BOOK RECOMMENDATION!

Book Review!

Securing Your Family Legacy 

by Douglas Cloward

Would I recommend this book?

Hands down, YES!

I am single, but the book is about families, still worth the read?

Yes. My thoughts have been directed and inspired with what I want to do with my personal life now and my own future family.

What was my overall takway?

The world sure needs this (!)—and-- I want/will be more intentional with my life and especially with the relationships of love and influence I have in my sphere of exsistence.

Few of my favorite quotes from the book:

• “Before we can make character-defining stands, we must know what our standards are.”
• “Do you know how to control the heartbeat of your home?”
• “I didn’t have their blood, but I was being infused with their values and heritage.”
• “The most effective self-security system parents can erect begins with a clearly defined code of family conduct, honor, and personal character.”
• “…choices always come with consequences.”
• “……we are all busy. Even people who aren’t doing anything are busy doing it!”
• “Traditions can be started anytime. You are in charge of them…”
• “The dreams, hopes, and influence of intentional parents hold the power to direct and change the world.”

*The last chapter of this book reenforces Hollands councel about dreaming and the need to dream-- 

“God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future--to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities.“ God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe.” Jeffrey R. Holland

  **When people asked me about my Dad’s book, I would tell them what I knew about it and that I was excited for it to be printed, but I did not feel like I could promote what I had not read myself. WELL—I have read it, (surprise Dad :) !! ) and I endorse this book full heartily. I would sign my name on it, and not at all because I share the author's blood, but because I have read for myself and have been inspired by the truths brought before my mind and heart! 

Way to go Dad!! Can't wait for your novel and other books to be be published! You are gifted in story writing!!

I love you!

To my family, friends, and anyone who wants to live an intentional life with their family... I highly recommend reading, Securing Your Family Legacy.

Happiness is someone following through with an impression--and that impression

having a direct impact on MY life.

Grateful for snuggle time with those I love on a porch!

"...that grey area is all but closed"

A literal dream come true!

3.4.09 (Bridgette's Temple Dream)

So here is my dream.. and yes I still have full intentions on writing it in my journal!

There was a temple that was being built and I would drive by it because it was this beautiful temple and it sat in the middle on the gorgeous rolling hills of green grass and it always seemed to be lit up, whether it was at night or on a cloudy day there was always a glow around this temple. So one day I was going over to my cousins house and I had got lost and I knew where the temple was so I decided to go and walk by it. As I was walking up to the lawn, there was this beautiful tree so I stopped to adore it [the temple] from where this tree was and all the sudden the clouds broke and the sun was shinning right on top of the temple. I was going to take a picture, and then all the sudden there were hundreds of people gathered on the lawn. There were so many people that I was having a hard time walking through the crowd. I had been trying to get in to go and do baptisms but there were so many people we were going to have to wait. Next thing I remember is walking into this building and this place was so overcrowded inside I was having a hard time moving through. At one point I walked into this room and one of the walls was a bunch a windows that had a beautiful view of the temple that was apparently next door to the building I was in. My cousin and I decided to leave, so we made our way back down to the lobby and walked out the doors. When I walked out I turned around and I saw two buildings. One building was a square building that was made of all black windows, and next to it was the temple. I had not even realized that I was even in the black building until I walked out of it. The people in the black building were all hanging out of the windows and laughing and having a good time... there were even people bungee jumping off the roof. Me being the big adrenaline junky, really wanted to go over and join the people in the black building because they were having so much fun and laughing. Then I would look at the temple and want to be there too because the church is everything to me in my life and there is no way that I would ever give that up. It was clear to me as I looked at the divide between the two buildings was that it was time to make a decision and stick to it. It was a real struggle for me and as I looked down I was dressed in my Sunday outfit and I knew that the temple is where I belonged and I chose my side. As I was walking over I could hear my family in the distance sitting by the tree I was first leaning against and adoring the temple, and they were calling me over.

