The President by Glenn Rawson

 

We heard this on Sounds for Sunday this morning. So powerful I had to share. It's from 

Glenn Rawson.

 

The President

This week the voice of the nation will speak to determine the president. I would like to talk about the President of the United States.
On May 30, 1787, a small group of men in Philadelphia changed the world. They were the delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Among other things, they created an officer of government unlike any ever before, one destined to become the most powerful political figure in our modern world - the President of the United States.
“There must be one, and not three,” they said. The office would require energy, action, and decisiveness. With only one, we would always know who’s responsible, and once a year he was expected to report to the people.
They were going to call him “His Excellency.” (Madison, p. 523) But that wouldn’t do. The President of the United States is a man of the people, a leader among equals.
Four years he would serve, and then he would be returned to his people, and that was the design. The framers felt if he merited their esteem, they could have him again as president. The only limit on his term was to be the wisdom of the people who elected him.
It was considered that he not even receive a salary, but sometimes the best of men are not wealthy men. He was to serve for love and honor, not for love of money.
The framers put him under the most sacred oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. To preserve that document, they felt, was to save us as a nation.
Never – never was the president to start a war! He could defend us in case of attack, but he could not start a war. If the blood and money of the people were to be expended in war, the people must declare it. But once it was declared, he was the Commander-in-Chief.
No law was ever to be imposed on us without his approval – no treaty that he did not negotiate. He was to be our voice to the nation, the champion of our rights and liberties, and the guardian – the guardian of all his people.
He alone was to be the nation’s voice of mercy and reason through the pardon power. All the chief officers who execute the law and judge it were to be his appointees – his nominees. He was to be the one man in government above the pettiness of partisan politics. He was not to be a man of the party, but a man for us all.
So critical was his leadership, and so vital his virtue, that the framers did not trust the common people to find him and elect him. So they devised a system whereby the wisest among us would select the wisest to be him.
He had to be a native son, a fully imbued American, filled with wisdom, maturity, goodness, and integrity. He was to be our voice, our protector, [and] the great man of the people.
He would be, and still is, only as powerful as ‘we the people.’ Similarly, he is only as good as we are. And the nation would be ever after as safe and free as he was good, honest, and wise.
Few men living can affect more people in a deeper way for a longer time than the President of the United States. Therefore, all things considered, this week God help us to be wise!

Glenn Rawson – 13 February 2007
Music: Take Pride in America, track 8 (edited) – Mel and Brook Teeples
Song: Heal Our Land – The Janice Kapp Perry chorus
www.soundsofsunday.com

A prayer for the elections this week. May we select a man who manifests this in all that he is. I pray that we each look deep inside of each of us and consider the good of this country and not just ourselves. That we will vote for one who will be the essence of all that is good and noble and righteous about this country. And may God ever be watchful over this blessed nation!

Thank a Veteran!

Jacob and Avvy with a kind sailor, Norman Walker. What a privilege to have seen this gentle man for the last several years!

Today is Veteran's Day. (Okay, technically yesterday was, but because it was a Sunday we observe it today!)

One of the reasons I love living in this tiny town of Wellsville is that the elementary school has a patriotic spirit twice the size of the school! We have freedoms at this tiny (albeit ancient) school that even other schools in this sheltered valley have let go the way of nostalgia. We still sing "Away in a Manger" and "Oh Holy Night" for Christmas. We still carry on traditions that started back when this (ancient) school was built. And if you are privileged to be in a classroom during morning announcements, you will get to hear the classes singing rousing songs of patriotism...every morning! "God Bless the USA", "My Country tis of Thee", "America the Beautiful", etc. And I LOVE it!!

Each year, like many other schools around, our quaint little school invites the veterans in our area to join us so that our children can thank them for their service. They are reinforcing what we teach our children about respect for the flag as they stand motionless, eyes on the colors until it is posted and we have been told to be seated. This is the beginning of my tears this day. The children sing the national anthem with vigor in each word. Our wonderful principal has explained to them all what each stanza means. Thank you, Mr Dobson, for your patriotism!

The children are so proud to sing the theme for each branch of the military as the members of the audience who served in them proudly stand, many in uniform. Cards the children have made are handed to these service personnel and the audience enthusiastically applauds.

