Family Home Evening - Home Teaching Teaching

Tonight our family had a special treat!

Our home teacher and his wife came and joined us for Family Home Evening and gave us our lesson.

Our home teacher took his lesson from HERE.

He brought a bag filled (literally filled) with toys that would represent things that we enjoy or would want or things on which we place importance.  He tossed each object across the room members of our family as we raised our hands, vying wildly for that object!!

After we each had a nice stash, we talked about those things and why they bring us the feelings they do. And then we talked about things that REALLY are important: God, family, and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

He left this quote for us that is now displayed on our refrigerator as a reminder to us, by a people far away, of those things that should matter most to us!

"The gospel in Africa is going to a happy people, very unencumbered by the trappings that affect the lives of many in the West. They are not concerned about having endless material possessions.

"It has been said of Africans that they have very little of that which matters least and a great deal of that which matters most. They have little interest in enormous homes and the finest cars but great interest in knowing their Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and in having eternal families. As a natural result of their faith, the Lord is lifting them in meaningful ways."

Comparing Myself

There was a story recounted in General Conference years ago that comes back to me every once in a while . . .

This usually happens when I step foot into a house that's "more" than mine, or when I'm in the company of women who are more educated than I, or when I come across incredible blogs that jump out and seem to say "Hey, can you see my ten-digit following!?"

And I am learning that happiness NEVER comes from comparing myself to anyone else . . . it only comes as I look to God and live.

BTW, the word happiness is not found in the Bible. But can be found 26 times in the Book of Mormon!!

Oh, and here's that wonderful reminder story told by Elder Gordon T. Watts of the Seventy, (which can also be found HERE.)

As a young boy, life on our small family farm was heaven. Often in our humble home there were not as many shingles as we had roof. The rest-room facility was connected by a long path that required some advance planning, and sometimes my worn shirt had more buttonholes than buttons. The Saturday night bath in front of a warm stove, where your body experienced both extremes in temperature, was a luxury.

Then something changed. I started school and began to notice possessions I had not known. Some had nice clothing, beautiful homes with all the modern conveniences, and drove newer automobiles. Many my age were not required to arise early and do chores before going to school, only to go home at night and do them all over again. While they were popular and confident, I became backward and shy. Regretfully, I began to forget how happy I had been with my basket of blessings as I indulged in comparing their seemingly endless bushels to mine. Thus, the blinders to humility began distorting reality, giving way to ingratitude. The expectation that more is deserved can cause our plate of plenty to appear empty. Gratitude has many faces and takes on many forms. Failure to recognize the Lord for all we have will soon result in selfish behavior.

Tidbit Tuesday - The Grass is Greener

"The grass that looks greener on the other side may be artificial turf."

-Mary Ellen Edmunds

Fathers Are Responsible to Provide the Necessities of Life

For the longest time, I had this very twisted notion stuck in my skull (you know, like David's rock planted dead center in Goliath's forehead) that in order for my husband to obey The Proclamation, he would need to provide our family with $$$,$$$ (although a very high $$,$$$ with 9's would also be acceptable) which, in turn, would allow me to most successfully fulfill my part of The Proclamation, which is to nourish our children.

Um, hasn't happened yet.

Not the $$$,$$$ or the $$,$$$$ with just one nine in the very front.

So, since my head wasn't making money sense of what "By divine design, fathers are  . . . responsible to provide the necessities of life" meant, I decided to look in a book - The Dictionario.

And what did I learn?

The word provide comes from the Latin word:  providere (pro, - before + videre  -to see).  It means:

1: to take precautionary measures

2: to make preparation to meet a need

And here's what else I learned!

There is NOTHING (nada, zippo, zilch) in the definition that says provide= $$$,$$$ or $$,$$$ with a fat, juicy nine leading the way. (If you see it, point it out to me, because that is how thick my skull is sometimes).

Which means after years of looking all around me and thinking I knew what "provide" meant, I've learned two things.

1) As my husband (wonderful, kind, sweet husband) continues to do his best in righteously providing for our family financially and physically and spiritually and emotionally, then HE IS obeying his end of the deal as taking responsibilty as a father

and 2) I am SO not excused from doing my part to nurture our children just because we do not have the $$$,$$$ (a.k.a. luxuries of life).

Because (ahem), n.e.c.e.s.s.i.t.i.e.s. are things that are required to live.  You know, stuff like food, clothing, shelter, fuel.

And last I checked, I'm living.

And so are my husband and our nine kids.

And we've got food in our pantry and milk in the fridge.

And we've never, ever walked out of our house naked.

And this morning I got all all our kidlings to school  - on time!!
Boy, am I ever thankful for spiritual brain surgery!!

Happy Happy Joy

Tonight I read to one of my sons the story of Lehi’s Dream found in Book of Mormon Stories.

He was so intrigued that eating the white fruit from the tree would make someone happy. Because of his curiosity I asked him why he thought Laman and Lemuel didn’t eat the fruit.

His answer was, “Because they didn’t want to be happy.”

“Why?” I pressed further. “Why do think they didn’t want to be happy?”

He thought for a moment and replied, “I guess they had been grumpy for so long they liked being that way.”

I continued, “I think you’re right! How do you feel when you are mad? Do you want to hurry up and feel happy?”

“No!” my son responded, shaking his head.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I want to feel mad for as long as I like!”

OUCH!  I'm sometimes guilty of feeling that way, too!

A missionary, couple serving in Nauvoo, sent me a most delightful way to remember what JOY represents.

They wrote:

"This sign is our visual aid for today.

"The graphic is to remind you that to experience JOY you have to follow the big “O” of obedience and that is why it is red.

"The big “O” is flanked by Jesus and You.

"That combination brings all of the Joy that we wish for."