D&C 46:32 And ye must give thanks unto God in tbe Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with.
We are going to focus on gratitude all month long. We have activities everyday to remind us to be grateful. I figured our scripture should match.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Monday, October 26, 2015
Ponderizing week 3
Technically this would be week 4, however, we didn't get a new scripture up last week. This week's is John 3:5. It is saying baptism is essential to celestial glory. I picked it because caleb will be baptised in about 3 weeks. Caleb is my star ponderizer. He has memorized all of the scriptures, so this one is just for him.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Lily's song
Stuck in the car for a long time listening to this song on repeat from Lily: "A B C S G, how I number what you are." 😊
Monday, October 12, 2015
"What lack I yet?" Larry R Lawrence
I love this talk. I am doing this in my car before leaving on a field trip with Caleb. So my notes are a little all over the place. Dont hold it against me.
The holy ghost gives honest counsel. He tells us things no one else knows or has the courage to say. He bears truth if we are willing to listen to it.
We need to be humble enough to ask the question, and faithful enough to follow through with the counsel we are given. I have to wonder at the pontential of the rich young man. If he had listened to the Savior, what could he have become? How sad that he stunted his own growth for money. We are given line upon line of improvement so we aren't overwhelmed.
Elder Lawrence recommends the sacrament as a time to quietly ask the father what we lack. The atonement makes our improvement possible.
I love the personal-Ness of the answers the holy ghost gives in his examples. Sometimes the answers are not super gospel related, but things that are just needed for our growth.
Perfection is not for this life, but growth is. He quotes President Spencers W. Kimball "“I have learned that where there is a prayerful heart, a hungering after righteousness, a forsaking of sins, and obedience to the commandments of God, the Lord pours out more and more light until there is finally power to pierce the heavenly veil. ... A person of such righteousness has the priceless promise that one day he shall see the Lord’s face and know that he is.”
I think this is exactly what I am looking for. My temple experience was seeking to pierce the heavenly veil. I am obviously not ready, but if I continue to hunger and chase righteousness I am promised that some day I will see the Lord's face.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Week 2
Our scripture this week is D&C 10:5.
Pray always that you may come off conquerer; yeah that you may conquer satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.
Caleb is the only one that memorized last week. He is my rock star. I think we needed an easier verse and one that is more meaningful to them. Hopefully we do better this week.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
"Yielding our hearts to God" Neill Marriott
This talk was very much about having faith. Leaving things in the Lord's hands. "It'll all work out." I feel blessed to have a very calm spirit. I generally believe that things will work out. My levels of stress are rather low in times of catastrophe.
Kyle and I went to the temple yesterday. I prayed very earnestly to feel the spirit and have a real confirmation of temple work. Don't get me wrong. I believe in everything we do in the temple. What I am asking for is an unshakeable knowledge. I want a testimony so strong that Satan shakes at the sight of me. I've been doing everything right recently on this journey of looking for it and i was kind of looking for that moment where the clouds part and I see the Savior. I didn't get it yesterday. I had a nice time in the temple. Kyle and I were the witness couple and were even told we are a delight by the officiator. It was lovely. But there was no opening of Heaven and cherubim singing. I thought I might be disappointed. But I'm okay. It'll work out. Either I will continue in faith, or I'll get a sure knowledge someday.
I talked to Kyle yesterday about our sabbath worship. We do okay on Sundays. We don't shop or do inappropriate things, but all conference, and especially after this talk, I felt that there was more yet to be done. I have asked the Lord what I lack and He has shown me. I am really excited to reform our Sundays. I have lots of ideas and kind of can't wait for tomorrow. What a nice feeling.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Mosiah 2:30
I was listening to my scriptures on my phone today when I came across this verse. Anyone who watched general conference knows that President Monson's health was failing him toward the end of his talk. He leaned on the pupil and struggled to get his words out. It was tough to watch. I wanted to cry and wanted to reach out, if nothing else just to hug our beloved prophet. Lots of speculation and accounts have surrounded this, but as I read the scripture I was given comfort that none of the stories have brought. At this time king Benjamin is speaking from the tower, his own pulpit. It really was just an earlier general conference to the church. He says,
"For even at this time, my whole frame doth tremble exceedingly while attempting to speak unto you; but the Lord God doth support me, and hath suffered me that I should speak unto you."
The Lord God doth support his prophet. He holds him up even when he is weak. I love our prophet. Knowing that the Lord and his angels watch over him gives me great hope and happiness.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
"The joy of living a Christ centered life" - Richard J. Maynes
Elder Maynes begins his talk with the analogy of the potter's clay not being centered. I really like this analogy because it is about exactness. Sometimes I feel that just being close enough is good enough. For instance, not watching rated R movies means that I am not watching filth, not drinking coffee means that I am following the Word of Wisdom right? I would say that kind of clay is on the wheel, but perhaps a little off the center. So what ways am I not on center? What ways can I improve to be exactly on the wheel? Again this brings me to the recent counsel of Sabbath worship. It is the one thing that keeps coming back to me after conference. Even when it isn't mentioned in a talk, it comes to my conscience that it is a way for me to improve. One of these talks around here told us to pray and ask what more we could be doing. I believe that the reason every talk speaks of the Sabbath to me is because it is the Spirit whispering the answer. Don't get me wrong. My Sabbath is fine. It is the "not drinking coffee" of keeping the Word of Wisdom. But I know there is so much more. Our leaders are calling us, calling me to action.
I had never noticed the contrast of Lamoni wanting to save his life versus wanting the joy of the Gospel. For his life he would give half his kingdom, for eternal life he would give all. It gives me chills just to think about. I imagine the kind of spirit he must have felt when Aaron preached to him. What a blessing he received to feel it so strongly.
Sometimes converts get to feel the Spirit a little stronger than those born into the church. The absence of light makes it that much more profound when they get it. I am kind of a convert. I don't know if people would consider me one. But in this manner I am a convert. I came into the church when I was 9. I was raised catholic before that. I remember going to primary in some of my first days and just being amazed. I remember knowing the songs better than those who had been around their whole lives. Even seminary was a wonderful experience to me. Some were sleepy and just there to appease their parents. I won the scripture bowl every year. I was soaking up all the goodness because the gospel had not grown everyday to me.
Be advised, this did not make me a perfect teenager or adult. I still have had my own problems and doubts and such, but in those early days and with the innocence of my youth, I felt the Spirit in a very real, very strong way.
The reminder in this talk is simply that we need to center our lives in Jesus for happiness and stability. Centering our lives come easy when we feel His Spirit.
I had never noticed the contrast of Lamoni wanting to save his life versus wanting the joy of the Gospel. For his life he would give half his kingdom, for eternal life he would give all. It gives me chills just to think about. I imagine the kind of spirit he must have felt when Aaron preached to him. What a blessing he received to feel it so strongly.
Sometimes converts get to feel the Spirit a little stronger than those born into the church. The absence of light makes it that much more profound when they get it. I am kind of a convert. I don't know if people would consider me one. But in this manner I am a convert. I came into the church when I was 9. I was raised catholic before that. I remember going to primary in some of my first days and just being amazed. I remember knowing the songs better than those who had been around their whole lives. Even seminary was a wonderful experience to me. Some were sleepy and just there to appease their parents. I won the scripture bowl every year. I was soaking up all the goodness because the gospel had not grown everyday to me.
Be advised, this did not make me a perfect teenager or adult. I still have had my own problems and doubts and such, but in those early days and with the innocence of my youth, I felt the Spirit in a very real, very strong way.
The reminder in this talk is simply that we need to center our lives in Jesus for happiness and stability. Centering our lives come easy when we feel His Spirit.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
"God is at the helm" - Elder M. Russell Ballard
Stay on the Old Ship Zion. The Lord is at the Helm.
Yesterday's talk asked how our church experience was working out for us. This one outlines how it should. It seemed to me this talk was about following the prophet, though that was never directly said. Elder Ballard begins by talking about the Lord's apostles, those that walked with him. Without those first disciples, we would have no apostolic witness of the Lord's life. I have never really thought about that. The witness we have is that of the Lord's chosen twelve. It isn't just some people off the street who saw Jesus walk by. It is the testimony of apostles, some who would go on to be prophets.
I often think of Peter. He is an inspiration to me. He was so very human, yet he was being instructed by perfection. He falls short and is chastised a lot. I find that amazing. The Lord's apostle, one who goes on to be prophet of his church, needing chastising. I find it comforting and uplifting. Elder Ballard says, (very very paraphrased) "We make a mistake finding only the shortcomings, and failing to see the Lord working through those he has called. The Lord uses us despite our humanity." Despite our humanity! How beautiful. Our Father made us human, he knows our shortcomings and he uses us even still. His Grace is sufficient even for us.
Elder Ballard states, "The Lord's apostles are duty bound to watch, warn, reach out to help those seeking answers." Twenty years ago, President Hinkley gave us the Family: A Proclamation to the World. Today we see the beautiful insight of that. The deterioration of the Family in the last twenty years is staggering. How grateful we should be to have a divine warning and guidance of truth.
In our own day, we are being warned about the sanctity of the Sabbath. It may not seem like a big deal now. It may seem that breaking the Sabbath, or even just having an apathetic approach to it will not harm us, or make much difference in the great expanse of eternity. However, we are being warned. Twenty years from now, what will we see? Will we look back and wish we had heeding the call to reform our Sunday worship? Or will we be grateful for that divine warning and guidance? This is something for me to consider in my family. I don't know exactly how to overhaul my Sunday, without ruining the day of rest. My rest involves naps, movies, books. Kyle's involves football. The kids play with Legos and watch movies. All very restful activities, yet not centered on Christ or even done together as a family. Just something to think about. I will have to come back to this. My Sundays may require a planning session.
Elder Ballard then does something that I love. He outlines what is appropriate for Sacrament meeting, including testimony meeting. I wish all in the church would follow this counsel. It is when it isn't heeded that I can't feel the Spirit. Testimonies are beautiful, uplifting, and inspiring, but rambling is not. Neither is a parent whispering to a child what to say. Sorry. It's just not. Practice at home.
The church is the Good ship Zion. The Lord is at the Helm. He direct us and keeps us from running aground. If he is at the Helm, I like to the think of the prophet in the crows' nest, keeping a weathered eye on that horizon, Our ship's destination is the Kingdom of Heaven and the presence of God. We need the church to get there. Spirituality of itself is not the same thing. We need the covenants and the priesthood available only through his anointed. So you see, our church experience does work for us. It provides us all the necessary things to return to Him.
Yesterday's talk asked how our church experience was working out for us. This one outlines how it should. It seemed to me this talk was about following the prophet, though that was never directly said. Elder Ballard begins by talking about the Lord's apostles, those that walked with him. Without those first disciples, we would have no apostolic witness of the Lord's life. I have never really thought about that. The witness we have is that of the Lord's chosen twelve. It isn't just some people off the street who saw Jesus walk by. It is the testimony of apostles, some who would go on to be prophets.
I often think of Peter. He is an inspiration to me. He was so very human, yet he was being instructed by perfection. He falls short and is chastised a lot. I find that amazing. The Lord's apostle, one who goes on to be prophet of his church, needing chastising. I find it comforting and uplifting. Elder Ballard says, (very very paraphrased) "We make a mistake finding only the shortcomings, and failing to see the Lord working through those he has called. The Lord uses us despite our humanity." Despite our humanity! How beautiful. Our Father made us human, he knows our shortcomings and he uses us even still. His Grace is sufficient even for us.
Elder Ballard states, "The Lord's apostles are duty bound to watch, warn, reach out to help those seeking answers." Twenty years ago, President Hinkley gave us the Family: A Proclamation to the World. Today we see the beautiful insight of that. The deterioration of the Family in the last twenty years is staggering. How grateful we should be to have a divine warning and guidance of truth.
In our own day, we are being warned about the sanctity of the Sabbath. It may not seem like a big deal now. It may seem that breaking the Sabbath, or even just having an apathetic approach to it will not harm us, or make much difference in the great expanse of eternity. However, we are being warned. Twenty years from now, what will we see? Will we look back and wish we had heeding the call to reform our Sunday worship? Or will we be grateful for that divine warning and guidance? This is something for me to consider in my family. I don't know exactly how to overhaul my Sunday, without ruining the day of rest. My rest involves naps, movies, books. Kyle's involves football. The kids play with Legos and watch movies. All very restful activities, yet not centered on Christ or even done together as a family. Just something to think about. I will have to come back to this. My Sundays may require a planning session.
