My brother-in-law just got his mission call! He's going to the Oklahoma Tulsa mission. The sweet brother that he is, he called me and my husband as he was opening his call with my in-laws. (He did this at my insistence, but I'll still give him credit for it.
He leaves 4 February, which is just a little too far into the next semester to make things easy for him when he gets back, but is good timing for finishing off this semester.
We're all very excited for him. Go Jared!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Super Wednesday
Our ward had our Super Saturday on a Wednesday this year; that happened this week. I went, left my daughter with her daddy, and had a great time. I really enjoyed spending the time with the other women in my ward. I think I got to know them a lot better at such a casual event. And, as if the friendly time wasn't awesome enough, I made a cute table runner that looks great on my table. I should be including a picture, but alas, none has been taken yet; with any luck, I'll get around to updating that.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
True Conversion (a talk for stake conference)
The following is the talk I'll be giving in our stake conference tomorrow:
When we think about true conversion, the first thing that comes to the minds of most Latter-Day Saints are the many converts each of us know, each with their own conversion stories. We might think of friends, family, or other people we know personally, or about the many stories we’ve read in the scriptures. As a convert myself, I frequently think about my own baptism and conversion and the events leading up to that sacred event whenever true conversion is mentioned in a talk or a in meeting. And while the surface layer of true conversion may encompass all of those things, there is much more beneath the surface.
As President Marion G. Romney once said “Membership in the Church and conversion are not necessarily synonymous. Being converted and having a testimony are not necessarily the same thing either. A testimony comes when the Holy Ghost gives the earnest seeker a witness of the truth. A moving testimony vitalizes faith. That is, it induces repentance and obedience to the commandments. Conversion is the fruit or the reward for repentance and obedience.” (close quote)
True conversion comes from actively seeking the Lord, which includes cultivating a testimony of His gospel and living accordingly. Likewise, true conversion is not limited to those born outside of the Church who find their way to the gospel; it is a gift available to all those who gain a testimony for themselves and who do something about it. In James 2:20 we read, “Faith without works is dead.” While the process of coming to believe is part of conversion, the progress of doing something with that newfound or newly strengthened faith is far more important. Each of us will reach points of spiritual growth in our lives; sometimes, as with many new converts, it will be a great leap spiritually; other times, it may be the sudden willpower to choose a better choice when two paths are placed before us when we may not have made the same choice previously. Any spiritual growth is a great thing, and any spiritual growth leads to our own true conversions.
One such example of testimony that surprised me and the miracle that accompanied it was when my husband and I decided to follow the prophetic counsel not to wait until after the completion of our college educations to start our family. We didn’t, which meant difficulties going to school and working through all nine months of my pregnancy, and a difficult four months of school after my daughter was born, during half of which I worked to provide the insurance our family needed. When asked by others how I could manage such a drain physically, mentally, and emotionally, and why I would choose such a path, I’d quote what I read in 1 Nephi 3:7 “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them”. Sure enough, we were able to find free childcare from friends and family so that I could attend school. We were also blessed that I was able to finish before we needed to move so that my husband could start his new job. The Lord provided our family with the things we needed to accomplish the task He asked us to do in faith, and I had the testimony I needed to know without a doubt that He would hold up his end of the bargain. The miracle of having those prayers answered and my beautiful 8 month old daughter are a strength to my testimony of the gospel.
In Mark 4:14-20, we read, “ The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”
I am surprised by the number of trials I have had since my baptism. I thought that embracing the gospel would take struggles from my life; it did, but it brought me different trials and a better method of dealing with difficult things in my own life. Each of the trials that I have noticed have presented me with an amazing opportunity for growth spiritually. One such example occurred during the weeks before I was to receive my endowment, a time at which I studied the scriptures especially diligently and avoided much of what we might consider appropriate worldly entertainment. In shifting my focus solely to things of the Lord, I was able to learn more of the gospel from those few weeks of intense scripture study than I have in a similar amount of time before or since.
