Dreaming of Gethsemane

When I was in seminary I remember a teacher reading a quote to us. It was about a dream that Orson F. Whitney had about the Savior. I remember it had a huge impact on me. From time to time that dream will cross my mind. It did today. I had to share it with you. As I read it I can almost feel the same desperate desire to be with the Lord. Sometimes a thought, story or quote can be just enough to remind us of our goals and aspirations in this life. They can be just what we need for the little course corrections we need from time to time. This one certainly serves that purpose! Especially when we remember that it all truly is up to us!

                                                                     Painting by: Del Parson

"One night I dreamed that I was in the Garden of Gethsemane, a witness of the Savior's agony. I stood behind a tree in the foreground, Jesus, with Peter, James and John, came through a little wicket gate at my right. Leaving the three apostles there, after telling them to kneel and pray, He passed over to the other side, where He also knelt and prayed. 'Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.'

As He prayed tears streamed down His face, which was turned toward me. I was so moved at the sight that I wept also, out of pure sympathy with His great sorrow. My whole heart went out to Him. I loved Him with all my soul and longed to be with Him as I longed for nothing else. 

Presently He arose and walked to where those apostles were kneeling -- fast asleep! He shook them gently, awoke them, and in a tone of tender reproach, and untinctured by the least show of anger or scolding, asked them if they could not watch with Him one hour. 

Returning to His place, He prayed and then went back and found them again sleeping. Again He awoke them, admonished them, and returned and prayed as before. Three times this happened, until I was perfectly familiar with His appearance -- face, form and movements. He was of noble stature and majestic mien, the very God that He was and is, yet as meek and lowly as a little child. 

All at once circumstances began to change. Instead of before, it was after the Crucifixion, and the Savior, with those three apostles, now stood together in a group at my left. They were about to depart and ascend into Heaven. I could endure it no longer. I ran from behind the tree, fell at His feet, clasped Him around the knees, and begged Him to take me with Him. 

I shall never forget the kind and gentle manner in which He stooped and raised me up and embraced me. It was so vivid, so real that I felt the very warmth of His bosom against which I rested. Then He said, 'No, my son; these have finished their work, and they may go with me; but you must stay and finish yours.' Still I clung to Him. Gazing up into His face--for He was taller than I--I besought Him most earnestly. 'Well, promise me that I will come to You at the last.'  He smiled sweetly and tenderly and replied, 'That will depend entirely upon yourself.'" I awoke with a sob in my throat, and it was morning."

Before you go, have a listen to this! This sweet song is the perfect way to sum this up! 

FHE: The Scriptures Testify of Jesus Christ

And I thought I was good at creating object lessons for FHE. Man did my hubby ever show me just how brilliant he is with this one! I love love love it! So powerful! 

The object of the lesson is to teach the importance of ALL of the scriptures. Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants & Pearl of Great Price. Each one adds upon the other, teaching about Jesus Christ, so that we can truly know him and love him. 

SUPPLIES: 

(2) 2x4 boards (or whatever you have that will work)

(5) Long sturdy Nails

Hammer

Sharpees

First, I must apologize for the blinding pictures! Apparently I didn't catch that my camera was on some funky setting, that I really should learn more about. I tried to darken them as much as possible. Hopefully that helped! 

Ryan wrote "Jesus Christ Is:" and then "Bible" in the center of the board. There is a nail representing the bible. This needs to be placed in the center of the top board and hammered through the top and into the bottom board. The bottom board has things written on them, somethings we know are true, others not. "Nice Guy", "Good Friend", "Prophet", "Just a Spirit", "Quick to Anger", "Good Example", "Body-less", "Not a believer in baptism for the dead". 

There are also some half words on there. I will tell you about them in a moment. 

He talked to the kids about the importance of the Bible and how it is an account of the prophecies from before Christs life and then the actual account of his life, along with the organization of his church while he was on the earth. 

Some of the things on the board represent the things that people may believe about him, based on only having the Bible to understand Christ's doctrine and characteristics. 

With only one nail in the boards they move back and forth showing how with just one nail, or source, there are a lot of ways people could change or misinterpret these things. 

He lined up the boards, so they were just off center. 

