Rebecca's Blog

Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave one of Clark’s and my FAVORITE conference talks two years ago titled:  Good, Better, Best … Here are some excerpts from the talk that really moved us:

• Some young people are amusing themselves to death—spiritual death.

• We have to forgo some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.

• As we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best. Even though a particular choice is more costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all. [This is how I feel about making the choice to eat Organic food because it's BEST for the body, at the sacrifice of an extra $1 or 2, it's worth it in the long-run ]

• Consider how we use our time in the choices we make in viewing television, playing video games, surfing the Internet, or reading books or magazines. Of course it is good to view wholesome entertainment or to obtain interesting information. But not everything of that sort is worth the portion of our life we give to obtain it. Some things are better, and others are best.

• Parents should act to preserve time for family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and the other precious togetherness and individual one-on-one time that binds a family together and fixes childrens values on things of eternal worth. Parents should teach gospel priorities through what they do with their children and though their own examples of how to use time constructively.

Clark and I try our best each day to keep in mind Elder Oaks words…. is this just a ‘good’ choice, is it better, or is it the best for us?

This last weekend Clark and I met with my Family (Consisting of my Mom, Dad, 2 older sisters, their husbands, my niece(4yr) and nephew(1yr) ) to celebrate my Dad’s 70th birthday. It was also to celebrate Thanksgiving {EARLY}.

It was A LOT of fun! We went to Disneyland and spent a lot of quality time hanging out and playing games (RISK mostly) in the condo. SOOoooo fun!!!

My Dad and 3 of his kids (out of 7), 3 in-laws (out of 6) and 2 grand-kids (out of 12)...Mike (brother in-law) looks like he's after his son's hand, haha!

Hanging out watching football

My Dad & Mom

It’s weird to think of Disneyland being only an hour away from us.

Mom & Me

Me & Dad

My Sister Maren & Me -- crazy face!

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I am SO proud of my brother. This is the Disney Christmas Tree, and my brother's christmas lights are on it!!!! They were also on the ride 'It's a Small World', ALL of his lights are on that ride too!!!! Way to go Erik!!! ♥

[Click Here to view his Company]

After we left to come back home, I cried on the way. I MISS my family As exciting as it was to see my niece and nephew (2 out of 12 total on my side of the family), it made me realize how fast time goes by. I realize that most of my nieces and nephews will hardly know me because we rarely get to see them. Oh well, what can you do when you can’t afford to travel often? Make the most of what time you have with them and hope that their memories are REALLY good and remember you often…

What has brought me into a better state of mind, is that Clark took my hand and led me to the car. We got in and he didn’t tell me where we were headed, only that it will make me feel ALL better.

We ended up at the Los Angeles Temple. We walked around the grounds and soaked in the view and the peaceful feeling. It was then that everything in the world made sense and felt right. I felt safe. The Temple always brings me back to reality, ALWAYS. It has never let me down. I LOVE that feeling.

We took a new route back home, one that I have never been on. Clark has always wanted to show me this view – he took me right to the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, our home. It was a BEAUTIFUL site. How is it that the heart of every major city is so magical? Awesome.

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My heart hurt when I had to part from family, but I’m OK now. The Temple reminded me that no matter how near or far we are from family – we’re always a part of each other – and will be for eternity. ♥

Christmas is coming near, I’ll have to schedule a trip to the Temple roughly a week after we come back home from visiting the Cooper family for the holiday. Both Clark and I will be in heartache for awhile after that…. so make that 2 trips to the Temple…

Dear Santa,

Besides world peace, and the Health Care Reform to fail … oh, and also someone with the experience like Mitt Romney as President as soon as possible – I’d LOVE the following:

Verizon Wireless Motorola Droid

Clark and I have been SO excited about this phone. We both want one for Christmas or ASAP! It would help us so much with both our jobs since our livelihood is based upon being available on the internet throughout the day and we are in desperate need of new phones as we’ve had our current phones for almost 3 years and they are on their last legs. This is an AWESOME phone! It is said to rival the iPhone in every way. NICE!

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman – Season 1 – Received last Christmas, thank you Santa! ♥

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman – Season 2

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman – Season 3

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman – Season 4

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman – Season 5

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman – Season 6

My FAVORITE TV Series of all time. It teaches good morals, and good standards. There is always a positive lesson to learn in each episode, I like that.

Hoover Vacuum Bags (I have 1 left, it would be so nice to get some!)

