November 2024, Week 1

 *Today at church I appreciated the testimonies of several ward members, who were willing to share some big challenges they are facing.  One sister is getting a divorce and is trying to let go of anger.  An older brother fell off a ladder a year ago and broke his two legs, and is struggling with the recovery.  A sister who has had struggles to find employment for years, who recently moved and then moved back, shared how her daughter suffers from depression and hit rock bottom this week, and she feels helpless about it.  Another sister lost both her mom (from cancer, a year ago) and her dad (from suicide, two years ago) in November, and it is a really dark, hard time of the year for her, and she feels like the people of the Brother of Jared, buried in the depths of the ocean.  But all four of these saints pointed out that God is still there with them.  There is still hope because of Him.  It was humbling.

*Two other sister shared their experiences in the temple, and how they find Jesus there through their covenants.  The temple brings them peace because of Him.  It was uplifting.

It was a delight!

October 2024, Week 4

*Today at church the topic was the sacrament.  I feel, however, that on this particular day, I didn't focus on the sacrament as much as I would like, as we were helping inform our friends and families of Zoom links, which had to be changed at the last minute (meaning during the sacrament portion of the service), for Gracie's upcoming "farewell" talk.  Ah, well.  I'm grateful for being able to try again next Sunday.  One brother's topic was to share how taking the sacrament can bless him in his daily life (or something to that effect), and I appreciated his reminder that when we make our sacramental covenants, we're promised that the Holy Ghost will be with us.  That is a gift I surely can (and do) use in my daily life.

*After his talk, Gracie and I played a piano duet.  I was pretty calm despite the difficulty in the timing of the piece, which was "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," arranged by Anne Britt.  There was a tricky part, but we'd played it well in our warm up.  When you play instrumental music, your mind can be in a variety of places.  Mine was thinking about the tricky bit, and after I got through it, I was pretty happy--but then we started to sound really off for some reason.  We kept going for a few measures, but couldn't make our sounds come together, which was so confusing to me, so we stopped--which is against rule #1 when playing a duet, but we just couldn't keep doing what we were doing.  Gracie pointed to just after the tricky bit, and we tried again, but our first few chords were still so dissonant.  Gracie looked at my hands and pointed to a key that I should be playing that I was instead playing as a flat, and all of a sudden I realized that right after the tricky bit, there is a key change, from three flats to one.  I'd never missed that key change in any of our practices, but I did right then, and it took Gracie pointing it out in the middle of our performance for me to see it.  We started there again, and were able to finish without a problem.  I felt bad that I had messed up so badly for Gracie on her big day, but she quickly forgave me, and people were very gracious in their comments to us about it afterwards.

I was thinking about this experience, and it made me think about trials.  Sometimes we get through hard things (the tricky bits), and then we try to keep going the same way we were going, even though things within us have changed.  We can tell something is not right, but don't know how to fix it.  We can receive help from heaven, through the Holy Ghost or an angel sitting next to us, who will point out where we need to go back to, and change, so that we can keep moving forward harmoniously.  I also thought about Gracie, who had to correct her mom.  Maybe being the angel is not always an easy or comfortable thing to be.  But they are also following promptings, and are blessed for doing so.

*Gracie was the final speaker, and was poised and confident and competent, as she so very often is.  (Good news--the Zoom link worked.)  She shared her testimony of the sacrament, as well as other aspects of the gospel that she is excited to share with the people in Germany.  We get to have her for two more Sundays (Fast Sunday and the one while she's doing Home MTC), and we are so excited for her and are so going to miss her while she's gone!

It was a delight!

October 2024, Week 3

*Today I went to church in Hyde Park, London!  What?!  Ben, Caytie and I took a trip to Denmark to see my parents on their mission, and had an overnight layover in London, so the next morning we went to see as much as we could see in four hours--including spending one of those at church.  It was a blessing to be there.  The Hyde Park chapel has a small visitor's center with a small Christus statue in the foyer.  (We had just seen the original Christus statue in Denmark a few days earlier!)  They are used to having visitors and tourists attending their ward.  I concluded that London is a gathering place for many people.  Two very old Scottish men blessed the sacrament.  A missionary played the piano and a tiny Asian lady conducted the music.  A man from Africa was the Bishopric counselor who conducted the meeting.  The High Counselor who spoke grew up in America and was converted recently as an adult, after attending church for many years with his family, who were already members.  One of the messages that was shared by a sister who grew up in Spain was that this is the gospel of doing, so that we can become.  Also, when we are thankful, we can recognize the hand of God more easily.

It was such a delight!

October 2024, Week 2

 *Today at church we witnessed the blessing of a baby.  His parents are struggling with their faith, but they are still coming, trying to find the Light in this world.  His dad blessed him to know that Heavenly Father knows the challenges that he will have, and He wants it to be that way.  I loved that perspective, that reminder that we don't need to pray all the trials away, but to know that adversity is part of the plan to help us develop into who Heavenly Father needs us to be.

*We sang Hymn 177, "Tis Sweet To Sing the Matchless Love."  Again, it's one of those hymns that I've sung so many times, but today I felt the message of praise and joy for the One who left his home above to fulfill the Father's plan.  It has an upbeat tune for a song about death, because it's also about the life that comes to us through that death, and we are encouraged to sing hosannas to His name because of it.  (Our organist plays hymns fast, and I appreciate that.)  In our Come, Follow Me readings this week we're studying about Jesus's visit to the Americas after His death, and this morning I read 3 Nephi 19:25, which says, "and His countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them."  Then verse 30: "He did smile upon them again."  I think the smile is one of the best ways for me to see His love for me, and I'm excited to see it in person again!  Let's "unite in sweetest songs of praise" and "let heav'n and earth His love proclaim!"

*We also had our Testimony Meeting today, due to conferences in previous weeks.  One sister shared that it's been the hardest year spiritually for her.  She's had lots of plans for this year, but Jesus did, too, and when she did Jesus's plan, she became a better person.  Another sister said she feels like her family has had dirt thrown on them over and over, but now they're ready to be planted and grow.  What amazing perspectives of trials--like the baby blessing.  I love my ward.

It was a delight!

October 2024, Week 1

*Today was General Conference!  If I had to pick a theme for this conference, I'd say it was "Jesus loves perfectly and wants to save you."  Make time for Him, repent and keep your covenants to return to Him, and He will consecrate the trials we face for our good.  Trust Him!  Be happy and love others!  Share your faith with them.  President Nelson finished the conference by announcing seventeen more temples.  He asked us if we could see why temple building is increasing so rapidly.  He said so that we can be prepared for the Second Coming of the Lord.  Now is the time to prepare, and to make our discipleship our highest priority.  How are we to prepare?  Through temple worship.  He promised that every sincere seeker will find Christ in the temple.  We should devote time each week for the rest of our lives to learn more about Jesus Christ's Atonement.  We don't have to bear our trials alone.  He will heal and lighten burdens.  We should rededicate our lives to Christ and prepare for his Second Coming by talking, preaching, and prophesying of Him.

It was a delight!

September 2024, Week 5

 *Today for church we went to our Stake Conference.  We had the adult session the night before, and were reminded to keep the Sabbath Day holy.  Today, I was part of the choir with Gracie.  We sang "Come Thou Fount of Many Blessings," which I have sung many times, but sometimes a song just hits you right, and this one did that for me today.  "Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!  Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wand'ring heart to Thee.  Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.  Here's my heart, O take and seal it; seal it for Thy courts above."  It was the Tabernacle Choir's version, which is big and bold and loud, and so moving.  It was a blessing to be able to sing it.

