Thanksgiving, and a Flight

 

Thanksgiving was great! If one measures one's Thanksgiving success by numbers of pies made, it was our best ever—ten pies!

Only a blurry picture of them, sadly, as if through the lens of memory. O that we were still eating these now! Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie (3), Lemon Sour Cream Pie (3), Caramel Apple Cheesecake (1), Pomegranate Cream Cheese (2), and Peanut Butter Chocolate (1).

A better picture of the caramel apple cheesecake. This was my favorite this year. SO good.

And lemon sour cream, my other perennial favorite. If I could only have one kind of pie for the rest of my life, it would be this one.

0

Every day looking forward to new adventures

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Young Women's Session of the April 2003 Conference.

A senior couple in our ward gave their mission farewell talks last Sunday. It was one of several missions for the man (I think he said nine! Including several service missions from home), but the first for the woman (his second wife). They're going to Angola, and she was SO excited. It was so cute and so inspiring to listen to her talk about her nervousness, her excitement, and her faith, and to hear her bear testimony in her new, broken Portuguese. Just like when I heard Elder Rasband speak in the October Conference, I felt drawn toward that time in my life when I'll (God willing) get to serve a mission with Sam! When that time comes, I want to feel the excitement and enthusiasm this sister radiated!

In this Young Women's Session of conference, the Young Women's Presidency spoke on the theme of "Pressing forward with a perfect brightness of hope." I love learning about hope and I liked all three talks, but I especially thought Sister Beck's take on "the three great hopes" was interesting. (She says the three great hopes are the Atonement, the Resurrection, and Eternal Life.) This is what she said about the third one:

With the hope of the Atonement and the Resurrection, you have a third great hope, the hope of eternal life. Because you have a Savior, you can plan for a future that extends beyond this life. If you keep the commandments, you are promised eternal life. You can also prepare yourself by studying and learning and by becoming “acquainted with all good books, and … languages, … and people.”

I never thought about learning and preparing for the future as especially "hopeful" actions, but of course they are. And it seems particularly hopeful to prepare for an old age full of useful, fulfilling service—even knowing that your mind and body will be gradually slowing down. My Mother-in-law's sister was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's and it's been sad and eye-opening to think about what she must be thinking and feeling through that diagnosis. My Dad died before he ever met seven of my children. My Grandma had mini-strokes that changed her personality in the last ten years of her life. There are so many unknowns! But I love the thought that we're preparing for "a future that extends beyond this life" and that the things we work for, desire, and hope for will be part of our futures, in this life or beyond it.

It's a little funny to be thinking about old age while listening to these talks to the young women! But I guess it's because back when I first heard this talk, I was a young mother (baby Abe was 6 months old!) with all my family life still ahead of me. Now I'm looking ahead to the next stage as our children will leave home and start their own families. Admittedly that time is a long way away for Clementine—but now I know how fast it goes. And it makes me feel the same half-fear, half-curiosity to see what that next stage will really be like—and how will I handle it? Well, I want to handle it like so many wonderful women I know—my own mother and mother-in-law among them—who just keep preparing for the future with hope! Sister Beck says:

My mother has stayed in the Savior’s path with unshaken faith in Him (see 2 Ne. 31:19) all the days of her life. She wakes up every day looking forward to new adventures. For her, life is so interesting, and she still has so much to learn.

Because you have a Savior, you also believe in a happy, eternal life of creating, serving, and learning. You are already in the strait and narrow path, and there is hope smiling brightly before you.

I want to keep working toward this happy life of creating, serving, and learning too!

0

Do these children know that we love God?

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday Afternoon Session of the April 2003 Conference.

First of all. In this session I learned that what I have always thought/feared about Elder Scott is true! Elder Spencer V. Jones recounts:

While attending a youth fireside with Elder Richard G. Scott, I noticed five youths scattered among the congregation whose countenances or body language almost screamed that something was spiritually amiss in their lives. After the meeting, when I mentioned the five youths to Elder Scott, he simply replied, “There were eight.”

Elder Scott could see into our souls! I knew it! He always seemed like he could, and now we know he could.

Next: there were two talks I loved in this session. One was Elder Packer's "The Golden Years," and I don't know why I liked it so much. I don't think I am in my "golden years"…yet. I didn't even highlight any specific quotes from the talk. But the talk just gave me this sense of excitement and purpose (potential purpose?). It made me wish I had more life experience and wisdom (even though I know that gaining such experience and wisdom is usually…hard) and it made me grateful for the things (even hard things) I've come to know so far. It made me want to get to know the older people in my family and ward better, and to learn from them more. It gave me a shift in perspective about my own upcoming "golden years"—realizing that they can be beneficial and important not only for my own growth, but also for those I can serve and mentor—and it reminded me that all stages of life are part of God's plan!