-          I know that times are tough and they are going to get tougher and that grey area is all but closed. The time is coming that not only do I need to make a decision as to what side of the line I am going to be on, but everyone does too, and we should help those who are struggling with that decision as well. As tempting as it was to join the other side because they were having fun, that is not where true happiness. There is true JOY out there that is ours for the taking, and there is plenty of GOOD fun to be had out there in the world; you don’t have to be bad to have fun (I am a true believer that the Lord loves to laugh!). I just hope that when the Savior comes I can look down and know that I am dressed in my Sunday clothes because I have stayed clean enough to always be able to enter into the House of the Lord.

Bridge took out her endowments in the Manti temple this past Saturday. She was ready in every way! It was as if she had already been going with me for the past seven years for she was so natural/comfortable with all the temple had/has to offer.

Truly the experience was among the choicest of life's experiences. To see her obtain her dream, literal and dream from her desires for the past several years--was moving. Congratulations Bridgette! You made the decision of which side of the line you would be on! ...where true happiness is! And yes, you don't have to be bad to have fun. I believe the Lord loves to laugh too!

Here's to choosing to be in "Sunday clothes". The Savior will come! 

DON'T FAIL TO SEE...

This morning as I was getting ready for my day, I listened to this experience that Sister Menlove had with her grandchildren.  I remember hearing the story in General Conference, but I don't remember it being so profound.  I was touched.  She recounted:

A few months ago I had an opportunity to take a morning walk on a mountain trail with four of my grandchildren. We each brought a bag so we could collect treasures from nature. As we looked for pieces to put in our collection, we found many different colors, designs, and textures in the leaves and rocks. It was hard to choose. I soon noticed that the children’s bags were filling up. Each leaf the children selected was unique, but because it was late fall, most of the leaves had dark weathered spots, irregular shapes, or faded and discolored parts. Because of this, I was reluctant to add things to my bag. I was looking for a leaf that showed the brightest colors and had no flaws. If it wasn’t perfect, I wasn’t going to treasure it. But this meant that my bag had very little in it.

Later, as I thought about this experience, I realized that I had cheated myself of much delight and happiness that could have been mine. I didn’t appreciate the uniqueness of the objects because I was looking for what I had deemed perfection. My grandchildren had been wiser than I had been. They had savored the odd shapes and spots on the leaves. They giggled at and enjoyed the brittle crispness of the dying leaves, and they delighted in the soft, faded colors. They filled their bags with happy treasures to take home. We can fail to see and enjoy the unique happiness and beauty in each day if we are so focused on our desire for what we want instead of what the Lord has designed for us. (For full article click here.)

Now there is a lot to say of what am I "filling" my earthly bag with.  We are told that we are to go in search of a pearl of great price, and when we find it, we should sell all that we have to obtain it.  But I am thankful for this sweet reminder of seeing/finding the joy in life rather then seeking/only focused on the "perfectness" of something/anything!  I surely would have only placed the most beauitful and most perfect leaves in my bag as well!!  What if God did that?!  Only picked out the perfect and flawless children to communicate with/and or to love?  Well he would only have one Son in that bag, namely Jesus Christ.  But yet, I know that God treasures each of us!  Even with our unique flaws/imperfections.

Sister Menlove's story reminded me of a morning I had in May with Ms. Mia Bella.

It was cold, and cold, and lifeless, and did I mention COLD?! :)  Mia and I went outside to "see" what we could see.  No leaves, brisk wind, mud and dirt everywhere.  Needless to say the morning would not be counted as one of my top 10 beautiful mornings-- or so I thought!


Mia was running around and playing in the dirt.  Having such a fun time.  She would find an obstacle of sagebrush in her path and then only with the confidence that graces an adventurous two year old she would try stepping over the brush. It was fun seeing her confidently lift her leg and with a glance towards me that seemed to say, "Did you see how high I just lifted my leg?!" When she landed her footing successful, she would squeal and flap her arms in delight.  I was trying to be the responsible "aunt" in keeping her out of the more muddy spots, while allowing her the freedom of roaming around where she chose to.