*The Mission President's wife spoke, and asked us what our faces look like when we're in church.  Do they reflect that we're happy to be there?  Interesting to think about.

*Our new Stake Young Women's President also spoke, and she talked about growing up with parents who were converts and also native Spanish speakers, so she would switch between the English and Spanish branch every year or so, and never really felt like she fit in anywhere.  She had to learn what the gospel meant to her personally, and how to make it meaningful in her own life.  She is a great speaker, and the young women are blessed to have her.

It was a delight!

September 2024, Week 4

 *Today at church we had our Primary Program!  Fun fact: no Roper children participated in the program, for the first time since Scott was a Sunbeam, but both Roper parents participated!  They can't get rid of us yet!

*I was surprised (but not really) that the songs that we've been singing week after week (and which I've been singing for year after year after year) are what particularly pricked my heart during the program.  When they sang, "I will go, I will do the things the Lord commands!" I just pictured all of these small children holding onto those words, armed with faith as they grow into the world that is continually changing its morals and idea of what is right and true.  We're giving them as many tools and as much armor as we can, but they have to pick it up and use it, and if they will "go and do," then they will be all right.  And, "Heavenly Father, are you really there?"  When we were learning that song, our chorister asked the children if they ever wondered that.  All of them shook their heads no, as if this was the most ridiculous question.  She asked them how He had heard and answered their prayers, and there were so many sweet examples that they shared.  But will they remember this truth?  Will they remember this song when they are lonely, confused teenagers?  When they have trials that seem too great to bear?  Will I?

*One of the classes shared short scripture verses, all of which were truths taught by Nephi.  It was awesome to hear Nephi's teachings this way.  I wish I had a list of the verses they used, but I'm sure I could curate my own list.  I'm grateful for Nephi and his wisdom.

It was a delight!

September 2024, Week 3

 *Today at church, a youth gave a wonderful talk about repentance.  He's a year older than Benson, and knowing how much Benson required my involvement in the talk he gave, I was extra impressed--since this boy has one older active brother, but no other active family members to assist him in writing his talk.  He has a bright future ahead of him.

*A sister with three young boys talked about how she was starting to feel like the victim in her life--everything was happening to her to push her down into negativity.  She learned that she could create positivity in her life through her thoughts, which lead to her feelings, which lead to her actions.  She reminded us of the power of prayer, meditation, and focusing on blessings--and repentance.

*In Primary Singing Time, I sit behind a class with a boy with autism.  He is SO smart, and SO loud!  He makes me smile every week as he observes the world and people around him and comments on how they all work.  I can see the adults in the room are sometimes frustrated with the noise level coming from that row, but I'm grateful that none of the kids around him seem bothered by his volume and energy, because he definitely should feel inclusion and love, especially in the Primary room.

It was a delight!

September 2024, Week 2

 *Today at church all the talks were about repentance and forgiveness.  The youth speaker gave great scriptures and quotes.  The second speaker gave good advice about forgiving others (and repenting for harboring bad feelings).  He told of his neighbor that shares his back fence, who they call "Angry Lady."  She called the police while our friends had their children in swimming lessons in their back yard, with a professional teacher, and their mom there too, because their son was screaming.  There were other difficult instances with this neighbor.  He shared their journey to learn to forgive.  The third speaker spoke about how to forgive yourself after repenting, and shared his own story of growth.  I was reminded of an article I read which asked what the most important thing was to teach your youth before they serve a mission, and the author said it was how to repent.  I think teaching how to repent gives a person the knowledge that making mistakes is not the end of the world--it's actually part of the plan--and there's a way already provided for us to overcome our sins, by turning to and trusting in Jesus.  This gives me so much relief, and freedom from perfectionism.  And having missionaries who know how to repent will help those they serve to be able to do it, too.  Faith, then repentance.  I'm pretty sure that the first two principles of the gospel are these for a very good reason.

*We sang the new hymn 1004, which is "I Will Walk with Jesus."  With the thought of the repentance talks in my mind, we sang, "I will trust in Jesus.  I will hear His call.  He will never leave me, even when I fall.  Jesus gives me power, lifts and comforts me, Helping me to live and grow eternally.  As I walk with Jesus to my home above, He will bless me with His Spirit, and fill me with His love, Change my heart forever and help me clearly see.  I will walk with Jesus, and He will walk with me."

*Today was my sweet Ben's birthday.  We had his sister and their family in town and it was so nice to celebrate with them.

It was a delight!

September 2024, Week 1

 *Today at church, our sweet friends bore their testimonies.  The brother does is every year on the anniversary of his baptism.  He reflects on who he was before his conversion, and who he is now, and he can see that it was worth it.  The sister rarely shares her testimony, but she is such a lovely, faithful lady.  I worked with her in the Relief Society Presidency way back, about 12-14 years ago.  I'm grateful for friends who are also examples.

It was a delight!

August 2024, Week 4

 *Today at church, a boy Benson's age gave his first talk.  He has always been shy in every social situation I've seen him in, so I was a little surprised that he agreed to give a talk.  His talk was about faith, and as he began, I could see that speaking in front of us was really, really hard for him.  He said that for faith to grow, you have to do something, and not just wait.  He said his parents actually gave him the choice to give the talk or not to, and he decided that he wanted to because it would help his faith to grow.  I was so touched and proud of him.

*A new sister spoke and told about the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and how they had their "but if not" moment.  She reminded us of Nephi, and how he didn't always have automatic trust in his father the prophet, but had to work at his belief by asking in prayer, and then his faith was confirmed.  She has a son that was born with many special needs, and she said their family has had "but if not" moments in regards to his life, and times when they've had to go to the Lord in prayer before their faith could be confirmed.  She believes that his trials have given her space to grow her faith.

*We sang (as a choir) the new song (for us) "His Eye Is on the Sparrow."  It is simple and beautiful and I love it.  "I sing because I'm happy-- I sing because I'm free-- For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."

*Benny Nance gave his last talk before his mission.  He was vulnerable and funny and faithful, and I believe he will make a wonderful missionary.

It was a delight!

August 2024, Week 3

 *Today at church we had a High Counselor speak.  He is an AP Physics teacher at my kids' high school, and he's had several of our ward's kids as students there and in Seminary when he taught.  We have been in the same ward in the past, and he mentioned that Ben taught him how to "boom chuck" on the guitar while Ben played the banjo so that they could play some bluegrass together.  (In other words, he's a gifted teacher and we like him!  Scott, who had him as a teacher at school and Seminary the same year, called him "Mr. Brother Shipp.")  Then he talked about a video he had watched about a man making a guitar from a palette.  He talked about how palette wood is not the kind of wood you would want to make a guitar, but the craftsman took it and prepared it and shaped it and made a beautiful guitar.  It reminded me of a real-life example of the poem, "The Touch of the Master's Hand."  He helped us to see how Christ is ready to take any one of us and refine and shape us into something beautiful. He also reminded us to reach out to "the one," as we've been challenged to do for President Nelson's 100th birthday.  EVERY soul has worth.  We can bring them back to Him, and He will shine them up and make beautiful music with them.

