SiZ (Test): Parents

I Am Unashamed

<div style="text-align: center;">November 15, 2009 4:09 PM - Anonymous said: "How can you be black and be such a supporting member of an organization that was officially racist until 1978? And still teaches to this day that the Curse of Cain is manifest in black people? Shame on you." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTiOi8-zhvz_ld2lpuGg7khchDUbrIGSt6XfTzhjc06pnbcXfo8QWXTODVimls9ImIs3QQ-fjefgdhvb9qLbKalo4N4V5zvk3bsm5dp2nDBe_RHMF8I-SxOZSe4YjXFY1jGLgAV6PfsKI/s1600/2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTiOi8-zhvz_ld2lpuGg7khchDUbrIGSt6XfTzhjc06pnbcXfo8QWXTODVimls9ImIs3QQ-fjefgdhvb9qLbKalo4N4V5zvk3bsm5dp2nDBe_RHMF8I-SxOZSe4YjXFY1jGLgAV6PfsKI/s320/2.bmp" yr="true" /></a> </div> Sista Laurel's response: We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. Above is the 11th <a href="http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=fc2539b439c98010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD">Article of Faith</a> of <a href="http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=e419fb40e21cef00VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.</a> The line in that sentence that stood out to me the most as I pondered and prayed on this question was: “according to the dictates of our own conscience.” <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dictate">Dic-tate</a> [v. dik-teyt, dik-teyt; n. dik-teyt] verb, -tat-ed, -tat-ing, noun 6. a guiding or governing principle, requirement, etc.: to follow the dictates of one's conscience. <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conscience">Con-science</a> [kon-shuh ns] –noun 1. the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: to follow the dictates of conscience. 2. the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual. "How can you be black and be such a supporting member of an organization that was officially racist until 1978? And still teaches to this day that the Curse of Cain is manifest in black people? Shame on you." I know that I am a child of God. A loving Heavenly Father provided a Savior for me, Jesus Christ. I have gained this testimony through experiences both spiritual and temporal. I strive to live a Christ-like life, but I am imperfect. I have fallen short, I do fall short, I will fall short. I am thankful for the knowledge that Jesus Christ died for my sins, so that I have the opportunity to stand again each time I fall. My testimony, this knowledge, and this goal have all contributed in my decision to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have always thought of spirituality and faith as being personal. This thought process has helped me to develop a personal relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Also, I find that my faith is not sedentary. With each passing day it can grow and it can waiver and in both instances I rely heavily on these personal relationships. If at any time I have questions regarding religion, my faith, spirituality, membership in the church to which I belong, etc., I have always consulted with the Lord through prayer and have always received answers to my prayers. Through my testimony in prayer and according to the dictates of my own conscience I am an unashamed member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sista Laurel Sista Beehive's response: Pastor Rick Warren, was asked the question, " Do all religions lead to God"? His response was, "Think about the logic of this. Can I go into a phone booth and dial any phone number and get home? No, there’s only one number that’ll get me home. I could be sincere, but I could be sincerely wrong. The truth is, all roads don’t lead to Rome and all roads and all religions don’t lead to God". In following that same thought pattern the scriptures teach in John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. While it is not my responsibility to try to explain away the painful, yet historic teachings of past church practices (not only in the LDS Church). Nor is it my intention to defend the crippeling history of our "free" country, a place that we all call home. Jesus is the way, Jesus, my elder brother, the only one who could, atoned and sacrificed for me, he alone is the truth and the light. I am grateful for parents who taught me to recognize and yield to the teachings of the Holy Ghost. I'm grateful that I was blessed with a strong Pentacostal family that encouraged me to develop a personal relationship with the Lord, so that when the time came in my life where I would need to testify of the truthfullness of the Holy Ghost I would be able to do so in my own words. So that when the day came for me to become a soilder in God's army, I would be armed with a truth that I was willing to stand on and if needs be die for. I have found that truth in the church that I've choosen to embrace. I have a personal relationship with my Father in heaven who loves me and has been merciful to me. It is ultimately because of this love that I feel "No Shame"!! for my choice in worshiping the Lord my God, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I make no apologies to my anonymous Brotha/Sista for being a member of the LDS church. Just as I make no apologies to any of the Brothas/Sistas of the LDS faith for the race, or lineage that I was born into. Jesus atoned for me! He suffered and died! It is because of his love for me that eternal life and not death is possible. In closing, I feel that it's approiate for us all to be reminded: "Love thy neighbor" is not a cliché; it is a commandment from God. In Matthew 22:37–39, Jesus emphasized the importance of loving the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind and loving your neighbor as yourself. He said, all the other commandments, all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments (v. 40). Sista Beehive <a href="http://www.myfreecopyright.com/registered_mcn/BT8QW_3GY41_YKT8E" title="MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected"><img alt="MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected" border="0" height="38" src="http://storage.myfreecopyright.com/mfc_protected.png" title="MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected" width="145" /></a>

I Am Unashamed

November 15, 2009 4:09 PM - Anonymous said: "How can you be black and be such a supporting member of an organization that was officiall...

