Introduce our family - We grew up in the same stake. I was in AR, he was in TX, our stake center was in LA. I was an only child, he was the second oldest of 7. I was a convert, he is the descendant of pioneers. And since he's not here to defend himself, I can tell you that he is the most patient, honest, righteous, and attractive man that I have ever met. We have a running argument about which one of us is the lucky one, and I can tell you unequivocally that I am :D Last week he stayed home with our sick 4-year-old son, this week it was him that was sick. He was worried y'all might think he's inactive, but that certainly isn't the case. He's probably listening to conference talks right now, actually! So he gets the words of apostles and prophets, and y'all get stuck with my ramblings. Hmm, maybe he is the lucky one after all…
We married in 04 after he got home from serving a mission in southern CA, Jack was born in 06, Lily was born last year, and we want about 15 more kids now. Tim's mom did such a good job raising her 7, and Tim was high enough in that order that he helped with his younger siblings a lot, I feel like as long as I have his help and his mom's advice, it can't be too hard, right? Jack is a very helpful boy: he rinses the dishes after I wash them, he picks up his toys and Lily's without complaint, he brings Lily books or toys to help distract her when she's sad, and he's a very obedient boy when we go out. Strangers on the street and in the stores are always telling me what wonderful kids I have, and I have to admit I can't be modest about it; I always reply "I know, I'm such a lucky mom!" Lily explores everything with intense curiosity and does NOT like to be told that she can't have an object she'd like to learn about, but her tantrums are almost always easily defused by simply finding something else as interesting as the first thing she wanted. She dances to music with such an adorable smile, points to herself and says "This, this!" when she wants you to tell her her name is Lily, and tells me she wants to eat by smacking her lips. She's 14 months old and halfway potty trained, but not saying any words but uh-oh.
Tim is a programmer, and I like to knit :D
Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly
Section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants is a plea for help from the Prophet Joseph Smith as he languished in Liberty Jail, and a reply from an ever-loving Father in Heaven. It is a beautiful piece of scripture. At the very end is this promise:
D&C 121:45-46
45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
What an amazing promise!
Ensign, August 1989
President Gordon B. Hinckley, First Counselor in the First Presidency
In Search of Peace and Freedom, First Presidency Message
"May I comment on this marvelous promise. It has been my privilege on various occasions to converse with presidents of the United States and important leaders in other governments. At the close of each visit, I have reflected on the rewarding experience of standing with confidence in the presence of an acknowledged leader. And then I have thought, what a wonderful thing, what a marvelous thing it would be to stand with confidence—unafraid and unashamed and unembarrassed—in the presence of God. This is the promise held out to every virtuous man and woman.
I know of no greater promise made by God to man than this promise made to those who let virtue garnish their thoughts unceasingly."
What is virtue? The Guide to the Scriptures says it is "Integrity and moral excellence, power and strength, or sexual purity." I would like to focus on the first part of that definition, and save that second part for people of a sterner character. (And part of my reason is b/c I don't want to be the one to give the talk that makes all the kids go home and ask their parents questions that parents didn't want them asking yet :D)
Integrity, moral excellence, power and strength should garnish our thoughts unceasingly. In other words (I'm used to rephrasing things in terms my 4-year-old can understand), we should ALWAYS think about the best things we possibly can. Proverbs 23:7 "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Our thoughts eventually make themselves known by coming out in actions. Should we not, then, think on the wonderful and glorious things of the gospel, instead of dwelling on the smut and filth that we find ourselves surrounded by? I discovered this for myself this past week. With the overturning of Proposition 8 by a federal judge, there was a lot of internet chatter. I made the mistake of reading the comments on the news articles; I was searching for someone, anyone, to be as dismayed as I was at the news, but all it was was hate and rudeness. By the end of the day I was in a foul mood, and took it out on my poor innocent children. Thankfully I have a husband who was cheerful and patient, and we survived. How much better would our day have gone if I had read scriptures instead of rude comments?
A noted educator (Charlotte Mason) once made the claim that the mind is not an empty bag to fill, but a living organism that needs information to flourish. Like a plant given polluted air and soil, our minds will not reach their full potential if we surround ourselves with toxic waste. Conversely, if we fill our days with the words of Christ and His servants, think on the beauty that we can become!
Think of how much our Heavenly Father loves us. There is NOTHING that He has done that was not done for our good; there has been NOTHING that could have been done for our salvation and exaltation that He has not already done. He gave us a world and a body whereby we may learn the lessons we need to learn in order to be great. He organized us into families for the same reasons, and so that we may help each other. He speaks to us through many channels of communication: personal prayer, acts of service from others, the Holy Ghost, the scriptures, and His chosen servants, both local and church-wide. He gives us commandments to help us find our way back to him. He sent His only begotten, His precious Son, to atone for the sins that we would commit in spite of all His help. And He forgives us freely when we truly repent. Are we not blessed?
Think of the example Jesus Christ set when He was on the earth. He served, loved, and taught. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, raised the dead. He loved the children and His earthly mother. And after His resurrection, He visited the people in other parts of the world who had not had the privilege of walking with Him in His mortal life. How lucky we are to have lived after His life, and to have the scriptures which tell us of Him, available to us in so many forms! We have paper books of different sizes to fill different needs, and now we even have scriptures on our phones and iPads. One of the highlights of my day is my daughter's naptime. There are so many things I can do when she's asleep, but I find that if I first open the Gospel Library app and read some words of Christ, my mind is so much more at peace than if I just start on my to-do list.
Think of the specific topics spoken of at our most recent General Conference. Did you notice that our last conference seemed to be aimed at parents? Or was it just because I have young children?
Think of your family, friends, and neighbors, and how you can serve them. Do you know someone who could use a phone call, even if you only have 5 minutes to say "I thought of you today and wanted to tell you I love you."? Would your kids like to help you make a meal for someone in need, or a card for someone in a nursing home?
And I don't know about y'all, but this is EXACTLY what I need to accomplish my daily work. As I raise and care for the next generation of Caswells, I need the Holy Ghost as my constant companion.
Bear testimony of the worldwide church and the Atonement.
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