One Mormon Mom

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-11T15:59:00.001Z

I made three resolutions this year.

1. No chocolate for 2012.

(I mean chocolate in chocolate form, so not chocolate cake or hot chocolate or chocolate Nesquick - a chocolate powder for cold milk drinks) The reason for this resolution is I eat far too much chocolate! I love chocolate with caramel inside, chocolate chip cookies, brownies made with lumps of chocolate inside, chocolate digestive biscuits, chocolate slabs, bars etc. So anything with chocolate on it, in it or chocolate its self.

I need to lose weight, and this seemed like a good place to start.

2. When eating anything with Carbohydrates (excluding fresh fruit or coloured veg), put half back, or leave half on the plate. When serving myself I will serve half, but at restaurants I will be leaving half on the plate and walking away from those calories.

You can go into a whole long complicated list of what not to eat, but I have simplified it for myself: If it is white, or could be refined to become white, eat only half. (this excludes cauliflower and egg whites) So biscuits, pastries, cakes, pizzas, breakfast cereals, oats, bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.

This goes along with the losing weight goal.

3. Do one hour of cleaning every week day.

I would rather sit on the couch and read a book, or watch something, or play a game, and this has to stop! There are things around the house that I do do. There are chores that the kids do. We don't live in filth and squalor, but we don't live in a neat, orderly, dust free home. My time and season for playing with the kids and cleaning later is long gone. I know that I tend towards laziness, so now I am training myself to tend towards being industrious with my hands, working willingly at the tasks that should be mine to do.

So far this year I have thrown away the old medicine and organised the medicine boxes. (Jenny you would be proud!) I have scrubbed the walls, tiles and cupboards inside and out, in the kitchen. I have cleaned and organised the boxes we keep extra food in, and the list carries on.

And it's only and hour a day! I set the timer and off I go, then when it rings, I go and do something else. An hour a day gets a lot of clean stuff I tell you! Even the kids noticed that the kitchen looked shinier. And you know what, it feels really good to be getting on top of my lazy tendencies.

So those are my resolutions. So far, so good.

Time...

2011-11-24T11:09:00.001Z

"Someone once told me that time was like a preditor, stalking you all your life, but I rather believe that time is a companion, who goes with us on the journey, reminds us to cherish every moment because they will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived."

Captain Jean-Luc Picard, of the starship Enterprise

When what you've done isn't enough

2011-11-10T10:26:00.000Z

Pete and I recently had to go and write the Life in the UK test. We studied hard, were well prepared and ready to pass. There is a book you can buy and study from, there is an ipad app that you can use, we did both. We were getting 100% every time for our practice tests. At £50 per person per try we really wanted to pass first time.

Before the test I asked for a blessing, on the morning of the test I said my prayers and included a request to be able to do well in the test. When we got there I was nervous and so said another prayer, and I immediately felt calmer. We had both done all we could...

We got into the test room, began the test and quickly realised that there were questions in the test that were not in the book! Now this is not too much of a problem if you watch the news, read the newspaper and listen to the radio. Pete does these things, I don't. He has an amazing general knowledge, I don't. I am brilliant in some areas, and I don't consider myself stupid in any way, but general knowledge is a serious weak point! Pete (who does think I am intelligent) was sitting at the other side of the room reading the questions and thinking that because of my lack of general knowledge it was a possibility I was going to fail. He was worried for me.

Me sitting on the other side of the room had a moment of panic as I realised that I didn't know a question, then a pause, and a plea: "Heavenly Father, I have done all I can, I don't have enough, I need your help please." I felt calm, I felt clear headed and I was able to carefully read the question and think about the most likely answer (multiple choice). I clicked the box and felt calm. Some questions I did know, then another new one, I clicked an answer and didn't feel comfortable with it, I thought about the logic and decided on a different answer, I felt calm. A few more I did know, then another new one; An image of a poster seen in a supermarket flashed into my head, it was the answer I needed, click, calm.

This was the process for the whole exam, I was not worried, when I went and sat outside with Pete I told him that I was surprised by the questions that weren't in the book, so was he. He went in and got his results: PASS. His knowledge was enough. He came out, told me he had passed but said he didn't want to get excited until I knew my result.

I went in and got my result: PASS. My knowledge might not have been enough, but I had the Lord's knowledge to fall back on, and what more can anyone want or need. Thanks to the Spirit's calming influence I was able to be still and know that He is God. I know that I was guided through that test, I was comforted and calmed. What a confirming experience that was for me, we can be literally guided in every step if we will just allow it.

Epiphany

2011-11-08T09:37:00.000Z

You know how you can be reading something, or listening to something/someone and you have a thought or an idea come into your mind. It isn't always related to what you are reading, or hearing, sometimes it comes to you because you are doing the right things, or are in the right place. So in effect you have turned your receiver on so that you can intercept the signals that are being transmitted from Heaven.

I think the Lord has been trying to tell me something for a few years now and I have not been willing/able/ready (not sure which or maybe all three) to receive it yet. I was sitting in the lounge studying a section in Alma (in the Book of Mormon) and read something about the Saviour (can't even remember what it said, or exactly where it was) and as I read it a thought came into my head:

"You have been trying to be a Saviour for your children, that is not your place, only the Saviour can save your children, that is His purpose, not yours."

What a moment that was for me! I realised that for the past few years I have been trying to do exactly that with my teenagers, save them from themselves. I have been nagging, controlling, pestering, interrogating, manipulating them - for their own good I told myself, because I have 'been there, done that, got the T-shirt' and don't want them to make the same mistakes, so come hell or high water, they were not going to make the same mistakes, and I would see to it that they didn't!

It seems silly now to type that and realise how I was behaving, but I guess that is exactly what I was doing. So this is what I have learned so far and what I am still figuring out as I go along;

I do have responsibilities and duties as a parent, they include: Family prayers, family scripture reading, family home evening, going to Church on Sundays, getting my children to youth activities, temple trips and seminary meetings, and leading by example.

If I am doing these things, and I do try my utmost to do them, then I have to let go of the rest and leave it up to the Lord.

They have made some decisions that are disappointing to me, but the way I have been dealing with them has not been correct. When I do something that the Lord does not want me to do, how does He deal with me? Certainly not the way I have been dealing with my children. The scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 121 comes to mind:

" 41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood [or by me as a parent], only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—

43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;"

I sat my children down and apologised to them. I explained what I had recently realised and told them that I was going to stop. I asked for their forgiveness. They actually looked relieved. Tears flowed, hugs were given.

I used to feel like there was a constant battle going on, I was exhausted with the effort, my children were being pushed away and trodden on. I couldn't remember when last I had had a conversation with them that didn't end up in a lecture and them feeling resentful. I was trying to carry a load that only the Saviour is capable of carrying. I was trying to do something that no human being can do. Now I am FREE, I cannot describe to you the relief I feel.

I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost which conveyed this message to me, I am grateful for daily scripture study which had me in the right frame of mind - my receiver turned on. I am grateful to the Saviour for carrying that awful load, so that I don't have to.

A Pendulum Effect

2011-06-23T09:12:00.000+01:00

Isn't life interesting! When I look back on the nearly 13 years of marriage, I can see how the pendulum swings. When Pete worked away from home a lot, I got 'the majority of the parenting' swing. When I had just had a baby and was down for a while, he got 'the take care of everything' swing. When he was sick with Malaria, I got the 'take care of everything swing'. When I was studying Hairdressing he got 'the twice a week in the evenings it's your job to hold down the fort' swing.

Sometimes the swings are high and extreme, sometimes they are small and easily handled. Sometimes there is something expected, sometimes there is a big shock followed by a massive swing. And then sometimes there seems to be no swinging at all, things are just running smoothly, things seem right in the world.

I love those calm, still, peaceful, drift through times. But you know, I do love to swing. I used to get my dad to push me so high on the swings the chains were bending. I remember (probably much to my mother's horror) that I used to jump off the swing when it was at it's apex and land safely in my father's arms. For just one brief moment I was flying! The feeling of your stomach lurching, then falling, then swinging back up the other way, sigh, those were the days. I used to swing for hours.

So life throws these pendulum swings at us. It always will, whether it is by our own doing or not. I am becoming more capable of accepting the swings, the extremes in life that make you grateful for the air you breath, the variety of healthy food you eat, the comfort of warm cosy beds, the laughter of healthy children, the loving embrace of my husband, the ease with which my body (normally) works.

And when the ride gets too rough and we are afraid, don't know if we can handle it any longer, we have the chance to let go, fly if only for a moment and then land safely in our Father in Heaven's arms, where we can find rest for a time.

He leaves his peace with us: "... my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

Sometimes this is much easier said than done, but I am learning. Bit by bit we come closer to our Father in Heaven, if we will only turn to Him, trust Him and allow Him to guide us through this *pendulummy life.

*If this turns out to be a really cool word, then I want to make it known that I came up with it first :)

School Easter Egg Competition

2011-04-07T08:56:00.000+01:00

What is easter really all about? I have seen that some of the chocolate eggs and chickens don't say Easter on them, some say Spring Celebrations, others say happy Spring. There are still those that say Happy Easter on them though.

Corbin's school is having a competition for the 'best Easter Egg'. I asked him what Easter was all about, he told me that it is about Jesus dying on the cross and then being resurrected. Like a chicken comes out alive from an egg, Jesus came out alive from the tomb. After talking about it for a bit, he decided on this for his Easter Egg...

I helped with the crosses, and he decorated it. This is what Easter is all about. I am so grateful for His atonement, sacrifice and resurrection. He gave everything - even his life - for me, I want to give Him everything - even my life if necessary. I love my elder brother very much, and I know He loves me too.

Happy Easter to everyone!

Song of Praise for Me

2011-03-04T17:40:00.000Z

For me all of this,

It could have been so plain

So flat, so beige,

But mountains, rivers, sea,

Wind, colour, smell, noise,

Warmth, shade, snow.

For me.

It could have been so hard.

But Christ to teach

Christ to show

Christ to pay

Christ to live

For me.

It could have been so empty

So alone, so cold.

But prayer to Thee

and Spirit's fire

For me."

Written by Peter Bowen 23/8/1996

I agree whole heartedly!

Seventy times Seven

2011-03-03T09:04:00.000Z

Matthew 18:21-22

"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

Awake

2011-01-26T09:04:00.001Z

Disobedience to the Lord's commandments allows Satan to deceive us, and we forget the light and truth we have previously learned.

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency described this dangerous condition:

"One of the effects of disobeying God seems to be the creation of just enough spiritual anaesthetic to block any sensation as the ties to God are being cut. Not only [does] the testimony of the truth slowly erode, but even the memories of what it was like to be in the light [begin] to seem... like a delusion"

I have witnessed this very thing happen to my beloved friend.

Alma 12:11; And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries...

This is such a tragic event. "Arise from the dust... and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity,

Awake... put on the armour of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.

This is my constant prayer.

Examples

2011-01-11T08:09:00.000Z

My 9 year old son was talking about good and bad examples this morning. So I asked him how he knows someone is setting a bad example. His reply: "I just look at them and think; would my mom do that? And if she wouldn't then they are setting a bad example."

I am grateful I have been able to instil this trust in my son, and that my example has been sufficiently steady. I do strive for this, and will continue.

I really miss tag teaming

2010-12-30T12:21:00.000Z

In professional wrestling, a tag team consists of two wrestlers who are working together as a team. Often, they are close partners and backstage friends who team with each other almost exclusively. The term "tag team" has since become used in a metaphorical sense in common language for two or more people who alternate or cooperate in participation in an activity, and "tag-teaming" for the act of alternating with an ally, e.g. a couple tag-teaming in an argument with another person.

Or for another example: The parents taking turns in Spiritually teaching their children. Sometimes (like today) I figuratively turn around looking for my partner to tag, because I'm tired. There is no one there.

The greatest gift was under our tree this morning

2010-12-25T15:09:00.000Z

I covered up all the presents with a blanket so that this would be the first thing our children saw when they came into the lounge this morning. I have really enjoyed thinking of gifts that I can give to the Savour through this year. I am grateful for His gift to me.

I am also grateful for this time of year, when most of the world comes together for this holiday, even although it isn't His real birthday, I love the feelings of good will and neighbourliness that everyone seems to have. Long may it continue.

The wisdom of the world?

2010-12-17T13:21:00.000Z

I have just come home from an NHS workshop someone recommended I attend. It was for recognising and dealing with anxiety. Because my mother is a councillor I knew and understood a lot of what they were teaching. But I found some very interesting things in the notes they gave to us:

*Don't think badly of others, be charitable in your thoughts, consider what they might be going through.
*Be grateful for the things you do well and the things you have, don't dwell on what you don't have or can't do.
*Exercise regularly, take time to relax and ponder the good things in life.
*Drastically reduce - but preferably cut out - Tea, Coffee and caffeinated drinks.
*Sing uplifting songs when feeling down or anxious.
*Keep a balance of all the things you do in life, don't indulge in one area and neglect another.

And I kept thinking; All this I know already, I learn it at Church! I love it!

While I'm Waiting

2010-11-04T08:34:00.004Z

This is one of my favourite movies and definitely my favourite song. For the courage and strength I need every day, and the reminder of what I need to do while I'm waiting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6X71sXagUY

Never, Never, Never Give Up

2010-10-18T08:19:00.003+01:00

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?

Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them?

Remember thy suffering saints, O our God; and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever."

Life is no picnic.

And gaining exhalation is certainly no picnic.

In fact it should not be a picnic, otherwise we would stand before the Lord just as inexperienced and unlearned as when we left for earth.

President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Aba Nigeria Temple on Sunday, August 7, 2005. Two weeks later a courageous group of Saints from Cameroon boarded two mini-buses and headed to the temple. The two branches of the Church in Cameroon are Duala and Yaounde. Members from both branches were included in this trip. As the crow flies, Aba is only about 175 miles west of Duala. Duala is 125 miles west of Yaouande. The roads from Duala to Aba are not direct, nor are they paved.

