accomplishing something.

Thanks for all the kind words about the last couple of posts. It was an added boost I needed to get me motivated. You guys are the best!

In between submitting countless applications and rehashing my resume over and over and over I try to take some breathers, do something that could possibly be perceived as fun. I haven’t done a very good job (hence the new goals) but over the last few weeks I’ve started getting things in gear and here’s what I have to show for it:

A batch of beautiful homemade pickles. I LOVE pickles and I’ve always wanted to try making my own. When I came home with a sack full of cucumbers after a Labor Day visit I figured this was the perfect chance to experiment. I’ve helped my mom can various things throughout the years and made a batch of freezer jam but I’ve never done anything all by my little old lonesome before. I have to say, they turned out gorgeous! And the popping sound as each bottle sealed after processing was one of the happiest sounds I’ve ever heard. I haven’t broken into any of them for a taste yet but even if they’re disgusting, I’m pretty darn proud of myself! 

A practically perfect Saturday morning. A friend and I met at a once-a-week-only food truck for some ah-maz-ing breakfast followed by a trip up the canyon for the first glimpses of fall. Saturday's Waffle is exactly what the name implies; waffles on Saturday! The truck shows up in the parking lot of a grocery store every Saturday morning. They’re there for breakfast and lunch and have a range of toppings for their Belgian-style waffles, everything from local yogurt and granola; fresh basil, tomato, mozzarella; sausage and gravy; and my own choice for the day, peach cobbler. The fresh, local peaches were topped with candied nuts, caramel-ly foster sauce and coconut whipped cream. Yum! Then, sufficiently fed, we drove up the canyon and took a couple of short trails capped by a walk around Silver Lake at the top of Big Cottonwood where the air was crisp, the sun was warm, and the trees were beginning to change. Hints of scarlet, gold, and orange flamed against the emerald, making me excited for the weeks to come! (My 'hiking twice a month' goal is quickly becoming a weekly thing!)

There was also a trip to the Oregon state fair where I indulged in a deep-fried bacon-wrapped Reese's peanut butter cup. (Yep, it was as delicious and heart-attack-inducing as it sounds!) An excursion a little ways north for an open house visit of the newly remodeled Ogden Temple. (More information about temples and their purpose can be found here.) And the first couple sessions of my harmonica lessons.  (I can just about play "Oh, Susannah"!  Maybe when I get really good I'll post a video :)

How have you spent your time lately?  Outdoors enjoying the beginnings of fall? Indoors getting back into the habits associated with a new school year? 

remembering.

There are a lot of obligatory 9-11 posts everywhere today, as there should be. The events of that day thirteen years ago shaped our lives and our continued existence and unfortunately, were just the beginning of so many things (though possibly not as dramatic) that continue to shape our world, many would say for worse. It's so easy to look around at all the horrible things going on around us, the hatred and anger, governments collapsing, wars raging, natural calamities so rampant on the news and fighting their ways into our homes and minds at every turn and give in to the feelings of discouragement, despair, and fear that they bring.

Since I've confessed my tendencies to fall prey to these feelings anyway, I put myself particularly on guard at moments like this and limit my time spent news watching or feeding the social media frenzy. And I find myself clinging to the stories of human goodness that inevitably arise from the ashes if we look hard enough; the people who rushed back into the burning towers to save complete strangers, those that fought to overtake the terrorists and bring down their plane in a field, the countless unsung heroes who did their jobs day in and day out under a cloud of smoke and fear. It's a testament to humanity that those things happen but unfortunate that it sometimes takes a tragedy before they do.

This morning I read a quote on a friend's facebook page (thanks, Abby!) I'd read the words many times before, they tend to resurface around this time each year as they were spoken just days before the attacks. They were prophetic then and continue to be. And in light of all I'm going through at the moment, they were words I needed to hear.

I come to you tonight with a plea that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life that we try to "accentuate the positive." I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort. I am not asking that all criticism be silenced. Growth comes of correction. Strength comes of repentance. Wise is the man or woman who can acknowledge mistakes pointed out by others and change his or her course.

