Melva Gifford

A couple of weeks ago I attended an online web-seminar about burn out. I took some notes and thought I’d share them. This subject will occupy the next couple of weeks for Tasks Errands and projects oh my.

Signs of burnout in self and people close to you:

–        Crankiness is a result/trait of burn out.

–        Constant headaches are also a sign of burn out.

–        You may not be eating well.

–        You may have burn out if you have a hard time getting up each morning. Avoid the snooze button

–        Pay attention to how you respond to circumstances like with your coworkers? Are you easily irritated?

–        Are you using sarcasm a lot or muttering under your breath?

–        Look at your body language. Are you closing in your body, drooped shoulders?

–        Know that every day will not be a 10

–        Do you have plans to look forward or just looking forward to the weekend?

–        Have aspirations of 1 yr. 3 yr. or 5 yr. plan in life.

–        If you are clock watching? That is a symptom.

–        Your partner has a hard time getting up

–        Not eating breakfast

–        Sarcasm

–        Can you see tone change in emails?

–        Are you no longer willing to participate in a team and help it succeed?

–        Snort or deride other’s success.

–        No excitement about something

–        Some people are quiet, if so; ask them how they are doing

–        When they come back from vacation, are they happy to see coworker

–        Negative feelings are contagious

–        If someone you work with is always negative try to keep away from them.

–        Burn out is contagious and can influence our behavior of those we support

–        Name calling or belittle can build from burn out

I remember about a year ago when I attended patriotic lecture and heard a very important statistic. The quote is said to be from Ezera Taft Benson. It was mentioned that 3% of the population, in this example it was the church, is devoted to a specific theme in their life. For example, 3% of the population is really big on genealogy work, another 3% may be big on temples, and another 3% may be devoted to youth camp, etc. In the lecture the presenter talked about 3% of the population being concerned about their nation’s future and become politically active.

This is why I thought an informed citizenry would make an interesting topic for teaching embellishments. Because of the Fourth of July weekend. It’s only natural that I would like to discuss freedom. When many people attend the various festivities, they often go with family members and enjoy the event together.  In my case, since I don’t have family I do activities with friends. Both provide the sense of community.

With all the patriotic topics being discussed this week. I wanted to touch upon is an informed citizenry.

Today I want to emphasize that becoming informed on national and community issues does not necessarily mean you have to attend all city hall meetings or picket the NSA or IRS building. I think each of us can accomplish a lot by us being informed on the issues. I have learned in recent years, the tendency for the press to have their own agenda when sharing the news. Lately there’s been too many examples of manipulation of information to provide false perceptions to the viewer. So I find merely watching the news is not a secure way of getting accurate information.

This weekend, while attending of reunion with some writer friends, I was reminded of how people of the local community with political ambitions may not be above lying to accomplish their goals. There was one person that I have supported in the past, but I’m hearing some really bad information on him. I need to see how I can research his integrity, so I don’t support an unethical person. Apparently this person is reported to have shared in accurate information for the sake of political gain. I’ve recently learned that they don’t even attend the city Council meetings consistently. Before I mentioned this person’s name, I need to see and discover if this man is doing what I’ve heard he’s doing before I determine if I’m going to continue my support of him. At the moment, the jury is still out. And until I can determine if he’s an honorable man. I’m no longer going to promote him.

I give this example because I see that I need to be better informed on this individual. But my concern of this person’s actions is not just restricted to local government. In this case, I thought this person was ethical and now I hear he is not. It’s a good example of flattering words being used to build a following. I don’t like being played. It makes me wonder how many times I’ve voted to someone at the national level or state level that the twit

It is my intent to approach him on these issues. My invitation is for each of us, including me to make more of an effort to become informed on issues. I’ve been attending some meetings on Common Core presented by people who are pro-common core and people and by people who are anti-common core. Sometimes hear both sides of an issue, makes me downright dizzy. But I do feel that hearing about the issues can be very useful. I have not liked what I have been learning of common core. And attending some of the meetings of pro-common core people substantiate that the information I’ve heard is accurate. They want the things are happening or for the sake of job security, and agree to that kid should be taught in this manner.

