Last week, we were running late, so before I started the car, I quickly said a silent prayer and then we were off.  On the way to the school, Josie got very upset that I didn’t say a prayer, and I told her I did but that it was “in my heart”.  To my relief and amazement all at the same time, she understood what a silent prayer was and that was that.

Well, the next day, wouldn’t you know it, we were running late again.  Josie knew I was in a hurry and as soon as she and I buckled ourselves, she asked me if she could say the prayer “in her heart” for us.  I smiled and readily agreed.  So I sat there and watched her in the rear view mirror.  She bowed her head, closed her eyes, and smiled.  A few seconds later, she looked up, unfolded her arms and said, “Okay.  We can go now.”

I love that girl.

The post A day in the life of a Mormon: Our afternoon routine appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

What do Mormons do for fun? Well, we do basically the same things as anyone else! Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are encouraged to seek out wholesome recreation to rejuvenate our bodies and minds. We are also admonished to avoid any activity/media that is degrading to the human body and spirit like drugs, alcohol, or pornography.

In the thirteenth article of our faith there is a line patterned after a Bible scripture that I use as my guide to fun.

“If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”

Within those parameters, here are some things I do for fun:

-I like to read. I am a member of two book groups. Right now we are reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan. Here is a picture of the books on my nightstand.

-I like to listen to music and dance while cleaning my house or driving in my car. I’m a huge seat dancer and can frequently be seen with the windows down and the volume up singing to my favorite tunes at stop lights. My favorite band is Earth Wind and Fire.

-I love to camp with my family. Here is a picture of my family hiking in the redwoods. I love the filtered light in a redwood grove, the smell of the damp earth and searching for banana slugs on the trail.

-We like to boat. I can’t water-ski, but for me, boating is about the warm air on my skin, being in the beauty of nature and having fun with my kids.

-I like to restore and re-use. My husband and I just restored a home that was in near shambles due to termite damage. Instead of being a fixer-upper, it was more like a do-er-over-er. We used reclaimed doors from the salvage yard, nearly all of our furniture was purchased used, and we did all of the work ourselves. Some of our furniture we even found at the dump! Here are some before and after shots.

Kitchen before:

Dining Room Before:

Family Room Before:

Here is what our entire house looked like during the restoration.

And here are some after pictures. Using pre-owned items in my home makes me happy because I can look around at each item in my home and there is a a story associated with it.

-I also like to host parties. I’ve already written here about my Disco roller skating birthday party (yes, Mormons do celebrate birthdays!), but I also like to have people over for karaoke nights, game nights and dinner parties. I love throwing kid parties where my children’s friends come over and play hide and seek, dance, or carve pumpkins for Halloween.

-Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints love to have fun, especially with our families. Having fun enriches my life and gives me an opportunity to develop my talents, make connections with loved ones and rest my mind and body from the struggles of life.

What do you like to do for fun?

– – – – – – –

**Please note: The answers in “Ask a Mormon Woman” and (other content on this site) reflect the thoughts and perspectives of individual LDS women and administrators at Mormon Women: Who We Are. Although we strive to have our content consistent with the doctrine and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we do not speak officially for the Church. You can read official information about Mormon beliefs at mormon.org’s What We Believe or at www.lds.org.
—-

For more Ask a Mormon Woman questions/answers, please click here.

Do you have a question you would like us to address? Simply include a comment below, or send an email at gmail with the username ‘mormonwoman’ or ‘mormonwomen’ Please be sure to include a valid email address so we can inform you if your question is posted on the site.

The post Ask A Mormon Woman: What Do LDS Church Members Do For Fun? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

The post “Receiving the Marvelous Grace of God” – Education Week Talk appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.