Magnifying a Calling

My blogs tend to be more philosophical and less day-to-day.  Probably that comes with the differences in my life's activities.  Merle and I are both going to a chiropractor to relieve back pains.  I had my very first massage yesterday.  All I could say afterwards was, "It was interesting.  I' much rather write about the fun things Wes and Eric do, but it's not my turn.

So, I am now in my 78th year. As look back over the callings I’ve held I see a pattern of progress in myself. Callings are for the development of the person called, more than for the persons being taught. I developed an attitude change.


If I could do one calling over again, it would be the time I was called to teach one BeeHive girl in San Francisco Ward. She was the only one in her age group, and she only came part of the time. I was newly married, age 20 and worked a full time job. I did not feel like preparing lessons for one girl. It seemed like a waste of time. I didn’t go out to her home to meet her or her family, or send notes or a birthday treat. I don’t think I even knew when it was. After a year and a half we moved away and I was mercifully released.

What could I have done? –some of those things I mentioned. I could have found out what school she attended, her interests, whether she played sports, did she have a pet? Did she play an instrument? What kind of family did she have? Was the family active or less-active? Did she need a ride to M.I.A.? Did she have a friend she could bring with her? Might that friend have joined the church?

How might this have benefitted me? I grew up in a less-active family. My BeeHive Teacher was a great example, who helped me become active. I was shy and might have learned some social skills. I would have learned basic gospel lessons I had missed out on while growing up. This girl might have become the “little sister” I grew up wishing I had.

In the intervening years I’ve held lots of “important” callings–stake dance director, ward Primary President, Social Relations teacher in Relief Society, stake newsletter editor, ward Family History Consultant and teacher, ward missionary , to name several,.plus my husband and I served a full time mission. I’ve held responsible full time work. I’ve been a volunteer in my community, written newspaper columns and taught community education classes.

My latest calling came unexpectedly about six months ago. I was simply asked to write letters to five women in our ward who didn’t want visiting teachers or home teachers. I thought, “Okay, I can write.” It was the kind of calling where I didn’t report to anyone. No one in the ward saw the letters, so I didn’t get any feedback as to what I wrote or how I wrote it. It was kind of like that first BeeHive teaching position I had over 50 years ago–a seemingly worthless calling.

But this time I thought to myself, what ways can I magnify this calling?

I decided I would share something about myself each month so they would sort of get to know me. It was not about successes, I touched lightly on trials because I wanted them to relate to me as not being a “Mollie Mormon” kind of woman. I weave a part of a Relief Society lesson into the letters, or an article idea from The Ensign magazine, or an idea from the church website.  I tell them about upcoming ward activities. I give them my contact information each time and invite them to call or email me if they would like to.

Another way I make the letters special is to use actual photos such as a still life photo of vegetables in my own kitchen. I sometimes use stickers like on the 4th of July, and I looked for fun stationery to print my letters on. I always address them by their first names and sign my first name at the end. No letter is longer than one side of one sheet of paper.

In preparing for each month I may get an idea and take it to the Lord. If He wants me to use that idea, materials, quotes, scriptures, poems or whatever start coming to me. After I write the letters I pray about the sisters who receive them and ask the Lord to open their minds to the gospel truths they include. My rule of thumb is that they must be in the mail by the 15th of each month, preferably by the 10th. I want the women to start expecting the letters..

It is a privilege to write these letters. I do not withhold my stamps, stationary or ink, or ask to be reimbursed. I haven’t had any replies so far, but hope I am planting seeds that will take root in their hearts.

July 5th Lament

My Letter to the Editor:

Cannons to the front of us, Cannons to the rear of us,
And overhead we saw the rockets red [and green and white and blue] glares
It was a war zone pure and simple.

But today, by dawn’s early light, we saw the aftermath
Which rained down on our roof and lawn like falling leaves all over the place
Why don’t these celebrants go around the neighborhood they’ve littered and offer to sweep up?
There’s a couple of older women on our street who would appreciate the help.
How long before our homes become blazes of glory?

We need to designate safe places where the fireworks may be lighted off.



