Desert News: Mothers Day

Story featured in the DESERET NEWS, May 8, 2013. 

Here is the link:  Art of Motherhood

This memory always brings a smile to my face.:))

A few years ago, a neighbor brought my 3-year-old daughter home after a play date and asked me a funny question: “Zoey says she’s never eaten a chocolate chip cookie before. Is that true?”
“Well, that’s weird,” I responded. “Because we have cookie … ”

I stopped before I finished my sentence. My family knows when I say, “Let’s make cookies,” what I really mean is “Let’s make cookie dough!” The truth is that we hardly ever make it to the baking part. Once the mixing is done, I eagerly hand out spoons, and we all indulge in a delicious, sugary feast. Cookie dough was how I should have finished that sentence but I was scared to say it. Guilt began to drizzle through my veins as I worried what this woman would think if she knew the truth: that I willingly give my kids raw dough.

But then something miraculous happened. The older-than-40 side of my brain took over, and instead of continuing to second-guess myself, as we mothers so often do, I swallowed a spoonful of pride and heartily confessed that I had never made cookies using flaxseed, tofu, or wheat berries, and that, yes, my children did eat raw cookie dough, and that although broccoli was best, I believed that cookie dough wouldn’t kill you. My quick reaction stunned my neighbor and surprised me a little, too. Seconds later, we both toppled over in hardy laughter at the hilarious thought that, to my little daughter, a cookie was a gooey blob on a spoon.

That incident turned out to be a needed moment of clarity. You see, mothers too often compare and contrast, evaluate and estimate their mothering capabilities, failing to celebrate and delight in their uniqueness. They heap on spoonfuls of guilt for what they are not instead of celebrating who they are. It would do every mother good to constantly remember what author Jill Churchill said: “There’s no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one.” Good advice, especially for new moms.

After my first baby was born, I flew back East to visit my parents. I had put my baby to bed and found my mother in the kitchen washing and drying dishes. The routine of it entranced me and flooded my mind with memories of all the things my mother had done for me as a child — sewing me a dress for the school play, driving me and my friends to get shakes, making me sack lunches and being sure to include one of her famous napkin notes inside, and a myriad of things that would take all night to list. My mother was there for me. And good mothering boils down to that one basic ingredient. Motherhood is the art of being there.

Standing on my porch, fiercely defending my cookie dough stance helped me to realize that I hoped for one thing: That someday my children would see me in the way I saw my mother. That they would say, “When I was little, my mother used to gather us around the kitchen counter and hand us each a spoon … ” I hope they remember that I was there, freshly baked cookies or not.

So, whenever you start to feel those drizzles of doubt, remember to be present in the moment as you are mothering your children. Whether you’re helping them with homework, watching their dance moves, coaxing them to clip their fingernails, or cheering them on from the bleachers, remember that you are there. And that’s all your children really need.

Jodi Marie Robinson is a wife, a mother of four and an inspirational speaker. She teaches motivational and life-skills classes to women recovering from drug addiction at a treatment center in Salt Lake City.

Young women's Activities

I see so many wonderful theme ideas, when I speak at Young Womens gatherings. I plan on sharing some others in the next few months.
 

A Young Womens group in Sandy, Utah, used my book "A ROYAL GUARDIAN" as the theme for their New Beginnings night. They wrapped up a book for each girl and placed it in a treasure box.  Different colored objects were placed in glass jars across the piano to represent the values that the young women were to guard. We talked about what it means to be a guardian and make choices that coexist with gospel values in everyday situations. It was a wonderful evening. The shield and helmut came from a local costume rental shop.
 

You could easily recreate this theme by having a discussion about the characteristics that Joan of Arc displayed, to introduce what it means to guard something that is precious.  Michael S. Wilcox's book, "Ten Great Souls Souls I Want to Meet in Heaven" has an excellent chapter devoted to her.  It's worth buying the book, studying it and using it as your guide for teaching a true principle: guarding your values. 

Also, using the description of the values in  my book, you can then discuss how you guard that value against worldy in fluences.

