Proselytizing with Scare Tactics?

During my travels in Minnesota we passed this strange big red tent at the Celebration Church by my sister’s house in Lakeville.

Come to find out it is a haunted house of sorts. Supposedly they take you through all of these life scenarios where people die and have to meet their maker or something like that.  I was curious but irritated by the idea of scaring people into the belief that they need to accept Jesus into their lives.  I almost went with my brother-in-law with a $3 coupon but when they said you couldn’t take guns inside he wouldn’t do it.  I am actually glad I didn't go though.  I had a creepy feeling about it in more ways that one.  I am so glad we don’t succumb to scare tactics like this in the LDS faith to get people to follow the teachings of Christ.

Jumping Fun

I bought a new camera and I have been trying to figure out how to use it.  I need to experiment more but I had some fun this last weekend at my work party.  I love jumping pictures and at my work party we had a bouncy house.  Cute kids jumping, it was like a dream come true.  I was using the sport mode on my camera and I got a couple of fun shots that I thought I would share. 

This one is my favorite...

Hopefully I will have more fun with my camera on my trip to MN.   My roommate and I are also planning to go up in the canyons to take some pictures, so hopefully we will get some of the fall colors before they are all gone.      

Christmas Reform?

It is the beginning of September, so why is my mind already thinking about Christmas?  Maybe because it is stressful and I try to get myself geared up for it?  Monday night I had a crazy idea.  I wondered if I could have a commercial shopping free Christmas.  This would mean that I wouldn’t get up at 4:00am on black Friday to do any shopping. Sorry Cate!

Would my friends and family think I was lame?  This would NOT mean that I was unable to give gifts at all this just means that I would have to make the gifts I gave or find ways to offer service. This would mean I would probably be making a LOT of dried fruit and earrings.  I could also give hours of service like haircuts, back rubs, babysitting service.  I think I could do it, but should I?

I would of course still send out my personalized Christmas card and I would still have to buy fruit to dry and pay postage for some things I need to send.  I can think of some that would have a hard time with it like the little ones but I think that we could work out something.  I will have to think a little bit more about it and if I decide to go through with it I will have to give everyone a heads up.  This isn’t because I am dirt poor; I am just tired of collecting stuff.  I have too much stuff and I don’t want any more stuff and when people give stuff they expect stuff in return.  I also think that the gift card shuffle is a bit of a joke too.  I give you a Petco gift card and you give me a Trader Joe’s gift card.  It is just silliness. You get me? 

I remember there was a family I knew back in Minnesota and they were LDS but their mother was a convert from Judaism.  She said that growing up they never got presents for Christmas and that on Christmas they had a birthday cake for Jesus.  I think that may be taking it a little far for me.  While the idea is sweet, I don’t eat cake and everyone is overloaded with sweets anyway.  I just think that Jesus is probably a little disappointed with how out of control things have gotten on the day we are supposedly celebrating his birthday.  I found this picture online…

 I just thought it was funny but a little extreme in my opinion though.