I've never not wanted to go to Church

Knowing that I am a sinner and knowing church is for the sinner then believing it's also for the saint 

I always want to go to church, I never not wanted to go to church. Worthy to be there or not alone or with family. Since I can remember, I liked how it felt.

When we first moved from Colorado to Arizona I was a child of 3 or 4
My sister was a senior in High School and VERY upset that our parents had
taken her away from her friends, her school indeed her very Life!
She did not want to go to church.
I remember standing in that motel that Sunday looking up at her and saying
"Strangers are only friends we haven't met yet"    Now I ask myself - How on earth did I  know that at such a young age?  I believe it was a gift given to me at birth.

The Child, The Daughter

I have never not wanted to go to church, to please Mom - maybe, but it was more than that.

When I was young I went to church with my mom, my brother for awhile, but not my Dad, sister or the eldest brother.  In my world the only thing that brought my mother happiness, where I really remember seeing her glow and be at peace show happiness was going to church.  My daddy didn't go to church, he told everyone he was Mormon but he wasn't, he wasn't because he didn't want to go to church.  The sad part for me was no body knew my Dad in fact most believed I was being raised by a single mom for one reason or another.  The happy part for me was those people, those church people became my family.  They helped raise me.
Recently I realized that the act of going to church actually taught me several things.  For My Mother to whom I am so grateful  - for it is she who took me to church every Sunday.  In that ONE thing I learned the importance of so many other things; being on time, listening, to look nice "because how you dress is a reflection of how you feel about yourself", Mom taught me to "sit still and listen", she allowed no snacks (which taught me self discipline or at least the need of it!), if given an assignment to fulfill I did it - being taught "you don't say no to a calling" and "responsibility",  she insisted on no gum - she said "it looks sloppy", the reassurance of a good hand shake and a smile that "it is polite to greet people with kindness and sincerity",  the art of speaking in public, to sing, to pray and to be part of something bigger than myself.  All lessons learned because I went to church. 

The Youth, The Daughter

I have never not wanted to go to church, even just for me!

Even when I wasn't choosing to DO the things My Mother thought that I Should be doing.  Even when I wasn't doing what I thought I Should be Doing.  I always went to church.  I always Wanted to go to church.  Looking back and recognizing my issue with self discipline I'm thinking church is a place I can learn, feel, recognize to be the only place I can see that I exercised self discipline.  That at church, for how ever long it was, I engaged in self discipline in lots of different aspects.  Because my Mother taught me to go to church every Sunday.

The Young Adult

The Sinner  I always want to go to church, alone.

For about 7 years I ward hopped!  Jumping ship as soon as someone knew who I was.  I didn't want to get to close, let anyone in, be hurt, let them down, be asked to do anything.  I felt like a failure.  I wasn't living up to the high expectations I had been taught that were expectations of Mom and of myself.  The expectations I had of myself, not even just the ones I knew that My Mother had of me. But I in fact still ... always wanted to go to church.  And I went.  I followed my sister to Rocky Point where she almost one handedly started her own ward up and we went to church! I jumped from ward to ward in Provo, California and Mesa. Being a single young adult and going to church!

The Young Married

The Sinner and striving saint!  I always want to go to church, with my family.

I married a man who loved me.  A man who accepted me for me, who knew and loved everything about me.  I have learned over the years, especially in the last few years you can't do any better than that.  In the beginning I tried to push him away.  He didn't go to church, he smoked and drank - I didn't and remember... I always wanted to go to church.  He went with me to church and has continued to do so for, well coming up on 34 years (2014)!  I will forever be in debt to a woman who knew what I needed and didn't follow the spirit by the book but drew outside of the lines and gave me a job in the church that kept me, reminded me of my covenants and goals and the need of going to church.  Being young married with kids and jobs and responsibilities is hard, tiresome and tricky to balance.  Going to church when you don't want to remember all the things you both teach and learn with the choice of going and of not going!  It's not only about you at this point!!!!

The Mom in the nursery, the primary, Mutual, Scouts, Sunday School, or Sacrament Mtg.

I always wanted to go to church with my family.  I taught my children the same things taught to me by my mother while doing the ONE thing ... going to church!  Sit still, be on time, wear a white shirt or a nice dress, don't run in the chapel, don't whisper while others are speaking, use your "church voice" and on and on you get my drift!  I hope and pray they always want to go to church. I have a testimony that Jesus is the Christ. I know that going to church and to the Temple are uplifting, The commandments and as I have stated teach more than just the act of going to church.  I believe in families being forever. I know that Joseph Smith went to a grove away from the busy hub-bub of the world he lived in to find a quiet place and pray and ask, (because he consistently read in his scriptures and in them was directed to ask questions) his Heavenly Father what church he should go to.  I have a knowledge of the atonement and have felt the burden of sin be lifted from me.  I know the Book of Mormon is truly a witness of family, a history of peoples in the new world and Jesus Christ.  I have lost every member of my immediate family and could not have gotten thru any of that with out the knowledge of the plan of salvation.

The Wife, the semi empty nester. I don't want to go to church.

