Patience...and Faith

I am appreciating the line from Preach My Gospel - Developing Christlike Attributes:

"Patience is related to hope and faith - You must wait for the Lord's promised blessings to be fulfilled."

And in the patient waiting is the doing. Moving in the direction that we feel the Lord would have us move, trusting that His promised blessings will come.

I believe that the rocks and bumps and summits our family has been climbing is teaching us this very principle.

My testimony is firmer in this thing: That I can trust the Lord because His promised blessings DO come.

Back to school

So, our kiddies started school on Monday.

I  know my kids are loving their school when they run to the van shouting and smiling..."We LOOOOVE this School!!!" All of them. Even my Jr. High-er!

AWESOME!!!

Thankful Thursday #4

Tonight, I am downstairs here, cleaning out some old email, editing and posting older blog posts...and I wish they would keep their old dates, but they don't. I hear the children upstairs with their cousins and feel a bit like I may be needed upstairs. So, as I am thinking this, my husband comes down and kisses me on the cheek and says with smile on his face, "You look a bit frazzled, dear." WoW! It must show all the way to the back of my head (my hair is really something else!). Anyway, he has shown a lot of kindness to me throughout our marriage. And tonight, while I am feeling a quite sleep deprived and yes, a bit frazzled, he is very understanding. So, tonight's post, I am thankful for a sweet husband who reminds me that he is my best friend, particularly on days when I am feeling a bit unlovable.

Mirroring

What I know and how I act seem to be in conflict.
I believe this road to becoming like Christ and Mirroring Him must be...okay, it is, a life long process.
Today, I discovered (why has it taken sooo long to discover this???) that what I know, and who I am do not always mirror what I know. That is a big problem since what I know is AMAZING!!!
I want the two to match. It is a long road there!
A great discovery today.

So, I am cleaning out my closet.

Selfishness

fault finding

laziness

criticism

anger

impatience

Just a few on the list I am wanting to dump and never see again!

I am reminded of Elder Neal A Maxwells' remarks:

" ...let us once and for all establish our residence in Zion and give up the summer cottage in Babylon."

PMG and New Favorite Verses

I love, absolutely LOVE the book,  "Preach My Gospel".

In our couple study, we have been reading "Developing Christ Like Attributes". I have discovered the beauty of words and the power of learning and putting to memory the things we are learning. I feel like each time I quote the passage I am learning, I am cutting out, etching a place that this piece of virtue can settle itself in my mind; helping it to become firm...immovable...steadfast; hoping that my actions will mirror the words my mind is learning, my heart is discovering, and my spirit is feasting. Putting these things to memory is what I need to help my mind, that sometimes feels slippery and somewhat like jello, become solid, fixed, and permanent in Christ.

Tonight, I read a verse in Hebrews 11 about promises...which are fixed on being these things...firm, immovable, steadfast. Referring to saints of ancient times, Able, Abraham, Enoch, and Sara, Paul states:

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

So, tonight, I am sharing a new favorite scripture.

Baptism...following the counsel of Church Leaders

Amazing day!

I saw/felt/experienced when we follow the words/counsel of our church leaders, we are blessed.

Earlier this year, at Stake Conference, our Stake President counseled us that if we have children that are almost to the age of baptism, to teach baptism, teach of Christ, teach of repentance, baptism, covenants. Teach them about making this covenant.

So, we did and more so than we did with our older two. We made a more concerted effort to teach her and prepare her for baptism. In our studies together and with our children, we tried to follow the Spirit about the subject of study. We would suggest to each other several subjects and several times, our studies were directed to answer specific questions she had relating to baptism. How would we had known had we not listened?

So, today, as our third daughter was baptized, I felt a confirmation of the Spirit. 
We, our whole family, were emotionally, spiritually, and mentally ready for this event.

Because we followed the counsel of our stake president, we have been RICHLY blessed.

Just a few of the blessings:

Testimony strengthened.

Faith in Christ increased.

Happy family.

Love at home.

Peace of the Spirit.

Hope to move forward.

Thankful Thursday: Tender Mercies

Today, I was offended. True story.
By those near and dear to me.True story, again.

I felt Lousy.

And I didn't want to feel that way because, well, I am connected to them, forever.

And feeling...offended...hurt...angry...
And carrying these feelings for a long time is really...
A big waste of time!
A big waste of emotional health!
And it is way too burdensome!

So after a lot of praying/pleading to Heavenly Father to help me let it go...to help me see differently...to lift me up out of the pit so I could breathe...and when I was calm enough to listen, He gave me some understanding.
He helped me forgive and move away from those feelings.

Today, I felt the tender mercies of the Lord.

This post was origianlly written June 4, 2011. Decieded to share it.