West of Duala, there were initially good graded roads, but it was the rainy season and soon the roads became more challenging. The men shovelled, and pushed, the passengers walked and the drivers did their best.

After 36 hours on the road the Saints arrived at the Nigerian border, still a way to go. When they finally saw the temple it had been two and a half muddy, tiring, hot, dirty days. The beautiful Aba Nigeria Temple was indeed a sight for sore eyes.

These saints had many choices, they could have not gone from the beginning of the journey.

They could have started out and when they saw the muddy roads, they could have turned back.

They could have climbed out and sat on the side and said: 'I don't want to do this any more.'

They could have stayed inside the van and not cared who was trying to push them out of the mud.

They could even have all kneeled down and prayed fervently that the Temple would uproot itself and come to them!

However these Saints did not give up, they kept certain things in mind:

The temple is important and eternal families are what they want,

They had saved money, got passports, arranged for children to be watched, packed bags,

They did not turn around when things became difficult,

They served others by either lightning the load or helping to push the load,

They sang hymns to lift spirits,

They kept firmly in the forefront of their minds the goal they wanted to achieve, and arrived ready and deserving of the temple blessings.

This temple trip was no picnic. These Saints could have asked: O God, where art thou? And maybe some of them did, I don't know, but I do know that they did not give up, they were valiant, and courageous.

When the Lord was speaking to Joshua in the Old testament, he said: "Be strong and of a good courage... Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law... turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest... (again in verse 9 he says) Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy god is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

The Saints from Cameroon had difficulties in their journey, but this particular journey had an end, they knew that once they were home again it would be over.

Some of us have difficulties and trials that don't have an ending date. Some of us struggle with health issues. Some of us have wayward children, some of us have wayward spouses.

In our family we have the trial of a husband and father who used to kneel with our children and pray, who used to sit with me in the celestial room holding my hand, who no longer believes in God at all. His journey began with that irritating little word: 'offence'

President Neil L. Andersen was speaking in this General Conference and he said:

"Offence comes in many costumes and continually finds its way onstage. People we believe in disappoint us. We have unanticipated difficulties. Our life doesn't turn out exactly the way we were expecting. We make mistakes, feel unworthy, and worry about being forgiven. We wonder about a doctrinal issue. We learn of something spoken from a Church pulpit 150 years ago that bothers us. Our children are treated unfairly. We are ignored or under appreciated. It could be a hundred things, each very real to us at the time."

My husband and I both experienced the same treatment, the same trial my husband went through, I went through. The same things he went digging through and read, I did, the same worries and concerns he dad, I had. We were both looking at the same information, but we were both looking at it differently.

Richard C. Edgley also in this General Conference said:

"Because of the conflicts and challenges we face in today's world, I wish to suggest a single choice - a choice of peace and protection and a choice that is appropriate for all. That choice is faith. Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire, or effort. It does not come as the dew falls from heaven. The Saviour said, 'Come unto me" and 'knock, and it shall be given you' These are action verbs - come, knock. They are choices. So I say, choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism.

When logic, reason, or personal intellect come into conflict with sacred teachings and doctrine, or conflicting messages assault your beliefs as the fiery darts described by the Apostle Paul, choose to not cast the seed out of your heart by unbelief. Remember, we receive not a witness until after the trial of our faith."

I chose Faith, this was not an easy choice, and loosing your spiritual husband, doing Family Home Evening alone, reading the scriptures every morning without your companion by your side is not easy. BUT I CHOOSE IT, I have four beautiful children who are looking to me for an example. I cannot give up, I will not give up. I love my husband, he is my best friend here on this earth. He loves me too, he is a good kind man, he would call me his best friend too. And because of my great love for him, I will not give up.

Brother Edgley continues: (with my comments added in italics)

"Will we understand everything? Of course not, We will put some issues on the shelf to be understood at a later time." I HAVE.

"Will everything be fair? It will not." DON'T I KNOW IT.

"We will accept some things we cannot fix and forgive others when it hurts." I TRY TO.

"Will we feel separated on occasion from those around us? Absolutely." ABSOLUTELY.

"Will we be astonished at times to see the anger a few feel toward the Lord's Church and their efforts to steal the struggling faith of the weak? Yes."

Will I be astonished that this anger is happening in my own home? Yes. Will I do as Jesus directs: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despeitfully use you, and persecute you." Yes I will and I do.

Do I do this all the time? No,

Do I always feel valiant and courageous? No,

Are there days when I can't bare to have another Family Home Evening because the children fight? Yes, but I still do it, because I must. I made covenants, I want exhalation, I want to stand confident before my maker at the last day.

And because there is nothing else out there good enough, Peter answered the Saviour's question by saying: "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the son of the living God."

I find comfort in these words: "My son {my daughter}, peace be unto thy soul: Thine adverstiy and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."

I know that Heavenly Father loves me, He loves you. He watches over us, He weeps with us and mourns with us, He also laughs with us. But that is not all...

My big brother loves me, He loves you - Jesus Christ is cheering for us, these two wonderful beings are rooting for us. But that is not all...

All the angels of Heaven are watching over us, loving us, helping us.

And when God is with us, who can stand against us?

Let us all be valiant in our testimonies of Christ, let us be valiant Latter-Day Saints, and never, never, never give up.

Trusting little Children

2010-07-19T10:08:00.003+01:00

In our family scripture study we have come full circle again and are back in 1 Nephi. I love Nephi, there is so much to learn there. We were busy reading about when Lehi is telling his family of the dream he had. You know when you know something, and you hear it said to you, it's not new, but maybe a new take on it, and suddenly that new take strikes you and you can't stop thinking about it...

We were discussing the reasons people might let go of the Iron Rod and follow different paths, or no paths at all, just aimlessly wander around heading nowhere. My daughter Rachel (10) looked at me and said: "Mommy, what about the little children who can't reach the iron rod and are holding onto their parents hands?" I was so struck by this mental image, I attempted to put it onto paper:

They are so trusting, they are holding onto our hands for a time, they won't let go, they will follow where we lead. Where are we leading them?

As for me, I will hold fast to that rod of iron, I will press forward steadily and faithfully to the tree of life, because there is nothing more desirable in this world, and I wish for my family to partake of it also. And as time goes by and they are able to reach, I will help them to grasp that rod for themselves. Ultimately that is one of parenthood's main purposes; to prepare children to enter this world as capable, strong, prepared adults. I pray constantly for the knowledge and guidance I need to be able to achieve this goal.

Gardening parable

2010-06-26T17:30:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I was watering our small vegetable patch and one of my kids (can't remember which one) said; 'Mom, you are watering the weeds as well as the veggies.' Then I said; 'Yes and then when the weeds are big enough to grab I will pull them out.'

As I was walking away to fill up the jug again what had just been said really struck me. In Matthew 5:45 it says: "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." and in Jacob 5 we have the allegory of the olive tree; click here to read the whole allegory.

The part that I was thinking about though is in verses 65 and 66; "65 And as they begin to grow ye shall clear away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees of my vineyard.

66 For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard."

So the bad fruit was benefiting from the dung, the pruning and the nourishing, however it remained bitter in spite of that, and in the end was plucked off and cast into the fire.

Lots to think about...

Some interesting definitions

2010-06-22T16:08:00.002+01:00

mutation:

*A sudden departure from the parent type in one or more heritable characteristics, caused by a change in a geneor a chromosome.

*An individual, species, or the like, resulting from such a departure.

*The act or process of changing.

*A change or alteration, as in form or nature.

*A change of the DNA sequence within a gene or chromosome of an organism, resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not found in the parental type.

*The process by which such a change occurs in a chromosome, either through an alteration in the nucleotide sequence of the DNA coding for a gene or through a change in the physical arrangement of a chromosome.

Adaptation:

*The state of being adapted; adjustment.

*any alteration in the structure or function of an organism or any of its parts that results from natural selection and by which the organism becomes better fitted to survive and multiply in its environment.

*A form or structure modified to fit a changed environment.

*The ability of a species to survive in a particular ecological niche, especially because of alterations of form or behaviour brought about through natural selection.

*An alteration or adjustment in structure of habits, often hereditary, by which a species or individual improves its condition in relationship to its environment.

*Change in behaviour of a person or group in response to new or modified surroundings.

Evolution:

*Change in the gene pool of a population from generation to generation by such processes as mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift.

*A gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form.

*Change in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations, as a result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation among individuals, and resulting in the development of new species.

*A continuing process of change from one state or condition to another or from one form to another.

*The theory that groups of organisms change with passage of time, mainly as a result of natural selection so that descendants differ morphologically and physiologically from their ancestors.

Interesting.....

I believe too

2010-06-21T08:12:00.001+01:00

Click here and see something wonderful.

Enjoy.

Each life that touches ours for good...

2010-06-17T08:20:00.005+01:00

I think in every person's life there are those special people that you meet that make an impression. The person you will remember fondly when you are old, sitting on your front porch in the sun and remembering the good times. Someone who carried you when you needed it, someone who loved your children in the way they needed it, someone who loved you in a way that made you feel special. Just the right person for the right time.

I sit here with tears rolling down my cheeks because of just such a person, and why am I crying you may ask? Because I am not sure we will ever see each other again in this life. I am speaking of a missionary who has been in our area and ward for 8 months now. We love him. We will sorely miss him.

Elder Farnsworth, thank you for your words of advice that day when you came to give me a blessing, they have made all the difference in my life. Thank you for giving my daughter a blessing when she asked for one. Thank you for making us laugh so much. Thank you for your precious gift to Zeek. Thank you for playing with Rachel and Corbin. Thank you for your special spirit. Thank you for your testimony. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for your love.

I am so sorry that I missed your last visit, I feel like I have been cheated out of saying good bye to one of my sons. Because that is how this Elder is seen in my eyes, my son, I will miss you...

Until we meet again.....

Some rambling thoughts...

2010-06-08T08:43:00.003+01:00

I have a husband who loves me!

I am healthy and my body works almost perfectly (I am getting older you know :) )

I can read, and have any book I could ever desire at my fingertips.

I have four beautiful, healthy children.

I live in a safer place now.

I am learning to sail a dinghy, how exciting is that!

I am able to serve those around me.

I have a job teaching swimming as of yesterday.

My children go to good schools, and they are all nearby.

When I flick a switch, lights go on.

When I open a tap, water comes out, and hot waster too if I need it.

I can jump into a trustworthy car and go wherever I need to, whenever I need to.

I can pick up a phone and call people.

I can watch good inspiring movies and listen to good inspiring music.

I have clothes to keep me warm when I need them.

I have a really comfortable bed to sleep in.

I have a cozy husband to hold me while I sleep.

I have a camera to capture precious memories.

I have covenants to keep.

I have a comfortable chapel to worship in every Sunday.

I don't know everything, but I know enough for now and I am grateful for what I know.

I have a Temple not too far away that I can go to.

I am losing weight, and it feels soooo good.

I have my own set of scriptures that I can read and study when ever I wish.

I have eyes that see 20/20

I have ears that hear. (Pete says I have super hearing because I often hear things he can't)

I have a roof over my head that doesn't leak.

I have a Father in Heaven that is always there for me,

A Saviour that intercedes on my behalf, and who gave me the gift of the Atonement.

The Holy Spirit who warns, protects, inspires, comforts and generally takes great care of me.

And so much more. Today I am feeling so grateful. I actually have everything I could ever need, and more than I ever wanted. I am so blessed.

Sacred Grove

2010-04-15T14:22:00.003+01:00

We asked the missionaries to come around and give us the discussions. My reasons being, our kids are all investigators for a time, until they are on their own feet/testimony. And also we read a story in the New Era about these girls who shared the gospel with their friends and told them all about the discussions. So I asked my children if they knew what the missionaries taught, and we had some ideas, but not ideas that were clear enough. We put it to a vote and decided that we did want the missionaries to come and teach us.

Our first lesson was on Tuesday and we were all given a read and pray challenge. All of us were given different chapters to read, so I thought it would be nice to do our reading somewhere beautiful and peaceful. This morning I took my kids to the Parkhurst forest, just up the road from us. When we got there, we walked a little way into the forrest, then got off the path. I laid down a blanket and we all settled in and read. Afterwards we all split off and found a place to pray.

What a lovely experience. I am glad we did this, and I am looking forward to next Tuesdays challenge.

Line upon Line

2010-01-12T08:45:00.002Z

For most of my life I have had a question that I couldn't find an answer for. Whenever the subject would come up at Church, I would sit up and listen. I would go through phases of thinking about it a lot, and then phases where I would 'shelve' the question and just carry on. All these years of thinking, studying, asking, listening, almost a whole lifetime of it, and now I finally understand.

The answer didn't come in a big AHA moment, no blinding flash of light, no voice in my head, it just surfaced, like something I had always known and just now remembered and it is so simple! And now that I have my answer, I see why the process of finding it was so important. All those years while working out the answer I was running on faith, trust in those around me, and my own experience.

With the beautiful gift of hind sight, I can look back with the answer in my hands and see the proof of it throughout those years. It is right, because my history and experience proves it to me. I am glad I held on, trusted others, had faith, because now I have my answer and it is delicious to my soul.

In His Time

2009-12-09T15:26:00.003Z

The Lord always answers my prayers, I have never been left wanting or alone in my time of waiting.

I feel his hand in everything in my life, gently and lovingly guiding me or those around me, and always in my best interests.

He so patiently loves me. I am blessed, and grateful.

Zeek is now a Deacon

2009-09-21T08:12:00.002+01:00

On Sunday Zeek was ordained a Deacon. He was given a lovely blessing by his Valiant teacher, a special experience for him as well. I am grateful for the Priesthood in my home, it is a great blessing to us all.

Agency

2009-08-06T12:11:00.002+01:00

I was reading a talk last night by Elder Dallin H. Oaks titled Timing. I came across a concept that I have known before, but new light was shed on the idea.

