Home Teachers and Heartfelt Gifts

My parents left a message on my phone several days before Christmas letting me know that our dear family friend and home teacher Paul Meiling was missing after traveling to Pocatello to drop off some books.   His last known location was less than 5 minutes from our old home in Pocatello so I posted the story to facebook hoping that perhaps one of our friends might have seen him. After 2 days of praying and checking and rechecking updates on his find facebook page I was so relieved to hear

Our Gift to the Saviour

December Self Reliance Focus: Spiritual Self-Reliance
"As you submit your wills to God, you are giving Him the only thing you can actually give Him that is really yours to give. Don’t wait too long to find the altar or to begin to place the gift of your wills upon it!"
("Remember how merciful the Lord hath been." Neal A Maxwell)
Challenge: Come to know Christ better by doing what he did - Participate in "Light the World" or set a spiritual goal for improvement to complete as your "gift to Christ" this Christmas.
I am going to preach a hard doctrine to you now. The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. It is a hard doctrine, but it is true. The many other things we give to God, however nice that may be of us, are actually things He has already given us, and He has loaned them to us. But when we begin to submit ourselves by letting our wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him. And that hard doctrine lies at the center of discipleship. There is a part of us that is ultimately sovereign, the mind and heart, where we really do decide which way to go and what to do. And when we submit to His will, then we’ve really given Him the one final thing He asks of us. And the other things are not very, very important. It is the only possession we have that we can give, and there is no lessening of our agency as a result. Instead, what we see is a flowering of our talents and more and more surges of joy. Submission to Him is the only form of submission that is completely safe.
"Insights from my Life." Neal A. Maxwell 

Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, He came forth from heaven to live on earth as mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He lived for us, and He died for us. What can we, in return, give to Him?

I love the words penned by the English poet Christina Rossetti:

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb.

If I were a Wise Man

I would do my part,

Yet what can I give Him?

Give my heart.¹

^{May we give as the Savior gave. To give of oneself is a holy gift. We give as a remembrance of all the Savior has given. May we also give gifts that have eternal value, along with our gifts that eventually break or are forgotten. How much better the world would be if we all gave gifts of understanding and compassion, of service and friendship, of kindness and gentleness.}

^{"The Real Joy of Christmas" Thomas S. Monson}

When the Weather Outside is Frightful...

We do the best we can hibernating inside!
After some frigid cold days of weather that makes your nostrils stick like glue, it warmed up a bit so it could snow some more.  It made me think of cold days serving in Minnesota and I'm grateful not be out walking in a dress in this weather.The snow was so deep on Christmas day some people had a hard time just getting a block away to make it to our church.  We were so grateful for a kind neighbor who plowed our driveway with his 4 wheeler!  We were running late so we fit a record 11 people all in our little Traverse to traverse a block away.  I'm sure the weight of the load helped us with traction and I was so grateful that we got rid of our 12 passenger fishtailer that couldn't have handled the feat.

I love this part of the holiday season partly because we are so "unscheduled."  With no sports practice, lessons or events to have to rush off to, I enjoy playing games as a family, watching "Christmas Oranges" cuddled up in warm blankets on the couch, seeing my husband rally the kids to clean up the kitchen and reminiscing with relatives about good times and sharing spiritual thoughts. Perhaps the most nostalgic moment for me was singing Christmas carols around the piano on Christmas evening.  We don't do this very often and I felt grateful to have some of Jared's family up to visit to add to our voices and enjoy late night sharing of memories together.

 The best part of the break for Becca is sleeping in with no homework looming over her head!  I'm so grateful she helps out with some of the cooking too.

Jacob and Dan spend a lot of time perfecting their flipping skills, and I like seeing them work together instead of being contentious,but I had to draw the line when I saw them grab a bottle of dish soap they were hoping to flip up onto my family room window sills.

Emily and Alyssa have enjoyed some creative coloring and cooking projects.

EZ Bake Oven

Washi Tape Manicure

Joshua is pretty enthralled with his new tool set.  But lest you think our life is just full of facebook fantasy bliss, I thought I'd share this last pic.
 
I wasn't sure whether to laugh, shout or cry when I came up the stairs and found out that he had brought in a bucket of sand from the garage onto the carpet so he could use his drill with it :(  Alyssa was sweet enough to help him clean up the mess.

Earlier this month ...

I braved the cold to go see Alyssa's school Christmas program which was amazing!  I loved seeing the fun choreography with Jingle Bells, hearing the kids actually sing with enthusiasm, and hearing them sing Silent Night along instead of just a bunch of songs that have nothing to do with Christmas. Alyssa, unlike some of her siblings, really seems to enjoy performing and it was fun to see her personality as she really got into the groove of the moves.   

Our younger kids had a fun time reenacting the nativity at the ward Christmas party.  Having the huge stage with all of their friends joining them and a large audience of adult spectators brought out the reverent side in them which doesn't usually happen when we try to reenact at our house on Christmas Eve.  Joshua was so excited for his turn to rush up on stage with all of the other angels and wise men.

