Remy's addresses - What will we sacrifice?

Good day faithful followers and new coming stumbleuponers. Is that last even a word? Well allow me to use my creative license to bring it into being.

I know it’s been quite some time since my last entry. Of course you’ve had my lovely wife providing more than her fair share of RELEVANT entries. Now that I have something to write about, I’m back … Okay, in truth I’ve probably had lots to say. I’ve just been lazy, and that’s something I’m trying to work on.

Two weeks ago I was asked by a member of our bishopric to speak in sacrament today. For those who are curious, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Unlike other churches in which there are dedicated ministers, preachers, reverends or pastors, anyone may be asked to prepare a talk (or sermon if you prefer such a term) at any time. Now of course they can decline, and not everyone will be asked. In any case it honestly took me by surprise. Here I had just given a talk barely six months ago, and now I’m being asked to do it again? Well sure, why the heck not? After all, I could certainly use more lessons in how to be a responsible adult.

So after procrastinating for well over a week I wrote my talk, two days before I needed to give it. Now, I don’t read to well when doing it out loud. Have you ever tried to stream a high quality video through a slow internet connection? That’s me. Okay, so maybe I’m not quite that bad, but you get the picture.

After reading, rereading and rereading some more, I finally felt … not ready in the slightest to be honest. Nevertheless I got up to the pulpit after saying a number of fervent prayers, and I spoke with a clear, carrying voice. For some reason microphones really help my confidence. I don’t know why.

I believe everyone enjoyed the talk. Everyone said so in any case. It’s very nice to be told you’ve done a good job. I suppose I require that validation to a degree. I need that constant reassurance that my efforts are not in vain. I guess it’s something I need to get over.

The following is my sacrament talk for anyone who is curious. Is that selfish validation again? Maybe. But I also hope it to be inspiring, or at the very least, thought-provoking.

Good morning brothers and sisters. This is the second time in six months that I’ve been asked to speak to you. Either someone has a lot of faith in me, or I’m meant to learn a valuable lesson in the folly of procrastination. In either case, I hope my words will uplift and inspire you on this wonderful Sabbath morning.

In the days of Christ, A certain lawyer once asked our savior “what must I do to receive eternal life?”

To this, Jesus said “What is written in the law?”

The lawyer replied: “Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”

These profound words, though plainly spoken nevertheless carry a significance which encompasses all we have, and all we are. But what does it truly mean to love the lord with all we have? How can we possibly succeed in obeying such a commandment? I mean, Heavenly Father gave birth to our spirits. He built a world in which we may obtain and experience the blessings of mortality. And when we fell away, he was there, sending his only begotten son to atone on our behalf, that we might live again. He is a constant presence, guiding us day by day, forgiving our many many transgressions and exercising the kind of patience I can only pray I have with my own kids one day … Talk about perspective! How can we possibly even begin to match that kind of love?

Since the time the curtain rose on the stage of human history, we children of God have always made offerings unto the lord. To show their devotion and willingness, our ancestors built alters on which they sacrificed the burnt first born of their flocks and herds. Nevertheless, the scriptures are rich with their boundless iniquity.

Then came Jesus Christ, whose coming had been prophesied for centuries. All of a sudden everything changed. Animal sacrifice and the law of Moses were no longer necessary. For Jesus said: And yee shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away.”

With that, our elder brother offered his own life as an atonement for humanity’s fallen state. This greatest of sacrifices paved the way for us to truly demonstrate our faith and devotion with all our heart, mind and strength.

Jesus Christ gave himself that we might live and be lifted up at the last day. But what shall we give in return? There are certainly many answers to this question. How about faith? Scripture study? Charity? Or the most profound, a “broken heart and a contrite spirit”? These are all essential elements if we are to return home. Indeed, Jesus has told us that “ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost.”

But how might we demonstrate our willingness to follow heavenly Father and keep his commandments? Grand biblical gestures are all well and good. And indeed, I myself can only hope I’ll one day have enough faith to be a martyr, or to give everything I possess if the Lord requires it. But hopefully neither I nor any of you will ever need to be in that position. So what smaller-scale sacrifices can we make?

As we grow in experience and in the Gospel, each of us will form our own answers to that question. After all, we reserve the rite to worship Heavenly Father according to the dictates of our own conscience. But though our consciences may vary, there is one undeniable constant which exists for each of us.