Each year is pretty much the same program. The children growing up a bit. This is our 6th year attending. And every year I cry.

But this year was just a little bit different. Perhaps it was the music. Perhaps it was watching two of our kids in the program. This year I was NOT pregnant, so I can't blame it on that. It began the same as always, as the flag came in the silent room. Then, entering just to my right, an elderly gentleman, crippled in a specialty wheelchair, was wheeled in to sit in the area reserved for the veterans. The children sang each military branch's song, and as the Navy's began to play, the wheelchair bound veteran motioned to two people near him that he wanted to stand. He stood as proudly as he could, supported by a sweet teacher and another lovely woman, his face beaming with pride, waving his crumpled hand, his legs quivering beneath him. His smile was radiant, tears streaming down the women's faces. My own tears turned to sobs. This man had served in Korea. One of the oldest Vets now.

And with it all, there was an unspoken feeling in the air. Have things changed for this country? Has this past election changed the way this country will forever move through time? Will what these men and women saw in unspeakable horrors of war be for naught? Will our sweet children who so proudly sang "thank you" to our veterans ever really know what they are thankful for? Will they get to experience the benefits of a truly free country but not the "benefits" of entitlement?! I say we keep the spirit! We continue to teach our children that our freedoms are not free! We were not given the rights we absently take for granted. They were won by brave men and women who gave their all! And I believe they will continue to be defended by more "who love this country more than self"!

In the past the phrase "God bless America" was said as more of a statement. We are blessed. We were blessed. We will still be blessed as the greatest nation in the world! (And I defend my right to say that! I live in this country, I am entitled (yes entitled! think "freedom of speech) to say that this IS the greatest nation in the world!)
But I think this phrase has become a prayer. At least for me. "God, please... please bless America!"

So today, thank a veteran. Tell them we appreciate them! And pray for our country to continue to be the greatest, free-est, most giving country in the world!

Bugging me for a long time...

I am about to catch it for this comment but here goes: I am a Romney supporter. But before you click out of this post: I believe you are free to vote for whomever you choose, it is one of your rights as a citizen of this country! For those of you out there saying you will not vote for "the lesser of two evils", I implore you...I beg you...please, consider really asking yourself if he (Romney or Obama) really is a wicked man. Really?! You would throw your vote away on a person who will not win?! Vote for someone who can make a difference!! Whichever way you feel, but do not waste a vote!

We need every vote! EVERY VOTE! Yours is important! Yours will count! It will also count against when it comes down to the final tally. So if you really feel that both of the candidates are not worthy of the mantle of President of the United States, by all means, write in someone's name, vote for someone other than one of these two men. And console yourself that in the next life you can say you didn't vote for either of these two. But the truth of the matter is, one of them IS going to be the President!

We must live by the law of the land, and the law of the land says that he who gets the most votes, wins. So we really do have to choose our man. By not choosing to help in the election of our president, you are not making a statement, you are simply being neutral, and neutral implies "I don't want to be involved". It reminds me of kids on the playground who saw what happened in a fight but when asked by the teacher they hold up their hands and claim neutrality because they don't want to risk the possibility of losing the chance at being friends with the popular kid nor risk losing the friendship of the friend they already have. In the end the popular kid doesn't care, and the true friend ends up feeling betrayed.

This is epic. This is a big year, a HUGE election! Our country is divided. And to state from my point of view, this is not a black and white thing in terms of race. This has NOTHING to do with religion. This has everything to do with right and wrong!! And that part is black and white! Pick a side, right or wrong. That is the part that must be determined by each individual. Look inside ourselves, think about what we each stand for, and then make our vote count by voting for someone who will give us the chance that we want for our future!

Easter Bunny Saturday

Last year a good friend of ours (namely Nicole!), wrote about her family's "Bunny Day". In their family, the Easter Bunny comes on Friday night, allowing the non religious festivities to happen on a busy Saturday morning and freeing up Sunday to focus on the "true meaning of Easter". I have waited ALL year to do this! For a long time we have sought for ways to make Easter as important and celebrated as Christmas. After all, in the words of President Hinkley: "The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection." (Think about that for a moment!)
 