Lois Kullberg
Salmon Creek

FAITH, FAMILY, FREEDOM

I attended a 100th Anniversary celebration of a little country community church.  They put on a party like you would not believe such a small group could do.  First, we saw the above words plus a few more,  placed Burma Shave style along the road leading to Venersborg.  When we arrived we saw about a dozen white-uniformed Sea Scouts directing traffic.  They had contacted the county road department to let people use half of a 2-way road for parking and provided a shuttle bus for people who needed to park further away.  Inside the little church people signed in, received a paper plate [not a wimpy one] and utensils prewrapped in their own napkins.  We went through a line where several food handlers placed [free] picnic style food on the plates, then outdoors for hot, grilled sausages [not the cheap ones] or hamburgers, and soft drinks.  We ate at red, white and blue decorated tables while a 4-piece string band played tunes from the old days.   In the stained glass sanctuary we read newspaper clippings, saw photos of early settlers and were treated to a 20-minute video history.  On the adjacent community building grounds was a display of antique autos and farming equipment.  There were kitchen antiques to see and children's crafts.  They had games and contests after we left, and of course, buried a time capsule for the next 100-year celebration. It was an amazing event for just a few people to put together.  They deserve a standing applause for their efforts.  We were proud to be Americans, no matter what our personal differences were.

What's a Clean Birthing Kit?

What’s in a clean birth kit? This little headline at the top of page 11, of the May 5, 2013 Deseret News, caught my attention. 57 million women worldwide give birth without the help of a trained helper according to the World Health Organization. Often women give birth on the dirt floors of their homes. Women and children die from the infections contracted from unsanitary births.


Here’s what’s in a $2 clean birth kit:

. Small piece of soap [for the birth attendant to wash her hands.]

. One pair of plastic gloves [for the birth attendant to wear.]

. Five Squares of gause [to wipe the mother’s perenium and baby’s eyes.]

. One sharp blade [to cut the cord.]

. Three pieces of string about 10" long [two for tying the cord, one “just in case.”]

. One plastic sheet, approximately 1-yard square [for clean birthing surface.]

. One sandwich ziplock bag [to pack the contents.]

That’s it! No soft blanket. No diapers, or diaper rash cream. No onsies. No cap. No socks. Nothing else.

I kept thinking about recent births in our family. We are so blessed! And they need so little!  [See Family Reunion ideas on my Pinterest page]

Pre-assembled kits can be sent to: Adriel Brooker, Bloggers for Birth Kits, PO Box 6221, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia. Consult the web page at themommyhoodmemos.com/2012/08 /bloggers-for-birth-kits-faq United Nations Population Fund and Worldwide Healing Hands are two more groups who can forward clean birthing kits.

#21 - How I Got My First Computer

LDSW #21 - How I Got My First Computer


     In the early 1980s while I was working as a secretary at Clark College, I had a sick day off work when I sprained an ankle, so I spent the whole day reading a book I had recently purchased on doing family history by computer.

     I had drawers full of family group sheets, pedigree charts and hand written notes hastily scribbled on various sizes and colors of notebook paper. The collection, all too often, spilled out on the floor every time I tried to access a particular item. I thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could organize these things so I could access them quickly? Then I read the book. It had long been a goal of mine to do a thorough preliminary survey to determine which of my ancestors still needed their temple work done. Computer genealogy seemed to be the answer I needed.

     I was also spurred on by a passage in the Doctrine and Covenants Section 128:24 which was imbedded deep in my mind, “Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto he Lord an offering in righeousness; and let us present in His holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead which shall be worthy of all acceptation.” How was this even possible?

     A few of my prayers had been answered from time to time, so I began praying for how I could purchase a computer. It didn’t seem possible at the time. All our regular income was  dedicated to other obligations. Desktop computers in the homes were just becoming a reality, and costs were somewhere around $2,000, which was too much for our budget. Then came the miracle.

     We had invested in a limited partnership, which owned and operated apartments and condominiums, several years earlier. So far we had seen very little return on our investment. But this year the company sent us a dividend of $900 dollars. It came at the same time as a local retail store was offering new, affordable home computers with 64k memory for only $800. We jumped into the car and headed for the store. I got there in time to buy one of the computers. Within a few days, a man my husband worked with, mentioned that he had one of the rachet type printers he wanted to sell so he could upgrade to a newer model, and he was asking just $100 for his old printer. We bought it!

      I was then able to purchase a copy of Personal Ancestral File (PAF) software from our church bookstore, and began entering family names into my own database. It had been only a few weeks since I had read that book. I was convinced that the Lord does hear and answer our prayers!  [And we never got another large dividend from that investment!]