Today is a special day for my husband and me! 19 years ago, today, at 10:20 a.m., Greg and I were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple!
It's amazing for me to think back on our life together. From our precious time dating, to our endless waiting while he was a missionary in Japan, to our thrilling engagement, and finally our sacred marriage and eternal sealing, my heart is overwhelmed with happiness! Has life been perfect for Greg and me? No, absolutely not. Yet because we have each other, we are perfectly happy together!
This morning as I walked awkwardly down the stairs in my big boot with a laundry basket, Greg was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a big smile on his handsome face. :) His combed, shiny black hair and glasses totally reminded me of Clark Kent! He was wearing his black and white "H" shirt in honor of his Harvard distance class that he'll be participating in tonight.
Smiling Greg took my laundry basket, smiled even brighter, got down on one knee, pulled a little, tan, textured box out of his pocket, opened it, presented it to me and said, "Will you marry me again? Because I would marry you again and again and again!" I excitedly said, "YES! I will marry you a million times!" Then I hugged and kissed and huggedhim! Greg pushed the ring box toward me and said, "Well?! Aren't you going to put it on?! You've been so patient!"
Oh, my darling Gregor knows me so well! He knows how much I love beautiful jewelry, and indeed how difficult it was for me to wait so patiently for my amazing Jose Hess ring! You see, I've been eyeing this designer ring for just over two years! Yet it was just never the right time for us to buy this ring because it was too pricey for our family's budget.
So when I randomly stumbled across "my" ring during an internet search (Remember, I've had a lot of down time due to Fankle!) and saw that it was 55% off, well, I just had to have it! I totally love that I "conveniently" found out about my ring right before our 19th wedding anniversary! Yes, I have a delightful shopping angel for sure! Ha ha.
Here is a collage of my happiest ring:
I took three of the photos from JTV, and obviously, my copyright doesn't apply to those. :)
The reasons I love my new ring so much are:
It's sterling silver. From the research I've done, sterling silver is the best metal for your skin—it's the least toxic.
It has cubic zirconia stones. Even though diamonds are the traditional stone for anniversary bands, and they're much harder, I have issues with the way diamonds have messed up the lives and economies of the people and countries who mine them. Plus, cubic zirconia stones are only one-and-a-half steps down from diamonds on the Mohs Hardness Scale; they're also only a half-step away from rubies, sapphires and emeralds!
It's in the shape of a braid. I've done research in the past to see the history of wedding rings. Apparently back in the day (thousands of years ago), couples in love exchanged rings made out of braided or woven rushes/grasses to show their love and commitment to each other. I like that this ring reminds me of the longevity of the wonderful institution of traditional marriage—I love feeling connected to the past love stories of our world! :)
I've always had a thing for long, beautiful, leafy vines—this ring reminds me of the kind I used to doodle as a teenager. :)
I love the fact that I waited just over two years for my ring, which is the exact amount of time I had to wait for Greg to return from his mission in Japan!
It reminds me of a laurel wreath which represents victory. Yes, Greg and I have absolutely been victorious in our marriage for the past 19 years! :)
My darling, wonderful, sweet, and oh-so-charismatic husband presented it to me in the best way possible! I never imagined he would do something so romantic! Be still my heart! :)
Now, maybe some of you are thinking, "Well, the way Greg presented the ring to her wasn't that romantic...", and you might be right. But for me—Adrie Peterson, eternal wife of Gregory Peterson—the way I was presented my lovely anniversary ring was exactly perfect and utterly romantic to the max!
You see, when a married couple has been through as much as Greg and I have (especially recently), our happiest little encounter at the bottom of our stairs this morning couldn't have been more perfect! Heart sigh. :) Besides, time was of the essence: Greg had to get on a business call and I had many loads of laundry to fold—still do! Ha ha.
Yes, romantic moments can be fully had when we least expect them. Romance comes in all sorts of ways—we just need to be ready and willing to participate when those moments are available! And we shouldn't ever try to force romance into a box (pardon the pun!), for there isn't just one right way to be romantic! We must forever cherish whatever romantic moments we're given—with our whole hearts and souls!
I'm so grateful for the smiles Greg has given to me for the past 22 years! (I'm including the time since we met each other.) No amount of money or possessions will ever compare to the spiritual connection, physical love, and eternal dedication that Greg and I share. When all is said and done in this crazy world, there will still be Greg and Adrie for eternity! P.S. This is exactly how I feel about my Gregor! :)
Yesterday afternoon, after I finished exercising (I did one of Shaun T's Insanityvideos!), I began listening to a few of the lessons in President Ezra Taft Benson's book, Teachings of Presidents of the Churchon my smart phone. As I was listening to "Chapter 2: Pray Always" (I was in the shower at that point), my soul was instantly struck by the following paragraphs,
"For what should we pray? We should pray about our work, against the power of our enemies and the devil, for our welfare and the welfare of those around us. We should counsel with the Lord regarding all our decisions and activities. (See Alma 37:36–37.) We should be grateful enough to give thanks for all we have. (See D&C 59:21.) We should confess His hand in all things. Ingratitude is one of our great sins.
"The Lord has declared in modern revelation: 'And he [she] who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him [her], even an hundred fold, yea, more.'" – D&C 78:19.
When I heard the scripture in the second paragraph, I had chills run from the tip of my head, down through my toes. My soul was on fire as I thought, "That means we should receive everything with thankfulness—even our trials!" While I've read D&C 78:19 many times in my life, I've never before thought about including our trials in the category of thankfulness.
