I was looking at David's post from a couple weeks ago about teaching in church and I thought... I wonder who else teaches in church? So...
I thought this might be a fun thing for us to do.
1) What is your current calling(s) in church?
2) What is the best meal you have had recently? (any good recipes to share?)
3) What is the most beautiful sight you have seen recently?
4) Are you developing any new talents/skils/knowledge?
5) What are your current struggles?
6) Would you be interested in pen pal'ing with another sibling and his/her familyv once a month?
(send real mail on the first Monday (what better a way to spend time fasting than to write your pen pal?) h
I hope you are all well and I will answer these questions soon. I need to grade some papers.
HISTORY
A Little History:
Our story begins in Pocatello, Idaho, circa 1972, when the lovely Debby Christensen agreed to a first, though fateful date with admirer, David Croshaw. Long story-short, he bade her follow him, and they went arm-in-arm to the Logan, Utah temple for establishment of an eternal family unit, Generation 1, on May 23 1973.
From their first blissful summer in Salt Lake City, educational pursuits took them to Provo/Orem, Utah, birthplace of Leslie and Rebecca, and to San Francisco/Oakland California, birthplace of Colin and Matt. Then, for establishment of livelihood, expansion of the tribe with Abby and Dana, and for raising/unifying of Generation 2, it was back to the roots in Pocatello for a rewarding sojourn.
In time, driven by a raging, but commonly shared sense of adventure and independence, one-by-one, Generation 2 escaped the homeland to distant regions of the country and the world, each ultimately developing their own tribal expansions by pairing with worthy mates and initiating Generation 3.
Now sensing fulfillment of their purpose in Pocatello, Generation 1 has also left those roots and transplanted to Cascade Idaho, from which base, they anticipate more abundant contact with The Posterity, Generations 2 and 3, in the future. That contact however, awaits fulfillment of a call to LDS missionary service in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, wherein they hope to help the state of the world by sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
So now, including Generation 0 (Grandma and Grandpa Christensen) home base includes Yuma, Arizona, Pocatello, Idaho, Cascade, Idaho, Vancouver, BC, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Spokane, Washington, Boise, Idaho, Los Angeles, California, back to Boise, Idaho, and on and on (Generation 3+) to infinity.
Our Mission Statement:
This is the blog of our eternal family unit. Initiated years ago, it served well as a journal, but even more so, as an archive of our personal interaction. It was a gathering place, a confabulation instrument, a unifying force for four generations of widely dispersed and progressively prolific posterity, and their valued associates. Though it served these purposes well for many years, it eventually took a back seat to new-kids-on-the-block, Facebook, and Instagram, and was sadly forgotten.
We now move to resurrect this blog with an added functional purpose of archiving the missionary experiences of Generation 1, of their movements and activities as they participate with The Gathering of Israel in the land northward. In so doing, we hope that via their own comments and posts, this blog will again serve to gather and unify the posterity and their friends.
As in the past, that the young and vibrant may know the old and tired, that enduring bonds may be fostered and maintained, that experience and encouragement may be openly shared, that posterity may embrace truth, and that hearts may be knit together, we must resist detachment despite our geographic divergence. We shall do so here.
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15 comments:
Since I said I would, I am back to answer my own questions... I hope you all join me. I really am interested.
1) I teach on the 2nd Sunday in Relief Society. That means Mother's Day this month- which is also fast Sunday (travesty! What about breakfast in bed?!) because our ward is getting news about our stake splitting this Sunday.
2) Best meal... I got a little tiny bit of chicken tikka masala Saturday that was requested as a birthday present to my friend. The recipe on Pioneer Woman is as good as any restaurant... though my attempts at naan have not been so good.
3) Since Valerie went to live with her dad, every day I come home from work to be enthusiastically greeted by my little family (including Misha), is pretty darned beautiful every day. I am fragile in this matter.
4) I am still trying to perfect portraiture. I am learning to get camera shots straight-out-of-the-camera that I like and I Am trying my best not to process them too much. That being said, I just downloaded my free trial of Lightroom ... Also, I learned how to "Do" genomics this semester. This is huge in my life and if it ever happens that I seek employment in a more westward state, this knowledge will be pretty marketable.
5) well, finances. It is amazing how God has provided, but it has been scary. I am also pretty concerned about the car I drive. More than anything though, my struggle with Valerie moving with her dad has been pretty darn hard. It is really hard to feel so disposable...
