5 Least Favorite Scriptures- Devotional

This is an amazing devotional given not too long ago in BYU- Hawaii.
We laughed and cried with him as we were kneading sourdough bread the other night.

You will need about 1/2 hour to listen to this but I would so recommend it!

It's about the future. Did you know we have scriptures that tell us what to expect in the future?!!! WHAT?!!! I mean I knew that but I guess I've just been MIA.

Some favorite quotes from this devotional after he has shared his least favorite scriptures:

"Why has God told us these things? Well, there is a lot of reasons but let me share two:
#1 So we are prepared. 
If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear. I really appreciate that scripture.  It doesn't say you don't need to fear, you don't need to be concerned. No, it says you will NOT fear, you SHALL NOT fear.  If you are prepared. There is nothing out there that is all that scary. In fact there is much out there to really look forward to. 

2nd Point: 
So we can put our energy where there can best be effective. 
If a man knows his house was going to be burglarized, he would be pretty stupid to increase his fire insurance. Wouldn't you say? Instead, he ought to invest in some deadbolts or maybe a whole house security system. That would be wise.

The Lord has told us what's coming, therefore we know where to put our efforts....
Though some of the future isn't pretty I want assure you that most of it is downright gorgeous. And we need to understand that side of the story as well."

I want to just quote the whole talk but you better just listen to it from this great man:

What a time to be alive!!!!

https://devotional.byuh.edu/media110726

One last quote:
"We have been preserved for this period and this generation for a reason and that reason is because you and I can do something. We can make a difference in a period where a difference means a whole lot."

What I Know

I want to tell you something. 

I was raised in an LDS home. With a loving mother and father who taught me beautiful things. The taught be about Jesus and love and principles of the gospel. I was baptized as a member of this church when I was 8 years old. I was taught that God is my Heavenly Father who knows me and loves me. Who will answer my prayers. Who speaks to me through scripture and that I can ask and receive inspiration and answers from Him. That Jesus Christ died for me; that through His atonement I can become whole and repent of any wrong-doings. That I can have peace in my life because of Him and though Him. My whole life I have sat in sacrament meeting wanting so badly to boldly declare to the world that I KNOW this gospel is true. I watched so many people go to that pulpit and say it like they really knew. How could they know? How could they say they knew it? I mean, maybe you feel good about it, which I did, and believed it, which I did, but to say you KNOW it? Come on. I didn't think they were lying- I believed that they knew, but I also couldn't fathom actually feeling that way myself. I did bear my testimony a few times using that word "know" and I didn't know. I was hoping I would feel something and know that I know, you know? ha ha.

Well, I can't believe I'm going to use that word- "know". But I have to say it because I am SOOO excited about this!

That I existed before this life.

That I will exist after.

I know it.

That while I'm here breathing and living in this body, that there is something else to me. 

I am a spirit. I am a spirit that has a physical body. Here and now. And after this body dies, I will still exist!

It's just so cool to feel that. To know it and feel it. 

I'm so grateful to know this. It's funny to have something you believed in and "knew" actually FEEL like truth. To feel the truthfulness of this knowledge is amazing. I love it. And I love that I've been taught that my whole life and here I am actually being able to say that I KNOW it! 

Also, I now know the most life changing thing:
I know Jesus Christ is real.

He is REAL. So real.
I have always asked and wanted to know that and to be here today just knowing it is so wonderfully exhilarating because that means the atonement is real. That means I can use this power in my life to change. I've always believed other people when they have told me they know He is real but for me to feel that is life changing. I don't understand how everything works but I am beginning to see that He has suffered for me and I can give my pain to Him. That He can heal me. I can become whole. I wish everyone could feel what I feel about this in my life.


Where once I looked and followed light
blind and dark but yearning
Now I have a candle within
and know that I am learning
That Christ is REAL!
He died for me.
I feel it in my heart.
So all my soul may now be free
to be who I was meant to be.

Prayers and A New Man!

Here's how it's been going the last month or so:
Everytime we say a prayer, Grant has to pray for Sushila, Ramsey and Srijan (La-la, Si-si and Ra-ra). Sometimes he mentions them multiple times and sometimes we end the prayer and start eating or whatever and he says, "Prayer" and in that prayer, we pray for them again. Here's one I recorded- he's just so sweet:

It's been amazing to see someone learning the wonderful things I have taken for granted my whole life knowing about! To know about Jesus Christ and feel the spirit and know you can have God's power blessing you by keeping the commandments...it's been soooo cool.

So the Saturday after Thanksgiving:

Jay, Grant, Sushila, Ramjee, Srijan, Elder Gilbert, Elder Clark

After getting baptized, we got to see a little more of Ramjee's humor as he went on about how he was a new man:

"I don't know you. Who are you? I am a new man! Why are you talking to me? Where am I?"

What an awesome day!

Story of Baby #2

Once upon a time Jay and I were very confused in life and unsure about a lot of things.
We were in a situation that isn't ideal for doing much of really anything- survival mode is what I like to call it.
We were just about to move to a new town so Jay could finish school and any change is stressful. Big changes...

That's where faith and a lot of prayer come into action.
I saw miracles happen in my life- wonderful things I never could have imagined.

And then we knew we wanted another baby.

The big question was when?

Of course after we move and get settled.
And of course we must wait until we have a secure job and know we can afford another baby.
Maybe we should just stay close to my parents so my mom can help with the first trimester (remember my pregnancy with Grant- so sick- my mom saved us because I really couldn't handle food).
Let's make sure Jay can be home with me and help with dinners during the first trimester even- that would be good to plan on.
Oh and what about Grant? Is he old enough to have a sibling? He's still so little and needs so much attention- can I handle having another one?