The other talk was Elder Holland's talk "A Prayer for the Children," which I feel like I've quoted here several times, because I think about it a lot. (The part I always remember is: "From a grandfather who is cynical to a son who is agnostic to a grandson who is now looking desperately for what God had already once given his family!" Oh, it's so sad!)

But there are other parts I'd forgotten. I liked this:

Even then we know that some children will make choices that break their parents’ hearts. Moms and dads can do everything right and yet have children who stray. Moral agency still obtains. But even in such painful hours it will be comforting for you to know that your children knew of your abiding faith in Christ, in His true Church, in the keys of the priesthood and in those who hold them. It will be comforting then for you to know that if your children choose to leave the straight and narrow way, they leave it very conscious that their parents were firmly in it.

For some reason it doesn't always feel comforting to me when people say things like, "As long as you did your best with your kids, you don't have to worry." Because I very rarely feel like I am "doing my best," and I always think I should be doing a better best! But this was comforting—to think, instead of "doing my best"—do I have faith in Christ and in his true church and in the keys of the priesthood? YES! I do! No question about it. Do I, and have I, let my children know about that faith? Again—yes! Certainly I haven't lived it perfectly. But I don't think there would be any question in their minds whether or not I really believed. 

He elaborates even further:

Do our children know that we love the scriptures? Do they see us reading them and marking them and clinging to them in daily life? Have our children ever unexpectedly opened a closed door and found us on our knees in prayer? Have they heard us not only pray with them but also pray for them out of nothing more than sheer parental love? Do our children know we believe in fasting as something more than an obligatory first-Sunday-of-the-month hardship? Do they know that we have fasted for them and for their future on days about which they knew nothing? Do they know we love being in the temple, not least because it provides a bond to them that neither death nor the legions of hell can break? Do they know we love and sustain local and general leaders, imperfect as they are, for their willingness to accept callings they did not seek in order to preserve a standard of righteousness they did not create? Do those children know that we love God with all our heart and that we long to see the face—and fall at the feet—of His Only Begotten Son? I pray that they know this.

I pray that they know it too. Again—I don't do these things perfectly. And I'm constantly working on making them more apparent, more sincere, more obvious to my children. I often worry that my example isn't good enough or my faith isn't strong and clear enough, but if the question is simply "Do you really love God?" then yes. I can answer yes. And I think this is such a beautiful image for those of us (all of us?) who worry so much over our children—

Brothers and sisters, our children take their flight into the future with our thrust and with our aim. And even as we anxiously watch that arrow in flight and know all the evils that can deflect its course after it has left our hand, nevertheless we take courage in remembering that the most important mortal factor in determining that arrow’s destination will be the stability, strength, and unwavering certainty of the holder of the bow.

Unwavering certainty. Do I have that? About most things—no. But about the fact that God loves me, and I love Him? Yes! I know it, and I hope my children know I know it.

Other posts in this series:

Follow the Instructions—by Rozy

0

Red and Barny

The little pumpkin patch we liked to go to in years past had a homeschool discount day! That was happy news because it's lately gotten too expensive for us to go…at least not all of us. But we could manage a discounted weekday morning (if we skipped ballet) so we packed up and went!

Interesting looks on these two boys' faces

1

Halloween on Morn and E'en

Halloween! Our ward had a trunk-or-treat this year in mid-October. I admit I'm not really a fan of trunk-or-treats (or, I guess, I'm not a fan of trunk-or-treats IN ADDITION to regular trick-or-treating…it feels like overkill) but people came up with such fun themed costumes and themed trunks, it was really fun to see. Several families even had little games for the kids to play at their trunks! So that was fun. And, of course, the children are always happy for a chance to wear two different costumes!

Goldie and Daisy came up with Goldie's amazing pirate costume with stuff we had around the house (the coat is from Seb's British Soldier costume years ago!). They even made a gold earring out of a paper clip! So cute. And of course, she needed a little parrot on her shoulders! (Gus did NOT want Clementine wearing his Caw Costume. He had to be hastily gotten out of the way while this picture was taken.)

Then nothing would do but that Gus also got into the Caw Costume, so HE could be the pirate parrot!

Goodness, they are cute!

Ziggy had a different costume in mind, but when he saw Goldie he decided he would be a pirate too, and figured out how to make it happen.

2

Your peace of mind depends upon your trust

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday Morning Session of the April 2003 Conference.