A Day With Al Fox

Click on the sidebar to LISTEN to an audio version of this post.

On Friday, I met and had lunch with blogger sensation Al Fox, tagged as the “tattooed Mormon", who recently splashed the cover of LDS Living magazine and Deseret news.  Give her three seconds to introduce herself, and you’ll be so captivated by her down-to-earth, jubilant personality, not to mention her giant, blue eyes and incessant smile, that those tattoos will just fade into the background. 

With a deadline fast-approaching for the last chapter for my upcoming book, I believed that Al’s story would add some depth to my pages.  So, I asked her for an interview.  Before I met her, I had written this intro:  “No greater happiness exists than knowing who you are and understanding that you matter.  Knowing that you are cherished and loved by an almighty God, at all times, even when you think you are the least lovable, is a priceless gift.” 

Fittingly, after meeting Al, that thought was completely Al-worthy. 

Al’s new-found fame has taken her completely by surprise.  Even our waitress asked, “Are you the girl on that blog?  I just read your post, and I loved it!”  Her blog reached one million hits that morning!  And that post, about getting past judgments and overcoming being offended, hit a sweet spot with Mormons and non-Mormons everywhere.  Her frank, honest-to-a-fault openness, mixed with genuine, heart-felt compassion, makes her the perfect role model for anyone who is not perfect—AKA—EVERYONE.

Through her blog, Al shares her story of converting to the LDS Church, in New York, in spite of reservations from friends and family, then packing up and moving to, of all places, the most conservative city on the planet, Provo, Utah, not knowing a single soul, and not worrying that her red, orange and green, body art might draw some undue attention. Being afraid is not what Al Fox is about.  

She was fearless, in fact, when she talked to the Mormon missionaries in 2009, in her home town of Rochester.  After all, she said, “I was happy and not looking for God.”  She then decided to get the Elders “off her back” by making them a deal.  If the clean-cut, white-shirted Elders would bring her a steak dinner, she would promise to read their book.  The Elders brought steak.  And Al read the book and what she learned was totally unexpected.  

She said she could feel that God valued her soul and her eternal salvation enough to provide her with a Savior, and, after reading it, she knew it was time to change.  Bad habits had to be left behind.  After her baptism, she wrote to the mission president and told him, “I feel anxious more than anything else. Anxious to tell my story, anxious to talk about everything I have learned, anxious to teach what I know from my experiences.  Anxious to motivate and inspire others.”  And she has done just that!  Al created a blog and began filming YouTube videos to talk about experiences she had being Mormon.  Including ones about being judged for what she looks like. Does she feel judged?  Consider this.  I mean, how would you respond if a complete stranger saw you holding the scriptures said to you, “It’s ironic to see a girl that looks like you holding that book.”  That happened to her on her first day in Utah, standing in line for tacos at Café Rio. And how did she respond? 

She said, “I turned to this man and introduced myself. Shook his hand. And I smiled so big and simply said, ‘I just got baptized, this is my first day here!’  I said it with happiness. I said it with pride. With confidence.”  

Al explained that she had a choice to make.  To choose to be offended or to share her story.  She chose to share her story.  That she had found God and she wasn’t going to let anything stop her from enjoying it was her intent.  She explained to me what she explains to anyone who will listen, that that man did not know her story.  That she had left New York.  Her home.  Her friends.  Her family.  Everything she knew to find out what God had in store for her.  And she discovered, like Nephi of old, that God would not build her a boat but that he would teach how to build one. God definitely is helping Al build something. 

Her identity as the “tattooed Mormon” allows her to tell the story of how a girl with a past can be transformed into someone who recognizes the worth of a soul as being precious to God and living every day like you believe it!  And she does believe it!  Her love of God is contagious!  It simply cannot be contained.  She has to write about.  Talk about it.  And make videos about it.  She wants you to get past the red, green, and orange swirls, decorating her arms and legs, and get inside her head and inside her heart, which makes it possible to build bridges of understanding and pave the way for others to follow her example and walk back into the arms of Jesus Christ. 

