December Part 3: The Waiting Game

The last day of school before Christmas Break, Brooke had a school performance with the choir singing their Christmas songs. I am always so impressed by how many songs they have to learn as well as the choreography that goes with each song.

 Grant being silly and "hiding" inside the laundry basket.

 The time between school letting out and Christmas is the worst for kids! So impatient for Santa to come and Mom is left trying to come up with things to do...When the kids found these crowns left over from Brooke's 4th birthday party in our craft-stash they begged to do them. I don't think the boys even cared/noticed that they were pink!

 I don't even know what this picture is all about. Probably Porter thought he looked extra handsome and wanted his picture taken. (he does that a lot. "Take a picture of me mom!" While doing some kind of pose or holding up some lego creation he made)

December Part 2: Brooke's Birthday Weekend

Brooke's birthday coincided with our holiday family get together with Blake's siblings and mom. Brooke thought she was the most special girl ever getting to have all her aunts, uncles, and cousins around to celebrate with her combined with a fun trip to the city.

 We all met up in the afternoon/evening at the hotel for swimming.

 Then we ventured out to find some dinner at a VERY crowded City Creek food court and then went over to temple square to view the lights. I love the lights, but really hate crowds. I especially hate crowds when you have a party of 20+ people and you're all trying to stay together. My anxiety keeping track of my kids as they walked with cousins and got swallowed by the crowd was about to hit a breaking point. Finally, we had to break off from our family group and go do our own thing. It worked out a lot better for us and we were actually able to enjoy the sights.

 Getting to stay up late and watch a movie on the TV was an added bonus!

 The cousins surprised Brooke with this the next morning.

 We started the morning by getting to see a production of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Special. This production is my most favorite thing ever and always gets me in the Christmas spirit. It was Brooke's first time in the conference center too.

 I had a major fan-girl moment when Hugh Bonneville (the dad from Downton Abbey came on stage)

 Another fun moment was after the concert was over and the cast and crew were interacting with the choir. One of the special guest performers was personal friends with the director of the new Star Wars movie and it also happened to be the director's birthday. The guest performer face-timed his friend and asked the choir to sing "Happy Birthday". It was Brooke's birthday and when the choir started singing her eyes got huge and she had a big smile on her face. She totally thought the choir was singing for her and we just let her think it!

Next it was brunch at Little America with a fun white elephant gift swap with all the family.

 Mr. and Mrs. Claus came around to each table and talked with the kids.

 My beautiful nine year old girl!

 Since we were busy on Brooke's actual birthday, we had our family celebration the next night after we got back home.

 Brooke is so creative and loves to make things. A book of sewing projects and her very own sewing machine were perfect for her!

Happy Birthday Brooke! We can't imagine life without your sweet spirit of kindness and trying to do what's right. We love your help with your younger brothers, your beautiful singing voice and seeing all the creative projects you come up with!

December Part 1: Let the Festivities Begin!

Christmas was really fun this year with all the kids so invested in all the festivities. They helped decorate the tree (two ornaments got broken this Christmas season), Brooke helped the boys write letters to Santa (with a P.S. on Grant's letter that said "Grant has been annoying this year").

We went to look at Christmas lights and the kids wore some fun 3D glasses Aunt Bridgette and Uncle Stephen sent. Our sweet neighbors, the Richs, brought us some packets of hot cocoa with "to go" cups and lids that were perfect for bringing with us in the car. 

It's a tradition to go to Breakfast with Santa at the school. The kids gave Santa their letters and he actually read them right then (and laughed at Brooke's extra note on Grant's letter. Santa then told her that one day her brothers would be her best friends)

 A special bonus this year was that after the breakfast, Brooke's school choir sang some of their Christmas songs.

 And of course, after it was all over, the kids had to go climb around inside the fire truck.

 Brooke and Grant have a special relationship. Each morning before school, Grant has to give Brooke kisses and hugs before she leaves or he gets really sad.

 We also went to see Santa during storytime at the library. This is Porter's last year being able to do this. Next year he'll be in all day school.

Final Thoughts: Finding Christ in the Book of Mormon Challenge

Our Young Women's group finished the challenge we started November 5 to read the Book of Mormon by Christmas Eve. We had an activity Wednesday night to talk about our thoughts and feelings and to share favorite scriptures and feelings about our Savior. 

I hate talking on the spot, especially about the feelings of my heart. I feel like my thoughts and feelings get all mixed up and jumbled...who knows if anything I said that night even made sense to anyone. I want to write down my feelings to remember this experience because it impacted me more than I thought it would.

Full Disclosure: I got really behind in my reading during the days leading up to Christmas. In fact, at one point, I was a full 5-days behind the reading schedule (so 50 pages!). There was no way I was going to finish by Christmas Eve. But I kept reading and was able to finish on New Year's Eve. 

Reading the Book of Mormon rekindled my love for the scriptures. When I was younger, I had an epiphany one day. It hit me that the scriptures were not some boring textbook to struggle through, but rather a journal written by an ancient people of their lives, struggles, and their testimonies of Jesus Christ. Looking at the scriptures with this new perspective helped me to see them in a different light and motivated me to read them. A fire had been lit inside me and for a long time I loved reading the scriptures. After a time, however, the fire that motivated me began to dwindle and dim. The act of reading my scriptures became a chore again. There have been many days in recent years where I have not made them a priority and have skipped my daily reading altogether.

I needed this challenge to light that fire inside me again. My love of the scriptures, reading God's word, and the immense love our Savior has for each of us has been so overwhelming (in a good way!) during this challenge. I couldn't even sing any of the Christmas hymns at church. Two words into the song, I would start to cry because my understanding of His life and purpose had been deepened. I truly "stand all amazed" at the love He has for us.  My goal is to not let the fire inside me go out just because the challenge is over. I want to always feel this way about our Savior and the scriptures.

