New Box of Crayons!

"We just got NEW CRAYONS!" exclaimed 4 year old Lily. I was babysitting her and brought along foam stickers and paper. We were going to make pictures. She proudly brought out her new crayons. They had already abandoned the box and were in a bucket.

The excitement in her voice brought back memories of the thrill of a NEW BOX of crayons - that unique smell and the vibrant colors! I remember the orderly procession of nice, new pointed crayons - a box full of possibilities. I don't recall that new boxes of crayons appeared at Oak Street very often - it was a BIG DEAL when they did.

I seem to recall the first time we got a 64 color box - with a built in sharpener. That box wasn't introduced until 1958. Now there are boxes of 120 colors. You can also buy "multicultural" crayons - "assortment of realistic skin tones." A new box of crayons always seemed to be a nice gift - for our children and later our grandchildren. I always hoped they would share the excitement I remembered from my childhood. 

According to this history, the word crayola includes the word "oleaginous," a word my father liked (read about that here). From Crayola's website: "The Crayola name, coined by Edwin Binney’s wife Alice, comes from “craie,” the French word for chalk, and “ola,” from “oleaginous.” Read more about the history of crayons at the Crayola website. 

When I was looking for images, I had fun reading other people's memories of crayons. Check out this. Here you'll find more history and a list of colors, including the fact that Prussian Blue was changed to Midnight Blue at the request of teachers. Flesh was changed to Peach in 1962 in response to the U.S. Civil Rights movement.

Check out the Sesame Street video about making crayons.

Here is Mr. Rogers' explanation of crayon making. 

Can you see a difference in approach to presenting the information?

(2/13 This video is no longer available)

A NEW BOX of crayons - what a neat childhood experience!

image top

image bottom

Sesame Street video

Mr. Rogers video

Prayer - Sacred Privilege

“Communication with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It is based upon eternal, unchanging principles. We receive help from our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.”

Richard G. Scott 

Do We Have Room?

Do You Have Room? by Shawna Edwards

Shawna Edwards wrote this song for her family 

after being inspired by Thomas S. Monson when he said: 

"In these busy days there are many who have time for golf, time for shopping, time for work, time for play—but no time for Christ. Lovely homes dot the land and provide rooms for eating, rooms for sleeping, playrooms, sewing rooms, television rooms, but no room for Christ. No room. Ever has it been."

*************

Read more about the origin of the song here

image

Neal A. Maxwell innkeeper quote

Surviving in Enemy Territory

HOW TO SURVIVE IN ENEMY TERRITORY

What is “enemy territory”? It could be any extremely uncomfortable tense – even fearful situation that we are in – it could be facing choices we have to make – it could be at home or at work – in could be in the churnings of our own mind  – as we travel through our life on this earth.

The following thoughts are abstracted from an address given by Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titled: “Commemorating 100 Years of Seminary” at the Conference Center, SLC 1/22/12.  Seminary is religious study for an hour every school day – usually before school – available to all youth 14 through 18 year old. 

While President Packer’s comments were directed toward seminary teachers and students, they really apply to all of us.

Wisdom Will Help You Combat the Enemy

“You are growing up in enemy territory. …The adversary has infiltrated the world around you. He is in homes, entertainment, the media, and language - everything around you. In most cases his presence is undetected” Throughout the scriptures it says to get wisdom – it is a defense against the enemy. Take the initiative to get wisdom.

Strengthen Yourselves With the Words of Christ

 “Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2Nephi 32: 2-3)

The Gift of the Holy Ghost Will Protect You

“You have been taught all your lives about the Gift of the Holy Ghost, but teaching can only go so far. You can and, in fact, you must go the rest of the way alone to discover within yourself how the Holy Ghost can be a guiding and protective influence. …  Once you have made this discovery for yourself, you can live in enemy territory and not be deceived or destroyed . … That means each of you will never make a serious mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Holy Ghost.”   It’s what you do – the action or inaction you take after the prompting that shapes the outcome!

How you live your life determines whether the line of communication remains open and uncluttered. The Holy Ghost does not hang around if the environment is not conducive to spiritual communication. “You must learn to seek the power and direction that is available to you, and then follow that course no matter what.”

