There's No Such Thing as Multi-Tasking at 100%

It's impossible to give 100% to multiple things at the same time. However, most women like to do multiple things. It's not unheard of for most women to: listen to the TV, cook, talk on the phone, and tend to a person's question - all at the same time!

Women who try to do multiple things think they are being productive. But are they? Or are they just keeping busy?

Women always want to have something to do. Relaxing, or doing nothing - to most of them - is the same as sleeping. If they see a person who, in their opinion, is doing nothing, they may think if you have nothing to do, I'll give you something.

Most men, want to do just one thing. If they are cooking - then they are cooking. If they are watching TV - then they are watching TV, and so on. They want to give 100% attention to whatever they do. Men who do just one thing frustrate most women. A frustrated woman may wonder why can't he cook AND watch TV? And he may wonder what good would it do if I don't give my all to the thing?

Women who try to do multiple things at the same time run around like chicken's with their heads cut off. If they worked on just one thing until it got completed they would put more effort into the thing...and get it done!

I thought I didn't like to cook. I cooked so we could eat. I thought that my husband loved to cook because he put TLC into it. Well, he gave 100% to his cooking and I gave 50%. If I gave my cooking 100% and put TLC into it, I know my family would love it.

I think women give 50% instead of 100% because what they do is expected. Families don't expect the dad's to do domestic things at home - that's the mom's or the woman's job. It's the woman's job because she pays attention to the details and makes things beautiful. Women see the details that men don't.

But, I repeat my first statement: It's impossible to give 100% to multiple things at the same time.

It Never Hurts to be Nice

Andrew's video The Little Things reminds me of two things. 1) President Monson's story 2) The Mormonad that implies including a person who seems left out. 

Click here to watch The Little Things.

The story from President Monson (the leader of my church) is this: to paraphrase "be nice."

He said that he and his wife used to have a paper boy who threw their newspaper everywhere but on their porch. Among other places, he found the paper in the bushes, on the lawn, and on the driveway. A neighbor knocked on the door one time when President Monson was at work. His wife answered the door and the neighbor explained to her that a petition had been started to get the boy fired. The neighbor asked her to sign the petition. She said she wouldn't and that she didn't think it was right.

One evening President Monson came home to a very upset and crying wife. After several minutes, his wife calmed down enough to tell him what was wrong. She explained about the petition and said she was glad she didn't sign it because the boy had killed himself. He was found dead in his car in his garage. He had taken his life after being fired from his job.

President Monson said that we can never be too nice. He said that we never know what a person is dealing with in their personal life. He indicated how we will never know the ramifications of our actions. Our unkind word or deed could be the last straw for someone and cause them to do something drastic. That's why we need to be nice.

KC is Getting a Mormon Temple!

I've been to see the KC temple while it's being constructed. The completion day is soon here! No more driving for four hours to the St. Louis temple. Soon and in just 45 minutes I will be walking into the house of the Lord. Before each temple is dedicated, it is open to the public. It's called an open house. Anyone can get the rare opportunity to see inside the beautiful structure. Once dedicated, only those with temple recommends will be allowed beyond the foyer.

Click here to see the invitation to visit the KC Temple open house.

When a person goes in the temple they will feel great peace. I'm grateful to have this opportunity in my life.

No One Likes Change

People like variety but no one likes change. People like to do different things but they want the core things they know to reliably be there. People depend on their knowledge, their ability, their family, and their country. And, they are really creatures of habit. If something familiar in their life changes - they don't like it. They want what they know. They don't want the new thing but the thing with which they are familiar.

In job interviews the question is often asked: "how are you with change?" They probably mean "are you comfortable doing whatever is asked, or would you rather do the same thing only?"

Imagine asking an assembly line worker (who does the same thing over and over) how they are with change. (Actually, I think some assembly line workers like variety. But they also like getting a paycheck. I think that's why they'll do whatever they are told - even if it's the same thing eight hours a day and seven days a week.)

