Clearing out the clutter

Today I went to a Relief Society meeting where they talked about being guardians of the hearth and taking care of our families and homes. One of the speakers talked about how we should get rid of all the clutter in our lives that takes up room or time that we don't have. We should also get rid of all the media and other materials in our homes that drive away the spirit. She likened it to the steps of the creation, and how we need to follow those same steps in organizing our own homes. First, we need to organize every needful thing, then beautify, then provide light (which includes getting rid of stuff that doesn't bring the spirit) and then it can be a home where the spirit can dwell and where everyone can feel comforatable and fulfill their potential. It was a great lesson. It made me think about myself and the types of media that I have, and whether or not it all invites the spirit. I decided that I'm going to clear out some of the "clutter" in my itunes and movies in order to bring more light into my home.

Facebook: Connecting us or not?

You know, facebook is supposed to be for "connecting" with people, but sometimes I wonder if it really is effective in doing that. Sometimes I feel like it is actually more effective "disconnecting" us from each other than connecting us. It seems like the very nature of facebook encourages "me-ness" (isolating oneself in one's own little me-bubble world, updating personal statuses, uploading photos, creating the perfect profile, all with the hopes that online friends will see our profile and up our popularity score).  But in all honesty, all that "updating" has the potential to make us less prone to reach out to others in meaningful ways. And because of the digital nature of facebook, we might be more inclined to think it's ok to "ignore" someone's message because it is less confronting and doesn't seem as "real" of an interaction. This can disconnect us from others even further. I'm not saying that facebook is destroying the world, but it's definitely influencing the way we interact with others, which can be in a negative way I think, if we let it.

One of my favorite children's book is “Daughter of a King.” It is a simple picture book from Deseret Book that tells the story of a girl named Katie, whose parents always told her that she was a princess, and that her father the King had sent her to live with them until she was ready to return to the palace. Katie always tried to act like a princess, but sometimes she made mistakes. It was a challenge for her to always remember who she was and why she must always choose the right. Eventually, she married someone who also remembered that he was a prince, and they raised a family and prepared to make the journey back to the palace. In their old age, the time finally came. They make a long journey over rough terrain and finally made it to the palace, where they were warmly received by the King.
            The reason I love this story is because it just gives me a warm/fuzzy feeling whenever I read it. I love the beautiful pictures. Especially the very last one, where Katie is looking up at the King with tearful eyes. It’s very touching to me. It’s just a very tender story that I love. The whole plot parallels the plan of salvation and reminds me that even though I can’t see my Heavenly Father, He is there waiting for me to come home. It also reminds me that as long as I am trying my best, even though I may not feel like a princess, that’s my divine nature, and this life is just a place where I need to learn and grow and try to become more “princess-like.”

When I was growing up, my favorite book was “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” In this book, it starts out with a grandfather talking to his grandson at breakfast and then the grandson comments that the sunrise on the mountain looks like mashed potatoes with butter on the top. Then the grandpa proceeds to tell the boy about a faraway island where it rained food. It used to be just a normal town, but one day something happened, and food started falling from the sky. The people loved it at first. The weatherman would forecast the upcoming day’s menu. However, it didn’t take long until it got out of hand. Sometimes it would rain weird combinations like brussel sprouts and mayonnaise. If it was someone’s birthday, he/she wouldn’t always get what he/she wanted. Then the food started getting bigger and bigger until it caused major calamities and danger to the lives of the people. Eventually, the people realized that the only way to survive was to build boats out of giant peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sail away from the island looking for another place to live.
            I liked this book as a child because it stirred up my imagination. It was different and silly in its ideas and plot, and that made me happy. The pictures were funny also. What impact did this book have on my life? Well, that’s an interesting question. I’m not sure. But I think that, if nothing else, it sparked my creativity and unique sense of humor. When the movie, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” came out, I was excited. It turned out to be a good movie, but not quite as playful and innocent and happy as the book. It seems like in the movie, the plot very quickly moves from the blissfulness of the raining food to the calamity/trajedy. Whereas in the book, it seems like it dwells on the happy parts longer. I guess that’s why I liked the book as a child. I liked thinking of life in an optimistic way, and imagining a perfect place where everything was exactly how you’ve always wanted it. So, this book probably impacted me in a similar way, by fostering this sort of “idealism.”

messages of music

I’ve also been thinking about the power of music to influence the way that we think about our relationships. A lot of popular love songs out there are catchy, but when I really stop to analyze the subliminal messages in them, I realize that it isn’t really promoting true love, but glorifying selfishness and personal gratification. Because it’s not blatant, it’s really good at making us think that this kind of attitude is linked to perfectly successful relationships. I think this can be harmful. For example, some of the Backstreet Boys songs could be classified under this, if you really look close at the lyrics (i.e. “I want way”) – not that they are bad or anything, but I just think that it’s interesting. whereas “Be That Friend,” or “Aint no Mountain High” are both very altruistic and promotes a feeling of commitment without selfish motives.

music :)

Since we’ve been talking so much about music this week, I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite songs. And I have to say that “Forward With Faith” (an EFY song) is up there at the top of my list. I remember being introduced to this song on my mission in the Philippines, at a time that I was very discouraged, and it lifted me up so much! I still listen to this song whenever I’m feeling down, and it never fails to brighten up my mood. I love music that does that to you.