We are all able to receive the word of God, but we all receive it differently, and we all receive it differently at different times throughout our lives. If we are not careful and do not stay diligent in our pursuit of righteousness, Satan will come to convince us to ignore what we have heard. As in the parable of the sower, this is even possible if we receive the word of the Lord with gladness if we do not take care to follow Him in good times and in bad. If we are truly converted, we will be as those sown in good soil, which bring forth good fruit always.
In a recent conversation with my husband’s mother, I was able to see the strength of her conversion. Upon receiving a diagnosis informing her that she has cancer, she called to inform her children of the situation. She also wanted to share with us a gospel principle that had made a difference in her life. She quoted the story in Daniel 3, in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are threatened to be thrown into the fiery furnace as a result of their faith. Their response in verses 17 and 18 is to say “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Her paraphrase of this story to me was that, “God will deliver us if He will, but if not, He’s still God.” She is not a convert by the traditional meaning of the word, but the strength of her faith astonished me and made me proud to have her as an example of true conversion to my daughter, to my husband, and to me.
One amazing gift that we are given from our Heavenly Father is the gift of repentance. It is widely understood by people of faith that there is a need for obedience. Living the gospel law with obedience brings each of us great joy. The atonement makes it possible to repent when we are not obedient, to come back into the joy that we have enjoyed previously, leaving our sins behind us. It is not an easy path, but the ability to repent and have our sins washed away is a very special blessing. When we partake of the sacrament each week, we are able to enjoy this principle to the fullest, and to renew our baptismal covenants, as well as being obedient to the commandment to gather together on the Sabbath day to worship the Lord.
I have experienced periods of strength and of weakness in the gospel. There have been times when I knew I wasn’t making the right choice and followed through with a wrong decision. I have also come to know for myself the joy of change. In being allowed the opportunity to repent of what might seem to be the smallest of errors, I have been given the ability to change myself for the better and to continue on the path of righteousness. In repenting, we are not only able to refine ourselves to be more like the Savior, but to do it in a way we can manage, one step at a time.
To quote Elder Richard G. Scott, “Stated simply, true conversion is the fruit of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience. Faith comes by hearing the word of God and responding to it. You will receive from the Holy Ghost a confirming witness of things you accept on faith by willingly doing them. You will be led to repent of errors resulting from wrong things done or right things not done. As a consequence, your capacity to consistently obey will be strengthened. This cycle of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience will lead you to greater conversion with its attendant blessings. True conversion will strengthen your capacity to do what you know you should do, when you should do it, regardless of the circumstances.”
Testimony
Close
When we think about true conversion, the first thing that comes to the minds of most Latter-Day Saints are the many converts each of us know, each with their own conversion stories. We might think of friends, family, or other people we know personally, or about the many stories we’ve read in the scriptures. As a convert myself, I frequently think about my own baptism and conversion and the events leading up to that sacred event whenever true conversion is mentioned in a talk or a in meeting. And while the surface layer of true conversion may encompass all of those things, there is much more beneath the surface.
As President Marion G. Romney once said “Membership in the Church and conversion are not necessarily synonymous. Being converted and having a testimony are not necessarily the same thing either. A testimony comes when the Holy Ghost gives the earnest seeker a witness of the truth. A moving testimony vitalizes faith. That is, it induces repentance and obedience to the commandments. Conversion is the fruit or the reward for repentance and obedience.” (close quote)
True conversion comes from actively seeking the Lord, which includes cultivating a testimony of His gospel and living accordingly. Likewise, true conversion is not limited to those born outside of the Church who find their way to the gospel; it is a gift available to all those who gain a testimony for themselves and who do something about it. In James 2:20 we read, “Faith without works is dead.” While the process of coming to believe is part of conversion, the progress of doing something with that newfound or newly strengthened faith is far more important. Each of us will reach points of spiritual growth in our lives; sometimes, as with many new converts, it will be a great leap spiritually; other times, it may be the sudden willpower to choose a better choice when two paths are placed before us when we may not have made the same choice previously. Any spiritual growth is a great thing, and any spiritual growth leads to our own true conversions.