In hindsight, I'm completely and wholly grateful for my trials. In my perfect 20/20 retro-vision (ha ha), it's easy and astounding to bear witness of the miracles that have blessed my life. But when I've been in the midst of my trials—with no visible end in sight—I admit it's been hard to be thankful 100% of the time. Yes, I am human: mortal and imperfect. I've made mistakes. In my own way, I've sinned with the rest of humankind. Throughout my life, I've said and done things that aren't totally pleasing to our Heavenly Father—many times, unknowingly, but a few times, knowingly. Yet I know that our Savior's Atonement covers all of my mess-ups, blunders, sins and ungratefulness through sincere repentance—He covers yours, too! :)
After I got out of the shower, I was listening to "Chapter 3: Freedom of Choice, an Eternal Principle." (Yes, I took a nice, long, rejuvenating shower because Insanity wore me out!) It's a fabulous lesson, too! I plan to give it for our Family Home Evening tomorrow night! But I digress... Anyway, I went to my phone, paged back to President Benson's lesson on prayer and began researching the scriptures associated with D&C 78:19. I was amazed with the scriptures listed in the footnotes—emphasis added:
1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another— 21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
*Even though Mosiah 2:22 wasn't included in their footnotes, I must include it because I don't want us to end on a negative note! :)
22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.
27 ¶Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Why are those scriptures so amazing to me? Well, simply put, if we let go of everything that means so much to us in our earthly life, and follow Jesus Christ and his gospel in every possible way, we will be blessed one hundredfold—to the point of having everlasting life!
Going back to the idea of receiving our trials with thankfulness...I must say that I now view my trials in the same light as this scripture found in Ether 12:27:
"And if men [and women] come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men [and women] that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
During the past few months, I've been on the edge of my seat with a trial that could potentially knock at our door. The crazy thing is, this potential trial could also fade into nonexistence! Thus, while trying to keep my non-worrying wits about me, many times I've reflected back on my family's experiences when we lived in Texas. Every time I've chosen to remember what we've been through, my soul has been instantly soothed. During most of our time living in Texas (until the last three months before we moved back to Utah), we simply couldn't see what was coming or why we had to suffer. To some, our situation wouldn't have been considered suffering, but to my sad soul, it was the most intense suffering I've encountered to this point in my life.
Yet my soul is reduced to tearful, joyful, happy smiles when I reminisce about the miracles that occurred in Texas, and how everything was restored to our family! Yes, my prior and significant weakness (those two-and-a-half-years we lived in Texas) has become one of my greatest strengths that I continually lean on during times of trial and stress! Thus, the words in Ether 12:27 are mighty applicable to me—their beauty is deeply personal!
My sincere plea to all of us is to receive everything in our lives—especially our trials—with thankfulness! Let each and every one of us praise our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for every blessing and trial they see fit to bestow upon us. And let us cheerfully choose to follow Them regardless how we view the situations we find ourselves in. If we follow the beautiful words found in the scriptures I've shared here, I testify we will truly be blessed one hundredfold! :)
P.S. I'm so glad I wrote this blog post today because I'm certain I'll need it as a reminder when I'm struggling through my next trial! :)
*Update: Before you read this lengthy post, please know that on 04/04/2019, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints changed its policy that I wrote about below. If you can find the time, please read the entire news release "Policy Changes Announced for Members in Gay Marriages, Children of LGBT Parents." Even though the Church's policy has changed, I'm leaving this blog post as-is for the sake of history. You have to admit that this policy saga is super fascinating, right?! I still totally love and fully support my church and its leaders. I am and will remain an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints forever! I wholeheartedly believe in inspiration and continuing revelation—both personally, and for The Church as a whole. With that said, read on, and I hope you have a beautiful day!
The past two+ weeks have been interesting—to say the least—for my church and its members. (In case this is your first visit to Enthusiastic Fantastic, you might like to know that I'm a very happy member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!) I was surprised that some of my church's policy information was sneakily released to the media on November 6th, 2015. That said, I wasn't surprised about the content of the news, just the way in which the news was released—for it wasn't released by the Church's typical channels.
Because I'm not on Fakebook anymore, I don't know for sure where the news story first broke. All I know is that one of the blogs I follow, Fair Mormon, released the first blog post I saw about it: "A Look at the Church’s New Policy on Children of Gay Couples." It's a great read, I highly recommend it. Here is the information verbatim from Fair Mormon that first introduced me to what was going on in my church:
Those who enter into a same-sex marriage are considered apostate, and will need to undergo Church discipline possibly resulting in disfellowshipment or excommunication;
Local leaders should seriously consider Church discipline against members cohabitating in same-sex relationships but not married;
Minor children in same-sex households are not to be baptized into the Church until they reach adulthood. At that point they must understand and accept the Church’s doctrine regarding the sinfulness of same-sex acts and marriages in order to be baptized
I thought those two sources were very clear and self-explanatory. I was not confused as to where the Church stood on the issue of same-sex marriage within its membership. Thus, I was surprised at the uproar seemingly everywhere on the internet, local/national media, and social media—and even within my own extended family. I mean, it's not a huge surprise where the Church stands in regard to SSM, so I couldn't understand why everyone was so shocked with the policy change—especially after the Church further explained and kindly clarified their position.
My church has been talking about the importance of families forever—and especially in the past 20 years! For reference, please read "THE FAMILY, A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD," that was released in 1995. Not to mention, please notice how many videos The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has produced about families and religious freedom—and I didn't even include them all. (You don't need to watch all of them, I just included the links in case anyone is interested.)
