Irishcolleen

I carry an umbrella here in the US because sunlight makes my lupus flare. I feel very odd doing so, but it is better than staying indoors. We have just renamed the umbrella (Dorkella).

Well said! You are so very right!

What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart (matt. 15:18). So even saying things like "Gosh" are sinful if they are used as euphemism for taking the Lord's name in vain.

I hope you are using a colorant that is more gentle than bleach! Bleach is very hard on your hair.

At out Baptist youth group we have an anonymous "ask the pastor" box. If a kid has a question regarding anything, sex, doctrine, family relationships, whatever... they can ask without feeling self-conscious. The Pastor takes a few minutes at the beginning of the meeting to address the concerns or questions.

I think about 2/3s our congregation has a concealed carry permit. After the shooting in Charleston, SC, our pastor said it was unlikely it would happen to us, but if it did, we were to duck behind the pews and that there would be return fire. We have several cops and church and many gun enthusiasts. It is the south, after all. I think our church would be pretty safe. All the NRA bumper stickers on church members' cars are a pretty good deterrent.

This was extremely rude of the bride. People have emergencies. If you spend so much on your wedding that you feel the need to bill no-show guests you are spending too much on the wedding.

Went to 5th & 10th, skipped 25th and will probably skip the rest. The reunions seem to be centered around "pub crawls", etc... People who live in Utah don't know how blessed they are to live in an area where non-drinking lifestyles are the norm.

Our pastor's son asked for prayers for his mother during prayer meeting. Sounds nice and sweet, except he asked people to pray that she would find her patience because she lost it and couldn't find it anywhere.

Why not give yourself a deadline to make certain decisions? But, word the decision so that inaction will be a decision by default. For example: 1. You need to decide between making "product a" and "product b". 2. Give yourself one month to decide between the two products. 3. If you haven't made a decision by the end of the month you will go with "product a". Having a default action might help. If "product a" is not the right decision you will choose "product b" before the deadline. If you don't decide, a default action is already in place. You might have someone else tell you what the default will be and follow up to make sure you are taking some sort of action. The other thing, have you considered hiring an executive coach or life-planning coach?

A younger mom at church was frustrated on Sunday because her toddler was "participating" in church services by yelling "Amen!" frequently during the sermon. This is the south, so "amens" during a Baptist sermon are frequent and loud, but this kid had everyone cracking up. It got me thinking about what it was like when my kids were little. I thought we could all share stories of our kid's funny (but naughty) church behavior. When my youngest was little (under 3) she had the habit of waiting until I was engrossed in the sermon and would crawl under the pews until she was several rows back. Then people (loving, patient people) would just pass her back up to me. I was glad when my parents started to com to church. We needed the reinforcements to get through a church service with minimal disruptions. When we were little, if we were disruptive, my dad would take us out and spank us. During one particularly long sermon, my little brother begged my dad to take him out and spank him. OK, your turn. What amusing things have your little ones done?

Jane Doe, even though I am not LDS, I know that at times all our spiritual needs can't be met by church speakers- of any denomination. God want's us to have a close relationship with Him and to spend time with Him. When I have felt "unfed" spiritually I have stepped up my Bible study and prayer time. It really helps! Especially if I spend time in my favorite books, John and Mark.

Political correctness is in the news a lot in these parts. Living in Virginia, people have strong feelings around the Confederate flag (or as I have been corrected, the battle flag of northern Virginia). Many people here fly it as a matter of "southern pride". and the argument that the Civil War (or as it is called here- the War of Northern Aggression) wasn't entirely about slavery. I know many people, including my in-laws, who fly the battle flag and a few that fly the confederate flag. They are not racist and I firmly believe they have a first amendment right to fly it. However, we would never fly it out of respect for my African-American neighbors who see it as a painful reminder of what happened to their ancestors. If we flew it it might make them feel bitter and make it difficult for them to forgive. In short, it might become a spiritual stumbling block. Love seeks other's well being first. So we will not exercise the right my family has as descendants of Confederate soldiers, to fly the flag that may offend others. But, I do think political correctness can be taken too far. Especially when we are told to be "sensitive" and "tolerant" of sin. These are things I have to think of being married into a family that has lived in Virginia since the 1600s.

I guess that would depend on whether animals have souls are not. I have not come to a conclusion on that. It could go either way based on my studies of the Bible. There is no call to convert animals, so one can't assume they are accountable for sin... I think that if animals have souls, then the would be taken care of in heaven. If not, well, they would just be bacon.

I think they should be taught very young- like 3. But, they also need to be taught not to call unless there is no adult who can call. Medical emergencies or accidents can happen at anytime. What if mom is home alone with a preschooler and she has an aneurysm break or falls down the stairs and gets seriously injured? It may seem far-fetched, but I know people this has happened to.

Well, once you start kissing (romantically, not platonic) it is hard to stop kissing. And when you are kissing a lot it is difficult to keep your mind and hands where they should be. If kissing tempts you to go further, you need to stop kissing. (unless you are married)

I think it did well in general audiences because most people have a desire to be heard and cared for. The movie offered hope.

Ouch!!!! I will be praying for you!

I always look at sales flyers before grocery shopping and plan a menu around the good sales- especially for meat. (Has anyone else noticed how expensive beef is lately?) I always make a menu and make a shopping list and stick to it.

It is not just an LDS thing. It is a Baptist thing, too. I think people assume you need to be more gentle with mothers and assume that men are hard-headed.

Ironhold, I hear ya! Movies have gotten so expensive that they are a rare treat. If we go we have to go to a matinee, and that is still expensive. We are blessed that the theaters in VA play a lot of the faith-based films that come out.

Wondering what y'all thought of it? Hubby and I just saw it tonight. It has made me desire an even richer prayer life. I think all the Kendrick bros. Movies are good faith and family promoting movies. What do most LDS seem to think of them?

Just explain that you don't date until you are 16. He will respect that if he's a gentleman and date worthy. If he really likes you he will ask you out again at 16. You have many years of dating ahead of you and some of the "big" events like homecoming and prom can be vastly overrated.

I don't think the issue is that he is an atheist. He sounds controlling. If he even tells you how much face soap you can use he is extremely controlling and I think it is a sign that he has the potential to be abusive. I would hold off on having a baby. If he threatens you in anyway seek hep from a domestic violence center.

Thank you for your thoughtful answers. I have been trying to understand the spiritual struggles people have. This fall, while my mother and I were visiting my aunt we came across a Mass card for my grandmother (my mom was raised Catholic). The wording was so sad, like their was so much uncertainty of heaven. It got me wondering how people of other denominations emotionally/spiritually deal with thoughts of the afterlife. I am, of course, of the once saved always saved belief. This is not a "cheap grace" as my salvation was very costly. Being free from worry about where I will spend eternity helps me adore God more than I ever did in the past. It frees me to become more like Christ because of my adoration of Him. I was wondering if uncertainty over eternity makes a person work (be good, serve, etc...) out of fear of "not making it" instead of working out of love. It seems there are a lot of different responses. I do thank you for the insight you have given me. I enjoy discussions where I can learn about others without the arguments that other web forums have.