What I am suggesting is that you turn from the negativism that so permeates our modem society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom you associate, that we speak of one another's virtues more than we speak of one another's faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears. When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically my wise father would say: "Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve."

...I am not suggesting that you simply put on rose-colored glasses to make the world about you look better. I ask, rather, that you look above and beyond the negative, the cynical, the critical, the doubtful, to the positive and the affirmative.  

(Gordon B. Hinckley, CES Fireside, September 9, 2001.)  To read the full address go here. 

Words of wisdom, and ones that I am trying to live by more fully than I have been. 

I'm grateful for those who live the examples of goodness, particularly in trying times.  For those who remind us through word and deed what is important. And for those who stand by to lift and support those of us who falter. No matter our circumstances there is goodness around us and goodness within us. May we all be reminded of that truth and never forget.

listening to a prophet's voice.

This weekend was General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons.) Every October and April we forgo regular church meetings to gather around our tvs and computers to listen to the General Authorities (12 apostles and prophets who lead our church much as they did in Christ's time) preach and offer words of comfort and counsel. It's always a weekend that leaves me edified and buoyed up, ready to face what the next six months will bring.

The church's official website has the video feed from the broadcast that you can watch or listen to right now and downloadable transcripts will be available later this week. But I wanted to share a few of my favorite highlights to get you started.

We are infinitely more than our limitations or our afflictions.  -Jeffrey R. Holland

Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment.  - David A. Bednar

Man's law cannot make moral what God has declared immoral. -Dallin H. Oaks

And that's just the beginning! I love being reminded of God's love and plan for us and having the chance to take a step away from the pressures and commitments of the world to bask in those messages of love and peace. Now, on to the packing!!

the testimony of a child.

Once every year a typical Mormon church (or Latter-Day Saints as we are officially known) worship service is taken over by the children of the congregation who have prepared for months to learn songs and scriptures and small speaking parts to share in the Primary (the youth organization ages 3-12) Program.  Having been in a single's congregation for most of the past 10 years I've missed out on these joyful performances but since being a basement dweller at my parent's recently I've been attending their congregation full of kids and today was their Primary Program.

Why is it that truth just seems to be a bit more true when uttered by a child?  Sure there were the goof offs and the silly faces, the near-brawls between the littlest participants, the incessant waving to the members of the audience and the shouts of 'hi mom' at inopportune moments. But there was also a great deal of heartfelt testifying; whispered, shouted and sung from the pulpit for everyone to hear. In words and song we were taught about the beauties of God's creations, the power of repentance and the Atonement, the blessings of the family unit, the promise of God's eventual return to earth, the efficacy of prayer and the truthfulness of the scriptures, the doctrine of prophets and continuing revelation and more. It's hard to argue with anything so humbly and sincerely shared.

There are few things more touching than a chorus of children's voices singing the facts that we are each children of a Heavenly Father who knows and loves us, who have divine purposes to fulfill and that we can return to our heavenly home when all is said and done.

Whether you have heard the song before and know the words or not, I invite you to take a moment to really listen to the message and think about what it means for your life. Regardless of your situation or your beliefs you are never alone or forgotten. You are His.

If you're interested, you can go to the Mormon Channel to see more videos like this one or click the link at the top of the post to learn more about the church in general.

Have a great week!

a peaceful reassurance.

As we on the East Coast gear up for what could possibly be the storm of the century I've had some time to do a bit of reflecting as well as preparing for the worst case scenario and the unknown.  Our Bishop (congregational ecclesiastical leader) reminded us all today at the end of our worship service to watch over one another, pray for those who will be in harm's way and to remember to 'fear not.' 

There are some obvious parallels between preparations for a real, physical storm and those preparations made against the emotional, spiritual and temporal storms that we face in this life. But we've been counseled time and again in our church that 'if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.' And while so many around us have shifted into panic mode we can take comfort in those words, no matter what kind of storm is headed our way.

I've got a ton of batteries and flashlights perched in various places throughout the house, my candles and matches are also strategically poised in case of power outages. There are stacks of bottled water and closets full of canned food. The storm windows are on, the car is full of gas (and parked as far away from a tree as possible, in this neighborhood that equals about 4 feet!) and I have plenty of books and goodies to sustain me through at least the guaranteed day off tomorrow.  But how does one prepare for storms of non-Biblical proportions? Interestingly enough, the Bible has the answers to that! 