He asked the kids 

"What is something else we have that teaches us about Jesus Christ". 

This is when a nail was placed, representing the Book of Mormon. The kids helped him hammer this one in. 

Ryan had written, "Savior" "Brother". Part was on the bottom board and part was on the side of the top board. He had also written, "Son of God" on the other corner. He showed the kids that with the Bible we learned that he was these things and with the Book of Mormon, these things are also confirmed. The boards are no longer able to swing and move around. 

With both Books truths are established and confirmed. 

I just love love love this picture! Look how into this lesson my cute kiddos are! They are drinking in every word! I love any opportunity to teach them and allow them the opportunity to develop their own testimonies of the truth of the lesson! 

Jake labeled the "Book of Mormon" nail for us. Then we started to discuss other forms of scripture the Lord has given to us. 

Modern day scripture. Proof that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that same gospel that he set up in the New Testament, with authority from God exists on the earth again today. We have a modern day prophet and God still speaks to His children through them! How great is that?! 

Yet another nail to secure our knowledge and testimony of Jesus Christ. Mallory labeled this one "DandC", or Doctrine and Covenants. 

The "Pearl of Great Price" came next. Accounts from the great prophets Moses & Abraham. An addition to the great books found in the Old Testament! 

And then we threw in a 5th nail to represent "Prophets and Apostles". They speak to us each month through the Ensign, New Era & Friend magazines. Twice a year we get to participate in General Conference, where we receive further instruction and encouragement on how to live a more Christlike life. 

After all the nails were in Ryan flipped the boards over to reveal words written in the corners of the top and bottom boards. "Alive Today". 

Because of the scriptures we can know that Christ truly lives! He lived as an example and set the perfect pattern for our lives. He suffered in Gethsemane for our sins and experienced our sorrows, so that he would know how to succor us in our trials. He died for us on the cross, paying the price required for the great gift of repentance. And then he was resurrected, and lives with God, our Heavenly Father, in the flesh. Because of this resurrection, we all will be resurrected! We all have the opportunity to be sealed to our families so that we can live forever with our families, in His presence. 

"Has A True Church" is written on the other corner. 

In the Bible we are taught about the organization of Christ's church on the earth. Then we are taught about the great apostasy that took place after he was killed. The prophets were killed and the church was taken from the earth. 

In the Book of Mormon we read further about the organization of Christ's church, when after he was resurrected he came to his people in the America's and organized his church here, with Prophets and Apostles, just as it was in Jerusalem. 

In the Doctrine & Covenants we witness the organization of His church once again on the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. We can read his account of that sacred day that he was visited by God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no question in my mind that this event took place, and that we now have the Church of Jesus Christ back on the earth, with direct authority from God and the keys to fulfill all blessings available to all of God's children on the earth, blessings that are bound for all Eternity, if we choose to live worthy of the blessings of the great Atonement! 

Joseph Smith was a prophet, just as Moses and Abraham were prophets! Christ's church is once again on the Earth, and it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I could no sooner deny the truth of those two statements, than I could deny that there is a hand at the end of my arm! Denying does not change the truthfulness of the situation, it only denies us the privileges that are ours if we believe, do our best and put our faith and trust in the Atonement and in God's plan. 

This lesson further strengthened my testimony in the value of scripture. All of them. We love the Bible. We treasure it. And we also treasure the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine in Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price & our modern day prophets and apostles. It is the combination of these things that leaves us without doubt that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the World, our only way back to our Father, our Redeemer, our Brother, our Friend and our Advocate! 

The Sabbath and The Atonement

My Sister in Law, Jana, shared this quote with me. It is so powerful, and definitely something I wanted to share. It has really made me take a deeper look at the things I am doing on Sundays, and the attitude I am doing them in. How powerful to think about the direct connection between Sabbath observance and the Atonement! 

"He Is Risen" by Del Parson

"Our observance or nonobservance of the Sabbath is an unerring measure of our attitude toward the Lord and toward his suffering in Gethsemane, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead. It is a sign of whether we are Christians in very deed, or whether our conversion is so shallow that commemoration of his atoning sacrifice means little or nothing to us."

