Sometimes I think about if I should post something on the blog, then I remember that I have three older brothers, two parents, and other younger siblings that are spiritual giants and that I probably couldn't add anything that my older siblings and parents haven't already thought of or studied, and I decide against it. But then Tyrel rebuked us today for not posting on the blog, so I decided I would give it a go.
In honor of the upcoming 4th of July, I am doing an FHE on freedom and such tomorrow night. As I was reading through different scriptures in preparation, I had a thought about two different scriptures I read.
The first scripture is Alma 61:15 where Pahoran tells Moroni to come with a few men to help him and to leave Lehi and Teancum in charge of the remainder of the men and to "give unto them power to conduct the war in that part of the land, according to the Spirt of God, which is also the spirit of freedom which is in them."
The second scripture is Alma 21:21-22. After Lamoni is converted, one of the first things he does (if not the first thing) is declare freedom to his people. After being converted through the Spirit of God, he is then filled with the spirit of freedom. It added to my testimony of the previous scripture that the Spirit of God and the spirt of freedom truly are hand-in-hand.
I'm grateful for parents that have been so good about teaching us this principle. I've realized that even though every other member of the church has The Book of Mormon, there are a lot of members that don't see the importance that it places on freedom. I'm grateful for this country and the freedoms we have and hope we can do our part to always fight for those freedoms.
Simple stories of goodness and real life thoughts from a real life family
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Potty training
Just in case any of my future parent siblings are considering the mini toilets that allow them to "do it their selves"...just consider this factor.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Temptation
President George Q. Cannon testified that every man has power enough to resist Satan. “The Lord our God has sent us here to get experience in these things so that we may know the good from the evil and be able to close our hearts against the evil. … It is true that some have greater power of resistance than others, but everyone has the power to close his heart against doubt, against darkness, against unbelief, against depression, against anger, against hatred, against jealousy, against malice, against envy. God has given this power unto all of us, and we can gain still greater power by calling upon Him for that which we lack. If it were not so, how could we be condemned for giving way to wrong influences?
“There could be no condemnation for our doing what we could not help; but we can help yielding to wrong influences and being quarrelsome and selfish. We can help giving way to the spirit of theft, and we can resist the spirit of lust. God has given us power to resist these things, that our hearts may be kept free from them and also from doubt; and when Satan comes and assails us, it is our privilege to say, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan, for I have no lot nor portion in you, and you have no part in me. I am in the service of God, and I am going to serve Him, and you can do what you please. It is no use you presenting yourself with your blandishments to me. You come and try to insinuate into my heart evil thoughts about the servants of God or about the work of God, and I will not listen to you; I will close my heart against you. …’
“Whenever darkness fills our minds, we may know that we are not possessed of the Spirit of God, and we must get rid of it. When we are filled with the Spirit of God, we are filled with joy, with peace and with happiness no matter what our circumstances may be; for it is a spirit of cheerfulness and of happiness.” (Gospel Truth, 1:19–20.)
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Dad
So I am sitting here on a Sunday evening feeling rather lousy (strep is going around our house) and since we were unable to attend the Father's Day festivities I figured I would have a quick 10 minute Festivus on the blog all on my own while I listen to my kids "go to bed" (which typically consists of the four boys running from room to room jumping on beds and screaming and laughing rather loudly). Anyway to the point of the post which is a "shout out" to Dad:
Now that I am a Dad my views have changed somewhat on what is so amazing about Dad - meaning that I probably didn't appreciate some of the things as much as I do now. One of those things was his role as the breadwinner. I was never nervous about whether or not Dad would provide for us. I always felt safe and comfortable with his work ethic and his dedication to his family. The meals that Mom so lovingly placed on the table everyday were taken for granted by me as I grew up, but now that I have children I can recognize the sacrifice it took for both Mom and Dad to perform those daily tasks and make sure we were properly fed, clothed and sheltered.