It's Not My Turn To Pray

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNR_f0giUnMTxH4wGiuKWmcc4VZxdhxAiTm8p6UTDynxw_I2vG0mrayBMPYS1X605wi78uOTRnsnTrMAHw7aMPmksTY3dhdj71-V94ljxN6W_q4eW44vjVxKuZ5KB7w7DESIWbnzCuJL9a/s1600-h/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sr="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNR_f0giUnMTxH4wGiuKWmcc4VZxdhxAiTm8p6UTDynxw_I2vG0mrayBMPYS1X605wi78uOTRnsnTrMAHw7aMPmksTY3dhdj71-V94ljxN6W_q4eW44vjVxKuZ5KB7w7DESIWbnzCuJL9a/s320/2.jpg" /></a>While there are some people who fail to recognize the Lord's hand in our lives, other people seem to see his hand in everything that they do. I'm not talking about those people that stand up monthly and bear their testimony. You know the testimonies that make everyone feel uncomfortable, even the children; I'm talking about those people who have the faith of Brotha Job. </div> As I survey the lives of my families last four generations, as well as the families of my peers, it seems to me that the younger generations lack gratitude. While there are several reasons for the lack of gratitude in our lives and the lives of our youth, I attribute the main reason for lack of gratitude being we (parents) lack the ability to communicate to our children what we are grateful for and in turn what they are grateful for. Yes brothas and sistas, the nature of this story has taken a slight turn, just bare with me as I relay this short story that will tie into teaching gratitude. Sometimes my parents had to flip the script in order for me to learn the lessons they tried to teach me. I think last night I would have received an A+ in "T Family Teachings 101". Story: Last night I called my children down for family prayer. My two youngest girls ages 12 and 10 were being rambunctious, playful, but rambunctious with one another. Even though they both started off playful and teasing I knew they were a giggle away from a full on war. In trying to calm the two of them down I asked one of my daughters to lead us in family prayer. She groaned and said that she had said the prayer the night before and that it was someone else’s turn to say prayer. Some parents would have apologized and differed the responsibility to say family prayer to a younger sibling. Me: So you only expect the Lord to bless you a little? Her: No, I just don't think I should have to say all the prayers in this house. Me: Oh, I'm sorry, you must be the one that keeps telling Heavenly Father that he's blessed you way too much and it's time for him to pass those blessings on to someone else. I understand you have expressed your gratitude for the family this week, so if we need you to pray for the family, we have to catch you in the morning or in the mid-day. Her: Mom, your being dramatic... (smile). Yes, I want blessings. Me: (Am I seeing a smile)? Oh, well is there something your trying to take care of? Are you not worthy to pray? Are you working on your issue? Or you just don't have anything to say to Heavenly Father? Are you and Heavenly Father in a fight? Her: (Her and the rest of the family, full out laughter)... O.K. I'll say prayer. I would just like to report that she said a full, healthy prayer. It was thoughtful and she expressed gratitude for our family and the blessings in our lives. Back on track: If we are noticing a lack of gratitude in our lives and the lives of our children we need to focus on the basics. When was the last time you took public transportation? When was the last time (if ever) you went and ate at a homeless shelter, without doing service there? Just going there and exposing yourself and your children to those less fortunate, placing yourself on their level. When was the last time you said "No" to your child? Just "No", I'm not spending that kind of money or we simply can't afford that. Being a parent I understand how difficult it is to say "No" to your child especially when so many other parents are saying yes. It's not our responsibility to provide our children with all the latest fashions and/or gadgets. We have become an entitled generation; it is this attitude that we are passing on to our children. Many of us want to have the same quality of life as we start our adult lives, that we had living with our parents. It's natural for parents to have a desire to help their children achieve success, however we might be keeping our children from learning the lesson of gratitude. Where entitlement exists, there is no room for gratitude. Where entitlement is, resentment is usually around the corner. I know that I am one of the most blessed children of our Heavenly Father. As I look at my life and my family (even extended), I know that Heavenly Father has had a watchful eye on me and has placed Angels in my path. I'm especially grateful for parents that knew how to simply say "no", without giving me an excuse. I'm grateful for parents that taught me the value of life. I'm most grateful for the people in my life and their willingness to patiently teach me. Sista Beehive   <a href="http://www.myfreecopyright.com/registered_mcn/BT8QW_3GY41_YKT8E" title="MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected"><img alt="MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected" border="0" height="38" src="http://storage.myfreecopyright.com/mfc_protected.png" title="MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected" width="145" /></a>

It's Not My Turn To Pray

While there are some people who fail to recognize the Lord's hand in our lives, other people seem to see his hand in everything that the...

