It's all good . . .

Angels Among Us & Other Blessings

Life has not been easy for the past couple months. It has been messy and rather stressful, but in spite of the trials, I have felt so watched over by Heavenly Father and have noticed blessing after blessing along the way. One of those blessings came in the form of our angel neighbors next door, Lupita and Rudy.  They are truly amazing. We met them a couple weeks ago, and were so excited when we discovered that they are in our ward. They are the sweetest couple, and when they found out that we couldn’t extend our Airbnb and would have to camp out in our totally unfinished house, they offered up their two spare rooms for us to stay in. Truly, they are angels.

 

 

Not only did they open up their home to us, but we have just loved getting to know them better. We have spent hours talking about gospel topics, mission stories, life events and so much more.  They already feel like family.  And then, the other day as I had been hanging out at the house waiting for a delivery, Lupita noticed that I was sitting in the hot garage (on a chair she loaned us). (I had been working on stuff in the house, until the fumes from the paint and things were giving me a headache and so I came outside to wait.) She came back over with this big cup full of watermelon water for me. I almost started to cry.

This whole renovation thing will be so worth it when it is all done, but there have been quite a few hiccups along the way (mostly because of the shoddy original work on the house), and today I have just been filled with anxiety about whether or not the important things will be done before our belongings arrive on Friday. Moments like these remind me that the Lord loves me and is aware of me. And that he puts people like Lupita and Rudy in my path, who already feel like family.

I love being reminded how much our Father in Heaven is aware of each one of us. As I study the scriptures and the words of the prophets each day, it gives me added peace and inspiration.  I love this quote that I say the other day by Elder David A. Bednar:

"Faithfulness is not foolishness or fanaticism. Rather, it is trusting and placing our confidence in Jesus Christ as our Savior, on His name and in His Promises."

And then the other day in my study I found this quote by Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf:

"The Lord's way is not to sit at the side of the stream and wait for the water to pass before we cross. It is to come together, roll up our sleeves, go to work and build a bridge or a boat to cross the waters of our challenges."

And then I read this book the other day - or rather, I listened to it while I put together cabinet bases for our kitchen. It is called This is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live by Melody Warnick. It really struck home with me, and not just because we just made a major move for our family.  Here is my Goodreads.com review:

Melody Warnick, was convinced that moving was just her "thing," but on move #6 from Austin, Texas, to Blacksburg, Virginia, she finds herself regretting her decision and wondering how on earth she can make a home for herself and her family in this small town. It leads her to study the science of "place attachment" and embark on a "love where you live" experiment. As she takes you through her personal journey, she teaches about the different things that we can do to become attached to the place where we live - no matter where or what it is like.

I truly enjoyed this, and having moved MANY times in my life (I have lived in ten states and two countries, and since I have been married, we have moved 12 times), I can completely validate so much of what she says. For me, the key has always been finding "my people," which I can usually do in three places - church, a book club, and volunteering at the elementary school. I have also learned to INVITE - it is a huge thing, and helps you establish long lasting friendships as you serve and allow others to serve you.

Lastly, I always make a point to search out the unique and wonderful places to visit and things to do where I am, and then try to do them. When I lived in Monterey, California, we knew we would only be there for 1 1/2 years, so I made a list and we checked them off one by one. Loving where you live is intentional, and it takes effort, but it can happen, and it can happen much faster than the 3-5 average years - for me I can get feel it in less than a year, but it takes work and an open mind to new and different beautiful things.

One other really special blessing for me, this past week in particular, was having book club.  When I first arrived here in San Antonio, I asked if there was a local book club, and when I found out there wasn't, I found a bunch of ladies from church who were interested in getting one started, and we did.  Our first meeting was on Tuesday, and what a huge balm to my soul.  There is nothing quite like getting together with a group of women and laughing, talking and eating - and talking about books makes it even better. I immediately felt truly at home here, even though I am still not living in my home.  It is all about finding your people and making your place a place you belong.  It was one more blessing at a time when I really needed it.

An Amazing Easter and Conference Weekend

April often brings two of my favorite events - the semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Easter, which sometimes happen on the very same weekend, which I love.  This was one of those serendipitous years when they both happened together, and it made for an amazing weekend.

Conference starts on Saturday, and so I went to the Amish Market and brought home pretzels for the family, which is the perfect way to start off the weekend. Yum!

Since we live on the East Coast, the first session of conference doesn't start until noon, and so we had the Easter egg hunts for the kids before it started.

Arthur ent first, and Lily hid his eggs, and per his request, they were in his room.  Good times.

Derek hid Lily's eggs in the master bedroom, and he even put one on the fan - in an ode to his dad who would always hide one on the fan.

Derek was last, and Arthur his his eggs in the living room.  
They all had a blast, and they especially loved opening their eggs and finding their candy.

After the egg hunts, we spent the rest of the day watching Conference, which was amazing, inspiring, and soul healing. (On a side note, Kevin had his second Covid shot on Friday, and on Saturday he was down for the count with fever, aches and chills, so he hung out in the basement on his own watching, while the kids and I stayed in the living room.) That evening, Derek and Kevin got to watch the Priesthood session together, which is always a wonderful experience.

Sunday dawned, and Kevin felt much better.  And he sat at the piano and played beautiful music for us, which is one of my favorite things.  

We had our family (with Becky) Come Follow Me study at our normal time at 10am, and were done in time for conference at noon, but before it started, the kids were finally able to do the special treasure hunt they had planned for Kevin.  Lily and Arthur made clues and his prize, which was hidden in the shower of the basement bathroom, was a giant golden egg full of candy.  Good times!

The last two sessions of conference were just fabulous, and some of our favorite things were having speakers from countries all over the world (some of their talks were prerecorded because they were in places like Africa and New Zealand) and the choirs/musical numbers from different places in the world - especially the Korean children's choir.  While we listened, Lily did a sticker book her grandma gave her, Arthur worked on a packet of activities, and Derek put together a puzzle.  It was so wonderfully quiet and peaceful.

And when I wasn't jotting down notes from the talks, I was working on sewing my tree skirt project.  I got quite a bit done, which was awesome, and totally worth my super sore fingers.

And we had treats - Derek helped me make a red velvet bundt cake, and Lily helped me make orange rolls - yum!!

And like I mentioned before, the entire weekend was rejuvenating as we were "nourished by the good word of God." There were so many amazing talks and teachings, but I will leave you with one of my favorites, by Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf, "Because of Jesus Christ our failures do not have to define us. They can refine us."

Waiting Upon the Lord

Life is an interesting thing.  Sometimes there are promptings to do certain things, and you move forward toward those things you are prompted to do, only to have to be patient and wait on the Lord.  It reminds me of when Kevin got out of the Army and applied to a job, and we knew it was what the Lord wanted us to do, but then we had to wait for everything to fall into place.  Or when I knew I was supposed to have another baby, but years went by before it actually happened.  I have heard it called "waiting upon the Lord," (Psalms 37:9 " . . . but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.") and it is interesting how much of our lives we are to move forward with faith and "wait upon the Lord."

Sometimes as I am waiting upon the Lord, I get discouraged. Sometimes the weight of trials and life weigh me down and I find it hard to move forward, or even have a desire to get out of bed in the morning. There is a little mantra that has helped me - Win the morning, win the day. I work out Monday through Saturday, every morning, almost without fail. I do it for my physical health, but more than that, I do it for my mental health.

Some days it is much harder than others. Some days, like today, I come to our little work out/storage room and I sit down and try to get myself to move. I often find myself having heartfelt conversations with my Father in Heaven as I pray, working through things and trying to get up the motivation to deal with, not only my work out, but life. Sometimes it takes a lot longer to get moving, but I eventually do, and I am never sorry. Moving every morning may not remove my burdens or anxieties, but it helps me to carry them better. And in so doing, I really do feel like if I win the morning, I do win the day .

There are other things that I can do to help me pull out of my worries and move forward.  One of the biggest things that helps me is studying the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I start each day with scripture study, and often add to it with listening to talks by the prophet and apostles, that teach me and inspire me in my life. For the past few months, I have even had an extra study time with my teenagers to go along with our Come Follow Me study. It is so uplifting.

I love reading books, and reading - especially listening to audiobooks help me move forward and DO things.  I also have found that having something creative that I am working on helps to soothe my soul.  Right now I am in the midst of a project to make a fun nativity tree skirt for next Christmas, and although I am making a giant mess, the process of creating something is so therapeutic.

Fresh flowers in my house also help, and since there aren't any to be had in my yard right now, I bought some at the store to brighten my mood and bring me joy. Soon, when the spring weather finally arrives, I will also have my garden therapy - working outside planting and tending my flowers and garden is an amazing way for me to ease stress and anxiety. And so, as I find myself encountering changes, new things, and once again "waiting upon the Lord," I am grateful that I have ways to boost my spirit and heal my soul so that I have the strength to move forward, even as I wait.

A Christmas Star

This year, there is a special "Christmas star" in the sky. President Nelson had the most uplifting message about it. 

Tonight, December 21, is the winter solstice, regarded in many traditions as the darkest and longest night of the year. How fitting that astronomers and scientists are predicting tonight’s appearance of a “Christmas star,” formed by the great conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, a rare event not seen in nearly 400 years.

 

While we don’t need to ascribe any special meaning to the actual phenomenon, tonight’s Christmas star will undoubtedly draw our minds and hearts to the original star that appeared in the heavens to mark the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. For the shepherds in Judea, for the Wise Men, and for the believers in the New World, the star brought more than mere physical light—it brought hope.

 

My dear friends, as we near the end of a challenging year, one that may feel to many as a time of uncertainty and darkness, let us never forget that the light of hope still shines brightly. Jesus Christ is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. As we turn our hearts to Him, He will pour out His love for us in unmeasured ways. I wish you all a very merry and hope-filled Christmas season. #LightTheWorld

This Christmas season, never let us forget the reason for the celebration - our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:11-14

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

 

I love this beautiful artwork of the Savior's birth, especially the one of Mary and Joseph cuddled up with baby Jesus.

Sadly, we weren't able to see the Christmas star on Derek's birthday, because it was super cloudy.  Luckily, quite a few of my friends posted pictures of it on social media, and so I borrowed this picture from one of them.  I know it wasn't the real Christmas star, but I am so glad we had such a great reminder of the night that the Christ child was born.

Starting October Out Right

I love October.  I love the autumn weather, the pumpkin and apple treats and fall decorations.  But mostly, I love October because the first weekend in October is always the semiannual General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is two days, five two hour sessions that are filled with uplifting and inspiring messages that can give hope to all who hear them, regardless if they are a member of my church.

On Saturday morning, before Conference started, I picked about three cups of raspberries. My raspberry bushes are giving me such joy right now.

During the first two sessions on Saturday, I listened and took notes, while I organized memorabilia from the past ten years or so.  They had gotten out of order in the move five years ago, and so I have them all straightened out into years - even if I made a giant mess before it got better.

Then my friend, Becky, came by with this amazing triple layer mouse brownie dessert that she made for me in exchange for taking her husband's head shots. The middle layer had raspberries from my bushes :). It didn't end up working to assemble it like the recipe called for, and so it wasn't as pretty, but wow, did it taste good. It was the perfect thing to enjoy while I watched the Women's Session of conference that evening.

On Sunday morning, Derek was up first (because it was a weekend, of course), and he wanted to make a special breakfast, since it was conference. Unfortunately, we had somehow run out of flour, and I only had just enough to use to make the cornbread and thicken the soup for dinner, and so we were not going to be able to make cinnamon rolls like he wanted.  Then I remembered a recipe I had pinned where they made mini cinnamon rolls using Pillsbury crescent dough.  No flour was needed, and they turned out super cute and delicious - and each of us got five to eat.

Since conference starts at 10am MST, it doesn't start here until noon, so before the first session, I took the nicest walk through the neighborhood.  The weather was crisp and sunny, and the leaves on the trees have all started changing.  It was just lovely.

After Arthur's shower on Sunday morning, he wanted to wear his three piece suit, but he didn't want to wear his white button-down shirt, so instead, he wore a sweater under his vest and jacket.  With a tie, no less.  Good times.  I also loved how he spread out all of his different conference activity sheets, but the only thing he really used was the bingo board.  (He did manage to get a blackout by the end of day two.)

There were so many amazing talks from each session, and so I found a bunch of memes to save and share that had a lot of my favorite quotes from the two days of talks.  It was such a fabulously inspiring weekend,  and it definitely fed my soul and started October off right.

**Sidenote: In between sessions on Sunday, Arthur changed out of his suit, and he and Kevin enjoyed the gorgeous weather and practiced hitting golf balls together.  It was super sweet and fun

Speaking of golf, while I was teaching school on Friday, Kevin took the day off to play golf and enjoy the perfect weather for being out on the course.  And wow, the course was beautiful with the fall colors starting. 

And don't feel too bad about me not getting to go, because I got to go to book club that night, and even though we sat outside in what turned out to be really cold weather, I laughed and talked until after 11:30pm and had the best time.  Another way we started this month out right :).

Holly's Epic Visit: Philly Day

On Friday, Kevin decided to join us for our fun, and the three of us went to Philadelphia for the day. We started things out with a visit to the temple, and it was wonderful.  I always love being in the temple, but being there with people I love is the best.

After the temple, we walked to the Reading Terminal Market to get donuts and amazingly delicious cheesesteaks.  I love going to Reading Terminal Market - all of the food there is amazing.

From Reading Market, we walked to Independence Hall.  When Holly visited last time, we weren't able to get tickets, and so she missed out on it, and so we wanted to make sure she got to visit this time.

The only problem was, that even though it was a week day on the off season, all the tickets were gone (I guess there were some huge school groups that came through, etc).  Luckily, the Park Ranger took pity on us and told us how we could possibly still get at least Holly on a tour.  And when we went to the other Park Ranger who was leading the next tour, he not only let Holly on, but Kevin and I as well.  Awesome!  And this was my fifth time touring Independence Hall, and every single time it has been different.

After touring Independence Hall, we went over to the National Mint and got to see how they make pennies and tickles, which is always cool.  You can't take pictures there, so we didn't get any, but trust me, it is pretty cool.  After that, we walked back to the car and headed home, but for the second day in a row, we hit insane traffic.  We had forgotten that it was a holiday weekend, and so there was extra traffic leaving the city (not that Friday afternoons are ever great to get out of Philly, but oh well).  It was still a great day, and even though we didn't get any pictures of Kevin with us, we all had a fantastic time :).

A Wonderful Conference Weekend

The two weekends a year where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has General Conference, are my very favorite.  General Conference happens the first weekend in April and October, and so when we planned our trip to New York, we planned things so that we could listen to the first two sessions on our drive home.  

Arthur was so nice to sleep through the first session, and so we could listen in peace.  And we were so blessed to have enough cell coverage that we didn't loose our stream for the most part, other than 30 seconds here and there.  And that first session of conference was historic!  There was a huge announcement by our prophet, President Nelson, announced that our Sunday meeting schedule is changing, going to two hours instead of three, with a focus on more learning at home.  So exciting!!  We were sitting in the van and holding our breath as we listened.

That night, after we got back home, it was the Women's Session of the conference, which was wonderful (and also historic, as it was the first time it has occurred during conference weekend, instead of the week before).  It was such an inspirational meeting, and I loved getting to hear from the whole first presidency, since in years past, only one of them would speak.  In President Nelson's address, he gave all of us women a challenge to do four things - 1) Do a ten day social media fast, 2)Read The Book of Mormon by the end of the year, 3) Attend the Temple regularly, and 4) Participate in Relief Society.  

On Sunday morning, Kevin surprised us by making us yummy cinnamon rolls for breakfast.  They were so good!!

Later that morning, Eden and Arthur carved a pumpkin - something that Arthur had been begging to do ever since we harvest our pumpkins back in August.  He had a great time, but he refused to pull out the guts, because it grossed him out too much.  I loved the faces he made.

The pumpkin turned out adorable!!  And Arthur just loved it.  (Unfortunately, it is still so warm outside, I think it won't last very long before it either rots, or the bugs get it.)  It sure is cute while it lasts though, and Arthur had so much fun carving it with Eden.

There were two sessions of Conference on Sunday, and in between the sessions, I put on an early Thanksgiving dinner - turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, and apple pie for dessert.  It was delicious, and something that I really wanted to do, because Kevin leaves at the end of October for a six month deployment, and so is missing Thanksgiving.

After dinner, we watched the last session of Conference, and we were both physically and spiritually filled.  It was such a wonderful weekend full of inspiration and learning, and it was the perfect way to finish off a fabulous week with Eden.  She went home this morning, and we miss her already.

A Visit to Palmyra New York

Palmyra, New York holds special significance for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is the place where so many significant events happened, including the first vision, translating the Book of Mormon, and the organization of the church in 1830.  We were so excited to finally get to go there, and having Eden with us was awesome.  We arrived late on Thursday night, and checked into our hotel, so we would be ready to visit the sites on Friday.

We started out early on Friday morning with a visit to the log home that Joseph and his family lived in when they moved to Palmyra from Vermont.  I loved getting to see it, hear more of the history of it.

It was amazing to think that in that little upstairs bedroom, that was where the angel Moroni appeared to the young Joseph.

Joseph's family eventually moved down the path to the framed house, which was where he lived by the time he had received the golden plates.  The persecution Joseph received at that time, especially from people who were trying to steal the plates, made it so he was constantly having to find hiding places to protect them from people who would break into their home.  The sister missionaries that were leading our tour, had Arthur pretend to hide the plates in a ten second time limit.  He thought it was awesome.

After touring the house, we wandered through the barn and cooper's shop.

Then we headed to the Sacred Grove.  On the way, we stopped by the field where Joseph passed out while trying to climb the fence and go home, after being up all night from Moroni's visits.

I was so excited to be finally visiting the Sacred Grove.  It is a place I have always wanted to visit, and we had the most lovely time wandering through it.  At one point, we stopped and had a little devotional and read the account of Josep Smith's first vision in Joseph Smith History:

14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

It really is a holy place, so beautiful and the spirit there was so peaceful.  I am so grateful that we were able to visit, and to share this special place with our kids - and Eden.

After our time in the Sacred Grove, we headed over to the visitor's center at the Hill Cumorah.  We got to watch a special video there, and see the Christus statue.  There is a Christus in most of the visitor's centers for the church, but this is the only one with a grove of trees behind it, because of the first vision.  While we were there, the senior missionary that led our tour, had us walk up to a big table covered with Book of Mormons in all the languages it is printed in, and then reach out our hand and pick one up.  It was supposed to be the language we would speak if we went on a mission.  Eden, who is currently working on her papers for her mission, picked up one in the language Hmong (which I believe is Mongolian?).  It sure would be funny if she really did get called somewhere she would speak it.

After that, we headed up the hill.  It was pretty steep and a bit of a walk, which made us think about Joseph walking three miles to get there, climbing the hill, and not having slept the whole previous night.  Wow!  The Hill Cumorah was amazing, and I especially loved that monument with Moroni on the top.  This was another place that was so awesome to finally see in person, knowing what a special place it is.

Our next stop was for lunch, and it was such a good lunch.  We stopped at a Mennonite Market, and not only did they have delicious food at their cafe (such good fried cheese curds!!), but they had wonderful baked goods as well.  Eden and I shared the most delicious chocolate mousse raspberry pie - yum!!

After our yummy lunch, we headed to the Peter Whitmer home, where Joseph finished translating The Book of Mormon, and where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally organized.  They had a nice visitor's center there, with a really wonderful movie, and then we got to tour the home.  It was amazing to think of the wondrous things that happened in this small, log home.

The last stop on our tour around the church historic sites, the Grandin Press, which was the original publication site of The Book of Mormon.

The site itself was really cool, and if it wasn't fascinating enough to learn about early printing/bookmaking methods, the miracles that took place for everything to come together so that The Book of Mormon could be published were just amazing.

We also loved getting to see the replicas of first editions, but especially the actual first edition.  (In fact, at the book store next door, we bought our own first edition replica, which is so cool.)

After touring the Grandin Press, we went on a walk to see the Erie Canal, which was only a block away.  It wasn't super exciting to look at, but after singing songs about the Erie Canal as a child, it was cool to see it in real life.

Then we went to a yummy pizza place right across the street from the Grandin Press for dinner.  When we finished dinner, we went back to our hotel, and Eden and the kids went to play in the hotel hotter, and Kevin and I headed out.  We had reservations to do a session at the Palmyra Temple, and it was so wonderful to get to go to the temple together.  We had walked around the temple with Eden and the kids earlier in the day so that they could see it, which they always love getting to see temples and walk around them.

Going to the temple was the perfect end to a fabulous day.  I am so very grateful that we finally made it to Palmyra, especially since it is only 5 hours away from our house.  It was such a special experience, and I am so glad we got to have it with our kids, and with my sweet niece, Eden.

Learning from an Apostle of God

On Saturday, Kevin and I had the amazing experience of attending a regional training down in Maryland.  The people invited to attended the training, were all the Stake Presidencies, Bishops, Elders Quorum Presidents, Stake Relief Society and Stake Young Women's leaders, and the ward presidents of the YW and RS as well.  Jamie, our YW president, was out of town, which meant that I got to go in her place.  How lucky was I?! And I got to be there with Kevin.

The training was led by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and we were so excited to learn from him.  Along with Elder Christofferson, we were also taught by Elder Vincent, of the Presidency of the Seventy, along with Elder Hansy of the Seventy, who is in charge of the North America Northeast Region, and Elder Calderwell, our local area authority.  And the new Baltimore Maryland Mission president was there as well, President Mutumbo (he is from the Democratic Republic of Congo).    We couldn't have asked for a better setting to learn.  And wow, did we ever learn a lot.  The spirit was so amazing and strong, and our minds and hearts were all open to being taught.

The first two hours, were talks by each of these great men who were visiting, particularly Elder Christofferson.  They taught us more about what it means to "minister" to our fellow man, as well as those we have been assigned to look after.  Elder Christofferson taught us to always have our focus be on the outcome, and not the tasks.  It is the difference between walking in place, and walking toward something.  We want to get closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He also reminded us of Alma chapter 5 - have we been spiritually born of God?

Elder Vincent then followed him by speaking of how we can have a change of heart.  How we need to follow the council in 2 Nephi 32, and "feast upon the words of Christ.," and how we also need to attend the temple, understanding that the true message of the temple is the atonement of Christ.  Elder Haney then spoke of the love of God, and how we can follow Christ's example of love, by first, receiving his image in our countenance, then teaching how to return to Christ, and then ministering to those around us though service.  Elder Calderwood then concluded things by teaching how the Holy Ghost helps us in all these things, and that we cannot do it alone  - we need Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost (John 14).  It was a beautiful conclusion.

We then had a snack break, and returned to the meeting for a Question/Answer portion.  Some questions had been sent in ahead of time, and they also opened up the floor to questions.  The questions were very thoughtful and heartfelt.  And once again, I learned so much.  In fact, in my notes, I have an entire page of thoughts and impressions that came to my mind as to things I should do for my calling, for myself, and for my family.  It was amazing.

Some things that really stood out to me, were when they were answering a question about raising their children.  

• We should interact with each other, and not separate ourselves with our electronic devices.  
• We should SHOW our children how to live - do they see us praying, reading scriptures, and attending the temple?  Be conspicuous in your worship.
• Reevaluate your priorities and make sure you are not too busy to feel the spirit.  Remove everything, put Christ at the center, and then put things back in, one at a time, and see what fits.
• Remind the youth WHO they are, teach them the plan of salvation, have them actively engaged in family history and temple work, and have them read the Book of Mormon.
• Grace doesn't come after we do our best, but grace is there always, helping us every moment to move forward.
• Real love is to lift, serve, and uplift, helping and not taking.  Love is not inward looking, but outward looking. Love also doesn't mean accepting everything as it is - God loves us perfectly, but he cannot redeem us unless we choose to repent.
• If someone is struggling, especially with anxiety and self doubt, give them an opportunity to focus on someone else's need, and though service, it lifts them about their own trails.
• We don't please our Father in Heaven when we label ourselves.
• Look on warships and challenges as ways to get closer to God - He is not abandoning you, but rather, giving you an opportunity to TURN TO HIM.  
• Create times to pray and ponder so that you are open to receiving revelation.  Personal revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God.  Take time to be quiet - turn off what you are listening to - and write down your inspiration.
• Like it says in Moroni chapter 7, all good things come from God, and so if we have thoughts and ideas that cause us to do good, they were impressions of the spirit - act on them.

There were so many more things that I learned, and these are only a few of them.  At one point during the Q&A, I felt strongly prompted to ask a question that had been weighing heavily on my mind, and as each these men, including an apostle, answered my question, I could feel of their love and concern.  It was amazing.  They concluded the meeting by each taking a turn to bear their testimony, and as each of them bore witness of Jesus Christ and his gospel, the spirit in the room was almost overwhelming.  What a blessing to be there!

After the meeting was over, Elder Christofferson asked us to each come forward to shake each of the speakers hands, and as he was shaking my hand, he not only remembered me from my asking a question, but he grasped my hand in both of his and took a few minutes to give me some more council.  It was truly amazing, and I felt such love radiating off of him for me, that it was all I could do not to wrap my arms around him and hug him.  I will never forget how I felt, and the witness that I received that Elder Christofferson is truly an apostle of Jesus Christ.  I will be forever grateful for the opportunity I had to learn from him and these other inspired men.

Follow the Prophet

Last night, there was a special Worldwide Devotional for the Youth with the prophet, President Nelson, and his wife, Wendy.  We had all been looking forward to it for months, and it did not disappoint, and it was made even more special because we hosted the youth in our home to watch it.  (If you would like to find the broadcast and listen to it or watch it, you can find it here, on lds.org)  Sister Nelson spoke first, and her talk was wonderful.  Here are a few of my favorite parts of her talk:

My dear brothers and sisters, it’s time to stop comparing ourselves with others. It’s time to put away those erroneous views of ourselves and others. The truth is that we are not as hopelessly flawed as we may think, and others are not as perfect as they may appear—all except, of course, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The only thing that really matters is that you and I are doing exactly what we committed—even covenanted—premortally with our Heavenly Father we would do while we are here on earth.

Now, here’s another thing I invite you to think about. I like to imagine that each of us came to earth with a scroll attached to our spirits entitled “Things to Do While on Earth.”

Let’s talk about what might be on that scroll. Let’s talk about five of the things surely written on your scroll according to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

First, you came to receive a mortal body. And that, my friends, is a really big deal.

Second, you came to be tested. By the way, have you noticed that our testing often involves learning to control our bodies’ appetites and passions, which can sometimes get way out of control? 

A third thing to do while on earth: choose to follow Jesus Christ and stand up for Him, just as you did premortally.

Fourth, choose to repent daily and partake of the sacrament weekly. As you do, you will be spiritually healed, strengthened and magnified, and ultimately sanctified and exalted through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Now, here is a fifth item on your list: find and fulfill your mortal missions. My dear friends, premortally you and I were each given wonderful missions to fulfill while we are here on earth.

We have opportunities to fulfill our mortal missions, but we don’t have to. No one will make us. We have our agency to choose how we spend our time and energy, our talents and resources. In fact, whatwe choose to do is actually part of our testing.

There were so many wonderful things for each of us to think about from her talk - not just the youth.  Then President Nelson spoke.  Listening to a Prophet of God is an amazing thing, and as he talked to the youth about their divine nature and responsibilities, and he gave them some amazing challenges to take part in the gathering of Israel.  He started things off with telling them this:

I promise you—not the person sitting next to you, but you—that, wherever you are in the world, wherever you are on the covenant path—even if, at this moment, you are not centered on the path—I promise you that if you will sincerely and persistently do the spiritual work needed to develop the crucial, spiritual skill of learning how to hear the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, you will have all the direction you will ever need in your life. You will be given answers to your questions in the Lord’s own way and in His own time.

What an amazing promise!  He then went on to say:

Would you like to be a big part of the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on earth today?

Would you like to help gather Israel during these precious latter days? Would you, who are the elect, be willing to help find the elect who have not heard the message of the restored gospel? Would you like to be among those “swift messengers” of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke?⁵

Now, participating in the gathering of Israel will require some sacrifice on your part. It may even require some changes in your life. It will definitely take some of your time and energy and your God-given talents. Are you interested?

After teaching more about this, he ended by giving the youth a specific challenge:

Now, let me summarize by reviewing my five invitations for you to enlist in the Lord’s youth battalion to help gather Israel:

1. Hold a seven-day fast from social media.

2. Make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord for three weeks.

3. Keep on the covenant path. If you are off, repent and get back on the path.

4. Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

5. Stand out. Be different. Be a light. Give to a friend one copy of the booklet For the Strength of Youth.

It was such a fabulous night, and I loved getting to share it with Lily and Derek.  Kevin and I decided to take the challenge as well, including the part about staying off of Social Media for seven days (especially since Lily and Derek aren't on social media).  I know that as we follow the counsel and direction from our Prophet, that we will be guided and directed back to our Father in Heaven.