*Today for Primary I had again struggled to make the lesson cohesive in my planning.  We were talking about Captain Moroni, with the Nephite army's armor, building the protections for the cities, the Title of Liberty, and so on.  I was praying about it last night, and the word "preparation" came to mind.  All the things Moroni did was to prepare his people--physically (armor, walls), and spiritually (asking the prophet Alma for direction, motivating the people with a just cause) for the war ahead of them.  (And of course, we can prepare ourselves for hard things ahead of us, too.)  That helped me to tie everything together.  However...

*About half-way through my lesson, I was called out and Ben told me that Emma had been in a car accident on her way to her ward.  She was okay, as far as we knew, but her car was probably totaled (again!) as she had been rear-ended (again!).  I left my class with my co-teacher and Gracie so I could take Ben home to get our other car to go help Emma.  I had a chance to talk with her (she was pretty rattled), and let her know Ben was on his way.  Then I went back to pick everyone up from church and we went to choir where I subbed on the piano (which was hard to focus on!), and eventually Ben and Emma made it back home.  Her car was drivable, but the rear lights are smashed, so it's not safe to continue.  This will make things a little tricky to get around in the next few weeks, while she and Gracie are both working and now both need my car [and I have a few places to go, too], but Emma is planning to leave in September for BYU-I, and wasn't planning to take her car, so it will be fine in the end.  I was playing the piano in the afternoon, and I played a spiritual called "All Night, All Day," which says in part, "All night, all day, angels watchin' over me, my Lord."  I thought of how Emma was 100% being watched over by angels during this accident.  No doubt.

It was a delight.

August 2024, Week 2

* Today at church one of my friends spoke on faith.  She talked about how when she was young, she had a good understanding of the gospel, but didn't know how to make it meaningful in her life.  She decided that she had to have faith in faith, which I really liked, and she was able to develop more faith as she relied on the Lord to help it grow.  She has five young children, and her husband has been a truck driver for the last six years, spending an average of four days a month at home.  It's been rough all around for them.  He recently lost his job, though, and even though it is a big trial, she feels comfort through her faith that this is the path her family needs to be on.  She mentioned several things that they have been able to improve on in her family because of this event. Things are not settled, but they're better.  I appreciate her example and willingness to share.

*A brother also spoke about faith.  He shared a quote about the pioneers, and appreciated that the speaker acknowledged that the pioneers had their challenges, and we have our challenges, and their trials are not easier or harder than ours--they are distinct for our times--but the uniting factor is that the challenges all require faith to overcome.  That is a good reminder.

It was a delight!

August 2024, Week 1

 *Today we went to Sacrament Meeting in Utah with Grandma and Grandpa Roper and Scott and Kaitlyn (and Kaitlyn's mom, sister and brother, as we were all in town for their Open House).  It was Fast and Testimony Meeting, and the Bishop acknowledged that there were a lot of visitors, and invited everyone to participate in the meeting.  One brother said that he had grown up in the ward, so he hoped he wasn't considered a visitor, and he shared how the church was doing in the northeast, where his family is living.  Then Gracie decided to share her testimony about her excitement for sharing the gospel in Germany (and nervousness for doing it in German!), and helping people to come closer to Jesus Christ.  It was so moving as her mother to hear her faith expressed, and hear her desire to serve, and to remember the same feelings I had while preparing to go on my mission.  She will be a tremendous servant in a mission that will be difficult in some ways, but a blessing in many others.  

*The next brother to speak was Daniel K Judd.  He was the Stake President when Ben and I were engaged, and while my dad was a bishop in the stake, so he knew Ben growing up and me through my family, and we had some interviews with him.  He said that the first person who had shared his testimony was his son, who had served in the Hamburg Germany mission!  (PS--the mission had closed in the 90's, but reopened just in July of this year!)  He also said that he would love to be Gracie's mission president. ☺ He really wanted to share, however, about his testimony of the the Book of Mormon.  He had a copy with him that he received when he was eight in Primary.  His grandfather was an antagonistic atheist, and took opportunities to berate Bro. Judd for his growing beliefs.  He said that he would read the Book of Mormon at night in his room, and it helped him to learn to feel the Spirit, so that he was able to resist the words of his grandfather.  I can't imagine persecution coming from my own loved family members, so that must have been so difficult to live through, but probably so formative to his testimony.

*After the meeting, Gracie was able to speak with the "Junior Judd" about Hamburg, and he built up her excitement.  She's going to arrive in the country a week before Christmas, and he said that's when the people are the most friendly.  It's going to be amazing.  Then we headed outside for a couple pictures, and then we loaded up in our over-stuffed car and began our journey back to Texas (with an overnight stop in Santa Rosa, NM).

It was a delight!

July 2024, Week 4

 *Today we attended Sacrament Meeting with the first ward of the day (which is actually the Wylie 3rd Ward), for a couple reasons.  One was that Gracie's friend was giving her mission farewell talk.  (PS--Gracie received her mission call to Hamburg, Germany!!)  It was a sweet reminder about trusting in the Lord and following His guidance in our lives.  Her sisters played a piano duet which was well done and cute.  (The younger sister played with CONVICTION!)  A bonus reason for attending their ward was to see a lot of our friends from when we were together before the two Wylie wards became 3 (and then 4).  It is not my favorite thing to not see these friends regularly, but life keeps rolling along, and there are not many other occasions when we get together.  It was good to visit for the short time that we had.  (The size differences in our wards is stark!  Theirs is a normal small ward.  Ours is bursting at the seams.)  The final reason we attended is that we wanted to get an early-ish start on our road trip.  After Sacrament Meeting, we met with our Bishop, so that Benson could be set apart as the Deacon's Quorum President, and then Emma, Gracie, Caytie, and Benson and I said goodbye to Ben and Tessa to begin our trip to Utah.  Ben was staying for work and Tessa was staying for band camp (and to give a talk in our own ward later that day!), and they would be flying to join us on Friday.

*Our road trip Sabbath was better than I expected.  The kids were willing to listen to church music and my "Don't Miss This" podcast (while keeping themselves entertained on their own devices).  Gracie drove for a couple hours, and I hosted my family book club the best I could during that time.  We ate at a gas station Arby's, which was a mistake we won't make again, but we made it to our hotel in Albuquerque safely and without any mishaps, caught up on the Olympics, and got ready for bed.

It was a delight! 

July 2024, Week 3

*Today at church, since my co-teacher had taught part of the lesson in Primary already, I decided to teach the parts she hadn't covered.  It happened to be the story of Alma, his sons, Amulek, and Zeezrom (what a dream team!), going among the Zoramites who had been worshiping at the Rameumptom, to preach the gospel to them.  I brought my preschool blocks to build a tower.  We actually only had two kids show up to class (thank you, summer vacations), so the lesson went really fast, and they had a lot of time to build their towers, which became castles, which became villages, which wasn't the intent, but it was fun for them.  Maybe they'll remember something about it someday. ☺

*After church we had a choir practice again--yay!  We are preparing to sing some of the newly-released songs for the new hymnbook.  I don't know why, but the words of the songs really touched me, especially "It is Well with My Soul" and "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," which I learned two years ago on the mandolin and loved.  They are such tender messages of humility and faith.  I'm so glad we get to sing them more often.

It was a delight!

