"Become as Little Children"

In all that goes on around us, there are many questions. How can God let something happen? Where is God in times of need? In this sense, we are like little children in that we do not understand all that God has for us. We miss the fact that God does not allow bad things to happen; most are the result of human choice. Our task is to because like the child, humble ourselves and allow His hand to lead us through our obstacles. He is waiting and prepared to lead us to the blessings He already has waiting for us. It is then our choice to choose to take His hand, as a child takes the hand of the parent, and allow Him to get us there.

As we become like a little child; submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things, we leave the world behind and we become more like Christ. We become better able to handle situations with thoughts and faith in Christ. I cannot share a better example than that shared by Sister Jean A. Stevens, 1st Counselor in the General Primary Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in her conference address shared in April 2011 about a little boy named Liam:

"...This past year he has battled aggressive brain cancer. After two difficult surgeries, it was decided that radiation would also be necessary. During these radiation treatments, he was required to be all alone and lie absolutely still. Liam did not want to be sedated because he disliked the way it made him feel. He was determined that if he could just hear his dad’s voice over the intercom, he could lie still without the sedative.

During these anxious times, his dad spoke to him with words of encouragement and love. “Liam, although you can’t see me, I am right here. I know you can do it. I love you.” Liam successfully accomplished the 33 required radiation treatments while holding perfectly still, a feat his doctors thought would be impossible without sedation for one so young. Through months of pain and difficulty, Liam’s contagious optimism has been a powerful example of meeting adversity with hope and even happiness. His doctors, nurses, and countless others have been inspired by his courage."

Sister Stevens said, "children are the key to helping us become more like Him." I can't get over how this little boy was able to endure 33 treatments with only the voice of his father for comfort. We can learn a lot from this one example of a child. He shined to those around him of his faith, not only in his earthly father but in his Heavenly Father who is the source of happiness and hope in our loneliest moments.

I know through the heart of a child, we will be led to all that our Father has for us. We will know happiness and hope as we face our lonely times. To choose to be like a child, it to be more like Christ and choose the way of my Father in Heaven. The beauty is that it is completely our choice. We only need to reach up and take His hand.

Walking on the Sea

     In the New Testament, we read of the account of Christ coming to the boat where His apostles were crossing the sea during the night. In the third watch, in the middle of a “boisterous” storm, Christ knows His apostles need Him and walks on water out to where they are. As He approaches, they see Him and are afraid, thinking He was some kind of spirit because human eyes tell that walking on water is not possible. Upon knowing their fears, Christ calls out to them telling them that everything is OK and that He has come to help them. As Peter hears Christ’s voice, he calls out to Christ to help him walk out to Him. When Christ calls to Peter, he immediately leaves the boat to walk on water to Christ. Leaving the safety and security of the boat to do something that is not possible took a large amount of faith on Peter’s part, but as he walks out to Christ, he becomes distracted by the storm around him, his faith turns to fear, and he begins to sink. Sensing he danger he has put himself into, he calls out to Christ to help him. Upon hearing Peter’s cry, Christ “immediately…stretched forth his hand, and caught him.” Upon pulling him out of the water, Christ says to Peter, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst though doubt?”

     In Doctrine and Covenants 88:67, we are taught “if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light,…with light that comprehendeth all things.” As we center our lives on Jesus Christ, we will be able to know Christ and feel Him lift us as we seek His help. That knowledge will sustain us through all things and help us to understand or find meaning in our trials. As Peter walked on water, finding himself surrounded by the raging storm and beginning to sink, he immediately recognized his predicament and who he could call upon for help. He knew that when he asked, Christ would not hesitate for a second to catch him. When we center our lives around Christ, as we come upon our storms, Christ will be there to lift us out of the waters of our fears as we put our faith in Him. The trials each of us face are different but I know that through faith, Christ will be there for us the moment we take one step as long as we stay focused on Him and ask for His help.

Parables

     When Christ was on the earth, He often taught in parables; a parable being a story of comparison to teach some spiritually divine truth. It is a story that teaches us gospel truths. However, understanding the meaning has more to do with where we are spiritually than intellectually. This means that it doesn't matter how much education one has; if we are not humble and pray for personal inspiration, having faith that Heavenly Father will answer our questions, we will never understand the meaning of what is being taught or how it applies to our own life. This is very much like the Pharisees of Christ's time. They knew a lot about the religious law but would not humble themselves to truly know who Christ was and learn from the Master. Christ's disciples understood who He was and were humble enough to ask Christ what He meant when they did not understand (See Matthew 13:10).

     While Christ was on the earth, He talked about our day and the growth the Church is experiencing today. He knew that in the last days, the Church would very much be like a little mustard seed, a smallest of seeds that grows is to a great tree. (See Matthew 13: 33-34)
     He also compared the growth of the Church to leaven, or yeast, used in baking bread. Just as yeast helps bread to rise, the gospel helps us to become better people. (See Matthew 13:47-50) To become more like Christ and be able to return home to our Heavenly Father. As we allow the gospel in enrich and uplift our lives, we can in turn share that with others so they can experience the blessings of the gospel in their own lives.