Also, the major motion picture, Meet The Mormons, does a great job of introducing what the Church is all about. I wish everyone on the planet would watch it! :)
Yes, with all of those previously listed sources, there should be zerosurprises about where the Church stands in regard to same-sex marriage.
As the past 17 days have unfolded, I've read and listened to many sources about the topic shared above. Here some of the links to what I've been researching (There are other sources I've read/watched/listened to that I won't be linking.):
"The New LDS Church Policy on Same-Sex Families"—There were several comments made in this podcast that rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't like the way some of the guests were making my church and its members out to be "evil meanies" (they didn't say that, it's just how I felt they were portraying us) because we're not evil nor mean!
"Pride and Faith," the recently-released video by Scott Raia. His video's tagline reads, "A BYU film student documents his growing awareness of the LGBT community, especially within the Mormon church. He sees his nervousness for graduation from college as a something of a parallel for the uncertainty faced by some of his friends as they transition to adulthood as gay Mormons."
Hopefully, anyone reading my blog can see that I check a wide variety of sources for information. I most definitely do not live inside a vacuum! ;) I truly try my best to see all sides of every life issue before coming to a conclusion or making a decision. Thus, please believe me when I say that after all of my researching, I don't have a problem with my church's same-sex marriage policy. The information my church has presented makes sense to me.No, my support of the Church and its leaders does notmake me heartless nor a bigot. Oh no, it most certainly does not! (By the way, I strongly dislike that previously mentioned b-word.)
While I hope this blog post doesn't attract haters, there's no guarantee of that not happening (Did I say that right? Or, is it a double negative? I'm overcome with wordiness! Ha ha.), which makes me a little nervous. That said, I still want to share my opinion on the subject.
First off, despite what others may think or say, I truly believe the Church has no ill will directed at the LGBT community—nonewhatsoever—and for the record, I don't, either. (For more on my views of my country's actions toward legalizing SSM, please read my post "The Supreme Court's Decision"—I wrote it before the historic and final announcement.) The Church's leaders have simply stated what they believe is right and true. I support my church leaders 100% because I believe they receive direct inspiration and revelation from the Lord, which means this policy change has been given to them directly from the Lord.
"Serving with these representatives of the Lord [in the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles], I have come to know their greatest desire is to discern and do the will of our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. As we counsel together, inspiration has been received and decisions have been made that reflect a degree of light and truth far beyond human intelligence, reasoning, and experience. As we work together in unity on perplexing problems, our collective understanding of an issue has been enlarged in marvelous ways by the power of the Holy Ghost."
Second, I get frustrated when people who aren't members—or are less-active members—of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints get so opinionated about something they don't even want to be a part of themselves! Seriously, what?! I wish I could say to them: Why are you being mean toward the Church and its members when you're not following its teachings, and you want nothing to do with it anyway?!
It's ridiculous to me that the only time haters care about the Church or its policies is when the Church has made a stand that the haters don't agree with. That's like me having an opinion about any number of other churches' policies. Am I an active/participating member of said church that I'm having issues with? No? Well, then I don't get to have a say about how they run their church. If, however, I was an actively participating member of said church whose policies I disagreed with, then I'd have something to talk about.
*Side note: I saw a news clip about the "mass" membership resignation of Church members that happened Saturday, November 14th. What I think needs to be pointed out is this quote from KUTV 2News:
"When asked if those in the LGBT community are actively wanting their children to be raised in the LDS faith, Matson replied, 'Honestly, no. They don't...'
"A recent poll conducted by event organizers and posted on the LDS Mass Resignation Facebook page shows only 5 percent of those who resigned this weekend attend an LDS church on a weekly or monthly basis."
So not only do most of those in the LGBT community not even want to be a part of the Church, only 125 of the approximately 2,500 people giving up their membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are actively participating members!Yeah, I'm pretty sure 2,500 members out of the Church's total population of 15+ million doesn't constitute the definition of a "mass resignation." (At least that's the number I've researched in the media up to this point.)
Third, I've been puzzled by some active Latter-Day Saints' negative reactions to the Church's new policy. To them I say: Pray for guidance and peace.Please read or watch all of the statements put forth by the Church. (I linked them above.) Realize that either you do or you don't support the Church and its leaders. (I support the Church and its leaders.) Either the brethren are spiritually in tune, or they're not. (I believe they are in tune.) Either they've made the correct policy update, or they haven't. (I believe they are acting according to the revelation/inspiration they've received from the Lord. Refer to the comment I previously shared by Elder Bednar.) If you believe the brethren/leaders are in tune to inspiration and revelation from the Lord, through the Holy Ghost, then accept what they've done. (I've accepted their actions, and apparently so have the vast majority of the Church's members.)
*Side note: I've been writing this blog post for a little over one week. Late last night, as I was shutting down my computer, I read a beautiful blog post, "Sustaining, Suffering and Enduring Each Other," by Bruce E. Dale, Interpreter, A Journal of Mormon Scripture. Brother Dale does a wonderful job of defining and describing what it means to sustain the Church's leaders and members. It is so worth five minutes of your time! :)
Fourth, for years, the Church has stood up for what it genuinely believes is right and true: that same-sex marriage should notbe legalized. I think it's fair to say that the Church did literally everything within its power to prevent that legal social change. But once the Supreme Court legalized SSM, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints supported the law, while simultaneously requesting that rights for religious freedom be protected. For reference, please see Elder Dallin H. Oaks' General Conference talk, "Loving Others and Living with Differences," given in October, 2014. His marvelous words were presented just two days before SSM was legalized in Utah—which catapulted the Supreme Court's country-wide decision. I know I've already shared portions of this talk previously, but I feel it's good enough to share again:
We all have the right to live according to our religious/spiritual beliefs and consciences, as is presented in an awesome PBS video I watched a few days ago (linked below). Religious liberty/freedom should not be squashed by anyone—including those who request tolerance and acceptance of their personal views and choices, but aren't willing to extend the same generosity to those with deeply held religious beliefs!
