Paris was attacked by ISIS. This world!! I am not much of a scriptorian but the little I know, I am amazed at how similar the stories from The Book of Mormon are compared to today. The pure evilness in people is sickening.
John didn't win city council.
We had an opportunity to buy some land behind us that would increase our backyard by about 1/3 of an acre and as awesome as that would be, we said no and kept feeling like it was going to take up a lot of money and a lot of time. I kept thinking that John will be home more not being on the council and all of that time and then some will be spent working on that land. It's covered in alfalfa. I'm sure we would have enjoyed it but when we heard the offer went through without us having to be a part of it, we felt relief. Our neighbors bought the land behind them and behind us. Maybe if we change our mind in the future, they'd be willing to sell to us. Maybe not.
My good friends, Emily and Meilani, both thought of me and John as they read a talk recently given by Emily's father in law, Elder Lynn G. Robbins. It was all about simplifying. They knew we were going to say no and they both separately knew it was a talk we needed to read and they both said separately that we were 100% making the right decision. I'm so thankful for good friends.
Our home has been nuts. Our kids have been nuts. Ruby has been really sick with a non-stop cold that turned into an ear infection and eye infections. Each kid seems to have been dealing with individual issues and John and I have been tied up mentally and emotionally with mental processing and decision making.
My mom called the other day and said that she felt strongly that because little John is preparing to serve a mission that satan is working extra hard on our family right now. When she said it I knew it was true. I felt it and I was so grateful that my mom, MY MOM, who hasn't always talked this way about having inspiration and praying and all of that kind of stuff, that she felt it. We had a family meeting to discuss this and everyone agreed we need to fight Satan even harder and stand strong.
So with our own thoughts, with inspiration and guidance from parents and others, from the talk sent to me by my friends about simplifying, and then today, Rob sent some thoughts to the family that he had as he was reading the scriptures this morning. I will post it below because I want to save it. I know it is all true and it really impacted me with all of the other things that are going on. He talked about good, better, best. That we even need to be letting go of the good and better and focus on the best. He sent scriptures talking about how when the hearts of men were more evil than they were good, Nephi gave up his judgement seat to focus on preaching the gospel and more importantly, living the gospel. I will post what he sent, below.
Yesterday I was late to ward council because Ruby was up the night before for a few hours and had a really rough morning and I just didn't rush to get there. But then I got there with 20 minutes to spare and thank goodness I did because what was said, was just what I needed to hear.
At our last stake conference Elder Nielsen of the seventy asked President Strong what the vision for our stake is. The stake president knew they had focused on specific things but didn't know that they had a vision for our stake. I have understood that focus to be that Centerville is full of strong members of the church and we need to export and salt the earth with sharing the gospel and to prepare for doing that. Well, they decided to declare a vision and it is the scripture Luke 22:33.
So the stake president asked each bishop what the vision is for their wards. So in ward council, it really stood out to me the question "what is the vision for our family" and "what is the vision for me". Two things I think we need to discuss as a couple, as a family, and ponder on our own and make it known in our family what our vision is as a family and individually.
Interesting how Heavenly Father orchestrates, isn't it?! This seems to happen quite often that several things that correlate are brought up all around the same time to teach life lessons. I remember this happening one time very strongly about needing to repent and ask for forgiveness. This went on for about a month and I sent letters and emails to people asking for forgiveness for things. This orchestrated experience ended with a very real and awesome experience in the temple with my grandpa. In my heart, I asked him for forgiveness for lying to him one time when I was in high school, and he said to me in my mind and my heart "It's all right. I already know." The temple worker looked just like him and I felt he was close through the entire session. It was powerful and amazing and I will never forget it.
Things like this happen often throughout life and it's neat to recognize these things. I feel I am being taught again right now. "What lack I yet?"
So this crazy world. As I sat and watched the Paris attacks on the news the day they were happening, I had the thought "why are we contemplating something so trivial as this land right now. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters but people, our family, and standing strong".
Life is good. Life is scary. Oh how I hope and pray my kids will be strong. And their kids.
I am so so grateful for extended family. I KNOW we are all better off because of the strength of extended family and the connection with each other. It is so so important to strengthen those bonds. Here is the email from Rob:
Helaman Chapter 5
1 And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, Nephi delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram. 2 For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted. 3 Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.
Does
any of this sound familiar? I was reading this on my way to work this
morning, and it really hit home. And what struck me even more were the
verses that followed because of some of the conversations we have all
had. Many of us have expressed how tired we are of what is going on in
the world and have discussed what it is that we need to be doing and how
involved we should/shouldn't be in the activities and events of life.
Verse 4 lets us know that Nephi was like us. He grew tired of what was
going on around him. He became "weary." What struck me is what he did
to resolve his problem--to battle the fatigue and frustration he was
experiencing. I think we can all learn from Nephi (and his brother
Lehi). Pay attention to what they did when the world was falling apart
around them. Look at what it was that they chose to focus on when the
world became ripe for destruction.
4 And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up the judgment-seat,
and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his
days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days; 5 For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spake unto them. And these are the words which he spake: 6 Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who
came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you
remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye
may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know
how that it is said, and also written, that they were good. 7 Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them. 8 And
now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire
is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may
do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers. 9 O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world. 10 And remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him that
the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should
not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their
sins. 11 And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls. 12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm
shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down
to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye
are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build
they cannot fall.
Our
high council speaker and his speaking companion (the stake young men's
president) both spoke on the subject of the importance of prioritizing
our lives during these challenging times. They emphasized the "good,
better, best" principle and stressed that these times call for each of
us to consider eliminating some of the things that we consider to be
good and even some of the things in our lives that fall into the better
category. I think that is what Nephi did when he yielded up the
judgment seat. Certainly he was in a position to do good as the chief
judge. But, ultimately, he gave it up to focus on what he felt was
best.
I
know we all have a lot to deal with, which is a good thing. I can
honestly say it gives me strength and comfort to know that our family is
trusted with hard things. It speaks to our character as individuals
and as a family and confirms to me the kind of parents we have. But,
the fact is, even the strong get weary. And when they do, they
prioritize, as Nephi and Lehi did. I hope we can all see the value in
this as I think it truly parallels our current situation. Nephi and
Lehi returned to the basics. They eliminated the good, and maybe even
the better, so that they could focus on the best. They remembered the
best things their father had taught them---that there is no other way
nor means whereby we can be save, only through the atoning blood of
Jesus Christ; that the Savior did not come to redeem us in our sins, but
from our sins on conditions of repentance; and that it is upon the rock
of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that we must build our
foundation. If we prioritize and re-focus as Nephi and Lehi did, when
the devil sends forth his mighty winds and his shafts in the whirlwind;
when his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon us, it shall have no
power over us to drag us down because we will be built upon a foundation
upon which we cannot fail.
Thanks,
mom and dad, for being amazing parents! Thanks, brothers and sisters
(including in-laws) for being great siblings. Thanks nieces and nephews
for being awesome kids. Thanks Teresa and Zach for being the my
favorite people in the whole world.
I love you all.
Rob
