Main purpose

It's been a difficult week.  After getting Alden's letter, I need to just love everyone around me.  I need to know they have hard lives and sometimes it comes out as hateful and bitterness.  I need to understand their viewpoint. I need to love and serve so I can be an agent of change and have my students learn.

Free Agency

Agency as a parent is hard.  It's easy to give when you feel they are doing the right thing but when it gives you stress and worry it's harder to give.  As you see your adult children go through trials, it's so hard to let go and let them do what they need to grow up.  You question wether you influenced them for the good.  Can't they stay in the walls of your home, as Adam and Eve stay in Eden,?  Of course not.  So I must stay silent as Marissa decides to stay in Provo, to try to get married, working in a group home, deciding to become a school teacher, Calen decides to go to Michigan without funding, housing, or enough classes, Alena as to getting all B's and may or may not choose to go to college.  I must rely on the Lord through prayer, scripture, and fasting. The only thing I can rely on is the Lord.  That's my choice.
2Nephi 2:25, "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy."
2Nephi 2:27, "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh and all things are given which are expedient unto men and they are free to choose liberty and eternal life according to the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."

Love

Conn's parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary yesterday with their close friends and family.  My husband and his parents have taught me much in the almost 29 years that I have known them.  I'd like to say that I followed what they were trying to teach all these years but it took me until yesterday to finally fully learn it.
We try to treat those we come in contact with kindness, respect, empathy, common decency.  Yet in my family I was raised in, we treated each other with contempt, manipulation, yelling, screaming, feelings of guilt and fear.  As always everything starts in the home and in order for Christ love to grow in the home, we must treat our family as well as strangers, or colleagues.  Only then will we have a Christ centered home.  He sent people in my life for me to learn this that I wish I fully knew when I had my kids. 
Conn grew up in a family that treated him with love and care everyday.  I grew up differently.  Our kids grew up somewhere in the middle.  I hope that they will raise their kids as Conn grew up in a Christ centered home.

Weakness becoming strength

I'm weak but need to be better like all humans. What I've decided is to motivate myself by asking myself will this strengthen Conn and I ? 
I need to be a better example and see my family much more so I can fellowship my family.

'Is my experience in the Church working for me? Is it bringing me closer to Christ? Is it blessing me and my family with peace and joy as promised in the gospel?'

Many members will answer with great warmth that their experience as a member of the Church is working exceptionally well for them. They will testify that whether during times of poverty or prosperity, whether things are pleasant or painful, they find great meaning, peace, and joy because of their commitment to the Lord and their dedicated service in the Church.

God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you. All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe, and trust in the Lord.

Exaltation is our goal; discipleship is our journey." - Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf

Inay's Birthday

My parents served others so well.  They were there for those afflicted, the single mom, widowed or divorced, the sick and afflicted.  My mom must miss being able to be there for others and so that's what I'll be for her.  I want to help her, help others.  I'm sure that's one of the things she misses about my father.  So many got up during her party, Marcel, Melanie, Danica...all the times they gave rides or visited my sickly aunts.

Making better choices

Living a Christ Centered life
PJS Morning and night
Plant based diet
Sleeping
Putting house in order
Temple
Family history
FHE
Family PJ
Keep Sabbath Holy

What's cool!!!

We are deciding whether or not to give my mom a birthday party.  My sister in law and I want to give her a big party for her 75th birthday as opposed to doing something more intimate with us.  Why were we pushing for the big bash?  My mom's priority or who she wants to impress or who she thinks is cool are our extended family.  That was her focus, good or bad.  While in my own family it has been each other, the kids, doing familial things through games, media entertainment or sports events or books or politics..  What should be the focus or what should be our priority, or what should be cool in our family?  We need to focus on Christ and the gospel.  Our immediate family doing gospel ordinances should be the focus, what's cool.  Maybe that's what I failed in but no more as Alden hopefully will serve thee, as we all try to get closer to thee.  It's more difficult now that the kids are grown but we must still try.  It would be amazing and cool to do more gospel ordinances together.