For that I want to express my gratitude to Dad. He probably felt from time to time that his long hours went unnoticed. However, I can remember the mornings when he woke up at 4 or 5 a.m. to go to work. I remember the late nights he spent in the garage doing side jobs to make ends meet. I am amazed at what he put his body through to take care of our needs - and he did it with very little gratitude or fanfare from us. I will always be grateful for that attitude of selflessness and the principles of hard work and family loyalty that his actions instilled in me.
The next thing was his support in our athletic, music and other events. Being as how I am not particularly talented in the musical arena, I of course remember the ball games and wrestling meets the most. Dad never seemed to miss one - and I still see that same dedication from him today. Looking back I recognize that not all parents did that for their kids and that it was quite a sacrifice for Mom and Dad to be there all the time - but they always were. I want to share three brief, personal moments that I have treasured that Dad may not even remember.
The first was in fifth or sixth grade during wrestling season. Dad was at practice with me and I was wrestling a kid who was older than me, bigger than me and far more experienced and talented than me. I was working pretty hard but the dude was cross-facing me like it was going out of style and it wasn't long before I was bleeding all over the place. Being the tough guy that I was, I started crying and telling Dad that I didn't want to do it anymore. He came over to the side of the mat and just took me aside and told me that I couldn't give up. I didn't and that moment taught me a lot that has blessed me immensely since then.
The second one was similar - and again at the side of a wrestling mat. He came to my first tournament my junior year and let's just be frank - I positively stunk it up. I hadn't wrestled for several years and lacked a lot of wrestling savvy that the other kids had been gaining over the past few years. As we drove home that night I remember him talking to me about the fact that he didn't mind if I didn't win every match - or even if I was any good at all. Then he proceeded to give me a little heat Elder Holland style about the match where I had given up at the end. The kid had gotten me in a move and I just decided to give up and give in and I was pinned.
He explained to me that it was completely unacceptable to give up. Talent was one thing, but just plain giving up was a totally different story. He singed my eyebrows about it a little bit and the lesson stuck with me. The rest of the season went a lot differently and I was only pinned one other time (a legit domination of me by a kid from Wasatch - I am still not entirely sure what happened but he whooped me good).
The last one was my senior year during football season. We were in the state semifinals against Snow Canyon playing at Cougar Stadium. Our offense had done really well all year but for some reason was struggling mightily that day. We couldn't get anything going. About halfway through the fourth quarter I was getting pretty frustrated and I was dead tired. I think our offense had something like 6 or 8 turnovers that game and so those of us on defense were on the field nearly the whole game. I was beat! Not that I won the game by any means because it was far from that, but those lessons that Dad had taught me earlier stuck with me. I gave everything I had the rest of the game until the final buzzer sounded.
I remember that as we walked off the field Dad was waiting for me in the tunnel between the field and the locker room and I just walked up to him and gave him a big hug and we both just broke down into tears without saying anything. I have imagined since that day that the future meeting with our Father in Heaven would be similar. I don't know that He will have to say anything...I don't know that we will have to say anything...but we will have known that He had been there for us all the time, rooting for us and giving us everything we needed to succeed.
Ultimately that is the point that I want to make about Dad. In a nutshell he taught me much about our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ - not just through the various talks, sermons, etc. that I have heard from him over the years as great as they were. The biggest thing that he taught me was that everything God does is for our benefit. Whether he was chastising or praising, reproving or blessing, I always knew that everything Dad did was for my benefit. He did things because he wanted the best for me. His umpteen hours of work every day, taking time for sports, giving himself completely to his church callings - everything was for us in one way or another.
That is how our Father in Heaven is - everything he does is for us. Whether He is chastening or praising, reproving or blessing, I always know that everything He does is for me and for my eternal benefit and for the eternal benefit of my family. Today I give thanks to the man who taught me most about this truth - that "all these things shall give thee experience and be for thy good."