We have moved again, for maybe the 40th time in our marriage.  I have two bedrooms in this house set up to "look" as if I still have children at home.  But I don't.  I am busy organizing, doing family histories, writing missionaries, and ... well thats about it.  We go to church, we don't know anyone, only one person has spoken to me in 4 months (2014).  I swore this time, this move I would act more aggressive be more "in your face" and "I want to know you and fit in".  But I haven't.  It's even harder to do without kids and without seminary.  Richard has gone with me to Sunday School, but he too has not had one person talk to him.  They gave us a calling in the ward, that of being a missionary - which I think I said I would do, maybe even covenanted that I'd do when I got baptized back when I was 8 years old! I ask myself; "Aren't you (when I say you I mean I) already a missionary if you are a family member, friend, home teacher, visiting teacher???"  I have talked to people about my religion. It is especially easier when my sons were on their missions in Spain, Ohio and California.   I have taught classes and worked hard at being a "missionary" in all my days, thinking; "I hope one thing I say might convert one".  But this calling, working with my husband, as missionaries it's not going so good and we find ourselves not wanting to go to church.  My heart is heavy and sad and I'm not sure where to go next with this one.  I feel failure and heaviness so much in my life already, I'm not sure I need this to add to that very long list. I am lost.  Because I don't want to go to church.

The Adult, The senior citizen, the wife, the mom, the grandmother. I want to go to church

I was asked a question today about going to church and it prompted me to look for this old blog post.  In rereading it I am so grateful that I wrote it and yet again it is confirmed to me that writing is a blessing, a gift and completely necessary for my survival.  You'll be surprised to learn that we have moved twice since I originally wrote this and thus attended church in a couple new places.  An update on the missionary calling - I did all that I could do in the which I could control, without him because he just wasn't into it at that point in his life. Also I read a book front to back which I hadn't done in years; The Power of Everyday Missionaries, a reminder that we really need to endeavour daily to be positive happy people projecting to others what we positively believe in and know to be true.  From then on I've been ask to be a "grandma at church" and teach little children, it's had its ups and downs, my issues with attachment and anxiety being the draw backs here!  Because I never had the aunts, the uncles, the grandparents or cousins to bond with I recognize and appreciate the need for the church family.  The thing I've learned is to forget myself and go to work (I think I've heard that before!?) When I sit home and mope about being fat or missing the "good ole days" with my seminary kids, being sad cuz my childhood family is dead or wishing my kids live closer and that they all wanted to go to church (sidenote; that is when my mom would shut down and be depressed - those days when she blamed herself for the lack of church in the lives of her children, thats when the light left her), well that too is when I am thinking only of myself, it does me NO GOOD. But when I serve, study, endeavour to be something positive, remember that I can only control myself and and remember the things I learned becasue I never didn't want to go to church, thats when life is better for me.  I am so glad that I, only for a twinkling of an eye didn't want to go to church and hope and pray that I, moving forward, sinner or saint status ALWAYS WANT TO GO TO CHURCH as my Mother taught me for this is MY CHOICE!!!
 You hear me make it your one thing Believe in going to church every sunday!!! Wherever you are Sinner and Saint! #gotochurch #sinnerandsaint #familyfirst #forgetyourselfandgotowork #rememberwhoyouare  Also ONE MORE THING!  look around you when you get there ask yourself "Who looks like they don't want to be there" and go say "HI!" #speakup #bekind #gotochurch  

I "POaST" about my life = 1957

Preface!  

Yes, all you english majors, I know - I DO NOT NEED an exclamation point after preface!!!!!  But throughout this section of blog entries I am certain there will be lots of !!! just like in the scriptures it will probably mean WO WO WO!!!

I have previously documented in this blog format a series entitled;"31 Days of 31 Christmas'"  these 31 blogs are the "history" of our Sobczak Family Life.  My, well "Our" son Amric just left 27 days ago to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, he will be gone for 24 months.  For the next 24 months I will "blog" my individual "life History" one year of at a time!  I know, you're thrilled!!!  My only hope is that some day it might matter, I am grateful to have my moms, grandmothers and great grandMothers Histories and privileged to add these (although I don't know if I can print all of this as a book or not?).  So if you follow along every month around the 27th I will update my "history" one more year, I will tag them by year with the labels/keywords. (I have to spell the "rules" out for myself so that I remember!)  The object of this "project" is to help me count down the months, sort thru stacks and stacks of letters, journals and family keepsakes/genealogy info to get my life history finished and keep me positive and productive for the next 24 months until my Amric returns home!!!   and so the story goes....

What big ears I have!

 I was born a poor Red head!!!

as my mother and father described it the "color of a carrot" and so "Loreal"(erase the grey!) and I try to keep it along those same lines to this day!

