 2009
our week, potpourri
Hey everyone; lots has been happening in the Gottula home, so here's a recap.
It Walks
That's right, little bebe is finally a walker. Finally. Wesley took his first steps on Saturday July 25, at a party with a half-dozen of his baby friends and their parents, so we think he was either 1) just trying to keep up with the other walking babies there, or 2) saving his big moment until he could show off. It's been go-go-go ever since. The first week he was wobbly, but he's a full-grown toddler now. It's really cute to watch. He is just so HAPPY and LAUGHING and everything. He's so proud of himself! And we're proud of him, too.
Happy Birthday
It was my brother Brad's birthday. He shares a birthday with the bombing of Hiroshima so we like to give him a hard time about that. Correction, I like to give him a hard time about it. Happy Birthday, Brad!
Girls' Camp
A shout-out to my awesome Young Women girlies who survived camp last week. I think camp can best be summed up by this conversation which occurred at Church yesterday:
So we are always trying to teach these sweet girls to be healthy and happy and well balanced yet we send them to camp (and Church on Sunday) where they are inundated with junk food. And spiritual experiences, evidently. I heard camp was awesome. I was trying to go up for a day but couldn't find a Wesley watcher. So if you want to be my volunteer Wesley watcher for next summer please let me know.
I had a BLAST at camp when I was a teenager. It was awesome. I made the best friends. It was sweaty and hot and always gross, but some of my best memories are from camp. I recently found two more camp friends on Facebook.
Jetty Island
Wesley and I met some buds on Jetty Island this week. Since his nap is around noon, and the ferry over doesn't start running until 10 am, we caught the first ferry and hung out for a few hours before we had to leave. Except we went on the coldest day of the summer so far. It was freezing! And Wesley would walk in the sandbar then fall on his little bum and he'd get wet and then he was soaked and cold. And it was overcast and windy.
And as soon as we gathered our stuff to leave, the sun came out. It was gorgeous. And we went home and napped. Ahh life. We'll go again before the season is out. And I'll take pictures next time.
Mariners
We went to the Mariners game Friday night. It was awesome! I had four tickets, so even though Wesley didn't technically need his own ticket he got one anyway. We took our good friend Amelia who is moving to Bend, Oregon, so we're super depressed and this was a last hurrah I suppose. I actually didn't find out that we were going until that day when I was at work, so I called Shane (who was at home with Wesley) and rattled off like a million things he had to do beforehand and bring. I just wasn't sure he'd think of them all! He managed to get Wesley dressed in his Mariners outfit, and remembered the camera and blankets, and it was just a nice time. Garlic fries will make anything I nice time, I'd argue.
Wesley has also been a stinker about staying up until like 10 pm or something lately so I didn't think the night game would be a problem. For the last week we've been putting him in his crib at 8 pm, and he'd just sit and talk to himself and goof off (e.g., bang the walls, throw his stuffed toys over the side of the crib) for like two hours, then go to sleep peacefully. Funny guy.
The Mariners won. It was a good game -- extra innings! We actually left a teensy bit early and we're glad we did because we beat traffic. What loser adults we are, huh!? It was so fun though... a nice family outing. With Amelia.
Dental Arts
Today is Wesley's first dentist appointment. Boy howdy! I decided randomly a week or so ago to check and see if any of his molars had come in, and indeed he had ALL FOUR. That kid has a zillion teeth. OK 12. He has 12. But the "canines" aka vampire teeth are coming in soon, and with all the fun foods he is eating he is getting some nastiness and needs to brush regularly although he isn't a fan of it. So off to the dentist we go for advice!
Twilight Soundtrack
Speaking of vampires, I got the Twilight soundtrack from amazon.com and I've only listened to it about 10 times every day for the last week. I'm insane. And addicted. Good stuff.
OK that's all for now.
