dahlia
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Posts posted by dahlia
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You are the first person to have ever mentioned knowing someone with my families original last name. That is so cool. Curious, what area of the country was this in?
Iowa. I know my student has been here a number of years (as opposed to others who just come here for school and leave), but I don't know if she is from here or not. I know she has children, but I'm not sure I've heard her talk about a husband, so maybe she's divorced (she's too old to be in the 'unwed mother as badge of honor' demographic). I don't know if Silliman is her name or her spouse's.
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It's hard to believe that 9/11 was so long ago. It's also hard to believe that Americans have such short memories that most of them act as if it is still 9/10.
I realize the princes have grown up, but it is difficult to think that Diana has been gone so long. Wow.
I don't have undergrads, so I'm not smacked in the face with the age difference all the time, but the missionaries were born in 1990 and 91. Huh? That was like yesterday, right? It's hard to get my mind around that someone born in 1990 is walking and talking. It seems they should be in grade school or something.
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Welcome. I had a student by the last name of 'Silliman.' Do you know if the names are related (Sillyman in one part of the country, Silliman in another)?
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It's done! I didn't drown, I didn't have to do it twice, and I didn't mess up my little talk at the end.
A good number of people showed up, people I knew and people I'd never met before, which was nice. We took pictures and ate afterward, and no, I wasn't in the jumpsuit. I also got to meet some of the other elders serving the other ward that uses our building. All in all, very nice, humbling, and glad to be done. Now, on to confirmation tomorrow.
"one of us, one of us" (movie fans will know the reference)
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So is tomorrow still the big day dahlia?
Yeah, still the big day. Others have warned me that the Adversary might step in and try to turn me astray, but that hasn't happened. I was kinda hoping for something exciting to occur so I could stand up and say, 'Get ye hence!', but my biggest challenge so far is deciding what to wear to the baptism.
The one thing about living in a small town and everyone in the ward living close to the church is that you run into people all over the place. I have met so many people this week telling me they were coming to the baptism. So, if nothing else, I've been shamed into showing up; otherwise I'd have dragged all these people out of their nice warm houses for nothing.
Maybe the Adversary is waiting for me to get into the font and make a fool of myself with 3 attempts at being baptized?
You know the nice thing - months ago I wouldn't have known any of these people unless they showed up in one of my classes or I was one of their patients. Now I know a bunch of people, right in my own neighborhood, and they don't run the other way when they see me coming. Sweet!
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My visiting teacher is a very nice lady, and I probably should get together with her, but she is a mother in her 50s so I don't know how much we would have in common.
I want to say a couple of things here. First, I am feeling the same way you are. I 'lost' one set of missionaries and am with my 2nd. I learned today they will be around for another 6 weeks, then that's it. Also, since I'm getting baptized, I gather I will see them a bit less - tho I have been feeding them and we all want to continue dinners at my place.
That said, I guess that they will be moving on mentally to other people once I've been confirmed. 
We do get attached and they are so sweet. Those of you who recall my earlier misgivings about young missionaries being able to move this heart of stone may disregard those statements made in ignorance. So, I feel your pain. I am feeling sad already. I don't even know if they will sit with me any more at church after this weekend.
And yes, others have asked me to sit with them, but so far I've been able to sit with the missionaries. All that said, I agree that you should probably be meeting with your home and visiting teachers. I want to take a little offense at your saying that a woman in her 50's wouldn't have anything in common with you. I'm a college prof in my 50's and socialize with grad students all the time. I have a son older than most of them. I know their issues, I'm still relatively 'cool,' and don't get bent out of shape or shocked easily. I say this in a nice way, but you might want to examine your ageism before you make such comments about older people. I don't know what you are getting your degree in, but do you plan to only work with young people? I know that I don't have that privilege, especially in this age of non-traditional students.