Forgiveness and repentance are gospel principles Al portrays effortlessly, and I believe, that because she does she will be the reason many find their way back.  Al has chosen to come out of the world, has chosen to leave it behind, but still has allowed her past to teach others how they, too, can embrace fully the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

To judge?  Or not to judge?  And more importantly . . . how do we judge like Christ?  I think of the woman taken in adultery.  Do you stand with the crowd, holding a rock in your fist, aimed and ready to throw?  Or, do you choose grace and kneel down in the sand next to Jesus and beg for the woman’s release?  I would hope I would choose the sand.   

Who am I to judge another when I walk imperfectly?  

I know how sad I feel when someone judges me.  I can still feel the sting of judgment when someone ridiculed my children and I came back swinging.  There was no understanding that day.  Not for me and not for the person judging me.  We stood on opposite sides of the fence.  And there were no bridges to cross.  And we both lost. 

Al Fox is all about building bridges.  So, how can we follow her example?  And not let what is on the outside stop us from getting to know what is on the inside?  How can we talk about not judging a book by its cover and actually give someone a chance? 

One week ago, my family was in Moab doing some hiking at Arches National Park.  We stopped at a gas station to get drinks.  One of the employees was outside smoking.  She happened to be pregnant.  I glanced over and my first reaction was, “What is she thinking being pregnant and smoking!”  Out of the blue, a quote I had seen on Pinterest popped into my head that said, “Don’t judge her.  You don’t know the storms I have asked her to walk through.”  

I went inside to get my drink.  By the time I was ready to pay, she was off her break and standing behind the register ready to help me.  She smiled and asked how my day was going.  And guess what?  The only thing I felt for her was acceptance and L-O-V-E. 

I did not know her story.  And I refused to give into my first inclination to judge her.  

After all, I did not know her story.  I got back in my car and said a prayer for her.  Tears hit my cheeks, as I pleaded with God to watch over her and help her in the upcoming months leading up to her giving birth.  That is exactly what Al would have wanted me to do!  And that is what God wants all of us to do.  So, how do we stop allowing judgment to keep us from loving like God loves?  

The boy with the gages in his ears.

The girl with piercings in her eyebrows and lip. 

The quiet classmate who stands against the wall, staring at the floor, with no one to talk to. 

The girl who dresses immodestly. The neighbor or co-worker who talks, dresses, and acts different?

What would Al say? 

Get to know them.  You might just like them.  And actually.  Love them. 

Al Fox’s beauty lies, not in her beach-blonde waves, and dazzling blue eyes, but in the part of her you can’t see but you can feel.  Her heart.  It’s as big as the planet!  

She has discovered she is God’s handiwork at work!  Just look at her calendar!  She is traveling all over giving youth firesides, speaking at Especially for Youth, sharing her conversion story on her blog, preparing to write a book, and changing lives.  Sure her tattoos tell the story of a past life.  But she isn’t focused on that because she is too busy being focused on the future.  

For Al, what did not make sense three-and-half years ago at her baptism makes perfect sense now.  That being “different” would be the tool God would use to help shape her mission and help her help others who want to find their way back to God. 

“I never talk about who I was.  I only talk about who I am becoming,” Al says, piling a second helping of endless salad on her plate.  Her smile guarantees she means it, and there is no shame in that.  Only beauty. 

To anyone afraid of returning to the gospel or joining in because of imperfections, Al says “Come!”  She would approve of my saying, no matter where you have been, just put it all out there. Don’t duck and hide and let mistakes define you.  Embrace them.  Breathe them in and exhale them out.  And put your arms around anyone who needs reassurance and encouragement.  Keep on trying!  Change is not easy.  And it is definitely not a solo journey. 

After our third plate of salad, it was time to leave.  She ran her fingers through her hair and checked her phone one last time.  Her special someone was texting her.  He sounded like a fantastic guy!  Lucky to have a girl like Al!  