Have you ever heard a Ward goal something like this: We want to get 5 new baptisms before the end of....

Or a Stake goal: We want 12 new Priesthood holders in the stake so that we can....

Or a Missionaries goal: We want to get 10 baptisms in this quarter. etc....

Or I want someone in my life to change their ways and return to the Light and Truth of the Gospel....

While setting goals is good, and in fact should be done, we need to take into account others agency. The goals above are extremely likely to disappoint. Are these men in the Stake ready to receive the Priesthood, are there 10 people in your area that are ready for baptism, is the person in my life ready to change?

I cannot answer these questions, so why am I setting my goals and heart upon others choices.

Now what I can set goals about and pray about and work towards are things that involve me and my agency. I should set goals and desires upon my personal agency, not the agency of others.

If I do all that I can to put the Lord first in my life, and keep His commandments, then the righteous desires of my heart will be answered. And I will remember that it needs to happen when the person is ready, and in the Lord's time.

Now that I have realized this, my prayers are going to take on a whole new angle. And I think become more meaningful.

He loves us all

2009-08-05T20:52:00.002+01:00

These last few days I have prayed fervently for something. Never doubting Heavenly Father's care, I knew that He would either give me what I was asking for, or make another way so that I wouldn't need it.

Last night He gave it to me! It never ceases to amaze me how He just answers again and again, or provides another way. I am never left without, or alone.

Leave the Past in the Past

2009-07-18T12:03:00.006+01:00

In the movie Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins says near the end:

"How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on when in your heart you begin to understand there is no going back. There are some things time cannot mend, some hurts that go too deep that have taken hold."

Some days it does feel like this.

And it is true, there is no going back. But then again there never is a going back for anything. For me the danger of looking back is wanting what is gone. This behaviour destroys the future.

Things are always easier said than done. We should learn from the lessons of the past, but not dwell on them or pine for what once was. Make today better than yesterday and if this behaviour continues then the future will be brighter.

I cannot change what has happened but I can shape and direct what will be. What a powerful concept this is to me. With the help of Heavenly Father, the gift of the Atonement and the strength and comfort of the Holy Ghost, I can do this.

Preston Temple

2009-07-09T11:14:00.004+01:00

The temple was lovely, as always, but this time made all the more special because my mom, dad and aunt were there with me too. I will be grateful to be living nearer to the London temple soon.

I'm going to the temple!

2009-06-16T21:04:00.002+01:00

Tomorrow I will be flying off to England, and in the evening I will be at the temple. I am so glad that it is not too far away and that I can go there without too much difficulty.

I love being at the temple. It is the Lord's house. I feel the Spirit so strongly there. I can't wait to get there.

And then to make it even better I get to attend with my mom and dad whom I haven't seen in 18 months and 2 1/2 years respectively.

I am glad that families can be sealed together for eternity, and I am glad that we will then have a perfect knowledge, and thus perfect relationships with each other.

I am looking forward to greater peace and an enlightened mind, things which I always experience in the Lord's house.

Seeing IS believing, Right?

2009-05-18T13:26:00.004+01:00

How can you believe in something you can't see?
Show me the proof of it!
Did you see it for yourself?

We place a lot of trust in our faulty sight.

Are we going to climb up or down these stairs?
Is there really a sphere in this picture?
When you stare at the white blocks do small gray circles appear within the black lines? Do they really, because when you try to look directly at them, they aren't there!
Please could someone tell me how to build this model, seems impossible the more you look.
And what is it exactly you see in this picture?
Alma 30:53

53 "But behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel..."

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

13 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

So can we trust our eyes then? For the most part I think we can.
Then how can we tell when our eyes are being deceived

Doctrine and Covenants 8:2

2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

Moroni 10:4-6

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know he truth of all things.

6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

Again:

How can you believe in something you can't see?
Show me the proof of it!
Did you see it for yourself?

There are things I cannot show you, things that have no physical proof, things that I have not seen. But I know them to be true, because I have been shown in my mind and my heart. So clearly and regularly that there is no room for doubt anymore.

You want proof, you want to know what is true and what is not, then I suggest that you do as James directed in chapter 1:5;

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

Do you want happiness in your life?

2009-05-01T14:34:00.000+01:00

How Firm a Foundation

2009-04-28T10:57:00.003+01:00

(Hymn no. 85)

Before I looked at this hymn in the book I was already thinking that it would be sung with Conviction, but when I opened the hymn book I saw it was to be sung with Dignity. So back to the dictionary:

-Bearing, conduct, or speech indicative of self-respect or appreciation of the formality or gravity of an occasion or situation.
-Nobility or elevation of character; worthiness: dignity of sentiments.
-The state of being worthy or honourable; elevation of mind or character; true worth; excellence.
-Elevation; grandeur.

Then the scriptures related to this hymn:

Helaman 5:12

12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Isaiah 43:2-5

2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

Isiah 41:10

10 ¶ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

I noticed that we don't sing the 4th, 5th, and 6th verses enough, in fact when I was singing the 6th verse I was thinking that it might have been the first time I had done that. (to the best of my knowledge,) It is usually 1, 2, 3, 7 that are sung.

When there is an earth quake, you run to the door frame, when there is a hurricane, you run to your underground shelter, and when you live in the latter-days (which is now by the way) you build your faith on a firm foundation.

Imagine an endless supply of what ever you needed, in any situation, in any quantity, it was always there. If you have to pass through trials and sorrows (and you do have to) then why not have someone on your side who can ensure you don't get swallowed up in them, someone who is strong enough to ensure your safety. He never fails, He never tires, He never stops caring and loving, He will always be by your side.

The Saviour is my firm foundation, upon which I try to build all of me, my thoughts, deeds, actions...

And because of the Atonement; If at first you don't succeed, then try, try and try again.

Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth

2009-04-22T09:36:00.003+01:00

(Hymn no. 298)

I first sung this hymn, and this is what I was thinking while singing: Each verse is a progression, the first verse seems like a hope, something we can achieve. Something to to look forward to or want.

Then verse two tells you how to achieve this hope; Draw family near each week, serving Him with cheerful heats, parents teach and lead the way, children honor and obey. Then it ends with 'Reaching', and this made me think, you would only reach for something if you wanted it, something you were trying to get.

Then verse three gives further counsel on how to achieve our goal; Praying daily in our home, searching scriptures faithfully, singing hymns of thanks. Then the last line made me think: "Leading to our home in heaven, ..." All of these things will lead us to our home in Heaven. And then there is the thought that we are leading others too. Our children, our friends, colleagues, neighbours, strangers who notice the way we say and do things. Who will ever know the extent our influence can reach to.

So that is what we should do, and then this is what the hymn suggests we can get if we do those things; be filled with love, rich blessings from above, safety and security, keep love burning bright, grow in truth and light, feel His love divine, nourish heart and mind. I want these things for my children, my family.

But when I read the scriptures related to the hymn, it took a whole new direction, that is only briefly touched on in the hymn, I don't think I will ever look at it the same way again. The scriptures shed a whole new light for me.

Mosiah 4:13-15

13 And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due.

14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.

15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.

Ephesians 6:1-4

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2 Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Suddenly to me it isn't a hymn about home only, it now has a whole lot of responsibilities added.

Husbands: Do not have a mind to injure your wife or children, and give everyone their due. Provide for your children, feed and clothe them. Don't let your children fight (or might I say - because they fight anyway - don't let them carry on fighting.) Teach them to be true and sober, to love one another and serve each other. Don't provoke your children, treat them and admonish them the way the Lord treats and admonishes us.

Wives: (there is a lot of the same thing here.) Do not have a mind to injure your husband or children (might I add here that I think it is so important to behave in such a way that your husband can't help but be in love with you, and treat your children in such a way that they can't help but respect you. - easier said than done!), and give everyone their due. Do not let your children fight, teach them to be true and sober, to love one another and serve each other.

Children: Do not have a mind to injure one another (and remember that the cutting words from a child's mouth are particularly sharp!) Although this is directed at the parents, might I say that you should be grateful for the clothes and food you are given. Obey your parents IN THE LORD. Use wisdom, most parents wouldn't deliberately lead their children to do that which is wrong, but if they ever did try it, you have every right to disobey an unrighteous request or demand. Honor your parents.

Wow, all of that in two scripture references and a hymn. I will be pondering these things for days to come.

Oh, May My Soul Commune with Thee

2009-04-17T12:52:00.002+01:00

(Hymn 123)

This hymn should be sung Fervently; (dictionary definition) having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc.; ardent: a fervent admirer; a fervent plea.

Do I want my soul to commune with God? Yes of course I do. So can I sing this song with real fervent meaning? Yes of course I can.

Doctrine and Covenants 19:23,38
23 Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.
38 Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing—yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth and corruptibleness to the extent thereof.

Alma 37:36-37
36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Learn of me, be meek, pray always, cry unto God for all, counsel with the Lord, thank the Lord.
And if we are doing all of these things, our souls will commune with Him.

In verse 3; do we make time for quiet hours, half hours, minutes where our minds may be gently guided? How can we find His sweet spirit if we don't take the time to seek for it.

We speak to the Lord with our mouths and minds, and He hears us, but how does He speak back to us? By the Spirit's still small voice, am I ready and listening? And more importantly, when I hear do I obey?

I noticed that in verse 1, first line and in verse 4 last line the words are the same: Oh, may my soul commune with thee and find thy holy peace.

This is a direct result of communing with the Lord, finding peace. We live in troubled times, where can I turn for peace? Commune with the Lord, take time to worship, to be guided, to listen, to do!

Oh, may my soul indeed commune with Thee. And then I will find that I have peace around me in any situation.

On This Day of Joy and Gladness

2009-04-13T11:03:00.002+01:00

(Hymn No. 64)

My first thought was that we were at Conference and they had chosen this hymn. So Conference should be a day of joy and gladness, it was for me.

In verse 2 I noticed: "Open wide the fount of Zion; Let her richest blessings flow, to the Saints who nobly serve thee, in the gospel here below."

But in verse 3 we are reminded that you can't get something for nothing: "May we labour in the kingdom..." When we do the work we are sent to do, we are blessed.

Then I looked at the scriptures related to this hymn:

Psalm 47:6-7
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

Alma 26:8, 16
8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever.
16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

To me the main theme running through these verses is sing praises of thanks. And of course when we are grateful all the time, it is nearly impossible to fall into ingratitude, which leads to selfishness, which leads to pride.....

Something of interest to me though was at the end of verse 7 from Psalms; 'sing ye praises with understanding.'

The only thing we will take with us from this life into the next is our knowledge. And with knowledge comes understanding. It is not good enough to sit in an ignorant heap and thank God for your breath. We are supposed to gain knowledge, learn and grow intellectually and spiritually. So that when we do thank God for the things we have it is with knowledge, and understanding.

Interesting.

Called to Serve

2009-04-06T10:37:00.004+01:00

(Hymn no. 249)

Well first I sung the hymn. And I noted that at the top of the page it tells me to sing it with Conviction.

So I looked up conviction in a dictionary, (I didn't include the definitions relating to courts or law as that is not the purpose for the word here.):

an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence.
a fixed or firm belief.
the act of convincing.
the state of being convinced.

So when I sing this hymn in the future, I will sing it with a firm belief in God and His desires for me, being convinced that because He is my strength, I can and will press forward ever.

Then I looked up the scriptures relating to this hymn:

Doctrine and Covenants 4:2-3

2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.

3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;

Doctrine and Covenants 20:17-19

17 By these things we know that there is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting the same unchangeable God, the framer of heaven and earth, and all things which are in them;

18 And that he created man, male and female, after his own image and in his own likeness, created he them;

19 And gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be the only being whom they should worship.

I want to stand blameless before God at the last day, so what do I have to do to achieve this? Serve him with all my heart,might, mind and strength.

Then the words of the chorus struck me: Onward, ever onward, this is sung twice. We must move onwards while glorying in God's name. And I have had the times when I feel like I am trudging onwards, like this trial or that just goes on and on and on.

But we are to move onwards while glorying in his name. Come what may and love it. Sometimes we will be trudging, but we can always find joy in the journey.

Once we have sung onwards twice the tone changes in my mind: Forward, pressing forward! Can you imagine trudging along with the crowd, and then looking up and seeing someone that you love and have not seen for a long time, suddenly you would not be trudging along with the crowd anymore, you would be pressing forward through the crowds to get to them.

And what gives you this sudden burst of strength to push forward? The love of God, a triumphal song to sing, He is our strength.

So in my mind I went from trudging to moving forward to the presence of my Father. I have been called to serve Him:

Doctrine and Covenants 88:81, Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who has been warned to warn his neighbor.

I will serve.

Hymns for scripture study

2009-04-06T10:18:00.003+01:00

We have just been blessed to have a whole weekend of listening to the Prophets and Apostles of the Lord. It was the 179th Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Before the Sunday morning session there is half an hour of music and the spoken word. I have never really paid attention to this part of the program before, just some singing and talking about the songs, I thought. But yesterday I thought that the songs must be carefully chosen to link in to the conference. The thoughts sung and spoken would prepare me for the conference experience. So I listened.

While I listened an idea came to me, if I wrote down the hymns that were sung then I could use this as scripture study material for the next week or two. The hymns themselves have been carefully chosen and compiled to uplift and edify, then there are scripture references at the bottom of the page that can be looked up and studied, and then of course the theme of the hymn can open up a whole new channel of study.

I will share my thoughts about these hymns and what inspiration and new things I learn from them here.

Thoughts from an e-mail

2009-04-03T08:20:00.005+01:00

I received this in an e-mail this morning, it really made me stop and think:

"I arrived at the address where someone had requested a taxi. I honked but no one came out. I honked again, nothing. So I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said.

I took the suitcase to the cab, and then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.

'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'..

'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked,

'Could you drive through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life."

People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

Today I want to make someone feel happy.

