Unit 02 (choice #4)
Lesson 05
7 months ago I had life pretty much figured out... or so I thought. I was newly married, living in the perfect apartment, with the perfect job, and with the perfect life. My husband and I would go on long bike rides, rock climb, and do pretty much whatever we wanted.
It was, in short, perfect.
I wasn't naive enough to imagine my life would stay that way forever, but "surely" I thought, "Surely, Heavenly Father will give me a small break after all the years and months of blood, sweat, and tears that I had put into my mission as well as getting married." Ha! President Uchtdorf once said something that I'd like to interject, "We make plans... and God laughs." Looking back now, I even laugh at myself for thinking such a ridiculous thought!
But why? Why is that thought so absurd and ridiculous and blinded and, and... hilarious? Why didn't Heavenly Father give me a break from my trials, sorrow, and heartache? There I was this little girl who had finally convinced her dad to buy her the toy she most desperately wanted... only to get home and realize the batteries weren't included. It was so seemingly unfair.
I was living quite literally the very words that Peter taught to the saints, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:" (1 Peter 4:12)
Don't you love how matter of fact Peter is in that verse? It's as if he is saying with amazement, "why are you so confused?? Trials are part of life! Don't you know that?"
Although, it was that very thought, trials are part of life, that made me scared and hope that I wouldn't have anymore. Does that mean that I will never have peace? Will I live my whole life worried about "what trial is coming next"? Will I ever be happy?
It seemed like not very long until things started to crumble. We were getting kicked out of our apartment because our landlord was selling his contract, we found out that Criag's mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, Craig lost his job, I had to work full time and do school full time to support us and graduate, people at my job were becoming increasingly more difficult to work with, and I was feeling completely alone.
It felt as if not only did my "toy" not come with batteries, but it was completely self destructing right before my eyes.
It took everything I had to keep my head above water. It was that terrifying sensation that if I stop moving, I'm going to drowned.
It was during this time that I was reminded of the popular verse in Alma, when he is talking to the people in Gideon and is teaching them about Jesus Christ and his atonement.
Alma 7:11-12
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bid his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to his infirmities."
I know at some point you have probably heard the definition of the word succor which means "to run to the aid of" but there is a part of the definition that is often left out and that is, "to run to the aid of... as if you were drowning"
Christ didn't just come skippering over to me as I was wallowing in self pity. I feel like that is sometimes how people see that scripture, "I didn't want to do it for myself so Christ had to come help me...." as if we put up a tent of wallow and gloom and camp out in our pitiful situations, not moving until he comes and rescues us.
No, when Alma says succor it means that we are physically, emotionally, and mentally drowning. That's how it felt, metaphorically "do or die". We are doing everything possible to stay a float but it's not enough, we need help.
I love the verse in 1 Peter 4:13, it's the one right after Peter talks about fiery trials, he says, "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
Going back to what I said earlier about trials being part of life... and wondering if that means we will never have peace or happiness. To answer; yes, of course we will! Trials are meant to make us stronger, and to be difficult, but we are not left alone because Christ does succor us. We become partakers of Christ's sufferings and that is when his glory is revealed.
Even though all of these trials were difficult, Christ strengthened both my husband and I through it. Not only that, but a lot of them ended up being not as bad as we had anticipated. We ended up not getting kicked out of our apartment, Craig's mother has her last chemo treatment this week and has been incredibly strong, Craig received a great job offer at Ford in Michigan starting in June, and I have been able to work and do school without much difficulty.
Yes, trials come, but Christ won't allow us to drown.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015
Rest of the Lord: New Testament Class
Unit 02
Lesson 04
I had been out on my mission about 4 months when we started teaching a woman in Philomath, Oregon. She was a bright women who knew the scriptures well, I remember teaching her the Plan of Salvation lesson and as we taught her about the Celestial kingdom I asked her what she thought heaven would be like and she replied, "we sit and glorify God for the rest of eternity!" I looked over at my trainer expecting her to answer... but she didn't, not yet... she was a poised, seasoned missionary, she would really think before she said something... I on the other hand seemed to blurt everything out that came to my mind! Before I knew it, I had said back, "Jenny, you can't even go to three hours of church without getting antsy and bored... how on earth do you expect to praise God for all eternity??"
