Mothers Who Know

"There is eternal influence and power in Motherhood."

Julie B. Beck

I love a new year with it's fresh, clean start and new motivations to start anew. And along with that, come new themes. I love this because it changes my focus and allows me to think of new possibilities. Today at church, we had the most wonderful lesson on Motherhood. The Relief Society Presidency decided to focus on this for the year to help us realize that as women, we are all mothers in one way or the other. Her lesson was loosely based on this book:

I happen to have this book and it is awesome! I have also had the pleasure of meeting this author, Ardeth Greene Kapp, as she was my friend's aunt. Interestingly, she was never able to have children of her own. But as a Mission President's wife, she "mothered" hundreds of missionaries. She is such an amazing lady!

In our lesson, the teacher referred to the Stripling Warriors of the Book of Mormon and how they were valiant and strong. They attributed their courage and keeping the commandments to the strength of their Mothers. They were faithful and believed because they knew "our Mothers knew it" (Alma 56:48). Although the responsibility of this scares me to death, it also gives my great hope to know of the influence I can have on my children if I choose to live righteously and give them the strength and anchor that they need. That's a sobering responsibility but one that is also very empowering to me! She reminded us that we need to shepherd our children, just as the Savior shepherds us- with gentle guidance (not pushing), example, and unconditional love.

A few other key points from her lesson that I have to record so I never forget are:

• We work with our Heavenly Father to raise "our" children
• Heavenly Father knows our children even better than we do. And He has a plan.
• We need to teach our children to help and serve others. Ask who needs love and compassion at this time?
• Bear testimony to your children so that they have the absolute knowledge that the Stripling Warriors did.
• And when children give you a hard time, tell them "If I don't teach you this (specific lesson, ie. family prayer) I won't go to the Celestial Kingdom. Are you okay with that??" Loved that one! :)

She also referenced the talk "Mothers Who Know" by Julie B. Beck, RS General President. I think this will forever be one of my favorite talks. A few of my favorite parts are:

• "When Mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children." (I sure hope so! Because some days I wonder.)
• Mothers who know honor sacred ordinances. "They know that if they are not pointing their children to the temple, they are not pointing them toward desired eternal goals."
• "Helping growth occur through nurturing..."
• "These wise Mothers who know are selective about their own activities and involvement to conserve their limited strength in order to maximize their influence where it matters most."
• Mothers who know do less. "They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home..." "They are willing to live on less...to spend more time with their children..."
• Mothers who know stand strong and immovable.

Kathy (the teacher) closed with the thought that again, as women, all of us are mothers, regardless of our ability to have children. I am so grateful for the blessing of my children in life and that I get to be a Mother! I wouldn't trade it for anything. I want to be a Mother that knows!

"Motherhood" is a state of mind, a state of heart.

Ward Split

Tonight we found out that we are being split off from all of our dear friends in the Angel Park Ward. For my family, this is the 7th ward split in 10 years! Ward splits are very difficult, especially on the kids. Sometimes they lose friends, sometimes they lose leaders, sometimes they lose both. For Jake, the latter was the case. Needless to say, it has been very hard. This split was especially difficult because it was totally unexpected. We even bragged about how our ward was finally "land locked" so we thought they were safe. But our church and this area continues to grow...and so changes are needed. But boy are they hard! I think we have been with these people about 5 years. We have made some very dear friends. In fact one of my very best friends, Shelli, remains in that ward. And like I said, all of Jake's friends from the ward remain in that ward. It's tough! It is so hard to sit in a new ward, with new people. Although we know alot of them from past ward splits, it doesn't feel quite right yet. In alot of ways, it feels like we are losing family.

But it will change.

I keep reminding Jake of the many times we were split when Josh was a teenager. One time in particular, he was split off from most of his friends and his favorite leader of all time - Craig Sorensen. He really struggled at the prospect. But soon after, his 3 friends - Trevor, Brandon, and Wes (of the Fantastic Four) moved in, Brad was made his leader, and his life was forever changed. And I mean that literally...changed forever. What wonderful examples he was given and amazing memories he made! That is the miracle of our church. There are so many wonderful people!