     Because of the remarkable growth we have seen in the numbers of new members, our Church leaders have requested missionaries to help teach those that are ready to hear the gospel. Many young men, women, and couples have answered and will answer the call to serve at a cost and a sacrifice that many in the world don't understand until they feel the happiness the gospel brings to their lives. It is that happiness we have and feel that so many leave behind their worldly wealth, recognition and other things deemed of worth in the world to obtain and maintain membership in the Church.

     On the other hand, it is the little things that often drive away people from the Church as well. This week in our group, we talked about these little things. It could be someone was offended, on purpose or not. It could be illness that kept them away for a time and they just got out of the habit of coming. It could be sin. In General Conference this past weekend, a general authority shared a story from his family where they left Church after one of their meetings and decided to go on a Sunday drive rather than return for their latter meeting. They did not return to regular attendance for some time after that one drive. Sometimes, it's the little things we neglect to do that keep us from feeling the Spirit and drive us away from the Church. 

     On the flip side of that, it is the "little" things that also keep us active in the gospel. You can probably name them in your sleep but just to name of few, personal prayer and scripture study can give us a solid anchor so that when the winds begin to blow and the storms around us howl, we have our testimony and faith in Christ that can carry us through whatever the world has for us.

     As I think about the sacrifices we make as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I scarcely think of them as sacrifices. My testimony of the truth of the gospel and my faith in Christ and His Atonement mean more to me than any amount of money or successful career could ever bring. We have been taught that as we look for the opportunities to share our time, talents and resources in helping those in need around us, we will be blessed beyond imagination. I know this to be true. Heavenly Father has sent  us what we have needed when we have needed it. I have personally witnessed His hand meet our needs when I didn't know how it was going to be meet and I know it is because our family has chosen to put Him first.

     The gospel is the net that is being cast out into the world. It is gathering in all those that want to hear and feel the happiness it brings into their lives. (See Matthew 13:47) The missionaries and members of the Church are working together to gather in those that are ready and helping to prepare those that need a little more time. If you would like to learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, go to mormon.org and take the opportunity to talk to someone who is a member of the Church or a missionary. We are wanting and ready to share what we know about Christ.

"The Beatitudes"

President Harold B. Lee called "The Beatitudes" found in Matthew 5:1-12 as "The Constitution For A Perfect Life." Learning and applying the lessons the Savior taught in his Sermon on the Mount can bring us immeasurable joy in this life and it develops a deeper love for God and our fellow men. It also provides the steps to become more perfect and develop the qualities of an exalted person. While on the earth, we are the "natural man" but the more we true to leave that behind, the closer we will be to becoming more as the Savior is and gain blessings that will be everlasting.

We are taught this week, in our reading, that "to be blessed" means to be higher than happy. It goes on to say that happiness comes from without (meaning something on the outside effects our level happiness) and is dependent on circumstance. Te be blessed is to have "an inward fountain of joy that nothing on the outside can seriously affect." I have always been one to believe that happiness is a choice but as I think back to those times that I truly feel "happy," it was the result of the joy felt from not something tangible but from something that struck a spiritual string within my heart.

"Blessed are those that mourn." In studying this specific beatitude, I have come to discover two directions this could be applied. The first is applied to those that feel sorrow because of loss in their life. To be more specific, the loss of a loved one. Sometimes we will not understand why Heavenly Father removed someone from our lives. But as we come to the understanding that God's way is not always our way, we can come to trust Him and feel the comfort He has promised to send.

The second application is the sorrow we feel when have need to repent. It is that "godly sorrow that worketh repentance." As we allow this sorrow to bring us to repent, we make the changes necessary in our lives that will allow us not to return to those things that cause us to sorrow in the first place. By repenting and applying the Atonement in this way, we receive the comfort promised.

"Blessed are the meek." In the eyes of the world, to be meek is a negative thing. It means that you lack conviction, are weak, and submissive (broken to the will of another). In essence, you will not amount to anything of greatness in this life. In thinking more on this topic, I did a search and found an article in the December 1987 Ensign magazine title "The Beatitudes: Pattern for coming unto Christ." In this article, Elder Robert E. Wells shares an account of being on a ranch where they raised horses. At some point, he asked to see where they "broke" the horses of their wild spirits. The man of the ranch he was with immediately responded that they never "break" the horses. As they work with the horses, they love them and are patient. As a result, these horses still have their spirit and fire but them become obedient and well-trained. In thinking about this experience, Elder Wells finds great spiritual application in being meek. He says, "The Savior...meant that we should be obedient and well trained. We can be strong, enthusiastic, talented, spirited, zealous, and still be 'meek.'" 