...Yep, neither Jenny nor my trainer knew what to say back. In my defense though, my comment wasn't meant to be a direct attack against Jenny's "spirituality" because she can't sit through church, that wasn't the point. It was really a question for all of us... do we really expect God to make us praise him for hours and hours on end when we finally make it to heaven? Is that the ultimate goal? Is that what it means to enter into the rest of the Lord...or is there more than that?
In Hebrews 12:9 we learn that God is our Heavenly Father, "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" For a moment, think about your own parents. What were some of the hopes and dreams that your parents had for you as you grew up? Or if you have kids, what do you hope for your own children? I know that my parents wanted me to become like them, in the sense that they wanted me to be happy, have a family, and be successful. Ultimately, they wanted the best for me.
Now think about this, if someone were to ask your parents 10-20 years ago "when your children are grown, would you want them to follow you around everywhere and praise you for eternity?" what do you think your parents would've said? I can tell you this much, that would be my mom's worst nightmare, haha! We know that our Heavenly Father has desired the same things for us (his children) as our earthly parents, I would even to go as far as to say that I believe the root of why our parents desire the best for us is because it's ingrained in them from a Heavenly Parent. We learn this in D&C 132:14, "and shall (speaking of the righteous) inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths" God wants to give us everything that he has because he loves us.
But just like any good parent knows, there are certain consequences, good and bad, that come as we strive to become like them. God has given us the gift of agency and so we choose who we become and what we do, or parents can't choose for us. When I child chooses to drink alcohol, use drugs, get pregnant out of wedlock... etc. the parent never stops loving them, not ever. But they know that these things have made it hard for their child to ever become like them. It's the same with God, there is a warning (well, actually, there are many but I just want to mention one) that God has given us concerning whether or not we can enter into his rest (or in other words, become like him) and this warning is found in Hebrews 3:12-15 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you in evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while it is said, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."
In order to become like our Heavenly Father, we must give heed to his words, keep his commandments, exhort one another daily, be partakers of Christ's sacrifice, be steadfast to the end, and not give into sin.
I have a testimony that Heavenly Father loves us, we are his children, he wants us to become like him, but in order to do this we must obey him.
Lesson 04
I had been out on my mission about 4 months when we started teaching a woman in Philomath, Oregon. She was a bright women who knew the scriptures well, I remember teaching her the Plan of Salvation lesson and as we taught her about the Celestial kingdom I asked her what she thought heaven would be like and she replied, "we sit and glorify God for the rest of eternity!" I looked over at my trainer expecting her to answer... but she didn't, not yet... she was a poised, seasoned missionary, she would really think before she said something... I on the other hand seemed to blurt everything out that came to my mind! Before I knew it, I had said back, "Jenny, you can't even go to three hours of church without getting antsy and bored... how on earth do you expect to praise God for all eternity??"
...Yep, neither Jenny nor my trainer knew what to say back. In my defense though, my comment wasn't meant to be a direct attack against Jenny's "spirituality" because she can't sit through church, that wasn't the point. It was really a question for all of us... do we really expect God to make us praise him for hours and hours on end when we finally make it to heaven? Is that the ultimate goal? Is that what it means to enter into the rest of the Lord...or is there more than that?
In Hebrews 12:9 we learn that God is our Heavenly Father, "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" For a moment, think about your own parents. What were some of the hopes and dreams that your parents had for you as you grew up? Or if you have kids, what do you hope for your own children? I know that my parents wanted me to become like them, in the sense that they wanted me to be happy, have a family, and be successful. Ultimately, they wanted the best for me.