Food Storage Items - Anything from this site, we’re in need of Dry Milk, Wheat, Rice, Oats, Beans, a Flash Light (the one you *shake* to charge), First Aid Kit… etc… we have our 72hr  kits – (Thank you Mom&Dad!) … but we need the stuff that lasts for a LONG time.

• Amazon Gift Card
• Petco Gift Card
• Target Gift Card
• Whole Foods Gift Card
• Trader Joe’s Gift Card

Last Wednesday night Clark arrived back home from a week long vacation to go to Utah & Canada. He drove up with his Mom to visit Grandma who is on her last legs. She isn’t doing so well.

All the while, each day Clark had a surprise for me – help me feel not so alone while he’s away. Some of you may recall back to when I went away on vacation last year to UT by myself I created a scavenger hunt for Clark. He told me I set the bar pretty high for a “love” scavenger hunt, but he had no problem meeting it, here is how it went:

Day 1 - After I took Clark to the Airport, I was told to go to UPS. I went, and there was a yellow sticky note on the bottom of our box. It said “go to …clarkcooper.cc . The hunt begins “:)

Each day I would receive a ‘Kiss Code’ that I would need to input in order to receive my reward. The first Kiss code was underneath his desk monitor. I inputted it and was told that he left his Credit Card hidden under the desk, use it to go on a shopping spree at Trader Joe’s. I LOVED it!

Day 2 – This was our Wards Halloween Party. I drove to and back from it with my friend Emily. After the party was over, there was a piece of paper with a “kiss code” on her windshield. I was BLOWN AWAY with shock! How in the world was he able to pull that stunt? I was very impressed. Later I found out that Clark had called our friend Eric, who had to do some heavy duty investigating to ’secretly’ find out which car was Emily’s, stuck the code there and RAN! haha!!! Thanks Eric!

When I got home, I put the Kiss Code in and $5 shopping spree at Target, to get some goodies for a “Bachelorette Night” watching Gilmore Girls & Dr. Quinn.

Day 3 – Today’s clue was given to me from a friend of ours who came into town and had to rent some equipment from us. He brought it back and before he left handed me a piece of paper and told me that I couldn’t read it until he was gone. haha! CREATIVE Clark! That was VERY creative! He called him to write down the clue and give it to me .

I inputted the Kiss Code and it was to spend the entire day painting, and to send him a picture of my progress after I was done. awwwww!!! ♥♥♥

This night I was telling Clark about how I haven’t been able to get to sleep at night until 4am. It’s just different falling asleep peacefully, knowing your Man is there to protect you. Now that it’s just up to me to protect myself – I am like, grabbing my Police Pepper spray, having it on hand. My extra sharp pocket knife (both given to me by my Dad ever since I was nearly kidnapped by a creepy old man down by Salt Lake Community College… it later made the local TV news, the same guy who was Wanted for several kidnaps and rapes. The dude followed me everywhere – trying to get me to get in his car RIGHT NOW! …. eeee!!! scary!!!) both I slept with right next to me and carried with me everywhere I went. Clark let me use the credit card to buy a $10 Apartment Alarm from Amazon. It’s SO COOL! It’s a door-stop, that when placed pressure upon it has a 120db (I didn’t know what that meant, other than it’s REALLY loud) alarm. I was able to get it, based upon the commitment that I’d go to bed earlier, because if anyone tried to break in, the whole Apartment complex would know. I liked that.

Day 4 – Was Sunday so I wasn’t expecting a ‘go out’ and do something. This was a creative hidden clue. Clark had hacked into my blog site and cleverly put the kiss code in my banner, up next to my title. … my husband is so smart. ♥

I placed the code in and there was a picture of 2 oven mits and 2 oven pads, brand new from Canada (extra special, eh!). They are so pretty!

Day 5 – Today’s Kiss Code wasn’t hidden, but given to me by Clark himself.

I inputted the clue and it was a a Border’s Coupon for 40% off. To go and find a $10 book, and use the credit card for the $6 book. He’s been taking me to all our favorite shopping spots! LOVE HIM!!! ♥ He’s also cleverly motivating me to get out of the Apartment, because he knows otherwise I’d just stay in the whole time he’s gone

Day 6 - Today’s clue I had a riddle I had to search out on Google for the answer. It was really hard at first, but once I got it – it was a fun surprise. The result was to “use the credit card to go and get yourself a Whole Foods Deli sandwich” (one of our FAVORITES!). Yummy!