I belong to the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

2009-03-29T14:58:00.002+01:00

This week one of my daughter's teacher asked the class to divide into groups according to the religion they belong to. Because of the area we live in the entire class was of one religion, and she was on her own.

The teacher turned to her and asked her what religion she belonged to. She stood there all alone on the one side of the class and declared: "I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Sniggers from the kids, and disapproval from the teacher was what she faced. This teacher does not like Mormons, and she lets them know it! There are other children in this school (also Mormons) who have faced the same persecution from this woman.

But I realized that she didn't stand there on the side of the class room alone, not at all! She stood there with the Lord on her side, Jesus Christ on her side and a myriad of angels too.

Well done my daughter, for standing up for what you believe in, even in the face of persecution.

Home should be a shelter from the storm

2009-03-27T22:22:00.002Z

In the latest Ensign magazine, the visiting teaching message was about upholding, nourishing and protecting the family.

I went out visiting teaching with my companion this morning and while she was giving the message she began to cry. Her home is not a shelter, and she is finding it impossible to nourish and protect the teenagers in her house, they don't want it, and as we all know: you can take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink!

After some discussion we came to the conclusion that there will be the times when your home is not a shelter, sometimes it is the source of all the storms in your life. And you have to live there, interact there, love and forgive there. This is hard! Where can you go when your home is not a place you feel sheltered?

There is refuge on Sundays, when you get to go to Church and refresh your self. If you are lucky enough to live near to a Temple, then you should go there. Do you have friends houses that are a refuge for you? The local forest walk, park, beach, hills.

What does the snail do when the weather gets rough? He can't leave his home, and sometimes we can't leave our homes. So if we can't get out what can we do? The snail is wise, he curls up and hides away when times are tough, he protects himself from the storms. Is there a sofa that could be your refuge, curl up with some music in your ears, or a good book, maybe go for a nap, wash the dishes while enjoying the flowers and birds outside your window, or write in your journal.

But be careful, the snail does not stay hidden for long, if he does he will die. He hides only long enough to miss the most terrible part of the storm, then he slowly pokes his head out and carries on.

These storms make us stronger, in the end we come out the other side wiser, stronger, more patient, having empathy for others, and so much more. It is a delicate balance, and we should all know our limits and not judge other peoples limits. There is a time to bravely carry on through the wind and the rain, and then there is the time to curl up and preserve your self.

Pray for guidance in these cases, study the scriptures, there are many instances in the scriptures that relate to our lives or remind us that our lot is not so bad. (remember Job!)

I am going to stick a picture of a snail at my bed side, so that I may remember to use wisdom.

Pearls before the swine

2009-03-14T09:20:00.002Z

I have heard that scripture quoted many times in my life.

One of the references is in Matthew 7:6, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."

What has stuck out in my mind before is the bit about them trampling the pearls under their feet. The main theme being: Pearls are precious, don't give them to those who don't appreciate them.

But just recently I noticed the last part, ... and turn again and rend you. What a revelation to me. I have been rent! Not only are your pearls wasted, but they get used against you.

So, protect yourself from those who would treat that which is precious to you lightly, by keeping your pearls to yourself, until you feel that it is safe (which may be never in their company) lest they use your precious pearls as a weapon to rend you with.

I have been warned, I will be much more careful in the future.

There are other people on this planet

2009-03-08T09:48:00.002Z

I have been so wrapped up in my own life and difficulties and problems that I have neglected others. I am not the only one hurting. I am not the only one torn between choices. And to make matters even worse I judged others unfairly and have hurt them.

I am sorry. Peoples choices that directly affect my life also ripple out to others. I did know this, I just got so self involved that I forgot about others.

I will do better, become as the Saviour and be a people centered person. I can do better.

Home Family and Personal Enrichment

2009-02-26T13:10:00.002Z

This morning I went to a mini-class at one of the sisters in our ward. She is Deaf and so we went there to learn some sign language.

First she taught us the signs for the song; I am a Child of God, and then we learned the signs for the sacrament prayer.

I really enjoyed being there and learning those things.

I am so grateful for all of these programs in the Church that enable us to learn and grow, Spiritually, physically (keep fit on Tuesdays) emotionally, and mentally.

These programs really do Enrich my Home, Family and Personal life.

My son's prayer tonight

2009-02-23T20:49:00.003Z

"Dear Heavenly Father, I thank thee for this comfortable home to live in. I thank thee that we can live on this beautiful island. I thank thee that we have a mom and a dad who take care of us, I am grateful that they are not like Chipmunks who leave their children after one week...."

There was more to his prayer, but I didn't hear the rest because I was trying so hard to remember what he had said so far. It was great, I am sure Heavenly Father loved it.

Long time no blog

2009-02-22T21:09:00.003Z

I haven't been around in the blogger sphere too much lately. I just haven't felt in the mood I suppose, but I feel like I am back! And it feels good.

I got a new calling today. It's a mouth full, so here goes... The Home, Family and Personal Enrichment Specialist in charge of food storage. Wow, this one is new to me, so I am looking forward to it.

I went to the Isle of Wight with my sister a few weeks ago and that was great. But the best thing for me was going to the London Temple on the Friday morning. It was the first time I have done a session in that temple and it was lovely to be there.

I love going to the Temple.

I am so grateful for my membership in this church. The promises and covenants and ordinances that help me to be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister and fellow human. I know that my family can live to be happier and more loving because of what we learn in this gospel. I can not think of any better way to raise my children.

Today our Sunday School lesson was on the restoration of the Priesthood. I am very grateful for the Priesthood. I am very grateful that my family was sealed for time and all eternity by a worthy Priesthood holder in the house of the Lord (The Temple). How wonderful to know that we can continue as a family unit throughout the eternities. I would not want to live my life without the blessings of the Priesthood.

I am blessed indeed.

All things bright and beautiful

2009-01-28T20:37:00.007Z

All things bright and beautiful All creatures great and small All things wise and wonderful The Lord God made them allThank you Heavenly Father for all you have given me. I am blessed indeed.

When you think you want to give up

2009-01-12T11:08:00.003Z

Some times life is very hard, sometimes you try and pray and hope and fast. And sometimes you get tired and want to give up. That is the crunch time, are you really a disciple of Jesus Christ, are you a Job, or a Laman?

Will I give up everything, even my own life if need be, or will I drop my head, claim not to be strong enough and skulk away?

I was tempted to be the skulker this last week. Why try anymore, I am so tired etc... in fact I have never felt a tiredness of soul like I did last week.

I don't want to be a Laman, Lemuel, or any of the other skulkers in history. I need to do everything in my power to live right, so that I can stand confident in my Heavenly Father's presence one day.

What is in my power right now? It feels like not much, but it is enough for now, and I will build it up. My thoughts turn to a song from the movie Spirit, at a time when he wanted to give up and allow his spirit to break:

Sound the bugle now,
Play it just for me,
As the seasons change,
I remember who I used to be.

Now I can't go on,
I can't even start.
I got nothing left,
Just an empty heart.

I'm a soldier wounded, so I must give up the fight.
There's nothing more for me, lead me away.
Or leave me lying here.

Sound the bugle now,
Tell them I don't care.
There's not a road I know that leads to anywhere.
Without a light I'm feeling I will stumble in the dark.
I'll lay right down, decide not to go on.

Then from on high, somewhere in the distance.
There's a voice that calls; Remember who you are.
If you loose yourself,
Your courage soon will follow,
So be strong tonight.
Remember who you are.

Yeah, you are a soldier now,
Fighting in a battle to be free once more,
Yeah, that's worth fighting for!
-
That is in deed worth fighting for!

Things to think about while going through trials

2008-12-16T11:51:00.003Z

In Doctrine and Covenants 121 Joseph Smith is pleading with the Lord for the suffering saints. His pleas are heart wrenching: O God, where art thou? How long shall thy hand be stayed? How long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion towards them?

Sometimes we feel like this. O God where art thou? How long shall thy hand be stayed? How long shall I have to go through this trial?

Here is what He says to us in these times of trial:

verse 7; Peace be unto thy soul, this will only be a small moment.
verse 8; I promise you that if you endure this well, I will exalt you on high, you will triumph over your foes.
verse 9; You still have friends, and they still want to be with you.
verse 10; Keep this in perspective, at least you still have friends, they aren't fighting with you and falsely accusing you.
verse 11 to the end of the section; All the things that the Lord will do to your enemies for your sake.

What a great way to deal with adversity!

I once wrote in my journal that it is possible for me to do anything - why do I say this you might ask, because of these three very special men in my life:

One who loves me so much that he would die for me;
One who loves me so much that He did die for me;
And one who loves me so much that He sent His son to die for me.

With these three on my side I can indeed do anything, even get through the trials that seem endless and overwhelming.

A More Excellent Way

2008-12-16T09:15:00.003Z

From the CD 2004-2006 the best of EFY (Especially For Youth) there is this song titled: A More Excellent Way;

Wandering and unsure of my position,
Drifting to an end that I can't see.
Drowning in a sea of indecision,
As the tides of fate wash over me.
Desperate to land on solid ground,
A place where purpose and peace abound.

A more excellent way,
I'm leaving the ways of the world behind me,
A more excellent way,
I'm searching for truth and letting it guide me,
I'm choosing today, a more excellent way.

From this foundation sure and steady,
Now my destination is so clear.
Filled with new direction I am ready,
To walk this road without regret and fear.
True to my Saviour I will stand,
Willing to give Him all I am.

A more excellent way,
I'm leaving the ways of the world behind me,
A more excellent way,
I'm searching for truth and letting it guide me,
I'm choosing today, a more excellent way.

Leaving it all behind me,
Following what's inside me,
With His love to guide me,
Suddenly I'm finding;

A more excellent way,
I'm leaving the ways of the world behind me,
A more excellent way,
I'm searching for truth and letting it guide me,
I'm choosing today, a more excellent way.

I suppose another way of saying this would be; What would the Saviour do? He would have found the more excellent way.

He could have said to the woman caught in Adultery; You wicked woman, you are a sinner and have been caught out, there is no hope for you. But the more excellent way was: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.... And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

Zacchaeus was considered a sinner, and the Saviour could have gone with the general opinion of the crowd and just ignored this little man up the tree, but He chose the more excellent way: "And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house."

He saw a man who earnestly desired to see Him, He saw a man who had an open heart, someone who must have believed some of the things he had heard or why would he have been so eager to see Jesus.

1 Samuel 16:7,
"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

Sometimes we see things, what people are doing, or the choices they make, and we judge them before we know all the facts, or before we have tried to get a glimpse into their hearts. And most of the time we will be judging unrighteously.

We do not hate Eve for partaking of the fruit, we are grateful to her, because of her choice she was able to have children with Adam and now we are all here. Without her choice the greater good could not have been brought about. She stepped into the 'wilderness' so that she and her husband could experience the joys of this life, the sorrow which only makes the joy sweeter, the sickness which makes health more invigorating. Now they could experience for themselves how to discover the more excellent way.

They learned things in the 'wilderness' that otherwise would not have been possible for them to learn.

There are people who are blessed with the ability to be able to see the better way and follow it without much questioning. There are those who are blessed to just have faith in the things they hear. There are those who are blessed to be able to learn from others mistakes and not have to go through the pain themselves. We all have different gifts given to us;

1 Corinthians 12:7-10
7 "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:"

Moroni 10:9-17
9 "For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom;

10 And to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

11 And to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

12 And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles;

13 And again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things;

14 And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits;

15 And again, to another, all kinds of tongues;

16 And again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues.

17 And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will"

Using these gifts is the more excellent way. Learning how to use these gifts is difficult for many.

There are some toddlers who will be told the heater is hot and they won't touch it, but most toddlers will burn themselves a few times before they decide that the heater is in fact hot. We are much the same, bumping along so often, when we could choose the more excellent way and simply obey the commandments. To just avoid all those spiritual heaters along our path.

Let us not judge those who continue to burn themselves. Let us choose the more excellent way and seek for ways to help them. There are lessons that they will learn out there in the wilderness, and if they choose to come back to the fold of the Saviour they will be more diligent and faithful servants.

1 Corinthians 12:31
"But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."

There are many wanderers who do covet the best gifts, they are great people and the Lord is well pleased with them, and when they are ready He will show unto them a more excellent way.

The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning!

2008-12-08T14:42:00.003Z

They are kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.

http://deseretbook.com/video/view/2

But the stone is cut without hands and will roll forth, and cover all the earth.

The blame game

2008-11-18T09:51:00.002Z

We were watching Star Wars 111 last night. In the one scene Padmé has just arrived on the planet where Anakin is staying. She has heard terrible things about what he has done and she has come to ask him if it is all true.

She loves him, and she wants to be with him. But when she asks him, she can see it in his eyes that he is lying to her and that what she was told about him is true. She begins to cry and says: "I don't know you anymore, Anakin, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow." The he asks: "Because of Obi-Wan?" And she replies with a shake of her head, "Because of what you have done, because of what you plan to do."

He then blames Obi-Wan for taking her from him, for turning her against him when it is in fact his lust for power that has done it. His choices. Obi-Wan's allegiance is to the republic and to democracy, to protecting the people, to good. He wants what is best for the majority, what is right. Anakin is selfish and proud. He only wants to satisfy his own needs, and at any cost for that matter.

How did he get to this point? Well he once knew that the Gedi were working together for the greater good, and he once wanted to be a part of that. But he allowed people to poison his mind, he listened to the enticing whispers of others, he gave into his lusts for power. And it turned him into something different, something even his wife didn't know. What a great loss, he was to be the chosen one, the one who would bring the force into balance.

Padmé could still see the good in him though, and she tried to reach it. She begged him to come away with her, make things as they were. Even in her dying moments she says: "There is good in him, I know it."

His choices lost him everything. And he was miserable.

There are people ignoring the force and going over to the dark side every day. What a great, sad loss. They are the noble and great ones, they have been saved for these latter-days. They were once valiant. Oh ye fair ones!