Elder Ballard then does something that I love. He outlines what is appropriate for Sacrament meeting, including testimony meeting. I wish all in the church would follow this counsel. It is when it isn't heeded that I can't feel the Spirit. Testimonies are beautiful, uplifting, and inspiring, but rambling is not. Neither is a parent whispering to a child what to say. Sorry. It's just not. Practice at home.
The church is the Good ship Zion. The Lord is at the Helm. He direct us and keeps us from running aground. If he is at the Helm, I like to the think of the prophet in the crows' nest, keeping a weathered eye on that horizon, Our ship's destination is the Kingdom of Heaven and the presence of God. We need the church to get there. Spirituality of itself is not the same thing. We need the covenants and the priesthood available only through his anointed. So you see, our church experience does work for us. It provides us all the necessary things to return to Him.
Monday, October 5, 2015
"It works wonderfully" - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
There aren't any titles yet for the talks. They aren't typed up yet, I guess because they aren't on the website. I am watching this again on my recording. I apologize for any misquotes or the fact that the title is wrong.
President Uchtdorf starts with talking about a medical procedure he had. The doctor's prescribed method of healing wasn't what he wanted to hear. He doesn't go into specifics, but we are led to believe that his healing was one that would take a while and he didn't want to wait. Instead of accepting the simple instructions of the doctor, he went online to look for another way. Perhaps there was a cure out there on the internet that his doctor was keeping from him.
This makes me wonder, where do we look for truth? Do we accept the simple truths given to us, or do we look for more complex answers. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is rather simple and yet there are many things to learn. Do we allow those complexities to crowd out the plain and precious truths? Sometimes the truth is too simple. This reminds me of the people in Egypt. The Lord sent serpents among them because of their wickedness. After many of them had died, they repented of their sins. At this point the Lord had mercy on them and told Moses to lift up a staff to save them. All that was required of the people was to look up at the staff. It doesn't say in the scriptures that some people were too hard headed or hard hearted to look, but I wonder if there were. I wonder at the Lord's way of healing them, Obviously, he could could have done something even simpler, he could have taken the venom straight from their veins, but instead he made a way that they would have to exercise their faith.
I believe that accepting the simple truths is a test of faith. Often people get so bogged down by things that don't change the Gospel. There are complexities that I don't have to understand. Especially those which come from judging. I often see people wanting a black and white line to the Gospel. Yes, those lines are there. We know the truth of them, However, it is not given to us to judge those who are on the other side of that line. This might be a tangent, but I think of those struggling with same sex attraction. We know it is wrong to act on these things, but this is a trial that I don't know if I could bear. Because it is a trial that I imagine to be so difficult, I could not picture a living Heavenly Father damning someone based upon it. I am not saying it's fine and dandy, and I am not saying I know how it will work out, but I believe that the Lord knows those people and loves them. They are His children. And that's all I need.
Okay, sorry for the waltz into left field. President Uchtdorf asked us to think about our lives and take stalk of them. He have us specific questions. In the spirit of searching for truth, I am going to answer these honestly. I know this is the internet and anyone can read this. But, no one reads blogs anymore. And even if they did, why should I be ashamed?
Does my life have Meaning? My life does have meaning. I am a wife and mother on a course of growth and progression.
Do I believe in God? I do. I know he is my Father and that He loves me.
Do I believe that God knows and loves me? OOh! Answered above.
Do I believe that God hears and answers my prayers? I know that Heavenly Father answers my prayers. I've written before about why I am doing this. Why the notes and the reading. I long to have a more constant and full experience with the Lord's spirit. I want him to be my constant companion, guiding my efforts every day. This whole thing has been about inviting the Spirit. Saturday morning during conference, I prayed to that end. I asked the Lord to show me what more I can do, and to really pour His spirit out to me during the rest of conference. I really think this is the best conference I've watched. I haven't stopped reading and watching and listening. My heart is bursting still today! He answered my prayer fully and lovingly.
Am I truly happy? Weird question. I am happy with my family. I am happy with the Gospel. Are there things I would change about myself or my situation? Sure.
Are my efforts leading me to the highest spiritual goals and values in life? I think so. It may be a snail trail, but I am trying.
He then invites us to consider our discipleship with some other questions:
Is my experience in the church working for me? This is tough. I am not sure. Sunday worship is not my strong suit. I wrestle children at church and don't hear much. I don't know that my bishop or Home Teachers care about me. However, it could be that I'm easy. Kyle and I haven't had any struggles recently that would lead them to concern themselves with us. Generally, the bishop has bigger problems. I also am not good at magnifying callings. In fact, I would say that I am a failure when it comes to my service in the church. I feel that I have been demoted and demoted until I ended up on the RS activity committee because I was worthless everywhere else. Not worthless, but through my own lack of effort, of no use.
Is it bringing me closer to Christ? One can only hope. Some Sundays are wonderfully enlightening and uplifting. Others I am counting the minutes till nacho time.
Is it blessing me and my family with peace and joy as promised in the Gospel? I feel peace in the Gospel. My children are my greatest source of anxiety, but the Gospel provides me with what they need to know and how to help them become disciples themselves.
This scripture has been coming up a lot in recent years. This isn't even the only talk in this conference that referenced it. Alma asked "Have you experienced this mighty change in your heart and if so, can you feel it now?" Again, I would say this is my whole purpose in these notes. Making sure that I am constantly feeling the Spirit and having the drive of a true disciple to do what is right and needed.
President Uchtdorf advises us to start where we are, weaknesses and all. I didn't write the exact quote of what he said, but what I heard was "weaknesses are great sources of strength because they humble us and turn us to our Father in Heaven." Have you ever thought about your weakness as a strength? The humbling power of trials is a great blessing to us. And after all, the Lord will make weak things strong. I believe he is doing that with me. Even this blog is proof. To some is given a great gift of faith and stalwartness. I am not one of them, but my weakness in faith is driving my pursuit of the Spirit. Some day I hope to be a spiritual giant. I am not one today, but maybe I stand a little taller than I did a few years ago.
"Exaltation is the Goal, Discipleship is the journey."
President Uchtdorf starts with talking about a medical procedure he had. The doctor's prescribed method of healing wasn't what he wanted to hear. He doesn't go into specifics, but we are led to believe that his healing was one that would take a while and he didn't want to wait. Instead of accepting the simple instructions of the doctor, he went online to look for another way. Perhaps there was a cure out there on the internet that his doctor was keeping from him.
This makes me wonder, where do we look for truth? Do we accept the simple truths given to us, or do we look for more complex answers. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is rather simple and yet there are many things to learn. Do we allow those complexities to crowd out the plain and precious truths? Sometimes the truth is too simple. This reminds me of the people in Egypt. The Lord sent serpents among them because of their wickedness. After many of them had died, they repented of their sins. At this point the Lord had mercy on them and told Moses to lift up a staff to save them. All that was required of the people was to look up at the staff. It doesn't say in the scriptures that some people were too hard headed or hard hearted to look, but I wonder if there were. I wonder at the Lord's way of healing them, Obviously, he could could have done something even simpler, he could have taken the venom straight from their veins, but instead he made a way that they would have to exercise their faith.
I believe that accepting the simple truths is a test of faith. Often people get so bogged down by things that don't change the Gospel. There are complexities that I don't have to understand. Especially those which come from judging. I often see people wanting a black and white line to the Gospel. Yes, those lines are there. We know the truth of them, However, it is not given to us to judge those who are on the other side of that line. This might be a tangent, but I think of those struggling with same sex attraction. We know it is wrong to act on these things, but this is a trial that I don't know if I could bear. Because it is a trial that I imagine to be so difficult, I could not picture a living Heavenly Father damning someone based upon it. I am not saying it's fine and dandy, and I am not saying I know how it will work out, but I believe that the Lord knows those people and loves them. They are His children. And that's all I need.
Okay, sorry for the waltz into left field. President Uchtdorf asked us to think about our lives and take stalk of them. He have us specific questions. In the spirit of searching for truth, I am going to answer these honestly. I know this is the internet and anyone can read this. But, no one reads blogs anymore. And even if they did, why should I be ashamed?
Does my life have Meaning? My life does have meaning. I am a wife and mother on a course of growth and progression.
Do I believe in God? I do. I know he is my Father and that He loves me.
Do I believe that God knows and loves me? OOh! Answered above.
Do I believe that God hears and answers my prayers? I know that Heavenly Father answers my prayers. I've written before about why I am doing this. Why the notes and the reading. I long to have a more constant and full experience with the Lord's spirit. I want him to be my constant companion, guiding my efforts every day. This whole thing has been about inviting the Spirit. Saturday morning during conference, I prayed to that end. I asked the Lord to show me what more I can do, and to really pour His spirit out to me during the rest of conference. I really think this is the best conference I've watched. I haven't stopped reading and watching and listening. My heart is bursting still today! He answered my prayer fully and lovingly.
Am I truly happy? Weird question. I am happy with my family. I am happy with the Gospel. Are there things I would change about myself or my situation? Sure.
Are my efforts leading me to the highest spiritual goals and values in life? I think so. It may be a snail trail, but I am trying.
He then invites us to consider our discipleship with some other questions:
Is my experience in the church working for me? This is tough. I am not sure. Sunday worship is not my strong suit. I wrestle children at church and don't hear much. I don't know that my bishop or Home Teachers care about me. However, it could be that I'm easy. Kyle and I haven't had any struggles recently that would lead them to concern themselves with us. Generally, the bishop has bigger problems. I also am not good at magnifying callings. In fact, I would say that I am a failure when it comes to my service in the church. I feel that I have been demoted and demoted until I ended up on the RS activity committee because I was worthless everywhere else. Not worthless, but through my own lack of effort, of no use.
Is it bringing me closer to Christ? One can only hope. Some Sundays are wonderfully enlightening and uplifting. Others I am counting the minutes till nacho time.
Is it blessing me and my family with peace and joy as promised in the Gospel? I feel peace in the Gospel. My children are my greatest source of anxiety, but the Gospel provides me with what they need to know and how to help them become disciples themselves.
This scripture has been coming up a lot in recent years. This isn't even the only talk in this conference that referenced it. Alma asked "Have you experienced this mighty change in your heart and if so, can you feel it now?" Again, I would say this is my whole purpose in these notes. Making sure that I am constantly feeling the Spirit and having the drive of a true disciple to do what is right and needed.
President Uchtdorf advises us to start where we are, weaknesses and all. I didn't write the exact quote of what he said, but what I heard was "weaknesses are great sources of strength because they humble us and turn us to our Father in Heaven." Have you ever thought about your weakness as a strength? The humbling power of trials is a great blessing to us. And after all, the Lord will make weak things strong. I believe he is doing that with me. Even this blog is proof. To some is given a great gift of faith and stalwartness. I am not one of them, but my weakness in faith is driving my pursuit of the Spirit. Some day I hope to be a spiritual giant. I am not one today, but maybe I stand a little taller than I did a few years ago.
"Exaltation is the Goal, Discipleship is the journey."
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Conference and Ponderizing
Conference this week was great. I will be starting up again tomorrow reading and recording my thoughts. For now I am content to tell you that our family is starting "ponderizing" in the morning. The brother who brought this idea to conference said he committed to do it for 20 years. I cannot commit to that yet. Seems like a long time. I will commit to a tenth of that. I think I can do this for two years. And the good news: the schedule is p remade for two years. Scripture mastery. Hello. Easy peasy. We are starting with Abraham 3:23. It isn't as random as it seems, We Did Moses 1: 39 a while ago. And I didn't want to do the one after that. So we moved to the third. 😊
The point is, I am excited about this.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
"On Being Genuine" - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/on-being-genuine?lang=eng
This talk reminds me a bit of "Truly Good and Without Guile" or whatever the title of that one was. It is all about being true to our testimony, remembering the reason we do things and going about them for the right reason. Not seeking praise of anybody. The Lord sees in secret.
President Uchtdorf asks us to look inside of ourselves and ask why we are here. I took "here" to be an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I think he meant it more literally, speaking of conference. Before I went on reading I tried to answer that. I thought "I am here because the fruits of the Gospel are better than any you could find any other place on Earth." That would be my very simple reason, and felt good enough for me. But when I read President Utchdorf's response, I wanted to change it. He says, "I am here because I desire with all my heart to follow my Master, Jesus Christ. I yearn to do all that He asks of me in this great cause. I hunger to be edified by the Holy Spirit and hear the voice of God as He speaks through His ordained servants. I am here to become a better man, to be lifted by the inspiring examples of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and to learn how to more effectively minister to those in need.