"No one wants to see our gay and lesbian neighbors mistreated, bullied, harmed. At the same time, we need to protect the pluralism of the public square that allows people to dissent from whatever the dogma of "the church of the sexual revolution" is. And that's the dangerous place that we're in right now, is there are many people who are suggesting that this wave of sexual revolution ought to trump religious liberty and conscience rights in a way that simply paves over the consciences of people. That's not the sort of society we ought to live in."
Of course, I could have easily shared many of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' leader's speeches on religious freedom, but I chose to share the perspective of Russell Moore—President of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission—simply to illustrate that the Church is not the only church that feels this way.
So where are we now? Obviously, same-sex marriage is legal in the United States of America and in other countries across the world. While there are many places that same-sex couples can get married, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints isn't one of them. The Church has the right to unequivocally state that they won't support or allow SSM within their membership, church buildings or temples. They aren't holding anyone back from being allowed the standard/legal definition of marriage in the worldly sense, but when it comes to the Lord's way of eternal marriage, yes, the Church has put their foot down—and they have every right to do so. The Lord has drawn the line in the sand so there is zero confusion about same-sex marriage—it's not up for debate in the Church.
What some people are forgetting (or conveniently ignoring?) is that not only does the Church not allow SSM, but it also has the following list of dos and don'ts that apply to all current and potential church members (I included as many as I could find/remember):
do our best to "build up" Zion, i.e., the pure in heart
To further illustrate my point, Doctrine and Covenants 38:16 tells us (emphasis added), "And for your salvation I give unto you a commandment, for I have heard your prayers, and the poor have complained before me, and the rich have I made, and all flesh is mine, and I am no respecter of persons."—meaning the Lord's commandments apply to everyone.
To go along with that scripture, I found this awesome quote by President Joseph Fielding Smith, the 10th president of the Church,
It's no secret that the Lord expects the same devoted discipleship from every member of the Church! And when we make mistakes, the Atonement of Jesus Christ is there to help us out—pending we utilize it through our full repentance! :)
I hope I've illustrated that the same-sex-marriage-is-not-allowed-in-the-Churchissue is a much smaller fraction of what it means to be an active and faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints than what the media is portraying. There will always be fluidity in the membership of the Church due to people becoming (and hopefully staying) converted, while simultaneously others neglect their personal testimonies (and all that encompasses) and become inactive members, or resign from the Church altogether. If people want to leave the Church, surely SSM won't be the only reason they choose to focus on.
What it all comes down to is this: we each have the right to believe what we believe! Those negatively affected by the Church's SSM policy change alwayshave the option to make different choices in order to access those beautiful and sacred ordinances, and receive the promised blessings.
Just like any actively participating Latter-Day Saint, everyone who has heard of the Church can choose to obey its teachings...we can all be blessed for our faithfulness. If people decide to follow our Savior, and do what is required to become and stay an active member of the Church, there are no restrictions holding anyone back—the "Blessings of the Gospel [are] Available to All"! That previous link is a talk by Elder Joseph W. Sitati.
As I've been happily thinking about what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints means to me, I get emotional if I try to envision my life without it. Because of the Church's teachings, I have been brought closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ than I ever could have imagined! My relationship with Them is, of course, made possible due to the Holy Ghost daily speaking to my spirit—and I wouldn't have received the gift of the Holy Ghost without my baptism in the Church! And don't even get me started about the amazing people I've met through my membership in the Church, for my life would be completely different without their positive influence!
Also, I can't help but reflect back on these lovely scriptures and their meanings—as I understand them (emphasis added):
Luke 12:6–7, "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." *We are all important to our Heavenly Father and Savior.
Isaiah 25:8, "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces..." *We are all saved; the Lord will always be there to comfort us.
Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." *Don't get sidetracked by worldly issues, we need to keep our focus on eternity.
Colossians 1:23, "...continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel..." *We must stay strong and true to Jesus Christ and His gospel!
Romans 8:35; 37–39, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ...Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." *Heavenly Father will always love us and wants us to come back to Him; our Savior's Atonement makes up for everytrial/problem we're given in this life (but that doesn't mean we should give up following the Savior's example—none of us get a free ride!); Jesus Christ is our connection to God, our Heavenly Father.
John 6:68–69, "Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."*Those verses say it all: who or what else can give us all that Jesus Christ and His gospel offers? I'd also like to point out that with this scripture (there are many others to reference), God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are established: the trinity is incorrect.
John 14:15, 21, "If ye love me, keep my commandments... ...He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." *We can show our love and devotion to our Savior by keeping His commandments. Our Heavenly Father will love us even more for following Jesus Christ.
Alma 34:32, "For behold, this life is the time for men [and women] to prepare to meet God..." *This scripture is one of my favorites! I always shorten the verse simply because I feel there is nothing else to say! :) We must do everything within our power to be prepared to meet our Heavenly Father!
Finally, I lovethis statement by President Joseph Fielding Smith, for his words say it all (emphasis added)!
"If we are living the religion which the Lord has revealed and which we have received, we do not belong to the world. We should have no part in all its foolishness. We should not partake of its sins and its errors—errors of philosophy and errors of doctrine, errors in regard to government, or whatever those errors may be—we have no part in it.
