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!