Thank you, AL FOX!  I feel blessed to have met you in person.  You are a gem of a human being meant to do incredible things!  I want you to know that I’m taking full credit for introducing you to my favorite soup—Zupa Toscana!  You can thank me later.  Perhaps, a steak dinner will suffice.  :))

Go to Al Fox's blog and YouTube videos click HERE

How has Christ changed you?  And would you be willing to YouTube and blog about it?

Well, YOU are going to love this GIRL!!!!!

Al Fox?  

Have you seen or heard about her?

I was blown away by her story. 

I love her honesty.  

I love her realness.

I love her beauty.

Al joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints three years ago,

and is anxiously sharing with the world how it has changed her.  

She is on the cover of LDS LIVING magazine.  And through her blog and videos, she is sharing the message of Christ with anyone who will listen.

YOU GO GIRL!!!!

Thanks to my friend, Holly, for introducing me to this story!  

Holly, you knew how much I would adore it!

Here is AL's blog and video links. 

Al Fox BLOG

Al Fox on YOUTUBE  Al Fox on YOUTUBE

Seriously, spend the next 10 minutes reading and watching and you will be changed for the good!

Upcoming BOOK SIGNINGS

I will be signing my newest book, A Royal Guardian, during two events in the next couple of weeks.  Come say hello!

March 23, 2013
9 .m. - 11 a.m.
Seagull Book at The District in South Jordan, Utah
Celebrating Sisterhood 

April 6, 2013 (It's conference weekend so it's a great Ladies night out!)
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Deseret Book in Draper Peaks, Draper, Utah
Ladies Night Out 

Book Review from Shauna -- "What an incredible way to instill the Young Women Values! A princess is turning 12.... which is the age of the 'guardianship.' She has been put in charge of guarding 8 values. She is also given a bracelet from her father, the King. And each night she receives a gem to put into her bracelet. White Diamond - Faith Blue Sapphire - Divine Nature Red Garnet - Individual Worth Green Emerald - Knowledge Orange Fire Opal - Choice & Accountability Yellow Citrine - Good Works Purple Amethyst - Integrity Gold - Virtue As she practices the value that each gem represents that gem grows brighter. But what happens when she loses sight of the bracelet or doesn't guard the value? Read to find out :)"

Book Review: A Gaze Into Heaven

How would you like to gaze into heaven for just 5 minutes?   

Even seconds?  

How would it change you? 

What would you tell people?  

Many people have spent time on the other side of the veil and have a story to tell.  Author Marlene Sullivan spent countless hours in university libraries and Church archives documenting near-death experiences. Her book, Gaze Into Heaven includes true accounts from early Church members who gazed into heaven and lived to tell their story. It's touching.  It's inspirational.  And leaves you full of hope.  

I am pleased to be part of her blog tour.  

Here is an interview with Marlene.  

How did you come up with the book title?

The title came from a quote from Joseph Smith.  He said; “All men know that they must die . . . it is important that we should understand the reasons . . . of life and of death, and the designs and purposes of God in our coming into the world . . . and our departure hence. . . It is a subject we ought to study more than any other. . . Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that was ever written on the subject.” Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Period I, vol. 6, (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 9 October, 1843), 50.

I became fascinated by the idea that if we could ‘gaze into heaven’ for even just 5 minutes, we would know more than studying for days and weeks!  Incredible. 

What kind of research did you do?

I lived in libraries for a while. J  I did some research at BYU, the University of Utah, and Utah State; however, the majority of experiences came from the Church History Library and the Church Archives.  I pored through old newspapers, early church magazines, and, in the archives, looked at countless collections of papers, journals, letters, and microfilms.

What was your inspiration for writing the book?

It might sound a little cheesy, but my main focus was . . . to increase faith and testimonies.  After finding and reading these experiences, I was so touched that I wanted to share them with everyone!  I wanted people to know that God exists, that He loves us, and that the gospel is true.  I wanted people to know through reading these stories that life is but a fleeting moment and we should take advantage of our time here to learn and grow.

What will people gain from reading your book?

