Soul Carving

     My kids, like most, love to play dress up (though my teen might prefer the term, "cosplay"), and they do it on a regular basis. So they're usually planning Halloween costumes well in advance of October. And by that I mean that while they are enjoying their candy on Nov. 1st, they start discussing what they want to be for next year!      Last September, when our 9-year-old son said he wanted to go as a referee, we decided to order an inexpensive costume through Amazon. Halloween was drawing nearer. Princess costumes arrived for two of our girls, but somehow, the referee package went missing. Only a week left before Halloween. Time to get thrifty.      I'm no seamstress. Lucky for us, our neighbors who were moving out had just gifted us a collection of long-sleeved shirts in assorted colors. There was a white one in his size. I purchased a couple rolls of black Duck Tape and got to work.       I didn...

     Each Monday night, our family holds a special meeting known as Family Home Evening. It's a weekly opportunity to teach our children important values and strengthen family relationships. The children always look forward to it and are often given assignments to help with certain portions of the program, such as offering a prayer, giving a lesson, or providing a treat. This time however, I prepared everything myself as a surprise.       We've enjoyed watching a bit of the Olympic Games in Sochi. Growing up, none of my family was what I'd call super athletic, and we definitely didn't follow any professional sports. But I do remember watching the figure skating competition when Tara Lipinski won gold. So I was excited to introduce this event to the kids. My oldest daughter and I cuddled together on the couch one evening, oohing and ahhing at the expressive grace of these ice dancers. So, I thought we'd draw some spiritual parallels from this potenti...