It Walks
That's right, little bebe is finally a walker. Finally. Wesley took his first steps on Saturday July 25, at a party with a half-dozen of his baby friends and their parents, so we think he was either 1) just trying to keep up with the other walking babies there, or 2) saving his big moment until he could show off. It's been go-go-go ever since. The first week he was wobbly, but he's a full-grown toddler now. It's really cute to watch. He is just so HAPPY and LAUGHING and everything. He's so proud of himself! And we're proud of him, too.
Happy Birthday
It was my brother Brad's birthday. He shares a birthday with the bombing of Hiroshima so we like to give him a hard time about that. Correction, I like to give him a hard time about it. Happy Birthday, Brad!
Girls' Camp
A shout-out to my awesome Young Women girlies who survived camp last week. I think camp can best be summed up by this conversation which occurred at Church yesterday:
Jacque: Sister Valentine, I'm hungry, did you bring food today?
Tawnya (aka Sister Valentine): Yes, I brought girl scout cookies.
Jacque: Well, I was kind of hoping for real food. Like a salad.
Tawnya: What?
Jacque: Yeah, at camp one day the Bishop brought us donuts, then we went to dinner and there were these big cupcakes, and then afterwards someone had these huge cookies, so I'm just kind of junk-fooded out.
Tawnya: Well, I'm sorry I didn't make you a salad. For Church.
So we are always trying to teach these sweet girls to be healthy and happy and well balanced yet we send them to camp (and Church on Sunday) where they are inundated with junk food. And spiritual experiences, evidently. I heard camp was awesome. I was trying to go up for a day but couldn't find a Wesley watcher. So if you want to be my volunteer Wesley watcher for next summer please let me know.
I had a BLAST at camp when I was a teenager. It was awesome. I made the best friends. It was sweaty and hot and always gross, but some of my best memories are from camp. I recently found two more camp friends on Facebook.
Jetty Island
Wesley and I met some buds on Jetty Island this week. Since his nap is around noon, and the ferry over doesn't start running until 10 am, we caught the first ferry and hung out for a few hours before we had to leave. Except we went on the coldest day of the summer so far. It was freezing! And Wesley would walk in the sandbar then fall on his little bum and he'd get wet and then he was soaked and cold. And it was overcast and windy.
And as soon as we gathered our stuff to leave, the sun came out. It was gorgeous. And we went home and napped. Ahh life. We'll go again before the season is out. And I'll take pictures next time.
Mariners
We went to the Mariners game Friday night. It was awesome! I had four tickets, so even though Wesley didn't technically need his own ticket he got one anyway. We took our good friend Amelia who is moving to Bend, Oregon, so we're super depressed and this was a last hurrah I suppose. I actually didn't find out that we were going until that day when I was at work, so I called Shane (who was at home with Wesley) and rattled off like a million things he had to do beforehand and bring. I just wasn't sure he'd think of them all! He managed to get Wesley dressed in his Mariners outfit, and remembered the camera and blankets, and it was just a nice time. Garlic fries will make anything I nice time, I'd argue.
Wesley has also been a stinker about staying up until like 10 pm or something lately so I didn't think the night game would be a problem. For the last week we've been putting him in his crib at 8 pm, and he'd just sit and talk to himself and goof off (e.g., bang the walls, throw his stuffed toys over the side of the crib) for like two hours, then go to sleep peacefully. Funny guy.
The Mariners won. It was a good game -- extra innings! We actually left a teensy bit early and we're glad we did because we beat traffic. What loser adults we are, huh!? It was so fun though... a nice family outing. With Amelia.
Dental Arts
Today is Wesley's first dentist appointment. Boy howdy! I decided randomly a week or so ago to check and see if any of his molars had come in, and indeed he had ALL FOUR. That kid has a zillion teeth. OK 12. He has 12. But the "canines" aka vampire teeth are coming in soon, and with all the fun foods he is eating he is getting some nastiness and needs to brush regularly although he isn't a fan of it. So off to the dentist we go for advice!
Twilight Soundtrack
Speaking of vampires, I got the Twilight soundtrack from amazon.com and I've only listened to it about 10 times every day for the last week. I'm insane. And addicted. Good stuff.
OK that's all for now.