July 2024, Week 2

 *Today at church Benson was asked to teach the lesson for his Deacon's Quorum.  He doesn't have a phone yet, and Ben was teaching his Primary class, so I let Benson use my phone to access the lesson and videos that he wanted to use.  I wasn't teaching this week, so I didn't think it would be a problem, but I did casually read over the lesson beforehand to be aware of what we'd be talking about.  When it came time for our lesson, my co-teacher began to teach the lesson for next week!  Which I hadn't looked at!  This was not a big deal, until she was called out to attend the setting apart for her daughter who was called as her Young Women's class president.  Now I was to continue a lesson I hadn't read without a phone to see it.  (They stopped giving us physical teaching manuals a couple years ago.  It's mostly okay, except for occasions like this.)  Thankfully, she had prepared an activity of walking around the church to observe all the ways that Heavenly Father has blessed us, and then to draw something that was observed, so we did that together until she returned to conclude the class.  The kids were actually pretty thoughtful in their drawings, too--one drew the world with flowers on it, one drew the Bishop giving a blessing, one drew a whale (because he always draws whales), and one drew a seed and made a story about it growing into a tree.  We truly are blessed by our loving Father.  (Benson reports that his lesson went well.  Ben reports that his class is a challenge!)

It was a delight!

July 2024, Week 1

 *Today at church we had some more families come who recently moved in.  This is a weekly event as our ward continues to grow.  Being in Primary and sitting in the front of the chapel means that I don't get to see the new people's faces often, so I'm not keeping up with who they all are.  I feel there is some improvement that I could make there.

*President Nelson is turning 100 soon.  He invited us to think of the story of the 99 + 1 (sheep) in these few months before his birthday, and to reach out to "the one" in some way.  I've had a few ideas, but one brother in our ward who lost his wife during Covid and hasn't been coming to church for a while keeps coming to mind, so Ben and I invited him to dinner.  I hope that is a good place to start.  So I guess that even if I don't know all the new people in the ward yet, there is still love to give to the people who have been here for a while.

It is a delight!

June 2024, Week 5

 *Today at church I was, for the first time, a mother-in-law, though my sweet son and daughter-in-law were off on their honeymoon.  Our theme for the day was once again the blessings of temple covenants, as it has been for the month, and I couldn't help but reflect on the joy we had experienced earlier in the week at the Dallas Temple during their sealing.  My parents flew in from their temple mission in Denmark so that my dad could perform their sealing.  I remembered the words he said, about how each covenant we make brings us closer to Christ, and the symbolism of each helps us to remember Him, and want to learn more and draw nearer to Him.  He had Scott and Kaitlyn join hands together, with intertwined fingers, and called it a "covenant clasp," because it's really hard to pull the hands apart when they're like that, and invited them to think of that whenever they're holding hands in the future.  It was so very sweet.  We also had Ben's parents with us, though only for the Sacrament.  Grandpa R. was not feeling well and went home to rest.  Though his health is mostly good, he does have some scares with his heart, and again, the covenants we've made bring us joy to know that when death comes, it is not the end of our relationships or our love.

It was a delight!

June 2024, Week 4

 *Today at church the topic was about temples, specifically about how our temple covenants can bring peace when people we love have stepped away from their covenants.  Unfortunately, this is a very relevant topic to almost every member of the church, as we watch loved ones and friends let the oil in their lamps burn out, for whatever reason is important to them at the time.  The speakers gave very personal examples from their own lives, and I couldn't help but reflect on those that I know who are choosing another way.  I loved the reminder they gave from Sister Tamara Runia's October 2023 General Conference talk, "Seeing God's Family through the Overview Lens."  Like Lehi, we stand at the tree and keep eating the fruit, with smiles on our faces, beckoning to those we love, showing that eating the fruit is a happy thing.  When they're ready, they may turn again to the fruit.  We can be there to welcome them.

*Today I had prepared my Primary lesson as outlined, but it still felt kind of disjointed.  I didn't know if it would flow together very well. I prayed that we could have the Spirit with us in our class, and I think I saw that manifest with help today to say the right things to make everything make sense.

It was a delight!

June 2024, Week 3

 *Today at church we were treated to a prelude performed on the viola by our very own Benjamin Roper!  It also happens to be Father's Day.  We're so grateful for this man in our family.  He's all that I dreamed and more.  I also love the music that he makes!

*The Roper involvement during Sacrament Meeting wasn't through yet!  Tessa was asked to play her clarinet while the Primary sang "Families Can Be Together Forever."  She agreed to do it earlier, but she really didn't want to be in the spotlight like that, so she invited her friend to play her French horn along with her.  They found a way to transpose it into the correct keys for their instruments, and it turned out well.  Our Primary has over 100 kids (as it did when I was the Primary President before our ward split), so I was happy to hear her over the singing!

*Finally, Scott was asked to give a talk on temples (which he tied into Father's Day☺).  He and Kaitlyn are getting married and sealed at the end of the month in the Dallas temple, and I'm so very excited for them to begin this adventure, in the place that I have prayed since long before we knew Kaitlyn that they'd choose.  The covenants we make in the temple bring peace and hope, which everyone needs more of.  They bring us closer to Jesus Christ.

It was a delight!

(What was not exactly a delight was the punching done by a couple boys in my Primary class.  Lots of BIG feelings happening today!  We got through it.)

June 2024, Week 2

 *Today at church we had good talks.  The sacrament was restful.  The prayers were sweet.  We learned about testimonies in Primary.  I heard recently that adults don't necessarily come to church to learn something new, but to feel the Spirit.  If that is the case, then the day was a success.  I'm grateful for my ward family who helped me to achieve that.

It was a delight!

June 2024, Week 1

 *Today at church we sang the first song in the first installment of released hymns for the new hymnbook.  Earlier in the week they posted nine new hymns in the church library, and the first one is "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing."  We're all so excited for this new hymnbook, which was announced several years ago, and it was great to be able to sing this "new" song that many people remember from the "old" hymnbook (before the green one we currently use).

*Today was Fast and Testimony Meeting, and Brother Randall was conducting.  He started out by saying that he was prompted to give a specific message to someone in the audience, and the message was, "God is there."  He said that this person had had miracles in his or her life already that testify of God's presence, and to look back and remember, and to know that he was not the only person this week who would testify of God's reality to him or her.  I thought it was sweet, and though I didn't think I was the specific person he was talking to, it was good to be reminded.  (I later learned that one of my daughters felt that message was for her, and I was grateful that Bro. Randall listened to the Spirit and shared this.)

*A brother who recently welcomed his first baby to their family talked about faith.  You can't always have the proof that you want in life, and have to sometimes let go and rely on your faith.  Life changes make us take time to reflect on what we believe and why, and what we're going to hold onto and pass along.  Again, a sweet reminder for me.

*An older sister who lives alone in a small house shared that she was quite scared in the large storms we've had this week.  (We had some really, really strong winds with thunderstorms several days in a row.) She said that her house would shake in the wind, but she would pray, and Jesus was always there.  She used to suffer panic attacks, up to twice a day, but when she would pray, she could find peace.  English is not her first language, so it was an extra effort for her to share her message, and I was grateful she did.

It was a delight!