Except for age, I'm in a situation similar to yours. I'm a widow in a family ward in a university town where most of the congregation is grad & medical students and their (very) young families. I put a smile on and talk to folks of all ages and try to get to know people. I got an invite today to go visiting (which you ought to have time during the day to do, at least sometimes, as a grad student). I didn't go today, but I will at some point.
The missionaries are going to move on. It's sad for those of us who've been closest to them, but that's the name of the game. Get their emails and keep in touch, but start building your life in your ward. I hope I can take my own advice w/o crying too much when my fellas leave.
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But the growth of the church and the internet also has a counter effect. ... So the message has changed, because the true message is too hard to ignore, and too easy for people to look up. Ignorance is no longer an excuse.
... All I say is if all you can find are 150 year old issues which pretty much condemn the philosophies and ideas of everyone in the 1800s (reminding them that the Southern Baptist Convention was established to fight for the rights of slave ownership), then they really have no room to condemn Mormonism.
Thanks for this. I know that for me, especially not knowing any Mormons, that the internet was central to my being able to learn more about the Church. I could read all the books in our library, but getting online let me get 'up close and personal' with real people and with the Church itself through sites such as Mormon.org. Seeing all the profiles, and finding middle-aged black women just like me was wonderful and comforting (at least if I'm crazy, I'm not the only crazy sistah out there).
And you're right about the issues the antis like to bring up. These things happened in the past. I wish they hadn't, but they did and now those ideas and behaviors have gone into the background of history. I don't pay attention to them and no anti bringing them up is ever going to disabuse me of my faith. I can find out the good and the bad about the Church, I'm not at the mercy of missionaries who may paint too rosy a picture nor of evangelicals who want to tell me how misguided I am.
Just today I saw an interesting video with a prophecy of Pres Hinckley regarding communications:
. I think the evangelicals will have to leave off telling Mormons how misguided they are, because the 'misguided' can simply go to another website and learn the truth on their own. I am grateful for this church and I am grateful for the internet!
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Dahlia, I did ask this missionary for his home address so we could keep in contact and I had already planned on writing his mother. So I would just ask...lol
They gave me their email addresses and now were FB friends
but in this day of high technology, it didn't occur to me to ask for physical addresses. That might be a novel approach. -
All three of my sons have served missions in varying parts of the world, and they treasure all the little gifts and notes that they were given by the people that they served!
The gifts that seemed to make the biggest impact on my sons were the phone calls and letters that people sent to my husband and I.
I have given my missionaries souvenirs from my college town as suggested here on the boards. I was touched that one fella wore his shirt all Christmas and sent pictures of him in it to his mother.
Until I read your post, it did not occur to me to send something to their parents. I think this is a great idea, but wonder how to do it - it seems a bit much to ask for their parents' addresses, but maybe that's just me. How about writing a note and placing it in a sealed envelope, asking the missionary to give it to his parents upon his return?
If you have another way to do this, I'm interested to hear.
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But what was embarrassing was I had a cold at the time and made some horrible, loud noise (sniffle noise is not descriptive enough) as he helped me back up. Oh my word, was I embarrassed. My guy asked me if I was ok it was so loud and awful sounding.
Gosh. Glad you can look back and laugh. I'm thinking years in therapy and fear of small bodies of water.
I am not feeling any better about this folks. I heard the missionaries are going to make cookies for the event. They're going to need them for strength.
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When I was baptized, my feet flew up straight in front of me. I was able to right myself before splattering half the crowd though. My missionary was shorter than me.
Oh man, see - that's exactly what I'm talking about!
Can I just take a shower in the jumpsuit and be done?
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So, I got a jumpsuit and actually stepped into the baptismal font. Folks, I'm scared. I don't see how I'm going to lean back, lean forward, squat or whatever to get fully immersed. Aside from the fact that I don't want to do this 2-3 times in front of everybody, I don't want to look like an arms flailing idiot in the attempt.
One of the missionaries is quite tall and showed how he was able to be fully immersed when he did baptisms for the dead. I dunno folks. I dunno. I'm not as supple as these young guys, especially after this hip bursitis thing I've been dealing with for months. Any suggestions?