Watching him through losing four children and raising ten others I couldn't have asked for a better role model. I am not saying that he is "the perfect Dad" or that he never made a mistake- (He has always been the first to admit his own personal faults) - but what I am saying is that he was a perfect father for me, as I believe he is for all of us. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for knowing what lessons and principles that I would need to learn to bless me later in life. I am grateful to Him for giving me parents that raised me right. I am grateful that He gave me parents who taught me about the Christ through word and deed. Dad - thanks for all you have been, are and continue to be. I will never be able to repay you for all you have taught me and all you have done for me. Always there when I need someone to talk to, always there- worthy and ready to give blessings in times of trouble and there to lay sod in my yard in your old age ;-) Hopefully all of this gibberish made a little bit of sense and you got some idea of how much you mean to me and to our family. I love you!
Now that I am a Dad my views have changed somewhat on what is so amazing about Dad - meaning that I probably didn't appreciate some of the things as much as I do now. One of those things was his role as the breadwinner. I was never nervous about whether or not Dad would provide for us. I always felt safe and comfortable with his work ethic and his dedication to his family. The meals that Mom so lovingly placed on the table everyday were taken for granted by me as I grew up, but now that I have children I can recognize the sacrifice it took for both Mom and Dad to perform those daily tasks and make sure we were properly fed, clothed and sheltered.
For that I want to express my gratitude to Dad. He probably felt from time to time that his long hours went unnoticed. However, I can remember the mornings when he woke up at 4 or 5 a.m. to go to work. I remember the late nights he spent in the garage doing side jobs to make ends meet. I am amazed at what he put his body through to take care of our needs - and he did it with very little gratitude or fanfare from us. I will always be grateful for that attitude of selflessness and the principles of hard work and family loyalty that his actions instilled in me.
The next thing was his support in our athletic, music and other events. Being as how I am not particularly talented in the musical arena, I of course remember the ball games and wrestling meets the most. Dad never seemed to miss one - and I still see that same dedication from him today. Looking back I recognize that not all parents did that for their kids and that it was quite a sacrifice for Mom and Dad to be there all the time - but they always were. I want to share three brief, personal moments that I have treasured that Dad may not even remember.
The first was in fifth or sixth grade during wrestling season. Dad was at practice with me and I was wrestling a kid who was older than me, bigger than me and far more experienced and talented than me. I was working pretty hard but the dude was cross-facing me like it was going out of style and it wasn't long before I was bleeding all over the place. Being the tough guy that I was, I started crying and telling Dad that I didn't want to do it anymore. He came over to the side of the mat and just took me aside and told me that I couldn't give up. I didn't and that moment taught me a lot that has blessed me immensely since then.
The second one was similar - and again at the side of a wrestling mat. He came to my first tournament my junior year and let's just be frank - I positively stunk it up. I hadn't wrestled for several years and lacked a lot of wrestling savvy that the other kids had been gaining over the past few years. As we drove home that night I remember him talking to me about the fact that he didn't mind if I didn't win every match - or even if I was any good at all. Then he proceeded to give me a little heat Elder Holland style about the match where I had given up at the end. The kid had gotten me in a move and I just decided to give up and give in and I was pinned.
He explained to me that it was completely unacceptable to give up. Talent was one thing, but just plain giving up was a totally different story. He singed my eyebrows about it a little bit and the lesson stuck with me. The rest of the season went a lot differently and I was only pinned one other time (a legit domination of me by a kid from Wasatch - I am still not entirely sure what happened but he whooped me good).
The last one was my senior year during football season. We were in the state semifinals against Snow Canyon playing at Cougar Stadium. Our offense had done really well all year but for some reason was struggling mightily that day. We couldn't get anything going. About halfway through the fourth quarter I was getting pretty frustrated and I was dead tired. I think our offense had something like 6 or 8 turnovers that game and so those of us on defense were on the field nearly the whole game. I was beat! Not that I won the game by any means because it was far from that, but those lessons that Dad had taught me earlier stuck with me. I gave everything I had the rest of the game until the final buzzer sounded.