A strong character is a good starting point; honest, hard-working, full of faith, selfless. These qualities can go a long way to providing you with a foundation of preparation. In my own life I've found that trying to imitate Jesus Christ and trusting in His teachings and promises can make up any deficiencies in my own life, human character and preparation. 

A couple of my favorite scripture verses echo these sentiments.

Helaman 5:12

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that e must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Matthew 7:24-27

Therefore whosoever hearth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock:

And the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock.

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house: and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

And finally, along the same lines and offering some great counsel and reassurance, one of my favorite hymns:

How firm is your foundation? Are you prepared? Have you reason to fear?

a road trip! Part 2

After Rhode Island we went north to Boston. We spent a few days wandering back and forth between the city proper, Salem, Concord, and Plymouth.

We started where it all started, with the Pilgrims in Plymouth.  We saw the Mayflower (replica) and Plymouth Rock (it says 1620 on it, I promise, the sun was shining in such a way that I could never get a good photo.)

We spent some time with the witches in Salem, ate some glass in a lovely little restaurant on the wharf (long story) and toured the house that was the inspiration for Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables.

We ended our day by wandering the shores of Marblehead, the perfectly charming coastal town nearby.

One of our evenings in the city included a visit to the north end for Italian, a not-nearly-as-long-as-it-looks wait in line for fabulous cannoli at Mike's, a stroll past the Old North Church and a stop at Fenway.

Another visit took us past the Boston LDS temple and to dinner at Armando's Pizza.  Did I mention we spent a lot of time eating?  And gained several pounds? We did, and we did. And every bite was worth it!

More to come but I'm afraid I have to pause now to drool a little and wish I was eating pizza and cannoli.

Happiness is...a spiritual uplift.

This weekend I had the opportunity to listen to prophets and apostles of God speak and preach and testify of Christ, to warn and exhort and expound doctrine, to encourage and love and bless all within the sound of their voice.  I get to have this amazing experience every six months as the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints gather for general conference. We forgo our regular Sunday church meetings and tune in on cable channels, satellite broadcasts, and through the internet all across the globe to be spiritually fed and taught by leaders who love us and want nothing more than to help us become more like Christ so that we can eventually return to His presence.

It's been a rough couple of months with the health challenges I've frequently complained about (sorry about that) as well as a few other things going on that I have felt pressured and confused and stressed over. I'd love to say that I got all the answers to everything I was questioning and worrying about but that didn't happen.  Instead my mind was stilled, my heart was comforted, and I was given peace and the reassurance that I'll be okay and things will work out the way they're supposed to. I was uplifted and renewed and reminded of what is truly important (*hint-it's rarely the things I actual spend time worrying about!)

If you've ever questioned where you came from, what will happen to you after you die, why you are here, if there is a God or what you should be doing in any aspect of your life I encourage you to listen to or read the messages found at the link above. Pray and ask for confirmation of the truthfulness of those things you learn.  I promise you will find peace and comfort and guidance if you have an open and willing heart. Or if you are curious about who Mormons are and what we truly believe you can go here for explanations and real member profiles.

And in the meantime, I'd love to hear what brings you peace and guides your life.  (One can never have too much peace!)

Happiness is...the foundation of a testimony.

Today I wanted to mention something not directly related to Christmas. On December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont, a boy named Joseph Smith was born. When he was just 14, in answer to a prayer, he received a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ in which he was told not to join any of the churches in the area.  He was guided to an ancient American record inscribed on gold plates, modernly known as The Book of Mormon, which he translated. Later, in 1830 he founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (often referred to as Mormons.)

During his leadership and the early days of the church Joseph was tarred and feathered, jailed multiple times, hunted by mobs and beaten. His family suffered right along with him. Two of his children died after a mob attack. The early Mormons as a whole, were persecuted and driven from their homes in Kirtland, Ohio and Nauvoo, Missouri eventually settling in the Salt Lake valley. But before that happened Joseph and his brother Hyrum Smith were murdered by a mob at Carthage Jail in Illinois.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we honor and revere Joseph Smith as a leader and a prophet. His is an example of faith, strength, courage and perseverance.  In the Doctrine and Covenants it states:

Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fullness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!

