I'm back!

We are finally back in Sunny California! (not for long!)

I thought you'd like to see our new home (if you haven't already)
We get to keep the fridge, all window treatments, and the dining room set plus the hutch that goes with it.

Elle for President!

The picture is this year's, but I found this piece of writing from last year as I was going through stuff. It was too good to pass up. She has as good a reason for picking her vice president as anyone else. Her message to the American people sounds good to me. I'd vote for her! How about you?

One year ago today. . .

Chris' mom was in town for Thanksgiving.
She was at home making pies for us. I was working book fair at school. (again)
My friend and I had just gone to Scholastic to pick up some books we needed. She asked me if I needed a ride home. I said nah.
I worked a little bit more on book fair and then started walking home.
I decided to go down the little back street behind our building where it was quieter so I could call Kristen. I was a little nervous about going that way, (hello, Holy Ghost) but I decided to be brave and go anyway.
I called Kristen, but she wasn't home.
As I walked, I noticed a guy in a parked car.
I kept walking while I put my phone in my purse.
Another guy was walking from the parked car toward the sidewalk. He turned to the guy in the car, made a pone gesture and said, "The girl on the cell phone."
I thought, "Wait. Are they talking about ME?"
Of course not.
I kept walking, and unzipped my purse to get my house keys out.
I looked up and there was the phone gesturing man in front of me.
Weird.
I thought, "I'm not going to be prejudice (he was black). I'm sure he just wants to wish me a happy Thanksgiving, so I'll be polite."
NOPE.
He said, "GIVE ME YOUR BAG!"
I didn't have a bag, (I didn't realize he meant my purse) but, I knew this guy was trouble. My heart started racing and panic washed over me.
I instinctively clutched my purse with my right hand.
He reached out and plucked it off my arm.
I was still holding the strap.
Then I woke up.
He walked into the street.
A red car drove by.
I looked around for help and I started to approach the red car (purse strap still in hand).
The man was on the opposite side of the car
POINTING A GUN
at the driver and demanding his F_ing wallet.
I decided it was a good time to head home.
I slowly walked the 50 or so yards to my street and went down.
I turned to see if they car or the guy was around.
They weren't, so I ran the rest of the way home.
My hands shook as I unlocked the gate and then the building door and then my door.
I ran inside still clutching and now waving my purse strap and said, "I just got mugged!"
My mother-in-law hugged me and I ran to the computer to look up the local police station's number.
She said, "Just call 911!"
I did.
Then I called Chris, and he canceled all my cards
Less than 10 min. later, there was a loud knock at the door.
I peeked through the peaky hole (after standing on a stool so I could reach it).
No one was there.
Loud knock again.
"What do I do?!" I asked my mother-in-law.
"Ask who it is!"
I did.
They said it was LAPD.
I opened the door to find a police woman flat against the wall holding a gun with both hands pointing toward the ceiling, and a police man on my left in the same stance.
They came in and said how nice it smelled (from the pumpkin pie).
We offered them water, but they declined.
I gave them a crappy description of the guy and told them I thought he talked to a guy in a black SUV.
The police checked all the garbage cans, but they didn't find anything.
I filled out a report and later mailed a paper in listing everything that was in my purse including $10.
Since we were doing well with our budget, Chris said we'd just file the $10 under "Gifts."
It's been a year and I haven't heard a thing about my purse since.
So, be wiser than me and don't carry so much in your purse, and don't go down back roads by yourself especially when you hear the Holy Ghost tell you not to. :)

The giraffe

Here's a better picture of Chris' awesome giraffe to go along with that last post.
(And the librarian trying not to be in the picture:)

Answers

Just in case you've asked, "What does Nanette DO all day?"
I'm here to tell you. At least what I've been up to for the past week (and I'm not done yet).
First, I'm collecting food for the food bank.
I take a cart (see above photo) around to each and every class at school (There are, I think, 33),
and gather multiple bags of food from each one.
Then, I wheel the cart to the hall and inventory every single (sometime literally) stinking item so that each class gets credit for every item of food they brought in. This was NOT my idea, but I have to do it because we're having a contest between the classes.

I have a separate box for each item, except the "extras" that aren't on the list we sent out, but people gave us anyway.
(Those items are in the three giant boxes at the right)

THEN, I have to put one of each item in a box for a complete Thanksgiving meal.
The white boxes are the complete meals.
The food on the blue cart is expired food. (That's why it is literally stinking food sometimes)
The oldest thing I've seen was from 2006. ew.
I'm getting a fabulous work out walking all around campus, then lifting heavy cans of food, then doing tons of lunges as I bend down to put the food in boxes. Plus, I don't have time to snack!
My thighs are going to look great when I'm done !:)

As if that didn't keep my busy enough, I also have to do Book Fair before and after school and a couple nights and during lunch :)
That's our snake wound up in the book rounder. I did the Christmas display all by myself! :)
Chris made the awesome giraffe outside the door. (Thanks again, sweety!)
AND. . .
I'm supposed to make multiple kinds of cookies to thank all the parent volunteers who help out at Book Fair.
So, that's what I've been up to lately, and why I haven't posted.
Drink up this one while you can because, like I said, it's not over yet!!