Now think about this, if someone were to ask your parents 10-20 years ago "when your children are grown, would you want them to follow you around everywhere and praise you for eternity?" what do you think your parents would've said? I can tell you this much, that would be my mom's worst nightmare, haha! We know that our Heavenly Father has desired the same things for us (his children) as our earthly parents, I would even to go as far as to say that I believe the root of why our parents desire the best for us is because it's ingrained in them from a Heavenly Parent. We learn this in D&C 132:14, "and shall (speaking of the righteous) inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths" God wants to give us everything that he has because he loves us.
But just like any good parent knows, there are certain consequences, good and bad, that come as we strive to become like them. God has given us the gift of agency and so we choose who we become and what we do, or parents can't choose for us. When I child chooses to drink alcohol, use drugs, get pregnant out of wedlock... etc. the parent never stops loving them, not ever. But they know that these things have made it hard for their child to ever become like them. It's the same with God, there is a warning (well, actually, there are many but I just want to mention one) that God has given us concerning whether or not we can enter into his rest (or in other words, become like him) and this warning is found in Hebrews 3:12-15 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you in evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while it is said, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."
In order to become like our Heavenly Father, we must give heed to his words, keep his commandments, exhort one another daily, be partakers of Christ's sacrifice, be steadfast to the end, and not give into sin.
I have a testimony that Heavenly Father loves us, we are his children, he wants us to become like him, but in order to do this we must obey him.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Deep Beauty: New Testament Class
Student Choice 02
Lesson 04
Have you ever seen a rebellious high school student that dyes their hair, pierces their nose, or wear's crazy clothes because they claim "I'm just trying to be different!". What's so ironic about this is, everyone else is "trying to be different" in the same exact way! Years ago I had a Book of Mormon teacher one time tell our class, "If you want to be different and stand out... keep the standards of the church." that rang true to me.
My husband and I went to Italy in the summer for our honeymoon. We had a wonderful time, it's absolutely beautiful there! But do you want to know something that I noticed? EVERY single girl was wearing a tank top and shorty-shorts... and there I was with my T-shirt and pants... talk about feeling like a fly in milk! I stood out more than anyone! At first, I felt uncomfortable and less beautiful than all of the other girls but I learned something important, beauty doesn't depend on what you wear, it's how you live your life that's important. And I want to add, if you're living your life close to the spirit, you're not going to feel comfortable wearing revealing clothes.
The Isaiah verses in 2 Nephi 13:16-26 have always bothered me... and I realized not to long ago why it's because ALL of this time I have been reading them wrong! Go figure, reading Isaiah wrong isn't that hard to do with all of the symbolism... it's amazing anyone can understand, haha! But once I finally realized what Isaiah was saying, it has become one of my favorite chapters. Before I had this epiphany, I always thought that Isaiah was saying, "If you ever try to look good, smell good, or wear jewelry, then you are a sinner!" I thought that I needed to walk around looking like a pioneer to please God, but this isn't true. In-fact I believe that when we do get ready for the day and feel good about ourselves it's easier to have the spirit with us. The key to the verses is (2 Nephi 13:16) "Moreover, the Lord saith: because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go..." then they are cursed. It's not so much what they wear, but how they are wearing it. The word haughty means; arrogance, supriority, pridefulness. Stretched-forth necks; cant you just picture girls sticking up their noses at others? Wanton eyes; meaning trying to get men's attention in a bad way.
And then after this verse, that is when Isaiah describes the things that these girls are wearing, but it's not the actual things that are "bad" it's why they are wearing them that is wrong.
I had the same thought in 1 Timothy 2:9-10. When Paul says, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array." Again, doesn't it feel like he is saying that we need to walk around in our bonnets and cloth dresses feeling shameful and hideous? But when I read verse 10 it became clear "but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works." It's not about what we wear, but how we wear it. In-fact, it's not about what we wear at all! It's about doing good works and having God's spirit with us.