Prayer is an Important Line of Communication

“First on your “to do” list, put prayer. …  Your prayers are always heard. You are never alone!”

Keep Your Spiritual Receptors Strong

Don’t do things that corrupt – unclean living corrupts our ability to receive direction from God – unclean living goes beyond “morality” and what He has asked us not to do. Keep your “spiritual receptors” strong and uncluttered by doing what God has asked us to do - such as following the commandments and reaching out to serve and lift up others - choose the right and do it and stick with it no matter what.

Use Your Agency to Keep or Regain Safe Ground

The first gift that Adam and Eve received was agency. “Thou mayest choose (right from wrong) for thyself, for it is given unto thee.” Agency goes beyond the choosing right from wrong, but also includes make good decisions in tough situations as well as  making decisions between  “goods” in a given situation.

Prophetic Counsel Teaches What Is True

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, abut he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7)

Lasting Peace Comes by Repenting Often

Repenting means learning from our mistakes and taking corrective action – This means changing our thoughts and behavior to be in line with God.

Go Forward with Hope and Faith

“Do not fear the future. Do not fear what is ahead. Go forward with hope and faith … you will be blessed.”

************

Each one of us has had the necessary navigational tools made available to us. The choice and initiative to take possession of them and then use them is up to each one of us individually –  We can travel successfully in enemy territory.

As Julia’s Dad, Bill Holton, frequently said, “Onward and upward!” I add “Keep calm and carry on.”

 Joe Todd 

November 2012

More here and here 

Book - Sarah's Key

Page-turner & Can't-put-it-down Alert!!!

Sarah's Key

by Tatiana de Rosnay 

"Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel' d'Hiv's 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life."  goodreads.com

*************************

Based on a little-known part of the Holocaust, this story shows how we can look past and ignore atrocities done to others. What would I have done if I’d seen Sarah and her family rounded up? 

I was interested in the wide variety of reviews of this book. Some readers loved it; others thought it was poorly written; some liked Sarah’s story but not Julia’s. 

How is it that some books can pull you in so quickly that you know within a few pages that reading this is going to take precedence over other things on the todo list?  Why was it a page-turner for me and not for others?

I was riveted to the story. Maybe I liked it because Julia was interested in finding out about a person and a place - family history connected to a well known historical period that wasn’t all that long ago. 

Julia wanted Sarah and her family to know that someone cared enough to remember them and what happened. That's what drives me with family history. I want our ancestors to know I care enough to learn who they are and something about them - so they will be known and remembered by their posterity. 

Gifts

A CHRISTMAS THOUGHT – 2012

Christmas is not about parties, trees, and the exchange of gifts. While all those things are fine and fun if we are not overwhelmed by the preparation, they are not what Christmas is really about. 

It is about the gifts Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ give us. Heavenly Father created us and gave us the gift to choose between right and wrong and an opportunity to come to earth and learn, to serve, and to prove ourselves. He then gave us the gift of his Son Jesus Christ. Christ then gave us the gifts of a role model, a road map back to live with Him and His Father with our earthly family. He gave us the gift of the atonement – the opportunity to be redeemed and become at one with God – He will make up the difference between our best efforts and the perfection of God. We have the opportunity to receive Heaven-sent gifts throughout our life on this earth.

And that is what Christmas is really all about - celebrating the gifts and opportunities God has given us to keep His commandments, carry them out, and in doing so reaching out to others with a Christ-like love, to follow the gospel path back to live with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and our eternal family.

“Here I am! I stand at the door, and knock. If anyone hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person  and they with me”  Revelations 3:20 (NIV)

WISHING YOU A BLESSED CHRISTMAS

And a good new year

Doing Good

"… Let us set our hands to the work that he has entrusted to our care, let us bless our Father’s children wherever they may be, and our lives will be enriched and this world will be made happier. This is the mission that has been placed upon our shoulders. 

... God grant that in the humility of our souls we will go about with the desire in our hearts to do good to all people wherever they may be, ... [may] peace abide in our hearts and in our homes, [may] we radiate sunshine and cheer wherever we may go, [may] we prove to the world that we do know that God lives, by the lives that we lead ..."   George Albert Smith