Can I Make a Difference? The Answer is Already No if I Don't Try.

I wrote a letter to CBS urging them to not go forward with a decision to air ads about pro-choice on abortion and homosexuality. I feel in an effort to gain support others use clever words like pro-choice, to advocate their own choice. The term pro-choice has always bothered me, after all, whose choice? Those who advocate such a term, contradict themselves since the unborn have no such choice.

I have included the letter I wrote and the link to write one of your own if you feel so inclined. If you are short on time, feel free to copy and paste mine or the AFA (American Family Association) have posted one you may use.

E-mail CBS Chairman Les Moonves and CBS Entertainment President Nancy Tellem

Message sent to the following recipients:
Les Moonves
Nancy Tellem
Message text follows:

I want to personally thank you for the choice CBS made on it's decision to air the Tebow Super Bowl ad and wish to encourage you to stand firm in the face of opposition. I hope that you will know that there are thousands
upon thousands, even millions that stand behind and support you in your decision.

Perhaps, in an effort to be "fair" CBS may feel the need to air
"responsibly produced" ads that promote abortion or homosexuality. I strongly urge you to reconsider this decision and reject the need to accept such messages of violence and destruction.

The super bowl is about celebration, about those who have overcome in the face of opposition. As always in life, there are winners and losers. The youth of today see that message every day. Let us teach about how to win in life! The youth of today, as millions of others, will be watching your decision. You have the
opportunity to make a difference.

It's time. I have put it off long enough and let way too many great experiences go un-blogged, which means un-journaled.... (I love making up new words to fit my story!). Now inspired by those who have gone before, I am here blogging once again. To start anew, I thought I would share some wealth, to be exact, a couple of craft giveaway opportunities. One is from my daughter's blog and the other I found from her blog. Go to each of the links listed below and find yourself with the opportunity to receive a craft give away item. They are all darling. Now I know this is not a huge post but hey, it's a beginning. Enjoy!

http://thecraftingcornerblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.stewartstories.blogspot.com/

"Return to Virtue" (Elaine S. Dalton, Young Women General President) Ensign May 2009

For my post this morning I choose to add a recent e-mail I wrote to Reebok. Should any of you decide you want to make a comment to Reebok, I have included the link. Hopefully none of you have viewed the commercial referred to below, but be forewarned, if you see Reebok pop up for an infomercial (sp?) you may want to quickly get rid of the sound as well as the picture!

http://www.reebok.com/US/customer-service/contact-us

To whom it may concern,

I am a runner, I have five children, all are married and all twelve of us (including my husband) are athletes. My daughter and her husband are triathlon participants. My son and daughter-in- law have been half-marathon runners, another son is a baseball coach at a university in Virginia, I could go on but hopefully you get the message that we buy a lot of athletic products in our family. The purpose of this e-mail is to tell you that I was highly offended by a commercial you ran on the internet during the video "Chuck" (Warner Brothers) It is nothing short of pornographic and I found myself terribly disappointed in Reebok. If this commercial continues to air, as well as any like it in the future, I will no longer be making Reebok purchases of any kind. I can assure you I will send this message on to any who will listen, especially my children, who have a high sense of regard for virtue as well. I urge you to find a more educated and respectful way to sell your product.

Sincerely,

Sherrie Mann

The Once Young Boy, is Now a Man

While spending a most wonderful Thanksgiving with Logan, Becca (puppy Roxie), Cory, Melissa, girls; Katelund, Cloey and Hailey (via Melissa's tummy), I learned something about our son, Logan that touched me and spoke of a noble and righteous love. Melissa was asking Becca what Logan had said when he found out she had Multiple Sclerosis. Becca said the minute she heard she went on campus and found him. Understandably anxious, she pulled him out of the class he was in and after telling him, stated, "You know, I could end up in a wheel chair or end up handicapped, are you sure you want to still marry me? You don't have to you know." Logan answered without hesitation, He said: "I am not marrying you for this lifetime. I am marrying you for the eternities and you'll be perfect in the eternities". The quick "Oh," from Melissa was followed by "Isn't that the most tender and romantic thing you have ever heard?" A slight gasp escaped my lips and tears filled my eyes as I felt an overwhelming love and respect for the boy that I knew as my son and now the man I know as Becca's husband.