I have come to know many people in my life who are truly meek in their obedience to the gospel but are able to share the fire they feel in righteous living, in the talents they possess, and enthusiasm they embody from living a high standard of moral code. They are not "broken" into submissiveness. They have come to know that true joy that comes from living the commandments and the freedom we feel in knowing that we are not bond by the adversary. In the end, someone that is meek "is strong, has complete self-mastery, and has the courage to stand for moral convictions no matter what the crowd does."

"Blessed are the merciful." This is the one I needed the most this week because I need to be more merciful and have more mercy in my heart and thoughts. I am not perfect and it is hard to have mercy. In our manual it states, "our salvation depends on the mercy we show others." As I think back on recent events in my life, I can see where I have lacked mercy. I have allowed selfishness and discomfort get in the way of all that Heavenly Father needs me to be. Because of the love and mercy God has for us, He gave us His Son. Christ then gave us His life. In return, I need to learn to be more merciful to those around me.

There is so much we can learn from studying Christ and His life. Every day is a new lesson and a new application. I know that as I continue to study,  ponder, and apply what I am learning in this class and through my continual study of the scriptures, I can draw closer to Christ and my Heavenly Father. As I become closer to them, it is my desire to help others know of the joy I feel from the blessings of our Savior in my life.

Lesson 1 Student Choice - John 2 - Water to Wine and Cleansing the Temple

This weeks readings covered Christ's baptism and the beginning of His ministry. For my selection, I have chosen to write about Christ's first miracle of turning water into wine and the cleansing of the temple at Passover.

In our assignments, we are given supplemental material to help expound on the scriptures. The institute manual we are using is "The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles."



With the help of the commentaries in this book, we can better understand the culture and meaning of certain things to better apply what we read. In John 2:4, Christ refers to His mother as "woman." In the commentary, it helps us understand this was not disrespectful but "a title of honor, tenderness and love." So many women can bear the title of mother but by calling His mother by "Woman" showed how much he loved and cared for her.

In the Water to Wine miracle, Christ is asked by His mother to help in the matter of there being no more wine. We are told in the scriptures she tells the servants to do whatever Christ asks of them. He then proceeds to ask for six water pots to be filled with water and brought to him.

What is amazing to me is that amount of wine produced in this miracle. Our institute student study manual tells us that each pot held 2-3 "firkins." It goes on to say that a measurement of a firkin is about 9 gallons. Doing the math (quickly, thanks to the manual) that's about 100 to 150 gallons of water turned to wine. 

As the servants serve the wine, the governor commented about how good the wine was and impressed that the good wine was saved for the end when so many others bring the good wine out first and save the bad for last. Christ's power is good and His miracles are meant to glorify Heavenly Father. If He had made bad one, would it have made any difference? I don't know.

In thinking of Christ cleansing the temple of all the things of "merchandise," in what ways are Christ's action symbolic of what He desires of each of us?

For me, it's cleaning out all those things that would distract me from connecting with my Heavenly Father. As I "clean house," I am able to focus more on the Spirit and hear the whisperings I need to uplift and guide me through the day. None of us are perfect and sometimes "cleaning" becomes a little lax but having the Sacrament every week allows me to recommit to the covenants I make to become more like the Savior.

I hope that you find something in my writing that have touched your heart. Though has started out as an assignment, my goal is to use this forum to share the gospel and the joy it brings to me and my family. 

The Birth of Christ

Hello All,

It's been a while since I've used our family blog but now I'm in a New Testament class that is asking us to write about different things and find a forum in which to share our writings. In talking with Brent, he suggested using our family blog for this assignment. So, for now, that's what I'm going to do. I'm sure from time to time, I will post some family activities. Be on the look out but here's my first assignment.

I choose to write about people from scriptures, how they learned about the birth of the Savior, what they know about the Savior, and what they did with their knowledge. Each of these scriptural people had different experiences and different reactions but from their stories we can learn about the mission and purpose of our Savior. We can decide for ourselves what we will do with the knowledge and whether to share it to be a positive or negative force to those around us.

Elizabeth is the wife to Zacharias and cousin to Mary, the mother of Christ. Being married to someone how worked as a priest in the temple, I can only imagined she was surrounded by things of a spiritual nature. When she was in about six months pregnant with her baby, John the Baptist, she was visited by Mary who had heard from an angel that Elizabeth was pregnant. As Mary greeted her, Elizabeth felt her baby "leaped in her womb." She then had the Holy Ghost bare witness of Mary being the Mother of the Savior. She knew at that moment the baby Mary was carrying was her Lord and Mary was a blessed woman. Elizabeth then bore her witness of what she had learned from the Holy Ghost and her recognition of Mary's divine role in the birth of the Savior.