Our time on this earth is but a small moment, a blink in the vast eternity of our existence. From dawn till dusk, from the time we’re born to the time we move beyond the veil, our time is ours to do with as we will. This finite freedom is one of our greatest gifts, and I believe also one of the most precious things we can offer Heavenly Father in this day and age.

By sacrificing our time and our talents in service to one another, doing good works in the name of Jesus Christ, we not only demonstrate our willingness to take upon us the name of Christ, but also stand as a testament of his love for each of us. For we are all neighbors in the vast, incomprehensible kingdom of our God. And whatsoever good we do to one another we do unto Christ.

Our missionaries, young and old alike are to me, wonderful examples of how personal sacrifice can uplift not only ourselves, but also those around us. I especially admire our young missionaries. I remember being that young once. I remember how two years seemed like all the time in the world. Now I’m 28, still young, but full of an understanding that as one gets older, time inevitably speeds up. So to you young missionaries, and you who are preparing to serve a mission, I say bless you. The service you have or will render is mighty. I am humbled by your demonstration of faith in God, and your willingness to sacrifice to him your time and talents.

Of course it is never too late to serve a mission. I just know I’ll be eating those words one day.

There are a great many ways each of us may sacrifice our time in service to the Lord. We all know someone who is in need of friendship, comfort, advice or labor. And while those needs may manifest themselves in different ways and in different people, the gestures we offer and the examples we set will be reflected by our Heavenly Father in our own lives. For Jesus said “For as much as ye do it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

In a couple weeks, all of us will have the opportunity to participate in an organized day of service. What better way to start along the path of the good Samaritan than by helping collect food for those in need?

I recall our last day of service. I was among the group in charge of cleaning up and organizing the recycling plant. It was a lot of work. But I remember the feeling I got at the end of the day; a sense that I had truly done a good work. I can only hope this coming service project will instill that feeling in each of us.

I urge myself and each one of you to seek out ways in which you may offer your time and your talents in the building up of Zion. I myself need to constantly work on such a task, for I know I am guilty of idleness. You know, idle hands, and the devil and all that.

I testify that if we study the scriptures, we will remember one another. And if we remember one another and do all we can in service, we will remember God, and he will remember us.

I leave you these things in the name of Jesus Christ, from whom all of us received the ultimate sacrifice. Amen.

We go together like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong

Or like Fiddler on the Roof and Greek yogurt? Strange huh. The other day I was in the kitchen doing dishes when this conversation took place:
Me: You know what honey?
Remy: No, what?
Me: Do you know what I really really want right this second?
Remy: What?
Me: To watch Fiddler on the Roof and eat Greek yogurt.
Remy: *:Laughter* Well that's strange.

Do you have weird things like that ever?

Another one that is my favorite is day-time TV and mac and cheese. I can do one without the other but it's just not the same. It all started my freshman year in high school. I went to school half days for three of the afternoons I went and volunteered at a day-care and the other two days I got to go home. The alone time was absolutely glorious! Before I started doing half-days I would wake up for seminary around 5:30 a.m., go to seminary, go to school, cheerleading practice, come home and do homework, eat dinner, homework, possibly time for some relaxing, and then bed (which we all know was code for reading). So having a whole afternoon by myself to do whatever (alright so I was suppose to be doing schoolwork) was heaven on earth. I would usually get home and make some lunch and watch The Nanny. LOVED IT!
 

Remy's is that if he is eating chips (junk food of choice) he has to be either A. watch a movie or B. reading. He won't eat them any other time. How strange is that?

What are some of yours?

ALSO if anyone want to come over and watch (a.k.a sing along) Fiddler on the Roof and eat yummy Greek yogurt just let me know.

Home

We are home and from all the adoring fan mail, we were missed. :D
A few weeks ago Remy and I went to

for Chad and Richelle's wedding. It was a beautiful day and we had such a nice time. It was great to be able to be there for it.

Chad and Richelle

Chad is Remy's brother, now I know what you are thinking "WWWHHHHAAATTT! How can that be? They look nothing alike." *sarcasm font* In all honesty it was crazy to see the two of them together. There was only one time I grabbed the wrong bum...KIDDING!

It was a very nice ceremony and of course the bride was stunning. We had a great time at the reception, we were definitely at the fun table. It was wonderful to get to know my mother-in-law better AND I now have a new sister-in-law how fun is that.