"The only part we have is the keeping of the commandments of God. That is all, being true to every covenant and every obligation that we have entered into and taken upon ourselves.
"Do not get the impression from what I have said that I feel that we should keep aloof from everybody outside of the Church and not associate with them. I have not said that, but I do want us to be consistent Latter-day Saints, and if the people of the world walk in darkness and sin and contrary to the will of the Lord, there is the place for us to draw the line." – "Chapter 19: In the World but Not of the World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith.
What I find interesting about the quotes I shared from President Joseph Fielding Smith, is the fact that, yesterday morning, I mistakenly thought the Church's 2015 curriculum has us studying President Smith—even though I subconsciously knew full well that we are studying President Benson! (Because I'm the first counselor in my ward's Young Women organization, I don't get to study the Teachings of Presidents of the Church lessons in Relief Society. Thus, every so often, I listen to the lessons on my phone while I'm getting ready for the day.) I strongly believe the Spirit (Holy Ghost) wanted me to think we were studying President Smith so I would find his steadfast words for precisely this post! :)
When all is said and done, I simply don't want to have squandered my days here on Earth. As imperfect as I am, I'm trying my best to be prepared to one day meet God and Jesus Christ—and I want to bring as many prepared people with me as I can (so to speak). I truly believe the Church is thevehicle of choice to safely deliver each and every one of us back to Them! :)
I had a close call last Friday night while driving north on the freeway near my home. That heart-stopping moment left me near-tears and very reflective...
Despite the smog and heat, last Friday was a lovely Utah day. Oh, how I love Utah! :) I began my day by taking my oldest son to his sophomore orientation...I can't believe he's that old! I was concerned my son would be embarrassed to be seen with his mother at orientation. I asked him if he wanted me to leave, but he was unflappable—even when a few of his friends said "hi" to him! :) It warmed my heart to see my wonderful son happy to be seen withhis mother...my level of happiness was (and is) indescribable! I just love that my boy wasn't embarrassed or annoyed by me (unlike I was at that age)—he made me feel like a million bucks! :)
After we found all of my son's classes and discussed our drop-off/pick-up routine, we decided to go school clothes shopping. I was thrilled that my I-love-playing-computer-games-and-basketball-all-summer! son was willing to spend an unspecified amount of time just shopping with me! Yay! I also loved that we talked endlessly while we shopped—it made this chatty Adrie very happy! By the way, it's no surprise that my son has excellent conversation skills! ;)
At one store, my son and I were having a lively discussion about which shoes to buy for him. We had been walking between three aisles with three boxes in our arms, trying to decide between five different pairs of shoes. We must have looked pretty funny debating back and forth to each other, walking around in circles! But it was a hard decision to make, you see! We finally decided he needed two pairs of athletic shoes: one pair for "A" day and one pair for "B" day.
I didn't realize until we saw a man staring/laughing at us that we must have been quite animated and verbal in our discussion. Yet I had my reasons for standing my ground (of which shoes would be better for my darling boy), and so did my son. We do love a good debate and aren't afraid to show it! :) At any rate, I'm glad we could provide some entertainment for the day! Ha ha. In the end, we were both satisfied with his choices.
We finished our shopping and headed to the drive-through to refresh ourselves with slushies. They were so yummy! We continued talking as we drove home and just enjoyed our time together. :) When we arrived home, we ate a late lunch and continued bonding.
After my son went back to his basement computer paradise, I readied myself for my next school shopping trip by creating lists for my daughter and youngest son. I suddenly became very tired and decided to take a quicknap. An hour and twenty minutes later (not so quick!), I finally awoke at the persistence of my baby boy. Man, I was bushed!
Before my other two children and I could go school shopping again, I drove my husband to pick up our car from being repaired/inspected for registration. We then headed back to one of the stores from earlier that day to return the suitcase I bought for Greg. As much as I liked the suitcase, Greg decided it was too small for his large shoes. :) My oldest son was pleased as punch that Greg chose the large grey suitcase he suggested for Greg from the very beginning! I simply thought the grey suitcase was too big...I was wrong. (I know, you're all thinking, "How could you have been wrong?!" Ha ha.) My youngest two children and I went to three other stores to complete our shopping lists. It was a long but productive night; we were all so happy to finally be done with school shopping! I would tell you more of our shopping adventures, but we don't have all night now do we?! Ha ha. Just know that we had a good time together. :)
As we drove home, I thought about how relieved I was to be free of our back-to-school week (Yippee!), for it has been a long week of preparing, shopping, school open-houses and scheduling!
When we were almost 10 minutes from home, I noticed that a vehicle in the lane way ahead of us swerved over and back into the lane. Because of the lighting in the sky (the sun had already set and the sky was almost dark), I couldn't see anything else in the lane but the massive SUV that had swerved. I thought maybe they wanted to switch lanes and didn't realize another car was there?
I never dreamed something would actually be in our lane in just a few moments. And I never would have guessed that it would be something truly harmful. I mean, how often is there an enormous and dangerous item in the middle of the road?? (Well, enormous considering what a vehicle can handle safely running over.) We sometimes see a shredded tire, or a piece of wood, or a plastic sack, or a tumbleweed, or an item of clothing blowing across the road, etc., but those things aren't life-threatening.
I can still see our scary moment clearly in my mind. I was driving with my hands at 10 o'clock and two o'clock, thinking about our day and all that we have coming up this week. All of a sudden, there was a large metal patio chair in the middle/right side of our lane! It was laying on its side with the round base of the chair on the left, and the back of the chair pointing to the right. I loudly sucked in my breath, slammed on my brakes, swerved my car sharply to the left and went right back into our lane after I passed the chair. I had zero time to react in any other way. Thankfully, the large truck in the left lane behind us also swerved as we swerved so we didn't crash into each other.
