Showing posts with label scriptures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scriptures. Show all posts

Monday, January 7, 2008

Resolution Update and a Very Cool Thing

The nightly scripture reading is going well - really well. Cameron, the doubter that we would even do it, has sort of taken charge and divides up the number of verses that we are each going to read each night. It's not perfect - Oliver plays on the floor and whoever isn't reading tends to watch the puppy antics instead of paying attention, myself included. But we are doing it.

A friend suggested that I get the scriptures on cd and then listen to it while everyone follows along in their own book. I want to try that. Cameron is a whiz at reading, but the comprehension can be difficult. I think it would be easier to pay attention to the story if he weren't concentrating on reading it aloud.

I really wanted to try doing this with the actual scriptures instead of the easier books - but we may go back to those if it seems that we are just reading words and not getting much out of it. Cameron did say that he missed the pictures of people getting stabbed.

I'm still committed to doing this, the boys are willing and eager they haven't complained, so I'm pretty happy. I want to get a chart that we can mark off the chapters that we've read - keep us motivated.

The one time I had any resistance to reading came last Friday night - and it was from Troy! Come on! He and Cameron were on the computer and Aaron and I were watching tv when 9pm rolled around. I announced that it was time for scriptures. Cameron started to close up his game, Aaron turned the tv off, and Troy said,

"But I thought you were only going to do it Monday - Thursday. That's what you said on your blog."

Well, I guess I did write that. Silly me.

The eyes have a unique capability - they can say so much just by an intense stare and the occasional raising of a brow. That night, my eyes explained to Troy that even though I did write that we were probably going to read just 4-5 days a week, it did not mean that we couldn't read an extra night - particularly on the rare occasion that he was home. My eyes also threw in a comment about wanting him to be a part of this and appreciating his support.

Troy understands my eyes and we got to read scriptures as a family that night.

One day at a time.

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On a side note, Raimee suggested the website http://www.readthescriptures.com/ for a daily email with the scriptures of your choice. This Is. Cool.

After two other friends told me that they had joined (it's free!) and would be reaping the blessings, I checked it out and joined for myself.

The site offers the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. It also has a seminary schedule and a gospel doctrine section. You can choose to receive a chapter a day or you can customize it to get any number of verses. You can make notes, highlight passages, keep a journal, and with a click of a button, they'll send you another chapter. It keeps track of your progress with a little percentage bar and lets you know if you fall behind - though it won't send a new email until you click the "completed" button on the current one. That way, you won't have a buildup of emails if you miss a few days. It sends a little motivational/feel good quote after you're done reading. You can also click on audio and just listen to your scriptures. I may do that with the boys - gather around the computer for scripture reading.

It's scripture reading gone high tech.

I recommend checking it out. Thanks Raimee!

What other parts of your life do you take care of on the computer? Will scripture reading be one?

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Scripture Stories, the Resolution, and Doubt

2007. Little bench in the hallway where our scriptures sat from 12:05 pm every Sunday until the following Sunday at 8:55 am, when we snatched them up on our way to church. Handy...they were never misplaced.

Are you still reading after my scripture study confession yesterday? In the hope of redeeming myself, I have to explain that it hasn't always been this way. I have done better.

In 2006 in fact, the boys and I read the scriptures almost every night, finishing the Book of Mormon that year. Okay, okay...it wasn't the actual Book of Mormon. It was this:

This is an awesome book - it takes all the exciting stuff from several chapters and groups it together and retells it in a language that my boys can understand. And that Moms can understand.

There are a few gory pictures, couple of people being burned, stabbed, or otherwise destroyed and humbled. This was my favorite picture.

The year before that we were reading this version - even simpler.



Just a sentence or two to go with each picture.

So I have done better in the past, mainly reading with the boys. We really fell out of the habit last year though. And with Troy gone most nights, it's all up to me, yadda yadda yadda. Sometimes it would be ten o'clock when I was tucking the boys into bed and I just didn't have it in me. Blah blah blah.

I need to do better. I can do better. I will do better.


This year, with renewed ambition and resolve, I'm bringing out the big guns. Large print edition.



No pictures, just words.

Hold me.



A few days ago, I mentioned to Cameron that after the first of the year we'd be reading our scriptures every night (and by every night, I probably mean Monday - Thursday), and trying to hold Family Home Evening more often. It was something we really needed to be doing...it was my New Year's Resolution

He chuckled. It had to be a chuckle - he wouldn't have laughed at me, would he?

"We probably won't do that."

"What? Why not?"

"Just 'cause."

And with that, I accepted his challenge.

We started last night.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

So What Should My New Year's Resolution Be?

A short quiz about me in 2007:

1. How many times did I go to the gym?
A. 150
B. 200
C. 319

2. How many hours did I spend online, namely blogging and reading other blogs?
A. I limited myself to one hour per day. I used a timer to keep it in check.
B. Maybe two hours per day - but only after the laundry was put away.
C. You do NOT want to know. I don't want to know.

3. What television shows did I watch a full season of?
A. Dancing with the Stars
B. The Biggest Loser
C. American Idol
D. The Office
E. Moonlight
F. ER
G. Grey's Anatomy
H. The Closer
I. Oprah
J. Ellen Degeneres
K. Lost
L. How I Met Your Mother
M. The View
N. Rescue Me
O. Private Practice
P. Desperate Housewives
Q. The Riches
R. House
S. The Singing Bee
T. ALL OF THE ABOVE


4. How many times did I watch High School Musical and High School Musical 2?
A. Never heard of it.
B. Just once...it was okay.
C. Again, you do NOT want to know.

5. How often did I read my scriptures?
A. Every morning before I even get out of bed.
B. I tried to read with the boys at bedtime, but sometimes we were just too tired.
C. Twice a month.

#1. The answer is C. Yes, I went to the gym 319 times. What I wouldn't give for that number to be 320 - the oddness of the 19 is driving me crazy. Can I just say 320? Thank you. In my defense and to squash the feeling that I need to get a life, that number includes every time I went there to play tennis or go swimming. Even I'm rolling my eyes.


#2. C. I got my laptop last Christmas, and that was around the time that I discovered all these blog thingys on the internet. They were begging to be read. Then I started Dishes and Laundry in July and 129 (curse those odd numbers) posts later...the hours spent online...I'm ashamed.


#3. T. I attribute this to the fact that my television watching was severely limited as a child. Just making up for lost time. T is also the first letter in Tivo - the very thing that makes all this television watching possible. Here's to Tivo.


#4. C! Okay, so I have this little thing for Zac Efron. And cheesy yet catchy music. Plus my kids like it and I'm trying to be a hip, cool Mom. Plus, there's my Zac.

#5. C. Yeah, twice a month. And that was when I was teaching in Young Women's. I taught twice a month, and therefore read my scriptures twice a month - the ones listed in the manual. You know, so I was prepared and all.


I'm sure you can guess where this is heading, resolution-wise at least.
To be continued...

Until then,

What did you spend entirely too much time doing in 2007???