 ("The Sabbath Day", Ensign, 1975. Quoted by Elder Earl C. Tingey 2000)

FHE: "Doing Our Dailies" Teaching the effects of daily scripture study & prayers

This lesson popped into my head a few Sunday's ago. I was sitting next to my husband in church thinking about the way I feel in my Sunday School class. We have an incredibly wise and amazing Sunday school teacher. I told my husband that I feel like a dried out, thirsty sponge, in his class. I feel myself trying to take in every little bit of information, like it is water filling me up. Then I started to think about sponges a little more and this lesson came together. Please feel free to adapt it, along with any other FHE lesson on this blog, to fit the needs of your family!

I placed an old dried out sponge on a plate and had everyone feel it. It was not pliable. It was hard and rigid. 

We talked about and compared this to the scripture stories that talk about people being hard-hearted, or stiff-necked, and discussed how this happens when we aren't living our lives close to the spirit, following the prophet & keeping the commandments. 

We talked about how "doing our dailies" (Daily scripture study, serve others & prayer, etc), is what keeps us from becoming hard like this sponge. 

I also told them about how sometimes a sponge can become so hard that it requires a lot of wringing over and over to get it to let the water in, and sometimes that can be like trials that happen in our lives that can be used to remind us to turn to the Lord in all things. 

We poured water on the sponge little by little. Explaining that it was like each time we say our prayers, read scriptures or do an act of kindness. Those actions change us. 

They make us softer and more teachable. 

And when we continue to do these things each day, like a sponge that has pressure applied, we "ooze" those things that we have filled our selves with. We talked about the prodding being like missionary work or being asked questions by others about our faith. When our sponge was moist, but not full, nothing came out. We lacked the conviction in our testimony, or the knowledge, to teach. However, when we have "done our dailies" consistently, our testimony flows easily. 

Then we talked about how adding things to our dailies like going to the temple frequently, serving and looking for more opportunities to serve, being quick to forgive and kind to everyone, paying our tithing and fast offerings, etc, what we have put in cannot be contained. Everything we do or say is a reflection of our beliefs and conviction of the reality of our Savior Jesus Christ. It "oozes" from us, in our actions and words. 

  

THIS is the best place to be!

We brought another hard sponge into the mix and talked about how it could represent our friends, or people we meet or associate with. 

When we consistently, everyday, participate in scripture study and be sure to say prayers, serve, etc. In other words, when we fill our lives with the things of the Lord, our testimony cannot help but affect the people around us! 

As our testimony "oozes" the people around us begin to feel of the Lords love for them, through us, if we listen to the spirit! 

When we do everything that we can, each day, to fill our lives and minds with the spirit, the Lord can use us as instruments to reach out to our brothers and sisters around us and we can help bring them back to Him! 

HIS First

This last Sunday I had such an interesting impression during the Sacrament.

Jake was about to pass the Sacrament for his first time. This is a BIG DEAL! He has really been so worried about it. Worried that he wouldn't know where to go, worried that he would mess up or get confused....just a whole lot of worry. We had promised him that we would all be praying hard for him. So, he summoned the courage and took his place.

While I was praying for him, and thinking about how much I love this little man of mine. I suddenly had a very strong impression about my role as his mother, and Ryan's role as his father. These roles are a privilege and a calling.

Our children each come to this world with a specific purpose and mission to fulfill and the Lord is entrusting us, his children, to guide these little ones through their lives. He knows us all personally, and so He knows the order in which we should come to this Earth. We were chosen to come before our children, because  the Lord knew that we would be able to give our children what they would need to meet the requirements of their lives. The interesting thing about this feeling was the sense of being a secondary parent, for lack of a better term. Sometimes I think I look at my kids as being totally mine, but they are not. They are His first! He loves them infinitely! He knows their spirits and their potential and their weaknesses, because He, our Father in Heaven, is literally our Father! Likewise, He knows us, our potential and our weaknesses, because He is our Father as well! His love for my children, and His trust in me, as well as His gratitude for the work I am trying to do with my kids, was so profound today! I know where I fall short, and so does He. I think that is why He sent this loving reminder to me today.

Perspective always seems to do a world of good! I can't help but feel a desire to do a little better, be a bit more patient, pray a little more on their behalf, knowing that the Lord will guide me in this role, when I think of my children as His children first!

