The power of money

It's amazing the power that money has over us. I've been in and out of a job since November 11 of 2007. I've handled it well, I think. I've continued to have jobs, try on jobs and also loose jobs. Not cause I'm crappy...just circumstances.

But yesterday with in 45 minutes my plan (see below) fell apart. The 2 jobs that were both going to bring in a thousand each while I started and maintained my dog walking business fell through. Phyllis is fine. She takes her medicine on her own and doesn't need someone to sleep over and get paid to do nothing. Carrie and Kelly feel responsible for this other girls financial life.

This past week, I sent out emails to everyone telling them the good news and even told my home teachers. Well, of course panic and tears and anger set it. I'm worried. I pray. Within a second my emotions change from happiness to stressed out worry! It bothers me some that I do that- the stressing, emotional part. It didn't last very long- maybe 45 min. But I'd like to get to the point where I can never panic because I have so much faith and trust in the Lord that he'll take care of me and that something will work out. I found this quote this morning written on a sticky note that says this: FAITH IS THE ABILITY TO NOT PANIC! Amen to that. Someday I'll get to that spot. That quote is a whole sacrament meeting talk waiting to happen.

As soon as I got most of my head on straight, I started to think about all the things that were good about loosing those jobs. I'd save on gas. I'd save on gas. I'd save on gas. Ok, so there's only 1 good thing about it. Well 2 , my dogs will get to sleep with me every night, not just 4 out of 7. Then I start thinking what can I do to remedy the problem. I need money, I have to have money. Maybe I can call that agency that I turned down and beg for forgiveness and see If I can work for them. I did do that and they will let me work for them. WHEW! Also a thought, maybe this is all happening for a reason and at the right time. What a concept; God's timing. I finally found something that even thinking about it makes me happy and so maybe he's going to leave me with just that. I've already got a dog to walk and I don't' even have a business license yet! Maybe, just maybe it will be successful enough to support me. Maybe I'll make great money and say the heck with care taking, I want to hug furies!

So, I move on, hoping I can pay the bills in October with out dipping into savings.

Oh, and my dog walking business is called: Romp and Run dog walking and boarding. Ann Braithwaite came up with that. Much better than my ideas! I really am so excited about this. Fliers are made, business cards are ordered, I practiced with my one dog today, I sent out a promotion to a new apartment complex that allows animals. Just thinking about it makes me want to smack some one- not the hit kind, the kiss kind!

The Plan!

As many of you know, I've been in and out of work for the last 10 months. But I have come up with a plan!

I have a job 3 nights a week sleeping over at a 87 year old ladies house. I give her her meds evenings and mornings and make her breakfast. That pays 300 a week, a little over 1000 a month. That alone will pay the bills.

I will also be doing after school care for 2 twin sisters and their kids. The mom Carrie is the one I nannied for some years ago. I know all the kids, and I"ll be driving around a lot. Carrie has 2 girls and Kelly has 3 boys. They all go to the same school- St. Louise Catholic Parish school in Bellevue. That will make me about 200-250 a week and that will also pay the bills.

Here comes the exciting part. I'm going to be a dog walker! I'll start up my own business, have a web page that links to the merrymoore park dog walkers association. A lady in my ward, has been doing this for a little over a year.I went with her yesterday and brought my dogs as well. What happens is you go around, pick up dogs, put them in the back of your car (she's going to let me borrow her truck and then possibly buy) and then take them to the 40 acres off leash dog park in Redmond. You let them run for 60 to 90 min. They stay with their "pack" and they can also swim in the river. They come home exhausted. The owners pay about 20 to 23 for the whole time, so depending on how many dogs you have will depend on how much you make an hour. It will take a while to get the business going, but if you have a fenced in back yard you can always board dogs too! Which I will offer. Shelly has made any where from 1500 to 3500 a month. The business license is 44 dollars in Bellevue, the liability insurance is 80 a year and there's things like business cards, advertising, etc. Shelly meets the dog and family before, has them sign a liability waver, gets the emergency info, finds out what commands the dog knows, etc. Some people would like the service daily, others just a few times a week. It's a luxury and so, a few families have lowered the days, but she still has enough dogs. Tomorrow we go with 8 dogs and my 2! Yesterday we went with only 4 and my two. You go rain or shine or snow.

Shelly is a master at the business: she has had callars made with her business name and her cell phone on it, so the dogs wear that when they are in the park. Other dog walkers have picked up on this and are following suit. She even has colors she wears. She knows all the names of the other walkers and their cell phone numbers so you can get a hold of them if she can't find a dog- which doesn't happen a lot.

