What I Believe-Part 1, God and Jesus Christ

I’ve thought a lot about how to write this series of articles. I guess the idea came to me when I was writing another article, A Mormon for President? and debated about whether or not to post it on facebook. Many of my friends on facebook are friends from high school and other times in my life. I often share my blogs there that I have written. I wonder how many of those friends that aren’t Mormon wonder about what I truly believe. Maybe they were afraid to ask. Maybe they just assumed what had already been told to them … Continue reading

Genealogy and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

When I was looking a various genealogy resources online a few weeks ago, I came across a web site that is maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I later found out that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints maintains the largest genealogical research library in the world. Today, I decided to look into why genealogical research is so important to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have cousins that belong to the Church, and I am interested in learning about how our family history is important to … Continue reading

Easter Traditions and Marriage

It is a tradition of our marriage not to eat meat on Good Friday. We traditionally have salmon patties for lunch or dinner on Good Friday. So does our daughter and her husband. At our current church we have hot cross buns after the service. The same thing used to happen in another church we belonged to in Sydney. I don’t, since I’m gluten free. No-one seems to have a produced gluten free hot cross buns. I can’t be bothered making them just for me. One year Mick and I attended a church in the rural area where we lived. … Continue reading

Easter and Marriage

Easter means different things to different people. As I’ve read a couple of other blogs I see some of those different traditions in families come out. To some people it means Easter bunnies and Easter egg hunts. To others it means church. Sometimes there is a combining of the two. In our marriage and those of our son and daughter and their spouses, it means church,remembering the first Easter and what Easter is all about – the death and resurrection of Jesus. One couple I know who are still on their L plates in their marriage has started a tradition … Continue reading

Homeschool Groups and Resources in Iowa A-H

Involvement with other homeschoolers is very important to a family’s success in homeschooling. Joining a homeschool network or support group in your area will make a difference in your homeschooling journey. You can find homeschooling groups as well as many homeschooling classes, and programs that your students can enjoy. In this series, we are covering homeschool groups and resources across the country. This installment will cover Iowa homeschool groups and resources, A-H. Catholic Home School Association of Omaha provides iformation and referral for Catholic parents who want to home school in the Omaha area. It is a place for members … Continue reading

Who is Jesus?

Many people want to insist Jesus was a good man or a prophet. This is not what the bible teaches. The bible teaches: Jesus is ‘the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God,’ John 1:1. Or as Colossians says ‘He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,’ Colossians 1:15. ‘No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side has made him known,’ John 1:18. Jesus is the one through whom all things were made, John 1:3. Colossians stresses that ‘by him … Continue reading

Why We Don’t Need Signs and Wonders

Why don’t we need signs and wonders to prove where we stand with God? Won’t they make us more spiritual or a better class of Christian? No. Because God has given us all we need for the Christian life Colossians tells us. What has he given us exactly? If we have accepted Jesus God has ‘qualified us’ just as he did the Colossian Christians ‘to share in the inheritance of the saints of light,’ Colossians 1:12. God had ‘delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,’ Colossians 1:13. It is through … Continue reading

Ritual and Rules or Relationship?

Jesus taught that Christianity is about a relationship, not the keeping of rules and rituals. Jesus warned his disciples they would be cast out of the synagogues, for following Him rather than abiding by the rules and laws of the Jewish religion, John 16: 1-4. Jesus’ prayer, for his early disciples and for us, is that we may be one with him and with the Father, John 17:20-23. That’s relationship! If we look back earlier in John’s gospel we see another example of Jesus in relationship with his people. Jesus taught He was ‘the good shepherd.’ He is our shepherd … Continue reading

Sunday Travel Funnies: Granny Puts Pedal to the Metal and Pilots Ask for God’s Help to Land Safely

If you think senior citizens live life in the slow lane you haven’t met 96-year-old Edith Pittenger. The great-great-grandmother made history last week becoming the oldest driver to ever gun it around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Pittenger, an Indiana native, took the trip around the famous racetrack in a two-seater Dallara with driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. and reached speeds of nearly 200 mph. No, she’s not trying to become the next Danica Patrick; rather the ride was part of the Indy Racing Experience–a Christmas gift Pittenger received from her children. The anything but slow senior started attending the Indianapolis 500 … Continue reading

Laziness part 4- In Service and Church Life

Moving house and church can be a time to take stock and review what activities God would have us involved in, so we found. Maybe you have too? Or do you think you’ve done your bit and it’s time to retire from God’s service? Since my husband retired from work, which prompted our move, we could have used it as an excuse to retire from serving God in our church as well. But God’s work doesn’t have an age when we must or should retire. So we knew we needed to be doing something but what? Instead of jumping in, … Continue reading