Again, this morning was nothing to talk about for it was pretty bleak.  Or was it?

At one point I got close to the ground for kicks and giggles of wanting to capture the perspective of  a two year old footstep.  I captured a lot more than a shoe! 


My bleak/lifeless morning changed in an instant to breath taking yellow and gold spread splendor!  The ground was literally covered with hundreds of smaller than dime flowers.  They were EVERYWHERE!  Mia had discovered them before me! (The picture of her above crouching down is of her capturing one of the flowers.  If you look closely to her right you will see a littering of yellow. Click on the picture and you will see even better how there are flowers everywhere!) 

My morning changed!  Not because God put leaves on the trees and dried up all the mud.  But rather He allowed me to see, what I had failed to see... His beauty!  His hand! His sunshine! I expected to see it in the warmth of the air and in the hoped for "life" in the trees.  He however, had provided it just inches off the ground.

A guy on Sunday shared a quote that his mission companion shared with him.  "Perspective brings patience."  So eternal perspective, when viewing things as they really are--the "bigger picture" patience is provided.  Well my inches off the mud view provided a new perspective. As well.  Like Sister Menloves discovery of missing out in all the joy and treasures she could have enjoyed had she not be so focused on perfection, I too could have missed the most beauitful display/arrangement of sunshine right above the mud!

Perspective!!

A friend shared her despair as tears fell from her cheeks.  With life's changes she could not believe that God had taken so many things away from her.  I asked her if she had thought of all the things that Christ had done for her, to which she responded that she could not think of one thing he had done for her.  (It was like living Elder Oak's talk from General Conference for myself.)  My sweet friend, with tears of anger and tears of sorrow, grasped for any form of happiness, but sadly she was convinced that her happiness would only be found in her boyfriend coming back and her getting to "just live" her life how she wanted, without guilt or responsibilities.

I tried to share with her the hundreds of yellow flowers that marked and covered the path... but one must come to discover what is literately growing out of the "muds/hardships" of life for themselves.  She saw only what I saw at first... a lifeless, cold, bleak morning, and in bitterness and with anguish of soul her tears continued to flow.

My brother had a significant dream back in 2003:

"I had a dream a little while ago in which I was going to class when I began to feel quite thirsty. So I went to the drinking fountain and took a long drink, but as I did so I noticed that I couldn't feel the water in my mouth or throat. I drank again, again I felt nothing. Slightly irritated I got a large bottle of water and proceeded to empty its contents down in my mouth, I still felt nothing and I was becoming more and more thirsty. This was becoming quite aggravating so I left my class and found myself walking outside to a grass field which had sprinklers watering the lawn. I was sooo thirsty. So i went to the sprinkler and started to drink. Arrrgggg! Again I couldn't feel the water and I just go thirstier and thirstier. What was going on! As I was about to try the water in a near by gutter, I woke up. With an extremely dry mouth I got out of bed to get a drink. As I held the glass I stared at it for a while, trying to give it the impression that if I couldn't feel the water as I drank, it could enjoy being flung against the wall. I tipped the glass to my mouth and drank. YES! The water was cold against my throat, the thirst slowly dissipated. There are times in my life when I thirst, and I have found there are sources that cannot satisfy.  I am learning that there is only one true source for living water, Christ. He not only extends his water, He also pleads for me to drink. As I drink I am filled with his spirit and I find an increased capacity to feel and love. He knows how to quench my thirst because He too has thirsted like me. He causes springs of faith and hope in my driest times. He is the true fount, the fount of every blessing. I know He lives, loves and will lead me home if I will follow." -- Brytt Cloward

When we chatted it came down to the fact that she really did want to live her life the way she wanted to, and not have to keep commandments or put Christ in it.  The amazing beautiful thing about this life-- is that we can choose just to do that!  God will never force us to follow Him, or have faith in His son. But I echo the words of my brother that I too have found that there are sources that cannot satisfy.  And ultimately "there is only one true source of living water, Christ."