I've got to say that my missionaries are just the nicest young men. They don't know much about the face saving concerns of the middle-aged, but they are sweet guys, nonetheless.
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I'm curious to see this paper you are talking about. I'm not sure I've seen that. Wondering if I'm on track.....
It's titled, "New and Returning Member Progress." It has personal info such as name, contact info, children's names, etc. then it has steps over 12 months that I should do, such as having the ward missionaries go back over the lessons with me (I'm really not thrilled about that, especially if I have to have them at home all the time. My son isn't happy with all these people in the house.), that I started family history, that I have a calling, etc.
I don't think the Army gets this much info on recruits. If SLC starts asking for my blood type, I may have to rethink this whole thing.
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Wow! This is great!
I have to say, there's a bit of a "what did I get myself into" moment after baptism that most converts go through but the blessings of baptism is undeniable...
I think I had that moment when the missionary leader gave me a sheet of paper showing what I should be doing and when. That was a little worrisome, but I figured other members of the Church go through these steps, I can too.
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Oh my, this is the most awesome news. This really made my day. Congratulations Dahlia on your upcoming baptism. You must take pictures so you have a remembrance of this day.
We talked about pictures, but I told the missionaries no pictures of me in the white jumpsuit. I've seen those all over the internet - happy missionaries and their baptisees in jumpsuits. No. Homey don't play that. No way am I gonna wind up on the internet dressed like that. They can take the pictures after I change, thank you very much.
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I'm going to stand by my position that traditional academics - PhDs doing research in research 1 and 2 schools (think Michigan, Berkeley, Wisconsin, and then your 2nd tier state schools) - do not consider online PhDs as valid. You are not socialized to your field, online PhD students generally do not present papers or attend conferences, they do not learn the type of research you learn to do in a regular PhD program, etc. I can tell you that over the past 11 yrs or so that I've been on professor/academic boards, posters seeking online PhDs are routinely shot down and told why the degree is inappropriate FOR BEING A PROFESSOR.
I mentioned specifically in my post above that if you have a job and want to move up, than an online program may work. I am not talking here about the type of research, level of teaching, and discipline mastery that comes with a residential PhD.
Academia changes slowly. I'm not against online education at all. I am saying that people who think they are going to get the same jobs with an online PhD as with a residential PhD are fooling themselves. Also, there's a lot of difference between a masters and a PhD. I keep repeating myself, but again, if you are in a job and an online masters - which often doesn't require original research or a thesis - may suit some people just fine. In my field, some schools offer online degrees - but only at the masters level. It is just patently unfair to take someone's money for online doctoral education and not tell the person that they have little likelihood of being employed as a professor.
This topic gets a lot of heat every time it comes up on the other boards. There are those who want online 'education for everyone' and those who have no use for it. But time and again we see people who don't want to move and yet want to be a professor with an online degree. Ain't gonna happen. Now if you want a PhD for your own edification and want to do it online, that's your choice. It may be a good one for a retiree who couldn't get into a residential program or doesn't want to move. For other folks, though, it is a waste of money.
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I just finished reading 'Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes' by President Hinckley. I loved his stories about times when he was less than virtuous. Sometimes he realized his mistakes on his own, but often it was his mother who had to reel him in. It cemented with me how important it is to have a loving and virtuous mother who is willing to give discipline when needed. It was also interesting to see that a regular young man can overcome his faults and wind up in such an exalted position in the Church.
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Vegetarian here. If you're looking for some quick and easy meals, try some already-made boxed stuff in the frozen food section. When I get home from a tiresome shift, I like to grab a couple veggie patties and throw them into wraps, tacos or pasta. My husband is a big meat eater and I don't expect him to quit eating meat but he's tried the veggie patties and really enjoys them. In fact, he doesn't really think about them as substitutes either. Yay! Anyway, I mention that for other people in the fam that aren't vegetarians or vegans. They may still like a good veggie patty!