We will get close to these new people and find out how wonderful they are. We will, eventually, feel at home again and wonder what is was ever like without them. But we will never forget the wonderful people we have been blessed to meet and associate with in Angel Park. They have truly helped us raise our children and touched our lives forever.

Some things I want to remember:

• So many young couples that are such strong church members- what great examples they are to me!
• Walks around the park, chatting with friends in their backyards
• Vacations with dear friends from that area
• All the babies in the ward that we "kidnapped" from their families
• The wonderful leaders my children were blessed with! Namely, Brad LeBaron, Nathan Forbush, Steve Terry, Casey Tanner, and more.
• Watching Jeff with Kailey...and Kailey with Jeff. She is a little girl that Jeff fell in love with at a year old! She is so cute with her dark brown eyes and for some reason, she touched Jeff's heart immediately. Josh and Jake fell in love with her, too. I can't explain how I love to watch all of my boys love her and spoil her. She liked me okay but if Jeff or one of the boys were there, she would literally push me to the side so she could hug them first. She spent many Sacrament meetings on their laps reading books. Although she will no longer be in our Ward, I sure hope they still ask us to babysit occasionally. Watching her and Jeff melts my heart and reminds me of his tender side.
• And I will definitely miss teaching with Jeff. We started with Maddy's age group (which we thoroughly loved since we got to be with her!) and ended with the Sunbeams. These little children are so special, each in their own, totally unique way. We knew that it would probably be our last week with them so we took pictures of them on our last Sunday. As you will see, the lesson was on being thankful for food and clothing. Hence the dress-up clothes... Ellie, Braxton, Benson, Luke, & Ashlee Jeff & I - in "switched" clothing Maddy, who was our helper that day, & Braxton Luke & Ellie Benson & Ashlee

Aren't they adorable??

Yes, I will be forever grateful for the Angel Park Ward. There were some horribly difficult trials during our time in that ward but with the help of so many, we were able to get through it and find out who are true friends were. We discovered that there truly are "angels" in that ward. Thanks to all of them! They will always have a special place in my heart.

Daddy Daughter Campout

This is Maddy enjoying the Daddy Daughter campout.
This is our friend, Berlyn Clark. She is younger than Maddy but their family are dear friends of ours.

And that is Berlyn with her Dad, Stan. Is that the cutest picture? Berlyn is usually very shy but when she smiles, it is the cutest thing ever!

And this is Maddy with her Daddy. She loved this swing and loved spending time with her Dad. They went up with Stan and Berlyn and stayed in their trailer. They stayed overnight and had a great time. I am so grateful to be part of a church that sponsors such great events, that leave us with lasting memories.

Sunbeams = Sunlight

Well I wasn't planning an entry for today but I just had to document my gratitude for a happy day. Jeff and I have been the Sunbeams teachers in our church for about 7 months. Although it is a calling with its challenges and you sometimes don't feel like you fit in, it is also a wonderful one! I feel so blessed to get to soak in these special little spirits. Their innocence and precious, little smiles are enough to melt anyone's hearts. I love watching their concentration as they are listening or learning something new, and watching their eyes light up when they see you. It truly makes my day! I don't take the time to appreciate it to this extent every week. Sometimes I just think of how tired I am and how I don't know if we're making a difference at all. Sometimes I wonder if it even matters if we are there or not because I'm not sure they are hearing anything I say. But then I get a hug from one of them or they beg to sit on my lap during Sharing Time or they tell me that they love me...and it makes it all worth it.

Another thing that makes it special is the opportunity of watching my husband teach these little ones. My love for him grows every time because I see him let down his guard and I watch their little spirits go to work on his heart. I can't help but feel my heart grow on those days. He doesnt think he is good at this calling but I think he's perfect. He always brings special props and experiments to teach his lessons and those kids eat it up. I am so thankful that if only for today, I was able to sit back and bask in the glory of these perfect little beings. They, and Jeff, brought such a peace to my day. We have such a wise Heavenly Father that thought to send these angels to earth so innocent and fresh so that we fall in love with them from the very beginning. I know it has worked on me.