TJ Hirst

This is my daughter, but it is how I feel at the end of a summer filled with teaching, supervising, playing, refereeing, and loving.  I find comfort in this verse:

Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing,
for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.
And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 64 verse 33

While I love the toasty taste of marshmallows lightly browned over a campfire, I am not the biggest fan of s’mores. They are tradition more than a temptation and make a mess of already messy campfire cooking. Still, each time we camp, we indulge.

I’ve determined that my biggest qualm is that the chocolate does not melt around the marshmallow, even when I prepare it all ahead. So, this time I decided that I would create a new combination. My husband calls it s’more heresy.

First, prepare the graham crackers. Break a large square in half and spread peanut butter on one side. Lay Hershey chocolate squares on the other side. If you are in a precarious spot, you may wish to lay the Hershey chocolate directly on the peanut butter, to secure it from slipping off the side.

Second, toast the marshmallows to a golden color. Make sure to slowly turn the marshmallows over low coals to heat slowly and provide enough melting power.

Third, assemble the marshmallows in the middle. You can choose the goo of two or just one for a cleaner eat. But plop the desired number directly in the middle and pull off.

Fourth, press the s’more togther for a minute. This ensures that the chocolate, marshmallows peanut butter will melt and the flavors meld.

Finally, enjoy with a snack of napkins nearby. Eat slowly without thinking of trying to make another. Your appetite for s’mores will have been satisfied for the night and the whole year.

The Question: Have I Seen the Hand of God Reaching Out to Touch Us Today?

I hesitate to add something new to my life. I want to believe in it before I commit to it. So I don’t do a lot.

When I commit, though, I commit my whole heart. I’ve been that way with motherhood, marriage, my faith, my education, my assignments at church and in the community and in all my creative projects.

I do a few simple things well and only add when I can manage and maintain or I drop. I love this about me—now—and for that, I give gratitude.

Some others do not. But their reactions to me do not illuminate, so I won’t share.

This summer I received a new responsibility at church. I threw myself into learning—about teenage girls, about communicating, about planning with a purpose and still making it fun, too. (Yes, I can do FUN, despite what some others think or imply.)

Seven weeks later, another change came. I was asked to teach the early morning New Testament religion class five days a week to the high school students at our church.

So only a week before school starts I am reshuffling our morning routine, rearranging my schedule, refocusing my goals and recommitting my attention to what the Lord would have me do, now.

My heart is willing and able. Studying and teaching the scriptures is a blessing. But can I wholly commit, not sacrifice the level of parenting I want to give, and still develop my creative goals? On a revaluation walk, I learned how I can.

And so I now unload the self-induced pressure of daily posting at tjhirst.com. I am taking Saturday’s off. And maybe some days in between when I become a little sleep deprived, you may see “from the archives.” Thank you for reading. With a little time alone, I can continue to illuminate everyday for myself and be able to share it with you.

Open: adj. 1. Not shut or closed. 2. Having no protective or concealingly cover.
3. Spread out; unfolded. 4. Accessible to all. 5. Available; obtainable. 6. Susceptible, Vulnerable.

For my first time on Wordless Wednesday.

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.

We awoke to temperatures in the 40’s or 50’s the last few mornings, and the sumac is turning red. Our summer is changing to fall and the children are going back to school. The change of season brings relief from the feeling of always being on the go, but I will miss the summer help from my children and reading Watership Down after lunch, the garden flowers, sleeping in later, and easier routines. This week’s challenge to anyone who wants to try it with me:

Preserve a piece of summer for the future.

I’m making salsa with my children from all those peppers in our garden. Preserving isn’t just about canning vegetables or making jam. To preserve is to maintain or keep intact or prepare for future use.

Take a picture of a flower in your yard or a scene along a walk that you take. Write a journal entry to preserve a memory. Spend an hour with your child talking about what they liked doing this summer. Tell a story from your own childhood.

What are you doing to preserve this summer?

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. Feel free to use the TIWMT image in your post.