Lastly, I want to share something that really changed the way that I viewed myself in High School. I don't know about you but High School was a war between the beauties, meaning, you were only popular and cool if you were beautiful. I watched so many girls hurt themselves and hate themselves because they weren't "beautiful enough" and to make matters worse, boys on the football team would come up with rude nicknames for girls... even the ones that I thought were beautiful.
It was during this time when I was trying to figure out what beauty even was and how I could obtain it that Sister Elaine Dalton (I love her!) gave her conference talk called, "remember who you are!" back in 2010. She said, "I learned about what I now call “deep beauty”—the kind of beauty that shines from the inside
out. It is the kind of beauty that cannot be painted on, surgically
created, or purchased. It is the kind of beauty that doesn’t wash off.
It is spiritual attractiveness. Deep beauty springs from virtue.
It is the beauty of being chaste and morally clean. It is the kind of
beauty that you see in the eyes of virtuous women like your mother and
grandmother. It is a beauty that is earned through faith, repentance,
and honoring covenants." Months after this address, she visited my High School to do a morning side (a fire side in the morning) when she walked in, all I could focus on was how beautiful she was and how she just glowed. I was actually asked to give the closing prayer and so I got to talk with her briefly afterwards. Her example and the things that she has taught me about "deep beauty" have changed my life because it's the type of beauty that I have searched for since.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Salvation
Unit 02
Lesson 03
In Romans 12-13 Paul gave much counsel that leads to salvation. Read each of the following verses and list what Paul taught would help lead to salvation:
Romans 12:1- Present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God.
Romans 12:2- Don't be of the world, have clean thoughts and mind, following the will of God and do good.
Romans 12:9- Cleave to the good, stay completely away from all evil, and love without restraint.
Romans 12:13- have charity, be hospitable, be kind to others.
Romans 12:16- don't depend on your own wisdom or the wisdom of men. But be of the same mind with those in the church.
Romans 12:21- don't let evil overcome you, but be good and you'll be able to overcome evil.
Romans 13:1- the priesthood power (power from God) will help us, especially as we subject ourselves to that power.
Romans 13:3- The power of the world can be hard to overcome, especially because they receive so much praise for what they do... but if we do good works and help others and serve God, we will receive the glory of God.
Romans 13:8- Love everyone. It's possible to hate the sin, but to love the sinner.
Romans 13:9- Don't commit adultery, don't kill, don't steal, don't bear false witness, and don't covet.
Lesson 03
In Romans 12-13 Paul gave much counsel that leads to salvation. Read each of the following verses and list what Paul taught would help lead to salvation:
Romans 12:1- Present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God.
Romans 12:2- Don't be of the world, have clean thoughts and mind, following the will of God and do good.
Romans 12:9- Cleave to the good, stay completely away from all evil, and love without restraint.
Romans 12:13- have charity, be hospitable, be kind to others.
Romans 12:16- don't depend on your own wisdom or the wisdom of men. But be of the same mind with those in the church.
Romans 12:21- don't let evil overcome you, but be good and you'll be able to overcome evil.
Romans 13:1- the priesthood power (power from God) will help us, especially as we subject ourselves to that power.
Romans 13:3- The power of the world can be hard to overcome, especially because they receive so much praise for what they do... but if we do good works and help others and serve God, we will receive the glory of God.
Romans 13:8- Love everyone. It's possible to hate the sin, but to love the sinner.
Romans 13:9- Don't commit adultery, don't kill, don't steal, don't bear false witness, and don't covet.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Beware of false prophets
Unit:1
Lesson: 02
Have you ever thought about the people you trust and why you trust them? For instance, why is it that when my mom told me to never do drugs or have sexual intimacy before I was married, I was so willing to listen and be obedient? Some may argue, "there have been studies done which have shown that young children are more susceptible to the teachings of their parents because for the first few years of their lives they see their parents as being perfect." If that is the case, and I believe it is, then why do I still trust and listen to my mom even now that I am perfectly aware of her mistakes and short comings? I believe it's because I know she loves me and wants the best for me. I learned this through experience, when I was young I followed her and learned that what she taught would make me safe... so much so that even now, I trust her words.
