Preparation Brings Blessings.......

Preparation Brings Blessings

By: President Thomas S. Monson

This was another talk given at the preishood session of April's General Conference. It was focused more towards younger priesthood holders, and how they can prepare now for the blessings that come from living a righteous life. As a young mother of a little boy, my mind begain turning. Is my testimony strong enough to help him grow his own? Is my example strong enough to help him learn to live a Christ -like life? Is my language and topic of converstation always approriate? I can't answer yes to all of these questions all of the time. So, that means try hard! Today, after reading this talk in my personal pray I asked my Heavenly Father to help me with this, to help me to mother with his spirit. To have that spirit guide me and directed me in the decisions I make as a young mother. To help me be like the mothers of the 2000 strippling warriors. So that my son and future son's(if there are any) can say they learned it from their mother. President Monson said this, " Don't be afraid to walk out of a movie, turn off a television set, or change a radio station if what's being presented does not meet your heavenly Father's standards. In short, if you have any question about whether a particular movie, book, or other form of entertainment is appropriate, don't see it, don't read it, don't particpate." .... " Know ye not that yea are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you?....The temple of God is holy, which temple yea are." Which temple am I? Which kind of temple will my son see me be???? Which temple will he become???

Patience........

Continue in Patience-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf



This morning I read this talk in the Ensign, it was given at Preisthood session so I did not hear it orginally. I am so glad I didn't skip over this section, or I would have skipped over this talk and it was one I personally really needed. I just want to write the four or five sections/quotes that really talked to my spirit and testimony.

1. " Patience-the ability to put OUR DESIRES ON HOLD FOR A TIME- IS A PRECIOUS AND RARE VIRTUE. " ....... " Without, patience, we cannont please God;we cannnot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace." .... " If children are ever going to mature and reach their potential, they must learn to wait!"

2. "..... From that experience, I learned that patience was far more that simply waiting for something to happen-patience required actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouranged when results didn't appear instantly or without effort." ...."Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can-working, hoping, exercising faith, bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring;it is enduring well."

3. " As the Lord is patinet with us, let us be patient with those we serve. understand that they, luke us, are imperfect. They, like us, make mistakes. They, like us, want others to give them the benefit of the doubt. Never give up on anyone. This includes yourselves!"...." I belive that every one of us, at one time or another, can idnetify with the servant in Christ's parable who owed money to the king and who pled with the king saying, " Lord, have patience with me."

4. " The children of Israel waited for 40 years in the wilderness before they could enter the promised land. Jacob waited 7 years for Rachel, The jews waited 70 years in Babylon before they could return to rebuild the temple. The Nephities waited for a sign of Christ's birth, Joseph Smith 's trials in Liberty Jail caused even the prophet of God to wonder " How Long?'"....." In each case, Heavenly Father had a purpose in requiring that His children wait. "

5. ....." I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain."

6. " Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can not see the Lord's hand in our lives until long after trails have passes. Often the most difficult imes of our lives are essential builiding blocks taht form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity, understanding, and happiness."

7. " Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. It means reining in anger and hloding back the unkind word. It means resisting evil, even when it appears to be making others rich. Patience means accepting that wich cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being " willing to submit to all thing which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon us, even as a child doth submit to his father."

8. " ....If we wait patiently for the Lord, he will incline unto us. He will hear our cries. He will bring us out of a horrible pit and set our feet upon a solid rock. he will put a new song inour mouths, and we will praise our God. Many around us will see it, and they will trust in the Lord."


This was such a wonderful talk, words can not express all that it meant to me and my life. It will always apply no matter the stitution i find myself in.

Another good day.....

Today, has been another good day! I am happy to be with my little man, even when he does hit me! We went to story time today, he really loves books. He was all over the place and listened to maybe three books, but such is the life of a two year old. After, we went to a nearby park, he is getting so indepedent. He was crawling and walking all over everything! Today, I read a talk again out of the Ensign entitled Watching with All Perseverance, it was given by Elder David A. Bednar. It focused on what we as parent can do to ensure our children gain a strong, independent testimony of the gospel. Its a lot of responsibility to take on when you feel like yours can waver so easily. However, it is reassuring to know that these type of talks are out there, so that we can learn what will better our children. The part that strict a cord with me was when Elder Bednar talked about bearing our testimony spontaneously to our children. I can't say,looking back I realize now how often my parents did this for me. They didn't start each spirtual converstation with " I would like to bear my testimony...." But, they did it in the small, sweet, sincer listens they taught me. In watching them treat people they way Christ would treat them, never judging, always helping. They did it in sharing with me a scripture that touched them, or helped them. They did it through letting me know that they were not perfect, through sharing their personal struggles and growth with me. I hope to do that for my own children, I hope they know that I believe in this gospel with all of my heart! If they know anything about me personally I hope it is that!

Uplifting talk....makes you stop and think...count your blessing!

