Faith, Hope, Charity

 Moroni 10 - some thoughts from today's reading...

When God's word becomes the air we breathe, it will bring life to the heart and mind, instilling greater faith. And if we truly have faith in Christ we will heed the Savior's commission to follow Him and to feed His sheep. Real faith in Christ, deep in the heart of a soul creates action, gives motion, gives life, like legs to the body / the ability to run!! One leg is hope (the ability to keep going, keep shining, even in a dark world) and the other is Christ-like love- both legs propelling each other and always driven by the life-blood of faith pumping through the veins. It's a invigorating run too because this trail is a steep incline.

What does it mean to be "peaceable"?

 Moroni 7:3&4 both mention the word "peaceable" in reference to being a true disciple of Christ. When I read these verses, I think of "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." - John 14:27

What does this peace look like in our lives? I ask these questions generally for this post but of course I'm asking them myself as well:

• Can we truly trust God, can we have the faith to be assured even in the middle of the darkest abyss, that there is nothing to fear... nothing to panic over? God can make beauty from ashes and turn graves into gardens.
• Do we have the faith to forgive stupid things others do and not give way to bitterness, hate, and resentment? One step further... do we have the faith to pray for such people and search for whatever good we can find in them?
• Do we have a grateful heart? Can we see the smallest blessings even in the mundane parts of life? Do we thank God for them?
• Do we have the faith to be fully honest with others when we recognize we have done wrong, honest with ourselves about those wrongs, and especially honest with God? Are there hidden truths in our heart we are afraid to reveal because we don't want to "hurt our image"? Trying to hide from God destroys peace in our heart and injures our ability to be guided by the Spirit.
• How do we use our time? Are we actively seeking for opportunities to "feed Christ's sheep" or are the cares of our own struggles or the depressing news of the day too "in our face" to see and attend to the needs of anyone else?
• Do we strive to keep the commandments of God laid out in our scriptures, by our Prophets, and sacred Temple covenants?
• Do we trust God's love? Do we believe that we are all children of God, individuals of Divine worth, loved beyond ALL measure? Do we truly believe it or are we constantly seeking for the recognition, likes, retweets, followers, comments, and various forms of praise from others to determine our worth? Are we truly Christ-centered? I think it's hard to be if we're always looking in the mirror or taking selfies. It's sad but true (even if it was fun for a moment) nothing leaves a person feeling more empty, gross, ugly, and hollow than someone who is so focused on themselves. The purest love is found in Christ, and can flow through us like living water that never runs dry. Shut social media off and go listen to a conference talk or take time prayerfully pondering the scriptures.

I know when I strive for this in my life,  I find real peace in my life - the kind of peace that only God can give.

The Light is Strong in This Storm-Tossed Vessel

No fear here! Ether Chapter 5 is Moroni’s testimony that these things are true and that they stand as a witness of the power of God’s word, “they shall stand against the world at the last day”. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the following chapter (Ether 6) Moroni is recounting the record of the Jaredites and how they were led with light through the storms and oceans of obscurity. That to me is a perfect description of what the scriptures and the Word of God does for us: a light to guide us in our darkest times, no matter how storm-tossed and wind-blown our lives become.

“After his experience with the Lord, the brother of Jared continued to diligently prepare himself for the journey ahead. So too must we hearken to the teachings of our prophets. The living prophets have counseled us time and again to put our lives in order . . . As we look into the eyes of our children and grandchildren, we see the doubt and fear of our times. Wherever these precious ones go in the world, they hear about unemployment, poverty, war, immorality, and crime. They wonder, 'How can we cope with these problems?' To find answers, they look back into our eyes and listen to our words. Do they hear us speaking faithfully and hopefully, despite the tribulations of our times? They need to see us continuing to pray and study the scriptures together, to hold family home evening and family councils, to serve faithfully in our Church callings, to attend the temple regularly, and to be obedient to our covenants. When they see our steadfastness in keeping the commandments, their fears will subside and their confidence in the Lord will increase.”

Hales, Robert D. “Faith through Tribulation Brings Peace and Joy.” General Conference April 2003.

Teach, Testify, and Lift Others Around You

We just live in a time where it's easy to get discouraged. I pray that each of my children will learn that no matter how bad things get, to always remember the example of the Savior. Keep teaching, keep testifying, and keep lifting the souls of people around you through kindness, genuine love, and service.