FHE: Flying High by Keeping the Commandments

This was SUCH a fun FHE! I heard this analogy once a long time ago and thought an object lesson was definitely in order! This lesson carries such a HUGE impact and really helps the kids understand the role rules and commandments play in our lives! 

To start, we gathered the children around as we flew one kite. 

We asked, "What are some of the commandments or rules in the gospel?" They listed some and we added here and there. 

Then we asked, "What are some of the rules in our home?" They listed and we helped again. 

Then we asked what the kids thought would happen if we were to cut the string on the kite. They all responded, "It will fly away!" 

Then we cut the string, with plenty of gasps from the kids. The kite immediately plummeted to the ground! 

We then talked about how the rules and commandments are a lot like the string of the kite. We may feel, at times, that they are holding us down, or restricting us. However, they are actually what holds us up and gives us the ability to accomplish the things we want to do in life. 

We then discussed a few of our commandments, and/or rules, and how they might help us. 

For Example: 

Word of Wisdom = A life free of addiction. Helps us have a healthy body, smart mind, etc. 

Law of Chastity = Protects us from disease, prevents teenage pregnancy, unnecessary heartache, etc. 

Being Honest = Helps protect us from stress and troubles that come in relationships or with the law. 

Daily Chores = Keeps our home clean and helps us have order and be able to feel the spirit in our home. 

Speak Kindly = Helps us have stronger happier relationships. 

.....and so on. 

We brought up rules in our home or certain commandments and asked the kids to come up with a reason why they would be good for us. Having them come up with them really helps them learn to think this way about these things in their lives. It helped us all to see how important these guidelines are in helping us live a fuller life, and actually showed us how freeing rules and commandments can be! 

We talked about.....

DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 82:10

"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." 

When we follow the rules the Lord has set for us He is "bound" to keep the promises He has made. He has promised to give us ALL that He has! And He will!

Then, of course, we ended the night with the activity of a whole lot of kite flying! Kite Flying with a whole new perspective! 

Because of this.....

My Savior knows exactly how my heart has ached over my weakness and my struggles. Only He knows, and has felt, how my heart has ached for the loss of my sweet son. 

BECAUSE OF THIS.....

My Savior made it possible for me to receive forgiveness for my sins. He made it possible for me to be worthy of the sweet sweet husband I have, and the opportunity to be sealed to him for eternity! He made it possible for me to be worthy to be a mother to my children, and to have the opportunity to be a mother to one of His most choice and sweet spirits. 

BECAUSE OF THIS......

My son will be with us in the flesh again! His body will be new and unbroken, and by the power of the holy priesthood, my husband will call our Dawson from his grave, when Christ comes again, and I will have the opportunity to continue raising him where we left off, only this time his body will be perfect! 

Today, the blessings in our lives, because of our Savior, are fresh in our minds. We have a personal connection to the blessing of the Resurrection, as so many do. The realness of this sacred blessing and the way we depend upon it brings new gratitude for the celebration of Easter. 

Today I am grateful for the opportunity to make the Atonement more personal! There are a million things I could list under all the pictures above. We all could! What could you put under each one? What does the Savior mean to you personally? You don't have to share, or you totally can, cause I would love to hear it. I just hope that we all take time to reflect on our personal relationship with the Savior today...and everyday! 

JESUS IS THE CHRIST!  

Fishes Wishes

Have you heard about these little girls? 

This is Alice (2) and Natalie (8). They both have a very rare disease called Leaky SCIDS. It is an auto immune disorder that was threatening their lives. The only hopeful cure was a bone marrow transplant. So, over that last few months, this family has been going through the process of finding donors, going through chemo to kill the marrow in their bodies and then through the transplant process. 

Both of these girls are my friend Lisy's daughters. One of their brothers was a perfect match for Natalie and able to donate. Alice finally received a match from an anonymous stranger. Thank goodness! 

I have been amazed at the burden Tyler and Lisy have been carrying on their shoulders. 2 girls in the hospital, plus surgery for one son to be able to donate, no to mention the fact that they have a very young baby that also needed to be with Lisy. So crazy! 

