Patience

During this past Conference President Dieter F. Uchtodorf gave a talk about Patience. It really hit home for me. When the talks were printed it was one of the first talks that I started to study. Then a few weeks ago our lesson in Relief Society was on his talk 'Continue in Patience'. Then last night I felt like I needed to re read it again. I guess I'm not getting it, what Heavenly Father wants me to learn. President Uchtdorf says some truly amazing things about patience. A few of the things that really stuck out to me last night were these:
"Patience-the ability to put our desires on hold for a time-is a precious and rare virtue."
"Without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace."
"Patience require[s] actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results [don't] appear instantly or without effort."
"Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!"
"Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith."
"Knowledge and understanding come at the price of patience."
"Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most."
I probably should write all of these quotes down and put them up around my house so I can remember them. Sometimes life can be hard, but I need to remember to have patience and just 'let God'.

Goals

My oldest son, who is 6 years old, came up to my husband and I this past weekend. This is what he said to us, "I want to set a goal that I won't watch t.v. for a whole week." I was shocked, surprised, and to be honest a little confused. Where did he get this idea? Not from me. I don't take any credit for it. He is an amazing boy! So my husband and I talked to him about what that goal would mean. We wanted to make sure that he understood what a goal was. We wanted to help him set some rules and guide lines so that he could accomplish his goal. I wasn't sure if he could really do it, so we helped him take the goal down to 4 days to start off with. The goal stood at no t.v. but did not include playing the Wii or the computer.
I watched him very carefully. The first morning, Sunday, instead of waking up and watching T.V. until my husband and I woke up he stayed in his room and played with his toys. Then we went over to my parents home for dinner. The T.V. was on. My brother's were watching a sports game. He stayed by my side in the kitchen or was outside playing with his cousins staying out of the room completely. As soon as the game was over and the T.V. was turned off he ran to my mom and asked her if she would play a Wii game with him. I was so proud of him! Again he showed me his integrity. This same thing continued until today the fourth day. Today I also made my second oldest go without T.V. She didn't think it was fair, but it was really easy for her to do for just one day. It's been so nice not having the T.V. on at all. Hopefully this will help so it won't be on so much this summer.
What an amazing example my son is to me. This experience has helped me to remember how important goals are, especially righteous ones. And then try our hardest to reach them. I think it's time to go over my new year's resolutions and see how I am doing. How are you doing?

Parenting

It's summer now. This is the first summer that I've ever had with the transition that other, older, mom's have told me about. My oldest was in Kindergarten this past year, so we had a routine. In the morning we got up, the kids made their beds while I made breakfast. We ate. While eating I would read a story from the Friend magazine to them. Then when they finished they cleared their plates, got dressed, we had family prayers, and it was off to school. Since summer has started we have gotten out of the routine of things. The t.v. has been on too much. The kids have been getting board more quickly. So I made not only a picture chart of all of the things/chores they need to get done, but also a 'board list' that they can look at to get ideas of what do to when they are board. For the past week it has been working so much better! Things have been running a little more smoothly. I thought we were doing good, until a few days ago when I read a talk from this past General Conference. It was given by Elder L. Tom Perry entitled, "Mothers teaching Children in the Home." There were a few quotes that really stood out to me. They helped me to see that I was still dropping the ball, and more improvements needed to be made.
Elder Perry said, "...parents are entrusted with the education of their children and, ultimately, parents must ensure that their children are being taught what their Heavenly Father would have them learn." Reading this reminded me that I wasn't reading to them at breakfast anymore. So I started to do that again. I had forgotten how much I loved reading those stories How much I loved being able to bare my testimony to them each day. How much I loved being able to teach them the principles of the gospel. It has made a huge different once again in our home. Elder Perry also said, "Teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the home adds another layer of insulation to protect our children from worldly influences." That is so true! I feel it when we are having family prayer morning and night, when we are having FHE, when we are reading from the scriptures each day, and when I find the little moments to teach them gospel truths. I need to do so much better at that. Why is it that when we know something, sometimes it's so hard to remember to do it? It drives me crazy that I forget or that other things crowd in. I'm trying and I know that I need to try a little harder. I liked how Elder Perry put it when he said, "...daily parenting is among the most powerful and sustaining forces for good in the world today." Do you feel the urgency of that statement? I know I sure do. I am so thankful that I can change, repent, and do better, be a better mom. Which is something I'm striving to do for my children. I'm thankful the the tender mercy that Heavenly Father gave to me when I read this talk. It opened my mind to understand a little more of the importance of being a good mom to my children and how to accomplish it.

Eternal Love

This past weekend I had an amazing experience. My sister (in-law) was converted later in her life. No one on her side of her family has ever been baptized. Her mother, brother, and nephew have all passed away. She had been working on their temple work and was ready to do their endowment session. She was kind enough to come up close to where we live and invite the whole family, who could, to join her. It was one of the most powerful experience I've had in the temple. Because it was so special I don't feel that I can share my entire experience with you. But I do feel that I can share some of the feelings I felt there with you today.
To help you understand a little bit of the feelings that I want to share, I need to first share with you a quote from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk he gave at the October General Conference from last year entitled, "The Love of God". It is a wonderful talk. When I first heard it and then read it again when I got my copy I was touched. No one had ever explained the Love that God has for us quite like he had. He said, "Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount--that is the measure of God's love for you...Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely. He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God's love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked."
That, to me, is so beautiful. I've felt God's love for me before. I've even been blessed to feel His love for others while serving in His church. But it wasn't until I was in the temple last Saturday that I felt that love on a whole new level. His love is truly encompassing! I felt it so strongly. I felt His love not only for me but for everyone I was surrounded by. I felt love for the family I was there with. I felt love for the wonderful temple workers there. I felt love for those who we prayed for. I even felt love for those who have gone on before us. It was so powerful I couldn't help but weep.
Part of the infinite love that God has for us is evident because of the temple. He loves us so much He wants us to return to Him and we can!! We can because He sent His son to die for us. His only begotten son. And that son, who is Jesus Christ, loved us and His Father, so much that He completed His mission. He died for us so that we could return to live with Him and our eternal Father in Heaven. That is an eternal love. An eternal love that I was so blessed to feel a small part of that day in the temple. Know that you are loved. Know that God does love you.