Today I want to share my thoughts and feelings concerning someone else that I have come to trust, someone that I listen to and follow. Not because I believe they are perfect but because I have followed them in the past and it has only brought me happiness and peace. This person is the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson.
Early this week I was reading in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 which says, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel: for satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
I find it interesting in this verse how often Paul said the word "transform" there is something interesting that I have learned about transformers, they can't stay the same thing forever. They have to constantly be changing. Some may read this scripture and think, "well, how then, can I know who truly are messengers from God?" my grandma use to say, "what and learn!" I believe it's the same in this case, you can know if they are true messengers of God if they transform, meaning, they are constantly changing.
After reading this verse, I was reminded of one of my favorite verses in the Book of Mormon. Samuel the Lamanite comes to warn the Nephites of their wickedness and to prophecy of the coming of Christ. After the people try to kill Samuel, Mormon (the person who is abridging the book) says this to us, the reader,
"...if a prophet come among you and declareth into you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, you are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; yea, you will say that he is a false prophet and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil. But behold, if a man shall come among you and shall say; do this and there is no iniquity; do that and ye shall not suffer; yea, he will say: walk after the pride of your own hearts; yea, walk after the pride of your own eyes, and do whatsoever your heart desireth--and if a man shall come among you and say this, ye will receive him, and say he is a prophet. Yea, ye will lift him up, and ye will give unto him of your substance; ye will give unto him of your gold, and of your silver, and ye will clothe him with costly apparel; and because he speaketh flattering words unto you, and he saith that all is well, then ye will not find fault with him." (Helaman 13:26-28)
If you think of this verse as if it was talking about a parent teaching their children, I bet you could see what an awful parent they would be if they told their children, "do whatever you want, whenever you want! There is no harm in this!" They would be completely forsaking their role as a parent to guide, teach, and protect their children. It's the same for a prophet, if they only told us what we wanted to hear, things that were pleasing to the world, things that were easy to follow.... would they really be that great of a prophet? But what if they admonished us to follow God, keep his commandments, be obedient? What if at times they even asked us to do things that were uncomfortable because that would be you'd have to go against popular teachings of the world? Just something to consider.
My hope in this life, as I'm sure is all of yours, is to be the kind of parent that teaches my children how to be truly happy... even if that means to do hard, unpopular, or scary things at times. I know that as we follow a living prophet, we can become that kind of parent.
Lesson: 02
Have you ever thought about the people you trust and why you trust them? For instance, why is it that when my mom told me to never do drugs or have sexual intimacy before I was married, I was so willing to listen and be obedient? Some may argue, "there have been studies done which have shown that young children are more susceptible to the teachings of their parents because for the first few years of their lives they see their parents as being perfect." If that is the case, and I believe it is, then why do I still trust and listen to my mom even now that I am perfectly aware of her mistakes and short comings? I believe it's because I know she loves me and wants the best for me. I learned this through experience, when I was young I followed her and learned that what she taught would make me safe... so much so that even now, I trust her words.
Today I want to share my thoughts and feelings concerning someone else that I have come to trust, someone that I listen to and follow. Not because I believe they are perfect but because I have followed them in the past and it has only brought me happiness and peace. This person is the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson.
Early this week I was reading in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 which says, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel: for satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
I find it interesting in this verse how often Paul said the word "transform" there is something interesting that I have learned about transformers, they can't stay the same thing forever. They have to constantly be changing. Some may read this scripture and think, "well, how then, can I know who truly are messengers from God?" my grandma use to say, "what and learn!" I believe it's the same in this case, you can know if they are true messengers of God if they transform, meaning, they are constantly changing.
