Indexing

My stake has set a goal of indexing one million names by the end of the year.  I've never indexed anything.  I'm  not even sure I know what it is or what it does or what its used for or anything! I know my family does it and in true form, I'm usually the last to follow or know how cool something is.  LOL  However, my neighbor has "the bug" and has been saying he'll show me how to do it so I can join in.
Today at church, a high councilman challenged us to index 25 names today.  My neighbor leaned over and asked if I had started that yet.  Umm... no :(  So he promised to come over after church and show me just how easy this indexing thing is.  And sure enough, he was right.  Its simple and I've completed my first batch.  I submitted my names and they have been counted for the day. (even if it was at 11:59 p.m.)
I've already learned that I'm somewhat connected to the people somehow.  Not in some spiritual giant sort of way.  Just that these records seem personal somehow and I feel like I'm creeping in their life a little bit.  I did a death certificate tonight for a man who had died tragically in a car accident and I felt horrible because he probably had a family somewhere who had to live through that.  Hmm.  However, I'm excited to keep going and set my monthly goals.  Go team LDS church!

Sad but true LOL

:) this is why I wanted my film on discs!

This is going to be so much fun!

Remember this?

It has now turned into this:

I can't wait to start going through and seeing what's on my film!  I know most of the pictures are probably in scrapbooks, but its somehow comforting to know that discs are a little more permanent and will hopefully last longer. Get ready!  I'm sure there's going to be some gems on there to share!

The Church is true, folks!

I've had a great weekend.  It was full of family and friends.  Full of running from one good thing to another.  Full of the Gospel and full of love and peace.  I'll try not to overdo it and just keep rambling on but it really WAS an awesome experience.
First, my nephew, who I think I'll call Mr. Incredible for blog purposes (I'm sure my sister has a name for him... I just can't think of it) was baptized at noon.  He turned eight years old a couple weeks ago and finally got his day on Saturday.  Two uncles, Allen and Laron, gave talks on baptism and the Holy Ghost.  Aunt Beej pinchhit at the piano with songs she's never heard before and I got to play with Baby Girl (who's internet name I once again can't remember haha).  I adore Mr. Incredible.  He's playful and loves to love.  He has these piercing blue eyes that girls are going to be jealous of his entire life.  I'm proud of the choice he made to get baptized! 

I was able to stay for all of Mr. Incredible's baptism and then run over to Emi's for a nano second, just long enough to drop of my cookies and bless the food, before I was off to baptism number two AT two o'clock haha 
My dear friend, Derek, was also baptized on Saturday.  You've heard me mention him before on my blog.  He's had a difficult life, some of his own doing, some just of circumstance.  You don't need the details, just the idea that this is truly a conversion story.  He and I have talked about the church for countless hours and I've always known that at some point, he would be able to find the truth.  He just found it far sooner than I ever expected. :)  I never served a mission and I can't really remember anyone close to me who wasn't eight getting baptized so this was a new, great experience for me, too.  The elders that have taught him have been awesome, meeting with him three and sometimes four times a week.  They've challenged him, and taught him and answered his questions.  They've shown him how to get answers himself and reminded him of the truth every one of us knew before we came here. 
I would be lying if I didn't say I was surprised to hear he was taking the discussions.  He called and told me about an hour before the first one.  I was SHOCKED to hear that after the first discussion, the elders challenged him to a Feb 4th baptism.  But as someone told me, when the Spirit starts working, you just get out of the way.  So I did.  And the transformation I've seen and felt from him is more than I can explain.  I am so proud of him and know this will be a stepping stone for him, not a finish line.

Grade Inflation and Insincerity

As you know, I'm a teacher.  A junior high teacher.  Many people ask all the time "How do you do it?"  Its not really that difficult.  Junior high kids just want to have someone think they're cool.  They just want to be noticed.  They want to feel important.  In order to achieve this, parents believe they have to avoid criticizing their child and that their child should never feel the sting of disappointment.  Their precious little one should never be left out or not invited.  I get that.  No one wants their child to feel stupid and friendless all the time.  As a result, everyone should get an A.  Children should never be less than a 4.0 student, regardless of how much or little they do.  Its resulted in grade inflation.  An A doesn't mean much anymore because everyone thinks they should get one.  Its no longer an achievement or anything special.  It goes along with the "Everyone gets a trophy because you wore a jersey!" moment we see in kids sports these days.

As I mentioned, junior high kids just want to feel special.  They want to feel loved and important.  Again, as a result of this, they tell everyone and their grandma how much they love them.  They say things like "You're my best friend."  "I love you so much."  "We'll be BFFs 4ever!"   "OHMYGOSHYOULOOKSOSUPERCUTE!"   Any cheesy phrase like that, you'll hear 78 times during the course of a regular junior high day.  They say it to everyone.  Exact same lines.  No one is special.  The words are shared as fast as germs are.

Here's what I've started to notice though.  Its creeping into adult world.  I hear adults saying cheesy lines and wanting as much attention as jr high kids.  Adults are needing to hear  "You're my best friend."  "I love you so much."  "We'll be BFFs 4ever!"  "OHMYGOSHYOULOOKSOSUPERCUTE!" as much as my jr high kids.  Worse yet, they're saying it!  Its the adult version of grade inflation!  And I'm sorry, but when its said over and over, its just becomes insincere.  There's no meaning behind the words when you're the 5th person who's been told "You're so amazing!  I just love you!"..... after five other people on Facebook or at a party or a ward function or the grocery store, for heaven's sake.

Its becoming an annoyance in my world.  Am I being too cynical?  Am I being brutal and hard?  I'd rather hear those words said less frequently and from ONE person who I know means it sincerely than from 16 people on a daily basis who say it to everyone else. 

I blame it all on grade inflation.