Although we enjoyed the visit with the family it was so nice to come home

and to sleep in our own bed...

 

 and to cook in our own kitchen...

 

and to eat in our own dinning room...

 Yup it's nice to be home.

Alright, alright so these were actually rooms I found at IKEA that I LOVE (How much do you love that store!) and not our house (I know you're shocked and surprised so I'll give you a minute to recover). This is our actual bedroom and kitchen.

 

But I really am glad to be home and I love where we live.

So I've got some great new blog posts cookin up stay tuned. I hope everyone is having a great summer!

Girls just wanna have fun

In my life I have been blessed to have some of the best friends a girl can ask for! Some I am no longer in contact with, some I talk to occasionally, some I talk to on a regular basis, some I stalk on facebook and enjoy seeing what's going on in their lives, and some I get to hang out with more often.

Kirsten was able to come over last night and hang out with me. Her husband Paul is at Young Mens camp with Remy so we are living the bachelorette life together. We had SUCH a blast talking and making cards. There was constant laughing. We made some yummy yummy butter chicken, (Remy is going to be so mad because he has been trying to get me to try it forever) I have some leftovers so I am going to *try* to save them for him.

Kirsten with the cards she made. They turned out so cute! 

Since I am not able to show you the card I made because it's a card for my brother-in-laws wedding, I'll show you some cards I've made in the past (I'm terrible at taking pictures of the cards I make):

My Mom's birthday card.

For my dads birthday he wanted a framed picture of Remy and I. In order to get it to him on time I had to send it the next day do we didn't have time for a real picture.

I am so thankful for good friends. I miss Remy tons and I hope he is having a blast, but having my friends and family calling and checking up on me and even coming to hang out with me has made it not only easier but fun!

Cruisin Together

I just got back from my test and it was super duper stressful! Before I tell you about it I'll say I passed! We arrived at the office and I was super nervous. My tummy was in knots and  my heart racing so I breathed and tried to calm myself down. I was looking at the people behind the counter wondering which one was going to test me. Most of them looked relaxed and super nice. I was really excited that the majority looked so nice, I thought for sure my odds were good.

Nice one after one nice came and got the people around me. The old grumpy man with a scowl on his face was soon the only one left. Sure enough he came and said "Chelsea".  He was the one I saw and as soon as I saw him said I really hope I don't get him. I smiled and shook his hand and we made our way to the car. He said he would like me to get in the car and roll the window down. I asked if he would like me to do my pre-trip check first. He said "No, I would like you to do exactly what I said." Alright doing well!

As we pulled out he said "I will tell you every single turn you are going to make, if I don't say anything then keep going straight." Okay easy enough concept. We were driving along and he asked me to stay in the lane we were in, no problem. The lane turned into a turn lane so I very quickly thought...okay he told me he was going to tell me when we were going to turn and he didn't say anything but we are in a turn lane so I have to turn...while I was thinking this he said " Chelsea it's a turn lane you're going to have to turn. Get your thinking cap on! I am not your Mom I'm not going to tell you every little thing you have to do. This isn't practice this is a test. It's called a test for a reason."  Ummm...wow!

So we drove around for a bit and he asked me to do my parallel parking.  I left pretty confident about it so this part didn't worry me. I backed up and hit the curb I instantly thought, Oh crap! Then thought well I am just going to start again. I asked "is it okay if I just start over." "NO! We don't have time just fix it." I finished parking. As I pulled away he said, "You actually did a great job parallel parking."

We had me do all sort of maneuvers and driving and then brought us back into the ICBC parking lot. I was trying to hit the speed bumps where they were lowest because the truck is sooo big and you can feel every little bump. He then asked me to back up into a stall which I did the first time but being the perfectionist I am thought I could do better so I tried again, hit the curb, and then tried one last time.

He flipped out on me for driving in the middle of the "road" (parking lot). He asked me what I thinking to drive down the center of the road. I told him about the speed bumps and what I was thinking. He said "So you thought that would be a good reason to die." Um...I understand driving in the middle of the road normally would cause problems but at 20 kph in a parking lot...we probably weren't going to die.Then he freaked out about intersections. While I was driving I made sure to exaggerate my head motions for left and right but not as much for the center because I thought it would be obvious I would be looking in the center. Apparently it was not obvious. He spent a good while lecturing about that and how I might die. He did say I was a good driver, though. I was really surprised by that. Even though I passed with all his lecturing I was about to cry.

