Spiritual Journey verses Freak Show

The past two years mark a journey of Spiritual maturity for me personally. Two years filled with fulfilling my calling as the Primary Counselor in a ward of about 300 kiddos, having two babies to add to our family and entering in the teen years for the older two contributed all the same I am certain. Between the those three events something transpired in me. Something that came slow but with force all the same. What happened? I got a back bone when it came to parenting that I didnt know I had AND didnt know how strongly I felt about certain issues until faced with them. I found out that I had a stronger testimony than I once thought. I found out that not all upstanding active members always make the best choices. I realized that there is something to be said for "Obedience by Exactness" and to be BOLD in the midst of standing alone. So what happens when you spiritually convert to the Lord and do all because you love Him (and not just His Church)? Well, to some....you look like this guy.

LATEST HOT CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC AT HAND:
Twilight's new movie... Breaking Dawn. Not really sure how this post will "fly" if someone reads this. Being that I can count one maybe one hand those I know who don't "do" Twilight. I may loose I few bosom buddies but what can I say, I cant shut my mouth. I want my kids to look back and read how I truly feel. So hang on to your hats and glasses. This may get bumpy.
Shame on you Stephani Meyers. I dare to think this series follows ANY church standard we are trying to teach these young girls. NOTHING - NOTHING bugs me more than people justifying the content because it was made or written by an active lds author or director. The notion that just their Temple Recommend clears them of any misjudgment KILLS ME! Have you ever met anyone that holds a calling in church that you would believe to be in a great spiritual place and think, "why would they say that - or do that?" I'll tell you why...because they are human. Just like all the other humans we run across daily that are not members. I truely think that without her 'member status' her content would have been more closely looked at. But content isn't necessarily what I am so concerned with (besides the last book). It is the message it sends though out all the books. This series is so classically typical to all trashy sitcoms, it gets worse and edgier in each series (or book). For the record I did read all the books. It was at a time before I even had formed an opinion of them. At the time my now 14 year old daughter was 11 and in 6th grade. Sadly she cried to me MANY nights begging to read the first book (Twilight). Apparently I was the ONLY parent that was not wanting her daughter to read it. She insisted that all of the girls, members included, were allowed to. I actually check on that and found it to be true. I was baffled, confused and unfortunately thought..."well I must be crazy, maybe it isnt a big deal". Well that was stage one of denial that the more the numbers of opinion the more correct they must be. So I didnt follow my instincts and I bent but with guidlines. The agreement was 'only the first book' and NEVER the last. Before I knew it she had read the ones up until the last book, Breaking Dawn, and I thought that was that. If you have older kids you will know that rules do not always get followed and low and behold she borrowed Breaking Dawn from a friend in 8th grade. I found out this year. So if you are wondering why I am making SUCH a big deal about these books it started off with the fact that I didnt want my newly 12 year olds first introduction to what a romance is having to do with deceiving your parents, lying, wanting to be with him at ALL costs down to your very own life and being reckless jumping off of a bridge in a state of depression over a guy etc. Dont even get me started about every time she is with Edward she tries to take it as far as possible without 'going too far' as he sneaks in her room and lays in her bed. Okay I take that back... that IS in the first few books - so yeah, totally inappropriate. Moving on, no I did not get what the hype was in obsessing over the pages but what I will say is that a familiar feeling stirred in me that I forgot about. Feelings of being with one boyfriend and having feelings for another. Um yeah... I forgot about them because I am a married woman and I am no longer 17. Probably not a great idea to even have that recollection and feed it. But those feelings and the rush all came back for a brief chapter or two. So if it stirred a 35 (at the time) year old mother of two so far past that stage, what would it stir in a innocent little 13 year old? Wouldn't it introduce her to - "hey this is what love is?" Okay so I am rambling. Probably because I know that no one will read this. My point is NO i did not and WILL NOT see Breaking Dawn out of principle. It saddens me it has taken everyone, and their daughters, by storm. It bothers me that it was rated PG 13 and not one parent there opening night previewed it before taking their daughter. Yes I have made mistakes in what I am babbling on about - but when you know better you do better. (and look like a freak in the mean time apparently)

So by now you have likely come to the conclusion that I am a self righteous hypocritical mother. So I have conquered Twlight... Big Whoop.


Yes I have many faults currently my top 3 that I am working on are...
1.Being snippy and short with my kids and husband. Occasionally losing my temper and screaming at them with a semi-loose tongue (insert shame)
2.Too much computer time. I know I should cut it in half.
3.Setting goals for fitness and sticking to it. I know by dong that I can conquer fault #1 above by doing so.

SO THERE - thats my dirt....I had to bag on Twilight because I am sick of hearing about it and remembering all the screaming moms and pre-teen girls in a theater ooing and awweeing over half dressed BOYS (yes those two are basically a Boy to a 30 something married woman). Let me tell you the release of New Moon had me start reeling back to my first instict of this fad. Sorry no Twighter here, she done grown up.
*like the hick talk (cuz thats how al' us freaks talk)

SOOOOOOO In case this seems all Mc.Crazy talk....

