St. Francis "Branch"

It's happening again. The northernmost members of the Anoka Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are hereby invited to attend Sacrament meeting and Gospel Essentials class at our home! This probably seems like an odd invitation and I'm here to tell you that it wasn't that Monte and I took it upon ourselves to have services at home so we wouldn't have to drive into Anoka. This is something that our bishop decided last February might be a good experiment. It was fairly successful so we have been asked to do this again. It was great fun last year. We moved the furniture in the basement and set up about 20 chairs, Monte built a fire in the wood burning stove, and we set up music and all the other props. We called on the members who attended to contribute with prayers, testimonies, talks, and of course the appropriate ordinances performed.

We are all ready to do it again (well, I wouldn't say ALL ready) but I get to teach the Gospel Essentials class (I think that's what Monte called it - I get confused because I keep hearing it referred to Principles, Essentials, Basics ...) Whatever, I get to do it and I'm excited about that too. I don't exactly remember from last year whether the week we started was also conference week but that is what is happening at my house. I will work from 8 am to approximately 8 PM 4 days in the next week. Add to that that the middle schools are holding meetings to "transition" 5th grade special ed students to 6th grade which is middle school here, and this all means late nights, LOTS of paperwork, and some stressfull (even tearful) meetings. Middle school is as hard on the parents as it is on the kids. On Tuesday I went to bed grumping at my poor husband about how I'm NEVER going to be able to make our house presentable. By Thursday I had come to the conclusion that the Lord planned it this way. We'll do what we can and the rest is up to Him. This way I HAVE to prioritize and make it about His message not my pride. The best part about the whole thing is that a Sacrament meeting in the intimate setting of a person's home strengthens those feelings of love and welcome. That is what is the most important part of it to me. The Gospel is about people not places. I'm grateful we have a home that can accommodate such an experience and I pray everyone will feel welcome and loved. See you there!

Check in/Check up

Just a quick check in for anyone wondering if I've dropped off the face of the earth. Rumors of my untimely demise are greatly exaggerated. I had a rough weekend. By Thursday at 3:30 arthritis in my foot hurt so bad I couldn't put any weight on it and driving a manual transmission vehicle home was an adventure in torment but I made it. Friday I took the day off work and spent it in bed, contacting doctors and feeling sorry for myself. Saturday was a little better. Monte presented me with a big stick to lean on so I could get around the house a little bit. I've always wanted my very own wizard's staff. I'm keeping it - I can think of LOTS of uses for a big stick (a variety of quotes come to mind). We collaborated on the laundry. Monte did the hauling and I did the folding. I couldn't make it to church on Sunday - just couldn't walk that far and this makes the second Sunday in a row that RA has kept me from going to church. I hate that - I REALLY don't like to give myself an out; it is too easy for me to start making excuses and in the end I feel worse after missing a Sunday, but I really was in no shape. Monday I spent milking it a little because I didn't have to work anyway and I was happy for the extra day to baby myself. Clint and Serena came and cheered me up- bringing some really stellar cookies. The upside is that I have further proof from this that my husband is a gem. He cooks! He even cleaned and brought me stuff - and built a fire in the fireplace. What a lucky woman I am!! I'm pain free today - WooHoo! I'm still going to the doctor on Friday.

Favorite People and Unsung Heroes

Awhile ago I blogged about mothers and I left a few people out. I need to talk just a little about one of the great blessings in my life. I am blessed with several mothers. The lady in the picture is my father's wife, Diane. Technically she is my "step-mom" and I always refer to her as Diane instead of Mom. This is to avoid confusion not because I don't consider her my mom - she is. A mom is someone who takes care of you, rejoices with you, worries about you, knows when you are hurting, forgives you when you are obnoxious, and most of all teaches you. These are all things Diane has done for me. Diane is a "kindred heart" for me because we share many common interests. She taught me to sew and to love it. She loves to read, like I do, and we often share favorite authors. Diane is the one who makes sure I get family history info and pictures. Think about what a great blessing it is for me to know that my children live within a 30 minute drive of 2 grandmothers and one grandfather who would do just about anything for them if they were in need of help. We are all a pretty independent lot and sometimes don't call or see each other for months at a time but my dad and mom in Bountiful are always understanding. If you are reading this, Diane, thanks, and I love you.

I titled this blog favorite people and unsung heroes, so I'm not finished yet with people who should be recognized and frequently aren't - mothers-in-law. Like step-parents, mothers-in-law get a raw deal. I've been blessed with 2 genuine precious gems. I'll begin with Monte's mother, my current mother in law. Anna Mae has the sweetest, most generous heart of anyone I know. She is the matriarch of a family of headstrong, opinionated, amazing people. One thing that will never be in short supply at an Oelkers family gathering and that is different points of view. Anna Mae binds it all together. It takes confidence and competence to be a part of the Oelkers family. Maybe some of that came from Monte's dad but I have to say that Anna Mae has taught these people to know their own value and to share it with others. Anna's my mom, too. But best of all I consider her my friend. I could hope as much for my daughter and son-in-law.