I am so glad my next test isn't for two more years! So in one months time I graduated, went to the temple, got sealed to Remy, and passed my driving test!  My good friend Kirsten is coming over tonight for some card making and some fun.

I'm a Maniac, Maniac

Food prep maniac that is. Before I found out I was gluten-intolerant (or celiac disease) I used to get sick all the time. Ever since I have been eating gluten-free I started to feel better. I felt better so I started to exercise and now that I am exercising more I want to eat better.

I have been learning more and more about food. Ways to prepare it, what's in it, and what I should be eating. Part of this is coming from just getting older and being in charge of what both Remy and I eat but also having to read SO many labels to see what's in stuff I am just more aware.

One thing I have recently learned is how quickly fruits and veggies lose their nutrition in the fridge. With it just being Remy and I we just don't eat things fast enough. So I've looked into freezing things at home. Not only will we not be wasting food, we will be saving money, and getting more nutrients.

I started with freezing:
Green beans

    My mad straw sucking skills.

Broccili

Cauliflower


I started by washing and cutting the veggies, then blanching them for 3-5 minutes depending on the veggie, once the timer goes off I stuck them in a bowl of ice water for the same amount of time. Then I put them in a freezer bag so that they can go... in the freezer. I don't have a vacuum sealer but I found a suggestion online of squeezing as much air out of the bag and then using a straw to get the rest out. Brilliant! *kind of* You really need to like what's in the bag because those odors go straight into your mouth AND sucking up all that air, a bit of a belch fest after *so lovely*.

We love salads here and I found this great idea of vacuum packing individual portions of lettuce so it's ready all the time. Again we don't have a vacuum sealer so I went on the hunt to find other options. Apparently if you cut you lettuce and put it in a bag with as much air out as possible and a paper towel it should last for a week or possibly more. If it lasts that long with getting eaten I'll let you know if it worked out, I don't have high hopes (yum!).

We are also a fan of baby carrots, until I read everything they put in those things to make them last. Yuck! So we've switched to buying carrots and peeling and cutting them at home.

I've also been hearing over and over and over how bad margarine is for you. BUT I like that I can spread it, you'd hear me say. Well I found another suggestion to mix olive oil and butter and just whip them together. So we've giving it a try as well.

Last, I promise, I started having green smoothies in the morning. They have a crap load of spinach, strawberries, blueberries, apples, and a touch of stevia. It actually isn't too bad I must say.  AND I switch from regular yogurt to greek yogurt, so yummy! OH and we love sweet potato fries at home and mashed cauliflower.

So there you have it, these are the changes I am making to the Chartier household to get us a little healthier. Anything you guys do are doing?

Bye Bye Love, Hello Lonliness!

Remy with his camping stuff.

Our house has been turned upside down the last couple of days. Remy is going on his first Young Men's Camp. Every year the youth of our church and their leaders go on a camp out to certify for thing like first aid and other camping related things.  The boys and girls go on separate camping trips. The boys will eat junk food, fart, get bug bites, sun burnt, no sleep, and do all manner of gross things which I am sure my husband will indulge in. I was able to go when I was in Young Womens and I met some amazing people and had so much fun, and we were far less gross I am sure.

This year Remy is one of the leaders for the trip. I am so excited for him. He really struggled with making the decision to go or not because some of the challenges he will face.  With some gentle encouragement from his loving wife and a good friend going as well he has decided to go. I think it will be such a great experience for him. So I'll say goodbye to my husband on Tuesday for four days and say a big hello to loneliness!

For one I have never been alone that long before. I have either lived at home with my family, lived with a roommate, or lived with my husband. Not only that but for five years now Remy and I have talked to each other in one way or another almost everyday. I won't be able to talk to him for four days. I am going to miss him so much.

I don't do well alone, so I have some awesome friends and fun plans that will hopefully keep me busy. My driving test is going to be while he is away and we are both a little sad about that. I am going to be a mess if I don't pass, the kind of mess that only someone you're sealed to should see because they have to love you...forever.

I know there are amazing service people and their families that struggle with having their spouse gone for a lot longer, they truly are people to admire. I am going to miss his handsome mug that's for sure but  like I said I have some fun plans.