lizzybennet | (no subject)

Now that my time in DC is drawing to a close, my brain is ready to move on to the next big adventure: Wisconsin (am I the first person in history to call moving to Wisconsin an adventure?) I've found a blog run by an LDS guy who lives in Appleton, which is one of the towns we are considering moving to. He runs several blogs and websites, actually and here's a blurb from one of them that specifically is designed for newcomers to the area:

The philosophy of the Appleton School District, like most school districts, is that kindergarten children are not "developmentally ready" to learn how to read, so no serious attempt is made to teach reading in the manner some parents expect ... nearly 24% of Appleton students attend home school or private schools

Huh. Interesting. I know Josh is ready to read now, but Zack had a really hard time learning to read in kindergarten. For Zack, such a curriculum would have been well suited. For Josh, I certainly will be teaching him to read on my own, particularly because he won't be in WI for the long term. We need to be prepared for the next school, that most likely will expect their 1st graders to read.

If you're interested, here are a few of the guy's blogs:

Welcome to Appleton, WI

Mormanity.

I have a theory that many Mormons are prolific bloggers because of the whole write-in-your-journal commandment. The church is very big on personal and family history. I know I see my lj as a way to keep a journal and keep in touch with friends/family at the same time. Any thoughts, you fellow Mormon ljers?

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mmm I never thought about it that way but i bet you are right about the journal thing. I use my Lj for basically the same purpose you do and I know that several of my ljer friends use it for the same reason. I find it much easier to type mine than to write it out. Not to mention that I don't have the best handwriting. Typing is so much easier to read. lol

I skimmed through the post "Another Reason Why Active LDS People (and Active People in Other Faiths) Tend to Be Happier." I've actually been thinking that myself - not necessarily because of the charitable aspect of being a faith based person (mostly because I know several non-believers who are incredible caregivers of the community and are pretty happy), but because it's pretty comforting to know that there is something bigger than you looking out for you.

I don't know how to explain how different I've been feeling since I started to get back into reading the word and talking with other believers. But there seems to be a renewed spark of hope where there once wasn't one. The more I read about Jesus and God and God's love and grace, the more relieved I am. The more relieved I am, the less stressed I am. The less stressed I am, the more time I have to devote myself to things and people that truly make me a happy person.

It's that relief of knowing that God really is there and He really is looking out for me, even when I don't think He is. I have this new mantra: I have faith in God in all things. I repeat it to myself a lot whenever. Sometimes I say it because I'm worried about something. Other times I just say it to remind myself that it's all good. (It being life.) Since I've started praying that there has been this nice relief, a connection. It pops up in my brain when I don't even realize it.

Does any of this make sense?

Relief...it's been what I've been needing and it's been there the whole time.

I didn't read much of his entries. I'll go back and do that some other time. But, i am very happy to hear that you're feeling so much better. I heard a quote at church yesterday that made me think of you. I'll see if I can find it and I'll send it to you. It makes such a difference when we allow God into our lives. I mean, He's always there but it's so easy to stop turning to Him for help. I know I often forget to and it's such a simple solution for our problems.