One such example of testimony that surprised me and the miracle that accompanied it was when my husband and I decided to follow the prophetic counsel not to wait until after the completion of our college educations to start our family. We didn’t, which meant difficulties going to school and working through all nine months of my pregnancy, and a difficult four months of school after my daughter was born, during half of which I worked to provide the insurance our family needed. When asked by others how I could manage such a drain physically, mentally, and emotionally, and why I would choose such a path, I’d quote what I read in 1 Nephi 3:7 “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them”. Sure enough, we were able to find free childcare from friends and family so that I could attend school. We were also blessed that I was able to finish before we needed to move so that my husband could start his new job. The Lord provided our family with the things we needed to accomplish the task He asked us to do in faith, and I had the testimony I needed to know without a doubt that He would hold up his end of the bargain. The miracle of having those prayers answered and my beautiful 8 month old daughter are a strength to my testimony of the gospel.
In Mark 4:14-20, we read, “ The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”
I am surprised by the number of trials I have had since my baptism. I thought that embracing the gospel would take struggles from my life; it did, but it brought me different trials and a better method of dealing with difficult things in my own life. Each of the trials that I have noticed have presented me with an amazing opportunity for growth spiritually. One such example occurred during the weeks before I was to receive my endowment, a time at which I studied the scriptures especially diligently and avoided much of what we might consider appropriate worldly entertainment. In shifting my focus solely to things of the Lord, I was able to learn more of the gospel from those few weeks of intense scripture study than I have in a similar amount of time before or since.
We are all able to receive the word of God, but we all receive it differently, and we all receive it differently at different times throughout our lives. If we are not careful and do not stay diligent in our pursuit of righteousness, Satan will come to convince us to ignore what we have heard. As in the parable of the sower, this is even possible if we receive the word of the Lord with gladness if we do not take care to follow Him in good times and in bad. If we are truly converted, we will be as those sown in good soil, which bring forth good fruit always.
In a recent conversation with my husband’s mother, I was able to see the strength of her conversion. Upon receiving a diagnosis informing her that she has cancer, she called to inform her children of the situation. She also wanted to share with us a gospel principle that had made a difference in her life. She quoted the story in Daniel 3, in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are threatened to be thrown into the fiery furnace as a result of their faith. Their response in verses 17 and 18 is to say “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Her paraphrase of this story to me was that, “God will deliver us if He will, but if not, He’s still God.” She is not a convert by the traditional meaning of the word, but the strength of her faith astonished me and made me proud to have her as an example of true conversion to my daughter, to my husband, and to me.
One amazing gift that we are given from our Heavenly Father is the gift of repentance. It is widely understood by people of faith that there is a need for obedience. Living the gospel law with obedience brings each of us great joy. The atonement makes it possible to repent when we are not obedient, to come back into the joy that we have enjoyed previously, leaving our sins behind us. It is not an easy path, but the ability to repent and have our sins washed away is a very special blessing. When we partake of the sacrament each week, we are able to enjoy this principle to the fullest, and to renew our baptismal covenants, as well as being obedient to the commandment to gather together on the Sabbath day to worship the Lord.
I have experienced periods of strength and of weakness in the gospel. There have been times when I knew I wasn’t making the right choice and followed through with a wrong decision. I have also come to know for myself the joy of change. In being allowed the opportunity to repent of what might seem to be the smallest of errors, I have been given the ability to change myself for the better and to continue on the path of righteousness. In repenting, we are not only able to refine ourselves to be more like the Savior, but to do it in a way we can manage, one step at a time.
To quote Elder Richard G. Scott, “Stated simply, true conversion is the fruit of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience. Faith comes by hearing the word of God and responding to it. You will receive from the Holy Ghost a confirming witness of things you accept on faith by willingly doing them. You will be led to repent of errors resulting from wrong things done or right things not done. As a consequence, your capacity to consistently obey will be strengthened. This cycle of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience will lead you to greater conversion with its attendant blessings. True conversion will strengthen your capacity to do what you know you should do, when you should do it, regardless of the circumstances.”