In the week prior to Easter, we drew from the scriptures, the church pictures and a treasured book by Eric D. Huntsman:"God So Loved the World" to make up an advent, if you will, of the Savior's final week of mortal life. Each night we had a mini family home evening and discussed the events leading up to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We discussed the triumphal entry, the cleansing of the temple, Passover, the instituting of The Sacrament / the Last Supper, Atonement, betrayal, and all of the events of those last few days. It was a wonderful, spiritually enriching week and we hope to make it even better next year!

Love this book!
 



During the week, the kids were anxious for the Easter Bunny to come, as is to be expected. But we shook things up a bit and told them that we would like to ask the Bunny to put us on his Easter Bunny Saturday list - easily done by way of a quick email! The kids were thrilled to go along with it as it would help the Easter Bunny since he could divide his delivery load between two nights instead of one!

All ready for Easter Bunny Saturday to start!

Jacob and Matthew paused mid-hunt-flight! Can you see the look of "Not now Mom!" on their faces?!

Grandma and Lexie

Zillia, Kali, Hallee, and Olivia

Pleased with his haul!

Four super great boys!

Easter Saturday morning was as exciting and fun-filled as ever with the added benefit of not having to handle sugared up kids in church and not having to try to tone down their excitement and festivities in order to keep the Sabbath Day holy. Win win situation! We had egg hunts and attended the Jenkins' Family Easter Party and played with our cousins. We finished out the evening with a discussion on what we thought the Savior might have been doing, as a spirit, on this night so long ago and how his disciples might have felt at this point.

Grandpa and Morgan

Grandma lovingly refers to these three as "the triplets". Actually, the twins: Carly & Aaron and Avonlea were all born one day apart.

8 of the 10 cousins

Selenia, Moira and Isaiah

Sunday morning was quiet! We spent the day in reflection and discussion of the Resurrection. We watched some of the church's video clips about the morning of the First Resurrection. The kids dressed in their new Easter clothes - which they received in their Easter baskets the day before. We had a breakfast of fruit and sweet rolls and arrived at church early and unhurried. It was such a peaceful morning! No modern traditions to rush through while trying to balance with reflection on The Resurrection. We finished out the evening with a potluck family dinner and a Resurrection Eggs hunt, in which we did one final run through on the true Easter meaning by way of tokens of the Easter story in plastic eggs. 

 

It was truly a wonderful Easter! John had been the skeptical one when I suggested doing this, but by evenings end, when the kids were all in bed early, he said how great it was! We are totally making this a permanent tradition!

I Choose to be a Mormon!

With all of the publicity in the media of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the "Mormons" or the "LDS Church" I think it is high time I do a post that I have wanted to do for  along time...so here goes...





I admit that it kind of saddens me that members of the LDS faith and the LDS church in general are often not considered "Christian". It boggles my mind! To reference a beloved scripture from the Book of Mormon which is found in 2 Nephi 25:26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Not a day goes by that our family doesn't discuss our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! We pray in His name, we teach our children in His name. We look for the beauty around us and praise His name! Daily...hourly! We look for ways to bring His name into the praisings we speak, ever so humbly, respectfully, for we have nothing...we are nothing without Him!

I hope if this blog does nothing more in my life but to leave a legacy for my children that they know without a shadow of a doubt that I KNOW that my Redeemer lives! That He is our Savior and that because of Him we shall have eternal life! I have felt His comforting spirit, the sweet whisperings of my personal worth to Him. I hope that someday, if we should be tried on the "crime" of being Christian, my life, my actions, my words and deeds and testimony shall convict me! For if it cannot be found that enough evidence exists in my life to find me "guilty of being Christian", then I have failed myself and my family! I know that Jesus Christ was born of Mary, a virgin girl, and that He lived a perfect life, setting a perfect example for us to follow. He then gave His life, having atoned for the sins, and sorrows and emptiness, pains and trials that we would all feel. He LOVES us! He loves every single one of us! No exceptions! He wants us all with Him! He was resurrected to assure us that same honor someday! He lives now! He watches for us, watches over us and he cheers us on! We can do this...we must do this...He did it for us already and we only need to endure to the end.