The Shepherd's in the fields the night the Savior was born most have been startle to see an angle shining brightly above them one dark night because the angle's reply to them was to "fear not" because he had come to share with them the Savior had been born. As the angel was speaking, a multitude of heavenly host joined him. As the angel told them about the Savior's birth, he also told them where he was born, and how they would know Him when they saw Him. As the angel departed, they immediately left their flock to find the Savior. Upon seeing Christ, they began telling everyone about Christ and what they had experienced.

Simeon was a man who lived in Jerusalem at the time Christ was born. He had been taught by the Holy Ghost that he would live to see the Savior with his own eyes before he left this earth. Simeon knew the Savior would be sent here for our salvation and that He would be the light of the world. He testified of the Savior and His purpose. Upon meeting Joseph and Mary in the temple with Baby Jesus, he held Christ in his arms and blessed Mary and Joseph.

One of the few women in the scriptures is a prophetess by the name of Anna. She was a much older woman when Christ was born, married and widowed for many years. She learned of the Savior through her prayers, fasting, and going to the temple. As she found out about the birth of the Savior, she instantly gave thanks and began to speak of Savior to everyone she met seeking for redemption.

No one can leave out the Wise Men in speaking of those who witnessed of Christ's birth. These men were from a foreign land but studied the words of the prophets and watched for the signs of the Lord's birth. As the star appeared announcing the birth of Christ, they immediately set out to find Him. Upon finding Christ, they presented Him with gifts.

Along the travels of the Wise Men, they came across the King of the Jews who was Herod. Herod was a man who seemed power hungry and paranoid of losing that power. He learned of the birth of Christ through the Wise Men. He and his high priest were told that Christ would someday be the king of the Jews. Because Herod believed this meant he was going take his power and throne away from him, he had his soldiers kill infant boys who were around the same age as the Savior in hopes to kill him before he were old enough to take the throne away from him.

On the other side of the world, the Nephites, whose's ancestors who originally from Jerusalem, were taught all through their lives of the Savior. A prophet by the name of Nephi was praying about the situation these group of Nephites found themselves. As he prayed, the voice of Christ came to him and told him that His birth would happen that very night. He told Nephi that he was there to fulfill all that the prophets had taught them. As Nephi heard these words, went about teaching the people of Nephi about Christ and baptizing many.

Many years ago, I was asked what I knew about the Savior. My response is that He is my brother, my friend, and the one I know I can turn to for relief from my burdens. My knowledge comes from many lessons and experiences throughout my life. I have been taught by my parents, leaders, teachers, but most of all, from the Holy Ghost baring personal witness of the truth I have read from scriptures or been taught by living apostles and prophets. I know that my strength comes from my faith in Christ and my desire to be more like Him in all I do. I am not perfect but someday, I know I can be perfect through my Savior.

The Natural Man

How do I leave the "natural man" behind? How do I become more Christ-like in ALL I do and say?

I ask this question tonight because I let things fly when they weren't EXACTLY how I planned and I flew off the handle on assumptions. What is wrong with me?! Without really knowing who was right or wrong, I argued with someone over scheduling. YIKES! I can't believe I was so free with my emotions with this sweet sister. My hope tomorrow is to find out who she is and call to apologize because whether I was right or wrong, I should not have let myself get that way. I should have seen the situation for what it was, work through it and moved on with very little disruption to their activity or ours.

Thank Heavenly Father for the Atonement and the opportunity to repent from our mistakes. My prayer is that I didn't ruin the Spirit of her activity.

Update: Ok, so I made my apology. A young woman I know said it best, "Apologies are hard but the relief afterwards is worth it."

I guess I need to clear something up above. Apparently my words made it sound like the situation was a big thing when really it wasn't. I just have a habit of making my mistakes bigger athan they are. I was being hard on myself but I wanted to make sure I didn't lose the feeling to call and apologize to the sister. I knew that if I justified or down played my emotions and actions, I may have just brushed it off without another thought of apology and I knew that Heavenly Father would not have been happy with that because I already knew he was not happy with my tone and actions. We are all children of a loving Heavenly Father and when we treat each other like something other than this, we need to apologize and return our thinking that we are all His children and deserve that respect.

What To Do With My Husband

No more school and I think he's trying to make up for all that lost time. Well, not actually lost time but time spent doing something school related rather then playing games with the kids or enjoying the latest greatest books.

Here we sit on a Friday night, me on the blog and him playing Star Wars on the Wii. Is there something wrong with this picture?

I love him! I'm so proud of his perseverance getting through some of those tougher classes. He has been an inspiration to our children in getting and succeeding in an education. He is a good man to put up with all my complaining of having to go to one more meeting or soccer game (in the rain) without him. I'm glad he's done and I can finally enjoy having a husband again (even if it's watching him play Star Wars while I'm typing on the computer).

An Awesome Stake Conference

Hey all - Our Stake just had an awesome conference in our brand new stake building. It is beautiful and has been in the works for a long time. So much of the Spirit was poured into it's building and it is evident in the feeling one gets as you walk through it's doors. We are so blessed to live in such a wonderful area.