   
I want to add my testimony to that. Without my knowledge of Joseph Smith I would not be where I am today. I am eternally grateful for his sacrifice and for all that he did to restore God's church to the earth. And without my knowledge and testimony of the church I would not love and celebrate the Christmas season the way I do. It is my love and appreciation and knowledge of my Savior, Jesus Christ and His Atonement and sacrifice that give meaning to my life and hope to my days.

The hymn "Praise to the Man" has always been one of my favorites.

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us remember those who sacrificed so much to bring us the truth, as well as those who continue to work and sacrifice so that all can worship freely.

Happy birthday, Brother Joseph. And Happy 10th Day of Christmas!

Happiness is...a good book. (Summer Reading edition #23)

I work in a library. I am surrounded by thousands upon thousands of books, just waiting to be picked up and enjoyed. And yet sometimes I feel the need to check out the competition. 

Yesterday I took a trip to another local library.  I felt as if I were committing a crime as I perused the shelves filled with books, some familiar, some new. I smiled as I recognized titles and images on the covers and spines and felt little jolts of excitement as I glanced at all the possibilities for new friends and favorites. I even brought home a few.  Check them out.

You may see a few of these again as I get them read and throw some reviews together.  Any requests for which one I should read first?

And now on to today's review!

Divine Signatures: The Confirming Hand of God
Author: Gerald N. Lund
Pages: 299
Age Range: Adult

Published: 2010
Genre: Non-fiction, Religious, Self-help
Cover Score: **
Overall Grade: ****
Rating: G

Brother Lund shares some step-by-step instructions for learning to recognize and appreciate the tender mercies (which he has re-termed ‘divine signatures’) of the Lord in our life.  He walks through the differences between the Nephis and the Lamans, those who thrive and find strength in the challenges of life and those who find their faith eroded by them.

He goes back to the essentials of the Lectures on Faith. First, we must have a belief that God exists. Second we need to have a correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes. And third know that the course of our life is in line with his will.

He also relays a host of personal and shared experiences, tiny and grand miracles that many might brush off as coincidence or luck but Lund exhorts the reader to recognize them for what they are; signs that the Lord is mindful of us and aware of our needs. There are some familiar pioneer stories but also plenty of stories from Lund’s own life and those he has met and interacted with during his sojourn as General Authority, bishop, neighbor and father.

I really enjoyed this book.  There wasn’t any new information but it was a great reminder and hands-on testimony builder. I often struggle with the exact problems he discussed. I firmly believe that God can and does work miracles…for other people.  But I have a much harder time believing that God would bother to make miracles happen in my life.  Lund gives suggestions for overcoming this and similar gaps in faith and building a strong foundation of knowledge that will stand the storms of life.  Highly recommended!

Happiness is...a good book. (Summer Reading edition #21 & 22)

I plead late night Harry Potter brain for the lack of post yesterday. It finally caught up to me and I was anything but productive. So, here are two mini-reviews to catch us back up for today.

Back When You Were Easier to Love
Author: Emily Wing Smith
Pages: 296
Age Range: 12+
Published: 2011
Genre: Realistic Fiction/YA
Cover Score: ****
Overall Grade: **
Rating: PG

Joy and Zan seem to be the perfect couple. The only non-conventional Mormons in their happy little town of Haven, their first date had them marching in a gay rights protest. But when Zan decides to skip his senior year of high school and start early on college back in Joy's former hometown in California he leaves without saying goodbye and Joy is devastated. He'd left strict instructions with his friend Noah to keep an eye on Joy but she tires of his stalker-ish attempts at becoming her friend and is sure that his goody-goody ways are too clean, perfect and irritating to be real. But when she decides to road trip back to Cali under the guise of a college preview trip for a weekend the only person she knows with a car willing to indulge her crazy plan is Noah. Stuck in a car for hours on end Joy learns a thing or two about Noah and herself and their eventual run-in with Zan is even more enlightening.