Last in the "mom" lineup I'll recognize my first mother-in-law. I was 18 when I married my first husband and I was probably a real pain as a daughter-in-law. I cringe when I remember what a moody, anti-social little turd I could be. Wanza was REALLY patient with me, even when we moved in with her for 5 months! Wanza was always close by. She was the kind of person I could feel comfortable asking for advice and she gave it straight from the hip without any judgement. She taught me to love flowers because she had a beautiful garden in a postage stamp sized lot. Wanza passed away a few years ago. I hadn't seen her or spoken to her for years but I still think about her sometimes. She is missed.

I Resolve

I dislike the cliche' of setting New Year's resolutions so I vowed several years ago not to do it again. This doesn't mean that I don't believe in self examination and setting goals. I just believe that it shouldn't happen once a year and then be forgotten by February. So here I am with a perfectly legitimate recognition that there some things about my behavior that need work and it happens that these realizations were brought on by the introspection that comes from the closing of an old year and the beginning of a new one (the definition of a New Years' resolution, I believe). I've been taking inventory for the past several days and listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and I've come to the conclusion that the Lord has been telling what I need to do for weeks through my sweet hubby. As I thought about it Monte, who seldom criticizes me (basically because I respond poorly to it), has been giving me the same sage advice with increasing frequency: "Smile"

Today I resolve to smile more.

Okay, to quote John Bytheway "Oh my pitiful goal!" What kind of a goal is it to simply smile? Well, setting measurable and obtainable goals for other people is what I do for a living and I'd like to discuss just what might be entailed in seeing that I smile instead of frown.

Objective 1: In order to get a sincere smile on my face more often I am going to have to pay closer attention to my health. I excuse the scowl on my face by recognizing that my body hurts a great deal of the time so (poker face that I'm not) it shows on my face. Hmm, I'll bet a lot of this pain can be dealt with by eating healthy foods, getting more exercize (raising endorphins), and seeing the doctor regularly and then doing what he/she tells me to do.

Objective 2: My friends and family make me smile. I can and will make better connections with them. I'm a recluse. I use the excuse of my busy life to justify how often I pull away from people. Then I'm sad and lonely when I feel invisible, but I've created the situation. I can and will spend time with friends, get out of my comfort zone, follow through when I feel prompted to call someone. I can and will contact my mothers and father and brothers and sisters and children more and let them know that I love them and think about them often. (Don't think too hard about the fact that I put mothers -plural- I will explain later.) I also want to get to know more about my ancestry. These people who are the root and soil of who I am. I've been blessed in recent years with more information about them and a desire to investigate. Doing that will put a smile on my face.

Objective 3: My gifts from God make me smile. I love my work. I feel that I'm good at it and it is incredibly rewarding to me. This is a gift from God. The skills I have with children who hurt come directly from God and this is my true calling. I take a paycheck home because the school district pays people to do what I do, but I'd do it without being paid (don't tell District 11). Most of the people I work with are incredibly loving dedicated people. This is also a Gift from God. Another gift from God that is mine is my creativity. I'm descended from some true artists. My father and brother are talented artists. I'm not a true artist, just creative, but creativity is the power of God. What is it that the Saviour did? He created the earth and all that is in it. My creativity is a miniscule portion of that great power and it puts a smile on my face. I'm going to respect and nurture that creativity in all the forms that it takes.

Objective 4: I can unpack, unload, and destress. I noticed something wonderful about my son and his wife. They smile and laugh a lot. They don't seem to take themselve too seriously. I have always taken myself way too seriously, and I'm a funny person - especially when I'm not trying to be. I can let go and let God much more than I do.

Objective 5: My relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Saviour make me smile. I can open the door for the Saviour by being a better Seminary teacher, studying the scriptures for myself as much as to prepare a lesson. I need to spend more time on my knees talking to my loving Father in Heaven. I need to spend more time listening to the promptings of the Spirit. I feel peace when I take the time to read the articles in the Ensign and the New Era, when I attend church meetings, listen to the counsel of the local church leaders, and when I do as the prophets have asked. These are things that intertwine themselves with all of the other objectives I've written about. These will be the actions that make all the others possible.

"My Soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation." Psalms 35:9

I wish for all my friends and family a happy, healthy, and prosperous year, but most of all I wish for you to smile!