6) I would definitely be happy to send (and receive) real mail. I hardly ever get anything but form letters and junk these days.
Brilliant idea, Crystal.
1 - I have two official callings and one unofficial. I am a visiting teaching supervisor, I play piano for Relief Society, and I am the unofficial pianist for the choir.
2 - I had to use a pomegranate and looked for the most interesting recipe I could find. And I found Turkish Pasta with Bison Sauce. It was quite good! http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/turkish_pasta_with_bison_sauce.html
3 - I am going to answer this in future tense: I'm doing the Indy half marathon on Saturday. The most beautiful sight I will have seen recently is that finish line. I need a break from the long-distance running.
4 - At work, I'm working on being proactive because the role I hope to have in the future is a proactive role. This is harder than I expected, given that my current role is 100% REactive. At home, I'm trying to learn to play bass guitar. I'm impatient to just be able to play whenever I want, which ironically makes me practice less than I should.
5 - I've been struggling with feeling socially awkward. I have a few friends here and I love them, but when I get placed in social situations with people I don't know well (like Enrichment tonight), I REALLY want to be able to talk to anyone and be friends with everyone, and lately I feel completely incapable of doing that. It makes me really miss my singles ward in DC, because that was the last time I felt socially competent and actually knew a lot of people who knew me too.
6 - I am definitely in.
Here I go!!
Jason and I just went to Hawaii, so some of my answers will revolve around that.
1-I am the Sunbeam teacher. Woo...super, super exciting. Womp wommmmmp.
2-Indian food is my answer too Crystal! We went to this innnnnnncredible Indian restaurant in Honolulu. It is tiny and no matter what night of the week you go (we went on a Thursday) there is at least an hour wait, and they aren't quick to get checks to people and have them get out to make room for those waiting. But the wait was absolutely worth it. We tried 4 dishes, a Lamb masala dish, chicken tikka masala, a salmon dish (I just had one tiny bite since I don't like seafood) and the best was the buttered veggie masala. It had a thin layer of naan cooked over the top of the dish. Mmm...I'm drooling thinking about it.
3-Most beautiful site would have to be the 360 degree view from the top of Koko head in HI. Or the white sand and most gorgeous turquoise waters at Bellows beach.
4-I am not developing any skills really. I am trying to eat healthier. I guess that kind of can be included in knowledge. I do lots of research on recipes and what foods I should buy. My goal is to start menu planning, because it's usually 5:00 and I say, "What should I make for dinner?" and feel stressed.
5-I am so in the same boat Abby. After spending a week with someone I feel closer to than Jason and family, I miss having good friends in TX. I feel lonely. I can't complain, we have a great ward, but I just don't want to have to work to make friends. I want the friendship to just be there, and I've learned effortless friendships are few and far between. I really miss Janae (my friend we visited in Hawaii.) I cried when our plane took off. It's hard leaving good friends behind. It doesn't help that I'm worried about her because her husband is deploying to Qatar (middle east) in 2 months and will be gone a year.
6-Absolutely!!! I was just thinking, what happened to our family newsletter? I miss that.
Thanks for the motivation to get some activity on the blog Crystal! I am so sorry about Valerie. Do you talk to her very often?
on #5 I meant spending time with someone I feel closest to BESIDES Jason and family, whoops!
Love these and I am kind of like "whaaaaa? Abby and Dana are the two LEAST socially-awkward people I know!" (Abby, every time I meet someone in DC, they "know" or they have "heard of" you. Do whatever you did there, except now do it married ;-)
I have friends at work, but not at church. I also really, really like my next door neighbor. She is amazing and kind. She has been through some pretty tough stuff, so I think she and I connect because of that, but I wish I was even inVITED to play groups, dinner parties, game nights, but we aren't. I see the pictures on Facebook, so I know that they are happening around us, but we are just not cool enough ;-) with church people. Thank goodness, I get invited to every alcoholic beverage party at work though, otherwise I might feel like nobody likes me. (hence the, I need another church thoughts of late).
Dana. I have talked to Valerie 3 times since she moved. Her dad bought her a new phone, so she doesnt even use the one I bought her, and he wont give me the number and does not answer his own phone. It is super. She is coming this weekend though. I am trying to focus on the fact that we love her above all. I will say, I am pretty devastated though. It is tough to feel so hated by someone you have literally sacrificed EVERYTHING for... It came at a "bad" time too. I am drowning with work responsibilities.