This is a decent little story about first loves, finding yourself, and making assumptions. I’m not sure how people outside of the Mormon community will take all of the cultural mentions (many of them with a slightly negative bend showing the members as closed-minded, naïve bigots.) Joy sticks to her beliefs despite her desire to win back Zan and her evolving feelings for Noah but I’m afraid those beliefs will get lost in the shuffle of those things being mocked. The church is not a perfect institution, it is peopled by humans who have flaws and quirks and failings and I don’t know if those unfamiliar with the teachings of the church will appreciate the subtle jabs at the peculiar culture for what they are or take them to heart as gospel truths about the membership as a whole.

So, take that as you will. It was enjoyable on the whole and yet nothing especially outstanding. 

Grin and Bear It
Author and Illustrator: Leo Landry
Pages: 48
Age Range: 5+
Published: 2011
Genre: Beginning Reader
Cover Score: ***
Overall Grade: ***
Rating: G

Bear wants to do nothing more than make his friends laugh. He practices for hours in front of the mirror, writes hilarious jokes and dreams of the day when he can stand on a stage and bow to an adoring audience. But every time he gets close to a stage he gets horribly nervous!  Finally he signs up at the Woodland Stage and invites all of his friends to come and see him. When the curtains open his knees go weak and he gets tongue tied and runs out humiliated into the forest. He stumbles inside a local watering hole where he falls asleep exhausted and a small humming bird finds his discarded script of jokes. His friends, who’d run after him, hear them and laugh waking him up and the two work out a deal. Bear takes his new job to heart, writing jokes that Hummingbird performs on the Woodland Stage, making the entire audience laugh. Bear finds that he can live his dreams with the help of a friend in spite of his fears.

This was a fun beginning reader book. The vocabulary is a little more advanced, the pages are a bit text heavy, and there are seven short chapters rather than the usual four or five,  making it perfect for readers getting ready to make the jump to early chapter books. There is some humor mixed with realistic emotion giving it a bit of depth and substance which is always nice in a beginning reader; a far cry from the flat beginnings with Dick and Jane.

Happiness is...going to church in your jammies.

AKA General Conference.

Twice a year The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints holds a conference for all of its members to gather and hear counsel from prophets and apostles. Our regular church meetings are on hiatus for the week in April and again in October while we gather around our televisions, radios and computers to watch and listen to the broadcasts from church headquarters in Salt Lake City.  (For those who would like more information, go here.)

It's always relaxing.  Not only because you can hang out in your pajamas in the front room all weekend but because you come away so uplifted and rejuvenated emotionally and spiritually. Some of the messages are calls to repentance and warnings but many of them are hopeful and encouraging.

This weekend we were reminded of the love of our Savior; His sacrifice, Atonement and resurrection.  We were reminded to be prepared, and be obedient, live honest and moral lives, to have faith and strengthen our families.  We were given counsel to serve each other, to seek personal revelation, to obey the commandments.  There was a lot to take in and a lot to work on applying to our lives. But I'm always grateful for the opportunity to be taught and edified and guided and corrected.

What was your favorite message from Conference? If you are not LDS, what is your favorite go-to religious teaching (a scripture or doctrine or message or leader) that brings you peace or hope or strength when you most need it?

Happiness is...a beautiful violin piece.

I have a love/hate relationship with the violin.  I am by no means a musician or music expert, I only know what I like.  And very rarely do I like the violin.  Most people (no offense to anyone I know who plays, you are far more talented than I could ever hope to be) just don't have the right touch and instead of pulling tunes and melodies from the strings it is more like pulling teeth.  There's a bit of the dying cat quality to it, if you know what I mean. Few notes are strongly hit straight on but everything is slid into and over and on and around; like a wailing banshee or stuck pig or fingernails on a chalkboard.  Sometimes it's all I can do to sit still in a performance without squirming or running out of the room with my fingers in my ears.