For many seconds after our adventure ended, I kept thinking how I couldn't believe I actually missed hitting the patio chair! I was stunned I didn't crash into another car! I was ecstatic that I didn't flip our car from over-correcting to avoid the chair!
I immediately wanted to start crying, but held it together because I didn't want my youngest son and daughter to be concerned or worried. After a few seconds, my son said how he was truly afraid he was going to die. Oh, I felt so badly that my wonderful boy was so scared! :'( Thus, I was relieved when he happily said, "Good reaction time, Mom!!" His words hung in the air.
As I thought about my son's sweet words, I was immediately drawn to the fact that yes, my reaction time was (in my mind) quite impressive. I literally saw the chair for the first time as I was almost on top of it and instantlyslowed our car and swerved out of harm's way. I know I was being watched over and protected by Heaven last Friday night. Yet I also know the fact that I'm in good health/shape definitely had something to do with our safety. I feel strongly that because I've been exercising consistently for such a long time now (Well, a year+ seems long to me!), my body was able to perfectly react to what my mind told it to do. I believe that because of consistent exercising, my fight or flight response is way better than it could have been had I not been "in training" for the past year.
I shudder to think what would have happened if I had hit that large metal patio chair. Would our car have been totaled? Would wehave been "totaled"? Would others have been injured? The chair would have hit our car on the front end, passenger side—right where my daughter was sitting, and my son was seated right behind her! I can't stand to think of them being hurt, or worse... Any of those previous options are not anything my family can deal with right now. I'm beyond grateful we were spared any sort of accident!
Each time I've had a close call in my life, I've been given a new mindset and this near-accident is no different. Life can literally be changed—or gone entirely—in a split second! I don't like to dwell on those sad thoughts, but they are the absolute truth! Thus, I've been renewed (again) in my life's efforts. I cling to all the lessons I've learned through my various medical trials that have mostly been resolved. I also perfectly remember the sad and difficult life lessons learned through losing my family's loved ones...they are never far from my thoughts.
Life is meant to be lived! Life is about having good and healthy relationships! Our families are the mostimportant relationships we'll ever have! Making our familieseternal should be our life's greatest goal! And once our families are eternal, we must daily do our best to keep the commandments and covenants we've made with the Lord. And, when we mess up (or commit sin), we must utilize the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repent. :)
When I created this typographic design two Sunday mornings ago, I thought it was just a happy, clever design for my Mia Maid class to enjoy. (And I would have been truly pleased with that result!) Little did I know that I would be creating it for my family and me! It's a sobering thought to internalize the fact that if it weren't for my fast reaction time while driving on the freeway (and thanks to the Heavenly help I received), I might not have my family time—as I know it—anymore.
I created "Family Time" with money green as the background color to illustrate that family is more important than money! :)
So today and every day, I challenge everyone—myself included:
Up your game when it comes to your family time! :) Spread your wealth (time) in the ways that really matter! Spend every bit of spare time you have with your loved ones! Better yet, repeatedly create that sacred bonding time with the people who make you you! Never let a day go by without expressing your love to your family! Tomorrow could be your last day, so fill today with love for your family!
In order to daily achieve my challenge, we must create a lasting and eternal relationship with our Heavenly Father (God) and our Savior, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Ghost. If we are truly trying our very best to daily listen to the Spirit and follow His promptings/inspiration/revelation (which is what Heavenly Father desires of/for us), we will be led, directed and helped in the ways we can best live our lives—so that we can create even more wonderful moments and memories with our families!
My family's accident-avoiding experience will stay with me for a long time. I won't take my happy family ending for granted—I'm making every moment count! :)
I had a fascinating conversation this past week. I won't divulge any specifics because I keep everyone else's lives totally private unless they ask me to share. During that conversation I was brought to "spiritual" tears because of the words the other person spoke. I don't like to cry, but sometimes my tears come to the surface and I can't help it! :')
In that teary moment, I was reminded of just how much Greg and I have been through in our lives as an eternally married husband and wife. Simultaneously, I had lightning-fast flashbacks of so many trials! As I reflected on our seemingly endless growing experiences, I was able to see the beauty of the strength Greg and I have obtained. Yes, we have suffered, but we have been blessed even more. Our hearts have been squeezed to their breaking points, but they've never shattered—even though it felt like that would happen more than a few times! Despite our struggles, Greg and I have seen absolute miracles brought to pass in our lives!
As I listened to the revelatory—and personal—spiritual truths this excellent person shared with me, I was instantly reminded that our Heavenly Father allows us to struggle. He knows we won't grow to our full eternal potential unless we are challenged, tried and tested on an almost-daily basis.
We grow spiritually in the same way our bodies become powerful. If we don't intensify our hard work or exercise throughout our lives, our muscle strength won't improve. In fact, if we don't participate in strength training throughout our lives, our chances of developing osteoporosis increase. If we never strive to better our bodies' conditions, they will atrophy and decrease in effectiveness and functionality as our years progress.
Just like our physical bodies are not meant to sit around on plush couches all day, our spirits are not meant to blithely sail through life. The quote, "Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors." is totally applicable to both our bodies and our spirits.