May 2024, Week 4

 *Today at church, a new sister and a new brother (not related--the growth is still strong in our ward!) spoke about the Priesthood.  The sister shared how she joined the church as a young adult, and since that time, she hadn't felt the need to come to church every week, missing a couple Sundays each month, until she moved into our ward, and now she doesn't want to miss any weeks.  That's pretty cool.  But she also gave a very thoughtful and vulnerable talk on how she learned to trust in revelation, in her husband, and in the power of the Priesthood.  The brother had a long journey to find his path in life, but learned a lot along the way.  He's humble and it was nice to hear his story. We're all just trying to get where we're supposed to go, and it's sweet that we get to support each other along the way.

It was a delight!

May 2024, Week 3

 *Today at church we sang Hymn 190, "In Memory of the Crucified."  The last verse stayed in my mind: "Our Father, may this sacrament to every soul be sanctified who eats and drinks with pure intent, that in our Savior he'll abide."  During the Sacrament I saw a young man drop a piece of bread, and he kind of sheepishly picked it up and ate it.  I thought, "It doesn't matter-- if he has pure intent, it's sanctified."  Then I realized I was not focused on my own intent and had to turn inward for a moment to center my thoughts on Christ and not on the others around me.  I really want to abide in our Savior.  My pure intent sometimes needs to be more intentional.

It was a delight.

May 2024, Week 2

 *Today at church we celebrated Mothers Day!  It was the first one in 20 years, since Scott was a Sunbeam, that I didn't have a child in Primary to sing.  I was a little misty-eyed about it, and then one of my preschoolers caught my attention and waved wildly, saying, "Hi, Mrs. Holly!"  I looked and saw all my preschool and Primary students and Activity Days boys.  (One parent told me recently told me that I've taught half the ward's kids in one way or another.  It's actually a lot more than half...)  My own kids are growing up, and that's a really good thing, but I'm not going to be done mothering for a really long time.  That's also a really good thing.

*Speaking of former preschoolers, Aeden (who was in my very first class 10 years ago) gave a talk.  It was sweet how he said that he and the other boys see the mothers as they pass the sacrament to the congregation, and they see how they're caring for their little families and kids who may not want to be there, and they recognize the important work that they're doing. 

*Speaking of being somewhere I may not want to be... I was strangely apprehensive about going to Relief Society, to join with them for the traditional Mothers Day "snacks and chats."  I love all the Relief Society sisters, but sometimes my introverted-ness makes social situations hard to jump into.  Then I remembered that Gracie was coming with me, and suddenly I was okay.  She sat in the back with me and a couple other of my introverted friends, and we actually had a lesson for the bulk of the time, and it was really good.  (We discussed our newest apostle, Elder Patrick Kearon's, talk, where he said that God is in relentless pursuit of us.  Awesome. ♥️)  We got chocolate bars at the end.  Pretty perfect Sunday.

It was a delight!

May 2024, Week 1

*Today at church, during our Fast and Testimony meeting, I was impressed with the youth bore their witness of how God hears their prayers, answers them, and loves them.  I think it's profound that they know this at this stage of their lives.  If they're willing to trust that they can find answers, they can trust that they are on the right path.  That's not always easy to come by for people in the world these days.  I hope they write down their experiences, to refer to later, when questions come again.

It was a delight!

April 2024, Week 4

*Today we went to church in Tennessee!  We (Ben, all my children including Scott's fiancee Kaitlyn, and I) were there for my 30th high school reunion.  We found the church building that was built while I was on my mission, so I only attended there during summers and visits to my parents until they moved.  A LOT of time had passed, though, so I didn't know if I'd recognize anyone, but I did!  My sweet former young women's teacher Debi Bradsher was sitting a few rows ahead of us.  As soon as Sacrament Meeting was over, I went up to her, and she knew who I was!  We are friends on Facebook, though we don't really interact with each other there, but I knew she was in a wheelchair because of a stroke she had suffered.  Her speech was slightly slurred, but her mind was sharp, and it was so good to catch up for a few minutes.  I am remembering her as my Mia Maid teacher (age 14-15).  I remember lessons she taught us on the room up on the stage.  Foundations of my testimony were formed in that classroom thanks in large part to her.  She was one of the few ladies I personally knew who had served a mission, and that gave me confidence to also serve.  Her kids are grown, her husband has passed away, but there she was, in her wheelchair, at church, still being an example to me.

*After church we drove through Collierville's downtown square, through my old neighborhood, and by my high school, before stopping by the gates of Graceland on our way back to Texas.  I lived there from when I was 13 until I left for BYU (and summers until my parents moved to Utah--into Ben's family's ward 🙂).  It was a difficult stage of life (as it is for most people), and difficult in some ways to be a member of the church there, but I have some very good memories from my time there too.  I was glad to share a lot of those memories with my family.

It was a delight!

April 2024, Week 3

 *Today at church we had a High Counselor speak.  He's a convert from Mexico, though he has lived in the states for a long time.  He has a gentle, uplifting outlook on life, and is quite funny.  (He noticed that the meeting was being broadcast, and said, "I'm on TV?  I should have done something with my hair!  Not that I could do anything..."  as he rubbed his very, very short buzzed hair.)  In passing he mentioned that there were a lot of children in the congregation, and it reminded him of speaking to his daughter's school, where he serves on the PTA.  That says VOLUMES about who he is and how he lives his life.  His topic was the Word of Wisdom.  He said it wasn't difficult for him to accept when he was being taught the gospel, because he was already keeping the principles.  He acknowledged that it is hard for some to change, but that when we do, we invite the Spirit and come closer to Jesus Christ.  He told of how coworkers noticed that he wasn't drinking coffee, and how it opened doors of discussion about the gospel.  We are being watched.  We need to make that a positive thing.

*Alex Randall spoke about his mission, and finding grace, or the power we receive to do God's work through His love for us.  He shared a couple stories, including how his final plane to get home, from Minneapolis to Dallas, left before he was able to get through customs.  He had to get a hotel for the night, since the next flight wasn't until the next morning, and went to a restaurant for dinner, where he was journaling.  He had a small family sit by him, and the father asked what he was writing about, and was excited to find Alex was a Christian.  They had been Hindu all their lives until a year before, when they started attending a Baptist church.  Alex was excited that they were asking him questions about authority and scriptures, and they listened to him teach the lesson on the restoration.  What an amazing way to end a mission!  (It reminded me of my plane flight from London to Chicago, one of the long legs on my way home from my mission.  I was hoping for a final experience like Alex had, but I sat next to a Baptist youth minister, who had had missionaries teach him before, and he [albeit good-naturedly] gave me every single concern that I had been met with on my mission, so I got to go through all of the answers I had, which he'd already heard and was prepared with counter-answers.  It was not Bible-bashing, but it wasn't progressing anywhere, either.  I do remember sharing "faith without works is dead," and he paused on that to think for a bit.  Then later we jointly averted our eyes, as the movie Titanic was being played on the big screen, when the naked scene came on.)

It was a delight!

April 2024, Week 2

*Today at church we had Fast and Testimony Meeting.  One of Scott's friends returned from his mission this week, and he bore his testimony.  He reminded us of a talk from General Conference, where a sister retold the story of the wise man and the foolish man, and how we take for granted that the wise man is okay up there on his rock, when the reality is that yes, you can find strength and stability on the Rock (Jesus Christ), but if you're not anchored to the Rock, which is something you have to do the work for yourself, you are still in danger of being washed away.  I had forgotten about that talk and was grateful for the reminder.  (And I was slightly disappointed that I didn't detect any accent in his speech, since he has been serving in England and Wales. ☺)

*A young man (who happened to ask my Caytie to prom) spoke about how he has a fear of insects, and has previously talked about bees, but the day before he had found a new bug while doing yardwork, and discovered it was an assassin bug, which causes more pain with its bite than a bee sting.  He said that we can fear the unknown, and get into a downward spiral of knowing there is always something worse to be found, not even wanting to leave the house, or we can accept that and live with faith that we will be protected, and live life looking up.  I appreciate when people can find meaning in the ordinary.