I'm coming up with possible name ideas for my business. Here are a few: "fur creatures: dog walking and boarding" "a dog about town" I stole this one- it's a name of a company in CA. "Dog Tired" stolen as well. "Just dogging around" Not stolen! I really like "Out of the Cage!" Shelly's is Moosepaw dog walkers.

I'm excited because this is right up my alley! I've got money coming in while I build up the business! I also have nights off to have a social life!

Seminary

During high school I went to early morning seminar, where I learned the scriptures. This class was a whole hour or more before school started. I had to be there at 6: 10 am in the church next door to the HS. I hated getting up that early and always left the house with wet hair, but I loved seminary. I loved being with the kids my age who knew the things I did. I loved feeling the spirit. I loved learning the scriptures.

We studied a different book each year: one year was Old Testament, the next New Testament, then The Book of Mormon, and then Doctrine and Covenants or church history. Us Mormons go to church on Sunday for 3 hours. Everyone goes to Sunday School, no matter what your age. We can always be learning about the Savior and his gospel. The church also encourages personal and family scripture study daily. So why the focus so early in the morning? We were getting it in Sunday school. During the teenage years your growing and need your sleep. Why would they take sleep from us?

I've come up with six reasons why "Seminary" is so important. They are: 1. It taught us to sacrifice things of the world for the things of God. 2.It taught us spirit over body. 3. It helped us learn the gospel and the scriptures. 4. It helped us to fight for our testimonies, when they would be challenged and the world would try to invade our thinking. 5. It armed us with the armour of righteousness and the spirit before we entered the great and spacious building. 6. It taught us that the gospel comes first- literally- before the world, before secular education.

It was first in our day and should be first in our lives.

Spencer W. Kimball said this: "... the seminary courses should be given even preferential attention over the high school subject...the study of the scriptures ahead of the study of the man written texts." " Only an education which educates for eternity has the wholeness which humans need."

Boyd K. Packer said: "Spiritual Development is tied very closely to a knowledge of the scriptures, where the doctrines are found." "The percent of temple marriages among the graduates of seminaries and institutes is more than double the church average"

Henry B. Eyring who served as Commissioner of Church Education for years gave these reasons why Seminary is important. 1. It puts young people together who share the same values. 2. it puts youth together with a teacher who has a testimony, and they can feel the fire of it when it is borne. 3. Seminary gets young people into the scriptures. There should never be a conscious choice to let the spiritual become secondary as a pattern in our lives. Never. That will lead to tragedy.

My personal favorite by John A. Widstoe:

"It is a paradox that men will gladly devote time every day for many years to learn a science or an art; yet will expect to win a knowledge of the gospel, which comprehends all sciences and arts, through perfunctory glances at books or occasional listening to sermons. The gospel should be studied more intensively than any school or college subject. They who pass opinion on the gospel without having given it intimate and careful study are not lovers of truth, and their opinions are worthless."

I'm so grateful that I went to seminary those early mornings. My graduation from that meant more to me than my graduation from high school. I went on to college religion classes at Ricks where it was for secular credit and I loved those classes too. I also went to institute at Utah State and loved those classes. Those experiences have helped shaped me into the person I am today. They have changed the way I study the scriptures. They have helped me to get closer to being steadfast and immovable when it comes to my testimony of the truthfulness of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Blogs and Babbies

Blogging is like scrap booking, only for free. I think it often takes as much time. I used to scrapbook a lot and then I realized how impossible it is to get everything on a page, how much time it takes, how much money it takes, etc. I take far too many pictures- even with a digital camera. So, I just started scrap booking big trips- like Europe.

For many Mormon bloggers and I suppose people of other religions the tendency is to brag about how cute, smart, talented their children are, or how much money you have by telling about all the things you've done or bought, etc. With a blog you can make your life look perfect, telling only the good things.

I appreciate honesty and reality and my entries are not all peaches and cream. What I'm going to tell you next is about a blog that may be the exact oppostite of bragging, yet it is positive. I have this cousin who was been infertile. She's been married for 6 years and has been trying to adopt through LDS social services. She almost got a baby 2 different times, but things fell through. And then miracle of miracles, she finds out she's pregnant with TWINS! 2 girls, but the saddest of things happened. She went into labor at 20 wks and 1 day. There was a crazy blood transfusion thing going on between the 2 of them. The baby that was still born was doing the work for her and her sister. The other baby lived for 1 hour. My cousin had to pick a coffin, buy a plot and many other difficult things. What's amazing is nearly every day she has written an entry in her blog about her grief and the lessons she's learning. She has included quotes from apostles, videos of the Savior she made, and videos from movies that teach a principle. She is an amazingly strong woman. Even in her pain she is positive. Even as her sisters have baby girls so close together and the adoption didn't work out near the same time, she is positive. I invite you read this blog. It's on my list: Marc and Megan.