I can see how those that are involved in the community for the long-term, can start learning of the integrity of community leaders , or our national leaders simply because they notice their actions throughout the duration of their political careers. One can determine by their actions and their words, if they are liars. The City Councilman who I once trusted made a comment about the parking lot for storytelling center not following legal specs. When I obtained a copy of the floor plan, I couldn’t tell if the specs for parking were legal and not. Hindsight teaches me that since I know diddly squat about the floor plan of the parking lot. I can’t determine by looking at the document, if he was right or wrong. I may need to involve someone who is not politically motivated to help me analyze the document. That way I don’t think anyone’s word for granted. I see if what’s presented on paper, matches what I was told.

I know many people will pursue knowledge to a variety of ways. Here are a few:

1. Is to consistently attending meetings and gain of long-term familiarity with people in public office
2. Another is lectures and presentations.
3. Research on Internet, library or documentation on government websites.
4. Nonfiction books on various topics including politics.
5. Be a student of history. We find that history repeats itself. Politicians repeat their behaviors.
6. If you have a hard time understanding the concept, or in my case, a floor plan, involve someone that can accurately interpret it. But whoever you ask for analysis help, be aware that they may influence their response to what they feel is right or wrong.
7. I’ve also found that the experiences of other friends and people that I don’t agree with politically to be very informative.
8. For those of us who feel that God has a direct influence on our lives, I would recommend that we pray for him, his father’s inspiration to help us and guide us.

I find that I’m too trusting, far too often. I invite all of us to start question everything. I invite us not to take things at face value. Because there are too many people that are not above lying. We enact our free will of becoming more actively involved in community, state and national issues. For the last number of months I have been saving a number of news articles that are in direct conflict with the promises offered by the current administration. So my confidence in their integrity is shaken. There are also areas of concern from the previous administration that I have not forgotten.

My invitation is for each of us to seek out information from multiple sources and to not rely totally upon the news media. Let us, as a citizenry, not be played.

Thank you for your time in looking over this blog entry.

The bad way I usually spell it: tempature.

The correct way is temperature.

One way to remember is when I think of temperature I think either hot or cold. When someone is hot or mad about something they’re showing their Temper, thus: TEMPER-ature.

If you have an idea or mnemonic to spell this, please feel free to share.

This is the final entry on this topic of reunions. I want to mention some of the ways that my extended family catered the activities to match various age groups of family members attending the reunion.

–        Take advantage of the resources around you as you choose your selected site. Since we owned some land on the eastern rim of Zions one year. Some of us organized a group to hike down the Narrows. This was a two day hike. As it is about 12 or 18 miles. I don’t remember which. As we were hiking along the sides of a River, sometimes going downstream made it easier to travel.

–        Those who like golfing enjoy the activity of Friday morning of going off site to golf.

–        For the marksmen in our family, the ski shoot seems very popular. I’ve always appreciated that my sister Sherry has usually been very successful in her shooting alongside the men. You don’t mess with my sister. There are several ladies that are pretty good shots.

–        The balloon toss for the Saturday afternoon games is always very popular because if one happens to burst, no one seems to mind the opportunity to cool off. This is an activity that is good for all ages, either for participants are observers.

–        One year we had multiple games of checkers and chess, so that people could play that as well.

–        Some games that we enjoy playing at individual campsites is card games such as phase 10 or Uno. These games can usually accommodate multiple ages.

–        Kids seem to really enjoy running around amongst the trees and in nature as they spend their energy exploring. We are far enough away from the rim drop-off that it is a safe environment. Though the kids do need to be careful of snakes.

–        The entertainment night seems to work well for all ages, as it involves the smallest children and some of the older adults provide annual performances that always enjoyed. These talent shows usually follow a certain theme that has been assigned for that year.

–        The dance after the entertainment is most popular with the teenagers. Usually, when I hit the sack. I can hear the music still playing late into the night.