My First Communion

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnUK_9yvCGmbbmFg2eIfzqqhkkeLEraAx54ycI3atdthYBrlLaTtlUld8tAV09dDhkYtEQKWSDMLllGrvI79M4cw5FWopIyOodSv2-Um9TmuFr6W-RM1ejLxJgScBnwEVdVIfVZlPLGTG/s1600-h/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sr="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnUK_9yvCGmbbmFg2eIfzqqhkkeLEraAx54ycI3atdthYBrlLaTtlUld8tAV09dDhkYtEQKWSDMLllGrvI79M4cw5FWopIyOodSv2-Um9TmuFr6W-RM1ejLxJgScBnwEVdVIfVZlPLGTG/s320/1.jpg" /></a>One of the things that I am most grateful to my parents for is exposing me to many different religions and faiths. As a youngster, I took seriously the call for every member to be a missionary. I loved inviting my friends to church with me. Some of the friends that I invited to church didn’t regularly attend any church, but some of them did. One thing about LDS <a href="http://mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/glossary/glossary-definition/primary">Primary</a> is that it is a lot of fun, and some of my friends often wanted to forgo their church meetings and attend church with me for that reason. This didn’t often go over well with their parents, so my parents often suggested that each time they sent their child to church with us, my parents would send me to church with them the following Sunday. Or my friend and I would attend church at the LDS Church and also at the church my friend attended in the same Sunday, if time permitted. The latter often led to a really long Sunday, but I learned so much from it. </div> When I was turning 8 years old and was preparing to be <a href="http://mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/glossary/glossary-definition/baptism">baptized</a>, I wanted one of my best friends to attend my baptism. She was also turning 8 and preparing for her <a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cclergy/documents/rc_con_cclergy_doc_19770331_penance-communion_en.html">First Communion</a> in the Catholic Church. Our parents decided that she would attend church with me some Sundays - this way she could accompany me to Primary and learn about baptism and why I was doing it. In turn, I would attend the Catholic Church with her on some Sundays and also her religious classes so I could learn what communion was and why she was doing it. We had so much fun learning about each other's religions and even at the age of 7 we were able to recognize so many of the similarities in our faiths. She was shopping for a beautiful white dress for her occasion, and my Mother was making me a beautiful one for mine. On her big day I felt so special to be included. I watched as she and all the other children, the boys in their suits and the girls in their white dresses and veils, walked down the aisle holding candles. I watched as she partook of the Sacrament for the very first time in her life, and I understood what she was doing and why it meant so much to her and her family. I had taken the <a href="http://mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/glossary/glossary-definition/sacrament">Sacrament</a> many times, but watching her do so and seeing all the preparation she had done to be able to partake of it helped to remind me of how important the Sacrament is. On the day of my baptism she attended and she understood what I was doing and why it meant so much to me and my family. The Sunday following my baptism, I tried very hard to think about the sacrifice Jesus Christ had made for me while I partook of the Sacrament, I couldn't remember the very first time I had taken the Sacrament, but I wanted to remember this one. Thanks to each of our parents being tolerant of the other's religion and teaching us the same. There is a picture of she and I at age 8 in our white dresses, standing in the church parking lot with our arms around each other, the temple is behind us, I love that picture, we look so happy. Today my friend is still Catholic and I am still a member of <a href="http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e419fb40e21cef00VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</a>. What I learn from my many religious experiences is that it isn’t always about conversion, sometimes it’s simply about trying to make each interaction with a person of another faith a positive one. Do you often attend church services of faiths other than yours, why or why not? Do your children invite friends to church with them? Do your children attend church with their friends? Tell us about an experience you have had inviting a person of a different faith to church with you. Tell us of an experience you have had attending a church of a faith other than your own. Sista Laurel <a href="http://www.myfreecopyright.com/registered_mcn/BT8QW_3GY41_YKT8E" title="MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected"><img alt="MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected" border="0" height="38" src="http://storage.myfreecopyright.com/mfc_protected.png" title="MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected" width="145" /></a>

My First Communion

One of the things that I am most grateful to my parents for is exposing me to many different religions and faiths. As a youngster, I took se...

I Am Unashamed

It's Not My Turn To Pray

My First Communion

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