Here’s another sad baby story of a woman in my ward. Her first pregnancy was a miscarriage. She second- well.... they did an ultra-sound and saw that the cord was wrapped around her neck 4 times and the little girl was posterior. They did a C-section. She weighed a little over 4 lbs. They brought her home, but mom wouldn't stop bleeding and so after a week and a 1/2 they did a hysterectomy. This will be her only baby she gives birth to in this life. She is in her 20's. What a hard thing to deal with. It makes me sad all these people who want children and yet there are so little to adopt at least in this country. There are so many over seas. I want to just go grab about a 100 of them and start passing them out. Any one want to join me?

The Reception in Riverton

The reception had all these nice iron work for decorations, and 3 yummy cakes to eat. 3 of my mom's 4 brothers showed up! That was fun!

Birds and Worms

I love all creatures! This little caterpillar guy was so interesting. I stopped and petted him and he lifted his front self up and then continued to walk all around. I was afraid he was going to get stepped on, so I put him near the grass, but he's not a fan of grass. Notice the ever so tiny blue dots. I watched him and could see this serge of energy- small black lines- that went up his spine- if he has one. This happens all the time. He was just a cool little guy. I had 2 men stop with me there on the side walk on my knees. One asked what I was looking at and the other if I was ok- he thought I had fallen.

I saw this one quail resting on the cement and went to get closer, when a bunch more popped out- 2 more adults, 3 teenage kids and 7 little baby ones. My grandfather loved Quails because of the way they bopp their head and that little funny thing on top! Cute Cute Cute. Someday I'm gonna hold one of those little guys!

Jason's and Megan's Wedding

Jason and Megan Wells got married on Aug 28th in the Salt Lake City Temple. It was a great day. I was teasing Jason about kissing her on the first date. Jason responded with "look at her!"

Ya can't agrue with that!

Conversation with a member of the 70'd

This Labor Day weekend was the annual Ensign Ranch SA Family Camp out. I only went for the day. The 3 seventies brethren that are over this area was there. Elder Walker always does a question and answer period and I love to go, because he's such a great teacher and teaches directly from the scriptures. I was able to ask him a question. The question is this: If a man is spiritually, emotionally and financially able to take care of a woman and family and doesn't is he in trouble. Well, he told me to go to Section 130. Elder Perry, found me at 9:45 that night and told me what a great question that was. It's nice to be validated by a member of the 70'd! We talked about that for a while. How for one man there are 25 women who want a family. He shared with me how he went to Idaho and gave a fireside to the SA and a gentleman raised his hand and said he had asked every women in the audience out and they all said no. HE could see, all the women put a hand to their head and kind of AGGG! We'll this person was not fully there- missing a few screws etc. I think that my phrasing of the question - not all men, but capable men were responsible was what he liked. He further stated that is only the woman who has the promise that if she remains faithful will have a husband in the next life. That promise is not for the men. What I should of asked him, but didn't was how he handled that. I told him about my father only drinking water for 2 weeks to get a wife. I asked the question about men if they are over 30 and single may not be ordinance workers in the temple- that is true, yet they are able to be on the stake High Council. To me that doesn't seem equal. He said he knows stake presidents when extending the call to them, tells them by the time his service is up, he better be married. Sister Perry's wife said to me "if a man is not married by the time he's 35, something is wrong with him" Hey- President Young said it was age 25! Elder Perry said that in their yearly mtgs with the 12 and 1st presidency President Hinckley would say "tell the men to pair up". Elder Perry acknowledged that the difficulty is that for every one man, there are 25 women who want to be wives and mothers. Exactly!

My difficulty is that I know men who are not trying. They are very shy or so into something else- usually video games, sci-fi stuff or the like. I also know the men who are missing screws are trying and drive all the women crazy. Then ya have the good guys who aren't interested in me. I understand that finding the right match is hard, and is too important to do for your father, or to get yourself out of being single, or any other reason, besides having the inspiration that this is the right one.

Marriage and Family life is The Plan of Salvation. I feel sometimes as if I'm Eve and Adam choose to stay in the garden. So, in the dark and dreary world, I do the jobs of 2 people in a world of couples.