Tidbits

This Sabbath day has been very enriching for me. I sense that a lot of it comes from this being the first Fast Sunday following the start of the Rexburg Temple open house. I must say that there were true testimonies shared in our meetings today, not just the usual travelmonies that we are prone to. Some of it also is that I was ready spiritually to go to church today and to my surprise it doesn’t take a whole lot of time on my part, rather it seems to take a dose of commitment and I must admit I haven’t been very committed where I need to be.

Since last Sunday I have tried to do more reading, less busywork and less worrying. I have in no way turned away completely from my lazy ways, just made small adjustments and have been blessed for that ten-fold. So today I thought I would share some of the tidbits that I have learned throughout this last week (among the meals, laundry, diapers, teenagers, office and construction). I can truly feel my Heavenly Father gently nudging and trying to ‘lead me, guide me, walk beside me, (and) help me find the way’.

Disclaimer: I am not a true studier of the scriptures, nor do I spend hours reading or listening to past conferences. My lessons truly come here a little, there a little in small doses of 10-15 minutes that I am learning to fit in among the motherly travels of the day. As a family we read the scriptures for 10 minutes at 6:30 in the morning and most days I don’t really get back to it. I have been reading a couple of different books (Press On by Joseph B. Wirthlin, Peculiar by Mary Ellen Edmunds, Teachings of Joseph Smith) during the 15 minutes before bed when LeRoy is showering instead of trying to get more ‘stuff’ done. I listen to KBYR devotionals while I’m running kids to and from school. Though all of this sounds like a lot – it’s not, just small adjustments to my normal routine which are benefiting me so much!

Dispute Not

As I was running errands I caught the end of a talk by Boyd K. Packer and had to sit and listen to the end because it caught my attention:

"We once had a major decision to make. When our prayers left us uncertain, I went to see Elder Harold B. Lee. He counseled us to proceed. Sensing that I was still very unsettled, he said, “The problem with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.” Then he quoted this verse from the Book of Mormon, “Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). He added, “You must learn to walk a few steps ahead into the darkness, and then the light will turn on and go before you.” That was a life-changing experience from one verse in the Book of Mormon. Haven’t you felt at times like Nephi, who said, “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do?" (1 Ne. 4:6). (Boyd K. Packer, “Another Testament of Jesus Christ . . . )

I felt that the message was just for me. I truly fall into the category of worry wart and I don’t like starting something without knowing all the details. I have really felt this a lot lately with building the house and even having more children. I know in my heart that it is right – there have been too many evidences of Godly intervention to not know that it is right. However, I have to admit that I felt more of a sense of security when my youngest was already in school and we were just a few years away from paying our house off. Now I am close to having another baby, with a toddler already here and soon will move into a house with a new mortgage. I waver between feeling that Heavenly Father is leading us and the thoughts in the back of my head concerning our family if something were to happen to LeRoy. I am trying to have more faith, less fear and more trust in my Heavenly Father. Testimonies of others have also been a true comfort this past week (thanks Sisalee!)

How Merciful the Lord Hath Been

In our Sunday School class today a friend shared this comment and it really struck home with me and how I need to me a more merciful parent and also to recognize how merciful my Heavenly Father is in my behalf – even on a daily basis. I will try to paraphrase her comment. She read Moroni 10:3 . . . "remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things". She told us that one of the times that she was reading the Book of Mormon that she started to have this constant sarcastic thought: “why does God keep blessing them when they are just going to fall away again”. Then she came to that verse and realized that God does that for her and she then shared her testimony of His tender mercies.

Oh, how true for me as well. I’m sure my Heavenly Father gets frustrated with me knowing that He has blessed me so much and I keep letting myself fall into the comfort zone of this world and forget the basic principles that I need to be better at – or maybe more consistent at. I am so grateful that I have a merciful Heavenly Father and I need to be more like that with my own children – merciful and kind even when I can see the mistakes they make. I am reminded of the scripture in Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning”.

Not Just My Prayers

LeRoy and I had a great discussion this week concerning our blessings. We are both so touched by the fact that Heavenly Father didn’t give us what we thought was best a year ago (when we tried to buy the other house). It seems to both of us that He needed to have a few more things in place before He could answer our prayer. Here are a few prayers of others that we are seeing answered as ours is being answered.

John (our builder) didn’t feel good about starting 2 other spec homes for the winter but he still needed to provide for his family. When we asked him to build for us his question of what to do for the winter was answered.

We knew last year that if we were to leave the ward it would really make things more difficult for the Bishop. We are a ward that changes every semester and is nearly 70% students so finding someone to replace LeRoy as the 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric would inevitably affect other presidencies in the ward and cause a ripple effect. Not that LeRoy is the only one for the position – it is just hard to fill leadership positions in this ward. This spring, around the same time we are scheduled to move, the entire stake boundaries as well as those of 2 other stakes are being changed to accommodate the growth, and University, in Rexburg. The Bishop has already commented on how the timing seems much better than it did a year ago.

LeRoy and I feel that moving last January would have been quite hard on the kids. They were all doing great in the ward, at school and other activities and in the last year things have changed considerably. Not that they are miserable by any means but this time around the talk of moving is positive from the kids – instead of one of dread. We believe that they have even been prepared to make the change to a new stake and ward and they are willing to branch out a little. Whether the kids offered those prayers or not, we can see Heavenly Father meeting their needs.

We don’t know what other prayers are being offered and how our upcoming changes cause a ripple effect to also answer their prayers but we are finding that there are a lot more people involved in this than just us.

A Record of This People

In our family reading we have just read about Ammon and King Limhi and the records that were found by Limhi’s people. As I was reading this I thought it was so interesting that we were learning from 3 groups of people: Mosiah in Zarahemla; Zeniff’s people from Zeniff, King Noah and then Limhi; the Jaredites (from the records that Limhi’s people found).

I had a thought that one of the greatest ways we really learn from other generations is if there is a record kept. Maybe that’s why I like this blog thingy. I have been printing each post and it is becoming my journal for the year. Today I felt that I wanted to share some of my spiritual thoughts so that even as my kids read the blog “perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer” (1Nephi 19:18) and see how blessed we are as a family. Of course the rest of you are welcome to read as well, but I must admit that my posts are more for a selfish reason than to share our daily silliness – that’s why they get so long – they are a record of our family.

I have also had a couple of ah-ha moments while reading "Press On" and "Peculiar" but I think I will save those for another time. This enough for one post.