It was a delight!

April 2024, Week 1

 *It's General Conference!  We heard so many wonderful messages.  Almost everyone mentioned covenants, and several talked about the temple, prayer, and trusting in God, His timing, and His plan.  I tried to notice when they connected their topic to Jesus Christ, and everyone did.  The speakers often reminded us, as President Nelson encouraged in October, to "Think Celestial."  I was reminded to do more ministering and to attend the temple more frequently, if possible (which it is).  Elder Patrick Kearon gave his first talk as an apostle, about the Plan of Happiness.  Pres. Eyring conducted one session while sitting in his seat, and there were other members of the Quorum of the Twelve who conducted sessions, which I hadn't seen happen before.  (The whole First Presidency is in their 90's, which is a first, too.)  In the evening session on Saturday, the choir sang "Amazing Grace," which was beautiful and rumored to be included in the new version of the hymnbook we're all anxiously awaiting.  President Nelson attended the afternoon sessions on both days, and his talk was prerecorded, but we were happy to get all of him that we could get!  He talked about the Kirtland Temple, which the Church recently purchased, and how Jesus appeared there, as well as an Elias and Elijah, who restored Priesthood keys of the gathering of Israel, the gospel of Abraham, and the sealing power.  He encouraged us to study the dedicatory prayer in Doctrine and Covenants 109.  He gave us a promise that nothing will help us hold to the iron rod, protect us from temptations, bolster our faith in Jesus Christ's Atonement and understanding of God's Plan, sooth our pain, and open the heavens more than worshipping in the temple.  It was a weekend full of light!  It's so nice that my children now want to sit and listen to the talks, as well.  It's going to be great to go back and study the talks in depth.

*My cousin Dorothy Larsen is in the Tabernacle Choir, and we love looking for her as they sing.  My daughter asked if they wear their dresses between sessions, so I messaged her, and she replied that after the morning session, they have a rehearsal, and then and hour break for lunch, where they all wear plastic aprons to stay clean for the afternoon session.  Fun fact of the day!

It was a delight!

March 2024, Week 5

*Today at church we celebrated Easter, so we (according to the new guidelines) only had Sacrament Meeting.  I was glad our family had participated in Easter related activities and lessons throughout the week, so that our thoughts were focused on Jesus, and His Atonement for us.  While I was singing the Sacrament hymn, I thought of how it was one that we could sing on any Sunday at church, and then I realized that every Sunday can (and really should) be an Easter Sunday, as we pause to remember Him while taking the Sacrament into our bodies, minds, and spirits.  The talks and songs and lessons can always return to Jesus and to His love for us.  Remembering His willing sacrifice and resurrection, and how that blesses us, should be a part of our worship every time we gather.  So, Happy Easter today, and every Sabbath!

It was a delight!

March 2024, Week 4

 *Today in church I was able to teach my Primary class about Nephi's last written words.  We talked about Heavenly Father's plan, and following Jesus along the path of faith, repentance, the covenant of baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring (which I recently learned really means repeating the steps again and again, getting closer to Jesus each time).  My five year olds had some great questions (Do we really have to be baptized?  I'm afraid to go under water.  Why doesn't the Holy Ghost have a body?  How can I feast on the scriptures if I can't even read yet?), and it's such a delight to try to answer them in a way they understand.  

*I made a mistake with my class, however.  Ben had woken up early and he made chocolate chip cookies for our classes, which we were using to talk about 2 Nephi 31:20 (feasting upon the word of Christ), and when I brought them out, one of my boys raised his hand and sweetly asked, "Are they gluten free?"  No, they were not--and I didn't even think to check if that was needed before bringing them.  I felt terrible that I had put him in that position, but he handled it with such maturity and grace.  Yes, he had a few tears in his eyes, and he did say it was okay if he ate it sometimes, but I said we'd wait and check with his mom, who did confirm he shouldn't have gluten.  I promised him some gluten-free cookies for next week.  He was willing to continue on with the lesson and even participated, while his classmates ate their cookies next to him.  Sweet boy.  Lesson learned for me--check BEFORE bringing food.

It was a delight.

March 2024, Week 3

 *Today at church we had a speaker talk about a conference talk about parenting.  He said if he paused for a minute, we'd hear a murmur of children in the congregation--and he did, and we did.  He reminded us that there's a reason we don't keep our kids in a separate room during our worship services--we're meant to grow together as families.  (I apologize if it seems I keep coming back to this topic, but it must be on my mind a lot.  Our ward has many young families, and mine is getting older, and I'm adjusting.)  Our intermediate hymn was "True to the Faith."  We have a new music conductor, and she lead this song with great enthusiasm, which is always nice.  My mind paused on the words, "True to the faith which our parents have cherished."  I saw the multi-generational chain that I am a part of, and I'm grateful that I'll be able to report back to my ancestors that I picked up their faith in Jesus Christ and in His gospel and taught it to my children, too, and they are willingly making great efforts to build their own faith.  "Soul, heart, and hand--faithful and true we will ever stand!"

It was a delight!

March 2024, Week 2

 *Today at church I wore an older dress that I got when I was nursing my babies.  It has buttons, so it was more functional than others of my dresses.  It had been out of rotation for a few years, but I saw it this morning and thought I'd try it again, and it brought ALL the nostalgic feelings--and all the reminders of the process of bringing babies and toddlers to church.  There was even a sweet baby behind us who was determined to grab my hair for a bit, despite his mom's distractions.  Those days were so hard (which was the motivation for starting this blog), but I'm on the other end of it now, and I remember a lot of sweetness mixed in with the trials.  I do miss my bitty kids, but I wouldn't want to go back to do it again.  I like who they are (and who I am) now too much.

It was a delight!

March 2024, Week 1

 *Today we had Stake Conference for church.  We had a visiting General Authority, Elder Isaac K. Morrison of the Seventy, and he has such an enjoyable, uplifting personality.  He's from Ghana, and treats his calling as if he's living in a grand dream, being able to travel to different stakes and associate with the Brethren in Salt Lake City.  In the evening adult session last night, he shared that wherever he travels (airplanes, Ubers, etc.), he asks people about their families.  Then he tells them that they would be a good member of our church.  He asks if they are a member, and when they say no, he says, "Why not?!"  I am not so bold yet, but hope to be!

He also taught about the Covenant Path, and how we use it to turn our lives to God.  He shared that he had a friend who left the church, so he went to see why.  His friend still believed in the gospel, and hadn't been offended, but he felt that since he had "done everything" on the path, he was through!  Elder Morrison said that his friend hadn't actually gotten anywhere on the path, if that's how he thought about it.  He challenged us to find our next step and take it.

His third point that evening involved his favorite animals: elephants.  He said that when a baby is born, the rest of the adult females surround the mother and baby and trumpet with joy.  They also make a barrier to protect them from predators.  He encouraged us to be like that as a church, to protect our members from predators and to be joyful they are there.