OK, I will be the first guy to support this experiment, thus making the other guys feel either more motivated or less motivated, depending on their viewpoint, to follow through. My goal is to shame them into it, but it may backfire. Some of the questions are chick questions though, so don't expect too much. I will try to be honest.
1)My primary church calling is high counselor in a YSA stake, going on 3.5 years now with no end in sight. I am happy to leave it that way however. I am energized and challenged by these young singles, particularly when it comes to social situations (Abby/Dana/Crystal) You see, I'm old enough to be their grandfather, and I'm tired. Some of them are very gracious to acknowledge me, however. I am appreciative of that.
I also still serve 1 shift/week as a temple ordinance worker, a calling which I very much love, which revolutionized my testimony and has taught me to focus on eternity. I really am no longer afraid of aging or dwindling, because I know where it leads. Progression. I just want to prepare as best I can for that ultimate transition. Also, this calling enhances my perspective of all of you and who we are to one another. It is deeply meaningful for me.
2) Best recent meal: Mamma Inez take-out for lunch last week, mostly because of the company (Debby) but also because that food is just hard to beat. Maybe Taco Fresh could rival it, but I would have to go to Florida. Sorry, I don't do recipes. Alex?
3) Most beautiful sight: I would have to say the IF temple at dusk, photo of which I posted on facebook. That lustrous House of God against that deep blue sky was pretty incredible,
Also, I recently viewed and posted on facebook, some time-lapse video of the horizon and night sky over Yosemite Park. This was breath-taking, and fit well with that focus on eternity. here's the link (sorry you may have to cut/paste):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/30/yosemite-time-lapse-video-movie-shawn-reeder_n_1466107.html
Go to next comment for Numbers 4-6. I'm too long winded with too many character for one comment. Sorry, but I'm too tired to consolidate right now.
4)Developing skills/talents
Practicing my specialty, particularly reconstructive surgery, has become more of an art to me than a skill, and has become 2nd nature. This has not always been so, but I once heard that to be an expert at anything, you need to spend at least 10,000 hours at it. I'm well over that by now, but practice management and especially marketing in social network media remain challenging for me. Yet, we are bringing in a new associate this summer, presumably to buy me out of the practice and allow me to retire. The practice will need to support both of us for the couple of years I remain with him. So I'm feeling the need to do some marketing I had not previously deemed important. I've been dragging my feet, but we're trying to develop (with the help of Ray's brother Jez) a premo web-site and keep it optimized on search engines. This is interesting, but challenging - abstract. I am motivated to get it set up for the new guy. If I am to sell him the practice, I want it to be truly a thing of value and productivity for his family.
Also, some time ago, I started writing a book about the restoration of temple work. Don't know if it would ever become something, but maybe for my family. Progress of late has been slow, mostly because time is limited, but I feel driven to complete it.
5) Struggles: My health seems to be relatively good, but I have allowed myself to become a whale and get way far out of shape. This makes life (movement, sleep, etc.) more difficult. I want to change that, but find that it will be a major commitment, requiring that some other interests be put aside, or at least slowed down for a while. The practice has been demanding much more of my time lately, and then there's the Church callings the woodworking, the kids/grandkids, and the yard. The trees keep calling my name. Prune me, fertilize me, weed me... So, what do I cut? Well, it can't be the family, or the practice, or the Church. It's really a hard one for me. Yet, I feel a major need to improve my health so I can be productive (missions) and enjoy the family more after retirement.
6) Electronic media is so much easier, but if someone wants to send me a real letter with a stamp, I'll reciprocate.
1. None.
2. Tiki Masala, Home made humus, jambalaya, anything Crystal makes
3. Besides Crystal the sunset tonight.
4. Continue to work on calligraphy. Not good enough to do professionally though.
5. Self doubt, staying employed, not being so intense.
6. Sounds like a good idea. I'm not fond of fasting so anything to take my mind off it;-)
I am hoping for a good weekend for you guys Crystal. Someday, even if not today she will recognize everything you did for her.
My #1 response, I realized I sound like I hate my calling. I really do love my Sunbeams, and I love that they all call me "Delgadillo." No Sister in front of it. And they like me and that makes me feel good. Also, I have noticed when I put more effort into my lessons, more involved activity planning, it goes sooo much better.
