TJ Hirst

Am I wrong in my perception that most people want less weighty content to read?

This is the question I posed to another writer this week, and we had an interesting discussion about substance vs. fluff. Another writer this week also lamented, “Does anyone write literature anymore?”

I don’t believe this discussion relates only to writing but to all communication. I share a current example from our home.

On Monday nights we have what our family and other members of the LDS church call Family Home Evening. It is a very flexible way of reserving and spending time together as a family. This is what our Monday nights look like: We eat dinner together, have a gospel-centered time to study and discuss the doctrine and principles of the scriptures, enjoy dessert, take a Finnish sauna (girls first, then boys), and then Paul and I watch recorded episodes of The Office.

Well, this week, I was leading the discussion about preparing ourselves to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Half way through, I felt like I was just talking to myself. I asked questions with little response. Then I saw why no one was engaged—three of the five family members (my husband included) were drawing cartoon characters on the paper I had given them.

I will admit up front that I am a serious substance seeker. It is in my nature. People have tried to change me, to make me less serious and more spontaneous. And in fairness to my husband distracting our children from what I am saying, he is one who hasn’t tried to change me and who has helped me achieve a nice balance. (If I am watching The Office, I must be a little fun).

But I still want the communication I give and receive to be purposeful, and most often my purpose is to seek truth or understanding. My writing, especially on this website, is going to reflect that innate desire in me.

But I don’t want to just be talking to myself when I talk or write. I invite your thoughts on this subject in the poll question below. It could be entitled, Your opinion on Finding What Inspires, Part 2. Did you take Part 1? If not, go here, I would love to have your feedback.

And, just a reminder, my polls are anonymous.

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Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us today?

Welcome Spring! Today is the Spring Equinox. A change in seasons is always a good time to refresh my basic knowledge about the relationship between the earth and the sun and its effect on our lives.

Seasonal change in the angle of sunlight, caused by the tilt of the earth’s axis, is the basic mechanism that results in warmer weather in summer than in winter. Change in day length is another factor.

Nature responds to the increase of light and begins to change. Even in Minnesota where the spring bulbs will not appear for more than a month, I see signs that nature senses a change.

This week my sister-in-law wrote this:

I need the rejuvenation of what (spring) symbolizes. I am hungering for the green to be more present in the outdoors, for the flowers to poke their heads out of the ground. I’m always amazed at how early some of the flowers come, even with the chill that hangs in the air. They can’t wait to feel that sun. As do I. I am so looking forward to the warmth.

Our family is also receiving and responding to an increase of light from heavenly sources this spring. We have sensed a need for slight changes that will carry us into new seasons of growth.

We have lived in our home for three years without rearranging furniture or redefining spaces. Ironically, in the last week, we were inspired to make small physical reorganizations in almost half the house.

After we made these changes and Paul began the planning process for others, the whole family responded to the new openness. More importantly, the physical changes initiated other purposeful emotional and spiritual changes.

For example, my daughters both rearranged the furniture in their rooms to accommodate their changing circumstances. We weeded out the outgrown clothes and books and made space for that which is now a priority. As a result, their moods and desires changed, enabling them to prepare for future needs.

These small shifts in life’s seasons bless our family and make me grateful for increased light that helps us sense when to change habits or relationships so growth will continue.

I delight in watching children discover life. They react over and over again to their new circumstances, many of which seem trite and ordinary to us.

When my first baby discovered her reflection in a full-length mirror she was meeting a new playmate, a little person with a big grin who was just her size. After several such playdates, I sat beside her and showed us together in the mirror. Then she understood that she was the new friend.

It was even more fascinating when she discovered dreams just before age three. She said, “Momma, I had stories in my head while I was asleep. I was in the story and there were cars, too.”

Children thrive on such everyday experiences that we adults just gloss over as commonplace. Yet, uncommon observations of common circumstances create stories!

This post at Just an Orange sparked my thought process about stories. Allysha said, “Telling stories is essential. It is a way to transmit truths. It is a way to understand ourselves and others.”

Observing everyday experiences and everyday people with child-like perspective and questions will uncover those truths and understanding. The story is a way to tell it.

We often say, “Everybody has a story.” But sadly, we often just look to only “newsworthy” people or outrageous stories and miss the truth waiting to be revealed in seemingly ordinary people. I am inspired by an example of this and other efforts to capture these stories.

The goal of Everyday Biography, which appears on this website on Wednesday, is to discover truths and understanding from the circumstances and lives of everyday people and to share their stories in writing.

^{Interested in reading more? Support from the Sky: A Veteran’s Story is the first series in this category.
Interested in contributing to Everyday Biography? Please contact TJ for guidelines.}

^{Have you taken my poll on Finding What Inspires? I would love your feedback.}

Try-It With-Me Tuesday, an interactive weekly time and place to foster connections that challenge and encourage the process to become a well-rounded person.

March in Minnesota brings spring a little bit at a time. Our water comes in the form of snow showers. Despite what it looks like outside, I have been able to open my windows once or twice and let some spring air blow in. The smell of spring (and the spring cleaning) rejuvenated our house and me.

With all this renewal of nature, I thought it appropriate that I began a health challenge:

Drink more water this week.

Water has a lot of health benefits and my attempts to drink more of it as a health habit have been a lot like March in Minnesota. So, I need your suggestions. How much is more water for you? How do you keep track of how much water you drink? What do you do to remind yourself to drink more water?

Meanwhile, I am just beginning my biography for the March Reading Challenge. I’m going to spend my spring break reading about Dolley Madison.

Do you want to Try It With Me?

Join in by trying the challenges with me, commenting, linking, or suggesting a challenge. If you want to write a post on your blog about what happened when you took the challenge, I will publish your link. Just link to my website in your post and send me your link.

^{Have you taken my poll on Finding What Inspires? I would love your feedback.}

Guest Post: by ph

In the past, I’ve used our VCR (and now DVR) to record shows I’d like to watch, but don’t have time to watch, yet. Sometimes, knowing it’s recorded is as good as actually having watched it.

It seems, in spite of our technology, we’re no better connected than those of 100 years ago who relied on the mail service. In some ways, I think we’re worse off. We have the ability to connect at any time in any place in seeming unlimited ways. But, it’s like the DVR . . . because we can we substitute our ability for the action.

I’m certainly as guilty as any one else. The past three weeks have been insanely busy with work, then throw in church, kids, sick and all of the other normalities of life.

Still, I think it’s worth the time to connect in some way. A little tid bit of life. A funny thing your kid said like:

“Do you want me to put this tarp over the meat?”

-my 8-year-old daughter,
referring to aluminum foil

It doesn’t need to be much. It doesn’t need to take all our time. It doesn’t even need to be every day.

We can stay connected, despite the thought that we are because we can even if we don’t.