The great thing about our spirits is they can actually grow stronger and improve the longer we are alive! Unlike our bodies, our spirits don't diminish as the years go by. Thus, we must be humble enough to hand our wills over to our Heavenly Father, for they are the only thing we can give that genuinely express our gratitude for what He has given us. We must graciously allow Him to direct our paths—to enable Him to introduce us to our best selves! :)
Over the past two years, I've had many amazing conclusions to my life questions—I've written about a lot of them here. I specifically remember one moment in which I literally cried to the Lord, asking Him why? we were allowed to suffer so much, when He already knew that our family's outcome would be utterly happy and positive?
In that very moment, the Holy Ghost plainly spoke to my soul, "Would you change it?" My heart stopped in its tearful tracks. My soul was on fire as I contemplated His question.Would I change it? Would I want to erase the immense spiritual progress my family and I have gained through our trials and challenges??
I felt so small and cried even harder as I prayed, "No. I wouldn't change any of it."
I fell silent after that moment as I realized I had gained a greater perspective than I ever thought possible in my little life. When I really think about it, that crucial life moment makes me cry even to this day because I know that I matter to our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. And just like I know I matter to Them, I know everyone who has ever lived or will live on this earth matters to our Heavenly Father...and that connection is made entirely possible through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
It's impossible for us to comprehend the ways of Heaven, but I firmly believe that if we constantly endeavor to be spiritually in-tune, we will be able to connect to our Heavenly Father and the eternal hopes He has for each of us.
I told the person with whom I was speaking that I was truly grateful for all of Greg's and my trials. Of course, it's always easier looking back on our struggles when we're in a good place in our lives (you know, hindsight is 20/20; all is right with the world) but I wouldn't change it. No way. I wouldn't give up what we know nowfor the ease and convenience of having never experienced our difficulties—not for any amount of money or worldly possessions!
As I finished the fascinating and spiritually uplifting conversation, my soul solidified —without any doubt whatsoever—the fact that there are no coincidences. Everything happens for a reason! If we try our very best to live our lives in harmony with the Spirit, we will be led in the right direction; we will be guided to the things we need to do; we will be inspired with the words we need to speak.
I was also reminded that our spiritual connections with others are vital for our well-being! We need each other's souls in our lives. We must do our best to learn from others' experiences. We must not be fearful for we are meant to share our insights! Our wisdom is most definitely not meant to be hidden. Besides, why would any of us want to suffer more than necessary—especially if we can learn from others' mistakes and successes? :)
I'm honored that that wonderful person freely opened their soul to li'l ole me. I only hope I helped them in some way! :)
Please note that I actually wrote this blog post yesterday (Wednesday, April 15th), but I didn't have time to publish it because I was creating my typographic designs to go with it. :)
This morning began like every other morning: wake up at 7:00; wake up my uber-tired junior-high-aged children; take my thyroid pill with a huge glass of water; change into my favorite yellow and grey comfy-cozies; make my children's gluten-free lunches; drive my beautiful daughter and handsome son to school; breathe deeply as I drive home (I strongly dislike others' lame driving skills!); wake up my youngest sleeping child and tell him the weather report—so he can choose what to wear; eat a breakfast of champions (Frosted Mini-Wheats...my absolute favorite!); sit by my adorable baby boy on the couch for a few minutes while he watches NetFlix; check Instagram while my darling boy brushes his teeth; tell my sweet son it's time to leave for school; ask my Gregor if he's coming with us; drive to school; drive home, go inside, wish I could go back to sleep; put in my contacts; do my oral-cleansing routine; make Greg's and my bed look puffy and peaceful; call my sweet mama and talk on the phone with while I do dishes; hang up the phone; remove the yummy clothes from the dryer (Clean laundry is one of my most favorite smells ever!); switch the wet laundry from the washer to the dryer; watch a few minutes of a fascinating "House" episode (I absolutely l.o.v.e. that show! I would be completely thrilled to meet Hugh Laurie one day. I also love the fact that Mr. Laurie is still married to his original/first/only wife—and they have three children!)...
That's when things became not like every other morning: our home phone rang.
As I walked over to answer the phone, I thought about how I was surprised the phone rang because we don't usually get many phone calls during the day, and I had already talked with my mom. It was Greg's dad calling, so I gave the phone to Greg (he worked from home today). Greg and his dad don't talk on the phone too often, but they have a great relationship so I wasn't surprised he called.
Sadly, it wasn't the kind of phone conversation anyone wants to receive. Greg's dad said his (Greg's) Aunt Carol died suddenly from a heart attack this morning around 7:00. Even as I write that, I can't believe it's really true. Aunt Carol was the baby sister of Greg's amazing mom. Both of these wonderful, sweet, kind, funny and feisty women died entirely too soon. None of our family members were ready to see them go! I wish we would have been able to keep Anne and Carol until they were in their nineties! Sadly, I don't always get what I wish...
I found it highly interesting that just last week, I had a dream about Greg's darling mom. In my dream, Greg and I walked into a room filled with his immediate and (a few) extended family members. Some of them were casually sitting on a queen-sized white bed, and some of them were standing around. Everyone was casually chatting in smallish groups, but also together as a whole group. I looked directly at Anne and very surprisingly said, "Oh my goodness, HI!!! Can everybody see you?! Or, is it just me?!"—you know, because Anne is no longer with us. Anne smiled with her familiar twinkle and cheerfully said, "Yes, they can all see me too!"
In my dream, I realized what a special treat it was for us to be able to see Anne and spend time with her again. After Anne's and my initial conversation, everybody settled in, happily talking with each other. It was so awesome to just be in Anne's presence. Her entertaining personality was—as always—larger than life! Anne was just so delightful and fun to be with. In my dream we all joyfully conversed for a long time, but then I woke up. :(
Even though I was sad I saw Anne only in a dream, I felt so peaceful and happy! I knew this wasn't anordinary dream. I knew it was a dream of comfort not only for me, but it was also meant for Greg and his family. The only problem was, I felt a little silly sharing my dream with his entire family because I wasn't sure what they would think. So, I only shared it with Greg and his sister when she "randomly" called me last Friday to chat for a few minutes. Remember though, there are no coincidences!
