OUR FAMILY...TREASURING LIFE ONE DAY AT A TIME

Monday, January 9, 2017

OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR DAY AT THE TEMPLE FOR THE SEALING OF EMMA AND EVONNE:

It's as though a great burden has been lifted. I feel such an incredible, profound inner peace and calm that I can't quite explain. I have had a stirring and a yearning within for so long that something was missing, and now it is found, and sealed and bound on earth and in heaven for all eternity. I just know Emma and Evonne were meant to be with us for eternity and I am grateful to God for His hand in my life, His love for me, and for His Son, Jesus Christ, by whom all things are possible and all of God's children can return to live with Him again for eternity, forever with our families and loved ones.

-Mom (Mindy)

I just wanted to share a few thoughts I had at the Temple. It was great to have Emma and Evie there, with support of family present. Life is so crazy, good, frustrating, happy, fulfilling all at the same time. While the Sealer spoke, I reflected about family ties and that as we follow the gospel it won't take away the hardships we face, but make them such that we can handle going through them, and learn at the same time. I felt the spirit and know that these girls belong to us. I feel my life has been thrown into chaos, but for a good reason. They are so very cute and I love them.

-Dad (Bryan)

...me saw the temple and went inside the temple. me got to play with toys in the temple. mommy was in the temple and Sam and Grandpa and Grandma and Kelsi and Jacob and daddy in temple too. Grandpa in the temple too, played with toys with me. me sit in the temple with Grandpa. Grandma came in temple too and Ali came in the temple too. me hold Baby Rosie. (Ali's baby). Kelsi played in the kitchen with me at the temple. Jacob play toys with me in the temple. Evie played with toys in the temple. me and Evie push babies in the stroller in the temple. me push Evie in the stroller. me give mom and daddy big hugs in the temple.

-Emma

I am so excited that y'all went to the temple!! Love all the pictures you sent!! Those are some crazy things that happened to try and stop y'all from going, but it worked out!!

...It happens a lot when people are learning/working towards baptism. Opposition from family, friends, they run into anti Mormon literature, the word of wisdom issues. I often hear that the week before someone gets baptized is the hardest week of their lives. The word of wisdom is always a really difficult challenge, even if they have been living it, because if they slip up once the baptism has to be postponed (since they have to be clean for 1 week). There are many people who I have taught that did want to get baptized, but then didn't because of the adversary, and then they stopped meeting with us as well. It's so sad, but their time will come.

I am so happy that it all worked out the way it did, I know that Emma and Evie were meant to be with us as well :)

-Sister Karissa Taylor (serving a mission in the Georgia, Atlanta North Mission)

The temple was very clean and quiet. It was really nice to go into such a peaceful place. It was really cool to see the room with the infinity mirrors.

It is really cool to have two new little sisters sealed to us!

-Jacob

The mirrors were cool...they went on forever. I felt good, warm, happy, safe, loved/cared for. Families are Forever!
-Sam

Obstacles and Miracles

It was a beautiful, special day in the temple! So grateful we got to take Emma and Evonne to the temple and have them sealed to us forever! The adversary most certainly tried to stop us from getting to the temple.

I was almost surprised at how many things could happen to try and stop us and delay us.

Here are just a few of the things:

The night before the sealing...

The white dresses that I ordered weeks ago, looked yellow when I put them next to my temple dress (the night before we went to the temple). So that night I went to Deseret Book/Distribution Center in an effort to find some white dresses. I had looked here before for dresses and they had nothing that would fit Emma and Evie, (which is why I had ordered dresses). Previously, they only had sizes for little babies or sizes for girls getting baptized. But it was a miracle that they just happened to have 2 dresses that fit Emma and Evie perfectly that night I went in.

The day of the sealing...

1. I go to Costco to get paper products, etc. for lunch...and I forget the most important thing, rolls to go with the meat for sandwiches! I don't have time to go back, but bless Grandma Blake for going to get them for us.

2. As I go to get the Ranch Dressing out of the fridge at Costco, several bottles of Ranch fall out on top of me, splattering Ranch all around me, covering my boots and pants in Ranch all the way up to my thighs. I am covered in Ranch at least 2 inches deep. Honestly, it felt like someone had pushed the Ranch dressing on me the way it came out on me so forcefully. I'm standing here surrounding by and covered in Ranch, unable to move. I hear a few kids laughing, which I can't say that I blame them, I must have looked hilarious, :) haha I wish i would have had someone take a picture of me! But God bless the sweet lady who turned to me and said, I will go get someone to help you. She comes back and says someone is on her way and then offers me some wipes to clean the ranch off my boots and pants. I clean myself up, (which takes quite a while) thanking her for her help and telling her of our special plans for the day as I do so. (I smell very strongly of Ranch as I finish my shopping trip!)

3. Sam took 2 hours to get dressed and get into the car. I'm Grateful I had talked to Julie ahead of time and had planned to take pictures before the sealing because that gave us some extra time for Sam to get dressed and in the car. I prayed constantly for the Lord to help him and I know He did.

4. We finally get to the temple and they tell us that they don't have any live sealings scheduled for today! I almost didn't believe what they were saying. They double check and say that they actually do have us scheduled but for 2 hours later, at 6:00pm. So they proceed to check with our sealer to see if he can come at 4. They also get some temple workers to come help at the children's waiting room, last minute, because they didn't have us scheduled right. Every temple worker was so sweet and kind, helpful and understanding.

5. Sam had a hard time getting dressed in white at the temple. He locked himself in the dressing room in the temple children's waiting room. God bless the temple worker who found Grandpa Blake and God bless Grandpa Blake for going in and helping Sam to get out of the dressing room and come up for the sealing. I see it as a great miracle that Sam made it to the sealing room dressed in white.

