The first time I became aware of Earth Day, was when there was a massive televised event in Washington D.C. with the Indigo Girls and various celebrities. Between live telecasts with acoustic folksy bands were celebrities sharing earth-loving tips. The only quote I remember from that event was when Chevy Chase said: "Save water, shower with a friend!" My young girl heart was shocked and was never the same again.

There's so many reasons why Patty is a female stud. A) She's an Idaho girl who grew up skiing at majestic Grand Targhee B) She kept up skiing and rockin' the slopes even after 4 kids C) She has patience like a river. I'm not kidding about that. D) She was my Young Womens teacher growing up but still allowed me to be equally yoked as a kindred spirit.

Here she is showing off her beautiful offspring.  Over to you Patty:

As for me, in my home, I tried to recognize when the kids “felt” something good.  I would tell them that was the Holy Ghost, and how blessed they were to be able to feel that.  I would write the things down that they shared with me.  My youngest son is on a mission in Brazil.  When he was 5 he told me about a special experience when the “talking ghost” talked to him.  (It took me a few minutes to realize he wasn’t talking about Casper). When he was 12 and his father died, he told me another experience that happened to him during the funeral.  I wrote these things down, but, better than that, one of his church leaders had the kids in the class write down “pocket testimonies” during one of their lessons.  My son wrote about this last experience, folded the small piece of paper up about the size of a dime, and shoved it in his pants pocket.  I found it, saved it, and included it with information I sent with my son on his mission.  He remarked when he found it how it brought back something he had forgotten.  It came at a time that he needed encouragement.

I once heard a saying that I use when confronted with the questions.  We aren’t members of the church because of what we know, but because of what we feel. 

Another piece of advice I remember is, that as a parent, we need to set up, or make sure there are situations where the Lord can be present in our home. 

There is an email being circulated that is very interesting.  It is an LDS young women from Blackfoot, Idaho attending Harvard University.  She is on a religious panel discussion, and she answers some of the touchy questions very well.   It takes about 20 minutes to listen to, but she does a great job.

[An embedded video from another website was here; it is no longer available.]

Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin from Harvard Hillel on Vimeo.

[Another] great resource for inspiration is my friend *John.  He is a university professor, and happens to be the only LDS instructor in his department.  I have had two family members leave the gospel as they became highly educated.  They are too smart to believe now and can talk through most of our doctrine.  John is well educated in all history, church history included.  He had his own challenges in dealing with history, his colleagues, and his testimony.  I asked him to tell me how he balanced his intellect and the gospel.  I will give you both of his responses to me.  He is eloquent and right on the money. 

Mrs. Olsen here: I will be posting John's contribution later this week.  For now, we'll leave you some time to watch the embedded video if you have not already seen it.   Patty and I were both proud Idahoans when we watched it.  Thanks Patty!

As a born and bred spud girl, it is with great trepidation I divulge the back woods country secrets I discovered in my recent travels to Idaho.











Wait...how can a dirty secret be clean? The truth is, Mrs. Olsen knows and loves many an Idaho Republican. She just might be one for all you know! I was just making a joke because I don't understand how innovative and clean technologies that provide power have become a political issue. Hmmmmm....anyway.

If anything, it provided my linguistically challenged Vanilla Wafer with a new word for the day!







I'm glad to see that constant Idaho wind put to good use. As an insider tip: in my backroads drive I passed a little office building amidst the turbines called Invenergy. So while we're all losing our retirement in the markets, and getting flack for dirtying up the planet, this company just might be one to keep your eye on.

And if you live in California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Idaho, or Wyoming you can register all or a portion of your power needs to come from clean renewable sources, like wind, at the link here.

Today is our second in the "Why I Believe" Series dedicated to humans, sent to Planet Earth from a loving Heavenly Father, trying to retain their true identity amidst Earth-like chaos abounding on the nightly news.

My guest today is Kelly. When Kelly was in college, she drove a restored classic car that was baby blue. I remember because I was a missionary, biking and walking in my 3 mile radius in Gainesville Florida and couldn't go anywhere else. That was okay, but my spontaneous nature was constantly grumbling to drive, find an alligator, climb a palm tree, and discover the Florida beaches outside my confined mission boundaries. When my mission companion and I needed to get a ride to Jacksonville for mission business, we hitched a ride in a baby blue 1960-something car that allowed me to reminisce my former life of road-tripping wind-in-my-hair happiness as our new friend, and newest convert to the Church, Kelly taxied us past roadside jungles and swamps.

There's no doubt Kelly was the cool girl in college. She was funny and had all the boys drooling over her natural curls, and her baby-blue wheels.

When you grow up in a church, and all your neighbors believe the same as you, there's the risk you will take some of this stuff for granted. I think anybody who leaves "Zion" to be a missionary amidst a new culture, language, or religious majority will rightly be amazed at the religious vigor, faith-in-action miracles, and major life changes that you witness when someone is a new convert. Such was the gift that Kelly gave to me.