I thought once you started your family, that you would just know naturally and easily when the next baby was to join your family. Maybe it's because we are a student family and finances really do have a big part to play in our decision...Well, there were just so many questions and so many thoughts as I'm sure many people go through when they start a family or question whether or not it's the right time to have another baby.

This is what happened:
We prayed.
And received an answer that we were not expecting: not to wait.
We both knew it and we both felt it was right even though we had no idea how this was going to work out.

So here I was, pregnant and so sick. We were moving.
Things weren't perfect- we ate kind of poorly, I could barely help with packing- Jay was still working.

But it seems as if everything worked exactly how it was supposed to.

We moved,
Jay was home as he signed up for classes and started looking for a job.
Classes started and I started feeling better (around 14 weeks).
Jay got a job as nausea totally subsided (16 weeks). How did this work? How? I was able to have Jay help with things until almost exactly when I started feeling better again.
And even though it looks as if we have to use medicaid again, I am so grateful.
Grateful that even though it's not what we wanted to happen for paying for the baby, that I got an amazing doctor who is respectful of natural childbirth and supports this endeavor that I have.
Grateful that we didn't wait, grateful that I had help from Jay, even in the midst of moving, and that he got a job right after I started feeling better.

And every time I think it might not work or get scared or fearful, I remember that prompting and I know that somehow this little one is supposed to come right now and so far things have worked out just fine. There is a plan and Heavenly Father makes things work when we put our faith and trust in him.

Mom on T.V- the Fire

My mom was on t.v.

http://fox13now.com/2013/06/13/fire-burning-in-provo/


She told me she was embarrassed she couldn't brush her hair-typical mom.

Well, the scoop is this:
My dad took the dog fishing which he has never done before and has never thought of doing before but just happened to take her that day.

There was a fireman who was directed to go down the hill, below the flames to get the base of the fire under control but had an impression to come to the top to fight the fire- if he hadn't....

The firemen were baffled that the houses didn't burn with the strong winds

My family is staying in a hotel because the smell is so bad. And my mom is excited because now the insurance covers all the walls to be cleaned (smoke gets into everything).

I knew what I would see- my mom described it to me, but standing there it just hit me that my family's house could have been gone. All that they have, just like that.

You can see how close the flames were to our neighbor's house- the trees were starting to burn and their home is right there.

That is where the power box was that fell when the pole snapped from the wind.

 

The fire licked the yard, making way to the house.

The dog would have died from the heat.

The view sure is nice though- I think my parent's should put in an off-the-edge- pools ....

Come on! Wouldn't that be so perfect?!!!

What a blessing my dad took the dog that day. What a blessing everyone is uninjured and the houses are still standing.

Tender mercies.  

Going to Church....with an active one-year old.

Sunday school has been different with an active walker who isn't old enough yet for nursery.

It started as nursing and sleeping during sunday school and relief society.

That worked pretty well for the most part. If I really felt he needed a nap I would go home after sacrament. But mostly he will nap in my arms if I go to the mother's lounge and nurse him to sleep. 

Then he started growing up.

For a couple weeks we brought books and that helped.

Then we started bringing toys and cups to stack on the floor so I would hurry in the room and claim my "territory" before anyone else could get it: 

a nice corner section in the back of the room where I could feel free to let G sit on the floor and play.

Now that he runs around though we have:

Brought a ball to church and let him chase it around in between people. 

People throw it back to him- it is soooo disrupting but he is happy and he isn't crying so....?

I don't know, he's playing and I actually get to sit through a lesson- I could just not go to church but I'm trying to make it work. What do people do with active children before nursery? 

Then this last sunday G ran around touching every knee and looking up into the faces of each individual he could touch and giving them his best heart melting earth shattering toothy smile. 

Then he holds up his hands for a high-five and some he gives, some he holds up then as soon as the person raises their hand to give him one, he puts his down and runs off. 

Then, someone had a football touch and feel book and G lovvvved it.

He started reading it even.

Very loudly.

It sounded like a fat cat was dying, "Gah! GAHAHA  ga loosha gugaaaaaaaAAAAAA!"

It was very throaty and growly. I don't know where he learned to read a story like that. 

I read to him but never with a voice and tone like that. It was hilarious. 

Then he was tired enough for a nap so I got to go to relief society and actually listen to lesson which was sooooo good. About aligning our will with God's will. He slept up until the last five minutes. Then I put stickers on my nose to keep him occupied. It worked like a charm. 

What new tricks are we going to try next week?

Coloring Conference

I usually take notes, but I always get hung up if I missed something and I never look at them really again.

This idea was presented to the primary children to help them pay attention in conference: make a collage of key points you hear spoken. I decided to give it a try because I was in the coloring mood.



Best idea ever! I look at this poster and can think back on exactly what it was about those talks that I loved and touched me. And now we have this poster hanging on our fridge so we can look at it for a while and remember those beautiful words and the spirit with which they were spoken.

I also can't wait for conference to be printed so I can read all of these talks again!!!

"A Christmas Miracle"

The Provo Tabernacle went up in flames this week. Many were heartbroken and I can't help but feel a loss when I look at that old building and know that now it is in shambles. It was a beautiful building with a lot of history.



But there is something that amazes me.
This picture of Christ was saved from the wreckage:



When a friend at work first told me about a picture of Jesus that wasn't burned I thought it was just a rumor.
Yet, there it is, with many people calling it a "Christmas Miracle".
And I can't help but think it is.

It was just a reminder to me that things are temporal and Christmas is really not about stuff....even if the stuff is beautiful and wonderful.
It's so easy to get caught up in getting new things and giving great, awesome gifts but in the end those things really won't matter at all. What will matter is the love you show others and the service you do and what kind of heart you have. This was a good reminder for me about what really counts and hopefully will be able to look back on my life with joy, and not the regret of caring about things that don't last.

Merry Christmas!