He has been called to serve in CapeTown South Africa 🇿🇦!! He leaves in just 3 days and my heart is so full of excitement and love for this boy. He is so ready and willing to serve the lord and the people of South Africa. He will be so missed around our house and in our daily lives. He is funny, hard working, eager to do good, achieves all he sets his mind too. What a great example he is to all of us. We love you and will be praying for you every day.
Vicki
I’m pretty sure this is what the Savior might ask me when I meet him. How well did you love my son? He might also say Did you endure your trails well? In all actuality he will already know the answers to these questions. But it does me good to think and ponder about these kinds of things. It helps me to push though, to keep going, keep trying.
I know this life is a test I've been taught this since I was a young girl growing up listening to every Janice Kapp Perry songs. It give me comfort to know I have a loving Heavenly Father who loves me. Who is aware of me and is cheering me on. This world we live in is tough, its can bring the worst and the best out in us. For me being a mother is learning about Strengths you didn’t know you had and dealing with Fears you never knew existed. I have had many experiences in my life that I had deal with things I didn’t want to but I did it anyways. Looking back at them I did find myself stronger than I thought could be possible. I give all credit to our loving Heavenly Father. It is also a place where we grow and learn. It is full of wonderful amazing moments. Some so precious and breathtaking you never want them to end.
Also people are watching us, they are listening and learning from us. It may be our own children, our spouses, our neighbors, our friends They watch and see what are gonna do, how we are handling situations. some give advise, some don't say a word. some tell others what you should do. I say do your best, Give it your all, and most importantly love. We all need to feel loved, show love, and except love. Hold on to your Faith, cause at any moment life has away of testing you to your limit and you need to be ready. At at that time you will feel more of God’s love and you look around and realize it was just what you needed.
So for the time being I think I’ll keep trying to love my son, as Jesus loves me, he loves me fiercely, he loves me unconditionally, he loves me completely, he loves me perfectly.
Vicki
Its that time of year again, I think I have had the girls do this every year but they like it and its fun.
This time we made sugar cookies and they icing them and we took 4 plates of treats around to people in the neighborhood.
little did I know that this would be my last activity.
I have enjoyed my time with the eleven year olds I will miss them and miss
planning activities but it was great while it lasted.
know I'm moving on to the 5 year olds (Payton's class.)
yippee I'm so excited.
Next Sunday we get to participate in the Ogden Temple dedication.
We go to church and watch via satellite You have to 8 and have a yellow card
given to you by a member of the bishopric or a temple recommend.
So my girls are age 11 and most of them have been lucky enough to attend a
couple of these for the Brigham City, Oquirrh Mtn, and Draper Temple. For the last
activity I thought I would talk to them about the Hosanna Shout and give them a
white handkerchief with their name on it. Then we drove to the Oquirrh Mtn
Temple and took pictures and had ice cream.
Payton and Whitney are the best helpers anyone could ask for.
So it begins Whitney was able to go to Girls Camp this year!
Just before her 12th birthday.
I was so excited probably little bit more than her.
She was nervous and kept telling me that she was going to get bored. I told her if she participates in all the activities and have a good attitude she would have the best time.
She came home and said she loved it.
Before she left I put together a few things, and put them in her bag!
I knew she wouldn’t get homesick, I just wanted her to know we missed her and was thinking of her.
So a few months ago we got a call at home from Bro. Horsley in our ward Scott answered and I knew what he was asking. Scott walked in the room and said we need to talk in church on Sunday! First thing out of my mouth no way, all of US? I have to prepare 5 talks? Cuz I knew I wouldn’t have to prepare Scotts. He said yes, and the topic is Following Jesus Christ by Faith. Immediately my mind starts going everywhere, I prayed that night that something would come into my heart, my mind. That morning I got a piece of paper out of my nightstand and started righting down my thoughts and reading my scriptures. I had almost got my talk all written in an hour or so. Then Scott called me from work about 10:00 am and said what are you doing? I told him I had spend most of my morning writing my talk and it was almost done. He said oh good I’ll use yours, started laughing and said I forgot to tell you I was joking “I only have to talk” what!!!! Really he was kidding I nor my kids had to talk just him. so instead of having my talk in my drawer, I decided to write it down, it’s good for me to do this, It’s healing, it’s moving on, it’s letting go, it’s recognizing my blessings, it’s real life, it’s what makes me, ME!
“Therefore, doubt not… remember that without faith you can do nothing, therefore ask in faith” D&C 8:10
Where does faith come from?
Faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true.
Faith must be centered in Jesus Christ. To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone… the Lord posses every needful thing, so as to enable the mind of man to place confidence in him without reservation.
Strong faith is developed by obedience, faith come from righteousness, faith is a principle of action and a power, faith in Jesus Christ is more than belief. It carries an assurance of the fulfillment of the things hoped for.
Faith is a gift, Faith as everything to do with hope, Jesus Christ, Obedience and Righteousness. It requires us to place all confidence in Christ without reservation.
I personally have had several times to use or experience Faith in Jesus Christ. About 8 month ago we had a powerful faith building experience it started with our kids in Beaver staying with Grand Parents, Scott and I home alone. We had dinner and just sat down to watch a Redbox, when we got the phone call, that all parents never want to receive. That our oldest son Tristin was in a motorcycle accident, which he received major head trauma and other injures, he was unconscious and they were trying to get him stabilized. We were told to stay home, that he would be life flighted to Primary Children's Hospital in SLC. During the course of the 1st call to many after during the next few hours from grandparents, to the Doctors, to friends. I was a total wreck, I was pacing the floor, I was confused, I was worried, I felt suffocating at times, This was not a pretty sight when your heart breaks. I was losing my mind, I walked outside my front door and screamed as loud as I could. I felt horrible. I was in shock and was asking WHY? It was a dark, ugly place to be. I’m not proud I handled myself this way. I remember thinking I was glad my other children weren't here to witness how horrible and upset I was. I was ashamed. I found myself in my closet filled with cloths and shoes I was in the corner in a ball. I began pleading and begging to my Savior. That this couldn’t actually be happening to us, to me, I was saying this can't be the end, he has his whole life in front of him. I would do anything, just take me instead. I was being so selfish, I felt Scott my side lifting me up, caressing my hair, tell me that he loves me. We walked to the end of our bed and knelt down. We began with a conversation we talked about how we were going to pray to our father in heaven. What? Was this a real conversation we are having? This should be easy, we pray to him at each meal, every morning and night, we pray for our safety, for our vehicles to run right, we pray for guidance, we pray for rain, we talked and we felt we could pray for healing, for a miracle, we worship a god that can perform all these things. So we did just that, we prayed for the Doctors, for strength, for healing, for understanding, and for his will to be done.
Almost immediately after I felt like a perfect fit glove covered my entire body. I felt warm, I felt peace, my mind was clear, but mostly I felt LOVE, the pure love of Christ. I felt it so tightly around me that it literally felt like he was right next to me. I was calm, I was remembering words of my favorite hymn. I knew I was not alone, I knew my savior died for me, that he knows me personally, that he was fully aware what was going on. He knows the desire of my heart. I knew that through my FAITH in him all things would work out as they should.
So where does Faith come from? Simply by asking and us doing our part. Faith helps us get through hard things, through sleepless nights, worry filled days, deaths, illness, and all things big and small.
PS…By the way Scott’s talk he gave was amazing, I’m so proud of who he is, and his example to all of us. He is my ROCK, and I love him will my whole heart.