So I get to choose what goes in my bag!  May I fill it with the things that matter!  May I see what I couldn't see before in noticing the beauty of mud grown flowers!

To my dear friend-- God loves you.  And there is joy to be had even on seemingly bleak mornings.

May we see, what we couldn't see...!

Jesus lives!

ARE THEY IN?!!!! --RATTLESNAKES--

Nyk called me up yesterday to share with me a dream she had had just yesterday morning. So profound is the dream that I asked her if I could share it. Deep is the meaning and there can be so many applications. Thanks for calling me up Chick! Love you!

--
THE RATTLESNAKE DREAM - Nykelle Pollastro - 9.21.10

I had a most amazing dream early this morning that I know was inspired by God. I have never had an experience like this, and have never had a dream where when I woke up, I knew the interpretations immediately, and felt that it needed to be written down and remembered.

Carson gets up for work at about 4:30 am, and I get up with him to make his lunch/breakfast. I was still extremely tired from the events this weekend, so I decided to go back to sleep for a little bit at about 4:50 am. When I went back to sleep, I had an amazing dream dealing with rattlesnakes…

I was living in my Uncle Paul’s [Mapleton, UT] house before the new additions had been completed, and it was as if it was my personal home. I had put Mia down in her crib for a nap, and had left somewhere to run an errand. When I came back through the back door up on the deck that enters into the kitchen, I noticed the double-wide screen door was wide open. I was nervous, and thought, “How did this happen?” I was also frustrated knowing I was going to have a lot of bugs/animals to deal with in the house. Immediately when I came in and saw two strange animals that looked like a cross between a very small Kangaroo and a deer. I shooed them out. I then tried to close the screen, and noticed that a huge rattlesnake was trying violently to get into my house. I could hear him shaking his rattle and saw his fangs. I tried as hard as I could to keep him out, but the snake was too strong and came into my home. Mia ran up next to me and as I was yelling at her to run away, the snake turned to bite her. I was able to grab the snake right behind its head and stop his fangs from sinking into Mia’s face. He in turn tried to bite me, but I was able to pull back. I remember thinking that it was over and there was no way we could live through this. I was able to grab the snake and toss him outside and shut the screen, but I didn’t lock it. As I continued in the house, I found 4 other rattlesnakes of various sizes inside our home, one which was entering through the small crack in the front screen door from not being locked.

As I was looking for the snakes, I realized that Mia somehow had gotten out of her crib. I found a 2 year old child who told me that they had gotten her out. I was sad to see that a 2 year old had been taking care of my daughter while I was gone. I noticed Mia had some marks on her face from me not being there, either from falling, or scratches from the snakes.

It took several hours to try and get all the snakes out. I called [my husband] at work and desperately begged him to come home immediately to help me get the rattlesnakes out. He was a little irritated that I asked him to come home early, and a little reluctant to do so. As I tried to push the snake at the front door out, he would keep creeping in until I locked the front door.

Finally, I was able to get all 5 snakes out of my house and drown them with water from the hose. After we were pretty sure they were dead, they were collected in bags. My dad came over later that day to witness the snakes, and I specifically showed him the huge snake that I dealt with first. He was amazed at the size of the rattle and the head on that snake.

I woke up promptly at 6 am from this dream, fascinated by what I had just experienced. Immediately when I woke up, I knew the meaning of the dream. I knew that the rattlesnakes were the temptations of Satan and the adversary getting into our home. I knew that because I hadn’t locked the doors before I left, that the snakes were able to get in. I knew that “locking” the doors was a symbol of prayers/scripture study/FHE for our families. And as I thought about how much time we spent trying to get rid of the rattlesnakes, my mind immediately thought of Moroni in the Book of Mormon and the time that he spent trying to solve the disputations/problems among his own people, and because there was so much time spent doing that and not preparing, the Lamanites had full advantage over them when they came.

