Inherently good

In this African tribe, when someone does something harmful, they take the person to the center of the village where the whole tribe comes and surrounds them. For two days, they will say to the man all the good things that he has done.The tribe believes that each human being comes into the world as a good. Each one of us only desiring safety, love, peace and happiness. But sometimes, in the pursuit of these things, people make mistakes.The community sees those mistakes as a cry for help.They unite then to lift him, to reconnect him with his true nature, to remind him who he really is, until he fully remembers the truth of which he had been temporarily disconnected: “I am good.” Shikoba Nabajyotisaikia! NABAJYOTISAIKIA, is a compliment used in South Africa and means: “I respect you, I cherish you. You matter to me.” In response, people say SHIKOBA, which is: “So, I exist for you.”

This beautiful story has been going around facebook.  I'm not sure if it's true or not, that's not up for debate here.  It has truth in it.  We are all inherently good.  God created us and He doesn't make mistakes.  We are, by divine creation, good.  Sometimes we forget that we are good and it shows in our actions.  I took the practice above and I tried it out.  When my kids misbehave, not just once or twice, but when they have a day when they are acting up a lot or really struggling I take them aside and I sit down with them.  I look them in the eyes and I remind them how good they are.  "God made you, you are good. Sometimes you forget.  I think you have forgotten that you are good, let me remind you."  Then I pull them onto my lap and I hold them and hug them and tell them what I love about them and tell them stories of things they have done that are good.

To my amazement it worked!  It didn't work for run of the mill misbehaving.  That still needed disciplinary action, but when they started getting into trouble a lot, a reminder of their goodness turned it all around. I remember as a child when I got into trouble it was hard to separate  I did something bad and I am bad.  I think all kids, and adults to a lesser degree are like that.  We all need a reminder every now and then of how good we are.

You are good.  God created you and you are, by divine creation good and God loves you!

Thanksgiving

 This is our first big holiday away from our family.  I thought it would be lonely all by ourselves for Thanksgiving.  We did really miss our family and all of the fun that is cousin time and family time, but this was a great Thanksgiving anyway.   We ate at noon so the girls could still have their nap on time and so I spent the morning cooking and preparing everything while John played with the kids.  At the end we all worked as a team to put our feast together.  Other then the kids getting a little grumpy right before everything went beautifully.  After we ate and cleaned up the girls lay down for nap and we spent the next few hours wrestling and playing computer games and card games.  We ate pie while we played card games and someone coined the phrase "Because it's Thanksgiving" and for the next few hours that was the reason for everything we did.  :)  When it got dark we drove around to look at the local John Deer light display, it's really cool and has a lot of fun things like the abominable snow man putting the star up, you know the one from the old Christmas movie.  There is also a Snoppy, Noah's ark, and hockey players on the pod. Overall we all really had a great time relaxing and enjoying each others Company.  It was nice to just do whatever we wanted.

We have so much to be grateful for this year and as we ate we all took turns talking about what we are grateful for.  We did the same when John introduced the Thanksgiving pancake tradition.

Musings from the dentist's chair

 Yesterday I was at the dentist for 6 1/2 hours, no, that wasn't a typo, 6 1/2 hours!  I had a lot of time with my thoughts. Can you guess what I was thinking?  I was thinking about my kids, more specifically, the day they were born.
There is no experience quite like going into labor.  I was thinking as I lay there that there is nothing to compare to the excruciating pain of giving birth and then the immediate joy of holding that sweet baby in your arms.  The joy is so great, so wonderful that I immediately forgot about the months of misery and the hours of pain it took to get that sweet baby here.  Right after the thought that nothing can compare a scripture came to my mind.  The Lord was going to teach me.
Alma 36:21 is the scripture that came to my mind.  Alma the younger is telling his son about how he had rebelled and led people away from the church.  He told him about seeing an angel and the torment and fear he felt when he thought he was going to meet his maker.  Then he remembered what his father had taught his about repentance and he prayed for forgiveness.  Then in verse 21 he tells his son, "Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."  How sweet is the joy of repentance.  I am grateful for the knowledge I have that I can repent of my sins and be forgiven.

Now for a test, ready?  Can you figure out who is who in these baby pictures?