Sunstone Knoll, Utah

This is Sunstone Knoll, about 15 miles south of Delta, Utah. It looks like a small hill with a basalt outcropping out in the middle of no-where, but it is more than that. On these flats are millions of little sunstones, or yellow labradorites. They are just sitting there, waiting for someone to pick them up ... so we thought, for shortly after arrival we were disappointed to have found only a couple here and there.

We had been told they could be found in large quantity on the east side of the knoll, which is where we were. So, I stopped, looked at the area and thought, "If these were eroded out of the basalt over thousands of years then they should be out in those dark sands." Slowly walking away from the knoll my excitement rose as they began to litter the ground. The kids and I stopped to pick them up, filling our bags quickly.

Dave continued to walk further than I had and yelled at us to come to him ... they were glittering EVERYWHERE! We spent the next hour picking up stone after stone. There were so many we began to be more selective by picking only the largest ones.

Everyone had so much fun we went back in the morning to get more! I plan to make earrings with some of my largest ones and display the rest in an antique bottle.

When you go, make sure you walk along the edges of the dark sand {it is actually small basalt pebbles} and you will not be disappointed. We even found a couple pieces of snowflake and mahogany obsidian for a little extra treat.

Here are some of our pictures from the trip:

See the dark sand and light sand? This is one place that you will want to be in the dark!

Most of the stones were a quarter to half inch in size, but we got lucky by finding a few larger ones.

It was very windy when we went.

Me with a small handful of my stones.

These are the stones I collected ... almost two handfuls in a very short time. 

Notice that a couple have an orangey tint to them? This is caused by copper and is 

rare with Utah sunstones. We found just four or five with the slight color change.

 My four largest stones ... soon to be earrings.

Reality - Dream

Reality becomes more like Heaven when lived as a Dream.

New and Improved Family Chore Chart

Meet the new and improved Jones Family chore chart. It is pretty much the same thing as last time, but now it looks prettier and is in a better spot. There is a list of things to be done each day which we take turns being the first to pick from. I've been using this system off and on for a couple years now and it works ... if I stay up on it ... which I will from now on! LOL

The chores in the envelopes are required as a family responsibility, but the ones below, on the magnets, are extra ones they can do to receive payment. They are basically the things that don't have to be done on a regular basis and I'd be more likely to pay someone to do. The available jobs are in the section on the left and unavailale jobs are on the right ... I'm still creating a way to label the sections.

I decided I was willing to pay the kids four dollars an hour. I then figured how long it would take me to do the job and assigned the value. I'm hoping this teaches the kids to work quickly, since if they take longer on a job they won't be making as much money per hour ... We'll see how it goes.

I'm excited for how it turn out and look forward to a clean and organized home ... maybe then I can play a little more. ;)

My Kindergartner's Valentines

These are Aubrins Valentines ... I made them to look like glasses of milk with the straws filled with flavoring coming out the top. I'm so pleased with how they turned out!

LOC - Being a good steward

The next step to the Law of Creation is being a good steward over your currents give and prove you are worthy of more responsibility.
 _________________________________________

My children are always wanting more toys, but don't take care of the ones they currently have. {To be honest, some of the problem is me, as I've not done the greatest job teaching them how to ... but that is changing!} When they ask for a new doll or Lego set my first thought is, "Great, another thing to pick up." So, I very rarely buy them new toys. Of course, I'm always telling them that if they kept their room clean and respected what they had I'd be more than willing to buy them more.

Isn't it the same way with our requests for more from Heavenly Father? We ask for a larger house, but don't keep the one we have clean or in good repair. We ask for a new car, but let the current one go months without an oil change or rotating the tires. We ask for a new outfit, but don't fold the clothes we have {which if we did we would learn we had two weeks worth of pants ... true story with my son.}

How can He grant us with more and bigger when we negelt what we have? He can't. So when our prayers aren't answered we need to first look and see if we are doing everything possible to be ready for the answer.

Also, along with being a good steward you have to prove you can handle more responsiblity. After all, that is what bigger and better is ... just more responsiblity. The more toys you have {I'm thinking adult toys now: atvs, electronics, boats, etc} the more bills and up keep you have.

