Truth Among Bibical Deception

            I have the hardest time teaching the old testament to children - the story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac or all the lies and deceit that took place and seem contradictory to the message I am supposed to convey.  Yesterday's lesson was on Jacob and the 12 tribes.  The last time our class met, the lesson was on Jacob and Esau.  We related the account of how Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage.  Rebecca dressed Jacob in goat skin in order to trick Isaac into giving him the blessing that was supposedly given in Esau's name

            It's been suggested that both parents played along as it had been revealed when Rebecca was pregnant with the two that each twin would bear nations but that the elder would serve the younger.  Perhaps Rebecca and Isaac had put on the charade for Esau's sake.  It's still deception.  Yesterday's lesson was on Jacob returning to Haran to take a wife because no maiden in Canaan was worthy of the Abrahamic line - and yet the family continued to return to Canaan.  I don't get it.

            Jacob labors seven years for Rachael but is tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachael.  In my mind, Laban's deception toward Jacob doesn't seem any different than Jacob's toward Esau or Isaac.  It was still a part of the plan, right, that Jacob marry multiple wives and have many children?  The scriptures will have us believe that it was Leah who was the most fertile as she had more children than the other three put together.  But does Dinah even count?  There is no evidence of our having a tribe through her.

            In addition to lots of prayer, I used this summary and this video to assist my understanding, though I knew I'd be limited in what I could share with the children.  My absolute favorite quote in this movie is when Jacob finds Leah in his bed instead of Rachael and she says, "Have you never wanted something so badly that you were willing to deceive even those you love in order to get it?"  Duh, Jacob.  

            I know it's just speculation, much interpretaion is - how can one really look at the Bible (either old or new testament) and think it complete?  Perhaps the details aren't important, but it would certainly help me to have more of them.  In the TNT production, it shows that Laban and his family use deception for gain - not so much because it is tradition to marry off the eldest girl first, but because "Whatever Jacob touches, flourishes".  Laban did not wish to lose that and thus continued to lie to Jacob until finally Jacob and the others snuck away when Laban and his servants were unable to see.

            And what makes one a servant anyway?  A population is just born into being?  I don't relate to their customs at all.  With Laban's daughter's getting married, he gives each a gift - a handmaiden.  My gift to you is a person?  This person is going to come in handy when you learn that you won't be able to bear children after your own sister has had four and three more after that?

            My lesson that it is wrong to lie or to break a promise.  I wholeheartedly agree.  It is wrong!  It was wrong for Laban to do it and I think it was equally just as wrong for Rebecca to do it.  But it's just.  It was part of the plan.  But why is it just for her and Jacob and not Laban since Laban's deception also fulfilled a necessary part of the plan - not that I condone plural marriage either nor do I understand why Jacob was able to father with others if he wants us to believe that he was so devoted to Rachael?

            Of course I hadn't planned on mentioning any more than the lineage.  I printed two for the class to look at and ended up talking more about personal genealogy rather than Abraham and Jacob's.  Thomas and Carli listen better when their hands are busy and so I don't always know they are listening, but was actually impressed at how much each of them retained and contributed.  

            Three more lessons about Joseph and Moses after that. I am so grateful to live in a time with easy access to the scriptures and words of the prophets and paved roads and many methods of transportation and choices of footwear, written communication and photographs.  Those old testament people always seem so lost and often out of touch - and incomplete.

Scamming the Scammer

            Funny how since giving the lesson on "Divine Design" to the RS sisters almost a month ago, that I have been noticing more parallels and "divine design" examples in so many lives that I hear about.  Last week Jenna and I watched this story on Sunday Morning - a program that Roland has on almost every Sunday I have known him.  

            He was in the kitchen making breakfast for Jenna and me when the Steven Hartman shared his piece about an unlikely friendship between Ben Taylor from Ogden, Utah and Joel Willie from Liberia.  Joel was in need of money and has been using facebook to connect with strangers to invest in a business.  Ben Taylor accepted his friendship that he might keep Joel so busy that he wouldn't have time to scam anyone else.  Joel's interest was in an electronics outfit located in New Jersey, but Ben had googled the address and the location seemed suspicious as it appeared to be a dumpground for trashed or stolen cars.  He had even called the police to investigate.

            Ben changed directions to "scam the scammer" and said he was interested in purchasing photography and that perhaps Joel could send him some pictures of a Liberian sunset - I am uncertain at how the photographs were received.  They weren't great photos and no indication that the sun was setting.  Ben told Joel that they were great but needed something different and finally blamed the camera for an imperfect quality and purchased a small red digital camera for $60. and sent it to Joel.  