In short, I am here because I love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ."
Yes! This!!! This is why I am here. This needs to be why we are all here. I think if we kept this in mind being genuine would come more naturally to us. We wouldn't be in church concerned with other things. We would fulfill the callings we hold. We would seek the Lord constantly. He reminds us that even sparks of tesimony can be stoked into blazing bonfires. That's what I'm trying to do. I want the Burning Man of testimonies and I am working hard for it.
Probably everyone has heard by now his analogy of the church not being a showroom for cars, but a repair shop. We need to remember that coming to church is not to put your best face on, but to receive the maintenance we need.
I left my phone at home this last Sunday. On purpose. I thought it was time to try to get a little more out of my lessons. Particularly Sacrament meeting. I reached for my phone probably 5 times. To check something, to text someone, to take a picture of my kids... Even though I usually feel naked without it, it was quite a relief to not have it. I was able to listen, and to pull out my actual scriptures. Most people just use their LDS apps for scriptures and I am not saying there is anything wrong with that. However, for me the phone is a distraction. I think I will leave it home every Sunday. I think it will bless my life to have just 3 hours a week without it.
I love the Gospel. I know people fall away because they have problems with the church sometimes. The people, the History... whatever it is, these things are not the Gospel. People make mistakes but our Father in Heaven doesn't and His Word is pure and true. I think, if we are all genuine we will make such good missionaries. Imagine a church of real Christ-like people. Who could resist that?
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
"Priesthood and Personal Prayer" - President Henry B. Eyring
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/priesthood-and-personal-prayer?lang=eng
President Eyring has long been one of my favorite speakers. I enjoy reading his words and even books. This talk was given in Priesthood session but is definitely for all of us. I love that. He starts by talking about a missed opportunity of his youth. Because he hadn't been diligently seeking the Spirit, he was caught off guard and unable to maybe help someone. Often there are times when we will need the Spirit on hand, without time for preparation. We need to be constantly seeking the Spirit so we may have it on hand at all times. President Joseph F. Smith said, "“We do not have to cry unto him with many words. We do not have to weary him with long prayers. What we do need, and what we should do as Latter-day Saints, for our own good, is to go before him often, to witness unto him that we remember him and that we are willing to take upon us his name, keep his commandments, work righteousness; and that we desire his Spirit to help us.” Our prayers need to be constanly asking the Spirit to attend us.
President Eyring is speaking in terms of having the Spirit to use the Priesthood, but it applies to all of us. We need the Spirit constantly. Sometimes we don't have time to call on Him and pray when we need revelation or inspiration. We need to already have prepared. We all have stewardships that need care. I have my family and those I visit teach. Our own judgment isn't enough. We need to know what the Lord would have us to do care for them.
Because we have such potential, whether in the Priesthood or as women, the adversary targets us when we try to stay close to the Spirit. I heard a story once about two men. If you could see through the veil, you would see one man had many strong devils surrounding him and the other just had one tiny devil. The viewer asks why the one is so encompassed by evil, assuming the man with many devils was an evil person. The truth is that the man with only one devil doesn't need much to persuade him to do evil. The man with many devils was so righteous that it took many to tempt him. Our prayers for the Spirit need to include asking to be warned of evil and temptation.
I like this talk because it applies to everyone. It is not just about the Priesthood. We all need to take care to have the Spirit in our everyday lives. Without it we would miss opportunities to do good and be tempted.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
"The Priesthood - A Sacred Gift" - President Thomas S. Monson
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-priesthood-a-sacred-gift?lang=eng
I listened to this talk a couple of days ago in the car and just haven't had time to write about it. I generally don't write Friday-Sunday anyway. I just don't have the same free time in the mornings.
I liked the story about President Monson giving his first priesthood blessing. For some reason this story stood out to me in a comforting way. I always worry that I am not doing enough for my kids spiritually, but President Monson had never even seen a priesthood blessing until he was in the Navy. For some reason that just makes it seem like I'm doing okay. If God's prophet had to read a manual on how to give a blessing, my kids might just be fine.
My next few posts may not be very long. They are all priesthood talks. There is plenty in there to analyze and love, but it is not really directed to me. I will say that I am very glad my husband has the priesthood and uses it for our family. We just did father's blessings two weeks ago and that is always a special time for us. This year, Lily did exactly what Levi did last year. She hopped up ready to receive a blessing for school and wouldn't take no for an answer. I will probably always carry the image of her folding her arms so tight and being so reverent.
Kyle is very good at making sure our children have the gospel. While I am generally the leader in enforcing or changing things in our house, he is always very quick to follow my lead. For instance, we started soccer recently. Our kids love soccer. But it doesn't leave us with many free nights or time. We have not been able to read our scriptures and that has been disappointing. Really if I think toward the future, I see this only getting worse, not better. As activities multiply, night time reading together just won't happen. A couple of days ago, I asked him how he felt about getting up just after six to read with our kids before school. He was not excited. He already has to get up pretty early to take them to school and this would cut out almost 30 minutes of his sleep. Yet, he agreed that it was a reasonable solution and said he would do it. I kind of thought he would just not get up when the time came, but he did. He was excellent. He is always willing to help our family get on the best track possible. That is honoring your priesthood. Not just doing the things set forward as priesthood duties, but leading your family as our Father would have him do. I am rather lucky.
I listened to this talk a couple of days ago in the car and just haven't had time to write about it. I generally don't write Friday-Sunday anyway. I just don't have the same free time in the mornings.
I liked the story about President Monson giving his first priesthood blessing. For some reason this story stood out to me in a comforting way. I always worry that I am not doing enough for my kids spiritually, but President Monson had never even seen a priesthood blessing until he was in the Navy. For some reason that just makes it seem like I'm doing okay. If God's prophet had to read a manual on how to give a blessing, my kids might just be fine.
My next few posts may not be very long. They are all priesthood talks. There is plenty in there to analyze and love, but it is not really directed to me. I will say that I am very glad my husband has the priesthood and uses it for our family. We just did father's blessings two weeks ago and that is always a special time for us. This year, Lily did exactly what Levi did last year. She hopped up ready to receive a blessing for school and wouldn't take no for an answer. I will probably always carry the image of her folding her arms so tight and being so reverent.
Kyle is very good at making sure our children have the gospel. While I am generally the leader in enforcing or changing things in our house, he is always very quick to follow my lead. For instance, we started soccer recently. Our kids love soccer. But it doesn't leave us with many free nights or time. We have not been able to read our scriptures and that has been disappointing. Really if I think toward the future, I see this only getting worse, not better. As activities multiply, night time reading together just won't happen. A couple of days ago, I asked him how he felt about getting up just after six to read with our kids before school. He was not excited. He already has to get up pretty early to take them to school and this would cut out almost 30 minutes of his sleep. Yet, he agreed that it was a reasonable solution and said he would do it. I kind of thought he would just not get up when the time came, but he did. He was excellent. He is always willing to help our family get on the best track possible. That is honoring your priesthood. Not just doing the things set forward as priesthood duties, but leading your family as our Father would have him do. I am rather lucky.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
"Blessings of the Temple" - President Thomas S. Monson
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/blessings-of-the-temple?lang=eng
This talk was sweet and simple. But then, aren't the truths of the Gospel simple? Our Heavenly Father clearly cares that we attend the temple. That is why He has His prophet remind us. Reading this talk, I am stuck by the fact that President Monson doesn't talk about temple "work," or about our duty to those on the other side. He talks instead about the peace and answers available to us in the temple. The temple is truly there for us. I am glad that my marriage is eternal. In yesterday's talk, the woman said she knew her testimony was there because she wanted her children to be married in the temple. That is definitely what I want for my children. Every time I go to a civil wedding, I want to cry when the officiator says "'Til death do you part." What a sad, sad promise. I don't understand how people believe that the Lord wants us to find someone, spend 70-80 years with them, really grow with them, and then die and be alone in the after life. What a scary thought. That plan does not come from the loving Heavenly Father that I know.
I am glad that my marriage is eternal. I'm basically planning on piggy backing on Kyle's entrance into Heaven. If we were separated I might not make it! Don't misunderstand, my husband had flaws and weaknesses and I am not oblivious to them, nor do I idolize him. However, he is constant in his testimony and strength. It amazes me. You know how I have to read the scriptures and go to church and focus all my energy to be on track? Kyle has none of that. The Spirit doesn't leave him. I am a little bit envious.
A couple of days ago, I told a friend that the Book of Mormon doesn't really inspire me very often. I find it a burden to read and am not struck with feelings of its truth or beauty very often. Well, I usually listen to it in the car. Yesterday I had some time to sit and flip through actual pages. I found something that I had marked, I don't know when or why. It wasn't the chapter I was even on, but I stopped to read it. It was beautiful! It was poetry. I was totally inspired and so glad to be eating my words. =) In case you were wondering, the scripture was 2 Nephi 4: 27-35. If I can give you advice: pull out an actual Book of Mormon. Convenience may help us to get more reading in, but it is the quality of our study, not the quantity that is going to help us.
This talk was sweet and simple. But then, aren't the truths of the Gospel simple? Our Heavenly Father clearly cares that we attend the temple. That is why He has His prophet remind us. Reading this talk, I am stuck by the fact that President Monson doesn't talk about temple "work," or about our duty to those on the other side. He talks instead about the peace and answers available to us in the temple. The temple is truly there for us. I am glad that my marriage is eternal. In yesterday's talk, the woman said she knew her testimony was there because she wanted her children to be married in the temple. That is definitely what I want for my children. Every time I go to a civil wedding, I want to cry when the officiator says "'Til death do you part." What a sad, sad promise. I don't understand how people believe that the Lord wants us to find someone, spend 70-80 years with them, really grow with them, and then die and be alone in the after life. What a scary thought. That plan does not come from the loving Heavenly Father that I know.
I am glad that my marriage is eternal. I'm basically planning on piggy backing on Kyle's entrance into Heaven. If we were separated I might not make it! Don't misunderstand, my husband had flaws and weaknesses and I am not oblivious to them, nor do I idolize him. However, he is constant in his testimony and strength. It amazes me. You know how I have to read the scriptures and go to church and focus all my energy to be on track? Kyle has none of that. The Spirit doesn't leave him. I am a little bit envious.
A couple of days ago, I told a friend that the Book of Mormon doesn't really inspire me very often. I find it a burden to read and am not struck with feelings of its truth or beauty very often. Well, I usually listen to it in the car. Yesterday I had some time to sit and flip through actual pages. I found something that I had marked, I don't know when or why. It wasn't the chapter I was even on, but I stopped to read it. It was beautiful! It was poetry. I was totally inspired and so glad to be eating my words. =) In case you were wondering, the scripture was 2 Nephi 4: 27-35. If I can give you advice: pull out an actual Book of Mormon. Convenience may help us to get more reading in, but it is the quality of our study, not the quantity that is going to help us.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
"Returning to Faith" - Rosemary M. Wixon
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/returning-to-faith?lang=eng
This was a good talk. Not one written for me at this moment. Perhaps a month ago it really would have been very personal. Instead of writing my feelings about this one today, I sent it to a friend who I thought could use it. Seeing friends struggle is hard. But I guess this is just a chance for me to finally be there for someone else. Usually my friends are picking my mess up. =)
This was a good talk. Not one written for me at this moment. Perhaps a month ago it really would have been very personal. Instead of writing my feelings about this one today, I sent it to a friend who I thought could use it. Seeing friends struggle is hard. But I guess this is just a chance for me to finally be there for someone else. Usually my friends are picking my mess up. =)
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
"Is it still Wonderful to You?" Bishop Gerard Clausse
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/is-it-still-wonderful-to-you?lang=eng
This might be my new favorite talk from conference. Wow. I just loved it. It reminded me of one a few years ago... I had to look it up. It was called "Can ye Feel So Now?" by Quentin L. Cook. Both of these talks warn us of complacency towards the Gospel. The same complacency that gets all of us slowly. You may think you are immune, but it sneaks in. If you aren't constantly feeding your testimony and feeling the awesomeness of the Gospel, you are leaving cracks for the complacency to creep in. Let's remember Heber J. Grant saying, "O God, bless me that I shall not lose my testimony and keep faithful to the end!" If he needed constant feeding and awe, how much more do we, with our silly activities committee callings, need it?