I remember that as we walked off the field Dad was waiting for me in the tunnel between the field and the locker room and I just walked up to him and gave him a big hug and we both just broke down into tears without saying anything. I have imagined since that day that the future meeting with our Father in Heaven would be similar. I don't know that He will have to say anything...I don't know that we will have to say anything...but we will have known that He had been there for us all the time, rooting for us and giving us everything we needed to succeed.
Ultimately that is the point that I want to make about Dad. In a nutshell he taught me much about our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ - not just through the various talks, sermons, etc. that I have heard from him over the years as great as they were. The biggest thing that he taught me was that everything God does is for our benefit. Whether he was chastising or praising, reproving or blessing, I always knew that everything Dad did was for my benefit. He did things because he wanted the best for me. His umpteen hours of work every day, taking time for sports, giving himself completely to his church callings - everything was for us in one way or another.
That is how our Father in Heaven is - everything he does is for us. Whether He is chastening or praising, reproving or blessing, I always know that everything He does is for me and for my eternal benefit and for the eternal benefit of my family. Today I give thanks to the man who taught me most about this truth - that "all these things shall give thee experience and be for thy good."
Watching him through losing four children and raising ten others I couldn't have asked for a better role model. I am not saying that he is "the perfect Dad" or that he never made a mistake- (He has always been the first to admit his own personal faults) - but what I am saying is that he was a perfect father for me, as I believe he is for all of us. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for knowing what lessons and principles that I would need to learn to bless me later in life. I am grateful to Him for giving me parents that raised me right. I am grateful that He gave me parents who taught me about the Christ through word and deed. Dad - thanks for all you have been, are and continue to be. I will never be able to repay you for all you have taught me and all you have done for me. Always there when I need someone to talk to, always there- worthy and ready to give blessings in times of trouble and there to lay sod in my yard in your old age ;-) Hopefully all of this gibberish made a little bit of sense and you got some idea of how much you mean to me and to our family. I love you!
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Cool dad
So Amber has been terribly sick since Wednesday night and so I have been playing Mr. Mom while working from home. Luckily it is summertime so I can do that.
Anyway Trenton went in to her today and told Amber how "Dad is home every day when I wake up! He isn't even going to seminary anymore!" Amber explained that this was temporary (the carpet in our building is being replaced) and then asked him if he liked me being home and he was like ,"yea! If Dad wasn't home we wouldn't know how to watch TV or hulu plus or anything!"
(Hulu plus is a thing like Netflix except for it is TV shows instead of movies.)
Yes, I am an awesome Dad! My kids watch TV and movies all day when I am around! Just thought it was kind of funny.
As a side note they really didn't watch all day. I took them to the park and to the store several times and on a picnic...but they watched TV most of the time...
Friday, June 14, 2013
Who we are now
"...the Lord is more concerned with what a man is than with what he was, and with where he is than with where he has been” (F. Burton Howard in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, 99–100; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, 77–78).
Another Year of Maturity
So this post is coming a couple of hours after the fact, but I just got home from dancing and hadn't yet posted anything about Tyrel on his birthday. I know this isn't technically on his birthday anymore, but it's close.
I could make this real short and summarize everything I know and love about Tyrel into one word...but, actually I can't because the closest word I'd be able to find is "perfect" and we all know that's reserved for our other older brother. Tyrel has been and continues to be a source of inspiration for me. When I see what he does for his family, our family and a whole bunch of other people as well, it makes me want to be better. I'm so grateful for his love and example and all that he does for the family as a whole and me individually. I hope to be like him someday!
Happy Birthday to Tyrel!
I could make this real short and summarize everything I know and love about Tyrel into one word...but, actually I can't because the closest word I'd be able to find is "perfect" and we all know that's reserved for our other older brother. Tyrel has been and continues to be a source of inspiration for me. When I see what he does for his family, our family and a whole bunch of other people as well, it makes me want to be better. I'm so grateful for his love and example and all that he does for the family as a whole and me individually. I hope to be like him someday!