Let us keep ourselves safe, hold to the rod, study the scriptures and cut out any and all poison. There is no happiness or support or future in the dark side. Satan does not support his followers, because he can't, he has nothing to give them.

Come back to the light. As Yoda once said: "No, you don't try, you do, or do not, nothing wavering."

Look to the Lord

2008-11-05T11:45:00.003Z

D&C 45: 39 "he who feareth the Lord will look for the Lord’s coming."

D&C 6: 36 "look unto the Lord in every thought."

Alma 38:2 "And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end." (I would like to personalize this one)

And now, my daughter, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto Me; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to Me, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping My commandments; for blessed is she that endureth to the end.

What would the Saviour do?

2008-10-30T07:27:00.002Z

In 3 Nephi 27:27: "... Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am." This was the Saviour speaking.

So how does the Saviour deal with persecution?

Sometimes He remains silent:

When Pilate questioned the Saviour, "...Jesus gave him no answer."
(John 19:9)

Sometimes He bears a simple testimony:

"I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me."
(John 8:18)

"And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world."
(Ether 4:12)

Sometimes He drives the sinners out:

"And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;"
(John 2:14-15)

Always He forgives them:

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
(Luke 23:34)

*I have learned some very important lessons from these examples. Did you know that Silence actually IS Golden! If we could just learn to hold our tongues more often, then so much hurt, offence and pain can be avoided.

While I was at the Temple I was reading in James and this is what I came across:
(James 3:2-10) [Actually the whole of James is a good read.]

2 "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be"

Too true, these things ought not so to be, and we can control our tongues, it takes practice though, and prayer.

*When directed by the Spirit a simple testimony has an amazing affect. I have had a few experiences with this and have seen some interesting and amazing results. But if done at the wrong time or in the wrong manner the results can be troublesome, so always listen to the promptings of the Spirit.

*Please note: "And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple," I have heard so many times that the Saviour lost his temper. This cannot be so as He is the Saviour and so was perfect. And notice how it says that He first went and made a scourge of small cords. This was a calculated act, He was not in a temper, or out of control for that matter, He was just being firm and VERY clear on what He wanted.

I have had to stand firm on certain things. I am not loosing my temper, or uncontrolled, just not moving. When I am standing at the Lord's side, why should I move down to where I am being asked to go? Some things are not negotiable.

I have to stand accountable before the Lord one day. He will not ask me what someone else asked me to do, or what the crowd was doing, He will ask me what I did, the decisions I made, how I acted. I must act in such a way in this life that I can stand confident in His sight one day. Do what is right let the consequence follow - this is the motto of my life.

*Forgiveness, sometimes easier said than done, but with prayer, constant effort, perspective and fasting this is possible.

Carry on, carry on, carry on. He will not lead us to something that He cannot lead us through.

Did you ever consider...

2008-10-20T20:42:00.002+01:00

All children who are born into the church are actually still investigators to the church. And what does every new member need: A friend, a responsibility, and the nourishing word of God.

When I was a young child in primary and on through youth, I didn't have any friends. (Don't feel sorry for me now, this is simply information, not a plea for sympathy.) Strike one.

I was the Beehive class president, but nothing after that. (now I understand that you can't have 3 class presidents, but there are many assignments that can be created so that each young woman/man feels like she/he has something to be responsible for) Strike two.

In retrospect I was receiving the nourishing word of God, but you know that ancient Chinese proverb: Man with sore teeth cannot be in love. Well, young girl with no friends (in fact with some really nasty girls in my ward) and no feeling of purpose cannot feel or take in the nourishment. Strike three.

I suppose this doesn't apply to everyone, but this was certainly the case for me.

After a rough and rocky journey, I finally decided that it was time to find out about all this church stuff for myself. I was about 18 when I finally opened the Book of Mormon to read all the way through. It was only then that I really started to talk to my Heavenly Father. I began to pay attention at church and ask questions when I didn't understand. I wanted to know for myself. After 10 years of investigation I was finally putting in the effort (in case you are wondering about the math, you get baptized when you are 8 years old, so 18-8=10)

My Heavenly Father blessed me for my efforts. I was able to feel the spirit confirming what people said at testimony meeting. I was able to know for myself when reading the scriptures that they were the word of God, and that they uplift and edify. I was worthy to partake of the sacrament, and I could feel the love of my Heavenly Father and my older brother Jesus Christ.

I prayed hard for a husband, day and night. Why did I pray so hard when I was so young you might ask. Well because I wasn't sure any man would want me. Then came the greatest blessing in my life, my husband. When asking his parents what they thought of me as a potential wife for him this was what they said (In Pete's words to me): "Can you take her to the temple to be sealed?" Pete's answer was yes. Then: "Then we think she is a wonderful choice for you."

In my patriarchal blessing I was promised that I would be blessed to join with a worthy melchizedek priesthood holder. And I was, the Lord gave this man to me to be a blessing in my life. I am so grateful for him. He has taught me so much and it has been a wonderful and sometimes eventful journey so far.

But I stray from the point, back to the children who are investigating. Look at what a good missionary does for his investigators. He will do anything and everything! And not to chalk up another mark in his book of baptisms, because he loves these people. How much more love should we have for our children.

We should be only to glad to serve, sacrifice, teach, love, care, nurture, be patient, speak kindly to, encourage, prepare, listen to and just be there for them. It is only for a small season of our lives, before you know it they are grown up and out of the house. Give them your time, it isn't actually a lot to ask.

Perspective is the key here. In the grander scheme of things, is this small fraction of time so much to give to someone else? I don't think so, so I will try to do more of these things for my children.

I am going to work on serving them more. I am so bent on teaching them to be independent that I suppose I ask a lot from them. I will do more for them in the future.

I will encourage good friendships, find responsibilities for them, even if it is greeting the old lady at church every week, and nourish them with the good word of God when ever I can.

Watch and Pray always

2008-10-07T09:20:00.002+01:00

This morning in Family Scripture Reading we were in 3 Nephi 18, here the Saviour is instituting the sacrament among the Nephites.

In verse 15 He says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him."

I was reminded of the huge pine plantations in South Africa. The fields are made ready and the baby pine trees are planted. They make sure there are adequate fire breaks, and they build a tower at the highest point. These pine plantations are on an 8 year cycle. They are planted in year one and grow for the seven years, then they are cut down and the fields are burned and left fallow for a year.

So if you are the farmer and want a good crop of wood at the end, you need to wait seven years before you get anything out of it. So you will do anything in those seven years to keep your pine plantation growing healthily and safely.

In the dry months, and especially if there is a good breeze blowing you could loose your entire plantation before all the fire trucks have arrived. Hence the reason for the fire breaks and tower.

The man in the tower may feel like his job is boring and unimportant, but he is the most important man around for many years. While those trees are growing he needs to be watching. His instructions are simple; Look for smoke.

If he sees even a wisp of smoke he is to sound the alarm, because if he turns a blind eye, within 10 min. in the right conditions more than a square mile of forest can be lost. And as we all know, when a good fire gets going it is almost impossible to stop it.

That man in the tower must watch always, he must keep turning and watching all the day long, and when he goes to sleep another person takes over for him.

When I was finished explaining this to the kids, Rachel said to me: "So the smoke is like a sin or a mistake, if we don't deal with it straight away, it would spread."

Then Corbin said: "And if it was left too long, it would burn down the tower too, with the man inside!"

Out of the mouth of babes, I tell you!

There is no maintaining, there is only forward or backward motion. Watch and Pray always, lest the smoke becomes a fire, and the fire eventually consume you.

Special moments

2008-10-03T13:21:00.002+01:00

My son Zeek has decided that he wants to read his scriptures every morning before family scripture reading, like his mom does. He has diligently gotten up at 06:30 every morning and sat with me in the lounge and read his scriptures. This has gone on now for about three weeks.

The other morning he came to me and asked if he could talk about what he read. He then went on to explain that he had realized that the Book of Mormon was written not for the people in that day, but for our day, for him.

"So mom, when I read the scriptures, I can know that they were written just for me to read and learn from."

I just love these moments. Then this morning I went to wake Rachel up for the day and she said this to me. "Mom, last night when I was saying my prayers to Heavenly Father, I was crying happy tears, because I felt so good talking to Him."

Bless their little hearts. These are the moments that make it all worth while.

I love my children dearly. They are a precious gift to me.

Loosing something dear to you

2008-09-30T09:12:00.002+01:00

The mourning process is something that I would not wish on anyone. There are some days when even breathing seems too painful. Then there are the days that you think you are actually remembering what it feels like to be happy again.

Today is not a good day. Today my Saviour carries me. Today is just 24 hours, I can do this.

Thanks to everyone for your kind prayers, your love is felt.

Trying something new

2008-09-25T09:50:00.005+01:00

Yesterday I was reading in the September Ensign on page 44, the article titled: Be a missionary all your life. Some really good advice, I especially liked the part about mirror quality in conversation. When you start talking about the weather someone responds by talking about the weather. Or if you talk about sports, they respond by talking about sports etc.

I want to be an effective missionary, I want everyone to feel the love and care of Heavenly Father that I am able to feel. I want everyone to feel that real joy and peace that comes with the knowledge found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So what can I do about it?

This morning I pulled out the Preach my Gospel manual from our bookshelf. I decided to do my daily scripture study out of this manual instead of studying on my own (I must admit, that I do try to study, but it often ends up just being reading) With the activities and study tips in the manual I will be able to have a much more fulfilling study experience than previously achieved on my own.

This morning I began with the section titled; What is My Purpose as a Missionary? At the end of this section we study Lehi's dream. (1 Nephi 8, in the Book of Mormon - click here to read it online) Isn't it amazing how you can read something again and again and pick up something new every time.

What struck me this morning was that the first thing Lehi wanted after eating the fruit was for his family to experience it. I think that when family is important to you, you would want them to experience all the good things in life. And you would give up everything so that they could.

After some of the things I have experienced lately I know a little how Lehi must have felt when Laman and Lemuel would not partake of the fruit. How could they not want something so precious and fulfilling in their lives? Something that brought such joy.

Lehi describes the furit to his children: "and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.

12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit."

Most sweet, above all, white to exceed all whiteness, filled my soul with exceedingly great joy, desireable above all. This is exactly how the Gospel filles my soul. And I think when you have felt these feelings and then have forsaken them for whatever reason, missing these feelings leaves a void that cannot be filled by anything else.

I don't need any voids in my life. I will happily partake of the Gospel teachings, and become more like the Savour every day. I want to be a missionary all my life, and I know that by studying, my mouth will be filled with the right things to say when the moments arise.

The peace of the Saviour

2008-09-10T09:02:00.003+01:00

There is a peace in knowing who you are, who and what God is, and understanding more of what the Saviour did for us.

I am a daughter of God, this makes me royalty, this makes me more important than I originally thought. This makes me want to be better, behave decently and treat others kindly. This means that I have a royal birthright, I have royal inheritances, and royal privileges awaiting me. This knowledge makes me want to deserve these things.

God is our father, he created us, all of us. This makes you a Son/Daughter of God too, with all of those privileges and rights available to you too. God knows me, He loves me, He wants to help me and encourage me and refine me. He is watching over me. And since He created you too, He knows you too. He wants us back with Him, when we have proved ourselves here. How could we live with God when we are sinful natural people;

This brings in what the Saviour did for us. I do not mention these things in any particular order, just as they come to my mind.

When He died and was resurrected, He broke the bands of death - in other words, He made it possible for us to be resurrected.

He took upon Himself all the sins of the world, and in so doing gave us the possibility of repenting of our sins. Being able to stand before Him and Our Father with clean hands and a clean heart.

He gave us an example of how to live ones life, in His teachings and also in what He did. "...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

And then He tells us in John 14:27;
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

What is this peace? I think that I am beginning only now to see a little glimpse of what this peace is. I will attempt a modern day parable:

I went on an advanced driving course. In this course, you are asked to perform hand brake turns, front and back wheel skids, emergency braking at high speed and fast skidding pull offs. You are asked to drive in ways you only see in the movies and the results of which you see on the nine 'o clock news. Was I scared, you bet I was!

I was all nerves and shaking and scared, until the instructor said: "Gillian, it is impossible for you to roll this car, the area in which I am teaching you is large enough that you will never get to the perimeter, and I will be in the car next to you and have been doing this for years now."

I looked him in the eyes and said something like: "Really, I can't get hurt?" and then him :"Yes, Gillian, you will be absolutely fine."

YEEEEEEHHHHAAAAAA, and off I went, and I had an absolute blast! I have never done anything so exhilarating in my life. (and I have been bungee jumping too) Once the fear of injury was gone you couldn't keep me back.

I am sure you get the spiritual parallel. The Saviour says to us: "_______(your name) it is impossible for you to go too far, I have taken upon myself your sins, you can always return to me through repentance. If you turn to me in times of trouble I will never let you get close to the edge. I have gone through all of your pain, sorrows, anguish, despair, loneliness, and anything else that you can experience, so I know how to support you in these things, and I am right here next to you in the car.

YEEEEEEHHHAAAAAAA. And off she went, no more troubled by the things of this world, and trusted in the Lord, and in the Saviour, and had a much more enriched, rewarding, Peaceful, journey through this life.

His peace He gave unto me, I choose to take it, and use it in my life.

Trust your heart

2008-09-05T08:59:00.002+01:00

Today I was listening to the soundtrack of one of my favourite movies - Tarzan. And today the words of one of the songs had a different meaning all together to me. You see I haven't listened to this CD for about 6 months now, and some things in my life have changed since then:

"Beneath the shelter of the trees
Only love can enter here
A simple life, they live in peace

Raise your head up,
Lift high the load
Take strength from those that need you
Build high the walls,
Build strong the beams
A new life is waiting
But danger's no stranger here

No words describe a mother's tears
No words can heal a broken heart
A dream is gone, but where there's hope...