Testimony
Close
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Making Yogurt
A few weeks ago, my husband and I happened to be at his aunt's house on the day that she needed to make yogurt. I've been interested in self-reliance, food storage, and making my own food but had never thought to make yogurt. I did it the once with his aunt, got the recipe, and finally made some of my own yesterday. It hasn't turned out to be the quality that hers is yet, but not bad for a first try. It'll be great in smoothies and in food that we make, that's for sure.
The recipe:
Yogurt
You need:
2 2/3 C powered milk
1 can evaporated milk (unsweetened)
1/2 C plain yogurt (you can use store bought for the first time)
warm water
glass jars and seals (5 1-pint size jars work perfectly)
large pot and cover
Directions:
Mix powdered milk and warm water (enough to make 2 qts)
Add evaporated milk and stir.
Add yogurt and stir.
Pour into jars, place jars in pot, pour hot water around (tap water is fine)
Put cover on pot, let sit for 5 hours.
If not set, stir in 1 tsp yogurt per pint and change water, let sit for 2 more hours.
I did this but forgot to put the cover on for the first 5 hours, so it took a little longer.
The recipe:
Yogurt
You need:
2 2/3 C powered milk
1 can evaporated milk (unsweetened)
1/2 C plain yogurt (you can use store bought for the first time)
warm water
glass jars and seals (5 1-pint size jars work perfectly)
large pot and cover
Directions:
Mix powdered milk and warm water (enough to make 2 qts)
Add evaporated milk and stir.
Add yogurt and stir.
Pour into jars, place jars in pot, pour hot water around (tap water is fine)
Put cover on pot, let sit for 5 hours.
If not set, stir in 1 tsp yogurt per pint and change water, let sit for 2 more hours.
I did this but forgot to put the cover on for the first 5 hours, so it took a little longer.
My Brother's Baptism
Many LDS people had the fortune to be raised in the gospel, and while that's a great blessing by itself, I have to say, they miss out. I was able to see my brother baptized last month, a full 2 1/2 years after my own conversion and, to be honest, having very little to do with me. It was amazing! I haven't felt the Spirit that strong in a very long time. I cannot imagine anything (other than my husband and my daughter) that could give me that much joy. It truly was a special moment.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Breast Cancer Site
Being LDS and (in my opinion) a good person, I frequently feel compelled to donate to worthy causes. However, as a stay-at-home-mom, my resources are limited... including, to some degree, my time. I enjoy visiting click-to-donate sites as they are free and take very little time. I try to click daily (when I remember).
Since this month is Breast Cancer awareness month, my current favorite is thebreastcancersite.com . This issue is especially near and dear to me since my mother-in-law is currently battling breast cancer.
Since this month is Breast Cancer awareness month, my current favorite is thebreastcancersite.com . This issue is especially near and dear to me since my mother-in-law is currently battling breast cancer.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Giving the Standards FHE
We've never been the greatest at doing FHE in my family, in part because it is only us as a couple with our now seven month old daughter. Having family home evening has been difficult with our little family. But we try, and we're making progress... and hence the lesson for tonight.
I was checking my email and saw the latest advertisement from Deseret Book and LDS Living. I like getting those emails because I see my favorite things on sale, the latest news in the church... and FHE helps. This week's free FHE lesson is on standards, and is available here for use.
I've modified it into a powerpoint for our small family, and thrown in a few thoughts and questions such as "What are standards?" to introduce the lesson and "Why should we have standards?" to follow the object lessson in the article. I've also included a lot of different pictures to make the powerpoint enjoyable; these are pictures from online of the prophet, the authors quoted in the article, the savior, and other things like that.
I'm really excited to give this FHE tonight.
I was checking my email and saw the latest advertisement from Deseret Book and LDS Living. I like getting those emails because I see my favorite things on sale, the latest news in the church... and FHE helps. This week's free FHE lesson is on standards, and is available here for use.
I've modified it into a powerpoint for our small family, and thrown in a few thoughts and questions such as "What are standards?" to introduce the lesson and "Why should we have standards?" to follow the object lessson in the article. I've also included a lot of different pictures to make the powerpoint enjoyable; these are pictures from online of the prophet, the authors quoted in the article, the savior, and other things like that.
I'm really excited to give this FHE tonight.
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