This was such a good session of Conference and I had a hard time choosing which talk to write about! Elder Maxwell of course is always amazing. Sister Tanner gave a wonderful talk on motherhood, home, and family, subjects I am always interested in. Elder Neuenschwander's talk on holy places has provided the theme I've been focusing on with my children this year about making our home a place of refuge. I've been trying to get them to internalize this principle:

Amidst the bustle of the secular world, with its certain uncertainty, there must be places that offer spiritual refuge, renewal, hope, and peace.…Our homes, likewise, are holy places filled with sacred space. Though not always tranquil, our homes can be filled with the Spirit of the Lord…The establishment of our homes as holy places reflects the depth of sacrifice we are willing to make for them.

So I loved all of that! But even so, my favorite talk was Elder Scott's, titled (with great exactness) "The Sustaining Power of Faith in Times of Uncertainty and Testing." He said a lot of things about faith that gave me new ways of looking at it. For example, I've heard so many times that true faith is always founded in Jesus Christ, not in some other thing. But I loved this expanded or more specific definition:

To employ its power, faith must be founded on something. There is no more solid foundation than faith in the love Heavenly Father has for you, faith in His plan of happiness, and faith in the capacity and willingness of Jesus Christ to fulfill all of His promises.

I actually find all of those things easy to believe! I already believe them! The hard part, of course, is making my thoughts and actions line up with those beliefs—but I still like the idea that if I cling to and build on them, they will be a strong foundation for me.

He also defines the phrase "trial of your faith" a little differently. I always thought having your "faith tried" meant "having something really hard happen to you." But Elder Scott says 

Every time you try your faith, that is, act in worthiness on an impression, you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. Those feelings will fortify your faith. As you repeat that pattern, your faith will become stronger.

I like the idea of trying your faith meaning just—trying it out. Using it. Practicing it. "Trials" give us the chance to practice, but so do everyday decisions and small annoyances. All of those things can help us improve. He says:

Faith will forge strength of character available to you in times of urgent need. Such character is not developed in moments of great challenge or temptation. That is when it is used. Character is woven patiently from threads of principle, doctrine, and obedience.…

Our Father’s plan is marvelous. Your exercise of faith builds character. Fortified character expands your capacity to exercise faith. Thus, your confidence in conquering the trials of life is enhanced. And the strengthening cycle continues. The more your character is fortified, the more enabled you are to exercise the power of faith.

And then here was my favorite part of the whole talk. You can, of course, imagine Elder Scott saying this in his calm, steady, reassuring voice:

No matter what occurs, no matter how topsy-turvy the world becomes, you can always have the sustaining power of faith. That will never change. The perfect love of your Father in Heaven will never change. His gospel plan gives life meaning and can assure your happiness. His plan is not only to prove yourself here on earth but also that you may receive the growth that comes from correct decisions prompted by faith, enabled by your obedience.

Why worry about future calamities or uncertainties over which you have no control? Your righteous character magnifies the probability that you will never have to suffer them. When challenges and testing do come, your faith will lead you to solutions.

He makes it sound so simple! And it is simple! The extent to which we trust Heavenly Father is the extent to which we'll find peace no matter what hard things we face. Elder Scott says it even better:

Your peace of mind, your assurance of answers to vexing problems, your ultimate joy depend upon your trust in Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.…Remember an unfailing, continual, ever-present source of peace and comfort is available to you. It is the certainty that your Father in Heaven loves you no matter what your circumstance, no matter what winds of trial, turmoil, or tribulation whirl about you. That certainty will never change. Your ability to access that support depends on the strength of your faith in Him and in His certain willingness to bless you.

I want and need the ability to access this certainty, this peace and comfort. I need it all the time! And I love the fact that it doesn't depend on me avoiding mistakes or muscling through challenges with more willpower or being a stronger person or anything like that. It just depends on my trust and faith, on me being willing to "try" that faith over and over, and leaving the ultimate outcome in God's hands. I think I can do that! Elder Scott makes me feel like I can.

2

Eclipse, sad parties, bats

We didn't plan to go anywhere for the Annular Eclipse (anywhere into the path of totality, I mean) because it seemed like all the campgrounds and everywhere would be crowded, and the Annular eclipses aren't quite as impressive as total ones anyway (I had heard). So I got out our eclipse glasses, but I wasn't expecting much. But then even the partial version we got here was amazing! We were running outside to look every few minutes because it felt so strange and exciting!

One thing I didn't realize is that the light would change so drastically. I guess I should have known, because it was definitely noticeable even an hour or more before the total eclipse we saw in Idaho, but it surprised me this time anyway. Even inside it felt cool and…watery. Why watery? I guess the only place I've noticed that filtered half-light before is underwater!

