I've been told 100 times... (2/24/21)

Jonas had a school assignment for the 100th day of school to write and draw a picture of something he's been told 100 times.  He wrote: "Don't jump on the couch."

Then I thought it would be fun to ask Mason the same question.  He said, "I love you."  I was hoping that is what our boys would say and remember.  Then tonight I was telling David about this and Mason said, "You tell me that every day."  

We sure do love our boys a lot.  

And Brooksie is learning to give real, both arms around the neck, hugs.  He'll also hug your leg or hug around his brothers stomach.  I love it so much.  His lean his head in hugs or back into you hugs were cute too, but there is nothing like a real hug from such a little person.

Tonight when I was putting Brooks to bed, I asked him several of his body parts.  He knows: eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, ears, head, hands, arms and toes.  He might know more, but that's the ones we talked about.  I started to teach him knees.  And he doesn't quite have tummy yet, maybe that's because sometimes we call it his stomach.

Hear Him (2/21/21)

After dinner this evening David extended an invitation for me to speak in church about how we prepare to Hear Him.  We talk a lot about how we hear, but not how we prepare.  We were talking a little bit about it and then I heard Brooks crying in the basement, so I went down to get him and he was carrying a little statue of Jesus.  As I brought him upstairs, I said something along the lines of, "Can you give Jesus a hug?"  Well, we know that Brooks' natural tendency when he gives hugs is to lean his head in.  This time he put the statue of Jesus next to his cheek and then on the back of his neck.  Mason said, "He's trying to Hear Him!"  We have definitely used this phrase "Hear Him" a lot lately.  So I thought it was super sweet that Mason assumed that is what Brooks was doing.  

It's interesting that I have been asked to speak on this topic because just today I was studying an article on the church website called, "Recovering from Spiritual Numbness", by Tadeo Murillo.  The boys were actually playing really great in the basement and Brooks had gone down for his nap, so I took advantage of the quiet time to read and study.

There were three questions asked:

When was the last time I received personal revelation?

When was the last time I asked for personal revelation?

When was the last time I asked Heavenly Father to to help me recognize personal revelation in my life?

These are a few other notes I took from the article:

proactively seek revelation in your daily life

turn to Him in every thought (D&C 6:36)

"As you obey, the impressions from the Spirit will come more frequently becoming closer and closer to constant companionship.  Your power to choose the right will increase." - President Eyring

He also gave things to do to prepare:

Believe

Put in daily effort

Obey

Continue On, Endure to the End (2/7/2021)

During Sacrament meeting today, Bill Bleak talked about how there are things going on in the world today and that we need to continue on.  Don't stop in the middle, finish what has been started.  

As he was talking my mind starting thing about the concept of continuing on and my thoughts turned to Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.  In this instance, He shows us the way to continue on, to endure to the end even when it's hard and we might want to quit.  During the mist of His enduring, He reaches out to our Father, His Father.  He asks for the cup to pass, but says, "nevertheless, thy will be done."  During the midst of His trial and after reaching out to Heavenly Father, He receives an angel to strengthen Him.  Part of the process of enduring is this connection to God, but it's also looking for and seeing the angels that He sends in our own lives.  There will be trials in our life that we have to endure and then there is just enduring until we are called home.  I remember working at a retirement home and having conversation with one of the residents that was in her 90's.  She said, "I wish the world would stop turning and let me off."  I kind of chuckled about this.  But, when your spouse has passed on, maybe most of your friends and family have too, your body is tired and maybe you can't do a lot of the things that you used to do, you are lonely and ready to go home.  Heavenly Father asks us to endure.  I can think of individuals in our ward that are now the only active member of their family.  I've seen some end up leaving the church themselves and others that endure on.  They are there every Sunday.  They join our zoom RS and they participate.  They have faith and hope and they keep on.  

I watched a devotional tonight about Choosing Hope.  It is a deliberate choice each day that we make.  Enduring does not always have to be a long, painful process.