Not What I Prayed For – A Blog by Barry Poppleton

Tag: rural utah

  • Faith Isn’t Always Pretty: 7 Things I’ve Learned When God Didn’t Answer My Prayers

    Barry

    Meta Description: Discover 7 powerful lessons about faith and unanswered prayers. Learn how to find hope, growth, and deeper trust in God even when He seems silent. Tags: unanswered prayers, faith lessons, trusting God, spiritual growth, Christian living I remember the night vividly. Tears streaming down my face, I knelt beside my bed, pleading with… Read more

  • Infertility in a Family-Centered Church

    Barry

    Unless you have infertility, I don’t think it would be very easy to understand it. For the first few years of our marriage, we were just waiting to have kids. Then we decided to start trying, and then we tried and tried and tried and tried, and we’re still trying. We haven’t given up. But… Read more

  • Engaging LDS Primary Children: Scripture Song Match Lesson Plan

    Barry

    Keywords: LDS Primary, singing time, scripture songs, gospel principles, children’s music education, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Meta Description: Discover an innovative LDS Primary singing time lesson plan featuring the Scripture Song Match activity. Learn how to engage children in connecting scriptures with gospel songs, enhancing their spiritual education. Introduction to LDS Primary… Read more

  • Five Years of Sacred Keys: Reflections of a Former Bishop

    Barry

    It’s been exactly one month since I was released as bishop of our ward. Tonight, as I prepare my singing time lesson about Joseph Smith’s First Vision (trying to figure out how to keep a dozen 3-11 year-olds engaged with a song with complicated words), I find myself reflecting on these past five years with… Read more

  • Remember Truck Nuts?

    Barry

    Sociocultural analysis of rural vehicle accessories Growing up in a rural town, everybody has a big old truck. I have a big old truck. I remember when we were all getting “truck nuts” for our trucks. At first, I thought it was the manliest thing to do, but then I saw a woman driving a… Read more

  • Growing Up in Rural Utah

    Barry

    I grew up in rural Utah, and today, I’d like to tell you what that is like. Going to church was always interesting. The men would show up in bolo ties, and most people worked shift work, so sometimes we had teachers and sometimes we didn’t. Looking back on my experience, it felt like there… Read more