This is Mom:
1.Stake RS Counselor/Temple Worker
2.Lemon squares. brownies with ice cream. also really love cream cheese crab enchiladas at Mama Inez. i don't like my cooking much lately.
3. The video Dana just posted of my Grandchildren. Wish Valerie and Asher were in it.
4. Learning how to bill and deal with insurance companies and try to be nice to everyone at work (in person or on the phone). They all respond so much better when I am nice. Even Medicare, although I could have been nicer on that one today. I really am trying to see everyone as Heavenly Father's child. It is not easy. I'll keep working on it.
5. Insurance companies. Actually an even bigger struggle is trying to manage my time better, to really put the important things first and omit all those things that are time wasters. It is hard, because I really like the time wasters. However, going to a movie with my husband does not fall in any of those categories. I do love spending all day every day with him. Who would have thought?
6. yesyesyes. could this be a rotating pen pal thing? maybe pen pal for a quarter and then rotate? someone work out a schedule and i am in. since i am not so good at time management maybe lately someone else could do a schedule. Becky? oops just thought of the car door and front door keys. Abby?
MOM
I know this is late, but here goes. This is Colin.
1) I do not have a calling other than Home Teacher. We're going on 1 year but no calling. Sometimes I teach in priesthood if they ask me. I'm not sure why I haven't been given a calling and it is something I think about a lot. It's nice at first but now I would prefer if they gave me something.
2) We had some pulled pork at our friends in Olympia this weekend that was really good.
3) Watching my kids laugh and smile and play nice together.
4) I am getting more comfortable with my career now that I am our of residency. I am also getting BACK into my hobbies that I put off for 10 years. I really want to get back into mountain biking, golf, guitar, fishing, etc
5) I struggle with being consistent with everything I should be doing along with my job and everything else. It's a constant struggle to read scriptures enough and have FHE and family scripture study, especially when I work at night/bed time a lot. I know I am not alone in this.
6) I would be interested in the pen pal thing. I like the rotating idea.
Turns out my comments were a few hours premature. The EQ president came over tonight and called me as the EQ secretary. Ask and you shall receive.
That's awesome Colin. I'm so glad you got a calling!
That is too funny Colin. What do they say about writing down your goals. Viola. This is Jason. I like everyones comments, and would love to respond to all of you, but will just say I'm impressed with this great families true desire to become better in all things in life. It is a great example to me.
Quick Story, when I was probably a sophomore in High School I had a friend that we would play one on one basketball with. I could be beating him 20-14 in a 21 point game. And he had the intense ability to turn on some sort of fire inside hime and refuse to lose. It was incredible. A complete concentration and full effort in success. I could never explain it, but it was a great life lesson for me, that when the time is right, determination and focus can will you to succeed in anything.
Now for my answers on the next comment....
Ok, here we go. And David, if you know me well enough, you know I have no shame. So I'm not posting this in a response to your...um...what ever you would call it.
1. Church calling, I guess you could say I have one. Sunday School Secretary. Which involves..............cricket, cricket.....Having a meeting once a quarter to discuss a hot topic, like if we want to start collecting roles since the church doesn't keep those records, or planning our yearly teacher improvement class....I should probably stop now before thunder strikes on my head. It is awesome to be a productive member of the "quorum" and take as many opportunities as possible to serve others without being "called" to. Probably a unique opportunity for me to have that feeling without "meetings" getting in the way.
2. Best meal, hmmmm. I've tried to think of food as a substance to sustain health lately. Trying really hard to not focus on flavor, but nutritional value. I know, probably blasphemy in the Book of Jason. But I will default to the last time I had a Double Double at IN-N-Out. Just to start up some good ole fashioned controversy.
3. A T&C surfboard beneath my feet gliding over the aqua blue ocean.
4. Developing.....Trying to be healthier than I ever have before in my life. It feels like it is a 18 hour a day job. I'll leave it at that.
5. I struggle with balance in my life. I get consumed in a single thing that I am interested in. Football in the Fall, Woodwork this winter, Health this spring. In the moment I want to focus everything I do around the activity I am interested and make time for other things, namely Family. Not sure what to do about it all. I'm sure David will have a suggestion.
6. To be honest, I love social media these days a lot better. But I am game.
BTW, I didn't proof read any of this (inconceivable, right David?) so hopefully some of it made sense.
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