After reading this verse, I was reminded of one of my favorite verses in the Book of Mormon. Samuel the Lamanite comes to warn the Nephites of their wickedness and to prophecy of the coming of Christ. After the people try to kill Samuel, Mormon (the person who is abridging the book) says this to us, the reader,
"...if a prophet come among you and declareth into you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, you are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; yea, you will say that he is a false prophet and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil. But behold, if a man shall come among you and shall say; do this and there is no iniquity; do that and ye shall not suffer; yea, he will say: walk after the pride of your own hearts; yea, walk after the pride of your own eyes, and do whatsoever your heart desireth--and if a man shall come among you and say this, ye will receive him, and say he is a prophet. Yea, ye will lift him up, and ye will give unto him of your substance; ye will give unto him of your gold, and of your silver, and ye will clothe him with costly apparel; and because he speaketh flattering words unto you, and he saith that all is well, then ye will not find fault with him." (Helaman 13:26-28)
If you think of this verse as if it was talking about a parent teaching their children, I bet you could see what an awful parent they would be if they told their children, "do whatever you want, whenever you want! There is no harm in this!" They would be completely forsaking their role as a parent to guide, teach, and protect their children. It's the same for a prophet, if they only told us what we wanted to hear, things that were pleasing to the world, things that were easy to follow.... would they really be that great of a prophet? But what if they admonished us to follow God, keep his commandments, be obedient? What if at times they even asked us to do things that were uncomfortable because that would be you'd have to go against popular teachings of the world? Just something to consider.
My hope in this life, as I'm sure is all of yours, is to be the kind of parent that teaches my children how to be truly happy... even if that means to do hard, unpopular, or scary things at times. I know that as we follow a living prophet, we can become that kind of parent.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Things of a Better
I love going out to eat but with one exception; I don't particularly
enjoy going to fancy restaurants- you know the kind where you have to
dress up and act proper? I grew up eating hamburgers and fries and
I'd happily die eating them too- but on special occasions my family
will eat out somewhere fancy to celebrate. The day that had been long
awaited for had finally come- my older sister Cassi was now graduating
from collage. After the ceremony, as occasion would have it, we went
out to eat but this time we went to an EXTRA fancy restaurant.
As my whole family flooded into the restaurant- which was 12 of us
counting my two brother in laws (Brett wasn't with us yet) and my
niece and nephew- it felt as though we had filled up half the place!
Fact, fancy restaurants don't have much room... Or a lot of food-
clearly, by the portion size they give you- but regardless we were
there, the awkward elephant in the room.
I chose my seat on the booth side of the table. Two words, the squishy
seats. I was sitting across from my sister Jessica and her little
family; her husband Tucker and their two kids Ava and Mason.
Jessica looked tired and ready to go home- which I couldn't argue- she
had just sat through a three hour graduation with two little
hooligans... Well, three counting Tucker ;). Looking back, I can
imagine the long line of newly graduates ready to accept their
diplomas must have felt like an eternity to her- actually I think it's
safe to say it felt that way to all of us- but I knew Jessica was
happy to be with us to support Cassi.
After we had ordered our food I noticed two couples walk into the
small room. The women (whom I'm assuming were the wives) were dressed
like Maddie and I would when we were young and we'd pretend to be
princesses- except they had the real stuff on opposed to Walmart
plastic- they had long dresses, huge jewel necklaces and their hair
was puffed to perfection- their husbands had on black suits and ties.
I'm not the best at guessing age but I'd bet they were in their 50's.
I quickly observed that they were not happy to be squished in the same
room with my family. Royalty among peasants they clearly thought
themselves to be. As I observed them longer (I'm a people watcher) I
noticed that their distaste was more toward my niece and nephew than
it was to my family as a whole.
As usual, Ava and Mason were being their adorable, maniac selves.
