Ed Week Funnies

A Time to Laugh: The Place of Humor in the Church, Lawrence R. Flake

"A Merry Heart Doeth Good Like A Medicine" (Proverbs 17:22) Humor from Latter-Day Saint Life

This was a great class, besides the fact that my sister and I were pretty much the youngest two people present. We didn't write a ton of stuff down for this class, mostly we just listened and laughed. But I'll share what we did write down and then I'll share some of my own funnies... personal favorites that I've stumbled upon over the years. Enjoy!

• A child to her grandmother: "When I get older, I'll be a mommy, and my mom will be a grandmother.. and you'll be DEAD!"
• The bishop, announcing the program over the pulpit: "We'll have him speak and then we'll have a rest hymn." The child of the speaker: "Why do they wanna arrest dad?!"
• A four year old boy, listening to his dad read a Bible story hears "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked back and was turned to salt..." Concerned, the boy asked, "What happened to the flea?"

If you would like some more laughs, explore this website I stumbled upon several years ago. It's only LDS humor, so if you're not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, well what are you waiting for?! =)

And lastly, here is a marquee debate had between a Catholic and a Presbyterian church. Enjoy!

For Goodness' Sake: Increasing Goodness and Lowering Anxiety to Fulfill Our Divine Role!

Gladness versus Gloom: Getting Rid of Needless Comparisons and Self-Criticism to Make a Fabulous Positive Change! Vickey Pahnke Taylor

First of all, I just LOVE all the exclamation points in this title. They make me happy! =)
Second, I'm going to write this post in list form again. I think it's just easier to collect all of the thoughts in each class that way, especially since these notes are from Ed Week... two months ago. (Sorry these are all so late!)

• Find a way to enjoy EVERY calling. 
• Don't advertise your problems. There's no market for it.
• Think about it, most people don't wanna be burdened with your problems when they already have their own. 
• Moroni 7:19

• I know I've posted this video already, but it was shown to me in two different classes. And both times, it touched my heart. So even if you already read my very first post and you've already watched this video, watch it again. You won't regret it.
• Patience is a product of tribulation.
• You can't learn patience by not being tried. It's like trying to learn how to sing without ever opening your mouth. You have to actually experience a situation in which you can learn to apply patience! I know, it seems so obvious, right?!
• Strong Woman Woman of Strength
• What do you think is the difference?
• The closer you get to God, the harder your problems become. 
• Ooh! This is a good one. We think we have it hard... can you imagine what life must be like for President Thomas S. Monson?!?! 
• God gave us two eyes and two ears, but only one mouth.
• What are your thoughts on this? I always have a lot to say on most topics, but really, I should be listening and looking a whole lot more.
• Use whatever is good in you for good!

And lastly, this has nothing to do with this class. BUT, in keeping with the idea of gladness versus gloom, I LOVE to watch funny YouTube videos that make me laugh. Laughter truly is the best medicine. So... if you haven't already seen these videos, you need to go watch Episodes 1-6. They are hilarious! 

Enjoy!

Understanding the Doctrine of Foreordination

Understanding the Doctrine of Foreordination, Ronald Bartholomew

This class had a ton of awesome information and outlooks on how God works. I'll just write them in list form and expand with my own thoughts, if I have any.

• God is not a "candy machine" God. HE gets to choose the blessing. 
• I love this thought. We don't get to put in four quarters and choose blessing B10. God chooses which blessing to send us. And if you stop and think, it's probably better that way because God knows which blessings are right for us. He sees the bigger picture and knows which blessings we really need.
• God sends the serpent to bite us and the serpent to heal us.
• I think this is such an interesting concept. He uses the same tools to humble us as to lift us up. (Ether 12:27)
• God is not a "grandfather" god. 
• This is great! We are always hearing about how people love to be grandparents. Why? Because they get to spend time with their grandchildren, love them, spoil them, and then send them home! God is not this way in his "parenting" of us. He does not come to us with blessings and then walk away. He is always there. We, as his children, may not always seek his guidance or acknowledge his presence, but nonetheless, he is in everything, whether we choose to see Him or not. 
• God sees you in the past, present and future. As we do, he sees everything now.
• Okay, so I realize his is an incredibly difficult concept to wrap our minds around. One of the things I remember Bartholomew saying during this class was to try and understand it. Now, you would think that it would require a lot more explanation, but somehow, merely because he asked us to, it became easier for us to grasp. I'm not saying that I fully comprehend this idea of timelessness. And really, it's not completely necessary that I do. However, as I sit and ponder the idea, I find peace in knowing that God understands it, whether I do nor not... which leads into the next bullet point...
• "I don't know, but I don't need to know, because God knows and that's all I need to know."
• This was a quote that Bartholomew made up. I think it is so profound. Think about it for a moment.... This is really about faith. Even in your darkest moments, when you haven't the slightest idea what to do, or why you must endure this particular trial, all you need to remember is that God knows. After that, nothing else matters.
• He knows what shoes you will wear in 20 years, and in what landfill they will end up in 40 year.s
• I know it's trivial, but I wrote it down cuz I thought it was funny. =)
• Abraham wasn't born to a general authority. He was born to an idol-worshipping murderer.
• I LOVE THIS! No, I am by no means a scripture scholar, so I can't really give you any more information on this, only my thoughts. Abraham, who was blessed enormously, was not born into a perfect situation, with a perfect family with perfect parents, a perfect environment, whatever you want to describe it as. In fact, he was born to the most awful kind of person. And yet, he made the most of his situation and came through it all the better for it. Likewise, many of God's children are born into wonderful families, yet they turn away from the church and follow a different path. And as much as it hurts to see them leave us, it has to be that way. This is what agency is all about. Without the opportunity to choose right form wrong, a child on the right path means nothing, because they didn't choose it.