Thoughts and stories, by Pal

I enjoyed reading this article in Meridian Magazine so much, I thought you readers would enjoy it!  Serendipity is something I haven't studied much! How to Evolve from Control Freak to Friend of Flow By Richard Eyre  · April 24, 2019 Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please  CLICK HERE Editor’s Note:  This is the second article in a four part series about a new Happiness Paradigm that replaces the attitudes of control, ownership and independence with their more spiritual alternatives.  Read the first overview article here. Our Addiction to Control The term “Control Freak” brings to mind a certain type of person—a type none of us want to be, but that many of us feel that we are becoming. Oh, how we long for  Control .  We try to control the events of our day by making lists and checking them off.  We try to control our children by disciplining and rewarding them.  We try to control our destin...

Counter Cultural Parenting By Nicholeen Peck  · January 27, 2016, in Meridian Magazine Editor’s Note: The following is part one of a two-part series on “counter-cultural parenting.” To make sure you don’t miss part two, subscribe to Meridian for free by  clicking here .   Society is transforming tremendously fast. In the past 10 years the United States has become drastically divided as a nation on important issues like the value of life, the value of religious institutions and morals, the value of the natural family, and what constitutes proper education. The list could go on. Fruitless debates fill the airwaves and the Internet. Families feel attacked, individuals feel devalued, and children are becoming more aggressive and depressed. What is happening to the world? The answer is that counter culture has become the new culture. Luckily, the families of the world still have hope. If culture and the process of creating or changing culture are under...

Today was our daughter Pam's birthday, and our grandson Cameron's birthday.  I need to write a "This is your Life" for Pam, and also our son Jeremy, whose birthday has passed, but it will have to be in a few days.  Perhaps a few weeks -- life has been quite busy lately, and we have a wedding on January 15th to help plan.  Life events are really special aren't they! ! ! I really enjoyed this article, and it has a very important message for all of us! LINE UPON LINE Is There a Dependability Gene? By Joni Hilton  · December 17, 2014, in Meridian Magazine A couple of weeks ago the Ward Financial Clerk called to remind me about my tithing settlement appointment with the bishop. I asked him if he had to call everyone who had signed up. He did.   I wonder if he had any idea that, twenty years ago, no one needed a reminder call. People cared enough to write appointments down and remember them. I suppose I’ve joined that generation of...

I remember my mother, Ruth, a gifted school teacher, once had in her class the child of a medical doctor.  He was only 8 years old, but had been given everything any child could want, even before he realized he wanted it.  One year at Christmas he had been given a BB gun, and he wasn't even excited about it.  He never got excited about gifts given to him, because he hadn't had the gift of being allowed to "want" something, and then wait awhile to finally get it.  That is a great gift to children!  (Refer to my post on Dec. 1, 2013, "A Child's Christmas Prayer.) (I'll write another post later today, about my father, Orson Pratt Miles, who passed away 38 years ago today.)    These are ideas for helping children learn to become independent, happy adults, and not overindulging at Christmas time.  These two articles were in "The Spectrum", a local newspaper, today, Dec. 14, 2013.   Build Christmas spirit in your children this year (condens...