Somewhere something is calling for you
Two worlds, one family,
Trust your heart,
Let fate decide,
To guide these lives we see."

Trust your heart, this is something that I am learning at the moment. Trust the Lord too, and the Saviour's atonement. The Lord has made some promises to me, and He will deliver as long as I am faithful. There is a peace in that. Knowing that if you are patient and diligent He will deliver.

I heard someone say: When trouble comes your way, do you run away from the Lord or to Him?
I choose to run to him, where else would I run?
With him is the only sure safe place to be.

Be Ye Therefore Perfect

2008-08-26T12:46:00.003+01:00

Matthew 5:48 (in the Bible) "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

Sound impossible? How can I be perfect? I have a friend who thinks that way, it is impossible. If you can never achieve perfection then why try? The Lord Jesus Christ was speaking to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9; (the Bible)

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Do you believe Jesus Christ, I'm not asking you whether you believe IN Jesus Christ, but do you BELIEVE Him? He told us that His grace was sufficient, He said that He took upon Himself our sins so that we may repent, are you going to doubt the word of the Lord? I'm not!

(In the Book of Mormon) Moroni 10:32 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

Love God with all your might, not your neighbours, not your teachers or your fathers. But your might, mind and strength. Are you doing all you can? I can try harder, lengthen my stride, be a little better.

I believe Jesus Christ, if I do all I can on my side, He will do all He can on his side, and it will be enough.

In the Doctrine and 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."

I want His promise, I will try my very best to deserve it.

Be Wise, yet harmless

2008-08-26T12:05:00.002+01:00

I keep a scripture study journal and I was reading through it earlier and came across something that I had written almost a year and a half ago.

In the Book of Mormon in Alma 18 we read about Ammon and his missionary efforts. Ammon was working for King Lamoni as his servant. After doing some great things for the king he wants Ammon to come and speak to him. He wants to know what makes Ammon different from the others. He gives Ammon permission to "speak boldly" and share with him why he is there among the Lamanites.

In verse 22 it says: "Now Ammon being wise, yet harmless...." I made this comment in my journal: "Beware of men who are wise and harmful, we should be wise and harmless as Ammon."

I constantly repeat in my mind the counsel found in the Bible in Matthew 7:16,20;

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

When I come into contact with anyone, and need to make decisions, and want to know who and what I believe I think of their fruits. So, if they are wise, and harmless, and by their fruits I can see that they are harmless, then they are someone that I will put my trust in and obey and follow.

The Lord's prophet on the earth today, Thomas S Monson, is wise, yet harmless, and he has good fruits. He speaks with the Lord, and communicates His will to us, I will trust him and obey his council. I have been building a pattern of following the prophets council in my life, and as a result I have been able to have better fruits than if I had chosen to follow a different path.

The teachings of the prophets have led me to live a cleaner, better, safer, healthier, happier life. What wonderful fruits.

Why Church?

2008-08-16T11:38:00.003+01:00

Some people say that going to church every Sunday isn't necessary, that you can worship God in your heart, certainly worshiping God in your heart is important, but is it enough?

Well I have been thinking about that and have some thoughts on the matter. Can Christianity exist without the Church? Of course salvation is between an individual and God, but a key part of living in a Christian faith is being involved in a church.

Our ultimate example, Jesus Christ went to church; have a look at Luke 4:16 (in the Bible): "And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read."

Then in Hebrews 10:24-25 (in the Bible):
24 "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

In fact, when you take the New testament as a whole, you easily see that neither Jesus nor any of the apostles envisioned a stand-alone faith, much less spoke about it.

Becoming a Christian isn't as simple as accepting Jesus as your Saviour and then being done with it, there is more to it.
(Colossians 3:15-16)
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
So we let the peace of God rule in our hearts as a body, or church, and teach, admonish and sing together.

(John 13:14-15)
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
We need to serve one another, and provide opportunities to serve.

(Colossians 3:13)
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Bearing one another's burdens, forgiving one another.

(Hebrews 3:13)
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
(Thessalonians 4:18)
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Encourage each other, reminding each other to stay on the straight and narrow.

And the most important reason that I go to church every Sunday; To partake of the Sacrament.

The accounts of Jesus instituting the sacrament can be found in the Bible in Matthew 26:26-29 and Mark 14:22-25 and Luke 22:15-20

We partake of the Sacrament to renew the covenants we made at baptism. The act of partaking the sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward commitment. These are the covenants we make at baptism:
Bear one another's burdens, that they may be light;
Mourn with those that mourn;
Comfort those that stand in need of comfort;
Stand as a witnness of God at all times and in all things and in all places.

So for me, that is why church.

From the Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

2008-08-07T15:01:00.002+01:00

"You will say that these are very small sins; ... But do remember, the only thing that matters is not the extent to which you separate the man from God. It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."

The Screwtape letters are letters from a head demon to his nephew - a demon in training. His affectionate uncle is training him on how to be effective in his job of distracting the humans away from God and ultimately winning them over and taking them to hell.

Even although this is a work of fiction, I believe that C. S. Lewis was very in tune, he was aware of the subtle ways that Satan gets to you. Never underestimate how cunning and clever Satan is. Once he gets his foot in the door, it is hard to pry him out again.

My husband once said to me (about eating) that it is not what you put into your mouth today that makes you fat, it's what you put into your mouth every day. The same can be applied to things of a spiritual nature.

Screwtape was focusing on the negative, but I am thinking of the positive. It's not saving someone from a landslide or giving my life to save someone else's that will get me to Heaven, it's the every day little things that get me there.

This may seem like a huge task, but it isn't if you break it up into days. Just for today I can be kind, just for today I can read my scriptures, just for today I can serve someone else. And should I die before the sun rises tomorrow morning then I died doing all I could to be a better person.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but the road to Heaven is paved with every day good deeds.

O Give Thanks Unto the Lord

2008-07-29T09:44:00.002+01:00

I recently had a friend tell me that obeying the commandments of God don't bring you blessings. That life will just deal you the cards that were already in the stack and no matter what you do you are at the mercy of the day.

To me this is just such a sad thought. I have definitely felt the blessings that come from obeying the commandments. But according to my friend those weren't blessings from obeying they were just things that happened.

Here is an example: We are asked to pay tithing on the money we earn. And we are promised blessings for obeying this principle.

In the Bible, Malachi 3:10 it says: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it"

I have another friend that had an experience with the blessings of tithing. They had just moved to a new town and were looking for work. They couldn't get anything though. Quite a few interviews, but nothing. They had their tithing set aside in their bank account waiting to pay it, but for various reasons hadn't paid yet. Then they decided not to wait any more and to just pay it, and what happened? Three job offers! "There shall not be room enough to receive it."

Just a coincidence? I don't think so, they don't think so, my friend does though. I think there is such sadness in this way of thinking. I know that Heavenly Father knows me, and He loves me, and He wants the best for me too. I imagine Him standing with a bucket full of blessings just waiting to shower me with them, if I will only obey and prove Him.

My friend's way of thinking is also very vain and selfish in my opinion. It's an 'all me' approach, and I have always found that to be a dangerous way of thinking. It allows you to cut God out of the equation. Or to make Him into this uncaring distant being. What ever happened to relying on the Lord, and giving thanks unto the Lord.

I went onto the LDS website earlier, to the scriptures section, and I typed in: 'Thanks unto the Lord', up popped 50 results, and if you use different wording a whole host of different results can be found. Trusting in the Lord and giving thanks unto Him are as vital to our lives as food and water.

In the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 4:34 it reads: "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm."

I think that we will be 'cursed' because we have excluded God from our lives, be careful, this is dangerous territory.

No one likes an ungrateful person, just taking and asking and using and never saying thanks. Jesus himself asked after he had healed the 10 lepers: "...Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" (Bible, Luke 17:17) Only one came back to thank Him, how sad.

Are they blessings, YES. But what happens when we obey and we don't seem to be getting any blessings? It's a trial of our faith (how convenient, says my friend) but really, hear me out; Anyone on this planet who believes in a great being or god of some kind will tell you that after the trial of your faith comes the blessings. (Now before you think that this is corny, think about this)

Nobody likes the spoilt rich kid who never had to work for anything in his life. And often when they are brought into difficult circumstances later in life they wish they had been better prepared for it. Bumps, bruises, blisters and aching muscles teach invaluable lessons. They make us more capable, and grateful.

I don't think God wants a whole bunch of spoilt kids in his home one day. We need the spiritual bumps etc, to become useful people. Trials bring about a maturity that cannot be earned any other way. But as I have said before, you are never alone. It seems strange to say, but I am grateful for my trials, I am becoming sanctified, and am becoming a more useful person in the Lord's army. If I can humbly endure this life's trials, I will one day hear these words from my Heavenly Father's mouth: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"

I give thanks unto my God for the blessings and trials in my life.

In the Meantime

2008-07-22T21:50:00.002+01:00

I just love this song, it speaks to my soul.

From the CD, Women of Destiny, Volume 2. they say this about the song:

"We often underestimate what is being accomplished when a righteous woman performs her simple but eternally significant daily responsibilities. Many of us do not have the life we expected, and we sometimes let those unfulfilled expectations keep us from feeling that we are accomplishing something worthwhile, something worthy of all we want to be. But even when our own life plans are delayed or destroyed, the Lord continues to bless us with experiences that will make us worthy of our highest aspirations. We sometimes must wait for all we desire, but there is peace in realizing who we are becoming in the meantime."

And these are the words of the song:

In her heart she holds the dreams
That she's carried since the day she turned thirteen
Of all that she would be when she was grown
Of all that she would do when she was finally on her own
She dreamed she'd fly
And she's still waiting for the chance to try

But in the meantime she's a mother and a daughter and a wife
Doing all she can to stay above the daily grind
She wonders when she'll ever have more meaning in her life
She doesn't know she's being molded and refined
In the meantime

Someday she'll go back to school
When the carpools and the soccer games are through
'Cause deep inside she's still the girl
Who's always felt the fire to make a difference in the world
She dreams she'll soar
When she finally has the time to do more

But in the meantime she's a sister and a teacher and a friend
Hours turn into days that turn to years that never end
She wonders when she'll ever really find herself again
But she's becoming one on whom God can depend
In the meantime

Heaven feels the joy of every victory in her life
And heaven hears her heart before she cries
Somewhere in the middle of the triumphs and the trials
She's becoming sanctified

But in the meantime she's and answer and a blessing and a gift
To every empty, aching heart that only she can lift
Still she wonders if she'll ever get to see where heaven is
If she could only see her mansion waiting there
If she could only feel how much her Father cares
She would know she's being perfectly prepared
In the meantime

Interesting observations

2008-07-19T09:30:00.001+01:00

In the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 27 there is a story of some bad boys. They had good fathers, faithful members of the Church of God. But their sons decided that church wasn't for them and that they were going to try to destroy the church by causing doubt and confusion.

The one boy Alma, became a very wicked and an idolatrous man. And he was a very smart man, able to use very clever language, speaking much flattery to the people. Leading many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.

Now the dads of these boys prayed and prayed for the souls of their sons as well as for the souls of the people they were leading away.

Remember in the Bible in the book of James 5:16 it reads: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

Well just have a look and what these prayers brought about; One day they were walking down the road and suddenly and Angel appears before them! And his voice was like thunder and as he spoke to them the earth shook.

Then in verse 13 it says: "...why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it, and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people.

14. And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith."

Now we get to the bit that interests me, if you read the next few verses you see how the angel convinces. I am not going to type it all out, but these are my observations on what I have read.

Feel: The angel said, doth not my voice shake the earth. Our minds may make up all sorts of excuses to explain something away, but our hearts (and by that I mean the emotional feeling heart) can not be deceived. There have been times in my life when my head wants to make all sorts of excuses and reasons for doing something, but my heart is never wrong. I do know that if we ignore our hearts feelings often enough that it becomes harder to feel. And that is a very sad state to be in. This state is referred to often in the scriptures as hard hearted.

Sight: The angel said, can ye not also behold me before you. Another phrase often used in the scriptures is; by their fruits ye shall know them. What do you see, the proof IS in the pudding.

History or past experience: Another theme that is often repeated in the scriptures is of what 'our fathers' had experienced. What happened to them and how the Lord had delivered them. We should remember often how merciful the Lord has been unto us and our ancestors in the past.

Statement of fact: The angel said, and I am sent from God. When God speaks to us, weather it is through the scriptures, prophets, church leaders, or the still small whisperings of the Spirit, it is sent from God.

Admonish: The angel said, go thy way and seek to destroy the church no more. We have been admonished in the scriptures. We have the commandments, and the prophet's council.

Just some of my observations.

We do not doubt

2008-07-17T09:48:00.003+01:00

I love the three Lord of the Rings movies. They are like a parable to me. When Gandalf gave his life to save the rest of the fellowship. When he comes back again as Gandalf the White and brings new hope to all. When Legolas and Gimli and Aragon jump off the ships and they seem to be alone, and then a whole host of spirits appears and fights for them. When Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry seem so small and insignificant to the whole story, yet the whole story would have failed if it wasn't for them.

And then the scene which leads me into today's thoughts: In Helms Deep when the Orcs have surrounded and broken through their first defences and desperation stains the air with its reeking scent. The seasoned warriors arm the young boys. These boys have never held real swords before, they are scared and unprepared and have seen to few winters. Mothers cry and cling to their sons, boys faces crumple as they realize what is required of them and the knowledge that they can't do it.

As they head out for the final battle - in which all believe they are going to die - the sun rises and on the top of the ridge Gandalf is there, and he is not alone, he has a huge host of men with him. (it is usually at this point when my tears of sadness for the young boys become tears of triumph and joy - because I have felt alone and lost at times and then always on the ridge someone appears with backup, to lift me up and encourage me to carry on, I have never been left alone)

This morning we were reading in the Book of Mormon, Alma 56. Now I suppose some history is required so that this story can be better appreciated: There was a city filled with wicked people who had murdered many in their time. And some missionaries came to preach the gospel to them. They believed and wanted to repent, they wanted to show God that they wouldn't sin ever again. So as a token of their covenant never to shed blood again they buried their weapons of war.