Monday, August 3, 2009
the wrong sentiment
I’ve been having this thought for awhile, and I’m glad to have the opportunity to blog about it. At this point in time, this whole scenario has nothing to do with me, so if I say something that “offends,” at least no one can take it personally that he/she was the reason for my ramblings. I am also genuinely curious of other people’s thoughts on the matter.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is completely self governed, and for that matter, organized by inspiration. The Bishop, the “leader” of the ward (or congregation), knows what positions in the ward need to he filled. He prays for inspiration to know who the Lord would have in that position. When he feels confident that he knows who is the best person for the job, the Bishop issues a “calling” to the ward member. Some things that need to be done, for example, including preparing the Sunday bulletin, managing the ward Web site, teaching the primary children, planning ward activities, scheduling building maintenance, and on and on. The possibilities are endless.
Everything needs to get done (and it's done by the members), and we each have different talents. Callings change. I guess it comes to a point where you’ve learned all you can learn in a calling and done your best, so the Lord (through the Bishop) “releases” you. Someone else starts to do your job, and inevitably, you are called to do something different. The Bishop presents your name before the ward during Sunday meetings, and everyone in the ward is given the opportunity to "sustain" you to that calling by, in essence, raising their hand in agreement. They also have the opportunity to oppose you, but I've never seen that happen.
So, that’s that in a nutshell.
Yesterday at Church there was a huge upheaval in organizations. The Primary presidency was reorganized, and I’m pretty invested in who is in charge of the primary children since my little Wesley will be in the primary organization (the nursery) in just four months. I definitely want competent people in there! Of course, I’m thrilled the new president is a good friend of mine, and Whimsy, who I gush about often, is the new secretary. A couple other high-profile callings were changed yesterday, and I know more are coming.
So, here’s my beef. All the releasings, callings, and sustainings occur in our first Sunday meeting. Afterwards, it’s not uncommon to hear (and it has happened to me) words of “congratulations” in the foyer... "Congratulations on your new calling."
THIS MAKES ME CRAZY.
It is 100% uncalled for and frankly it upsets me. I’ll just use me for example: When I received my latest calling, to work with the young women, I was 100% terrified. I didn’t want to do it. I thought I was completely the wrong person for the job. I heard rumors and discussions about how some of the women who were being released were so upset about being released, and all I could do was fight back tears as I thought to myself, “they should still be here. I’m not right. I don’t want this.” And I didn’t. It was awful. I accepted the calling merely because I trust our Bishop and his counselors and know they receive revelation from the Lord and know what is best for our ward.
So imagine how I felt being “congratulated” in the hall. Friends, I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t apply for his. I’m not somehow more fabulous than you are or anyone else is so the Lord thought me perfect for this calling. It’s not like that! It’s not a job I WON over other contenders!
I sincerely feel that words of congratulations at people who have new callings are just inappropriate. My personal preferred acknowledgment of the change is, “are you excited for your new calling?” or “how do you feel about your new calling?”
I heard someone congratulate a young man yesterday who got a new calling, and his response was spot on, “Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far. ‘Good luck’ would be more like it.” Good for him! He feels the same way I do.
I don’t know if it’s a cultural thing within the Church, if we’re meant to think the “high-profile” callings are desirable and therefore people who get them are “righteous” and need to be congratulated for their awesomeness. I just don’t get it. Everyone I know who has been called to be a president of something didn’t want it. They were totally freaked out, but they knew they’d just do their best because the Lord had asked them to.
And maybe one of you can chime in if some General Authority of the Church came out at some point and said “oh congratulating people on callings is just a wonderful thing,” then fine, and I guess I’m wrong. But I really feel like I’m not wrong and you won’t hear me congratulating anyone on a new calling.
I’m happy to say that I am confident and happy in my calling now. I’ve had the chance to get used to things, and I’ve even received some insight into why it is I’m doing what I’ve been asked to do. But it took awhile to get there. It wasn’t an easy road for me.
