MLK Day: If you’re looking for a video that simply but cutely describes the meaning behind Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a darling video titled “Martin Luther King Jr for Kids” from Mormon Anna Weed fits the bill. Weed, a kindergartner, describes what she has learned about this man and what the holiday means for us today. She fittingly concludes: “I hope we can all treat each other fairly.” Similarly, you can tweak a printable outline about Martin Luther King Jr. from the blog Plenty of Picnics and use it for family home evening. Enjoy.
Inaugural prayer: Another notable thing about today is the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Faith Promoting Rumor decided to host guest submissions of “My Inaugural Prayer,” including one from a self-proclaimed conservative who voted for Mitt Romney. He prays: “We ask that thy influence will continue with us as we progress into an uncertain future. We ask thee to bless our nation and the world with peace and prosperity. Please bless our president with the wisdom to lead this nation in a way that will be of the greatest benefit to its citizens and to its allies.” Lovely.
Being meek: Longtime blogger Ray DeGraw learned an important lesson a few years ago. He explains in a new post titled “Blessed are the Meek: Defining Meekness as a Personal Quest.” He explains: “I was participating in a discussion thread on a large group blog a few years ago that was getting fairly polarized, particularly between a couple of commenters. I identified immediately with one of those commenters, and I was about to respond to something the other one said, something with which I disagreed. Suddenly, it hit me, right out of the blue:
"I could be gentle in my response, by softening what I felt like saying; I could be forgiving in my response, by not taking his comments personally, which would lead me to be less harsh and more gentle in my response and softening what I felt like saying; I could be benevolent (kindly generous) in my response, by pausing before I responded and really thinking about if there was something of value in his comments — something I could compliment or from which I could learn — which would cause me to be less harsh and more gentle and soften what I felt like saying. Any one of these initial efforts would lead automatically to the other two, making my response, if I chose to pursue it in that manner, more gentle, forgiving and benevolent: making me more meek in my response." Wow. The entire essay is definitely worth reading.
Today in the Bloggernacle: Learning about Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Kindergartner Anna Weed describes her feelings about Martin Luther King Jr. Day in a new YouTube video.
Emily W. Jensen updates "Today in the Bloggernacle" on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, presenting the best from the world of LDS-oriented blog sites. Her extended "Bloggernacle Back Bench" appears on Tuesdays. Email: ejensen@desnews.com