Which way Do You Lean???

 SO this morning I watched The Lorax.  Really it was the 3rd time I tried to watch it, sure not my fav!!!  I just want to document the ONE THING I got out of it

"Which way do trees fall?  They fall the way they lean.  Be careful which way you Lean!"

It goes to the Root of my belief system!  Tradition.

• T =  Teach with the spirit and Keep your sense of HUMOR!  about yourself and EVERYONE around You.
• R =  Reason for rules and regulation Be Obedient.
• A = Axiom; "Birds of a feather flock together"  and "REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!"
• D = Dogma; faith is not a perfect knowledge, hoped for and not seen
• I = Instill the desire to be proud of where you come from
• T = Tongue is sharper than a beating
• I = Implant roots that will grow and hold strong
• O = knOw when to share your Opinion and when not too! But hold on to the ONE thing that you believe in.
• N = Never give up ;)  on Yourself or the ones you LOVE ((or even if you don't love them))  

because ...   unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is going to get better and all your trees will fall and you will have nothing to show for your life. All your roots will be pulled from the ground and your traditions will not be re-rooted!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PF0h7oqUEQ

31 Days of 31 Christmas' - 1987

This letter was written, but not mailed...

 1987 Christmas at Nannys' ... Because we didn't have an address!!!! 

Richard's dad died in July on the 27th (heart attack).  Richard had finally mended fences with his family and spoken with his Father for about 2 hours the night before he died.  We bought the SOBCZAK MOTOR HOME in March.  In May I went to work part time and we entered the program for foster children.  On the way home from the funeral in Oregon - well that's a very long story, to cut it short we had to rent a car to get home.  When we returned Richard had no job.  He turned around and went to Oregon to live and help his mom, the kids and I got an apt. I went back to work full time.  I was on my own.  

Over the next 3 months I learned what commitment meant, who is willing to be, and who wants to be committed.  I was asked to teach Relief Society twice a month - the lessons were on Marriage.  I will always be in debt to Liana Willis for allowing me, in my awful state to teach about Marriage, ---those lessons converted me - I had to get my act together.  

Richard came home to visit at Halloween, he had a mask on knocked on when he knocked on the door, and when the kids answered he scared the crap out of them!  Austin would hardly go to him the rest of his visit!  

Thanksgiving I took Nanny and the kids and went to Mexico it was the most enjoyable relaxing trip...I love it there.  

When we returned I starting packing things up to go and be with my husband in Washington.  He came home for Christmas and Christmas night we loaded up the Ryder Truck and headed out. But before we left, getting that van of ours on the trailer that was too narrow -- it was a nightmare, not a good way to start off our "Fresh Start"!  I swear I'll never deal with Richard and tow trailers of any sort ever again!  

On the way North we stopped to visit Grandma Joan and Grandpa Sam and went to Gramma Judys in Eugene.  

Immediately after crossing the Columbia River into Washington we picked up the Toyota, which was at Vic and Wades and when we got to our new home we found that Santa had been there and set up the cutest little "charlie Brown tree" for us. 

 Christmas is a great time of the year for "fresh Starts",  recognizing the Savior acknowledging we need Him and being with FAMILY.  Im totally going to miss my family in Arizona, but am anxious to start again with my  family here in Washington.  

Pioneer Day, Halloween, New Apt, Single Parent

Foster Kids, Work Party, Austin

Halloween, Richard, Dewitts, Apryl, Austin
Crocodile Dundee, Warrior Princess

Alicia School Project of the Sobczak Heritage

Alicia, Randy, Ron and Kids

Funeral, Oregon what a trip!

We have this Christmas sock tradition it is to put in our socks in writing on christmas eve a gift that we can give to Jesus over the coming year

this year these were those gifts...

• Austin - Be a Good Sport - if I loose a game still play again)! 
• Apryl - be worthy to be baptized.  Learn the Articles of Faith. 
• Mom - Develop more Patience.  Not loose my temper so easy.
• Dad -Be more prayerful to make certain of decisions that are being made.

I mentioned that Austin wrote about experiences in his life in his class in 1997... this one is about the Family Trip to Granpa Sobczaks Funeral....

the Sobczak Motor Home and Granada!

Today sucked!

General Conference is coming up.  Like King Benjamin President Thomas S. Monson

(not OMonson!! like my primary class called him today!) will talk to us. Be prepared. 

I heard two thoughts today that I'm tossin' around, need to process and then Please God, help me GO and DO.

1.  When we tell ourselves we are "too fat",  or other such defeatest attitudes that start with "I cannot" ... that is Satan.  He does not have a body (he choose that) but anyway he is jealous of the fact that we do have bodies so he wants us to fail and he uses the body as a tool to bring us down.

2.  Stamina is in the mind more than the body.  I can't remember if I heard it on Amazing Race or Celebrity Apprentice, none the less -- It rings true.  I keep thinking I can't keep up, it's in my head first then I act on that thought.. I know that, I teach that.  But after today at primary, I'm not sure I can, do or ever will again teach anything to anyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not going into all this just leaving it there.  Think about it.