The prism-rainbows in our library were affected by it. Here they are on a normal day, little circles and stripes of spectra.

And here during the eclipse—rainbow crescents! I love them!

Our hands cast funny crescent shadows out of what should have been circles

Some people gathered on the hill, which made it feel festive

4

One leafy day

We made it up the canyon once this Fall. Once! I'm sad we didn't manage to find more opportunities, but it's been that kind of year…we didn't do our wildflower hike this summer either. Ah, well. We are so blessed to have had even one morning under the beautiful yellow trees! We had to take a small break in the middle for piano lessons, and then we zipped back up for the last precious hour or two of sunlight before evening fell.

We considered leaving the younger kids home with Malachi, who had too much homework to come with us (that's too often the case these days!). But when it came down to it, no one wanted to go anywhere without Clementine and Gus the Good. So we brought them along!

Hero pose

Grinning Gus

Gorgeous Goldie

1

Apples and Caves

One rainy day in September, we went down to Santaquin to pick some apples. We've bought apples at this place before but never picked them ourselves!

Clementine liked it best. She was so pleased about the whole idea, and had to be forcibly restrained from taking a big bite out of every single apple she found!

I love Ziggy inserting himself into the foreground of this picture

2

Custodians of these commanding powers

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Priesthood Session of the April 2003 Conference.

Malachi has been writing essays on the idea of a Universal Basic Income (it's for some contest he's doing called International Public Policy Forum—could any name possibly sound more boring?) and it has had me thinking about gospel principles like Consecration, the Law of the Harvest, and how God has a work and a glory. I just don't understand why so many people think getting something for nothing is even possible, let alone desirable! There is something eternally significant about putting in effort to get a reward ("the Lord loves effort"!) 

Neil Peart wrote a line that goes through my head sometimes when I think about doing hard things for the gospel cause—"We will pay the price, but we will not count the cost."  President Faust gave a talk along these lines too:

My dear young friends, there is another great truth that you young men must learn. It is that everything has a price. There is a price to pay for success, fulfillment, accomplishment, and joy. There are no freebies. If you don’t pay the price that is needed for success, you will pay the price of failure. Preparation, work, study, and service are required to achieve and find happiness. Disobedience and lack of preparation carry a terrible price tag. As priesthood holders of this Church, part of the price we need to pay is by living differently from the world. We are the possessors and custodians of these commanding powers which can and do roll back the power of Satan on the earth. With all my heart I urge you to please help us push back the world. We must stand against the wind. Sometimes we must be unpopular and simply say, “This is not right.”

He adds, prophetically:

You young men will be working out your eternal destiny at an interesting time. In the future there will continue to be an increase in scientific discoveries and inventions which will make life more comfortable and easier for many. No doubt medical science will continue to find new treatments and cures not available now. In contrast, the worldly influences of evil will likely increase, and more people will become vulnerable to the deceit and enticement of Satan. You young men will need to become stronger spiritually and morally in order to withstand the temptations and snares of the world.…

I also believe that in the future the opposition from Satan will be both more subtle and more open. While in some ways it may be more blatant, it will be masked with greater sophistication and cunning. We will need greater spirituality to perceive all the forms of evil and greater strength to resist it.

It seems like exactly the call we need in our day. There's nothing I'd like more than to "roll back the power of Satan on the earth," but it won't happen without effort and sacrifice on my part. I want to gain enough power through my covenants to stay strong—and help my children stay strong—against his many deceptions!

0

Friendly, nibbler, refuge

Ziggy is absolutely unintimidated by anyone, and will strike up a friendly conversation with strangers any chance he gets. Here he is having a grand old chat with these motorcycle guys (wearing his fireman costume, naturally). When I consider what might be being said in these conversations…the mind boggles. The other day he came in and said, "I asked a man if he was a member of the church, and he said no, but he still loves Jesus." It doesn't help that I never really know if the people and things he tells me about are real or imaginary.

Then there's the fact that he makes loud (extremely loud) police siren noises as he rides his bike, and two of my neighbors have said something like, "When Ziggy comes by with his sirens every morning, that's my favorite part of the day."

Oh, Ziggy.

If he's looking particularly grown-up, by the way, it's because he had a birthday and now he's SIX! 

Picnic dinner for his birthday. Mini chicken-rice casseroles.

And jello in "police colors."

As luck would have it, the birthday picnic was at a playground with a toy fire engine! The kids were SO LOUD making siren noises, and Clementine may have been the loudest of them!

No, it was probably Gus.

1