I felt the extreme importance of having daily scripture study and prayer, and also fhe with our families. That is our “safety lock” on our doors for our homes and our children. Without that, we are leaving the doors unlocked in a sense for the adversary to get in and tempt and destroy our children and our families. We then shouldn’t be surprised if when we have taken a break from spiritual “locking” the door with prayer/fhe/scriptures, that our family/children are beset with temptations/problems/contention. We then have to spend our time trying to “get rid” of the adversary snakes in our home, which is time lost in preparing for future trials and temptations, which is why the snakes kept coming back in to my home… I didn’t have time to “lock the door” because I was trying to get all the other ones out. This teaches me the importance of daily study/prayer/fhe, and that we can never take a spiritual “break,” because once we do, we have just allowed the influence of Satan into our lives, and just like Moroni, we will spend our energy trying to clean up and get rid of the problems, instead of preparing for future battles. I also know that the 2 year old helping Mia represents other influences taking over when mom and dad aren’t there to teach and be the correct influence, or when they are not taking the time to teach their children… the teachings come from some other source that will never be as good. Mia’s scratches/bruises on her face represent the results of the influence of the 2 year old, which shows the destruction that can come from outside influences.

I was shocked that this insight came so clearly and that I understood it so well, and knew the interpretation. I have faith that this was inspired of God, and that now is the time for me to fortify my family against Satan DAILY.

As and after Nyk shared this with me, so deep was the impression on my mind. I shared her dream with a friend which commented how this is a pretty powerful parable. True, true!

The truths that came with all of Nykki's insights - when times get worse, all the ugly stuff/temptations "Rattlesnakes" will always be lurking outside in the world. They will always be around and even hiding in the bushes of our homes. But if we do not allow them to come in, we can and will enjoy peace and safety inside our homes. Not naive from the dangers that loom outside, but ever confident that our homes are safe harbors and places where fear and terror for the enemy is not present because we (our homes) are fortified with faith in God.

Nykki--thank you for sharing your dream with me! Thank you for being sensitive enough to know that it came from God!

MANTI TEMPLE

On Saturday for the first time in my life I went and did a session at the Manti temple. I don't know if I have had quite an experience like that in the temple. It was WONDERFUL! Not only was everything beauitful and in order--but I could not help but ponder over the fact that this temple was where the Doug and Judy Cloward Family began. My mom and dad were sealed for time and all eternity, making sacred covenants and vows to one another and to God in that holy house. I wish I would have found out what sealing room they were in--next time.

The temple was beautiful inside. The pictures and the things unique to that temple--absolutely breath taking. It was like experiencing the beauty of the SLC temple for the first time. Something about these older temples and the personal sacrifices that went in to building them. The experience was sacred and I could not help but weep. Weep for joy and gratitude for my parents who decided to have the courage and the desire to follow God. Who are still striving to always retain/remember their temple covenants. I am told that marriage even with the right person is a work. But how grateful I am that they are working at it. The experience was very sacred for/to me.

The woman that I went through with, her last ordinances were preformed in 2004! My heart broke over the fact that she had had them started 6 years ago, and now in 2010 she was finally having her work done for an endowment. Oh how much work there is to do. And yet the temptation to be idle, or just self deluded/focus is amazingly great.

How thankful I am for temples of God! How much HE loves us. How much he trusts us!?! (Sometimes it is a little frightening just how much he believes in us.) :)

Jesus is the Christ.

Weekend To DOs:
Discover if I have allowed any Rattlesnakes to come in - GET THEM OUT!
Lock my doors
and the Relief Society BROADCAST!!!!!!!!!!! And then next week is General Conference. Seriously, this and the first weekend in April = MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR!!

REJOICING ALL WEEK!

There are many things I have been rejoicing over this week!

