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!