The challenge also helped fulfill another aspect that was missing or had dwindled from my life. For years I have wanted to more than just know about Christ and His atonement. Knowing the stories only does so much. I wanted to feel my Savior's love for me in every fiber of my being. So many things about the Savior's atonement were cemented into my soul through reading. They are things that when written, sound like the basics, but again, it was more about feeling it than knowing it. 

The atonement is for every person and for every affliction. It took me many years to realize what the Savior suffered in Gethsemane was more than mistakes we'd made. It was every hurt feeling, heartache, physical or emotional setback, frustration, and roadblock I would ever experience. It's why Christ is known by so many names and attributes. He has suffered it ALL and He knows best how to heal us.

The atonement truly is a gift. And it's up to us to remember to use it. Don't let it become something put away and forgotten about. When we're in the middle of our trials--whatever they are--allow Christ to help and heal you. Allow yourself to be guided by His hand. Maybe not to solve our problems, but to give us the strength and hope to get through them. The spirit of the Lord withdrew itself from Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, but that doesn't have to be us. Kneel. Pray. Ask.

There were many scriptures I underlined and loved, but this one really spoke to me. It's found in Ether 12:4.

"Wherefore whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world. Yea, even a place at the right hand of God. Which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

The world is a scary place. I need to hope for a better world. It's the only way I can calm my anxious heart about the state of things and my worry for what's in store for my children and grandchildren. Only through Christ's example and teachings will that happen--even just doing my part to teach my children gives me that hope. I need Christ as my anchor to keep me from getting lost in the commotion of the world and swept away. There are so many voices, so many different choices, but One must be louder and stronger to guide me. I can show my love for my Savior by doing good works...no matter how small they may be. If I find my light dimming, the surest way to lighten it is through doing good works. 

After the challenge, I reviewed President Thomas S. Monson's last General Conference address on the blessings of reading the Book of Mormon. He promised that if we read we will be able to:

• hear the voice of the spirit
• resist temptation
• overcome doubt and fear
• receive Heaven's help in our lives.

He also said that our testimonies need to be kept vital and alive. 

Another talk by Susan Ward Easton given in July 1978 said that there are over 100 names in the Book of Mormon that signify a different attribute of Christ. Total, the names of Christ are mentioned 3,925 times throughout the Book of Mormon. The first is in 1 Nephi 1:1 as "Lord". The last is in Moroni 10:34 as "Eternal Judge"

Lastly, it was a happy coincidence that after we completed this challenge, we found out that the 2018 Mutual theme is "Peace in Christ".  The song released to go along with the theme is beautiful and sums up perfectly how I feel about  my Savior.

Finding Christ in the BOM: Weeks 3 &4

The Christmas season is in full swing at our house. As my children anticipate Christmas morning with excitement, I can't help but think about what it might have felt like for the believers and followers in the Book of Mormon who also looked forward to His coming with excitement, recognizing the signs and prophecies for what they were.

Some thoughts I've had while reading the last couple of weeks:

It is up to each one of us to become converted to Jesus Christ (Mosiah 27: 24-26). We can hear stories, go to church, and even be touched by someone else's experiences and testimony, but the turning of our hearts to our Savior and his gift of the atonement is a personal one. 

The 2017 theme for the young women and young men is "ASK", referring to the scriptures in James 1:5-6 that tell us to ask in faith to receive answers to our own personal questions. As I've been reading the Book of Mormon, I've also been highlighting scriptures that illustrate that point. It was interesting to me to find that each witness in the Book of Mormon has a verse of scripture describing how they knelt and asked the Lord if the things being taught were true, or where they should go/what should they say or do/ asking the Lord to spare their brethren or help them in some way. And those like Lamen and Lemuel, who although they received multiple witnesses from others of the Lord's word and even saw an angel of the Lord, never ask and receive that personal testimony for themselves.

While reading the account of Abinadi, I thought about how many times we wonder if what we're doing is actually making a difference. Abinadi was killed for his prophesying and might not have even known that one person, Alma, believed on his words and was cast out. And look at the effect Alma had on the world...reading this helped me to remember to always follow the promptings of the Spirit, even when you think it might not make much of a difference, because you never know who's life you'll touch or the effect your words or deeds might have on others. 

I have loved reading larger sections of the Book of Mormon at a time. In the past, I would read a page or two each night. I was always confused about the timeline of events and had a hard time keeping the stories of the different people straight in my head. As I read now, people and things are starting to make sense (like the whole "reign of the judges" after the people did away with being ruled by a king, finally that phrase makes sense and I understand the history of it). I feel like I'm able to read the Book of Mormon as an account (a journal) of an ancient people instead of something that's confusing to me. I feel a better connection to the people and their trials and triumphs that I haven't felt before. 

It's hard to believe that it's been a month since I started this challenge and in just a few short weeks, it will be done. Last week during church, we sang the songs "I Know that my Redeemer Lives" and "I Believe in Christ" I just cried almost all the way through both of those songs. They have always been favorites, but now even more so. Jesus Christ is my "kind, wise heavenly friend" and "I believe in Christ so come what may". Those lines have such power and truth to them! 

 I read a line in the Book of Mormon a few days ago that said that the Lord was merciful because of Jesus Christ. That really hit home to me. If it weren't for our Savior Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father would have no choice but to pronounce judgement upon us. But because of our Savior and the atonement, He can be merciful and are blessed because of it.