Segullah

Mormon women blogging about the peculiar and the treasured

The Gift of Receiving

We are thick in the season of giving. Retail merriment may jing-jing-jangle our nerves, but many of us bask in thinking about our giftees and what might bring them joy. This is progress from our less-enlightened “gimme” days. Wonderful! We are learning to be good gift givers. The flip side of this is that this [...]

Justice and Mercy Walk into a Bar

Justice and Mercy walk into a bar. Justice overhears a customer order “another Shirley Temple, please.” Barkeep reminds the customer that he hasn’t paid for his last two yet. Justice grabs the customer by the collar, yells, “You can’t pay your bill? You’re outta here!” and kicks him out the door.

Sisterly Love

Valentine’s Day is coming up in less than a week. Mostly, I’ve been trying to ignore it (it’s not my favorite holiday), but my five-year-old won’t let me. For weeks now (literally) he has trailed me around the house, asking me to help him make valentines. In turn, I haul out the red, white, and [...]

Running the Numbers

And the evening and the morning were the first day. I ran 200 fewer miles in 2010 than in 2009.  I read 25 fewer books.  I spent a lot of time doing things I don’t enjoy like moving, volunteering in classrooms, baking (mostly) unsuccessful allergen-free breads and goodies, hosting parties and play-dates, and cleaning.  I [...]

A Worthy Goal

This spirit rushed into the chapel as a brother from Iran gave the opening prayer Sunday. With all sincerity he prayed, thankful that we were not wet, we were warm, we had a building to be in and that our lives were not in danger. It gave me pause. Currently there are over 300,000 child soldiers [...]

Judge Not–Or Should We?

Like many of you who were able to attend or watch the general Relief Society meeting last Saturday night, I loved listening to President Monson speak on charity at the close of the meeting. His remarks were loving, wise, and inspired. “Do [our] differences tempt us to judge one another?” asked President Monson. “Can we [...]

leeway

Is there anything better than people who accept us for who we are? Friends who know our weaknesses but laugh them off and frankly forgive us? Five days a week, for the last nine months we’ve carpooled with these sweet people. It’s part of rhythm of our days. I drive Gwen and Mary to kindergarten, [...]

A Divine Eye Roll

You’ve been there.  You’re forced to go to a bridal or baby shower long after the stage where they seem fun and exciting (even romantic.  I’m gagging.  But yes, I thought that, at least about the bridal showers).  You play games.  You talk about your own wedding.  You compare birth stories.  You win in the [...]

Painting 101

Admittedly, I am a registered Republican. But, an active campaign volunteer, I’ve campaigned for more Democrats than Republicans. I vote for whomever I want. And I don’t like particularly like Kool-Aid. Not at all. I loved growing up in the Pacific Northwest. But I live in Utah now and have come to love its quirks [...]

Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd

Today’s Up Close guest post is by Sunny Smart. She is a stay at home mom with four wonderful, hilarious kiddos and one hard-working, good-natured husband. She has battled depression at various times in her life and to varying degrees. She wanted to share her story so that others who suffer silently and alone might [...]

Your Bum is Showing

I live in a place that has a relatively nice winter climate. Consequently there is quite a large population of panhandlers (or hobos, as my kids prefer to call them). Usually they wait at freeway exits and stoplights with their handmade signs stating the reasons I should feel extra sorry for them (I’m a veteran! [...]

Prattler

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. James 1:26 “I wish you hadn’t told me those things about *Michelle,” my husband said as we drove from the Cheesecake Factory. We would meet up again with Dave and Michelle [...]

Alms

The Relief Society President held up a small, stuffed animal with button eyes. “We will be making these for an orphanage in Honduras,” she said with a little too much delight. The sisters gathered together with ready sewing machines and willing hands. My friend’s heart sank with those words. It plummeted further as she realized [...]

Fat Girl

the first of a two-part series If you want to see me come undone, just make fun of the chubby kid. BYU. 1989. Religion 324: Doctrine & Covenants Manual pg. 382. My aged instructor read Question A out loud: “Why did God give me a body that is fat and ugly? I’ll never get a [...]

Dark Glass, Energy of Heart

The little boy who sits next to my first grader daughter has been bugging her. “He calls me a baby,” she said. “He says I’m just a little cry-baby. In the lunch line, every day.” “People who make fun of other people are usually insecure themselves,” I said. A little too intensely, and it came [...]

keep looking »

  • be our friend.



  • Contact Us

    Journal subscriptions: journal.subscriptions at segullah dot org
    Technical issues:
    webmaster at segullah dot org
    Other inquiries:
    info at segullah dot org

  • More Kinds of Segullah

  • How Do You Say Segullah?

    se-goo-law rhymes
    Oo-la-lah, Segullah
    write and draw, Segullah
    coup d'etat, Segullah
    Blanche DuBois, Segullah
    shock and awe, Segullah
    Lah-dee-dah, Segullah
    looky, ma! Segullah!

  • Get published.

    The clock is ticking! Gear up to enter Segullah's annual personal essay, poetry, and fiction contests. Guidelines here. Deadline is December 31.

  • Admin