This morning there was 3 LOUD bangs on our Apartment door, it shot me RIGHT OUT of bed! With my heart pounding at a rapid speed, I was (thankfully) pleasantly surprised. At the door-step was an Amazon Box with our Alarm I purchased on Saturday I tested it out…. yes, let’s just say that I had to use the ladies room real bad before I tested it – and even MORE so after I tested it. … *ahem*… It works

Day 7 – The riddle today was SHOCKING! When I put it in, it said that Clark was in the air on his way back home!!! He wasn’t supposed to get home until tomorrow! I was SO SO SO SO SO EXCITED! I was to go and pick him up in 3 hours and we’d party it up tonight with one of our favorite shows, Ghost Whisperer

Hurray!

So since then, Clark and I have been off and on sick. Mostly him, with me slowly getting worse. He came home with a head cold which has now transformed into both of us having Swine Flu. Clark said up in Canada it was all over the news, more so than on the news in UT. Who knows where he picked it up – I blame the airplane. He literally dunked his head in water in the kitchen sink when he got home (after he rubbed soap all over his head, I’ve never seen him do this). He said people were sick all over.

I don’t mind being sick, I’m just happy he’s back home. ♥

Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo, carved 1,000 figures out of ice and placed them on the steps of the concert hall in Berlin’s gendarmenmarkt square. with temperatures of 73 degrees fahreneheit, (23 degress celsius), the ice figures began melting within half an hour. the project entitled ‘melting men’ was meant to bring awareness to the world wildlife fund’s warning, that melting ice could cause sea-levels to rise more than 3.3 ft by 2100. [1]

nele azevedo's 'melting men' on the steps of the concert hall in berlin's gendarmenmarkt square image © reuters

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1. ‘melting men’ by nele azevedo

They’re just words… wrong. There’s a reason why we’re told time and time again to watch what we say, don’t judge, speak with Charity. Even those who you are close to – you don’t know everything about and one single phrase can cut right through them, and you may not even know/realize it.

What inspired this post was a post by Nie Nie she recently wrote, “Do you still see me?” It broke my heart because I know this feeling all too well. The words spoken to her weren’t from a loved one, but from a total stranger. What I’m referring to in how I can relate, happens to be unintentional cutting words from someone related to me. I’m sure the stranger wasn’t out to hurt Nie Nie, as I’m sure the relative wasn’t out to hurt my feelings.What happened to me, wasn’t a comment directed towards me, but towards a total stranger. My relative had an observation, it was criticism towards the stranger – and I thought in my mind, “You have no idea that I’m struggling with the same thing, and here you are judging them. “

I have a friend who feels she can’t speak to her own Mom because all the time her Mom judges other people for their faults. Just not understanding why ‘they’ would do ‘that’. Seeing the ‘dirt’ before the beauty of the flower so to speak. Instead of seeing how much they’ve grown to be someone better, she can’t believe where they came from. My friend would love to seek help and guidance from her Mom, but she’s SO afraid of her Mom judging her and not understanding because of everything she hears from her Mom all the time about other people. How sad…

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.

“For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.” (Matt. 7:1–2.)

We all have our flaws, trials we are all working on. Weaknesses. Whether it be a physical weakness, or a mental weakness. We all have a challenge that most likely will effect us our entire lives. We all have consistent work to do. That is why it is so vital that we continue to be missionaries unto others, and doing so – it means watching our words carefully. So we can be approachable. So important to work on that, because we could have someone who we love SO MUCH, a friend or a family member – who needs help – but is so afraid to ask for it – for fear of judgment. What example are we portraying to them all? Someone who finds flaws, or someone who loves unconditionally ? Their weakness could be your strength, you could be the key to their happiness … are you portraying love or judgment?

The best advice I can think of, is to stop yourself as you go to tell an “interesting” story, or an “interesting” observation about someone else, and think in your mind, “Is what I am about to say, something that Jesus would say in the same way?” Whether you be around friends, family or a complete stranger (who could, later down the road – become a friend) – all eyes are on us ALL the time, young & old.

I’m guilty of gossip, and I know this is something I can refine in my speech as well. Let’s all press forward with an effort to speak with more love and compassion, and most importantly with effort and zeal to be a friend /or a family member who radiates an unconditional love – just as Jesus would.