But they were now on the good guys side, and the bad guys weren't too happy that they had decided to cross over, so the bad guys came and started killing them. To cut a long story short the converted Lamanites moved onto some land given them by the Nephites and were protected by them. But the wars didn't cease and after many years of being protected by the Nephites they felt compelled to take up weapons of war and fight again. They were encouraged not to though because that would be breaking the covenant that they had made (always a really bad idea)

By now though their sons had all grown up. They had not made the oath to never fight so they volunteered to fight to protect their families and their country. They are well known to any Mormon as the Two Thousand Stripling Warriors.

I have read this story many times but this morning it really impressed me. I suppose because I feel the responsibilities to teach the children things of a Spiritual nature.

The stripling warriors had been marching away from a much larger and stronger, murderous army for three days. On the third day the army stopped chasing them. Now they were faced with a decision. They didn't know if the Lamanite army had stopped because they were busy fighting their friends who had been chasing the Lamanites, or if they had stopped as a trap to bring them into the enemies grasp. Their captain - whose name was Moroni - (remember the guy who tore up his cloak and made the title of liberty - see relevant previous post) asked them what they wanted to do. This is what they said:

"47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the Liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me [Moroni] the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

Maybe one day one of my children will say: "I do not doubt my mother knew it."

I can say in the name of Jesus Christ that I do not doubt, I know it, I cannot deny this knowledge. Heavenly Father exists, He lives, He loves me, His son Jesus Christ died on the cross for me, I can repent, Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the grove of trees, he translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God. This, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only place that I can receive the necessary ordinances to be able to return and live with my Heavenly Father. I find joy in drinking from the living waters that are found in the scriptures, and the prophet's council. Thomas S Monson is our prophet today, he has been called of God, and lives his life in God's service. These are the truths that I have discovered in my life, and all can discover them if they would just ask of God.

Chocolate art

2008-07-16T08:04:00.004+01:00

Okay, so you can't put too much detail into a chocolate button artwork, but here are my best efforts. This morning when the kids come for family scripture reading (for more on that see my older posts on the subject) they will find these:

Be careful little ears what you hear.
Be careful little eyes what you see.
Be careful little hands what you do.
Be careful little mouth what you say.
For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little ear/eye/hand/mouth what you do.

Forgiveness

2008-07-16T07:13:00.002+01:00

To err is human, to forgive is divine.
We must forgive 70x7.
Turn the other cheek.
Forgive others as we forgive their trespasses against us.
Forgiveness is the key.
I the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.
Etc...

I am only human and I make mistakes. I say stupid things that I regret later, or do something that should really have been avoided and let's not get into the thoughts that sometimes rage through my head.

I am also a child of God. And I know that I can repent when I make a mistake, and receive forgiveness. And more importantly feel that forgiveness - and then of course there is the really hard task of forgiving yourself!

I can truthfully say that I do not hold any grudges or malice towards anyone right now. Not a single person, group or organization. (I did say right now didn't I?) As I said I am only human, and it is quite early in the morning :)

I have unintentionally caused offense to someone I love though. And I am sorry, and I didn't think that it would be offensive. I hope that I too can be forgiven.

Do you ever wonder what it is all for? This whole life of accomplishment and disappointment. Love and hate. Joy and pain. Happiness and depression. Richness and poverty. Trust and betrayal. Security and offense. One day everything seems like it will actually get better and that you have made it out of this current rut, then suddenly you realize that it was just the bump before the abyss.

Some days I could just burst with all the love and joy inside my heart, and then other days it seems like every breath I take is going to kill me for all the pain I feel inside. Although I must say that these are both extreme examples and most days are just fine or finally over!

I don't wander what it is all for because I know. This is a testing ground. Heavenly Father wants to see if we can remain faithful even when we are down in the abyss. There is a life after this one, and we will stand accountable for all of our actions, thoughts and deeds at His feet. There is consequence in all things.

And if I will be forgiven the way I forgave then I will forgive really quickly and easily. I want to stand confident before the Lord at the last day. And I will be able to achieve this by living the standards have been set for us. Remembering at all times that I am trying to follow the Saviour's example. Keep the commandments and do works of righteousness.

How does that saying go?... Pray like everything depends on the Lord, and then get up and work like everything depends on you. Faith without works is dead. The Lord does not like a slothful servant.

And what can I do if my current offended loved one chooses not to forgive? (when I say current it sounds like this happens all the time!) I can show love, serve them. And of course next time I will think very clearly before I speak, because although no offense was meant, perhaps I could be more considerate of how what I say may be taken. This is an area in which I can improve, watch this space....

Spiritual beings on an Earthly voyage

2008-07-13T11:17:00.002+01:00

A spirit united with a body becomes a soul. That is what we all are, we were once spirit, then we came down to earth and received a body. This combination can sometimes make life difficult.

Our spirits belong to the eternal world, but our bodies belong to time here on earth. This means that while our spirits can be directed to an eternal object, our bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, because to be in time means to change. Our nearest approach to consistency, is undulation - the repeated return to a level from which we repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks.

It is an awful moment when I realize that I have a failing or shortcoming. To look at myself and know without doubt that my Heavenly father is not pleased with what I have been doing. But this doesn't need to be a terrible thing, in fact it should be wonderful! Because it is at this point when you realize that you could be doing something better, that change occurs. The beginning of getting better.

There is probably nothing more disheartening to the devil and his hosts when we are in a trough in our lives, we no longer desire but still intend to do Heavenly Father's will. We look around at our lives and the universe and feel like we have been left alone in this time of trouble, we ask why we have been forsaken, and then we still obey.

It is during these trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that we are growing into the sort of person He wants us to be.

A simple song

2008-07-12T21:50:00.003+01:00

I love mother, she loves me.
We love father, yessiree.
He loves us and so you see,
We are a happy family.

Now I know that it isn't always that simple, but what a great thing to have.
We have this in our family, what a wonderful blessing.

Some great advice.

2008-07-10T13:12:00.002+01:00

Be grateful, Be smart, Be clean, Be true, Be humble, Be prayerful. (Gordon B Hinckley)

These are called President Hinckley's six B's. I know a few more have been added since, but I was unable to find the talk where these are. My searching skills on the internet are still very basic.

Today I was thinking mostly on the first one: Be grateful.

In my journal/diary on 23 March 2005 I wrote:

"I think an attitude of gratitude can eliminate pride, selfishness and of course ingratitude. If you are grateful in all things unto the Lord then you can't be prideful. Because pride is 'all me', 'look at me' stuff. But if you are saying, 'look at what I have been able to do because I have been so blessed' or 'because the Lord has given me this talent' or something along those lines, then you can't be prideful. Pride also leads to selfishness and so if you eliminate pride then you will find it really hard to be selfish. The challenge is to make gratitude a habit, but I know with the desire for it and the Lord's help I can achieve this."

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank Heavenly Father for something in my life. I have been so blessed.

Another thing I have noticed about being grateful is that you don't seem to focus on the negative things in your life. You could spend the day complaining about the things that you don't have, or spend the day being grateful for all that you do have.

Right now in my family there are some things that I am very sad about not having. Things that are precious to me and to my children that are no longer available to us through my husband. But you know what! I have a husband, he loves me dearly, he is a good dad, he works hard to provide for us.

Really what more could I expect than that. (okay a lot more, but I am trying to focus on the good stuff today) And in reality I am aware that there is a lot more that could be expected from me.

I am trying to live a Christlike life. What kind of a person would I be remembered as if all I do is complain about what I don't have. (and those of you who are thinking that that is all you can remember about me, I am sorry, and you will notice a difference.) The Saviour had many things He could have complained about, He didn't, He looked for the good, and when you seek for that which is good and true you are uplifted. Seeking for negative, slanderous, unhappy things brings about just those results in your own life.

The 13th Article of Faith states: We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Ask yourself this: Is it virtuous, is it lovely, is it of good report, is it praiseworthy? If you can answer yes then you are on your way to leading a virtuous, lovely, praiseworthy life that will be good to report about. And when you are living like this, there won't be any room for ingratitude.

What am I grateful for right now? The chance to share my feelings with family, friends and strangers. Because when I share these feelings it inspires me to be better, to be more like my Best friend, Brother and Saviour - Jesus Christ.

Oh the joys of children

2008-07-07T12:21:00.002+01:00

I got to the kitchen to have my piece of cake and what did I find! Only a tiny piece left in the corner. Oh well.

The blessings of fasting

2008-07-07T11:02:00.002+01:00

This weekend being the first of the month I had the opportunity to fast.

There have been many times in my life that I have fasted without a purpose, just fasted because it was fast weekend and so we weren't to eat anything. It was only a few years ago that I tried fasting with real intent.

Usually by the time its three hours to go I am grumpy and HUNGRY. But I discovered that if you have a genuine reason and you have been praying and reading the scriptures more than usual it is quite easy to go without food. My husband once said that if I read the scriptures at meal times - like a spiritual meal - I would be able to go without food and water much easily.

I am grateful for the fast for three main reasons:

1. Going without food for two meals helps me to realize that I can master my body. Over eating is a problem in many peoples lives, I have been prone to binging at times, eating for comfort and also for boredom.

Once I realized I could go without food for two meals and actually do it easily, helps me to control my bad food habits the rest of the month. I also have come to understand that there are many physical 'weaknesses' that can be controlled by just deciding not to do them anymore. The thought pattern goes something like this for me: If I can go without food, then I can stop clicking my knuckles. It is quite empowering!

2. Going hungry for two meals helps you to realize what it must be like to be that proverbial child in Africa. You start to think about exactly how it must be to be STARVING, and not the I haven't eaten in three hours starving or even the two meals missed staving, but the whole life of never enough food, falling asleep while mom boils water in the pot while telling the children it's food and hoping they will fall asleep before they realize there actually isn't any food to eat tonight and probably not tomorrow either.

When we fast we contribute money to the Church welfare fund by checking the fast offering option on the tithing form. We are encouraged to donate, at a minimum, the money that the family would have spent on the two meals we have skipped. (we are asked to give generously though.) This money is then used to discreetly help members in need, like paying for food, clothing and shelter. Whatever money is not needed locally spills over into the Humanitarian Relief Fund, which provides aid to people of other religions all over the world.

If for nothing else what a great reason for doing this.

3. I get to grow spiritually.

In Matthew 6:16-18 (that's in the Bible) Jesus says:

16. "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18. That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

So despite the plummeting blood sugar levels we are supposed to fast with quiet joy. (Yeah Right?) Yeah Right! I have done it and felt the quiet joy, it is possible and actually it is enjoyable. (But in all honesty, not every time)

We grow closer as a family, ward (congregation), Stake (bunch of wards in a larger area) or a whole Church. Because we are united in hunger -oops - fasting, or a common purpose we grow closer. You think the family that prays together stays together, well you should see the family who fasts and prays together.

We grow closer to God. We also fast on individual levels when seeking inspiration about a particular issue. Some examples of the reasons for these fasts may be: reconciliation with a family member of friend, facing a health challenge or knowing the truth regarding a specific gospel principle. We are advised by church leaders though not to fast for more than 24 hours or more than once a week, remember we are to use wisdom in all things, and our bodies do run on food and water!

Right now I am going to eat a piece of chocolate cake and really enjoy it!

Family scripture reading

2008-07-05T11:30:00.003+01:00

Yesterday morning we were reading about Captain Moroni (in the Book of Mormon) - to be more precise: Alma 46.

I always try to make these mornings fun for the kids so I took some serviettes/napkins and put them around everyones shoulders (like a cloak - I didn't use fabric as I didn't have any easy tearing stuff in the house at the time)

When we got to the part where Moroni rent his cloak and wrote upon it the kids tore up their "cloaks" and wrote on them: "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedon, and our peace, our wives, and our children." These are the reasons that Moroni was willing to go to war, in fact compelled to go to war.

Most mornings when the half hour is up the kids ask me not to stop, they are enjoying it so much. We have really been developing a love for the scriptures.

I have also felt something else in our home since we have been reading the Book of Mormon every day as a family - and no we are not perfect, we have only been doing it properly for six months now, but better late than never. I have felt an increase of love and less fighting amongst the children.

President Marion G. Romney, Second Counselor in the First Presidency (1980) gave a talk in the May Ensign (for the full talk click here) he said:

"I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness."

I am starting to feel these blessings in our family, how wonderful, who could want for anything else in their homes and families?

You're more grateful when you don't have it

2008-07-04T17:22:00.003+01:00

I have a wonderful body. It can see, hear, touch, taste, smell and then of course there is the old sixth sense!

I have been sick lately, can't breath properly, head hurts, neck hurts, eyes sensitive to light. Just a common cold, but enough to put me in bed for a whole day and slow me down for another few. It's when your body isn't doing it's job well that you realize how lucky you are.

I thank my Heavenly Father often for a body that works (mostly) well - some creaky achy bits are starting to make themselves known! I am grateful for the word of wisdom, I have seen others who don't respect and take care of their bodies and they pay for it at young ages.

I can't wait to start feeling better.

A new Month

2008-07-01T09:32:00.002+01:00

I love New times: A new day, a Monday (start of the week - yes I know this is viewed as the second day of the week by others but I see Sunday as the last day of a week, the rest before the grind sets in again.) 1st of the month and new years.

There is always a chance to try again, until the day that there isn't a chance anymore. And when that day is no one knows. My mom once said to me: "There are absolutely no guarantees in this life, not even your next breath."

The other day we were driving down the road and there was a bit of traffic slowing us down. We were curious to see what had caused the disruption in traffic and were soon able to see what it was, A huge car accident. The people in one of the cars had to be cut out with the jaws of life. I said to the kids: "Somebody's life changed today."