Patience in ALL things!!

once upon a time hubby was called to teach primary! the boys age 10 and 11!  He being new to Sunday School, expected the children to be well behaved and reverent!  To answer the questions presented as they were asked in the manual!!  These boys were not behaving that way it says here in the paper journal!!!  Hubby slammed his hand down on the table and demanded that they all "shut up"!  --

Those kids did an about face!  I was like freaking out and explaining we don't do that we can't do that we have to LOVE THEM!  Those boys grew to love hubby, and he them.  My how time flies that was 30 ish years ago, that would make them in their 40's -- that is just crazyness!!!  I remember that day and those kids just like it was yesterday.    When teaching it isn't the discipline, the preparing of the lesson the handouts that create the long lasting memory on either end of the learning scale - (the teacher or the learner) but instead it's the time, the one on one, the love that is applied to the relationship of student and teacher.


I have had some wonderful wonderful examples of great teachers.  Teachers like Toni Brown, Betty Abbott, Jill Beecroft, Mrs Hunsaker, Brother Kendrick, Iris McCoy, Sister Rowley and Brother and Sister Farnsworth these were teachers that I knew loved me.  From them I hope to have learned to be a great teacher too.This doesn't even touch the people that were just great examples and taught me outside the class room - but thats another blog!!!

2005

2005

For this week I'm so grateful to have gotten to go to El Paso / Las Cruces for the Seminary Symposium!  I really really felt the spirit edify!  I WANT to PRAY and be worthy to teach.  Huby took kids to Albuquerque today for a Temple trip.  Mom and I along with Amric started to pack the house again!  I cried!  I colored Nanny's hair first time ever for her (and we never did it again!) she did not like the idea!!!  This is a small thing but Richie pointed out to me today that "I felt" like I'd been given or blessed or "had a change of heart" so It's all spiritual guidance to back to Elma, back to our roots.  I pray to be able to let go of my people and my seminary kids here, the house - I thought that we were here to stay!!! That this was the place of our new roots!

Today the 20th we are in Las Vegas attending church with Apryl and Sean.  The boys are on the way back to Elma when we are done, the girls go back to Roswell.  So my prayers are for safe travel, the house to sell, and the job to be successful for him.

Better Youth Require Better Teachers -Scott

Yeah!!!! a new month!!! Month 2 February!!!! over 30 years.... In looking over my "paper" Feb 1st, this is what I find...
"Here and there, and now and then, God makes a giant among men.  President Hinckley such a GIANT - a giant of knowledge, of faith, of testimony, of compassion of vision".    -President Monson 2008

Tips for teaching Seminary (and I like to think teaching the kids at home);

1. teach students not lesson
2. let the spirit do the teaching
3. teach by the spirit, the teacher must live worthy of the spirit
4. Scriptures invite the spirit into the hearts of the students
5. Teach Pure Doctrine
6. Live to learn, learn to love and you'll love to live.
7. Stay on Course
8. Don't let  Satan undermine your worth.

In correlation with these thoughts. Since writing this blog summing up January I see a couple of things have happened that I'd like to record. 

• the missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints came for dinner and challenged me to pray for 30 min. and then listen for answers.   I did it. It is awesome. God hears and answers prayers.  I didn't think I could even pray that long but I did, I prayed longer.
• I started to teach the 6 year olds in Primary.  I was so scared.  Really me scared to teach?!?!?  I was. I still am, but I have been praying about it naming the kids individually and waiting and listening - it's been such a great experience.  They don't sit still, the seem hyperactive!  But then I don't have 6 year olds at home everyday anymore!!!  The last lesson I taught said to share a video with the class.  I found the video I watched it - it's a story of how the church was restored.  It is a religious story, not a cartoon, religious hymns in the background not catchy tunes.  I 'm thinking these kids are not going to sit still for this.  In short I was prepared, I took the DVD to show, I said We are going to watch this thinking if they don't sit still and if they get bored i will just turn it off and we will do something else.  I think my faith was lacking!!  These little kids knelt down and gathered and reverently were entranced in this story.  They made comments about the music that it was their favorite that they loved this kind of music and that they were so proud of Joseph Smith trying to tell people even though they laughed at him and were mean to him.  They were reverent. The spirit was strong and testified to us all that the world doesn't teach (it influences) but it doesn't teach.
• Reading my paper, recognizing history and admitting it has changed and helped me. I can see changes in me already.  Both reminding myself that I learned something and maybe had fallin' away from it. Or admitting that for years I have had the same goals so now is the time to move on it. Makes me grateful I kept a record and more happy and grateful to have a wonderful husband and the most greatest kids in the whole wide world.
• the missionaries also challenged us to set up a profile on mormon.org to better chat with the world and share my testimony and I also did that.
• But Jan has been a great month for family history.  I am doing a little bit everyday and working hard to find real people and sure up real family ties on ancestry.com.  I am using this season for all things Family search! having only a handful of family member left in this world really makes Malachi's word real in my life I do have a heart that turns to my father in looking for family connections.

this is my life. this is what I do and this is my quest, to leave a family heritage for those I love for eternity.