ETA: You've probably already tried them but I just wanted to assure you that they're really tasty if you hadn't!
Although he still likes a McDonald's burger, my omni son prefers the veggie burgers. It's so easy to make some burgers and fixins or to put thawed and chopped up veggie burgers in stew. I think the burgers taste more meat-like than putting the soy crumbles in. For folks who have been veg*n a long time, many don't need to reproduce the taste of meat. For newbies and for feeding a family where some still eat meat, the analogs are the way to go.
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Well, my friends, I'm gonna take the big step on Jan 15. We had a big discussion tonight with the missionaries and their ward leader (?) about the process and we talked about the responsibilities of church membership. I got a copy of a rather intimidating sheet of on-going steps going forward. We also talked about me being a home teacher rather soon after baptism. More intimidation.
I would never have guessed that looking at a movie on Nauvoo 2 years ago, moving to a town where the main road near me is - wait for it people - 'Mormon Trek Blvd,' visiting Mormon Handcart Park, and reading about a religion that I knew nothing about would have me wind up as an investigator and soon, a convert!
As many of you know, I have questioned, read, studied, and questioned some more the whole way. I have prayed a bit, and am trying to make prayer more a part of my life. Along the way I have had so many signs that helped move me past the impediments I saw to joining the church. Every time I thought I was at an impasse, some new information would come my way - often from members of this board - and I was able to move forward.
I think I've posted enough on this board that people probably get that I'm not given to a lot of emotion around my investigation, but I have to say I am so happy and grateful that I have found this church. I know it is true. I am grateful for the people I have met in the church (even if they don't give me anymore homemade candy - which was amazing, btw). I am truly grateful for the chance I have to learn the Scriptures for the first time in my life. I am grateful for the people on this board who put up with this ignorant investigator. And I am grateful, so very grateful, for the missionaries who give up part of their youth to spread the gospel and tell people about the Book of Mormon. They are young, they can't always tell me what I want to know, but boy, do I love them and would not be here without them.
OK, that's enough. I'm gonna go wipe eyes and blow my nose.
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Be careful about online degrees. Credits at most of the for-profit schools won't transfer over to a brick & mortar program. So, if you don't finish your program and decide later to go elsewhere, you may have to start all over. Or if you want to get a grad degree, undergrad credits may not count.
Online education can be a benefit, but most people don't realize that the traditional academic world thinks very little of it - not because they're afraid of the competition, but because instructors in these programs are often told to pass everyone, not to give difficult assignments, etc. The instructors can be of the lowest quality.
As far as a PhD online, forget it if you ever plan to work in a traditional college/university. I don't know of a regular university that would even look twice at your resume. Now if you have a job and a PhD would just move you up in the ranks, you might, might, consider an online program, but I wouldn't.
If you decide on another degree program and have to do it online, choose one of the regular universities that offers online degrees. Your diploma will just say 'U of Maryland' for example, not 'U of Maryland online,' so no one will know you did your work online. The regular schools that offer online programs will also be cheaper than the proprietary schools.
Glad you changed your mind about law. I was a lawyer in a past life. The ABA has an iron grip on the law programs in this country and you won't even be allowed to sit for the bar with a non-ABA degree unless you are in California. There's so much money involved with tuition, you just don't want to do this the wrong way. And - the other poster was right about it being a bad scene for new law grads right now. Unless you go to a top 20 school, you are going to have mounds of debt and will be lucky to have a job. Don't do it!
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"I only teach the general rules. Whether an exception applies to you is your responsibility. You must work that out individually between you and the Lord." Elder Oaks
I love this! Maybe this kind of thinking is why I'm attracted to the LDS.
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eternalpromise516, your dress is literally 'simply beautiful.' I'm excited for you. I may go to Nauvoo soon with the group from the ward. I'll look around the visitor's center and the town. I cannot imagine ever being good enough for an endowment.