This has been something they have been dealing with for so many years. However, only recently has anyone known about it. My friend Wendy has organized so much of the donations, media attention, etc, needed to help them through this process. She has been so inspirational to me. I have never seen anyone, with enough on her own plate as it is, so willingly and lovingly give every ounce of energy she had, and then some, to aid and share in the burden of someone else. She is really quite an example! 

I want to thank Lisy and Tyler for letting us share in this experience with them. I know it is hard to share your burdens and experiences with so many, but because you have my testimony of modern day miracles has grown infinitely! My testimony of the power of prayer and the reality that God hears and answers them is stronger than ever! There is no possible way to know what has happened thus far in this experience and doubt the existence of a loving Father in Heaven. So thank you! Thank you for letting us watch this experience unfold! 

If you want to see something incredibly amazing you should really read their blog! They have documented daily the things they have experienced. Videos included. 

Just over a week ago I read the blog and saw that Alices body was not "engrafting" or accepting the transplant. I feared so much for her little life. My heart ached to think of the grief that was waiting to receive Tyler, Lisy and their family. I know that grief, and I ached for them to face the same. 

We decided to hold a fast for little Alice. As this decision was made and just as the fast began, little Alice took a turn for the worst. She had a seizure and crashed totally. You can read about that night HERE. It is heart breaking! 

We were all grateful that the inspiration for the fast had come earlier that day and the fast had already begun. The next day was filled with heartbreaking fear. To be honest, I watched my phone all day worried for the phone call to come that Alice had returned to our Father in Heaven. It didn't come. Thank goodness! 

Instead their was a post that left no room for the denial of miracles. Though Alice had been incoherent, she was suddenly talking just like her cute little self. Tests were done, there were no lasting effects, or even signs that the seizure or any damage had taken place. Within hours Alice was back in her normal room, and hours after than, miraculously, engrafted! Her numbers that indicated the marrow was taking hold grew day after day. Just over a week after this terrifying accident came a post stating that Alice was going home! You have to read it and watch the video! So amazing! You can see that one HERE.

Alice has changed lives! She is a positive little girl, with a very strong spirit! Her parents just posted this about her! So profound! So inspirational! I just had to share it with you! I hope you read it! I hope I can be more like Alice with the ability to see the good in everything....even, and especially in the hardest times! 

 READ "ALICE INSPIRED" POST HERE! 

If you would like to help the Fish family in anyway, be sure to check their blog, on one of the links above, for details! 

Lamb of God

A couple of weeks ago I heard about this CD in my Relief Society class. We listened to one of the songs. It was incredibly beautiful! So, I went to Seagull Book and bought a copy for myself. I have not been able to stop listening to it! It is so so beautiful and perfect! Throughout this last week I have felt my testimony of the power of the Atonement and the life, mission and love that Jesus Christ had for all of us, grow immeasurably. There is power in music like this. The narration, the solos, the choir.....the message. I cannot recommend this enough! I bought myself a copy and then had to by many more copies to give as gifts. I want everyone to hear it! 

Here is a small sample of one of the songs put to a video clip (I think it is from "To This End Was I Born".) 

If you want to see another great clip or check out more about it, go HERE to check out Rob Gardners website. I got my 2 CD set for just over $8! I would have paid 3 times that! It's awesome! TRUST ME!

Welding, Habits & Crossroads

Image Source

Ryan spoke in church this last Sunday. The topic was something along the lines of "How Scouting supports the Aaronic Priesthood". I think he kindled a bit of passion and an understanding of what a great organization the Boy Scouts of America is. I am a bit partial to him, but man alive can that guy speak! I LOVE it!

One of the quotes he read really made an impact on me. As you read it think beyond the boys and scouting. Think about your role with either your own children, or children you have an impact on......

"The whole object of our scouting is to seize the boys character in it's red-hot stage of enthusiasm and to weld it into the right shape and to encourage and develop it's individuality so that the boy may educate himself to become a good man and reliable citizen for his country." 

-Baden Powell 

Isn't that a fabulous quote? "seize [their] character in it's red-hot stage of enthusiasm..." SHEESH! What a fabulous combination of words to describe the passion every child has for learning at one point or another, and the passion which we should use to help "weld [their enthusiasm] into the right shape and encourage and develop [their] individuality"!