Persecution

I am disheartened by all the craziness happening. I had the thought to turn to the General Conference talks. This helped.

Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship

Elder Robert D. Hales
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Answering our accusers in the Savior’s way.

We have gathered together as one, we have taken upon us the name of Jesus Christ, and we are Christians. One of the questions we would ask: why then, if we have that love of the Savior, would someone want to be an antagonist or to attack us?

Recently a group of bright, faithful young Latter-day Saints wrote down some of the most pressing questions on their minds. One sister asked, “Why doesn’t the Church defend itself more actively when accusations are made against it?”

To her inquiry I would say that one of mortality’s great tests comes when our beliefs are questioned or criticized. In such moments, we may want to respond aggressively—to “put up our dukes.” But these are important opportunities to step back, pray, and follow the Savior’s example. Remember that Jesus Himself was despised and rejected by the world. And in Lehi’s dream, those coming to the Savior also endured “mocking and pointing . . . fingers” (1 Nephi 8:27). “The world hath hated [my disciples],” Jesus said, “because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). But when we respond to our accusers as the Savior did, we not only become more Christlike, we invite others to feel His love and follow Him as well.

To respond in a Christlike way cannot be scripted or based on a formula. The Savior responded differently in every situation. When He was confronted by wicked King Herod, He remained silent. When He stood before Pilate, He bore a simple and powerful testimony of His divinity and purpose. Facing the moneychangers who were defiling the temple, He exercised His divine responsibility to preserve and protect that which was sacred. Lifted up upon a cross, He uttered the incomparable Christian response: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Some people mistakenly think responses such as silence, meekness, forgiveness, and bearing humble testimony are passive or weak. But, to “love [our] enemies, bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]” (Matthew 5:44) takes faith, strength, and, most of all, Christian courage.

The Prophet Joseph Smith demonstrated this courage throughout his life. Though he “suffer[ed] severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious” (Joseph Smith—History 1:27), he did not retaliate or give in to hatred. Like all true disciples of Christ, he stood with the Savior by loving others in a tolerant and compassionate way. That is Christian courage.

When we do not retaliate—when we turn the other cheek and resist feelings of anger—we too stand with the Savior. We show forth His love, which is the only power that can subdue the adversary and answer our accusers without accusing them in return. That is not weakness. That is Christian courage.

Through the years we learn that challenges to our faith are not new, and they aren’t likely to disappear soon. But true disciples of Christ see opportunity in the midst of opposition.

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Abinadi was bound and brought before the evil King Noah. Although the king vigorously opposed Abinadi and eventually sentenced him to death, Abinadi boldly taught the gospel and bore his testimony anyway. Because Abinadi took advantage of that opportunity, a priest named Alma was converted to the gospel and brought many souls unto Christ. The courage of Abinadi and Alma was Christian courage.

Experience shows that seasons of negative publicity about the Church can help accomplish the Lord’s purposes. In 1983, the First Presidency wrote to Church leaders, “Opposition may be in itself an opportunity. Among the continuing challenges faced by our missionaries is a lack of interest in religious matters and in our message. These criticisms create . . . interest in the Church. . . . This provides an opportunity [for members] to present the truth to those whose attention is thus directed toward us.”¹

We can take advantage of such opportunities in many ways: a kind letter to the editor, a conversation with a friend, a comment on a blog, or a reassuring word to one who has made a disparaging comment. We can answer with love those who have been influenced by misinformation and prejudice—who are “kept from the truth because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12). I assure you that to answer our accusers in this way is never weakness. It is Christian courage in action.

As we respond to others, each circumstance will be different. Fortunately, the Lord knows the hearts of our accusers and how we can most effectively respond to them. As true disciples seek guidance from the Spirit, they receive inspiration tailored to each encounter. And in every encounter, true disciples respond in ways that invite the Spirit of the Lord. Paul reminded the Corinthians that his preaching was “not with the enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4). Because that power resides in the Spirit of the Lord, we must never become contentious when we are discussing our faith. As almost every missionary learns, Bible bashing always drives the Spirit away. The Savior has said, “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me” (3 Nephi 11:29). More regrettable than the Church being accused of not being Christian is when Church members react to such accusations in an un-Christlike way! May our conversations with others always be marked by the fruits of the Spirit—”love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance” (Galatians 5:22–23). To be meek, as defined in Webster’s Dictionary, is “manifesting patience and longsuffering: enduring injury without resentment.”² Meekness is not weakness. It is a badge of Christian courage.

This is especially important in our interactions with members of other Christian denominations. Surely our Heavenly Father is saddened—and the devil laughs—when we contentiously debate doctrinal differences with our Christian neighbors.

This is not to suggest that we compromise our principles or dilute our beliefs. We cannot change the doctrines of the restored gospel, even if teaching and obeying them makes us unpopular in the eyes of the world. Yet even as we feel to speak the word of God with boldness, we must pray to be filled with the Holy Ghost (see Acts 4:29, 31). We should never confuse boldness with Satan’s counterfeit: overbearance (see Alma 38:12). True disciples speak with quiet confidence, not boastful pride.