*I had been asked to accompany a musical number for the evening session.  For some reason, despite the hours of practice I put in, I couldn't play it very well, and was feeling very, very nervous, which is not good for steady hands.  I prayed a lot, and asked Ben and my ministering sisters to pray for me, and I finally felt confident that the Lord would be with me.  My hands were steady, and I played well enough.  I know most people immediately forget how a song is played.  It doesn't matter-- I still want to do well and not detract from the Spirit.  I always have to put my trust in God to guide my shaky, unsure hands.  It is definitely humbling.

*I haven't even shared about today yet!  Pres. Monroe gave a great talk, as always.  It was about The Good Samaritan,  and how in our day, we need to think that we can't afford to NOT stop to help, even if it delays us from our own journey for a bit.  Tessa and I sang in the choir after his talk a song called "The Tree of Life," and the chorister talked to us about this before the session, too-- about how we may need to slow down our progression in order to help others along the way.  I have been thinking about that since then.

*President Morrison again spoke, and he invited several children up to the stand with him.  He said they're the rising generation, our future leaders.  He read from 3 Nephi 17, and reminded us that Jesus wept twice when blessing the children.  Angels surrounded the children then, and he said that we may be the angels surrounding the children now.  He invited us to fall at the feet of Jesus and give a prayer of gratitude.  It will bring so much joy!

He concluded with a story about when he was in the Church Office Building cafeteria, and President Nelson came to eat at his table.  They shared a nice lunch, and after, President Morrison said that his children would ask what message the Prophet gave to him.  President Nelson said, "Tell them I said  'Keep the commandments.'"  President Morrison said that this inspired him to learn more about what a commandment is and how to keep them. He recommended that we read Mosiah 1 and 2 to learn, as well.  Ben and I happened to be reading those chapters in our companion study and were blessed by the words.  He reminded us to "stay for the full feast."

The last thing that President Morrison did was to change the closing hymn.  He asked that we sing "Love One Another" two times.  The first time we could look at the book, but the second time he said we should look around to those we're with and tell them with our eyes while we sing that we love them.  It was easy for me to do that to my children (though they seemed to think it was a bit embarrassing! ☺)  (Also, Ben was out of town, or I would have been looking at him, too!)  We were sitting on the front side row, so I had to turn my body to look at my neighboring seat mate, who happened to be Jeanie Stultz from my ward.  (She had kindly called us over to sit on her row when we arrived.)  I've known her for almost 15 years now, and got to know her better when I served in Relief Society.  She and I looked at each other, and she gave me a great big hug.  It was really quite beautiful.

*It was a delight!

February 2024, Week 4

 *Today in church we got to hear testimonies from several youth who participated in mini missions the day before.  This is an awesome activity that has been a tradition for a few years now.  (They have a couple activities to prepare, and then they go to a host home to share a meal and a gospel message.  We had some young men over and treated them to a South African meal.  Caytie went to "Mexico," Tessa went to "Italy," and Benson went to "Washington, DC.")  It's uplifting to see their excitement to do something hard, try something new, and look forward to full-time experiences.  Benson had even backed out of sleeping on a submarine with his scout troop when he learned it conflicted with the mini mission.

We sang "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" as the intermediate hymn.  I cannot sing that without thinking of my friend Joe Alexander from the Lorraine Frail Care Center in South Africa.  Have I shared his story here before?  I think I have.  He was an incredible ambassador for Jesus, and loved to have me play this song to sing along with when we would visit the center for our service hours.  He personified this song.  I hope I do, too.

*It was a delight!

February 2024, Week 3

 *Today in church I got to teach my Primary class about Lehi teaching his son Joseph about the other great Josephs he's connected to.  I was sharing examples of things Joseph Smith did to bless our lives now, and shared a picture of his First Vision. One of my sweet five-year olds said, "There are two of them?" while pointing to Heavenly Father and Jesus.  "I thought they were the same person!"  I said that yes, they are two separate beings, and that is something important that Joseph Smith learned and taught us.  She looked incredulous and said, "I'm five years old and didn't even know that yet!" My coteacher and I assured her that it's okay that she doesn't know everything yet, and that many people wait many, many years (even lifetimes) before they learn that basic gospel truth.  I left that day with a deeper appreciation for my time in Primary (as a five-year old and now), and for Joseph Smith and his willingness to ponder and ask and share, and for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ who answered.

*It was a delight!

February 2024, Week 2

 *Today at church Benson (11) gave his first talk in Sacrament Meeting.  He wasn't thrilled to do it (as us the case with most 11-year olds), and he was the first of his age group to do it, but he was willing, which means a lot.  He didn't want to do much of (any of) the writing of the talk, so I helped a lot there.  He spoke about preparing to be baptized, and for doing baptisms for the dead.  I'm excited to go with him for his first trip to the temple.  He spoke clearly and, truly, it is brave for a young person to address such a large congregation.

After church several people complimented him on his talk.  He accepted their  comments gratefully, and it made me think of when I have my children help with an element of a meal.  They are so excited to say, "I made this!" while I'm in the background thinking about all that I had to do to make it happen. But then they are more willing to help in the future, with less of my support.

How many things have I been guided through, with much more help from the Lord in the background than I see or understand?  It's probably (definitely) much more than I acknowledge.  The song "I Need Thee Every Hour" is really how I live, though I don't always give Him the credit where it's due.  It's something to ponder.

*It was a delight!

February 2024, Week 1

*Today at church, a brother shared his testimony about principles of basketball. ☺ He said there is a concept called "playing off the ball," which means that what you're doing when you don't have the ball can be as important as what you're doing when you do have it, and of being aware of the game and what you're doing and how to help when you don't have the direct pressure to perform.  He related it to his life, in that sometimes when we're in seasons with less stress or trials, we sometimes forget to put in as much work to stay spiritually strong as when we are in the middle of the trials.  We need to keep "playing off the ball" to be ready for when the ball is in our hands.  I thought that was clever, and it set the theme for the day, which was basically: trials are hard and help us grow, but keep up the effort when things are going well, and pray and Jesus will help you.  Another way a sister presented it was with groceries.  (The man related basketball and the woman related groceries--interesting...)  She said that each day we're filling up our grocery cart.  We can fill it up with good, healthy things (reading scriptures, serving, etc.), or with junk.  We take it home and fill up our cupboards.  (This would be our "playing off the ball" season.)  Then, when we are hungry (stress, trials, etc.), we only have what is available to us in our cupboards.  Will we have good, nourishing food, or junk food to pull us through?  Again--a clever thought, and worth thinking more about.

It was a delight!

January 2024, Week 4

 *Today at church Ben was the chorister.  It was fun to be the one smiling up at him instead of the other way around.

*One speaker shared how the mists of darkness in Lehi and Nephi's dream are not just the world we live in, but can also be found individually within us in the form of the natural man.  We need to be diligent in keeping the mists of darkness from overtaking us as we overcome the natural man.

*Our visiting High Counselor spoke about honesty, as it pertains to the temple recommend questions.  He said that honesty is a tool we can use to get closer to Heavenly Father.  I hadn't thought of it that way.  I usually think of it in reverse, as when we are not honest, we move further away from Him.  But being honest opens the door to the Spirit.  Honesty is direct, uncomplicated, fair, and just.  We can know what the Lord expects of us and we can do it.