I know many people who have questions about our religion, some of these questions seem unfair, even judgemental and I say to ask someone who has a testimony of this gospel.So many anti-mormon websites exist, but if you want to know if it IS true, then read the Book of Mormon, open your mind to something that may seem far out (after all, was Jesus not born of a virgin? Was He not resurrected?) and allow the Spirit to speak to your soul. Learn what we believe, then decide for yourself. Then, as in Moroni 10:4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. If it is true, then the Spirit will fill you with a sweetness you cannot describe! Go to the people who live the religion, go to the websites sponsored by our religion, read the scriptures we believe in - both the Book of Mormon & the Bible!, ask the missionaries who give up years of their lives - paying their own way- to serve and teach what they know to be true!

Above all, give respect, but even if you don't I will for you. For some reason, our religious undergarments come up a lot in discussing our religion. They are not secret, they are sacred to us. I described it this way to someone who asked very respectfully about them. "The intimacies of a marriage are not shared openly with others, we know intimacy occurs in a marriage - it's not a secret, but yet we don't share our intimate experiences with everyone, because it is sacred, shared between the husband and wife." This is not LDS exclusive, it goes across the board, to all people. Intimacy is sacred. Our under garments are very much the same, sacred not secret. One day as I was taking our children - all 5 of them - to do errands, a woman dressed in her religious Islamic clothing passed by us. Two of our children, ages 4 and 5, asked me why she dressed that way. I very simply explained to her that her clothing was like our garments, a religious expression of her promises to whomever she believed in. The children nodded in understanding and on we went. If little children can get it, then adults should as well! It's about respect and honor and love for mankind, not just religion. In our Articles of Faith, number 11 it says: We claim the ^aprivilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the ^bdictates of our own ^cconscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them ^dworship how, where, or what they may.

I choose to worship Jesus Christ! I choose to be a Mormon!

Here's a link to some great information here.
 

They are a gift for Spencer...

There are days when I question my parenting. Every good parent wonders if what they are doing is right. Every good parent questions, at times, whether or not they CAN do this job. Truthfully, this is a daily occurrence for me. And when you have 5 children, it seems as if it is a multiple times per day thought. When I am trying to make dinner, and the toddler - who is outgrowing his nap is hanging on my legs, screaming because he is tired, and the baby who was awakened from her nap too early and she is screaming because she wants me to hold her while I make dinner, and one or more of the school aged children is needing help with homework, while the other one is needing me to listen to them read and the other one is lying on the floor in his room having a tantrum because he doesn't want to to do his homework, I think about this thought. The pot on the stove is boiling potato water over onto the burners, the reheat-able container has exploded corn all over the inside of the microwave, the table needs to be set, the phone is ringing and dinner is either burned or running twenty minutes behind.

I'm sure this sounds familiar to most parents.

What adds a little bit to my questioning my parenting, is the reason the eleven year old - going on twelve - mind you, is having a tantrum on the floor in his room. Spencer has a form of high functioning autism. I've discussed this before. He is incredibly intelligent in science. And even when you think he isn't listening, he can often repeat back to you everything that was discussed or read. We are finding that he has an amazing grasp and retention of the scriptures. We hope it will someday develop into a testimony. The issue, more than any other is that Spencer does not "get" feelings. He knows he has feelings. And he certainly doesn't like it when other people hurt his feelings or don't go along with his desires. Like all children, he doesn't want to do what he doesn't want to do. Unlike other nearly twelve year olds, he has no problem with throwing himself on the floor and having a fist pounding tantrum. He is not opposed to anyone seeing his behavior because, although other kids his age are still pouting and slamming doors, they are not usually going to do it in front of peers. They are recognizing that the world does  not revolve around them. Spencer doesn't care. The world is about him and everyone should go along with that. It's just part of asperger syndrome.

Maybe you have seen a show called "The Big Bang Theory"?

