You are not alone.

We had an awesome Relief Society lesson from our RS President yesterday and I thought I would share a little bit of the message she gave. It really made me think and inspired me to be better.

Heavenly Father gives us trials and even though it pains him to watch us struggle, we need to experience these tribulations in order to become "refined." Malachi 3:3 says: "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." What does this statement mean about the character and nature of God? And how does this scripture apply to us and the trials we must go through in this life?

You will find the answer in the following story:
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study, and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says: “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.” She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”
He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy-when I see my image in it.”

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in your countenance.


Here is the video that she showed us that went along really wonderfully with the lesson...

He Hears Me...

At about 4 this morning, I awoke to the wonderful sound of Jeremy crying. Chad was already up and looking for his pacifier, couldn't find it, gave up and came back to bed. So I got up to find it, cause I new I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep with him crying the way he was. I searched for it a few minutes; then, I said a prayer "Please help US find it so WE can go back to bed." After I was finished praying, I heard Chad immediately get out of bed and go downstairs. He came in with Jeremy's pacifier and this is how our conversation went: (thought this was interesting... maybe you won't, I don't know.)

C: "Remember when he threw something down earlier? It was his pacifier"
R: "I said a prayer. That's weird how he told YOU where it was."
C: "Maybe I was more spiritually in tune."
R: "Maybe He needed you to get out of bed. Then, I would tell you about how I prayed." (I was feeling a little bit sad for me not being spiritually in-tune enough to answer my own prayer. So he said...)
C: "We make a great team. I never would have prayed.
R: "Oh, that's true. And I did say WE in my prayer."

Just got me thinking, after I said the prayer I just kept looking. I didn't stop to listen. Chad was in bed, quiet and trying to go to sleep, so he was "listening." I need to be better about listening for an answer, instead of assuming he will answer me while I am going about busily in my life. Chad needs to maybe ask for help more often... maybe... you'll have to ask him.

Anyhow, sometimes it does take a team effort to accomplish the Lord's will (for us to go to bed, for example lol). We all have our spiritual talents. I pray ALL the time whenever something is lost, probably most of the time I do. I know he knows where it is, so I just ask him to tell me so I can get on with my other stuff. I am just not good at stopping what I am doing to listen. Chad has always been good at listening. He is good at listening to me. (Oh crap, did I say that out loud. Now he can use that against me...) He is good at being spiritually in-tune. What are you good at?

He needs us to work together as teams to do our callings, visiting/home teaching, missionary work, marriage, child-rearing, families... practically everything in the church involves teams or partnerships and working together. We all do have gifts and are ALL needed for His Plan. The atonement only works as a team. We each have to accept Christ's sacrifice in order for it to work, and we need his sacrifice in order to be forgiven. He wants us to work well with others. He wants us to NEED others to accomplish His Will.

I am so grateful for Chad, my partner in the eternities, for what he teaches me, and for what I need of him. I know that he does need me too and that's what makes us so great for each other. I love the gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for what He helps me to learn even at the weirdest times (4 in the morning). I hope you all find what you NEED in life and hold onto it. We are all needed for someone.

You're Gonna Miss This

I was watching the Grammys a few months ago, and Trace Adkins (country singer) performed the song "You're Gonna Miss This." I was listening to the lyrics (for once in my life lol) and it really touched me. The message of the song was for us to enjoy where we are at in life. I found that I was relating to the third verse A LOT right now. Some days it seems like my kids are crying all at the same time as the phone is ringing and someone else needs something! :) Anyhow, so it just made me think that there will come a time in my life where I am going to miss hearing screaming kids, being needed for every little thing, and cleaning up toys and food all over the place. I would miss the loads and loads of laundry my family creates daily, four kids sitting on my lap at the same time, and giving/receiving constant hugs and kisses all day. I would miss the trips to the Library for Storytelling Time, to the Grocery store (praying there was one of those car-carts available to entertain my kids), to the Zoo and other Kid Fieldtrips.