There is a difference between a person who likes to do various things and a person who likes to do just one thing. Think of an assistant who never knows what they might do and a person who does data entry all day. Both people probably think I would never do that. The assistant probably thinks the data entry job seems boring. The data entry person probably thinks the assistant's job seems unsure.

Both people do different things, but neither of them would like something with which they are familiar to change.

President Obama's political platform was change. People elected him because they wanted things to change but when things changed too drastically, people said "I wanted change but not that kind of change." Now some people want to elect someone who will put things back to the way they were. People say things are broken in Washington. They call for reform. They say they want it but do they really? If reform happens and things change, I'm guessing that people won't like it and will want it to go back to the way it was. In my opinion, our President is the only thing in Washington that will ever change.

Misconceptions About My Church

I believe that if people understood The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (not what they think they know) maybe they would embrace or respect it.

Some people get offended by the word "church." They think I'm trying to convert them but I'm not. I know that many of them have their own religions. I just want them to know the truth about my church, not what they heard, or what they've been told, and respect what I believe. Instead, they have pre-conceived notions. They think they know how my church is but they don't.

I've been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all my life but no one asks me about what I believe. Instead they listen to non-members, or people who hate my church, or people who used to be members but now they aren't. It bugs me that people listen to them and think they know how my church is.

Polygamy has NOT been practiced in my church it for over 100 years but it's the first thing people associate with Mormons. When people find out someone is Mormon, they say "how many wives do you have?" My church is against polygamy, but there are polygamists in Utah. The polygamists are not Mormons. They don't mind using my church's internet technology but they do mind being called a Mormon because they aren't. They are a group of people who broke away from my church. Shows like Big Love and Sister Wives glamorize polygamy - and confuse people. Those shows make people wonder if the characters are Mormon or not - they are not. The characters have a lot of the same beliefs as Mormons but they aren't Mormons.

Mormons don't believe in smoking or drinking or having sex before marriage. Just because other people do, they hold it against the people in my church and say "who do you think you are?" Mormons stand up for values, and doing the right thing but people don't like anyone who has high standards so they tease or bully.

They say Mormons aren't Christian because they believe in other scriptures and modern-day revelation. Who gets to determine the Christian definition? Mormons have Jesus Christ in the name of their church. They don't bash other religions. They try to love everyone. If that's not Christian, then I don't know what is. One thing I do know is saying that Mormons aren't Christian isn't very Christian.

I've heard that people think of Mormons as sheep who just blindly follow what their leaders say. Isn't the opposite really true? Aren't people like sheep when they blindly listen to anti-Mormon propaganda without verifying the truth for themselves?

I am convinced that people want to think wrongly of my church because negativity is attractive. People like the drama that badness brings rather than the inspiration that goodness brings.

If people want to know the truth about my church, they should ask me or a long-time member, or the missionaries, and be open and not quick to judge what they hear.

I Love Music

The kind of music I love most is choral music. I sang in choir starting at twelve but have sung for as long as I remember. When I began singing in choir I had just entered the seventh grade in junior high school. Our choir did a musical called Christmas on Elm Street.  I sang and acted one of the main characters.

Some people hear instruments first then voices. I hear voices first, then words, then instruments. Some words, like Come! Come! Ye Saints, stir my soul to tears. Other times I am stirred by the music (instruments, voices, and words) like when I hear The Last Words of David. I hear not just the soprano part, but also alto, tenor, and bass. It's probably because in my high school choir I had to sit and quietly listen as the conductor worked with other people and their parts. I am grateful that I learned to hear other parts because I appreciate each one. I am also grateful that I was required to memorize music because it's a skill that I have to this day.

Last night I listened to my favorite choir, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I wanted to be a part of that choir for years. Now that I can't sing I look forward to singing in the heavenly choir. I heard my favorite choir sing Ubi Caritas Et Amor and it touched me deeply - I thought how beautiful. Gaelic Blessing, My Song In The Night and Choose Something Like a Star reminded me of high school because our choirs sang them.

It's impossible for me to have a favorite song. I like all of my music and they are all my favorites for one reason or another.