followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 83]

It's that time of year I spend a lot of time looking up Conference quotes (that someone else has chosen, I just have to download the files and highlight the pertinent text), which means I run into some really great things, like this one from Elder Christofferson:

A consecrated life is a beautiful thing. Its strength and serenity are “as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit” (D&C 97:9). Of particular significance is the influence of a consecrated man or woman upon others, especially those closest and dearest. The consecration of many who have gone before us and others who live among us has helped lay the foundation for our happiness. In like manner future generations will take courage from your consecrated life, acknowledging their debt to you for the possession of all that truly matters. May we consecrate ourselves as sons and daughters of God, “that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope” (Moroni 7:48; see also 1 John 3:2),

It makes me want to be better, especially so I can be a good influence on others.

The Literary Nunnery, Ep. 25: In which Leslie doesn't display a whole lo...

I don't check out books because I think they'll change my life.

Books featured in this video:
The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
The Boy Next Door by Katie Van Ark
Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby
Ana of California by Andi Teran
We Are All Made of Molecules by Susan Nielsen
Galgorithm by Aaron Karo
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

The Literary Nunnery, Ep. 24: In Which Leslie Unequivocally Recommends a...

One book I really liked, and one I didn't even bother to finish.

I said "Um" a LOT in this video. I thought about cutting them out but I'm getting pretty lazy about the editing of these things.

Books featured:
Valiant by Sarah McGuire
An Uncertain Choice by Jody Henlund

followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 82]

Read this.

“We live in a very poor part of Kenya on the border of Uganda. One of our branch presidents … is a farmer living on an extended family compound. He is a young man with a small family. …
“… He has members of his branch who tell him … that they cannot come to Church on Sunday because … they are afraid to leave their homes for fear their neighbors will steal their crops. … [This] is a very REAL concern. … In fact, people … wait to plant when the other neighbors plant, so they lessen the chance for their early harvest to be taken. …”
“[They also say] they cannot come to Church on Sunday because they must work … because they are so poor.”
“[The branch president] continued, ‘I tell them, “I leave my home every Sunday and stay at Church for long hours of the day. I do not work on the Sabbath. When I return home, I have often found that my neighbors have stolen my [corn], my chickens, their eggs, my fruit because they are hungry and they have no food. Still, I find that when it comes time for harvest, I am blessed because my land produces more than theirs—even though they work each Sunday. My land produces more, and I am blessed because I keep the Sabbath Day holy.”’
“Hearing [this branch president’s] comment, [another branch president] said, ‘I can attest to the same thing. I have 2 acres of [corn]. My neighbor works 10 acres. He works every Sunday. I do not. When it comes time to harvest, I have plenty. My neighbor comes to me for food because he hasn’t enough. I, too, am blessed for living the law of the Sabbath.’”¹¹The Lord’s ways are higher than our ways—and so is His arithmetic. It is different than ours. It is true of tithing, isn’t it? With tithing, 10 minus 1 does not equal 9. The Lord blesses us with what we need and more. That is also true of the Sabbath. There are seven days in a week, but working six of seven days actually provides us with more, not less, of the things we truly need. You can almost hear the Lord say, “Prove me now herewith … if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

source

The Literary Nunnery, Ep. 23: In which Leslie reads a Sunday book

Sometimes slow reading comes in little packages.

Books featured in this video:
Amazed by Grace by Sheri L. Dew

The Literary Nunnery, Ep. 22: In which Leslie wasn't crying

spoilers for jane eyre.
Spoilers for Jane Eyre in this video. Also, I can't believe I forgot to mention my favorite modern adaptation of Jane Eyre...guess I'll put a link below.

Books featured in this video:
The Whisperer by Fiona McIntire
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Re Jane by Patricia Park
Valiant by Sarah McGuire

The Autobiography of Jane Eyre: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3NxAiyc-89HP3wHV2y5mbwi2TidvocKZ

the stars are dancing

I don't know how I knew my 10,000th day was coming up; I just did. About a month ago I had a moment of panic that I'd missed it, so I looked up a little calculator to help me determine when I would be 10,000 days old.

It's today!

The only thing I ever think of when pondering such a milestone is Howl's Moving Castle (the book, not the movie). In it, the fact that Howl is 10,000 days old is a plot point! Based on John Donne's poem "Song."

Today I did not get with child a mandrake root or find what wind advances an honest mind. I had some party ideas to do with those things though. (I was too lazy to have a party. I made a Facebook event and didn't invite anyone; my family still said they'd come.)

However! It is the Perseids tonight so I could, reasonably, go and catch a falling star.

After all, Howl did.

And nothing bad came of that at all.

The Literary Nunnery, Ep. 21: In which Leslie moves around a lot

Filming at night is not ideal for my beauty...neither is not bothering to brush my hair. But my commentary about books more than makes up for that.

Books featured in this video:
Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adieh

The Literary Nunnery, Ep. 20: In which Leslie considers her silliness

You can learn a lot by reading the introductions to books.

Books featured in this video:
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Charmed by Michelle Khrys
An Uncertain Choice by Jody Henlund

The Literary Nunnery, Ep. 19: in which Leslie gets books big and small

There's the possibility of escape from the literary nunnery in this episode! Neither of these books are YA fiction.
There's the possibility of escape from the literary nunnery in this episode! Neither of these books (one skinny, one fat) are young adult fiction.

Books featured in this video:
Amazed by Grace by Sheri L. Dew
Dune by Frank Herbert