With our building dedication, we had our Stake Conference Broadcast from Church Headquarters. I was struck by the personal experiences shared by Brother Gibson and Elder Pieper. They shared stories of when they were children which made it easy for my own children to relate (not that they have ever ventured into a mine shaft or went on long exploration for local lizards) but the stories had gospel principles applied that my children could relate to and understand.

I really loved Elder Nelson's talk directed to the children (and to us too). It is going to make some good Family Home Evening Lessons in the upcoming weeks. It was a great reminder that we all need to be reading and studying the Book of Mormon. We cannot expect our children to follow the words of an apostle and do these things if we, ourselves, are not showing them by example.

I have been reading the Book of Mormon again for a while and last July I got to 3rd Nephi. I was so excited because this is my favorite book because I can just feel the love of Christ pour out of each word. But this is where I have been now for the past two months. I have slowing made my way through because I have let other things get in the way. I know there are blessings when we read and study as the prophet and apostles have directed us. There are so many but the one blessing I glean the most from is being prepared to use the stories I read in teaching moments with my children or with those that I am steward over in my callings.

President Monson concluded the broadcast with a call for us to help the lost battalions (those advanced in years and lonely, a wayward child, an inactive member) that are around us. We all know who they are. They could be a brother or sister, a parent, a child, a neighbor or a friend. He reminded us that we are on the Lord's errand and we are doing His work. No matter our situation in life, we need to be a sincere friend, serve where we can and reach out and lift up. He also asked us to see Christ in every face we see. To me, that changes everything. When I see the face of my Savior in those around me, I can't help but go out of my way to comfort and befriend. I love the words of the Prophet. I know that as we follow his words and the other leaders that have shared words from our Heavenly Father, we will be blessed beyond our comprehension. The burdens that we feel will be lifted as we help lift the burdens of someone around us.

What an amazing weekend altogether, from the temple to a ward service project to the Stake Conference sessions. Heavenly Father certainly sent many blessings this weekend. I truly felt uplifted and motivated to get myself moving.

I Love The Scriptures

This morning, I was talking with Brent about some of my frustrations. As we chatted, I could feel myself actually becoming more and more tense, physically. At some point, I finally had to put a stop to our conversation. I was so tight inside I didn't know where to turn for relief. As I thought about it, I realized I hadn't read my scriptures today and I quickly pulled them out. I wasn't until I finished reading that I realized that the tension I felt earlier was now completely gone. The things I was frustrating over are still there but allowing the scriptures or more specifically, the words of Christ sink into my heart released the tightness I had built up in my short conversation with Brent. To me, the scriptures are a form of medicine needed to make it through the depression and frustrations of every day life.



What a beautiful day today! I love 3 Nephi and reading about Christ's visist to the Nephites. I love reading His words and it's not hard to picture myself there as He spoke to the Nephites. There is nothing like the scriptures to bring comfort and peace (and direction) to your heart.

Back On Course (I Pray).

For the last several months I have struggled with many things, personal and otherwise. My home has become a unorganized mess with what feels like no hope of getting it back in control. I thought I would be able to get on top of things when my children returned to school but to this day, I don't feel like that's coming together as it should. For the last several weeks, I have tried to get back to my personal scripture study (beyond lesson preparations) and this morning I finally opened my Book of Mormon to pick up where I left off in 3 Nephi and here is what I read:

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith.
...
32 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

As I read this passage, I knew that I had neglected "the kingdom" for myself and my family. It's not that we were doing bad things or relaxing on our standards. It's that I wasn't putting the spiritual things into our everyday lives as we had in months past. Here I have been struggling with my home and other things around me but all I have to do is make sure that I am spending a little time every day doing those things Heavenly Father wants us to do to help fortify us in the face of adversity.

We are faced with hard things every day. It's the world we live in and according to the scriptures and the prophets, it's only going to get worse the closer we get to the return of the Savior to the earth. I know that as I take the time every day to "seek the kingdom", Heavenly Father will bless me with the strength and endurance to accomplish the everyday tasks as well as protect against the storms that beat at our door.

I know that gospel is true. I know that Heavenly Father loves us and is aware of our needs and is just waiting for us to ask. I know that when I am doing all that is in my power to do and then turn to Him in prayer, He will pour out the blessings I need.

Late Night Thoughts

Last night, I laid bed and I could stop thinking about what I saw on Facebook yesterday. A sixteen year old young man that we are acquainted with had taken a couple of quizzes that left some very detailed pictures on the wall not to mention the quizzes themselves should not have been something he should have been thinking about at his age. Just barely at the age of dating, his mind was already thinking of things more appropriate for married life. It made me wonder about my own son who is only 2 1/2 years younger than him and wondering if I have done (and continue to) teach him (and my daughters) the standards that our church and our Heavenly Father want us to keep. We have covered the "For the Strength of Youth" as a family teaching our children from it and from our example but how can we be certain that it's enough? I don't even know if we can ever be certain. But it won't stop me from trying and praying for each one of them as they get older and more into those treacherous teenage years.