I hope it will build people’s testimonies.  One lady wrote me and said; “I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book! I can't even tell you how grateful I am to you for writing it. My 12 year old nephew died in May and this has been a healing balm to my soul. I can't wait to send a copy to my brother. I have always been afraid to die, but not now. This book has power in its pages. It feels like hallowed ground just gazing into the cover.”

I was very touched by her email.  

I hope people will be inspired to try a little harder and do a little better.  To know that all acts of kindness mean so much, and to realize that this life is not just a testing period, but a chance for us to grow and learn. I hope people come away from this book with a firmer conviction that life continues on and that if we endure our trials patiently and learn from them, great blessings await us in the next life.

What are you most proud of in finishing the book?

The emotion I mostly feel is thankfulness to God for giving me an opportunity to serve Him by collecting these experiences so that others may read them. I know these experiences are of great worth to those who read them. 

What does your book teach us that will help us in our daily lives?

I believe that near-death experiences give us a better understanding of what is important in life, here and now.  It teaches us that this life is a time to learn and increase our knowledge of the gospel. It will help us become better people. We can benefit from the insights given by these near death experience and use them to re-evaluate our own lives—to see what changes we could make to improve. Learning about the next life can help us use our time on earth to be more productive. 

CLICK HERE to purchase this book.  

 Amazon

Deseret Book

Seagull Book & Tape

More about the author:  

Marlene Bateman Sullivan was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.  She graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan and they are the parents of seven children.  Her hobbies are gardening, camping, and reading.  Marlene has been published extensively in magazines and newspapers and has written a number of non-fiction books, including:  Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, And There Were Angels Among Them, Visit’s From Beyond the Veil, By the Ministering of Angels, and Brigham’s Boys. Marlene also wrote the best-selling novel, Light on Fire Island.

Book Launch Party - A Royal Guardian

Eight-year-olds are so much FUN!

Last week, I hosted a group of my youngest daughter's friends for a book launch party.

They squealed with delight when I handed them each a copy of A Royal Guardian.
I doubled over with laughter when high-spirited Sophia said to me,
"I really admire your work. Will you sign my book?"

Wish every book signing could go as well.  :))

My book is only $4.99 at Deseret Book and$3.99 at Seagull Book.
So, it's a great price-point and makes it easy to share it cost-effectively
with small groups of Activity Day Girls
or Young Women.

So, here's my version of a  

BECOMING A GUARDIAN 

book club.  

TABLE SETTING AND MENU

Paper plates and a paper napkin for the placemat.  

Fruit snacks and cut-up apples. 

Plastic crowns and jeweled rings 

(I found these in the party section at Wal-Mart for $1.00 and $2.00.)

ACTIVITIES

The girls each made a bookmark.

Supplies: 

 1-ribbon, 20-white and purple beads (Hobby Lobby), and stretch bead string

2-foam stickers (both of the same shape)

and 2-larger, shaped decorative beads (I used butterflies)

your trust glue glun

To make the bookmark:  First, you bead the beads onto the stretch string.  Tie your knot at the bottom.  Put a blog of hot glue on the bottom of the ribbon, and place about an inch of empty string in the glue blob.  Take one of your foam stickers and place it on top of the string and glue blob.  Then turn the ribbon over, and put a glue blob where the foam sticker is on the other side, and place the 2nd foam sticker on top of the first one, with the ribbon in the middle, like a sandwich.  

The girls also decorated cards, using foam stickers and colored paper.

 Before the party, I filled one baggie per girl with the bookmark supplies.

 I filled my jars with pink marshmallows for decorations.  

If you're someone who looks at Pinterest photos 

and thinks for a second that the beautiful party pictures 

are nice, neat, and ALWAYS organized the entire time the party is happening?  

This is for YOU!

Here is my before party pic.

And here is my AFTER pic.  

Yep!  THIS IS REALITY, Ladies!  

It is FINALLY here!

My NEW BOOK for Young Women entitled
A Royal Guardian--a timeless tale that unlocks the meaning of the eight young women values.


