Tag Archives: work

26 Favorite Things

29 May

My list of my 26 Favorite things in celebration of being alive 26 years so far…

(Not necessarily in any particular order…)

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ

2. My Husband – Clark

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(c) 2010 Rebecca Cooper

3. My Family

4. The Beach

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(c) 2010 Rebecca Cooper

5. My Kitties

6. California

7. Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman

8. Christmas Time back east

9. My Nieces and Nephews

10. Painting & Photography

11. Family Fitness w/ the Cooper Family ♥

12. Game night w/ our friends

13. Clark coming home with so many fun stories about his ‘ManRichment Night’ with his guy buddies playing games. I love the feeling he brings home with him – thanks guys! :)

14. TV parties with Clark

15. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods

16. Buying new clothes

17. Computers, and my Droid phone :)

18. Having a full-time job, working for the best boss in the world! I love my current FT job! I’m so blessed!

19. Animals

20. Sushi

21. Our Ward – we have such a wonderful ward, full of so many loving people

22. My calling in the Young Womens

23. Books – esp. Twilight Series :D

24. Food Storage

25. Road Trips

26. Vegetables – I LOVE THEM! ♥

Each day of every year – I find more and more things I love and call my favorite. Life is so plentiful of positives, as President Gordon B. Hinckley once stated:

“Stop looking for the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.”

“Our kindness may be the most persuasive argument for that which we believe.”

“Life is to be enjoyed, not endured.”

“Respect for self is the beginning of cultivating virtue in men & women.”

“Faith in something greater than ourselves enables us to do what we have said we’ll do, to press forward when we are tired or hurt or afraid, to keep going when the challenge seems overwhelming and the course is entirely uncertain.”



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My Thoughts on Arizona’s New Immigration Law

24 May

Since I moved to California I have learned a lot more about the Mexican people. How hard they work and how family oriented they are. My love for them has grown and I can understand why people would want to protest this new immigration law.

Imagining their position, living in Mexico where I have heard of a lot of poverty, corrupt government and in some places – really hard living circumstances. If you were in that position – wouldn’t you want a safe place to run to? Wouldn’t you want to provide for your family at any cost? So you can imagine, that with this new law – Arizona is putting bars up, making it more dangerous to cross the border.

The question to ask ourselves here – is why would they do this? Possible answers that come to mind are:

  • To make it harder for drug lords to illegally smuggle dangerous drugs to and from Mexico.
  • Save taxpayers money from illegal immigrants being placed on Medicare, welfare, food stamps
  • Provide more opportunity for poverty stricken (legal) Americans to more likely have a job available for them to help get them off of Welfare

That’s about all for now that comes to mind. The feeling I get and understand from an American point of view, who pays tax dollars, is that it’s nothing against Mexicans as a People. It’s about the fact that America is experiencing a recession. Our money is far beyond limited, crime is unstable and it’s more about saving money at all costs and preventing crime from rising – due to drug smuggling.

If it were possible, I’m sure all borders would be more flexible for passage if it weren’t for the scare of taxes to help support illegal immigrant families and dangerous drugs from being smuggled.

Mexico – we love you. Please don’t be mad. I hope one day we can produce a more friendly border. I’m sure with time and patience, and lots of hope and positive energy put out into the air – we’ll produce that result. Until then, we’re only moving backwards by boycotting and protesting. Let’s give a little more love and understanding, shall we?

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Personal Integrity

16 May

A few weeks ago I spoke in Church as the newly called Beehives Advisor. I was asked to speak about one of the young womens values. I chose Integrity. I began with a poem I wrote:


Personal Integrity


I slip I fall

I crack my back

Instead of nurturing myself

I look in the mirror and see all that I lack


Kids at school tease

My brother throws a fit

I feel I can do nothing right

I feel like I’m losing my every wit


Lord help me, I know not what to do

I want to do what is right

But most days I don’t have a clue

The world around me, I just want to fight


To my very core – all I want is love

So I can blossom in thy light

I have so much to give

Deep down, I really do know what is right


But how can I blossom

When my surroundings shut me out

How can I share my testimony

When all I want to do is shout?


The world around me is angry

I fear what people will say

My personal integrity is wavering

When I try to live thy way


I dream for the moment

When those around me wrap me with love

They nourish me when I am weak

And are examples of thee above


I yearn to feel that there is nothing I could do wrong

For a home that is a Heaven on earth

Where my personal integrity only grows strong

And I feel like a daughter of great worth.


–Rebecca Cooper

04-23-10


Young Womens is on my mind today because I just made a bunch of calls to check in on who is going to Youth Conference. Speaking with all the Mothers in the ward made me realize that I need to polish up on my Spanish. Clark laughed when I told him that I was typing as fast as I could on the Google Translate site to help me speak to these Mothers – but with all my built up nerves I slaughtered the translation and the Mothers gave up on me, passing me to their kids. Which did no good since I had to talk about a surprise for their girls and what I needed from them to give to their girls! *Sigh*… I guess this is my excuse to learn Spanish, I’ve always wanted to be fluent. The 2 years in College only gave me the ability to read it, but speaking it, I’m no good – yet. ;)

I’m LOVING my calling! I am so busy – but a good busy. Lots to do with this calling in Young Womens, the calling I have with the Activities Comittee, and I was just assigned 7 girls to visit for Visiting teaching. Between those callings, my Chiropractic appointments 3 days a week and my Full Time Job, I am the busiest I think I have EVER been in my life! Normally I would be overwhelmed, but I am actually more excited. I see the benefit when you really follow these scriptures:

Matt. 16: 25
25 aFor whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will blose his life for my sake shall cfind it.


Mark 8: 35
35 aFor whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall blose his clife for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.


It is SO true! I have lived the truth of these scriptures. I realize it’s scary to take on so many things you feel you don’t have time for. My Full Time job is busy enough, but since I have placed my life in this order of priority on a daily basis, I have actually found more time where I felt I didn’t have any – and I have been less overwhelmed when I normally am:

  1. God – Church Callings, Visiting teaching, Scripture Study, Prayer, Service
  2. Clark – Help him when he needs help. Date night, spending quality time with him. Joint scripture study, etc
  3. Work
  4. Friends & Family – Hanging out with friends, calling family – keeping in touch
  5. Me time – Reading, Painting, Blogging, exercise etc

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The Importance of Creativity in Education

1 May

My friend posted this video on her blog. She and I share the same love and gratitude for our High School Creative Writing  Teacher Mrs. Bean. I am so thankful I had the experience and privilge of having Creative Art teachers who allowed me to have free reign on my creativity in school. I was able to sculpt whatever I wanted, paint/draw whatever I was inspired to do and write whatever my heart felt. For that, I found happiness where I could have easily remained in tears. This video illustrates beautifully why it’s so important to allow our kids and even encourage our kids to be creative and energetic. It’s how they learn and become strong and independent minded individuals. It’s how they sculpt our future, their future, and their kids future. We should not hold them back from their potential:

Elementary, Jr. High, and High School education is one of the most vital parts of human development. It’s where are minds grow, it’s where we find who we are and where we’re going in life. It walks hand in hand with development in the home. As he explained with kids easily being diagnosed as ADHD, if children are both held back in school and in home – then their future is easily hopeless. But if one, home/school – sets the child free – they are trusted, they are loved and they are allowed to feel they can do and be whomever they wish – there is hope. The education system cannot bank on the child being creative at home. They should step forward and be that creative outlet first and foremost, because in doing so- the child will desire to be more, because they crave to be. :)

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