6. Pictures. A big snow storm is predicted to come. So Julie and Dave need to get back as soon as possible. They take some pictures before (but not as many as we had hoped due to our delay getting to the temple). God bless them for staying after the sealing to take more pictures, so sweet of them!

7. Sister Wheatley. She was simply the sweetest. We were so blessed to have her help our family. She was very patient, kind and understanding with Sam. And those who observed her felt she was inspired of what to say to Sam to help him overcome his anxious feelings and be able to come to the sealing.

These are just a few of things that came our way on the day of the sealing. I love how each obstacle is met with a miracle of some sort!

There have seemed to be obstacles all around us the past month, (since we officially adopted Emma and Evie,) It felt like Satan trying to stop us from taking them to the temple. Our adoption attorney warned me about it...not sure I believed her until I experienced it! But the obstacles and difficulties have been overcome with

miracles and the help of the Lord! I'm very grateful we made it to the temple. I felt the Lord helping us all day. And the spirit was very strong in the sealing room. I loved what the sealer, Bro. Vance Standiford, spoke to us about, it really touched my heart and spirit. He talked about the plan of salvation being infinite and individual and how Emma and Evie were always part of our individual plan of salvation. They are eternally part of our family now. What a wonderful blessing! :)

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Miracles as Stepping Stones

Emma and Evonne Sealing Day 1/7/17

It's hard to put into words what I feel in my heart, but I feel I should try.
As I purchased two little white dresses last night (just in the nick of time and by some small miracle there were two dresses exactly the right size), the cashier said to me, "I hope your day tomorrow is perfect." As I thanked her, I realized there was no way it could be perfect, but I would hope for the best and trust in the Lord.
It was far from perfect, but it was wonderful and special nevertheless, and so many miracles happened to help get us to the temple.
The adversary tried very hard to stop us from getting to the temple, to slow us down, discourage us, frustrate us, stress us, worry us, even sadden us. But the adversary did not succeed. We made it to the temple...using little miracles as stepping stones!
I sort of felt like a fire fighter, putting out fires from the adversary with little miracles from the Lord, as we prepared to take Emma and Evonne to the temple to be sealed to us forever. It almost felt like everything that could go wrong, went wrong. But the focus of this is on the miracles that made everything right. So many miracles, known and unknown, were used as stepping stones to unite Emma and Evonne to our family forever!

I am grateful for those miracles and for the Grace of God which makes up for what I lack, my imperfections and mistakes. He loves me no matter what. I'm not perfect. Our day at the temple wasn't perfect. But Jesus Christ is perfect. And His love for me is perfect and that is where the perfect calm and the perfect peace comes from. He will give me His perfect love if I will accept it. If I will let go of my imperfections and my mistakes and give them to Him, then He will take care of the rest. Grace will save me after all I can do. And His perfect love will fill me with peace.

It is by GRACE we are saved after all we can do.

"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."
2 Nephi 25:28

MIRACLES AS STEPPING STONES
Life...it seemed to be falling apart
But I always kept God close in my heart.
Challenge, adversity, stress, difficulties...
Everything seemed to be falling down around me.
One step forward, two steps back
'Dear Lord, help me, what do I lack?'
Miracles happened, one by one,
As stepping stones, to help me come
Through the difficulties, and be not ashamed
For I've tried my best and often prayed.
God is merciful. God is Grace.
It's only through Christ that I can be saved
After all I can do, I do my best,
And God sends miracles to help with the rest.
-By Mindy Taylor Jan. 7, 2017

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

What Lack I Yet?

Today I asked the question...what lack I yet? And almost immediately I heard and felt...

to improve my Sabbath day preparation

...I need to prepare better for the Sabbath, Sunday, #HisDay
For me, in order to really delight in the Sabbath, to really cherish #HisDay I need to prepare for it....oh there are so, so, so very, very many things to prepare....
*bottles washed and filled
*diaper bag packed with the necessities AND with special things to help little ones sit quietly in Sacrament meeting
*Clothes (to include socks and shoes and underwear and bows) washed, ironed, and laid out and ready for wearing for MYSELF, 2 BABIES, MY HUSBAND AND SONS AND DAUGHTER
*a clean house...REALLY????? i so struggle with this one...WHY? because even with the house all cleaned...somehow it ALWAYS falls apart on Sunday, no matter what. Why? I don't know...but it gives me good reason and easy justification to say to myself on Sat...that I don't need to clean it because it will simply fall apart on Sunday anyhow....oh dear...oh dear...somehow I must clean the house for Sunday....
*spiritual preparation...prepare myself to take the Sacrament
*study/read the lesson for Relief Society and Sunday School
*prepare dinner for Sunday
*Wake up myself and my family early (6:30am) Sunday morning for family scriptures and prayers and to get ready.
*be READY 30 minutes before church starts..so i need to have myself, and 2 babies ready by 8:30am and my son ready by 7:45am
As I look at this list, this preparation....I am overwhelmed... But if this is what I lack and need to work on right now...then I will work on it.

God loves us. We are His children. Our Savior, Jesus

Christ, strengthens us through the power of His

Atonement. The Holy Ghost guides and comforts us

Christ and the Father honor our agency and let us act of our own choosing when we are ready. Likewise, The Holy Ghost doesn’t tell us to improve everything at once. If He did, we would become discouraged and give up. The Spirit works with us at our own speed, one step at a time, or as the Lord has taught, “line upon line, precept upon precept, … and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, … for unto him that receiveth I will give more.”
...and so since this is what I felt the Holy Ghost prompted me to do... I will pursue preparation for the Sabbath, Sunday, #HisDay....which is 4 days away...I just might start preparing now.
What if??....my preparation throughout the entire week, my chores, everything I did.... revolved around preparing everything for Sunday??? What if???

I suppose we shall see...