Jumping from seat to seat, flinging food in the air, crying, laughing
-personally, I enjoy watching them it makes me excited for the day I
have children- but it was obvious the two couples were highly
aggravated. I actually heard one of the women say- as the others
nodded in agreement-"children are so disgusting!" Along with multiple
other comments they made- conveniently loud enough for us to hear.
I'll never forget this moment. There I was sitting across from
Jessica- food on her clothes, hair a mess from Ava playing with it,
tired, her children running amuck around her, Holding Tucker's hand-
and I thought, "that's what a real queen looks like."
Although I am young and I don't know fully what my future holds, I
look forward to the day when I am a wife and mother. Regardless, of
what I will accomplish or responsibilities I will be given in my life-
motherhood will forever be the greatest honor given to me from our
Heavenly Father.
I love the advice that is given to Emma Smith from God, "And verily I
say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and
seek for the things of a better."(D&C 25:10)
I truly believe that motherhood is part of "the things of a better."
enjoy going to fancy restaurants- you know the kind where you have to
dress up and act proper? I grew up eating hamburgers and fries and
I'd happily die eating them too- but on special occasions my family
will eat out somewhere fancy to celebrate. The day that had been long
awaited for had finally come- my older sister Cassi was now graduating
from collage. After the ceremony, as occasion would have it, we went
out to eat but this time we went to an EXTRA fancy restaurant.
As my whole family flooded into the restaurant- which was 12 of us
counting my two brother in laws (Brett wasn't with us yet) and my
niece and nephew- it felt as though we had filled up half the place!
Fact, fancy restaurants don't have much room... Or a lot of food-
clearly, by the portion size they give you- but regardless we were
there, the awkward elephant in the room.
I chose my seat on the booth side of the table. Two words, the squishy
seats. I was sitting across from my sister Jessica and her little
family; her husband Tucker and their two kids Ava and Mason.
Jessica looked tired and ready to go home- which I couldn't argue- she
had just sat through a three hour graduation with two little
hooligans... Well, three counting Tucker ;). Looking back, I can
imagine the long line of newly graduates ready to accept their
diplomas must have felt like an eternity to her- actually I think it's
safe to say it felt that way to all of us- but I knew Jessica was
happy to be with us to support Cassi.
After we had ordered our food I noticed two couples walk into the
small room. The women (whom I'm assuming were the wives) were dressed
like Maddie and I would when we were young and we'd pretend to be
princesses- except they had the real stuff on opposed to Walmart
plastic- they had long dresses, huge jewel necklaces and their hair
was puffed to perfection- their husbands had on black suits and ties.
I'm not the best at guessing age but I'd bet they were in their 50's.
I quickly observed that they were not happy to be squished in the same
room with my family. Royalty among peasants they clearly thought
themselves to be. As I observed them longer (I'm a people watcher) I
noticed that their distaste was more toward my niece and nephew than
it was to my family as a whole.
As usual, Ava and Mason were being their adorable, maniac selves.
Jumping from seat to seat, flinging food in the air, crying, laughing
-personally, I enjoy watching them it makes me excited for the day I
have children- but it was obvious the two couples were highly
aggravated. I actually heard one of the women say- as the others
nodded in agreement-"children are so disgusting!" Along with multiple
other comments they made- conveniently loud enough for us to hear.
I'll never forget this moment. There I was sitting across from
Jessica- food on her clothes, hair a mess from Ava playing with it,
tired, her children running amuck around her, Holding Tucker's hand-
and I thought, "that's what a real queen looks like."
Although I am young and I don't know fully what my future holds, I
look forward to the day when I am a wife and mother. Regardless, of
what I will accomplish or responsibilities I will be given in my life-
motherhood will forever be the greatest honor given to me from our
Heavenly Father.
I love the advice that is given to Emma Smith from God, "And verily I
say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and
seek for the things of a better."(D&C 25:10)
I truly believe that motherhood is part of "the things of a better."
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