Today our family spoke in Church. I will have to record Jacob doing his talk and post it, he did such a good job. I also taught R.S. so I had a double whammy. Mom, Dad, and Janis came to hear, and Janis had to endure the R.S. Lesson too. Mamos and Poppa had to speak in church today as well but I know we were in their prayers. Thanks for your love and support, I love all my Family.
Jen's Talk
I come from a small family, my parents, before converting to the LDS faith, decided that one boy and one girl was the perfect family. Because of this, I am drawn to people and feel like they become my family. I have always wanted a large family, Brian and I have been married for 9 years and currently we have 3 boys, Jacob age 5, Aiden age 4, and Jack Jack age Terrible 2. Brian and I met a week after I moved to Midway for a Job. We met at the local singles ward, where after talking to many girls found out that he was the Prize Priesthood holder, the husband to get. After two rejections, I finally said yes and the rest is history. Mind you it has been a History, not a happily ever after, but a good love story history, I love Brian and my Children very much.
I am also thankful for Christ and this gospel to be in my life. As I grow older, the more I understand life and the people around me. I realize I am not the only one that is striving for perfection, so I should not think that everyone around me is perfect. I think more than anything else I have realized, what to “be human” really means.
I love the saying “Because Nice matters!”
My family has always been a strength in my life, I have always know even during my teenage years that my Mother, Father, and Brother love me. No matter what else happens if my closest friend betrays me, if my pet dies, even if I were to do poorly on a test.
My family was always there regardless. Like our Heavenly Father and our Brother Jesus Christ are always there for us, we learn this by example.
My parents loved me and made me feel like I was one in a million. Unfortunately there have been times that I have taken that love for granted. And then I am taught again and learn.
During my Junior year in high school I came home one night from a date, it was late and thoughts of dinner, games, and talking were dancing around in my head. I reflected back to the nights events and smiled, what fun I had had. As I walked towards my bedroom I suddenly remember that before I had started to get ready for my date, my Mother had hurried to iron my shirt and asked that I put the clean sheets on my bed and pick up my room. I proceeded to my room passing the mirror in the hall and noticed my hair wasn't quite high enough and that my lipstick could use a new coat. Soon I had forgotten all about what my mother had asked me to do and I was off on my date. Now that I was home, it was late and I was so tired, I wanted to just go to bed. I was not looking forward to putting the clean sheets on my bed and cleaning up the clothes that regularly laid around on my floor in piles.
As I turned on the light I noticed that I did not have to step over heaps of clothing scattered around, nor was my bed bare, but my cloths were picked up and my bed was fixed and waiting, inviting me.
I have a love of sleeping in tucked in clean sheets, the smell, the feel, everything. I noticed a note on my pillow, Jen-bo it read, I hope you had a nice time. I love you! Mom-bo. Ok it might have said a few other things but I don't remember. I do remember the love that I felt from my mother who had taken the time in her busy schedule to do something Christlike for me.
John Chapter 13:5
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to
wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Just when I thought I would have to pay for not listening to my mom, she steps in and washes my feet.
My thoughts have often reflected back to my Family and how kindness begets kindness. To be more like Christ and to live again with him I needed to take my Mothers example. I see my Children doing kind and very heart felt service to others without my promptings. I will often stand in amazement. Asking my friends and Family, what is going through there little head that would make them come up with such an idea. My friend once answered me and said, “they learn it because you do it.”
I also feel that the opposite applies, meanness begets meanness. I find with my children now, it is easy to get impatient and start to yell. I soon see my children running around the house bossing out orders, getting frustrated over small things and even sometimes my littlest in his most stubborn way will say NO! And mean it with all his little heart. I also see the light of Christ shine in my children, as they themselves begin to make there story, of nice gestures, kind words, flowers to the widow neighbor, and amazing prayers.
So often we forget and take those around us that love us the most, for granted. We do need to endure to the end, so we can live, and gain eternal life
Being the mother of 3 small children, I often feel that my week is like three hundred miles on rough terrain, bare foot, no coat, pulling my hand cart, with my husband flying west to Zion in his new Jet.
I have learned to endure to the end ,that is the end of the week, and to tolerate hard work and many physical and emotional challenges. Sometimes my mind seems to scream stop, quit, eat that chocolate candy bar and don't worry about praying or scripture study today, you have a full plate already.
Then I endure to the end, as my son says a little prayer for me,
and I find that nothing beats the taste of a symphony bar with the satisfaction of knowing I haven't given up.
3 Nephi 15:9
9 Behold, I am the
law, and the
light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall
live; for unto him that
endureth to the end will I give eternal life.
The concept of endurance can also be applied to studying the scriptures. It has not always been easy for me to study the scriptures. They always seemed too difficult, the children to young, myself too busy.
The scriptures provide a way for the Holy Ghost to prompt us to choose the right every day. In 2 Nephi, Chapter 32, verse 3: “angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”
Feasting upon the words of Christ, Enduring to the end, seek his light, kindness begets kindness,
In closing I would like to relay part of Jesus Christ Journey to the Cross,
Jesus was physically exhausted. He had been awake for at least thirty-five hours; he had sweat blood for our sins in Gethsemane; he had been beaten, had been forced to stand, bound, all night, while the Sanhedrin considered his case; he had been physically abused by Herod and his men; he had been scourged; and , finally, he had been forced to stagger forward under the weight of the beam of his instrument of execution.
He fell, was whipped to his feet, probably fell again and again, and finally, outside the gate of Jerusalem, fell once more. This time, no matter how they beat him, he was unable to rise. The soldiers put the beam of the cross upon Simon's back and dragged Jesus to his feet, and in that manner they marched both of them to the top of Calvary, the “place of death”
There Jesus was again stripped and thrown upon his back across the beam; then having his hand yanked, his arm straight along the beam, a monstrous spike severed his large medial nerve. That done they drove a similar spike through his other had. Finished, they hoisted the beam into place on the cross and drove a third spike through both of Jesus' feet, fixing them to the cross. Surely, as the scriptures declare, he was wounded for our sins.
For six hours he so suffered, and during that time according to the witness of Elder Bruce R. McConkie, “all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred.”
Finally, God the Father, knowing that Christ could not become Savior until he had overcome all things alone, withdrew his Spirit.
In agony, such as we cannot contemplate, Jesus then cried out with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Then Jesus endured alone, experiencing all the pain and loneliness and heartache we ourselves feel when we have sinned and the Spirit has withdrawn, when we have lost someone dear and cannot bear to continue alone, when we have caused hurt and pain in others and cannot bear to contemplate the horror of what we have done.
Have you ever considered that God the Father gave only one man, Jesus Christ, eternal power of death, and then sent that man here specifically so that he might die? Yet it is true, and therein lies the eternal magnificence of Christ's great sacrifice.
He did it all willingly!
Why? Because he loved us. He loves us enough to want us to join him and his Father in celestial glory. And how do we do that? By loving him, which can only be done by loving and serving others.
In the Name of Jesus Christ amen.