Here's a quick example of how it works:

I want a greenhouse. A big one ... even a conservatory, one day. I can pray all I want, but I've learned that if I prove to Him that I will take care of one and actually use it, he is more willing to help me create it in my life; and quicker as well.

So, what do I do? I begin small by starting seeds in a windowsill. I transplant the seedlings and harvest the fruit in the fall. By doing that, I just proved I'm willing to do the work ... but let's say I found my plants didn't get quite large enough and fruited late in the season. I now need a way to give them more light, so I pray and show what I have done with my time; I open up my heart and ask for a way to provide more light and possibly a larger area to grow more types of plants. I also ask for a way to afford it, either by finding extra money or a good deal.

Because I've done the work and proved I was ready for more responsiblity I then find a three hundred dollar grow rack with lights and accessories for only fifty dollars in the local classifides. Sweet!

This is a true story. The Lord provided because I proved myself. I don't doubt that one bit. Now it is time to continue proving myself by getting the seeds planted in time for the next harvest{which is NOW!!}.  If I continue on this path one day I will not only have the large greenhouse, but the conservatory as well.

I believe it ... 100%!

To quickly wrap up, what was today's lesson?

Be a good steward over your current gifts; then prove you are ready for more.

Sounds too simple? The theory difinitly is. The practial is a little more challenging, but it will bring you every good desire that the Lord agrees you should have.

Now go do your dishes and prove you are ready for remodeling the kitchen ...

{I'm preaching to myself, no one else ;) }

I'm spritiually dry heaving. All the things I want to create are stuck inside ... all the things I want to say ... want to create ... I can't get them out. It is so frustrating. Part of the problem is due to fear, part to a lack of knowledge, and another part to the lack of tools.

Life is like that sometimes ... but, the number one thing is to remember to not give up.

I'm preaching to myself, not to you.

Above is a practice of my future header. There is a whole story behind it and it might change and evolve over time, but at least I'm working on it.

I thought I would share it to show that creating is not always easy ... sometimes it takes fortitude to not give up. I will get it right and be pleased with it ... it's just a matter of when.

Counsel with the Lord

Life: A complex combination of emotional and physical experiences.

I don't know if any of us will ever really understand it on this sphere, but this I've learned ... we have more control then we believe. The next step of the Law of Creation is to Counsel with the Lord.

Our Lord has given us the right to make our own realities, but as we do it we have to remember to counsel with him. He knows us. He can see the consequence of each choice we stand to make. That is why after you have decided what you want and begin to envision it, you need to get down on your knees and ask if what you want to accomplish will bring you happiness in this life and the next.

I have done this many times. Most of the time I feel confident with my choices and that they do me well. But, occasionally I have felt that I need to take a different path ... make a different choice. I don't think that the first choice was necessarily bad, and if I really persisted He would grant me my wish, but it was something that he knew wouldn't bring me the deep seated happiness that I was looking for.

At that point, it is hard to have to rethink my choices ... sometimes it takes a month or longer to get my thoughts back together and make a new plan. During that process I ask for guidance on ideas ... I don't know why, but it always surprises me when I get the answers. I then pull those ideas together and decide again on a new plan ... which I take back to the Lord. I tell him my new plan and once again ask if it will bring me happiness.

I personally believe that is how the Lord would have us live our lives ... not in always asking for what he would have us do ... because isn't what he wants us to do is learn to make choices for ourselves? To become creating beings? I sure think so. Besides, how many times have you asked what he wants you to do and you still feel lost? Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-8 helps to make my point:

7 Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.

8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

Everything I do in my life is on purpose. Not because I think the Lord wants me to do something, but because I decided, for myself, what I want and then I verify it with him.

It is such a simple step, but will take you on the right path. Remember - Always counsel with the great creator!

Be a Good Steward is the next step in mastering the Law of Creation.

This picture is me having fun ... creating ... I wish I had better tools to create with, but until I do I'll 

experiment and keep my brain ticking. I'm still working on a header ... again ... I wish I had better tools.

Bled Blue

 
I'm loving Winter yellows, blues, and greys right now ... and hey ...

Who knew snow bled blue?