So this morning as I thought back to the happy dream I had less than a week ago, I realized that my Anne dream was helping prepare me for a sad today. Even though we are heartbroken to have to say goodbye to our lovely Aunt Carol—who also happens to remind us of Greg's splendid mother, Anne, we absolutely know that both of their spirits live on!
The only two positives I can think about today's news are: 1) Aunt Carol has been reunited with her beautiful sister, whom she dearly missed; and 2) Anne and Carol are with our Heavenly Father, and our Savior, Jesus Christ—and the rest of humankind who have departed this earthly life. Here is one of my favorite scriptures that mirrors my thoughts—it gives me little tears every time I read it!
"...[T]he spirits of all men [and women], as soon as they are departed from this mortal body...whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." – Alma 40:11
No, dear readers, my happy Anne dream was not meant just for me. It was a beautiful reminder that even though our lives are relatively short in the grand scheme of things, we are not left here all alone. Let me repeat: we are most definitely not alone in our lives! No matter our circumstances, we have sweet, heavenly angels watching over each one of us, reaching out to us when we need them!
After thinking about this morning's life-changing events, I called my mom again. We chatted for a few minutes before she needed to attend to my nephew. I hung up and had a good cry about Aunt Carol. When I finished crying, I called my dad. We had a nice conversation that went on for quite a while. I made sure both my parents know how much I love them, and how grateful I am that they are still living healthily and doing so well. Life is such a gift! :)
Throughout today I've had recurring thoughts about being prepared. I've decided to expound on what "Be Prepared" means to me.
Being prepared usually implies we should have many physical objects that will enable us to continue living in the event of an emergency or a catastrophe. We talk of food storage, water, flashlights, soap, gas, generators, 72-hour kits, bedding, first-aid kits, clothing, shoes, medication, oral care, visual aids (i.e., contacts and glasses—not technology, ha ha.), sunscreen, health/life/homeowners/renters/auto insurance, etc. If we're talking about outdoor adventures, the be prepared list grows significantly.
I fully agree it's important to work on gaining emergency supplies for the benefit of our families and friends, but I see the most vital element in being prepared in terms of relationships, for they—and our memories and knowledge—are truly the only things we take with us when we depart this earthy life.
Yes, even though we don't know when the moment will come, we must daily prepare to meet our maker. Every one of us must carefully evaluate right now to see if we are doing what it takes to have confidence when meeting God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. We'll never know exactly when we'll be chosen to go to the other side, but just like so many of our family members, friends and acquaintances have done in the past, it will happen eventually. I can think of nothing more wonderful and worrisome than meeting our Heavenly Father, and Savior, so I hope we're ready for that amazing moment!
I think one of the most important ways to be prepared is by having a clear conscience in regard to our family relationships. We must never let a day go by without saying, "I love you!" to each other. We don't need to throw out a continuous barrage of "I love you...I love you...I love you!" all day long (reminiscent of Don Lockwood fake professing his love to Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain—one of my favorite movies ever!), for that would become tedious and the recipient might doubt our sincerity! Yet it is very possible through our actions, words, and deeds, to show our dear family members every day just how much they mean to us...how special they are to us!
Of course I understand that notevery family relationship is a perfectly beautiful walk around Secret Lake, but it is possible and essential to never let our family members wonder of our love for them. :)
I loved finding these cute flowers to represent the "He/she loves me; she/he loves me not" idea. :)
Similarly, if we have family relationships that aren't so rosy, it's vital for us to find a way to put the past behind us, make amends, and move on. Forgiveness is a must in every family relationship! I know sometimes it might be hard to want to forgive our family members, yet that's when we need to pray for help—like we are going to meet our maker tomorrow. We must pray to have the desire to forgive those who have hurt us. I'm not implying we should ever allow ourselves to be put in harm's way, but I am saying we need to completely forgive, while simultaneously staying safe.
Once we have made every family relationship right, it's time to work on our other friendships or acquaintance relationships. When the time comes and we find ourselves in heaven, we should be ready to meet anyone we know—without a cloud of disappointment or regret overshadowing our reunions.
When those heavenly meet and greets come for me, I dearly want to have a crystal clear conscience. I know I won't ever be perfect here in this earth life, but I never want to bump into someone in heaven whom I haven't forgiven here on Earth. Obviously it's up to them if they choose to forgive me, but I'll at least try to ask for their forgiveness. That said, I know I have some work to do...it might take me a while to get there, but please know that I'll be actively working on my forgiveness skillz! :)
I'm filled with gratitude in the fact that my relationships with my departed family members were in excellent standing before their dear souls were taken home to heaven. Even though I miss them terribly, I have such peace knowing we're all good!
Even though I try really hard to consciously live my life in the moment, every moment, days like today help me re-internalize just how temporary and priceless our lives are! We'll never know how much time we have to enjoy with those most important souls we adore. I hope each and every one of us makes the very best use of each invaluable moment we are given!
P.S. Off to P90X I go—it's KenpoX day! *Because of our sweet Aunt Carol's sudden tragedy, I've decided I will never, ever, stop exercising until the day I die. Of course I won't exercise completely continuously—for that would be unhealthy for me to never rest, but I will definitely exercise enough that my body remains as healthy and strong for as long as possible! P90X Foreva'! Ha ha.