There will come a time where the precious moments I am experiencing now (whether fun, stressful, maddening, crazy, or all of the above) will only be memories and in the past. It is important to remember the past. But we should never dwell on it. The same goes for the future. It's important to have goals and things to look forward to, but we should not be contantly worrying, waiting, and wishing for the future to come. We should be living in the present...living in the now... "The future comes one day at a time." Therefore, if we are not doing and living what we want to become now, we won't ever change to who we esteem to be.

President Thomas S. Monson said in the October 2008 General Conference, "This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."

Seems like everything that has been really hitting home for me has all been related to "Time" and finding happiness in what I am living now. I am so grateful for the life I am living now. It's hard work to be happy ALL the time, but I am certainly trying my best to show love to those who are important to me and to enjoy my journey.

Here are the lyrics of Trace Adkins song, "You're Gonna Miss This" (in case you don't want to listen to it on the video down below.)

Verse 1
She was staring out that window, of that SUV
Complaining, saying I can't wait to turn 18.
She said I'll make my own money, and I'll make my own rules.
Mamma put the car in park out there in front of the school.
Then she kissed her head and said I was just like you

Chorus
You're gonna miss this; you're gonna want this back.
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast.
These Are Some Good Times, so take a good look around.
You may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this.

Verse 2
Before she knows it she's a brand new bride in a 1-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by.
He tells her it's a nice place. She says it'll do for now.
Starts talking about babies and buying a house
Daddy shakes his head and says Baby, just slow down

Verse 3
Five years later there's a plumber workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin', one kid's cryin', one kid's screamin'
She keeps apologizin'. He says they don't bother me.
I've got 2 babies of my own. One's 36, one's 23. Huh, it's hard to believe, but ...

You're gonna miss this; you're gonna want this back.
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast.
These are some good times, so take a good look around.
You may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this
You're gonna miss this. Yeah, you're gonna miss this.

Trace Adkins More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

Let It Be Said of Us, That We Lived to be a Blessing for Life

We blessed baby Tyler today and Chad gave a beautiful baby blessing. I feel so thankful to have a worthy priesthood holder in our home. Chad has given our family so many priesthood blessings lately. I am so grateful to him for keeping his covenants that he has made and living worthy to give those blessings.

We had so many relatives and friends that came to see Tyler's Blessing and we thank all of you for coming and showing your love and support for us and our new addition! By the way, Tyler is now 5 weeks old and has slept for about 7 hours at night multiple times! You're a good baby, Ty!

Teach Me To Walk In the Light of His Love

I saw this video on my friend Melissa's Blog ... thought it was funny. Make sure your visits aren't like these (all except the last one of course!)

When I Feel His Love

Last Wednesday we had our Ward Enrichment Night. Our theme was "Merry Christmas from Our House to Your House." and we had a progressive dinner. We met together at the church for appetizers and had a wonderful lesson on Christmas Traditions. Then we split up into small groups for Dinner at 10 different women's homes (had lazagna, rolls, salad) and we ended the night at Relief society Counselor's home for dessert. It was such a nice, relaxing occasion and we all did a lot of visiting and socializing... The presidency handed out their Christmas gifts this year - they were luminaries to go all along our neighborhood sidewalks to be lit on Christmas Eve. I hope we will be able to be there to see them all lit up but I think we will be with my parents in Ogden. It's going to look so beautiful! What a bright idea!


I went way overboard on the invitations for this enrichment (shown above)... I actually glued 7 little punched out snowflakes on 120 invitations, with some help of course! I printed out and glued a gingerbread house on them and I cut open the windows and doors to put the info inside them and then I put a ribbon on to hang to doors for delivering. It was so ridiculous! It took me way too long... next time it will just be a simple piece of paper to pass out! lol

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

It was our ward Christmas Party a week ago. It was a blast. From year to year, our ward switches off between Family Christmas Party and just Adults Christmas Party and this year it was just for Adults and the theme was Jingle Mingle and it was a table-to-table progressive dinner.

You were supposed to wear stuff from the 80s or dorky, cheesy, old stuff. So I wore a sweet Jean jacket paired with a checked red-white country dress and added some cheesy 80s pins. Then I put on some great bright red lipstick and put my hair in pigtails. (I also found this stocking that I had cross-stitched my name on when I was like 10, so I wore that too!) Chad wore a short sleeve white shirt with a Cheesy Christmas Tie and dorky jeans.