 Joel sent him photos of people and places in Liberia and Ben created a book and put it on the market.  The book raised $1,000 - which in Liberia is an unbelievable huge amount.  

            Ben told Joel he was sending 500 dollars for him to keep and would send another 500 if he would give it all to charity - which Joel would have probably done anyway.  He purchased school supplies and paid for transportation to distribute to five schools and sent Ben more photos of his actions.  Shocked with all that had taken place, Ben flew to Africa to meet Joel. 

CBS photo

 Was it coincidence or by divine design?      

            For more accurate story and interview with Steven Hartman, see here 

CBS

.

           

I Don't Trust Microsoft

            It might not even be Microsoft or Windows but rather a scam - which indicates that it needs to be corrected.  Constant interruptions whenever I use the web - I used to get a warning page with white captions in red background and even voice advising to call Microsoft IMMEDIATELY!  

Roland says he gets that too, but ignores and proceeds.  His computer is for work.  I guess if he can do it, I can do it.  The other day I was researching for an assignment.  I got the message that I had been locked out of my computer and my screen went white.  In the corner was a number to call.  I reported it to Roland who said he would look at it but was taking too long for me and so I called the number to give them hell.

            I got a recording.  Could I please take a short survey while I wait.  I guess.  I don't even remember what the first question was but I answered yes.  The second had to do with medical benefits and would I like to know more.  I pressed No.  Congratulations.  "You now qualify for a cruise for you and your family.  All expenses will be paid except for 65 dollars for each person who will be going.  Press 1 to learn more."  I did not press anything.  Going on a cruise for 65 dollars sounds awesome.  Going on a cruise for 65 dollars sounds too good to be true. Going on a cruise for 65 dollars sounds like a scam.  The message repeated.  I hung up. 

            Inadvertently I hit a key that brought up more options.  I wasn't locked out of my computer!  All I had to do was choose the second option and close down the screen that had popped up - giving me the illusion that my entire screen had gone white.  I was both relieved and upset.  I am so tired of deception.

  

Of Course It Was Expected!

                The weather seemed to be the perfect temperature during Bill and Kayla's visit - except for the last day which was cold.  We had a few perfect days since until Tuesday and Wednesday.  Unbelievable Heat Wave.  Roseburg broke a record of 90 degrees on the 25th of April.  How dare it be warmer in Oregon than in Salt Lake!

            We had watched the news to learn of how much longer.  We were told that yesterday would be hot but not as bad as the last two days.  The next week predicted a drastic drop in temperature and rain.  Of course, we'll get rain.  We can make that happen just by putting up our A/C.  At first, Roland was just going to do our bedroom, and wait to install the A/C in the main room.  After watching the news, I thought he might in the bedroom, but he ended up doing both. After he had placed each one in the window, he turned them on to a nice cool temperature.  As it turned out, we didn't even need them on - well, at least not the one in the bedroom. 

            I don't know what the temperature was outside, but I'm certain that the cool winds made it feel below 70.  In the morning it was 66 - three degrees lower than Salt Lake - that has been a first for a while.  But Las Vegas has always had blazing temperatures.  How miserable for Corey to be there.

            I shut off the bedroom air and put up the windows because it was less costly, not blowing on me directly, and not as noisy.  When we retired to bed, we could hear thunder - a noise I have not been greatly familiar with since we moved to Oregon.  I did not hear any rain, however.  There is rain now, just a light one barely tapping at the skylight.  It may have been lightly tapping all night.  I didn't notice as I was asleep - except at one thirty when I retrieved some blankets I had folded up earlier and thought I would need them again.

            I got up and closed one of the windows and added another cover to the bed as I figured Roland was cold.  This morning he thanked me for the blanket and asked if I had gotten cold.  No.  I was comfortable.  I left one window open.  Neither had been open wide.  Each was just an inch or so.  That was enough.  Now they are both open.  Still not that wide.  I am comfortable with whatever temperature it is now.   

More Than Names To Second Cousins

            There is a family history fair coming up in May.  Someone had made reference to the importance of it during our conference meeting.  Yes.  It is important.  Good hygeine is important - yearly checkups with the doctor and semi-annually for the dentist.  That doesn't mean we love doing it.
           I have been rereading the autobiography of my former neighbor's mother.  She was 81 when her words were published and lived another 25 years.  She is the oldest living person that I have personally known. It has been interesting reading about the history she has lived. She enjoyed family history. 

            I prefer the picture taking and journal entrees over research and accumulated documents that may or may not be a distant relation. Currently, I have at least three second cousins who enjoy doing genealogy - or at least I assume they do.  More power to them. 

            My dad has only one paternal cousin who married and had four children.  Three are quite older me. It is the youngest of those three who has taken over her mother and father's love for genealogy.  She introduced me to another distant cousin who I am facebook friends with, but have never met.

