Fortifying our Families

It’s no secret that the world is becoming more and more wicked.  We are seeing prophecies from the Bible come to fruition, and for some this is a scary time!  But the wonderful thing is, “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear”! (D&C 38:30) In my Book of Mormon class this week, we read Alma 43-63.  It’s a lot to read, but I encourage you all to read and study it.  There is a lot of contention and war happening in these chapters - many of the people who were once righteous fell away and became more wicked than their enemies.  They wanted to destroy the church and the people who stood for liberty and freedom.

One of the things that was spoken of over and over again was the preparations that the people made.  The Nephites fortified their cities, preparing to defend their homes, families, and freedoms.  But they didn't just rely on their military leader to help them prepare for war - they relied on their prophet to guide them in the ways the Lord would have them go (Alma 43:23-24).  They prepared spiritually to withstand the forces of the adversary.

We can do the same today.  I found the chart below in the Book of Mormon Student Manual, chapter 33.  As I am a visual person, it helps me see what was done before, and how we can use it to fortify our families.  I don't know if I'll ever be asked to dig out trenches to create earthen defenses for my city.  But I do know that as a parent, I am being asked to strengthen my testimony and do all I can to teach my children to have their own testimony of Jesus Christ.  In his talk "Yes, We Can and Will Win!" by Ulisses Soares, he said something that I find incredibly comforting.  He said, "this is a war that we can and will win. The Lord trusts in our capacity and determination to do so."  I know that our Heavenly Father has given us everything we need to fortify ourselves.  I know that if we follow His teachings, not the teachings of the world, then we will be prepared to face the opposition that is coming.

I hope and pray that we are all able to fortify our families, just as the Nephites fortified theirs.

HOW THE NEPHITES WERE FORTIFIED	HOW WE CAN FORTIFY
The weaker fortifications were strengthened (see Alma 48:9).	We must strengthen the weak spots in our lives.
The Nephites prepared for the enemy in a manner never before known (see Alma 49:8).	We must prepare as never before to stand against the wiles of the devil.
The Nephites made their weaker cities into strongholds (see Alma 49:14).	If we come unto Christ, He can make weak things become strong to us (see Ether 12:27).
The Nephites were given power over their enemies (see Alma 49:23).	If we are faithful and trust the Lord, He will give us power over our enemies.
After some Nephite victories, they did not stop in their preparations (Alma 50:1).	When we have successfully overcome a temptation or trial, we must not let our guard down, but continue to endure and watch and pray always to not be overcome (see Alma 13:28).
The Nephites built security towers so they could see the enemy afar off (see Alma 50:4).	As we rely on prophets who are modern watchmen on the tower and see afar off, we will be better prepared for the future.

As I have been reading the Book of Mormon, I have been utilizing the student manual to study more effectively.  I hope that if you choose to read the chapters that I'm talking about, you'll also look to the manual to help you learn and grow.

Serving my fellow man

A lot has happened this last week in the world.  Scary stuff.  Things that make me want to gather my children close and never let them go anywhere without me.  Things that make me want to rethink this whole lifestyle we have chosen for our family.  Then after the scary stuff comes the voices of people who are scared.  Scared that their way of life might be affected.  Scared that welcoming refugees means welcoming terrorists.  And with these scared voices come angry voices.  They are covering the scared with the mad.  I think it's easier for us to be indignant than compassionate.

It is something I've been debating internally.  How much do I let the fear control me?  And how do I let that go to be able to serve my fellow man?  My studies this week come perfectly timed to help me answer my inner dialogue.  King Benjamin, a good and righteous king serving his people in the Americas about 125 years before Christ was born, delivered a message before he died.  You can read his address to his people in the Book of Mormon, the book of Mosiah, chapters 2-5.  Within that address, in Mosiah 2:16-17, he says, "Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God. And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

How can I ignore that?  I love my Heavenly Father, and want to serve Him.  How do I do that?

Our living prophet on the earth, Thomas S. Monson, gave a talk titled “How Firm a Foundation” in October 2006.  In it, he said of service, “This is the service that counts, the service to which all of us have been called: the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Along your pathway of life you will observe that you are not the only traveler. There are others who need your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.”