Just a few days ago one of the talks also reminded me that we need to be in constant amazement at the atonement. It is not something that can become everyday and mundane to us. Bishop Clausse says, "To marvel at the wonders of the gospel is a sign of faith." It means we understand and acknowledge the Lord's hand in our everyday life.
Bishop Clausse goes on to give 3 ways to continue in our faith, with love and amazement for the Savior:
1. Never tire of discovering the truths of the Gospel. I am sure there are some people out there that think they know everything there is to know about the Gospel. I am so far from there that this is no problem. I am an itty bitty seedling still trying to grow a tree of knowledge.
2. Anchor our faith in the plain and simple truths of the Gospel. I love this. So many people could have the Gospel in their lives if they would heed this. Some of the complexities or history of the church can be distracting. Let's focus instead on the fruits that we bring forth. Let's focus on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and on the restoration of the Gospel in the latter days. Let's focus on the fact that we have the Priesthood, the very power of God, available for our use on earth.
3. Seek and Cherish the companionship of the Spirit. I notice a difference almost instantly of when I have the Holy Ghost in my life. I have a very large swing. I don't just hover somewhere safely. I am either quoting scripture, on fire with the Spirit, or falling off of a cliff somewhere. Perhaps that is why I like this talk so much. It is reminding me to stay safely in awe of the Gospel, to marvel at the atonement and the simple truths of the Gospel. They may be simple, but they are wonderful.
Monday, August 31, 2015
"Seeking the Lord" - Jose A Texeira
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/seeking-the-lord?lang=eng
We had a great talk in church on this yesterday. I took notes and everything. Unfortunately, today when I went to find said notes, I found that I forgot to save the memo in my phone. Oh well. I listened to the talk and remembered the thing that stuck with me the most yesterday was the use of the word "joy." I made the easy jump that seeking the Lord=Joy. If we spend our time in search of the Savior, we will find Him. We will serve. We will have peace through trials. We will experience love as we see people the way He would have us see them.
The second half of the talk focuses a lot on technology. Use your phone to listen to the scriptures. Don't use your phone at church. That kind of thing. In a talk all about seeking the Lord, we need to understand how very easy we have it. So much is available to us, it's incredible. I even have a Pandora station full of LDS music for Sunday mornings. How lucky are we?
Do you take it for granted? I hope I don't. I listen to my scriptures on the drive to get my kids. I read every post from the general authorities when I scroll through Facebook. I read conference talks every morning and make notes about them. =) But does technology get in the way sometimes? Perhaps. My brain often wanders while listening to the scriptures. I am much more of a paper book gal myself. I have yet to buy an ebook and there is good reason for it. I don't feel the same love for a cold bit of technology. Call me crazy. Or old. It's all true.
On another track, I taught primary music again yesterday. What a great blessing that is. It's not a calling I'd want, but it's one I enjoy occasionally. Yesterday, I was told to teach the children the song, "I'm trying to be like Jesus." I thought there was no way they could not know that. Isn't that one we learn in Nursery? If not, it should be. Hello!? It's basically the entire gist of the Gospel. I told the kids I wanted to hear them sing it to see how well they knew it. I had them stand. I reminded them to be reverent, but to sing nice and loud. They sang every word. It was beautiful. They were so reverent and full of the Spirit, I almost cried. Which probably would have shocked no one. I teared up in Sacrament meeting too, singing The Spirit of God. I love music. It touches my heart in ways that speaking doesn't often do. And there is just something about itty bitty souls getting their primary music on. Primary programs just don't do it justice. If you haven't heard them sing beautifully, you should go visit Primary sometime.
We had a great talk in church on this yesterday. I took notes and everything. Unfortunately, today when I went to find said notes, I found that I forgot to save the memo in my phone. Oh well. I listened to the talk and remembered the thing that stuck with me the most yesterday was the use of the word "joy." I made the easy jump that seeking the Lord=Joy. If we spend our time in search of the Savior, we will find Him. We will serve. We will have peace through trials. We will experience love as we see people the way He would have us see them.
The second half of the talk focuses a lot on technology. Use your phone to listen to the scriptures. Don't use your phone at church. That kind of thing. In a talk all about seeking the Lord, we need to understand how very easy we have it. So much is available to us, it's incredible. I even have a Pandora station full of LDS music for Sunday mornings. How lucky are we?
Do you take it for granted? I hope I don't. I listen to my scriptures on the drive to get my kids. I read every post from the general authorities when I scroll through Facebook. I read conference talks every morning and make notes about them. =) But does technology get in the way sometimes? Perhaps. My brain often wanders while listening to the scriptures. I am much more of a paper book gal myself. I have yet to buy an ebook and there is good reason for it. I don't feel the same love for a cold bit of technology. Call me crazy. Or old. It's all true.
On another track, I taught primary music again yesterday. What a great blessing that is. It's not a calling I'd want, but it's one I enjoy occasionally. Yesterday, I was told to teach the children the song, "I'm trying to be like Jesus." I thought there was no way they could not know that. Isn't that one we learn in Nursery? If not, it should be. Hello!? It's basically the entire gist of the Gospel. I told the kids I wanted to hear them sing it to see how well they knew it. I had them stand. I reminded them to be reverent, but to sing nice and loud. They sang every word. It was beautiful. They were so reverent and full of the Spirit, I almost cried. Which probably would have shocked no one. I teared up in Sacrament meeting too, singing The Spirit of God. I love music. It touches my heart in ways that speaking doesn't often do. And there is just something about itty bitty souls getting their primary music on. Primary programs just don't do it justice. If you haven't heard them sing beautifully, you should go visit Primary sometime.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Waiting for the Prodigal - Elder Brent H. Nielson
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/waiting-for-the-prodigal?lang=eng
The most poignant part of this talk is when Elder Nielson tells what the Savior would have us do. We are to leave the 99 and go after the one. But, once that is done, if we are unsuccessful, we need to watch and wait. Sometimes, when you pull someone they dig in their heels. Sometimes we need to let a person go.
Letting a person go, doesn't mean we stop caring about them. It doesn't mean we disassociate ourselves. It simply means we don't bother them. Elder Nielson says of his own sister, "Although we could not embrace all of her choices, we could embrace her." That is wonderful. We don't need to push ourselves on to people who have left the church. But we don't need to pull ourselves away either. We can love them and watch and wait.
Elder Nielson spoke about two things he did during his sister's inactivity that I think are great examples of watching and waiting. One thing was praying for his sister and putting her name in at the temple. I have done that for many people in my life. Some will never know just how often a group of complete strangers gathered to pray for their well being.
The other thing he did was actively watching. Letting a person be and making their own decisions, doesn't mean we stop caring. We watch for cues that they are ready. We listen to the Spirit in their behalf. In his story it took 3 different people knowing his sister was ready for it to finally happen. We all need to be aware of what is happening in the lives of our lost sheep. If not, how will we ever reach them?
"All of us are lost and need to be found." Aren't we all lost sheep to the Savior? Isn't He waiting and praying for us? Well, I don't actually know if Jesus Christ prays. I imagine He goes down a hall to speak to our Father, or maybe He just apparates where He needs to go... Still, I believe He is actively waiting, and hoping for our return.
You know what I love about the New Testament? There are so many stories in there of Jesus loving sinners. He teaches and beckons them, and when they finally come, He embraces them with a perfect love that I can't yet understand. We've all been that sinner at one point in our lives. We have all had to come back after making mistakes. We need to watch, wait, and love those who are still lost.
The most poignant part of this talk is when Elder Nielson tells what the Savior would have us do. We are to leave the 99 and go after the one. But, once that is done, if we are unsuccessful, we need to watch and wait. Sometimes, when you pull someone they dig in their heels. Sometimes we need to let a person go.
Letting a person go, doesn't mean we stop caring about them. It doesn't mean we disassociate ourselves. It simply means we don't bother them. Elder Nielson says of his own sister, "Although we could not embrace all of her choices, we could embrace her." That is wonderful. We don't need to push ourselves on to people who have left the church. But we don't need to pull ourselves away either. We can love them and watch and wait.
Elder Nielson spoke about two things he did during his sister's inactivity that I think are great examples of watching and waiting. One thing was praying for his sister and putting her name in at the temple. I have done that for many people in my life. Some will never know just how often a group of complete strangers gathered to pray for their well being.
The other thing he did was actively watching. Letting a person be and making their own decisions, doesn't mean we stop caring. We watch for cues that they are ready. We listen to the Spirit in their behalf. In his story it took 3 different people knowing his sister was ready for it to finally happen. We all need to be aware of what is happening in the lives of our lost sheep. If not, how will we ever reach them?
"All of us are lost and need to be found." Aren't we all lost sheep to the Savior? Isn't He waiting and praying for us? Well, I don't actually know if Jesus Christ prays. I imagine He goes down a hall to speak to our Father, or maybe He just apparates where He needs to go... Still, I believe He is actively waiting, and hoping for our return.
You know what I love about the New Testament? There are so many stories in there of Jesus loving sinners. He teaches and beckons them, and when they finally come, He embraces them with a perfect love that I can't yet understand. We've all been that sinner at one point in our lives. We have all had to come back after making mistakes. We need to watch, wait, and love those who are still lost.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
"Where Justice, Love and Mercy Meet" - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/where-justice-love-and-mercy-meet?lang=eng
Elder Holland begins by telling a story of brothers hiking. One was on the verge of falling to his death, when his brother reaches out and saves him. He uses the story as a parallel for the Savior's atonement. We were in a free fall because of Adam. A necessary free fall, of course, but a fall none the less. The Savior reached out and grabbed us by the atonement. He asks, "Is our only purpose in life an empty existential exercise—simply to leap as high as we can... then fail and fall, and keep falling forever?" This makes me think of those who don't understand the Plan of Salvation. What a sad life it becomes, if it is merely a rat race toward death. Maybe 80 years of making yourself happy and trying to accomplish something and then BAM! End of life, end of story. Do not pass Go...
(I bet you had to say "Do not collect $200" in your head.)
Elder Holland goes on to say, "Today (Easter) we celebrate the gift of victory over every fall we have ever experienced, every sorrow we have ever known, every discouragement we have ever had, every fear we have ever faced—to say nothing of our resurrection from death and forgiveness for our sins. That victory is available to us because of events that transpired on a weekend precisely like this nearly two millennia ago in Jerusalem...That first Easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitutes the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excruciating pain, and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demonstrated in the history of this world."
Honestly, I can't say I have anything to add. Elder Holland always says things so beautifully. I guess I could just say that I am grateful I understand the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement, although admittedly, my understanding of the Atonement is general and grand. The minutia is something I just do not worry about. I know I have a limited scope and vision and I'm okay with that. My faith is sufficient. It tells me I just don't have to know everything. I know the Atonement is there for me. I know my Savior loves me. I know I have a way home if I want it. That's good enough for now.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
"The Gift of Grace" - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-gift-of-grace?lang=eng#listen=audio
Some talks from conference I like to read. I find some people's tones distracting. Or their breathing. Or their general voice. I know that is so stupid and it's something that I really can't stand about myself. But man, give me a conference talk with the best message and the most possible chance for feeling the spirit, but if the speaker has old man spit that I can hear, I can't focus on anything else. It's terrible. President Uchtdorf is actually someone I love listening to. I like his accent and conviction. I feel that most of his sentences should end in exclamation points and I love that. You can really feel his love of the gospel when he speaks.
He starts by talking about Easter and the atonement. He wants us to speak of the atonement always. Really our lives should focus on it, shouldn't it? However, he warns that the Savior's atonement shouldn't become a commonplace things to us, profound gratitude shouldn't be lost. It is something we should always be in awe of. He says, "I marvel to think that the Son of God would condescend to save us, as imperfect, impure, mistake-prone, and ungrateful as we often are. I have tried to understand the Savior’s Atonement with my finite mind, and the only explanation I can come up with is this: God loves us deeply, perfectly, and everlastingly." Doesn't that make you think of the hymn I Stand all Amazed?