I have a question for everyone - why do people go with you when you get your endowment? Do they go through with you and it's a group event or do they wait for you to be done and it's more like a celebration afterward?
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Suzie - I have been mostly vegan for almost 3 yrs now (some packaged products have a bit of milk in them, I don't sweat it as long as there's no meat). There are some great sites - fatfreevegan.com, | Post Punk Kitchen | Vegan Baking & Vegan Cooking (language may be strong for some but posters take pics of the food they've made, which is nice), and VegWeb.com - Vegan Recipes and Cooking Tips. I know you asked for what people tried, but I think if you cruise around these sites, you will see recipies that look good to you, depending on your personal tastes.
I enjoy plain food like rice and beans with peppers. You can vary the kinds of beans. If you use black beans, some cumin and lime juice,etc and put that over rice or in a tortilla, and you have a nice Caribbean or Mexican meal. I have to watch the carbs, but when I make this for my son, I add taco or Spanish rice from the packaged mix. You don't have to kill your self trying to make new stuff; there's plenty of decent packaged food on the shelf. I also go all American with a packaged veggie burger, fries, Bush's vegetarian baked beans. I like to make a 'shake' with frozen strawberries and almond or soy milk.
I roast vegetables and have them on their own with a salad or some greens or with a fake chicken patty or soup. Oh yeah, soup, I make a ton of these, from veg soup in tomato/V8 juice to beans with spinach and spices. I do stir fries and curries; sometimes my son will have some chicken pieces with his food, but I have it just with the veggies or with 'chickin' strips. I make chili, sometimes with the soy 'hamburger' crumbles, but often not.
My son is an omni (eats everything), but eats vegan at home unless I've bought him a rotisserie chicken. He's stopped eating red meat except for a McDonald's burger and won't eat pork anymore. He still drinks milk, but will drink soy or almond milk if it's flavored.
I think if most people looked at what they ate, they'd find a lot of 'vegetarian meals' that they're eating already; just take out the meat. You probably already eat stir fry, just have the veggie stir fry. Make chili w/o meat, etc. I make stuff with tofu and I make my own vegan ribz with vital wheat gluten. I enjoy trying some of the new vegan products that come out, but you don't have to eat anything with which you aren't familiar. Like I said, just leave out the meat - macaroni and cheese with a bowl of tomato soup - not strange at all.
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Hmm... I got 100% LDS and I thought I answered some questions in a way that was more secular than I thought a 'born' LDS might answer.
I got 96% Orthodox and 86% Reform Jew, so in a way this is good. I've taken similar quizzes and received high scores as Reform Jew (which is what I am currently, the Catholicism was childhood and young adult). If I am moving closer to LDS (well at 100%, how close can you get?), that's a good sign. And even though I thought I gave secular humanist answers to some questions, getting a 96% Orthodox means to to me that I'm moving toward more conservative or more Bible-centered beliefs, which isn't a bad thing. I think I would have had different answers maybe 2 years ago.
2 hour meeting
in General Discussion
Posted
I wouldn't mind a shorter time if everything gets attended to. In our ward, we seem to get out of Sacrament Meeting and in our other seats in 5 minutes or less, so I think it can be done unless people spend all their time between sessions visiting instead of going where they're supposed to go.
As an investigator, I gotta say that the prospect of 3 hours was intimidating. Once I went through it, however, I was fine with it. I need Gospel Principles and I will need the regular lessons when I get to that point. I don't know if I *need* RS, but I certainly enjoy it. I think some sisters struggle with a long lesson and if our time was shortened there, it might be OK, but I wouldn't knock off much time.
That said, I would never want the Church to shorten the time to kowtow to investigators who have difficulties with the current arrangement. Considering what others have said about the previous meetings spread all over the week, that seems much more problematic (especially for working women) and intimidating to the investigator than a 1 block of time that can be planned for. No one's splitting the atom in their basement on Sunday mornings; they might as well come to church.