In the case of this young man, I pray that his parents are aware of what he is doing and posting on Facebook. I pray that they too will sit down with their family and teach the standards in the "For the Strength of Youth" and live by it's example. I know that living these standards are a protection from the temptations that are all around us. I know that by living these standards we are truly happy and will certainly find the our celestial rewards in the life to come.

For more information on the "For the Strength of Youth":

http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,6924-1,00.html

Something that came to me.

Sunday, before Sacrament Meeting, one of our Stake High Councilmen (who is also in our ward) asked me about Trek and how I was doing. My reply was that it was hard and if I had known how hard it was going to be, it might have had second thoughts about going. This is pretty much where our conversation ended. During the meeting, the thought came to me that if I had not gone, I would not have had the experiences or the blessings I received from going. So after the meeting, I went back up to him and told him that even if I had known what it was going to be like before going, I would still go so that I could have the experiences and blessings I received from being on Trek. I can't even describe in words the feelings and connections I feel towards trek but only leave it at that it was awesome and I would not trade it for anything.

As I was getting ready for my day this morning, I was thinking about that conversation and I got to thinking that this might have been what the premortal life was like. In many cases we probably knew (at least a little bit) of what we were getting ourselves into coming to this earth but we still chose to come despite the trials and challenges we were to face. We may have known that we would be disabled, live a life of poverty or even suffer abuse from the hand of someone we love but we still chose to come because we knew that if we didn't, we would forgo all the experiences and blessings our Heavenly Father has for us. We would not be able to become like our Heavenly Father.

Oh, the sweetness of the Gospel and knowing the Plan of Salvation!

My Application

Tonight, our family read "Nephi's Psalm" from 2 Nephi 4. About a year ago, I read a book where the author, when she was speaking somewhere or was a leader in her ward, gave everyone the challenge to write their own psalm. When I read her experience (and those of others), I decided I would write my own psalm patterned after Nephi's. So, here it is:

"O fickled woman that I am! Yea, I keep doing stupid things like being hard on myself and uncertain of my abilities and talents. I'm surrounded by temptations like reality TV and Internet websites that aren't bad but zap away precious moments better spent preparing lessons or helping my children with their chores now that mine are done for the day. And I'm sorry that I don't seem stronger, that I sometimes give in. And when I desire to rejoice and finally get started on those scrapbooks that have piles in the corner, I find myself getting frustrated with the fact that I put it off for so long and my inadequacies.

However, there have been many times I prayed and received strength and support from my God. I remember receiving help from my Heavenly Father one time when I was extremely frustrated after a rough day of an unruly child. I was not the kind of mother I wanted to be but I turned in prayer to find that through Him, tomorrow is a new day and the change to be that mother again. He has blessed me with great children who, in their ways, have shown that they are listening. He has blessed me with a wonderful, supportive husband who love me in spite of me. He has blessed me with many great friends who I have quickly numbered as my family. They have come to mean so much as I have learned how to be a better person from each of them.

He blesses me so much that I shouldn't get weighed down with something as silly as the kitchen floor that hasn't been swept in days or that my skin isn't as perfect as I would like it to be. He has guided me in my callings, He has comforted me in my loses and I know He has rejoiced when I have stretched beyond what I thought I was capable of.

Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart. I WILL NOT GIVE UP TRYING! I will not get down on myself or give up because another activity, lesson or spiritual moment didn't go as I thought it should. I will not give up on my righteous goal of reading the Relief Society lesson just because they only one I can bounce my thoughts off is my sweet, patient husband. I will not give up on my closest friends who have strayed from the light because I know they need the warmth of the light just as much as I do. If the Lord has helped me before, then I trust that He will help me now! I will lift up my voice unto my God in prayer because I know He answers prayers. I will pray fro more faith, humility, and strength as I accept this new calling in the face of ever increasing turbulent world. I will pray for guidance, answers and blessings but most of all, I will never quit praying for help. Amen."

I wrote this shortly after I was called to be our ward's Young Women's President (hence the mention of calling). I was feeling a little overwhelmed with magnitude of what I was about to face (as I wasn't sustained by that point). A year later, I still feel overwhelmed from time to time but I know that Heavenly Father has truly blessed me with strength. I have seen growth in our efforts and I have seen growth in myself. The interesting thing though is that the more growth I have seen or experienced, the stronger the challenges seem. Very interesting!

Keep the faith and endure to the end!

Sometimes peer pressure isn't a bad thing!