*There was a family behind us and their young son has struggled with anxiety since he was a toddler.  I heard him talking to his dad, saying that he didn't want to go to Primary, because his foot was hurting and he was afraid it was going to hurt more and more until he couldn't walk.  His dad was very reassuring, saying that he'd walk with him and even carry him if he needed it.  The boy wouldn't let up, and finally asked, "Why are you forcing me to go to Primary?  I don't want to go!"  I briefly wondered how I would handle that question.  Thankfully, Nursery is the only Primary class my kids have refused to go to, and otherwise, all six have willingly gone to their classes on their own.  The dad (somewhat wearily) responded, "Primary is important, son."  The answer wasn't quite enough to calm him down, but I kept thinking about that answer-- it's important enough to make sure his son is there, even when there is resistance and anxiety and (in the eyes of the son) force.  Would I have taught my kids the same lesson, or given in?  It really is important to learn of Jesus and to have the songs in Primary become part of who you are.  We are children of God.  What is He trying to get us to do because it is important, even when we're facing anxiety about it?  I'm sure He'd carry us through it if we asked.

It was a delight! 

January 2024, Week 3

 *Today at church a young family sat behind us, and I love them and was so grateful that they were there, but my goodness, it was hard to focus with the noise being produced.  It made me: 1) focus more diligently on what people were saying, as I had to make an effort to do so; 2) grateful that my kids have grown past the point of being a disturbance to others; 3) curious about how many people we disturbed when they WERE younger and hungry and bored and frustrated and silly, and 4) hopeful that others around us in those days were forgiving and patient as I hoped I could be now.  I never felt as if our family was unwelcomed, and I hope to never make anyone feel that way.

*In our Primary class we drew Lehi's dream on a poster.  My dad did this with me for a FHE lesson when I was about 8, and it was fun to recreate the experience.  The kids really remembered a lot of details, though our Great and Spacious Building had rocket boosters on it to keep it up in the sky, and there was a boat in the filthy river, but there was a tree with bright fruit, and a whole host of people holding to the iron rod making their way to it, despite the mists of darkness all around.

It was a delight!

January 2024, Week 2

 *Today at church my heart was very full.  My Benson, now 11, passed the sacrament as an ordained deacon for the first time.  My Tessa, now 14, sat beside me, waiting for a family with 5 small children, so she could help the mom, since the dad is often out of town.  My Caytie, now 16, gave a talk about President Nelson's conference talk "Overcome the World and Find Rest," from October 2022.  She shared how going to seminary, though it literally causes her to have less rest, gives her rest and peace to her soul.  My Gracie, now 18, and my Emma, now 20, together went to the temple for the first time on the 2nd of January, and are both in Utah, attending their own wards and serving in their callings.  My Scott, now 22, proposed to his sweet Kaitlyn yesterday, and is now preparing for a temple sealing with her.  My sweet, sweet Ben, still a few months younger than I am (☺), sat holding my hand and I marveled at how each of my children and my husband are following the covenant path, and finding joy in their journeys.  We have been laying foundations every day in so many little and big ways, and they are walking forward in confidence and faith, and I am feeling all the warm, glowing feelings that come from seeing those you love pick up and use the tools you've been offering for so long.  FULL HEART.

*The other speakers used the same conference talk from President Nelson.  We find so much peace and rest-and power-from keeping our covenants.  That's really the key.  It's such a great talk.

*In Primary we're singing "The Iron Rod," and our chorister had pictures to represent the words.  For the "strong and bright and true," she had a muscled arm, a sun, and a green check mark.  To get them to guess the picture for "bright," she asked, "What is the brightest thing you can think of?" A sweet 4 year old said, "Jesus!"  Out of the mouth of babes. ♥️

It was a delight!

January 2024, Week 1

 *Today in church we started off the new year with a new time (yay for 10:30 instead of 9 am!).  I was asked to lead the music, and the songs were word-heavy but great ("Oh, Say What is Truth" and "Ring Out, Wild Bells" in particular, which our organist took at a speedy clip).  The Sacrament song was "As Now We Take the Sacrament," which has a verse that says, "As now our thoughts review the past, we know we must repent.  The way to thee is righteousness--the way thy life was spent.  Forgiveness is a gift from thee we seek with pure intent.  With hands now pledged to do thy work, we take the sacrament."  This is a good resolution, I think--for each week as well as for the year.

*Our ward is getting BIG.  I knew they read in names of new families almost every week, but since we usually get there early and sit up front, I don't see who is in the back, and there are so many that I don't know.  We had to pull out more chairs after the Sacrament.  Growth is good and hard.

*The testimonies shared were sweet.  I am surrounded by good people.

*I taught my new Primary class with my new co-teacher.  Ben is now with the 10 year olds, and I'm with the 5 year olds.   We both have some challenging kids we'll learn to support.  A funny note--we were talking about the Book of Mormon being the keystone of our religion, so I drew an arch with a keystone and said that like the keystone holds up the arch, the Book of Mormon holds up our church.  One of my kids pointed up at a ceiling tile and said, "Is it that one?"  I realized I needed to explain what a symbol is.

It was a delight!

December 2023, Week 5

 *Today at church we attended Grandma and Grandpa's ward in Utah again.  It happens to be the very last day of 2023, so the speakers were reflecting on making goals for the new year.  A couple things things that they asked us to think about included a definition of discipleship from Elder Neal A. Maxwell, which is a course of steady improvement.  They asked, "How does Christ invite us to improve?  What weakness needs improving?  Are we faithful enough to act on impressions?"  One sister said that the Lord doesn't give us a long list of things and require us to change immediately, so maybe we don't need to do that to ourselves.  We can work at our own speed and follow promptings of the Spirit.  That's always good advice.

*During Sunday School we had a discussion about how to have a more joyful experience while at church.  I think for me, I just need to look for they joy.  It's there.  That's why I do this.

*After church we stopped by the cemetery next to their church building to see where my Stay grandparents are buried, and where the Roper grandparents have plots.  The Danielson grandparents have plots there, too, but I don't know where.  A cemetery is a place of conflicting emotions.  We deeply miss those who have gone before, but there's also hope--and comfort and joy because of what that baby Jesus grew up and did for us.  There is so much love.

It was a delight!

December 2023, Week 4

 *Today is Christmas Eve, which is normally one of my favorite days to attend church.  I was afraid that we would miss this year, though, because we left at 3:30 am to catch a flight to Utah for our vacation.  We arrived around 11 am Utah time, intending to ride the train into Orem, but we found out the train we needed didn't run on Sundays!  So we put out a petition to our family and our brother-in-law Matt came to rescue the six of us and our 12 pieces of luggage.  He delivered us safely to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Orem, with about 30 minutes to spare before their ward began.  All the kids were willing to get ready and go, including Emma and Gracie, who had already gone to church earlier in the day.  So we were able to all go and worship on Christmas Eve and hear Grandma and Grandpa sing in their choir, along with several other nice musical numbers.  One of their bishopric members had been a member of another religion that is more vocal in their worship, and he reminded us that it is a day to lift up our voices and sing praises and rejoice that the Lord has come.  It was great.  (Although truthfully, all of us had moments when our eyes closed, due to our very early start in the morning.)

*We had an evening of making gingerbread houses, visits with family, sibling gift exchange, and final Santa prep.  We are so blessed to be together.

It was a delight!