I will have limited speaking engagements, so email me early to speak at your Young Womens activity, camp, or youth fireside.  My presentation is entitled Becoming A Guardian, and I teach the girls ways in which they can "guard" their values, using the scriptures assigned to the young womens' value.  Email me at jodirobinson2182@homail.com


Purchase my book at the incredible price of $4.99 at Deseret Book and Amazon.com, and $3.99 at Seagull Book and Tape  (soon to be on their website soon).

Click here to order or visit a store near you.

Deseret Book
Amazon.com

Let Him In

IDEA for a handout for Young Womens or Relief Socieity.  Email me at jodirobinson2182@hotmail.com, and I'll send you the file.  You will receive a JPG minus the "Merry Christmas", of course.  Then, all you have to do is print these as 4X6 photos and wallah!

Sweet Service with Candy Posters

Okay, all you Young Women Leaders!  Activity Day Leaders!
And MOMS needing a fun service-oriented Family Home Evening!
Get ready for some SWEET SERVICE.

Here is a fanstaticaly FUN service activity!  That won't seem boring at all.  (And yea, sometimes youth think service is boring.  But it's not!  And this is a great way to spark some interest in reaching out and uplifting others.)

Make CANDY GRAMS.  Here's how.  

1) Buy 10 Candy Bars (or how every many you like) and 2 large posters.
2) Divide the girls into two groups.
3) Tell the girls they are in charge of creating a "Candy Gram" for a person in the neighborhood.  Choose someone who is in particular need of an uplift.  Perhaps someone having health issues, or just in need of a little encouragement.  It can even be someone who needs a "sweet" thank you!  Or someone who just had a new baby.
4)  Give each group 5 or more candy bars, depending on how many you bought.
4)  Challenge the groups to write a "Candy Gram" message using the candy bars as words, as seen below.
5)  Set a timer so there is an element of racing against the clock.
6)  With markers, have the groups write their message on a poster board and glue the candy bars in the right spots.
4)  Deliver the "Candy Grams"!!!  And feel the sweet spirit of service!!!

Making Candy Bar posters is a tradition at my house.  Birthdays.  Fathers Day.  Congratulations.  Inspiration. Believe me! I can make a Candy Gram for any occasion!  Here is one of them we made for neighbor who had cancer. My kids really enjoy making them.  :))

This next one, I didn't make, but loved it!  It is a congratulations to a young women who finished her personal progress.  So fun!

To check out this one, CLICK HERE.  It's a graduation Candy Gram.  

For more ideas visit Sugardoodle   And enjoy your SWEET SERVICE!  

The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews

My Elevator Doesn't Seem To Reach The Top Floor

I spent the weekend with my two teenage daughters at Time Out for Women and Girls (a fantastic mother-daughter bonding weekend by the way!).  We arrived Friday evening at our hotel, parked in the garage, and rode the elevator up to the main lobby.  When the elevator doors opened, I rolled my suitcase behind me, calling out to the girls, "Let's go find the elevator so we can find our room."

"Uh, mom."  The girls stopped in a dead heat.  

"Ya? Let's hurry so we have time for dinner."  I turned around to see their stunned faces.  

"Uh, we just got off the elevator." There voices said in tandem.

Time stood still.  My eyes focused on the green-lit arrow button above the elevator doors from which we had emerged    

"Oh.  Well.  We found it."  I replied, rolling my bag back to the elevator doors.  As I pushed the up button, I pretended I was completely in charge and knew exactly what I was doing.  Funny thing is, the older I get the less I know exactly what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.  Seriously? My over-forty brain just keeps surprising me.  That same week, I came home, after three hours, expecting to smell chicken roasting in my crockpot.  But, I smelled nothing.  So, into the kitchen I went, only to find, as I lifted the lid an empty, burning hot crockpot was no chicken inside.  And guess what the first thought into my brain was?  

"Someone stole my poultry."  

One second later, my brain corrected itself.  "Nobody steals poultry.  You never put the chicken in the crockpot to begin with!"  

I opened the fridge to find my nicely, washed chicken staring back at me as if to say, "Lady, your elevator doesn't go all the way to the top!"

And the truth is...some days it just doesn't.