So, today has been a really great day for me. Yesterday, in sacrement meeting I young mom gave a talk regaurding charity. She did a great job and it really made me stop and think. I feel like lately, like the best couple of years I have just been focusing on me, me, me, me.... I have been so totally consumed with feeling fulfilled and wanting to use the education that I worked so hard to get. I understand and I am thankful beyond measure that my Heavenly Father gave me the talent to teach and to reach the youth. I am so grateful that he helped me to find my nitch and to help me make a career out of it. There is not a doubt in my mind that he helped me get that degree, he helped me so that my life path allowed me to do that. It must have been something he really wanted me to accomplish and that would be essential to my life. However, I know that he did not want that to me the do all, end all to my exsitence. He blessed me with this beautiful child, and for this moment in time that is where my focus needs to be. That talk yesterday, helped me to relize this. To realize that charity and service comes in so many forms. It is not just bringing dinner to a friend, or helping a new family move into the ward. It is being a selflish mom to your children, it is calling your mom and letting her vent to you, and it is being understand of your husband and his challlenges and busy schedule. It is being supportive of his schooling and not making him feel gulity! I really need to work on being charityable to my little family. I realize that I have been beyond selfish while in lawschool. Focusing on when I get to teach, on getting a job that I like, on what I won't to do. It needs to stop I really need to make this a goal and work my hardest on it.

Higher Purpose....

TALK: Mothers Teaching Children in the Home
BY: Elder L. Tom Perry


The talk I choice to study today was about what we as mothers can teach our children in the home. Of course this is a topic that is consistently on my mind, the importance of staying home, if it is for me or not? There was one phrase in this talk, that really struck a cord and got my brain turning. It read: " ....She was teaching for a higher purpose." Sometimes I think it is very easy, in todays world to completely forget about that " higher purpose." We focus soly on what is right in front of us. What we have to accomplish today, what joys we receive from it today, without giving a second thought to tommorrow. This is my case, exspecially when it comes to the topic of motherhood. I am guilty of completly forgetting what my staying home and teaching gosepel truths, how to be a good, honest person, will do for my children tomorrow. Maybe the real problem is that I care to much about myself and what other people think of my life and accomplishments. Since, I was a little girl I have always looked at the women who are powerful, with amazing careers, women who people listen to and respect. I wanted to be them, once I picked a career that I loved, college, gaining a education was of up most importance to me. Know, that I have accomplished that and had my little man. I am one very confused sole, searching for the right answer for me and my family. Most, of my day is me thinking about this. I am not afraid to admit that when I stay home, I feel like people view me as less, lazy, not as important. I need the Lord's help if helping me find peace in my decisions and life, and in helping me find happiness through the truth. The truth is I was put her to nurture my children and help them find their way home. That is the " higher purpose," my life has and I need to always remember that. It should come first, and career second!

PROCLAMATION TO THE FAMILY:

" Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. Children are an heritage of the Lord, Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to porvide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve on another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live..........
" By design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred repspondibities, mothers and fathers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. "

I need to not always want what I don't have. When I stay home, wish I had work, when I am at work, wish I was at home. I need to find happiness in ever state of life, and that comes from really understanding the gospel and finding my testimony once more.

A new goal....

So we finally got the May issue of the Ensign, which is always my favorite because it contains all the talks from April conference. We are so lucky to have them in the written form, because lets be honest we don't listen to every talk given so intently we never forget it. So, my new goal is to read and sincerly study out every talk in this May ensign. I started yesterday, with a talk given my Julie B. Beck the Relif Society General President, entitled And Upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit. It talked alot about how we as women in the church need to learn to define our success in life. Do we define it by the worlds standards, how powerful are we, or do we define it by how close our relationship with God is? I know lately I have done the first of the two. Eduation and success have always been of upmost importants to me. I believe my Heavenly Father gave me that attribute for a specific reason, but am I using it in the way he wanted me to? Since little Porter has come into my life, it seems like I am in a content internal battle with myself. I love being Porters mom, he feels me with happiness, but on the other hand I love teaching and in my head people view me as more successful in life through that. I know its a skewed way of thinking, that's way I am searching for a stronger testimony and a better understand of my Father's plan for me. There was one part in the talk that really stood out to me it read, " We know that we are successful if we liveso that we qualify for, receive, and know how to follow the Spirit. when we have done our very best, we may still experience diappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us. Peace, Joy, and Hope are available to those who measure success properly." I guess that last part is what really struck a cord with me. Peace, Joy, and Happiness come to those who measure success properly, that is what I need to learn, with my Heavenly Father's guidance. Also I wanted to share a scripture that goes along with this talk. It is found in D&C 11: 11-13: ...Verily, Verily I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadth to do good yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously;and this is my Spirit.

The Beginning....

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I have had my family blog going for sometime now! I love blogging, if used correctly can serve much like a family album or journal. It has preserved countless memories for us over the past couple of years. Throughout my teen years, and exspecially through college I was so great at keeping a journal. I have so many that our filled with my thoughts, feelings, pictures, and much more. I love looking at them, I loved writing in them it was therapeutic at times. So, at this point in my life I want to combine the two and make this my online journal. Mostly to record my thoughts on the gospel, and follow my journey through the scriptures to make my testimony multiple and grow stronger. I wish with all my heart I could say that my Testimony and faith are as strong as they ever where. If I did however, I would be lying. I hate to say it, somehow it sounds like a cop-out but life happened. I forgot what happiness I can have when I read my scriptures and allow the Lord into my life. I want to find that again and so this is my BEGINNING!

First, I have been into reading a lot lately. I had the strong impression severly times that I should reread Sheri Dew's book entitled No One Can Take Your Place. It has helped me so much, and has reaffirmed to me how important it is to view things from an eternal perspective, to remember that he has a plan for each of us, trust in him, have faith in him, though we can not see it now, all things come together in due time!

My plan is to update this blog and share my thoughts and journey as I find my testimony again!