Comments on: Stop Murmur. Learn Doctrine. Do Crafts (if you want.)

By: Inexperienced Mom

Inexperienced Mom — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:37:26 +0000

I think this post describes why I think the new Enrichment program has such potential. We need opportunites to be with each other, to talk, to support, to encourage, and sometimes to complain. What we really need are friends in the ward; and friends rarely come without quantity time together.

So what I love about the new Enrichment program…

1)there are a variety of activities in which to have those experiences

2)I don’t have to go to the types of activities that aren’t my thing

3)if you have another activity I would like to do, I can get permission to do it

4)I get to be in smaller groups with people that have at least superficially similar interests

By: sue

sue — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:43:01 +0000

The anti-craft. I LOVE it.

And yes Courtney, a place is reserved next to Atchafalaya’s just for you. I hope you like Cigarette butts. Maybe with the Patron Saint looking over thier shoulder, people will behave.

By: Justine

Justine — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:12:16 +0000

Kel, that is such a funny story!

Rock on.

By: Geo

Geo — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:03:54 +0000

I’m back in YW again, for the umpteenth time in my life. The first time I had this batch of class presidents at my house and we did some planning for activities, they, as one, pleaded with me: “NO MORE SCRAPBOOKING!” and “NO MORE PAINTING QUOTES ON WOODEN PLAQUES WITH THE RELIEF SOCIETY!” And I wanted to shout a hearty hallelujah. Don’t get me wrongâ€”I’m not the Anti-Craft. I mean, okay, I love to knit. That’s a craft. I weave. That’s a craft. I do stuff with paper, I MAKE paper, I haunt craftster.org and subscribe to CRAFT magazine, I even occasionally do leaf prints. I will make bath salts. Somewhere in storage I even have a king-size bottle of Mod Podge. Crafts galore! But I have a terrific allergy to many forms of crafty busywork.

But guess what. When I find myself surrounded by YW, creating the occasional floppy Frosty the Snowman from a rice-filled Fruit of the Loom tube sock, I make the most of the opportunity. The talking really is the thing. Busy hands are like walking feet; they can occupy tensions that sometimes get in the way of easy communication. Like Dalene, when I discovered (in Relief Society) that church crafts are actually more about safe socializing and small successes, I was more inclined to take part (or at least show up with my own project when I couldn’t handle another painted plaque).

By: Courtney

Courtney — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 04:28:23 +0000

Sue, after your done erecting my statue do you think we could find a place for it down town? I like that corner by Atchafayla.

Thanks everyone for the amazing comments today. Interestingly enough, I spent the day mod podging my mother’s birthday invites. Now I am off to read my scriptures. A little bit of both worlds, I suppose.

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 03:00:47 +0000

I think I have found my next craft project for Enrichment – a statue of st. cjane, the patron of Provo.

By: Katie (Creole Wisdom)

Katie (Creole Wisdom) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:23:11 +0000

Your gospel reference was perfect! And thank you for sharing your testimony with me. I think crafts are great, and for me creating art is a spiritual experience- after all, I am using the talent the HF gave to me, and dang it he wants me to make stuff. Okay?!? LOL!

By: Kel

Kel — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:41:11 +0000

Erk – sorry about the exclamation points.

By: Kel

Kel — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:39:48 +0000

Six months after I was baptised, I was called to be RS Enrichment counsellor. That was 7 years ago, when it was still Homemaking. I was so freaked out by the calling, as I didn’t fit the mould – I worked, had a child in full-time day-care, non-member husband, and didn’t quilt, scrapbook or country-chic craft. I didn’t WANT to do that stuff!

My first Enrichment evening (already organised – I just had to turn up) it was painting pre-cut figures that were country-style women, complete with little shape for a ribbon in the hair. I nearly gagged!

I started doing what everyone else was painting (aprons anyone?) but decided I may as well be me. So I decked out my chick with turban (multi-coloured), heels and jewels, rings and earrings. It was fun!

Then a sister came over to see how I was doing, took a look then said….

“Gee, you really AREN’T crafty, are you!!!”

I still find that hilarious – that because I didn’t paint it gingham and curly I wasn’t crafty. I had heaps of fun in that calling anyway – and I know that learning to be crafty wasn’t why I was called!

Great post – thanks!

By: Alyssa

Alyssa — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:43:45 +0000

Lisha I loved your comment on it being culture and not doctorine … how often is it that someone assumes something about us because of something they saw in our ‘culture’ – cjane i find your posts very refreshing and confirming :0)