RS RETREAT - EAST BAY 3

Last Friday and Saturday we had our first RS retreat. Mom and Dad were so kind to let us come crash their place. They were willing to serve and help the whole time, for which I was very grateful. There were nearly 40 of us there!
We had 43 set in stone to come and another 5 maybes, but 40--for a retreat we didn't tell them too much info about?! Amazing mercies! Bishop through the whole prep time and actual event, was such a great supporter. When ever I feared what I was doing with the girls or what direction I was taking them, he was cheering me on. I have an amazing Bishop and his family...they are equal to his amazingness! (ha, is that even a word? Well for my purpose, it is now!! ha ha)

The enrichment board really stepped up and did great things! I was so proud of them! We had a stroll to the knoll Sat morning and Camila gave a great devotional! She asked us to feast upon the words of Christ. Other then being really cold because of all the wind, the girls were all troopers!

Meg and Karen taught us how to do bracelets so we could remember to be unified - with Christ - (The bead in the bracelet) in our center. They did a great job making our bracelets a symbolic tool to look at! I was impressed with the girls for getting their bracelets done. They all looked really good!

Citlalli had us do some different dances from our cultural backgrounds. Latoya started with a little Jamaican love- That was a lot of fun to see her moves. Then we had April show her hoop dance! She was really nervous at first but as she continued on her dance, her confidence grew.
How true that is for all of us. At first we start with something we are very nervous. Our Church attendance, a relationship, a calling... but the more we dive into the "whatever", The more our confidence grows! I was moved by how graceful she danced. It is defiantly in her blood! She did an awesome job teaching the girls the moves.

We had two gals with us that had just recently come in from Venezuela. I don't think they have ever been around the LDS culture but they jumped right in and showed us how to really move! H

There was a time, when almost every girl was out on the dance floor. Just dancing away. I jumped on a chair to get a better view. I was overcome with emotion. So many different cultures coming together as one! All I saw was a sea of love. I actually had to jump off the chair because the emotion was so overwhelming. Oh if other groups of people could have just been in the room with us. They would have felt it too. We were "one" that morning! No "ites" among us. It was beautiful!

Citlalli left us with a beautiful message about how we are all needed. God has a place/role for each of us. And when we come all together, he can work his masterpiece through us. The spirit was beautiful.

Then it was a little secret sisters out on the porch before leaving home.

DOWN I WENT!

As we were all in the cars, getting ready to go sing happy birthday to a 95 year old... I ran to check on the empty seats in a car--and as I was running I caught a big dip in the cement. And then just like the movies, it was slow motion as I tried to get my footing under control. NOPE-! I was going down. I hit the pavement and thought, "oh that hurt". My camera which has served me faithful for 4 years, bounced and rolled and stopped dead! Literally dead. Sad. I quickly rolled over to my back. My leg was in major pain and I could not feel two of my fingers. Thank goodness this happened in front of girls and not boys! Ha ha, it was embarrassing enough. All the girls told me to take it easy. I turned over and got right up. I tried to shake everything off. I went back to the car limping quite bad. My leg started to shake almost uncontrollably. I thought I was going to pass out. I breathed for a min and then got in my car. My fingers had turned purple on the ends. And I actually bumped them once and thought I might faint from the pain.

The rest of the day was hard to move from the blow of my leg. But let me tell you what a miracle happened! Nothing looked out of order on Sunday Monday or even Tues. I wondered why my leg hurt so badly , but there was hardly anything visible to my skin. Then Wed came!!! I was getting ready for work and I looked down at my leg... only to find the whole thing bruised! My foot is swollen, and is purple and black on both sides. Then all the way up my chin and my whole left side of my leg is one huge bruise. I am talking about 15 inches by 7 inch bruise! And it is for this cause I can not stop rejoicing!! NO BROKEN BONES! And although I can't feel the end of my pinky finger any more, there were no cracks, no breaks, not splits in my skin! Just one amazingly huge bruise!

My foot looks worse then my leg and my foot hasn't hurt for one moment! I don't understand the logistics of this miracle, but I know it is nothing short of a miracle. I now look at my leg and I rejoice seeing it so colorful because it just goes to show how much worse it could have been, and should be now! BUT IT IS NOT! !