This is me, in our bath tub I guess, looks more like a metal dish pan! Also note, that my girls are not allowed to put any kind of naked pictures online I hesitate in posting this, but it's my own picture I can embarrass myself - really - it's all about the PAN!1957

This picture is me in a blessing dress that my Aunt El bought me that I also put on Apryl when we all went to the temple to be sealed as a little family.  I still have this dress and hope that someday - well, I don't know what I hope to do with it, but maybe someday someone will wear it again.  I have a metal trunk full of clothes that my mom had from all of us, no one really wants them, but I can't seem to part with them, it seems rude and disrespectful, Plus they are like antiques!  Speaking of antiques this chair I'm sitting on is one that was made of maroon, redish velvet!  My Aunt El had a living room set with a couch and this chair - I do in fact remember this furniture and will tell you more stories about this as we go along. Lets just say George, the Siamese cat and I could not sit on this furniture together!!!

Blessing dress

hand croquette blanket Auntie made for me, also still have it!

So... I have a story for you. . .  When my mother got pregnant she was told that she could not carry me.  She had had 2 or 3 miscarriages before Timmy, so she knew that loosing a pregnancy was always possible for her, every pregnancy she had was hard for her and put her life in danger. To add to this the she was going to be 42 when I was to be born and they didn't have all the information, equipment and skills that they have today.  She said she wanted to try and carry the baby anyway. She started hemorrhaging off and on and then more and more.  The Doctors told her to abort the mission!!!  She choose not to (obviously!!!) she had the priesthood from our church come to the house and give her a blessing.  While they were there they issued her a call to be the Primary President, (the primary is the organization in the church that leads, teaches, sings, has activities with these children who are ages 18 months - thru 11 years.  She accepted.  My Dad I understand was supportive.  Maybe as time went on Judyann would support her too but as I understand in the beginning not so much!!!  Mom got pretty sick and was put on bed rest. Judyann ended up doing all household chores.  Mom asked the Bishop to release her feeling that she couldn't do the Primary calling any more.  

This is a letter written by grandma to remind of the miracle it is that "I" even was born and to keep me focused!  Thank you Grandma.

The Bishop gave her a Blessing in it he told her that "if she would keep the Primary calling she would be blessed to deliver a healthy baby no matter the circumstance".  So mom being faithful, kept the call.  Judyann kept doing the chores and the men kept being the men!  Tom 7 years older than I and Timmy 14 years older than I, (big difference), Judyann 12 years older than me.  So we were kinda spread out.  Anyway...Mom gave birth to me!  I was born!  the miracle is .... the Doctor reported that I had been carried this whole time without the availability of a whom and that is why mom had kept bleeding so much.  She said that they always wondered what in the blessing was meant by the words "no matter the circumstance".  So she always said I was a miracle baby and thus she expected from the very beginning alot from me.  It was a constant annoyance, let me just say that!!!!  But now, as I have a family and I miss my mom so much I thank Mom and Dad for their willingness to deliver and to God for even being here!

INTRODUCING --


My brother Tom Philip (named after our grandpa Tomney):

Tom 1956

Tom 1957

Tom says; "I don't really remember anything except you were born the same day that LUCKY SOCKS (A buckskin colt we had) was born!"

Disney's
Mickey Mouse Club in 1957

In the World ...

Buddy Holly and the crickets recorded the number 1 hit right before my birthday in  1957  "That'll be the day"

The world forever be changed with the introduction and flight of Sputnik...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/sputnik-impact-on-america.html

In the Church  - During 1957 October 

The semiannual general conference was canceled due to a flu epidemic.

General conference canceled because of flu epidemic.

Church Membership at end of year: 1,488,314
New Converts : 71,583
Percent Change from previous year: 5.05%

[Spencer W. Kimball] Undergoes an operation for cancer of the throat; one and one-half vocal cords are removed.

A note mom had; List of people who came to visit Mom and I at the Hospital when I was born;
Daddy, Ella Arthur, Betty and Marj Lindsay, Harriet Harrison, Marquerite Harrison, Celia Hampton, Eve Lee, Ila David, Cherrill Jones, Myrtle Daily, Bill and Leona, Afton Clark (moms BFF), Arthella and Berk, Mary Morris.  
Gifts; Dress, Gloves, darning needles, tube for a radio, yarn to tie a quilt, milk strainers, lining for a quilt, and cleaner.

While I take inspiration from the past, like most, I live for the future. Ronald Reagan

Off to a great NEW start! Got myself up this morning and made breakfast and lunches already!!!
So good to know that I CAN LEARN from the past and start anew!!!  And the journaling continues!!!

Richard had a new beginning, a new start a different call...21 years ago this month he was called to be a High Priest and Made the 1st counselor in the Bishopric. . . I write on paper; I'm excited and scared for him.  I'm jealous too! I don't know why?? I guess I don't ever feel worthy (like he is) when he gets callings like this and I'm just ask to teach Primary!
and my reaction today is:
Hilarious 21 years later!!! Ahhhh the young and naive!
In the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints people who are members are "called" to serve...it's not a paid job it is revelation and inspiration and volunteer service  The time spent serving those in your calling, well they are what make it and YOU better!!! (that is your reward/pay).  Today he has one of those same type callings again, .... it's time consuming and he has to get on his knees and seek guidance to really help people.  .  . and I teach primary!!! This time I am grateful for it (no jealousy or whining on part any more)!!! I love my primary class they are a light in my eye.