A living prophet of God is telling me to look around and serve those in need!  We will be receiving many travelers in the coming years who will need our help.  There are many ways to help.  I found some incredible articles on the subject.  "The Town that Rescued 5000 Mormon Refugees" reminded me of a time when early members of my church were refugees.  They were driven from their homes in the middle of winter, and the kind people of Quincy, Illinois took them in.  There is a very good chance that some of those 5,000 were my ancestors.  The love and kindness shown to them is an incredible example to me.

"4 Simple Ways to Help Refugees in Your Community" tells us specific ways we can help refugees coming into our country.  We need to remember that these people have seen horrific things happen to their family, friends, and country.  We need to show compassion to them and let them know that we are here to help them start a new life.  The article offers us ways to help.  They are: 1. Become their friends. 2. Educate yourself and others. 3. Employ refugees and frequent their businesses. 4. Seek Service opportunities in your community.

As I read the article, I thought, “Yes!  These are easy!"  These are ways that we can help welcome scared people into our communities.  I think that if we show love and understanding, we can help the refugees feel a part of our communities.  I know that when I move somewhere new, I need someone to reach out to me – to show me around and to be my friend.  I hope and pray that when I have the opportunity, I can be that person to someone else.  I want to serve my God as I serve His children.  Because after all, we are ALL God’s children and He loves each and every one of us.

Bringing the Blog Back!

Yes, I know it's been over 3 years since I last blogged.  A lot has happened since then.  We left Skopje, moved to Houston, Texas, lived there for 3 years, and have moved again.  We are preparing to move again next summer to Praia, Cape Verde.  We are really excited to move there!  Mike and I start Portuguese on November 2nd.  In this year while we're in Virginia, I'm also going back to school!  Because, you know, I don't have anything else to do.  I am doing the Pathway program.  It is a program available through my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, to go back to school through BYU-Idaho.  I am taking 2 classes, Life Skills and The Book of Mormon Part 1, and attend class every Thursday night.  I am learning a lot about myself and about my relationship with my Heavenly Father.  I'll be using this blog to keep up-to-date on our adventures, but also to chronicle my learning process in my classes.

Mount Olympus!

From Dion, we drove up the mountain as far as we could on pavement. Once we hit the dirt road we stopped and I made everyone get out to prove we had been there.

Beautiful view up the mountain.

There was a cute church down the mountain.

The kids on Olympus.

Proof I was there!  Just in case you didn't think I was.

Even though the trip was quick, we all had a really good time.  It was nice to see more of our part of the world.  Now if I can just make it to Athens for Spring Break...

The rest of the pictures

After following the path through the sanctuaries, we came to the city walls of Dion.  Right inside are the excavations of 2 homes.  A little farther up the road were the baths.  We didn't venture more into the city because it was cold, and also because it was very similar to Stobi (an ancient Roman city in Macedonia) that we had visited a couple months ago.  I don't think I've posted those pictures, though.  Sorry.  So the houses and the baths are all we saw in the city, then headed back to see some more sanctuaries (that were really just holes in the ground) and the amphitheater.

The city wall was built and patched with whatever was available!

House just inside the city walls.  The statues are replicas of what was found.

Another home, right next to the other.  They are separated by only a small alley.





The public baths.  The sand on the left is covering the mosaics on the floor.  They do this during the winter to preserve the tiles from the weather.

Another room in the public baths.  The pilings supported the floor, and circulated heat created in the fireplaces you can see in the walls.

The Hellenistic Amphitheater.  Alexander camped in the open space in the foreground.  This was also another attempt at getting a good shot of the mountain.

At this point, Aubree was really low, so I entrusted the camera to the boys so they could get shots of the amphitheater.  This is the place where Alexander the Great camped before his last campaign, offered sacrifices to the gods, and had his soldiers compete in games.  Chris and Nick don't tend to focus on the same things that I would have.  Enjoy.

Not a bad picture!





Yeah, right!

It would be nice if this were actually observed!

Part of Nick's face.

Such a pretty eye!

The path.

Can't forget the sky!

There was still more to see - the sanctuary of Olympian Zeus, a smaller baths, and a Roman theater, but we were all hungry, and Aubree needed more than just a couple crackers.  We felt like we had seen the most important things, and nobody was disappointed that it was time to leave.