Yes, I still am like an old women every time I kneel to say my prayers and I wont' lie, my leg is in awesome pain when touched, but if I don't touch it, I am fine! And my purple/blue swollen ankle and foot- I can jump on it and not feel a thing!!! that is amazing! God is soo good!! :D

BIRTHDAY SONG FOR MICKEY

My mom and dad had visited a friend's mom that was 95 years old. She was just a couple cabins down the road. They told me how great it would be if I would take my girls over to see this woman. I wanted to go, but the thought of making them all come - (after leaving the cabin a little over an hour late) seemed more then I could ask them to do. So I took my car load and motioned for them to keep driving. But one by one, their cars all stopped at the house and we ran up to go sing happy birthday to Mickey, this 95 year old woman none of us had ever met before. I was over come with gratitude for such kind girls! But then to see her face....she could not believe so many people who didn't know her would sing her happy birthday. Her emotion was visible and she cried as each girl climbed the porch to give her a hug.

I imagined if I had nearly 40 random girls at my porch singing to me I probably would have had the same reaction. Many of the sisters commented how that was their most favorite moment of the whole retreat--seeing this woman be so touched.

There is so much to do for the "one"! There could not have been a more filled sister in the gospel anywhere on the earth! I am surrounded constantly by God's elect. And His tender mercies. Oh to the parents that had such an inspired assignment. Oh to the girls that, although we had gone over time with our retreat, were willing to stop, sing, and then hug a complete stranger! I was surrounded by leaders all weekend. And the love was consuming.

To top the night off, we had an amazing stake conference. I must admit, my spiritual/emotional/physical pools were quite exhausted but I was thankful the Lord helped me in the meeting. Afterwards, Bishop invited all he could grab to go out for dessert. He and Becca ended up buying a few of us dinner (we had not eaten a meal since noon and we were all quite hungry.) This was such a choice moment for me. I have been able to study how Bishop and Becca are towards each other, and have heard their inspired insights about their thoughts with marriage (although Becca would just claim it is the normal way to be :) ) But here 3 other girls were able to learn from Bishop Larson and Becca. It was a very choice moment. My cup runneth over and I am going to need to switch to a bucket soon!

Rejoicing all week! Can you blame me?!

WE ARE TO DREAM!

As one last thought, I listened to this talk from Elder Holland. I freaked out because it is the first time in all my studding that I have heard an apostle talk about dreaming/setting our own dreams.

“God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future--to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities.“ God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe.” Jeffrey R. Holland

After reading it, I was filled with a new resolve to keep dreaming for a marriage that is centered in Christ and service. And keep dreaming that I can overcome/lay aside all sins that so "easily doth beset" me.

I got home late from the office last night and as I pulled open my scriptures to read one quick verse I opened to Alma 7:15. I wept because I know that it was not chance that I read the verse. And again when I woke up, the verse was the only thing on my mind.

Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.

Beset means=attack on every side/harass/surround. And that is surely what my sins do! Alma says to lay them aside every sin "which easily doth beset [me], which doth bind [me] down to destruction..."

That verse was for me. Now, lest someone read this and think one of two different thoughts, 1.)how can Bryndi have such heavy sins--oh bad thinking. I am human and have some ugly weaknesses I am pleading to over come. 2.)And no they are not the type of sin I would need to confess to a priesthood holder, nevertheless, they are things that easily beset me and I want to LAY THEM ASIDE--every one! And I only can do that through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I don't fully understand how it all works, but I am moving forward with faith.

SO--I AM A DREAMER! I dream for a day when I will hook up with someone who will let me be myself around him. I dream for the day when I can be sealed in the temple. I dream for the day when I have children to teach about Christ. I dream for the day when my kids will first show signs of applying the gospel to their life. I dream for the day when I am down in size. I dream for the day when I will have conquer my un-orderly habits. I AM married. I AM fully in love with my spouse. I AM a mother. I AM down in size. I AM a teacher of Jesus to my children. I AM an orderly homemaker!

There is power in I AM! I AM a layer down of all (my) sins. Thanks for teaching me this concept dad.

I AM A DREAMER!