1. I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
(Chorus)
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
2. I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.
3. I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.
Some talks from conference I like to read. I find some people's tones distracting. Or their breathing. Or their general voice. I know that is so stupid and it's something that I really can't stand about myself. But man, give me a conference talk with the best message and the most possible chance for feeling the spirit, but if the speaker has old man spit that I can hear, I can't focus on anything else. It's terrible. President Uchtdorf is actually someone I love listening to. I like his accent and conviction. I feel that most of his sentences should end in exclamation points and I love that. You can really feel his love of the gospel when he speaks.
He starts by talking about Easter and the atonement. He wants us to speak of the atonement always. Really our lives should focus on it, shouldn't it? However, he warns that the Savior's atonement shouldn't become a commonplace things to us, profound gratitude shouldn't be lost. It is something we should always be in awe of. He says, "I marvel to think that the Son of God would condescend to save us, as imperfect, impure, mistake-prone, and ungrateful as we often are. I have tried to understand the Savior’s Atonement with my finite mind, and the only explanation I can come up with is this: God loves us deeply, perfectly, and everlastingly." Doesn't that make you think of the hymn I Stand all Amazed?
1. I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.
(Chorus)
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
2. I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.
3. I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.
I imagine that is exactly how President Uchtdorf wants us all to feel. All of the time. In fact, I think he could have done a dramatic reading of this Hymn and really hit the nail on the head.
He goes on to talk about the two things that grace does:
Grace unlocks the gates of Heaven- We can't earn our way into Heaven. It is impossible to get there ourselves. But the atonement makes it possible, and not just to be forgiven, but also to become like our Heavenly Father, which is the entire purpose. However, it is not enough that the Savior's grace is available to us, we must enter through the gate, by having a sincere change of heart.
Grace opens the windows of Heaven and pours our temporal blessings and spiritual gifts. His grace helps us become our best selves. He then goes on to explain the parable of the two debtors and the creditor. One is forgiven much and the other is forgiven little. So who is going to love the creditor more? The lesson is that those who are forgiven more, love the Savior more. Do we love much? At the end of the talk, President Uchtdorf basically shouts his praise for the atonement. I imagine his sins are less than many, yet he clearly loves the Savior and is grateful for the atonement. So shouldn't we all be grateful for the atonement? I think if the atonement is commonplace to us, we don't truly understand how desperate our situation is.
So, if Grace is God's gift, and not something we earn, why do we even need good works? Our obedience comes from, or should come from, genuine love for God. Our meekness and gratitude should make the living of the Gospel a joy, not a burden. It is merely "the reaching out of our mortal hands for the gift of Grace"
He goes on to talk about the two things that grace does:
Grace unlocks the gates of Heaven- We can't earn our way into Heaven. It is impossible to get there ourselves. But the atonement makes it possible, and not just to be forgiven, but also to become like our Heavenly Father, which is the entire purpose. However, it is not enough that the Savior's grace is available to us, we must enter through the gate, by having a sincere change of heart.
Grace opens the windows of Heaven and pours our temporal blessings and spiritual gifts. His grace helps us become our best selves. He then goes on to explain the parable of the two debtors and the creditor. One is forgiven much and the other is forgiven little. So who is going to love the creditor more? The lesson is that those who are forgiven more, love the Savior more. Do we love much? At the end of the talk, President Uchtdorf basically shouts his praise for the atonement. I imagine his sins are less than many, yet he clearly loves the Savior and is grateful for the atonement. So shouldn't we all be grateful for the atonement? I think if the atonement is commonplace to us, we don't truly understand how desperate our situation is.
So, if Grace is God's gift, and not something we earn, why do we even need good works? Our obedience comes from, or should come from, genuine love for God. Our meekness and gratitude should make the living of the Gospel a joy, not a burden. It is merely "the reaching out of our mortal hands for the gift of Grace"
I am definitely glad for Grace in my life. The atonement has been put to good use in my life. And by good use, I mean constant, frequent use. I am definitely the bigger debtor, yet sometimes I even let the atonement become commonplace in my life, by not thinking about it or appreciating my Savior enough. More to work on. =)
Monday, August 24, 2015
Preserving Agency. Protecting Religious Freedomh- Robert D. Hales
I am not going to lie. I'm kind of phoning this one in. I've had a busy morning and my mind Isn't where it should be for this. I just sent my third little guy off to school and my mind is with him.
This talk is all about protecting religious freedom. I think as a church we have to be very defensive right now. I don't like hearing it really. I'd rather pretend everything is honky dory and our votes matter and such, but that really isn't the case is it? I mean, we voted against something that we believe is morally wrong and even though we won, it Was legalized. Our agency was taken away and our decision was made for us. What a shame.
We need to be careful not to be complacent in our community. I don't know any issues we are facing, and I probably should. How can I defend our rights, if I don't know what's going on? Shame on me! As usual. ;)
Thursday, August 20, 2015
"Stay by the Tree" - Elder Kevin W. Pearson
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/stay-by-the-tree?lang=eng#watch=video
"Shortly before President Heber J. Grant passed away, one of the Brethren visited his home. Before he left, President Grant prayed, “O God, bless me that I shall not lose my testimony and keep faithful to the end!”1After nearly 27 years as President of the Church, this was his fervent prayer. His example is a striking reminder that no one, at any age, is immune from Satan’s influence. Two of Satan’s most powerful tools are distraction and deception."
I don't usually quote such big parts of the talks. This is mostly a place for my thoughts and feelings. But my thoughts are that that quote sums up the whole talk. My feelings are that if a prophet of God needed reminding to stay close to the Gospel, how much more do we need it?
Elder Pearson outlines steps for staying close to the Savior and likens it to Lehi's vision. The Lord is the tree and we need to stay close. Hence the title. The steps are things we have heard a million times in Sunday School. Pray. Have Faith. Read your scriptures. He put emphasis on reading the Book of Mormon. He says, "When adversity comes, don’t let something you don’t fully understand unravel everything you do know. Be patient, cling to truth; understanding will come."
I went to a pack meeting recently for Adam. The den leader was talking about our baptism covenants and gave an easy way to remember them as you take the sacrament.
T. Take his name upon us.
A. Always remember Him.
K. Keep his commandments.
E. Endure to the end.
Elder Pearson reminds us that enduring to the end is not the same as surviving a trial. To endure we must be constantly coming unto Christ, not just waiting for a trial to end. He says "The kingdom of God... requires valiant discipleship." To be keeping our baptismal covenants, we must be constantly coming unto Christ. If we aren't praying, reading our scriptures, and always remembering him, we are falling short of our potential as disciples.
And so to close, I will leave you with my very favorite primary song:
"The Lord needs valiant servants,
To do his work in the latter day,
Who follow the teachings of Jesus
And serve his people in a loving way.
I will be his servant
And keep my cov'nants valiantly.
I'll stand for truth. I'll stand for right.
The Lord can depend on me!"
I added the exclamation point. It really deserves it don't you think?
"Shortly before President Heber J. Grant passed away, one of the Brethren visited his home. Before he left, President Grant prayed, “O God, bless me that I shall not lose my testimony and keep faithful to the end!”1After nearly 27 years as President of the Church, this was his fervent prayer. His example is a striking reminder that no one, at any age, is immune from Satan’s influence. Two of Satan’s most powerful tools are distraction and deception."
I don't usually quote such big parts of the talks. This is mostly a place for my thoughts and feelings. But my thoughts are that that quote sums up the whole talk. My feelings are that if a prophet of God needed reminding to stay close to the Gospel, how much more do we need it?
Elder Pearson outlines steps for staying close to the Savior and likens it to Lehi's vision. The Lord is the tree and we need to stay close. Hence the title. The steps are things we have heard a million times in Sunday School. Pray. Have Faith. Read your scriptures. He put emphasis on reading the Book of Mormon. He says, "When adversity comes, don’t let something you don’t fully understand unravel everything you do know. Be patient, cling to truth; understanding will come."
I went to a pack meeting recently for Adam. The den leader was talking about our baptism covenants and gave an easy way to remember them as you take the sacrament.
T. Take his name upon us.
A. Always remember Him.
K. Keep his commandments.
E. Endure to the end.
Elder Pearson reminds us that enduring to the end is not the same as surviving a trial. To endure we must be constantly coming unto Christ, not just waiting for a trial to end. He says "The kingdom of God... requires valiant discipleship." To be keeping our baptismal covenants, we must be constantly coming unto Christ. If we aren't praying, reading our scriptures, and always remembering him, we are falling short of our potential as disciples.
And so to close, I will leave you with my very favorite primary song:
"The Lord needs valiant servants,
To do his work in the latter day,
Who follow the teachings of Jesus
And serve his people in a loving way.
I will be his servant
And keep my cov'nants valiantly.
I'll stand for truth. I'll stand for right.
The Lord can depend on me!"
I added the exclamation point. It really deserves it don't you think?
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
"The Eternal Perspective of the Gospel" - Elder Rafael E. Pino
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-eternal-perspective-of-the-gospel?lang=eng
Once again, a talk that deals with accepting the Lord's will. Or maybe that is just how I see it. Maybe all the talks seems to have that undertone to me because it is something I am so scared of. I live in fear of trials. Constantly. Irrationally. All-consumingly. I've told Kyle many times that I'm pretty sure he's going to die because God knows it's the trial that would push me over the edge. Who says things like that to their spouse? Crazy people. People who are not very strong and they know it. Crazy me. So many of these talks seem to tell me to just accept the Lord's will and not fight whatever is coming. Oh, and there is always something coming.
I do like one of Elder Pino's analogies. He likens an eternal perspective to doing a puzzle. If you look at one piece and can't find where it goes, it may seem useless. You may even be tempted to throw it away. But once the puzzle is nearing completion you will be so glad you have it.
I imagine myself in Heaven, looking at the puzzle of my life. Better yet, the puzzle of my soul. What if each piece is labelled? There could be charity, integrity, strength... what if there is a piece missing? What if there is a puzzle piece somewhere labelled, for instance, patience, that isn't in my puzzle? What if the puzzle is complete except a big ugly hole? Worse, what if there are several pieces missing? Accepting the Lord's will and the trials He sends me gives me an opportunity to grow through them, instead of fighting and getting angry. That is after all, why He gives us trials. He doesn't do it to watch us squirm, but to see us grow. My patriarchal blessing actually says something to this effect. I won't quote it exactly, but it says something like "Never feel that you are being punished. As the Lord watched His Son go through the trials of mortality, so He feels about your suffering." Again, very paraphrased, and very comforting. My Father in Heaven isn't leaving me to struggle alone. He is there to help me. He suffers watching me suffer. I kind of love the idea that my Heavenly Father has empathy for me. It is very personal, if you think about it. I am not an abstract idea to Him. I am His child, as much as Jesus Christ, and the only reason He lets me go through trials and struggles is because it is for the best. He could rescue me, but chooses the better path, the same as He did for His Son.
As always, this is something that I am working on. Not just accepting of trials, but making decisions in a way that is best for my eternity, not just my mortality.
Once again, a talk that deals with accepting the Lord's will. Or maybe that is just how I see it. Maybe all the talks seems to have that undertone to me because it is something I am so scared of. I live in fear of trials. Constantly. Irrationally. All-consumingly. I've told Kyle many times that I'm pretty sure he's going to die because God knows it's the trial that would push me over the edge. Who says things like that to their spouse? Crazy people. People who are not very strong and they know it. Crazy me. So many of these talks seem to tell me to just accept the Lord's will and not fight whatever is coming. Oh, and there is always something coming.
I do like one of Elder Pino's analogies. He likens an eternal perspective to doing a puzzle. If you look at one piece and can't find where it goes, it may seem useless. You may even be tempted to throw it away. But once the puzzle is nearing completion you will be so glad you have it.
I imagine myself in Heaven, looking at the puzzle of my life. Better yet, the puzzle of my soul. What if each piece is labelled? There could be charity, integrity, strength... what if there is a piece missing? What if there is a puzzle piece somewhere labelled, for instance, patience, that isn't in my puzzle? What if the puzzle is complete except a big ugly hole? Worse, what if there are several pieces missing? Accepting the Lord's will and the trials He sends me gives me an opportunity to grow through them, instead of fighting and getting angry. That is after all, why He gives us trials. He doesn't do it to watch us squirm, but to see us grow. My patriarchal blessing actually says something to this effect. I won't quote it exactly, but it says something like "Never feel that you are being punished. As the Lord watched His Son go through the trials of mortality, so He feels about your suffering." Again, very paraphrased, and very comforting. My Father in Heaven isn't leaving me to struggle alone. He is there to help me. He suffers watching me suffer. I kind of love the idea that my Heavenly Father has empathy for me. It is very personal, if you think about it. I am not an abstract idea to Him. I am His child, as much as Jesus Christ, and the only reason He lets me go through trials and struggles is because it is for the best. He could rescue me, but chooses the better path, the same as He did for His Son.