            My paternal grandmother had three brothers, two of whom died in their youth.  The eldest of her brothers has six children.  The eldest of those six is also deceased.  She had four children - three girls and a boy.  I know the names of her three daughters and her son who is doing family history.  I think he was quite young when his mom passed and may feel the need for connection.  Thus he has been doing my dad's maternal side of the family.

            The last cousin has been doing the family history of my mom's maternal side.  She is the grand-daughter of my great uncle who passed away when we were both living in Kearns.  She seems to thrive on family history, but I do not.  I see evidence of somebody doing my mom's paternal side - though I don't know who or where we fit on the family tree in relation to one another. 

            I was thinking that my maternal grandfather was the youngest of seven children, but I see only five are listed.  He was only a week old when his biological mother died.  His dad remarried and they had three more children - I'm guessing it is someone from the line of the youngest (or maybe one of his sisters) who has been doing the research. 

            There is a bit of information given about my grandfather's biological mother's side, but not much.  I was told that my grandfather was the black sheep of his family.  I did not know him, nor do I believe that my mom knew her father the way that she knew her mother  - though she had mentioned visiting his family when she was young.  I think she liked his family better than she liked her own dad.

            Corey enjoys making connections with the living as he has run across photos and will have questions and has done "detective work" to make contact with someone else who might remember.  For example, my mother had a stepsister.  I don't think she lived with my mom's family but had probably gone for visitations. I think she was only 13 or 14 when my folks were married.  Corey had once asked whatever became of her, but as I barely even knew what her name was, I didn't know.  Corey said he found her son or other relation that told that she had passed away. 

            Family history can be interesting as with the names I mention in this post.  Family history can also be time-consuming.  I'd rather preserve the memories of this present to pass down to the future.  But perhaps my posterity will feel the same way about family history as I.  Perhaps I will have at least one posterity who may have a passion as a few of my second cousins.            
 

           A family history full of common names presents more challenge.  I am grateful for the unique names that exist in my family history.

           

Changing Boundaries

            When there are not enough active members attending church, wards may combine as others are done away with.  When there is growth in the church, new wards and stakes are created. I have lived in such areas that affected ward boundaries.

            I am too young to remember when my mom and neighbors were a part of the third ward.  I had always known us as the forth.  Just after or right before I had graduated high school, it was announced that our ward boundaries would be changing as our stake would include members on the west side of state street.  One and a half streets were made a part of the seventh ward.  I remember there wasn't much support in the "sustaining vote" - nevertheless, it was carried out.  

            It wasn't too many years later when I was out on my mission, mom wrote to tell me that another stake would be created and we would have our one and a half streets of members back in our ward.  I remember, sometime after returning home from my mission,  a brother giving a talk in sacrament meeting about a short-lived calling that he had accepted in the 7th ward.  He had been called as a counselor in the bishopric and served for one week before it was dissolved.  I remember him saying he had never been part of a ward that had been dissolved,  let alone had accepted and served such a short calling.  

            Even though the 7th ward had been "dissolved" - it was due to the growth of a new stake. It seemed to be an opposite problem when I lived in Kearns.

            We had a bishop who had compared our ward boundaries to a giant apartment building in which move-ins and moving out happened so constantly that it was sometimes difficult to keep track - especially as the church would continue mailing back church records as it was always the "last known address"  We would even get records of members with addresses that were not even a part of the ward boundaries.  

            The stake lost two wards during the time that we lived there.  I remember one member complaining that she had lived in eight different wards during her marriage and lived at the same address through all eight changes.  Thus when the stake announced that the boundaries would change again, I was prepared to live in another ward.  The change put my next-door neighbor in a different ward than I; she was not happy about the change after having lived in the same ward for over 30 years.

            Before we moved to Douglas County, Canyonville and Myrtle Creek had been two separate wards.  I don't know when the boundaries changed, but the wards were combined and the church building in Canyonville was sold. It takes 45 min to an hour for some of our ward members to get to the building in Myrtle Creek.

            When we moved to Douglas County there were six wards: Winston, South Umpqua, Sutherlin, Roseburg, Melrose and Newton Creek.  The last three all Roseburg wards but none go by those names anymore, but rather names of the dividing streets: Garden Valley, Harvard, North Umpqua, and Parkway.  Growth:  our stake now has seven wards.  South Umpqua, North Umpqua, and Sutherlin are the largest wards geographically. Each ward is geographically larger than the other four wards put together. May we continue to grow.

I Don't Think it Should Feel Like Outer Darkness

Half an hour early is

still not early, not 
enough time to get a 
seaton the pew.