My little sister Julie, "she's so pretty!"

{Julie and I this last October in NYC. She wanted to pretend like we were homeless.}

Members of our family know exactly what the word "bowtanny" means. But in order to enlighten those that may not understand this bit of verbology (words not found in the dictionary but should be, including verbology), I will explain. This is the very class my sister thought she was taking in college while striving to get her masters degree in social work. She was in the book store hunting down the assigned book for the class. After spending more time than necessary she finally gave up and asked the clerk if they, in fact, even carried the book. Yes, it is as you might have guessed, Julie was looking for the curriculum for her Botany class. But wait, my adorable little sister only gets better with age. Not to be out done by herself, Julie has added one more to what I call her "very strawberry blonde moments". While I was having a conversation with her, she told me with disgust dripping from her tone, "Do you know that I need to go home and take care of a hundred frozen cookie dough buckets? I went to pick up the orders only to find that they come in buckets as frozen cookie dough! ". I bit back my initial response to say, "Well yes honey, what part of the word dough did you not understand but instead asked, "Well Honey just how do think the frozen cookie dough should come?" "Oh, I don't know", she stated, still a little irritated, "I thought they were coming as cookies, not DOUGH!" Julie is proof that you may be able to take the girl out of Oklahoma, but you can't take the blonde out of the girl! Life with Julie is just plain fun!

The Appropriate Companionship of Wisdom and Power

In research for a talk I was giving I came across this quote. I loved it so much that I wanted to share it with others:

In 1866, when the Relief Society was reorganized, Eliza [R. Snow] was set apart as president over the entire sisterhood of the Church [of Jesus Christ of Latter-dat Saints]. She received many letters from officers in ward Relief Societies, asking about their duties and responsibilities. In 1869, in answer to such a letter, she wrote these words to Mary Lightener:

“Tell the sisters to go forth and discharge their duties in humility and faithfulness and the Spirit of God will rest upon them, and they will be blest in their labors... (My Favorite part of the quote): ....Let them seek for wisdom instead of power and they will have all the power they have wisdom to exercise!!!” 1

Should you want to learn more about how incredible and inspiring Eliza R. Snow was/is, click on the 1 at the end of her quote.

Taught by my Little Ones

Though not so little any more they will always be my little ones and today I have been taught by them. As I spoke with my daughter Amber this afternoon she said "Mom I need to go, I think the children's mother is here". Though she is pregnant with two daughters of her own, (the youngest just turned one) Amber tended a set of 19 month old twins for the day in order that their pregnant Mommy could visit the doctor. Then, not but a few moments afterwards I was speaking with Melissa, (who also is expecting) and she said "Mom I need to go, the family we are having dinner with is here". In an effort to help a struggling family they had them over for dinner. It is one thing to serve others when you have an empty house but everyday I see young mothers, whose plates are already full yet find the inner strength to serve someone else. I am constantly humbled by their goodness. While being taught by others is vastly rewarding, there is something richly fulfilling for a mother to be taught by her children!

Alas, my tutorial was yet to be finished, as my daughter Stefani called, excited because she had aced a test! That in and of itself is wonderful but her continued explanation touched my heart. Stefani was concerned about her grade in this class as she had not done so well on the last test. When receiving her paper back for the test she took today she noticed that the aide who had graded it had given her credit for an answer she didn't deserve, as it was only half right. In the attitude and principle of integrity Stefani took the test back to point it out to her Professor. To give the professor credit (which was why Stefani told me this story in the first place), he gave her the point because of her honesty. Whether he had or not, is not my lesson learned here today. Her honesty will be measured far beyond her term grade and I am reminded that one act, one little point is not worth the honors of men. Our acts of righteousness honors God and in turn bespeaks of our desires towards our Eternal home.

I am so grateful for the lessons taught to me this day while glancing through the windows of my children's lives.