–        Sharing time on Sunday morning is a good opportunity to touch upon the spiritual aspects of our lives. This is a good time to hear stories and memories of fellow family members. Sometimes an aunt or an uncle may know a story about my father or mother that I had never heard. So it’s always good to enjoy sharing time for that additional motive.

–        There’s also the additional drive-by visits of family members that walk from site to site to greet and converse with extended family.

If you have enjoyed your family reunions that are either camp related or not, please feel free to share your ideas of what you do with your family. The rest of us will be very greedy to hear additional fun ideas to implement for our own reunions. Thanks.

Last Friday, I tried to write a blog entry that discussed why certain religious people want to maintain the status quo of a marriage being between a man and a woman. Some people who disagree with this opinion have called some religious people, self-righteous. A friend of mine let me know that my thoughts on that blog entry was rather incoherent and that maybe I should restructure my presentation in a more effective manner. That was a very good suggestion and the following is an effort to try to over again.

I hope my comments can be of use to youth ministries, family devotionals, and family home evenings. If not that least it gives me a chance to clarify my own motivations on this topic.

Today’s topic is motivations of some religious citizens. The following five ideas are some of my own motivations. They may be shared by other religious individuals. Or others may have an entirely different set of motivations. I see for key reasons as to why religious people want to maintain certain standards in American culture, which includes a marriage between a man and a woman.

1. I have a concern of people that may not believe in God trying to dictate to God what is sin and what is not sin. As I see Christ as the creator of the world and creator of man and woman. I feel that when people try to redefine the commandments and principles that God has defined, I feel that is arrogant. To me, it shows that they feel they know more than God.

I think anyone who is been a parent would not appreciate their children showing disrespect and disobedience; specially, if said child lacks the maturity and longevity of experience that would explain why certain laws and commandments have been given to us.

2. Since the creation, God has defined that the family unit is essential to our efforts to return to the presence of God. This would be the nuclear family of a father and the mother through share responsibilities in raising the children. Both genders have unique traits that contribute to positive parenting. Many religious people feel that the creation of the earth and the people on the earth has eternal purposes. Our behavior doesn’t just influence here and now, but includes the eternities.

3. It is not just religious people who see an increasing amount of corruption and corrosion of morals in society. An increasing number of citizens are perfectly happy to elect corrupt politicians to represent them in Washington. An increasing number of individuals are relabeling what was once considered sin to be okay because it satisfies their personal ambitions to do so. I feel some religious people seek to push back the floodwaters of moral decay.

Some of us are concerned that by simply giving something once considered bad a pretty label, it will then be considered good. Kind a like a thief who feels perfectly entitled to steal someone else’s possessions because they have had a hard life. They feel that the person they are stealing from doesn’t deserve their success. Even though the person is stealing from may have worked long hours and spent decades building a career to earn the tokens of their success.

4. Many religious people feel that they have to give an accounting of the conduct of their lives when they meet their Creator after death. This may include not standing up against the rise of sin when we had the power to do so. We feel that we have to stand before the judgment bar to be judge for our own actions and how we treat others.

5. Many Christians in the United States feel that the founding of America was based on Christian values. Also, many Christians feel that the fate of our nation is reliant upon our obedience to God. If we disallow God, then we have broken our contract with him and our nation is not guaranteed to be preserved.

These are a few of my motivations that may be shared by others.

Some religious people have been accused of self-righteousness for these attitudes. I would invite people that make such accusations to go to church and pay attention to chance comments in Sunday school. You can find admissions of religious people struggling to accomplish their own goals and overcome sin. Sometimes, testimonies are expressed of how God has helped people overcome a personal challenge. Some religious people find certain things within the control. Such as may be maintaining the family unit, where each gender contributes to the success of the whole. This type of family unit can help maintain the foundation of shared resources. That can empower us while we work on challenges that we have not yet achieved.

We’ll see if this particular line of expression will be coherent than my last attempt. Thanks.