This has left me thinking about how vital my role is in the lives of my children. This last week I read a quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley, that was directed to the women.....

"You are the bearers of the children. You are they who nurture them and establish within them the habits of their lives. No other work reaches so close to divinity as does the nurturing of the sons and daughters of God."

-Gordon B. Hinckley, "Stand Strong against the Wiles of the World" Ensign, Nov. 1995

How beautiful is that?! Beautiful and humbling. I haven't been able to get "establish within them the habits of their lives" out of my mind, since I read this. What a responsibility! Everything from spiritual habits (personal prayer & scripture study), kindness, serving others, expressing and feeling gratitude, taking care of our physical bodies, etc....all of these habits are first taught by us. As their Mothers, we have the most influence when it comes to "welding" their characters, not at all to outshine the powerful impact fathers have upon them, but our responsibilities mold habits, because of our vigilance to the constant ebb and flow of their daily choices and reactions.

Ryan also read a poem that has been quoted by President Thomas S. Monson.....

"He stood at the crossroads all alone, 

the sunlight in his face. 

He had no thought for the world unknown, 

he was set for a manly race.

But the road stretched East, 

and the road stretched West, 

and the lad knew not which road was best.

So he chose the road that led him down, 

and he lost the race and the victors crown. 

He was caught at last in an angry snare, 

because no one stood at the crossroads there, 

to show him the better road. 

Another at the self-same place a boy with high hopes stood, 

he too was set for a manly race, 

he too was seeking the things that were good. 

But one was there who the roads did know, 

and that one showed him which way to go. 

So he turned from the road that would lead him down, 

and he won the race, and the victors crown. 

He walks today the highway fair, because one stood at the crossroads there, to show him the better way."

- Sadie Tiller Crawley

It is sad to read "because no one stood at the crossroads there, to show him the better road". The combination of three quotes have reminded me to be present so that when my children come to the crossroads in their lives they will see their parents waiting there to show them which way to go, because we know the same roads they will face. 

Man, I love stuff like this! It makes me so grateful to be a Mom and helps me realize how present and selfless I have to be in order to help these kids succeed. Pretty amazing job, I say! :) 

Flecks or Nuggets?

{Image Source}

This story has me thinking today.......

There is a story of a young merchant from Boston, who in 1849, as the story goes, was caught up in the fervor of the California gold rush. He sold all of this possessions to seek his fortune in the California rivers, which he was told were filled with gold nuggets so big that one could hardly carry them. 

Day after endless day, the young man dipped his pan into the river and came up empty. His only reward was a growing pile of rocks. Discouraged and broke, he was ready to quit until one day an old, experienced prospector said to him, "That's quite a pile of rocks you are getting there, my boy."

The young man replied, "There's no gold here. I',m going back home."

Walking over to the pile of rocks, the old prospector said, "Oh, there is gold all right. You just have to know where to find it." He picked two rocks up in his hands and crashed them together. One of the rocks split open, revealing several flecks of gold sparkling in the sunlight.

Noticing the bulging leather pouch fastened to the prospector's waist, the young man said, "I'm looking for nuggets like the ones in your pouch, not just tiny flecks."

The old prospector extended his pouch toward the young man, who looked inside, expecting to see several large nuggets. He was stunned to see that the pouch was filled with thousands of flecks of gold. 

The old prospector said, "Son, it seems to me you are so busy looking for large nuggets that you're missing filling your pouch with these precious flecks of gold. The patient accumulation of these little flecks has brought me great wealth."

Today I am thinking about how easily I get focused on doing too much. I tend to be a person that loves simplicity, but I seem to always wrap everything up in a complicated mess. The funny this is that when I am crazy busy I spread myself to thin. Never really giving enough of myself to anything to make it feel right. However, when I simplify and focus on the small things, the things that make my big picture it's best, life is more peaceful and fulfilling. What makes me forget this?! 

My goal this year is to focus more on the "flecks" in my life. Today I am making a list of all the things that are important to me (scripture study, daily prayers, weekly temple attendance, serving others, spending "fun" time with my kids, taking care of my health, being a crazy amazing wife :), being a better friend, etc). These things will receive my energy. They are the little things in life that make my life rich, blessed and full of happiness. 