As true disciples, our primary concern must be others’ welfare, not personal vindication. Questions and criticisms give us an opportunity to reach out to others and demonstrate that they matter to our Heavenly Father and to us. Our aim should be to help them understand the truth, not defend our egos or score points in a theological debate. Our heartfelt testimonies are the most powerful answer we can give our accusers. And such testimonies can only be born in love and meekness. We should be like Edward Partridge, of whom the Lord said, “His heart is pure before me, for he is like unto Nathanael of old, in whom there is no guile” (D&C 41:11). To be guileless is to have a childlike innocence, to be slow to take offense and quick to forgive.

These qualities are first learned in the home and family and can be practiced in all our relationships. To be guileless is to look for our own fault first. When accused, we should ask as the Savior’s Apostles did, “Lord, is it I?” (Matthew 26:22). If we listen to the answer given by the Spirit, we can, if needed, make corrections, apologize, seek forgiveness, and do better.

Without guile, true disciples avoid being unduly judgmental of others’ views. Many of us have cultivated strong friendships with those who are not members of our Church—schoolmates, colleagues at work, and friends and neighbors throughout the world. We need them, and they need us. As President Thomas S. Monson has taught, “Let us learn respect for others. . . . None of us lives alone—in our city, our nation, or our world.”³

As the Savior demonstrated with Herod, sometimes true disciples must show Christian courage by saying nothing at all. Once when I was golfing, I barely brushed up against a large cholla cactus, which seems to shoot needles like a porcupine. Thorns from that plant stuck all over my clothing, even though I had barely touched the cactus plant. Some situations are like that plant: they can only injure us. In such instances, we are better off to keep our distance and simply walk away. As we do, some may try to provoke us and engage us in argument. In the Book of Mormon, we read about Lehonti and his men camped upon a mount. The traitorous Amalickiah urged Lehonti to “come down” and meet him in the valley. But when Lehonti left the high ground, he was poisoned “by degrees” until he died, and his army fell into Amalickiah’s hands (see Alma 47). By arguments and accusations, some people bait us to leave the high ground. The high ground is where the light is. It’s where we see the first light of morning and the last light in the evening. It is the safe ground. It is true and where knowledge is. Sometimes others want us to come down off the high ground and join them in a theological scrum in the mud. These few contentious individuals are set on picking religious fights, online or in person. We are always better staying on the higher ground of mutual respect and love.

In doing so, we follow the example of the prophet Nehemiah, who built a wall around Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s enemies entreated him to meet them on the plain, where “they thought to do [him] mischief.” Unlike Lehonti, however, Nehemiah wisely refused their offer with this message: “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:2–3). We too have a great work to do, which will not be accomplished if we allow ourselves to stop and argue and be distracted. Instead we should muster Christian courage and move on. As we read in Psalms, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers” (Psalm 37:1).

Evil will always be with us in this world. Part of mortality’s great test is to be in the world without becoming like the world. In His Intercessory Prayer, the Savior asked His Heavenly Father, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (John 17:15). But even as the Savior warned of persecution, He promised peace: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. . . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). I testify that with the mantle of His peace upon us, the First Presidency’s promise will be fulfilled: “The opposition which may seem hard to bear will be a blessing to the kingdom of God upon the earth.”⁴

To my inquiring sister and all who seek to know how we should respond to our accusers, I reply, we love them. Whatever their race, creed, religion, or political persuasion, if we follow Christ and show forth His courage, we must love them. We do not feel we are better than they are. Rather, we desire with our love to show them a better way—the way of Jesus Christ. His way leads to the gate of baptism, the strait and narrow path of righteous living, and the temple of God. He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Only through Him can we and all our brothers and sisters inherit the greatest gift we can receive—eternal life and eternal happiness. To help them, to be an example for them, is not for the weak. It is for the strong. It is for you and me, Latter-day Saints who pay the price of discipleship by answering our accusers with Christian courage.

I conclude by making the testimony of Mormon my own: “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life” (3 Nephi 5:13). I bear my special witness of Him—that our lives can be everlasting because His love is everlasting. That we may share His eternal, unconditional love with our brothers and sisters everywhere, is my humble prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. First Presidency letter, Dec. 1, 1983.
2. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (1976), "meek," 1403.
3. Thomas S. Monson, “In Quest of the Abundant Life,” Ensign, Mar. 1988, 3.
4. First Presidency letter, Dec. 1, 1983.

Halloween

We carved pumpkins Monday and by Friday they were moldy!
Notice the sketch Elle did for her pumpkin--Chris executed it for her.

We had our very last friends and family day at Dreamworks on Halloween. :(
So many people wanted to say thanks and goodbye to Chris, he had three going away lunches this week plus a cross site video conference surprise going away party! The northern CA office joined in to via the conference room!

For trunk or treat, we were 50's diner people.
Elle insisted I match her "diner girl" outfit exactly.
She and I worked hard on the diner car ;)

Elle and Chris had a daddy-daughter date the next day at a museum.