Am I living today in such a way that if it is my turn to leave this earthly journey I will be able to stand confident in the presence of the Lord? No one can answer this question for me. (although I am sure there will be some who would be willing to give me their opinion on the matter!)

Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad, and made someone feel glad? These questions can be related back to me. I have done good today, I read my scriptures and then after that I got all the children together to read as a family. I helped Cheryn with the dressing on her damaged toe. I gave Rachel a hug when she was sad, and in doing all of this I was able to make myself feel glad. And it's only 09:45! (now before you think I am getting all proud.)

I am trying to make a point, we all do good every day, and we will -God willing- be able to try harder tomorrow. I think it becomes a problem when we stop trying. Your very best IS good enough, but just make sure it IS your very best.

A new month, another chance, can I do better? WATCH THIS SPACE :)

You are never alone.

2008-06-27T11:36:00.003+01:00

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Accross the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; One belonged to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very saddest and lowest times of his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I had decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you the most you would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you only see one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." The Lord is watching over me now, I can feel it. I won't forget it. He carries me when I feel I do not have the strength. The comforting warmth of the Spirit surrounds me, and the knowledge of the Saviour's atonement comes to the front of my mind. He suffered all things for me, even this pain that I am experiencing now.

I am not alone.

Trust

2008-06-19T21:23:00.000+01:00

Put your trust in someone who always keeps His promises.

The sun is always shining

2008-06-17T19:36:00.001+01:00

There may be 'dark' days in our lives, I have had a few lately. I have relied heavily on my Heavenly Father and the comforting effect of the Spirit. Sometimes you look on the future and feel hopeless, but I remember what my wise mother told me a while ago: Take each day as it comes, say to yourself; Just for today.....

When you brake it up like that it becomes doable. And when you look ahead and see a dark stormy future:
Remember that if you climb into an aeroplane and get above the clouds then you will see the beauty that is there.
The sun never stops shining, the Lord never stops loving, and if we just get out of the misery and climb above it we will be able to feel uplifted. Remember it is the times that you feel most lonely that we find that the Lord was carrying us. Today I feel my Saviour's love for me.

By the gift and power of God

2008-06-16T09:52:00.000+01:00

You are either going to believe it or you are not. Two people populated the whole earth, and then again the whole earth was re-populated by eight people who climbed off an ark which had every kind of animal on it. I believe it.

There was one guy that was so righteous and his people were so righteous that his whole city was taken up into heaven. I believe it.

Then there was a boy who when he was young was nearly sacrificed by a wicked priest but was saved by an angel. Only to be told later on in life that he was to do the same thing to his only son. But never worry, there was a ram which was stuck in the bushes nearby so he sacrificed it instead. I believe it.

And I am sure you have heard of a bush that was on fire but didn't burn. And a man who was an instrument in causing a mighty and powerful dynasty to fall. Then he walked through a sea with thousands others on dry land (and don't come up with these stories that it must have been shallow because the Egyptians aren't so stupid as to drown themselves in knee deep water.) I believe it.

Then there was a man who seemed plain and ordinary, just one voice that changed the world forever. He taught that we were to love everyone, regardless of their status, job, colour, religion. He taught this and led by example. He said we should forgive others their trespasses, and even offer to go the second mile. He gave blind men sight, lame men walked, dead children rose and were well. He not only healed diseases, but also hearts, mine included.

Then He went to a quiet place and prayed for every single person who had been and who ever would be upon this earth. There he took upon Him the sins of the world and made it possible for anyone who wanted to to be able to repent. And after that He died on a cross and three days later arose from the dead. I believe it.

And have you heard of the boy who wanted to go to church and do the right things but didn't know which church to join? So one day he was reading in the Bible in the book of James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Does that sound like a simple thing to do, I have done it on many occasions and have felt my answers come.

This boy's name is Joseph smith, click here for his story. Joseph translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God. Eyewitnesses to the translation process reported that, aided by a seer stone, Joseph dictated the book of Mormon aloud while looking into his hat to block the light so he could see each character as it appeared. The plates themselves weren't even always necessary to the translation, as they were usually still covered by a cloth. The Lord gave Joseph the translation by revelation. I believe it.

The Lord has powers and abilities that we do not understand. How did everything fit on the ark, how does a city go up to heaven, how does mud make a blind man see, how does someone translate something by looking into a stone? I do not understand all things, but I give place in my heart that the workings of the spirit may have an effect on me. I have asked God and have felt the calming assurance that I believe is an answer to my prayers.

I believe it.

Family scripture reading

2008-06-15T19:25:00.000+01:00

Every morning I wake the children up to join me for family scripture reading. I have tried to make these mornings come alive by doing various different things with them.

I printed a map off the internet of the Cities in the Book of Mormon times, and when a city is mentioned we find it on the map. Then I let the kids take turns in reading too, some mornings this seems to be the only thing that keeps them awake! But I must say those mornings are few and far between.

I have a six year old son (actually he is soon to be seven) and his reading is still in its infancy so he gets to draw pictures. We have some gorgeous pictures, this is one of them, I divide the page into four to save paper.
Top Left: Compare the word or gospel to a seed. I was reading to the kids from Alma 32, that's in the Book of Mormon, and in this chapter Alma teaches about faith which is a hope in that which is not seen which is true. Now if you plant a seed in your heart - in other words if you start to find out about a gospel principle - and good feelings start to "swell within your breast" then it must be a good seed (a rotten or old seed would not sprout and begin to grow).

And if you nurture this seed - continue to study and pray and find out - this seed will grow into a fruit baring plant (you pick which is your favourite fruit), in verse 42:"...by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst." (this is spiritual hunger and thirst).

Top Right: Some of the people in the Book of Mormon believed that they could only pray to God if they were in their church and standing in a certain place (this story is found in Alma 31-35) In chapter 33 we read about how Zenos (a missionary who was out preaching with Alma)
teaches the people that they can and must pray to the Lord in all places. Corbin has drawn someone praying in a corn field (the gold colour) and in a cave (the black colour - he was thinking of when we used to visit the caves in the mountains in South Africa, and he said we could have prayed to Heavenly Father there.)

I have taught my children to pray whenever they feel the need, Cheryn (my eldest) said a silent prayer before each of her exams, and felt a calming effect as a result. Zeek (my second) whispered a prayer when he was lost in a shopping center and was able to feel rational about his situation and find his way back to me. Rachel (well isn't it obvious that this is my third child :) ) has said a prayer of thanks in her heart when we were walking through a beautiful forest, she is so aware of nature and its beauty. And finally Corbin (my baby) - sometimes he hates being called this but I explain that even when he is 42 he will still be my baby - has asked Heavenly Father to comfort him when he was scared at night.

Bottom Left: There are many stories of battles in the Book of Mormon, this is one of his depictions. He has written Zeek on the picture but he was trying to write Zoram (he was a valiant leader). Perhaps he thinks of his brother as a valiant leader?

A great morning.

2008-06-12T14:13:00.000+01:00

I love doing my visiting teaching. (Open this link and then click on Additional Information.) The person who I normally go with, this is called a companion - like a partner, has just had a baby, so I had to get a substitute. I have two people that I have been asked to visit, one of the ladies is Deaf and I have been learning British Sign Language so that I can communicate with her in a way which is easy and comfortable for her. The other lady that we visit is a mother of four and a grandmother of 12 (I think, I may have missed out a grand child, but I don't think so) They are both wonderful ladies and I enjoy the time I have to visit with them and to learn from them too. We are all so different and can learn so much from each other. Diversity makes us stronger. In fact the Relief Society declaration says:

We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:

Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.

Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes.

Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.

Delight in service and good works.

Love life and learning.

Stand for truth and righteousness.

Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.

Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation.

What more can be said than has already been said. This is the way I want to live my life. If we all lived this way what a wonderful world we would live in.

The Plan

2008-06-11T08:06:00.000+01:00

In 2 Nephi 2:25 (That is in the Book of Mormon) says: "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

The Lord has given me so many things to be happy about. I have a body that works well, I have a loving husband and beautiful children. We live in this amazing world, and I live in a lovely part of it. I have clothes to wear, food to eat, a car to drive in, eyes to see and ears to hear. I will no longer droop in this miserable mood! Lift up my soul, be joyful.

I will go out for some exercise now as I know this will help, then when I get home I will clean some of the places in the house that are annoying me, then I will make something (sewing or baking I am not sure yet) If it is baking then I will take some of what I make to my friend who has just had a baby. Looking to others helps me to see less of my problems.

Today will be a better day.

One of those days

2008-06-10T18:32:00.001+01:00

It's been a tough day. I woke up feeling FAT, now no matter what anyone else may say about my figure, I feel fat and perception governs reality. And when you are feeling fat, you get depressed, and when you are feeling depressed what is the nicest thing to do to comfort yourself? Yip, you guessed it, CHOCOLATE. But no, I can't have the chocolate because it just exacerbates the problem. Then I am moping about and feeling sorry for myself instead of doing something about it. And so the spiral continues. Needless to say I can't wait for tomorrow, and I hope I feel better then.

The chance to serve.

2008-06-09T10:38:00.000+01:00

I just spent the weekend in England. The reason that I went was to take my 12 year old daughter to the London Temple to do baptisms. (Oh, yes I suppose this requires some explaining too):

Before I get into the topic of temple work for the dead let me get one thing straight: "Mormons don't dig up decayed corpses and haul them into the temple Igor style!" (By the way I can't claim fame for that comment, it is a quote from the book Mormonism for Dummies by Jana Riess, Phd and Christopher Kimball Bigelow. A fantastic read; and if you all went to Amazon and got a copy I wouldn't have to explain so much! (I got mine for £3.00 second hand, so don't tell me you can't afford it)

Through genealogical research or family history, we are able to extract names and essential data about people who have died all over the world. We Mormons believe that in order to obtain full salvation (returning to live with God) we must be baptized, confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (If any of this is Greek to you then LIKE I SAID get the book, now that I think about it I should be getting some sort of royalties, don't you think.) There is more required to obtain salvation but for today we are going to stick with the topic of baptism.

So how does someone who has died and left their body behind get baptized? The short answer is they can't. You need a physical body to be baptized, so it only makes sense that someone else do it for you. A proxy or substitute. Sound weird, not really, didn't Jesus atone for our sins by proxy, of course he did. And in the bible the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:29; "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" - Translation - why would anyone bother getting baptized for the dead unless our souls continue living after death?

I know what you are thinking; You mean you join us to your church against our will after we die? Like, if you don't get us here you're thinking; don't worry I'll get you when you are dead! Mwhahahahahahahahahaha, (by the way that is supposed to be a wicked laugh!) No, not at all. Because these disembodied spirits can't get baptized we do it for them. And because Mormons don't know who will accept the gospel and who will reject it in the afterlife, we aim to perform the necessary gospel ordinances for every person who ever lived so that those spirits potentially may be saved and exalted. After a living person has done temple work for a spirit, that spirit has the option of saying, "Thanks a lot, but no thanks," or of accepting the gospel message.

Many have commented on the Christ-like nature of temple service: Just as mortals could never pay for their own sins and must rely on Jesus Christ, spirits can't perform their own ordinances and must rely on the disciples of Jesus Christ. (which includes Me.) My daughter was able to perform this great service for 25 souls on Saturday morning, what a wonderful opportunity.

Reap the rewards

2008-06-06T12:09:00.000+01:00

This morning I was reading the Book of Mormon in Alma 41:13-15. (Are you wandering what all of that means?) Okay, the Book of Mormon is explained here, and Alma is a book inside the Book of Mormon, like Genesis, Numbers or Luke in the Bible. The number 41 indicates the chapter and the number 13-15 indicates the verses. Oh and good Mormons read their scriptures every day, I read mine in the mornings, although I usually don't get it right on a Saturday - there is always room for improvement.

Phew now that we understand each other a little better, where was I: We believe that after we die we do not just cease to exist. Our bodies are buried or cremated or for the very unlucky few digested (My great fear would be a shark, although a bear is scary too!) And our spirits go up to a kind of waiting room. What are we waiting for? The second coming of the Saviour, when He comes to the earth again all of us will be resurrected (The resurrection consists in the uniting of a spirit body with a body of flesh and bones, never again to be divided, or digested for that matter.) Now we get to the bit that interested me this morning:

Our bodies will be restored to us, now if you took a beautiful china plate and broke it into a few pieces, and then took all of the pieces to someone to restore it, what would you get back from him - I mean besides the bill? You would get back the same china plate, it would look the same, and have the same patterns. So our bodies will be restored to us, although we are told they will be made whole - in other words if you were missing an arm or had a nice shiny bald patch on your head, they wouldn't be there anymore. Everything else gets restored to us too, now before you think that sounds fine, just listen to this; in verse 13: " ... but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish - good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful. "

And then in verse 15: "For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, ..."
Now depending on how you are living that seems either like a threat or a promise. I want to live in such a way that I will feel excited about what is being restored unto me.

A new beginning

2008-06-04T12:43:00.000+01:00

We have a family blog which is for every day news, so I want this one to be different. I want people to be able to come here and see what it is like to be a Mormon Mom. (By the way the correct name for our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Almost every day there is something that touches my spirit. And I wish to share these moments with anyone who is interested.

Because we believe in Eternal Families a lot of what might seem "every day grind" to others is seen very differently by me, and other members of our Church. God the Father (whom I refer to as my Heavenly Father) sent His Son down to the earth, but not to live a lonely life, He sent him to a family. The Saviour of the world had a mother and a father, brothers and sisters. Families are so important. This knowledge helps me to remember - even when I am wiping old dried up toothpaste off the basin or stand barefoot on a plastic dinosaur - AGAIN - That I am doing a noble and great work. Just like Eve, just like Mary, and all mothers through time. I once heard this said: The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. We are doing something so important, we are deciding what the future leadership of our planet is going to be, may I not fail my Heavenly Father in this awesome task.