As always, this is something that I am working on. Not just accepting of trials, but making decisions in a way that is best for my eternity, not just my mortality.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Truly Good and Without Guile - Elder Michael T. Ringwood
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/truly-good-and-without-guile?lang=eng
This was the other talk that was used on Sunday. Guile is an interesting word. I don't think it's used much anymore. To have guile means to have sly, conniving intelligence. To be truly good, in the context of the talk, means to serve. My notes from Sunday look like this:
This was the other talk that was used on Sunday. Guile is an interesting word. I don't think it's used much anymore. To have guile means to have sly, conniving intelligence. To be truly good, in the context of the talk, means to serve. My notes from Sunday look like this:
Truly Good vs. Guile
service Conniving intelligence
Furthers the work of Moses 1:39 Furthers selfish agenda
Once I had an understanding of the two sides of the coin, it was easy to put people in the categories. Abel v. Cain; Abel wanted to give the Lord a sacrifice, Cain wanted the Lord to appreciate his sacrifice.
While there are tons of examples I could list, I think the best one is that of Jesus v. Lucifer. They both offered to do the same thing, right? So what was the difference? Jesus said "Here I am, send me." and Lucifer said, "Sure, I'll go, but here's what I want to change about the plan. Oh and I need some glory. Let's not forget that." Jesus was ready to serve and sacrifice. Lucifer was ready to be important.
In just the two examples that I used, I think it is interesting to note that those on the guile side ended up rebelling in some pretty heinous ways. That is the danger of serving with an agenda. If we have guile, we want to be seen and thanked of the world, and given church "promotions". When that doesn't happen we become bitter and angry. That can cause us to abandon the Gospel.
While I've split truly good and guile into opposing ideas, I don't think it's all that black and white. I think there is quite a bit of grey between the two. After all, wasn't Lucifer and angel to begin with? Didn't he start white and beautiful before he slid that grey scale of rebellion? I also keep thinking of Pontious Pilate. Here was someone who believed in Jesus, enough to think he didn't deserve to die, but because he was a public figure, he cowed to the demands of the crowd. He let a man die because he didn't want to deal with rebellion. That has guile (and cowardice) written all over it.
What about us? Don't we give talks with the hope that someone will tell us we did a good job afterwards? I personally don't have the serenity of Jesus, knowing that I am doing good and never being appreciated. I often tell Kyle something I've done just for that little pat on the back. But I do try to remember the scripture that says, "That thine alms be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:4) What kind of reward am I looking for? If my Father sees my works, isn't that enough?
If our hearts are not in the right place, our service falls flat. If I visit teach for the sake of having that 100% on my record and being able to tell people how good I am, most likely I am not caring for the sisters entrusted to me.
A final thought, though it isn't mine, President Spencer W. Kimball said, "Great women and men are always more anxious to serve than to have dominion." (Kind of makes you think of the presidential race going on, huh? I wish we had even one candidate who just wants to serve the country.)
Monday, August 17, 2015
The Parable of the Sower - Elder Dallin H. Oaks
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-parable-of-the-sower?lang=eng
Okay, I am going out of order for this one. Someone spoke in church yesterday on this talk and I took notes. Job half done. =) This morning I am going back and reading the talk and comparing my thoughts.
My first thought was wondering what kind of ground I am. Am I stony ground? Stony ground is those who accept the Gospel but aren't truly converted; they are those who when faced with trials, fall away and are scorched. I've always been worried that I wasn't truly converted. My patriarchal blessing says it is a necessity for me personally. I've wondered before if I would leave the church if it wasn't for my family, specifically my husband. And I've always been glad not to find out. However, when I read the definition of the stony ground, I think I am doing better than I've given myself credit for. When faced with trials I certainly don't turn from Heavenly Father, but rather straight to Him.
Am I a thorny ground gal? I kind of think we all are. Thorny ground folks are those who hear the Word, accept it, but then struggle with the cares and riches of the world. I am going to leave riches off of there because there is no point beating that dead horse. We all know the love of money pulls you away from the Lord. But what about cares? Does that have to be money? Couldn't it just be that you care what your friends think of you? Or that you care to have fun, rather than be a true disciple. Can't cares just be the regular hustle and bustle of a busy life? Being a mom to four kids is enough for me to struggle with reading my scriptures and getting in a prayer more than once a day. What about people with high pressure jobs? Jesus tells Peter that he is an offence to Him, and to "get behind me, Satan." because of his cares of the world. Peter was his chief apostle, the rock upon which Jesus was going to build his church, and still, he was tempted enough to be called Satan by Jesus. You don't have to be a bad person to struggle with this. You just have to be in this world.
The most important thing I pulled from the thorny ground, is the need for spiritual feeding. The best way to keep those thorns from choking us, is to be continually taking care. I am certainly trying harder to do that. My hiatus from church (for vacations and such, not inactivity) really taught me a lesson earlier this year. I felt my testimony struggle. We need to take care that we don't allow ourselves to be choked by the thorns. It doesn't happen without our consent.
I wouldn't go so far as to say I am a good ground that brings up good fruit. I would say I am sort of a mix of all the grounds. I am someone whose testimony could be stronger, who needs continual care, but who also tries. I am not perfect. But I am not a seed who fell by the wayside either.
This talk was really good for me because it gave me insight into myself. Elder Holland (in a different talk) said something to the effect of doubt your doubts before you doubt what you know. I've always magnified my doubts and small, seedling of a testimony instead of the things that I do know. After reading Elder Oaks' definition of the stony ground I am actually really happy to find that I'm doing okay.
And now, for a bonus, verse 3 of How Firm a Foundation. We sang it in church yesterday and it was so beautiful, my eyes welled up. Okay, that happens almost anytime I hear music, but still.
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
Okay, I am going out of order for this one. Someone spoke in church yesterday on this talk and I took notes. Job half done. =) This morning I am going back and reading the talk and comparing my thoughts.
My first thought was wondering what kind of ground I am. Am I stony ground? Stony ground is those who accept the Gospel but aren't truly converted; they are those who when faced with trials, fall away and are scorched. I've always been worried that I wasn't truly converted. My patriarchal blessing says it is a necessity for me personally. I've wondered before if I would leave the church if it wasn't for my family, specifically my husband. And I've always been glad not to find out. However, when I read the definition of the stony ground, I think I am doing better than I've given myself credit for. When faced with trials I certainly don't turn from Heavenly Father, but rather straight to Him.
Am I a thorny ground gal? I kind of think we all are. Thorny ground folks are those who hear the Word, accept it, but then struggle with the cares and riches of the world. I am going to leave riches off of there because there is no point beating that dead horse. We all know the love of money pulls you away from the Lord. But what about cares? Does that have to be money? Couldn't it just be that you care what your friends think of you? Or that you care to have fun, rather than be a true disciple. Can't cares just be the regular hustle and bustle of a busy life? Being a mom to four kids is enough for me to struggle with reading my scriptures and getting in a prayer more than once a day. What about people with high pressure jobs? Jesus tells Peter that he is an offence to Him, and to "get behind me, Satan." because of his cares of the world. Peter was his chief apostle, the rock upon which Jesus was going to build his church, and still, he was tempted enough to be called Satan by Jesus. You don't have to be a bad person to struggle with this. You just have to be in this world.
The most important thing I pulled from the thorny ground, is the need for spiritual feeding. The best way to keep those thorns from choking us, is to be continually taking care. I am certainly trying harder to do that. My hiatus from church (for vacations and such, not inactivity) really taught me a lesson earlier this year. I felt my testimony struggle. We need to take care that we don't allow ourselves to be choked by the thorns. It doesn't happen without our consent.
I wouldn't go so far as to say I am a good ground that brings up good fruit. I would say I am sort of a mix of all the grounds. I am someone whose testimony could be stronger, who needs continual care, but who also tries. I am not perfect. But I am not a seed who fell by the wayside either.
This talk was really good for me because it gave me insight into myself. Elder Holland (in a different talk) said something to the effect of doubt your doubts before you doubt what you know. I've always magnified my doubts and small, seedling of a testimony instead of the things that I do know. After reading Elder Oaks' definition of the stony ground I am actually really happy to find that I'm doing okay.
And now, for a bonus, verse 3 of How Firm a Foundation. We sang it in church yesterday and it was so beautiful, my eyes welled up. Okay, that happens almost anytime I hear music, but still.
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Journaling
I found some great quotes on Pinterest a couple of days ago about journaling. It made me super excited that I was doing this and I want to share them and my thoughts about them.
This quote prompted me to take notes during church today. I don't want church to be something I simply go to because it is expected of me. I really am going to be spiritually fed. I get malnourished spiritually and need the constant feeding. Church today was great. I was so happy that I started this today!
This is so beautiful!!!! I can't imagine I have anything to say that would be worthy of angels, but who knows, perhaps the Spirit will give me a gem.
I love the promise of this quote. The more you abide by your promptings, the more the Lord will pour them out to you! I wrote in one of my previous posts that I didn't know if I'd had a prompting or just thought of something myself. Wouldn't it be great to hear the Spirit, know what's happening, and get that all the time?! I think it would be awesome. I'm know there are plenty of people whose everyday is filled with inspiration, but I am still practicing.
- " We often leave the most precious personal direction of the Spirit unheard because we do not record and respond to the first promptings that come to us when the Lord chooses to direct us." -Elder Richard G. Scott
This quote prompted me to take notes during church today. I don't want church to be something I simply go to because it is expected of me. I really am going to be spiritually fed. I get malnourished spiritually and need the constant feeding. Church today was great. I was so happy that I started this today!
- "Get a notebook, my young folks, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. -President Spencer W. Kimball
This is so beautiful!!!! I can't imagine I have anything to say that would be worthy of angels, but who knows, perhaps the Spirit will give me a gem.
- "I've found, as I'm sure you have, that when you're trying to learn from the Lord and you feel an impression from the Spirit, i'ts important to make a note so it will not be forgotten. The more you not only hear but abide by what you've been told, the more the Lord will give to you. It will come more and more rapidly and you will begin to hear and feel those impressions of the Spirit more quickly than you have previously done." -Elder Gene R. Cook
I love the promise of this quote. The more you abide by your promptings, the more the Lord will pour them out to you! I wrote in one of my previous posts that I didn't know if I'd had a prompting or just thought of something myself. Wouldn't it be great to hear the Spirit, know what's happening, and get that all the time?! I think it would be awesome. I'm know there are plenty of people whose everyday is filled with inspiration, but I am still practicing.
- "The prompting that goes unresponded to may not be repeated. Writing down aht we have been prompted with is vital. A special thought can be lost later in the day through the rough and tumble of life. God should not, and may not, choose to repeat the prompting if we assign what is given such a low priority as to put it aside. -Elder Neal A. Maxwell
This quote is a little bit more of a warning. Watch out! Heed the promptings or they'll be taken away. I would not want to send the message to my Heavenly Father that the messages that he gives just to me are not important.
If anyone is out there reading, get a journal! Or a blog.
Friday, August 14, 2015
"Lord, I Believe" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng
I am not doing this today. I am just leaving this right here. It is my favorite talk. I keep thinking about it and thinking about, but it doesn't really work with the schedule I've set up. I think perhaps I am supposed to write my feelings about it. I am leaving this here just in case someone needs a faith boost. If you're having trouble today, read this. I will write my thoughts on it soon.
I am not doing this today. I am just leaving this right here. It is my favorite talk. I keep thinking about it and thinking about, but it doesn't really work with the schedule I've set up. I think perhaps I am supposed to write my feelings about it. I am leaving this here just in case someone needs a faith boost. If you're having trouble today, read this. I will write my thoughts on it soon.
Thy Kingdom Come by Neil L. Anderson
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/thy-kingdom-come?lang=eng
I was excited to see that today's talk was by Elder Anderson. While not my favorite to listen to, in studying I find that Elder Anderson is one of my favorites. He leaves great gems hidden all along his talks. I may end up quoting more than writing today.