This Easter Weekend we made Resurrection Rolls with the kids.   With young and curious kids, I find myself walking a fine line between creative visual lesson about the resurrection and a morbid presentation on cannibalism.  I have faith in all faithful parents that they can walk the line and keep it as an awesome (and reverent) tradition for your kids.  If you are fretting that this recipe comes a day late, no worries there's always Family Home Evening to catch up on.  Here's a peek into our Easter Fun.























Read from accompanying scripture, such as John 19:38-42 and John 20.

VARIATION: If you want to represent the quiet awakening of the resurrection (and build more excitement and tension for your kids) then start your recipe in the evening:
PREHEAT OVEN TO 450 degrees
PREPARE ROLLS AND PLACE IN OVEN
IMMEDIATELY TURN OFF OVEN

In the morning they will be cooked and ready to go with your Easter Brunch.

A while back I had fun cutting my son's hair, and hypothesized what kind of human he would end up. That was a silly afternoon, though in some ways it confronted some legitimate questions that all parents must have: Will my kid be a weasel? Will they be punks? How 'bout grateful? Will they be cunning in their career? Hardworking? Happy?

The other side of this coin, and the true desire of my heart is this: Will my kids know and love their Savior? Will they be able to feel and recognize The Spirit? Will they still believe?

After meeting up with an old friend and fellow parent, I saw a little heartache over their kid who had grown up and refused the faith of their childhood. They seemed to ask: How did I raise up my family and be so involved in our religion, with my own faith unshaken...well, why did my kid reject all of this stuff that I considered a true gift? (And remember, the tone of this parent did not have diminished love for their kid, but they really wanted to know!)

So as a mom to a fresh crop of offspring, I was left wondering: What will cause the gospel to become an anchor to someone? How does one retain their faith when life gets hard, or worse, complicated? How does one retain the light of Christ amidst the busy going-ons of life and love?

So in honor or April, and it's own Easter Celebration of The Resurrected Savior, I posed some of these questions to some folks I've met along the way, and wanted to hear what they had to say. I hope you want to hear it too. For now, we'll call them Testimony Tuesdays. So I hereby present our first guest, Lisa.

She is amazed at the sheer size of God's Bounty (i.e. these yams). Frankly, so am I. Let's hear how her testimony grows. Over to you Lisa:

As a child, I was taught very specifically, and very carefully, to know and believe the scriptures. My parents were not perfect, but they held family prayer and scripture study, Family Home Evening, and we attended church regularly. Belief came easily for me. I never wondered, never doubted, and I tried my best to keep Christ's commandments, knowing fully that if I disobeyed, the consequences listed in the scriptures would be mine.

When I became a teenager, however, my testimony became solidified as my own, not just the regurgitation of what I had been taught. I was in a remote town in an extremely remote state, where I was one of three LDS students in my graduating class. Every day my faith was put on trial. Every day I was asked about my belief. I had wonderful friends who knew what my standards and beliefs were, and respected me for it; but they were always watching how I would handle every day situations. I had to make sure my faith was founded on a deep rooted, unshakable foundation, one that could not be swayed or tempted into submission. And the closer I became to my Savior, the happier I was.

Now, as a parent, I have found the time when I rely on that early, strong, foundation more than ever. I am sleep deprived, lonely, and often times, depressed. I need Jesus Christ and the peace the gospel brings, and I need it bad. I read my scriptures daily and am working hard to have weekly family home evenings and family prayer every day. These things keep my anchor strong, as the corrosion of the daily grind wears away at my heart. It is taking more work now to stay strong than it ever has for me, but I know the work is worth it. There are glorious, shining moments, when my heart is calmed, when the flood of the spirit washes over me, and I am given the deepest peace and comfort; more than any other source on Earth. There are the nights when, after a particularly taxing day, I fall to my knees in anguished cries, praying for help. And help has come. My children are another beautiful source of strength for me, even in their infancy. I look into these spirits, and know that they come from a very kind, very merciful, and very generous Father in Heaven.

I watch every day for the tender mercies of God, and know that they are real. I marvel at His grace and condescension, and am reminded often of the love and happiness I feel because of my relationship with the Savior. I follow Him because it makes me happy, because my life is simpler and more complete when wrapped in the arms of His Love. I know his promises are real, and as we draw closer to him, the windows of heaven pour out blessings that there will not be room for us to receive.

Tis the time of year when we get 8 hours of religion via satellite, cable, or radio (10 hours if you're a male and over 12 years of age). There's something so refreshing about the thought of a living prophet building upon the testimonies of ancient prophets. It's a time-tested pattern still thriving in the latter days. And there's something like imitating a circus act when you have little restless offspring vying for your attention for 8 hours of the LDS General Conference. So here's some last-minute help for moms with littles for this spring weekend...

Bingo Cards plus M&M's for illiterate littles. Bribery is an eternally effective tool of motherhood. Thank you SuperMormon Rachel Wood for 12 different bingo cards found here.

For literate offspring, try a little folded notebook with pictures of the apostles where they can write notes (or draw pictures) from the talks. Notebook found here.

Here's a printout from the Friend Magazine. Other great resources from The Friend are here.


Speaking of offspring, my beanstalk of a sister is delivering the latest in extended relatives today.