“In our day, we are bombarded by messages from many sources, both profane and spiritual. How can we determine the ones that are most vital to us? I suggest that we may look at the source of the messages and the motivation behind them. The Lord has given us a guide through the prophet Alma: ‘Whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.’ We must strive to be worthy so that we do not miss the profound messages that come from God. Ultimately, these messages include the sum total of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” 

-Did You Get the Right Message- James E. Faust - April 2004

"When we observe the last week of the Savior’s life from our earthly perspective, our first impression may be one of suffering and destruction. We may see only the Savior’s mother and others weeping at the cross, soldiers afraid, the earth in great commotion, rocks broken up, the veil of the temple rent in twain, and three hours of darkness covering the land. A similar scene of storms and destruction unfolded in the New World. In short, we see the terrible tempest raging.

But look again—this time through the eye of faith.

In the last, most agonizing weeks of His life, consider that Jesus taught, testified, lifted, blessed, and strengthened those around Him. He raised Lazarus from the dead, taught about His Father, set the temple in order, gave several parables, witnessed the widow offering her mite, instructed His disciples about the signs of His Second Coming, visited the house of Simon the leper, instituted the sacrament, washed the feet of the Apostles, and taught His disciples to love one another. He testified of His divinity as the Son of God and taught of the Comforter—the Holy Ghost. In His great Intercessory Prayer, He prayed to His Father for His Apostles and all who believe on their words, 'that they might have [His] joy fulfilled in themselves.' John 17:13

In His darkest hour, the light of peace and joy did not fade. It grew brighter!"

- Faith through Tribulation Brings Peace and Joy - Robert D. Hales 2003

August 2019

Chandler turned 18 Aug. 2019

I love this guy so much. He has such a passion for life, he loves his family, he loves his friends, and he loves his Country! We have an American flag we keep on our porch that he tends to regularly, making sure to take it down at night and post it again in the morning before he heads off to work. 

He plays tough but inside he has a huge heart. Each morning for our family scripture study, he always shares wonderful thoughts or principles from verses he likes.  

When he was little, he struggled a great deal with being on the Autism spectrum - transitioning to new things, or big changes often caused him so much anxiety, he would have a difficult time with his anger management. I have witnessed him grow and mature and learn to hold his tongue when he easily could have lashed out. He's much more careful in his response. I've seen him exercise a great deal of self-control and patience in circumstances the average person might crumble in. 

He's also brave and courageous, not afraid to tell it like it is. He doesn't care one bit about popularity or pleasing the crowd. He follows his own heart and not the trend. I love him so very much! 

Kaylee and Amillia's first day at their charter school in Pleasant Grove (Kaylee 6th grade & Amillia Kindergarten) . It's twice a week and they love it!

Miriam and Micah's first day of school @ Provo High for Miriam's 11th grade and Micah's 9th. They go for only 2 class periods, 1 study hour, and seminary... and the rest they do online. It's been the best way for us so far... Just enough to get the High School experience but not long enough for them to get caught up in the social trends and anxieties most youth fall prey to. 

Hanging out at Starvation Reservoir with my Aunt Mary's family (Mom's sister). 

Audrey and Sarah

My cousin Lora's and my cousin Julia's daughter.

Cousin-in-law Cindy and Cousin Julia

Amillia got along so well with my cousin Julia's youngest daughter, Cami. They both have deep brown eyes, beautiful tan skin, and pretty brown hair. They really look like they could be sisters.

Me and Julia have been close for as long as we can remember. We are both July babies with Julia just one year younger than me. 

Miriam evading the camera again. She makes me laugh.

Saying goodbye to my nephew Brayden before he moves away to Florida to live with his dad. 

Amillia playing in our friend's backyard sand pit.

Me and my sweet friend, Jenny! We are both home-schoolers and long-boarders and easily connected over that. Winter 2019 she took me Snowboarding for the first time. Super fun!

Watching the 2019 Summer Rodeo in Spanish Fork

Hangin' out with my friend, Adrienne, at 2019's Education Week

Amillia's 5th Birthday (only her second one celebrated with us). It has been a hard journey for everyone, especially for this little gal trying to make sense of having a biological family and an adoptive family. She is so naturally loving though and seems incredibly resilient. She's a wonderful little girl with a heart larger than life. 

Hangin' out downtown SLC for a family night.

Miriam just being Miriam

Amillia visiting her biological mom and dad.

Chandler signing for his first car. Freedom!!

Kaylee hanging out with dad at his work.