While studying, I actually was reminded of several of the other talks I have read this week. He seems to bring them together quite nicely and I am glad I read them in this order. He starts out by talking about our day. It is a tough day, with wars and rumors of wars, and the Earth in constant commotion. Yet, it is a great day because we live in the time of the restored Gospel. He says "We rejoice in these days and pray that we will be able to courageously face our struggles and uncertainties. The difficulties of some are more severe than those of others, but no one is immune. Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said to me, “If everything is going perfectly for you right now, just wait.”" That's fun. Remember how I said I live in constant fear of trials. Elder Maxwell, through Elder Anderson, just reaffirmed all my fears. Gotta love that. Maybe I should do a talk on preparedness next...
Like the last talk this one reminds us to keep an eternal perspective and submit to the will of the Father. But he does it in a way that I really like. He talks about the many miracles the Lord has worked in bringing the church forward in these days. I won't recount those here. His main point in doing it was, "seeing and believing the Lord’s miracles in establishing His kingdom on earth can help us see and believe that the Lord’s hand is at work in our own lives as well." That makes perfect sense to me. Perhaps it is Elder Anderson's use of logic in his talks that I understand. Heavenly Father doesn't need our help. He could bring the church to the Earth in a moment if He wanted. He lets us help so we can grow. I think of it like prayer: He knows what we need. He doesn't need to hear it from us, but prayer is a tool given to us for us, not for Him.
Sometimes it's hard to see His hand in our lives. Maybe when those times come it is because we stop looking. I know if I look for Him, He's right there staring at me in my kids' health, in my marriage, in Kyle's job. His hand is all over my life and I am so grateful for it.
Again, time for a quote, though in this case it is Elder Anderson quoting scripture. He says "Remember the young man who cried out to the prophet Elisha as they were surrounded by enemies: “Alas, [what] shall we do?” Elisha answered:
“Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
“[Then] Elisha prayed, … Lord, … open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord [did open] the eyes of the young man; and he [did see that] the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire.”"
That is such a beautiful story to me. Really, it should be a cross stitched pillow somewhere. If we could see the way our Father's hand is in our life, we would be amazed, I think. Amazed and given a peace and an unearthly power to submit to the Lord.
And all of this isn't even the point of the talk. This is just the part of the talk to spoke to me. The actual point is that the Second Coming is at hand and it is going to be glorious.
“Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
“[Then] Elisha prayed, … Lord, … open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord [did open] the eyes of the young man; and he [did see that] the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire.”"
That is such a beautiful story to me. Really, it should be a cross stitched pillow somewhere. If we could see the way our Father's hand is in our life, we would be amazed, I think. Amazed and given a peace and an unearthly power to submit to the Lord.
And all of this isn't even the point of the talk. This is just the part of the talk to spoke to me. The actual point is that the Second Coming is at hand and it is going to be glorious.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
If you will be Responsible by Elder Jorge F. Zeballos
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/if-you-will-be-responsible?lang=eng
This talk starts with a great anecdote. Personally, I love a good story to illustrate a point or to impress the message on me. He talks about when he was a child in a non member family. He went to church everyday for six months with no family support or anything. When he was asked whether he was ready to be baptized, he was a minor and had to receive permission from his father. His father, having seen his commitment, tells him he can be baptized" if he will be responsible for his choice." This speaks to me personally, because of Kyle. Kyle was raised in an inactive home, but with parents who supported him. I love the idea of a father who says, "If this is your commitment, just follow through." That is a lot of trust to place in a child, especially when it is a big commitment like religion. I am grateful that my husband has followed through on his commitment, even going on a mission with support that perhaps didn't understand the need for it. That's a whole other post though. I could write an epic on all the ways I am grateful for Kyle.
Elder Zeballos gives us four principles to be responsible for our choice to come unto Christ. If you will be responsible: you will learn your duty, make a decision, act accordingly, and accept the Father's will. But I really think his talk is a lot simpler than that. It seems to me that his talk is really just telling us to be men or women of our word. If you make a choice to be a disciple, follow through. End of talk. Easy peasy.
Well, except accepting the Father's will. That one calls for a second look, for me. Sure it should come naturally to a disciple, but does it? I often find myself praying like this, "Heavenly Father, please help me so and so, but don't give me any trials, thank you. I don't want to grow right now. I am happy right where I am, I will humble myself, just please please in the name of all that is holy don't change anything in my life or take anything away from me." Perhaps that is because I constantly live in fear that I am too happy. My trials tend to be knock down, drag me through the mud ones, and I just don't want more. But isn't that why we are here? If I am a true disciple, wouldn't I just float along with peace in my heart knowing that if everything was taken away I'd just be all that closer to Jesus, who suffered so much? You know... I really don't think so. Even Jesus asked Heavenly Father to remove the bitter cup. But when the trial came he didn't shrink. He talks about a couple on the verge of losing a child and the peace they had. That to me is craziness. If I am given the trial of losing a child, I will accept it only after it is over. I would not be bedside calm and submissive. I would be fighting and praying and bargaining. Say what you want, I'm pretty sure our Heavenly Father takes the bribes occasionally.
All in all, a good talk, though I do have one criticism. (If anyone cares of my lowly opinion of conference talks.) When writing, you are supposed to keep it simple, don't use overly flowery words and complicate a simple message. That is what I feel Elder Zeballos did. By giving us four steps, he took away the simplicity and beauty of the lesson that his father taught him. To sum up a talk that wanders (in my opinion), I would just give this thought: If you will be a disciple, be one. If you want to come unto Christ, do it. We know where He is and how to go about finding Him. Be a true disciple. Period.
This talk starts with a great anecdote. Personally, I love a good story to illustrate a point or to impress the message on me. He talks about when he was a child in a non member family. He went to church everyday for six months with no family support or anything. When he was asked whether he was ready to be baptized, he was a minor and had to receive permission from his father. His father, having seen his commitment, tells him he can be baptized" if he will be responsible for his choice." This speaks to me personally, because of Kyle. Kyle was raised in an inactive home, but with parents who supported him. I love the idea of a father who says, "If this is your commitment, just follow through." That is a lot of trust to place in a child, especially when it is a big commitment like religion. I am grateful that my husband has followed through on his commitment, even going on a mission with support that perhaps didn't understand the need for it. That's a whole other post though. I could write an epic on all the ways I am grateful for Kyle.
Elder Zeballos gives us four principles to be responsible for our choice to come unto Christ. If you will be responsible: you will learn your duty, make a decision, act accordingly, and accept the Father's will. But I really think his talk is a lot simpler than that. It seems to me that his talk is really just telling us to be men or women of our word. If you make a choice to be a disciple, follow through. End of talk. Easy peasy.
Well, except accepting the Father's will. That one calls for a second look, for me. Sure it should come naturally to a disciple, but does it? I often find myself praying like this, "Heavenly Father, please help me so and so, but don't give me any trials, thank you. I don't want to grow right now. I am happy right where I am, I will humble myself, just please please in the name of all that is holy don't change anything in my life or take anything away from me." Perhaps that is because I constantly live in fear that I am too happy. My trials tend to be knock down, drag me through the mud ones, and I just don't want more. But isn't that why we are here? If I am a true disciple, wouldn't I just float along with peace in my heart knowing that if everything was taken away I'd just be all that closer to Jesus, who suffered so much? You know... I really don't think so. Even Jesus asked Heavenly Father to remove the bitter cup. But when the trial came he didn't shrink. He talks about a couple on the verge of losing a child and the peace they had. That to me is craziness. If I am given the trial of losing a child, I will accept it only after it is over. I would not be bedside calm and submissive. I would be fighting and praying and bargaining. Say what you want, I'm pretty sure our Heavenly Father takes the bribes occasionally.
All in all, a good talk, though I do have one criticism. (If anyone cares of my lowly opinion of conference talks.) When writing, you are supposed to keep it simple, don't use overly flowery words and complicate a simple message. That is what I feel Elder Zeballos did. By giving us four steps, he took away the simplicity and beauty of the lesson that his father taught him. To sum up a talk that wanders (in my opinion), I would just give this thought: If you will be a disciple, be one. If you want to come unto Christ, do it. We know where He is and how to go about finding Him. Be a true disciple. Period.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Comment
I really don't think there is anyone out there reading this, which is totally okay. I am really writing it for my own benefit. But, if you are out there, anyone, leave a comment so I know you are here. =)
Be Fruitful, Multiply, and Subdue the Earth - Joseph W. Sitati
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/be-fruitful-multiply-and-subdue-the-earth?lang=eng
I hesitated this morning when I saw the title for the next conference talk. I thought about skipping it. I have multiplied and been fruitful. My fruits woke me up at seven this morning. That's how I know I've done my part. Any more fruits and I would be a nut. Get it? Cause I'd be insane. =) Four fruits are all my sanity can handle.I didn't want to hear about having children. I've already done my part. Nevertheless, I went ahead and read the talk.
I was actually surprised to find it wasn't about having kids at all. Elder Sitati takes a lovely interpretation of the command to be fruitful. He takes it to mean the fruit of our labors, rather than the fruit of our loins. He talks about going about doing good and having charity one with another. He also speaks of missionary work, though he doesn't come right out with it, but leads us there instead. "All of us can and should become fully engaged in the work of salvation. The Savior has given us the following responsibility with a promise: “I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit". I guess it makes sense that the greatest charity we can have is to care enough to bring others to the Gospel. This also makes me think of temple work. He doesn't talk about it, but bringing people to the Gospel isn't something we just do here.
I don't feel that I am well equipped to bring people into the church. I don't have a wide network of friends and I am not great at speaking publicly. I am rather shy with people with whom I am not comfortable. But I can do temple work. I can do Family History work. If the worth of all souls is great, I can bring the ones who have already passed and "great shall be my joy", right?
There really isn't another way to interpret "multiply". It is what it is. Heavenly Father wants us to have children. His sacred work can't go forth without the opportunity for all of His spirit children to come to earth and experience it. He says the best way for souls to get the most out of their earth experience is through good parents. A man and a woman who love each other. I may have already had my children, but that doesn't mean I am done with this work. I have to be a good parent to them and a good wife to Kyle. There is always room for improvement.
Subdue the Earth was a tricky part. I didn't really understand it the first time and had to re-read the section. The second time I understood. It isn't actually about subduing the Earth, it's about learning to live in it. We face challenges and temptations everyday. Our technology increases those temptations exponentially, by putting them at our fingertips. Subduing the Earth is really about overcoming the natural man. Becoming a master of oneself allows us to be in the world and not a slave to it.
In the end this talk was a wonderful surprise. I didn't know there was more to the command to be fruitful. I am still working on getting my act together in terms of visiting teaching and fulfilling my callings. Maybe keeping this in mind will help me.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
The Sabbath is a Delight- Russell M. Nelson
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-sabbath-is-a-delight?lang=eng
I didn't have a particular topic in mind this morning, so I chose to go to the most recent conference and start there. I have listened to all of these talks however, and the first ones more than the last. And so the last came first.
There has been a lot of talk about the Sabbath recently. A lot of emphasis is being given to keeping the Sabbath and to Sabbath day activities. In the spirit of transparency, I will you tell you what a typical Sunday looks like around here: We get up and scramble to get read for church. Or we don't. I can't make this fully transparent without admitting to the occasional lack of drive in the morning. If we've had a particularly late Saturday night, we may roll over and keep on sleeping. Not often. But sometimes.
Once we are ready we pile in and go to church. In sacrament meeting we wrestle our four children into behaving. Does it work? No. Do I get to hear the messages? Rarely. After closing prayer, the kids run off to primary and I head to my favorite part of church. Nursery, where I drop Lily off. A great feeling of relief comes over me and I collapse into a chair in Gospel Doctrine. Next to my husband. In the corner. Where we both play on our phones for the next hour. Sometimes we'll participate in the discussion or read a scripture, but for the most part I just don't know what is being talked about. Probably because I am not trying very hard.
Relief Society goes one of two ways: if I am sitting next to a chatty woman, I spend the hour listening to her instead of the lesson. If I am by myself I am probably on my phone still. Giving myself some credit here, Relief Society is actually where I listen the most. I generally like the lessons and Spirit of the class.