Sure there will be things that will require my attention. However, I will learn to give them what they require and then move on.....simplify. 

This totally reminds me of a story a lady told at a convention she was speaking at. She was talking about making treats for her childs school class. She was supposed to bring 20 treats that resembled "12 Drummers Drumming". She stayed up all hours of the night baking large cookies shaped like drums. She frosted and detailed each one meticulously. She was exhausted the next day when she took them to the class. As she set them in front of the kids she sought a bit of ooo's and aahhh's from the children. Instead.....they ate them in like 2 seconds flat and went on with the rest of the party. She said, "It was this point that I realized a Ding Dong and 2 Twizzlers would have worked just fine."

I think about that a lot. How true is that?! Sometimes it is so great to give something our best effort, and others it is OK to just accomplish the task. After all, we are all busy. There is a lot that is required of us. WHY make it harder than it is supposed to be. In my experience, when I give a large amount of effort to the things that are not on my list of things that are important to me, I tend to feel overrun and a sense of failure, no matter how much I accomplish outside of those things. 

Sometimes the nuggets are great, but they are few and far between. The flecks, however, are in everything that is important to us, and as they accumulate, their value is far beyond a nugget here or there. "The patient accumulation of these little flecks [will bring us] great wealth!"

FHE {Losing Ourselves In the Service of Others}

I have been trying to think of ways to help my kids understand the importance of opening their eyes to the needs of others, and developing the ability to focus on ways they can recognize things they can do to serve others. This little object lesson popped into my head one day. I think the message was received! :) 

We did this lesson with cousins and enlisted the help of aunts and uncles, just for a bit of added fun. 

OBJECT LESSON: 

• Roll a piece of paper starting at the corner. Form a funnel with a dime sized hole in the end. Cut off the tops so that the wider opening is all the same length. Tape paper so that the funnel will stay wrapped. Make enough so that each child has two. 
• Have the children hold their funnels up to their eyes. These are their new glasses. 

• Give the kids an exact course to follow. I told the boys to walk from where they were standing to the Christmas tree. It isn't easy to see through such a small hole. They can only see what is directly in front of them. Make the course obstacle free and in a straight line. Tell them to walk slow and be careful. 

• When they arrived at their destination they were pleased with their ability to easily perform the task.  This is when I had them remove their "glasses" and turn back to look at the path they had just followed. As they turned they could see a few things they missed a long their path. 

• Without knowing they passed Aunt Anna who was struggling to keep young Chloe entertained. Perhaps she is like a young mother in church with young children and full hands. 

• They also passed little Mallory. Her backpack had fallen and all of her things were scattered. She was trying to put them back in all by herself. 

• They passed Brigham. He had fallen down and his leg was hurt. 

• They also passed by Uncle Kevin....who needed a refill on his drink! (Pictured above) Oh Kevin! :) 

Had they noticed any of these things as they passed? Or were they totally focused on their own path/needs/course? 

• I explained to them that these glasses were a representation of living our lives focusing only on ourselves. When we can only see our needs it makes us blind to all of the things we can be doing to help others. Simply opening a door for Anna, or sitting with her during sacrament meeting to help keep her young children quiet so she can listen, stopping to help Mallory refill her bag, making sure Briggy is OK, or even refilling Uncle Kevin's drink...all of these things would only take a little time, but they would all make a big difference. 

LESSON:

President Monson said, 

"Unless we lose ourselves in the service of others, there is little purpose to our own lives."

• We discussed how important that is. That means that if the end goal was to make it to the tree, making it to the tree had very little purpose, IF we failed to notice those along the path that we could have helped, so that they could continue on the path to their goal, as well. That is a really big statement. I hoped that it would impact their minds, as it did mine. 

We Read Luke 9:24 & discussed what it meant. 

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life, for my sake, the same shall save it."

