LESS STUFF MORE FUN

In December Adam heard about a guy who decided to not buy anything he deemed unnecessary for an entire year. No frivolous forms of entertainment, no new clothes, etc. We decided to try it. There was a car in our old neighborhood that had a bumper sticker that read "LESS STUFF MORE FUN". That has become our family motto. Kaia had to create a "family flag" for Joy School and we put that motto on there, along with our family scripture: "Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness" (2 Nephi 9:51). That last line, "let your soul delight in fatness", is a favorite of mine. Jack Johnson has a great song (Gone) where he says:

"Look at all those fancy clothes

But these can keep us warm, just like those

What about your soul?

Is it cold?

Is it straight from the mold and ready to be sold?

Cars and phones and diamond rings, bling bling

Those are only removable things

What about your mind, does it shine?

Are there things that concern you more than your time?"

Souls that delight in fatness don't get cold.  Minds and souls that shine don't waist their time on tv, movies, music, entertainment that dull them.  I'm teaching a Sunday School lesson tomorrow on the courage and faith of Joseph F. Smith.  The following story has made an impression on me:

Joseph F. and his company had stopped to camp one afternoon when a band “of drunken men rode into the camp … , cursing and swearing and threatening to kill any ‘Mormons’ that came within their path. … Some of the brethren when they heard them coming had cautiously gone into the brush down the creek, out of sight. Joseph F. was … gathering wood for the fire. [He walked up to the campfire to deposit his wood. One drunken ruffian with a pistol in his hand said] that it was his duty to [kill] every ‘Mormon’ he should meet. … In a loud, angry voice [he demanded from Joseph], ‘Are you a … Mormon?’ [Joseph ignored the gun aimed at him,] and looking the ruffian in the eye … boldly answered, ‘Yes siree; dyed in the wool, true blue, through and through.’

“This [surprised] the man; and … he grasped [Elder Smith’s] hand and said,

“ ‘Well, you are the … pleasantest man I ever met! Shake, young fellow, I am glad to see a man that stands up for his convictions’ ” (Smith, Life of Joseph F. Smith, p. 189). The man seemed to be the leader of the group, for when he rode off the rest followed him. President Smith said he fully expected to be shot when he admitted being a Mormon, but he did it anyway.

I plan on telling the teenagers in my class that although they do not face mobs today, they face something equally dangerous.  They are battling against devils who seek to destroy their souls by dulling them, thinning them, and robbing them of intelligence through all sorts of entertainment and popular notions that hinder them from forming convictions.

This morning my Grandma's cat was meowing outside our bedroom window at 5 a.m.  I loaded Ruby into a baby sling (she was wide awake also) and headed out to visit Vinny.  We are taking care of him while Gram and Pop are in California (Gram had back surgery on Thursday and we are all praying fervently that it is successful).  I figured I might as well let Adam sleep peacefully until his alarm went off at 6:25 (he had a long bike ride to fit in before our busy Saturday of attending two wedding receptions) so I settled in at Gram and Pop's house.  I started reading scriptures, D&C 93 to be exact.  The Lord says, "I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth" (v. 41).  In verse 36 we learn "The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth".  I pondered that for a while. We are commanded to raise our children in light and truth which is intelligence which is the glory of God.  Now I just need to figure out how to nurture children with fat souls and shinning minds and convictions that are "true blue, through and through".

p.s. Check out Common Sense Media for great movie reviews and advice for parents.

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