 On Christmas Eve we chose to watch the Nativity Bible Videos since our "Mary" had already dozed off to sleep.

Scripture Power #Light the World

The scriptures have played such a pivotal role in my life.  It's too hard for me to choose just one favorite because of the many ways my life has been directed by inspiration from searching and pondering them.
Alma 7:11
"For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people."
I moved the summer after 6th grade.  My first grade of middle school I remember feeling comfortable, confident and I enjoyed walking home with friends, excelling in orchestra, participating in intramurals even though I wasn't very good.  After the move some small seeds of insecurity set in.   I worried about my clothes being unstylish, I felt uncomfortable and out of the loop when people talked about the latest shows or songs they had seen or heard or vacations they had taken.  The Classical and spiritual music that I loved and that inspired me definitely wasn't making me feel "cool" and the only vacations we took were visiting family in our own state.  In my personal scripture study one night this phrase jumped out at me "behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all."  When I read this I felt the reassurance that my slight insecurities were insignificant when seen through the perspective of my purpose here on earth and the Lord's love for me.  I feel so blessed for parents who taught me to pray and study the scriptures so I could develop a personal relationship with my Saviour.

Doctrine and Covenants 6:2-3

 34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. 35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you. 36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

This was the theme scripture in Relief Society my first year living away from home which I memorized after reciting it in church every single week.  I especially love the phrase "fear not."  When my college piano audition didn't turn out as I had planned, this brought me peace because I knew the Lord had a plan for me, even if it was different than I had expected.  Later in life when I was 5 months pregnant, it helped me take the leap of faith to take the job with my husband at the Utah Boy's Ranch as a home parent helping 15+ teen boys as their parent figure even though their intake info scared me to death.  And most recently, because of the incredible peace I felt during a 5 minute moment of decision I was able to make a peaceful choice to uproot our large family to move away from a community and ward family we had grown to love to embark on new adventures. I'm grateful that when I look to the Lord he can take away my fear and pour out unanticipated blessings.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Doctrine and Covenants 15:4-6  "For many times you have desired of me to know that which would be of the most worth unto you.  Behold, blessed are you for this thing, and for speaking my words which I have given you according to my commandments. And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen.

This is the scripture my book flipped open to on the day when I was making the pivotal decision about whether or not to serve a mission. I was grateful for such clear direction and for the amazing experiences I had serving and meeting people like Tim, Alvin, Ruth, Tabitha, Avis, Rose, Ronnette and Brother Petersen.  It truly changed my life and opened my eyes to the sweet blessings the gospel brings to me and others.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

After my mission as I was making the important decision about where to live, I know that he guided my path.  After checking out several apartment complexes, I narrowed it down to 2 and decided to sign up for the apartment that gave me a good grade discount.  But that day 2 different people who I didn't usually talk to on a regular basis, let me know that the complex I had chosen had  "party" reputation which definitely was not a good fit for me.  I changed my mind and chose to live in the complex where I met Jared. Marrying him is the greatest blessing that has ever happened to me!

Psalms 119:105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Becca Dating & Driving :)

Becca had a great time at the Halloween dance.  She is enjoying her new friend group and I think that what she thought was going to be the worst curse of her life (moving) has turned into an incredible blessing.  And now that she has her driver's license, she can run errands for me and hang out without me having to drop her off.

At the Young Women in Excellence "Night of the Stars" she displayed her virtue project - completing the Book of Mormon.

Time Flies!

The greatest blessing for me this month is that she has been cooking the majority of our meals in exchange for me doing her kitchen cleanup chores.  Definitely a sweet deal for me.

Free Family Fun

 A few weeks ago we were invited by our friends to come play family games.  We had a blast playing chair soccer, poison, and some other fun group games.  Daniel was super disappointed that he had to miss it because he was at scout camp. Feeling so blessed to be surrounded by awesome neighbors!

Victory and Defeat

 Jacob took 2nd place in the varsity wrestling tournament.  I missed the first matches where he quickly pinned his opponents, and only made it for the grueling match of the championship round where he got a nosebleed from being thrown hard against the mat and faced defeat, but the amazing thing is that he always has such a positive outlook on life.  Afterwards he was optimistic despite the tough match.  Wrestling is definitely not for the faint of heart.
His attitude carries over into other areas in life too.  When he misses the bus, he thinks everything is just fine because he can just walk in the cold and get there in time.  He astounds me with his ability to bounce back when things are rough.  His grades in Math are less than stellar even though he has turned in all of his work and spends significant amounts of time studying and doing  homework.  But he just rolls with it and keeps on trying, going early, redoing things until he gets it right even if it he doesn't get the perfect grade.  I could seriously benefit from more of his don't quit attitude, because although my perfectionist tendencies paid off with scholarships and some nice piano pieces, too often I struggle seeing what is not good instead of having the hope that I can always get better and enjoying the good parts of life.