We read and discussed the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. We talked about the first 2 people to pass and how they were wearing their "Selfish Glasses". Perhaps they were "too busy" or had something they had to hurry and get to. Those are both probably the most common excuses we give for not serving others. Again, there is little purpose in all of the things we accomplish, unless we are willing to serve others along the way. We talked about how the Good Samaritan did more than just what was necessary by leaving money for the man to be cared for and then asking them to let him know if it cost more than what he gave so that he could give them what was required when he came back through.

I told them about a special experience that happened to me recently:

I told them how I have the opportunity to travel to a lot of different places to speak about Dawson. I have spoke to the youth, the youth and their parents, entire wards, groups of women, groups of adults, small groups and large groups. When Dawson passed away it was something that I knew the Lord would want me to do. His story and his special life and all of the miracles that were a part of it were meant to be shared with many people.

I told them that when I am asked to speak I go, no matter how far away, and I would never ask the ward to pay any of my expenses. I have always felt that the Lord would provide a way for me to go.

I recently went to speak in Southern Arizona. Our budget was a little tight when it was time to go. I withdrew $200, which is exactly how much the trip would cost, from my grocery budget and trusted that the Lord would help us stretch the rest to meet our needs.

The spirit was so strong at the fireside. I knew that the message the Lord wanted to share with this group was received. It was such a great experience.

As we pulled back into my friends driveway we noticed another car pulling up. A man got out of his car and walked over to me. He handed me an envelope, told me thank you, gave me a hug and then left. Later I sat in my room at my friends home and opened that envelope, thinking I would find a note. In the envelope was $200, the exact amount it would cost for my trip. To me this was a message from Heavenly Father. He wanted me to be sure that He was constantly aware of every little need and that He would work through His faithful and willing children to fill those needs, as long as we are willing to continue with faith.

We talked about how the man certainly could have used so much money, but he was a man that listened to the promptings of the spirit and was willing to watch for ways he could help others along his path. This man set an example for me that day! I was blessed by his faithfulness, both financially, and more importantly, spiritually.

We closed with a poem President Monson quoted in his talk "What Have I Done For Someone Today?" in October 2009 General Conference:

I have wept in the night 
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody's need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind. 

I Was Told I Needed To Hear This.....

I found my self nodding through the whole thing! These words are so beautiful to me! They are my testimony! I love, love, love this song! (Plus you can see a few people you might recognize!) This is such an important and beautiful message!

Eternal Perspective & Failing Hearts

Perhaps you have seen this video floating around. Maybe you have already watched it. Maybe you were like me and thought you will watch it when you have a few extra minutes. Now that I have, might I suggest that you either watch it again, or don't put it off any longer.

Before you watch, I want to tell you 3 things:

1: Trials and adversity are not only a part of this life, they are THE MOST IMPORTANT part of it! Through them we learn the true characteristics of God, His love for us, our strength with Him & our purpose, IF we choose to overcome the fear and cling to faith.

2: Wendy Nelson, Elder Nelson's wife, gave a talk at a meeting I was at. She said that if we could only glimpse just 10 seconds of our life before this one, all of our stresses that burden us in this life would simply melt away. I believe that it is not that they would go away, but our ability to put them in proper perspective and manage them efficiently would be increased because we would look at our problems with Eternal Perspective in mind. Eternal Perspective changes EVERYTHING and helps keep us focused on our purpose, eliminates fear and provides the courage to move through anything we may face in this life. No matter how difficult.

3: I know I have told you this before, but it feels appropriate to share again what I heard over and over from Dawson the day after he passed away. This was something he meant for me to tell you. You as in any person that should ever happen upon this blog and see anything about him and his courageous and faith filled life. He said:

        

   “If you could only see what is waiting for you, you would do everything you could to get here. You would not just simply go through life, you would work as hard as you can to serve the Lord so that when you arrive, you arrive to the same kind of celebration I did!”

And he did! I will never forget the moment his spirit slipped from his broken body. He had finished all he 

wanted to accomplish in this life and he had done more than was required. The celebration was sweet and 

powerful. Those that received him, had watched his sacrifice and mission and now it was time to receive the 

reward! 

I hope this video inspires you, like it has me, to have more faith and a whole lot less fear. Who knows what tomorrow will bring for anyone of us. Fear is not a productive emotion. It cannot stop things from happening, but faith and Eternal Perspective can help us make it through it!