...the countdown...and hope....

REMEMBER TO VOTE! YES ON PROPOSITION 8
...as crazy as this election has been, the final countdown still brings excitement.

In the last few weeks, I've felt that I can't always just live in my own little private world of me and my family. I feel more responsibility to the world and it's issues. I feel that God is holding me responsible for my participation in the battle for good in these days. With all of this, it is not a feeling of pressure or of fear...but of hope. Real, comforting, hope. Especially as I have become involved. This God-given world is still an incredibly beautiful, good place full of good people. I hope my children will grow to love it as I do. That said, I want to give a big reminder to issues at hand, especially those that I can only participate in by word of mouth and not vote directly: the issue of defining same-sex partnerships as marriage. There are a few states voting on this now. Some wonder, what's the big deal, it's just a title. I think of it as I have heard others say, this is the drop of water into the pond. The tiny drop may not seem very significant, but the ripple effects cover the entire pond.

A friend's brother wrote some thoughts on proposition 8, I wanted to share his summary:
"Proposition 8 is not about telling people who they can and cannot love. It is not about telling them who they can and cannot be with. It is not about preventing the legally recognized sharing of property, privacy, and privilege. Proposition 8 is about defining marriage. It is about the right and freedom of society and religion to abstain from a multiparty agreement deemed unacceptable. It is about preserving the coveted title of marriage as a stamp of approval for that fundamental institution which contributes the most to society. It is about protecting the unique status of the family and ensuring its place as the first and ultimate priority of civilization. Only the union of a man and a woman can create the greatest of all resources – human life. For that, we honor them. For that, we approve of them… and for that, we marry them… for only they have the power to create our future and the future of all humanity." Click here for the whole article.

BLOG LIKE YOUR FAMILY DEPENDS ON IT, BECAUSE IN FACT IT DOES...

YES on Proposition 8....WHY??? (click here to read more)

Doesn't this just involve California?

no, California is only the beginning...(click here to see)

I make a simple but urgent plea for understanding. What will really happen to society and especially, the family, if Proposition 8 does not pass? There are many places to get the facts. Click on all of my links for more information.

Won't Gay people loose thier rights?

In California, the law provides for marriage-related benefits to be given to civil unions and domestic partnerships. Proposition 8 does not diminish these benefits. This is NOT the real issue here.

Failure to pass Proposition 8 will affect children.

If gay marriage remains legal, public schools will put it on equal footing with traditional marriage. Children will likely receive “age appropriate” information about sexual relations within heterosexual and homosexual marriages.

Failure to pass Proposition 8 will hurt churches.

The court’s decision will inevitably lead to conflicts with religious liberty and free speech rights. Society will become more and more hostile to traditional beliefs about marriage and family.

Having tolerance without condoning.

We can love others while still maintaining and advocating our standards and beliefs.

Proposition 8 will allow us to continue to teach our beliefs and standards.

This is my belief:

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." The Family- A Proclamation to the World

Take the challenge to get the word out, especially to your friends in California, Arizona, Florida...

Another way to support this cause, is to join a nation-wide fast with much needed prayers on Sept 12. Check out the information here.

TAG! ....if you are reading this, YOU'RE IT! Blog about it! PASS IT ON!

(feel free to copy and paste this onto your blog!)

Joy...

...it's amazing, the technology that we have today. that the entire WORLD can listen to the Prophet speak the words of God and hear him share his powerful testimony of Jesus Christ...and in their own language...in an instant......a few things inspired this General Conference from the Prophet Thomas S. Monson:

"find joy in the journey, now."

(paraphrasing) "never let a problem to be solved be more important than a person to be loved."

...and another inspiration from Elder Hales of the Twelve Apostles:

(paraphrasing) "let us gather up our Christian courage and move foward..."

women of today...

...this is who we are:

"Sisters, now, more than ever we need women to step up and be strong. We need women who declare the truth with strength, faith, and boldness. We need women to set an example of righteousness. We need women to be anxiously engaged in a good cause. We need to live so that our lives bear witness that we love our Heavenly Father and the Savior Jesus Christ and that we will do what They have asked us to do. We need to “rescue all that is finest down deep inside of us” so that as daughters of God we can do our part to build the kingdom of God. We will have help to do this. As Joseph [Smith] declared, “If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrain’d from being your associates."

At the recent General Relief Society conference for the world, we were inspired to give ourselves credit for who we really are. I liked this summary of the conference.

...okay, one more!

...does anyone know who those song is by, where I can get it, etc....
Little One

...why was that again???

...after this recent slew of posts to get a little caught up, I once again am asking myself: why blog? To improve my writing? Is there somehow I can scrapbook all of this? Do I need to? Is it just for me? Just for the Grandmas? Help me out here...

express yourself...ABC Zoo...

...shutterfly came through for me once again with a code for a free 8x8 book and our newest children's book is: