Mormon Morsels

For Peace at Home

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A photo of my children several years ago. 


I had 5 children in 7 1/2 years. When my 5th child was born, my children’s ages were 7 1/2, 6 1/2, 4, 2 and newborn. Yep, I even did that on purpose!  Life was definitely crazy, but OH SO MUCH FUN! But I’m not sure I would have called it PEACEFUL! 
At General Conference this past weekend, Elder Richard G. Scott gave a wonderful talk titled “For Peace at Home”. I really loved it, and it has made me think back on those years when my children were young and being a mother was exhausting. But I look back at that time in our family and have such happy memories. Those were very good times, and even though our home may not have been quiet and peaceful (because we are a loud and crazy family), it was a time of wonderful peace and happiness in our lives. 
Then my children grew up to all be teenagers at once, and we still actually had a happy home with good, respectful children who loved us and they really loved each other too. (Of course, we had your typical teenage moments, but overall, they were really good kids.)
So I have been thinking about what made the difference. And I am convinced it was the little things we did on a daily basis, not the big grand events that have made the difference. 
One of my favorite scriptures is Alma 37:6. “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”
It was the seemingly small things like having family prayer together every morning and night. It was reading the scriptures together every morning, even if one or two kids were wiggly or falling asleep. It was supporting each other in church assignments. It was having family dinner together as much as possible. It was having a fun Family Home Evening each Monday night where we had a short gospel lesson, did crazy “special numbers”, played hilarious games, and had yummy treats together. Those are some of the things that I know have helped make a happy family. 
But you need to know that “special numbers” may have consisted of a spitting contest, or burping a song, but sometimes was something more dignified like playing a piano piece, or reciting a memorized scripture. I rarely had lessons truly prepared in advance. Many times we read articles out of the Friend or New Era, discussed a needed topic, or read a section out of For the Strength of Youth. Games could be anything from Duck Duck Goose, Hide and Seek in the Dark, Buckle Buckle Beanstalk, or having a rubber band war shooting army men off a Lincoln Log fort. And many times treats were whatever we could scrounge up from the pantry because we did not have time to make something really good. Those crazy made up treats were some of our favorite and most memorable.
Nope, everything was definitely not always perfect, cause that’s not real life. But it was consistently doing these things that bound our family together in love and unity, that still exists today. Just a little note – I used to keep a Family Home Evening journal where I wrote down each week what we did. One entry said how fussy and whiny the kids were being, so I put them all to bed early and enjoyed a truly peaceful evening. Yes, life happens, but the happiness comes as you keep trying.
Here is a little excerpt from Elder Scott’s talk: 
Many voices from the world in which we live tell us we should live at a frantic pace. There is always more to do and more to accomplish. Yet deep inside each of us is a need to have a place of refuge where peace and serenity prevail, a place where we can reset, regroup, and re-energize to prepare for future pressures.
The ideal place for that peace is within the walls of our own homes, where we have done all we can to make the Lord Jesus Christ the centerpiece…Regardless of your circumstances, you can center your home and your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the source of true peace in this life.
I’m sure you can identify the fundamental principles that center your home on the Savior. The prophetic counsel to have daily personal and family prayer, daily personal and family scripture study, and weekly family home evening are the essential, weight-bearing beams in the construction of a Christ-centered home. Without these regular practices it will be difficult to find the desired and much-needed peace and refuge from the world.
As you center your home on the Savior, it will naturally become a refuge not only to your own family but also to friends who live in more difficult circumstances. They will be drawn to the serenity they feel there. Welcome such friends into your home. They will blossom in that Christ-centered environment. Become friends with your children’s friends. Be a worthy example to them.
One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds.

General Conference

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I think my 2 favorite weekends of the year happen the first week in October and the first week of April.  What a miraculous time we live in, that, in all corners of the earth we can hear a living prophet speak! I was so excited yesterday when they announced a new temple would be built in my home town of Cedar City Utah!!! But, I believe that the talk by Sister Elaine S. Dalton was what I needed to hear most.  Often times I find myself worrying more about what others think of me and forgetting that I am a daughter of God!  I know that the messages are inspired, and that we each will hear something that touches on something that we, individually, need.  
 

 

Trials and Tribulations

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Source: Yours truly. Please, feel free to print for personal use.

I came across this quote a little while ago. Since seeing this I’ve had it marinating in my mind. Lately I’ve witnessed my family go through a myriad of trials. I know it’s important for us to go through these hardships so that we can learn and grow. But man, trials are no fun to go through! This quote seemed to help it click a little better in my mind why we are given trials and why they are so important.

“Trials and tribulations SQUEEZE the ARTIFICIALITY out of us, leaving the ESSENCE of what we REALLY are and CLARIFYING what we really YEARN for.” (emphasis added)

What and amazingly thorough sentence. While in the midst of hardships we really do feel like we are being twisted, stretched, and squeezed. Little do we realize that through that twisting and squeezing that the unneeded artificial things that cloud our view are being removed, then we are more easily able to see, feel, know what we want. To live with our Father in Heaven and become more like Him.

I don’t know about you – but I need to read this quote daily!

Avoid Counterfeits, Build upon the Rock

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Each week when I wrote to our son who served in the Arizona, Tucson Mission, Spanish Speaking, I would pray about what scripture would help him as a thought for the week.  One week in particular after sending the scripture, I knew that the scripture was meant as much for me as it was for him. This scripture was Helaman 5:12.  This also happened to be his Mission President’s choice for “The Scripture of the Week” for their mission.

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 fail.

Our Heavenly Father’s promises are sure!  His word is true.  All the good that is on the earth is for our benefit; that we may return to Him.  He is not a wish granter. He does lifts us, strengthens us, guides us, and blesses us. We often have to go through trials full of winds, hail, and storms, yet, the Lord is with us.  If we build ourselves “upon the rock” after the pattern of the Savior and not only believe in Him but believe Him we cannot fail.

I contrasted  this scripture with a few scriptures from that week’s Gospel Doctrine’s/youth lesson.  Helaman 6:27 – Helaman’s son, Nephi, is teaching the Nephites.  He tells them that the secret oaths of the Gadianton robbers did not come from preserved records but came into the heart of Gadianton and other wicked ones from “that same being who did plot with Cain, that if he would murder his brother Abel it should not be known unto the world.” The question that I asked my class is how many of you know that Cain killed Abel?  Did the adversary keep his promise?  No, The father of all lies, lied.. The adversary does not support his own buts wants them to be dragged down “to an entire destruction, and to an everlasting hell.” – Helaman 6:28

Be aware of the adversaries counterfeits.  Do this by reading the scriptures each day – they are a source of truth and safety.

My challenge to you and me is this:  Spend time in the Book of Mormon everyday along with whatever other book of scripture that you may be reading. This will strengthen your foundation, keep you on the right path (even if it us uphill), and help you “build upon the rock”.

Feed the Flowers, Not the Weeds

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Johnny Lingo.  This video is probably as old as I am, but I never tire of watching it.  Some viewings have been more humorous than others.  For instance, when I was a kid we had some Mormon missionaries bring the film over (and I mean actual film….this was before videos) to watch with our family.  They mistakenly brought a version of it that was in a foreign language.  But being resourceful, and knowing the whole film by heart anyway, they did voice-overs for us.  I still remember one of them proclaiming, “Mahana, you ugly!” and the rest of us laughing at his “acting skills”.

Laughing aside, the pain of poor Mahana is something to which we can probably all relate.  Whether because of a bully or because of a voice within our own minds, we have all felt inferior at one time or another.  Maybe we start to believe those voices that try to drag us down.   Once we believe, we begin to act the part.  It becomes our identity.

But the love and hope of just one kind person can change all that, if we will let it.  Maybe it’s a friend or family member who is encouraging and speaks words of hope and peace to us.  Maybe it comes not from this earthly realm at all but from a Heavenly Father who knows who we really are and loves us for it, no matter what.

Whatever the source, if we will nurture that idea and that love it will begin to grow in us like a beautiful flower.  At the same time, we must pull out the negative thoughts that have taken up residence in our minds.  And over time, the blossom will crowd out the noxious weeds of self-criticism and doubt that we have fed for so long.  Of course, we must then pluck out any weeds that will inevitably appear here and there before they take root.  We must tend to the flower and give it all the nourishment it needs.

But how?

Although all plants need water and light, they each have specific nutrient needs that foster the best possible growth and health of the plant.  And so it is with us.  Daily sincere prayer and daily scripture study are our light and water.  What we need after that may differ from person to person.  Maybe we need to use a kinder inner voice with ourselves.  Maybe we need to limit certain influences in our lives.  Maybe we need to serve others more.  All these things, and many more, will allow the beautiful flower within us to grow bigger, stronger, and more beautiful.  But we must be the constant gardener of our own thoughts if we are to make this happen.

So, my fellow constant gardeners,…

photo from Microsoft Office Clipart
photo embellishment done through picmonkey.com

The Mustard Seed: The little seed with a big reputation

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“The Kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of  mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:  which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.”—–Matthew 13:31-32

Who hasn’t seen a mustard seed presented at some point in a Sunday School lesson?  Truly, it is a remarkable concept that something so tiny has the potential to become something so large.  There are many applications in life to this parable.  I like to think about the story of David and Goliath even.  I get a swelling in my breast whenever I think about David’s faith that must have started as small as a grain of mustard seed but oh how it grew!

I also like to think about the humble beginnings of the life of Christ as he was born in a stable.  The influence of his life and teachings has affected the entire world over many centuries.  I could go on and on with a multitude of applications to the above parable.  However, I would like it if you would just pause a moment and think how this could relate to you personally as a covenant son or daughter.

fyi:  The name “mustard”, as well as the use of mustard as a condiment, came from the Romans, who added “must” (freshly pressed grape juice) to the spicy-hot powder from the ground-up seeds.

Source:  The New Era, February 2013

Find the Tender Mercies

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This picture just makes me laugh because it is so true! Sometimes you just have to pick yourself up and carry on! Life does not always turn out the way you plan, and you just have to figure out how to take the next step forward. And I’ve learned that you can be miserable and complain while you do it, or you can be positive and happy, but you are still going to have to do it! 

I have a good friend who was so excited to have her son come home from his mission this past week! He had been serving in Chile for two years, and they anxiously awaited his arrival home. They cleaned the house meticulously, and even rented a carpet cleaner and scrubbed all the carpet in the house. Finally the day of his arrival had come, and they were up early having breakfast, excited to go pick him up from the airport. In the middle of their breakfast they heard a funny noise coming from the bathroom and went to check it out. To their horror, they found both bathrooms overflowing with backed up sewage!!!! Within minutes a foul smelling black sludge covered the floor of every room in their home! 
Here’s the short version of the rest of the story – they had to immediately evacuate and find a new place to live! Most of their belongings were contaminated and had to be thrown out.They spent several days wearing face masks, heavy rubber boots, and rubber gloves as they sorted through their belongings seeing what they could possibly salvage (like pictures and artwork on the walls, items in the tops of closets, etc.) What a nightmare! Seeing their home like that, and helping them with the task of saving whatever they could, brought me to tears several times. How depressing and frustrating and horrible!
But my amazing friend and her family (including her son who arrived home to the disaster) just picked themselves up and carried on. They were even cheerful in the process, and so grateful for all the help they received, and thankful to their Heavenly Father for all of the tender mercies He had provided. TENDER MERCIES? Perhaps most people would not be able to see the tender mercies in this situation, but they did. They have a long list of them! They are actually still right in the middle of all of it, still trying to make heads or tails of everything, but a huge snow storm yesterday has haulted their efforts. I’m sure they saw that as a blessing too.
This is a good reminder to me of something I have told my children often, “You can do it kicking and screaming, or you can do it with a happy attitude. Either way, you are going to have to do it! And happy is such a better way!”
Photo Source: I could not find where this originated. I saw several sites that had it and gave permission for it to be shared. What a cute photo!

Staying With The Sheep

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Have you ever thought, “This isn’t exactly how I thought my life would turn out,” followed by any varying degree of disappointment?

Yeah. I think we’ve all been there at one point, haven’t we? I mean, let’s face it. The daily grunge can get…well, grungy. After earning my Associates, I quit school to help my husband get his degree with the least amount of debt possible. Three kids later, I am with kids all day–which is really fun sometimes and I LOVE being a mother–but the menial and mundane start to take over fast. “If I had a nickel for every time…” runs through my head A LOT. I get down on myself because I haven’t finished school yet, I feel brain cells wasting away with every load of laundry, and there are times when I think (not that I’m proud of myself, but I’m trying to be honest here), “If I could just hunker down with a good book whenever I want, spend more time with friends, more time in a meaningful position in my church congregation, then I would be truly happy.”

I just read an article in the Ensign, the LDS church’s monthly magazine, about a woman who was struggling with being “behind the scenes” taking care of her children while her husband participated in the community’s Nativity at Christmas time. She said she felt jealous of him and sometimes wished that she could be the one with the big important role. As she watched the scene with the Shepherds, a shepherd yelled back to the one who had stayed behind, saying, “Aren’t you coming?”

“I’ll stay with the sheep,” came the reply.

This answer struck me to the very core. Somebody HAD to stay with the sheep. That was their job, their livelihood. If the sheep got lost, all those shepherds would be in for it. And the sheep, well, they’d be lost. Somebody had to miss out and do the unexciting, wearisome work so that others could fully partake in the joys of that night and the sheep would be there in the morning. I think of all the times that I have felt like I was missing out when that wasn’t necessarily the case.

I love watching my children grow. I love answering their questions about life, the Savior, His doctrines.  I love serving the people around me in a little ways. We will never regret helping someone who needs it. Most times we won’t regret helping someone who didn’t.

I think of my children and I see their primary teachers, teachers who may get frustrated and “want out” sometimes. I am so thankful that they teach my kids. That they show love to them. They are staying with my little lambs.

I look at the people around me who I am asked by my Father in Heaven to help (including my family), and I see the job that somebody has to do. That somebody is ME. And the work is IMPORTANT. Mundane, sometimes. Stinky, yes–especially when I haven’t showered for two days. A pain in the rear, most definitely.

But it can be sweet. Rewarding. Fulfilling.

We all have a job to do. That’s really what it is. A job. And jobs aren’t fun, most times. So, no matter your position in life, don’t be discouraged. Stay with the sheep. And if you don’t have sheep, find some. Chances are, you won’t regret it.

*The account of the shepherd is, of course, not historically accurate per se, but thought provoking.
**I have to give a shout out to my friend, Desiree, who brought the discussion up and inspired this message.

Our Hands are His hands.

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I recently had an experience forced me to really think about how our hands are His hands. (I appologize for the length, but it was a definite testimony strengthening experience for me!)

     A few weeks ago I had packed up my kids (age 4yrs. & 11 mo.) and was headed to my parents house for the weekend. I was driving along and boom, my back tire exploded. I thankfully was able to stay in control of the car and was able to pull off to the side of the highway. Unfortunately, the tire that blew was my spare. I definitely had a little moment that I lost it and was mad about the situation I was in. Dusk was starting to set, my husband was  few hours away teaching a class at a neighboring university, and I have my very concerned 4 year old and sleeping 11 month old in the back seat… oh, and being feet from a very fast moving highway. I called my husband knowing that I needed assistance. A tow was needed and I needed someone to help get my family off the side of the road to safety.
     By the time I hung up the phone someone was pulling off to come to my aid. A man about my fathers age had pulled off. He approached the car. As he was coming, I asked silently to my Heavenly Father if I could trust this man, I heard an immediate YES. He approached us and asked to help. He worked for Goodyear tires and (obviously) knew his way around busted tires. He spoke directly and said that we needed to get my children to a safer place. He lived barely 500 yards away from where I had pulled off. He asked if it would be alright to take us to his house where his wife was to wait until our car was towed. Again, I asked my Heavenly Father if I could trust him and I heard YES. He also mentioned that he supplied tires to a garage that he trusts completely and would be happy to call in a favor to have us towed. It just so happened that the garage he spoke of was under a half mile of my home (clear on the opposite side of town from where we were).
     He called and found that it would only take 20 minutes to get the tow truck to us. He then helped get my children off the side of the road and to his home where his extremely welcoming wife was. He returned back to my car to wait to get it towed. Once the car was towed he came back and drove us to the garage and then on to our home.

     The whole time this was going on I could not contain how extremely grateful I was to him and his wife and their extreme hospitality and Christian attitude. They would simply reply stating that we are here on this earth to serve those around us and we were to be instruments of the Lord.
     As he was driving us to the garage he shared that he was just coming home from being out of town for business. He saw us as he was getting ready to pull off the highway to return home (and I’m sure a comfy recliner or something) and he saw us. He said that he simply asked the Lord out loud ‘Should I stop and help?’ and he heard YES.

     When we got home my son and I instantly knelt in prayer to offer our gratitude for the seamless blessings that poured onto us and asked to help us be more like this Good Samaratian who stopped to save us.

The blessing that poured onto us were undeniable. A man who worked for a tire company stopped to help us. He had a buddy who could tow us… to a garage a stones through from my home. His home was just around the corner and took us there for safe keeping. Heavenly Father DEFINITELY put the exact right person in my path when I needed him the most.

The impression that was left most was the thought “am I allowing my hands to be His hands?” Am I living my life in a way that I can receive and listen to the promptings of the spirit when my hands are needed to answer someones prayer? What can I do to live my life that way?

These are questions that we all need to ask ourselves. We are here to be instruments of our loving Heavenly Father. Closing, there is a clip from one of Elder Utchdorf’s conference addresses that focuses on this topic. I encourage you all to watch, listen, then go forth allow your hands to be His hands.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/messages/2010/04/our-hands-can-become-his-hands?lang=eng&query=hands+picture