To be honest, it has some questionable material at times. They are a group of incredibly intelligent - multiple doctorate degrees, phd's, etc.- late twenties - single friends, whose minds are focused on two things - all things intelligent, and often "nerdy" and people of the opposite sex. So they spend some time discussing adult topics pertaining to, but not necessarily respecting that which most of us honor in an intimate relationship with our spouse :) Anyway, one of the characters, Sheldon is so much like Spencer. I swear he has asperger syndrome, although it is not mentioned. But his character is rigid in routine, opinionated and self-centered in a way that a lot of people with asperger's also are. John and I laugh and laugh at his antics because he is Spencer in about 15 years! I only hope Spencer succeeds as well as Sheldon has - career speaking, and couple that with the encouragement and training to learn to be socially appropriate, where Sheldon is not. It seems a far out dream.

Recently Spencer and his great friend Ozzy (right there, a blessing that so many kids with this disorder don't often have) had a little tiff involving sharing. Spencer didn't share and Ozzy let it go, but then when Ozzy didn't give Spencer what he wanted (because he wanted Spencer to understand how he felt, and I wish it would work!), a minor fight broke out. Spencer wouldn't speak to Ozzy and told him that he "wasn't going to put up with him". He then proceeded to play by himself in a classically autistic way, not noticing that his friend was even there. Ozzy's feelings were naturally hurt. He went to his mom, who explained that Spencer didn't understand some things like other kids do, and had him apologize for his part in the dispute. See what great neighbors we have?! They are compassionate and understanding when others would have thrown in the towel. When Ozzy's mom called me to explain what had happened, I took the time to talk to Spencer, who had come home and gone about his business as though nothing in the world was wrong. We asked Spencer if he cared about Ozzy's feelings, and he shrugged. We asked him if he knew that Ozzy had feelings and he said he "didn't know". Now, if you understand autism at all, and you know Spencer at all, you will know that this was not meant to be mean. He literally doesn't "get" that others outside of himself have feelings. It something that we work on a lot at home. It's something that he has classes to help him understand, at school. It's one of the socially backward/awkward parts of an autism spectrum disorder. After a couple of exercises to help him understand, and a discussion on how he really does care for his best friend, and how best friends are not, as my grandmother would put it "a dime a dozen", he and Ozzy were back enjoying each other's friendship and I hope a little bit more understanding of each other.

This brings my point full circle, I question my parenting...constantly... constantly! Every single day I wonder if I, and we, are doing what is right for our son...even more than our other children. I have even, in my darkest moments, questioned why in the world we were sent so many children! In the beginning, after we adopted Spencer and I had dealt with my emotional issues with infertility, I felt I understood Heavenly Father's plan. We could not have biological children because we were to raise this special little boy who needed our undivided attention...and then we were sent four more children very quickly, despite previous diagnosis-es and eventually, ironic as it seemed, birth control to counter the very opposite of what we had at first wished for.

At times I have laid my head on my arms and cried, wondering why...WHY?!, if he needs special, undivided attention and every opportunity he could possibly have, did he come to our home? Or, why did we have our other children who would only take away from the time we could give him, and from the other point of view, time that he would take from them as we devoted it to him? For years I have wondered this. And for years I have struggled with trying to divide my time between them. Time I have tried to make quality to make up for the quantity.



And then just a few weeks ago, as we had come out of a rough week of tantruming, I sat on our back porch putting shoes on one of our little ones as we were leaving to do some errands. The day was especially bright, warm and sunny for a March Utah day. It felt good to the soul to be out in the beauty. As I tied shoes, I asked Spencer to take one of the other little ones and please buckle him in the car. He scooped Jacob's hand up and said so sweetly, "Come on JJ, let's get you in the car!" That is all that was said. Nothing spectacular, nothing profound. But in that moment, Heavenly Father - in his infinite wisdom, took the time to whisper to my heart the words "They are a gift for Spencer." After all the years of wonder, I guess I had grown enough to understand. And I did. Finally. Nothing in this world could have been better for him than to NOT be an only child. His two sisters and two brothers are teaching him what we cannot through all the discussions, through all the lectures. Through all the SLP / social classes he takes at school, none of that better gives him the lessons he needs to recognize that others in this world have needs and feelings just like him. No one else can better teach him to share and be kind. No one else could better teach him how to love...and be loved...than his siblings. I knew that Heavenly Father knew what He was doing. He knew this part of this plan all along...and I finally began to understand. They are a gift for Spencer. And Spencer is a gift for them.