Whew, so there it is, out there for your debating words and thought processes. If I get a new calling sometime soon, don’t congratulate me. I don’t want to hear it. Consider me a Scrooge if you want. Ask me if I’m freaking out instead, since the answer is probably yes.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is completely self governed, and for that matter, organized by inspiration. The Bishop, the “leader” of the ward (or congregation), knows what positions in the ward need to he filled. He prays for inspiration to know who the Lord would have in that position. When he feels confident that he knows who is the best person for the job, the Bishop issues a “calling” to the ward member. Some things that need to be done, for example, including preparing the Sunday bulletin, managing the ward Web site, teaching the primary children, planning ward activities, scheduling building maintenance, and on and on. The possibilities are endless.
Everything needs to get done (and it's done by the members), and we each have different talents. Callings change. I guess it comes to a point where you’ve learned all you can learn in a calling and done your best, so the Lord (through the Bishop) “releases” you. Someone else starts to do your job, and inevitably, you are called to do something different. The Bishop presents your name before the ward during Sunday meetings, and everyone in the ward is given the opportunity to "sustain" you to that calling by, in essence, raising their hand in agreement. They also have the opportunity to oppose you, but I've never seen that happen.
So, that’s that in a nutshell.
Yesterday at Church there was a huge upheaval in organizations. The Primary presidency was reorganized, and I’m pretty invested in who is in charge of the primary children since my little Wesley will be in the primary organization (the nursery) in just four months. I definitely want competent people in there! Of course, I’m thrilled the new president is a good friend of mine, and Whimsy, who I gush about often, is the new secretary. A couple other high-profile callings were changed yesterday, and I know more are coming.
So, here’s my beef. All the releasings, callings, and sustainings occur in our first Sunday meeting. Afterwards, it’s not uncommon to hear (and it has happened to me) words of “congratulations” in the foyer... "Congratulations on your new calling."
THIS MAKES ME CRAZY.
It is 100% uncalled for and frankly it upsets me. I’ll just use me for example: When I received my latest calling, to work with the young women, I was 100% terrified. I didn’t want to do it. I thought I was completely the wrong person for the job. I heard rumors and discussions about how some of the women who were being released were so upset about being released, and all I could do was fight back tears as I thought to myself, “they should still be here. I’m not right. I don’t want this.” And I didn’t. It was awful. I accepted the calling merely because I trust our Bishop and his counselors and know they receive revelation from the Lord and know what is best for our ward.
So imagine how I felt being “congratulated” in the hall. Friends, I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t apply for his. I’m not somehow more fabulous than you are or anyone else is so the Lord thought me perfect for this calling. It’s not like that! It’s not a job I WON over other contenders!
I sincerely feel that words of congratulations at people who have new callings are just inappropriate. My personal preferred acknowledgment of the change is, “are you excited for your new calling?” or “how do you feel about your new calling?”
I heard someone congratulate a young man yesterday who got a new calling, and his response was spot on, “Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far. ‘Good luck’ would be more like it.” Good for him! He feels the same way I do.
I don’t know if it’s a cultural thing within the Church, if we’re meant to think the “high-profile” callings are desirable and therefore people who get them are “righteous” and need to be congratulated for their awesomeness. I just don’t get it. Everyone I know who has been called to be a president of something didn’t want it. They were totally freaked out, but they knew they’d just do their best because the Lord had asked them to.
And maybe one of you can chime in if some General Authority of the Church came out at some point and said “oh congratulating people on callings is just a wonderful thing,” then fine, and I guess I’m wrong. But I really feel like I’m not wrong and you won’t hear me congratulating anyone on a new calling.
I’m happy to say that I am confident and happy in my calling now. I’ve had the chance to get used to things, and I’ve even received some insight into why it is I’m doing what I’ve been asked to do. But it took awhile to get there. It wasn’t an easy road for me.
Whew, so there it is, out there for your debating words and thought processes. If I get a new calling sometime soon, don’t congratulate me. I don’t want to hear it. Consider me a Scrooge if you want. Ask me if I’m freaking out instead, since the answer is probably yes.
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