One hour early would

not be enough time.

You'd have to get there at

6:00 before the doors open.

You and whatever other

vultures are waiting in the

parking lot.

If you come any time after

8:00, you have to sit on the

hard folding chairs that are

smashed so near one another

that you will feel like a sardine.

It is possible for me to sit in

certain chairs for two hours,

but not those hard folding chairs

made for thin people.

Give me a recliner, or at least something

big and soft.

During morning conference, I was

standing by the wall just as much as

I was sitting down.  The second time

I got up, Roland got up also

but then he disappeared.

Jenna asked where he had gone.  I

didn't know and so went to

look for him.  I found him out

in the foyer, sitting in a comfortable

red chair.  I knew he

wasn't feeling great and asked if

he wanted to leave.

He said all of the talks

sounded the same.  I don't

think all of them did.  But I

haven't felt the misery he

is feeling since we lived in

Salt Lake.

Probably when I was that

miserable, I thought all the

talks sounded alike and would

much rather be in bed than on

a hard folding chair looking

at a screen because

we are too far away to see

the actual speaker.

We might as well be

on the stage, furthest from the 
speakers.  That is where

Jenna wanted to sit.  Not me.

We sat on the stage last year and

it was dark.  When I stood up, I

thought I would trip as I tried to

adjust myself around the seats.  I

wonder if we could be allowed to

sit on the seats behind the podium.
(There are two stages I guess; one
in the chapel - though we don't really
call it a stage; the stage is in the 
cultral hall opposite of where the
speaker stands. I would be willing 
to speak if that

could be the only way for me
to get a more comfortable seat. 

When I am watching

General Conference on

the screen at home, I get more out of

it than if I am at the conference center and

the speaker is the size of

a dot.  For the most part there are

fewer distractions at home and so

I can concentrate better on
the speakers' messages.  
 Not always.

Puffer Fish Nests and Minus in Ministry

           Evidently, there was an agenda created for the stake conference that had to be changed after the general conference announcements.  originally there had been a meeting created for the priesthood which had been changed to all auxiliary leaders.  Roland was required to attend that one, but I was not.  I said I had wished to go to the adult meeting as I generally get more from it than from the Sunday morning meeting.  We both did.  My favorite talk was the first one given after the introduction and new agenda - all on the same topic - which was ministry.

            The first speaker was given permission to show a visual similar to this:

 

             Though displayed on the overhead screen, I did not notice the fish that she tried to point out.  I can barely see it in the above photo.   She gave a brief history of their discovery and why they exist.  It is the nest of a puffer fish.  The male works long in creating what may attract the female to come lay eggs.  She has a view of his creation, but he does not see the beauty because he does not have the same perception.  He doesn't see what he is building.

            Many of us who minister may spend so much time serving or "building" that we do not always see the results of that which we are doing.  She had done some in-depth research and learned that the root word of "ministry" "minis" in Midevil Latin means "minus" or less; to lose oneself in ministry making our problems less or "minus" from ourselves to add to another.  It was a really great talk.  I wish that I had taken better notes or that I could have posted while fresh in my mind.

            Roland is still not feeling well.  It is no longer physical, but emotional as well.  It didn't feel right to abandon him after our return home, but to stay with him and keep him company;  I didn't take great notes all during conference and I no longer seem to retain things as well as I use to.  Perhaps I will be able to make more sense of my notes and add more posts on the subject.  But this will have to do for now.

Fresh Cut Hair

          I LOVE the feel of my hair right after it's been cut - the fact that I can run my fingers through it and shampoo it only once and have my scalp clean.  My hair doesn't grow long so much as it grows thick. I know there are many women who would love the problem of too much hair.  Though it does have its perks, it does take longer to find the scalp through thick hair.  It will also whip in the wind and either get in my mouth when I'm trying to eat or else it seems to tangle a lot more easily. I don't know how it's possible, but my hair seems to grow faster in Oregon than it did in Salt Lake.  Even my hairdresser was surprised as the pile hanging from my head as it hasn't been that long since she cut it before.

          I miss my hairdresser in Murray - one I had been going to for at least 30 years.  I believe she knows my hair better than I do.  The hairdresser I have now does a good job.  When I add color to my hair, I will only need one bottle and I will be able to douse it all.  With quite thick hair, it is really easy to miss many strands - especially those that are behind me.  Perhaps I ought to ask Jenna to assist me with it.  She is not a girly girl, however.  I don't know if she'll do a great job as she really doesn't care about appearance - hers or anybody else.

          Roland has been to two stake conference meetings and I have been to one.  The final takes place this morning.  Lots of changes taking place in the church right now.  Much to absorb.  I hope I have a much inspiring post to create tomorrow.