Tag Archives: Courage

General Conference from the Past: Strengthen the Feeble Knees – Marvin J. Ashton

Elder Marvin J. Ashton delivered this address which was printed in the November 1991 issue of the Ensign. You can read it in its entirety here, but I offer the following highlights. He says he’s always been intrigued by the spiritual expression, “feeble knees.” While this makes us think of knees that aren’t physically strong, he also believes that it refers to fear, as we find it in Isaiah 35:3-4: 3. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come … Continue reading →

It Takes Courage to Get Involved

I have written a bit here in the Single Parents blog about tending to our mental health and all the personal development things we can work on in order to make us better parents, and make sure we have happy, healthy families. I realized that sometimes it isn’t just “knowing” what we “should” do, but it takes a heaping dose of courage in order to step outside our front doors and get involved with the world as a single parent. Any time a person feels “outside” the norm for whatever reason–whether we are making our own selves feel different or … Continue reading →

Do We Share What We Believe?

I’m a big fan of “What Not to Wear” on TLC. I love watching people discover a whole new positive self-image as stylists Clinton and Stacy show them how dressing to suit their bodies makes them look more confident. Makeup artist Carmindy and hair stylist Nick also add to the overall look, and it’s a fun show to watch. One of the things I like is the respect Clinton and Stacy show to religious beliefs. They’ve had several Mormons appear, and they are always careful to make sure the hem lengths are where they should be and they never mock … Continue reading →

The Widow’s Might – Ann Bennion Brown

“The Widow’s Might” by Ann Bennion Brown is a compilation book for women who have lost their spouses. The title comes from the parable of the widow’s mite, reminding us of the poor woman who came in to pay her tithing and only donated two of the smallest pieces of money in existence at that time. She was ridiculed by the rich, who had donated quite a bit, but Christ said that her donation was worth more, because she had given all she possessed for the building up of the kingdom. With spelling the title “might” rather than “mite,” this … Continue reading →

Battling Our Giants

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In 1 Samuel chapter 17 we can read the story of David and Goliath. Goliath was truly a giant believed to stand about 9 feet tall! He was said to be a man of war even from his youth. One look at him brought on enough fear that many from Israel turned away. The reward for taking on this mighty Philistine was said to be great riches and servitude by their people. There was a cute young shepherd boy named David. He came forward with great faith to defeat the giant. He is not believed to be older than fourteen … Continue reading →

Barbie Fairytopia: The Magic of the Rainbow (2007)

Elina is a hero in the land of Fairytopia. She saved all the fairies from Laverna’s evil plan to kidnap the guardian fairies and use their powers to become the most powerful fairy of all in the movie “Fairytopia,” and in “Fairytopia Mermaidia,” she became a mermaid to save her friend Prince Nalu from another one of Laverna’s schemes. But not all the other fairies appreciate her reputation, as she’s about to discover in “The Magic of the Rainbow.” The fairy guardians are each choosing an apprentice to learn how to do the dance of spring, a crucial ritual in … Continue reading →

The Cedar Post – Jack Rose

We’re told not to judge books by their covers. When you’re wandering through the stacks at a library, you’ve often judging books by their spines and most often by their titles. I don’t know why “The Cedar Post” jumped out at me, with its boring name and its innocuous pale green binding, but I’m so glad it did. It’s a work of fiction meant to teach a lesson, and it does it better than any other book I’ve read with the same goal. The story is centered on Jon, a teenaged boy growing up in Declo, Idaho, who feels discouraged … Continue reading →

The Serenity Prayer and Marriage

Do you know the Serenity Prayer? God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference (original by Reinhold Niebuhr). Even if you’re not a praying person, you can still benefit from the advice contained in this message. While it is often used as a resource in 12 step programs, it also fits marriage perfectly if you think about it: We cannot control our spouses. We should not try to do so. We should know and understand which situations are not ours to … Continue reading →

Out to Eat with All the Boys

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It’s very hard for a family with five boys ages two through eight to go out to eat. We have been able to go to Luby’s, but that is when Nancy and I are both feeling very energetic and patient. Little things like having the trays carried to the table by cafeteria staff are a given. The bright side is that with the children’s plate going for $2.99, we can get out cheaper than at a fast food place. Two years ago in a weak moment, we decided that it was time to actually try to go out to dinner. … Continue reading →

Esther (2000)

With the addition of “Esther” to the VeggieTales movie lineup, we see these ordinarily cheerful vegetables take on a story that’s a little hard to recount. How would you tell the story of Esther in a way that children could relate to without getting nightmares? First, you would take a cute scallion and ask her to play Esther. Then you’d cast Pa Grape in the role of Mordecai (although how we’re supposed to believe that a grape could be a scallion’s cousin, I don’t know.) A twist here, a plot change there, and you’re good to go. The king awakens … Continue reading →