 You decide for yourself: (taken from the movie site)

The first part of the two-part conclusion to the "Twilight" series: Bella (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson) are married and are surprised on their honeymoon when Bella becomes pregnant. Her pregnancy worries both vampires and werewolves, including Bella's best friend, Jacob (Taylor Lautner) especially when she becomes very ill. Also with Billy Burke, Sarah Clark, Ashley Green, Elizabeth Reaser and Kellan Lutz. Directed by Bill Condon. [1:57]

SEX/NUDITY 6 - The bare back of a young man is visible as we see him and a young woman in bed: they kiss passionately and we hear faint sexual moaning from both partners as sex is implied; the young man grabs the headboard, breaking it while he is on top of the young woman and we later see the young woman waking up in bed (the bed has been destroyed and the pillows are ripped). A young woman has a vivid dream, which we see, of herself and a young man kissing passionately: they lean back, sex is implied, the young woman awakens and tells the young man in bed next to her that she had a "very nice dream."
► A young man and a young woman are shown in bed together: he is shirtless and his bare chest is visible, the young woman is wearing a sheer negligee, she kisses him, pulling him close to her and implies that she wants to have sex with him, but he resists; she straddles him, we see a flash of the young woman's brief-style underwear as she gets on top of the young man and they continue to kiss passionately (sex is implied).
► A young woman wearing a towel wrapped around her walks onto a beach, we see the clothing of a young man crumpled on the beach, the young woman drops the towel and enters the water (we see their bare backs), he wraps his arm around her, they kiss passionately, and we see her bare back and side and his bare back as he makes a sexual remark about not being able to control himself.
► A young woman wearing a robe kisses a young man passionately, and he pushes her away. A young man and a young woman share an extremely long, lingering kiss in front of a group of people. A young woman touches her own lips as she has a flashback to kissing a young man passionately; we see his bare chest and they share a lingering, passionate kiss.
► We see a young man looking at various anatomical drawings of birth and paintings of women; bare breasts are visible in the paintings. A young man, wearing boxers and a T-shirt in bed, rolls over after looking longingly at a young woman wearing a sheer negligee. A young woman's buttocks are almost visible under her short, sheer negligee as she climbs into bed next to a young man wearing pajamas. We see a portion of a young man's back as he lifts his shirt. A young man's bare chest and back are visible when he wears swimming trucks and we see a young woman in a bikini. Throughout the movie we see a young man shirtless on many occasions. Several teen boys and young men are seen shirtless on multiple occasions. A young woman wears a very tight, figure-forming dress with an extremely low-cut back, covered by sheer lace and we see a woman wearing an extremely low-cut dress that exposes her cleavage. Women and young women are seen wearing cleavage-exposing dresses and a woman is wearing a dress with a very high slit that has to be adjusted when she sits down in order to cover her legs. A young woman tells a young man that her period is late, and she then clutches and rubs her stomach, lifting her shirt to expose her bare torso. A young woman digs through a suitcase, pulling out a very sheer bra and negligee.
► A young man and young woman hug, and he places his hands on the young woman's behind and they kiss. A young man cuddles next to a young woman on a couch as the young woman's husband watches. A young woman puts her legs over the legs of a young man as they sit next to one another and they kiss. A young man kisses the pregnant stomach of a young woman, he holds the young woman's stomach and they discuss how much they care for their unborn child. A young man and a young woman are seen cuddling and kissing by another young man and he looks disgusted. We see men and women kissing passionately in a crowd. A woman is seen sitting on a man's lap as they kiss. A man and a woman kiss on the cheek. A man kisses a woman's hand. Three couples are seen cuddling on a beach; a young man and a young woman look at them jealously. A young man and a young woman are seen holding hands on multiple occasions. A young man and young woman hug. A young man wraps his arms around a young woman. A young man and a young woman hold one another. A young man and a young woman hug. A young man stares longingly at three young women and a young woman teases him, saying that he is drooling.
► A young woman tells a young man, "It was amazing" in reference to them previously having had sex, and he tells the young woman the night was "The best night of my existence," after he apologizes for injuring her during their sexual encounter. A young woman implies to a young man that he won't harm her again if they were to have sex and the young man ignores her. A young woman playfully asks a young man if he is a virgin, and the young man does not respond. A young woman playfully asks a young man if there "will be strippers" at his bachelor party and he says no. As part of a wedding toast, a young man teases a young woman, saying that she ."..won't be getting any sleep." A man jokes with his daughter, and says, "I know I'm hot." Two young women discuss how one thinks that a young woman is pregnant; the other disagrees with her, saying that the young woman getting married is not pregnant.
► A young man "imprints" on a newborn baby � it is not sexual, but from previous conversations, we know that it is implied that he has found his mate for life, he experiences flashes of the newborn growing inside a girl and then a young woman and we see a reflection of the young woman staring lovingly into a young man's eyes.
► A young woman runs into the arms of a young man, who lifts her in the air. A young man lifts up a young woman and carries her into a room. A young woman and a young man dance slowly, he puts his face on her neck, and twice he lifts her and they spin around. A young man and a young woman dance slowly. A young man and a young woman dance and he flips her woman over his arm.