Usually I only suffer during solo pieces.  In a symphony or orchestra piece there are enough other sounds going on that the screeching blends or is covered up and so the agony isn't the same.  And it's only violins.  Fiddles are a completely different story.  I love me a fiddle! The difference being that fiddles are played so fast and rambunctiously that the precision isn't needed in the same way.  It's the drawn out, slow, mournful pieces so often given to the violins that are the worst offenders.

However, the rare artist comes along every now and again who can play a violin in such a way that it brings me to tears.  Not tears of pain and anguish, but tears of awe and joy and respect for beauty and talent and truly God given gifts.  One of those artists is Itzhak Perlman. Everything he does is precise and accurate and so incredibly spot-on that he honestly makes me weep.  I had the privilege of seeing him live at the Kennedy Center a year or so ago and his performance was breathtaking.

Here's just a tiny sample of what he can do...

Even with the speed and all the high notes there is absolute precision.  There is no sliding, no whining, no screeching to be heard.  Just clear, individual notes.  And he plays this way consistently.  I love it!

Well, today in Sacrament Meeting we had the pleasure of hearing Jenny Oaks Baker and her daughter do two musical numbers for us. (For those of you who don't know, she is the daughter of Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)  Her daughter Sarah was darling, about 7 probably, and played the cello beautifully (somehow the cello isn't nearly as offensive as the violin, I think because of the lower register, the opportunities for squeaking are much more limited....regardless, she is a VERY talented little girl.) She played a lovely rendition of "Our Savior's Love" that had all of us smiling and uplifted. And then Jenny played "I Need Thee Every Hour" and I was moved to tears and awed at being in the presence of one with such an amazing gift.  I can't vouch for her continuity and consistency as a performer, I've only heard her on recordings a handful of times, but her performance in our simple church meeting today was incredible.  Not only her talent but the spirit with which she played was like a testimony in music.  You could feel her conviction of the truthfulness of the message of the song, despite the fact that there were no words vocalized.  It was an amazing meeting.

Here is a sampling of what she can do.  I wish I could have found the song she played for us today but this will have to suffice.

I'm grateful to the Lord for blessing people with such great gifts and to the people blessed with them for nurturing them and sharing them with the rest of us who aren't quite so gifted!  And for the variety of ways we have to recharge our batteries, feel uplifted, praise God and touch others.  Hope you've all had a splendid Sabbath.

**Edit-

How could I be so remiss?  I didn't give you any fiddle music to listen to.  What was I thinking?  Take a gander at these fellas.  Man I love me some bluegrass!  Look at those fingers fly!

Uh-maz-ing!!!

The end

Happiness is...the temple.

I have just finished one of the longest, ugliest, blackest weeks I've had in I don't know how long.   Everything seemed to go wrong.  My emotions were completely out of whack and the flu from last week somehow migrated up to my chest and sinuses.  Between feeling sick and feeling sorry for myself I spent a good portion of my days as a sobbing, snotty, soggy mess.  It was not pretty in any way, trust me.

So, after spending the entire morning hacking my lungs out and trying to figure out what to do with my life I had used up an entire box of tissues and not come up with any conclusions so I decided I'd better do something a bit more productive than playing solitaire on the computer.  The only thing I could come up with (that didn't involve chocolate -cuz I've eaten all of the chocolate) was to go to the temple.

In the LDS church, worthy members can gain recommends to enter temples throughout the world. (Go here for more information.) Like the temples of the Old Testament, sacred ordinances are performed inside.  And because of their sacred nature, the Spirit is stronger there than most any other place.  Each time I go I spend time in prayer and am able to receive comfort and peace.

Washington DC temple (no this wasn't today, I couldn't figure out how to get the picture off of my phone and onto my computer so you have to deal with a photo from last summer.)

It's a testament to the utter blackness of my mood that after several hours at the temple the strongest word I can claim is 'neutral'.  It's not any where near 'happy' but it's definitely several steps up from where I've been all week.  Sad, but I'll take it.

So, dear reader, tell me...please!!  What is your remedy for getting out of a funk?  When your head hurts from crying, when the chocolate and ice cream are all gone and the funny movies no longer amuse, what do you do to make yourself feel better?  I'm hoping for something great here so don't let me down :)  Next week has got to be better than this one.