Happy Birthday to Tyrel!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Holy Craugh! (cause we were introduced to it on a Sunday)
I took the liberty of modifying the lyrics to a beloved song from Mary Poppins. We discussed this yesterday and I thought it only fitting that we have a theme song for Craughing. Some of the lines don't sound good when you just read them because they're meant to go along with the tune. Some lines I kept the same because they just seemed to fit. Feel free to practice.
I Love to Craugh
I Love to Craugh
I love to craugh!
Laughing mixed with tears
I love to craugh
It only gets worse with the years
The more I craugh
The more I need to pee
And when I say "pee"
The more and more craughing there'll be!
How embarrassing!
The more and more craughing there'll be!
Some people craugh through their noses
Snorting in between sobs
Some people craugh through their teeth goodness sake
Gasps are all they can make
Some craugh too fast
Some only blast - ha!
Others try holding it in
Then there's the kind
What can't make up their mind
When things strike me as funny
I can't hide it inside
And tears are the same way too
Mix them together the way that we do
You'll start craughing on your way to the lou
We love to craugh
Laughing mixed with tears
We love to craugh
It only gets worse with the years
The more you craugh
The more you have to pee
And when you say "pee"
The more and more craughing there'll be!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Trenton
So another beautiful moment tonight (after the many at Mom and Dads house tonight) happened with our little Trenton. He has struggled for awhile to be able to feel and recognize the peace and joy of the Holy Ghost. Comments he has made have shown us that he has an earnest sincere desire to feel it but he has just been unable to identify with a spiritual experience until tonight. The kids were hungry when we got home so I decided to let them eat some grapes while we watched some Mormon messages. After watching four or five Amber and I told them they needed to go to bed. Trey responded that he wanted to keep on learning about Jesus and the other kids concurred. We decided to let the kids keep watching them and told them to go get their blankets and pillows so they could continue their spiritual feast. As Trenton started to walk out you could tell from his voice that he was so happy as he told us that he had said a personal prayer to Heavenly Father to ask if he could feel the Holy Ghost. He told us that his prayer was answered tonight as he watched the prophets and apostles speak. He explained that not only had he felt the Holy Ghost but had also felt Heavenly Father and Jesus as well.
As he said this we could just see and feel his joy at receiving an answered to a sincere prayer. My heart is currently swollen in gratitude to our Father in Heaven for providing so many blessings to us and for Him providing such a sweet tender mercy for my son. I know that our Father in Heaven lives as does His Holy Son Jesus! What a blessed plan that Father has provided to us that allows us to have sweet experiences such as this for the rest of eternity. What joy and what marvelous light!
I also had my heart filled with gratitude for parents who raised me in the gospel and parents of my wife who raised such an amazing daughter. We wouldn't be able to have these same experiences if we didn't have the gospel in our lives. I am eternally grateful for its reality and for the life and Atonement of Christ that makes God's plan effective for all of us. Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives! I know that my Redeemer lives!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Beckoning
<p>So today sacrament meeting was of course fast and testimony ...a young boy got up to bear his testimony...probably about seven or eight years old...he started out fine but ended up needing a little assistance. He beckoned to his mother who was sitting about ten or so rows back on the side. She literally jumped up and ran to him to help (he is adopted just as a side note which made it so cool to see how much she.loved and cared for him). She helped him finish up his testimony and then they went back to their seats.
I immediately thought of us in our personal moments when we are struggling. This little boy didnt hesitate to call for help from his parents. They immediately came to his aid on request. Certainly our Heavenly Father will also rush to our aid when we ask.
"Consider the lilies of the field...shall he not much more clothe you oh ye of little faith"..."if ye then, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him"..."ask and ye shall receive...knock and it shall be opened unto you"..."I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you."
I also thought it was interesting to think that our Father often allows us to be the one who runs to a person asking for help. Hopefully we are willing and prepared to do so when that time comes.