When I'm asked about peer pressure, I can now say that sometimes it's not a bad thing. I have a good friend who started blogging about her shopping trips (thebargainjargon.com) and how she got those great deals. I have been following now for a couple of months and today was my first venture without checking out what someone else did because I had several Walgreens register rewards coupons that were expiring today and later in the week so I took advantage of adding to our storage. Here's what I was able to do:

So, here's how I did it (just remember that I only got these things because I had free money that was going to be thrown away if I didn't use them today and I just couldn't let that happen):

Transaction #1 :

(3) boxes Kellogs Special K cereal $10

(3) Mars brand candy bars $.89 each

(1) Colgate MaxFresh toothpaste $2.99

Then I used:

In-ad coupon for the Mars brand candy bars for $.49 each (limit of 6).

(3) $1 off coupons for Special K

(1) $1 off coupon for Colgate

(1) $2 off Walgreens register reward earned in previous weeks

(2) $3 off Walgreens register reward earned in previous weeks

I paid $2.75 out of pocket and received a register reward coupon for $3 from the Special K and $2 from the Colgate toothpaste. So I got everything in this transaction for free and earned $2.25.

Transaction #2:

(1) Omega-3 Fish Oil Tablets $8

(1) Colgate MaxFresh toothpaste $2.99

(5) Mars brand candy bars $.89 each

Then I used:

In-ad coupon for the Mars brand candy bars for $.49 each (limit of 6).

(1) $1 off coupon for Colgate

(2) $3 off Walgreens register reward earned in previous weeks

(1) $2 off Walgreens register reward earned in previous weeks

(2) $2.50 off Walgreens register reward earned in previous weeks

I paid $2.96 out of pocket and received a register reward coupon for $8 from the fish oil and $2 from the Colgate toothpaste. So I got everything in this transaction for free and earned $7.04.

Transaction #3

(1) Colgate MaxWhite toothbrush $2.99

(2) Mars brand candy bars.

Then I used:

In-ad coupon for the Mars brand candy bars for $.49 each (limit of 6).

(1) $1 off Colgate toothbrush

(1) $2 off Walgreens register reward earned in previous weeks

I paid $1.25 out of pocket and received another register reward for $2 making everything in this purchase free too and earning $.75.

I know that is a lot of candy bars but when you're using register rewards with manufacturer coupons, you need some filler items. It's a good thing I bought some toothpaste and a toothbrush to go with them! Anyways, I may have been able to do better but I think I didn't do too bad with my first on-my-own Walgreens trip. Thank you Christy for helping me become a better steward with the money the my Heavenly Father has entrusted my husband and I with!

It's been awhile since we've (or I) have posted and I can't really say why. Time just flies so fast that I can't keep track anymore. Here we are only a week or so before Kate's 2nd birthday and I keep asking myself wasn't it just yesterday that she was just a tiny infant in our arms? It's crazy but it's also amazing to see the growth that she and the rest of us have gone through just having her in our lives. We love her very much.

Brent is still dealing with school and is really glad the last term is over. He really struggled this last term with balancing life, work, family, church and school and the result was lower grades. He passed the classes enough to keep on the good side with Boeing but not enough for himself. So he's set the goal of doing school work early in the week especially since we have busy weekends.

Morgan, Britt and Jesse just finished this state's standardized testing and I'm certainly glad to have that behind us. Washington has opted to stop their current test and go to another. I don't understand what the big deal is about it because the requirement that the children still pass it in order to graduate is still there. What happened to the days when these tests were administered to test the results of what was being taught in the classroom and the children's retention? Oh well, I'm just hoping that with this new test and the promise that they're going to make them computerized might actually help Morgan and he loves the computer.

For me, things have been a virtual roller coaster. My mom has now been living in Washington about 8 months and it's been harder for me than I thought. There have been days where I've just called her to say that I just can't do it that day. I love my mom and I know that she deserves to get out to but sometimes I just can't add one more thing to my plate and I will not cut out my husband or children. She wears on me a little more emotionally than I thought she would. She struggles with her own identity (a daughter of God and being worthy of that) that it's hard to be around the negativity. No matter how much I tell her I know that she is a cherished daughter of our Heavenly Father, no matter how many scriptures I quote or give to her to look up, she doesn't let it took root into her heart. I love her and it breaks my heart that she is struggling so much. My prayer for her is that she can someday find peace with who she is and that she is worthy of all the blessings Heavenly Father has promised to each of us as she does what she can to live the commandments and make Him apart of her life.

I've now hit the year mark in my calling and I can't believe that has gone by so fast. These young women that I serve with are amazing. They have had so much thrown at them but yet they are firm in their testimony and even love to share it with their friends. They each have amazing talents and abilities that make coming to Mutual and Church meetings enjoyable and rewarding. They make me want to be a better person too.

I hope that you are all doing well. Remember to keep the faith and endure to the end, especially today.

New Update

Hi All -

Just a quick update to let you know that we are all doing well but we've been incredibly busy. Brent just got released as our Ward Clerk and is now serving as the Varsity Scout Leader which means he is working with the scouts ages 14 & 15. Yes, I know, that means we're both at Mutual every week but we're making it work (so far). Brent is so excited to be involved with the Scouts and is looking forward to helping each of them achieve their scouting goals.

