A Lesson in Free Enterprise

Our neighborhood had a "Community Garage Sale" on Saturday, so our family decided to join the "fun". We cleaned out our garage... which is a joyous event because now I can park my car in there! And we sold a few things that we no longer need.

" One man's trash is another man's treasure!"

The bigger purpose though for participating was to teach our kids a little business lesson. On Friday, they helped me make cookies and muffins and then sold them to people who came by. Todd also bought them some water bottles and soda to sell. We were going to sell hot dogs, but there were no people left when it was lunch time. Anyway, we taught them to pay us back for the supplies we used to make their products and then they could keep the rest. (It turned out that they helped us clean up afterward, so we told them they could keep all of the money) But, they understood the concept nonetheless. Even though I could have easily reached into my purse and handed them $16 (that's about how much they made) I thought this was a lesson better learned. They learned that they have to work hard to earn money. And they better understood the value of money as they counted each quarter and each dollar that came in. They also discovered that if they were eating the cookies, they were "eating money". It was fun to teach them. To my suprise, they were quite the little salesmen. They explained to everyone what they had and how much it cost. They captivated total strangers with their conversation and interest in earning money. It was fun to watch!

Here are the entrepreneurs patiently waiting for their next customer.

Even though I am sure we could get a pretty penny for him, Spencer was not for sale!! But, the big red truck was. He sure had fun in it before it was snatched up!!

Please Vote!

As we all know, the condition of the country we live in directly affects our ability to endure and is critical to the quality of our temporal lives. It is my hope that we all can take the time to become educated on the issues that are before us and decide for ourselves what we believe to be true and correct. Then use that knowledge to affect change in our country. Simply put... PLEASE VOTE!!! If you ever wondered why our right to vote is so sacred and important, watch this video...


http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1352578267/bctid1749436976

If you haven't registered to vote at your current address, you can do so here...

https://servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter

Hurry! The deadline is October 6.

If you are afraid you won't have the opportunity to go to the poles and vote on election day, you can request an early ballot here...

https://recorder.maricopa.gov/earlyvoteballotnet/evbrequest.aspx

Tip: If you need to update your voter registration and you want an early ballot, time is of the essence. After updating your info, you have to wait a day or two for the system to update so you can request your ballot. So, do it soon!

No excuses!! :)

Our Personal "Bail Out" Program

In this world full of turmoil, once again, I am filled with a deep sense of joy and purpose. Everywhere we turn we are bombarded with doom and gloom... questions about our economic future... and mixed messages about where our country is headed and what we can do about it. I know it is easy to be overwhelmed by all of this. I also know that all things in life occur to teach us lessons and help us progress towards our ultimate goal of eternal life. We simply must choose to follow the spirit and let the Lord guide us through the seemingly never-ending trials. This global financial crisis is no exception to this theory. As I have contemplated all of this in recent months and weeks, I have drawn some parallels with what is going on in Washington D.C. to my own personal life and my beliefs as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

First of all a quick recap... Over the last several years and because of some very bad choices by many people in high places, we have a financial crisis in this country. The people at the crux of this complex mess are looking to the government for a "bail out" program that will rescue them from their woes and pay the looming debt. This can and does affect all of us. But since this is not an economics lesson, or a political opinion column, I won't expound on that now ;)

What I have come to realize is that this situation is not very different from the cycle that we are all prone to in our own lives. We all make decisions that are less than perfect everyday. Sometimes, patterns of bad choices put us in situations where we need to be "bailed out" spiritually (or otherwise). We need help getting back to higher ground so we can try again to do what is right. The good news of the Gospel is that our "bail out" program has already been approved and executed!! The debt has been paid! All we have to do is take advantage. The Lord has already paid the price for our mistakes and our pain. And through him, we can find comfort and relief from those things that bring us down. The offer never expires and it is never too late. In other words, we can't look to the world for happiness or stability. We have to first look to the condition of our own personal lives to find joy and comfort. If there is no joy or comfort to be found, all we have to do is ask and the Lord will help us find it. (May I suggest starting by counting our blessings) We have to do the best we can to better ourselves and our family and not let Satan's workings consume our thoughts and affect our actions. Easier said than done... I know... trust me. But, when those clouds of err hang over, our reprieve is easy to find. The Atonement is eternal.

Along with this I have discovered an additional "metaphor" if you will. As I briefly listen to political banter on the radio or news from time to time, I have learned a bit about this "bail out package" that is being contemplated by our government. I am no expert, but apparently, there are many details of the countless page program that are being argued within the halls of government. There are clauses that ride on the coat-tails of this package that are irrelevant and self-serving to politicians. In contrast, the atonement is flawless! There are no strings attached... just blessings for following along. That is not to say that it is easy, but profoundly pure and simple nonetheless. And definately worth it for all we can attain both in this life and the life hereafter.