In the fourth month of my son’s mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he was in a courtyard of a building in Mexico City, teaching a lesson to a small group of people. He was sweating profusely because of the heat , and struggling with his Spanish. He felt so inadequate, … Continue reading Slimy, Frustrating and Hard
Peaceful Parenting
Sonja Carson
The book and movie, Gifted Hands, by Ben Carson, were pretty compelling for me. It's the story of change, where a mother lifted herself and her family out of poverty. Sonja Carson set boundaries that no one else living around them was willing or able to … Continue reading Sonja Carson
The Point of Choice in Stories of Character
Two 14-year-olds, LeGrand and Verl, got ready for a dance and stopped in the school bathroom for one last look at their hair. Another friend, Danny, happened to be in the bathroom and he approached them excitedly: “Hey! My brother has some beer! He said I could bring some friends and come and party with … Continue reading The Point of Choice in Stories of Character
Mental Models: Part 2
Yesterday I wrote about what mental models are here. (I went with a cute picture of a dog, above. Adding to my "latticework of models"--not all dogs chasing runners are vicious--some are adorably curious!) The author of Atomic Habits, James Clear, finishes with: "The best mental models are the ideas with the most utility. They … Continue reading Mental Models: Part 2
Mental Models
I was running with my husband yesterday. It was early and dark. We passed a man firmly holding a dog, who was barking viciously. My husband said, "What would you do if that dog broke free?" I said, "I would stop and kick him!" Craig said, "No, you need to run." I said, "I can't … Continue reading Mental Models
Deep River Children: Part 2
OK. I wrote about Deep River Women here. Yes. A love interest of Lionel Ritchie. Got it. "But", you ask," What does that have to do with my child?"Well, if you want to have a Deep River Child, let's define what that means. We labored to instill the gospel teaching of Jesus Christ in our children. No, … Continue reading Deep River Children: Part 2
Deep River Children: Part 1
What are Deep River Children?In the 1980’s I remember hearing a song called Deep River Woman. Lionel Ritchie was the singer and songwriter and for years I thought about what made a Deep River Woman, deep. In my mind it had to be someone who was honest and faithful, loving, sincere and interesting. Someone who … Continue reading Deep River Children: Part 1
Choose the Right: Part 2
My daughter called on Saturday. She was moving into her student apartment and said, "The rod is missing from my closet." I said, "That's easy! Go to the apartment management to get a new one." She said, "They manage many apartments and are very unresponsive."Hmmm.We told her she could take the measurements of the rod … Continue reading Choose the Right: Part 2
Choose the Right
I love seeing "CTR" rings on people's fingers. "Choose the right, when a choice is placed before you..." We as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have sung this hymn many times. As we talk about what character is to our children, we are giving them mental models of how to … Continue reading Choose the Right
Historically, Character has Mattered
What's the big deal? Why is character important? Why for hundreds of years did parents, grandparents, civic leaders and church sermons extol these character traits and virtues of industry, faithfulness, and integrity, to name a few? Historically, how you behaved, was more important than how you appeared to be. Your neighbors knew if they could … Continue reading Historically, Character has Mattered
"Peace Like A River…" 