Morgan has been playing 7th grade Basketball for the last few weeks and is having a great time. They only have 6 games and he'll only be playing 3 of them but he has really enjoyed being involved in this new sport.

Britt is doing Girl Scout Cookie booths right now and that means that we have been just as busy getting her prepared and delivery cookies. Yikes. Does it every slow down?

Thank goodness Jesse only has Activity Day activities every other week. I am so grateful her interests are very limited right now. She only has this activity and her friends. YEAH!

And then there is Kate who seems to be growing faster than I can run. She is almost 2 years old and runs around like she owns the world. Except she won't go to Nursery. Yikes. But we're working on that. I was actually able to get her to stay in Nursery for the first hour yesterday and play with her friend Izzy (although I had to stay in there with her and play too). Once I got up to leave for Young Women's, she did not want anything to do with being left there by herself. Oh well. She get there soon enough and then we'll never get her to stay home I'm sure.

I love my family!

Look who had a birthday!

Hey all! Yesterday was Britt's birthday! Yikes! 11 years old and on the verge of teenage hood. I can't believe how time flies but she is a wonderful young woman I look forward to what here teenage years bring us (or at least that's what I'm telling myself).

We spent the weekend spoiling her and celebrating her birthday in different ways. Saturday I took her to Build A Bear because she received a certificate to get a free one for her birthday. Saturday night we did her birthday dinner so that Grandma could be there too and she got spoiled but she wouldn't let the restaurant people sing to her. She is quite the shy one. For her actual birthday, she got French Toast for breakfast and the day spent putting her Science Fair project together. Fun times!

Britt's Bowling Pin

Britt's Girl Scout Troop went bowling last night and this is what she brought home with her:

She's calling it her baby and she needs a name for it. Any suggestions? When she was a little girl, she said once that she was going to marry someone named Rolling Ball. I guess having a bowling pin as a baby makes since if she does marry Rolling Ball. I'm just joking with Britt. I can't let her live down the Rolling Ball story. It's funny. Anyways, the whole troop was able to take pins homes as suvinors of their nights fun. Way to go! Another cool paper weight in our home.

Our Weekly Update (sort of)

Here we are at semester end for Morgan (He got 5 B's and 1 A and boy did he work hard for them)! Next semester brings mostly the same classes so hopefully he's realized that with a little more work and getting his assignments in on time, he could easily have straight A's. I'm just so excited he was able to pull his English grade from a D up to a B. We didn't think that it was possible to see anything beyond the a C with the way he's struggled all semester but he did it and he did it with getting his work done and doing extra credit. Way to go, Morgan!

Britt has had a busy week too. She's getting ready for the Science Fair since she's in fifth grade this year and it's required for every fifth grader to participate in it. (yuck!) She found a project that really interests her and she is eagerly preparing for it. She is also actively participating in Activity Days and Girls Scouts. This past Monday she turned in her Girl Scout Cookie order with 161 orders. Yeah! Thank you to everyone for helping her work towards her goal. Their troop is trying to earn enough money to get to Disneyland this summer. If you missed getting your box of cookies, it's too late for pre-sales but we can get extra boxes, just let us know what and how many. Every little bit helps get them to their goal.

Jesse has been a little lost all week. One of her best friends have been out of town all week taking her older brother to the MTC to start his mission. She spent a good portion of an hour on the phone with another one of her friends talking about missing Emma. I'm so glad to see my kids have such close friends. Especially ones that are good kids.

Kate is just Kate. She's been nursery age now for about 3 months but has yet to actually go into nursery and stay for the whole time. Last week she won't even let Brent sit with her in there without crying. Brent ended up just bringing her out and she went to class with me. She doesn't like to be anywhere without someone she is comfortable. She doesn't even like it when people talk to her at the store. I was at Albertson's yesterday with her and my mom. I walked away for a minute to get something I missed on a previous aisle and a gentlemen stopped to talk to her. She realized at the point I had walked away and she freaked out. My mom ended up having to come get me because she won't calm down until she saw me again. She has become my "cling-on" child. At least she lets me get things done.

Brent and I too have been busy. We just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Where does the time go when you're having fun? It hasn't been all highs but we're still in love and loving every minute we have together. Brent is still working on his Master's but should be done this upcoming August (as long as his employer keeps paying for it). As many of you know, Brent works for Boeing and they have announced lay-offs. We don't know if Brent will be laid off or not but so far so good. We keep praying things we keep the way they are but sometimes Heavenly Father has something else in mind.

As for myself, the above says it all. I am constantly juggling everything for everyone as well as keep myself wrapped around the home responsibilities and my callings. It's all busy but I try and make time everyday for the little things that make it all worth while.

Keep the faith!