New Beginnings

Yesterday Jeff and I met with the Bishop (a bit informal because the Bishop is my dad). And we were extended the call to be CTR 5 Teachers. Today we went to class to meet the kids (7 of them), we didn't teach but did participate a little in the class. They are very bright and intuitive. Mason was a distraction, but he always is. I'm not sure how we're going to work this, having Mason, it seems like at church from noon - 1pm he is the most fussy, so one of us are always having leave the room to take care of him... we may have to tag team it or something... well whatever we do, the Lord will bless us and support us so we can teach the 5 & 6 yr olds.

Jeff went to the primary exercises while I went to the Laurels class to participate in the lesson my mom was teaching: The Many Faces of Dishonesty. Jeff told me later that the primary exercises was very interesting... the music director is CRAZY... she was saying, "come on kids, I want to see you sweat! you're not singing if you're not sweating!" and when she was singing she wasn't even singing the right words to the song and getting mad at the kids for not singing the correct words or for not knowing the song either! Our time in primary sure will be interesting... :)

My mom's lesson was really good, the part that I heard, I had to go to the Mother's Lounge not even 10min into the lesson and came back only to hear the last 2 min. The part I heard, she was talking about the three faces of dishonesty: lying, cheating, stealing... then she went on to talk about being ethical or unethical and who is teaching us to be ethical? One of the girls said that a teacher of hers said, "If you're going to cheat, cheat well, if you get caught you will be punished, but if you don't, there's nothing I can do." -- can you believe this? I had a teacher who said, "plagiarize plagiarize plagiarize, this is the reason why God gave you eyes!" Teachers are teaching students that it is ok to cheat, to lie, to steal, and yet get mad at you if you do it and get caught!

I hope that I can be a good parent and teach my children not to lie, cheat or steal, no matter the cost... to move ahead in the world (school, business, fellow men) it is better to be honest than to be a lier, cheat, or a thief... at least then your consciounce will be clear and the Lord will bless you.

Today is the 10 yr anniversary if 9/11 terrorist attack. Just about all day television networks have dedicated their time to showing footage and documentaries of the day the planes hit the twin towers, how they fell, how america was affected, as well as show the aftermath, clean up, and building up of Ground Zero. Tower One, a beacon for the region, and memorials for the people who died that tragic day. By 2013 Tower One will be completed and will be not only the tallest building in the world: 1,776ft but also the safest!

Even though 9/11/01 was a terrifying tragedy and we are still at war with these Terrorists, America has United together in building our confidence again! I am proud to be an American, grateful that I served In the Air Force (and alive to tell about it), and I am mostly grateful to have a knowledge of the Plan of Salvation, a testimony of the Restored Gospel, and an undying love for my Savior!!!

If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. ~Mark Twain