I suspect we all have dreams of grander, especially if we have a chance to read, biographies of successful people or of great people in history. I guess the genesis of this idea was inspired by some Facebook entries that accused religious people of being judgmental because they don’t agree with marriage being outside the union of a man and woman. They accuse religious people as being self-righteous and not seeing our own faults.

I invite people who feel this way to consider this explanation. Religious people acknowledge to themselves the need for self-improvement. In an effort to improve, I see that there are certain areas that we cannot control, and there are other areas more within our power to influence. For example, I have a devil of a time with a bad habit. Sometimes I bite my nails and sometimes I don’t. My human frailties and lack of willpower illustrate that this is still a problem. This is an area I have difficulty controlling. Getting up in the morning and going to work is something that is easier for me to control. It’s manageable.

Religious people can get just as discouraged about not accomplishing a goal as nonreligious people. in fact it can contribute to depression when we don’t achieve certain things. Since there are certain goals that religious people feel are God’s commandments, it merely emphasizes the degree of urgency to reach a goal.

I’ve heard that Utah is one of the highest states using anti-depressants. Many people believe a key contributor is because as religious people we get discouraged because we are not the type of people we are striving to be. We see our shortcomings when we want to be better than we are. Religious people are trying to be better people. We do this by avoiding things that can hinder our progress, which includes maintaining a home environment that can promote a positive relationship with God. We try to live his commandments and try to overcome our short comings.

Non-religious people also try to be good people. I think most of us, with or without religion are trying to do the best we can. Some of us have a belief that God is an additional motivator behind our actions. Non-religious people find other motivations. Many good people of the world, who don’t have religion, are known to be the type who would give the coat off their back to help someone.

That’s cool.

In our efforts to constantly improve, religious people endeavor to keep our foundation strong. We seek to build our homes on the stones of The Commandments, seeking out God’s word, and working on overcoming our private sins. Since the creation, God had illustrated the importance of the relationships between a married man and woman. Each gender has character traits that make them a good parent in raising children. Even before reading studies how children raised under a nuclear family are usually less inclined to pursue crime; religious people see the family unit as being essential in raising children to have a good relationships with God.

People complain about the degrading of society today. There is an increase of crime and apathy toward life. Mass murderers are motivated to kill defenseless children. Citizens are perfectly willing to continually vote for politicians who are power hungry and who pursue their own agenda over the desired of the people. An example of this is pushing through laws against the will of the people to fulfill political agendas.

With so much corruption and loss of morals, it makes it all the more important to try to maintain an environment in the home where both genders can use their positive attributes to raise their children to be the most capable possible. That means that parents (male and female) see the value of their roles as parents and coupled with the laws of God, they disagree with same sex marriage.

Some parents have no choice but to raise a family solo. I was reared in a single parent home.

Religious people want to maintain a course of action of raising a family that has showed positive results for centuries.  A commandment demands obedience. They are not just a list of ‘good suggestions’.

When it comes to a perceived attitude of self-righteous, check out a church and you will likely see a lot of people struggling with personal challenges but who are working on making themselves better. In Sunday school, I will hear numerous hints of people acknowledging their shortcomings, and their efforts to keep trying to improve. At various stages of our lives we see that church is for the sinner. In our efforts to improve, we desire to associate with people who share a similar goal. We go to church to hear suggestions for improvement and the read the scriptures and to review the principals of God to see how those list of instructions can help them achieve their desires.

Just some of my thoughts on the matter.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/federal-report-confirms-nuclear-family-best-for-childrens-health-48997/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2001/apr/05/crime.penal

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254450/Demise-nuclear-family-British-children-likely-live-parents-major-Western-nation.html

Wrong spelling: canidates (with a southern Utah accent)

Correct spelling: candidates.

How to remember? When you vote for someone you want to remember what they DID in the past. Also, you want someone that CAN do the things they promise. Also they never miss a meal, especially when its paid by ‘the people’. So include ATE. CAN-DID-ATE- s.

If you have a way to remember, please share it. Thanks.