They took a picture of us all there and at the end they did a video collage of all the funny pictures and then they gave out awards for Cheesiest, Awesome 80's, Dorkiest, and so on and so on. Oh and the tables won awards too. They were all decked out different (There was Nightmare before Christmas, Snowiest Snowman, The Christmas Story - complete with the Leg Lamp, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Movie Decor, Disco Christmas, and a few more I can't remember). It was a blast!

It also was the first time we hired an actual babysitter. I know, I know pathetic! lol Luckily we were able to put Jeremy and Drew to bed early (Drew didn't take a nap) so Whitney just had to play with Alli for a couple hours. It was very nice!

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude...I'm so thankful I found you.

Today I read the talk given by our prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley called "Slow To Anger" during the priesthood session of General Conference. It has made me take a closer look at my life and things that I have gotten angry at. Here are some quotes from the talk that really help me to realize there is no room for anger in our lives:

• "Anger is the mother of a whole brood of evil actions"
• "Divorce too often is the bitter fruit of anger...little inconsequential activities lead to criticism. Little flaws are magnified into great torrents of faultfinding"
• "So many of us make a great fuss of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended. Happy is the man who can brush aside the offending remarks of another and go on his way."
• "I plead with you to control your tempers, to put a smile upon your faces, which will erase anger; speak out with words of love and peace, appreciation, and respect. If you will do this, your lives will be without regret. Your marriages and family relationships will be preserved. You will be much happier. You will do greater good. You will feel a sense of peace that will be wonderful."

This has given me the motivation I need to let the little things in life slide and to focus on the things that matter and that are eternal. I know that Gordon B. Hinckley is a true prophet of God. I know that he is led by a Heavenly Father who loves us. I am so grateful for my family and what the gospel provides for me and my family.

Another great talk to read by Pres. Hinckley is "Forget Yourself." It talks about dealing with self pity and immersing yourself in service of others:

• "Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others"
• "If you are complaining about life, it is because you are thinking only of yourself."
• "The most effective medicine for the sickness of self-pity is to lose oneself in the service of others.

Who's to say what's impossible and can't be found?

I got released from my nursery calling in church today and after 2 years of being in Primary/nursery callings, I was able to go to Relief Society. Let me just say it was an amazing feeling and it definitely was a needed change as far my spiritual development was concerned. As much as I just love those nursery kiddos, it will be so nice to get "spiritually fed" on Sundays.

Today's lesson was based on the booklet 3 Simple Ways to become a Happier Family (it's more like 30 not-so-simple ways to a happier family) and it really helped to put things into perspective. The booklet talks more in detail about things like having meals regularly together (turn the TV off), make chores fun (a sister suggested Family Bingo - when everyone does their chores for he week they get blackout and get to do a fun activity), building a relationship of trust with children(trust them to do little things when they are young and add to it as they grow), are you really listening? (focus on them when they are telling their stories and things that happened during the day), solving problems without attacking (defuse the situation by smiling - it will relax you and the child), and make the most out of family traditions (brings families closer together when they have fun things to look forward to in the holidays). Our RS President briefly mentioned at the end that "we are all pearls in-the-making, and sometimes we have to endure the sand in our shells." There is going to be ups and downs in life and that's when we all need to lean on each other; it makes me so grateful for the Relief Society Organization; no matter where I go, I will always have women that can help uplift me and strengthen me. I have a testimony of Relief Society and I know it was formed for our benefit and to bring the sisters in the church closer together in love and spirit.

My new calling is Enrichment Committee member. So, any fun enrichment nights you readers have heard about, attended, or are planning in your wards would be very helpful for me; I also welcome any comments you have about enrichment!

Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam

Alli had her first primary program yesterday and she was the best

singer. I actually could hear her voice in some of the songs. I was so proud! Her class had to get up and say how Jesus has blessed our lives. She said, "Jesus teaches us to give hugs to others." She did an excellent job and spoke loud and clear. My Little Sunbeam!