Once home we make nachos for lunch and eat them while watching a recorded episode of the Tonight Show. Pretty sure that isn't what Elder Nelson has in mind in terms of Sabbath worship. Next we'll go our separate ways. Kids will watch a movie upstairs, and we'll watch TV downstairs or in our room. If it's football season, Kyle will watch football and I'll take a nap. I can't even pretend I will be changing the napping part. It isn't going to happen. Best part of the Sabbath.
Elder Nelson asks if the Sabbath is truly a delight in our homes. Is it? I don't think so. It's kind of an excuse to be lazy, because we can't go anywhere. So, how do I change that? Not just for me, but for my family. He goes on to talk about a few things we can be doing to make it count. One was teaching our children. I actually did this on Sunday. Not that I spent a great deal of time on it, but we are working towards Adam's Faith in God award, so we talked a little bit about the articles of faith. We can do family history. Third is quality family time. I like the non-specificity of that. Perhaps quality time to us is taking a nap in the same room, or watching a movie together. I kind of think he means a little more bonding type activities,
Last was service. I have a hard time with this idea. I don't like Kyle leaving to do Home Teaching on a Sunday. I think anything that pulls him away from us on a day off isn't necessarily good. However, I was talking to Kyle about how we could get our Home and Visiting teaching done together. I was wondering if we all went in the car together to visit our families, if it would work. Maybe just being in the car would give our kids the vision of their parents serving and caring for others. And we could involve them before hand in making a treat or a hand out. I don't know. I am still workshopping that idea.
In closing, at the beginning of the talk, Elder Nelson said he had an easy time figuring if an activity was Sunday appropriate by asking himself one question: "What sign do I want to give to God?" Do I want him to see that my own laziness is more important than the one day he asks be devoted to Him? If I can't spend one day doing what He asks of me, can I expect Him to answer my prayers? I ask a lot of my Heavenly Father, I'd hate for Him to treat me the way I sometimes treat Him. Maybe my Sundays need a makeover.
I didn't have a particular topic in mind this morning, so I chose to go to the most recent conference and start there. I have listened to all of these talks however, and the first ones more than the last. And so the last came first.
There has been a lot of talk about the Sabbath recently. A lot of emphasis is being given to keeping the Sabbath and to Sabbath day activities. In the spirit of transparency, I will you tell you what a typical Sunday looks like around here: We get up and scramble to get read for church. Or we don't. I can't make this fully transparent without admitting to the occasional lack of drive in the morning. If we've had a particularly late Saturday night, we may roll over and keep on sleeping. Not often. But sometimes.
Once we are ready we pile in and go to church. In sacrament meeting we wrestle our four children into behaving. Does it work? No. Do I get to hear the messages? Rarely. After closing prayer, the kids run off to primary and I head to my favorite part of church. Nursery, where I drop Lily off. A great feeling of relief comes over me and I collapse into a chair in Gospel Doctrine. Next to my husband. In the corner. Where we both play on our phones for the next hour. Sometimes we'll participate in the discussion or read a scripture, but for the most part I just don't know what is being talked about. Probably because I am not trying very hard.
Relief Society goes one of two ways: if I am sitting next to a chatty woman, I spend the hour listening to her instead of the lesson. If I am by myself I am probably on my phone still. Giving myself some credit here, Relief Society is actually where I listen the most. I generally like the lessons and Spirit of the class.
Once home we make nachos for lunch and eat them while watching a recorded episode of the Tonight Show. Pretty sure that isn't what Elder Nelson has in mind in terms of Sabbath worship. Next we'll go our separate ways. Kids will watch a movie upstairs, and we'll watch TV downstairs or in our room. If it's football season, Kyle will watch football and I'll take a nap. I can't even pretend I will be changing the napping part. It isn't going to happen. Best part of the Sabbath.
Elder Nelson asks if the Sabbath is truly a delight in our homes. Is it? I don't think so. It's kind of an excuse to be lazy, because we can't go anywhere. So, how do I change that? Not just for me, but for my family. He goes on to talk about a few things we can be doing to make it count. One was teaching our children. I actually did this on Sunday. Not that I spent a great deal of time on it, but we are working towards Adam's Faith in God award, so we talked a little bit about the articles of faith. We can do family history. Third is quality family time. I like the non-specificity of that. Perhaps quality time to us is taking a nap in the same room, or watching a movie together. I kind of think he means a little more bonding type activities,
Last was service. I have a hard time with this idea. I don't like Kyle leaving to do Home Teaching on a Sunday. I think anything that pulls him away from us on a day off isn't necessarily good. However, I was talking to Kyle about how we could get our Home and Visiting teaching done together. I was wondering if we all went in the car together to visit our families, if it would work. Maybe just being in the car would give our kids the vision of their parents serving and caring for others. And we could involve them before hand in making a treat or a hand out. I don't know. I am still workshopping that idea.
In closing, at the beginning of the talk, Elder Nelson said he had an easy time figuring if an activity was Sunday appropriate by asking himself one question: "What sign do I want to give to God?" Do I want him to see that my own laziness is more important than the one day he asks be devoted to Him? If I can't spend one day doing what He asks of me, can I expect Him to answer my prayers? I ask a lot of my Heavenly Father, I'd hate for Him to treat me the way I sometimes treat Him. Maybe my Sundays need a makeover.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority- Richard G. Scott
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/make-the-exercise-of-faith-your-first-priority?lang=eng#watch=video
I began this journey with a hope of doing better by my own testimony. However, any mother can tell you that if she is not doing all the nuances of her discipleship, it is likely she is failing in her stewardship of her children. I carry a lot of mom guilt. It isn't just the natural feelings of not doing enough, that all mothers carry. I'm actually a pretty lazy person and my mom guilt is totally deserved. My kids wear their everyday clothes to bed because I know if they wear pajamas every night, my laundry load doubles. Are you understanding my motherhood yet?
Relief Society yesterday was, of course, on the Sacred Calling of Mothers. I love the way these things are worded. We get "The Sacred Calling of Mothers" and the men get "Father, Consider Your Ways." Moms are put on such a pedestal for all we do, but sometimes, I think we need the hash wording reserved for fathers. Maybe that is just me. Maybe there should be a lesson titled, "Christina, Consider Your Ways!" Exclamation point.
This lesson, by Ezra Taft Benson outlines 10 things mothers (and fathers) need to be doing. Ten specific ways I am failing. Man, I love church some days. So, when considering what talk I wanted to read this morning, I focused on one particular failure of mine: Family Home Evening. It's not that we don't ever have FHE, but our batting average is around .100. So, I went to lds.org and searched for conference talks on Family Home Evening. This talk by Richard G. Scott was the most recent one that came up, so he's my winner.
I knew from the title of this talk that it was going to be a little bit more stern, I like that. I need some sternness in my life. He starts by talking about the Fall of Adam and Eve and how opposition in all things came to be and how it is necessary for our happiness. While interesting, I had no idea how this applied to the principle I was trying to study and I'll be honest, my eyes glazed over a bit. He talked about challenges and how life is hard. We came to be tested and made strong. We know these things. We've heard them since primary. I guess repetition is good for the soul. He brought me back by saying "Our Father in Heaven has given us tools to help us come unto Christ and exercise faith in His Atonement. When these tools become fundamental habits, they provide the easiest way to find peace in the challenges of mortality."
Okay, so now I see the tie in. We are going to talk about exercising faith as a way to meet the challenges we will face.
He outlines four essentials. While Sunday School-ish in simplicity, the reminder is that these things are there for our use. They are there to help us overcome. Not as another thing our Heavenly Father counts to make sure we are good disciples, but tools that helps us survive mortality.
Prayer: I had two favorite lines from the part on Prayer. "Parents, help safeguard your children by arming them morning and night with the power of family prayer." I am not great at this. I pray by myself, on my knees, at night. And sometimes we pray together. A few times a week. Not enough. And "Family prayer should be a nonnegotiable priority in your daily life." Boom. Sternness. Richard G. should drop the mike.
Scripture Study: He connects scripture study to prayer by saying (paraphrasing) that we speak to God in prayer, He speaks back through scriptures. It is important to read scriptures with our children so they can understand that voice of God. Wow, right? I don't think I've heard a reason for scripture reading put so succinctly. It makes me understand why it is so important.
Family Home Evening: Don't make it an afterthought. Have a grand time together. Nothing new. No mike drops.
Temple Attendance: Last year Kyle and I went 12 times in 12 months. We were so proud of meeting our once a month goal. Perhaps we felt it was exhausting, or just that one year was good enough. in 2015 we didn't get to the temple until July. Yikes and Shame! In a talk about exercising your faith to feel peace, this one stands out. Where do you feel more peace than at the temple? Elder Scott says that by doing these four things we are accepting Christ's invitation to come unto Him, and isn't He after all the Prince of Peace?
I am going to try a lot harder to do all of these things. I have plenty of time in the day and really all of these things should be nonnegotiable. I'm going to fail. I know because I've tried before. And I'll try again.
I can't close better than he did. "I testify that as we actively come unto Him, we can endure every temptation, every heartache, every challenge we face, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
I can't close better than he did. "I testify that as we actively come unto Him, we can endure every temptation, every heartache, every challenge we face, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
Something New
Summer is an interesting time for my family. We are able to spend so much extra time together. We travel, we do fun activities, we laugh together. However, I found this summer to be difficult for me. We spent 6 Sundays away from church for various reason. They were all legitimate reasons, we weren't just sleeping at home, but 6 weeks is a rather long absence.
I was shocked to feel the influence of this departure from church. I've always assumed I'd kind of made it. Not that I'm celestial bound just yet, but that I was doing fine and didn't really need the weekly fortification. This was also about the time we stopped reading the scriptures together every night. We had just become "too busy". Slowly, I began to lose some of my steadfastness. I'm not admitting to any bad behavior, more of a lazy, nonchalant feeling about that gospel and about choosing the right.
There have been times in my life where I was able to quote scripture and conference talks to lift friends from their hard places. I'm not at the other end of that. I'm not spiraling toward defection or inactivity, but I'm not as strong as I know I can be or as strong as I have been.
I had an idea yesterday in church. I like to think it was inspiration, but I sometimes have a hard time deciphering my voice from that of the Spirit. It is a talent I am still working to develop. I am going to read a church talk every morning and record my thoughts about it. I can't imagine anyone is out there reading. If you are, welcome! If not, well, someday maybe my kids will wonder what their mom's testimony looked like. Maybe they will find that they are not in a place of major strength and be able to see some value in studying everyday. Or maybe they will just need ideas for a talk and steal something from me.
I am pretty excited about starting this. I already have my first talk picked out and everything. Don't hold me to everyday, because life, but I will try my best.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Diamonds and Things
Ten years ago I made the best decision of my life. I married Kyle. Honestly, I didn't even know how good of a choice it was back then. He has surprised me with how amazing he is. He's my love, my partner, my best friend. He is everything to me. Building our lives together has been the coolest thing I could imagine. He's the ying to my yang, the jelly to my peanut butter, the cream to my oreo. I'm so lucky to have him and can't wait to see what the next ten years hold!
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Scripture Reading
Wanna know something cool? We've read our scriptures as a family every day for two and a half weeks! Is that a huge accomplishment? Probably not to some, but to us, yes! We just started reading as a family. We have a great system in place that is really keeping us and the kids motivated. After reading for one whole week we had ice cream sandwiches.Then we moved the time line to two weeks. Our next special treat is coming up on Monday. We will be buying happy meals, something we never ever do. Our kids are very excited about that. I don't know what we will get once we have read for three whole weeks, but four weeks is going to be us seeing Avengers: Age of Ultron! I am very excited about that.
It has been tough. There are times when Kyle isn't home till late and there are times when I am in a terrible, terrible mood! But I am so proud of us and our kids. They are really doing a great job. Especially Adam, he understands and pays so much attention. He's awesome. Caleb gets frustrated. He's trying, but he just doesn't understand the language yet.
Anyway, I will update to say how it's going. I have neglected this blog and that's too bad. I enjoy looking back at it and remembering things that otherwise would have been lost. I will try to do better. We shall see.
It has been tough. There are times when Kyle isn't home till late and there are times when I am in a terrible, terrible mood! But I am so proud of us and our kids. They are really doing a great job. Especially Adam, he understands and pays so much attention. He's awesome. Caleb gets frustrated. He's trying, but he just doesn't understand the language yet.
Anyway, I will update to say how it's going. I have neglected this blog and that's too bad. I enjoy looking back at it and remembering things that otherwise would have been lost. I will try to do better. We shall see.
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